Classroom set up

Hey team!

After a crazy week at school, I finally feel settled and ready to go (just don't look in too many cupboards)! I took some pictures of my classroom to share.

Below are some levelled books. We use the French versions of the "Reading A-Z" books. I'm working on building this collection as I have to print off each book and cut/staple it, but it's getting there. A long term goal is to have enough of them that I can develop a home reading program. 

Does anyone have any French book sets that they use for guided reading in primary FI? We have yet to find any good ones. I'd love to know what you use! 

As I have a split class this year, my biggest challenge was dividing up the space in my room. I created a word wall for grade 1 and a separate wall for grade 2. There will also be a high frequency word wall, but I have yet to decide where that will go. I need to build some more walls... 

In between the pocket chart word walls I have a bulletin board. The grade 1 side has some calendar posters, and I will add to the grade 2 side with my kids as we review vocabulary. 

Underneath the board I have some levelled books. They can choose a book to look through when they finish their agenda message in the morning, and later on in the year they will be using these for daily 5.

To the left of the carpet area I have a little reading nook. 

Above that are strings with clips to hang student work from. 

And last but not least, the space in the corner will be developed into a writing centre! I want to add things slowly while going over routines with my students.

I'd love to know:

What book sets do you have in your classroom?? 

How are you running small group instruction in your FI classroom?

Leave a comment to share :)

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Classroom set up - colour posters

Hey team! 

After a busy two days, things are starting to come together! I have been putting a few things up on my walls and started setting up the whiteboard layout. Thankfully I've had help from an amazing friend who is reallllly good at taping straight lines. Turns out that is not one of my strengths! 

Here are my colour posters: (also available in english and spanish)

I have a 1/2 combined class this year, so it has been tricky navigating the space that I have on my walls. Above is the bulletin board by the carpet, split in half to give a space for each grade.

Here is my daily schedule space:

 And the birthday wall: (also available in english and bilingual)

I just need to get my class list so that I can get it all set up with their birthdays! I've laminated them and I am going to write on them with wet erase pens.

Hope you are all enjoying the craziness of the last few days before school starts :)

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Back to school activities

Hey team! 

Less than two weeks now!! I'm anxious to get back to my classroom to get started on organizing. I can't wait to get my classroom all set up :) In the meantime I've been doing as much prep as I can from home. 

I've uploaded my most recent file with some back to school activities:

It also contains duplicates of some activities, so you can decide if you want your students to write or draw. My grade 1 students will be brand new to French, so they will have space to draw their answers, while my grade 2 students might be able to tackle writing a sentence or two. 

You can check it out here in French or English. 
**Both files contain the note to parents in ENGLISH, so that it can be sent home.

As always, shoot me an email or leave a comment if there is something you want to see ADDED to a file. I am always happy to update them! 

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Living things unit

Here it is! I've been prepping for September the past few weeks and finally finished my grade 1 living things unit. Printed, cut, laminated, cut again, and sorted into ziploc bags. I laughed last week when someone said to me - "I thought teachers were just given all of that stuff!?"

It feels so great to go into the school year feeling organized and ready to go! My binders have been a collection of mismatched papers since I started teaching, and it feels great to go through and organize them unit by unit. The OCD part of me (all of me!) is ridiculously excited by this! 

Check it out in English and in French! 

I'm always happy to add anything to my units. If you don't see what you're looking for, let me know! 

- Gem 

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Birthday cupcakes!

Hey team, 

I'm currently warming up my laminator to start making my monthly cupcakes for my own classroom. I love my laminator... It makes me so happy (I know, such a teacher nerd). I just wish those darn laminating sheets were less expensive! I made the mistake of making birthday cupcakes years ago with construction paper, and they have faded horribly from the sun :( I'm hoping the ink and card stock will hold up better for me! 

Anyway, here they are: 

When I get my class lists I will write the birthdays in the white spaces! 

Check them out in French, English, or Bilingual! 

I'd love your feedback!! 

- Gem 

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A freebie for you!

If you're already planning your classroom set-up, here's a freebie to help you! 

I use these in my writing centre! My students pick their topic (e.g. birthdays, space, technology) and write about it in the book. They love adding a new page to the book, and flipping back to read past entries by their friends. When we have time to share, it's fun to read a few pages from one of the books as a class. 

The file includes many different book covers. We choose a few at a time as a class, and then I switch them up when they're done! Hope they're useful for you!!! 

You can download them here in English and in French. 


-Gem

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Post-move mayhem!

Hey everyone! 

I hope that, unlike me, you were lucky enough to NOT have to move classrooms this past June. I have spent the last few weeks thinking (stressing!) about the mess that will have to somehow transform into my new classroom in just a few weeks. I seem to have a knack for collecting things... so, so many things.. and this is just a fraction of the chaos that's in my room: 

We can't get into our school until the last week of June, but I've been mentally preparing for how I will sort through the mess ever since I left it there! 

Is it time to start an official countdown yet?!? 

Enjoy your last few weeks!! 

- Gem

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