Linking up with {6th Grade} All-Stars!

I am so very excited to be linking up with {6th Grade} All-Stars!  First, it's because I love linking up.  But more importantly she will teach her first year in 6th grade this coming year and teach ELA, Science, and History.  What's even better is that since this will be my second year teaching 6th grade ELA & Science I can totally hope that I can help!  I promised myself that I will do a better job this year blogging about ELA here on this blog and Science over on Sixth Grade Science Rocks.  I shall try!  Anyway, everyone ought to go and link up too!

So anyway:
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I teach 6th grade in a little rural district.  My class size was small last year but I am looking at around 24-28 kids per class next year (which for me is big!)  I teach these little 11-year olds Science (in 3 different sections) and one group of kiddos a double period of ELA (every day)

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Technically speaking, my first year teaching was 2 years ago when I was a .6 Social Studies teacher (my pre-blogging days!)  Anyway, my mentor used to just tell me "that we smile and nod" no matter what.  It has been useful!  One of my favorite personal quotations is the following:

Source:  http://livintuality.tumblr.com/

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I wish I had a checklist tailored to what I need to start the year!  I more or less just make my lesson plans for the first week of school and make sure I have everything copied.  This includes my science syllabus and the corresponding parent form.  I love that I "give the parents homework" on the first day of school.  The kids get a kick out of having to give their parents homework.  Basically it is a questionaire for parents about their children.  Once I finish mine for this year I will post it on my TpT for free!

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The "must-haves" in my classroom would have to be probably ample books, this system for passing back student papers (each student has a hanging file in one place), and a comfy area to read/work on assignments.  I definitely feel the most important thing is that everything has a place and is clean, neat, and orderly.  That way, kids are ready to keep it that way and always know where to find things!

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Hmmm...one thing every teacher should have in his/her classroom would have to be a good pencil sharpener!  And lots of art supplies!  Creativity is key! :)

This was fun!  It made me want to get going on my classroom.  As you know from my previous posts, my whole room had to be taken apart.  When does everyone start school?  We don't begin until after Labor Day in September!!

Much Love,

Ms. D.