Pages

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Sister Blog Alert!

Check out my newest blog, http://www.lia-180days.blogspot.com/.  Experience what I experience on my journey through 180 days of school. 

T-Minus...

It's Sunday afternoon.  Less than 24 hours to go before the First Day of School.  Wow.  Where did summer go?

My room is ready, my clothes are ready, my plans are ready.  But am I ready?  I think so.  Haircuts have been gotten, new medications for school nurses have been gotten and delivered, school shopping is (partly) done (see earlier post on that one), and the kids are getting their backpacks ready. 

We're going to enjoy these last few hours of freedom, for tomorrow, it begins!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Room Arranging Has Begun!

Oh, the joys of organization.  Right.  I was in the building this past week arranging my room.  Painfully so.  Here's the deal:  temps were in the high 80s/low 90s, my building has no air conditioning, my room faces the bus loop (which is on the sunny side of the building--of course!), and air flow is not the best.  Needless to say, I was a sweaty, stinky, tired mess at the end of the day each day.  And I have more this week.  Joy.

With all that said, however, I did make some progress.  I cleaned out two of the four drawers of my filing cabinet.  They all looked like this:


Overflowing. 
This is my Language Arts drawer.  I have stories, writing projects, journals, and daily language practice in here.  Sadly, this was not one of the two drawers I made it through on Friday.  I just didn't have the energy to do it after the other two.  However,  Monday is a different story.

But then, about an hour and a half later...


Progress! 
This is the first half of my math program, Units 1-6.  Units 7-12 are in the drawer underneath.  I literally could not get any more papers in this drawer before cleaning it out.  Doesn't it look purty? 
Aside from the filing cabinet, I also managed to arrange my desks, get some posters up, and clean out my desk.  I still need to reorganize my class library, and finish my last two file drawers.  Really looking forward to that.   (You can hear the sarcasm, right?) 

On a brighter note, I did come up with more ideas to help make life a little easier.  Grab a pencil or hit "Print"; here they are!
  • Keep two copies of all worksheets.  One for sending away to copy; one to have as a backup.
  • File according to math lesson, social studies lesson, language arts story, etc.  All sheets, models, overheads, and patterns go in the file folder.  I also file writing, daily language practice, holidays, etc. by themselves.  I'm a fan of color coding by subject, too. 
  • Keep a list of reference books written in the inside cover.  For example, in my Black History Month folder, I've listed all of the books and stories I have in my library so I can pull them when needed.   
  • Keep duplicate overheads.  When you have the same overhead to reference across several lessons, you won't have to hunt around or try to remember which story/lesson to file it with.
  • Before sending out your family welcome letters, check your roster against the nurse's roster for food allergies.  You can put the information in your letter so parents are aware before school even starts.  Useful for snack time and class parties.  
  • If your materials come in shrink wrap, use an envelope opener.  You will save time and your scissors can take a break.
  • Use painter's tape to put up decorations.  It's less messy than Sticky Clips and comes off better than regular masking tape.  Your custodians will thank you.
  • When putting your items together for students, make at least one extra set.  (This means books, folders, journals, parent info sent during the first week, etc.)  If you get a new student during the year, you don't have to hunt around for the materials.  A set is already there. See below. 
Ready for a new student.  Paperwork is in a separate folder in my desk.

Hope this helps.  More to come; stay tuned!  

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

More Preparation

I've been slowly getting my school supplies.  (I like to catch the sales, so I get a little each week.)  This week I stocked up on Crayola crayons, 25 cents a box, down from $1.19 a box at Target.  Good deal made better considering I had to buy 24 boxes! 

I also bought my pens from Office Max. If you are like me, I am particular about what I write with on a daily basis.  I like pens with brightly colored ink, medium to large points, and thick barrels, preferably with a gel cushion or something.  I usually buy Pentech pens, but I found some pens with my specifications at a great price:  two packs of five for just over $3.00.  (They are buy one, get one this week.) 

I still need to order school supplies online; that will be done in the next two days or so.  Hopefully what I need will still be in stock.  It's a bit late, true, but I also have two school-age children I've been simultaneously buying supplies for as well. 

We're finally down to the school clothes part.  Although, I don't usually buy new clothes before school starts.  I buy shoes and a few basics, but then I wait until after the school year begins to get the rest (when it's on clearance!).  This is not to say my kids go to school in raggedy clothes. Definitely not. They have play clothes and regular clothes (for errands, doctor's appointments, church, and now, school).  Play clothes stay home. (Although my youngest would have no problems wearing his favorite play shirt EVERYWHERE!)

Anyhow, I found that Jo Ann Fabrics and Big Lots are having their Teacher Appreciation Days this weekend, August 14 (Big Lots) and August 14-15 (Jo Ann Fabrics).  Be sure to check your local area for offers from other stores, especially Borders/Waldenbooks, and some of the larger department stores.  I've got my eye on a wicker chair at Big Lots; I've been looking for a new reading chair for class.  I also have my eye on some safari-themed fabric at Jo Ann Fabrics.  I want to make a new cushion for my chair and maybe new curtains for my classroom windows to add color.  The beige and giraffe curtains I currently have are a little drab against the beige walls and cabinets of the room.  Now I know I told you I was able to make said curtains for under $20.  I am not going to spend a ton on fabric if I decide to make new curtains.  With the current sale on the safari-themed fabric, (50% off), it comes to $3.50 a yard.  Add an extra 20% off if I go on Saturday, and I can still get what I need for under $20.  I guess I need to make a decision because time is ticking fast!
 
Three weeks.  Sigh.

I'm slooowly getting there.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Planning

Okay.  Today was spent going through my beginning-of-the-year checklist.  You know, the list that reminds me of what needs to be done to prepare for the school year and what to get finished.  I've begun gathering things for this school year.  I've gathered plastic twin-pocket folders to use for take-home folders. (I like these better than laminated folders because they are extremely durable.  Got them on sale at Target this week for 35 cents each.)

I also purchased my personal planner.  I use a Mead student planner because I prefer the layout to other planners I've used--and I'll admit, I like the funky patterns.  

Past that, I've been taking inventory of extras.  You know, the things you wish you had when something happens, but didn't really think of getting until something happens.  My classroom "extras" list is comprised of:
  • Band-Aids
  • Kleenex
  • Select-a-size paper towels (Just the right size for little hands.)
  • Hand sanitizer (If your school permits it.)
  • Ziploc baggies in snack and sandwich sizes (SO many uses!)
  • Baby wipes (If you use them for the overhead or wiping small hands, you can usually get away with cutting them in half before use. They last twice as long.)
  • Hand soap refills (I find that foaming hand soap is easier to rinse and lasts much longer than regular liquid soap.) 
I usually display little cards with the name of an item from the list above during Parent Night.  That way, parents can choose what item(s) to donate.  I also display them during conference days so I can be stocked throughout the year. 

My personal "extras" list consists of:
  • Deodorant (No A/C in my building!)
  • Safety pins
  • Extra body spray (See note about deodorant!)
  • Mints
  • Lip gloss
  • Personal hand sanitizer (For use after sneezing, coughing, touching student papers and folders, etc.)
  • Excedrin
  • Personal sewing kit (For those little mishaps.) 
I keep these locked in my class closet.  (Except the mints, lip gloss, and personal hand sanitizer; those stay at my desk for quick access.) 

Other things you may want to keep (locked away) in your room are:
  • Extra batteries (For games and gadgets that need them.)
  • Screwdriver  (For getting backs off of said games and gadgets.)
  • Disinfectant like Lysol
  • All-purpose cleaner
  • Sponges 
I've also been gleaning through my worksheets and organization papers for centers, rules, etc.  I've found that I have quite a few saved on my computer at school, and need to get them off.  Hopefully I can get into my room Monday.  I found my sheets for centers, test folders, behavior tracking grid, desk fairy, and student background.  Now if you're not familiar with some of these, don't fret.  All explanations will accompany the sheets when posted.