First Day Jitters, 4 days before school starts!

I'm linking up with Ms. Jessica over at A Turn to Learn  for her First Day Jitters linky party!

You can click on the picture above to go to her blog linky party!

So why do I have first day jitters? I mean, I've been teaching a long time... for 10, um.. 15 ... okay, okay, over 20 years. I shouldn't be nervous... I shouldn't have those crazy dreams where the students show up for school and I'm the only teacher there, and my room isn't set up! And then some student brings skunks in my room!! What did I eat before bed that night? Anyways, it just goes to show that everyone gets nervous before the first day of school. We wonder about our students, the other staff that is new, we wonder if we over planned or under planned, if the technology will work, what if it doesn't and so on. Here's some pictures of my room after I got 2 other classrooms things out of my room.

Imagine the items in this corner of my room times 5 or more! At least that's what it seems like. I had 7 teacher desks, 8 file cabinets, 6 tables, 24 student desks and I don't know how many chairs! Plus computer carts, bookshelves, boxes of things, and an aquarium! My room is storage for the summer and everything is stored- nothing is left in the other rooms.You see, in the summer, another program uses 4 of the 6 classrooms, so we move everything out and put it into one of the 2 storage classrooms. I wish I would have thought to take a picture of an empty room and my room full of items! These pictures -I'm ashamed to admit are after I worked for 5 hours in my room- I had to go through and purge 3 file cabinets and a desk of old stuff. I actually found those purple-y sheets from a mimeograph!

The view from the door, front of the room is on the left and the back wall is on the right! Notice the table top on the floor, waiting for legs!

Looking from the front to the back corner. My Promethean board, sink area, alcove behind the sink, the mirror is an observation window and in front of the mirror are the 2 lonely bookcases.The boxes by the board have my books that I need to find a place for- I ran out of bookcase shelves! This new room only has 2! I'm use to having 4!

View from the back corner to the front corner. Again the sink, observation window, then door and cubbies for students. The box by the chairs is filled with old worksheets that should have been tossed years ago! I also started a pile of items that I don't want, but thought someone else could use on a cart, by the file cabinets.

I did manage to get my desk area cleaned out and pretty much organized.I actually threw out granola bars and a brownie!  I still have some things that look to be of sentimental value on the shelf that need to go to the former teacher of the room, or thrown out!
I'll take more pictures on Monday after my paras and I get working on setting up the bulletin boards and arranging the furniture. Tuesday we have our annual training for descalating aggressive behaviors and restraining safely, as a last resort for those students that are physically harming themselves or endangering others. After the training then we have our open house, which not many parents come. Wednesday our doors open for the students to come and learn! Hopefully without any wild animals!

Final Monday of summer

This summer has flown by, I guess it's true when  people say "Time flies when you're having fun!" Starting this blog and reading other teaching blogs has kept me busy, especially Tara's Monday Made Its! I've made so many nice things for my room and seen a lot of inspiring posts for the upcoming year. I just can't believe my summer ends tomorrow! I had an early dentist appointment today, and Pepper wasn't happy about waking up before 7:30! I don't know how we will make it on Wednesday when I have to get up by 6. I also have to stop having my 2 hour breakfasts in the morning. Not that I eat a lot, but I have a cup of tea, read the paper, watch GMA, have another cup of tea, have something to eat, finish watching GMA, play Words With Friends, check email, check what Kelly is doing over at Live with Kelly. How will I cope with not knowing what happened to her? Somehow, I don't think I could work all of that in during morning meeting!!

I had a wonderful week end! First Mr. and I went and saw The Moving Wall. It was very impressive and gave me goosebumps.

Then I went to Cincinnati and visited my oldest son. We had a lot of fun talking and shopping and eating!

My son's living room, see the pics on the wall? I made those using canvas and photos! I also helped him clean!

Looking toward Cincinnati from Newport, KY

I found the cutest name placards for the table, not that Mr. and I don't know where to sit, but I love cows and couldn't resist these! They even came with chalk!!

Name Card!

When I got home, I received a wonderful surprise! A new printer! It scans, prints, and copies! And it's wireless! Mr. knew that I needed a new printer, since mine gave up last week.

Pepper just had to get in the pic, causing me to move.

I did  finish some projects for Monday Made It! Besides what is shown below, I typed and printed up my standard checklists for all the subjects and for grades 4 and 5 (I just found out that I won't have 6th grade). I printed up my sub emergency plans that I got from Sub Hub and organized a sub binder. I just have to wait for the class list and a few odds and ends before it will be complete! I didn't like my birthday poster, so I took it apart and made it into a pennant hanging! I like it a lot better.

My clipboards (for me and a few for the students)

pencil cups, signs made by April Walker from the ideabackpack blog

My updated birthday pennant!

I'm hoping that we can still use food as a motivator, but I think the state guidelines for nutrition will prevent me from having any food in the classroom that doesn't fit in with the health guidelines. I'd like to visit the rule makers' offices to see if they have any candy on their desks or treats in the break room!

Go over to check out Tara's blog, 4th Grade Frolics to see what everyone else has been doing and tell us what you made!

Charge, Cha-ching! Shopping Parties!

Adventures in Room 5 is hosting a linky party to go along with Teacher's Pay Teachers back to school sale!

In my cart are the following 4 items- and I have more, but rules are rules!

1.  Back-to-School-Activities-Starting-the-Year-off-Right in this packet, there are ice breaker activities where students interview each other and then write a newspaper article based on the interview. Also included is a scavenger hunt and questions about the procedures in the classroom, once they have been taught. A lot of my students have been in the same class for awhile, but they don't always know much about each other so I'm hoping the interview will help them. Plus, interviewing will be good for learning about social skills.

2. Sticky-Note-Research-Projects Even though this is for students in first grade, I think it would be good for my students to learn about the research process. I love the idea that the students write notes on sticky notes and then when I review the notes with them, we can remove any that don't belong. Most of my students hate to write and have poor organizational skills, so I think this would be a good fit.

3. Daily-Math-Notebook this looks like just what I need (and my students need) to keep organized. At this late date with school starting soon, I don't have time to think and design something like this on my  own! It has pages for centers, number of the day, and even timed tests! What more could I want?

4. Nursery-Rhyme-Re-Writes-Synonym-and-Thesaurus-Skills since some of my students haven't heard of some of the nursery rhymes, I thought this would be a good way to introduce them. We can practice reading the actual rhymes (good for fluency) and then use the thesauruses that I bought at Target and also brainstorm synonyms and re-write the nursery rhymes! Sounds like fun!




Jessica over at From Blood to Books! is hosting a linky party for fashion!

Here are the guidelines...

1. Tell me your favorite store(s) that you like to get your "teacher's fashion".

2. What are some of your favorite accessories?

3. What type of shoes do you teach in? (i.e. heels, flats, wedges, etc.)

4. Do you have a "go-to" item in your closet? (i.e. sweater you wear weekly, shoes you wear daily, etc.)

5. Have you ever had a fashion "uh-oh" at school? (i.e. heel broke, button popped off of blouse)

                        While at work, I would love to wear this type of outfit,                                          

Because of the possibility of chasing students back into the room and school, as well as restraining students the reality is I can't wear skirts or dresses that might show too much. I typically wear this type of outfit - cardigan, tee, khakis.

 

1. My favorite stores for teacher fashion are Kohl's and JCPenny. I have also bought clothing and shoes from Target.

2. My favorite accessories are scarves! I love wearing them to add color to my outfits. I also like wearing bracelets.

                            

3. I wear flats to teach in. Some days I wear tennis shoes, usually the fashion styles.

 







4. My go to item would be a cardigan. I have about 15 (never really counted). I wear them over tank tops or tees, I never know what the temp. will be in my room so it's nice to have something to cover up!



5. The only thing I can think of that went wrong was when I wore my old slip on tennis shoes by mistake! I put them on in the morning to get the paper and forgot to change them before driving to school. Not a big deal, but I was embarassed by the grass stained shoes!

Wednesday, whew and decisions, decisions!

I can't believe that I only have one week until school starts! Next Wednesday,is the back to school all day meeting, then the next day I have staff inservice at my school and the Friday I may be able to get into my room! Monday, the 20th of August, will be a work day in the classroom and the Tuesday is my training for how to deal with aggressive and disruptive students with an open house from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Wednesday, the 23rd will be the first day with students! I'm crossing off items on my to do list and adding other things (I need to stop!) Hopefully, I can get my printer working again! It has jammed up on me and I can't get it cleared!! I'm also trying to figure out all of my bulletin boards for the hallway and in the classroom so that I can make the letters. I think I have them all figured out and (this is where my adding to my list gets me in trouble) I might make a few extra sayings for later boards. I also need to stop looking at everyones' Monday Made It projects and Pinterest, I am addicted to both as my additions to my list can attest! I'm getting nervous about my decision to switch rooms and grade levels, why did I think it would be a good idea? I've lost a closet (that could lock) and a huge cabinet (that was bolted onto the wall). My boxes of teaching books, games, and other classroom items are still packed away in boxes and bins in my garage and basement. At least I labeled them with the subject matter so I can find things if I need them.

 So now I need to decide how I'm displaying my take on daily 5/reading workshop, the class rules and pledge, and the schedule (which I still have to figure out). I know a lot of people support the idea of having the students help make the rules and pledge, but with my students I need to set these up. We do talk about why they are important and what the classroom should look like and sound like in order for everyone to be able to learn in a safe environment. I have 5 basic rules that are all stated positively. Examples; Keep your hands and feet to self., Use appropriate language, Follow directions, Raise your hand to talk, and Work quietly. I'm thinking that while these rules were fine for my 6th and 7th graders, I might have to change them up for 4th and 5th graders. I've seen the Whole Brain Teaching rules, but can also see where some of my students would challenge the Keep your dear teacher happy rule! ("..gee, Mrs. Ashley, I thought you would laugh when I threw the milk on Tommy!").  I also have to think about the other staff in my room, so if I changed it to keep the staff happy, the other staff might take it the wrong way- even with guidelines! I'm hoping that by Friday I will have everything done. Then I can relax, go shopping for an outfit or 2, and get my haircut.

On a good note, we sold our camper within an hour of posting it for sale! While I'm sad that it's no longer ours, it was nice to be able to sell it so quickly! Now, does anyone want any bunnies? They are free! All you have to do is catch them! The picture shows 2, but we have about 6 of them (that I've seen) in our yard!

August currently and one kind of unhappy camper

I'm linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade with her August currently, but I'm not happy about it!I thought about not acknowledging it, or even looking at it, because then August wouldn't really be here, right? Sadly, I couldn't resist the temptation to see what everyone else is doing.  It seems many bloggers are surprised and sad that August is here. We all are wondering where the time went. I did get many projects completed, but I have so much more to do!! I still have a list of things to get done and only a week to do them!Guess I can scratch getting a tan off my list!  I can't believe that in two weeks I will have to go to bed early and get up before the sun! My kitties are not going to be happy! They have been use to me being home, at their beck and meow (or so they think).

 My back to school must haves are my newly reinvented teacher binder to help keep me organized. I also couldn't have made it through the summer without my printer, hence the ink, and my laminator! I'm so glad that I replaced my old laminator last winter. I burned it out! I have the Scotch brand that everyone raves about. If it lasts as long as my old one did (about 13 years) I'll be happy! I should buy stock in ink and laminating sheets, or stop looking at everyones' blogs and downloading items from the blogs and their stores! And yes, it's my 16th wedding anniversary. We aren't celebrating tonight, Mr. had to work a 12 hour day today and goes back in at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow! Got to get those school supplies out on the shelves! And restock the Dollar Spot, too! I also found out that I start back Aug. 15 with a meeting for all staff, Aug. 16 with inservice for my building, nothing on that Friday (email said we might be able to get into the rooms to work on them!), Monday work day, Tuesday is our building's restraint/de-esculation training and open house (why do they schedule this after an afternoon of physical activity?) And then Wednesday, August 22 the students start! I hope I can get everything done! Guess I better write up a to do list to keep me on track and to let anyone who's around know what they can help me with! I'm hoping that I can relax with everything done (as much as I can at home) by Friday, August 10! Wonder if Mr. and the kitties really need me to serve them to eat? Cereal and popcorn casseroles for all!!! On a sad note, we decided to sell our camper. It was getting to the point that we just didn't have the time to use it.

 I will miss it, it was always so relaxing (once we got set up). But, I am looking forward to just going to various festivals and events around the area at the spur of the moment. Oh and the roasted marshmallows will also be missed, but Mr. said we could get a backyard fire ring so I can roast marshmallows!

Thursday is the time to party!

I'm joining up with two linky parties! I love a good party! Please join us and we'll have a good time!

Click here

Miss Squirrel is having a linky party for quick and easy recipes, which just happen to be my favorite kind of meals! I went through all of my recipes looking for a good meal that is quick, easy, has common ingredients, and won't break the bank to make.  This is a recipe that I've made several times and the Mr. claims these are the best pork chops he has ever eaten!

Spicy Pork Chops- you could substitute chicken or maybe a steak? Basically the recipe is a rub.
Ingredients:
1- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
4 boneless pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
Directions:
1. Preheat broiler or grill
2. Combine the first 5 ingredients. Stir until a paste forms.
3. Rub on both sides of the chops (or other meat of your choice)
4. Broil or grill 4 to 5 min. per side until no longer pink.

I make these with corn on the cob, that I do in the microwave (husks on) 2 ears for 8 minutes, then take out, hold with pot holder or oven mitt, cut off the bottom end (not the silk end) push cob out of the just cut end and you will only have a few pieces of silk on the cob!  I also have served with green beans and baked potatoes. I like it because it is so easy and yummy!

Teaching in Room 6

Stephanie from Teaching in Room 6 is hosting a linky party to help out newer teachers. Actually I believe anyone can learn from some of the great tips and advice. I know that even after 20 + years of teaching, I'm still learning from other teachers!
1. Never stop learning! Sign up for any free or low cost workshop, seminar, class that is offered. I've even watched webinars on my computer at home. I've taken science workshops and received free items and even guest speakers to come into my class! It is a way that I can bring in new information and ideas to my class so that my teaching continues to grow and stay fresh and exciting.
2. Admit your mistakes and ask for help. We as teachers tend to get in a mindset that we know, or should know, the answers to it all. I have had students ask me questions that I don't know the answer to and suggest that they research it, or that we will look for additional resources to find out more information. I've also made many mistakes in the classroom. It's a lot easier to aologize and admit it right away then it is to hope that no one will notice and "sweep it under the rug". As soon as I don't know what to do or have trouble with a situation, I ask. I might even ask several people in case the first one doesn't know either! We all have had times that we can't think clearly and need help.
3. Plan for anything! Prepare and over prepare lessons. What seems like it will last 20 minutes may end up lasting 5 or may not even be able to occur because of students behaviors or actions. Always have a back up plan available. I like to have a folder with several time fillers like review games, lessons that require little or no materials, or team building exercises. This way if my class is having a hard time concentrating on reading about the War of 1425 (or whatever) or a student is having a crisis and we have to leave the room in order to be safe, I can have my class still learn and be productive. One of my students' favorite activities is the boggle game or I give them a word or phrase and they have to write out all the words they can using just the letters in the given word or phrase.



Wednesday, ...What?!

I can't believe how fast the days are flying by! It's August!  I have 14 days left of vacation, before the staff meetings begin. Students will start school in 21 days. I need to stop looking at new projects and get the necessary lesson plans, standard checklists, morning work, and homework calendars prepared and ready to print. This is the scary part of changing rooms and grade levels, I'm not super familar with the material and standards! I'm also trying to figure out my schedule for the day and I think I have it down for the first few weeks. I usually make a schedule and try it out for a couple of weeks before I make a permament schedule. I try to get my reading, language arts, and math covered in the morning before lunch. After lunch, my students usually shut down, so I like to work on the skills that they tend to be lacking in. So after lunch, we do science, social studies, a program called Circles- which teaches students about boundaries and personal space. I also will have a behavior specialist come in everyday to teach coping and social skills for 30 minutes, which might have to be in the afternoon. I'm trying to keep the Daily 5, or 3, completed in one block of time, but that might have to change. Then there's the morning meeting and afternoon wrap up times to schedule, plus gym, art, music, and sensory! I will probably change my schedule 30 more times before school starts! My husband laughs, because I'll be watching television and all of a sudden I will grab my notebook and scribble out a new schedule!

My rules and procedures don't change from year to year. I write my classroom rules so that they state what the students should be doing, instead of what they shouldn't be doing. For example, my students do tend to be physically and verbally aggressive to each other and staff, so my rule is Keep your body and words safe, instead of Don't hit, kick, pinch, bite, spit on, yell at, swear at,....well you get the picture. There's no way that I could list everything that the students shouldn't do, and then they would probably think they could do the one thing that I left off the list! Also, research has shown that the brain hears the action part of the request. So if I tell a student "Don't run in the hallway!" That student will hear the word run, and then will run in the hall. This year, I do want to make visual posters to go with the rules. I'm going to have my students act out the rules and procedures, showing the appropriate way- they all know too well how to not follow the rules, so we have to practice (a lot) on how to follow the rules!

I had planned on linking up with Tara for the Monday Made It party, but I didn't finish my projects, so I'll keep working on them for next week. I've seen a lot of great linky parties out there in blogland, so I'm trying to get all of them in a post, or two. So I'm off to finish up my projects and keep printing, laminating, and planning! I think I'll need a nap after all of that!