Math Organization & Paper Fight

I would think that with all the time I’ve spent in my room these past few weeks, I’d be completely done.  But I’m not.  I’m not really even close.  What I’ve mostly been doing is the type of things that go on behind cupboards. You know, the boring stuff.  Organizing, organizing…oh, and more organizing.  With that, came organizing the math manipulative cupboard.  

Last year, I had an unorganized experience with math manipulatives.  One of my random observations happened in math.  I hadn’t realized that the lesson for that day required me to pass out different colored cubes to each child.  As my principal sat in the back observing, my mind started to panic. Cubes!? As in, I should have probably prepared for this ahead of time, huh? All of my cubes, I should mention, were scattered about in my various Daily 3 math games.  I started to tear apart some of my math games, wishing I had organized my manipulatives at the beginning of the year.  That lesson taught me a lesson! 🙂

Last week, I spent a day organizing all of my manipulatives so that I could grab a basket in an instant.  That meant I spent the day putting together 27 bags of coins, 27 bags of base ten blocks, 27 bags of shapes, and putting together a basket that has cubes linked together with the same colors. Clocks went in another basket, number cards in the next, and so on.  Games and random things we rarely use went on the shelf below.  It was boring and tedious but I know I’ll be happy during the school year when everything I need is ready to be passed out when needed. 

 
I also spent the day fighting with a piece of tropical paper.  I was ready to throw the whole roll out the window before I was done hanging it up.  The paper was over 8 feet long and taping it to the wall, straight, by myself, was quite a challenge.  Here’s the finished product.  When the little ones are sitting at the computer, you almost feel like you are on the beach! 🙂  
Sorry this was short & sweet but I will admit with summer ending, I feel like I have little to share! I am working on a new packet for TpT and should have some freebies lined up next week to share with you from the unit.  It is turning out to be my largest unit yet and is taking me forever to finish! I won’t tell you much but it has to do with a juicy fruit that many first graders like to study in the fall…
🙂 Happy Learning,

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4 Comments

  1. I will need to get in and organize my math as well (I'm replacing a teacher who retired). Her stuff is pretty well organized (yea), but, like you, I will need to organize it so I can pull my math lessons together more quickly.
    I like the beach theme background.
    Amy
    Where Seconds Count

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