8 hours and 50 minutes...

The clock is ticking!...8 hours and 50 minutes until I'm back at school.  I just wanted to share a few last minute things.

Each year, at the beginning of school, my 2 teacher besties and I trade gifts!  FUN! FUN!  

So this year I checked out Etsy and found this cool shop...RobertsDesigns.  She sews and makes lanyards, key chains, etc.  I got my friends each a lanyard with their names stitched on!  Cute,right?  (Hopefully, they don't read this post before I give them their gifts...awkward.)

I also made them little pennant-like banners that say R-E-A-D to hang somewhere in their rooms.  This is what their gifts look like!

I am ALSO excited because this year I have TWO new co-teachers!  Our county is small, so I have never worked with TWO other teachers!  I found these little cuties at Pier1!  It's lipgloss!  TEE-HEE!

AND last but not least, I am getting a college intern for the first time as well!  I wanted to get him/her (hopefully HER because I purchased pink things) something that would be helpful, useful, and hopefully a little inspiring.  I was thinking something like a little welcome teaching kit.  I decided to get an organization bin that papers could fit in instead of a little caddy.  That way I can put papers I want graded or other things INSIDE of the bin to stay organized!  I got the essentials...markers, stapler, CUTE scissors, felt pens, a pencil pouch, a mini hole-punch, post-its and of course, candy).  

I also included this adorable brown notebook, but spruced it up a bit.  I'm hoping my intern will see lots of things she likes this year and will want a place it write them down!  Everyone loves a good teacher hack!

There you have it!  A few little gifts that will hopefully bring a smile to my friends' faces as we get the year started!

12 Days of Summer...

On the 12th day left of summer vacation my blogger gave (not really gave...its costs $) to meeeee....a Circle Chevron Border pack on Tpt!  

That's rights folks!  In only 12 days I am back and at 'em!  Hard to believe the summer is almost gone...*TEAR*!  BUT as always I am pretty excited to get back in my room.  I have made another Chevron Border pack to celebrate the summer's end and I hope you enjoy it!  I went with a circle look this time and included more colors & neons too (I'm kinda lovin' the neon thing right now)!

Neon Freebie...

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone is enjoying the last week of July.     Holy cow!  I can't believe how fast this month has gone!  I made a quick freebie and thought I would share it with you...

If you are into the new NEON fad, click the picture to get a FREE welcome sign for your classroom!

Easy Peasy Data Collection...

There are two words that I find daunting throughout the school year...you know what they are.  They are often said at the Beginning of Year, Middle of Year, and End of Year...that's right - DATA COLLECTION!!!  

As we know, data collection is a HUGE part of teaching.  Test students, group students, teach, repeat!  While data collection is important, necessary, and useful we also know it is EXTREMELY TIME CONSUMING!  Testing 20 little minds independently on 5 or more different assessments can take lots of time and bodies.

This year I am trying something new!  I have created a Student Data Tracker that I am going to use with my students throughout the year.  This data tracker will not only make data collection easier on me, but will teach students to set and monitor goals, be responsible and independent, and allow them to celebrate their success!  Click the picture to download my Student Data Tracker!

Chevron Border Pack...

I use this Chevron Border Pack for lots of things in my classroom and for items I sell on TpT! I even used the grey background to create the header at the top of my blog page. Click the picture to buy my Chevron Borders Pack for just $2.00!

DIY Listening Center...

Next up on the lesson plan is creating a listening center for my classroom.  I have always wanted a listening center but to purchase one could cost up to $190 just for the equipment!  That does NOT include the recorded stories. 

Are. You. Kidding. Me?

So, since purchasing a listening center is CLEARLY not a option I am in the process of making one thanks to this

awesome-sauce post I found on Pinterest.

I followed the steps this fabulous teacher has posted and it couldn’t be easier.  My goal is to record 9 stories each month and display them in a large pocket chart like this one.

  I am so fortunate to have iPads in my classroom!  I plan on placing 3 iPads with headphones in the pocket chart as well.  Students can scan the QR code with an iPad and find a snuggly spot in the room to listen to the story!  I plan on implementing this center on the first week of school so I will update you all on how it goes!

Starting a Classroom Library...

I was so excited to publish the first post that I completely forgot to share the MOST AWESOMEFANTABULOUS things with you guys

(YES, I said awesomefantabulous), so here goes…

After 4 years of buying every cute teaching item I just HAD TO HAVE - I have decided this summer NOT to buy any more teaching “stuff.”  When I told my husband this I think he did an internal happy dance. For example: no more unnecessary cutouts, bulletin borders, counters,

dry-erase books, composition notebooks, stickers, NOTHING!...*sniffle & tear*

Every time I am in the supply/teaching aisle of any store I have to remind myself that I already have TONS of this stuff and should focus on m my goal…Organization!

Now let me set the record straight, I am already EXTREMELY organized! Due to it being summer I am obviously not in my classroom, but I can’t wait to get in there and start making it come to life!  I will be sure to upload LOTS of pictures when I am done.  I am often complimented on my classroom, which I am so thankful for!  Some people call me organized, some people call me OCD, some people call me crazy!  I call it a WAY OF LIFE!!!

If my classroom is not organized, I’m not organized.  If I’m not organized, my students are not organized.  If my students are not organized, how can I expect parents be organized? AHHHH!  I’m getting sweaty just thinking about it!  DEEP BREATH!

Ok, so…in addition to the organization I already have in place, my BIG summer project this year was to organize my classroom library.

DUN, DUN, DUNNNNN (sound of DOOM)!!!

My first 3 years of teaching I was in first grade at the same school and then last summer I moved to first grade at another school.  My first school already had a large classroom library and at my new school I had to start pretty much from scratch.

 I was nervous about finding enough books to build a library in time, but a co-worker saved the day!  She informed me that at the 4-H County Fair they gave away used books for free.  Wait…let me put more emphasis on that.  FREE!  FREE people!  FOR FREEEEEE!  I went with the expectation to find (fingers crossed) maybe 20 books.  But good grief!  When I got their the woman at the table politely said, “I don’t care what you do.  Take as much as you want.”  After I woke up from fainting my husband and I dug through each box of books.  I had a hard time not feeling greedy, but the woman at the table assured me the books would do more good in my classroom than they would forgotten in these boxes.  I left the fair with close to 200 books!  GASP!

So with the new school year ahead of me I was so thrilled to have any books that I sorted them the best I could and dealt with the chaos for a year.  But now the time has come for BEAUTIFUL LEVELED BOOKS!  WAHOO!

I did some research on sorting techniques and decided to go with Grade Level Equivalent.  Simple and easy!  I don’t often buy apps but I decided to purchase Level It Books on my iPad for $3.99….I should have listened to the reviews.  While this app is tech friendly and pretty cool, it hardly has any books in its inventory.  Half way through leveling my books, I decided I was wasting time and just used Book Wizard by Scholastic.  This is a website rather than an app but it is FAST, EASY, and it has WAY more of my books’ grade levels. 

So, after I looked up the book on Book Wizard I placed a color coded sticker on the front of each book.  This lets me and my students know which level they are currently reading, but also helps them put the book away in the correct basket.  Due to my baskets holding more than 1 level (1.0-1.4) I also wrote the precise grade level in the back of each book for future reference.

After labeling each book, I placed them in these baskets from…you guessed it DOLLAR TREE!  I LOVE looking at everyone’s blogs and often see really nice baskets from ReallyGoodStuff.  They are BEAUTIFUL, but so EXPENSIVE.  I don’t know how all these teachers can afford such fancy baskets!  Maybe in the next few years when I become rich I can afford them too…*crickets*…so for now I will stick with the amazing, the marvelous, the affordable,

DOLLAR TREE!

I’m not finished yet.  I need to add a few more labels and paint/do something to spruce up the bookshelf.  I found it at a yard sale for $5!  I’ll be sure to post pictures when I’m done.

First time for everything...

Soooo I am new at this whole blogging thing, I apologize in advance!  Like most of you I am ADDICTED to Pinterest and TpT so I have finally decided to culminate all of that goodness into this blog…………hopefully.