Back to School... Back to School...

Hi folks! I hope everyone is off to a great start of their school year. I've got to say so far things have been looking pretty good in room 148. There really is something magical about the 1st week of school (although giving up summer is pretty rough!). So many shiny pencils, new outfits, perfectly sharpened crayons and friends to see again. This time of the year is exciting, yet scary, because the environment that is created in these first few weeks really sets the tone for the rest of the year!

Here's my classroom on the first day. Take a good look because it will never be this clean again!

The other thing that gets me at the beginning of the year is PLANNING. Why is this still so hard? This will be my 4th year teaching and every fall I feel like a first year teacher again. I wrestle with myself back and forth... back and forth... over the best things to start with. What skills do they need before they can do this? What do I wish they had known earlier last year? Since everything isn't an option I find myself having to make some decisions. Then change them again. "It is what it is" right?

One thing that is sure to be a part of my plans that I don't have to think about so hard is Patriot's Day. So glad to have my Patriot's Day Literacy Activities resource to put into my plans! The link is below:

Cheers to an awesome year!