Organization Week: Day 2

I actually don't have literacy centers since I just teach math and social studies. However, I do happen to have some pictures of my math center. I took these a few months ago. They have since been updated. I'll have to take some pictures this week and update it for you!

I have 4 student computers in my classroom that take up a pretty big amount of my space. I had to improvise to find a location for my math center. This is my solution! It's a wall on wheels. Again, this picture is not updated. This is what it looked like in the early stages. I have since applied cute little labels and rearranged.

Here are some of my math baggie games (in the drawers) and folder games. The blue bin of folder games is brand spankin' new, so I haven't made a label yet.

Hope you enjoyed! I can't wait to see your centers!

-Productive, while wasting time :D

Organization Week: Day 1

Mrs. Patton is having a week-long linky party on organization! I'm actually not part of the party, but will post anyway. :)

Organization is one thing that I am VERY passionate about!! I am still working on being 100% organized at school. I'm about 85% there. (I did mention how OCD I am, right??) It would be SO much easier if teaching didn't get in the way ;)

I just so happened to take a picture of my daily materials crate on Friday, so here it is:

This is where I keep all of the worksheets & materials for each day's lesson. I have a folder for each subject for every day of the week. (You can pretty much tell how it is organized from the picture.) This works VERY well for me! It also makes it very easy for a sub to find.

I can't wait to see what everyone else posts! Long live organization!!!!!


....yes, I am a nerd.



-Super happy and relaxed

"Hands-On" Learning!

Looks like math class is going to be fun today!! (Hello--when is math class NOT fun?!?) ;)

Taking a "hands-on" approach to transformations!

Translations, Rotations, and Reflections!

(Sorry for the awful name cover-up job! :D )

Gosh, I Love Target

My students use individual white boards fairly often during my math lessons. It's always a pain to pass out a tissue (for erasing purposes) to each student, each class period (not to mention a waste of tissue!). I know I'm not the first to come up with this idea, but while on my weekly Target run (borderline addiction) I had an idea! I've been wanting a classroom set of cute little fabric squares (with frogs, of course!). It hit me when I got to the bathroom decor section--why not use wash rags, which come in fun prints and colors?!? So that's what I did:

(Please excuse my poor quality iPhone photo)

I bought 24 wash rags, more than enough! I splurged on the middle set--I figured I could have at least one super cute set of wash rags :) The green and blue sets were $2 each! I used them for my after-school tutoring group today. The kids were very excited to break them in for me. Money well spent. :D

Introduction

You may be wondering about my blog title. Well, 2 of my favorite things are frogs (my classroom theme) and cupcakes. I really enjoy the 2. However, life isn't always about what you enjoy. You don't always get what you like. Therefore, life isn't always frogs and cupcakes...but some days it can be!!!

I'm a 4th grade teacher in a Texas town. This is my 5th year to teach. The first year I was in a very small Texas town Head Start. I have been teaching 4th grade in a larger town ever since.  I also just started an online master's program in curriculum and instruction which is keeping me pretty busy. I'm a Christian, mother of a 1 year-old, wife, grammar nazi, ADD, OCD, at one time considered GT, and extremely good with technology. I am very creative but usually limited on time so I don't always get to use it (for instance, my blog design...). I am not a girly-girl but love girly things. 

At my school, 4th grade is departmentalized and I am responsible for the math. My school has the lowest overall scores in our district and kids from the worst/poorest parts of town. The odds are definitely stacked against us.

This blog was not created for the purpose of venting (although I cannot guarantee there won't be!) but to share ideas with my fellow teachers. I hope to gain some readers so that we can exchange our ideas and creativity.

Thanks for visiting!

-Content, with cold feet (literally)