OK, back it up a bit...Clutter-Free #5

Wow, each week seems to be getting tougher for me to get this together.  I am mostly organized, with a side of messy.  I call that "being human."  Well, when I saw the teacher desk prompt for week 5...I had a small panic attack.  I barely ever have a clean desk.  That's one area that I "dump" stuff in a sort of organized way.  So here was the prompt:

• Write about what you like about it.

I suppose I like that it is out of the way.  I like that my things are not out by the kid's things.  I only sit at my desk when I have to email with parents or type up newsletters/hw packet covers...so it is good that it is in a corner.

• How you would like to change it?

I need to find a way to make space.  I have so much on/around the desk there is no place to write or spread out a little.  Everything is always piled high on my shelf and desk.

• What changes did you make to it as part of the Clutter-Free PROJECT Challenge.

Changes that I made are- cleaning up the files and papers and reorganizing the area to work more effectively.  I wanted to set things up in a way that- even if I am behind on filing/sorting it won't show on my desk area...tehe.  It is sad, but I know I will need this!

• What tips can you share to help others have a clear work-surface?

Phew, that's a hard one.  Other than stop giving work to kids that you have to grade...I am not sure I am the best to give advice on that one!  This one was a very tricky task for me!  I always have papers and piles on my desk.

Here are the before and after pics:

BEFORE

AFTER- Organized papers, extra "stuff" on file cabinet taken off

 

BEFORE

    


                                             

I added this to the desk area to help organize
my papers.

  

AFTER- Items under desk organized, drawers cleaned out,
desk top reworked for more writing space.

BEFORE

AFTER- cleaned up a bit

I hope you enjoy seeing the changes.  

Still skipping ahead of myself

Show us how you store your teacher resource materials:
Here I have my phonics books waiting to be passed out.

This is a cabinet where I keep some of my personal books that I have purchased.

This is an area where I keep materials for reading group.

This is how I store extra letter tiles for make-a-word.  When a kiddo says "I can't find my d!"  I have many extras handy.  This way we don't spend 20 min searching in their desk, where the tile is usually hiding.

Soon I will post the pics of the desk that I have been working super hard on cleaning up!  I will eventually get to week 5.  :)

Amy

Skipping ahead a bit- Week #7

PROMPT(s):

Feel free to use one {or all} of the following:

• Show us your teacher "bag."

My bag is from Thirty-One and from my dear friend Nina.  You can access her site by clicking {HERE}.

• What do you love about it?

I LOVE all Thirty-One stuff, it fits everything I need, plus more.  Its pattern is one of my favorites...I have 
magazine holders, a purse, and other bags to match.  :)

• What do you wish was different?

I should've gotten the big one with the zipper.  Although, if I got the big one, I'd be tempted to take home more work and that would not be good for my shoulder or family time.

• Dare to show us what's inside?

Sure...I have folders to hold different things so that I can file, put away, continue working on, or send home the items immediately when I get to school.  Plan book, record book, the usual.  The polka dot bag is Thirty-

One also, and holds my pens, pencils, scissors, etc.

Have a great week!

Amy

What a week!

Once again, I am joining the Five for Friday.

Click the button above to join the fun with Doodle Bugs Teaching.  Really fun blog to read!

1.  I had a day off this week and I wasn't sick!!!  I was able to go on my 3rd grade daughter's field trip.  It was fun being a mom for a day.  I don't get enough of those days.  They grow so quickly.

2.  On Valentine's Day the kiddos had fun with reading their notes, eating treats, drinking juice, and enjoying each other's company.  Although, this was the day I had off- so I am going by my plans I left...and my guest teacher's notes.  :)  That's right, I had off on V-day!!!  Don't be too jealous, I still acted like a teacher that day, but with bigger kids.  

3.  I put up the snow globe activities we did with our buddies last week AND got a picture of them to show you how cute they turned out.  I did some research and found the download I had gotten ages ago.  Click the top picture below to go to Ginger Snaps for the Teacher.  There you may get a free download page too.

  

4.  One of my sweet kiddos gave me a necklace from their home- China.  It means teacher.  I LOVE it.  

5.   I will be doing many presidential/patriotic/american symbols type activities in the coming week.  I will be using the items below that I snagged as a freebie from Fluttering Through First Grade.  Click on the picture below to get it yourself.

It is a great product!  I got it earlier in the year and knew exactly when I was going to use it.

Happy 3 Day Weekend!

Amy

Clutter-Free #4

PROMPT FOR FRIDAY:

SHARE YOUR CLASSROOM STORAGE. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT AND/OR WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?

Here are some places in my room that storage is working well for me.

 The class supplies work well in this organizer.  They have access to it when they need it and so do I.

 This drawer organizer has all the things I need for morning jobs like attendance, all my spelling needs for the year, and math games that are not being used a the moment.

The bookshelf doesn't have enough space for cute baskets.  So, I use laminated construction paper with labels to organize my books.

These kits are the kid's math boxes.  They hold all supplies needed for the year's worth of math needs.  
Unfortunately, they don't always put it away neatly.

These bins hold the math supplies for the various themes and activities I do throughout the year.

This is the phonics and infrequently used reading materials and games not being used at the moment.  These baskets and organizers live under a curtained shelf area.

These books are for SS, Science, and reading group.  

I need to work on the shared closet in our building.  It is quite messy.  It holds a lot of stuff!  I would very much like to work on that area to get it cleaned up.

Well, off to blog about challenge 5- as I am behind on the weeks!!!
Amy

Show and Tell Tues

If you wish to join the show and tell click on the pic above.  Thanks "Sunny Days in Second Grade!"

The show and tell this week is about literacy centers.  I love literacy centers.  There are so many cool things you can do.  I have a few things I do on a frequent basis with different words/themes per week.  I also have some games and activities that I do infrequently.

Here are some of those ideas.

I have students use voc words each week from the reading group story that we are doing to write and stamp their words.

I have students listen to the stories on cd with headphones, whisper read with "whisper-ma-phones," and read to a buddy.  We also do a word sort of the grammar theme- ex. dipthong oi and oy words to sort.

I like the games bananagrams, voc words rainbow roll and write (I got it from A Cupcake for the Teacher blog), and Scrabble Slam (card game).

Those are a few things I use for my center switches.  I also have decent sized writing jobs for each Tues-Thurs.  The jobs go along with the reading group theme, as well as the style of story- expository, report, etc.

Happy Tuesday,

Amy

Feb Fab Finds

Before I begin my post, I want to say a BIG thank you to Mrs. Dawn Key from  Adventures in First.  She was kind enough to give me a freebie of her super cute Valentine pack!  Thank you Dawn!!!  If you wish to check it out, which I suggest you do, then click {HERE}

Back to business......

Yay!  Another "Fabulous Finds" from Fluttering Through First Grade.  Click the pic above to join in.

OK, so here are my Feb finds....

1.  A parent-made rice pack...love it.  I use it almost every night.  I have had it since Dec (Christmas present) and have become thoroughly addicted.  Even my kids beg to use it.  I throw it in the microwave for 2 min and place it on my neck and/or back for sore muscles.  Boy what a great thing to have.  It can be frozen too, but I like it heated.

2.  I love these lantern plug in lights for Chinese New Year!  They are from Oriental Trading.  I have them displayed on a bulletin board.

Sorry- don't know why it turned sideways!  Couldn't make it turn back to normal.

Thanks Christy and Tammy for a fun way to share!
Amy

Chinese New Year/ 100th Day

1,  We had our 100th day on Thursday.  It was like a race to get everything finished.  I had found so many fun new ideas on all the great blogs I read, that we actually ran out of time to finish it all.  We had to extend our super dooper fun to Friday.  They did not mind at all!
Below it shows some new ideas I used and some old ones that my coworkers had given me.

Doorway to enter room.

This is a frame for taking the kids pictures.  

Each year we use the checklist to help the kids keep track of what 100's things they need to complete.
We also use the writing paper for a variety of ideas.  This year it was to write as many words out of the
word Hundred as they could.  

2.  Chinese New Year is today so we had to finish our Chinese New Year writing for our bulletin board.  Each child had 2-4 pages of writing...I had to staple it on top only, so people could flip through the pages.

I took these pictures before all the writings were on it- I didn't want to forget to take the picture.  It looks better with the other writings but... I'm sure you can imagine more of the same style packs of writing on the board.

The kids really liked the dragon I put up in the hallway where they enter the building.

3.  We had our 4th grade buddies come and visit us Friday.  We always do a writing activity, snack, and something crafty.  This time, I used the "If I lived in a snow globe with my buddy I would..."  I used the idea from one of the awesome bloggers, but I don't remember who!!!  I just had the kids add the words "with my buddy" to each of their papers to make it work for us.  I did not take a pic but will try to soon.  They turned out very cute.  

4.  My parents are visiting for the weekend from Idaho.  I'm glad to see them.

5.  We finished a very big expository writing piece on winter...finally.  I know there are 3 missing in the pic.  They didn't get theirs finished until last minute on Fri.  I had to get the pic way before that.  Sorry for the sunlight glare.

Have a great week!  Happy Chinese New Year. 

Amy

Super Sale... Super awesome!

I was very excited for the sale.  I bought the following...
*Click on the picture to go to the sellers TpT store or blog to buy it for yourself.



Fluttering Through First Grade did a beautiful job...I love my new stuff!



Traditions, Laughter, and Happily Ever After created this super cute 100 day packet.  I love it!  My 100th day is this Thursday, so just in time for me!



This is by Teacher Idea Factory.  I can't wait to start using this in my class as morning work!




I also bought a single font commercial license from Kimberly Geswein.

Sure was fun buying all this great stuff!  I can't wait to see what you all got!

Amy