First Day of School

Yesterday, was my first day of school! No kids were there, but I was for sure there. It was time to set up my classroom and get back into the school mode. (Remember, I moved classrooms, so I had a lot more setting up to do than years past.) I was there for a good 4 hours moving and shuffling and sweating all over the place. And it's coming together, thank goodness.
Last night when I got home, I went on pintrest to look for some more ideas for my classroom, as our school district and my grade level in particular are adopting the Common Core State Standards, which were created in 2010. These standards are going to be nationally based rather than just state based, so that finally all students will be held to learn the same standards no matter what state they are in (although I will say that there are some states that have opted out of joining in this movement- Alaska and Texas being 2 that I remember.)
Luckily I found some great stuff and a new website called Teacher Pay Teacher. It is a website with teacher created ideas and projects that are being shared, some for free and others with a slight cost. I visited Ashleigh's store and was smitten with her posters and all the work she had done, so I made some purchases. I purchased the Common Core Standards Posters for 5th grade and the 5th grade essential questions for the Common Core packet. I love them. All I have to do is download and print and half the work I was going to do this year is done for me. Yeah Me! (Plus yesterday there was a sale going on, so I had no time to think, just purchased. Because if you really know me, I would have himmed and haaaaahed over it, rather than just bought it. I mean I've been using a back-up blender for 4 months, why buy a new one?) She does have other grade level stuff, so even if you don't teach 5th grade, you should check her out. I have also downloaded some free activities as my kids, whom some I've had for 4 years now, will want to do other things than the same old same old.