Early in the year I like to give my students time to revisit some of the work quality expectations along with a little bit of fun, and using "puzzles" has been something I have done for years! To begin, I teach a little lesson about what it means to do quality presentation-worthy work. We brainstorm a list that includes everything from using pencil before you color, cut carefully, color ... Read the Post
Day 1 in the books!
Just thought I'd post a little bit about my first day back with students--and I think I can summarize it in just a few words. I am so exhausted. My throat hurts. HA! I'll bet a few of you are in the exact same boat. We spent the day starting to get to know each other... And I thought I would share one of the most fun moments of the day! We started the day in a community ... Read the Post
Ready or not–here they come!
I spent the morning at school trying to finish up last minute details before heading into the weekend, and arrived at school only to find out that I got another new student. Isn't that always the case? So--new line order list. New locker list. New name tags. New bulletin board labels. I guess I'm glad I went in today or I would be frantically doing it Tuesday ... Read the Post
Meet the Teacher and Deja Vu Again and Again
Every year it's the same thing. I promise myself that I will be ready for Meet the Teacher (2 pm on our work day) and I have everything put away and be sitting calmly at my desk working on lesson plans. Every. Single. Year. And every single year I fail. This was going to be different, however. I had some new systems in place, I had left my room in ... Read the Post
My Hours Are Numbered!
Tomorrow is inservice day, so my hours of classroom preparations are coming to a close. I thought I'd share a new of my latest pics to either make you feel better about YOUR current situation or give you hope--whatever works for you! Can't wait to get my ipads! They are district office now waiting to be formatted! Saw the idea for a dish rack charging station online somewhere. ... Read the Post
Classroom Progress…One Step Forward, Two Steps Back!
Today I spent most of the day in my classroom trying to make sense of the chaos. Why is it that some people getting their rooms ready appear to be in complete control and my room looks like a crime scene? Sigh. I thought I'd share a few pics of what's been going on--and I have deliberately left out shots of the entire room so you don't call the authorities. This is the shelf ... Read the Post
Fun “Back to School” Yearbook Linky!
Christina Bainbridge over at Buntings, Books, and Bainbridge has created the most adorable linky party to help our followers see some of our best and most popular products. Because there is the BIG SALE over at TpT, this is a great way to "shop" for some wonderful products at a great price! Check out the "high school yearbook" themed images that let us showcase some of our ... Read the Post