I'm back...warning-picture heavy!

Hello everyone, and if you are still tuned in, I thank you!  This past month has been very busy, very stressful, and very emotional.  My father-in-law lost his battle with cancer two weeks ago, and our family really just needed some together time.  Blogging has definitely taken a back seat lately to family time, enjoying what was left of summer, and prepping for the new school year.  We started back to school last week with teachers returning last Monday all day for meetings, and students came Tuesday-Thursday.  We had a great couple of days getting to know one another and learning our classroom rules.  They really seem to be a sweet bunch, and I am truly enjoying getting to know them.  I had wanted to post classroom pictures before school started, but life has a way of changing things up on us, so, here are some pictures of my classroom this year. (Warning!  This will probably be heavy on the pictures!)

As you approach my classroom you'll see my welcome sign, and hallway bulletin boards.  As soon as you enter my classroom you'll see up on the window the Dare to Dream it, Work to Achieve it quote.  (Inspired by the fabulous Ms. Fultz!)  I have a whole wall of windows like that basically, and I've decided to continue quotes alternating every other down the whole wall.  The second one I have put up is one of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes. =)

 Here's a view of the boards in the front of my classroom.

 My clipchart...

 This is the view of the classroom from the back of our meeting area looking towards the front of the room.

 Our meeting area...

Here's another angle of our meeting area.  I puffy heart LOVE my interactive whiteboard!

 Our mailboxes, community supplies, and my froggy reminder board.

 My computer...wish we had more in the classroom for the students to use.

 This is looking towards my desk.  The black shelf holds guided reading supplies and different magazines on top.  Next to that shelf are our dictionaries and thesauruses.  My desk is behind the shelves.

 Here's a view of my area behind those shelves.  I will weed out some resource books, I will weed out some resource books...lol

This is a view of the classroom looking towards the front from by the computer.

One thing I really wish I could work out in my classroom would be having my library all in one place.  Due to heaters and pipes however, this is impossible.  I've had to arrange my bookshelves throughout my room where I can fit them, but I try to keep them all in the back half of the classroom, as close to our meeting area as possible.

 Writer's Eye posters and some of the fiction books in my library.  Below is a close up of the fiction bookshelves.

 This shelf houses my nonfiction books.  I believe I will need to expand this area soon...these bins are really filling up!

 These shelves hold most of my chapter books.  I have them arranged by series, authors, topics, and some are just mixed together.

 This shelf holds more of my fiction books, and the large, brown basket on top holds most of my poetry books.

I hope you enjoyed your "peek" into my home away from home.  I left the bulletin boards blank intentionally so that the students can make the space theirs as we come together as a class.  I'll be posting some of the activities that we've been working on these past four days, including our student created classroom pledge.  I'm really pleased with how they are already coming together as a school family.  I think it's going to be a great year! =)
~Heather~