TpT Tuesday

One of my goals for the summer is to really get my Teachers Pay Teachers store rolling with new products.  This totally took a backseat to the absolute craziness that was the second semester of the school year, but now that summer is here I'm motivated again to get things up and going.  

I don't want to blast you all with products all the time since I know there are quite a few of you out there that aren't teachers and could care less about products for the classroom.  So, I'm going to try to do a TpT Tuesday post each week to feature new things I've posted in my store.  We'll see how this goes, but for right now that's my plan!

Click here to download your signs for FREE!

If you like FREE stuff, check out these cute photo signs for the first, 100th, and last day of school!  Even if you're not a teacher, these are cute for you photo crazy parents out there.  Click the picture above to download it!

I've also created signs in other color schemes that also include grade level specific signs that you can find 

here and here.  

I had some similar signs for my students this year and I took their pictures on the first day of school and then sent the photos home with their final report cards.  It was fun to see how much they'd changed and grown since the beginning of the year!

I'm trying to create some items theme items as well, so here's one that will (hopefully) be the first of many in this color scheme and theme...

Click here for the binder covers pack!

I'm all about starting off the year organized, so I'm trying to make things that are not only cute, but will keep things in order!

Have a great Tuesday!

Classroom Pinspiration

We're not even finished with spring break and I'm already starting to think about next school year!  Yup, I'm already getting a to do list made for things I would like to accomplish and make for next year.  Of course, Pinterest is partially to blame for this!  I thought I'd share a few of my biggest pinspirations and how I'm going to incorporate these ideas into my classroom.

Source: glitzyinfirstgrade.blogspot.com on Pinterest

I love this arrangement with the round table and stools for group work. I have a "teacher table" (U-shaped table) in my classroom, but I think one like this would be great for when the kids are working on their own on group work.

Source: theverybusykindergarten.blogspot.com on Pinterest

I really like the drawers for organizing papers. I have baskets for various things right now, but I like the way the drawers hide some of the clutter. These types of drawers are good space savers as well!

Source: Uploaded by user  on Pinterest

These crates are great for the classroom. I have 6 setup as shelving and storage for my Lakeshore collection and other center activities. I really like this idea for storing group supplies so that the kids have things handy and in one convenient place.

Source: heerenshappenings2.blogspot.com on Pinterest

For several years I've had the lingering thought that I'd like to come up with more free time activities other than "read your AR book." This is a great idea to give the students choices and it allows you as a teacher to change things up or even let the students select what their choices are going to be.

Source: msnoblesclass.webs.com on Pinterest

There's nothing particular that I want to do here, but I just love how organized this classroom looks. It's got a lot going on without being too much... I feel like with my lack of wall space my room can feel very visually cluttered, but at the same time I don't feel like there's much I can do about it.

Are you already planning for next school year?  

What projects are on your to do list for next year?

Assessment Folders

We've embarked on what is probably my least favorite part of the school year...  Assessment season!

When we return from Christmas break we pretty much hit the ground running when it comes to preparing for state assessments.  January was pretty much a whirlwind of test prep and getting my third graders acclimated with the testing program on the computer.  We've got another whole month before assessments, but we've still got a lot of ground to cover between now and then.

My school is known for getting really good scores, so the pressure is always on.  One thing I really like about our test preparation, though, is that we get the students involved in their learning and get them excited about their achievements.  

Our assessment folder are something that I started doing a few years ago to keep things organized and help the students track their progress.  We have a lot of really great formative assessments available online to help our students with test preparation.  We take at least 2 or 3 formatives each week, most of which give the students valuable experience with our online testing program.

I have my students track their progress on some graphs that I created in Excel.  They have one graph for reading and one for math.  I labeled the graphs with each of the online formatives so that they can keep track of their progress.  (Sorry I didn't have any graphs to show!)  These graphs are great data to share with parents at conferences.

We do most of our practice tests in one of the computer labs, so these folders are a great way to keep everything together when we're traveling back and forth.  It's obviously nothing fancy, but just a little something to make our test prep a little easier and a little more organized for my students and me!

Math Tools & Storage ~ Part 2

On Monday I shared my manipulative storage drawers that my students use each day.  Today I wanted to share how the students keep their own tools in order and together in their desks.

At the beginning of the school year I give each child their own math resource pocket...  It's simply a manila envelope that I've laminated to last all year.  They keep these pockets in their desk to store various tools that they make.  As you can see, we do a lot of foldables, so this is a great way for the kids to keep those handy to refer back to.  Our math curriculum, Everyday Math, also has the students make a lot of things, so this keeps them all contained in one place.  

My theory is that there's no point in making these kinds of tools if the kids can't use them later on.  These resource pockets are the perfect solution to keeping them handy for daily use.

Do you have any great organization or storage tips for math tools and manipulatives?  

I'd love to hear and see what organization systems you've made work in your classrooms!

Math Tools & Storage ~ Part 1

One of my goals for the new year was to work on balancing my blogging and getting back to writing about teaching-related things.  I've kind of been at a loss on what to post about, though.  

To draw inspiration, I've been looking around my classroom at some of the things that I think work and make things run a little smoother on a daily basis.  

One of those things took a few years to develop, but it totally works for my classroom...  

My math storage drawers!

I changed my manipulative organization when we switched to Everyday Math a few years ago.  I knew that since the curriculum spirals I needed to have these tools on hand for the kids all the time.

You can find these drawers at places like Wal-Mart and Target, most frequently during the back to school / dorm shopping season.  I found these at Big Lots for less than $20.  I designated 1 drawer for each table group.  This has 5 drawers and I typically only have 4 groups, so we usually put the extra supplies in the "Group 5" drawer.  (My aunt is a first grade teacher and she bought 4 of these drawer sets and uses them for all of her phonics and reading skill activities!)

Within the drawer we keep math tools that the kids need access to on a daily basis.  It's not all of the manipulatives, but it's enough to get them through most of their daily work.  Inside each drawer you'll find calculators, clocks, unifix cubes, rulers, tape measures, money, Everyday Math cards, and pattern blocks.  (Some items I just have a small set in a plastic baggie and we take out the full set on an as-needed basis.) 

Within the drawers I have some smaller plastic tubs to keep things in a little bit better order.  Those smaller tubs are from the Target dollar section.  We also store the Everyday Math cards in travel soap containers.  My old principal saw that idea somewhere (since the cards are the same size as regular playing cards), so she bought a huge lot of soap dishes on eBay.

What makes this organization work?  It's totally accessible to the kids.  We go through everything at the beginning of the school year and I tell the kids that pretty much except for the calculators, they can grab and use whatever tool they need whenever they need it.  If they're doing independent work I don't even make them ask me first...  They just know to go get it from their group's drawer and where it goes when they are done.  

Check back here on Wednesday for part 2 of my math organization to see how the students store their own tools at their desks!

Happy Monday!

Classroom Sneak Peek: Table Organization

I promised I'd get some more school related posts on the blog, so here's a little one for ya!  Instead of doing a big post of classroom pics, I thought it would be fun to give you some sneak peeks at various things around my classroom.

Today I wanted to share my new table organization system.  It's something I've thought about for the past few years, but just this year got around to.

The desks in my classroom are grouped into 4 or 5 with one of these little plastic bins in the middle.  My awesome custodians fulfilled my request to get all of my desks raised or lowered to the same height so that the tubs can rest evenly in the middle.

The tubs have 3 sections that I created labels for.  There's a place for hand sanitizer, another for pencils, the largest for dry erase markers and erasers.  (BTW, we're using baby socks as erasers this year and they work like a charm!  Sooooooo much better than the junky erasers that came with the boards.)

This system has worked out really well and has eliminated the need for students to get up all the time for supplies or sanitizer.  I was a little worried at first, but it's been a great storage and organization solution.  

I got these tubs at Michael's and Target.  I wanted different colors (and colors that go with my bright color scheme), so I had to mix and match, but thankfully they're all basically the same style and size.  It took a few trips to the stores to get different colors, but it all worked out!

The tub above is a little different because it's for our "teacher table" where I work with small groups of kids.  This one hold supplies for the students and I to use during work station time.  I try to have it all there so that there's no wasted time getting up and getting supplies during our work time together.

And finally, a peek into my classroom.  I wanted to show the desk setup and how the tubs sit in the middle.  

I'm hoping to get a few more sneak peek posts up in the next few weeks.  Remembering to take my camera to school will definitely help that out!  We're in the middle of conference week, but the kids are off tomorrow and I have a lot of free time due to the fact that I only have 2 conferences scheduled.  Maybe I can fit in some picture taking time! ; )

Top Ten Teacher's Desk Essentials

I don't spend a ton of time at my desk throughout the day, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be easily converted into one of those teachers who gives up having a desk altogether.  I need my own space for my stuff (and a space where the kids aren't necessarily allowed to venture).  I cleaned out my desk right before school ended and realized I have a lot of essentials that I like to keep handy for myself and that I find myself reaching for throughout the day.  I wanted to share a few of these things...  I think it's always a great idea to gift practical items to teachers (particularly new ones)!

Image:  officedepot.com

1. Post-its, Post-its, Post-its!  I grab these multiple times per day and have to have a variety of sizes on hand at all times.  I got this super cute purse from one of my students last year and absolutely love it!  Not only is it adorable, but also very practical as well!
2. A cute water bottle.  I have quite the collection of water bottles (I keep getting them as gifts), but I do really enjoy my pink K-State Nalgene bottle and another cute purple sweat-proof bottle.  I also always have a nice stock of Crystal Light or Mio on hand to add some flavor.  
3. Teacher-only hand sanitizer.  I teach, therefore I hoard hand sanitizers.  At last count I had 27 Pocket Bacs and other good smelling hand sanitizers in my drawer at home.  I like to keep at least one bottle on hand at school that is just for me.  I have a really cute apple-shaped one from Bath & Body Works that is just for me!  It smells good and the kids can't get their germy hands on it!
4. Colorful pens!  This should be a given, but I usually let myself get a new set or two of nice pens for grading (and other random stuff) during the back to school sales.  
5. A beauty bag...  Or bucket...  Or both!  It's not like I sit and primp myself all day long, but it's a good idea to keep some essentials on hand.  I have a cute little metal bucket that holds a small hand lotion, body spray, and lip gloss that I can grab whenever during the day.  My new addiction to Revlon's Lip Butters will definitely ensure one of those neutral shades makes its way into my bucket.  I also keep a bag with a toothbrush and mini toothpaste (great for conferences), extra "girl products," and a mini deodorant.  You never know when you'll need some of those things or if you want to freshen up after school and don't have the chance to go home first!
6. Some personal touches.  I love having pictures of friends and family at school and I think it's a good way for kids to remember that you're also a "real person" and not just a teacher!  I also show off my love for my Wildcats and have plenty of K-State decor in my little area of the room!
7. Small snacks.  Depending on my schedule, I usually like to have a small snack around the middle of the morning.  I try to keep small, healthy(ish) snacks on hand like Special K bars or 100 calorie packs.  I'm horrible about eating breakfast, so this keeps me going until lunchtime.
8. A rainbow of Sharpies.  I have an entire bucket full of colorful Sharpies and I use them all the time.  This time of year is a great time to snag big packets at really great prices!
9. Some sort of organizational system.  This is a little vague, because what works for you may not necessarily work for me.  I like having the essentials on hand...  For example, I have my paperclips in a bucket on my desk because at least 10 times a day my students or I are reaching for one.  Other stuff can go in the drawers because I don't use them as often.  You just have to figure out what works for you.
10. Pain relievers.  No joke.  No matter how much you love your job, there are going to be days when you feel like crap.  A bottle of ibuprofen is a must for me.  You never know when you're going to get struck with a headache or whatever.  This has been a lifesaver on multiple occasions!

What are your teacher's desk essentials?  I'd love to hear what your must haves are!

Oh Target, You Got Me Again!

To say I'm a Target addict is a complete understatement...  If I had to shop at only one store for the rest of my life, I'd say Target would definitely be my store.  

I started seeing posts about school stuff in the dollar / bargain section of Target last week, so I pretty much went there immediately to do my damage.  Altogether, I've spent right around $50, so about half of the money I will get back from our PTA.  (More on my other school shopping later this week!)  My goal is to stick as close to that $100 as possible this year and not spend more than about $25 or $50 of my own money.  I also have a $35 Wal-Mart gift card I received for doing a student survey thing, so I'm contemplating using that on some new decorations for my classroom.  I hate Wal-Mart and try to avoid going there at all costs, but I will admit they do get some cute things this time of year!

Okay, onto my goodies...

I was pretty pumped to find so many fun purple items!  The plastic storage (6 total) were $2.50 each,  but oddly enough I went back this week to 2 other Targets and they were $3!  I don't know what's up with the price difference / increase, but I'm glad I got these when they were only $2.50.  (I grabbed my 25 original book bins when they were only $1 each back about 5 years ago!)  I made another trip back yesterday when I heard that they had purple pocket charts.  I knew it was a longshot since I hadn't seen them at the other 3 Targets in town, but there they were...  Just waiting for me to give them a home in my classroom!  Yay!  There are several things I seem to hoard for school and these $1 pocket charts are one of them.  I swear I have pretty much every color ever.  

I also picked up 4 new non-fiction books for $1 each.  I use these almost weekly for mini-book reports in our research work station.  I try to pick up these books whenever new ones come out.  There are almost always new books in their dollar section, not just during back to school time.  For 3rd grade, I usually go for the Level 2 and Level 3 books.  

I didn't really need notepads and notecards, but these were too cute to pass up.  I love having cute notecards to write notes to the kids on and I'm a huge fan of the Muppets, so of course I had to grab a couple packets of those.  And the little cassette tape sticky notes!?!  Love those!  

My biggest purchases were Dr. Suess items.  I went a little bit crazy with those!  We always team up our assessment kickoff with Dr. Seuss week, so I like to stock up on these goodies when I can and save them for when we start assessments.  (You can read more about my assessment goodies here.)  I ended up getting class sets of award certificates, pencils, erasers, stickers, and bookmarks.  They had some other cute Dr. Seuss items like bags and silly bands, but I decided this was plenty for right now.  The school usually provides other assessment treats, so I think my kids will be well take care of when testing season arrives next spring!

Have you found any other goodies are Target? Please share if you've found any of your own Target treasures!  

Freebie ~ Folder Game Labels

I was going through my "Back to School" folder on my computer and found these labels that I made to organize my folder games.  I love free downloads, so I thought I'd share this one with everyone!

Here's the link to the PDF on Scribd: 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/98605691/Folder-Game-Labels-Avery-5160

This is my only photo of my folder game organization and it's pre-label days, but it does show how I have them sorted into baskets from Target (of course).  

For the most part, my folder games are the Evan Moor Take It To Your Seat center activities.  I have pretty much all of the reading and math activities for third grade.  I put mine in manila envelopes that I have laminated to keep them study.  It works really well in keeping all of the papers and pieces together.  (Small pieces are in plastic baggies within the envelopes.)  I do have some hand-me-down activities from my aunt, which are in just regular pocket folders.  

I went through all of my folder games and placed the labels in the upper right corner.  For each one, I have labeled the general subject, such as reading, math, language, spelling, vocabulary, or phonics.  Then, I specify the skill for each one.  For example, a math folder might be labeled "Subtraction w/ Regrouping" or a language folder might say "Action Verbs."  I found that labeling makes picking the activities a lot easier since many of the titles don't indicate the specific skill.  

The label download is for Avery 5160 labels.  Those are pretty standard size address labels, so if you're looking for a generic brand that's the number to look for.  The font that I used is from the very awesome site kevinandamanda.com.

Happy labeling!

Classroom on a Budget

This is a post I've been meaning to do for quite some time now, but I just haven't...  As I'm just beginning to  have time to think about next year, I thought this would be a great time to share with you some of my tips for  putting together a classroom on a budget!

One thing that I'm really big on is creating a comfortable classroom environment for my students and I to enjoy. After all, it's where we'll be spending the majority of our time for nine months! I don't have the perfect classroom by any means, but overall I am pleased with how it comes together year after year.

I've had a few people ask me (most recently my student teacher) how I put everything together and if I spend a lot of money on my classroom. I'd say the money spending comes in waves. My first year I was trying to put together a classroom after not having a real job for about 8 months. (I was babysitting on the side and had graduation money to help pay the bills, but I pretty much had no extra cash for my classroom.) I will admit that during that summer before starting school I used my credit card to make a lot of my school purchases that I felt I needed to make before school began. I was actually able to pay all of it off with my first "big girl" paycheck, so I really don't consider that to be a bad decision. They key was to get creative and to prioritize what I needed immediately and what I could wait on.

Keep it simple and organized!

My best advice for new teachers (particularly those straight out of college) is to work with what you already have. (Sound familiar?)  I brought a lot of my old dorm storage, decor, and furniture into my classroom. Decor items like area rugs, shelving, lamps, chairs, and pillows are super cheap during back to school time and really make a classroom feel like home. After having spent 2 years in the dorms and 2 years in a little college apartment, I already had pretty much all of those items on hand. Most of those items I already had and didn't want in my home anymore (I was trying to grow up in my home decor). The custodians in my building are super awesome and shampoo my area rugs each year so they've stayed in great condition over the years! No extra money spent!

A chair from my college dorm days, clearance pillows, and a spray painted  Goodwill side table help to create a little reading area.

If you don't have that kind of stuff laying around, back to school sales are the time to get them. Dorm decor is pretty much ideal for a classroom and is already starting to pop up in stores. The stuff is really cheap (kids can be hard on stuff) and honestly most of my stuff has survived 5 years in my classroom. I also love the bright colors and that you can very easily coordinate your decor. It's also good to get creative with the items you find. For example, I use those plastic shower caddies for extra writing supplies.  Stores like Bed Bath & Beyond always have coupons that are great for grabbing these sorts of items.  Target and Wal-Mart also tend to have really good prices and colors on these sorts of items.

$3 plastic cubes make great shelving!  

Thrift stores are also great for classroom supplies. They're definitely hit or miss, but I've had some good success finding small furniture items and books there. If you have a Goodwill or DAV in a nice neighborhood, hit it up! (Rich people tend to donate nice items to their local stores!)  I have one Goodwill store that I always hit up first because it always seems to get the nicest stuff. I've stocked up on chapter books in like-new condition for as little as 10 cents each and have also found brand new educational posters for 25 cents a piece.  At another Goodwill, I found that furniture and large items tend to be very cheap.  Remember my $2 chair?  

More college dorm decor...  This was all stuff from my college roommate's room that she now uses in her 2nd grade classroom!

Garage sales are also a good place to look for items for your classroom. Once again, children's books can be picked up for very low prices and if you're buying large quantities you can always try to negotiate with the seller. Sometimes you have to look at the potential an item has and think about easy fixes that can make it work in your classroom.  You never know when you might hit the jackpot and end up at a teacher's house.  (My principal gave me the green light to take the leftovers from our giveaway table at school and I ended up selling TONS of teacher stuff in my garage sale last summer!)

Toy bin from the children's furniture section at  Target!

Depending on the type of posters you want to have up in your classroom, making your own is always a great option.  Now, this can get expensive, especially if you're a perfectionist like me...  If you add in the cost of poster boards, colored paper / cardstock, printer ink, etc. it may not necessarily be cheaper, but at least you can customize things to your needs and wants.  I searched online for posters from stores or ideas from other teachers and then made my own.  Certain things I prefer to make myself because I want the content to be specifically tied to our state and grade level standards.

Making your own posters is a great way to customize the look and content to your needs.

If you want to do a classroom theme, choose something that can translate easily to another grade level or that can be used from year to year.  My first few years I did a star theme in my classroom.  I chose this because I figured it would still be appropriate if I moved up or down grades and it was super easy to incorporate this theme on a budget.  My school has done building-wide themes the last 4 years and I've also tried not to go overboard with theme decor.  I try to limit my spending since I lot of this stuff is just used for the year and then ends up in storage.  

If you're just starting out, remember that putting together your classroom is a process.  Throughout my first year I was constantly changing things around and buying new items as I figured out what worked.  Figure out what your priorities are to get the year started and then make a list of other things you may want later on.  Some stuff that I thought I needed or wanted, I ended up not needing after all!

Do you have any suggestions or tips on how to put together a classroom on a budget?  

Please share in the comments below!

To Do Tuesday

I decided that for the end of the school year and into the summer I'm going to do a feature called To Do Tuesday.  I'm just going to share some of my goals for the week and things that I'd like to accomplish.  I'm hoping this will inspire me to get things accomplished at a reasonable pace and not be such a procrastinator.  Maybe a little accountability too?  Yes, that sounds good.

As the school year nears the end, I'm really trying to focus on getting things organized for next fall.  I feel like my school year starts out sooooo much better when I get some of the organizational stuff done before I leave at the end of May.  

I'm not feeling terribly motivated to push myself this week.  I have obligations after school almost everyday this week, so that cuts into my To Do-ing time...  But, I'm still going to try to hammer out a few items.

Here are this week's To Do's:

1. Clean out my desk.
2. Begin working on end-of-the-year assessment reports.  (It's the same sheet I go over with parents at conferences, only with the most recent testing scores.)
3. Wrap up grades for this nine weeks.

So, my goal is to have these things done (or some at least started) by next Tuesday.  I'll update you on my progress and share next week's To Do's!  

I also want you to share your own To Do list and what you would like to accomplish.  Sometimes I don't think of things until I see or hear about another person doing it, so this is a good way to inspire and encourage one another to be productive!  

Organizationally Inspired

I find it funny sometimes that people comment on how organized my classroom looks. Let me just say, looks can be very deceiving. (I searched for classroom organization pics on Pinterest and my own room came up in the results! LOL) I mean, I'm not the world's most unorganized teacher, but I do have plenty of room for improvement.

 Here's a little story...

 Last year my younger brother was in third grade and he was in what was probably the most cluttered and disorganized classroom I've ever seen. I usually attend conferences with my mom and stepdad and I was honestly appalled by this classroom! This room was a complete disaster... It honestly looked like a tornado had hit! (I mean, really? At least tidy up for conferences!) My brother is very much NOT the poster child for organization and tidiness, but last summer he mentioned on multiple occasions that he hoped for a teacher that was organized! Yes, that request came from a 9 year old with ADHD! Obviously he felt the chaos around him in his 3rd grade classroom. At the open house this year at the beginning of 4th grade he was very relieved to see that his current teacher is very neat, organized, and structured. (And thankfully, it's also been his best year in school yet!)

 Anyway, I think having an organized classroom just makes the whole world of teaching run a lot more smoothly. One of my tasks while my student teacher is doing the majority of the work is to get organized and clear out junk. I feel like when every teacher starts they want to hoard as much teacher stuff as they can get their hands on... Then a few years later they realize half of the stuff they hoarded has never been touched. Or is that just me? Thankfully, I didn't inherit a lot when I started, but I do have a lot of old curriculum stuff that needs to go! I wanted to share some of my favorite classroom organization (p)inspirations and some ideas on how I plan to use them in my own classroom.

Source: Uploaded by user via Conolley on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Conolley on Pinterest

This is probably my top organization priority... I love the idea of making a tool organizer cute and using it for all the random crap that finds its way to my desk. It's a cheap and very effective solution for sure!

Source: mrsfreshwatersclass.blogspot.com via Conolley on Pinterest

My math manipulatives are one thing I would like to reorganize for next year. Right now I have them divided into drawers for groups. The kids need easy access to be able to get things on their own. Sounds fine, right? Well, when I change the number of kids in a group it messes things up. This has been one of those years where my class numbers have been constantly changing, so I think I'd just as well prefer to have all the clocks in one drawer, rulers in another, money in another, etc.

Source: mandygregory.com via Conolley on Pinterest

Every year I tell myself I will finish organizing my classroom library... That has yet to happen. I get about halfway through that daunting task and then run out of time. And then, by this time of year it is a complete disaster because I haven't held the kids to very high standards. I will be victorious... Someday.


 What are your organization goals for your classroom? Do you have any (p)inspirations that you're hoping to recreate in your classroom someday? 


 Follow my "Classroom Stuff" board on Pinterest!

Storage Containers Linky Party!

I've mentioned the awesomeness that is the blog Clutter-Free Classroom a few times before and how it's a great resource for those of us who aspire to have wonderfully organized classrooms.  I really don't think my classroom is particularly spectacular in this area, but I do get a lot of comments on how organized it looks.  (I guess it looks better than I perceive it...)

Anyway, Clutter-Free Classroom has been running a series with some linky parties for people to share their own photos.  I'm a little behind on linking up (this one is from about a month ago), but I wanted to link up to share some of my favorite organization tools in my classroom.  This is supposed to be my favorite storage container, but I'm doing my top few because it's hard to choose just one!

This awesome cart was found in the hallway when a teacher retired last year and the new one didn't want it.  I gladly snatched it up!  This is pretty much our community supply command center where the kids know they can grab things that they need.  I love how well it worked for my needs and fit the baskets and bins I already had laying around!

I snatched these book bins at Target about 4 years ago when they first carried them.  They were only $1 each that year, so I pretty much cleaned out every Target in town to get enough for a class set, plus a few extras.  They run $2.50 now (what a price hike!), so I'm happy I bought them then.  I use these for the students' extra supplies so that they don't have as much clutter in their desks.  It doesn't keep their desks in pristine condition, but it does make things better.  Really Good Stuff has some similar bins in some super fun colors, but of course they cost more.  I'd love to get some different colors, but for now, these do the job just fine!

(These pictures were all taken back before school started, so I don't really have supplies in any of these containers...  Oh well...)

I also really love my pink file organizer from Mardel.  I have it hanging on my closet door and keep extra papers that the kids need easy access to:  Reading logs, work station sheets, fluency logs, etc.  It works out really well to have these things in an easy access point for the kids.  I have a smaller black one that I use for my teacher papers and folders that I need to keep handy.  You can find some other colors and patterns here on Mardel's website.

Okay, now it's time to check out all of the other cool organization ideas over at Clutter-Free Classroom!  Click on the icon and follow the link over there!  If you have any of your own awesome organization tools or ideas that you'd like to share, link up with the rest of us and show us what you've got!

Go on!  Click it!  Check out the other awesome links!  :)

 

Teacher Bag Linky Party!

If you've never been over to Clutter-Free Classroom you're missing out on an awesome site for organization in the classroom.  In a perfect world I'd be organized in all areas of teaching, but that's not quite the case.  It's a great site for those of us who occasionally need some motivation and inspiration to get organized! 

Anyway, they're hosting a "Let's See Your Teacher Bag" linky party and I thought this would be a fun one of join in on.

I'm pretty much addicted to tote bags.  I have wayyyyy too many even after selling some in my garage sale last summer.  I rotated out some of my teacher bags, but I've finally found a winner that is here to stay.  

I bought this bag last summer from Thirty-One.  This bag was on special that month, so I decided, "What the heck, I'll buy ANOTHER bag!"  I loved this pattern with the pink and decided to add a fun little lime green C to make it unique for me.  

I must say, this is my favorite school bag in my collection.  I've stuck with it all year long.  It's structured and sturdy and the pockets on the outside are perfect for sticking my computer mouse, pens, notepads, cans of pop, or anything else I need to shove in there as I'm running out the door.

One of my amazing paras sells Thirty-One so I had a party with her last fall.  I bought this super cute lunch tote that is also pretty awesome.  My district started charging teachers for fridges and microwaves a few years ago, so I decided to be cheap and sell mine.  The thermal tote keeps everything super cold all morning without having to go in the fridge!  (You can see I also have my little pink Pocket Bac from Bath & Body Works...  I'm more than addicted to those little things!)

So, what's in my bag?

I'll spare you the picks of some of the papers waiting to be graded / recorded / entered into the computer over my long weekend and just show you a couple things that are always with my bag.  

On the left is my PINK laptop sleeve from Victoria's Secret's PINK collection.  I'm pretty sure it was $5 on one of their promos right around the time school started last year.  It's perfect for my school laptop and stretchy enough for me to put the power cord in there as well.  (Is it weird that I have the coordinating tank top?  Yes, my tank and laptop sleeve match.  I'm just that awesome!)  I have another super cute pink polka dot laptop case from VS PINK, but I usually only carry that when I just need my laptop and I don't carry my entire tote with me.

On the right is my little file organizer from the Target dollar section.  It's all pink, but it's got a little zebra print to it making it kinda fun.  It's good for random papers that I don't want getting mixed up with my student work.  It's great for when I go to meetings and need to stay organized on the go.  

Do you see my little Justin Bieber notepad there?  Yes.  Another thing that makes me totally awesome.  Funny story...  I was at the state assessment conference with my old principal last fall and somehow mentioned to her that I liked Justin Bieber (not in a creepy way, of course).  A few days later I got an inter-school mail envelope from her (she work in admin now) with this little notepad!  LOL  She wrote a note "from Justin" to me and put it in there.  It's actually stayed with my bag ever since and has come in handy quite a few times.  I get some funny looks / comments about my Justin Bieber notepad, but I like it and it's useful!  :)

So, what does your teacher bag look like?  Link up and show us what you've got!

Merry After Christmas

I wasn't really online much in the past couple days, so I neglected to wish everyone a merry Christmas!  I hope you all had a wonderful time with family and friends.  And, since most of you are teachers as well, I hope that you enjoy the rest of your time off work.

I have quite the "to do" list for my break...  I cleaned and organized my bedroom closet on my first day off and am soon going to attempt the basement closet / bedroom.  I know I'm going to be moving this summer and I'm not sure where yet, so I am trying to weed out extra clutter!  (I'm 90% sure I will be downsizing for at least a year while I save money to buy a house!)  I have piles all over with things to take to resell, donate to Goodwill, or give to my mom to try.  

All of this cleaning has really motivated me to do the same in my classroom!  I started some of that before break, but I think that is going to be one of my big classroom projects this semester.  It's amazing how much you can accumulate in 5 years of teaching!  I think that is one slight disadvantage to staying in the same school / classroom for long periods of time--  I've never been forced to weed through things hard core!  

So, here is my winter break to do list:

• Clean and organize clothes
• Donate, sell, and get rid of stuff I don't wear or need anymore
• Create state assessment prep quizzes
• Create comprehension posters for my classroom (thanks, Pinterest)
• Organize seasonal decor
• Print out folder games and other activities I've been saving from Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers
• Update my class website on Shutterfly

I tried going shopping today, but really didn't have much success with the after Christmas sales...  Two Targets and I left both empty-handed.  I think it's because last year I bought everything 75% off and so 50% off was "too much" for me to spend.  LOL  I did get a fun hot pink tee and some great work pants at Gap for a total of $15!  The pants alone were originally $59.50, so I was pretty pleased.  Other than that I wasn't too impressed and have decided to wait out for better markdowns in another week or two.  This whole cleaning and organizing thing has also encouraged me to not add a whole lot more to my already too large wardrobe!  I'm thinking I may try to clothing shopping ban like I did for school stuff...  I stuck to that shopping ban quite well!

Did you get any good shopping deals today?

Are you working on school projects over your break?

Finally... Classroom Pictures!

Welcome to my classroom! I posted these pics to my Facebook account back in August and then never got around to posting them here! *fail* I love sharing these pics so I don't know what happened to make it so hard for me to just sit down and get these posted. I hope you enjoy the tour!

There really isn't any specific order to these, but I'll tell you a little about each one as we go.

This is one section of my classroom library. We're a Literacy First school / district so they're big on having classroom libraries that the students actually use. This shelf contains my fiction books. I've never really gotten around to really organizing and labeling my library to the extent I really want, but it'll happen one of these days.

This shelf had previously lived behind my teacher's desk, but when I rearranged the classroom it didn't fit anywhere near there. It fit over by my classroom library, though, and found a new home housing some reading supplies and some of my little teacher gifts from years past.

I can't remember off the top of my head where I found the inspiration for this fluency poster, but I loved it and had to make my own version. The kids refer to it a lot during their reading work stations.

This is my new listening center. I've never had a listening center before, but we have to have them now. I ended up getting a pretty nice one and even though it's a small space for sometimes a group of four kids it still works out quite nicely.

This is the view from the door. The room was all decked out for our open house the night before school started.
Our school did a team / sports theme this year, so this is my door decor. I had the banner made from Vista Print and the rest are just simple little die cuts in K-State colors!
Can you tell what my favorite team is? I love my Wildcats and I'm very obviously not afraid to show it.
Because I don't have much wall space I have to get creative with how I use space in my classroom. I use the door as our AR board and for the students' library cards and library bookmarks. It's actually really convenient for them to grab on the way in and out the door.

Here's part of my corner of the classroom. I found this printable through Pinterest and bought a cheap Wal-Mart frame for it.

More K-State goodies. Our new principal was a teacher in our building and a fellow KSU fan. I inherited a lot of his decorations when he was cleaning out his classroom at the end of the year.

These are our tool kits for Everyday Math. The curriculum calls for a lot of manipulatives to be available to the kids on a daily basis, so I have the organized for each table group. Overall it works out really well. I found these purple drawers at Big Lots for only $18!

I had been wanting to rearrange my classroom and move my desk to the opposite end of the classroom for several years, but one of the reasons why I didn't was because I was going to give up the shelving for all of my teacher books. I'd asked for another shelf last year, but didn't know if I would get one or not. Then, I couple days before school started I walked into my classroom and found this beauty waiting for me. It holds sooooooo much! I love it so much. Good organization and storage makes me happy!

Can you believe another teacher put this out in the hallway to get rid of? This is kind of the command center for classroom supplies. The colorful baskets are labeled for materials like pencils, pens, erasers, highlighters, and so on.

These little resource cards are made from printables I found online as well as stickers from Dollar Tree. I mounted everything on construction paper and laminated it so that they can be reused year after year.

Okay, I will admit this isn't the most attractive setup, but I love this unit. This comes from the kid's furniture department in Target and holds a bunch of random stuff like flashcards, counters, playing cards, dice, games, and books. You can find a very similar one here also from Target.

I needed more storage for my reading and math resources (mostly from my massive Lakeshore and Mardel shopping trip) so I dropped about $20 on these plastic cubes from Wal-Mart. Disclaimer: If you want these for the purpose of stacking, check to make sure they have the connecting part before you buy them in the store. The ones from Target were the same brand (but more fun colors), but they didn't connect and therefore stack properly. Back to the store they went.

This is where I post daily info and assignments, but for open house I had these cute little baseball notes where parents could take one to donate an item.

I hate clutter in the kids' desks so these book bins from Target help to take away part of that problem. I was lucky enough to snag 25 or 30 of these the first year Target carried them and got them for only $1 each. Now they run $2.50 each during back to school time.

This sitting area is an example of how you can create a little reading nook for very little money. The chair was purchased at Bed Bath and Beyond my sophomore year of college. The K-State pillows were 90% off at Linens N' Things when they were going out of business. The small pillows were from the $2.50 bin at Target. The table was a Goodwill find for $2.99 and I spray painted the scratched up red to back. Finally the rug (which you can't really see in this pic, but you can in others) was a Target sale item (less than $20 I believe) when I lived in the college dorms. I love that I have a designated reading area and I even more I love that I hardly spent any money putting it together!

This is my reading focus wall. Not really in action yet because it was before school started, but you get the idea. I love my Target pocket charts. Just glue on some magnet strips on the back and they're good to go on your magnetic white boards.

This is my computer area as well as my word wall. I really *really* need more space for a word wall, but this has to do the job. I love my Poppin' Patterns letters that I used on there and get tons of compliments on it!

Here's the lunch choice chart with the super cute library pockets I won from my post at Tommie's Tools last summer. You can read more about it here and follow the link to where she featured my idea. (PS ~ If you haven't been over to Tommie's Tools before you need to check out her page! She's got some super creative ideas! I love her page!)

My teacher area. It's more cluttered than I wish at times, but it's the best I can do. Don't you love the poster on the front of my desk? "Be a winner, not a whiner!"

This file organizer from Mardel is one of my favorite organization tools. I use it for a lot of copies, particularly things that I want the kids to have easy access to. I also have a smaller back on back behind my desk for easy access to folders and data. Here is the link to all of them on Mardel's website.

Finally, here is my version of a clip chart for behavior. I love the way it looks, but I'm not totally convinced this is the best behavior system for my current class. I talked about behavior management last summer in this post and linked to a lot of other sample clip charts. I may switch to another system at semester and try this one again with another class. I've ended up using some other school wide incentives for behavior this year and trying to do both just doesn't seem to make the whole clip chart system seem as effective. Oh well! That's the joy of teaching sometimes... We can try things and change or adjust based on the needs of our students!

I hope you enjoyed my classroom tour. Please leave a comment and feel free to ask questions about anything. My classroom is like a work of art that I am constantly making changes to and trying to improve, yet never seems to be finished!