Tame your Space

I am constantly being asked by co-workers what my tips are for keeping my room organized and 'tamed' and tame would be the verb I would use for teachers keeping their areas organized. It is never perfect, and it will never be complete. So all you can do is tame the situation. 

I know that a lot of teachers get over-whelmed at the end of the school year with the amount of STUFF that has piled up or been covered up or put in closets and all of that has to be re-organized and gone through. 

Now I know that it is impossible to keep the clutter tame all the way, and at the end of the school year, I always end up feeling like I have to throw everything away and that it is going to take years and I get frustrated and just go sit in another teacher's room and talk about summer plans. 

Here is my solution to that this year: 

Every week I am going to have a focus area. (teachers love goals) 

I am writing my focus areas in my plan book. 

My focus areas are: 1. Books 2. cabinets 3. Shelves 4. Files 5. Manipulatives

This year it is super important that I go through everything: I am changing positions next year. Currently I teach second grade math. Only math. We have been departmentalized for some time now (three years). Next year, I will be teaching a mixed-age class of second and third graders. A new math teacher is coming in, so I need to get her curriculum and teacher books, books from my library, manipulatives, everything!

This week I have gone though my classroom library and paired it down quite a bit. I don't want her to start her teaching career with a library that is not well-rounded. And since I will have third graders, I need to "beef-up" my library. 

I am hoping that having clear goals for each week will stop me from being so "if you gave a mouse a cookie" as I go through my room. And take away the frustration altogether!

Bonus Tip :  Don't handle paperwork more than three times. When I grade papers, I grade them, write their points on a grading sheet (or even better put them straight into the grade book/computer), and then put them straight into their mailboxes. (I try to sit close to their mailboxes if possible)

The BEST thing to do is grade their papers as SOON as they hand them to me, and have THEM put it into their mailboxes. (But I know that can't always happen)

That will help you keep the paper-pile-up down to a minimum throughout the school year. 

Happy Organizing :) 

Classroom Tour

I thought I would share my classroom through a picture tour.
We start school on the 27th with students, teachers begin on the 24th.  

So here we go!
Welcome to my Classroom 

My calendar math area. I already have it set up for the first day of school. We adopted the program two years ago and I'm getting the groove of it!
I hung the baskets on the well, I'm unsure how I'll use them quite yet. 

 View to the "back" of the room.

View to the door. I have 4 tables in my room that each seat 6. It's great for cooperative learning and Kagan strategies, but it stinks when I have 27 in a class and we don't all fit around the tables.  

My desk area/the student computer. I hope to utilize it more this year. 

From the door looking at my desk/bookshelves
I've changed my room around a little this year, and it has me anxious. 

This is a part that I'm really excited about.
I teach four sections of math each day. This wall (which are my cabinets) will [hopefully] serve as our data board. I don't want to post names or exact numbers, just a "yes" or a "no" if we have mastered the standard or not (I plan to use small post-it notes). I've just started with my standards for the first quarter to see how this method goes... 

*Hopefully* My area for guided math conferences and small math groups! :) 

Storage & extra bins... everybody has this stuff, right??
The baskets across the top are another undecided project. 

Behind my small group table: I want us to know what our goals are, and how we'll know if we've mastered a standard. I'm really into goals, data, and students tracking progress this year! 

Again, *Hopefully* my workstations pocket chart! 

SmartBoard area .... manipulatives, games, math books on the shelves

Student computer that WILL get used more this year. 

 I'm really excited about this. I am making a conscious effort to be more POSITIVE this school year.
We have adopted PBIS and I really want to do my best to follow it, not just because we've adopted it. But because I want to be a positive teacher and mentor to the children I have in my room. I want them to feel safe and secure in school.
These Brag Tag hooks are for the brag tags I bought from Primarily Speaking. I'm excited to use them as positive reinforcement throughout the school year! 

Schedule on the wall (my students move to 3 different teachers throughout the day.
Behavior charts (calendars) that I made. We use a clip-stick and at the end of the day during pack and stack routines, we color in where we ended that day. 

Phew! That's my room so far; What I've done of it.
I think a classroom is constantly changing, materials are out when they are needed & when the next set need to come out, they appear from the cupboards!
It's amazing all the work that goes into an elementary classroom. The thought and care that goes into each little space. I would equate it to preparing a nursery: you have no idea what the baby that will reside in the nursery will look like or be like.... yet you make that nursery amazing.
That's what an elementary teacher does. Not for one baby, but for many, different children. And even though we don't know them, their personalities or learning styles, we attempt to make the room welcoming, versatile and organized to enable us to be the best teacher we can be to these kiddos! 

Flip Books

I had a lot of people ask me about the flip books that I just made for open house.
The first tip is that I bought them from Where the Wild Things Learn. 

She has them set up to be totally editable and has the cute kiddo "about me" books included!
(All for only $3 which saved me a TON of time) 

Okay... so I spent some time entering all my information into the pre-made text boxes she has.
*** TIP: There is a slide that includes all the free, fun fonts that she uses in the flip books. I would suggest going to that slide and downloading the fonts before you get started!***
I think you could make them by using the ruler function in PowerPoint-- They're about an inch shorter/longer for each section.

Then, I had to print. Each flip was on a different page... so I counted out each page and what color I wanted them (I had no rhyme or reason for which colors I used)

After printing, I trimmed and trimmed and trimmed. I made 30 flip books, so this was a little time consuming.

As I was trimming, I stacked them to be sure the sizes matched up. They were perfect!

After trimming, I took them home and laid them out in each of their stacks: 

look how pretty! 

Then it was as simple as layering each page. Starting with the biggest one, which was almost a full-page. and ending with the top cover-ish flap. And finished it up with 3 staples. 

All the flaps & finished.

And they all flip nicely to show information that parents and students will need at the beginning of the school year. 

It's really that simple.
I would really suggest ordering a template from TpT like this one from Where the Wild Things Learn because it makes the whole process a snap! 

 

11 Tips to Help you get your Master's Degree as a Teacher

I started my Master's program in Summer, 2013. I went back to my Alma Mater to obtain my Master's in Elementary and Middle School Administration, and when I started my program, I had only been teaching two years. And let's face it: if you are the type of person who is a teacher and who is going to work on your Master's Degree, you're the type of person who does a TON more than just teach and go to school. When I was getting my degree, I was teaching full-time, going to graduate school full-time, coaching high school softball, among other things.
So here are a few tips to help you get through your time. 

(I was inspired by Alison's list at Learning at the Primary Pond) 

1. Make sure what you're getting your Master's in is something that you're interested in. 
It took a lot of people telling me a lot of times that they thought I would be a good administrator for me to even consider it. I weighed my options of degree programs and after research and a lot of praying, I decided Administration was the thing for me. It helped me get through my assignments and classes because my mindset wasn't "I HAVE to do _____" it was "I GET to do _____" I was genuinely excited and happy to do each assignment. (I'm a big nerd anyway, so that helped) 

2. Beware of the "full plate"
I got a fortune once that said "Don't overload your plate unless you intend to share"
I am the queen of the full plate/extra irons in the fire/juggling act. However, while I was getting my degree I was extra cautious to not fill my plate too full, and when I felt like it was getting too full, I would drop a commitment. I went to school full-time and taught full time, which was like having two jobs. I also am the assistant high school softball coach, on the PBIS team, a board member of our local softball league, among other things. I had to let go of singing in the church choir for a while, and stop going to church council meetings. I also had to learn.... 

3. Don't be afraid to say "no"
I have a lot of friends who are all a lot of fun. They will call up at the drop of a hat and ask to do something (go to a ball game/go to dinner/go see a movie)... I had to learn to say no. And not just because "I have homework to do" but also as mental days -- Sometimes I had to say no; I can't go so that I could breathe and sleep! 

4. Explore your options
Education is unique in that if you want to take on those extra things, you can. I got a lot of opportunities to go to meetings and create presentations and really see what a person who uses my degree daily goes through. If you're getting your degree in curriculum, ask if you can be on the next committee. If you're getting your counseling degree, ask if you can be paired with your counselor to do some research and learn how s/he does things. So when you do take on anything extra you have to ... 

5. Plan, Plan, Plan, Plan
I'm a huge planner. I have an Erin Condren Teacher planner and it works perfectly, keeping my personal dates and classroom lessons all in one place. I also had to learn that I had to write everything down; EVERYTHING -- my planner became a journal of sorts. When you are so busy, you will sometimes forget that there is a party at your grandma's and that you are supposed to take tea. It just happens. So you have to write it down. Also, plan your food. I wasn't the best at this, I'll admit. But there's something to be said for sitting down for an hour or so and planning out your meals for the week. It does make your life 100Xs easier. It was hard for me to do, and I ended up getting fast food a LOT (and gained a few pounds). Weeks that I would plan, I would make things and then be able to eat on the meal for lunches throughout the week.

6. Take advantage of breaks/do things just for you
When I had a fall break, winter break, even a weekend I would milk it for all it's worth. I would use the breaks to work on school work, plan for teaching, and also recharge my batteries. I also had t.v. shows that I would record and watch at night; just to give myself some time to reset myself and prepare for the next challenge ahead. 

7. Shop in advance as much as possible
I would buy things like toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo/conditioner and stock up. When you're as busy as you get... it's easy to forget to buy kitchen trash bags. I especially do this when I am working the fair, trying to set up my classroom, and softball season has started (plus grad school, and etc.). It's madness. 

8. Find a person
I'm not married. While going through school I was not in a relationship. But I had a few key people who had also been in grad school, or had been in a similarly stressful situation and I could confide in them. They were sympathetic (and empathetic!) of my busy-ness and forgetfulness. They got it when I had to say no, and they were still my friends!

9. Lay Down the Type A-ness 
I am Type A. It's kind-of a running joke in my school how Type-A I am. As soon as a project, form, or email comes across my desk, I have to answer it.
But during my time in school (especially the last two semesters) I have to learn that it was okay for me to be a little "Type B" ... Sometimes I didn't answer everything at the exact second it comes across my desk, or my copies weren't made when I wanted them, sometimes I never got to make that "cute" worksheet to put on TpT, or I didn't get my grading done when I wanted to.
I had to learn to be okay with that.

10. Get "in good" with your professors
Now, I'm not condoning "brown nosing" ... but the professors of your grad school program will be the ones who can help you gain experiences and show you ways to challenge yourself. My professors became people I could ask questions about the program, education as a whole, and they were 100% honest in what they shared. They have all the information on testing, requirements, what your next step should be, and are some of the best references for you to get the job you want!

11. Journal
I've kept a journal since I was 8 years old. I love being able to write down my thoughts and (mostly) opinions. I can look back and remember how hard it was and how much work I put in in a few years. I love being able to not only write about myself, but also my family and friends... write about things happening in the world, and keep track of my goals and dreams in my own little book. 

BONUS: Walk
When you've finished your degree, you have to walk at graduation. It's you celebrating your accomplishments! Take it all in and realize how many people were cheering you on through out your grad program. It's a very exciting day! 

All that being said, I am so grateful that I got a higher degree. I learned more than I could have dreamed of, and it gave me great perspective on what goes on "behind the scenes" of education. It's not easy but totally doable!
Next step.... EdD.... ahahahahahahahahaahahahahhahaha

I {LOVE} Work Days!

Today we got a work day in our classrooms!
I <3 work days! It means I get to spend a day in my room (mostly) uninterrupted getting TONS of work done! It definitely feels more like summer now that I have done some cleaning in my classroom. Summer is truly my favorite time to work in my room. I love trying to move things around, trying new floor plans, putting up new bulletin boards, having everything be nice and shiny! 

This whole morning was devoted to cleaning, grade cards and a smidge of planning.
We cleaned chair pockets out, wiped down all the tables, sharpened pencils, updated things, and made everything look nice. 

I like having everything "in its place" so to say. I find that then it is easier to be productive. 
(that's why my house is always so clean when I have grad school homework to do!) 

We went to lunch at our local BBQ restaurant ... and all ordered salads. HAHA 

Came back and started planning.
I am REALLY bad about writing down my plans. I almost wish it was a requirement so that I was sure to get them on paper.
We have SMART Notebook (for now) and I typically do a lot of screen-shots of needed materials. The program we use came with workbooks, and I've had my Tiger Tutors tear out all the pages (otherwise the kids can't do it on their own), which makes the "paperwork" side of things WAY easier.

Today I just needed to make some copies of our "problems of the lesson" and place the workbook pages in the days I wanted to do them. 

We are finishing up our time chapter this week and next week we will begin multiplication/division bar model problems. I can't say I'm totally excited to teach it, but it will happen! 

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day (and picture day for us)

Go to my store for a $2 packet! 

Have a lucky day! :) 

Fractions

This coming week, we are starting our fraction unit. How quickly I am able to go and how many "fun" activities I get to do will depend on the first day, when we will do some of the Chapter opener that Singapore always has and I can better gauge their prior knowledge.
I'm always thankful for these days because they are like an extra day, I can sometimes use these days to get a jump on the chapter if I know that we are going to struggle and we will need extra time. 

Here are my tentative plans for the coming week: 

Barring we have no more snow... we should get through our fraction chapter in about a week and a half!

Something I have been working on this weekend has been this calendar booklet for First grade!
A buyer asked me if I could do my Calendar Book for First graders, so I obliged. I don't teach first grade, so I did my best to tailor the pages to their calendar and to activities that would help develop their number sense. 

Click on the picture to go to the calendar booklet in my store! It's 141 pages of lovliness :)

I also whipped up these: 

FREEBIE Bookmarks in my store ... math and the other side is reading. I love using partnerships in my classroom. Partner work is invaluable! 

The end of the school year is almost here (even though there is snow on the ground), which means the end of my grad school days and the end of my student teacher, the end of my internship, and the beginning of summer!
YIPPEE! 

Measurement and word Problems

I do not have nearly enough pictures of anything we do in this classroom of mine! 

That is going to be my *new* classroom resolution until the end of the year, I want to document things as they happen in my classroom better! 

Today my class learned a new strategy for solving word problems.
We worked on simple steps:
1. Read the WHOLE problem.
2. Figure out what/who the problem is about
3. Re-write the question.
4. Solve the problem.
5. Check your solution. 

We did two examples on the carpet together and then used a scaffolded page with the steps for partnerships to work on them together. Here's what the scaffold looks like: 

I have made up a quick unit with problems that have this scaffold on the bottom half of the paper for partners to do. (that's how we used it today) You can click on the picture and get it for free! 

Here's the link for the whole unit with problems and the scaffold. 

I am still figuring out the whole how to be a teacher, student-teacher-mentor, grad student, person in my internship... but somehow I'm working it all out... I had an observation today and it went really well, so I'm happy to share these resources with you! 

Also, tomorrow begins the "Teachers are Superheroes" sale at TpT!

Get there and fill up your carts, I know I will be shopping around!

Click the picture to go to my store :) 

Have a great end to your February! 

Student {CO} Teaching

This semester is FLYING by!

Not only am I involved in finishing up my internship for my master's program, but I also have a student teacher. Wait, not a "student teacher" a "co-teacher." The University where she's graduating from (which just so happens to be my alma mater and current grad school) is adopting the Co-Teaching model. 

When I learned I was getting a student teacher, my mind flashed back to my semester as a student teacher. How I gradually gained the trust of my district supervisor in order to earn lessons and MAP prep lessons. I took over subjects and lessons a week at a time, taking control slowly and then releasing the classroom back to my mentor.

All that has changed.
They want co-teachers to be fully immersed into the classroom immediately. Teaching and working with students as soon as their semester starts.

I have found this to be quite challenging. 

For me, I learn best from observing. Watching and taking notes, reflecting on what I have seen & heard and deciding if I liked it, if I wanted to use any of it, or if I thought that I could do better.
And I always wanted to do better.

When you are co-teaching, there isn't a lot of chance for you as the supervisor to observe your teacher-candidate, or for them to observe you. The roles aren't nearly as clear - which I guess is really the point, however I fear that it makes for a less structured and less beneficial "co-teaching" experience.

And I know that people will say: "the experience is what you make of it" ... and it is!
We are incredibly lucky to teach in a departmentalized elementary (2-4) so I am able to model lessons or parts of lessons while she observes, and then attempts; I can give her pointers and then she attempts again. She can also teach/I can take notes and give them to her, and she can adjust the lesson for the next group. She can teach while I pull a small group or individual over to re-do or re-teach.

There are many benefits. And I don't down-play those.
It is a huge responsibility to teach a brand new teacher how to teach.

I think in the beginning, she was on brain drain over-load.
I explained EVERYTHING. The papers I was carrying, the mailboxes, the different math books, the copier, the girl walking down the hall, how I register for PD, that I was going to the bathroom and she might think about doing the same.
She left the first couple weeks exhausted!
As she should. haha

Any tips for a co-teacher?
Any tips for a student teacher?
Any ways to keep them motivated? 

New Semester

We've started the semester off running. In math we started learning how to measure using metric units. I finally finished up my units of MIF for y'all, and it is up in my tpt store. It isn't as in-depth as I think I would like for it to be, but for this unit I really did stay close to the unit in the book. 

Click to go to my store and check it out! 

We spent the first two weeks measuring things, comparing their measurements, and really trying to understand what those measurements meant. 

We also spent a lot of time re-teaching expectations.
Our school follows the PBS (Positive Behavior Supports) behavior model.
We have four key things students are supposed to be be cognizant of: being RESPECTFUL, being RESPONSIBLE, being SAFE and being a LEARNER. (our Tiger Stripes)
They say those things in their pledge every morning, and we as teachers constantly use those words when dealing with behavior (Was that safe? ... Were you being respectful?) It helps them be reflective.

So coming back into the semester, we of course talked about resolutions and goals, and that lead us into our four Tiger Stripes. 

It is worth noting as well that I have a student teacher this semester. Not a student teacher.
A co-teacher.
The University where she is from (and also my alma mater) is changing their program from a "student teacher" model where they slowly take over concepts to a co-teaching model where we are both constantly teaching, and she starts right away.

It has been quite the juggling act to figure it all out.
Because I went through the traditional "student teacher" model, and that's what I've known. We received VERY little training on co-teaching. So I'm literally winging it. Sometimes we do what I call "Halfsies" ... I'm sure there is a better term ... but it works out well because we are departmentalized. So I can teach the first lesson, she can watch and hear the vocabulary I want her to use, and then by the third group, we split the class in half to do the mini-lesson.

What I'm finding challenging is me being able to give her feedback/comments if we're both teaching at the same time.
I think we've finally gotten the students into an understanding that we are both the teachers in the classroom. 

Another thing I am struggling with are parent concerns.
Last year they were very legitimate. The students I had last year did not have the prior knowledge of this program, or the high expectations that came with it. It was hard consoling parents, but I had a reason to give them for their child not doing well in math.

This year, it seems that there are few students who are not quite working up to the level of this program. They had it last year, but not in kindergarten. Their parents have expressed concern because their student has a "C" as a grade, and they aren't happy with the grades.
This is hard, because I don't want to give a false grade. And I also firmly believe a "C" is a good grade. While possibly not what a parent wants to see on a grade card, it is what it is. 

So I decided I needed to be more proactive. Because we are departmentalized, it can be hard to get information to and from each other as teachers. So I decided to make up some quick notes so that I can write things to parents quickly that can be stapled to progress reports, or sent home that day. Which ever. 

They're just simple, quarter page notes. But I'm hoping it will keep me more accountable. 

Lastly, I made up a Groundhog Day page FREEBIE
It is just a page of informational text, a little history, what Groundhog Day is, how it's celebrated, etc. And then a page of questions. I think it could be used as a close-read or just as a quick thing to cover Groundhog Day. 

Our 100th day of school is on Groundhog Day this year!
So we'll have to see how all that will work! 

Happy New Semester!

Unplugged-ish

Confession time: I am really addicted to technology. Not like some people are. I'm more addicted in a teenager-who-can't-stop-checking-social-media sort of way.
I'm not a game-player.
I don't online shop (most of the time).
I don't binge-watch Netflix on my computer.
I mainly spend hours on Facebook or Pinterest ... ensuring that I am "up-to-date." 

I WISH my addiction was beneficial ... like that I was so into technology I was always creating products or that I was always doing research or something helpful, but that's not always the case. 

So I decided to do something about it. 

Around December 1st, I decided that I would deactivate my Facebook account.

Until Christmas.

It was going to be hard, because this was the time leading up to the holidays and people would be posting all types of news and fun pictures. But then I realized, that was exactly why I didn't want to be on there.

So often I found out information about people before they even had a chance to tell me themselves.
This was especially true of my students. And that was one of my main motivations for deactivating. Leading up to the holidays, my students are excited, they have family traditions, baking cookies at grandmas, all of them have Elves on their Shelves that do mischievous things in their homes, they go on trips to visit the magic tree .... they have all these fun and exciting things to tell me, and I have found that over the years I have had Facebook, and parents have "friended" me, I find things out about my students before they've had a chance to tell me their story from their point of view.
[Which is always just a little different than those five-or-so best pictures that mom/dad/grandma decide are post-worthy.]

In a world where multi-tasking and getting things done quickly is king, I too often found myself saying "I saw your elf this morning on Facebook!" and it took me a while to realize what was happening: these students are being raised in a world of technology, by parents who need things to happen instantly, and now they had a teacher who doesn't want to hear their stories either.
I was mortified. 

So this year, it was my goal in the weeks leading up to Christmas break to be as un-attached to social media as I could be and really LISTEN to my students and their stories (which usually involved an elf who hung toilet paper all over or made snow angels in sugar). This way, I wouldn't have already seen what Susie's elf did and SHE could tell me herself. 

While I felt closer to my students, I felt less connected to others. My co-workers who rely on Facebook to keep our personal lives "connected" and my friends who rely on Facebook to send out massed-messages/emotions/pictures because that, unfortunately, is our society.
I will confess that I got onto Facebook twice during this time of being "unplugged" ... once to turn off my mobile device [even though I deactivated my account, I was still getting text messages from them, and I didn't like that]. Once because I had sent some pictures from my classroom to our district's communications director and someone said he posted them onto Facebook, so I wanted to check and see which ones he posted. 

I have four days left until I will reactivate my Facebook.
And I can't say that I won't be just as active as I was before, but I will look at it another way. 

Another interesting thing that happened when I de-activated:
I lost TONS of phone numbers. People would call/text me and I'd be like "Who is this?!" without understanding why I didn't have their number. People like my brother no longer had a name or photo in my phone. All because of Facebook. 

I still used Instagram and SnapChat.
I still read all my regular blogs. 

I still used Pinterest.
I still got onto my TpT account and used my email.

But nothing like I used to; my laptop mostly stayed closed during the evenings while I watched t.v. and I went to bed much earlier every night. 

Technology is a funny thing. So helpful, and yet so burdensome. 

  

THANKSgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

I am at home, recovering from:
 two Thanksgiving feasts (my mom's side and my dad's)

Online Shopping
Movie Night (my mom and I went to see Mockingjay!)

Cookie decorating with my grade level team

AND
writing my PDP and a Unit of Instruction to share out with the district at our next PD.

When I write it all out, I really did quite a bit over this break! 

I did want to share something with you all; I've been focusing on my 'data points' this quarter.
And I created an Endless Bundle where I will add each quarter's data points to them as I go.

Each data point correlates to Common Core State Standards, and they follow what I am teaching in math. They are quick for students to do, and quick for me to grade. 

Go to my TpT store for a quick Freebie to try it! 

Click on the picture to go there! 

Here's the whole bundle if you want to check it out!

And, right now... my whole store is 10%
And December 1-2 ALL of TpT is 20% off! 

Happy Shopping, and Happy December!

My count-down is on!
(15 days!) 

Trugging Along

I know every week I say "this week is jam-packed"

BUT really, this week has been totally full! 

Monday I taught division concepts to my second graders. That's right, division concepts. We are getting pretty good at identifying the (divided by) and (times) symbols. Most days I take for granted that they know the symbols for addition/subtraction, and then I have to teach them these new symbols and I'm like WOAH! How'd they learn the other ones?!? 

We've been using the concept of groups and objects to help with multiplication and division, these are BIG concepts.
I will get a picture of my anchor chart, because it's awesome! 

Tuesday we had 5th and 6th grade teachers come and observe in our math classrooms. They all said they were really impressed with how much our kiddos knew and were able to do! It's always nice to feel validated and like you're on the right track with your instruction from time to time! 

After school Tuesday, I had a Superintendent's Advisory Committee meeting. It was my first time going, and I really enjoyed it; it was nice to sit and chat with our Superintendent about upcoming events, concerns and questions from around the district. 

Today I started teaching about word problems using multiplication and division. I was really proud with how well they were all able to discern if a word problem was multiplication or if it was division. And I was observed today by my principal which went well, she was impressed with how well they were doing.. I'm really proud of them! 

Tomorrow we are continuing our word problem work. We are also using task cards with our work that my district math coach gave to me to use!
After school, I have class for five hours in the city. A friend of mine is coming to stay at my house until her meeting in Warrensburg for student teaching.

Friday we have a field trip to our local college to watch a play. It is always exciting! That will take our whole morning; and then I have a sub in the afternoon because I have to go to the same student teaching meeting in Warrensburg to learn about co-teaching. In the spring semester I am getting a student teacher! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time! 

Friday night I have a big dinner with my friends to say good bye to one of our friends: She's moving to ALASKA!
And then Saturday I'm hosting my friends at my house for the same reason: saying goodbye to my dear friend as her and her new fiance' make the move to the Alaskan tundra. eeeek! (and brrrr!)

It's just a b.u.s.y week!

Endless Bundle!

I haven't posted in about a month, and after reading my last two posts I realize that my life hasn't much changed since softball ended. I still have meetings and/or classes every night, something is always going on! 

I have fallen behind in the area of assessment in my classroom

 *GASP* 

So this weekend, my main goal was to create my data point assessments for common core/standards based grading that we are doing this year. 

I got all that done, for quarter one and quarter two.
This way I can assess my students as needed on the standards I need to still.
AND I can share them with you!

It is an "ENDLESS" bundle, which I have come to learn means that I will put up what I have done now, and you all can buy it as it, then any updates or better-ings I do, you get too!

I am excited about this, too because they are half-sheet assessments that the kids can do quickly and that I can grade quickly. Our standards-based grading is based on a 3-2-1 scale, so I tried to keep it simple with that in mind. 

Along with that this weekend, I worked on my Reflection paper on ELCC Standard 3 for my Internship (which I got finished!) and I worked on my Professional Code of Ethics (which is 1/3 of the way done!). 

I feel like I'm FINALLY on the down-hill slope of Grad-School and I'm ALMOST there. However I know I still have a TON of work left in my internship, but I also think a few solid weekends of work will get a lot of it done.
As long as I stay focused. 

This weekend my school also had its school Carnival. It is always fun and a great fundraiser for our PTA. I, of course, was pied in the face by kids. Kids throwing pie = tons of fun (and mess)! 

One of my softball girls was in charge of the pie-throwing booth with me and she sent this picture out of me to all the softball team for them to come out to the carnival! haha! 

After the carnival, I got to go see one of my very best friends from when we were little. She had her brand-new little baby boy here! I got to hold him and feed him... and her nephews were there. It was a very nice chat with some of my oldest family friends!

I hope you all have a very awesome school week!
Do you get out early for Veteran's Day? Do you have school? What do you have planned that is special? 

Homecoming

This week is Homecoming Week for me. Both homecoming for my high school AND homecoming for my college! WOAH! That's a lot of Homecomings! 

For school, we don't do anything as the elementary school for homecoming -- we just get get out of school early on Friday for the parade (which I get to be in with softball)... the girls make cute posters for the float...

For my college Homecoming: my friends and I will be getting together Friday-Saturday and hanging out at our old haunts. (I love my college friends. We are family.) 

I have so many great memories of my high school and college homecomings: football games, cheering on the tigers and mules, going to/being in the parades (drinking hot cocoa in college, because the parade started at 9am), organizing a campus-wide homecoming "Spirit Week" program my junior year, but most of all being with my friends. Because what are the memories, if there weren't awesome people there to share them with?

OH! And It just so happens that this Friday (high school homecoming) is My Birthday!!

WOO HOO! 

Be checking back for something special this week: Like a Homecoming/Birthday Party Sale! 

15 days

Do you ever stop and think "we've only been in school how long?!" 

Yep.
That's how I feel. 

I always forget how long it takes to teach routines and expectations. And once we have something some-what established, the schedule is changed again. So we do our best to adapt. 

So for the last 15 days that's what I've been working on in my room.
Routines, procedures, expectations, and math. 

I had a request to make third grade versions of the Math in Focus: Singapore Math vocabulary mini posters that I had made for second grade, so I did not disappoint -- here they are! 

Click the picture to go to my store and purchase :) 

This week, we are working on more place value things. Chapter One in our math book goes into Comparing and Ordering numbers using a place-value mat and number line. That's what we will be tackling this week! Along with taking our first test!

I'm also beginning to teach Road to Reading during our intervention time (our IE time is purely reading) ... which I'm excited about! With my crazy schedule, I need something more "scripted."

For example, here's my week this week:
Monday: Internship meeting/Out of town softball game
Tuesday: NOTHING EXTRA!! (Just practice)
Wednesday: Home softball game
Thursday: Home softball game/Math Parent Night
Friday: released from school to go to a two-day softball tournament (*Mid-terms are due*)
Saturday: Softball Tournament 

PHEW! Deep breath! I will make it through this week!
(and the next, and the next, and the next...) 

Almost ready!

Well my classroom is almost done being waxed; so I can ALMOST get in there and finish working, and when I'm done, I'll be sure to post some pictures. For now, know that it's pretty basic. 

One of my main goals has been to be "ahead of the game"
Since I ... teach, coach, work the fair, go to grad school -- which I'm working on my internship hours this semester, am the school's webmaster, oh where I work at the fair has asked me to manage the building ... and all of that is aside from actually living... I need to be as well prepared and be able to manage my time the best as I can.

SOOOOO

I have made up a bunch of things that will HOPEFULLY carry me through the entire year:

These are the YEAR's worth of fluency games that are totally made up, just have to print, cut, laminate, cut, then organize and play! ... that's going to save tons of time and they're aligned to Common Core, Everyday Counts Calendar Math AND Math in Focus-Singapore Math... doesn't get much better than that!

I also made up a whole year's worth of Calendar Math pages to use ... ya know, with calendar math.




Keeping with the Math Theme ... I wanted to make these last year, but never got around to it. These are for the WHOLE year. Vocabulary mini-posters that go with each chapter for Math in Focus-- Singapore Math!

Finally, one of my fellow teachers asked me to make her a clip-chart for writing ... She's the writing teacher in our four-woman-team and she had some specific things she wanted included, so I was happy to oblige her. Here's what we came up with, she was happy with it, I hope you all are too: 

Click on any of the pictures above to go to them in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Right now there's an awesome sale going on, everything in my store is 15% off and if you use the code BTS14 you get an extra percentage off! 

GOALS!

This summer, I can probably go back and count the days that I've slept in. 

I know, I know .... I'm doing it wrong. 

And now, I'm paying for it because I am sooooooooooo tired.
(Because also in the summer, I stay up WAY too late, and get up early. It's a vicious cycle.) 

Anyway. I am on a mission to have EVERYTHING done before I have to officially back. And though I know that this is an unrealistic goal, I know that come the fall I will be coaching softball, juggling an internship AND a class that starts in mid-October. 

So ... really, this goal is simple to me:
1. Have my back-to-school stuff printed
2. Have my room decorated (almost done!) 

3. Print my first unit of math
4. Have math fluency games organized (done!)
5. Have a way to have the kids focused during my morning (see below)

6. Get some kind of meal-plan plan going ....
7. Find a way to formative-ly assess kids and keep it organized! 

Having things printed will help me stay organized. And planning meals will help me stay on track, and be able to save some time, which I'm always about! 

This weekend I worked on putting together a calendar booklet.
I want to use this during our morning. The kids come in at 7:45am and eat breakfast in my room. They hand me notes, tell me stories, ask me to open their milk, are supposed to be signing up for lunch, run around the room, read books, tell each other stories (there's a lot of story telling going on).. but you get the picture. I am supposed to have breakfast/lunch count and attendance done and class started by 8:00am.

HA!

So I wanted to have something that would keep them (busy) focused.
This booklet is aligned to our Calendar Math program (Everyday Counts) and has just as many days as we need, but you could copy more if needed ;) 

It's 131 pages of review and those "morning routines" that I was missing out on by running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
They are very repetitive "Number of the Day" sorts of pages, with each month going a different direction with the number, as Calendar Math does.

My plan is to print it off monthly, and when the month is over we can have a little celebration and send it home!

I'm one step closer to finishing up my list of must-dos!
(I'll keep you updated on the meal planning) 

Time to get back into it...

For most, July 4th is a big celebration day. 

To me, it means we are on the downward slope toward school being here. 

I have been working hard (or hardly working) on some things to help me make this upcoming school year a bit easier, so I thought I would pass them along to YOU so you can benefit as well!

I know we are always learning new things, picking up a little tid-bit at a conference here, reading something from a book there, pinning something on Pinterest... and one of my big goals this summer was to collect games so we could use them during our "math fluency" block.

We are a departmentalized second grade, which I LOVE!
And I teach the math portion.
However, EVERY teacher teaches a section of Intervention (reading) and their own "Everyday Counts Calendar Math" and fifteen minutes of math fact fluency with their homeroom.

So I took it upon myself (being the "math person") to pull together and collect math fluency games to use during that time so we all have direction and consistency. It can be hard when you are asked to facilitate something, but don't really have a map. 

So since I did that for us ... I thought I'd give y'all a little sneak peek.
 

Inside my store, there is a FREEBIE of Part-Part-Whole Cards! 

They are just ONE piece of these games that will last you the whole year :)
Click on the picture below to grab yours: 

 

The rest of the year is in my store for just $10. You get 22 games that are aligned to the Every Day Counts Calendar Math "Computations and Connections" section. All the parts and pieces are there, so you just have to copy, laminate, and organize them! (You will need to add some dice here and there!) 

Click on the picture below to go to my store and see it for yourself:

 

Alright, That's all I have for now.
What have you been working on to get ready for the upcoming school year??

I think I can, I think I can...

Oh Lord... I KNOW that I can finish this year out strong. 

We only have 16 days left of school. 

I have printed off the rest of the math that I will need for the rest of the school year. 

I know the things that I need to do for the rest of the school year. 

I am looking forward to Field Day and our 2nd grade fun-day. 

I am excited about our Relay for Life Spirit Week coming up. 

I am gearing up for softball season. 

I am also making tons of lists of things to do over the summer. 

But isn't that the life of a teacher; hardly the time to live in the now while we are planning for the future... 

LASIK ... the real deal (a long non-school-related post)

I have worn glasses since I was six years old. For real. And they weren't these cutesy frames they have now where kiddos get glasses and people melt because they are adorable. My glasses were always HUGE, ROUND, THICK, NOT-ATTRACTIVE ... which made me feel well, not attractive. 

I was always diagnosed with astigmatism, and I was told I was near and far-sighted. When I was in middle school I tried contacts, but because of the amount of astigmatism I had I had to try to wear gas-permeable lenses. For those who have, and do, and are okay with them, I commend you. They are horribly uncomfortable and painful, and I cried. A lot.

When I was in high school and I was in show choir, glasses weren't allowed on stage. So... I broke out the gas-perms. I could kinda see. But more than that, my eyes were in pain. Our competitions were very long, and on one bus ride home I lost a lens. They were very expensive, so we scrapped that idea.

I played softball, umpired, traveled, swam, with my glasses.

My vision prescription stabilized while I was in high school. And my eye doctor told me I would be a good candidate for LASIK. I was happy, and knew I would need to save up for it. I had several family members who had it done and were very happy.

When I was in college, I once again tried soft-toric contacts to no avail. The problem with astigmatism is that it literally changes the shape of your eye, so putting a contact on your eye doesn't help because with each blink it is moving and changing shape with your cornea. Glasses will be the best fix for astigmatism, always.

Unless you do LASIK! Sooooo I called Durrie Vision. I made an appointment, and went from there. If you are thinking about doing it- think about the cost effectiveness. The cost of LASIK replaces the cost of one pair of glasses and one year of contacts plus solution for me, easy.

My initial evaluation appointment my mom came with me. We have an hour drive to the doctor, and I knew that the tests would make my eyes tired. Because of the amount of astigmatism that my eyes had, my eyes were CONSTANTLY focusing on things, and always tired- causing headaches. My first appointment my eyes were dilated, which lasted until I went to bed that night. They told me I was an excellent candidate. They also told me I have mixed astigmatism. (Which means that each eye is both near and far sighted -- WHAAAAT?!)

I got to be in a study for "iDesign" with SBK Lasik; so that required a lot more tests. So I went back. I needed a driver for that appointment as well and higher strength dilation drops were used. Because my eyes are a light color (blue), the drops are also stronger on my eyes. My eyes were dilated that day and into the next, over 24 hours. 

Tip: You have to shower the night before surgery. No lotions/moisturizers/make-up the day of surgery. Invest in some make-up towelettes. The day of the surgery I got to the office at 9:30 for some pre-op exams. One doctor marked on each of my eye balls with a purple pen on either side of my corneas. Then two assistants put in some more drops. Then the doctor came out to talk to me about the procedure and how it was all going to go -- but let me tell ya, nothing can actually prepare you for what it's like!

This whole time, my family (2 aunts and my mom) are waiting in the waiting room and watching it on a close-circuit TV.

They put you on a flat chair, and then tape one eye shut while propping the other open. There are two machines on either side of you. You slide over to the first machine to get lined up, and then slide over to the other where they "create the flap." Essentially, they use a laser to make a flap in each eye. There is a suction device used, this was the only part that was uncomfortable. And I could not have the drops that prevented my eyes from becoming bruised during this process because of my participation in the study.

After the flaps have been created, you are slid over to the other machine and asked to look at the blinking orange light. Because the flap is open, the light is extremely fuzzy, and at a point it goes totally dark. You hear the laser's "tick tick tick" noise, and you smell the burning -- all "normal"

Once the laser is done with both eyes, the doctor "wipes" your eye (puts the flap back) and puts a gel and light burst of air. That's done to both eyes and voila! The entire procedure is maybe 5 minutes!

They guide you into a little room (where my family was waiting) and put in tons of extra drops, including your anti-inflammatory and the steroid drops that you'll continue for the rest of the week. The doctor comes in to check the flaps, you get sunglasses, and you go! (You obviously have to have a driver)

The morning of my surgery I was experiencing some pretty intense allergies. The drive home was NOT pleasant. I could not breathe, I was nervous to blow my nose, my eyes were watering, I was dizzy, my vision was foggy and confusing, and I felt like crying! AHH! But fear not... it will get better! TIP: Put a timer on your phone for the artificial tears, especially the first day!

I went back to my aunt's house and just laid on the couch for the rest of the evening. When it was time for bed, I put on my "eye shields." More than once I woke up in the night to put in eye drops, my eyes were just so dry.

The next morning you go in for a one-day-post-op. I was seeing 20/15. That's what my correction was with my glasses. And I knew this was way better. Because with my glasses, I had no peripheral vision. And I was cleared to drive!  

My biggest fear was (and still is a little) showering. You have to be careful about getting soap and water in your eyes for 2 months. I've been diligent about keeping my eyes closed. I saw somewhere to keep a towel hanging over the curtain rod to pat water off your face while you're in the shower. That's helped, too. 

One of my biggest tips is to keep the preservative-free tears everywhere. In your pockets, purse, bathroom, bedside, coffee table, car, even in the fridge -- keeping them cool relieves the "itchy" feeling! They give you some samples, and I've been trying different kinds, but I've been using a LOT of them!

I am excited because I know that everyday after LASIK vision continues to get better, I'm still in the stage when it's a little watery and unclear at times.
This was my doctor, I would recommend their practice to Anyone! Click to see videos of how it all works!

Can you tell I was (and am) a little excited about all this?
Happy Easter!!!