Back to School Open House

Whew!

I just got home after a wonderful evening at the school.  I really enjoyed meeting my new first graders and their families!  I have to admit I was very nervous about Open House, but everyone was just so nice.  I can really tell that I have a great bunch of kiddos!

Tomorrow is my last work day before school starts on August 25.  I still have quite a few things to do and I am starting to feel a wee bit of pressure.  As a first year teacher, it has been a very time consuming and demanding process to develop a brand new set of classroom routines, delve into the prescribed curriculum, and set up an empty classroom in just a couple of weeks.  Nothing beats the satisfaction of having a child say that they really like your classroom, or having a parent give you positive feedback on your discipline system.  I am proud of my classroom and all of the work I have done over the past few weeks.  However, that being said, I owe a great deal of gratitude to my first grade team who has offered so much advice and instruction to me.  They have been amazingly supportive!  Thanks gals :)

Well, I am excited to get back into the classroom tomorrow to get things squared away for Day 1.  Wish me luck!

 

Setting Up My First Grade Classroom

I am so excited for school to begin in just a few weeks!  As a first year teacher, I feel as though I still have quite a bit of work ahead of me before the students arrive.  I have already spent many, many hours setting up my first grade classroom.  This has definitely been a labor of love and I have enjoyed every minute of printing, laminating, cutting, and taping that I have done.  I am pleased with my progress thus far, even though I still have a few more things on my checklist.  Here are a few pictures from my classroom as it is currently.  Once the class lists are given, the room will have more personalized touches, of course.  I will continue to add more pictures to the blog as I get the room more set up.  Hope you enjoy the tour!       

Technology Center
Students will practice computer skills such as typing and navigating Internet websites during their time at the technology center.  I used contact paper to jazz up the old file cabinets beside of the computer station.  A long time ago, teachers were allowed to paint school property, but now we are not... so I am stuck with blue and yellow file cabinets.  A special thanks to my Mom who created the bulletin board behind the computers! :) 

Calendar Area
Yes, that is a zebra print rug you see!  I wanted to make the calendar area inviting and fun for students by using bright colors and interesting patterns.  There are many different features on the calendar bulletin board.  Students practice math skills such as counting numbers 1-100, place value, telling time, identifying and counting money, and addition facts.  We also discuss the weather, temperature, and seasons during calendar each day.       

My polka dotted desk and the back of the room
On my desk, I have both a pink "Tattle Can" and a "Kiss Your Brain" Jar.  The "Tattle Can" is available for students to write down a conflict they have with another student, if A) the situation is not dangerous, or B) they cannot resolve the problem using nice words and/or actions on their own.  The idea is to minimize the amount of tattling and disruption resulting from the tattling in the class.  Examples of tattling are: "he fronted me" or "she took my highlighter."  I will address any notes in the Tattle Can at a time when it is not going to disrupt student learning.  The "Kiss Your Brain" jar will be filled with Hershey Kisses as a treat for students that are working really hard.  

Word Wall and Guided Reading Table
The Word Wall will be filled gradually with high frequency words from both kindergarten and first grade that students should be able to quickly identify when reading.  We will cover different lists of high frequency words each week, which the students will practice using in context as well as spelling accurately.  The word wall serves as an resource for students during reading and also during Writer's Workshop.  Guided Reading is a very important part of the day when I get to spend 10-15 minutes with a small group of homogeneously grouped readers.  We will work on decoding and reading comprehension strategies as a group each day using leveled texts.     

A Little About Mrs. Cook

Welcome to my blog!

Let me start off by telling you a little bit about myself.  My name is Katherine Cook and I graduated in May 2011 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Elementary Education and Political Science.  I spent my full time student teaching experience in a kindergarten classroom in Chatham County, but I interned in both first and fifth grade classes prior to student teaching.  This will be my first year teaching and I am so very excited!

I was born and raised in a small town called Summerfield in North Carolina, which is just north of Greensboro.  I moved to Moore County about a year ago, and currently I reside in Carthage with my husband and two calico kitties.  The Sandhills is a lovely region, and I look forward to many more years here!  In my spare time I enjoy reading, horseback-riding, and exercising, but I have a passion for cooking/baking.  I love trying new recipes!

Here are a few of my favorite things.... My favorite food is cheesecake.  My favorite children's book is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and my favorite color is green.  My favorite animal is a kitten and my favorite season is Spring.  That about sums is up!

Now that you know a little about me, I would like to say how excited I am to get to know each and every one of your families this year!  Please know that my classroom door is always open, and I am positive that this year is going to be a fantastic experience for you and your first grader.  I have many fresh and innovative ideas that I cannot wait to share, and I know my enthusiasm and passion for teaching will make this a memorable school year!