The BIG List

Don't you hate when you see a great idea and don't pin it right away?

I do!

Somewhere out there in cyberland I saw this neat idea of making a list (The BIG List) to figure out all the things that you want to get done, achieve etc.

Not so much a goal list but a working "To Do..." list of sorts. Wish I could figure out which blog it was on. Aaargh!!!! Anywho, the person who did it then had a second place where she wrote in weekly goals (based on the BIG list) to get some of these things done. 

And...since I always have projects that are either on the go or that I want to do...I figured, why not?

Clearly, creating a pinterest board for my list of "to do's" hasn't worked out very well! And, seeing as how I really like making lists, I thought I'd give it a try. 

So, this is the list so far....I keep adding more to it as I think of things and have already crossed off one item! Go me!!!!

The BIG list is a work in progress that will (hopefully!) help me get all the odd jobs done at both our house and my mother's house in the coming year.

It also includes things that aren't really "to do" but are more lifestyle choices. Like exercising regularly and drinking more water. 

So far, I haven't added much in the way of work items. If I did that, the list would be WAY, WAY, WAY too big!!!! Maybe I should make another one called "The Never Ending Work List"!!!!!

Are you a list maker? I love to make them...just rarely manage to follow through with them!!!! Still there is something highly satisfying about crossing items off of a list, isn't there?

So, now I can cross of the "write post about BIG list" on my list!!!!!

Cheers!

Ms. Hughes

Teachin' and Blog Hoppin'

Day 3 of the Linky Party over at Blog Hoppin'. Today is all about organizing for teaching. That is a REALLY big topic!!!! I'm going to stick to one aspect of it: keeping student data organized.

I would love to be able to show loads of photos but, as I mentioned yesterday, I haven't been able to get into my classroom much. I've only actually had one day in the space and that was spent putting furniture in place.

Luckily for me, there are other teachers out there in Pinterestland that use the same organization techniques that I do! So, I thought I would just describe a few things that I do to make keeping data organized in my teaching life easier and, where possible, show you a picture from someone else who does the same thing.

So, here goes!!!!! 

1. Labels - I love labels! Last year with the move to the new school and all the chaos going on I really didn't make use of this organizational tool. Basically, what I try to do is keep track of observations etc on labels which I can then just stick into my binder where I keep all the students data. Sort of like this (but without the really pretty clipboard!):



from Spotted in First Grade

2. Scrapbooks - I keep a scrapbook for every student. I get them through my school. They are ordered from Grand & Toy. I keep monthly writing samples, copies of their report cards, goal setting conference forms, awards, drawings, photos, graphs to show progress, etc. I pull these out every time I meet with parents. I like them because they are a useful tool for data collection and make a nice keepsake at the end of the year.

 

 

3. Student Data Binder - this is pretty basic and I use the same one from year to year. Since so much of their info is kept in the scrapbooks, all I really keep in here are the actual test results (that I put on the graphs in their scrapbooks) and my labels with observations written on them. Also, any communication with parents is noted in this binder. I sewed the cover to my binder so that it looks different from a regular binder. This helps me not to lose it when it gets piled under a bunch of papers!!!!

 

Those are probably the top 3 things I do to help me stay organized and on top of student data. I am hoping that I can go a bit more digital this school year so these organization methods may shift a little bit!

 

There are, of course, tons of other things I do to stay organized! I could go on and on and on...you get the idea! I may do another post once I've had a chance to actually set up my classroom so that you can see what I am talking about.

 

Until then, hop on over to Blog Hoppin' to check out all the other great organization ideas in their linky party!

 

 

Ms. Hughes

Sometimes the smallest change can make a HUGE difference.

Since the start of the year the class has been going through pencils at an astonishing rate. They had a basket to pick up pencils if they couldn't find theirs and another basket to put broken pencils but both were inevitably empty each day at 3pm.

Just where do all those pencils go? Honestly, if I didn't know better, I would think that they were secretly eating them or something! Or perhaps they were running off to live with the socks that disappear in my laundry each week?

After sharpening and putting out the very last of our pencil supply FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR, I decided that something had to be done.

I saw an idea on pinterest (where else?) and decided to give it a go.

And, so, the Pencil Hospital was born!

Check it out.

The idea is that sharp pencils are in the top drawer and "hurt" (or unsharpened pencils) go in the bottom hospital drawer.

Some of the students decided to sort the pencils and use the top part of the unit as well. So, now the Pencil Hospital looks like this:

 

And, lo and behold,I took this photo on Friday afternoon after fixing up all those "hurt" pencils and the spaces are filled with pencils.  Yippee!!!

 

We have now decided that the buckets that hold extra scissors and glue are going to be "hotels" and the supplies need to be there each afternoon so that they can get a good rest in their "hotel rooms."

 

It is such a small, silly thing to rename the baskets with "hospital" or "hotel" but it seems to spark something in the students' imaginations and suddenly they buy in to the idea of putting things away. Will wonders never cease?

 

Ms. Hughes



 

Check this out!!!!

So, today I spent 45 minutes creating a schedule on the white board in our new teaching office.

I am so, so, so happy with it!

You know that I do love me some colour coordination!

I am not sure which made me happier. The new white board markers or the fact that I bought colours that coordinate with the different studio floors. Woohoo!!!

Now we can all quickly know who is where when (i.e. gym, music, library etc) plus who is teaching in which studio when.

Pure.

Bliss.

In fact, I was having so much fun making this, while the class was in the library, that I totally forgot to write the note home about Halloween.

Oops!!!

So, if you are checking this today AND you are in our community, please note that students are allowed to wear costumes to school tomorrow (the usual no masks/no weapons schtick). We will be doing a small (community only) parade of our costumes at the start of the day and parents are welcome to hang out for that part. The rest of the day will be spent doing Halloween stations with each of the teachers in our community. We will  not be having a food party at all but will be watching a Magic School Bus video  (Going Batty - which seemed like a good choice given that bats are a Halloween type thing AND all the teachers will probably have gone batty by that point in the day!!!) as a whole community to end our day.

Cross your fingers for a no rain day tomorrow.

Ms. Hughes

Pinterest Wish List

One of my biggest failings (or perhaps it is a blessing in disguise, I really don't know) is that I have a gazillion ideas that will not get done in a day, a week, a month or even a year. Probably not in a lifetime! This is evidenced by my pinterest board which at last count had 50 boards and 6,464 pins!!!!

I have a ton of home ideas and an equal (or higher) number of school pins. I tend to get more of the school ideas accomplished since I spend most of my waking hours there but I haven't given up hope of accomplishing some of the decorating ideas for home!

That said, with the move to the new school and Halloween fast approaching and I have pulled a few pins that I really, really, really want to get done. Some are about organizing the new space and some are lessons I'd like to do in the coming weeks. Fingers crossed that I manage to do them!

from dandee-designs

 

Aren't these great? Simple to do and will let me colour coordinate. Oh, I do love me some colour coordination!!!!


from deliciously organized

Having my office area looking something like this - although I know that I do not have anywhere near this amount of shelving. I still want to create an organized, calm working space for myself.





from Rowdy in First Grade

I really like the visual for this lesson on adjectives. I will definitely be making time to do this lesson in the next week. And them maybe a poem can come out of it?

 



from Saylorslog

 

This lesson is just truly awesome. It is a lesson on differentiation. A lesson that is meant to show students that teachers do not give students what they might perceive as "fair" (the same for all) but what they need (meeting the needs of the individual). The teacher has each student imagine a pretend "owee" and then proceeds to put a band aid on the same spot on each student regardless of where they say their pretend owee is. The lesson is about giving everyone the same thing (putting the band aids on the same spots regardless) versus giving each student what they NEED (putting the band aid on the spot that is "hurt"). It is a great visual lesson and I think it will really bring home the reasons why not all students have the same work, same expectations etc. I'll be doing this one!

 

from kindergarten lifestyle

 

I want to do this to my rollie cart. Now that we don't have teacher desks in our rooms, I have created a rolling desk in a cart like this. Doesn't it look cheerful all dolled up? This one is on my do soon list!

 

 

 

from etsy.com

 

This is the first art lesson I want to do in the DaVinci studio. I am so thrilled to have a real, honest to goodness art room. You may not know this but art is my favourite, favourite, favourite subject. Expect to see a lot of art integrated into my lessons now that I have an art studio at my fingertips!!!!

 

another Halloween idea from here

 

How cute are these!!!! I think that with all the wonderfully unique personalities in our class that these will be a sight to behold! Love them!

 



Christmas countdown from here

 

Love this idea! Used it last year, too. It was a fun lesson to teach and a great way for the kids to countdown to the big day!

 

from a teacher's treasure

 

I like the idea of this. Put it in the front of their Daily 5 notebook and add reading strategies as we learn them. 

 



 from peace love learning

 

I really like this. It promotes independence in the children, puts a stop to the "When's lunch, Ms. Hughes?" and teaches math skills. What's more is there to say?

 

 

This anchor chart from here

I started talking about schema the other day. I love this anchor chart. We will definitely be having something like this hanging up in our new space.

So, that is the current pinterest wish list. Doable, you think?