A Bunch of New Stuff :)

So I've been busy meeting my new teammate (umm... beyond words excited!) and living the life of 20 something enjoying some summer time. I haven't forgotten about everyone though, I'm still trying to catch up on stuff from the past few months and create new things. It's hard to do some stuff, because I'm not home often and a good majority of my clip art and things are on my other laptop/network. I'm 99% sure I'm going to keep everything basic and bright this upcoming year, think black backgrounds with super bright colored posters and things. That doesn't mean I've forgotten about all of my polka dot and zebra lovers though! As I make everything, I've been making sets for me, as well as a polka dot and zebra set for EVERYTHING!! :) So here's a whole posting of things that I've been making. I still have millions of more things, plus so many ideas for posts to help give ya'll ideas to organize and do things a different way! 

First some recent things I've posted in my Teacher's Notebook Store:

 {2012-2013 bright calendar}

                                      {2012-2013 dot calendar}    {2012-2013 zebra calendar}

                                   {bright cursive letters}                       {zebra cursive letters}

{polka dot cursive letters}

{bright attendance}  {polka dot attendance}  {zebra attendance}

{bright behavior chart}  {polka dot behavior chart}  {zebra behavior chart}

{bright calendar}  {polka dot calendar}  {zebra calendar}

{bright character traits}  {polka dot character traits}  {zebra character traits}

{bright calendar}  {polka dot calendar}  {zebra calendar}

{bright connections}  {polka dot connections}  {zebra connections}

Here's some freebies:

         {polka dot lesson plan cover}       {zebra lesson plan cover}         {bright lesson plan cover}

                      {zebra poster}                         {bright poster}                      {polka dot poster}

                                   {zebra supply labels}                             {polka dot labels}

 {bright supply labels}

Pretty much anything I post I'll try to post in these styles. I'm trying to go back and add a chevron theme as well but I haven't gotten to it yet. I still am always willing to customize things if I have time, but please send me a message asking first. I hope some of this helps :) 

So much to do...

I just spent about an hour organizing my e-mail and my Teacher's Notebook Store. If for some reason you've been waiting to hear back from me about something please send me another e-mail. Not having e-mail this weekend totally threw me... so did gaining so many followers so quite. I'm a little overwhelmed by that too! It didn't help that my Comcast went out today {again} for like 4 hours (insert insanely crazed and angry blonde here). Like really, can't you just get it straight? Since when does the heat make my cable go out everyday at 4pm? Ugh! But yet, it stays on while the world's loudest thunder is occurring right now outside the window. Geeze. Gimme a break peeps! Anyway, I'm finishing up 1 bigger project that I spent some time doing today, plus I finished a few other things. I haven't been creating as many new things because I'm working on a few bigger things, plus I've gotten a lot of requests lately, and I'm sure I will after today. 

These items will be posted in my store very shortly:

{Punctuation Posters Set}

[available in zebra, but customizable]

{Lesson Plan Book - Seriously HUGE for me!}

[available in zebra, polka dot, chocolate dots, and customizable]

{i PICK poster}

[available in zebra, polka dot, chocolate dots, and customizable]

I got some e-mails today from people who are doing a Dots on Chocolate theme. I'm not going to repost everything I've ever done, but if you want something specific e-mail me. Depending on how long it takes, I may post it in my Teacher's Notebook. Otherwise I'll post it in Google Docs. I did get a message on my last post from Ms. Valerie. She said she is doing this theme, but everyone was sold out of this stuff. If any of you live near Chicago come raid my stuff LOL, I have tons from last year. Anyway, Valerie said she started school tomorrow and had NO name tags! My heart broke :( so I made these... I hope she gets them in time, and I hope they help someone else out there!!

 {Chocolate Dot Name Tags on Google Docs}

Speaking of Google Docs, before I forget again... I've gotten a few e-mails here and there from people saying, this document or that document looks funny on Google Docs (example a: the "In Our Class" poster has a messed up/scrunched up line). Here's a little secret, if you download them and save them to your computer I promise it won't look like that anymore. I'm not sure why it does that sometimes, but I highly recommend NOT printing straight from Google Docs. Download the document first, open it up, check it, and then print it!! Alright everyone, give me a bit to post everything on Teacher's Notebook, and then you can check them out. In the mean time if you're looking for something e-mail me specifically what you're looking for and I'll do my best to help you out! As for tomorrow... I MUST at least start cutting some of those 200 laminated sheets. Wah. Night everyone!!

 

I could get used to this...

I haven't much moved from the couch today. I saw someone post something on ProTeacher about getting the motivation to get up from the computer. I have an excuse though... I have no way to leave today, because my car is at the car place getting his checkup. So there, take that. I have successfully made it through the morning, busy creating away from the help of this guy blasting from Napster:

{love him}

It actually all started because the kept advertising his special on CMT, which then forced me to venture to the closet to take out my boots which haven't been worn in far too long. So anyway I'm midway through his 3rd CD and I'm taking a break to get emotional while I watch my Cubbies lose [yet] again. Wah.

So here's what I've created, most of them based off request, some based off need to be redone to match my room. I'm still looking for new ideas to create stuff, but I think I'll take a break, and I dunno... take a shower? do some laundry? put away dishes? Probably not :)

 {Round Word Wall Alphabet Cards - Zebra}
{Round Word Wall Zebra Cards - Polka Dot}

{Cowboy Themed Math Games}
{Previously Posted Zebra Themed Math Games}

{Calendar Days of the Week}
{Previously Posted Calendar Days}
{Previously Posted Calendar Months}

{Give Me Five Posters}
Zebra, Dots, Cowboy Themed All Included

{Good Readers Posters}
Zebra, Dots, Cowboy Themed All Included

 {Writing Process Posters - Zebra}
{Writing Process Posters - Polka Dot}
{Writing Process Posters - Primary Colors Polka Dot}

Alright, time to eat my words already. My Cubbies took the lead... let's just hope it can last through 3 more innings. I think I'm getting the itch to take the Cricut out... let's see what comes from this :)

Games, Games, & More Games...

Can I puh-lease just give a shout out to Jill at Maervelous Multiagers because she knew my W sign was the Cubbies win sign?! I may be slightly obsessed with baseball... and sports in general ❤

Okay so after spending the rest of the day with my brother, who I mentioned earlier, all I have to say is bless all of your hearts that have children. I'm still in my mid-20's so I'm not at that point yet. I have my own baby.. he's 25 pounds, and white with black spots. Oh, he has a wet nose, long tail, and big, floppy ears as well!! I love my 30 kiddos I spend the day with, but I love giving them back at 3:30 and having my peace.

{ohh... heeeey there bloggy friends!}

Anyway, I've been busy turning and twisting through ideas in my little head for miscellaneous things that could be useful around the classroom. Is anyone looking for something specific? I've really been concentrating on making some games that are more 3rd grade specific. I know I've posted some of them, but I'll post all the ones I've made in the past week. All of them are posted on

My Teacher's Notebook:

So here are some of the things I've made. I wish I had my new 3rd grade resources so I could figure out what else I should make. Anyway, once the new computer is all ordered and delivered I'll make some more games that are more primary too!!

{mixing contraction with the words that make them up}
*umm... hello?! this one's free!!!*

 {matching root words with their 're' or 'un' prefixes}

 {go fish style antonym matching game}

{concentration style homophone matching game}

{concentration style synonym matching game}

{war style card game determining if there's a prefix or suffix}

{matching the scoop with the cone to make a compound word}

*another freebie!!!*

So that takes care of that!! Now some of you may have seen these:

But... well... I'm not so sure I love them. So I made these as well. I'm sure I'll probably make 15 more versions before school starts, but for now I'm using these for my word wall.

Word Wall Letter Cards

I also use a binder that I call my Reflection Journal. It has a cover and is full of pages where students draw and write about the unacceptable choices they have made. They usually do this if they move to the 2 bottom colors of the clip chart. It helps them realize why the decision(s) they made weren't the best ones. I usually only have the parents sign them in really bad situations. I also make copies before I send them home and to make sure there is one in the student's file. I remade mine to match my zebra room, I also made 2 polka dot versions, and because I know quite a few of you are doing a cowboy theme... I made one for all of you. Here are a few versions:

Zebra RJ

Dots RJ

Red Dots RJ

Cowboy RJ

6 Traits Writing Posters

We use the series Good Habits, Great Readers. In 1st grade the writing program was very... I dunno, dry? Not really dry, but it stretched things out WAY too long for firsties! I'm excited to see what 3rd grade's consists of, or maybe I'm dreading it? No really, I'm keep an open mind! Anyway I still think the 6 Traits are a key of writing so here are my posters... I spiced them up a bit from what they used to look like. I have a polka dot version and a zebra version. I started to do a primary colors one, but everything wouldn't edit well, so I didn't continue... Sorry all my primary color friends!! I also posted polka dot library labels in the post below that talked about how I sorted my library.

6 Trait Posters

6 Trait - Dots

Communication Journal, Notes, Etc.

I feel like I've been neglecting my poor Bloggy... I've just been busy creating!! 

Inside of my STRIPE Books I will be putting a communication journal. Basically I fold my cover in half so it makes the front of back of the book, then I copy lots of the lined paper, cut it, and staple it inside. I always have the kids keep these in their 'Bring Back' side and if Mom/Dad write in it, they turn it into the homework bin or in this year's case, homework drawer. It's easy and a great way to keep commincation.

I also provide parents with a set of 'Change in Transportation' notes for easy use. Nothing makes me crazier than parents who call at 3:30 when we're dismissing to change their kids dismissal or when I walk the kids to where they need to go and they're calling me over the walkie-talkies to tell me there's a parent somewhere else. These make it easy, peasy pie!!

I had a few people ask me for a few things in primary colors with dots, so I'm also posting them. I'll have another post later after I eat a yummy dinner here shortly with a few new things I've made. I have to put a few finishing touches on them before I post them.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway sillies!!!

Zebra Communication Journal

Zebra Transportation Notes

Polka Dot Transportation

Polka Dot Communication Journal

Primary Colors Polka Dot Schedule Cards

Polka Dot Primary Colors Job Spot

More Requests (Primary Colors & Dots)

Primary Passes

Primary D5 Signs

Primary Balloons

Primary Owl DOT Binder

Primary Circles

A Few Things By Request...

By Request from You Lovely Ladies :)

Dot Brain Bubbles

Blue and Pink Brain Bubbles

The rest of these are things I have posted, but some of you may be doing Primary Colors. If you are and if you want to use these I also highly recommend the Poppin Patterns collection from Creative Teaching Press. These will match very well with it. If anyone else has requests, let me know. I can't promise I can change it, but I'll try my best that's for sure!!

Primary CAFE Posters

Primary Attendance & Name Tags

Primary Genre Posters

Primary Calendar Days

Primary Months

Birthday Balloons

So before I proceed to post this, let me add my *disclaimer*

I had the most difficult time ever trying to find a balloon template I could/wanted to use. So much so that I really had to play with my graphics program, and I didn't even erase/edit enough to get the balloon outline all by itself. Now with that being said, I printed a page of these, laminated them, and then cut the balloons out around the inside edge and everything worked out perfectly and you could even see the hazy edges. If it's too much for you I understand. I was desperate to make this work for me though and I thought I'd share anyway.

Birthday Balloons


I should probably tell those of you who have no idea what these are for about the wonderful idea on Proteacher. Rachelle over at What the Teacher Wants! made these originally. I have to give all credit to her for finding and sharing the idea! So I will do something similar to this with my balloons.

Find the post here: http://whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com/2010/11/student-birthdays.html.

Binder Storage

So I used to use mailboxes for my little firsties. My wonderful and amazing  Aunt bought me 2 huge, awesome sets for me. I love them, but they just never seemed to work for me. The kiddos would take their paper's out and there would be a trail going from the boxes to their desk. The worst was when they'd leave important papers in there because they got stuck. It drove me crazy. Then I started using binders instead of take home folders and things got even more complicated. There was nowhere for them to store their binders.

So fast forward to 2 weeks into the school year last year. I decided I was not dealing with another year of that madness. For some reason I decided to store the binders up and down inside of 2 Steralite, plastic crates (1 boys, 1 girls). My problem was that I didn't want to put them in order every morning and I didn't want my TA to have to either, so I needed the kids to put them in order. Having firsties do that most days is impossible. There's always someone that doesn't put it in the right area, or ends up somewhere else. This was where, what I think is my best idea ever, came from (lol, maybe not the best ever, but still I'm proud!).

I have 3 Steralite, plastic crates:

 In each crate, I put 10 folders, labeled with numbers:

My kiddos have secret agent numbers, and this way I don't have to re-number than the following year. In the morning the kids come in, turn in homework, and put their binder in their folder with the correct number. They put them open side down, so the spine is facing up (I have their numbers on the spine). I even got them facing them all the same way so the numbers were always on the left. The kids always knew which color crate their number was in, and where their folder would be.

When it was time to get their mail at the end of the day, my helpers would just pass out the folders (that contained the binders, mail, worksheets, homework, projects, etc.). The kids would put their papers in their binders then I would call quiet tables to get packed up. On their way to get their backpacks they would place their folder in number order back into the crate. (Hey, BONUS!! They're practicing number order, woo!! Go me!!) It eliminated the whole papers falling all over thing, and it makes it so easy to breeze through the bins real quick to make sure all the numbers are there and no one forgot their binder (a HUGE no, no!!).

I made signs that go on the front just to help the kiddos remember which bin their binder goes into. I hope someone finds this post makes their life a little easier. If I didn't explain it, or you still don't understand, please let me know!! I would take a picture, but I don't have mine here. This is the best I can do for you :-P

Enjoy!!

STRIPE Binder Signs

DOT Binder Signs