Trick or Treat Blog Hop 2015

I'm so glad you have joined us!  A huge thanks to Rachel at The Classroom Game Nook for hosting this blog hop. It has been a work in progress for months and is fantastic!

I love staying organized!  What teacher doesn't?  I thought I would share the way I keep my planning organized as well as some digital organizational tricks. 

At school, I keep my materials sorted and stored by units that we teach. I put files in the cabinet and have started keeping other pieces - laminated things or things too big for file cabinet - in copy boxes labeled by month. Another teammate spent the money and purchased the plastic containers for each month. To me, the copy boxes are an easy way to save money and recycle!

Once I have pulled my copies for the week, I store them in these black stacking trays by weeks.  Sometimes, I'm copying things to use 2-3 weeks out to try to stay a little bit ahead of the game. Then I can use these ideas to write my lesson plans. 

When it's time for the week,  I take the huge stack and sort them in these yellow bins by day of the week. Each afternoon, I know where to find everything for the next day. Also, it I have to be out for some reason, my teammates know where to find my materials - all ready to go. 

Here's a sample of my lesson plan for this year. I always make a template to match my weekly schedule and fill in everything I want to be consistent from week to week. This takes out a lot of time in the future since I don't have to write lunch, specials, centers, etc. Find your free editable copy  {HERE} in Google Slides. 

Each year I go back and forth about typing all my plans on the computer or writing the ever hanging plans with pencil. This year, I bound my pages at school and am choosing to write my plans each week. So far, it has been fine and helps me stay organized. I like it - and hey, the plans are for me right? :)

Here's my whole "desk" area

And here's how I stay organize for reading groups. You can read more about that {HERE}. 

Well, thanks for sticking with me this far!  I hope some of my tricks can help you be organized too! Keep reading for a freebie and giveaway!!!

I do have a fun graphing freebie for you. It contains 2 different themed - 1 for Halloween and 1 for Fall -print and go pages the kids can do independently.  I also included a dice graphing game that could be added to your Math Work Stations or center time. I tried them out in my room and the kiddos love it!

Get your freebie {HERE}

If you like this freebie, you'll probably love my new Fall Stations Pack. It includes literacy and math stations as well as a few print and go activities. I hope you'll check it out in my TpT store!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your next stop is Natalie over at It's Elementary!  Happy Hopping!!

December On/Off Game - {Flash Givewaway}

Hello!  I wanted to let you know that I have uploaded my newest product.  It is my newest on/off game with a December/winter theme.  Since some kids don't celebrate Christmas and other schools don't allow holiday themes, I was sure to include a "winter" playing board, I can chart and recording paper.  If you  purchased my November On/Off game, this would be a great extension!  Practicing addition is always a pro with our little ones!!

Here is the preview:

The pack includes black and white game boards or color game boards.  It includes a page for directions, 2 different I can charts and 2 different recording pages.  Enter the Rafflecopter below to win this product!  There will be 3 lucky winners!!

While you are at my store, be sure to pick up your holiday freebie from me!  I made this stamping center to use with my kiddos the next three weeks!  I hope you enjoy it! My store is already on 20% off if you wanted to purchase early.  Otherwise, you can wait til Monday and Tuesday to get the additional 10% off with the code: CYBER!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Happy Shopping!!

A Peek at my Week {11-4} Nursery Rhymes Part 2

I'm here to link up with Deedee and Mrs. Laffin's Laughings for a Peek at this Week!   This week we only have 4 days.  Tuesday is our Parent/Teacher Conference day so the kids do not come to school.  You can click on my plans to open the PDF in Google Docs.  I'm really going to try to blog at the end of the week with pictures to show the fun we had.  My kids are making puppets for each nursery rhyme and I'm going to teach them how to use the puppet theater with them.  They are so excited!  

For the most part, my math stations are staying the same.  We are going to begin practicing addition with the game On/Off.  This is a very easy game.  I'll get a picture for you for next week.  But you simply give the kids an 8.5x11 sheet with a picture on it (ie a pumpkin or an apple or a turkey).  They hold 5 beans in their hand (or whatever number you'd like them to work on) and "roll" the beans on the page.  They count how many beans landed on the picture and how many landed off.  They record their answer to see multiple ways to make the number 5.   ****UPDATE - I have made my November On/Off Pack.******   It is only $1.00.  BUT......you can get a copy of the recording page from the preview PDF.  Just go {HERE} and click on the preview to get your freebie.  Try it out.  If you like it, come back and get the pack that includes the directions of how I use it, an I can chart and 4 different pictures (the same as the 4 on the front cover) in black and white and color so you could save on your printer ink!
Here's what it looks like: 

Ok, so hop over and check out these great linky parties to see what others are doing this week.  

Stamping Letters - Quick {Freebie}

Here is a little freebie for you.  I used this today with my students and was able to see which kids knew their letters and which ones still needed help.  Most of them did a great job on it.  A few struggled to find the lowercase letter or even know what it looked like.

I hope you enjoy.  I'd love to hear how you use it!

Tried it Tuesday - Exciting!

Oh my gosh! I can't believe I am actually linking up for Tried It Tuesday!

The idea of a Juice Box Robot came from a silly email my husband got about the 80s or something but when I researched it on Pinterest...oh my!  {HERE} is the search I did on Pinterest!  Too much to pick from so I just decided to go with applesauce, juicebox, mini raisin boxes and laffy taffys.   I wanted to get apple juice boxes but they came in a pack of 8 and Hi-C was a pack of 10 and cost about the same or a little less.  They still need some googly eyes and a spoon strapped on the back.  I have one size eyes, but hubby said he liked the example that had 2 different sized eyes, so I have to hit the craft store! 

Here is my robot army!! :)

 (sorry for the glare!  That's the first bit of sunlight we have seen in 48 hours due to rain and dark clouds!)

This is an up close look!   Since my husband and I are both teachers, I get to make double the crafts!!  I made 50 of these suckers (27 for hubby and 23 for me).  That's a lot! But my precious 2 year old helped line up the raisins and stack the applesauce.  It was a fun bonding experience on the second rainy day in a row.  I needed something different to entertain her!  
I made these welcome cards to attach as well. I haven't passed them by hubby yet, but pretty sure I'll use the purple ones for my robots!! :)

Click here for your free copy from my TpT store!!
Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to head over to Fourth Grade Flipper and link up for Tried it Tuesday or just to check out other's ideas!!