A pretty little organization tip with style

Some of you know that I decided to take an organizational class in January.  I am a bit on the random organization side.  I know where everything is, but I just have it in random stacks.  Mr. Walsky calls it absurd chaos, and I like to call it creative and unique.  

Well, the first day they gave us link to look at organization ideas, and I couldn't get past the first picture!  Sterilite containers!  After that, I was pretty much done.  I had learned all I wanted from the course.  This is why....  

Notice the pretty white bow bins and the ugly plain red bins!

Seriously!!!  I have used these containers for years and hated the holes.  Who would have ever thought to put a cute little bow through the holes? 

 I LOVE it!  So this is what I have been doing every day to my reading leveled books, and changing out my bins.  I am loving the ribbon and the polka dots.  I actually just bought some pink and black zebra striped ribbon for my room next year!

Why didn't I ever do this before.  The room is looking so cute with bows tied to everything.  The reading section just looks so much more stylish.

I guess I have to take the course over again....Maybe I will actually learn clutter control and not be overwhelmed with cute little decorative suggestions on how to make my clutter bins more attractive.  At least at home I am pretty, creative, and unique chaotic clutterfied!

I love Vista Print!!!!

OK... I am loving some Vista Print!  A blog (can't find it because I wanted to give credit) gave me a super cute and fun idea!

OK, here are two cute things that I had to get for my classroom.  And guess what????  They were free!!!!  All I had to pay was shipping from Vista Print (very reasonable).  I love Vista Print.  You can get a ton of cute things like business cards, notepads, postcards, and stampers for free.

Here is the first free item

I am going to use the business card with the "SUPER PAW" for students who are on Paw all week as a cute little motivator. We are the Wildcats and we say stay on Paw(Green, A, what ever the best is...) I am going to start the PAW club in my room and take pics of those students who were on Paw the entire month, and have a little Super Paw Celebrity corner display.

My next Free Item!!!

For the Postcard with I LOVE CHARMS:   Those go to super star Covey leaders (We are a Covey Habits School). Kids earn charms for being leaders. I am going to make a big deal about getting the Over Sized Post Card!!!!  Those will be my Leader Club Kids!!!  Hopefully all my students will be in that club!  I am not sure how we will celebrate.  I think I will let the kids come up with the ideas for the Leader club.

I also got a free stamp that I put a star and Mrs. Walsky's Super Stars!!!

Fun...Fun...Fun

Using Proactive Words, Not Reactive Words

Our class needed some review on manners and being proactive.  I wanted to review "I am in charge of me."

I first read the book, Oops, Sorry by Richard Morgan (You could use any book on kindness, manners, or positive behavior.  It was great with our Bucket Filler Program Books too.) and talked about ways that students could be proactive or reactive.  

We then made a T-chart on words and phrases that were Proactive and Reactive.  Once we were done, we drew our portraits and filled in I am _____________ and I use Proactive words!

Next, we stapled plastic baggies onto the middle of the picture (like they were holding the bag).  I hung the pictures up so the students could reach their classmates pictures.  I also put a jar of bingo counters out (tokens) and talked about using proactive words with each other.  Any time a friend or classmate says or does something proactive, they add a token to that student's bag.  Those kids are loving it!!!  They are using such nice positive, proactive, and kind language!  

I did tell students that at then end of the week, the student with the most tokens would receive a special charm for their necklace (We give charms for actions and meeting goals, very cheap and great motivators).  They are super excited.

Look how adorable!

These seriously look like my students.  :)

Here is a picture of the T-chart

Click here for the download of the person

It doesn't look great on the computer, but it prints out just fine.

Click here for a download of the T-Chart

I printed it as a poster.  My Kodak printer let me choose 2X2, I taped it together and then laminated so I cold use it again and again.

Weekly Student Goals

So how many of you have to use Data Binders?  I have to say that is the one area I need improvement.  I spent all break organizing and making sheets for my binders. I decided that instead of keeping them on a shelf (and in my case, collecting more dust than I would like), I am keeping them in crates at my student's desks.  I am using them everyday (or I am saying that as of now). 

One section for my binders is called "Weekly Goals".  My students on Monday's set a weekly goal.  The goal could be stay on PAW(green, A, or whatever you call it:  We are Wildcats) all week.  It could be to use magic words such as please and thank you.  It could be to read 5 books during the week.  You get the gist.  The students write their goal and on Friday, they have a mini quick conference with me and show me their "DATA" to see if they met their goal.  I have done this for a nine week period and I LOVE IT!

Download the Weekly Goal sheet here by clicking on the image.

I change it up a little every so often.  Last month it was a bear with a soccer ball kicking a goal.

Would you guys like for me to post my items in my data notebooks?  I don't know if it is something others could use.  

I have I can statements for reading and math, Fluency graphs for our Friday timed readings, Goal setting sheets for monthly goals or long term goals, and a few other items.  I seriously am making the kids in charge of the process so they know where they are at all times and what their goals are.  It worked today.  It really worked like our CAFE of the Daily 5.  They could tell me where they were and their plan to make their goals.  Let me know if you guys would like this or use it.

Tomorrow I have the cutest little project to post.  I was going to do it today, but left my camera at school.  You have to see the finished product.  So cute.  It is all about using Proactive words rather than Reactive words.  You guys are going to love it for the start of the New Year!

Power Pellets!

I loved the idea of Power Pellets by WhatTheTeacherWants blog.  I decided to not only make me a set for my room, but for all of our Title 1 people too.  I know those students could use some brain food and attention to do that strategic intervention teaching all day!   Let me know if you want the labels.  I used Avery shipping labels for my tags.  

Here is my take on Power Pellets! 
I love PINK and POLKA DOTS!!!

Here are the labels

Label with what I did on back

Blank Label for back for your to use

I printed out on Avery  White Shipping Labels 18163:  Template 8163

I also got these mini plastic paint cans at Michael's yesterday for $.49 and used the template from WhatTheTeacherWants to make this one.

So cute!!!

Here is the polka dot template I added from WhatTheTeacherWants

PolkaDotPellets

I love them both!

My cool Book and Chart Shelf!!!!

After visiting the Daily 5 site, which is awesome, I was inspired to make a Big Book and Chart shelf.  I love it!  I made one, but it isn't as cool as the one my friend made me.  For all of us NOT handy people, I needed someone to make mine, but even better.  He can make anything for us teachers and at a great price!  Here is a picture of the coolest teacher tool ever!  I called him, told him what I was looking for and he made this from a sloppy picture and a whining teacher.  

I cannot live without this shelf!  It is great for the Big Book Center, holding charts and poems, and housing everything else!  I don't go a day without loving this thing!  If you want one, visit Pipes Woodworking and send Wes an email.  He will give you a quote, let you pick out your stain, and send it to you very quickly.  He can pretty much make anything our teaching hearts desire!  I have a whole list of stuff for him to build for me.  I love it, and I know it is made well, will last forever, and is a great price!

My New Classroom Mailbox!

To go with my jungle theme in my classroom, I wanted a new classroom mailbox for the kids to send stationary and letters to each other.  I looked everywhere and didn't want to spend a lot of money.  I found a metal mailbox at Lowes for $5.99 and spray painted it tan for another $1.99.  Next I went to Michaels and bought acrylic paint for $.59 a piece.  Finally, I spray painted the entire mailbox with clear spray paint, another $1.99.  I love the way it turned out!

I JUST FINISHED THIS TONIGHT!!!

MY KIDS ARE GOING TO LOVE OUR CHEETAH PRINT MAILBOX!

This is going to go perfect with my Poco and Pop Monthly stationary.  I love her stuff!  If you haven't checked out her stuff, you need to do it now!  My kids love to write letters, and can't wait to see the new postage stamp and monthly stationary.

This is the December stamp that I put up for Calendar Time.

This is an example of the Postcard for December

Here is an example of the fold-over note for October

My kids can't get enough of writing letters to each other!  They love Friday's when I deliver mail.  My new mailbox sure beats my old cereal box covered in Contact Paper.

Classroom Design and a Tree

This year I went from a Title 1 Reading Specialist back into the classroom.  I came into my classroom in October, so the kids had been with another teacher starting in July.  To top it off, we are moving to a brand NEW school in March!  I can't wait!

I love to have a classroom where I LOVE to spend time.  I figure I spend most of my time in the classroom, so why not make it a place that I love to be in.  I couldn't move into my classroom until the weekend before my student came back from our Fall break, so I had 2 days to make my classroom inviting and a place that I love, and get rid of the 12 filing cabinets, 7 tables, and 2 teacher desks.  Of course, I decided to do some crazy stuff.  I wanted a tree in my classroom and a jungle theme.  Here is the finished classroom!

My students love to read on bean bag chairs and partner read during the Daily 5.  The favorite thing in the room is our tree!

Here is my Cafe Board and small skill instruction area.  Our school is older, but is in fabulous shape.  I can't wait to decorate my new room in a brand NEW school.  I already have my thinking and creative caps on!

The computer center is used for listening to reading, math skills, and typing books.  I use hooks on the wall to store headphones so they never get tangled.  I also have hooks on the side of each computer to hold login cards for each student.

I love my SmartBoard, but I love our Self Portraits even more!  My students created their own portraits and we hung them in the front of the room.  They did a great job and they remind them that we are a School Family!