The Whirlwind of Week 2!

Here in Georgia, we are back in full swing with our new school year. We just finished up our second full week (kids came back on 8/5!!), and it has been a whirlwind to say the least, lol. The first eight days are always filled with the usual collection of paperwork, textbooks, and lockers in addition to prepping for Parent Orientation. 

Now that I'm headed into our third full week, things are starting to fall into the normal routines giving me time to blog, finally!

First up: My new room! I literally moved from the first room on the hall to the last. My hallway is the green hall, so we all joke about walking the "green mile." This is literally what I started with this summer.

Next up: My door. I really wanted to create a warm and welcoming environment for my kids. Since I'm in a new room, I was able to really brainstorm with my "blank canvas." My door was my first project :) I have an entire Pinterest board of quotes and sayings that I really hope make my students stop and think about their own choices and actions and how those choices and actions might be felt by others around them. 

Third: My updated bulletin boards! I found an awesome TEXT FEATURE CHART chart that my media specialist made into a laminated poster for me. 

Text Structure and Text Features

On the other side of that same long bulletin board are my non-fiction and fiction signpost charts along with some amazing close reading keys made by Jen White at Teaching Teens in the 21st Century. Check out her TpT store. She has some fantastic ELA materials!!

Non-Fiction and Fiction Signposts along with Close Read Keys

Fourth: The basis for my lesson plans this year.... I am so so excited to incorporate Kelly Gallagher's writing strategies in addition to Jeff Anderson and Gretchen Bernabei's grammar lessons into my every day instruction. In the four lessons I've already done in the last week of school, I've noticed that my students don't moan at the idea of grammar or writing instruction!!!

I had all of these spiral bound at Office Max. About $4 each.

 Fifth: At the end of last school year, our 8th grade ELA department requested iPad minis in an effort to more meaningfully incorporate technology into our classrooms. Our county also put on a wonderful conference in which a fellow ELA teacher and I learned about mirroring our iPads via Apple TV. Seriously people, a whole new world just opened for us!!!! While I had an ELMO, I just passed it on to another teacher because the ability to mirror my iPad using the Apple TV has totally replaced my Elmo. I can edit essays with students using OneNote in addition to taking pics of their warm-ups to put on the board to discuss. IT'S AMAZING!!!!

Just got my iPad and Apple TV hooked up :)

I am truly so excited about this school year to try out new tech and inspire kids to reach higher than they thought possible! I'll keep you posted :)