Old School, New House

The students came back last week, so I spent a lot of time up at school getting my room ready.  This year, I am Language Arts 7-12th grade, so Nathaniel and I switched classrooms.  He is now teaching Health, PE, Career Technology, and Computers.

 Since we are still in the old school building, I tried to freshen up a few things, like painting this stool.

I learned a few things that would make my life easier as a teacher.  I put this tape in front of each row.  So instead of saying, "straighten up your desks," all I have to say now is, "line up your desk with the blue tape."  

We are following a new behavior program called PBIS, which stands for Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support.  Teachers can get frustrated because we have expectations for our students, but somehow they can't read our minds and do everything we want them to do.

PBIS came up with another acronym called CHAMPS.  Each letter of the word CHAMPS tells the students exactly what you expect of them at that moment during class.  

Below: I hung up a poster, and I put a check mark next to each thing I expect of them.

C- Conversation 

This is your voice level...

H- Help 

If you need help, here is what you should do...

A- Activity 

During this activity you should be...

M- Movement

This is the movement you have permission to do...

P- Participation

This is who you will be working with...

S- Success

Today you will need these materials to be successful...

My classroom library

The hodge-podge of tables, desks, and chairs

Every seat faces the board

Left: I saved some projects from last year and hung them around the room.

Right: Independent Reading books

I started an MVP of the week for those students who have a good attitude, work hard, and set a good example.  The jerseys are laminated, so I can write the names on with a dry erase marker.

My weekly calendar

This idea has helped keep my classroom SO MUCH neater.  I took pictures of each shelf around the room.  The picture shows EXACTLY what the shelf should look like at the end of class.  The students cannot leave the classroom until the shelves match the pictures!

Big screen!

Back at Cross Country practice... we picked up a new teammate... Billy the dog.  He raced the kids as we did sprint build-ups back and forth on the road.

Billy wanted to lick everyone while we stretched.

We "pushed back" our food at Walmart while we were in Anchorage.  Three weeks later our food arrived!  Just in time too, we were getting sick of ramen noodles.

Nathaniel found a 6-foot beanbag chair online.  It came in this box, and expanded for 7 days!  It is full of memory foam chunks and it is SO COMFY!

Our guest bedroom.

Our room with nice big dressers.

This wall decor was a coincidence.  The girl who lived here last year stuck these mirrors up on the wall.  Only one of the mirrors came off, and we were afraid taking the rest down would damage the wall.  So I just happened to have a sign that fit perfectly in the empty space.  It also matches our quilt!  I was a little more excited than Nathaniel was about this.

The living room with our projector and white vinyl screen set up.

We have Dish Network this year!  I love the news and Nathaniel loves his ESPN.  We even get to watch Cardinal's games sometimes.

The entry way.

 We emptied this room out to create a workout room.  My neighbor gave me this elliptical and we have some free weights in the closet.  We also ordered some TRX workout equipment and a pull up tower.

I LOVE the kitchen.

We love our new house!!!!!!!!