Moved in and Big Top Failure

 The best way to sum up today is with a whole bunch of pictures....

Job Helpers...Tame your Task!

 Here's the final close up of my jobs with everything except student names on the adorable chalkboard clips that I bought months ago on clearance from Michaels. (I'll have to buy one of those chalkboard pens for writing their names because they're a little small and I don't want to have to write them over and over. I knew they'd come in handy for something and I think they're cuter than the big blue clothespins...I also added my actual jobs across each circus animal. I'm trying  a new one this year...Homework Helper. Their job is to put homework in alphabetical (or numerical) order first thing in the morning and clip it together to put on my desk. They will also be responsible for following up on the ones who didn't turn in homework and writing their excuse on a no homework form and putting it in place of their homework. Make sense?! If not one of the blogs I read this week explained it super duper well and convinced me to do this...but I can't remember who it was :0 SORRY! Hopefully it will be one of those jobs that help save me some time in the mornings!

Ticket Behavior/Pull a Card/5 Chances/Behavior Incentive

 The above behavior board has many different names and forms. This is what the upper elementary teachers used last year at my school that we were required to keep consistent and it worked very well for me (it also went right along with my theme ;) so I LOVED it. It's a pull a card system but involves tickets. At the beginning of each quarter (I think my new school does semesters so I may be rethinking some of this when I find out) each student starts with 3 tickets and everyone starts each day on white. At the end of the day they those who stay on white earn a ticket but if they receive a warning throughout the day they are asked to pull to green and have to pay a ticket. The next color is yellow and they pay 2 tickets but have silent lunch, then red and they pay 3 tickets but are also required to step into the hall/doorway for a hall conference with me. If they go to orange, they pay 4 and get a phone made to their parents. The last color is blue and receives a trip to the principal's office and they pay 5 tickets.
I know it seems like a lot of chances but I really liked it last year. At the end of the quarter those who have earned 30 tickets in class get to participate in a "CARNIVAL" and they're always fun! Most students didn't make it past yellow last year and almost all of them were either on white or green for most of the year granted I had a super well behaved group. The one kiddo that made it to orange was one of those that make Jeff Foxworthy's "You know you're a Teacher" statement 21 true: You understand, instantaneously, why a child behaves in a certain way after meeting his/her parents.
It works for me and seems to work for the older ones too. 

My muscle man!

 My hubby was able to bring my BIG things to my class this afternoon. I am fully moved in now, if only I can get organized! Really this is one of the only things that I feel like was successful today. I was excited for him to bring this shelf because after a conversation with my admin. today I was told I might have shelves in my class on the first day of school!!!! Please pray that I get them before my OPEN HOUSE! I don't want my 'rents to see all that unorganized chaos! Shelves at least make it look organized!

Ignore the Big Top Circus Tent Attempt....notice my new SOFA and the ADORABLE pillows!

I put "DOTS" for names under their baskets and put all their books in subject order underneath until my desks are arranged.

This is my attempt at a BIG TOP...I planned to add more red and white stripes...but just didn't want to invest the time because I wasn't crazy about the way it was starting to look.

I even tried putting red in the background but still wasn't crazy about it. 

I'm gonna have to keep thinking on the circus tent. I know I want one because I need something to make others immediately relate my class to a circus...and I've never been to a circus without a big top! But I'm stuck....my hubby suggested using a hula hoop but IDK...maybe I'll get inspired in the next couple of days but for now...it's on the back burner.
Below is my Big TOP picture from last year...I had already started taking it down at the end of the year so I snapped my pic a little too late. My ceilings were a lot lower and I could staple to the walls so I was very happy with it and it was in a corner.

I ended the day with dollar and .50 cent finds from Target...with an exception to the bug spray! Mosquitoes LOVE me and this stuff is clearanced to $3.74 originally 8 bucks! I wish I could have stocked up on more!

I have two more days to get my class ready before preplanning! I want as much done before then as possible!Please pray for me :) I'm starting to face exhaustion and I don't want to get sick!