Organizing TpT Purchases

OMGosh!  I have to do better about keeping up with this blog.  My summer goal is to post once a week.  We'll see if I can do it.

I've cut back on blog design work so I can actually have a life during the summer and spend more time with family and friends.  I'll post more about my inspiration behind that decision later.

I've been on vacation for two weeks now and we've had rain and thunderstorms every day except one or two.  I actually love thunderstorms and listening to it rain!  Plus, I've read four books!  FOUR!!

However, my planters are still empty and my yard is in serious need of some work.  But isn't summer all about "I can do it tomorrow!"??

I've also caught up on some blog stalking.  Whew!  Those were some late nights let me tell you!

Somewhere, I don't recall where, I saw this awesome idea of creating secret Pinterest boards to organize your TpT or TN purchases.  Brilliant I say!!

Can't tell you how many times I've tried to find a specific item to download at home or school and can't....without scrolling through way.too.many purchases to mention!  :)

So this week, I set out to organize my stuff on secret boards.

HERE IS HOW TO DO IT:

1.  Open your Pinterest account and scroll way down to the end of your boards until you see this and click on "Create a secret board":

2.  Set up boards for every category you want.  (You can see some of mine above.)

3.  Next go to your TpT or TN account and open your purchases.

4.  Open each separate purchase and pin it to the appropriate secret board you created.

***Important***
Do NOT create a new board while in the pin it part of Pinterest (like in the image below) because it won't be created as a "secret" board...although you probably can change that later.

Now your pins will take you right to the product you purchased!

Absolutely brilliant!

If you know the amazing blogger who figured this out please let me know...I'd like to send her flowers or at least a virtual hug!

UPDATE:  This is where I may have seen this - Pawsitively Teaching's Made It Monday/Tried It Tuesday - so I'm sending a virtual hug & flowers to Pawsitively right now!!

It is so simple and easy...just time consuming if you have a purchase list like I do!  Give it a try today or soon...I promise you won't regret it!

More Labels

I had a request for my labels from yesterday's post with ladybugs.

If I didn't have a bee theme I think it would be ladybugs.  They are so darn cute and can't help but make people happy.  Kind of happier than bees . . . which often want to sting people and make my kiddos run and scream and freak out when they fly into the classroom.  Yes, no screens on the windows.  Those cost money people!

Side note here:
Our building is phasing in new windows.  Nice windows that are better at holding the heat in (from our aging boiler).  The kind that you don't have to scrape with a scrapper on the inside to have your calendar person check the weather.  The kind that don't let the wind through to blow the shades around.  And the kind that slide open instead of push out.

Best of all, the kind that have screens!

But, and this is a BIG but, the roller shades are being taken down and tossed out, which they probably deserve to be (yick!) and they are not replacing them with anything!

Now, I love me some natural sunlight but some of my kiddos get flat out hot with the sun shining in on them.  Not to mention that it makes it hard to see anything on the Elmo projector or Promethean board.  And heaven forbid we watch an educational video.

Last fall they were installed (during school) on the kindergarten side of the building.  Picture those littles watching the men working on the scaffolding instead of the teacher.  The drilling.  The hammering.  The chaos.  This kindergarten group was a challenge as it was . . . so you can imagine the teachers.  It wasn't pretty is all I'm saying.

This summer (supposedly BEFORE school starts they are doing the first grade side of the building.  And next summer they'll do the second grade side of the building.

So in a few years I won't hear the screams of "There's a BEE!" at the pitch of a jet taking off.

So here's the ladybug labels.  I made two because I couldn't decide which bug I liked better.

Enjoy!

Curtain Number One - Soft Subdued Ladybug

Curtain Number Two - Dark Red Ladybug

Currently & Some Answers

I am linking up, a little late, with Farley's Oh' Boy 4th Grade Currently party.

I have had a really hard time picking my one little word (OLW) this year.  I had a word last year that just came to me, but this year I think I worked too hard to find the perfect word.  I also know I didn't pray about it enough.  So that is why I was late getting to this.

Thinking about my OLW reminded me that I have a set of Virtue cards from The Virtue Project that I use for personal reflection at home.  These cards are wonderful.  Each day I try to remember to pick a card to read and reflect on.  I pick a card randomly knowing that God will give me the card I most need that day.  However, I've been bad about remembering to use these lately.

On their website homepage, you can click on "Do a Virtues Pick" and it will randomly pick a card for you to read.

This is what the card for Moderation says.

I definitely need to use moderation in work since I can let it consume all aspects of my life.  I need to use moderation in my personal life (especially with my computer) so that I spend the most time on what is most important to me...my family.  I need to remember moderation when I eat and exercise.  I need to remember to pray and to play more.

They also have these cards for children on the Education page, including a random pick as well.  These cards are great discussion starters and vocabulary builders.  There are no religious references for those of you in public schools. 

I've had numerous questions about the crate seats.  Let's see if I can answer them.  These seats were not my original idea.  I only wish!

I did have to lower the table, but it works fine for my second graders.  The kids love sitting on the crates and will drag them all over the room.  I'm going to make more for next year to put at my little extra group of three desks and probably my computers.  The storage they provide is wonderful!  They might be a little low for third graders, however my 12 and 14 year old daughters still like to sit on them when they are in my room after school and they are both taller than I am.

To make the crate seats buy sturdy crates in the color of your choice.  The crates with holes are sturdier.

Buy a heavy-duty fabric (about half a yard per seat) in a darker color than I chose so they don't get dirty or grungy easily.  (Some of mine have pencil and marker marks on them already.  Arg!)

Cut 1/4" thick  plywood to fit the top of each crate.  (Each crate will be slightly different, so measure accordingly.  Because you will be covering with batting and fabric, a tight fit isn't necessary or desired.)  No sanding is necessary since it will be covered.

Attach a 2" piece of foam to each piece of wood with spray adhesive.  Then wrap each with a piece of batting and fabric.  Use a staple gun to attach batting and fabric on the underside.  Attach a coordinating ribbon from side to side with staples to make it easier to lift the lid to get to storage.

Not having a teacher desk for one week has been life changing.  I do not have spots or space now for stacking piles so I have to decide pretty quickly what to do with things.  If I take something out to use, I put it away when I am done with it.  If something comes into my mailbox and then my room, I either put it where it should go or get rid of it.  I am being forced to stay organized and it's a GREAT thing.

I am not wasting time walking back and forth between multiple work zones.  I hate to say this and jinx myself, but I've actually gotten out of work earlier this past week!  And this week I was also working on report cards.

Hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend!

Organizing

How many of you have a massive drawer or container of stickers?

If you are a primary teacher you probably do.

I wanted to share one of my organization tips with you.

Like most of you I love containers, containers, and more containers.  A number of years ago I picked up this little expanding file from Big Lots that has about fourteen or fifteen sections in it.  Didn't know what I was going to use it for but I liked it so that was all that mattered, right!?

Inside of this handy, dandy thing-a-ma-jig I now have all my stickers.  Yes, you heard that correctly, ALL!

I cut file folders down to a size that would fit in each section and added a sticker to the front with the name of a month.  I got the stickers I used at the Dollar Tree in their scrap booking section.

Then, I sorted all the stickers into folders.  If they went with  a specific month they went into that file.  If they could be used for anytime they went into an "anytime" folder.  If they were subject specific they went into a "spelling" or "science" folder.  If it was a sheet of stickers that was too large to fit in the folder, I just cut it in half or fourths, or whatever so it fit.

Now, each month I pull that month's sticker folder and keep it in a spot where I can use it easily while correcting papers.

No more digging through a messy drawer or container searching for the dang snowman stickers for what seems like forever.

In addition to the drawer of stickers, I've tried using baggies for sorting my stickers in the past, but this is my favorite and by far most successful and easy solution.

I keep this on a shelf behind my new small group/desk area.

Also on this shelf I have my two Sterilite Clearview 3 drawer storage units that I keep my daily teaching materials in.

I have one drawer labeled for each day of the week and the extra drawer is sub only materials.

My kiddos know where to go to grab a set of papers or book, etc. for me if I need it.  I literally can say, "So and so, go grab today's math papers and bring them to me."  I also can pull the day's drawer out and take it with me anywhere in the room.

Every sub that I've had has made positive comments about the drawer system.

I've used hanging file folders in the past and the papers slipped and bent.  Didn't like that!

I've not had any problems getting everything to fit in the drawers, but I don't do a ton of paperwork.  However, you can get drawers that are wider or deeper.  Mine are slightly larger than 8 1/2" X 11" paper size.

The only thing I don't put in the drawers are art projects, big books, or manipulatives.

If you give either of these ideas a try, I'd love to know what you think.

Adios!

I spent more than a few hours at school this weekend, but the desk is officially gone!  Woot!  Woot!

And, after one day of school, I think I'm lovin' it!

Classroom measurements:  28 feet by 29 feet.  Small!

I had more junk piled and stashed in and under that thing than humanly possible.  Part of the problem was the cabinets and counter tops behind my desk where I just piled, and piled, and piled and then piled some more.  Then I had two extra student desks pushed in front of my desk with more junk on them.

Here is an embarrassing "before" picture.  Yikes!

I removed all the piles and everything from the counter tops and started from scratch.  On one counter I put word work materials and on the other I put the globe, a little plastic drawer of magnetic math manipulatives that we use on the magnetic easel, and a box that holds the books I've read aloud to the class.

These photos just go around my room in a large circle.

"After"...

New improved, and larger gathering area.

It still looks busy, but trust me it is organized!  I have the easel and rocking chair in front of part of the cabinet but they aren't cabinets I get in a lot.  And this way no one can "hide" behind it.  (You know those kids!)  I also cleaned out part of one of the cabinets to make room for some of my "before" mess.  I have more cleaning to do in them because I am not utilizing all the space to its best potential.

Now here is my small group table and new desk/headquarters.

And a close up.

I put my computer on a rolling cart.

This is a little reading area.  (Math wall is hanging above.)

Math wall (pocket charts) that hangs on a clothes line in front of the windows.

One part of the classroom library.  The three desks are a small work area.  You'll notice those desks are holding/storing items.

This is the rest of the class library.  Chapter books and magazines.  Boggle & language arts focus wall is on the white board above.  The top shelf holds class lotion, tissue, tape dispensers, staplers, and three hole punch.  The two file holders on the left side of the top shelf are Work on Writing & more Word Work items for Daily 5.  To the right is my portable (on loan) Promethean board.

This is my math manipulative area on the other side of the Promethean board.  Behind the tubs are my two computers and the book shelf is all my books that I use for teaching various concepts. Those book shelves as you may recall from an early post were what were referred to as "the closet".  Floor sweeper that the kids adore using!!  Seriously, one of my kiddos actually saved up his money and bought his own!  Isn't that hilarious?

Computers.  Writer's Eyes bulletin board (that I love and have for sale in my TN shop.)  Stages of the writing process.  Bulletin board storage container and a basket of books on the floor that I need to put in the book closet in the hallway.  The two pencil sharpeners are mounted on the door frame.

Filing cabinets on the other side of the door, tarantula, bathroom sign out desk, and back to the gathering area.

And floating in the middle of this little oasis are the student desks arranged in groups.

I give the kids a lot of freedom to move around and work where they are comfortable so kids can be found laying on the floor, sitting in the rocking chair, on the floor using lap desks, in the reading area, lounging on a pillow pet or standing at the counter.

I have a lot more to do, but got a ton accomplished and the room ready to be used again today.  Which believe me, I wasn't sure was going to happen yesterday afternoon!

I brought my desk home to make a craft area in our sunroom.  Woo hoo!  Donated a few items to other classrooms, threw away a few bags of stuff, recycled a boatload of paper, and hauled a small truck load to the local rescue mission.

All in all, I feel like it went great and will only get better.

Not only that, the kids loved it too!

Please share the dimensions of your room so that I can feel a little jealous (if your room is larger) or a little joy (if your room is tinier).

Thanks for touring my room.  (And putting up with my senseless worry about getting rid of the desk!)