These are a few of my favorite things....

I like knowing what other people like.  The things we enjoy make life worth living! Here are just a HANDFUL of my favorite things!

1. Moose Munch Coffee

An indulgence, for sure, given the price, but I love this stuff.  I pretty much adore all coffee but this stuff is TASTY.  I thoroughly enjoy the Peanut Butter & Chocolate and Cookies & Cream varieties.

2. Autumn

My favorite season. I love the colors, the crisp feel of the air, and all of the smells.  This season is beautiful and so short lived.  Sadly (you'll understand this as teachers too) we don't even get to enjoy most of it as we're trying to get the year off to a WONDERFUL start! (You know, by slaving over 3-mile-high piles of paperwork.) 

3. Smelly Stuff

I like warm smells and any candle smelling like a baked good is pretty much my best friend.  (Bath and  Body works is releasing a new Bake Shop Collection on September 7th and I've pretty much never been more excited for anything in my life!!!!)

I'm all about cozy smells, no matter what it is.  I have wallflowers in my classroom and at home and I love Twilight Woods.

4. Baby Feet

There's just teeny and tiny and fresh and little and smooth and soft yet wrinkly and adorable all at the same time.  They make me have warm fuzzies.

5. "That" Moment

This right here is the reason that I teach.  You have these moments often, I'm sure.  It's that moment when you're teaching and you're in the groove! The lesson is trucking along and every student's nodding along with you....except for one student, whose little forehead is as scrunched up as scrunched up can be..

And so..you try again.  You look at the child, recognize his or her strengths and interests and you modify your explanation.  You provide a new visual or a new story--anything to reach that scrunched little forehead.  And then it happens!  "OHHHH!!!!!"

 What an empowering feeling!  (For both parties.)  Knowledge is the best gift any of us can give.  Our kiddos need this more than ever.  I will forever love the lightbulb.

6. Philosophy Keep the Peace Color Corrector

I just really like this stuff.  That is all.

7. Yogi Peach Detox Tea

I am a bit of a health nut and this stuff just tastes awesome.  I always feel so good after I drink it too!  It's warm and cinnamony and I LOVE cinnamony.

8. My Memories Suite

This is the software that I use to design everything that I make for my classroom!  It's user friendly and a great tool.  So happy I invested in it!

9. Ice

I go through ice like crazy. Last year I moved into a new apartment and the refrigerator had an automatic ice maker.  This was pretty much the selling point for me.

10. Pigs

One day, I will have one as a pet.  I love them, especially the baby ones.  They're so smart too!  I pretty much love any living creature. I'm such a sappy kid. I mean..come on..look at that picture!  (This pig even loves coffee.  I just adopted him with my imagination.)

I know the world can be overwhelming and negative and all that..but isn't it wonderful how many beautiful things we're offered everyday?!

FRIDAY FREEBIE: Apple Poem!

Happy Friday!  This week's Friday Freebie is PERFECT for those of us just headed back to school!  We have Open House coming up in just a few short weeks (EEK!) and this is the poem I use every year.  I like to set out a basket of apples for Open House along with this poem.  

 

Enjoy your fabulous weekend! 

THURSDAY TIP: Going deskless!

A couple of days ago I posted about organization and how very difficult it can be!  I'm sticking with that theme this week!  This year, I did something CRAZY!

See this teacher's desk?  Some of you might be thinking..."Oh my..yes... I do.  How adorable!"  And I'm thinking..."I know!  I took lots of time to decorate it and make it look nice!"

Yeah...well...I got rid of it!  I peeled off the letters and those adorable polka dots and kicked it to the curb!

<Insert shock and gasp here.>

Okay, so maybe that's a bit dramatic, but I DID get rid of my desk. And it was a GREAT feeling.  So...why go deskless?  I'm fortunate enough to have a fairly large room.  Last summer though I struggled to determine the "perfect placement" of aforementioned desk. I could never get it in a place I liked.  I always felt that I was cutting off the flow of traffic.  I like using my corners and keeping the center space available for kiddos and myself to move. Then the year began.  I looked at the desk often, but never ONCE sat at it!

If I was sitting to do work it was either in the front of the room with my kiddos (above) OR I was on my computer doing one task or another.  So...the desk became a great place to stack papers. Or store confiscated toys.  Or lose things in. I value space over stuff so I gave my desk away!

Now,  how on earth am I going to survive?! 

See this?  This is my new "desk."  It's actually a table.  If you look closely, you'll see drawers on either side of my new "desk."  The white sterilite container is where I store my "teacher essentials"--labels, envelopes, more pens, tea, stickers, etc. I also have more out in the open now too.

Against the wall, I have these drawers (with labels--of course!). This will help me to organize all the PILES that I tend to accumulate.  In the background, you'll notice my "supply buckets" to keep track of my F.U.S.'s (Frequently Used Supplies...yeah..I know..some things shouldn't have acronyms...) You'll also notice my subject binders.

This adorable little cubby that I added this year helps to store all of my Vistaprint goodies that also went inside my desk.  (It's also a great home for decorative elements--keep the balance, you know?!).

So how am I using my new space?  My desk USED to be placed in front of the radiator.  I got rid of the desk and made the space look like THIS!

That rug is sitting EXACTLY where my desk used to be.  Now students have MORE space to work, I have a location to organize and place student's Reading Schedules, and no more traffic interruption!  Totally worth it.  I'm not missing my desk at ALL.  (Well that's probably because everything inside it found a new home--lucky ducks!)

You are ALSO a lucky duck!  Wanna know why?  Cause I'm giving you THOSE labels too. Yay!  Happy Thursday! :)

I think it's time for a giveaway!

Statistics are cool!  (Unless they're your student test scores.  Those aren't so cool.) But every other stat--super awesome!  I've been reviewing my blog stats!  Guess what?  Those also aren't so cool!!  So it's time for a giveaway! 

I made a rhyme.  I do it all the time.

I'm looking for 25 followers--that's it!  Once we hit 25, I'll lovingly pick a follower (at random) to receive a super groovy prize from yours truly!  Want to know what the prize is??  Okay...because I can't keep secrets....it's a freebie from any of my stores!  If you win, you pick the item OR make a special request and I'll send it your way!  It's that easy! :)  So, recruit your friends, family, teacher friends, stylist, garbage man, or pet rat even--I'm not picky!!  Happy blogging! :)

Newness!

So, I've been spending a lot of time at school as of recently (big surprise, I know!) working very hard to get things set up for this year.  Now that my room in itself is almost done, I'm starting to focus on other (larger) projects.  To be honest, I've kind of been putting off the whole planning/curriculum project because it's a BEAST!  Our school is adapting a new Reading Series this year. 

It's a biggie!  I'm also piloting a new Math program this year.  (I know nothing about the math at this point in time.) 

I'm also getting one of these bad boys!  (Yay for technology integration!)

That's an Epson Bright Link, for those of you unfamiliar (me being one of those people!)  It's kind of silly in my mind that I'm LITERALLY going from little to no technology use in the classroom to almost complete dependency on it!  These two series are heavily connected to online resources, videos, assessments, etc. But between these items, getting my room together, organizing and creating centers and activities, and moving to a new grade level, I'm starting to feel overwhelmed!  I need some help from some educational gurus!  I've been consulting with some of my staff members and we've formally decided that it's not the teaching of these items that concerns us, it's the management! 

The change is an exciting one though!  I actually feel glad that it's happening this year and all at once. I recognize that this year will be difficult (especially the first few weeks!) but by next year (at the latest!) we'll all have an opportunity to overhaul and really figure out how to do things in a way that works for us.  I just feel bad for this year's kiddos as they transition with us! I'm hoping that these new changes will help to meet the needs of our student population.  Education, in itself, is in a rough spot these days. I only want to change the world.  Is that so hard?

MANAGEMENT MONDAY: Student Organizational Binders

Ever feel like this?

I know I never sometimes pretty much always do.  Over the past two years, I've picked up on a few "tricks" to help me stay organized to prevent the above situation.  However, there are times as a teacher when even the best organizational tricks will still only leave me with this:

Notice how pile is organized, yet huger. Yup.

So, what's a young, sensible teacher to do? TRY HARDER!  I completely overhauled my organizational strategies last summer and implemented the Student Organizational Binder as ONE of many tools to help keep me and my kiddos organized. I will NEVER go back to not using one.  It's a LOT of work in the beginning and it's also work to maintain, but the payoff is huge!  

Meet the D.O.T. Binder!  This is the tool that I use in my classroom to help keep my students organized.  Here's what I put in my D.O.T. Binder!

1. Labels

I have a lot of labels that I stick on the inside cover so that students have certain information accessible to them at home.  Here are the labels I include: 

2. Pencil Pouch with any student essentials

3. Dos For Your D.O.T.

A list of "Dos" in order to care for the D.O.T. Binder

 4. Classroom/School Informational Sheets: 

   For this section, I include:
       1. Classroom Birthday List
       2. School Lunch Menu
       3. 40 Book Challenge Sheet
       4. STAR Reader Log (School-wide Reading program)
       5. Cranium Club Checklist (for the student to track)
       6. Our Daily Schedule
       7. Business Card Holder for Reward Passes

4. The Homework Folder

 

The Homework Folder has two sides.  A "Keep at Home" side and a "Return to School" side. Homework or forms that need to be returned go on the "Return to School" side, while newsletters and flyers and the such go on the "Keep at Home" side. 

5. The Planner

I'm fortunate enough to work in a school where the school provides us with planners for each student every year!  This is a huge help.  Plus the students have been using it for years by the time they reach me so it's not as tedious to teach!  (Many, however, still need CONSTANT monitoring with this tool.) Homework is listed on the board and it's part of their morning routine to fill this out!


6. The Friday Folder

The Friday Folder is lovely!  It helps to increase Parent/Teacher communication and helps students to track their progress throughout the year. The Friday Folder also has two sides--a "Return to School" side and a "Keep At Home" side.  On the "Return to School" side, I keep the Friday Folder tracking sheet.

Each sheet will last 5 weeks.  It has a section for teacher comments and a parent signature (that's required weekly). I also assign students a score (from 1-4) in four categories for the week: Classwork, Homework, Behavior, & Organization.  All graded work from the week goes on the "Keep At Home" side of the folder. Students LOVE getting their Friday Folders back every week.  It's like a report card every week for them.  Parents like it because they see EVERY grade and there are no surprises during report card time. It also allows me to document progress throughout the year in case I need to refer a student for one issue or another.

7. Parent/Teacher Communication Log

This Communication Log is just a specific place that parents can jot me quick & casual notes for me to check once a week.  It also ensures the note will be delivered, not that any students I ever teach are irresponsible with paperwork.....;)


8. Pre-made Note Templates

In the back of the D.O.T. Binder I keep prewritten notes for: Bus Notes, Early Dismissal, and Excused Absences.  This helps parents because they're already written (they have to fill in a couple of blanks), it's quick & easy for them, & it ensures that I get all the information I need as the teacher.

I collect D.O.T. Binders on Friday Morning (see the crate on the left?) and during the kiddos' Recess or Special, I complete all of the Friday Folders.

Love this idea and want to implement your own Organizational Binder?  You can buy your own Organizational Binder Starter Kit from my TpT store or my Teachers Notebook store!!  These kits have EVERYTHING you need to get started, except the binders of course.  I have a variety of kits available, all pictured below!  Click the captions to see the items!  Here's to a phenomenal week! :)

D.O.G. Binder Starter  Kit

O.W.L. Binder Starter Kit

 

 

 

 

B.I.R.D. Binder Starter Kit

H.A.I.R.Y Binder Starter Kit

D.O.T. Binder Starter Kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

C.A.M.P. Binder Starter Kit

Attention Owl Themers!

I recently received a request to create an Owl Classroom themed pack and so here it is! This is the first of two, however.  Here's the pastel version for those of you who like softer colors.  I'll be posting a version with brighter colors in the next few days! And, as always, if you have any requests--let me know.