Regret

With great regret, I am no longer going to be a blogger. Thank you to my 6 followers. I hope that you found something useful and I helped you in some way. Thanks!

Attention Getters

I just got my newest attention getter and I am so thrilled! I got it for FREE through Highlights as a reward for sending home and getting back responses for a magazine. I am always getting these "junk" mailings through school. I send out the slips and get them back with a no response and a signature. Then, I get a free prize. It is so cool and I am always excited about Free stuff. It is called a No Yell Bell. You can check out a video here or here. It is 9 inches tall and has 7 different sounds/chimes to get attention. I am so excited to see how this is going to help our transitions in our classroom. You really need to check these out. It is from Educational Insights. It also has a volume adjustment button for outdoor or indoor.

These are a few of my favorite...Websites

At our school, we use DIBELS to monitor progress for Kindergarten reading skills. So we also found this fabulous website that has found other websites that practice/reinforce those skills tested by the DIBELS and they have them grouped by skill. So during computer time, each student knows which skills they need to practice on and where they need to go. Not all of the links work, but it is FREE!

DIBELS skills

Here is the main website that the DIBELs site comes from and there are many, many links for student friendly websites.

Student Friendly Sites

This website has some interesting games. Bees and Honey is a good game to teach some mouse skills to those that haven't had any computer experience. There is a good one for seasons called Sticks and the Seasons. There are more for color mixing and several other standards.

TVO Kids

I hope that you enjoy my to three sites.

Math Calendar Journal

Ok, so I have been blog stalking looking for Math ideas. I found LOTS of fantastic, cute ideas. However I need something functional for me. So I looked at some calendar journals and student record sheets and then created my own that goes with my calendar time. My students have a hard time following along so I put pictures on there so that I can say, "Put your finger on the airplane while I read the directions." Two days down and this is going perfect! Thanks to all of you beautiful women that gave me ideas.
http://eberhartsexplorers.blogspot.com/2011/09/calendar-math.html

http://lessonplandiva.blogspot.com/2011/09/secret-to-successful-calendar-giveaway.html


There are others too, however I can not find the names right now. When I find more names, I will give credit for sparking this idea with me.

Here is mine

Kindergarten Math Centers/Stations/Buckets/Tubs/Games/File Folders

Hello all, I am looking for ideas for Kindergarten Math Centers. This is something that I just can't get right. I was just wondering how everyone else does them.

What type of rotations do you do?
What type of organization (bucket etc.)?
How often do you change them out?
Do you only put in spiral review type things or do you use newer topics that you might be working on during the current week?
How long at each station?
How do you introduce them (monday-Talk about it, tue-thur stations, and Friday-Checking/grading etc)? What are your ideas for rotating?
Timers?
Visual cues?
Help?!?

I think that this would make a great Linky party, but I don't know how to do that. Please share your ideas and those of others (with permission)! I really need help.

Overloaded! [Warning-Negative Rant To Follow!]

Ok, so it has been a while and I am only stalking others. Here is why, I still have a large number in my classroom. I now have 17 students/warm bodies! For a regular teacher, imagine your largest number ever and then double it. Plus one of my paraeducators resigned last week. (I do have a sub for the week). The Uppers keep saying they are going to split my class soon. Well today I got that magic date. And it is.......<insert drumroll please>....September 19th!!!!!!!!!! Those are not happy excited exclamation points. Those are I am screaming and pulling out my hair exclamation points. My admin told me that by the end of last week and now we are talking two more weeks!!!

Plus I had one parent of a new, not so new, student call central office on me!

Then I had a parent request and IEP meeting and wouldn't talk about things that she would like to discuss!

Then our new nurse has no clue what protocol is for possible contagious diseases are and cannot take a temperature.

So when I had a very negative person today tell me that I was being very negative today! I thought, "What! Take your perfect class with your perfect students and shove it!" but what I really said was, "I know, this is a learning opportunity and I am not learning. I don't feel bigger than my job."

Now I am going to work on feeling bigger than my job.

So here I am on Tuesday night thinking...To Be or Not to Be? That is the question. Meaning, do I want to be doing small groups only to have to completely change in little over a week? Or do I just keep putting it off until I have a manageable number of students?

Some of my evals for the new TEAM model begins next week. I think I will do one week of small groups and then rearrange my schedule after the switch.

Now if I could just catch the dang mouse in my house!

Organizing

Anyone that knows me knows that I feel that I am not an organized person. I have a few things that are organized and they help my day run beautifully. I am getting better, and have found some fabulous ideas through blogging. I am looking for more organization ideas for anything school related. Can anyone help me out?

CMCSS Education Foundation Teacher Warehouse

Our school system (Clarksville-Montgomery County School System) has the best resource for teachers! 4 times a year teachers are allowed 30 points and they get to "spend" them in the store (run by the education foundation and volunteers) for things for their classrooms. If you bring your own bag, you get 2 extra points and if you volunteer to help out for a day, you get a free shopping trip! If you want to donate, they accept almost everything! Check them out and help out our schools! http://www.cmcss.net/educationfoundation/

Here is info that I copied and pasted from their site, when getting my next appointment time to go shop.

• Teachers Warehouse is open by appointment only. You may make an appointment online at www.cmcss.net/educationfoundation under the resources for teachers tab.

• Teachers must check in prior to shopping. A photo ID (i.e. driver's license or school ID) is required for check-in.

• All items obtained at the Teachers Warehouse are for school use only. By signing the pledge on the checkout sheet, you are agreeing to use all items in your classroom for the benefit of your students. Any teacher found to be in violation of this agreement will have his/her shopping privileges permanently revoked.

• All shoppers are limited to 30 points per shopping trip plus an additional 2 points for bringing own shopping bags. Please observe the limits set for all items. When taking products, take only what you need for your classroom.

• No shopping companions will be permitted to accompany a shopper in the store. Please note that our current store is small and can only accommodate our shoppers.

• Teachers may only shop 4 times per school year and may earn a 5th visit by volunteering at the store one time.

• Donations to the Warehouse are tax deductible for businesses and individuals and teachers may bring classroom items no longer using to donate for other teachers.

• The Store will be open on 1st and 4th Tuesdays 3:30-6:00 p.m. and 1st and 4th Saturdays 9:00-1:00p.m. From August- October (Fall) and January-March (Spring) unless otherwise listed.

If you miss an appointment without calling the no show will count as one of your teacher visits for the year. If you miss two consecutive appointments you will not have privileged to use the store for the remainder of the year. The store is ran completely through volunteers so we must be mindful of their time given to serve your needs.

Here are some of my finds from my trip this Saturday morning!!!!

I got 5-1/2 in binders, 2 books of stickers (792 stickers), CD case, Wipes, finger moistener, 4 accordion folders, 4 packets of labels, hole puncher, and 20 sheet protectors! and I didn't even use all of my points!!! I really needed the binders for my Bulldogs Binders because some of my students are unable to purchase them.

I also got...

...a wooden alphabet puzzle, wooden number puzzle, and 3-1/2 in binders off of the "FREE wall"!! I didn't have to use my points for these things! Just pick them up and go! The "FREE Wall" was my favorite!!!

This was such an awesome deal that I had to share on my blog in hope that a CMCSS teacher would happen across this post and be able to take advantage of this AMAZING resource!

Plus if you want to donate to the warehouse, they accept almost anything and by anything, I mean anything. Just contact them through their website www.cmcss.net/educationfoundation and see if you could help out our school district!

1st follower

Whooo Hooo! I have a follower! Thanks. I hope I can be helpful to you.

Whirlwind week

It has been a whirlwind week. I am exhausted and it is still overwhelmed. I lost a student and gained another. One didn't show up, but will be there next week. So I have 18 on my list. 18 students with special needs ranging from Autism, to DD, to PDD-NOS, to Language/Speech Impairments, to physical impairments. One of my paras is leaving on the 2nd and the other is looking for another job. So it will be a very interesting year.

I have changed some things around in my classroom, so I will post new pictures a little later and we have actually got things put on the walls now.

Teacher Wishlist

Check this out

Twas the Night Before School...

It has been a whirlwind couple of days. Training, collaboration, and the smell of new paper and pencils or better yet, warm lamination! I am so excited! Tonight was Open House and almost half of my students showed up with their families in tow. We got introduced and had a little bit of small talk. I was so excited and still am. I am ready for all 17 of my children to show up tomorrow morning so that we can begin learning together. There are still a few changes to be made in the classroom, but I will take final pictures before the students come in tomorrow. Maybe even post a few of my forms. So here's hoping for a good day tomorrow. And to all a goodnight. :)

Parent Contact Form

I created this form so that I would have a checklist style sheet with room to write an explanation. You are welcome to use it if you like. At the top, I write adult name with phone number under it. I copy this front and back so that I can save on paper. Sometimes I am unsure of who will answer which number, so I clarify with the parents/guardians and get the info off of the emergency card. This has helped me keep up with phone calls and messages. When a parent calls me and leaves a message, I note that on this paper as well.
1112 Contact Log for Student Files

My Room...Work in Progress!

Ok, so I went to school today for an inservice. While I was there, I stayed about an hour after and cleaned up enough to take some pics. Then I got a new desk and had to do some more rearranging. So I am going to post what I have and then I will post the others when I am finished.

This is my new treasure chest! I am sooo excited!! I am hoping that my students are as excited about this as I am.

Starting to the left of the door when you walk in and going clockwise. This is my math/calendar area. Math is red and all of the buckets have red lids etc.

This is my whole group reading area. We spend about an hour or so here.

This is my library. My students aren't allowed to get or put books on or off this shelf. They are organized by topic and the topics are in alphabet order. I change out the books on their bookshelf as we change topics.

This is my Science shelf (blue) and Puzzle shelf (white). The tree is made from a patio umbrella base and a golf umbrella stuffed in the top. My best friend gave it to me before she moved to Florida to teach 4th grade and I can't get rid of it. We hang student work from it. The kids love it. I also have green screens that go over the ceiling lights to calm the room that are green and passersby call our room "The Green Room" or "The Jungle Room".

This is my student's library shelf and my writing area. I put on curtains with velcro to cover up the activities and help with distraction. All of the buckets have yellow lids or are yellow. All the students can see the chart from their desk. Behind the shelves is the computer area.

Here is the computer area. I have to keep it out of sight because my students get distracted very easily.

This is my shelf for curriculum materials and the filing cabinets.

The tables/desk are for my paraeducators and the cabinets are the only permanent storage in the classroom.

This is my small group table with my popcorn words borrowed from Jessica at Under the Alphabet Tree. The magnetic letters on the board behind is a reward for students that complete their work.

This is my "desk" etc. I didn't want a full teachers desk, so I am using a small table until I can get a 2/3 teacher's desk. I have to do IEP's plus all the regular paperwork that a kindergarten teacher does and I have to have space.

I got another idea from Jessica @ Under the Alphabet Tree and I am going to keep important information in a "Teacher Binder" and student folders on my desk for work samples, tardy slips, etc. Then I took an idea from Mrs. Weaver in my building and I hot glued the large popsicle sticks inside the front of 17 manilla folders. So that I can easily see the students names and quickly sort the papers. This is the front view.

Back view.

This is the little gray box on the wooden cart where I have put all of my paperclips, rings, clips, pushpins, etc. It is so nice! Got it for free off of the "Free table" at our school!

This is the inside of the drawer of the wooden cart. I am going to try to keep it this organized all year long. We will see how far that will go. 

This is my reading shelf that has our independent work activities on it. I put on curtains with velcro to cover up the activities and help with distraction. Reading is green. On top of the shelf is our drying rack and what will be where the students turn in their "BULLDOGS Binder" each day. It is close to my desk so that I can check them easily and sort out papers immediately.

This is our "cubbies" and the treasure chest is up out of reach and the trays are where we sort the students' papers to send home. There to the left is our listening center and to the right is the housekeeping area.

Needs more work, but the dress-up stuff and doll house are there too.

Well those are all of the pictures that I have. So until another day. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Introduction to my life

This is the last weekend before I have to go back to work. We don't start school with students until the August 5th. We have open house the night before so I really have to have my classroom ready on the 4th. I am a special education teacher for students that are kindergarten and first grade ages. My class is called DD for Developmental Delay. This is my 4th year teaching this class. I typically have students for about two years. Sometimes I have students that are able to get back into the regular education classroom with a few modifications. In the past, I have never had more than 10 students and about 2-5 of them were able to go with a regular kindergarten class to lunch, specials, and maybe unit time. This year my grand total so far is 16 students! I was also told yesterday that we need to have an ATeam meeting about another student. So 17 it is! I do have two paraeducators that are invaluable help, but 17 is above and beyond the scope of my classroom. Plus out of the original 16, 7 of those have an Autism diagnosis. And one student with multiple handicaps. This is going to be an interest year to say the least. I teach kindergarten standards etc with more focus on behavior and smaller group settings. I have been pulling ideas from wherever I can. I have changed several new things for the coming year. I will talk about those later and I will show you where I borrowed things from. 
I am trying to get things ready for school and still spend time with my hubby and my two sons. One is 9 going on 16 and the other is 4 going on 10. They are really busy kids and sometimes too much for me to handle. My hubby is in the Army and currently he is in country, but his job keeps him from about 0500 to 1900 (that is 5:00 am to 7:00 pm). So it is up to me to take care of the house and kids. Plus we (and by that, I mean I) decided to recover his boat seats.
So I am hoping that I can be as helpful to you as others have been to me with ideas. I hope that you enjoy my blog. I will begin posting pictures as soon as I take some.

New and addicted!

I am new to blogging. I am a teacher and begin looking at another teacher's wiki and found her blog. From there it has spread like wildfire! I am obsessed. I keep finding more and more blogs about things that I like or feel that will help me. I am so ADHD that i keep hopping from one to the next. I write down ideas of what I could use and have found some fantastic ideas! I got so excited that I decided that I just had to have one. Hopefully I will eventually be as helpful to some of you as you have been to me.