Transformation Tuesday: Classroom Edition

I got my first Mother Goose Time box in the mail this past Thursday, which was perfect timing, being my birthday and all. It took a great deal of self-control NOT to go in to school on Friday (my last day of summer vacation) to open it up and look through all the goodies!

I'm thinking of cutting the box down to just above the bus and putting in dramatic play so the baby dolls can "ride" to school. 

I find that as the year goes along there are some things about classroom arrangement that looked good on paper (I usually "map" things out with post-it notes before I move furniture) but don't work for whatever reason when you add a bunch of little people to the mix. It's not uncommon for me to make major changes over long breaks. A lot of times there are things that I really wanted to add to displays or create for activities and I just run out of time to make it happen before school starts. I had so much fun incorporating my MGT materials and ideas into my existing displays. I'm trying not to change TOO much, lest I totally throw my students off when they return next week.

Morning Meeting Display - Before

Morning Meeting Display - After the addition of MGT materials

I'm adding A LOT more print around the room because I have several emerging readers that want to read EVERYTHING. I used the  Basic Concepts overview inside the MGT Teacher Guide as the basis for my "Things to know". The little blue pocket chart is perfect for story pieces and "Would You Rather?" cards. I hung up the "Would You Rather?" chart and board games along with my additional anchor charts on the other side of the TV so they are easily accessible.

Re-purposed Ikea hanging basket storage wall rack with pants hangers

The manipulatives that came with the "Fables and Folktales" theme are so colorful and fun! I thought the colored counting sticks would go well with this random assortment of wooden beads that I found stashed in a closet. I also had a giant bag of animal erasers that were originally supposed to be in my "prize box" but have found their way into my collection for the math center. I pulled all the lions out to go with the story of the Lion and the Mouse. My littles always come up with creative and entertaining ways to use the math materials, I can't wait to see what they will do with these!

Pay no attention to the crazy pile of puzzles with missing pieces!

When I was switching out the cards in the Math Center pocket chart with the MGT numbers and shapes, I realized that the ant cards from the anteater counting game I made for our rain forest theme in July would be perfect to use on the day we read The Grasshopper and the Ants, so I left them in the mix.

And last, but not least (actually my personal favorite!) the literacy center is looking much fresher and friendlier with new MGT letter and word cards. I never could get my kiddos to write on the lined poster first semester, even after I modeled it, maybe it's because it looks like "teacher work"... So, this way at least they can engage with it by reading the words and it won't just blend into the background. 

Before 

After

New MGT Letter cards and the word family Cat 

After I cut all the story pieces and game/center cards, laminated them, and then re-cut, that was all the transformation I had time to get done before darting home to avoid the rains from Typhoon Goni.