Pockets in Science Notebooks

Sometimes when we work on things in science, they don't get completely done. Pockets in science notebooks are an easy way to store things for that purpose. Or to store a cardstock ruler, or some vocabulary cards. Or a candy bar. Whatever.

This one requires no extra product. Take two sheets of paper. Fold one over diagonally, glue the side and bottom to the second page. And eureka! there's a pocket.

 For this one, you could use an envelope or a sheet of paper folded over. Just glue it to an inside cover or a sheet of paper. 

This envelope is cut up the side and has the flap cut off. 

Science Tools in the Science Notebook

I have said it before. I love Science Notebooks. I have used every year I have taught science (that would be, count it, 2 whole years) and I am excited to use them again this year.

I want to do a lot more with the science notebook this year and have a lot more information in it. Sometimes it is like pulling teeth with 5th graders to get them to care about the science notebooks as much as I do, but it is worth it in the end.

This is an activity I am doing this week. One awesome part of G-camp was getting to talk to Jr. High and High School Science teachers. I asked them what they think us elementary teachers need to hit on better. 

They mentioned science tools. Students don't really know how to use them or what they are. So I am going to try to be better at it this year.

So I have collected all the science tools that the Great State of Texas says my 5th graders need to know by the end of the year. The students will work in a groups and I will give them a few of the tools at a time. As they go through each tool, they will name it, draw a picture, and write a brief description of what it does.

Because they are working in groups, someone is bound to know at least what each tool does. But if by chance nobody knows, their instructions are to draw a picture and leave everything else blank.

Throughout the year as we use each tool in class, we will go back to these pages and fill in the blanks. 

These are my example pages. I learned this format in a workshop I went to this summer. It is an easy way to give the students a limited space for each tool. Because you know some students will go crazy on the pages. They still might.

First Day of School

I survived my first day of school for the year! My legs almost didn't survive unfortunately. I wore my comfortable pair of shoes but I guess I am not that used to walking around that much. I took the summer off from any work out.

I look kind of ridiculous, but at 6:30 this morning, I was pretty excited to be going to meet the kiddos. 

 

My husband also teaches. Today was his first day with kids at a new school and new grade level. (He made the jump from 3rd grade to High school.) He thought I was joking when I said I was going to take his picture.

And this was my desk by the end of the day. I just can't get organized very much. I need to find some kind of system that works for me. Or just get rid of all the "excess" paper.

 

Good luck to everyone on the first days back to school!

What Teachers Make

I watch this every year several times before and after school starts. I still get a bit nervous walking into a classroom with dozens of eyes staring at me. It is a bit nerve-wracking knowing that I can change what a child thinks about learning. I can help them see how fun and life changing it is, or I can turn them off of it forever.

So, knowing that I can influence so many children every year just by teaching, is scary. But I love doing it and wouldn't want any other job in the world.

Most people have probably seen this, but if you haven't watch it. It will get you pumped to walk into your classroom.

My Finished Classroom

I am sure that there are some more things that I could do in here, but it is what it is. It is already cleaner and more organized than it will be all year long. The students will just have to get used to it.

Front of the classroom. I love my ginormous Smartboard. It is gorgeous. I hung up my tissue poms again this year and almost killed myself climbing on all the desks to do it. 

This it he poem everyone has probably seen on Pinterest. I think it is adorable. My favorite parts are "You are scientists" and "you are explorers".

This is the whiteboard space with the banner I made. I love it and kind of want them all over my room.

Close up on CHAMPs. Another teacher introduced them to me this year and I love the visual students will have so they know exactly what is expected of them.

All my bulletin boards. It took me forever to decide what I wanted to do here. And it isn't completely done.

This is my favorite part. I got the quote from a Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin said "It's a big world, Hobbes Ole' Buddy, let's go exploring." My sister made the world for me, which I was extremely grateful for.

My classroom jobs pocket. I have enough classroom jobs for everyone in my class to have. 

And my personal wall with all my information including my 5th grade report card. Which the students like to see. 

I am very ready for school tomorrow! More excited and less nervous than I was my first two years.

Meet the Teacher

We had Meet the Teacher this week, along with almost every elementary school in the state of Texas.

It was the best Meet the Teacher I've been to (out of 3 total)

Last year, I think I had 8 parents from my homeroom show up, this year it was 16! Out of 20. And all of them seems so willing to volunteer and help out.

It is one of my goals this year to call parents more and ask them for help more. And it seems like all of my student's parents would be less scary to call. Or maybe I am just more confident. Or maybe it is a little bit of both.

Either way, I am ready for school.

I am going to take pictures of my classroom today and I'll post pictures of it tomorrow.

My Unorganized Mess

This is where the real test of blogging comes in. Can I blog while I am working at the same time?

It appears that during inservice, I cannot.

But this is what I am working with everyday after 8 hours of sitting.

The room is coming together slowly. But it is coming together. I have 5 days until Meet the Teacher Night. It either gets done, or everything gets shoved into a closet.

It doesn't help that every night I browse Pinterest and come up with new things to add to my to do list. Plus, my mom and sisters are coming to help me next week and I need to have something for them to do!