Sunday, July 22, 2012

Lots of Emails!

I love getting emails from followers about 2 posts.

First, from my transportation tags (original post here). I get lots of requests for these! I love helping out my fellow teachers, and I love that ya'll love these tags :) Click the picture to get Car Rider, Day Care, Afterschool Care, Bus Riders, Van Riders, Walkers and Bike Riders, plus blank tags if you have something different you need to write. This is a pdf but you can easily print off blank ones and write on them or add a text box to them :)





The next post I have been recieving lots of emails about is my behavior calendars (original post here). I know my school's schedule is not the same as yours, so I am posting the word files so you can edit these to match your schedule. Keep in mind, if you don't have the fonts I used, you will need to download them to see this file in this format. I used "howser" and "smiley monster" from Kevin and Amanda. I also used apple casual (that was already on my mac). Of course you can change the fonts too :)




I uploaded these via dropbox so if any of them do not work, please let me know :) You should just have to click the download button in the top right-hand corner to save on your computer.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Grad school is kicking my butt!!

I am still here, I swear! I have had multiple presentations for my Masters the past couple of weeks and they have been causing some serious stress! You would think as someone who talks for a living (to 6 year olds) I could get up in front of some colleagues with no fear but I have been freaking out! Plus I have been working on my classroom (which is a whole nother debocle!)
Here is a little preview to first grade this year:
Still looks a mess but I love the way the bulletin boards turned out. Will post a better picture....eventually!

I have that one small closet in my room and threw this shoe organizer (like $6 at Walmart) on the back. I am pretty much obsessed with this. Although, I keep forgetting which stuff I put in there! I walked around for a good 5 minutes looking for a hole punch before I realized that is where I put it!
I was feeling so organized when I left school on Wednesday afternoon, thinking... when I get back from vaca I am going to be soooo ahead of everyone! WRONG!!!
Early Friday morning we had as the newslady called it a "gully washer" <-------- where does that come from? I couldn't stop laughing when she said that! LOL... anyway, it rained a whole heck of a lot and my classroom was ankle deep in a watery mess! What?! That was not a pleasant phone call to wake up to! I didn't go see the mess... I just couldn't bring myself to see it (plus I will about 40 minutes away and I wasn't driving just to look at something when they wouldn't even let me in the room!) Luckily, my mom lives 5 minutes away and she went and surveyed the damage. It isn't soo bad. Basically just have to put everything back into place after they clean and have to replace all my tennis balls on my chairs (which is more of an annoyance than anything!) After looking through a few other pictures I saw a crate full of bulletin board letters on the floor- can't remember if I left it there or put it on the table! I really hope they aren't ruined! (You know how long it takes to pop those things out and organize them! And I just added a new "font" that day to my collection!)

So, now I am going to go on vacation thinking about my room but I am determined to have a relaxing time! I am prepping my blog for a few days of scheduled posts and hoping I don't miss too much while I am away :)

About a month ago I posted this lunch freebie when I guest blogged for Natalie at Teachery Tidbits. I am hoping everyone was able to download, if you didn't catch it, here it is again:

I don't know about you, but at my school we have to send down a "Lunch Order Form" every morning, telling the cafeteria what our students are buying everyday. The cafeteria sends home a monthly breakfast and lunch calendar with 2 choices for each meal. Of course, we have kids that bring lunchboxes too! Since I have to keep track for the cafeteria, I came up with a way to take attendance and record lunch choices all at the same time.
Sorry for the poor quality... Cell phone pic!

I put all the kids names on clothespins and clipped them to a long ribbon right by the door. I made three choices for them: Lunchbox (brought your lunch), Lunch Choice #1 and Lunch Choice #2. In the middle of the Lunch Choice #1 and 2 there is a little piece of Velcro. I would Velcro pictures of the choices everyday on those spots. Each morning the kids come in and move their clip to their lunch choice. This was a very effective way of taking attendance and lunch orders without having to ask every morning. Does your school turn in lunch orders daily? If so, you're in luck!
A freebie for you today- my lunch labels and a lunch order form. There are 25 different lunch choices with 2 blank ones (for those unusual lunches!). Click any of the pictures below to get the freebie!


 

 
This was super easy to implement and a cute way to take attendance too!

Hope you can use :) 

Monday, July 9, 2012

Monday Made A LOT!!!

It's that time again... I have been a busy girl this week and am getting in my room this week to start getting somethings accomplished! I will post pictures of my work. Before I show my "school" made its I just have one last picture to share of my girly makeover:
I finally finished with this room!! I have to admit I do not want to be done but I must get focused on school! I painted and hung those wood letters 3 years ago for Addison's nursery (I just had to share because they are so darn cute!) I finally got my projects from a couple weeks ago hung above the bed. I also took an ordinary pillowcase to extraordinary with my new favorite invention- HEAT N BOND!!! I had never used this before and now I am in love! I printed out Addison's initials and used the scrap fabrics from my hanging art to iron on to an old pillowcase. Then I added ribbon to the ends to tie the pillowcase shut for an adorable throw pillow! I love this pillow so much! (I think my hubby was impressed as well... he asked me to make a baby gift so a girl at his work!)
Anyway... on to school...

I mainly just made some decorative things this week but I got a lot done with some adorable fabric. Here is my pallet:
Here is what I made:
  1. I made a penant style banner but it was soo long I couldn't get a good photo of it. When I get it hung up at school I will share. I follow directions from Babbling Abby and it was super easy. I had never used Stitch Witchery either and now I am in love with that too!


I had some old floor pillows around the house so I thought I would re-cover for my classroom library. They are huge pillows! The kids will definitely enjoy! My mom has a Serger sewing machine so this project was a breeze...
3. I used some extra fabric and my new fave to create some Mustache patches for some pillows and for some chair covers that I made a couple years ago. The best part is... just iron on!!
I am just in love with these!!

4. Last but not least, I decorated the front of my small filing cabinet. My dad gave me the filing cabinet and I just traced some mustaches on it with a white pen. The pen is one of those window writing markers- I am not sure how well the design will stay on but it turned out pretty darn cute!

Getting started in my room today! I am sure I will be posting updates this week. Also, my baby boy is playing in a t-ball tournament that has gone on for days and days.. I am over exaggerating, but I want it to be over (hope that doesn't make me a bad mama!) He has another game tonight- so wish him luck :)
Here he is with the hubs (who also happens to be the coach!)
p.s. and btw: I am still working on some more Reading Street packs. Waiting on some clip art but should have at least Week 2 posted soon :)