The Together Teacher - Chapter 5

First...I am soooo sorry for taking so long to get back to my book talk! Shame on me! I have been very caught up in back-to-school preparations and crafty projects that my mind has drifted from this awesome book!
Without further ado....

• Chapter 5 - A Week's Worth of Readiness...How to Look Ahead

In this chapter, Maia goes through the steps of creating a Weekly or Daily Worksheet.  She begins by making a connection that I bet we can all relate to: the totebag that comes home Friday evening and sits in one place until sometime Sunday when we go in to panic mode! It sure rings true to me! I have such good intentions. But life tends to get in the way and my tote full of "good intentions" sits patiently in the corner until I can put it off no more! This chapter's worksheet helps us schedule our time and is more of an hour to hour schedule of our day. This list needs to be portable and constantly reviewed. It is not a to-do list but rather a schedule of your time.
The weekly or daily worksheet should allow you to do:

1. Capture incoming to-do's and thoughts...
2. Do the work that needs to be done...
3. Look ahead and review what still needs to be done...
4. Plan how you will spend your upcoming time...

Maia gives several very cool examples of worksheets on her accompanying CD...I will try my hand at showing you in PDF form one of her examples...   o.k.  so I can't figure out how to attach ANYTHING but a picture to my blog! I tried....give me brownie points for trying please :P  If anyone out there would care to teach me how to add PDFs or Word Document to my blog...I would follow you forever!!! LOL Seriously...I could use some help from one of you awesome blogging buddies!


Basically you need to make sure you cover: Priorities, Deadlines, Upcoming to-dos, Phone calls/e-mails, personal duties, copies to make, and next week. (These are only a few examples).

You can check Maia's website for more examples:  The Together Teacher

 

My "Prize" Box :)

O.k....I have been secretly working on a project for some time now! A couple of my besties are aware...but no more than that. This project has been top-secret for one major reason:  I am dipping my toe into the crafty pool! I do not normally consider myself very crafty, but I have been testing my oh-so-new skills. I absolutely LOVE crafty things. One of my biggest inspirations has been my friend and colleague, Kerri, from Ms. Kerri's and her Krazy Klass. She is VERY crafty. She has motivated me to at least try.  I decided to try my hand at making a new "prize box" for my classroom. I love to give out prizes! I have tried all kinds of containers and was not satisfied. Kerri pointed me in the direction of a plastic treasure chest-type bin in the home decor section of Wal-Mart.  They had 2 colors: blue and red.  I decided on the blue (not really sure why because I was going to cover it totally anyway!) This is what it looked like when I bought it:

I began this project with the thought of turning this box into a true treasure chest. I went immediately to the local craft store and the scrapbook superstore to look for paper and do-dads to make my new blue box into a gorgeous treasure chest. Well....that didn't happen! I couldn't find anything! Plan B...I began looking around and decided to go another route. I found some stickers, paper, and paint to turn my box into a steam chest that had the look of one that had been well-traveled. Here are a few things I picked up for it:

After covering the chest with brown tissue paper (which actually really worked out well...ended up really adding to the leather look)...and covering it with about a gallon (not really) of Mod Podge...I was able to paint the nobby things to look like brass buttons and the straps to look like leather carry straps. I added the state and country stickers and another coat of Mod Podge.  I am pleased with the way it turned out! I would love to hear what you think of it! Remember....I am a newbie crafter...Be nice :)

My New Prize Box

"Preparing for School" Linky Party

Join me at 6th Grade All-Stars for this GREAT linky!

1. Post about this linky party on your blog
2. Follow my blog (5th Grade Tomfoolery)
3. Answer the following 5 questions (include documents if you have them):

- What grade do you teach?

- What is the greatest advice you received during your 1st year of teaching?

- Do you have a checklist that you follow when preparing your classroom (include the checklist)?

- What are some must haves in your classroom that you cannot live without (ex. items, books, posters, management strategies)?

- What is something that all teachers should have in their classroom?

Don't forget to add your link and put your answers in a comment!! :)

MY ANSWERS:

1. I teach 5th grade (this is my 3rd year, before that I taught 6th, 7th, and 8th - Literature)
2. I didn't receive too much advice....kinda felt like a fish out of water! That is one reason I love blogging sooooo much! It is such a sharing/caring opportunity!
3. I do have a checklist I follow....I add to it every year as I see things I can improve for the next. I will add it as soon as I convert it to PDF....check back with me later!
4. Must-haves....lots of extra supplies....soooo many kids come unprepared! I have had them show up with no pencil! What are they expecting???? Jumping Jacks all day????  Also, lots of coffee and anxiety meds! Most of all....a sense of humor and love in your heart! You may be the only hug they get!!!
5. The feeling that their classroom is a safe and secure environment! Make it so that they feel like they can be open, honest, and free to make mistakes and learn from them!

I can't wait to read everyone else's (more intelligent) answers :)

"To-Do" Linky :)

This should be an ongoing linky! LOL Thanks to Mrs. B's Best for hosting this! I ALWAYS have a to-do list going and most times there's more school "to-do"s on it than anything else! I will make this brief, though. I have tried to work on a bit at a time...minus the fact between blogging and Pinterest I am over-extended :)  ...I have already begun more than I can possibly complete before school begins! I have gotten quite crafty this summer and I'm in over my head! LOL  O.K....

Here's my top 10:

1. Finish "Mod Podging" my new treasure box project (Check back with me because it is almost finished and I can't wait for feedback on it!!!)
2. Organize my "Back-to-School" first week activities! What a mess! I have some new things to spice it up a bit this year! :)
3. Get my hands on 3 more beanbags so that I have a class set!
4. Weed-eat at my mom's house for her...it is starting to look like a Honduran Jungle over there!!
5. Work on Promethean lessons....something I have been putting off for some time now!
6. Continue to organize my computer files...a bit worse looking than my mom's yard!!
7. Have lunch with friends before the craziness starts back!
8. Read up on successful grouping...sorry for the language but...I suck/stink at it! I hate doing it and feel like a failure when I try. I need to observe someone who does it well!
9. Read something for pleasure...preferably a J.D. Robb novel...(I'm secretly in love with Roarke...please don't tell my hubby! LOL)
10. Go swimming....as many times as I can!

O.K....I could have easily kept going...but you get the idea! I can't wait to read everyone else's list!

Guilty Pleasures Linky

The Resource Room Teacher

I am pleased to join this linky! We all have guilty pleasures....here are a few of mine:

• Iced Coffee...addiction doesn't even begin to cover it!   
• The ID Channel....I'm pretty sure my husband is on his best behavior because I am quite capable of forensic trickery! LOL (Stay away from the red carpet fibers! They will do you in every time!!! LOL)

• Samoas...I could eat my weight in them! Darn those Girl Scouts!!!! :)

O.K....that's probably enough!! LOL Now I'm hungry and thirsty! Link up and join us!!!

Leibster Award!

Just a quick post to say "Thank You" to Inside the Book Blog for the new award! It means more than you know! I want to nominate awesome blogs as well!

(feel free to choose the button above or the pretty pink one on the right...thanks to Tamara at Teaching with TLC!!)

Nominees:

Mrs. Trefz's 5th Grade Blog

Mrs. White's 5th Grade Class

Teaching with TLC

Will Grade for Coffee

Coder's Talk  (super site for the "tech nerd" in you)

Check out these AWESOME Blogs!! Congrats, guys!

OK ladies, it's your turn!  Here are the rules:

1. Link back to the person who gave it to you.

2. Post the award to your blog.

3. Give the award to at least 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers.

4. Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know that they have been offered this award.

East TN Meet-Up!

Hello again! I just ran across this meet-up ad for those of us close to Johnson City, TN and had to help advertise it! I cant wait to see everyone there!

Please contact Heather Shelton at higgystyx@yahoo.com if you are interested in coming!  Also...check out her Kindergarten blog:  Mrs. Shelton's Kindergarten!