9 Desk Essentials

As I prepare for the upcoming school year, one thing on my to do list is to make sure that I have my own personal desk essentials in order.  Now, we're not talking staples and markers here...  I like to have a couple small bags of necessities for everyday needs or when I pull a long night with conferences or whatever!  

9 Desk Essentials 

1. Lip Balm / Lip Color - This is probably my most used essential.  I like to keep something moisturizing, but with a little bit of neutral color on hand to use throughout the day.  
2. Powder - My skin tends to get kind of gross and oily especially on hot school days.  I've found keeping an extra powder at school is great for easy touch-ups to keep me from looking completely disgusting.
3. Deodorant - This is just a good one to have on hand. 'Nuff said.
4. Body Spray - There are times when I just feel gross after being outside or whatever and a few spritzes of body spray are just what I need to not feel quite so stinky!
5. Hand Lotion - This one is especially necessary during winter!  I also recommend getting the anti-bac lotion from Bath & Body Works to help you fight germs and stay moisturized.
6. Toothbrush & Toothpaste - Sometimes I just feel the need to take a moment to brush my teeth...  This is a total essential during conference week when I wolf down a quick dinner and then have to sit down and talk to parents afterwards!
7. Mascara - Mascara is one makeup item (other than foundation) that I feel like I have to have to look awake and like "me."  I always end up with tons of minis, so these are perfect for stashing away on those days I'm running late or need a little makeup pick-me-up.
8. Nail File - ...Because sometimes you have a nail emergency.
9. Feminine Products - I think this one is pretty obvious, but having a stash on hand has saved me when I forget to refill what I normally try to keep in my purse.  (I keep these in a separate bag in case I need to make a trip to the restroom...  That way I don't have to take everything with me!)

I seem to have an abundance of cosmetic bags around (mostly freebies), but if you're looking for cute bags I recommend checking out Thirty-One or Target for great buys!

What are your desk essentials?

5 Quick Tips for Prepping for a Sub

It's pretty much an unavoidable fact that at some point in the school year, you'll probably miss a day...  Or 10.  I feel like one of the biggest disadvantages to our job as teachers is that it usually takes more effort to be gone than to be there.  I rarely have to take sick days, but with some of the added responsibilities I've taken on in my building I have a lot of required meetings to attend.  This month alone I'm missing 4 1/2 days of school!

In prepping for my own absences I started thinking about what I do to try to make being gone a little less stressful.  I'm not saying these things are anything spectacular (in all honesty I feel like it should be common sense), but they're good tips / reminders to hopefully ease any stress that comes with having to be gone.

1. Have super detailed lesson plans - My daily plans aren't really detailed, but they are enough that in an emergency a sub could get by.  For when I know I'll be gone, my plans go through everything step by step with all of my procedures.  My lesson plans for a single day usually run 3 or 4 pages long minimum.  )If it's my regular sub who knows my routines a bit better they're a teensy bit shorter.)  Subs really appreciate when you're detailed.  If they have downtime, tell them what papers it is okay to grade or if there are any other classroom jobs they can work on.  
2. Tell the kids (and parents) if you know you'll be gone - I try to put any known absences on my calendar in my parent newsletter each week.  I also tell the kids when I'll be gone.  This is especially important for some kids (such as kids with autism who cling to consistency) so that they know what they're walking into in the morning.  
3. Warn the sub of any potential problems or "hot spots" - During my first year I had a student with major behavior issues.  I spent time typing a page-long summary of how to handle him, prevent a blow-up, and diffuse a situation.  So of course I wasn't happy to be called into the principal's office after being gone one day to be told that student had a horrible day with the sub.  My principal asked if I'd given the sub any warning and I was able to provide her with the page-long summary...  The sub didn't even bother to read it and it was stapled to my lesson plans!  Needless to say, that sub got negative feedback and was not invited back.  Even better, my butt was covered!  Even if a child isn't a problem, it's better to give them a warning of any potential issues and how they should be handled.
4. Over plan / provide extra time activities - I try to schedule things out pretty strictly, but there are also those times that things go faster than usual.  I always give a few ideas for time fillers...  An extra read aloud book, extra independent reading time, math flashcards with partners, etc.  
5. Meet with your sub in your classroom beforehand (if possible) - Even if your sub has been in your room before, it's sometimes helpful to go over things with them in person.  This is also helpful if you use technology in your classroom and you want the sub to use these things as well.  

I can't say those are all of my tips for making an absence go smoothly, but it's a good start.  

Do you have any other suggestions or tips for having a substitute in your classroom?

Advice for New Teachers

I saw this post earlier today and decided this was another linky I needed to participate in.  It's crazy for me to think about how I'm getting ready to start my sixth (YES SIXTH!) year of teaching in just a couple weeks.  I really don't feel like it's been that long, but then again, my first group of adorable third graders are going into eighth grade this year!   (And the ones I student taught are starting high school!)  

My first year was my most challenging year overall, but I'd say my second year was probably my most challenging class as a whole.  

Let me start by telling you about my first year...

I was 22 and fresh out of college.  The mentor that was assigned to me was a fellow third grade teacher, but was told by a couple other staff members that he wouldn't be any help to me.  I set my standards low and decided I'd just have to be on my own for the most part.  At our open house the night before school started I had a parent tell me that if her son wasn't at school the next day, it was because he'd been driving her nuts and she was going to "string him up."  Wow, way to introduce me to your kid!  I was blessed to have a really good class overall.  I had a lot of girls in my class that year and they were a really sweet bunch that I bonded with very quickly.  My boys were overall a nice bunch as well...  Except for that one...  (Let's call him T.)  

T was probably the worst case of ADHD that I have ever and probably will ever encounter.  This child could not be still or quiet to save his life, but he was cute and likable, which I presume was what had kept him alive up to that point.  T's mom didn't believe in medicating him for his ADHD.  I didn't understand that belief, but I tried to respect it and we worked together to figure out alternative solutions to his problems.  Let's just say her solutions were very non-traditional and one time involved magical rocks to "calm his spirits."  As the year went by, the situation in the classroom got worse and worse.  Let's just say there were days he was crawling around under my desk roaring like a dinosaur, jumping on tables, and having random meltdowns.  (There were a lot of reasons for these things...  I'll just leave it at that.)  I was pretty much told by everyone in the building that this would probably be my worst student ever.  Yup, after five classes of third graders, he still holds that title.  Thankfully, the other 21 kids in my class were wonderful and barely paid any attention to his escapades.  I'm pretty sure that's the single factor that helped me survive that first year!  

In the midst of that craziness of my first year, there are quite a few things I learned that I'd like to share with the rest of you newbies out there.

1. You won't have a life outside of school until about Thanksgiving break.  I told that to my old roommate after she started teaching a couple years ago and she later remarked that I was totally right!  I felt like it was around the end of the first semester that I started feeling like a real person again.  Try to make time for yourself, however little it may be.  You'll be totally consumed with school for the first few months, but just remember, this too shall pass.
2. Form your own opinions of others.  I was told my mentor wouldn't be helpful to me.  I honestly believe I was told this out of concern for my well being and that others were looking out for me.  I set my expectations pretty low, but was pleasantly surprised with how much help he gave me.  (My former mentor is now our principal.)  I learned who to go to for different situations, but in that process I learned to form my own opinions of those around me.
3. You will most likely not be the super teacher that you want to be during your first year.  Accept that and get over it.  Figure out your priorities and focus on those things.  Don't try to do everything at once otherwise you'll end up completely overwhelmed.
4. Don't worry about comparing yourself to others.  I really struggled with this my first year and still do to an extent today.  I constantly compared myself to the other first and second year teachers around me. I finally learned that we each had a unique background, education, and experiences that gave us each our own strengths.  Teaching isn't a competition, it's a team event.
5. Remember that in teaching you get a fresh start each year.  That's probably one of my favorite things about this career.  If I don't like the way I did things last year, I don't always have to do it the same this year.  This is also a particularly nice thing to remember on those horribly crumby days...  There's an end in sight and it's called summer vacation!

Click the picture above to link up over at Teaching in Room 6 and read about how to survive your first year (or any year of teaching)!

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!