Welcome Back Letter

   So today I was on full-on "home-maker/mommy" mode.  Laundry, dishes, dipers, and naps took over my morning.  But because of above mentioned nap time, I did get something for me done - my welcome back letter!  I also got my math rotation signs made, laminated, and cut out. Check off those things on the "to do" list.

Speaking about laminating - my little extra monetary incentive from those 3 weeks of summer school came in and I finally splurged and bought my own laminator from Lakeshore Learning.  Can I just say that I should of purchased this little beauty YEARS AGO?  OMG! I am in love with a machine.  And until September 1, you too can own one for just $70 'cuz it's on sale along with all the supplies needed for it.   Don't think about buying one - BUY ONE!  It's totally worth it.  No more standing in line waiting for the school to do it for me.  No more waiting and waiting and waiting and just when it's my turn, the roll of film runs out.  No more.  This time...I win.

My new favorite machine. 

I Quit

I have a quilt that is one-third of the way to being done hanging on my wall in my office.  It has been there since we moved in, 3 years ago.  I haven't finished a quilt in that long.  When I began quilting, I finished five quilts in as many weeks.  As soon as one was finished, I would start another one, the ideas just popping into my head were not as fast as my fingers or sewing foot would allow.  But, one thing led to another, one project started, then set aside, kept me from going back.  Now I have a design board filled with white and yellow squares mocking me in the gentle breeze of the ceiling fan that seem to say...you gave up on us.  You're a quitter not a quilter!

And they are right.  I am a quitter.
So here is my official resignation.

I quit.  I quit being lazy in my planning - I will try to get my act together and become better prepared in my everyday lessons.

I quit being disorganized.  I will become better at remembering that "everything has a place, and there is a place for everything" that my Nana taught me but I had since forgotten.

I quit being lackadaisical in my approach to important things.  I will try to place emphasis on the important and dismiss the unimportant in my life and my teaching.

I quit being tired, bored, and staid in my presentation.  I will try to have my nails, face, and clothes look like the professional that I am.  I do not need to wear jeans and a t-shirt to work everyday.  Dresses are pretty and they make me feel pretty.

I quit procrastinating until the last minute.  I will plan, lay out, and organize the things I need in advance.

I quit putting things into piles.  I will put my clean clothes away when I am done folding them instead of just putting them on the dresser.

I quit hoarding onto things that I will a) never use b) don't really need in the first placed and c) can replace easily if I ever DO end up needing it.  I do not want to die under a large stack of newspapers and clean, folded clothes.

I quit "collecting" things that I don't need.  Do i really need all the Twilight books when I don't read them anymore?  I read all three 50 Shades books and got rid of them right after, so Twilight - you're history.

I quit  hanging onto school forms, evaluations, administrator memos, and any other piece of paper that finds its' way into my mailbox at school.  Scan what I need into my computer, read the memos, then toss them away.

I quit being the teacher who is known more for fun, rather than substance.  I want to be known for a balance of both, not heavily to one side or the other.

I quit being inconsistent.  Consistency is my new mantra and I will chant it everyday.

I quit being everyone's "Go-To-Girl."  I am now my own "Go-To-Me-Girl."

I quit saying "Yes" and I now own the word "No".  I will use it everyday.

I quit trying.  Instead, I will DO.

I quit thinking " already know how", and instead I will think "How do I do...".

I quit the mentality that I "know" and I will accept and adopt the mentality of "I want to learn".

I quit "someday I will" and will move on to "today I will."

I will quit looking at that unfinished quilt and I will finish it.  I will let my little boy take a nap under its warmth, and I will let it soak up his baby drool and spilt milk.  I will let him roll around on it under the sunshine, and I will let him wrap his favorite animals up it at night, and I will let him make a tent out of it and the cushions from the couch.  I will let him tie it around his neck and become a superhero, gently crushing his enemies and thwarting the nefarious criminals and their dastardly deeds.  But I can't let him do any of that if it is still tacked on the wall.

I quit.

Do you want to quit too? Leave a comment below.

Shauna

Monday, Monday, Monday

Well, I finally, FINALLY finished my long-worked on product for Teachers pay Teachers.  I had this idea since the beginning of summer, and have only NOW gotten around to finishing it.  It also helps that Bean cooperated with me this morning and was content to bounce in his bouncer while mom typed away.  Well, what is this magical product you ask?  Parts of Speech labels!  Yay! Check the pictures out. I have no idea WHY these stupid things are like this, but at least you can stretch your neck muscles!

The labels are designed to help your students identify the parts of speech in a sentence.  They are color-coded and easy to print out and implement.  My questions is why does something sound so easy to do (like put this pack together) take so long to do it?  (My mind wanders again to my bouncing baby boy who has started to talk non-stop. Remind me to tell the story that he told the other day about the trombonist running away with the saxophonist, leaving the poor timpani drummer alone with a kettle-drum sized broken heart.  Quite interesting.)  

On a lighter note (sorry once again poor timpani drum guy) I am eagerly awaiting Tuesday night when I get to go meet some wonderful bloggy friends at the Venetian!  I am really excited to meet some of the people that I follow on their blogs and who gave me the inspiration to start my own.

Inspiration happens in the smallest of things - like a walk in the park to the sound that a waterfall makes.  Just reading all the wonderful blogs and pintrest boards out there makes me feel like I too, can do it.  Well, sometimes trying things one sees on pintrest and having them actually turn out like the picture is a totally different story.  (See my previous attempt at a banana cream poke cake that ended up lining the bottom of a trash bag...) Those "Pinned it...Nailed It" posts are spot on.

Here's to the inspirers who manage to keep us pinning, making, trying, and doing.  Thank you.

Always,
Shauna

Anchor's Aweigh!

After watching "Battleship" last night for theupteenth time, (can anyone say Alexander Skarsgard...yum?) I am hereby inspired to post about...Anchor Charts!  All of these I have found on Pintrest and I do not know where their origins lie, but to those who made these in the first place, here is your due.  Thanks for the inspiration to make my own!

In my experience, anchor charts are only as good as you use them - just by putting them up on the wall in the beginning of the year doesn't do anyone any good if you never refer back to them.  Anchor charts that you make with the children are the best - they remember the whens the whys and hows and the purpose of the chart whenever they look at it.  That being said, here are the anchor charts that I have made and use regularly over the course of a year.

The following anchor charts are the newest additions that I have recently completed.  I can't wait to put them in place for next year.  I think they will be a great addition to resources that the kids will refer to.  I really am in love with my Super Stamina one - just wait 'till you check it out!

So there you have it - anchor charts.  As I said in an earlier post, when I get the itch to color something, nothing will stop it short of a box of Crayola crayons and markers (that and hydrocortisone cream.)  I sit down with a picture of the inspirational piece, a pencil and a heavy duty eraser and freehand everything.  When I'm satisfied, then I get to color.  

Bean thinks it's boring.  This is what I found the other day while I was making the Super Stamina poster.

One day, he too, will love to color.  On the walls, on the table, on the doors, on papers that are important, on anything.  I will not get mad, because I was like that too.  And if I remember the curse correctly, my mother said I was going to have a child JUST LIKE ME, and she would sit back and laugh.  So, here's to coloring, hunky Navy commanders, children, and anchor charts that work. 

Happy Monday All!

Always, 

Shauna & Bean

Dollar Store Treasures

I love the Dollar Tree, Target's The Dollar Spot, and the 99 Cents Store.  There's just too much good stuff that one can put to use in the classroom.  That being said, today, I'm taking you on a tour of my recent findings from the above mentioned stores over the past two weeks and a short description of how I plan to use them.  Let's get started, shall we?

I feel like I've won the lotto!  Look at all this crap wonderful stuff the Bean and I have found!

Holds a picture  - was thinking of trying a new management tool: I'll put 5 of them up on a board while I'm with small groups.  If it gets too noisy I'll take one down.  Once they are all gone, the class might lose 5 minutes of recess or something.  

Themed erasers:  Great for counting, grouping, or  fractions.

These make great chair pockets for library books, unfinished work folders, or  stuff they need at a moments' notice.  

SMall dry erase boards (I got one in Batman, Superman, and the Justice League.  I'll hand them by the door and whomever needs to use the potty, go to the nurse, or leave the room can write their name instead of passes that get left behind.

Folders.  It seems no matter how many the kids bring in, you always run out .

Clipboards.  Students always seem to find one then EVERYBODY needs to use one.  

Retractable fly swatters.  Great for reading the room, playing the game SWAT!, and smacking each other in the head.  Hopefully the later wont happen while I'm watching.

Superhero Stickers.  'Nuff said on this one.

Alligator clips.  I thought I could use these in a center for greater than/less than.  Smething else is bound to come up as well.

These microfiber things are the BEST at cleaning a whiteboard.  Just add a spray of pure clean water, and you will not find a better whiteboard eraser.  Better yet, just toss 'em in the wash, and they are as good as new.  No more cheap erasers that fall apart, never clean and just smear marker all around.These ones even have loops for easy hanging on a hook!

Superhero rope pens.  Never be without a pen again!

These came from Target: 4 in a package for 1.00 (that's .25 cents apiece!)  Center work, individual work, and I want to try to create the longest compound sentence this year with my students.  I think these will work great!

Mini-bags ( I got blue, green, red, and orange: superhero colors of course) for the 1st day of school treats.  3 to a package for 1.00 at Dollar Tree.

Gold poster letters.  I am going to label the times for lunch, specials, and recess on the  wall and the letters I had last year ended up being too big, but I was pregnant and didn't really care.  This year, Smaller is Better.



Well, there you have it.  A quick and dirty guide to all our treasures under a buck.  If you have any ideas for any of the products I've listed here, leave a comment below.  


  Always, 
Shauna

Shout Outs and Singled Out

Shout Out:
So this morning I open my inbox and what do I have...a reply from a bloggy friend by the name of Hannah Martin.  I was perusing her Teachers pay Teachers store when one of her products caught my wandering eye - her Superhero Classroom Bundle.  It is packed with all kinds of stuff: name badges, certificates, number line, calendar numbers, you name it for the decor of a room, it's in there.  My problem was that I have other plans for my room and I didn't "need" all the other razzmatazz goodies that were in her packet, for I only was interested in her word wall letters.  After sending her a message, lo and behold, she sent them to me!  Wow!  So this weeks' Shout Out goes to Hannah Martin.  You can check out her store and all her superhero goodies by clicking on the link here. Thanks again Hannah!  They are sure to brighten up my word wall!

Singled Out:
Yesterday I posted three Monday Made It activities that I had been able to finish up.  However, one let me know that I had inadvertently forgotten to mention it.  So, this weeks' Singled Out project is the DYI Four Pocket Folder.  Take a look.

This is what you need if you attempt to tackle this project on your own:

• 2-pocket folders WITH brads
• 2-pocket folders WITHOUT brads (buy enough of these two types of folders so each student has one.)
• 1 hand-hald 1-Hole punch
• pencil
• 30 minutes

As you can see I obtained my folders from the Dollar Tree.  The folders WITH brads were 2 for $1 and the folders WITHOUT brads were 3 for $1.  

first mark where your holes will be compared to where the brads are

punch them out

fold inside out

insert onto brads, fasten, and viola! you're done!

It took me about 30 minutes to make 25 of them for around a total cost of about $12.50.  Really Good Stuff sells these babies for about $1.50 or more each.  Whose is the winner this time? Besides, these can come in neato colors and the kids can design them themselves.  

That's it for tonight.

Shauna