Math Organization

During the school year I posted the picture below of how I organize my math materials on Instagram and I had several people ask to see what's inside the bins & for me to share the labels that I use, so I decided to do a quick post on here to answer all of your questions and share all of the products that I use!

These cases are where I organize my math materials by unit. I keep manipulatives in a separate area where kids can reach and use them whenever they want to. This stuff is what I pull out only during the specific unit. Inside each box there are centers, task cards, workbooks, small group materials, etc...

Clear Plastic Cases: These are scrapbook cases that I bought at Michael's. They are a little bit pricey if you need to buy a lot, but I have never paid full price for them! I always use coupons, my teacher discount, and wait until they are on sale to stock up. I also found a set of 6 of them on Amazon when I was browsing their prime day deals & you can find those here. (Disclaimer: I have not ordered the Amazon cases, so I can't promise that they are the same size/quality as the ones that I have!)

Labels: I created this set of 50 printable labels by going through the math standards for grades K-6. I print these out on white cardstock and then use clear packing tape to stick them on to the scrapbook cases. If there is a label you need that's not included, please let me know and I will add it!

What's Inside: Because we do Math Workshop at my school, I need to have a lot of centers/hands on activities to allow students to practice whatever skill we are focusing on each week. I have gathered resources from several places, so I'm going to share some of my favorites with you here!

1. Superteacherworksheets.com: Do not be deceived by the name - this site does not only have worksheets, they also have a TON of interactive resources for every math standard you could possibly think of. They have task card sets, games, puzzles, I have...Who has cards, center activities and more. This site is not free, but it's only $24.95 for a year subscription and that gives you unlimited access to all of the products!

2. 3rd Grade Math Centers Bundle: I bought this bundle the first year that I taught third grade and I LOVE IT! For each unit, there are 10 centers that cover all the different strands. For example - in the Place Value unit there is a center for digit values, rounding, differentiating between tens and hundreds, expanded form, making numbers, word problems, and more. This has been a huge time-saver and a great way to check understanding! (Not So Wimpy Teacher has bundles for other grade levels as well!)

3. My Math Center Activities: Whenever I have not been able to find just the right resource for a specific skill in math, I've created my own! Check out the links below for my resources.

Kindergarten:

3rd Grade:

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Summer Sales

Hi all!

As I have been browsing the Amazon and Target sales over the past 24+ hours, I've been finding a lot of great deals on classroom items and I wanted to share with you in case you need inspiration and/or don't want to spend hours searching! I'm including links for everything and I will keep adding on as I find more deals.

Happy shopping!

Amazon Prime

1. Astrobrights Neon Paper: I like to print everything (worksheets, foldables, fliers for families, classroom decor, etc...) on bright, neon colors, and Astrobrights always has the best quality and color selection, so I will be stocking up. This Mega Collection has 625 sheets for $15.99 and there is an extra $1.50 off coupon on prime right now!

2. Astrobrights Cardstock: Amazon also has a deal on the Mega Collection of Astrobrights neon cardstock right now! It's $16.99 for 320 sheets, but there is a coupon for $1.75 off.

3. Desktop File Boxes (6 pack): I ordered a pack of these at the end of last school year to organize small group materials, copies, etc...and I loved them! Hanging files fit perfectly inside, so they are great for organization!

4. Post-It Super Sticky Notes: My co-teacher introduced me to these last year and I am obsessed with them. The colors are super cute and they actually stay on whatever you stick them on! This 24 pack of sticky note pads is only $14.26 on amazon right now.

5. Packing Tape: I use clear packing tape to put labels on everything in my classroom from math materials and book boxes to individual students' notebooks and folders. I always run out of tape before the end of the year, so this time I'm stocking up. I'm starting out with this set that includes a dispenser and one extra roll. Here's a deal on a pack of 6 rolls with dispensers.

6. IRIS Scrapbook Cases (Set of 6): I posted about these a while ago on Instagram, when I shared how I organize my math supplies by standard. I bought my cases from Michael's but I found a set of 6 of them on Amazon for only $30.06 today!

7. Self-Stick Easel Pads (Set of 4): These things are EXPENSIVE, but this is the best deal I have seen in a while. Each sheet is like a giant sticky note so you can hang your anchor charts anywhere you want to! These are on sale for 15% off today only for Prime Day, so grab them now! With today's discount the pack of 4 should come out to about $58. That's about $14.50 per pad and they are normally around $25 each.

More Amazon Products:

Frixion Erasable Markers: I originally bought these to use in my planner, but one of my very reluctant writers got his hands on one of these one day and loved it! I was able to bribe motivate him to write by letting him use my "special markers", so I ordered a huge pack of them on amazon! Our O.T. saw how much his attitude toward writing completely changed when he started using them and she also ordered some for the other students that she works with! 

Regular Price: $21.96

Sale Price: $13.03

Inflatable Wobble Cushion With Pump: I have lost a lot of my flexible seats over the past few years, so I'm looking for as many inexpensive replacements as I can find. These inflatable cushions are great for added comfort on chairs or for sitting on the floor. I love that they come in bright colors and come with a pump! 

Regular Price: $12.99

Sale Price: $9.09

Organization Caddy: I ordered one of these caddies at the last minute yesterday but it wasn't part of the prime day deal, so you can still grab it at the price that I paid ($14.99). I will either be using this to carry around materials for guided reading/small group work or to organize and store my huge marker collection. I'll keep you posted!

Target

Target is having a "Deal Day" today! Online only. No membership required!
They are also offering 15% off for teachers on select classroom supplies and clothing July 13-20th. Click here to enter your teacher ID information and get the discount code! (It is super simple! You just enter your school's name, your name, your school email, and your personal email and then they send you a discount code via email).

1. Yoobi Binders: These are my favorite binders because they come in bright, neon colors. I'm pretty sure I already own one of each color, but will definitely be stocking up on more for this school year!

2. Avery Dividers: These are so helpful for organizing small group plans and materials! I use a binder with a divider for each group that I meet with to organize math groups, reading groups, and writing groups. I keep plans and pages for recording notes clipped into the binder and then put the papers that I need to pull out quickly (e.g. running records, graphic organizers, exit tickets, etc...) in the pockets.

3. Education Puzzle & Games Kit: I have been searching for fun activities for indoor recess that are easy to clean up, so I'm going to order one of these kits and try it out this year.

4. Storage Bins: I am having a hard time figuring out how big these are, but I was thinking of using them either for library book organization or for storing math materials, indoor recess games, or whatever else could be sorted into cute, matching bins. (The price is lower for other colors) 

5. Plastic Paper Trays: I am always in need of more trays for storing paper and collecting work from students. I will probably use a few to store loose leaf and plain paper and then use the rest for collecting student work, permission slips, and more.

6. Paper Organizer: I had one of these a few years ago and used it to store and organize colored printing paper and cardstock. I'm grabbing one for this school year because I have been struggling without it!!

7. World Sit-Abouts: I can't believe how cheap these are! I'm ordering a few sets of 2 since my classroom theme is "Future World Changers" and I'm planning to use them as flexible seating options!

More Target Items:

Pentel Energel Pens: My all-time favorite pens! I am so picky about the pens that I write with and once I found these, I stopped writing with anything else! They write really smoothly (almost like a gel pen), but dry immediately so there is no smearing. They come in black, blue, and a multicolor pack.

White Bookshelves: I have been running low on space in my classroom library and have been thinking about purchasing small bookshelves to spread things out a bit. These are on a great sale today so I'm planning on ordering a few of them!

Regular Price: $15.99

Sale Price: $11.19

Michael's

Michael's is having a Summer Cyber Sale today! 20% off your entire purchase using the code CYBER20W.

Color Photo & Craft Keeper: This would be great for storing and organizing flashcards, sight word cards, task cards, and more!

Regular Price: $41.99

Sale Price: $14.99

Ten Drawer Rolling Organizer: I've had one of these for years, and it has been very useful. I've used it to organize weekly copies and small group materials. It was especially helpful when I was teaching 5th grade and we were departmentalized because I could use one drawer per class/day (e.g. Monday A & B class, Tuesday A & B class, etc...). There is also a version of this item with clear drawers in case the colors are too much for you!

Regular Price: $69.99

Sale Price: $24.99

Rolling Cart: I'm thinking about purchasing one or two of these to expand my classroom library. This could also be a place for storing checked out library books for the younger kids so they don't get lost! (White Version)

Regular Price: $99.99

Sale Price: $49.99

Bulletin Board Border Set: This set includes 4 solid color rolls and two polka dot rolls. I'm switching rooms next year and get to completely start over with decorating, so I'm thinking I will need all of these and more!

Regular Price: $27.49

Sale Price: $21.99

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Classroom Reveal

The first week of school is in the books! This year I am teaching English/Language Arts to two 5th grade classes of 20 students each (for now - we always end up adding several kids during the first few weeks of school).

This summer I decided to "take the summer off" for the first time in my life and I learned something new and interesting about myself - I do not like being on vacation for that long. I enjoyed relaxing and sleeping in for about one week and then I felt restless and started planning as many things as I could to fill my days. I traveled to Florida, California, Washington and Ocean Pines and when I wasn't traveling I was subbing for summer school, babysitting, or shopping for a condo. SO the summer truly did fly by and now we're back in school and, call me crazy, but I am very happy to be back!

Since I am so excited to be back and I'm already loving my two new groups of kids, I thought I'd share with you how I decided to decorate the room this year and a few of the activities that we did to get to know each other during these first few days of school.

The Classroom

This year we are implementing the Lucy Calkins Units of Study for writing and one of the things that Lucy recommends is to set up a writing center in the classroom. Since we have limited space, I decided to use on of my bookshelves as my writing center and bought two thick, black poster boards to create my own bulletin board. I created the writing process posters based on Lucy's Guide to the Common Core Writing Workshop. I've got pencils, a sharpener, a stapler, a 3 hole punch, lots of loose leaf paper, Dictionaries and Thesauruses, a basket full of sticky notes, and another basket full of erasers.

 

Check out my Writing Process Posters & the free WRITE Pencil Banner!

On this board in the back of the room I will be sharing the agenda and reminders for each day. I kept a lot of space around this board clear so we can have meetings at the beginning of each class in order to discuss our plans/goals for the day. The Friends & Family board was inspired by Conscious Discipline, our new, school-wide discipline program. I'm having the kids bring in pictures to put up on the board as a way of getting to know each other better and to remind students of the school-family connection that we are working to foster.

I am so embarrassed by the mess in this picture, but I wanted you to see the spot that I have set up to work with small groups. The pictures on the cabinet doors are book covers that my students drew at the end of last school year.

Another mess! I promise it will not look like this for long. (Seriously, I am such a neat freak that at the end of the first week of school one of my boys asked if I had OCD). Here, on my other cabinets, I have my Text Features Posters that Primary Punch has in her store for free!

This summer I saw so many upper elementary teachers posting pictures of their "Famous First Lines" boards and I thought that was such an awesome way to get kids excited about new books, so I decided to make one of my own. (Please excuse the bent shelf on the bookshelf - that drives me crazy!)

 

Last, but not least (especially because this took the longest to set up) is my classroom library! This year we got lots of new books from Booksource and Donorschoose and I am so excited about all of the awesome titles I have to share with the kids! I decided  to level my books, organize them by genre, and create a checkout system that would be easy to maintain. 

I typed up some quick and easy labels for each of the shelves based on the genre of books located there.

 Then, I took some Avery labels and just printed color onto them Like so:
 
As I was putting books onto the shelves, I scanned them in to my Booksource Classroom Library (which is totally free by the way!) and labeled them with the colored stickers by reading level using a key that I made up.

 

For the books that weren't already leveled on Booksource, I just used my Scholastic Bookwizard app to scan the barcodes and get the information that I needed. Here is an example of the information you can find on Scholastic's Bookwizard:

During the first week of school I taught my classes how to check out books and they've been loving our new library system! I am loving the fact that I can finally keep track of where my books are disappearing to AND I can monitor each student's independent reading :) 

I'm saving our first week activities for another post so stay tuned!

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