Five for Friday

Somehow we are halfway through our grading period, I've finally finished testing and have my interventions groups started, and I've let two days...possibly weeks slip away without a post.  oops!  I have had things to share...there's fun things going on in this classroom but today is the first time I've felt like I had two minutes to brew a cup of coffee (with peppermint mocha creamer..yum) and get all this down.  I keep reminding myself that things will eventually fall back into a consistent routine.

++Coffee photo

So, with no further ado, my five from this week.

ONE:
Like I mentioned I started my intervention groups finally.  How I missed having littles in my room for something other than to repeat the same passage I'd heard 25 times already that day and about 200 the week before (DIBELS testing).  It knocks me off my feet a little when those kinders come in and I remember just how far we brought the ones last year.  It's back to learning to hold a pencil and write the first letter of our names....how awesome to think that they will be reading when they leave for summer vacation.   Their little brains are amazing.

We start with M.  We always start with M.  I tell them it's because it's my favorite letter, starting all three of my names: Ms. H, Melissa, Mommy.....but it's also the first in our intervention.

Mr. Munch has made his appearance and set up shop for the semester.  He's so fun!

TWO:
This showed up in my mailbox.  It's the little things ya know?!

THREE:
My third grade ACE (it's our school wide intervention/enrichment class) students are working on Character Traits and Setting.   We had a blast with this book, identifying his crazy and somewhat inappropriate character traits and then developing our own characters and building a story around them. This product is on my TPT store now.

FOUR:
I started the 21 day fix, perfect timing really because I don't have time to eat during the day!  It's been pretty easy to follow so far, with a little cheating on the way because....well...things like The Popcorn Festival happen!    I believe happiness makes people fat.  And I've been seriously happy this last year! But the wedding weight goal is set and I'm on the path.

FIVE:
The elementary Student Council Officers have officially been elected thanks to iMovie speeches delivered to each classroom and voting on Socrative.  If you haven't checked out this site, definitely do so, it's an easy polling/assessment/quiz site that is super easy to use and kid friendly.  Our students all have the app on their iPads and it was a two minute election moment that tallied all the votes for me.  I so wish I would have known about this sooner!

Anyway, they are ready to start their year of service.  A cool project is up first this month....something about Redbox and a bunch of 5's.  More to share on that coming soon!!


I"m linking up with these awesome teachers at Doodle Bugs Teaching.   Check them out, lots of great ideas.

Teacher Week: Why Organization

Link Up

This is by far the best day of linking up for me because I am obsessed with organizing.  Not to say I don't get messy and lazy, but I truly and honestly enjoy organizing stuff and all those bins, totes, baskets, containers that are available....just try to get me out of the store without a new one (or ten) for my classroom.   

In fact, I walked in with this today: 

My organization moto is that everything has a place, easily accessible and cute to boot. 

I don't have a lot of time with my students each day and I can't waste those precious minutes on transitions and getting materials. 

As for teacher materials, I like to keep a binder for each group of students I see with all their assessment,  progress monitoring, and Goal Setting materials out where I can grab and go.   

And I have a space behind my desk for the files of materials I use weekly.  Otherwise I keep it cataloged in cabinets for the next time they are needed. 

Aside from that, there is one thing alone that I can honestly say is the staple in keeping me organized.  It's not nearly as fun as bright and colorful containers but I would be completely lost without it.   

My iCloud Calendars.  

Without those colorful little dots telling me what I have to do each day and reminding me prior to each obligation, deadlines would be missed, meetings would go unattended, and there's a good chance I'd never be in the right place at the right time.  I definitely live by that that calendar. 

The Dreaded Two Month Move

Have you ever had to change rooms?  I have friends that have, co-workers that have, but me?  Not until I'd spent 11 years collecting an arsenal of teachery things and a tiny bit of junk.  

No better way to find those long lost had-to-have items and go through a major decrapification than to pack up almost a dozen years worth of stuff and move it five doors down!

It should have taken a couple days.  Maybe a week tops.  But that's for normal people.  

For us hyper organized, over-thinker, picture-drawing decorators....we have to spend several hours just staring at the new space visualizing how that stack of books might look there or maybe those baskets.  

Then we have to lose a couple nights sleep during the summer picturing how each piece of furniture will fit into this new space.  And once that's done, don't even get me started on how on earth to combine my orange, blue, green monster theme with these new bright red cabinets.  

And then it's the middle of August, and the room is still not done.  

But it's close!

Good thing I won't have kids until after Labor Day.  Because a student could not possibly learn how to read without a little more red decor to bring all the colors together.  :-) 

(*disclaimer - cell phone photos are not fab)

My WBT rules!  

Uh-Oh I Broke a Rule space. 

It's getting there.  

My co-teacher called me the boarder queen...I'm filling the title adequately I believe! 

I'm also the Student Council sponsor so I've designated the back of my room for the grown up space of Student Council.  It's going to be a year of service projects for which I'm completely excited.  Our theme is We Can Light Up the World.  I just keep thinking what an awesome opportunity I have this year to work with our students and community!