Today, I finally finished my room!!!  I am so excited, because it is finished & it looks great! I am so ready for the new school year to start!

Here are some pictures of the finished room!!

This is the view from one corner of the room.  I like how this year, I got rid of stuff, and it really opened up the floor  more.  The room looks so much bigger.

This is the view from the opposite end.  I know my boards in the back are empty, but I can not hang up my charts without teaching them first!!  I think I will add some cute welcome back pictures on them to help them look not so empty.

This is my whole group instructional area.  I am in LOVE with the new rug I inherited this year!

I really was excited last year, when I got the two blue book carts from Donors Choose.  This summer I ordered one more, and now I am in love with my library area.  This is really the best its ever been.

The guided reading table.  I want to replace the green table skirt with a bee one, but I am still looking for one that I really like.  I saw the seat boxes on Pinterest, and made them this summer.  They are great to store student supplies.  

So after reading and reading and reading some more....I liked how the Two Sisters described CAFE as the FACE of a reader.  So, I switched my signs to FACE.  I want to thank the wonderful Lisa Wagner for helping me with this! 

My Daily 5 stations.  I love the Bees!! 

Last year, I used the hanging shoe holder to hold my buckets.  I was not happy with the way it looked. This year, I thought I would utilize the space under the board for them. I am happy with the way it turned out.  Just missing the kids' names.  Can not WAIT to get my roster! 

This is my second year using the FRY System.  Thanks to my long distance grade partner Braun, for helping me set this up last year.  My kids loved it.  It was also so much easier for me to keep track of students.  I use to use the red, yellow, green system.  The problem was that I always forgot to change it,  I like that with the fries I can just look down and see who is where.  As soon as I get my roster, I will add the students' names to the pins.  Each student gets 4 pins.  You can easily go to a Mc.Donald and ask them for the empty fry containers.  Thanks Donna! 

I love love love that I took the time this summer to organize all my Read Alouds!  I am really excited to have them so nice and neat and at a hands reach! 

This another great design with the help of my long distance grade partner!  My kids loved this last year!  It was so great to hear them teach new students how to use it!  Each spot has reminders for them.  They just move the pins as they work in each stage.  Here are my captions on the large pencil: 

I am ready to start the school year!!!  

Today I went in to begin setting up my room.  I could not get everything out but it was a good start!  Now, my room looks like a HOT MESS!!!  Can not wait to get it finished.

Here are some views of my room....

This is the view from my door.  I have unpacked all my closets!!!  

The view from the front corner.  I have all my boarders in another closet that I could not get into today. I share with another teacher, and she took the keys for the summer.  Tomorrow!! 

I keep all my books in containers by topic, I got a new book cart this year, so I am reorganizing my book bins.  I also, do not think I will need my lower level books this year, freeing up a ton of library space for NEW BOOKS!! 

My new system.  I hate loosing my cute hallway passes.  They leave them everywhere!  So hoping this year I can make this work.  

I have to finish it, with some boarder and a nice sign, but...I can not wait to use our new Fill a Bucket board.  I hardly have any walls in my room.  So, I used the small space under the board.

I have not decided if I will leave my computer center, and listening center like this.  Still working on this area.  

All my math activities sorted and ready to go!  

I'm really excited about adding this to our room this year!  I usually do the colored baskets, but now I can have students categorize all folders and notebooks by table colors also!  I will use the trays for work that needs to be collected.  

Last picture of today!  My library books are all being sorted.  Tomorrow I can build the carts!  

Lot of work still needs to get done. 

I'm trying to get myself organized for the new year.  This will be our first year working with the Common Core, which I am so excited about!  It is also only my second year in third grade.  So, I really want to be organized and ready to go!
Up first I am working on organizing binders for each report period.  This way, I can add new ideas, and remember what I used the year before.
Here is my new cover for my first binder.

and my sleeve

drop me a note if you would like some! I would love to make more!

I will use these for my classwork folders. I usually laminate them every year, so I think I will just use a label sticky on each folder and then write the students name on it.  Then, all I have to really replace is the label every year.  If the folder is left in good condition, I can reuse them.

Here is my Reader's Workshop Binder Cover

This is my mini label for all notebooks.  

Homework labels 

So I just started my first TPT store.  This is all trial and error for me, so hopefully it works. Here is the link.....

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Diana-Smyth

I woke up this morning early....and decided to try my hand at something new.  I wanted to see if I could make the cute little labels for my classroom that I see everyone else doing.  So I will post some of my work that I did this morning.  I love them!  I think they came out really cute.  They match my theme.... Today, I am proud of me for trying something new!

I love this sleeve!!!

Third Grade Worker Bees: I worked today on making a new poster to increase ...

Third Grade Worker Bees: I worked today on making a new poster to increase ...: I worked today on making a new poster to increase positive behavior and motivate the kids.  I pulled some ideas I found on Pinterest.  I tho...

I worked today on making a new poster to increase positive behavior and motivate the kids.  I pulled some ideas I found on Pinterest.  I thought this would be good because it would pull together a lot of behaviors that I want to see improve in the classroom.