busy, busy, busy

Class lists are posted!!!  Woo Who!!!  I have the best class ever (two years in a row)!

I got our class library cleaned up.  It looks so much better, and I have my bulletin board space back.  Getting my boards decorated is the top of my agenda tomorrow.

These are the books that I weeded out of our library to donate to another teacher who has no books in her room.  

My to-do lists keeps getting shorter.  This is already re-written because about half of it was crossed off.  I'm getting close!  I'm so ready for school to start.  I'm ready to see my babies.  I'm going to try to do home visits, though.

I have been sitting in my living room floor cutting out laminated aliens for about three hours.  I only have about twice as much to do, so if anyone is bored this week.... bring your scissors over.  I'm off to learn something new.

Back in the game!

I've been away all weekend having a great time before I go back to school for real!  I went to Branson with my mom's extended family, and then came back to North Little Rock for one night to spend with my in-laws.  I had so much fun, and I always love spending time with my family.  I didn't accomplish anything productive really, but I did buy a lot of back-to-school clothes.  It seems like because my parents always did this with me as a child (buying new "school" clothes) I still need to do it as an adult. I did buy some good bins to keep journals in and I got Scrabble blast for seven dollars!  I think the students will enjoy playing as a center for word work.  I plan to work the rest of the week in my classroom finishing my to-do list.  I can't believe we only have three weeks before students come back! I'm excited, and stressed because I have so much to do.  Until tomorrow, go learn something new!

A day of accomplishment!

I was not stuck in a workshop today.  I had a really fun day.  I didn't get much done, but I got something done.  I slept in this morning since it was my husband's day off.  Then, I went to pick up an order from my friend Chalissa who makes adorable onesies, bows, dresses, jewelry, and tons more if you ever need something cute... let me know, I'll give you her number.  You can also find her at Peas and Carrots here in Texarkana.  From her house, I went to Dillard's because they are having a big sale! I was pretty good.  I got four pair of shoes for work (that means they are flat or very low heel if you aren't a teacher) for only thirty-seven dollars!  This is a steal, and I'm very excited!  Finally, I made it to the school around lunch time.  I worked for a few hours, and got at least seven items crossed off of my to-do list.
1.  I cleaned my desk off (as clean as it ever gets... I have four cans of pens, pencils, highlighters, bathroom passes, and the typical tape, stapler, hole puncher, calendar fiasco that stays)
2. I pulled my big bookshelf down to the floor, so all of the furniture in our classroom is officially how I want it.
3.  I spoke with Mr. Walls, our principal, and had him answer the list of a million questions for him.
4.  I got our schedule typed up on cute paper (because it all has to be cute for back to school).
5.  I outlined some general ideas for what I am going to teach at the professional development I was asked to do.  I also found out that (yay!) I do have a partner to do this with me.
6.  I met our new first grade teacher (that was lucky he was there).  I think the students are going to LOVE all of our new teachers at Kilpatrick this year.  They are all so eager!  I guess I'm still eager about each new year, too.  I hope the students love me, but I hope they think I'm mean, also.
7.  I unpacked my Reallygoodstuff.com order! It's so much like Christmas morning to get new supplies for our classroom. Check out just a few of the fun things!

Students love this game, and it's a great reinforcement center, so I bought this boxed set.  

These two items are just fun little extras that I ordered for the students to do the
first week or two of school.  It's really important to me for our students to really
have ownership of the classroom.

 

Six books full of ideas and
ready made centers.

Check out the FREE label
they sent me!

I have a class set of elapsed time rulers,
so I'm excited about this jumbo one
that has forty-eight hours shown.

Homophone slides 

This is a magnet set that I am hoping will help some of my visual learners be more prepared to begin a lesson with all of the correct materials out so they aren't back and forth in their desks or to a supply station.  I only put up the magnets they need to have out.  Also, I'm going to be strict to enforce a conduct cut if they have out unnecessary materials.

I think the students will enjoy the tough questions better if it seems like a game.  I also found a big blank set of dice that I can write my own questions on.

I know this post was a little winded, but I'm proud of all I accomplished from my list.  I only left 64 things on it!  With that, go learn something new!

Day 2 - Math Workshop

So, I did learn something at my workshop today.  Always have a book with you.  I think the quote goes something like...  "Reading gives you somewhere to go when you have to stay where you are."  Seriously though, today was better, and I did learn some useful questioning techniques.  I am looking forward to changing the way I question students in Math, so that they have a better number sense and foundation for Algebra and Statistics.  I have seen the same push for this type of questioning in every workshop I have attended that focused on Math this summer.  I do think in past years, I have been on the right track, but I always have more to learn.

I started a to do list today for what I need to do in the next two days before I leave for Branson on Friday.  I'm excited to get to go with my mom, Grammy, two sets of aunts and uncles, and my cousin.  We used to go at least once a year when we were all little, but you know how life goes.... you grow up, you get busy enough that you don't do as much with extended family.  I'm glad to have this weekend to go.  I just with my husband didn't have to work, and would go with us.  Anyway, my to do list......   I have fourteen school related items on it.  No, they don't all HAVE to be done tomorrow, but I would love to shorten this list to nothing before Friday.  That way, I can start a new one for next week on the drive home.  I hate having unfinished projects.  I hope you get everything crossed off of your list, and I hope you learn something new!  I'm off to start on item number one right now :)!

Another Week Begins

Well, well, well... I had a great weekend with my husband around town.  We went to Staples, and loaded up on penny deals for the classroom.  He managed to find forty dollars worth of unneeded merchandise while we were there.  How can you not love Staples?
Today I went to a Math workshop where I was determined to bring away some ideas to use in the classroom this year.  Here's hoping for better luck tomorrow.  I shouldn't say that, I know.  I just don't feel like I was taught anything new.  I was reminded of some questioning strategies that I know I will implement more with Common Core being the push this year.  I think it is good to be reminded every now and  then how BORED my students can get listening to me for more than about three minutes at a time.  Workshops are sometimes just a good reminder to never make students sit still.  If I can't do it without being sad and distracted, how can I expect that from my nine and ten year olds?  If you are a teacher reading this, please remember that.  Let the students move, talk, play, and be downright active.  If you don't, they will become disruptive, and get nothing from what you think is important to say.
Go learn something new, tonight!

new clipboard. Yay!

I honestly didn't get very much school stuff accomplished today.  I had a ton of personal stuff I needed to do, but that is the joy of it being summer.  I don't have to work all day, every day.  I did run by Michael's while I was out and about today and find this beautiful paper to modge podge myself a new pretty clipboard.  Don't you just love the pearls?  Mom gave me a similar clipboard a few years ago that I have loved to death...literally.  It's in bad shape.  I carry my clipboard everywhere at school because it's how I keep up with discipline.  I've wanted one that opened up like this for a while, but couldn't stand to part with my Razorback one from Mom.  I'm pretty pumped about my fancy new prize.  I guess it doesn't take much to make me happy :)!

I plan to post later about my discipline chart.  I keep really simple records but they make sense to me, and they're easy.  You can look for that post once school starts :).  In the meantime, go learn something new... It's the weekend, after all!

a lazy day at home

This is the package of paper I went through today.  I spent the day at home in a comfy pair of shorts and a t-shirt printing off every pin I could and a ton of freebies from teachers-pay-teachers.  I just got home from Wal-Mart with a three inch binder for each subject.... so I'm off to sit in front of the tv while I organize.  I'm a total sucker for Project Runway, and the new season started tonight!  I know it's fake, but it's the only reality tv series I really like, so I'll have my simple indulgence.  Go learn something new (hopefully not in front of the television)!!!

long summer days

So, my sweet husband started his new job this week working twelve hour shifts.  I have taken advantage of that time to work in my classroom for the past few days.  I have gotten a lot done, but from the looks of it.... I still have A LOT to do.

My first big task was reorganizing all of our centers and manipulatives for learning centers.  This is probably only about half of the treasures we will be "playing"/"learning" with this year, but the OCD gremlin in me loves to have them all nice and neat before the new year commences.

Literacy Centers

Math manipulatives 

Next up, check out the amazing Math/Science tools I received in a workshop this year.  This again, is not all of it.... but free stuff my students and I can use to play/learn is always superb in my book.  In case you couldn't guess, the workshop was on measurement.  I learned some great ideas I look forward to sharing with my students this year, but again, I repeat, FREE STUFF rocks!

Capacity measurement tools

Cubic Centimeters (1000 of them)

On a less positive note, I still have a lot to get done in our room.  The library looks like a tornado may have struck!  Also, be sure to notice the terrible blank bulletin board.  That corner alone will take a full day, but such is life :).

 I did however get around to cleaning all of my junk off of Mrs. Conway's desk and clearing the shelves behind her desk so she can begin to put her own touch on her corner of our room.

 This is unfortunately how I left my desk when the waxing crew ran me out of this building this afternoon.

So, I'll be waxed out of the building the rest of the week I'm afraid.  I did at least bring home my printer and have spent a good portion of the night printing off free printables and centers to use this year.  Pinterest is an amazing place on this world wide web!  With that, I'm off to bed!  Sweet dreams, and learn something new today!

Teacher's favorite time of the year

Ask most teachers out there, and they will tell you July and August is the most wonderful time of the year.  Sure, here in Arkansas, it's incredibly hot and humid, but it's back to school time!  There is the excitement of having a new group of students headed your way, the thrill of finding the best deals on school supplies (we teachers love Staples and Office Depot for their great buys), the the tediousness of organizing our classrooms (again), and the overall feeling of a fresh start.  I am more excited than ever this year, because I am looping up with my students that I taught last year.  I love this group, so I'm glad to know I already have a good relationship with each of them as we go into the school year.  I have good rapport with the parents of this group, and am looking forward to working with them again this year.  I know our students will make continuous and tremendous growth.  I am starting this blog mostly to keep parents up to date on all the fun stuff we do on a day to day basis.  I also hope to pass along some of the ideas that my new co-teacher, Mrs. Conway, and I come up with as we embark on this new year.  Please, please, please leave feedback and comments for me when you visit so that I can better serve my little angels.