Invest in Ribbon

Over holiday break it is an unfair statement to say that I didn't do any work.  I scoured the clearance racks at WalMart and Target.  While I didn't find too much, I found the super sweet green metallic bucket I posted about yesterday.  I also bought these.  Don't ask me why they were in the holiday clearance since they are from Halloween:

These spools of ribbon were only 20 cents each!    After my discounted cookie posting here you would think I should run a sale-blog. But hey, that's what we teachers are---thrifty and creative!  Anyway, I bought 6 spools for a total of $1.20.  I cut each spool into 4 sections of 12" each.  (I bought two orange spools and one of each other one).  Anyway, I thought they were so cute.  So, then today I borrowed my mom's hot glue gun (thanks, Mommy!) and we did this during our Quick Write journal time:

So I called kids up two at a time and they picked a ribbon and glued it "backwards" side up in the back of the journal so when they flip it forward it's an adorable little bookmark to hold their page.  I admit, the purpose is more that just cosmetic.  The kids are always shuffling when they come back from lunch through their notebook for a fresh page and end up skipping pages all over (tree-hugger that I am this drives me CRAZY!) So here we are---problem solved!! :)  I also admit that I have seen this idea somewhere, but when I looked it up on Pinterest, it just said it was from pinmarket and nothing else :-(  It is awesome though!

Disclaimer: my student's journal I snapped a picture of is not some crazed weapon fanatic.  Students, as a group, were making a prioritized list for items they would want to have with them if they were stranded like in The Cay.  :-)

Kickin' Off 2012!

Today was a fabulous day in ELA.  I have decided to take Clutter Free Classroom's Challenge on organizing the room.  As a first year teacher, I have a lot of stuff, and most of it is leftover from the teacher in the past and I have to admit that it has been quite a task organizing everything so that I fit inside. :)

Anyway, aside from organizational woes, today was an exciting day.  Mostly for 5 reasons.

1.) I saw my kids again.  All 22 were in my ELA today, which was great because I feel like over December my numbers dwindled each day due to illness.  I wasn't too eager to leave my break bliss but seeing them felt exciting.

2.) We're in groups now.  For more on that head over to my Science Blog since I did this will all my Science classes (one of my science sections I also teach a double block of ELA to).  I love groups.  I love big happy tables of chatter.  I'm weird.  I hate when they are super quiet and not interacting with class, each other, the room, materials.  It kind of freaks me out.  So I was so excited that I figured out a way to arrange the big lab tables in a way that works.

3.) This:

I am pretty much in love with this bin.  It's so heavy and durable looking.  It's from Target and was on sale from the holidays since technically it is a drink bucket.  But from 14.99 to like 4.99 on clearance, it became mine.  The last green one too! (my room is green and blue).  Anyway, I was so excited that I found a good use for it.  I am setting up a different area in my room entrance space.  I have all of their Journals in the bin now for when they enter.  I also have a neat project for them on this tomorrow.

4.) We started our new class book, The Cay.  And I love starting books. :)

5.) 2012 Themed Activities.  We did a journal today that was a two column chart with "20 things we will do" on one side and "12 things we won't do" on the other side to make a 2012!  It was cute.  The kids had fun coming up with what they won't do, like "Ride on the road any more because my cousin is crazy and has her license now" and "Go back to Kindergarten."  It was fun.  Our second themed activity was discussing the idiom, "There's no time like the present."  After discussing it, students wrote a paragraph about what they plan to do since there's no better time do start than now!  We then used recycled holiday wrapping paper as a background for our work.  It came out cute and a lot of the kids really got into making their backgrounds neat.  This is my favorite one, and not because it's a great example of a paragraph or because it looks pretty.  It's because he spent SO much time really thinking what he wanted to improve on.  He started off with "playing soccer" and then came to this:

...and I love my job.  The best part is that I know he really means this.  He tries so hard but his disorganized life makes it so hard.

Ok...so I'm glad to be back. :)

Full Fledged Panic Mode

Am I the only one in full fledged panic mode?  Based on a Facebook status I posted at 3:30 that read:

"I am now opening the bag full of things I wanted to get done over the long break. I see my kiddos again in T minus 16.5 hours. Something went wrong. This can't be good."

which was quickly "liked" by my college teaching professor and a "same here!" comment by my friend Chris who teaches in NYC, I am guessing no.

I cannot believe what I didn't do over break!!!  Well sure, I did things...which included my ultimate favorites such as this little "Top 10" I will whip up:

10.) Not having to wake up by 5:45am
9.) Wearing pajamas, lounge pants, sweatshirts, my BearPaw boots and...SNEAKERS!
8.) My new iPhone
7.) Spending time with my boyfriend where we are not simply coexisting, working on individual projects for college, classrooms, the apartment...
6.) Pizza balls.  I made them for NYE and they were delicious.  Also, chocolate covered pretzels.
5.) Forgetting about schoolwork except for splurging on some holiday sale items for my kiddos and the classroom.  Pictures to follow!!
4.) My pet fish.  They had babies awhile back and now they are getting so big.  It's adorable, quite frankly.
3.) The Hunger Games series.  I'm on book 3 and totally hooked!
2.) New Year's Eve, dinner dates, coffee catch ups, all with close friends that I never get to see!
1.)Seeing my grandparents twice, my cousin from Virginia, relatives from New Jersey, my own parents and brother and the family of my boyfriend.  It was glorious!


Soooo all in all it was great.  The real issue is #5.  I did such a good job forgetting that I completely did not remember that I had vocabulary stories to grade.  Or well, say, this week to plan!!!  I can't believe it, I feel so flaky.

Then, it hits me.   I deserve a break, too.  I need a break sometimes.  It's okay.  I will figure something out.  It will work out as it always does.  There is always tomorrow.

I'm off to dinner at my parents and picking up a table from our basement which I will use in my newly designed nook.  *Reminder to also post on that!

Cheers to 2012, everyone!