Mr. Special Sound Muncher

This week we met a new friend...Mr. Special Sound Muncher.

He is in our classroom to help us learn our Special Sounds.

We use the Abeka curriculum and have several charts full of "special sounds". A.K.A...words that refuse to follow the rules of "One vowel words say their short sound and when there are two vowels, the first one does the talking and the second one does the walking (SILENTLY)." So glad I was born speaking English, I hear it is pretty tough learning as a second language. :) Well today my kids got to feed Mr. Special Sound Muncher! "He" sent home a note last night with the special sound he was hungry for..ck in duck. They are able to bring in pictures they draw or find or words they write or find that use that special sound. This morning they excitedly fished in their backpacks for their meal and fed it to him.

Mr. Special Sound Muncher was definitely full!

This Years Decor!

I finally get to share with you my classroom for this year. My theme was...school. Imagine that! Actually it is suppose to be Old/Vintage School Style. The neat part about this room is that it was converted over from what looks like an utility room that was made into a weight room. Here are the before pictures (after everything was cleared out):

Pretty uninspiring :) Here is what we made it into: Our "one room" school house

My one bulletin board (that's all I have room for). My father-in-law made it for me with palette wood.

Our First grade banner. I did a rough copy of a special lady's HOME banner (thank you Sis Lauren).

My chalkboard wall constructed to hide the air conditioning unit. Thank you Tim, Dakota and Bro Zach. I love it because we have our Calendar center there. Yep...I drew the pig. :)

Birthday/ Class Rules/ Reading Area. I don't have a picture, but that electrical box now has a black curtain over it. I hang their artwork on it. FUNNY STORY...a couple men came in to fix some of the gym lights. First off they couldn't find the light switch because I have it hidden behind the flowers in my flower box by the door, THEN they had to follow the pipes in the ceiling to find the electrical box. Oh well, what a woman and teacher won't do to bring a little beauty into a room. :)

Finally, my desk and filing area. I was lucky to have a little alcove to tuck everything into. The ice machine had to stay but it holds my cursive and job chart well. I do have to squeeze between the ice machine and chalkboard wall on the left to turn the air on and off...BUT I am so happy to have my own temperature control :).

More Classroom Themes

Well I'm trying again to upload my previous years classroom decor pictures. Thankfully it seems a lot easier to come up with ideas and decorate than it seems to load the pictures to this blog! Year Two: Come one come all te the greatest first grade of all! Circus Theme

Year Three: What's Cooking in First Grade