Planning for Success

Do you have a planner that you love?

I have a TERRIBLE memory during the school year and as organized as I endeavor to be, I misplace everything! My kids have learned to accept it. They even support my problem, they keep up with everything for me. (Gotta love the babies)

My lesson plans are super detailed oriented because I don't want to forget anything but then its so detailed that I end up not being able to remember everything. So to help me with this I refer to my plans on my iPad when necessary. Last year I went on a hunt for a really good app for lesson planning. I came across planbook.com and fell in love! It's an online planner If you are not glued to writing your plans in a book you should try it. I love that I can do all my lesson planning on my home computer and then just get to work and pull them up there. I attach any worksheets, center games, SMARTnotebooks or assignments to that day so that it's easy to organize and keep up with. I'm even more excited that now I have all of last years plans and resources in one place. How awesome is that? It really helped me out in my room last year. Check it out and tell me what you think.

First Monday Made It!!!

I've been a busy beaver this past week. Between teaching my Kindersmarties in summer school and working to recover things lost in what I will from here on out refer to as "The Great Computer Crash of 2014", I have been beginning to imagine the 2014-2015 school year and even dare I say it allowed myself to get excited about it. Now I'm not saying I'm ready to say good-bye to the flip flops, sunblock, and afternoons spent on the beach just yet, but what teacher doesn't LOVE the excitement of preparing for a new school year?! Freshly waxed floors, newly sharpened pencils, and new classroom decor. Is there any time more exciting to a teacher? Anyway, I managed to carve out a little time to make a few new items for my classroom this week. I'm even excited to say that I'm ready to post my very first Monday Made It! Ahhhh, so exciting :D Woohoo, I get to join 4th Grade Frolics linky party!

These are number cards for my math wall. In the beginning of the year when we are focused on those place value skills, I like to have the numbers and their spellings posted on the wall so that we can become proficient in word form. I also made some new schedule cards and headers for my behavior management chart to match my decor.

Loving this scavenger hunt :D

I cannot believe how much fun I am having doing this Blog Hoppin scavenger hunt. Who am I kidding, yes I can because I am dorky like that. I'm really in it because I just love the challenge of having to find the items. Here are some of my favorite pics...

Even my puppy got in on the fun...animal wearing clothes

A Welcome to {insert state} Sign. I found this little baby right in my classroom. I made it for my Virginia themed classroom 4 years ago.

Loved this...An apple on a teacher's desk

Follow me on Instagram to see the rest of my fun pics @gladtobeingrade3

Everything happens for a reason...I guess

So I'm trying to put my short lived blogger life back together. Last week my computer operating system decided to crash...ahhh! Yes, I literally screamed before immediately rushing over to the Apple Store with my computer wrapped up like a new born baby to figure what had happened and why. Now why was this such a major life crisis you ask ( you probably didn't but I'm going to tell you anyway), I didn't have a single thing backed up yet. This is a fairly new computer and I was transferring all my stuff (including my teaching stuff, pictures, and classroom stuff I've made) to this computer. Insert sad face. Well after going through all of the stages of grief I've finally reached acceptance and thought that's ok, all this happened so that I can make things ten times better. I certainly have my work cut out for me for the remainder of the summer. Lesson learned.

Reflection and Re-evaluating

Today while going stir crazy I wanted to reflect on my math instruction this past year. Last summer I read everything I could on how to run Math Workshop in my classroom. The previous year I had implemented the Daily 5 in reading and Writer's Workshop in writing but I wanted to focus on restructuring math. I'd say it was super successful for both my kiddos and myself. If this is something you think you might be interested in for next school year I urge you to try it. One of the blogs that was most helpful to me in getting my head wrapped around how this would work was Math Workshop: Using Developmental Grouping to Differentiate Your Instruction by Beth Newingham. It lead me to reading just about everything she had written. Once I had a rough idea of how to make this work for me I decided to mix that with the way I run the Daily 5 reading program in my room and voila! I had a great recipe for making math instruction work for me. Now for implementation. I searched my favorite website, TPT and I found an AWESOME rotation board to display the management for our math block in Contemporary South {teacher}'s TPT store. 

I'm not sure yet what things I want to add to continue to make math even better for next school year but I'm on the prowl now. I'll keep you posted on what I come up with :)

Blog Hoppin 2014 Scavenger Hunt

So are you guys doing this? OMG this is so much fun! I love a good scavenger hunt :) Check out Blog Hoppin to get in on the fun. Follow me on Instagram @gladtobeingrade3 to see how I'm doing. (Yeah I haven't learned how to add the follow me on Instagram button yet, baby steps) Woohoo! I learned how to add a badge!

So here's what...

So I have officially been on summer vacation for 3 weeks (I think...who's counting) and I've been trying my best to make that time productive. I spend hours pouring through blogs getting ideas and seeing what everyone else is up to. As I do that I'm in awe! Most of the bloggers are full time teachers, wives, mothers, and bloggers! How do you guys get it all done and more importantly will I be able to do it. I certainly hope so.

So in the 3 (I do think that's right) weeks that I have been on break I've spent my time learning how to use photoshop so that I can create more of my own materials and learning how to design my webpage. (This is taking awhile.) I think it's been productive. Aside from that I've been working on my Dirty Thirty Summer Bucket List. What's that you say. I turned the BIG 3-0 this year so I decided instead of spending my summer working, working, working that I would take the time out for small things that make me happy. I have 30 things that I have to accomplish before the first day of school. Which means I have about 2 more months to make the summer count. Hopefully I will be able to keep a careful balance between my fun in the sun time, getting ready for my new crop of kiddos and learning how to blog. Wish me luck!