Optimum Organization Linky!

I must admit I am an organizational junky when it comes to my classroom - a there is a place for everything and everything in its place - kinda teacher  = ME! When I saw this linky with Fun in Room 4B,I knew it was for me, HOWEVER- I have limited resources available to share, being on vacation and all. :) For some reason our service here is terrible, so my iPad is running like the old dial up system... worse actually.

One of my favorite organizational tools: A TEACHER BINDER

This planner is available at my TpT store. I have used a version of it every year, adding parts to it as I needed. This year, I have made it CHEVRON - I {heart} Chevron - and added parent-teacher conference supplies, including exit tickets for parents. They are EDITABLE! So you can type up helpful websites, resources, advice- whatever- and hand the ticket it to the parents as they walk out
the door. They print 4 to a page - which makes them small enough to be "refrigerator friendly."

It has other great organizational tools like a To Do list, Common Core Planner, and my favorite - the Small Group Instruction Planner. When I sit down with the kiddos for small group ELA each week this chart helps me remember what I did days, weeks, even months before. I put everything down on it, from what I taught to which student needs extra practice, who got bumped up a group.... The list goes on and on...

Another great thing about this whole planner is the margins are set so that you don't punch holes in the actual charts, and its colorful! I need fun stuff to look at when I'm being organized! ;)

If you would like to own this planner you can find it at my store on TpT for only $4.00. I'm trying really hard to keep things in my store under 5$ for my fellow teachers- we spend so much on classroom stuff already.... Big sighhhh

Anyway, can't wait to participate again!

Stay inspired. :)

CURRENTLY... Linky with Farley

 

 

Yay! My first Currently Linky with Farly! Here is mine...

 

Listening: My sweet baby girl (Aubrey) just made 8 months old! Needless to say I think she is teething (finally) because she has been really fussy all through the night. Fussy baby = Tired Mommy = More Coffee!

 

Loving: In preparation for my second beach trip of the summer I happily bought some new shades! I love them! They are brown with light blue trim and BIG! They might make me look like a big 'ole bug but I think they are stylin'!

 

Thinking: Surely going to the beach on the 4th of July guarantees you will see fireworks, right? I hope so! I also want to see Aubrey's reaction when she sees them for the first time. I wonder if she will love them or be scared of them. I have heard mixed stories from other parents so we shall see which category Miss Aubrey will fall in! :)

 

Wanting: For some crazy, strange reason I have been craving Nachos - with peppers - of course. I have been thinking about eating them on the beach while I watch the fireworks pop in the air. The hubby doesn't know it yet, but he might be on the hunt for some nachos tomorrow night!

 

Needing: With the little one at home with me all the time, I haven't had the time to go and get a pedicure. Pre-baby this was the first thing I would check off my to-do list but now, huh, I am lucky if I get to go to the grocery store by myself. Haha... comes with the territory I guess and I am loving it! The beach won't mind my non-painted toes anyhow!

 

Tips: I have read a couple of posts on the Seller's Forum at TpT that some sellers have been selling for months and didn't even know the Seller's Forum existed! There are some AMAZING people on there that are willing to help with anything so I would highly recommend that new sellers, like myself, check out this resource! It also helps get your name out there, too! :)

 

Well, that's it! Can't wait for the next Currently with Farley!

Happy 4th everyone - be safe and have fun.

 

Stay inspired. :)

 



Win an item from my TpT Store - Enter Polka Dot Palace's 100 follower giveaway!

 

My fellow blogger friend, Stephanie, has reached 100 followers and is having a HUGE giveaway - I'm telling y'all there is some great prizes and 4 categories! One item you can win is a WINNER'S CHOICE item from my TpT store! Go check it out and enter to win! Good luck!

Stay inspired. :)

Five for Friday Time - with Doodle Bugs Teaching

 

I was so disappointed that I missed out on last Friday's linky, but I have been super busy! I am excited to be here this week though! Here we go...

1. As a blogging newbie I am kinda learning the ropes from all the other amazing bloggers I follow. One thing I learned is that the end Google Reader is swiftly approaching. I signed up with bloglovin' so my many (hopefully) followers can stay up to date with what I post. If you would like to follow me, go to my sidebar and follow me on bloglovin'!

 

 

2. I have and always will be a list person. I make lists of ...well a lot of different things. I love the feeling of "checking things off" the list. When I started my blog and TpT store I made a list of goals to be reached before school starts back up in August. Here it is:

 

Here is where I am at:

• 47 followers at TpT!
• 21 followers on Pinterest!
• 25 products sold on TpT! (Yay - halfway there!)
• 13 followers on bloglovin' 20 followers on Google
• No Linky Party yet but I am working on that, I am however being featured on This Little Piggy Reads Clipart and Coffee Talk! (details below)
• With the exception of my vacation week, I have been posting regularly!
• I currently have 16 items in my TpT store and many clip art and digital paper items.

I'm doing pretty good I'd say! :) I love reading all the teacher blogs out there and connecting with other passionate educators! I am learning so much!

 

3. Speaking of clip art, I finished another pack last night! My newest product is a pack of 50 bunting banners. I must admit I am a little obsessed with them. I think they are so cute and perfectly add a bit of cuteness to anything! (the one I added to my list above is one of my faves) If you are in need of bunting banners for your creations click the picture below to get them at my TpT store!

 

 

 

4. I am SOOOO excited to talk about my first interview/feature hosted by Deniece at This Little Piggy Reads (www.thislittlepiggyreads.blogspot.com). I will be featured Monday, July 15th and with the feature will be my first GIVEAWAY! If you are interested in winning a pack of my clip art, follow me and Deniece. She's also featuring many new clip artists, most will have giveaways, too!

 

 





 

 

5. On my last 5 for Friday post I was leaving the next day to come back home, back to reality, from the beach. Well, my mom surprised the family with a quick 4th of July getaway! I'm headed back to the beach for the second time this summer! Ahhhh....I can't wait, sun, sand, and drink in my hand. :)

 

 

 



 

So there you go, last 5 for Friday until August! I read on Doodle Bugs Teaching that she will be taking July off! See you guys at the start of the new school year!

 

 

Stay inspired. :)

 

 

 

 



Book Talk Thursday with Reading Toward the Stars Linky Party

Saw this Linky Party while visiting Reading Toward the Stars' blog and had to chime in with one of my all-time favorite books to read to my students, that also has a special meaning to me. My book for book talk Thursday is The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.

I came across this picture book at one of my college book stores when taking my block classes before student teaching and graduating. It was one of many that I grabbed that day, as I was searching for a good book to use in my very first lesson to my very first group of First graders. (I was so excited.) Armed with three or four books (The Dot being one of them), I went back to my college apartment to plan my lesson for the kiddos. Although all the books I had chosen that day were all great their own way, The Dot shined above them all.

www.peterhreynolds.com

Here is a quick summary:
Vashti believes she cannot draw, but when her teacher gently tells her to “just make a mark, and see where it takes you” she draws a giant blob on a blank sheet of paper and signs her name. The next week, to Vashti's surprise, her art teacher has framed the dot and has it proudly hanging up. With the encouragement from her teacher, Vashti begins her journey of artistic freedom and self-discovery, becoming more confident than she had ever been.

I finished the book in tears because not only did I find the book I was to read to my very first group of students - EVER! I knew - in my heart - that was the type of teacher I wanted to become, the kind that INSPIRES.

The Dot speaks to the choice teachers make every day: to be a symbol of negativity in a child's life, or to be a symbol of hope, encouragement, and inspiration in a child's life. It also sends a positive message to children that if they are just to try, something extraordinary can come of it.

As a final note, if you look at my blog banner it has a quote inspired by the book - "Make your mark... and see where it takes you."I have carried this quote with me since the very first time I read it aloud to that first group of children 8 years ago, and I will continue to carry it with me.

If you are ever having a down day in the classroom read this book - it will lift you right up! 

Also remember, if you are feeling stuck and unsure - remember to just

Stay inspired. :)

Seeing In Zigzags and Little Triangles!

So I had no idea that when I started making clip art and decided to sell it on TpT that I would be having so much fun doing it. I am honesty learning so much, mostly by trial and error and some by researching or consulting the forum on TpT. I am proud to say that I have 15 (will be 16 after today) products in my TpT store now. These new items are Chevron themed. I am super crazy in love with chevron pattern, its so cute! So I created those last week and finished them up. I decided to take a hiatus from Chevron for a while. Check out my Chevron themed products at my TpT store or under my "Products" page. I hope you love them as much as I do, especially this guy...




 

Click to get it NOW!

This week I have been working on a huge pack of Bunting Banners! If you don't know what I am talking about here are a couple samples from my pack!

 

 

I am hoping to have these guys up by this afternoon, at the latest tomorrow. I must say I am a little bit obsessed with them! After this week I am definitely seeing in zigzags and little triangles! (but it's totally worth it)

 

Stay inspired. :)

 



Chevron Mega Pack is FINALLY Finished! And a bonus...

Whew, I must say when I started this project I didn't think it was going to be this large. I thought..."oh, I'll make a flipchart with a bunch of cutesy Chevron backgrounds (because I love Chevron so much) and that will be it." Huh... many backgrounds, voting templates, buttons, speech bubbles, and pulls later, here it is, my Chevron ActivInspire Mega Pack!



Click to get it at my TPT store!

Did I stop there, NOPE! In the works is a large pack of Chevron Digital Paper with bonus Chevron Frames (which i am very excited about). Needless to say after these two projects, I will be dreaming about little zig-zags! If you purchase this product from my store, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it. :)

Stay inspired. :)