Shout Out!

Ok I know I am breaking the unwritten rule of posting twice in one day but I just had to do a shout out! My former student teacher, who is just getting ready to start her own journey into teaching, has just started her very own blog! She is new to teacher blogging so head on over to Busy Bees and show her some love!

Cool things from Pinterest and 50 Followers!!

OK first off I gotta say that I am so excited!! I have been blogging for just under 2 weeks and I already have 50 followers! How exciting is that?!?!

When I first saw that I had reached 50 followers I was excited... then I thought, "OK well what exactly IS the big deal?" So I started thinking about why I was so excited that anyone was following my blog and it occurred to me, having followers of this blog will help me stay motivated!

Every year I get really excited when school is about to start and I have all sorts of great ideas and intentions but by about the 3rd week of school I start to slip back into the "same ole same ole" routine and then I feel bad because I didn't carry out all my great intentions! Well I think the fact that I have started this blog and I have people who are following it, will help me stay on track with my new ideas and inspirations because I feel somewhat accountable to those followers, I feel like I have "promised" to do something and am being expected to keep that promise.

I know I am more than likely analyzing this way too much but hey, if it keeps me motivated and keeps me trying new things then my students are the ones that are going to end up benefiting the most. So thank you to everyone who is following me and I just hope that as the school year progresses, I don't bore the  daylights out of all of you!

OK... now onto the cool things I found on Pinterest!! Check out these cool motivational posters!!

I was stalking Pinterest and came across the blog Sweet Blessings and found some AWESOME motivational posters!! These 4 were my faves so I had to print them out and laminate them to hang in my classroom! I don't remember whose Pinterest I found these on but if you know who you are I thank you for pinning these!! I am going to put these in the very front of my room and refer to them often. I think they are great quotes and sayings! My momma always used to say "Can't never could because he never tried" and I always tell my students they are not allowed to say "I can't" they can only say "I'll try" so I LOVED the one on the top left. I am thinking about making it into a bookmark for each of my students.

Pinterest has given me several projects to make but I came across this on the blog called Two Things in Common

I spent the morning putting together my Daily Folders, my Unfinished Work folders, and extra reading notebooks. I made extras of the folders too and I am going to make 5 sets of these New Student Bags. I am going to put these things in the bag:
Welcome Letter
Supply list
Reading Notebook
Daily Folder
Unfinished Work Folder
Clip Chart clip
Lunch Count strip
Desk tag
AR Monkey cut out (for AR incentive board)
AR Sticker incentive chart
School Code of Conduct book (if the office will give me extras)
School Planner (if the office will give me extras)

I think there will be a few more things, I won't know for sure until I start setting out everything for my students, basically everything my students get the first couple days of school will go in the bag. That way when I get a new students all I have to do is pull out the bag and have everything ready no stress!

Well that's all for now! I get to start working in my classroom tomorrow so I will be posting some pictures over the next few days.

A few more things I have printed, laminated, and cut out

After searching unsuccessfully for calendar headers that would go with my monkey theme this year I found nothing I really liked so I did what I have been doing since I started stalking blogs, I made my own!

I was also stalking Pinterest and came across a really cute noise level poster (left side) from Little Warriors blog that I just had to print out too !

I get to work in my classroom on Monday and Tuesday of this coming week so I will be posting some before, during, and after pictures. I have to spend a little time tomorrow putting everything that I have accumulated over the summer in my car to take to school Monday morning. I am not sure how I will get it all into my classroom, I usually drag my youngest son with me the first day I get in my classroom to do my heavy lifting (he is a 6' 1" 225lb high school football player) but this year his football time trials are the same days I get to get into my classroom so I will have to try to snag one of the school carts to get everything to my room.

I don't know how much I can get done in 2 days but I am hoping quite a lot. I like to have my room totally arranged and decorated before preplanning officially begins so that I am not stressing during the countless meetings we have during that week. That way all I have left to do is put student names on everything to be ready for Meet The Teacher.

My poor daughter is really stressing too. She gets to get in her room for the first time on Monday as well and then on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday she has orientation and trainings to attend, then she has Friday and Saturday to work in her room again, then Monday she has meetings ALL day and then Tuesday she has Meet The Teacher! She is stressing out because she only has 3 days to get her room ready, I will be going down on Friday morning to help her and I will be staying at her house that night and then helping her on Saturday too, I am really looking forward to helping her set up her classroom. I just love having a daughter who is in the same profession as I am. We have always been close but I think this just brings us closer because we have even more in common.

Goodies I have made for my classroom!

Thanks to Create-Teach-Share for sharing this great idea for a super cute organizer. I went to Lowes today and bought the organizer drawer thing then I printed off the labels she shared, added a little of my own decorations and TA-DA!!

I am SO excited and can't wait to put this in my classroom and get rid of the ugly bins I have had this stuff in currently. Now I just have to figure out where to put this. I have two ideas so as soon as I get in my classroom I will figure it out.

I am hoping to relax and enjoy my weekend. Then on Monday and Tuesday I get to work in my room. I can't wait to get started!

I have also completed my Clip Chart for this year as well. Thanks to Teach-A-Roo for the printables. I am VERY pleased with how it turned out! I can't wait to get it all set up in my classroom too!

I am SO thankful that my friend Jackie from Sister Teachers introduced me to the teacher blogging world and Pinterest! These are just two of the awesome ideas I have been able to garner for my classroom! Plus I have learned how to make my own printable posters and labels and all sorts of other goodies.

Advice for New Teachers Linky Party!!

After spending a lot of time helping my daughter prepare for her classroom, and talking to my student teacher from last year who just got her first teaching job I started thinking about all the advice I give out to new teachers and was wondering what other great advice other experienced teachers would give them! So I thought this would make a GREAT topic for my very first Linky Party! 

So its time to dig back into your past and think about what you wish someone would have told you when you first started out teaching! Give us your best advice from your experiences!

Mine is - 

Say what you mean and mean what you say. 

Be consistent

Set aside at least one evening during the week to not do anything school related at all.

Can't wait to see what advice all you great teachers have for those who are new to our wonderful profession!!

Blog Button

I am playing around trying to make my own blog button!  This is what I have come up with for now. its cute for a start and once I collect a few more graphic sets and a little more experience I will update it. Thank you SO much to Jackie over at Third Grade's A Charm for sending me directions and making it SUPER easy for me to make and add my own blog button!!

Only a few more days...

Wow, I can't believe how quickly this summer has gone by. Each year they seem to go by faster and faster. I also can't believe how much STUFF I have gotten for my classroom over the summer as well. You would think that with this being my 12th year teaching that I wouldn't need to buy more stuff but each year it seems I find something else I just have to have. I am going to blame my daughter this year, since she is a new teacher and is getting ready to set up her own classroom she has inspired me to buy stuff, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. At least that's what I am going to tell the Hubs when he comes home and sees this on our bed

I have done a good job of keeping it all sort of "hidden" in plain site, I have had bags laying around the bedroom for a few weeks now but I had to get it all organized before I take it to my classroom next week. This is not even including the two boxes of books I also have to add to my classroom library. 

I am trying to enjoy the few remaining days of summer break while they last although that will not be easy to do since I seem to have something to do almost every day starting tomorrow. 

Tomorrow - ESE meeting at school )hoping to get a chance to sneak into my room and at least get the desks arranged

Friday - Dentist appointment to get 3 fillings

Saturday and Sunday - relaxing

Monday - working in my classroom FINALLY

Tuesday - Working my classroom

Wednesday - Dr. Appointment for my son

Thursday - NOTHING

Friday and Saturday - Driving 2 hours to Port St. Lucie (and staying the night) to help my daughter set up her classroom.

Then Monday the 15th its back to work for me for our preplanning week. So much to do so much to do!

Geez I think I need a nap just from thinking about it all! 

~~~~~~~~~~ Cindy ~~~~~~~~~~