School ROCKS!

I have never really had a "themed" classroom before. I've always decorated with fabrics and colors and the occasional patterned bulletin board border, but never with a cohesiveness that continued through everything from the bulletin boards to labels to my classroom management system.  This year, with a gobzillion sparks of inspiration lighting a fire in my teaching heart, I found that theming my room was going to be not only useful but ALL. KINDS. OF. FUN! 

However, it took me awhile to find the perfect fit.  I first thought I'd go Hollywood like Cara, and then I thought I'd be all piratey like Deanna.  Then, I nixed both of those idea and recruited my family members to help me dream up the right one.  My mom suggested The Wizard of Oz since I already had a unit prepared for it and my future class is going to see it at the theatre in October.  I really couldn't come to terms with "Mullins' Munchkins," though.  So, sitting on the porch at my parents' house, my sister, Aubrea, suggested School House Rock. 

Um, hello, I LOVE IT. 

Totally smitten with Beth Newingham's classroom, I knew I could add my personal touch to make it a great fit for my firsties.  And it was born:

I'm aware I'm not reinventing the wheel or discovering fire here, but there was just something about this theme that spoke to me.  Possibly the fact that the feather extensions I'm planning to get put in at my next hair appointment will fit in seamlessly.  Steven Tyler, anyone?

Anyway, I've spent a great deal of time crafting labels, bulletin board ideas, take-home folder covers, etc. over the past several days, and I want to make them all available to you here.  I have no intention of selling them for profit, so if you'd like to jump in on a rockstar classroom theme, help yourself.  Borrow as much or as little as you'd like.  They'll all be available over the next few weeks as I put my classroom together.  Which, as a matter of fact, I am starting tomorrow.  {Eeeeeeh!} 

Click on the image below to view or download the take-home folder binder insert I'll be using. Also, it's not specific to 1st grade - the document contains the same insert for kindergarten through 5th :)

Are you rockin' out in your classroom this year?  I'd love to see your ideas, too!

Rock on, friends!!!

{PS.  Teacher Week is in the works! If you're unfamiliar, this was a week long teaching extravaganza that I hosted on my other blog, Babbling Abby, before The Inspired Apple came to be.  If you go back and review the mid-to-late August archives from 2010, you'll see what I'm talking about. 

 Due to the fact that the blogging world has absolutely *exploded* with educators in the past year, I'm a little concerned about linkies taking up bandwidth and overloading my generic Blogger server or making it desperately slow.  If anyone has any suggestions about this, please email me at babblingabby(at)gmail(dot)com.}