tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28342403673576681202024-02-07T01:24:55.757-05:00Shafer's ShenanigansShafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.comBlogger183125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-46194576784422934552020-01-20T12:41:00.002-05:002020-01-20T12:41:51.372-05:00The "Wonder"ful Gift of Reading<br />
This past Friday was one of my favorite days EVER. We launched "The Wonderful Gift of Reading"(think "One School, One Book") at one of the schools where I coach, and I couldn't have asked for a better response from both staff and students. I'm so excited to share with you what we did!<br />
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A few months ago, our school's reading specialist approached me about helping with "One School, One Book." The school has participated in the program the past few years, but I hadn't been involved with it. Real talk: I love the idea behind "One School, One Book," but I have never been a huge fan of the book selection the program offers. I may have even remarked at one point that if I had to read one more book about a hamster or a mouse, I'd lose my mind. When my colleague asked me to help with the program this year, I immediately started researching books that didn't feature animals as main characters <i>and</i> that had a universal theme to which both children and adults could connect. When I stumbled on <i>Wonder</i>, I had an epic "OF COURSE!!!" moment. </div>
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<i>Wonder</i> was an ideal choice for several reasons:</div>
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1.) The book's message is amazing. Plain and simple. It teaches us about the importance of kindness and acceptance. It reminds us to never judge others by appearances. And it encourages us to be brave and to stand up for ourselves because bullying is <i>never</i> acceptable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEzp3c2E4E9CgZC6eaSc8nCT2GLVYDJ1GGFdOx-lVYdnZizqiNZDtRS84_FWY9PH0jNSCjMr2WPk8q00ngGz7OszFv18Jpyesm8T9eifB5poOGPuRHpFGCrP_VKgUuaZTH66L40nLif4G/s1600/8e43277d39528afd10daedf8dd93a037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEzp3c2E4E9CgZC6eaSc8nCT2GLVYDJ1GGFdOx-lVYdnZizqiNZDtRS84_FWY9PH0jNSCjMr2WPk8q00ngGz7OszFv18Jpyesm8T9eifB5poOGPuRHpFGCrP_VKgUuaZTH66L40nLif4G/s320/8e43277d39528afd10daedf8dd93a037.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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2.) Finding a book that can be read by students in grades PreK-5 is nearly impossible. Thankfully, R.J. Palacio has not only written an incredible novel, but she has also written and illustrated a beautiful picture book that conveys the same message of acceptance. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiltMOIx7nQ9d8kvF-lXQc-ksyfQVGNg0rKGCqX1b20V5j0ra8WeWQO5NKgkmrAl7yE_hmLB_4WE0u9Dl0e8Un6Yb1Mn0pXr78445TCv_DVqjC0OrmFmSGIUi1MewH4i-n52wFU8O-wr6/s1600/51amBb9HNqL._SX375_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="377" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiltMOIx7nQ9d8kvF-lXQc-ksyfQVGNg0rKGCqX1b20V5j0ra8WeWQO5NKgkmrAl7yE_hmLB_4WE0u9Dl0e8Un6Yb1Mn0pXr78445TCv_DVqjC0OrmFmSGIUi1MewH4i-n52wFU8O-wr6/s320/51amBb9HNqL._SX375_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
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For obvious reasons, we couldn't call our school-wide reading program "One School, One Book." So, once we decided on <i>Wonder</i>, we came up with the name "The 'Wonder'ful Gift of Reading." </div>
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Our goal was to purchase a book for each family in our school in order to create a shared reading experience for the entire school community. </div>
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Once we had agreed on <i>Wonder</i>, we had to figure out <i>how </i>we were going to be able to afford to buy a book for each family in our school. Thankfully, my administrator had set some money aside for the "One School, One Book" program, so we were able to use that money to purchase books. I scoured websites and catalogs to find the least expensive prices for each book, but unfortunately, <i>Wonder</i> is only available in hardcover. I was, however, able to find the picture book in paperback, and we were able to purchase both books from Amazon. </div>
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I created a parent letter to send home to parents several weeks before sending the books home with students.</div>
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14IUjCPkoQWzEV2yjOICQck55cDLFKi-a/copy#slide=id.p1"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="369" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdvJ2M5xAVOSk5UHaHtZiP-jO-NmJfnAWB2GiGEdmqP6qWaC2rHZHUm8hNVvxWcxtL_jZwIzLZdDAG3e0kcr5XQc9_Cn7DCADFWhDg53Ku99s0eFkY2v4vR4KAXZ3YmmV4FsdXd2Mr0pG/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-01-13+at+1.07.02+PM.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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Click on the link above to grab a {FREE} editable version of the letter.</div>
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While on Winter Break, I created seven clues for students to unwrap once we returned. The clues were simply well known quotes from the book that I printed, laminated, and wrapped with blue and black snow-themed wrapping paper (I had a serious color scheme happening...everything had to be in shades of aqua blue, white, and black). </div>
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Our reading specialist and I appeared together on the morning announcements the Friday we returned from break to explain what the program was, why we were doing it, and what students could expect in the coming days. After that, one clue was unwrapped each day on the morning announcements until the day of the big reveal (more details on that in a minute), and as each clue was unwrapped, I added it to a hallway display. Students were encouraged to guess what the book might be, based on the clues.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumwRes8Z2l6IJ1j7yMS3gOkJrNw9maMKMNXHvvizkL0y_g6v1B_Is0sPB3DJLT-upzeN1fduY7LImEmXwppJg3QPeTobMPG69KTaYp53Iux_83GeHufsAQ5vtNXt7_5bKtXb08BQT8Paz/s1600/IMG_9211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjumwRes8Z2l6IJ1j7yMS3gOkJrNw9maMKMNXHvvizkL0y_g6v1B_Is0sPB3DJLT-upzeN1fduY7LImEmXwppJg3QPeTobMPG69KTaYp53Iux_83GeHufsAQ5vtNXt7_5bKtXb08BQT8Paz/s320/IMG_9211.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the hallway display <i>after</i> the launch {notice the books at the bottom and the pictures of the characters from the book}. </div>
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The goal was to build up as much excitement and anticipation as we could, prior to revealing the book. So again, over Winter Break, I worked on creating an iMovie that I intended to play at a school-wide assembly. I interviewed teachers and other people in the building who had already read the book, and I also gave the students a few more clues. You can check it out below!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dD9UI2m4B0Q/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dD9UI2m4B0Q?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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At the final hour, I realized that the iMovie wouldn't be nearly enough (even though I felt like I had spent half of my life working on it!), so I created a <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=14JoudmGAOWb67ENDynCPy9JOUyF2lr6V">PowerPoint </a>in which to embed the video. </div>
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On the morning of the reveal, the person who was supposed to help me get our video and audio set up wasn't able to be there, so after a brief panic (I had the entire school coming to the auditorium in an hour, so the pressure was on!), I was able to track down a few techies who could help me, thankfully.</div>
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When the students arrived in the auditorium, they saw the slide below:</div>
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My colleague and I took the stage and explained the program again.</div>
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Then, the moment to reveal the book arrived! Before the assembly, we had taped two small laminated paper gifts to the underside of two seats. Toward the end of the assembly and after playing the video, we asked students to check their seats for a laminated gift. The two students who found the gifts came onstage to unwrap the books.</div>
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When they held up the books, everyone cheered. Life. Made.</div>
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The big reveal!</div>
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Once the assembly was over, our reading specialist and I went room to room, delivering books. I felt like Santa Claus! Inside each book, I tucked a brochure for parents.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2dtOo55Vq9cwJoOa6-qab4y07QSGgE9PmXz5PMWW5huM96gxSSqbGiAXuCZL26liREmCNGJcBIKtCXqVNUlD6dALk9hGfkeumV0EtJSfjvzlQVCkPqzQ4PoF7bHng2b43xdfV2nppdly/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-01-13+at+2.33.37+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="639" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2dtOo55Vq9cwJoOa6-qab4y07QSGgE9PmXz5PMWW5huM96gxSSqbGiAXuCZL26liREmCNGJcBIKtCXqVNUlD6dALk9hGfkeumV0EtJSfjvzlQVCkPqzQ4PoF7bHng2b43xdfV2nppdly/s320/Screen+Shot+2020-01-13+at+2.33.37+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRJLpLgRy4eMHLQYUQVExs07U3U1WKqMsrMmt36ZYmaKEZtIj0rLi56cLrmfRBDe-ZnQvJy2ySFNoCLr658O3lABy6keRsDIJ9J_AjzAWltffWL6rwIVEk2QSYZ9wjZdNLYEvPkdKXVTJ/s1600/Blank+800+x+100.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="800" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRJLpLgRy4eMHLQYUQVExs07U3U1WKqMsrMmt36ZYmaKEZtIj0rLi56cLrmfRBDe-ZnQvJy2ySFNoCLr658O3lABy6keRsDIJ9J_AjzAWltffWL6rwIVEk2QSYZ9wjZdNLYEvPkdKXVTJ/s320/Blank+800+x+100.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, now that the book has been revealed, what happens next? Directly after the reveal, I put the Educator's Guide for both <i><a href="https://wonderthebook.com/assets/downloadables/Wonder_EG_2014_WEB_2.pdf">Wonder</a></i> and <i><a href="https://wonderthebook.com/assets/downloadables/WereAllWonders_ClassKit_EduGd_WEB.pdf">We're All Wonders</a></i> in teachers' mailboxes, and I encouraged teachers to take pictures of any activities that they did with their students. I also asked teachers to invite me in to co-teach a lesson with them, using the book. </div>
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Students will be reading the book both in school and at home until mid-March. Our PTO will then be sponsoring a Family Movie Night, during which families are invited to watch the movie "Wonder" (they've even decided to turn it into a small fundraising effort by selling snacks that evening!).</div>
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Honestly, I could not have asked for a better response to the program, and I'm <i>so</i> glad that we decided to do it. Walking into my colleague's classroom after the launch and seeing her reading <i>We're All Wonders</i> to her PreK kiddos was simply the best.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyM9LoN-f2jUcWeizYkLQdLlYWRSYleZpYQ6-uVOZypiKcuGg2GlalRMfhky5maY1U0L3Vs9KyYBNJAvi2IvgC86Eu1sIDkNuIToXmlRanuTwObli8Za89Pcr9d_VGqyYAXuUfcapBi9aK/s1600/IMG_9209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyM9LoN-f2jUcWeizYkLQdLlYWRSYleZpYQ6-uVOZypiKcuGg2GlalRMfhky5maY1U0L3Vs9KyYBNJAvi2IvgC86Eu1sIDkNuIToXmlRanuTwObli8Za89Pcr9d_VGqyYAXuUfcapBi9aK/s320/IMG_9209.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Quality read aloud opportunities = happy literacy coach.</div>
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I'd love to hear what you think about this program! Let me know in the comments!</div>
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Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-69467561960128933992019-08-03T14:06:00.001-04:002019-08-20T16:05:20.100-04:00How I Organize My Classroom LibraryLong time, no blog! I've been (kind of) active over on the old '<a href="https://www.instagram.com/shafersshenanigans/">Gram</a> (my preteen kids give me <i>the</i> hardest time when I abbreviate words like that, which is why I try to do it as much as possible), but I haven't given much attention to the blog. I thought I'd drop by to talk about how I like to organize classroom libraries.<br />
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Obviously, now that I am a literacy coach, I don't get to set up my own classroom library anymore. But, as a coach, I've had the opportunity to help several teachers organize and maintain their classroom libraries. It typically takes a day or so to get everything sorted, labeled, and stored, but once it's finished, students are able to search for and borrow books that are of interest to them. And really, isn't that the whole goal?<br />
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<u>Disclaimer:</u> There are <i>tons</i> of different ways to organize your classroom library. There's no wrong or right way. It's really up the individual teacher. Some teachers arrange theirs by Accelerated Reading reading level, some by Fountas and Pinnell reading level, and others by genre or theme.<br />
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I am, however, a <i>huge</i> believer in allowing students to choose books that are of interest to them. According to <a href="https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2012/04/21/top-5-reasons-to-let-kids-choose-their-own-books-2/">Mindi Wench</a>, when we allow students to select their own books:<br />
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1. They will take risks.<br />
2. They will read more.<br />
3. They become better writers.<br />
4. They enjoy reading.<br />
5. They become empowered.<br />
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For the reasons listed above, I have always organized my classroom library by theme/series/popular authors.<br />
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Step 1:</h3>
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The first thing I do when I organize a classroom library is to take alllllll of the teacher's books out of whatever storage they are currently in. Yes, this gives me hives. There are books absolutely everywhere, spread out all over the floor. Slowly but surely, I start putting them into piles by theme. This can be a little tricky, obviously, because some books can fit into several piles. I just try to make an executive decision and put the books where I think that they best belong. </div>
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Step 2:</h3>
Once I have all of the books sorted and organized by theme, I make a (really hasty and usually sloppy) list of all of the different categories that the books are divided into. Then, I use this list to create typed dividers and labels for my library.<br />
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Step 3:</h3>
I really keep it simple when it comes to dividers, labels, and storage bins for classroom library books.<br />
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<u>Dividers:</u> I create dividers with laminated Astrobrights card stock, and I use my trusty paper cutter to cut them into thirds.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Cjg0Cq4uHyUuJ_Boz9K6AHlzpvd5fvhgjdoWI1rO9AT6SR62ESR8YpG1PGgrCljH92ktwIxriiiCMPKB6uhkWoMxWCIlYO7Rg0UJvRf6OJRJqRlDGT3kQqICsJoZSU7ISZtbI6I8uVxV/s1600/47681002_1581785618590322_1588939472030924800_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="960" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Cjg0Cq4uHyUuJ_Boz9K6AHlzpvd5fvhgjdoWI1rO9AT6SR62ESR8YpG1PGgrCljH92ktwIxriiiCMPKB6uhkWoMxWCIlYO7Rg0UJvRf6OJRJqRlDGT3kQqICsJoZSU7ISZtbI6I8uVxV/s320/47681002_1581785618590322_1588939472030924800_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u>Labels:</u> I use <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Printers-Permanent-Adhesive-18167/dp/B00004Z5C5/ref=sr_1_4?crid=15YSNZ8FZH9ZG&keywords=avery+8167+return+address+labels+white&qid=1564852991&s=gateway&sprefix=avery+8167%2Caps%2C1592&sr=8-4">Avery 8167 labels </a>to label all the books. I just put the label in the top left corner of each book.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgJSX8yvivoqW2cvVXRIhQG15SfTjFt4XWHj7sCg9HUdIiiOEblkts6VOc3vIrLgXGjYRhQT5WvCMcJrx_F5ZqYael6mXF-pE_otxsQhz1ezhQE9U5l4WmuMjIW5QoKpW621IAIfno9xb/s1600/48123042_1581785561923661_1956578119833878528_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="960" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgJSX8yvivoqW2cvVXRIhQG15SfTjFt4XWHj7sCg9HUdIiiOEblkts6VOc3vIrLgXGjYRhQT5WvCMcJrx_F5ZqYael6mXF-pE_otxsQhz1ezhQE9U5l4WmuMjIW5QoKpW621IAIfno9xb/s320/48123042_1581785561923661_1956578119833878528_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u>Baskets:</u> I am admittedly really cheap when it comes to purchasing baskets for my own classroom library. Usually, I bought the $1.00 <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-12-Qt-11-4-L-Dishpan-White-Case-of-12/44785993">white Sterilite dishpans</a> from Walmart. Several teachers I worked with this year, however, bought colored baskets from Dollar Tree. Use whatever works best for you and your budget.</div>
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Step 4:</h3>
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Now comes the fun part: putting all of the labels books into the baskets. I put the divider first, followed by the books that fit in that section.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0iQjDkKtK7EOwIynwPwmAdf0o8vXQO2pLPMgJrsBbldeEjLT93K5u1_jZwV4habPQwXsaftn3gc03Up897PqJHDF-tj4SQp4IqNUzT50BWmiSbcpQVJEpvGV5AMUhk06A3k20AuZ1GHN/s1600/48361579_1581785488590335_6552748173767475200_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="960" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0iQjDkKtK7EOwIynwPwmAdf0o8vXQO2pLPMgJrsBbldeEjLT93K5u1_jZwV4habPQwXsaftn3gc03Up897PqJHDF-tj4SQp4IqNUzT50BWmiSbcpQVJEpvGV5AMUhk06A3k20AuZ1GHN/s320/48361579_1581785488590335_6552748173767475200_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Step 5:</h3>
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The last thing that I do is create shelf markers for the students to use to select books from the classroom library. Again, I use laminated Astrobrights card stock, labeled with the students' names or numbers. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepKLxW3FHANZYjnDNSSr80I7Ot9dE4YxhWQ2pXnQe_stZ5rz35pz7GfgwfrGwSNdUN2WtRsalcXJc8RTUDkzkQZ3JMsRbXRUuSOPCQgUR4SL8-i1CToQ6P-2MADbXt6LlrvNzKomcRNVL/s1600/31317757_1310618762373677_8461735499302601151_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepKLxW3FHANZYjnDNSSr80I7Ot9dE4YxhWQ2pXnQe_stZ5rz35pz7GfgwfrGwSNdUN2WtRsalcXJc8RTUDkzkQZ3JMsRbXRUuSOPCQgUR4SL8-i1CToQ6P-2MADbXt6LlrvNzKomcRNVL/s320/31317757_1310618762373677_8461735499302601151_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture is from my own classroom library. The dividers were lime green, and the shelf markers were bright yellow.</td></tr>
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Click on the picture below to download the dividers that I use (it is PowerPoint, so it is fully editable).</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1Im5D3r2SuwDOkTNnsHaTsYTKVriv-53j/copy"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="293" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZqUmuXeF46502zLjY1x3xHfM57BOJ8bb7JlfmFKslXY039ftLokHVYt_IUXv8xplSYUES8NTDOp9VO1kNSucLSdjDKZcMV3ko0EbZfVpXFF2VnVko7Q6Fpxqyia-3xJoGVCruO1_WMioD/s320/Screen+Shot+2019-08-03+at+1.50.33+PM.png" width="239" /></a></div>
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I just use the <i>Tools</i> > <i>Labels</i> feature in Microsoft Word to create book labels. As I mentioned above, I like to use <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Printers-Permanent-Adhesive-18167/dp/B00004Z5C5/ref=sr_1_4?crid=15YSNZ8FZH9ZG&keywords=avery+8167+return+address+labels+white&qid=1564852991&s=gateway&sprefix=avery+8167%2Caps%2C1592&sr=8-4">Avery 8167 labels</a>.</div>
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That's it! Hope this helps as you get ready to organize your own classroom library for the 2019-2020 school year!</div>
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Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-61900737140291741182019-02-10T12:14:00.003-05:002019-02-10T12:52:22.432-05:00Wild Ride!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">If you have been following me on </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/shafersshenanigans/" style="text-align: left;">Instagram</a><span style="text-align: left;"> these past few months, you already know that I have been on one wild ride lately! I thought I'd hop on the old blog and fill you in on what has been going on!</span></div>
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In early June, I learned that I had been granted a voluntary transfer to a different school in my district. While I was sad to be leaving the school family that I had been a part of for eight years, I was thrilled to be reunited with one of the best (and most down-to-earth) administrators that I've ever worked with. Plus, I was looking forward to teaching second grade for the first time in my teaching career! So, I packed up all of the <u>STUFF</u> that I had accumulated in my eight years and stored it in the corner of my old classroom.</center>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgyjCyxTGHSPyr2OJxwcBczCHu0MudTLWdKsJ4e9b21RJzj2CnnbY5JJgXzXBVFXjSqQeR3u6IbXWhR1TDXEipgzfNC6SkM26comLkyY_bNVNlUqWQ7be3-4mL0BYV7aOOP7zZ3ainz8w/s1600/35417106_1354699027965650_3972854412476416000_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="960" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOgyjCyxTGHSPyr2OJxwcBczCHu0MudTLWdKsJ4e9b21RJzj2CnnbY5JJgXzXBVFXjSqQeR3u6IbXWhR1TDXEipgzfNC6SkM26comLkyY_bNVNlUqWQ7be3-4mL0BYV7aOOP7zZ3ainz8w/s320/35417106_1354699027965650_3972854412476416000_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You don't realize how much you have bought/inherited until you see it all in one huge pile.</td></tr>
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I was in no rush to move it to my new school, you see, because right before the school year ended, eight brand spankin' new literacy coaching positions were posted: one early childhood, three elementary, three secondary, and one digital. At first, I had no intention of applying; after all, I was all set to move to a new school and a new grade. But after some gentle prodding from friends and my supportive husband, I decided to throw my hat into the ring, and I applied for the digital and the early childhood positions. I was beyond thrilled (and surprised!) when I was offered one of the three elementary coach positions. </center>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOgxcLDsFESJyy03XFPlheHIyNtHXYymz5ANnrbw3_wxbJn3S8tDdU9ucfIf4KknDl7Q7-hVB7_vEFEkaG5fklBv8IEOySznBbniOcHVVX6d_hOs3qRSoqBsMzNMd5vxzeFafa1fiiYXg/s1600/37010160_1391149090987310_9115223841218494464_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="764" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkOgxcLDsFESJyy03XFPlheHIyNtHXYymz5ANnrbw3_wxbJn3S8tDdU9ucfIf4KknDl7Q7-hVB7_vEFEkaG5fklBv8IEOySznBbniOcHVVX6d_hOs3qRSoqBsMzNMd5vxzeFafa1fiiYXg/s320/37010160_1391149090987310_9115223841218494464_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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My husband, however, probably wasn't quite so thrilled when I asked him to help me move all of my teaching <u>STUFF</u> into our attic.</center>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmin4Xokhn52xBR1I6xb-PJV1_2-Na__QvDdOO1hiOg9OLGJ9yqHdkp-vFnFYlhqTlhChGdw68xE0RrwKTqQJhX_C2X8dgNagiZxGgs9DkWRvVCFEsqHXco62COZwYnboAuXw3O2fR0xW1/s1600/37307347_1400389836729902_8950317442312175616_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmin4Xokhn52xBR1I6xb-PJV1_2-Na__QvDdOO1hiOg9OLGJ9yqHdkp-vFnFYlhqTlhChGdw68xE0RrwKTqQJhX_C2X8dgNagiZxGgs9DkWRvVCFEsqHXco62COZwYnboAuXw3O2fR0xW1/s320/37307347_1400389836729902_8950317442312175616_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sixteen years of classroom teaching in one very cramped attic.</td></tr>
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Since I had no way of knowing what my new position would entail and couldn't really prepare, I spent the remainder of the summer, soaking up the sun, warmth, and time with my kiddos. While the classroom teacher in me desperately wanted to get ready for the upcoming school year during the summer months, it just wasn't possible. Ultimately, it was an enormous blessing because I could focus on being present for my own little ones.</center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VSB3yqD3LH8GmwwoBQ9U7whHqG3S0ARxIz9DyJqnG-0Bp-rK9flF7aQ8GhwNdNHmTPe7CDM5c0rcmOq9HNmopbWr8aOX0zCk2zSUUN-HK6EaoIwphd0HNGpGrEOPwFh4_d109itFr4kn/s1600/39246755_1444002879035264_1763312709002067968_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VSB3yqD3LH8GmwwoBQ9U7whHqG3S0ARxIz9DyJqnG-0Bp-rK9flF7aQ8GhwNdNHmTPe7CDM5c0rcmOq9HNmopbWr8aOX0zCk2zSUUN-HK6EaoIwphd0HNGpGrEOPwFh4_d109itFr4kn/s320/39246755_1444002879035264_1763312709002067968_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The school year started with <i>a lot </i>of professional development. Not only did the new team of coaches come together for training, but I also helped to provide technology PD for all of the new teachers in our county. Needless to say, August was a busy month!</div>
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First, a little bit about my new role. I serve two campuses in our county, and they are located about 14 miles away from one another. So, there is a little bit of travel required, which I happen to <u>love</u>! I spend the time that I'm in my car, traveling between the two schools, listening to <a href="https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/">Cult of Pedagogy's</a> amazing podcasts, as well as <a href="https://kaysemorris.com/">Kayse's</a>. Nothing like managing to sneak in some PD while I'm on the road! </center>
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I work strictly with teachers, not with students, which is another big change for me. While I've provided professional development to teachers in the past, I've never worked <u>only</u> with adults. Turns out, I really enjoy working with teachers, particularly those teachers who are innovative, creative, and eager to learn and to try new things. </center>
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For the first time in my career, I have time during my work day to do professional reading and research. What an amazing thing!! I have already learned so much in my new role, and it's so exciting to share what I've learned with the teachers in my two schools.</center>
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I was excited to learn that I would be "housed" at one of the schools in our county that had been recently renovated (it's a beautiful building...bright, airy, and inviting) <i>and</i> that I would be reunited with a friend with whom I had worked at my previous school. My husband and I made the decision to transfer our children to my new "home" school, and they are thriving. </center>
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Speaking of my "home" school, I am really lucky to have my very own office there. I mean, I even have cabinets, a big desk, two bulletin boards, a dry erase board, and a sink! As soon as I was able to get into my office, I got right to work, making it feel like "me." Besides the bulletin boards you see below, I tried to make my office feel even more like home by adding a long table, the Ikea stools that had been in my classroom, and a small coffee/snack area.</center>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7gITU6S-WtHUJQs4fP_Ej2E1DBppS47AepcdYvl5DGdASYlXXq1jX0yUCiayFYTHdO1AMW-8_JlWkRNFjZwoD8Nwp9cLzCXyJeZ4VAFP6nY_7JYm-Qr3rfpAh8ctB93S4e36FOS8vIEe/s1600/40380164_1463123533789865_8667202737282220032_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7gITU6S-WtHUJQs4fP_Ej2E1DBppS47AepcdYvl5DGdASYlXXq1jX0yUCiayFYTHdO1AMW-8_JlWkRNFjZwoD8Nwp9cLzCXyJeZ4VAFP6nY_7JYm-Qr3rfpAh8ctB93S4e36FOS8vIEe/s320/40380164_1463123533789865_8667202737282220032_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This color scheme should look familiar. You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but you can't take the classroom (decor) out of the teacher!</td></tr>
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I created the bulletin board above behind my desk for teachers to see when they enter my office. It's easy to forget <u>why</u> we do what we do every day sometimes; I wanted to create a visual reminder. </center>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3G5xS5EqxwSdMCxIf-ZfbIeZPl1Y7gjfWam_XURE5pGsa5d26U1TMWjzc6KbFnsQO20VLYXlI5x-2brwcbLCEsiUiCWnVBbqgZWEVgHm8R1QjULfMcpusPeH2TNMJ1sDF9fFqjlVylZG/s1600/49047646_1594444887324395_6005033491547291648_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3G5xS5EqxwSdMCxIf-ZfbIeZPl1Y7gjfWam_XURE5pGsa5d26U1TMWjzc6KbFnsQO20VLYXlI5x-2brwcbLCEsiUiCWnVBbqgZWEVgHm8R1QjULfMcpusPeH2TNMJ1sDF9fFqjlVylZG/s320/49047646_1594444887324395_6005033491547291648_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I created this one because I wanted to an interactive way to show my teachers that they are already incorporating tons of Universal Design for Learning strategies into their teaching every day. So, I created this UDL Bingo board (with <u>tons</u> of inspiration from my fellow coaches).</td></tr>
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Stay tuned for a look into my day as an instructional coach! New blog post is already in the works!</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjMp2bdgjOLQ2y7_zRIjyVIGSyb6lkQuKeL9pPt19vhsEL7-NSHP-fGGHmUBfxu8NRONoTE8RSKrX7u2fbHT9PTbMNy6NXgnmpZXmptodjHZwUKBnWVEymHw3tEKj3H9C617RbgR9d0jw/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-44251922803514316382017-11-27T20:08:00.000-05:002017-11-27T20:08:01.284-05:00Create Your Own Listening CenterI know, I know. I've been seriously MIA over here on the ol' blog. But I've been posting up a storm on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shafersshenanigans/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ShafersShenanigans/?ref=bookmarks">Facebook</a>! I swear!<br />
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I decided to pay a visit to the blog today because I wanted to share with you how simple it is to create your own listening center!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0_A17fj51uNJvOHJ01FVCUlJRBC1QdVBBegDGF-sJ2udHWEvOd55xTLK2zNu46-wRwZhM0-bSXPmFT99M76oZJn05plP1BnlYVdTZK_Ht6Jy1syC3kH3uI-7dsAQ0f9z6CWAby3s9mwl/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+7.26.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="606" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB0_A17fj51uNJvOHJ01FVCUlJRBC1QdVBBegDGF-sJ2udHWEvOd55xTLK2zNu46-wRwZhM0-bSXPmFT99M76oZJn05plP1BnlYVdTZK_Ht6Jy1syC3kH3uI-7dsAQ0f9z6CWAby3s9mwl/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+7.26.20+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I originally got the idea to do this after Jen from <a href="http://www.teachinginthetongass.com/">Teaching in the Tongass</a> reposted a picture of Casey's from<a href="http://fairwindsteaching.com/"> Fair Winds Teaching</a> Instagram. (Come to find out that it's a <i>super</i> small world: Casey is from Frederick, right here in Maryland!)</div>
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It's so easy! Here's all you have to do:</div>
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1. Go to <a href="http://www.vocaroo.com/">www.vocaroo.com</a>. It's a FREE online voice recording service, and you don't need any fancy equipment or a subscription to use it!</div>
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2. Choose the book that you'd like to record. I chose some of my favorite winter-themed books, but the possibilities are endless.</div>
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3. I wasn't sure at first how I was going to signal my students to turn the page. Then, I remembered the buzzers that my children just <i>had</i> to buy with the Amazon gift cards they received for Christmas last year. Thankfully, they let me borrow them without putting up <i>too</i> much of a fight.</div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2iZQbCL"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="379" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9V0HgRD7b2BMfTIfMbzuyg0FnYbcHMltXB0DA5bOui1erwQt2O2YqDLWEm9TPon9VR2O0Au3MLZkvJ3SFZuyKyIuT14lJGQtUiPz1Uq8cDST5IQNDPn4EUaFImpnzXobg9R-XOjmjCChf/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+7.52.06+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Click on the picture above to grab your own (they're less than $17 for 4). Trust me, you'll find a million uses for them in your classroom!</div>
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4. Record yourself reading (the site uses your computer's microphone...easy, right?).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBwolurB9WmOasy5YYEWwUBmrApOmw0tQd3BK5q5B4MRbSXuagQ7W_z80tEVVnNpSdRS_bQ2yN0FH4JtdAIwynQ3cT6B4D3K0KqKn9svtgeVGI4lEU9gjbws6LNrA9C_9ANNl-s6plkW_/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+7.49.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="369" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBwolurB9WmOasy5YYEWwUBmrApOmw0tQd3BK5q5B4MRbSXuagQ7W_z80tEVVnNpSdRS_bQ2yN0FH4JtdAIwynQ3cT6B4D3K0KqKn9svtgeVGI4lEU9gjbws6LNrA9C_9ANNl-s6plkW_/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+7.49.26+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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5. When you're happy with your recording, click on "Click here to save."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLpMiPjzv8qx-ttnGMRXTVlmK9XTYA_tRBUwJF2IB4ujyEz38KYWu2GJCR2X5CtRZ9efz7Cd4jK1oVOLbzz6Iq8s9j0-0I0sI-_K_p447Lm7kkDBcLxqL6zWSQzgniIrAlkXRgvwzsDV3/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+7.57.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="73" data-original-width="536" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLpMiPjzv8qx-ttnGMRXTVlmK9XTYA_tRBUwJF2IB4ujyEz38KYWu2GJCR2X5CtRZ9efz7Cd4jK1oVOLbzz6Iq8s9j0-0I0sI-_K_p447Lm7kkDBcLxqL6zWSQzgniIrAlkXRgvwzsDV3/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+7.57.19+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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6. Click on the plus sign. There, you will find an option to create a QR code.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzJEhf018i9keLorgmTZBcWrgki9JratpH9AU03LWT6EvtV2y4Wh4-tLsJsbzISzjEUuBYuN-PVsr8l3_GO4FX19VOkhqAqjZNk-EPTNC6pBukESdgBWMWjMA7TGvzuBw-6uBkFsgGMIQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+7.58.32+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="562" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzJEhf018i9keLorgmTZBcWrgki9JratpH9AU03LWT6EvtV2y4Wh4-tLsJsbzISzjEUuBYuN-PVsr8l3_GO4FX19VOkhqAqjZNk-EPTNC6pBukESdgBWMWjMA7TGvzuBw-6uBkFsgGMIQ/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+7.58.32+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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7. Right click on the QR code and save it to your desktop. I saved the QR codes under the same name as the title of the book that I recorded. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRyjtxbyCw-lUB_FS-fIFCrf9n0zcGRYzYLfG9blGixT7UjBBEZxTv-t0LDqpY6_qZ4RttRI4cEroarvHRa3qdTiOQWm6dytSvQ0j-V41CMhf16eoJJ_3hgOUF7DrrxXQtwjiUWV2hQ2R/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+7.59.27+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="468" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRyjtxbyCw-lUB_FS-fIFCrf9n0zcGRYzYLfG9blGixT7UjBBEZxTv-t0LDqpY6_qZ4RttRI4cEroarvHRa3qdTiOQWm6dytSvQ0j-V41CMhf16eoJJ_3hgOUF7DrrxXQtwjiUWV2hQ2R/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+7.59.27+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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8. Just drag the QR code into a PowerPoint file, add the title of the book at the top, and laminate!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQxVJKMP8YJQQSYzzyoqJ2oMSQImOrCYz_F_WN9LyymwqUhDG0koCgqte7inoxpowQTwDSlVHaW6D4LUFWaeEorZxt3SH53B96LKjSKQWJBBKbksoaJq6WgwhT5Rgc2kdsZiZnu9x3vQA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+8.01.06+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="580" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQxVJKMP8YJQQSYzzyoqJ2oMSQImOrCYz_F_WN9LyymwqUhDG0koCgqte7inoxpowQTwDSlVHaW6D4LUFWaeEorZxt3SH53B96LKjSKQWJBBKbksoaJq6WgwhT5Rgc2kdsZiZnu9x3vQA/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-11-27+at+8.01.06+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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9. I added the laminated QR code and book to a freezer Ziploc bag, and voila! I have my very own listening center! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpA_AWgUvts1HHYqWszNNjK-RaKJ2bQyzbwD6vkrzBTc28SZZcPgr5uNCjuwAqxA4O9UzxhcSa4Q2u_RP92flC5AD0ehmOavtCkJoFrWEZe8UJA5vpHwpoJ3Jwk1o5eYK8msIANleAKh6/s1600/IMG_3758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpA_AWgUvts1HHYqWszNNjK-RaKJ2bQyzbwD6vkrzBTc28SZZcPgr5uNCjuwAqxA4O9UzxhcSa4Q2u_RP92flC5AD0ehmOavtCkJoFrWEZe8UJA5vpHwpoJ3Jwk1o5eYK8msIANleAKh6/s320/IMG_3758.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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All my students have to do is grab a bag with the book and QR code, their iPad, and their headphones, and they're ready to read!</div>
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I can't wait to show my kiddos tomorrow!<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjMp2bdgjOLQ2y7_zRIjyVIGSyb6lkQuKeL9pPt19vhsEL7-NSHP-fGGHmUBfxu8NRONoTE8RSKrX7u2fbHT9PTbMNy6NXgnmpZXmptodjHZwUKBnWVEymHw3tEKj3H9C617RbgR9d0jw/s1600/signature.png" /></center>
Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-10634263023921699302017-08-01T17:38:00.001-04:002017-08-01T17:38:46.772-04:00Maryland Teacher Meet Up and 5 BTS Tips for Teacher MomsWhat a fun and busy week it has been so far! I've been to a Maryland Teacher Meet Up, started my own YouTube channel, and organized an Instagram hop and giveaway! Phew!<br />
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The Maryland Teacher Meet Up in Baltimore this past Saturday was a blast! It was organized and hosted by the fabulous <a href="http://positivelylearningblog.com/blog/">Positively Learning</a>, and she did a fantastic job! There was good food, great conversation, and lots of positive energy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGcWnxY5iwHB6pgRI-uIwnZ3JqsNkOfaxvCDTnexIWWSpdH_2NEMwJu6_LnVoxOLW7HKI98hOMVee7v7E5jRAxwuL6wNuDZ0zFECYvG1kN_OyLUiH3UAAWfwYKAPz_kjtn5CAMDuomX0A/s1600/20374640_1096159763819579_8298659814848475288_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGcWnxY5iwHB6pgRI-uIwnZ3JqsNkOfaxvCDTnexIWWSpdH_2NEMwJu6_LnVoxOLW7HKI98hOMVee7v7E5jRAxwuL6wNuDZ0zFECYvG1kN_OyLUiH3UAAWfwYKAPz_kjtn5CAMDuomX0A/s320/20374640_1096159763819579_8298659814848475288_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was so good to see old friends and to make some new ones, too.</div>
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The highlight for me was spending time with Ashley from <a href="http://thesassyschoolteacher.com/">The Sassy Schoolteacher</a>. She is probably regretting allowing me to drive her {rain + city driving = lots of honking horns and a touch of road rage}, but we had a great time, catching up! I can't wait to see pics of her sweet little guy when he arrives shortly!</div>
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Michelle from <a href="http://www.pocketfulofprimary.com/">Pocketful of Primary</a> gave us some amazing tips for starting our own YouTube channels. This is something that I've been mulling over for a long time, but I didn't think I had the tools or the know-how to do it successfully. After picking Michelle's brain {and with some encouragement from my husband}, I figured that it was time to give it a go!</div>
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I started small. I decided to create a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuJ8FKdr5zg&t=53s">video</a> about something that I have some experience with, and that's how to get prepared for the Back to School season when you have are both a mom and a teacher. </div>
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Most of these tips are no-brainers, and as I mentioned in my video, I sure as heck don't have all of the answers. But after weathering the Back to School season for the past 6 years, I've learned a few tricks!<br />
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Being a mom and a teacher, especially during the Back to school rush, ain't easy. By the end of a long day at school, it's hard to muster up the motivation to come up with something to cook for dinner that is quick, healthy, <i>and</i> enjoyed by everyone in the family.<br />
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So, I try to make a meal plan a week in advance. I use Google Keep to keep track of the meals that I want to prepare for the following week, and I use that list to make my grocery list. I'm lucky enough to live near a Harris Teeter that provides grocery pickup {game changer!!!}, and I place my grocery order online each Friday morning, so I can pick up my groceries on the way home from work. No more grocery shopping with the entire family for an hour and a half every Saturday morning!<br />
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My favorite recipe sites are <a href="http://iowagirleats.com/">Iowa Girl Eats</a>, <a href="http://skinnytaste.com/">Skinnytaste</a>, and <a href="http://www.delish.com/">Delish</a>. The recipes on all three sites are healthy, fast, and family-approved!<br />
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My kiddos usually go to bed between 7:30 and 8:00 during the school year {early, I know}. They also are up and at it by 5:30 each morning, so an early bedtime is a necessity! During the summer, however, we let them stay up until between 8:30 and 9:00 {no, they don't sleep in the next morning, no matter how late we keep them up the night before!}. Once the school year starts to approach, we try to get them back into their normal bedtime routine, so that they're not grouchy or rushed once they have to be out the door by 7:30. Believe me, it helps!<br />
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Now that my husband and I have a BRAND NEW OFFICE {sorry, I'm still excited about it}, I found myself with a leftover three-drawer container from Target:</div>
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So, I decided to turn it into my family emergency kit, and I labeled each drawer {of course!} accordingly. The first drawer is for toiletries for the kiddos and for me. I included deodorant, toothbrushes for all three of us, toothpaste, pain relievers, cough drops, a lint roller, and the all-important Tide stick.<br />
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The second drawer is for a change of clothes for each of us. I can clearly recall a time when Princess A accidentally wore black tights instead of black leggings to school, and her dad had to bring pants to her. It will be nice to have a change of clothes readily available!<br />
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The third drawer relates to my fourth tip!<br />
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The third drawer is for snacks. How many times have you planned to leave immediately at the end of the school day, but you end up in an unexpected meeting or on a phone call with a parent? It's happened to my kids more time than I can count, and by 4:00, they are <i>hangry</i>! I plan to include granola bars, pretzels, almonds, and maybe some Crystal Light packets. I am going to make sure to keep a case of water bottles handy, too. {I may or may not keep a secret stash of K-cups and chocolate in that drawer.}<br />
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By the time my kiddos were in Kindergarten, they were being assigned nightly homework {I could get up on my soapbox on that topic, but I'll save it for another time}. I found that it was easier for them to complete their homework at the back table in my classroom before we left for the day while they were still "in the zone." By the time they get home, they want to throw their backpacks on the floor, kick off their shoes, and go outside to play.<br />
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If you want to check out my YouTube channel, click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXx9Tt0mbvSlmx505DvUP7A">here</a>. I would love it if you would subscribe!!<br />
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Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-71529755279380226482017-07-24T16:16:00.000-04:002017-07-24T16:20:48.029-04:00Monday Made It {FREEBIE Alert!!}We've been busy since we returned from our week in Pennsylvania! OK, that's a slight mistruth: we have been busy being L-A-Z-Y. And it has been fantastic!<br />
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While we have spent <u>a lot</u> of time at the community pool these past few weeks, I did take the kiddos to the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/hatu/index.htm">Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park</a> in Cambridge, and it was incredible!<br />
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Sometimes, I forget that so much amazing history took place in my own backyard!</div>
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My kids worked hard while we were there to become Junior Rangers for the National Park Service. They loved every second of it!</div>
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If you're local {Marylander}, I strongly urge you to come and visit this amazing museum. I can't wait to take my students next year!</div>
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Our visit to the museum inspired me to download a few historical fiction books on the topic of the Underground Railroad {both of these books are carried in the museum's bookstore}:</div>
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I couldn't put this book down. It recently won the Pulitzer Prize, and I can see why!</div>
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This is the other book I bought. It is by the author who wrote <i>The Girl With the Pearl Earring</i>. It is written from the perspective of a Quaker who moves to Ohio from England. She is befriended by a milliner who helps to hide runaway slaves, but her brother is a slave hunter. It is powerful!</div>
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Even though I have been reading voraciously, I have, however, managed to tackle a few small projects for TPT and for my classroom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1f-8kbiM2F1cFZ_0Qdws3iYAa1mxU00azb4KorJGiR9J-F2kysSUZ9Uk1HZT9X29fN7BRhwrdtjiaE5tr9FVDfB-WP1e8WPIS4R7ICaO37DcOfd5FVNlB2M7MALh4Sw_cgb0HHGAolc-/s1600/Monday+Made+It+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1f-8kbiM2F1cFZ_0Qdws3iYAa1mxU00azb4KorJGiR9J-F2kysSUZ9Uk1HZT9X29fN7BRhwrdtjiaE5tr9FVDfB-WP1e8WPIS4R7ICaO37DcOfd5FVNlB2M7MALh4Sw_cgb0HHGAolc-/s320/Monday+Made+It+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
I dragged the kids to Dollar Tree last week {that makes it sound like they went against their will, which is definitely NOT true...they LOVE Dollar Tree!}. We picked out all of the goodies for my students' birthday bags, and this afternoon, we put them together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPqxVG09YG0xehfg2mJLr5D_6TzyK66OxPsQhhS7MoCLVQPERgv-QNSyrumGnCZhUSmnw1Vnw32pLbLmXBoGBbzvV9vOjLScwLsPYL6gGVEHedMZQKGX_Z0OdygAW-99nrvoethL1EZIN/s1600/mmi+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPqxVG09YG0xehfg2mJLr5D_6TzyK66OxPsQhhS7MoCLVQPERgv-QNSyrumGnCZhUSmnw1Vnw32pLbLmXBoGBbzvV9vOjLScwLsPYL6gGVEHedMZQKGX_Z0OdygAW-99nrvoethL1EZIN/s1600/mmi+1.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUXYZBLISAD28qRFLCbb1fZCKgumnKnSYy-QM0M4ihBNqNygq0mvNmL5LOodmWYVoDFKlmup4KHXs1cTp2eo4SyNpgb-wGwUa_3Si54_7ZNKka0B5Yabf7QuyIt8sRGQqVZNARclrsEaI/s1600/IMG_2682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUXYZBLISAD28qRFLCbb1fZCKgumnKnSYy-QM0M4ihBNqNygq0mvNmL5LOodmWYVoDFKlmup4KHXs1cTp2eo4SyNpgb-wGwUa_3Si54_7ZNKka0B5Yabf7QuyIt8sRGQqVZNARclrsEaI/s320/IMG_2682.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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25 bags for $1.00?? Perfect!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJl0OgCeVn-tw8Ib1VXLLosO87kSqqUkgp7AcrdCIErKZtnCfjtyFV6UHg_noeSXT080ItRxHzShn3KMcPJATt4o3yy2OaqpuhZi_fCNzqrY9qPo3eIjs3uL3Qvg-e341W5MXJHne7lsFR/s1600/IMG_2681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJl0OgCeVn-tw8Ib1VXLLosO87kSqqUkgp7AcrdCIErKZtnCfjtyFV6UHg_noeSXT080ItRxHzShn3KMcPJATt4o3yy2OaqpuhZi_fCNzqrY9qPo3eIjs3uL3Qvg-e341W5MXJHne7lsFR/s320/IMG_2681.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I got all of these goodies for next to nothing!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xJtGMwh6FTMmoMubuCQNbnEaMqg0XuwNzowZyGUS2Ob7EP4QOalGJdHddQYF45SVYrUhFdOI9F5K5G9R5-PAj1j_gb6ufSAMO0LxzF-JDeefWC7SHXg1E6cGm2kJHLJF4RoNfdSic6xE/s1600/IMG_2679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xJtGMwh6FTMmoMubuCQNbnEaMqg0XuwNzowZyGUS2Ob7EP4QOalGJdHddQYF45SVYrUhFdOI9F5K5G9R5-PAj1j_gb6ufSAMO0LxzF-JDeefWC7SHXg1E6cGm2kJHLJF4RoNfdSic6xE/s320/IMG_2679.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I created these little passes to add to the bags, too. {I used to include Homework Passes. but I don't plan to assign formal homework this year} You can grab these <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Birthday-Passes-FREEBIE-3267717?aref=eyb684qo">freebies</a> in my TPT store!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uU6WHceepCRBSQiZG2IFfWtr8tyZ8nW3evSC6Rtiv2yWfm5oL1ybcsrm30RxtDm-xvDOB4n1m2V8J2c-aQv6eYzkb2Tg223zC6OirvFct-Y3Vyl2bQPgUJVddsQZo5JlCNgpNHjA9QKY/s1600/IMG_2683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uU6WHceepCRBSQiZG2IFfWtr8tyZ8nW3evSC6Rtiv2yWfm5oL1ybcsrm30RxtDm-xvDOB4n1m2V8J2c-aQv6eYzkb2Tg223zC6OirvFct-Y3Vyl2bQPgUJVddsQZo5JlCNgpNHjA9QKY/s320/IMG_2683.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The finished product! Thankfully, Princess A loves helping me with school projects, and she helped me put these together.</div>
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I've also added few products to my TPT store lately. My favorite is my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-Do-We-Go-Home-Transportation-Display-and-Tag-BUNDLE-BW-and-Color-3273645">Transportation Tags and Display</a> bundle, and it is only $2.50! Hopefully, it will help alleviate some anxiety during those first few days of school.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBaGOoBgqHGmqflndZ_75ByzoLcu_4O4TUOfDbbKJw8gO3dGaZogZ4Kh4acSAVE1qiv42u49doYqPs2J643vyUoGVGXhWOIekdHhW-4McExCmjDQdC2gP86U2Q5ae5Cg7or_EoJrMdI62/s1600/original-3273645-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="258" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBaGOoBgqHGmqflndZ_75ByzoLcu_4O4TUOfDbbKJw8gO3dGaZogZ4Kh4acSAVE1qiv42u49doYqPs2J643vyUoGVGXhWOIekdHhW-4McExCmjDQdC2gP86U2Q5ae5Cg7or_EoJrMdI62/s320/original-3273645-1.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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I was planning to create a desktop organizer for my laptop, using my new blog button, but I didn't like anything that I'd created. So, instead, I decided to customize my desktop icons, using <a href="https://theanimatedteacher.com/">Amy Groesbeck'</a>s incredibly easy tutorial. She's a GENIUS!</div>
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Cute, right???</div>
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So, that's what I've been up to! Time to go shuck some local sweet corn and slice up watermelon for dinner. Enjoy the rest of your week!</div>
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Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-37214654879730195472017-07-10T19:00:00.001-04:002017-07-10T19:48:56.809-04:00Monday Made ItHappy Monday! Life has been super busy lately, so I'll share a little bit about what I've been up to, and then, I'll let you in on some of the projects I've been working on.<br />
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First, do you notice anything different? MY BLOG!! My updated blog is up and running, and I am absolutely loving it! Not sure how the gals at <a href="http://www.blogsfitforaqueen.com/">Blogs Fit for a Queen </a>knew my style so well, but they definitely hit it out of the park.<br />
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We just returned from a week in western Pennsylvania, visiting my husband's family. We did a lot of four-wheeling, critter hunting, sleeping, and reading.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEPQSvHsyhyphenhyphenpEcDpRnKQ4VmX3p2esUMtZENjbsGPXoJryeWPApNxQr6nHMXE3kU8T29RxmfGQfIyEWOVl4i5S9tWDJFWYx0vqS6JlFsYZIJJIL6GtWMSsy3BbTouOIDyoFw-A2IKIEEzP/s1600/IMG_2431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEPQSvHsyhyphenhyphenpEcDpRnKQ4VmX3p2esUMtZENjbsGPXoJryeWPApNxQr6nHMXE3kU8T29RxmfGQfIyEWOVl4i5S9tWDJFWYx0vqS6JlFsYZIJJIL6GtWMSsy3BbTouOIDyoFw-A2IKIEEzP/s320/IMG_2431.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Princess A and Deedle spent a lot of time, hunting for salamanders and crayfish in the "crick," and I had the chance to catch up some reading. I usually gravitate toward contemporary fiction, but when I took the kiddos to the library a few weeks ago, I picked up an historical fiction book on a whim.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUp4c-wp_3piXS5M4vZ1sHmPVxbjQWRNnOs9UlNaqydcdjx02A9gTfV970VatHiD6YjcMENNZy59H89T-QZ-cE3Rce0kI-jnhm7A8qDq_NRWjqT5M8SwdHl8eFNRqJ-4sLqb-HKRxyHS2/s1600/download.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUp4c-wp_3piXS5M4vZ1sHmPVxbjQWRNnOs9UlNaqydcdjx02A9gTfV970VatHiD6YjcMENNZy59H89T-QZ-cE3Rce0kI-jnhm7A8qDq_NRWjqT5M8SwdHl8eFNRqJ-4sLqb-HKRxyHS2/s1600/download.jpeg" /></a></div>
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I <i>devoured</i> this book, and as soon as I finished it, I downloaded another book by the same author about Benjamin Franklin. I'm halfway through it, and I'm <i>loving</i> it!</div>
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The night that we returned from Pennsylvania, we had to get ready for the flooring company to come the following morning to replace the floors in our family room and kitchen {this is a long overdue project that we've been putting off for awhile}. An hour into the job, we found out that we had a pretty significant leak under our house, so the flooring project had to be put on hold, and a plumber had to be called to repair the problem. We have had to wait an additional four days for a carpenter to come out to repair the damaged sub-flooring. In the meantime, my house looks like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaTL1_YhIM4P9Fm4wAUm-0Sr-JbhUgBgxd_ZaiodcVyN5_pesE7Z7kpuMKyfzDmfb1QbhaSXwaHg85x7LsQYcgSuxFQbpQp2OX8ueks3ou9Ey2wQZglWuDRmUaCQq8KtKaDytvMS_HY8O/s1600/IMG_2495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzaTL1_YhIM4P9Fm4wAUm-0Sr-JbhUgBgxd_ZaiodcVyN5_pesE7Z7kpuMKyfzDmfb1QbhaSXwaHg85x7LsQYcgSuxFQbpQp2OX8ueks3ou9Ey2wQZglWuDRmUaCQq8KtKaDytvMS_HY8O/s320/IMG_2495.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I can't even. My refrigerator is in my dining room, and I can't find a doggone thing.</div>
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Thankfully, the floors will be finished tomorrow. I don't think I've ever been so excited about anything in my life.</div>
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The only thing that has kept me sane {and I use that term very loosely} while my house has been in upheaval has been creating things for my classroom and TPT store. Let me show you what I've been up to!</div>
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<a href="http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2017/07/monday-made-it-with-learning-in.html"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgER1gPxlmVV7fuiEdkyFv6P1OJg7bQayejgRrCM3fsvacQnfyiMPIODFrdFA-H8Lupdqx92hMsG4NmnoV4UOHV4GTby8R51JBxnctO5GQfCXiCYcIhs6IlymMvxXfv8fmVLpMgQ_sqWeQx/s1600/Monday+Made+It+1.png" /></a></div>
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Click on the picture above to head over to 4th Grade Frolics!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbiUSt-2fiotRiPnxj6XTPhDUmzMPPqSkW9VM9K7rMIkqyoG-tdi8Vuy73SPYJ4OH7lP1PWmCfvxtaXzgEElr1JZCbMffHufG0SOlK2_2lDNoWgvlKOZTERo1ZFe8TyJNGTA5pjD7BDHI/s1600/mmi+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbiUSt-2fiotRiPnxj6XTPhDUmzMPPqSkW9VM9K7rMIkqyoG-tdi8Vuy73SPYJ4OH7lP1PWmCfvxtaXzgEElr1JZCbMffHufG0SOlK2_2lDNoWgvlKOZTERo1ZFe8TyJNGTA5pjD7BDHI/s1600/mmi+1.png" /></a></div>
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Now that my blog is updated and looking adorable, I decided to dress up my TPT store. So yesterday. while my husband was diligently working on building our chicken coop {don't ask...that's another long overdue project}, I created a new banner for my store.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3b4rrOYhpXFdtonHdR-wJcI_dFlebBpka7Y1C5JHNBgl7uS4aRebo9O0VJminxWqcoGQ16lZrokE6gPIKnyljnYi7Dddd35PrdgajUD7GcYrg2vBQXitNVTAN4IjhvUjff7DtIz1Tsieb/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-07-10+at+6.42.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="1199" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3b4rrOYhpXFdtonHdR-wJcI_dFlebBpka7Y1C5JHNBgl7uS4aRebo9O0VJminxWqcoGQ16lZrokE6gPIKnyljnYi7Dddd35PrdgajUD7GcYrg2vBQXitNVTAN4IjhvUjff7DtIz1Tsieb/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-07-10+at+6.42.51+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then, I watched <a href="http://www.christifultz.com/2015/02/tutorial-how-to-dress-up-your-tpt-store.html/">Christi's</a> fantastic tutorial for customizing your TPT store. I struggled, I'm not going to lie. Playing around with HTML code is not for the faint of heart! I love how it turned out, though!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWfpPEPBkv3gKI04PoEZRO3UXB9Q0Cl-ZPqWhj197rXoApuzerR0A-fCySgC5cyGrTz8omfHA0RPQSnFI7LbS4ma754ZfsyEuYz83cvnJfDuLnrOpWzoZiRl-TVOGt9imHI42qXTeN1q1/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-07-10+at+6.45.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="762" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNWfpPEPBkv3gKI04PoEZRO3UXB9Q0Cl-ZPqWhj197rXoApuzerR0A-fCySgC5cyGrTz8omfHA0RPQSnFI7LbS4ma754ZfsyEuYz83cvnJfDuLnrOpWzoZiRl-TVOGt9imHI42qXTeN1q1/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-07-10+at+6.45.12+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSchCkLHY6JLX8bBwKdqFw0XNfBnZ0tLPLjwSind03MIOSqGpfa0xNfTkoK_Wc2aq4km9uVhC4umkPIQ0K8ziKOkL8bQfn9ucY8vsWC3ENZ6XLpX82mC5vywN28vaJ08kWgUOg5QIvtSsG/s1600/mmi+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSchCkLHY6JLX8bBwKdqFw0XNfBnZ0tLPLjwSind03MIOSqGpfa0xNfTkoK_Wc2aq4km9uVhC4umkPIQ0K8ziKOkL8bQfn9ucY8vsWC3ENZ6XLpX82mC5vywN28vaJ08kWgUOg5QIvtSsG/s1600/mmi+2.png" /></a></div>
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I also finished a product that I started while we were in Pennsylvania: my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Packet-Black-and-White-3246796">Back to School Pack</a>!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadbCfw6WrfwAMRVoC07ijisQSOKCqNvz9AQLvtLkzw6ChoVR-fwt62rYlHitEQeF1F_BYX4CR_Jq15Qcu3Yo1cy4bvyLfxGZoLk67MW321pGW_ZkWm7FF10xW1OB9j8jXtCV53ZqT14fN/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-07-10+at+6.49.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="344" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiadbCfw6WrfwAMRVoC07ijisQSOKCqNvz9AQLvtLkzw6ChoVR-fwt62rYlHitEQeF1F_BYX4CR_Jq15Qcu3Yo1cy4bvyLfxGZoLk67MW321pGW_ZkWm7FF10xW1OB9j8jXtCV53ZqT14fN/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-07-10+at+6.49.01+PM.png" width="239" /></a></div>
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The pack is fully editable, and this is what it looks like after it's been customized to meet your needs. It's black and white, but I like to copy it on Astrobrights paper to match my classroom colors.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlgq_yBYBGZzTdW3x_xmU4lpJAxOvz5wGlpV-V3NUEiw-rTfME2kAgc65dKa5o1YXL4k3GPwJTHHMe1yUdqo91U5BKDPd8F_qxosLMCKp2Hx4LqwQh9HmO3zgMzWTVkkKhuGngOpJwsSj/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-07-10+at+6.49.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="342" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFlgq_yBYBGZzTdW3x_xmU4lpJAxOvz5wGlpV-V3NUEiw-rTfME2kAgc65dKa5o1YXL4k3GPwJTHHMe1yUdqo91U5BKDPd8F_qxosLMCKp2Hx4LqwQh9HmO3zgMzWTVkkKhuGngOpJwsSj/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-07-10+at+6.49.08+PM.png" width="239" /></a></div>
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I used to type out all of the Common Core Standards to send home to my students. What was I thinking??? I decided to create QR codes that link directly to the Common Core Standards website. {You can find my favorite QR code site <a href="http://www.qr-code-generator.com/">here</a>.}</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMr2cMvFDF01aihR6IlxcEU-eqGSzoas-SAvu_6uuNfprl-P3bp4ZIfGlXkm-GisXfmardj7sXbqsA1b3jQBgjyfs3zeafMxM2sdW1g6WdwDBf7VnTNml4JUc2hhejQGy42iliT6cIs4j/s1600/mmi+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMr2cMvFDF01aihR6IlxcEU-eqGSzoas-SAvu_6uuNfprl-P3bp4ZIfGlXkm-GisXfmardj7sXbqsA1b3jQBgjyfs3zeafMxM2sdW1g6WdwDBf7VnTNml4JUc2hhejQGy42iliT6cIs4j/s1600/mmi+3.png" /></a></div>
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I also decided to create <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/How-Do-We-Go-Home-Transportation-Tags-BW-and-Color-Polka-Dots-3247732">transportation tags</a> for my students to wear on their backpacks during the first weeks of school. They really help to alleviate some of the anxiety we feel during those first few days!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyNNJW6hOJk_CTyuVU8P0leeJdHMBE3utH9EgZKK2nKs7YIgaCqOCxbWUZCXZgs2b8_jvEuhVeFqWq6Ny9ThPG23QMtZhzvDUSnCK6c0UM7SJcRkh6LewxcWfGnowbPy6P3l23ORYy9__/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-07-10+at+6.56.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="337" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyNNJW6hOJk_CTyuVU8P0leeJdHMBE3utH9EgZKK2nKs7YIgaCqOCxbWUZCXZgs2b8_jvEuhVeFqWq6Ny9ThPG23QMtZhzvDUSnCK6c0UM7SJcRkh6LewxcWfGnowbPy6P3l23ORYy9__/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-07-10+at+6.56.01+PM.png" width="241" /></a></div>
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The tags come in a few different colors, and they are completely editable, as well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVB2h-OFvhKytsy0K2oHHqFq-bhaiDVWgU5aKtBnx1JozbLQLsV5pOTosUGpTHYv57-Vi07THzaDWeS56fgYUg-TWGBmj_lE51OT4WKNvfFWKW1QEoNHYG3dFwtgIs6D0MkcjyjPdpGDD4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-07-10+at+6.56.07+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVB2h-OFvhKytsy0K2oHHqFq-bhaiDVWgU5aKtBnx1JozbLQLsV5pOTosUGpTHYv57-Vi07THzaDWeS56fgYUg-TWGBmj_lE51OT4WKNvfFWKW1QEoNHYG3dFwtgIs6D0MkcjyjPdpGDD4/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-07-10+at+6.56.07+PM.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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That's it for me! Head on over to <a href="http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2017/07/monday-made-it-with-learning-in.html">4th Grade Frolics</a> and check out what other teachers have been hard at work on this summer!</div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjMp2bdgjOLQ2y7_zRIjyVIGSyb6lkQuKeL9pPt19vhsEL7-NSHP-fGGHmUBfxu8NRONoTE8RSKrX7u2fbHT9PTbMNy6NXgnmpZXmptodjHZwUKBnWVEymHw3tEKj3H9C617RbgR9d0jw/s1600/signature.png" /></center>
Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-19367837385307790752017-06-18T19:21:00.002-04:002017-06-18T19:21:31.983-04:007 Organizational Tips for TeachersI've had this blog post in the back of my mind for a long time, so I decided to finally do something about it!<br />
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How many times has a new teacher asked you how you "do it all?" {Frankly, I think it's laughable to think that any teacher successfully "does it all." Something <i>always</i> has to give.} I always suggest two things. First, <u>do what works for you</u>. What works for the teacher down the hall may not work for you, and the sooner you realize and accept that, the less crazed and overwhelmed you'll be! Second, <u>get and stay organized</u>. Again, find a way to keep things organized that works for you. I've found a few ways that I stay organized, and I want to share them with you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMxpmTYd18PqwjYpQ1kd8BXxpU84UrVPTNgDjGGL56JhnpeS9ixGMt-zvvMhiLV4bx6ZAraePgpdSgiZJPPjJ9kQBG8LqZK6Vl8MEmnWF2SunIbT4geVHCnZcnZCXoVFQFIdaJGFJpKbJ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-12+at+11.27.46+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="363" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMxpmTYd18PqwjYpQ1kd8BXxpU84UrVPTNgDjGGL56JhnpeS9ixGMt-zvvMhiLV4bx6ZAraePgpdSgiZJPPjJ9kQBG8LqZK6Vl8MEmnWF2SunIbT4geVHCnZcnZCXoVFQFIdaJGFJpKbJ/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-12+at+11.27.46+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the end of this post, I'd love for you to comment with some of your most helpful organization tips!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxm8RAEIQXbyQbj8yFGpDoUMv6vB2nhTvncnlPTfuusE_EL0v2TBwn7oUOgmSTtQYAiipjdTpts2O4RmAb5hVRW3-YwpHEu1YzurrjJAHA6x784xe_dYiHFDE5pFqZ1pVgBbAfhQdTJIj/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+4.43.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="365" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxm8RAEIQXbyQbj8yFGpDoUMv6vB2nhTvncnlPTfuusE_EL0v2TBwn7oUOgmSTtQYAiipjdTpts2O4RmAb5hVRW3-YwpHEu1YzurrjJAHA6x784xe_dYiHFDE5pFqZ1pVgBbAfhQdTJIj/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+4.43.22+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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A good, sturdy teacher bag is an absolute must. And trust me, I'm pretty sure that I've tried them all! I've used Vera Bradley bags and Thirty-One bags, but my favorite, by far, is the Scout bag.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbeFQGsZVd1we3zgm1L5dpUSaY06-s8OX8NsfIkTkSP6DMIk4xZkV84qmSjrVTybtFj-JpTErBxzIHQF8t3Je8nzzwTDIeac7LxZXfdu6DwmYa3tGqPFTwrthEA1R6xSsCEONADxk9GyI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+4.52.27+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="397" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbeFQGsZVd1we3zgm1L5dpUSaY06-s8OX8NsfIkTkSP6DMIk4xZkV84qmSjrVTybtFj-JpTErBxzIHQF8t3Je8nzzwTDIeac7LxZXfdu6DwmYa3tGqPFTwrthEA1R6xSsCEONADxk9GyI/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+4.52.27+PM.png" width="312" /></a></div>
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This is the Original Deano in Chalk the Line {love the name of the color}. I bought mine at a local boutique, but Amazon carries them in every shade you can imagine. The best part? It's only $39, you can wipe it clean, and it's ENORMOUS {I can fit my personal laminator, purse, laptop, lunch bag, and papers that need graded in it.} <span style="text-align: left;">I also bought a cosmetic bag to keep all of my pens, Post-Its, and clips in. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghv7ZUPKTsTBoDr69e93BVH0jbPE1tAOxlLfQ5hXdn6REyOMDUb7PS-JVFjdBIJk_26Gq32YfxRfYCcjRqDr-7J5Rr83bDjOYGTGm9Z7zolxJxQzsWxOZLfEh5csrg9sgW8BUAjFFNiEYW/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+4.56.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="364" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghv7ZUPKTsTBoDr69e93BVH0jbPE1tAOxlLfQ5hXdn6REyOMDUb7PS-JVFjdBIJk_26Gq32YfxRfYCcjRqDr-7J5Rr83bDjOYGTGm9Z7zolxJxQzsWxOZLfEh5csrg9sgW8BUAjFFNiEYW/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+4.56.01+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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OK, I know that this probably seems like a no-brainer. But, seriously: find a planner that works for you. I had a really hard time finding one that was right for me, so a few years ago, I started making my own.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/BW-Polka-Dot-Teacher-Binder-EDITABLE-and-UPDATED-for-2016-2017-764050"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_93Sj9KcXpo_g0mTpS8-mMb-OT1mA3A0qUH1_VHpJ_rFAFO6212gwiOXRWhYofO1_ocFOaUam6uyrwLFxUvai64JNtrZbJCchuz2SSfDMogorLAkBcKRxDhI1WckvIRN94Z2Y5vSZz_5/s320/original-764050-1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
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This is the binder that I used for about three years. I loved being able to edit it to fit my needs!</div>
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{Click on the picture above to find this and other Teacher Binders in my TPT store.} </div>
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This past April, I was in an inservice with other first grade teachers in my district, and I sat next to a colleague with whom I used to work before I transferred to my current school. She is a perfectionist and loves to be organized as much as I do, and she showed me her Erin Condren planner. I had resisted buying one for so long, but having the opportunity to flip through hers and see all of its benefits up close {it didn't hurt that my teammate gave me a 10% off coupon, either!} convinced me that it was time to purchase my own.</div>
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<a href="https://www.erincondren.com/"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="473" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmo5tnuTmxbtn3IBRBw5pkDV7SqbryuwZG4PUHmb6NxKuRzvRQMQaLpb8GxcMGRrZ0hUCtBSrO2EdBaNp52EHSEgz6994NFNxFXMgtCF4B5jvajTetj8toTLUmDnd0ctQNKVUJS0519apf/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+5.39.34+PM.png" width="313" /></a></div>
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Mine obviously says "Mrs. Shafer," not "Ms. Clark." I LOVE IT!!</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0T09BP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="327" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfPSpm0yfpcnC4_hSrBHAdy9HM9k9f-CYrJFhATPuXIr_YnhW3IcdqEdZEZOZRcbYRRykUS3DZ3uHfPsQOrkXG49uCVUJ7Jlom7JkeXNEs7qWNRT5udInmuRLRxwFgPs7OHUGKIf2W0zl/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+5.41.27+PM.png" width="242" /></a></div>
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I also nabbed these adorable stickers from Amazon to customize my planner. They were only $15, and there are 1,733 stickers in the pack! Michaels carries this set, too, but since the closest Michaels store is an hour away, I let Amazon do the work for me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkYpzmuNKn6W3zBzdBGdKm4VkZL_jmam6nZEm1TYCMaE7pbBUp1b8Q4O5PH9HoIBzpFbmsknWnUCPcNKMVefJkDsKv5KNgOhwHruxfbPcAA5iygdlkkL6r3p1PhpID-UxuZ8KFB3JOgUF/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+5.43.39+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="369" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkYpzmuNKn6W3zBzdBGdKm4VkZL_jmam6nZEm1TYCMaE7pbBUp1b8Q4O5PH9HoIBzpFbmsknWnUCPcNKMVefJkDsKv5KNgOhwHruxfbPcAA5iygdlkkL6r3p1PhpID-UxuZ8KFB3JOgUF/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+5.43.39+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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You already knew this, right? I don't know where I'd be without binder clips, Post-It notes, clothespins, and good pens. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMJsIHcpsNPXp458ZDktbzzDawCTs3PJH5wO66S0nAGUeijAEk7stOGTuLqFsbHrF3qaTke4CML8TA0a_VPm-5gpHxZUE3JIgj6y4SXq1pomb_RjKobvqHpdmiu0-xgsdM5tXWAqvTRwR/s1600/159943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMJsIHcpsNPXp458ZDktbzzDawCTs3PJH5wO66S0nAGUeijAEk7stOGTuLqFsbHrF3qaTke4CML8TA0a_VPm-5gpHxZUE3JIgj6y4SXq1pomb_RjKobvqHpdmiu0-xgsdM5tXWAqvTRwR/s320/159943.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had a set like these from <a href="http://www.reallygoodstuff.com/">Really Good Stuff</a> that I LOVED! But as I was creating my new classroom decor set, I decided to make my own!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcJMlVw8g2MLv1ss1m6rMxsImBtGrpAGRv7gkdo4Ii4ZpMGYP63TTjflecegGLZVncLFOrxwCC4595kTDDr8WYoAdHOrAPNAs9LHQz36uNnnfpLBE7LIOL4bLLVp4aJnULlRJg1czNeUs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+6.19.41+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="118" data-original-width="120" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgcJMlVw8g2MLv1ss1m6rMxsImBtGrpAGRv7gkdo4Ii4ZpMGYP63TTjflecegGLZVncLFOrxwCC4595kTDDr8WYoAdHOrAPNAs9LHQz36uNnnfpLBE7LIOL4bLLVp4aJnULlRJg1czNeUs/s200/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+6.19.41+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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I just laminated and hot glued these little tags on clothespins. Game changer!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjak2k8fEY-A7C0EYICGDIzEu-bHF-UT2jstG_naZajPX0UxXREc1mnQyR2oauBStBp7Bs-xTxJpiO4Fd6WWx0Xt5vQFD7jXWA1lLSVEJzzmRyRh2CkFOCvL7l8fX2Ji8JWzuN5l1OrdO9h/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+6.20.47+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="298" data-original-width="372" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjak2k8fEY-A7C0EYICGDIzEu-bHF-UT2jstG_naZajPX0UxXREc1mnQyR2oauBStBp7Bs-xTxJpiO4Fd6WWx0Xt5vQFD7jXWA1lLSVEJzzmRyRh2CkFOCvL7l8fX2Ji8JWzuN5l1OrdO9h/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+6.20.47+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I honestly don't know how I lived before Google Keep came into my life. {Wait. That's not true. I do know. I used boring old Sticky Notes on my desktop.} My husband introduced me to it, and it has transformed the way I keep myself organized, both personally and professionally. Never heard of it? Just Google "Google Keep" and check it out for yourself!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1IweDCtghkTp3MHncHdIwItWLjAo4ON1fh1VYfgW7lQMaAQC2jLR5MHHLIa2mYv9fTv_8TpQVe0QPOaljLeM-fqWxTBtyB-7LL6-EdwoOPzwBZuMioKItox6guAPPr2K9NEqd68kez_R/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+6.33.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="923" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1IweDCtghkTp3MHncHdIwItWLjAo4ON1fh1VYfgW7lQMaAQC2jLR5MHHLIa2mYv9fTv_8TpQVe0QPOaljLeM-fqWxTBtyB-7LL6-EdwoOPzwBZuMioKItox6guAPPr2K9NEqd68kez_R/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+6.33.40+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is just a glimpse of the lists I keep on Google Keep. You can color code, add images, and insert links. Oh, and of course, there's an app, so you can access it on all of your devices!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5bXLA5BtgJwUX2_pPNJd7wTdRIvp-wwrM5Zla4bVMBihi_e7OqWlpWRK3Hdz_EKi8mnZ2kaOb13fcrMxC3Ne4_WxsyUOtTYYhD_MggB9Yq5JGv9inuYqI1FMCLNG09LweMyE1M0P_JdD/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+6.37.27+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="366" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5bXLA5BtgJwUX2_pPNJd7wTdRIvp-wwrM5Zla4bVMBihi_e7OqWlpWRK3Hdz_EKi8mnZ2kaOb13fcrMxC3Ne4_WxsyUOtTYYhD_MggB9Yq5JGv9inuYqI1FMCLNG09LweMyE1M0P_JdD/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+6.37.27+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is another no-brainer. I've been buying baskets at Dollar Tree for years. My baskets have baskets. It's out of control. I use them for <u>everything</u>. I especially love the knock-off Gladware containers for storing all of my math manipulatives. And hey, guess what?? I have labels for them in my new decor set! {Shameless plug, I know.}</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfhYPN0qqOfjju8w42ls7p1JnTSnQxRs-55xcvzJZRoeUBuvWTT5p5VravHSO_HO2N2OnT83P45IZSdYNe0G-5lMXEnpCpBFOhIxgP13VMGWe4Jku6lg-RemRPVBVy6nHnzWuMT9PoD3G/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+6.42.35+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="622" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfhYPN0qqOfjju8w42ls7p1JnTSnQxRs-55xcvzJZRoeUBuvWTT5p5VravHSO_HO2N2OnT83P45IZSdYNe0G-5lMXEnpCpBFOhIxgP13VMGWe4Jku6lg-RemRPVBVy6nHnzWuMT9PoD3G/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+6.42.35+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just laminate the little buggers and hot glue them to the front of the containers. I've had mine for three years, and I've only had to replace one in all those years.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DqKO7fnDMzLxi8qmkJvo6TUe6PG0BUxZA3OEs8BJvfTzApwwwcuCD2cOJqmFhN5ihtj03O9-kDg9w4zum8Af9UY2j6j7I3rNvOMRYFDSK_kEL1vlyqNaDFQgN_8rPVsYEgqsxPCmieuj/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+6.43.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="369" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-DqKO7fnDMzLxi8qmkJvo6TUe6PG0BUxZA3OEs8BJvfTzApwwwcuCD2cOJqmFhN5ihtj03O9-kDg9w4zum8Af9UY2j6j7I3rNvOMRYFDSK_kEL1vlyqNaDFQgN_8rPVsYEgqsxPCmieuj/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+6.43.49+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I saw Teacher Toolboxes all over Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest a few summers ago, and I knew I needed to make myself one.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uN7uBBuSU7ToPtRb3Yn2AxYaQv0wyFLlucxmVdDiBQr3wy4DmyJIVV_RDo0u_ivP1ximg3ZwMtSOEdhgOWRFn2iwkGpJ9qrsEllH8i83MwmjM9q1wNliSJyzpFjpmSeklb7U1sutLcRA/s1600/IMG_1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1195" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-uN7uBBuSU7ToPtRb3Yn2AxYaQv0wyFLlucxmVdDiBQr3wy4DmyJIVV_RDo0u_ivP1ximg3ZwMtSOEdhgOWRFn2iwkGpJ9qrsEllH8i83MwmjM9q1wNliSJyzpFjpmSeklb7U1sutLcRA/s320/IMG_1944.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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This is what my old one looked like. Not the cutest, but it kept all of my supplies handy!</div>
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I made a new set of Teacher Toolbox labels to match my new classroom decor, PLUS I spray painted the container black {in case you're wondering, vegetable oil gets spray paint off your hands}. I wish I had taken a picture of the final product, but I was able to get it finished before the end of the school year, so it's in my closet at school.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuCPSqyWKmt2RtlzKlFErJCXSc-uRSBNguCiqxpfD_hRoIgq8KGge37ufY-M-ID0GnAtRXRQnMx37vKRyMpp2uPy6x-mdqg3lEbl4uifb6lewmkeYKYeO84Zs6yJGCZAQX0Pzx6Y__cSb/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.08.59+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="634" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuCPSqyWKmt2RtlzKlFErJCXSc-uRSBNguCiqxpfD_hRoIgq8KGge37ufY-M-ID0GnAtRXRQnMx37vKRyMpp2uPy6x-mdqg3lEbl4uifb6lewmkeYKYeO84Zs6yJGCZAQX0Pzx6Y__cSb/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.08.59+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5iRPLXCoQgE49JWWxo1Gp0gjIXKQVaX4Ua5Ye3GQFjzTtt4bua7FrtCHSmi_Y176y-zaxeWJ0APaD8fBWEMrMS6_5VNdZdR-U_xoG0sPLI-SbrTz-rCxS-gzNc92ebCAPK3woUZ4mhuO/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.09.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="634" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5iRPLXCoQgE49JWWxo1Gp0gjIXKQVaX4Ua5Ye3GQFjzTtt4bua7FrtCHSmi_Y176y-zaxeWJ0APaD8fBWEMrMS6_5VNdZdR-U_xoG0sPLI-SbrTz-rCxS-gzNc92ebCAPK3woUZ4mhuO/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.09.05+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I made two different options, and they're fully editable, so you can change them to meet your needs.</div>
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And finally...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmdM328e-TJRjpkuT4WlPyK_JaPRTy1e8yBO5PEkmhPFfm-mIeWldM25iPa1ZasrQevuLhMw1ouFwxePn7dHg35zoOIjufGfHzwwBgKR6W1ov96T6FpGqiSzm4P7XgyqlQ2Rw9VmmC7Oh/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.10.58+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="368" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpmdM328e-TJRjpkuT4WlPyK_JaPRTy1e8yBO5PEkmhPFfm-mIeWldM25iPa1ZasrQevuLhMw1ouFwxePn7dHg35zoOIjufGfHzwwBgKR6W1ov96T6FpGqiSzm4P7XgyqlQ2Rw9VmmC7Oh/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.10.58+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. I label everything that isn't nailed down in my classroom: cabinets, drawers, baskets, containers. You name it, I've labeled it. I started doing this about ten years ago when I was preparing to go on maternity leave with Princess A, and I wanted to be sure that my substitute could find what she needed while I was out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7_SUdCmhJGDcAJ_25IKZ-MYvkRbnABPxlAy1b3vK7_-y2M-BSspgcEFdCACeDEP0neSgmu5QLzSfX-UNsXSU_C3SrnbPdg5g6d8ssFbv1U6EGD7at9KGAy915vBp05-gnpKdDZl627_W/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.12.53+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="660" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7_SUdCmhJGDcAJ_25IKZ-MYvkRbnABPxlAy1b3vK7_-y2M-BSspgcEFdCACeDEP0neSgmu5QLzSfX-UNsXSU_C3SrnbPdg5g6d8ssFbv1U6EGD7at9KGAy915vBp05-gnpKdDZl627_W/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.12.53+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Labels for Daily Five baskets.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaRoFH1dLBkWv4SaUQW8bu5hTLG8-b7vtuAPOdjanBlX3kUrGB13N7Yu2oieb0kBp_b1GiOR9NPyH_wjcvwMX0Bn_-JnHbxwIsvgG5MCg-zdhOkrNyUOqIoFxnlAjBQistW9vsowFtlqi/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.13.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="635" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaRoFH1dLBkWv4SaUQW8bu5hTLG8-b7vtuAPOdjanBlX3kUrGB13N7Yu2oieb0kBp_b1GiOR9NPyH_wjcvwMX0Bn_-JnHbxwIsvgG5MCg-zdhOkrNyUOqIoFxnlAjBQistW9vsowFtlqi/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.13.03+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Labels for Fun Friday baskets.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWwIJP64c3loOQFM4NjK3jRrhOYI9DWr6B7SFsdciAC9rKUqIb0TRA0IYxVRrejVYqRIReLBAOgPTK9YY75BUVZ8LjKdUNw_mxlBKWrHd0qA3II837fbm754kgFUafBt1crff9L9gnelK/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.13.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="380" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqWwIJP64c3loOQFM4NjK3jRrhOYI9DWr6B7SFsdciAC9rKUqIb0TRA0IYxVRrejVYqRIReLBAOgPTK9YY75BUVZ8LjKdUNw_mxlBKWrHd0qA3II837fbm754kgFUafBt1crff9L9gnelK/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.13.26+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Labels for community school supplies.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4KEy5GIia_oA9ShHr18fZNn75y23WeBGvHu_7AiyI5UbRxbNsXvnmkOBWJBisLhDFY80nTyKIqhau3P_dM3fPOK8NxzDF_3_86A9HXRgclpJAyrROTdGobgPxICQDjS0Qo-eGNfmhTAe/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.13.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="706" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4KEy5GIia_oA9ShHr18fZNn75y23WeBGvHu_7AiyI5UbRxbNsXvnmkOBWJBisLhDFY80nTyKIqhau3P_dM3fPOK8NxzDF_3_86A9HXRgclpJAyrROTdGobgPxICQDjS0Qo-eGNfmhTAe/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+7.13.49+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Number labels {in every size you can imagine}.</div>
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Phew! So, there you have it. I realized as I was writing this post that I mentioned my new classroom decor set so much, I may as well give one away! Comment below AND head over to my Instagram page to be entered to win this HUGE 140 page pack!</div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="e71e8ba06" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e71e8ba06/" id="rcwidget_l04k4wah" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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Enjoy what's left of your weekend!</div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />
Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-83059719309193236902017-06-12T15:05:00.000-04:002017-06-12T15:05:00.574-04:00Monday Made ItIT'S SUMMER!!!!!! Sorry. I had to get that out of my system. School officially ended for me last Friday, and I'm super excited to be home with my kiddos for almost three full months!<br />
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But, even as this school year was ending, I was already thinking about next year. I couldn't help myself! First, a little backstory. A month or so ago, I decided to have my blog custom designed by the lovely ladies over at <a href="http://www.blogsfitforaqueen.com/">Blogs Fit for a Queen</a>. It was time for a change. I've had the same blog design since 2013 (!!!!), and I was ready for an update. They've sent me some AMAZING ideas, and we're still making some adjustments to the final design. But I can say for sure that it will be a black and white polka dot theme with pops of bright blue, pink, and lime green. Squeeeeeee!!<br />
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So, I decided to create a classroom decor set to match my new blog design! And that's where my <a href="http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2017/06/monday-made-it-kickoff-summer-2017.html">Monday Made I</a>t comes in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHvLJ8UobHJ3r5S0FCSBm9QXdkz8yfqq6AXK6sR7cfbxx7EOmCnsjXoP4zadZ-U3IUWB3jjyTxQ0Z4xbLjsWdN5hXUPDg7LJHsDGE1bHSMTAnHOPne_wWqTZdbjCiHxzTwzl_ud6EBKVd/s1600/Monday+Made+It+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHvLJ8UobHJ3r5S0FCSBm9QXdkz8yfqq6AXK6sR7cfbxx7EOmCnsjXoP4zadZ-U3IUWB3jjyTxQ0Z4xbLjsWdN5hXUPDg7LJHsDGE1bHSMTAnHOPne_wWqTZdbjCiHxzTwzl_ud6EBKVd/s1600/Monday+Made+It+1.png" /></a></div>
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This pack is LOADED with tons of resources (140+ pages) to help keep your classroom brightly decorated and organized. Let me show you a few of my favorite!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QCMgi0t583qI79OhMZfzQUePM54U65g6h0Sh2UfxmEnBjFmVp8f4pA3cUVzC-DVXxNh8JLeitvFW2kBlBjWnkhZ-Fy3uhoUuePeygTexq8Z6xQa1XYM8N-WI5bplKkHRaFPGSsp0BLc6/s1600/Button+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QCMgi0t583qI79OhMZfzQUePM54U65g6h0Sh2UfxmEnBjFmVp8f4pA3cUVzC-DVXxNh8JLeitvFW2kBlBjWnkhZ-Fy3uhoUuePeygTexq8Z6xQa1XYM8N-WI5bplKkHRaFPGSsp0BLc6/s200/Button+1.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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I am positively in love with the set of classroom rules that I made to coordinate with this set. I printed them as 8x10s, and I framed them in plastic frames from Dollar Tree. I'm planning to display them above my cabinets where my students can always see and refer to them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8QDDoITp6AzQAumlqFLVdSVhgMnlqAnygTvx-qudlE1A2N44WzRyiLLIJXLHy5QJXIFJgwd4xPKcxdEDYEDRHazZhLpFPiKqJWhchbnaXdb5EFPW14RWkRiy2pox_IgzumLMPO8xgJ1v/s1600/18951129_1053545584747664_7955181505049644912_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="960" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8QDDoITp6AzQAumlqFLVdSVhgMnlqAnygTvx-qudlE1A2N44WzRyiLLIJXLHy5QJXIFJgwd4xPKcxdEDYEDRHazZhLpFPiKqJWhchbnaXdb5EFPW14RWkRiy2pox_IgzumLMPO8xgJ1v/s320/18951129_1053545584747664_7955181505049644912_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm planning to create a set of matching motivational quotes that will match this set, too. Maybe for next week's Monday Made It?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQ8F9RtHHbbX6urAP_aoMHcZj-LA_6K6KzKDYhGmOoYCVt8MkkQc1bwUWLtHU24AC1TEOrJY-RVVknw74diQ0i9wAZ_2whiGJqkR1raFa2xrQ8q0Nxfu2UC8Pq1EM_TNEiUVzH0JKBr5b/s1600/Button+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQ8F9RtHHbbX6urAP_aoMHcZj-LA_6K6KzKDYhGmOoYCVt8MkkQc1bwUWLtHU24AC1TEOrJY-RVVknw74diQ0i9wAZ_2whiGJqkR1raFa2xrQ8q0Nxfu2UC8Pq1EM_TNEiUVzH0JKBr5b/s200/Button+2.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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Have you tried your hand at giant bulletin board letters? I've watched a few tutorials, and I've seen some adorable examples on Instagram and Facebook, so I decided to give it a go.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iy4mNpgvi-P-dBg5mFcMhKrG11xNYgKlIc6xaZLAYDgxrvKxAvsQV2mvANqDAf-qMq1Be_7JuroPY4Tu3AEpcRuwbeup6B7StepzFDnDEQzs2MejAJcLvzZKlqQ0qp9KQ-nA31wPn300/s1600/19030462_1055951847840371_2115760385157786448_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="960" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iy4mNpgvi-P-dBg5mFcMhKrG11xNYgKlIc6xaZLAYDgxrvKxAvsQV2mvANqDAf-qMq1Be_7JuroPY4Tu3AEpcRuwbeup6B7StepzFDnDEQzs2MejAJcLvzZKlqQ0qp9KQ-nA31wPn300/s320/19030462_1055951847840371_2115760385157786448_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm not going to lie to you: that "o" gave me a major headache. Thank goodness for a cutting board and an Exacto tool! I have three more sets to print, laminate, and cut out some time this summer. </div>
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If you like what you see, my entire pack is 20% off in <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Black-and-White-Polka-Dot-Classroom-Decor-Set-with-BRIGHTS-Fully-Editable-3196245">my TPT store</a> until Wednesday. It's HUGE and it's a true labor of love.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxXL5Mo-Fq0pxmQv6IfeWd5yjgTu4haIliNEEqyfRPYAgOzOYseIbBvYZz1bRCNQ77LXE-frBTZ1NerD7A4PNxw-phKjkce-ed02uXcq6cl9EsXULYO1hSb4RVZ0WoGs7OJKnbvVX_fAe/s1600/19059995_1057143681054521_3793262439608615252_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="495" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxXL5Mo-Fq0pxmQv6IfeWd5yjgTu4haIliNEEqyfRPYAgOzOYseIbBvYZz1bRCNQ77LXE-frBTZ1NerD7A4PNxw-phKjkce-ed02uXcq6cl9EsXULYO1hSb4RVZ0WoGs7OJKnbvVX_fAe/s320/19059995_1057143681054521_3793262439608615252_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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I'll be back next Monday with some more fun stuff that I've made. Hope you head over to <a href="http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2017/06/monday-made-it-kickoff-summer-2017.html">4th Grade Frolics </a>and link up!</div>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-47191182134079812632016-12-17T18:41:00.000-05:002016-12-17T21:17:44.426-05:00You Make a Difference! As a teacher, I don't always know the impact that I have had on my students. True, I've heard the occasional heart-warming story about an especially remarkable teacher who inspired her students to go on to do remarkable things. I sometimes receive kind, thoughtful notes of thanks from the parents of my students. And once in awhile, I even have former students come back to visit me, just to give me a hug or to say "Hello." These are all <i>wonderful</i> experiences, and they remind me why I became a teacher in the first place. It is not every day, however, that a former student seeks me out to tell me that is she considering becoming a first grade teacher because of the experience she had in my class ten years ago. What this beautiful, poised, articulate, sixteen year-old doesn't know, though, is that the year that she was in my first grade class was one of the most difficult years I've ever had, both personally and professionally. Most mornings, her sweet face was what motivated me to get out of bed and go to work. I'm not usually one to share personal details on my blog, but this story bears telling.<br />
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Ten years ago, I was teaching first grade for the first time after having taught Kindergarten and Pre-K for five years. I had a new administrator, our school's population was booming, and I was teaching in a former teachers' lounge (it was <i>tiny</i>). I tried to maximize the space I had, but we were still cramped, and I felt claustrophobic. The silver lining was that I had a wonderful class. I was especially excited to have a little girl, named Faith, in my class. Her mother worked with my close friend, so I had had the opportunity to meet Faith on several occasions, and she was an absolute joy: she had a sweet, gap-toothed smile that lit up the room, and she was incredibly enthusiastic about school. In short, she was the student that we all dream about!<br />
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In October, I found out that I was pregnant with our first baby. I was equal parts thrilled and terrified, and I couldn't wait to share the news with my students (in retrospect, I should have). I read them the book, <i>Our Teacher's Having a Baby</i>, by Eve Bunting, and the students' reactions were priceless. The week before my husband and I prepared to travel to Western Pennsylvania to visit his family for Thanksgiving, I started to sense that something wasn't right with the pregnancy. I called my midwife in a panic, and she assured me that everything was fine and that it was safe to travel. On Thanksgiving night, though, I knew for certain that I was starting to lose the baby. By the time we arrived at the emergency room in Maryland, it was too late. I lost the pregnancy at nine weeks, and I stayed home for a week to process what had happened and to physically recover. An understanding colleague was kind enough to find an age-appropriate way to explain to my students what had happened, but their innocent questions still threw me for a serious loop when I returned to work.<br />
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I only worked for a week and a half before it was time for Winter Break, and the week we returned to school, I had a run-in with my administrator. Between leftover pregnancy hormones and the discomfort that I felt professionally, I really started to struggle. Looking back, I'm ashamed of my behavior that year: I was short-tempered, I snapped at my students, and I didn't have any patience for poor performance and bad behavior. My students and their families deserved more from me.<br />
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Through it all, though, it was Faith's smile that I saw in the morning as I lay in bed, trying to muster up the motivation and the enthusiasm to face my twenty-two little first graders. I just couldn't bear to let her down. I made it through the remainder of the school year, and in March, I found out I was expecting sweet Princess A. I waited to read <i>Our Teacher's Having a Baby</i> until my second trimester this time, and my students were thrilled to find out that I was expecting again.<br />
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At the end of the school year, I had the opportunity to transfer to another school in my county, and I taught third grade there for three years. The year that I was expecting Deedle, I had Faith in my third grade class. What an unexpected treat to be able to be her teacher twice!<br />
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Now, Faith is sixteen years old, and she is debating a career in either teaching (YAY!!) or nursing. She reached out to me on Facebook, and she asked me for some advice and how I decided to become a teacher. Now, that's a tough one! Here's the response I sent her:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hi Faith! It's so great to hear from you! I love being able to keep up with you via Facebook...looks like things are going really well for you! Hard to believe you're starting to look at colleges..sure makes me feel old! Trying to decide between nursing and teaching is a tough choice; both are challenging, yet incredibly rewarding careers. I always knew that I wanted to work with children (my mom ran an in-home daycare when I was growing up, so I was always helping her), but it wasn't until after I spent a year teaching music and preschool (yep, both!) at a private school right after college that I knew I wanted to make teaching my career. I had to go back to school to get a second degree and my certification, but it was well worth the hard work. I've been teaching now for fifteen years, and there are so many things I love about my job. First, it has never felt like a job; every day is different, and every day, something new, fun, or exciting happens. I genuinely look forward to going to work every day. But more than that, I love my job because there is nothing that compares to the moment that a child figures out the "reading code" and reads independently and with confidence for the first time; I still get goosebumps when it happens! I won't lie to you: teaching is time-consuming, heart-wrenching, and exhausting, but in my opinion, it is the best career out there. Regardless of what path you choose, Faith, I know without a doubt that you will be successful; you were, and always will be a remarkable young woman, and I know that you will go far! Please let me know if I can do anything to help as you work toward making a decision; you're always welcome to come spend some time in my classroom if you'd like to get a better feel for the profession. Best of luck! </span></div>
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She decided that she would like to come spend some time in my classroom, so yesterday, she spent the afternoon with my hopped-up, Christmas-crazy little first graders. She was <i>amazing</i> with them, and they all adored her. They can't wait for her to come back!<br />
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While she was in my classroom, we had the opportunity to chat, and I was completely floored when she shared some of the memories she has of the year I taught her in first grade. While I thought our classroom was cramped and claustrophobic, she happily recalled sitting in our cubby area, playing game after game of "Sparkle." She didn't mention remembering my first pregnancy or how short-tempered I was that year, but she did mention how excited she was when I told them that I was pregnant with Princess A. And the best part? When she looks back on all of her school experiences, she considers first grade to be her best one. She is leaning toward going to school to work toward a degree in elementary education, and ideally, she would like to teach first grade.<br />
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So, see? We never really know the impact that we have on our students.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZIz4vr2CtDYQXx2umRpiAJcRcC763QPC5P0PYONz_tvCpvCtQGG6mukWwbtAB7xkicFsqYDFZPeMV9wDUNlQ3ntY3QQsOM745U1fUot8HHx19fItAJTBKlmqpGVOIInphigBJyiXQ8MA/s1600/1741580637-Teacher_Printable_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZIz4vr2CtDYQXx2umRpiAJcRcC763QPC5P0PYONz_tvCpvCtQGG6mukWwbtAB7xkicFsqYDFZPeMV9wDUNlQ3ntY3QQsOM745U1fUot8HHx19fItAJTBKlmqpGVOIInphigBJyiXQ8MA/s1600/1741580637-Teacher_Printable_5.jpg" /></a></div>
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As it turns out, I needed Faith that year as much as she needed me. And for that, I will always be grateful to her.<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-660359792468586922016-11-26T12:49:00.001-05:002016-11-26T12:50:06.856-05:00Time to be Thankful {and a GIVEAWAY!}I'm a blogging slacker. But I promise, I've been really active on both Instagram and Facebook! It's just my poor little blog that's been taking a hit.<br />
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So, what have I been up to these past few months? LOTS!! Stick with me as I fill you in on what has been happening in my little world, and there will be a fun giveaway at the end of the post!<br />
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The beginning of the school year was hectic, which is to be expected. But it only took a month or so to get routines and expectations established, and I quickly discovered that I have been blessed (again!) with a group of fun, hard-working, special little firsties.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2fOOjQ1RSezJvLFvx9ylMh5TWuHc-9CpO2tJNIlpShzX_UkrQ3NfZqBU21sZoMo39MTEMqIRzhtXOQair1XmxIiGacPVJvzsJ9FIGLTngvEDNNs6OuhZ9lfzd3wiW3PtL6GLldLHpEd9/s1600/13879439_825457734223118_2484646315765128093_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2fOOjQ1RSezJvLFvx9ylMh5TWuHc-9CpO2tJNIlpShzX_UkrQ3NfZqBU21sZoMo39MTEMqIRzhtXOQair1XmxIiGacPVJvzsJ9FIGLTngvEDNNs6OuhZ9lfzd3wiW3PtL6GLldLHpEd9/s320/13879439_825457734223118_2484646315765128093_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This picture was taken by our superintendent during the first week of school. Smiles and raised hands make my heart happy!</div>
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During the first few weeks of school, I realized that my classroom really needed some flexible seating options during our Daily Five rotations. So, I attempted my first Donors Choose project, and I was incredibly fortunate to have my project fully funded in less than a week!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFTHS53g1yXqetFiMf2gLd1OA6UsIcDZeTVDlGnUtCZHNDhVwIyfuL_r1otpBiQKbmX80ROw87lxDwmBnaCTD2ebnnO7Dqw1BBtM1VGGlqI2gscNBjDd7BjJZbKlcpE57BwwkbKytEWk6/s1600/14191951_833743173394574_1266011735707308067_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFTHS53g1yXqetFiMf2gLd1OA6UsIcDZeTVDlGnUtCZHNDhVwIyfuL_r1otpBiQKbmX80ROw87lxDwmBnaCTD2ebnnO7Dqw1BBtM1VGGlqI2gscNBjDd7BjJZbKlcpE57BwwkbKytEWk6/s320/14191951_833743173394574_1266011735707308067_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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We are now the proud owners of four fuzzy rugs, two bean bag chairs, two yoga ball chairs, and four bounce cushions. These new seating options have completely transformed my rotations, and I'm so grateful!</div>
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It's not all about the kiddos (well, it is). But I also decided to use some of my TPT earnings to make my own work space a little more "me."</div>
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"Hamilton" quotes behind my desk make me happy!</div>
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My favorite casual Friday shirt. Do you sense a theme (or an obsession)?</div>
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In an effort to keep both my students and myself better organized this year, I did some revamping of old systems.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-X7MuLJ5lJSdaZ67ypV-ra5fQl7U8hhzb-YHUtAcvQfsrasWvvk7zLayAeovxtsbPZSz11ViFLcNhyphenhyphenkvm-icNAHmk5dKomSFuK_RCtWNam1GjruB3DA19BXLwuivYQL_8doY8yWYg9bb-/s1600/14358642_842176362551255_4238523337507215674_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-X7MuLJ5lJSdaZ67ypV-ra5fQl7U8hhzb-YHUtAcvQfsrasWvvk7zLayAeovxtsbPZSz11ViFLcNhyphenhyphenkvm-icNAHmk5dKomSFuK_RCtWNam1GjruB3DA19BXLwuivYQL_8doY8yWYg9bb-/s320/14358642_842176362551255_4238523337507215674_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My old filing system is on the left. It worked for awhile, but now that we're using Engage NY for math, there are TONS more papers to file! So I am now using 3-drawer storage to keep my weekly files organized. I'm loving it!</div>
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My kiddos are becoming more organized, too! Every Monday morning, they are given time to get their desks straight for the week. The Desk Fairy and Desk Police (Princess A) visit on Thursday after school. It's been super motivating for my students!</div>
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Over the summer, a good friend and teaching colleague <strike>pressured</strike> convinced me to work toward earning my Administrative Certificate. I took my first course over the summer, and this coming week, I'll finish up my second class. I've always loved school (obviously!), so I don't mind the class time or work that's involved, but it does make life a bit more hectic than it already was.</div>
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I'm not a huge fan of reading from textbooks, but the class that I'm currently taking is really interesting!</div>
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So now that you've been kind enough to stick with me through this meandering blog post. it's time for a GIVEAWAY! I just posted a new product in my TPT store, and I'd love to give you the chance to win it. It's my High Frequency Word Fluency and Fun Pack! The description is below:</div>
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<i>Are you looking for a fun, interactive way for your students to practice their sight words daily? I created this file to help my little ones practice and reinforce their quarterly sight words. They must read each sight word out loud as a class, and then, the students do a simple exercise (run in place, push-ups, jumping jacks, etc.) for about ten seconds. You can either move the slides manually (I use my remote pointer as I walk around the classroom), OR you can set your own timing in the PowerPoint file so that the slides move automatically.</i><br />
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<i>These words are the high frequency words that my district assesses each quarter, so they may be different than yours, but this file is FULLY EDITABLE! You can edit it to meet your needs! Each quarter is a different color to help you stay organized.</i><br />
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All you have to do to enter is leave a blog post comment, telling me what you are thankful for this holiday season, and head on over to my Facebook page (I'd love it if you'd "like" my page, but it isn't mandatory). The giveaway begins today, and it will end on Princess A's ninth birthday, December 2nd.<br />
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="e71e8ba05" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e71e8ba05/" id="rcwidget_ppvhil51" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
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Stay tuned for a fun Maryland Instagram hop that's coming soon!<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" /></div>
Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-22337385943108796442016-08-14T14:46:00.001-04:002016-08-14T14:48:51.695-04:00First Ever Maryland Teacher Meet Up! {Plus a Giveaway!}So, yesterday, a few bloggy friends {Michelle from <a href="http://www.pocketfulofprimary.com/">A Pocketful of Primary</a>, Ashley from <a href="http://thesassyschoolteacher.blogspot.com/">The Sassy School Teacher</a>, and Caitlin from <a href="http://caitscoolschool.blogspot.com/">Cait's Cool School</a>} and I held our first Maryland Teacher Meet Up, and it was even more amazing than I could have imagined! Teachers from all over Maryland traveled to Baltimore to join us, and the food, conversation, and new friendships made were just fantastic!<br />
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What a creative, lively group of ladies!</div>
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The lighting wasn't the best, but the venue was great! We held it at <a href="http://www.langermanns.com/home/">Langermann's</a> in Canton, and we had the entire top floor to ourselves. There was plenty of room for everyone, and the set-up was perfect.</div>
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Did I mention the food??? I love a good brunch buffet, and this one didn't disappoint. There was fresh fruit, some delicious sweet bread {not sure what it was, but it was tasty!}, pancakes, bacon, sausage, home fries {with Old Bay, naturally}, and some of the best grits I've ever had. I'm not ashamed to admit that I went back for seconds.</div>
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I thoroughly enjoyed passing out the giveaway prizes to our attendees; it felt like Christmas in August!</div>
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{Apologies for the reflection in my glasses.}</div>
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Speaking of giveaways, our meet up wouldn't have possible without the incredible generosity of some amazing teacher bloggers and small businesses. THANK YOU so much to all of our sponsors!</div>
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<a href="http://www.applesandabcs.com/">Apples and ABC's</a> - <a href="http://www.thekindergartensmorgasboard.com/">Kindergarten Smorgasbord</a> - <a href="http://firstgradeblueskies.com/">First Grade Blue Skies</a> - <a href="http://www.miss-kindergarten.com/">Miss Kindergarten</a> -</div>
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<a href="http://funinfirst.com/">Fun in First Grade</a> - <a href="http://luckytobeinfirst.com/">Lucky to be in First</a> - <a href="http://www.thetututeacher.com/">The Tutu Teacher </a>- <a href="http://secondgradesugarandspice.blogspot.com/">Miss DeCarbo's Sugar and Spice</a> - </div>
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<a href="http://www.schoolgirlstyle.com/">Schoolgirl Style</a> - <a href="https://www.sitspots.com/">Sit Spots</a> - <a href="http://www.skinit.com/">Skinit</a> - <a href="http://pamperedteacher.com/">Pampered Teacher</a> - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MrsOatesCandlesAndTarts/?fref=ts">Mrs. Oates' Candles and Tarts</a> - </div>
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<a href="https://sheilajaneteaching.com/">Sheila Jane Teaching</a> - <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/">Teachers Pay Teachers</a> - <a href="https://www.gonoodle.com/">GoNoodle</a> - <a href="http://www.seatsack.com/">Seat Sack</a> - <a href="https://cjayneteach.com/">C Jayne Teach</a> - <a href="https://www.perfectlyposh.com/bmcooper75">Brittany Cooper {Perfectly Posh}</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdorPWvAbRl0YW9GNhvTIeTX3GDa_zCAebF85hyphenhyphenRj6qapZSyDKDkmP3CACyUifMpgfbz9wEgBj76hEvFrizQ7haTfOetKVsh-wwryvLnWs-1eFo9LHCWE1Wy_ZdrLsp0fDVZCw5o-ZO1f/s1600/IMG_0439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUdorPWvAbRl0YW9GNhvTIeTX3GDa_zCAebF85hyphenhyphenRj6qapZSyDKDkmP3CACyUifMpgfbz9wEgBj76hEvFrizQ7haTfOetKVsh-wwryvLnWs-1eFo9LHCWE1Wy_ZdrLsp0fDVZCw5o-ZO1f/s320/IMG_0439.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Check out all of the amazing goodies that Heather from <a href="http://www.recipeforteaching.com/">Recipe for Teaching</a> walked away with!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8VMYGyF1iPD_dDao9eQusOLodUEUXiHUtCSTa0t7TB6dqOldL2VocP8Y4uyH8_z7FxIDPQ8M5Ru8W6-xBt1nOgcbebY0WtNUTOPRZLvFSwRbMTGuEwVVXjaPmfyVAp_I8Z3TvNN1qOXI/s1600/IMG_0442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8VMYGyF1iPD_dDao9eQusOLodUEUXiHUtCSTa0t7TB6dqOldL2VocP8Y4uyH8_z7FxIDPQ8M5Ru8W6-xBt1nOgcbebY0WtNUTOPRZLvFSwRbMTGuEwVVXjaPmfyVAp_I8Z3TvNN1qOXI/s320/IMG_0442.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Aren't they the cutest? Kimberly from <a href="http://flippingintokindergarten.blogspot.com/">Flipping Into Kindergarten</a>, Heather from <a href="http://www.recipeforteaching.com/">Recipe for Teaching</a>, and Amanda from <a href="http://primarilypenguins.blogspot.com/">Primarily Penguins</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAdK26Ijv38w8x2ZsZxvEb5n-s7uo3YbEK5yHMY7tbmt-7Ba58pBsLWASRP91OaLLC4k9UFv_LOXOhGlOU0gkQLHwVRWn3VbLDK3auT-UkB1Xgbq-c_8mht3QJi4KSl0f80ydHRVcvbpV/s1600/IMG_0444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAdK26Ijv38w8x2ZsZxvEb5n-s7uo3YbEK5yHMY7tbmt-7Ba58pBsLWASRP91OaLLC4k9UFv_LOXOhGlOU0gkQLHwVRWn3VbLDK3auT-UkB1Xgbq-c_8mht3QJi4KSl0f80ydHRVcvbpV/s320/IMG_0444.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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Yay for Amanda! She scored some great prizes, too!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qPIQVVJ-tGGiPX3t0wK4pJYi6N4hngcrC6NDD_SS9sKYEqTkAo3hMJiBMhOzfgLzJ5MCH0HhFFrwU4tARACLxFE3jbu0SqG3IoHUW63o0YX8YsGKf2UxtNw0wNdmQKfIe_5AWweirBNt/s1600/IMG_0447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qPIQVVJ-tGGiPX3t0wK4pJYi6N4hngcrC6NDD_SS9sKYEqTkAo3hMJiBMhOzfgLzJ5MCH0HhFFrwU4tARACLxFE3jbu0SqG3IoHUW63o0YX8YsGKf2UxtNw0wNdmQKfIe_5AWweirBNt/s320/IMG_0447.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Check out all of Kimberly's loot!</div>
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We don't want you to feel left out of all of the fun! So we decided to give away one of our swag bags to one lucky winner! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdSQfwE1St55un7RleLzZ0VvPXWsVG9P4-eKnUX5FwdbmqPLGpwjQ6yLRt6fGdGFdAximvRM-XjPCJqQto7-7LI8bN4L_0VJsrBSoPQioV0Ynkk-89zBkZ-0AvlsoYRxhQvI4VAYdujhO/s1600/IMG_0453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdSQfwE1St55un7RleLzZ0VvPXWsVG9P4-eKnUX5FwdbmqPLGpwjQ6yLRt6fGdGFdAximvRM-XjPCJqQto7-7LI8bN4L_0VJsrBSoPQioV0Ynkk-89zBkZ-0AvlsoYRxhQvI4VAYdujhO/s320/IMG_0453.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The swag bag contains the following:</div>
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- a Read-n-Go bag from Seat Sack</div>
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- a GoNoodle lanyard</div>
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- a Teachers Pay Teachers water bottle</div>
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-a Teachers Pay Teachers bottle of hand sanitizer</div>
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- a pamphlet from Sheila Jane Teaching</div>
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Here's how to enter:</div>
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="e71e8ba04" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e71e8ba04/" id="rcwidget_aiwztff0" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>
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Oh! And one more thing! Cristin from <a href="http://pamperedteacher.com/">The Pampered Teacher </a>was kind enough to offer our blog readers a special coupon code to use on her site! Anyone who uses the coupon code "Cheers2MD" will receive $2.00 off any order, plus a surprise bonus gift! The coupon code is good through September 1, 2016.</div>
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Thank you again to everyone who made our meet up possible! We can't wait for next year!</div>
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</div>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-87354119737107556412016-07-28T15:12:00.000-04:002016-07-28T20:31:15.409-04:00The Parent Communication Tool That Changed My LifeI've been meaning to blog about this topic for the past six months, but life kept getting in the way! You know how it goes. But before the new school year starts, I wanted to be sure to tell you about the parent communication tool that literally changed my life. Seriously.<br />
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{Disclaimer: This post is <i>entirely</i> my professional opinion. I am not being paid to discuss Bloomz. It is simply a tool that I found works well for me in my classroom.}<br />
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Last summer, as I was doing my usual blog <strike>stalking</strike> reading, I happened to catch <a href="http://missnelsonsgotthecamera.blogspot.com/2015/07/fabulous-find.html">Run! Miss Nelson's Got the Camera's</a> post about an app that replaces all of the other communication tools in your classroom. I was intrigued! I've tried every trick in the book to keep parents informed about what is happening in my classroom: weekly and monthly newsletters, Remind.com, frequent reminders, emails, etc. You name it, I tried it. Each tool had its benefits, but it frustrated me that there wasn't one singular tool that could do it all. Until now.<br />
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Well, hello, <a href="https://www.bloomz.net/">Bloomz</a>! Bloomz is "one app for all your parent communication. Teachers can safely communicate with parents, share class photos and updates, and coordinate through volunteer and conference signups." It literally does it all. So, how does it work?<br />
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Before I tell how you amazing Bloomz is, just keep in mind that it is all entirely FREE! FREE! It's a no-brainer!<br />
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OK, here goes. First, you'll need to create a user name and password. Simple. Once you've logged into Bloomz as a teacher, you are ready to set up a class.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDTLIYI38gwTMV9fHZKEdRnV7kGfWKAPBWmzM41eHsOPutpCbi4j8s7qVEoYlYO2J0f1FPPEQnDMLjpFWhon7QRkRs4RXjcAR7qfPFbTkDnhjlhr9wXtAsxdpSheOQ2_MQJ6_iLzhVz24/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-26+at+8.25.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDTLIYI38gwTMV9fHZKEdRnV7kGfWKAPBWmzM41eHsOPutpCbi4j8s7qVEoYlYO2J0f1FPPEQnDMLjpFWhon7QRkRs4RXjcAR7qfPFbTkDnhjlhr9wXtAsxdpSheOQ2_MQJ6_iLzhVz24/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-26+at+8.25.19+PM.png" /></a></div>
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Just click on "Add/Join Class." You'll be asked what your primary role is. Click "Teacher." </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqHnoCd6-6laVUugMIMYiKNNKpdtuIPwFbLTEN5dww4HDI-thchxiMEbSMcoXxPZ9aa728sCHqmkKDTEos0XgN00M8d7809rVVp2P_4gvPq9Pwrl4eB-cu3RlGI8ZL-k226olKmH1p3su/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+7.32.24+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqHnoCd6-6laVUugMIMYiKNNKpdtuIPwFbLTEN5dww4HDI-thchxiMEbSMcoXxPZ9aa728sCHqmkKDTEos0XgN00M8d7809rVVp2P_4gvPq9Pwrl4eB-cu3RlGI8ZL-k226olKmH1p3su/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+7.32.24+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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You should be able to choose your school from the drop-down menu. Assign your class a name. I used "Mrs. Shafer's Class," to keep it simple. You'll also be given the option to enable or disable parent-to-parent communication. I enabled communication between parents because I wanted to remove myself from the role of the "middle man" when it came to birthday parties, play dates, etc. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtZG7stB9jmbddH0xkZ5OdPi4wN_q16-2FXAZTQTgiHJKpVdcEJF9ynvkSGEiKAenj69SuiVzZjhQpjH1UPL8XEoZYNKy4Vcka7180-tyL0cqAO1tPrsvAeEsJiWbodohf4b8h0XVVyYq/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.13.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtZG7stB9jmbddH0xkZ5OdPi4wN_q16-2FXAZTQTgiHJKpVdcEJF9ynvkSGEiKAenj69SuiVzZjhQpjH1UPL8XEoZYNKy4Vcka7180-tyL0cqAO1tPrsvAeEsJiWbodohf4b8h0XVVyYq/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.13.00+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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See? There's the class I created! Easy, right?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS8EwcfjrugX4SKGnRppkUBSjn9YJfnZCHZwDL9anv7YQEr2qMTAs2nFQabGje4r7kxCLt5Wg9_5sTNowqnZaoMmxMwPEy1iFYVWeBnzYDzCHF5SqYhtLH0GVBTtmXjp6wlHPX51JR_yT/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.14.44+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS8EwcfjrugX4SKGnRppkUBSjn9YJfnZCHZwDL9anv7YQEr2qMTAs2nFQabGje4r7kxCLt5Wg9_5sTNowqnZaoMmxMwPEy1iFYVWeBnzYDzCHF5SqYhtLH0GVBTtmXjp6wlHPX51JR_yT/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.14.44+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can even customize your profile picture and cover photo! It's like Facebook for the classroom.</div>
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The next step is to invite parents to join your class on Bloomz. So, at our Get Acquainted Conferences, I explained what Bloomz is to all of my parents, and I made sure to have them all provide me with a current email address that they check regularly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1jfY8FKUSv-Sy-aZG7mnYVzhOFH9ETuUYRhHaGiXEEPWScHikSjiSKUidcsk6Xf9MDtCz1tbe43HTwDmlXtpPAWSb9r5uVAd4YkzvxRZEZJ28lEoIH5CwwsV6S5P-k0P-Ug07hfY-dxC/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-26+at+8.09.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1jfY8FKUSv-Sy-aZG7mnYVzhOFH9ETuUYRhHaGiXEEPWScHikSjiSKUidcsk6Xf9MDtCz1tbe43HTwDmlXtpPAWSb9r5uVAd4YkzvxRZEZJ28lEoIH5CwwsV6S5P-k0P-Ug07hfY-dxC/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-07-26+at+8.09.18+PM.png" width="297" /></a></div>
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{Side note: I've been using <a href="http://www.peaceloveandfirstgrade.com/search/label/Meet%20the%20Teacher">Peace, Love, and First Grade's Meet the Teacher pack</a> for the past two years, and I absolutely love it! This page is from her editable pack.}</div>
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I made sure to reassure my parents that Bloomz is completely secure. It is an invitation-only network, and new members can only gain access through an invitation from an existing member. As if that isn't secure enough, parents are required to be verified again once they have been invited or approved by a Bloomz-recognized school.</div>
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Now, it's time to invite parents to join your class on Bloomz!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jc0HSJ0EIKxfSkeI8orGPiNn9PHojP09FLUbZuv-371ZYS7L0NsD8UmQdzi8H5Df_sT1xgUy14fsQa_exKW3rd59_-_aDNdQzaY2g0TdORTC2LFgIFY3PtprBnbnUY_fcpkJOqQmPZOK/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.17.39+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jc0HSJ0EIKxfSkeI8orGPiNn9PHojP09FLUbZuv-371ZYS7L0NsD8UmQdzi8H5Df_sT1xgUy14fsQa_exKW3rd59_-_aDNdQzaY2g0TdORTC2LFgIFY3PtprBnbnUY_fcpkJOqQmPZOK/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.17.39+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just click on "Invite."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMPx13_k5FW3fSKVxMmPd8k89-r8xwQQvfbgAu0hoQ7MFkGSZsXRxcTJOFs6DzYo9ZXLKSsvufrn5ttvEmeo58mcsq6i_kkZQafvcDjsu0JiNtu8U9bDqA8GeqTBwlx7g6qf0_xpHVpyI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.20.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMPx13_k5FW3fSKVxMmPd8k89-r8xwQQvfbgAu0hoQ7MFkGSZsXRxcTJOFs6DzYo9ZXLKSsvufrn5ttvEmeo58mcsq6i_kkZQafvcDjsu0JiNtu8U9bDqA8GeqTBwlx7g6qf0_xpHVpyI/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.20.38+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Click on your class.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoh4bVzqOxM4ZC_qMirJxh29EWsFXEgWFPc0leJgvFnvggCyQdBTppui9we8bxkfHp_16lcB_IlGrNuVIflV_RDNp7iyjOMsXuF3QqnsNvRQssNkY98raWBNAf6sRmZ7GlNk1BHhFTPKer/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.22.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoh4bVzqOxM4ZC_qMirJxh29EWsFXEgWFPc0leJgvFnvggCyQdBTppui9we8bxkfHp_16lcB_IlGrNuVIflV_RDNp7iyjOMsXuF3QqnsNvRQssNkY98raWBNAf6sRmZ7GlNk1BHhFTPKer/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.22.19+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Click on "Parent."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58AP2G2fiwICUyYJz0WdTqg_z60HzSpiicuJaKYUD2W-IB2sTPd3lpZS1zUTDPST8Uw7JcaEUQ1_q_PEqhdstE6xK8kvqL3ggJZWOg1ISdEvP-s_EJxR1vwUR2kp6L5s82VuYAZhOj4QZ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.25.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58AP2G2fiwICUyYJz0WdTqg_z60HzSpiicuJaKYUD2W-IB2sTPd3lpZS1zUTDPST8Uw7JcaEUQ1_q_PEqhdstE6xK8kvqL3ggJZWOg1ISdEvP-s_EJxR1vwUR2kp6L5s82VuYAZhOj4QZ/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.25.20+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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You'll be given the option to enter your parents' email addresses manually or use Gmail. I typed mine manually, and it didn't take me long at all. Pinky swear.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5CyFtKQSdT5QaIC8Fzs-dwLO3wsw-1-NHlubS5QXyXSRB1uqSh8_mWRI1cpslbz5Ozt9QZ38qFTisRyAnfndASHsjFS9cDC904leU5IfjlEuBDfSrprm46RU5YArTei8Gwr_A5RITXKY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.26.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5CyFtKQSdT5QaIC8Fzs-dwLO3wsw-1-NHlubS5QXyXSRB1uqSh8_mWRI1cpslbz5Ozt9QZ38qFTisRyAnfndASHsjFS9cDC904leU5IfjlEuBDfSrprm46RU5YArTei8Gwr_A5RITXKY/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.26.40+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bloomz generates a generic email to send to your parents, but you can personalize this, as well.</div>
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Once you've invited your parents, you will be notified when your parents have joined your class. With a little determination {and maybe a little obnoxious pestering}, I was able to get all of my parents to join by the third week of school.</div>
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So, how do you start posting on Bloomz? Easy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHGx_ppiEbfdU7x_mA1nc03TKuyl9pDhRXg8HoK3WKwag3dBG7-m4bKd15AVZE3yBmq9Oci4wkRhGQ9dXFJ-j2x3IHL1Z7odSrUPhfkwLwUkKxv-ppzf1M3XFGb77egTDJmh9sdrVysA_/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.33.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHGx_ppiEbfdU7x_mA1nc03TKuyl9pDhRXg8HoK3WKwag3dBG7-m4bKd15AVZE3yBmq9Oci4wkRhGQ9dXFJ-j2x3IHL1Z7odSrUPhfkwLwUkKxv-ppzf1M3XFGb77egTDJmh9sdrVysA_/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.33.08+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Start by clicking on "Create." </div>
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You'll be given the options below. To create a post that will show in your "Feed," click on "Post."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpiwKsZRlyfGYJ8zyQSV9pdOtrCes2M61iM7XnBq7NqpBNtDEJNn0hp_N7wgRRAyBvqRuyLWBOTB_myekbB5xkiCICWoxkwtRiNbXRkooV_XHa_dsZNmTppUCkXKbkIs6JeEPGPRygyFKw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.40.16+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpiwKsZRlyfGYJ8zyQSV9pdOtrCes2M61iM7XnBq7NqpBNtDEJNn0hp_N7wgRRAyBvqRuyLWBOTB_myekbB5xkiCICWoxkwtRiNbXRkooV_XHa_dsZNmTppUCkXKbkIs6JeEPGPRygyFKw/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.40.16+PM.png" width="212" /></a></div>
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I typically used this option more often than any of the others. I used it to remind parents about important upcoming events, to let them know about any important papers that might be coming home with their child, to attach documents that I {may have} forgotten to send home during the school day, and to post pictures of the kiddos learning. I mentioned that this fantastic app allows you to post pictures, didn't I??? Parents absolutely <i>loved </i>being able to see their children working hard in the classroom.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZHUckuX0u8kAvE3dJshuHr5hIlSj_XfNbj69B1kgf0hqK0DIN5-QXQPA2G6pm6mx2tk4TrYjhJTP_22SRhyphenhyphen9zzuIP8PeLbHYMPw7XdvJVcZOlJd03tJjk1ecEryRGVKwBl6D4VtHX_7c/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.37.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZHUckuX0u8kAvE3dJshuHr5hIlSj_XfNbj69B1kgf0hqK0DIN5-QXQPA2G6pm6mx2tk4TrYjhJTP_22SRhyphenhyphen9zzuIP8PeLbHYMPw7XdvJVcZOlJd03tJjk1ecEryRGVKwBl6D4VtHX_7c/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.37.40+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once you click "Post," your invited parents can view the post.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhgRD_NqR6UOOG3UAo9F52jx-EOfr9KSbz2S-XmVO0eynbzbf0IEoOv3bUCiTJvcb2pVGErgoimqiRI63aX2RFLLUx-RyBXPikCbk7_NagcqlOA2fQJCP21dRRp0H9rvxd4wIHbWxEw6O/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.41.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhgRD_NqR6UOOG3UAo9F52jx-EOfr9KSbz2S-XmVO0eynbzbf0IEoOv3bUCiTJvcb2pVGErgoimqiRI63aX2RFLLUx-RyBXPikCbk7_NagcqlOA2fQJCP21dRRp0H9rvxd4wIHbWxEw6O/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.41.18+PM.png" width="214" /></a></div>
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You can also choose to add an announcement to the top of your "Feed" for a designated period of time. This is really helpful if you have an early dismissal day or parent/teacher conferences coming up.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTuKrg5C5ISETwS2RmSErht6DABndkjvbEGcRtnvNUK1WRmVKOmuGVTaa8x69w_gmWjQp71CG8tpuQOo1ufwYRt5qyK5w0MejLiNlZYcb4b-ERMV2iq8rIc-iFuy5jOfawQFDhppDaS3I/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.42.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTuKrg5C5ISETwS2RmSErht6DABndkjvbEGcRtnvNUK1WRmVKOmuGVTaa8x69w_gmWjQp71CG8tpuQOo1ufwYRt5qyK5w0MejLiNlZYcb4b-ERMV2iq8rIc-iFuy5jOfawQFDhppDaS3I/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.42.43+PM.png" width="227" /></a></div>
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Bloomz gives you the option to message your whole class, but I usually chose to message individual parents when the need arose {more on that a bit later}.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUx9WakqtR8VZOP1V4CfU8oFT8hNLezfmi5pK90zm9wNmzOJsl62N9TuO0P8qV9QlHY_kQVBNR7_Q-D3LsJwsRQxAmiz6l5cLTtCT3C8tl0YoUkLdBgMFemcKZDGNIBFgwFjwKOea_4IS/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.47.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUx9WakqtR8VZOP1V4CfU8oFT8hNLezfmi5pK90zm9wNmzOJsl62N9TuO0P8qV9QlHY_kQVBNR7_Q-D3LsJwsRQxAmiz6l5cLTtCT3C8tl0YoUkLdBgMFemcKZDGNIBFgwFjwKOea_4IS/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.47.51+PM.png" width="226" /></a></div>
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Goodness forbids if there is ever an emergency, you can notify parents, using the "Alert" option.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJUo37L7GePPvIACEVumXsTjA3wIgX3uffca8miDI0PslxY8rJc8GVXiVBa4rgG-hJlCrjZ8Y7k4bvyVVE6MWqcTU6MomXBpmT-r950sZm3rTsANGYtiTDQ-Qg5vw5cEcqRKmuCtn579h/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.50.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJUo37L7GePPvIACEVumXsTjA3wIgX3uffca8miDI0PslxY8rJc8GVXiVBa4rgG-hJlCrjZ8Y7k4bvyVVE6MWqcTU6MomXBpmT-r950sZm3rTsANGYtiTDQ-Qg5vw5cEcqRKmuCtn579h/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.50.40+PM.png" width="218" /></a></div>
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The "Events" option is AMAZING. This is where you can add important events to your class calendar.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjTyOP_D2qsAQKVViv9qkjFTSFokKkRZ6PCcjc_JYmllvcNEUVmGIUnLr_OJD7iU-7B48dIQ65NJpCgyh4t0MxKiZDV6fCYeaSvFeyZQLPtmnZTY8TfIa6l2fzTlwHVgZhP5GsQ_G4-0x/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.50.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjTyOP_D2qsAQKVViv9qkjFTSFokKkRZ6PCcjc_JYmllvcNEUVmGIUnLr_OJD7iU-7B48dIQ65NJpCgyh4t0MxKiZDV6fCYeaSvFeyZQLPtmnZTY8TfIa6l2fzTlwHVgZhP5GsQ_G4-0x/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.50.19+PM.png" width="244" /></a></div>
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I love that Bloomz will send parents a reminder before an event! No missed parties or conferences!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauFcfL0LhsLJHF-jpMeBMGKuRmLg674qYlPYIIdRsno_Hq9EGp7XkYVYwTb7oqQAV8qKT_HlC99JpPAUFwTCVgBMUdv4jQPI9ZtPMzpF6kI-27mDQrDF7eEXP7UmFtmWrpBOevc7Gh-2j/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.50.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauFcfL0LhsLJHF-jpMeBMGKuRmLg674qYlPYIIdRsno_Hq9EGp7XkYVYwTb7oqQAV8qKT_HlC99JpPAUFwTCVgBMUdv4jQPI9ZtPMzpF6kI-27mDQrDF7eEXP7UmFtmWrpBOevc7Gh-2j/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+8.50.26+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
I love all of the choices you have when you create an event. Having these options allowed me to do away with a Room Parent. Say what? All I had to do was create the event, note the date and time, and let parents know what items were needed. Simple! Parents could see what other parents had already signed up to bring, so I didn't end up with 48 cupcakes or 5 bags of cheese curls {that may have happened a time or two}.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVBeguiOrabaJuHeRXIrnQlqssV7JY4HQsEwWR4oYr6LJ5avgJBa43WHfwmoCynPCkXyDIncvdx2ZCUNlDCUCEkd1tNw_BrmJBcLv8bInBDhOFcP1S670QHn-d7XfYGyLNMWeGPHgVgFB/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.13.17+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVBeguiOrabaJuHeRXIrnQlqssV7JY4HQsEwWR4oYr6LJ5avgJBa43WHfwmoCynPCkXyDIncvdx2ZCUNlDCUCEkd1tNw_BrmJBcLv8bInBDhOFcP1S670QHn-d7XfYGyLNMWeGPHgVgFB/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.13.17+PM.png" width="219" /></a></div>
There is a separate option, completely devoted to volunteers!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QGYLwDxTSj29hmfzS9ys-yk2_KDWnfoMpofqqT0-vevSytwVTwVd535wNZQI1hvtvt33y8lP5KyRhUWXpFrmXIjjuYr1bIg-6L5y7rBI6xra5B5iZ_P3hftNA_BHLZvdv16a8YA2SjvY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.14.33+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QGYLwDxTSj29hmfzS9ys-yk2_KDWnfoMpofqqT0-vevSytwVTwVd535wNZQI1hvtvt33y8lP5KyRhUWXpFrmXIjjuYr1bIg-6L5y7rBI6xra5B5iZ_P3hftNA_BHLZvdv16a8YA2SjvY/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.14.33+PM.png" width="211" /></a></div>
You can dictate whether you need items {this can also be done in the "Event" section} or people. You can let parents know what you need them to do and how long you will need them to be in the classroom. Oh, and again, Bloomz will send parents a reminder before their designated volunteer time!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KtiymCaid-bbe-MpWE4ejo0udTRVpAYLqKfBOTbNsrU9WePijglQKOgwjEddwPRgtcNTogOKoOJfmAEawMa9y3Zw7j4qO7_t_SuwrwkenEIjXqKTUDWKfMUmNpK3zUzYaMQoOwV-CV5X/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.16.17+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KtiymCaid-bbe-MpWE4ejo0udTRVpAYLqKfBOTbNsrU9WePijglQKOgwjEddwPRgtcNTogOKoOJfmAEawMa9y3Zw7j4qO7_t_SuwrwkenEIjXqKTUDWKfMUmNpK3zUzYaMQoOwV-CV5X/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.16.17+PM.png" width="224" /></a></div>
When I first started working at my current school, our school secretary would schedule all of our conferences for us. We were spoiled, I know. Last year, after our secretary retired, we had to start scheduling our own conferences. Bloomz took all of the time and stress out of the process. Just click on "Parent Teacher Conferences."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNEX4MKmqIM117daw2mkH6yYFR4PTJ4B4SPkHLEmPaQ9Pf0hyphenhyphenmOtmuyX4IfJKUEvEMmpzN6mRK6HuagmgCMcO5L_wU2Z6uGO378qFwvXuJF4cmeZun4UH7H-6Ev5FDP4OUP4o8AD0cbrw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.18.45+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNEX4MKmqIM117daw2mkH6yYFR4PTJ4B4SPkHLEmPaQ9Pf0hyphenhyphenmOtmuyX4IfJKUEvEMmpzN6mRK6HuagmgCMcO5L_wU2Z6uGO378qFwvXuJF4cmeZun4UH7H-6Ev5FDP4OUP4o8AD0cbrw/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.18.45+PM.png" width="242" /></a></div>
All I had to do was note the date, what time I wanted conferences to start and end, and the duration of each conference. I could even build in my own lunch time and breaks between conferences!<br />
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The last feature I wanted to tell you about is the messaging option.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2REt-kah5fpSUPlnn-mgKYup51jiIBpxBnlqmAl81IoG1qJ1gV5KYpuHrFW-qdcjLi4w7XsCh_5AMTE2Q0bCMriXeiEml4KTnQ6dhNyCZDitUoAvg1LPL3Sgy-bIdTFf-ePduM57RQJSw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.23.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2REt-kah5fpSUPlnn-mgKYup51jiIBpxBnlqmAl81IoG1qJ1gV5KYpuHrFW-qdcjLi4w7XsCh_5AMTE2Q0bCMriXeiEml4KTnQ6dhNyCZDitUoAvg1LPL3Sgy-bIdTFf-ePduM57RQJSw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.23.00+PM.png" /></a></div>
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In the top right corner of your screen, click on "Message." </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYCjLnoOP8NagbzU41DfsI1p_ozZeu2Cf2alpPTppvGIZT2MRo61mifAkjjCTS73YbSRlEVKMjyAQO-FFSUDflxe1Nck8ocYdW5xI7oH9S3dsQ7mGTDm7bWez0BKtz61XHIsPLfdpEQZN/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.24.28+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYCjLnoOP8NagbzU41DfsI1p_ozZeu2Cf2alpPTppvGIZT2MRo61mifAkjjCTS73YbSRlEVKMjyAQO-FFSUDflxe1Nck8ocYdW5xI7oH9S3dsQ7mGTDm7bWez0BKtz61XHIsPLfdpEQZN/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.24.28+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here, you are given the option to select to whom you'd like to send a private message. You can choose one person or several individuals. This was UH-mazing! If a student had an emotional morning when a parent dropped him/her off, I could message the parent a short time later to reassure him/her that the child was feeling better. Or, if a child forgot his/her lunch, I could message the parent and ask him/her to drop it off. I didn't have to find coverage to run to the office to make a phone call. I didn't have to deal with sending hand-written notes back and forth. Quick, efficient, easy.</div>
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As if all of these amazing features aren't enough to convince you to try Bloomz, I got an exciting email a few weeks ago about some updates coming in August!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05HxVFyvZS1xSHvKXcqQhLb0kbtuDt94L6mX2-OM38VEDF-RMVnev2fLEeOSWaen7HXEKk6gCugyvO1jpBhSSu0VX2RKszbSn8z3gPQUTC58djYSH-0zA32HLSP37uR-WnsyaFey9WAkz/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.36.37+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05HxVFyvZS1xSHvKXcqQhLb0kbtuDt94L6mX2-OM38VEDF-RMVnev2fLEeOSWaen7HXEKk6gCugyvO1jpBhSSu0VX2RKszbSn8z3gPQUTC58djYSH-0zA32HLSP37uR-WnsyaFey9WAkz/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.36.37+PM.png" width="360" /></a></div>
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My favorite of these new features are the behavior tracking option and the video sharing! Last year, I created a private YouTube channel, and I posted links to it on Bloomz so parents could see their children in the classroom. This feature will eliminate that extra step. I can't wait!</div>
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Last year, I had my parents sign a district-generated release, giving me permission to post pictures of their children on social media {I checked in advance to make sure that this covered my posts on Bloomz, as well}. This year, however, I went ahead and decided to create my own form, asking for parents' permission to post pictures of their children on Bloomz and on my blog. </div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8h6FEJTAyJKLWFhaTBka3FqcDA"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyZV9rErhmsLXQDR8RBqI9Gdd8BFXNC6UOU3paGYpigufJZmebN26z1U80_6Im5jVcbFfffC2KSh1q81YjOYnDMxtg2hUu-9ShToJ43nZWbTd7gQD4jJh84SLnsonZuC4aOI3ETrH5qMc/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-07-27+at+9.39.13+PM.png" width="288" /></a></div>
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If you decide to give Bloomz a try, click on the picture above to grab this freebie. {Again, you may want to check with your district before you send this release home, just to be sure that you're covered. You can never be too careful!}</div>
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I can't tell you how much positive feedback I got from both parents and administrators about Bloomz last year. My principal even had me present an inservice about it last October to encourage other teachers to try it! Both of my children's teachers used it, and I can honestly say that it was a godsend {especially since I was the Room Parent for both classrooms...organizing class parties was a snap!}. I heard from one parent who didn't live locally, and he loved being able to see what his daughter was doing in the classroom each day {he was even kind enough to email my principal to tell her how much he loved Bloomz!}.<br />
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<u>UPDATE:</u> One of my wonderful parents from this past school year kindly reminded me that Bloomz also helps to promote communication at home! She loved knowing what her son had been working on in school during the day, and she could easily jumpstart conversations about his learning at home. {Thank you, Melissa!}<br />
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I highly recommend Bloomz to all classroom teachers; it will unequivocally change the way you communicate with parents for the better! Let me know if you have any questions about Bloomz...I'd be more than happy to answer them!</div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-1001077820082033912016-07-25T09:24:00.002-04:002016-07-25T09:24:57.133-04:00Monday Made It {I'm On a Roll!}I've already mentioned this, but it bears repeating...I have been one lazy teacher this summer!<br />
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My sweet kiddos have been kind enough to allow me to sleep until 7:30 each morning {this may not seem late to some, but Princess A has been an early riser since birth...she is up almost every day at 5:00!}. They have gotten into the habit of turning on PBS {remember, we did away with dish TV several months ago, so their viewing options are limited}, making themselves breakfast, and reading or playing on their tablets. Ah, I'm loving this phase.<br />
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I've also mastered the art of the nap. Seriously. I could win a prize for my napping skills. I'm not talking about cat naps, either. I'm talking about three-hour-long, deep-sleeping, don't-wake-me-up-or-I'll-bite-your-head-off naps. I'm going to have some serious adjusting to do when August 15th rolls around, and I won't get my daily nap. But, I don't care to think about that just yet.<br />
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I've also been reading voraciously. Since we don't have TV anymore and my beloved Bravo TV is no more {there was a pretty substantial mourning period, but I'm OK now}, I've been downloading books onto my Kindle like it's my job. I stayed up until midnight last night to finish this one:<br />
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Let me clarify: I didn't stay up late to finish it because it was such an amazing book. Rather, I wanted to get it finished so I could start reading this one:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglItNqrppSgdbFua6C0ZI5Q7CW564U721q-qx38djQzW5_fKBFC4O1CGiiFNrwSWrxs_ETC3HWwz9Gh_JbsivSbtND2q6GzgsEeAxffeO3bKuSevKHLbHGH-vNhBqrwyegJjHT2y5cLyuz/s1600/url.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglItNqrppSgdbFua6C0ZI5Q7CW564U721q-qx38djQzW5_fKBFC4O1CGiiFNrwSWrxs_ETC3HWwz9Gh_JbsivSbtND2q6GzgsEeAxffeO3bKuSevKHLbHGH-vNhBqrwyegJjHT2y5cLyuz/s1600/url.jpg" /></a></div>
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I. Can't. Wait.</div>
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But in between my marathon napping and reading, I've also managed to get some work-related things accomplished. So, I'm linking up with Tara over at <a href="https://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2016/07/monday-made-it-july-25.html">4th Grade Frolics</a> to share what I've been up to!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_iQYvyzgEAGudzRo33vBKTPQuUOXlDkD8K7tKW79ttd0i4_lfBdLYvdABwqQqTawCTJjmzw1mDRbZAmPUkAI1T4SPli8BVa6CkeYft9Sa2duDOOLpmE4iGhokDdvmB8OWbovjeB89e20/s1600/Monday+Made+It+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_iQYvyzgEAGudzRo33vBKTPQuUOXlDkD8K7tKW79ttd0i4_lfBdLYvdABwqQqTawCTJjmzw1mDRbZAmPUkAI1T4SPli8BVa6CkeYft9Sa2duDOOLpmE4iGhokDdvmB8OWbovjeB89e20/s320/Monday+Made+It+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I never thought Monday would be my favorite day of the week!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0lEsX2Z1mThl0ndhJbnxeAkPKgcYHXlxJwfppzookwdCn4eja3biEb8uMhs0Cw7Cpk_IYJ-Sx4hT2IqAz2Fx6o9nFSQoQb2jYLmMsHlzNXMevqKbF1-q6tPGzom3zngzJ2A2-7r3zZ-A/s1600/mmi+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju0lEsX2Z1mThl0ndhJbnxeAkPKgcYHXlxJwfppzookwdCn4eja3biEb8uMhs0Cw7Cpk_IYJ-Sx4hT2IqAz2Fx6o9nFSQoQb2jYLmMsHlzNXMevqKbF1-q6tPGzom3zngzJ2A2-7r3zZ-A/s1600/mmi+1.png" /></a></div>
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If you like me on Facebook or follow me on Instagram {if you don't, I'd love it if you did!}, you know that I started taking classes this summer for my Administration I certificate. I've never really dreamed of being anything other than an early childhood teacher, but my former principal {who I adore and respect} kept suggesting that I look into pursuing my administration certification. So, when a good friend and colleague told me that they were offering all of the classes that I need at a local college twenty minutes from my house, I decided to go for it! And, of course, I had to get myself organized!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MaCAC4blyesVEGRARRVUXPPjuDcb54U1pODUS6hvsSWRr2CsKHO7VhdWjY5XC2ue6Hawl373lEbmC6KVj2Wj0GGxBPmR9DbkXMPDDQdOQgV2_Apbj3JmxlNWAvDZt7F0RfYgwvS33VJN/s1600/IMG_0141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MaCAC4blyesVEGRARRVUXPPjuDcb54U1pODUS6hvsSWRr2CsKHO7VhdWjY5XC2ue6Hawl373lEbmC6KVj2Wj0GGxBPmR9DbkXMPDDQdOQgV2_Apbj3JmxlNWAvDZt7F0RfYgwvS33VJN/s320/IMG_0141.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I nabbed these <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Editable-Chevron-Binder-Covers-Freebie-713946">free chevron binder covers</a> from Write in the Middle and made myself a binder to keep all of my course materials organized.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvZL33alg4SDgOFQgABu6HLOrqFyBZDr7JFhlUC5QtCbeIYMCApxrQXXRHuEltxOSsv_oX2XUH5LyyicbPUIRmy3xd5tUDG3j7Tq5Nyh8w2NUM5bnCaNr6jaqEEcfI_4ZJLdE92wWg9rr/s1600/mmi+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvZL33alg4SDgOFQgABu6HLOrqFyBZDr7JFhlUC5QtCbeIYMCApxrQXXRHuEltxOSsv_oX2XUH5LyyicbPUIRmy3xd5tUDG3j7Tq5Nyh8w2NUM5bnCaNr6jaqEEcfI_4ZJLdE92wWg9rr/s1600/mmi+2.png" /></a></div>
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How do you celebrate birthdays in your classroom? I had always given out crowns or pencils, but last summer, I came across the idea of making birthday blogs on social media. I made them for my kiddos last year, and they were a HUGE hit! This year, I got everything I needed from Dollar Tree, and I spent less than twenty dollars!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSG5wSLVN0ex_0hwrk-uNvnNJRc-_Dj7sWHXlryk5tdgHOhcbksxGfLyHnJGxq10sOeYego7o78d-86-U_1I0cCz-LA89gEAFEZxWN5cnve2V80hQ8uisOPlrrQ9dyrlKF96kZp5UWVS6o/s1600/IMG_0162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSG5wSLVN0ex_0hwrk-uNvnNJRc-_Dj7sWHXlryk5tdgHOhcbksxGfLyHnJGxq10sOeYego7o78d-86-U_1I0cCz-LA89gEAFEZxWN5cnve2V80hQ8uisOPlrrQ9dyrlKF96kZp5UWVS6o/s320/IMG_0162.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Slinkies and tops and yoyos and pencils...oh, my! And they are color-coordinated, too! {I may have added a little sweet treat, too. I couldn't resist!}</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHiEIhUobHe1URAZaH4kyfN3FVic2-ni2Y7zQNqkjNIf8TJeqQB9-_xRCP_1afjofbttUKI0mrRXucepx0BGcG_12dFLapsBcYqLuTSxH8wGa6pviEdYBufle0Q8k3ufA10vzdfaSuxKCi/s1600/IMG_0165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHiEIhUobHe1URAZaH4kyfN3FVic2-ni2Y7zQNqkjNIf8TJeqQB9-_xRCP_1afjofbttUKI0mrRXucepx0BGcG_12dFLapsBcYqLuTSxH8wGa6pviEdYBufle0Q8k3ufA10vzdfaSuxKCi/s320/IMG_0165.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I grabbed Primarily Speaking's adorable <a href="http://www.primarily-speaking.com/2015/04/bag-em-up-birthdays-in-bag.html#.V5YNN5MrKT8">birthday homework passes</a>, and they completed the bags perfectly. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPBBRDBdIbfoK8VidyCAnGCUcjp09Zi3Bi37Bc8XCdC_F9T1rxMf_rn4hdPxsFiYRMmBYdbYu4fEGAt2X0Rc-yOLjHbGDvWNtEtKdbc8yIp_3KRYZwqpwZptPodhckpM-91r7xLa-w2Xa/s1600/IMG_0164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPBBRDBdIbfoK8VidyCAnGCUcjp09Zi3Bi37Bc8XCdC_F9T1rxMf_rn4hdPxsFiYRMmBYdbYu4fEGAt2X0Rc-yOLjHbGDvWNtEtKdbc8yIp_3KRYZwqpwZptPodhckpM-91r7xLa-w2Xa/s320/IMG_0164.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The finished product!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkOd83dSB5MvufpKLvQHXdlWBW3o8F4NwklElPu3vEjX5PLKIIOji25Q8fvbqQIOsozCtByt8d4Ja8WKa81OgTETZF9lqMKuvnT8W3Zm18KFM3DuHf096vAZGKN9ZSjPsbM274JPrtQU3/s1600/Button+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYkOd83dSB5MvufpKLvQHXdlWBW3o8F4NwklElPu3vEjX5PLKIIOji25Q8fvbqQIOsozCtByt8d4Ja8WKa81OgTETZF9lqMKuvnT8W3Zm18KFM3DuHf096vAZGKN9ZSjPsbM274JPrtQU3/s200/Button+3.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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I wanted to get a jump on making little gifts for my kiddos to give to their teachers on the first day of school. I nabbed some cute pens and notepads in {what else?} the Dollar Spot at Target, downloaded some <a href="http://whipperberry.com/2013/08/12-free-start-of-school-printables-great-teacher-gift-ideas.html">adorable free tags</a>, and wrapped everything up with a cute raffia ribbon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJikS4Jru6MeyM6uvOTiekcxseSv1wizDEX_LpPEX_I2BzGFachvVXhw4MVcE03AXz0VtDLX5pAKFCGEeCx3IAG-u7GzHk945sjEd6_xkt_N1BFItG1ZFthE59V3X-i4_q6cRIhDDJTGzt/s1600/IMG_0204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJikS4Jru6MeyM6uvOTiekcxseSv1wizDEX_LpPEX_I2BzGFachvVXhw4MVcE03AXz0VtDLX5pAKFCGEeCx3IAG-u7GzHk945sjEd6_xkt_N1BFItG1ZFthE59V3X-i4_q6cRIhDDJTGzt/s320/IMG_0204.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Simple, but cute!</div>
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OH! I forgot to mention something super awesome and exciting! I met my blogging buddy, Ashley, from T<a href="http://thesassyschoolteacher.blogspot.com/">he Sassy School Teacher</a> last week! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDYQF-mdQEm1es6Vu4O88jni5OpFJk8dfREmqgXwLUokfO6IO4Awm4TAZX9KQ9oeiOGQXVRlnx35wB8T45TmXHW-mQBDsbwop7Q2QkDgAnT1-rIgZDnPL0brI4SKM0J2f2JbumuzbN8Um/s1600/IMG_0195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDYQF-mdQEm1es6Vu4O88jni5OpFJk8dfREmqgXwLUokfO6IO4Awm4TAZX9KQ9oeiOGQXVRlnx35wB8T45TmXHW-mQBDsbwop7Q2QkDgAnT1-rIgZDnPL0brI4SKM0J2f2JbumuzbN8Um/s320/IMG_0195.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We talked. And talked. And talked. We had SUCH a good time! I can't wait to see her again in a few short weeks at our Maryland Teacher Meet Up in Baltimore! Speaking of the Meet Up...</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/998558533598734/"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPmVucry27MJ3g121d9ebGOucyQP7OlFunf7mKZm35RjDjDjcjCuicuwx3ugdc2qKwdfjbq9X0F9boWK2rqhW2117rOtVCmPi8G8gsGO8xHVU40Nj9jostb0inatft41iCExwqwqjtuFK/s400/IMG_0006.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Spread the word! Share the news! </div>
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{Click on the image above to head over to the event on Facebook to sign up!}</div>
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This Meet Up is for all Delmarva teachers {you don't have to be a blogger}, and we have some amazing giveaways planned! Seriously, y'all. Here are just a few of our giveaways:</div>
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<li>TPT gift certificates to <a href="http://www.applesandabcs.com/">Apples and ABC's</a>, <a href="http://www.thekindergartensmorgasboard.com/">The Kindergarten Smorgasbord</a>, <a href="http://secondgradesugarandspice.blogspot.com/">Miss DeCarbo</a>, <a href="http://firstgradeblueskies.com/">First Grade and Blue Skies</a>, <a href="http://www.funinfirst.com/">Fun in First Grade</a>, and <a href="http://www.thetututeacher.com/">The Tutu Teacher</a></li>
<li>Products from <a href="http://luckytobeinfirst.com/">Lucky to be in First</a> and <a href="http://www.miss-kindergarten.com/">Miss Kindergarten</a></li>
<li>Gift certificates to <a href="http://www.schoolgirlstyle.com/">Schoolgirl Style</a> and <a href="https://www.sitspots.com/">Sit Spots</a></li>
<li>Goodies from <a href="https://www.gonoodle.com/">GoNoodle</a>, <a href="https://cjayneteach.com/">C Jayne Teach</a>, <a href="http://www.seatsack.com/">Seat Sack</a>, <a href="http://pamperedteacher.com/">Pampered Teacher</a>, Younique, Perfectly Posh, and Arbonne</li>
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And those are just <i>some</i> of the items being given away at our Meet Up! We'd love for you to join us if you're in the Delmarva area!!<br />
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Head on over to 4th Grade Frolics and link up!</div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" /></div>
Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-75271675648103657182016-07-04T20:14:00.001-04:002016-07-05T18:25:18.074-04:00Monday Made It (Two Weeks in a Row!)I can't believe I remembered to participate in another <a href="http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2016/07/monday-made-it-with-learning-in.html">Monday Made It</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwAEC9CRLtrpfKF0Hbzs9q_PIABJB3k4cE9bFENEE70qi_Dbq7P-6KFdivUcr8GFZMLxx2oXM1pi3BepdwmnqAn9p8OLJegX9TsZPi5qxcqC-Mx0nO_91uNkkqJD6dQiQOsnbUT4QpBmk/s1600/Monday+Made+It+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwAEC9CRLtrpfKF0Hbzs9q_PIABJB3k4cE9bFENEE70qi_Dbq7P-6KFdivUcr8GFZMLxx2oXM1pi3BepdwmnqAn9p8OLJegX9TsZPi5qxcqC-Mx0nO_91uNkkqJD6dQiQOsnbUT4QpBmk/s320/Monday+Made+It+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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My brain has been on vacation lately. No, really. It has <i>literally</i> been on vacation. We just returned from a week in western Pennsylvania, visiting my husband's amazing family. There was a lot of napping, eating, four-wheeling, exploring, berry picking, and s'mores. Lots and lots of s'mores.<br />
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This was Deedle at 4:00 in the afternoon on the second day we were there. I had to wake him up from a three hour nap. Not an easy task...the boy is a <i>beast</i> when he is woken up.</div>
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My three favorite people, watching a painted turtle make its way back into the pond. </div>
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While we were away, I had a huge burst of creative energy, and I started updating//editing/improving the products in my TPT store. It was long overdue! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkAq5MspB_AW2FBx1hGWrFDqPP4G2IgjYHHZwUEQCOkESpWovp7KUB5EPNPMYksSFA_XKTJd82wD-Rn0kVMZOFt1ZIru6_tTXd7rO2Q6RHqwwphX-rM_01EouF4gSED0QDG0QdWVd1y5A/s1600/mmi+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkAq5MspB_AW2FBx1hGWrFDqPP4G2IgjYHHZwUEQCOkESpWovp7KUB5EPNPMYksSFA_XKTJd82wD-Rn0kVMZOFt1ZIru6_tTXd7rO2Q6RHqwwphX-rM_01EouF4gSED0QDG0QdWVd1y5A/s1600/mmi+1.png" /></a></div>
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I decided that a couple of my freebies needed some attention. The first project I tackled was my Reading Interest Survey. It has been downloaded 1,200 times on TPT, but it needed a major overhaul.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENa8CM6jIrBgsfR1eGVLq3KYzDiZf9d8wmsW5322hNEqYmbSA9KP5Kk2LJrhOqJtirSbEFM0bDGia6aLvMP21gpOk-GpZLV6dgXTdSO5YkCu4gdlbjAcpgt_AYw0VWWzwTec5f4j9xxsp/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-07-04+at+8.00.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENa8CM6jIrBgsfR1eGVLq3KYzDiZf9d8wmsW5322hNEqYmbSA9KP5Kk2LJrhOqJtirSbEFM0bDGia6aLvMP21gpOk-GpZLV6dgXTdSO5YkCu4gdlbjAcpgt_AYw0VWWzwTec5f4j9xxsp/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-04+at+8.00.10+PM.png" width="235" /></a></div>
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Old version. Ew.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reading-Interest-Survey-UPDATED-and-EDITABLE-423678"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnFPe0Rg05uJse2tfISYPWiHjoIuJmiMlARrWD2N4CDQUKFWsiyXBpDSDeU1sBhBNQqVeT7-LM2cA30aGtKJpUBNqo72tlqtUrDVDgz03O1T2HYC3foOgnMJZNkgRkp5-l7b3CPlIpKzZ/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-04+at+9.42.51+AM.png" width="243" /></a></div>
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New version. Better, right? {Click on the pic above to grab this freebie!)}</div>
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I also decided to whip up a simple writing checklist for my students to use when writing independently. Is it just me, or do you find yourself saying the same things, over and over again? "Did you remember to use a capital letter at the beginning of your sentence? Did you add a period to the end? Did you use finger spaces between your words?" Hopefully, this checklist will encourage your students to review and revise their writing without being reminded.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Checklist-FREEBIE-2625735"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYHeF_zhcaitCR7T24LoqN-eBLJS8xt8Cb_0Hc9EADsuGRpFUFUZjtM_mAIxwcxd5QB-PlkXIPDCu3aPrHbn8tWDDSsQtAWLFjkcA2hDN_KrcOdqszg1XK8B47P8klANeJgbFlI5XgzcC/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-04+at+7.14.30+PM.png" width="239" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Checklist-FREEBIE-2625735"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC_DdtTR7fmZFE5vipehILHqOJotbKnGCLttzdqBBrKYG6FbpUhJ-5qQ2x6QayozysObRwDM3ZVohkuTiyEnm_PLbKrhZ0H1VxdozdQ_EZDBWmNtwX6Ae0FsZSfOQ6WXlY8Nf4GejVGEjG/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-04+at+7.14.45+PM.png" width="251" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Checklist-FREEBIE-2625735"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF_XtYQI5JRa0I7g_OFJ7vwMB3YKZJ-f1dkOX0g-Y9GswPwbTUTNRgrX5NrXGn5R_ICCCRegC0AWkbbRXHa7G1i9tnIdJijuRS2yVP5ybb0CO7GUy4rqxgWjUswZxL0GNGRCRCzbWaZjc/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-07-04+at+7.15.06+PM.png" width="241" /></a></div>
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{Click on any of the pics above to go grab this freebie for yourself!}</div>
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My next Monday Made It has absolutely nothing to do with school, but with one of my other favorite things: food. My husband, who is really into healthy living and eating, found <a href="https://cookpad.com/us/recipes/791081-chicken-avocado-quesadilla?ref=search">this</a> <i>amazing</i> recipe for chicken and avocado quesadillas. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8EitoN8shqgAFjSSLqAHkmy2rrCjzf_-MEMsZCAzRhJBDK6aKKqawk-pkJkkeYwSxruUHnhiYkThtQMV7ok-a6-TspY1KaWSbQkBL7u6Yix_KfIwcH1tlXeG4kt6T2UHCdE_uBjmEJX9/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8EitoN8shqgAFjSSLqAHkmy2rrCjzf_-MEMsZCAzRhJBDK6aKKqawk-pkJkkeYwSxruUHnhiYkThtQMV7ok-a6-TspY1KaWSbQkBL7u6Yix_KfIwcH1tlXeG4kt6T2UHCdE_uBjmEJX9/s400/photo.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Mashed avocado, diced chicken, chopped red pepper, black beans (I didn't have any, so I left them out), goat cheese (YUM!), and shredded mozzarella. UH-mazing. I didn't take this photo, by the way; the food disappeared too quickly for me to snap a pic!</div>
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It's a rainy, gloomy evening here on the Shore, so my evening plans include my Kindle and a cup of hot tea. Hopefully, we'll get to see some fireworks tomorrow.</div>
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Happy Fourth of July!</div>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-60389549233904362512016-06-27T08:06:00.005-04:002016-06-27T08:06:54.110-04:00Monday Made ItAh, summer. Sweet, sweet summer. There are sooooooo many things that I love about summer {being with my kiddos, time to read for leisure, going to the beach, staying up late}, but one of my very favorite things is having the time (and creative energy) to link up with Tara over at <a href="http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/">4th Grade Frolics</a> for her <a href="http://4thgradefrolics.blogspot.com/2016/06/monday-made-it-june-27.html">Monday Made It</a> linky.<br />
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So, school only ended for me about a week and a half ago. To say I've been lazy would be an understatement. I've been doing a lot of napping, reading, beaching, reading, napping, eating, and reading.<br />
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But, as much as I've tried not to, I've started thinking about the upcoming school year. I can't help myself. So, I created some handy Summer To Do Lists to keep me organized, both at home and for work {you can grab them for <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Summer-To-Do-Lists-EDITABLE-2593710">free</a> in my TPT store}.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zZVOLwVOhd0wVyd0UjF7qkFcukPwnvCLqY6v-37Aj3nVuwSDUUPCz1irN1xl_fnUYlXJv2HdN7Xtbn1x5kx_SJtcaaYHoHmiu7EEj1WSUr_xm90ud7fcGvHJgJCAkv90bAq-GSr1e5wW/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-06-14+at+2.47.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zZVOLwVOhd0wVyd0UjF7qkFcukPwnvCLqY6v-37Aj3nVuwSDUUPCz1irN1xl_fnUYlXJv2HdN7Xtbn1x5kx_SJtcaaYHoHmiu7EEj1WSUr_xm90ud7fcGvHJgJCAkv90bAq-GSr1e5wW/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-06-14+at+2.47.05+PM.png" width="236" /></a></div>
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I keep these lists printed and on a clipboard on my desk. They are fantastic for keeping me organized and on track.<br />
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I'll admit, I'm kind of excited about my next project. I started using a Teacher Binder about three years ago to keep all of my important papers organized. I love being able to grab it and go before staff meetings, IEP meetings, and parent/teacher conferences. Everything I need is in my binder, including to-do lists for the week, lesson planner, grade book, and parent contact information. </div>
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I've updated my Black and White Polka Dot Teacher Binder for the 2016-2017 school year, and I love how it turned out! I love it so much, in fact, that I'd love to give one away! Just enter the giveaway below for a chance to win one. But first, take a peek at what's inside. {Did I mention that the entire pack is editable???}</div>
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Front cover.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0QFSNnoFhbzvKo6oy64m14WW3rtDNoNXpqE_EhjF334IayDNhbmp0SRmZyyxpGNIm9tA0GR-sraxSLgsznM5A4hLminTdnILwpjHvkARogvKKXOgCw2f9oOWgPz4V5Inf3jN7jqObVhq/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-06-23+at+8.33.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0QFSNnoFhbzvKo6oy64m14WW3rtDNoNXpqE_EhjF334IayDNhbmp0SRmZyyxpGNIm9tA0GR-sraxSLgsznM5A4hLminTdnILwpjHvkARogvKKXOgCw2f9oOWgPz4V5Inf3jN7jqObVhq/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-06-23+at+8.33.40+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Binder spines.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKX8xzASoLxK-cXY7pm7eF96RDDCzfklk9Dl3atgGzjjFuR4tH03BupzasOex3p89U83nobRCxOnG_fH62LK6FMHWXzJjCdtLDdM1MVUXLcrz8d9WG1bzdgsDbHvullG31QjLPSNMwNf_/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-06-23+at+8.33.23+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidKX8xzASoLxK-cXY7pm7eF96RDDCzfklk9Dl3atgGzjjFuR4tH03BupzasOex3p89U83nobRCxOnG_fH62LK6FMHWXzJjCdtLDdM1MVUXLcrz8d9WG1bzdgsDbHvullG31QjLPSNMwNf_/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-06-23+at+8.33.23+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I use these weekly planners to keep me on track {especially since I'm notorious for having "issues" with pacing}.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkuqleTGSjL2YjQ9zoKpG6Y1bRXzkv1GVSxDlGXgHDq69nTUTTdSluUA05jRICxTt_H1l5xJkoljWAb6k2mDvBOMR1IvZOgjo7KsAH1s8C0E_vZMidDesrZneSviGCRQXjMPDFp9Sj7BL/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-06-27+at+7.52.04+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkuqleTGSjL2YjQ9zoKpG6Y1bRXzkv1GVSxDlGXgHDq69nTUTTdSluUA05jRICxTt_H1l5xJkoljWAb6k2mDvBOMR1IvZOgjo7KsAH1s8C0E_vZMidDesrZneSviGCRQXjMPDFp9Sj7BL/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-06-27+at+7.52.04+AM.png" width="236" /></a></div>
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{NEW this year!} I am loving these new lists! I have these copied, hole-punched, and at the ready at the front of my binder. You could either write your lists for the week directly on the pages provided OR you could laminate the page and write your lists on Post-Its. </div>
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Want to win a Teacher Binder for yourself? Enter below!<br />
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Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-36797919887756476622016-06-19T12:24:00.000-04:002016-06-19T12:59:57.967-04:00Summer Time = Linky TimeTwo things I love: Molly over at <a href="http://luckytobeinfirst.com/the-blog">Lucky to Be In First</a> and reading! So when I saw that she had created a Summer Reading List Linky, I had to link up!<br />
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Here are my choices for the books that you should definitely make time to check out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1eWei7qgEgEugfESkXloRoLcNU2BMIbN8R26yRNw0ix3v69oHVQlVLawjOcSsw4Z-YxmG6bma681WUOXCnloEjvIIURTe1Nx5tATRghrP_zIaAAd8Aya76iKnTgFw3kBOSdMJrGGIU-6/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-06-19+at+12.00.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1eWei7qgEgEugfESkXloRoLcNU2BMIbN8R26yRNw0ix3v69oHVQlVLawjOcSsw4Z-YxmG6bma681WUOXCnloEjvIIURTe1Nx5tATRghrP_zIaAAd8Aya76iKnTgFw3kBOSdMJrGGIU-6/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-06-19+at+12.00.12+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I discovered <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Me-My-Sisters-emotional-uplifting-ebook/dp/B01EJI8OA6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466352121&sr=8-1&keywords=me+and+my+sisters+book">Me and My Sisters </a>on Facebook. I got it on crazy sale for $0.99, and once I started it, I couldn't put it down. The dialogue is fantastic, and if you have a sister {or two!}, you will love this book!</div>
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A teacher I follow on Instagram posted about <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Husbands-Secret-Liane-Moriarty/dp/0425267725/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466352237&sr=8-1&keywords=husband%27s+secret">The Husband's Secret</a>, and once I read this book by Liane Moriarty, I downloaded two other books by her. I haven't been disappointed!</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Orphan-Train-Christina-Baker-Kline/dp/0061950726/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466352320&sr=8-1&keywords=orphan+train">Orphan Train</a> is a book that I've seen recommended over and over again, and as expected after reading the reviews, this book got me right in the heart.</div>
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Oh, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nightingale-Kristin-Hannah/dp/0312577222/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466352481&sr=8-1&keywords=the+nightingale">The Nightingale</a>. I adore anything by Kristin Hannah, but this story is unlike any of her other books. This one stayed with me for a long time, and if you read it {or have already read it}, you'll know why.</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-We-Fall-Emily-Liebert/dp/0451419456/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466352550&sr=8-1&keywords=when+we+fall">When We Fal</a>l got me hooked on all things Emily Liebert. I've also read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-We-Fall-Emily-Liebert/dp/0451419456/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466352550&sr=8-1&keywords=when+we+fall">Some Women</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Those-Secrets-Keep-Emily-Liebert-ebook/dp/B00OQS4CDI?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc">Those Secrets We Keep</a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/You-Knew-When-Emily-Liebert-ebook/dp/B00BDQ39OE?ie=UTF8&ref_=asap_bc">You Knew Me When.</a> They are all wonderful! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeMEhoInOhnTpVs9LjxDHlt_AUEzgo_uBvadHnYM8TYxi8eXpnqoDLVp92KPM_ImWGVYr5pJDu421llq-5UQZ_uz_j2ZVqb3L2D5hyW6E7JkEZ7tJyI4Xi7BeTzbmBWJZYt42SaDz2SP9/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-06-19+at+12.13.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVeMEhoInOhnTpVs9LjxDHlt_AUEzgo_uBvadHnYM8TYxi8eXpnqoDLVp92KPM_ImWGVYr5pJDu421llq-5UQZ_uz_j2ZVqb3L2D5hyW6E7JkEZ7tJyI4Xi7BeTzbmBWJZYt42SaDz2SP9/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-06-19+at+12.13.08+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Oh, June and July: you hurt my bank account. All amazing new summer releases come out in late June and early July, it seems. </div>
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The new <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Heres-Us-Elin-Hilderbrand-ebook/dp/B0169ATKUK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1466352924&sr=1-1&keywords=elin+hilderbrand">Elin Hilderbrand</a> book came out late last week, and I could <u>wait</u> to snag it! I'm more than halfway finished with it, and I have to admit that I'm not all that impressed with it. I usually love Hilderbrand's characters and I adore the setting of her books {Nantucket!!}, but this one isn't doing it for me. I'm not done with it yet, though, so maybe I'll change my mind.</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Vacationers-Novel-Emma-Straub/dp/1594633886/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1466353071&sr=8-3&keywords=emma+straub">The Vacationers</a> has been out for a year already, but I saw it on a list of this summer's must-reads. It's already downloaded and waiting for me on my Kindle!</div>
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I don't think I've read any of Mary Kay Andrews' books before which, quite frankly, is kind of surprising. I love stories set at the beach, particularly North Carolina beaches {I grew up, vacationing on the Outer Banks}. I'm really looking forward to reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Weekenders-Novel-Mary-Kay-Andrews/dp/1250065941/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466353146&sr=8-1&keywords=mary+kay+andrews+books">The Weekenders</a>!</div>
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The last three books that I want to read this summer haven't come out yet {hurry up, July!}. All three authors are my favorites!</div>
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If you have some "Should Reads" and "Want to Reads," head over to Molly's <a href="http://luckytobeinfirst.com/2016/06/summer-reading-list-2016.html">blog</a> and link up!<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-67656972076839973262016-05-30T13:20:00.001-04:002016-05-30T13:22:00.375-04:00Busy, Busy, BusyIt's <i>that</i> time of year. The end of the school year. Mixed emotions abound: on one hand, I am going to miss my exceptional group of hard-working first grade students, but on the other hand, I can't wait to spend lazy summer days at the local beach with Deedle and Princess A. Oh, the conflict.<br />
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So, I've been busy, busy, busy these past few months. I spent my birthday weekend in Ocean City, MD presenting at the Common Ground Conference with my colleague, Dr. D.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_b7-OFIjS55UFFtaRmvizml2vFZqPz7l01Tjm3v223Wv8KhNROrnWG5LXjRY89wO025PXpc0E81fJ0Jn9wpUsB25D-fsNHWyn-Ou9pUyR3CmXL_RvoegqIvJQKPhwbV-axzJh-GVsFPn7/s1600/Common+Ground.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_b7-OFIjS55UFFtaRmvizml2vFZqPz7l01Tjm3v223Wv8KhNROrnWG5LXjRY89wO025PXpc0E81fJ0Jn9wpUsB25D-fsNHWyn-Ou9pUyR3CmXL_RvoegqIvJQKPhwbV-axzJh-GVsFPn7/s400/Common+Ground.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_2051236109"></span><span id="goog_2051236110"></span>We were surprised and humbled by the number of fellow educators who were interested in the daily live news program that we've developed for 4th and 5th grade students.<br />
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{If you've thought about starting your own live TV program, head <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Live-TV-Studio-Program-for-Students-EDITABLE-2521117">here</a> to check out the pack that I created for TPT! It has everything you need!}<br />
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Early last month, I took my firsties to <a href="http://pickeringcreek.audubon.org/">Pickering Creek</a> on their last field trip of the year to explore animal life cycles and habitats. Even though the weather was yucky, the kids still had a blast!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzdI7xLg4baIov1_vCWj9pEPf0JzLZucOWe1TAZIvDghFzxYwSaaQ9e7KpijThnoL0yIH43UHQpfBuZb2Sk647e4rtCDtoEPcpitxlUb7y92ohyNvAndKETEkElfTPxoqzBeZtywUVDba/s1600/Pickering+Creek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzdI7xLg4baIov1_vCWj9pEPf0JzLZucOWe1TAZIvDghFzxYwSaaQ9e7KpijThnoL0yIH43UHQpfBuZb2Sk647e4rtCDtoEPcpitxlUb7y92ohyNvAndKETEkElfTPxoqzBeZtywUVDba/s320/Pickering+Creek.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Every one of my students held this little tadpole without squealing, screaming, or freaking out. Proud teacher moment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUgCRuiasCcK9oHw1EtrPd1QvAoEkmbXIGfPXJ8a1pL7VYk3yEn7o9ePg-ML1IlAxstJf_apz3N2_sqlTYl2gZfpt9ZMq6Gz3D3VQM_8EMqijEx-W2ZdR7Oo53qpU_GzNsH-0pFk-8j4_/s1600/P+Creek+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtUgCRuiasCcK9oHw1EtrPd1QvAoEkmbXIGfPXJ8a1pL7VYk3yEn7o9ePg-ML1IlAxstJf_apz3N2_sqlTYl2gZfpt9ZMq6Gz3D3VQM_8EMqijEx-W2ZdR7Oo53qpU_GzNsH-0pFk-8j4_/s320/P+Creek+1.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This game was just like Headbandz, except with animals!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblYQsMipFxF7k1g2LW0OLhr2Ltf9t3u48K89Zqa4NQTEiaxuOf5lf6DkzxIyQXFQw1aqNY-oQ3PPv0ZcH6r1iLoRIddcxfccrjasqmUoB2p9aqolAuYKDgse_pO-2RTT22aOQyaij0kZb/s1600/P+Creek+2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblYQsMipFxF7k1g2LW0OLhr2Ltf9t3u48K89Zqa4NQTEiaxuOf5lf6DkzxIyQXFQw1aqNY-oQ3PPv0ZcH6r1iLoRIddcxfccrjasqmUoB2p9aqolAuYKDgse_pO-2RTT22aOQyaij0kZb/s320/P+Creek+2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happiness is ponding!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWPoDFhZfI5YDz4N2Db35IVo6w1TINOrIQKUyjvMnGK-nzHhC3orliM29uPpJTvIoRBJC3Xm3Ol7a0FMuwREAnYMQGoiMfBpZ7q6hTnX931ZKXQAjt1_IQLWrbLwVzET_S5NMTPpUUch0/s1600/P+Creek+3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWPoDFhZfI5YDz4N2Db35IVo6w1TINOrIQKUyjvMnGK-nzHhC3orliM29uPpJTvIoRBJC3Xm3Ol7a0FMuwREAnYMQGoiMfBpZ7q6hTnX931ZKXQAjt1_IQLWrbLwVzET_S5NMTPpUUch0/s320/P+Creek+3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here, the kiddos are learning all about the water cycle.</div>
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As I was trolling Facebook and Pinterest for some cute ideas for Mother's Day gifts in early May, this one kept popping up over and over again:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFfFpxv8XgyFXgA3lYgANHet1PiqqeB2U4ICHeKxLwx6YjqQDSRCaxRGIf2jY8d2eI_d0UPqtEP1F-Qc4vjJNgkUZ_VxGi6vvosoNdbkH3uQHY0qBSw-8Hl3SwiT98aFVLpgV1XQ3KccP/s1600/ddc8301ea63ace9f16a6ca0a87a1f19c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFfFpxv8XgyFXgA3lYgANHet1PiqqeB2U4ICHeKxLwx6YjqQDSRCaxRGIf2jY8d2eI_d0UPqtEP1F-Qc4vjJNgkUZ_VxGi6vvosoNdbkH3uQHY0qBSw-8Hl3SwiT98aFVLpgV1XQ3KccP/s1600/ddc8301ea63ace9f16a6ca0a87a1f19c.jpg" /></a></div>
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Adorable, right?</div>
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So, I put my own spin on it, and I came up with this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Zee4MmmOEyFR2ClJO1gzKAYJaC2LhBUC8gEawABMlTI6Pyk9nVF5A2YGsCXdWz4xt6ZVO2I3cmgnOvtOKtbnVw_56rGqP2j_u58i2Q63psLpoVeNFX9KIT2eaQjBr8c1Oet9dXEoyknU/s1600/Mother%2527s+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Zee4MmmOEyFR2ClJO1gzKAYJaC2LhBUC8gEawABMlTI6Pyk9nVF5A2YGsCXdWz4xt6ZVO2I3cmgnOvtOKtbnVw_56rGqP2j_u58i2Q63psLpoVeNFX9KIT2eaQjBr8c1Oet9dXEoyknU/s320/Mother%2527s+Day.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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I mean, come on. What mother wouldn't love receiving this picture as a gift?</div>
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I whipped up this simple writing paper to accompany this picture, and voila! </div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B8h6FEJTAyJKUUZKYUJlb01qRm8&usp=sharing"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflO4yI1ov8kVMLNKyWiDGh3Y_MzA-VaBi-DDLZ4pMoi5vIPZFhwUaoh5HJu4TqtxoIUpunhT5UlOnvH-eVhKF0LMTV9Lpp7jUlgmg3Y2LAjxYkTt2EnsOL5rcVQ1Z4oghIKon2WhFy09J/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-05-30+at+12.46.58+PM.png" width="264" /></a></div>
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Click on the pic above if you're interested in grabbing this paper for next year!</div>
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After working on them since December, we finally finished our Animal Research Projects in writing! I know what you're thinking: you've been working on them since <i>when</i>? As I've posted here before, I happily work at my own pace, and I like my students to do the same thing. Don't worry, though: we continued with other long-term writing projects and "on demand" writing assignments while we worked on our research projects. </div>
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I love the look of pride on this little guy's face. His cover is amazing!</div>
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We had our "Author Celebration" last Friday, and it was a huge success!</div>
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We had so many family members come and join in the fun! Animal crackers and goldfish for everyone!</div>
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Last weekend, after 9 months of "training" {I use that term loosely...we ran a few long runs and a handful of mid-week maintenance runs}, SpurDog and I ran our first {and possibly last} half-marathon! I was anticipating warm temps and sunny skies, but instead, it gully-washed and was in the mid-fifties for all 13.1 miles.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xns3Tn70YJuc7C0NLLcI8w1EWPAJLLF5p-TPh6CWtd2KYJ2pAToaOEvhRVOPuQgnl7CJ61HrrJCFz2cWgFM1d6NN5owtgA-yyIWC4cbiIRpkrkU4PVpBPgaE2x_e2TawIinhUWYJdmY7/s1600/Run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xns3Tn70YJuc7C0NLLcI8w1EWPAJLLF5p-TPh6CWtd2KYJ2pAToaOEvhRVOPuQgnl7CJ61HrrJCFz2cWgFM1d6NN5owtgA-yyIWC4cbiIRpkrkU4PVpBPgaE2x_e2TawIinhUWYJdmY7/s400/Run.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Not sure how I managed to maintain this silly smile throughout, but I did, and we finished! Check that off the bucket list.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZ7qpYzheUEYdl5WcuR5UdH-jRH5OpHpDnZC_sDkr9PBisbAiI-FpYIm49b1VRRFjtDZAFyLZfdHcnbhfWO95r5rUKl5aRWBnWNZ9OoBCDqkBgtEe7kesTWuothubQnPSYWx0O2xk_GKp/s1600/Marathon+Text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZ7qpYzheUEYdl5WcuR5UdH-jRH5OpHpDnZC_sDkr9PBisbAiI-FpYIm49b1VRRFjtDZAFyLZfdHcnbhfWO95r5rUKl5aRWBnWNZ9OoBCDqkBgtEe7kesTWuothubQnPSYWx0O2xk_GKp/s320/Marathon+Text.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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By later that afternoon, however, I thought I was going to die. This was the text I sent to SpurDog. While my body felt better by the next morning, I woke up feel totally crappy: sore throat, cough, congesting, headache. A week later, I don't feel much better. Bleccch. Lesson learned: when running 13.1 miles, try to do it in decent weather.</div>
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As of tomorrow, we only have 8 1/2 days of school left. Say WHAT? Where did this year go? It amazes me, though, that even as the school year winds down, my kiddos manage stay engaged and are still willing to help one another out. They are a remarkable group of children!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_VrNArw6MGHWChJ0C4yAW0aGAk0DEwLMmuzbphtKdFZNqzazcKChdfjvmIudwSW4VMJnr33SDUOwbb_za4MASFESPU0bqQeC-61P_za1oXKVgd775iQ5j-h2g1dx4tAYxQtXTWq9pjYu/s1600/AR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU_VrNArw6MGHWChJ0C4yAW0aGAk0DEwLMmuzbphtKdFZNqzazcKChdfjvmIudwSW4VMJnr33SDUOwbb_za4MASFESPU0bqQeC-61P_za1oXKVgd775iQ5j-h2g1dx4tAYxQtXTWq9pjYu/s320/AR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I love catching them being kind to one another. It's even better when they don't know that I've been watching and noticing!</div>
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One last thing: Caitlin from <a href="http://caitscoolschool.blogspot.com/">Cait's Cool School</a>, Ashley from <a href="http://thesassyschoolteacher.blogspot.com/">The Sassy Schoolteacher</a>, Michelle from <a href="http://www.pocketfulofprimary.com/">Pocketful of Primary</a>, and I are up to something BIG!!!! I mean, BIG!!! So, all Maryland teacher bloggers, stay tuned!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbDTIGEIi2yKGHziLiWIT3-Q6cHiMVj79HuXlnKu4W8dBWdoddsdt-8blUaXLC2H7oL7QyU6ENzKRLmNeFsrurqUjsSsI2y6uM9GVshW7pJ7ltg9QZp8M0dLO1c3JX5Wda7wKhxu1ttTW/s1600/signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbDTIGEIi2yKGHziLiWIT3-Q6cHiMVj79HuXlnKu4W8dBWdoddsdt-8blUaXLC2H7oL7QyU6ENzKRLmNeFsrurqUjsSsI2y6uM9GVshW7pJ7ltg9QZp8M0dLO1c3JX5Wda7wKhxu1ttTW/s1600/signature.png" /></a></div>
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Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-63914021745637437232016-04-25T19:44:00.000-04:002016-04-25T19:52:26.201-04:00A Labor of LoveThe past few months have been (to put it mildly!) NUTS! Between field trips, unexpected celebrations, and assessments, I've barely had time to come up for air. I'm so thankful for Instagram, though...it has allowed me to continue to post about the wonderful things that are happening in our classroom without a huge time commitment.<br />
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So, why has life been so crazy? Well, at the beginning of February, I was once again fortunate to be asked to represent my school as the Teacher of the Year. I never expected to go through the process more than once, so I was very flattered to be asked two years in a row.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6817WL1c2h0P4xnEnMMpZiARjK6RNCCUoBYOtbBouhiNIOlWrU_qwwUXQLccetdGTglfmn8yYOcTqEMq0qRKwAyi-BC9P6SoGDU4UXcpHTh4OuoeT2tfr_zdm2z6E8wK73fgBK7yT_zwx/s1600/12974521_10154182452227783_2233695950918911025_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6817WL1c2h0P4xnEnMMpZiARjK6RNCCUoBYOtbBouhiNIOlWrU_qwwUXQLccetdGTglfmn8yYOcTqEMq0qRKwAyi-BC9P6SoGDU4UXcpHTh4OuoeT2tfr_zdm2z6E8wK73fgBK7yT_zwx/s400/12974521_10154182452227783_2233695950918911025_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The dinner that our county puts on to honor the Teachers of the Year is simply amazing! Our high school's culinary arts students prepare the meal, and they always outdo themselves. I was blessed to have my family join me at the banquet, as well as my work friends and colleagues. It was a very special evening. I didn't win County Teacher of the Year, but I'm still very grateful for the opportunity.</div>
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I've also been hard at work during the past month on what can only be described as a labor of love. At the beginning of the school year, one of our fifth grade teachers, Dr. D, asked me to help him develop a before-school broadcast club (somehow, I've developed a reputation for being somewhat tech savvy). He envisioned creating a program that allowed students in fourth and fifth grades to produce a daily news broadcast that is streamed (LIVE!) to the entire school each morning. Thanks to many early mornings and a lot of collaboration, Dr. D's vision became a reality!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCkAgQnZ8oDZtRt-lCxX_giSnlQbsVZnjLZ-ITS0fkNDpsuglw60kTd55fA3EHbCoNOIsxIlVapZdzyBDPolQtpygLpKbBPe6WLqyZ3zRnOs68GSZKpLC2InRtRFjv78CXFK58zEs6Bs6/s1600/12743884_10154011060887783_3247428473414104654_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCkAgQnZ8oDZtRt-lCxX_giSnlQbsVZnjLZ-ITS0fkNDpsuglw60kTd55fA3EHbCoNOIsxIlVapZdzyBDPolQtpygLpKbBPe6WLqyZ3zRnOs68GSZKpLC2InRtRFjv78CXFK58zEs6Bs6/s400/12743884_10154011060887783_3247428473414104654_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We even had the opportunity to present our program at a Board of Education meeting in March. The Board members seemed very impressed by the students' hard work and dedication.</div>
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Dr. D and I will be traveling to Ocean City, MD this Thursday and Friday to present our program at the <a href="http://www.commongroundmd.org/">Common Ground Conference</a>. In preparation for the conference, I have been working hard to put together a packet for Teachers Pay Teachers that will give teachers everything that they need to start a similar program at their schools. I finally finished it this evening! </div>
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Included in this packet, you will find:</div>
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- A description of the program</div>
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- The CCSS addressed in the pack</div>
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- Instructions for setting up your studio, including a list of needed resources and a picture of our studio</div>
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- Student application, parent permission, consent and release</div>
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- "Teacher Feature" sign-up sheet</div>
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- Job checklists</div>
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- Job assignment recording sheet</div>
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- Reminder stickers</div>
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- Basket/folder labels</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Live-TV-Studio-Program-for-Students-EDITABLE-2521117"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesFisVacb4Vt1GAdqdl0KWpuyUq9h60XUfBsphfqqhtjzb6uRYXGedMDk0AWw-xw33hAyucLYXcn7PtK7Yu3HIqu0l2LgPxrSXJ5PM6kk3qUJ_sMu4qhq76kq-pPvmA4BQlNAwSIdcQdm/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-04-25+at+5.10.11+PM.png" width="310" /></a>h</div>
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This is the cover page of the packet. I heart <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Krista-Wallden">Creative Clips</a> clip art. She never disappoints.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Live-TV-Studio-Program-for-Students-EDITABLE-2521117"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikA4kisPLvU1O-x28yeRliMZv3LmtfLHqr_0h1Cio_3RMVAc35NZd6u44Oft9r_tqFccv-W1Fo12eEk9GKmr2782KMVmDaEanzKobOCZ4kvaPX4nLS3k4JvORLIl3afYGCl_TXbmF0S6X2/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-04-25+at+5.11.59+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here's a sample of our script. The script is totally editable to meet your school's needs.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Live-TV-Studio-Program-for-Students-EDITABLE-2521117"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVTIqj4Pomai_sWNpwwMKIy4sZyLnztBvFEgUOC5MlQCiHDRcQsYUC1D9HhMWPBCYyoHbFCY6jFAPJq_TookdpEhi5e8OjIrbZI77rbB1cKRNxDHnNJrLfy1cUSc3BKnm5Dq3IL6yX6oS/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-04-25+at+5.12.15+PM.png" width="298" /></a></div>
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I'm loving the student application that we developed. A huge part of the program is developing a work ethic and learning responsibility, and the application clearly outlines the expectations that we have of our students.</div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Live-TV-Studio-Program-for-Students-EDITABLE-2521117"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjurv3sJ9_zY8vHf8M4SSB-4C8jJpYhIdxcw6HZwxFNGDdmM17XoI1hiue7LsZYYkf9wDBRn-F7kk3nv-i6vM_m8mP4gi4k0bFna-G6qRDaWtl3fox3PWr5VrwafvuqfOtyO_dte8Kj8F7J/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-04-25+at+5.13.41+PM.png" width="348" /></a></div>
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I even created reminder stickers to help students (and parents) remember what time to be at school on the days that they are participating in the program.</div>
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For at least the next week, this 53-page resource is <u>ON SALE</u> for $8.00! Click on any of the pictures above to head over to my TPT store.</div>
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I can honestly say that helping to get this program up and running has been one of the highlights of my school year. I have loved getting to work with some of the older children (many of whom are former students), and I've had the opportunity to work with a colleague with whom I may not have had the chance.</div>
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My Kindle is calling me. Enjoy the rest of your Monday!<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-50557160061136882142016-03-03T19:44:00.002-05:002016-03-03T19:44:39.870-05:00Staff Shout OutsEvery teacher knows that awful slump between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You know you only have a few short weeks until Winter Break, but the days seem endless, your students are pumped up about the holidays, and you have gobs of paperwork to get finished. The mood in the teacher's lounge is just awful. Everyone is stressed out, tired, and grumpy. It's so easy to get caught up in the negative vibe that you find yourself complaining, whining, and griping along with your colleagues.<br />
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So, I did what any other teacher would do: I jumped on Pinterest for inspiration, and I found some great ideas to help improve staff morale.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgws4bpq9zc5en_m03uSgaEQRq7mc985iQ2OXk8ZqYsrFjRsylqo2waxnsOX2EJkYFSO9GW5UubXQnX7D8pLWtAvVuU0n48ImsEJbw54Q0j3sK3lGcUp7sbgJpHcGXFnrMkePw9_gAaxwfO/s1600/p2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgws4bpq9zc5en_m03uSgaEQRq7mc985iQ2OXk8ZqYsrFjRsylqo2waxnsOX2EJkYFSO9GW5UubXQnX7D8pLWtAvVuU0n48ImsEJbw54Q0j3sK3lGcUp7sbgJpHcGXFnrMkePw9_gAaxwfO/s320/p2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I loved this adorable Shout-Out bulletin board from Vickie over at <a href="http://plantspress.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-little-positivity.html">Primary Press</a>!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMphSsMrVUcq3UPI5aKrd6NiOpi4egGntYuMBYVjXlDx8Hmfs73NgTdBgZB3uWA_Pj1au8XOlDg1m1QJv3wcRxjmmYiTttU6zB87z_2tz5OKrows6EfS4QhG1ezTtGqfrR8yKEyr8mVIB/s1600/EASY%252BVALENTINE%252527S%252BDAY%252B%2525282%252529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMphSsMrVUcq3UPI5aKrd6NiOpi4egGntYuMBYVjXlDx8Hmfs73NgTdBgZB3uWA_Pj1au8XOlDg1m1QJv3wcRxjmmYiTttU6zB87z_2tz5OKrows6EfS4QhG1ezTtGqfrR8yKEyr8mVIB/s320/EASY%252BVALENTINE%252527S%252BDAY%252B%2525282%252529.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.teachcreatemotivate.com/2016/02/staff-shout-outs-spread-school-sunshine.html">Teach, Create, Motivate</a> had these cute shout-outs on her blog!</div>
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I asked my administrators if I could put up a staff shout-out board in our lounge, and they enthusiastically told me yes! So, I created my own little pack that I hope you can use, too. Just click on the pics below to grab them.</div>
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Somehow, I managed to lop off the bottom of the board in this picture. Oops!</div>
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It may seem like a small thing, but a little positive thinking goes a long way!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrvKaz5XNJ4ml0J2lJPJ2FD9kxpFbzTs1myRhzzg63jUerkR-yViRIogRywjXYxjRFRv5_bnY0kZ6V2H30vRcVMf1UTahWCxa5oLovQlcXNsIyK8Ou5Pz_iF8o_vpNcImd-ix77nmZG4Y/s1600/positive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrvKaz5XNJ4ml0J2lJPJ2FD9kxpFbzTs1myRhzzg63jUerkR-yViRIogRywjXYxjRFRv5_bnY0kZ6V2H30vRcVMf1UTahWCxa5oLovQlcXNsIyK8Ou5Pz_iF8o_vpNcImd-ix77nmZG4Y/s320/positive.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hope you enjoy what's left of your week!</div>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-28665945127426831252016-02-10T19:34:00.003-05:002016-02-11T10:50:12.005-05:00The 100th Day of SchoolI am really counting my lucky stars that I (unintentionally) had my students celebrate the 100th day of school a day early. Apparently, I can't count. It worked out for the best, however, because today (the <i>real</i> 100th day), we were closed for snow!<br />
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I invited my students to dress like they were 100 years old, and good golly, were they adorable!<br />
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We had an abundance of gray hair, glasses, and canes. </div>
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Instead of having my little guys complete seat work first thing in the morning, I used <a href="http://luckytobeinfirst.com/2014/02/100-days-smarter.html">Molly's</a> super cute Hidden Hundreds activity. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVw7vBQ-m5nbmBH0WNy51vW4x8YnUB-SgxxT4J4uBQOCinhyIui94_52QE-rPaUdqUuYkQpnKKQeDYDK7EGChMnYnHD1hqfqBBafQNj1D4MK8DJPgh8i0ifFh0ogdG0rcXVTCntsfwae2I/s1600/PicMonkey-Collage.png-1024x1024.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVw7vBQ-m5nbmBH0WNy51vW4x8YnUB-SgxxT4J4uBQOCinhyIui94_52QE-rPaUdqUuYkQpnKKQeDYDK7EGChMnYnHD1hqfqBBafQNj1D4MK8DJPgh8i0ifFh0ogdG0rcXVTCntsfwae2I/s320/PicMonkey-Collage.png-1024x1024.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I projected Molly's example for my students. They loved coming up to the Smart Board to hunt for the hundreds!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgjoRY4fBtS51iTo3eB1MMy6cvss0WzhM13oQE6XjYU2RG2bttfqYNzt6iUNJG1esoC_eWpsmuXXRBJXnBoDJR3AQzJVb18h8GDImAJgAsO6NQnf12fjxMejd7u-DALXzzDTXfE1YN823/s1600/IMG_5643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgjoRY4fBtS51iTo3eB1MMy6cvss0WzhM13oQE6XjYU2RG2bttfqYNzt6iUNJG1esoC_eWpsmuXXRBJXnBoDJR3AQzJVb18h8GDImAJgAsO6NQnf12fjxMejd7u-DALXzzDTXfE1YN823/s320/IMG_5643.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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They were so absorbed in this activity that they barely looked up for almost thirty minutes! </div>
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I know I shouldn't say this, but I'm pretty sure this one is my favorite.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxz8upRlT77FmX5bBlJ58HhN9tvRB24Zn5JA4fMeRw-85qinWIfIT9x_gZUhKfNLyoz63WqoQauai1SexgPje7SP0mYEuJ-T8rxyoMu-iQRp4Ol-DmdPvAOcM17lO6rl-Y7kLYSnyUsFD/s1600/IMG_5649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxz8upRlT77FmX5bBlJ58HhN9tvRB24Zn5JA4fMeRw-85qinWIfIT9x_gZUhKfNLyoz63WqoQauai1SexgPje7SP0mYEuJ-T8rxyoMu-iQRp4Ol-DmdPvAOcM17lO6rl-Y7kLYSnyUsFD/s320/IMG_5649.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Obviously, I teach on the Eastern Shore. This little guy's pic has ducks, geese, and jellyfish.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGqXpVwLfaMV7pc3nD0NM8cwLgX6u2Vpk0ai2RTjF_gGq-PuTyBb0TH3eXO9w2rB8mscH6MyXoSP_RVYL6CY3rQLhhny3c6WHqo6WEMFlWMy-5GXEGVn_UTHHv00kZcasibT7zHKsOy_7/s1600/IMG_5650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGqXpVwLfaMV7pc3nD0NM8cwLgX6u2Vpk0ai2RTjF_gGq-PuTyBb0TH3eXO9w2rB8mscH6MyXoSP_RVYL6CY3rQLhhny3c6WHqo6WEMFlWMy-5GXEGVn_UTHHv00kZcasibT7zHKsOy_7/s320/IMG_5650.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My favorite part of this picture is the little dog in the bottom corner.</div>
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After we finished these, we moved directly into our math lesson. First, I shared Brain Pop Jr.'s video about the number 100. Then, we practiced counting to 100, using this catchy little ditty.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxfCNv34sWGAyETLlYLtua7tGFS6TGj8zVEU5MO-qCIImYpEBWcpN2n9iab7FXtLnVGdnYp5KcXdNE21AWbOw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I couldn't help but sing with them!</div>
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I used <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/100th-Day-of-School-502050">Meet Miss Parker's</a> adorable Common Core-aligned math pack for our rotations. This is the third year I've used these activities, and they are always a huge hit with my students.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-a-ehn0vAHFr7UTYsWnzNMxJt5egPzBg14_hkaByfB1YpinpdeHezAdloQgfqBv7ZMT45_k2kjeqhvhKcBoa8gw0EwHcg0pH0JWD5EaQ54mf19b5yNu2EbZYlx5SqflJbVgKy_Tj4Jsg/s1600/IMG_5646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-a-ehn0vAHFr7UTYsWnzNMxJt5egPzBg14_hkaByfB1YpinpdeHezAdloQgfqBv7ZMT45_k2kjeqhvhKcBoa8gw0EwHcg0pH0JWD5EaQ54mf19b5yNu2EbZYlx5SqflJbVgKy_Tj4Jsg/s320/IMG_5646.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I love how comfy these two little guys look, playing "100 Tallies."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAguvfs2A_RRQvRiXIXO8zx96aH3ig5mlV9oXL2c5Jx6uIdf3oIG3Py4IYTigkH9ks5aEl_jCOIVncrqieHvAikMcH-nx2NpJCt4P2GaNYIkUMpKgLIY2CFrP1HMN7egk2QTalwSIagtY/s1600/IMG_5647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbAguvfs2A_RRQvRiXIXO8zx96aH3ig5mlV9oXL2c5Jx6uIdf3oIG3Py4IYTigkH9ks5aEl_jCOIVncrqieHvAikMcH-nx2NpJCt4P2GaNYIkUMpKgLIY2CFrP1HMN7egk2QTalwSIagtY/s320/IMG_5647.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It cracked me up to see these two "little old ladies" hike up their skirts and get down on the floor to play "The Hundred Flat Race."</div>
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We finished up our math rotations after lunch, and then, it was on to language arts. We read "100 Hungry Ants" together, and afterward, I had the students write to tell what they would do if 100 hungry ants came to their picnic.</div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8h6FEJTAyJKeGFCWWtsS1JtLXM/view?usp=sharing"><img alt="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8h6FEJTAyJKeGFCWWtsS1JtLXM/view?usp=sharing" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOGw6B03fUiFehXfrdLH-BVBvxdUsg_aKKz6AY3Vs-VGjrvSW2o4WlsrgEfneXWHuBeoX2AylBSMriupc-URQFny_V0DL1G-JP0psQOgkU_DL0O2EzDaIHCLLIDwoP3cpgNhofLHl-UeZ/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-02-10+at+7.27.58+PM.png" width="236" /></a></div>
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Click on the picture above to go grab this simple freebie.<br />
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Do I have some kind-hearted firsties, or what?</div>
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Finally, we wrote about what life will be like when we are 100 years old. I downloaded <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/100th-Day-of-School-Writing-Activity-956911">Kelly's cute little freebie</a> (I really liked this particular writing activity because it came with a great kid-friendly graphic organizer). Apparently, there will be a lot of gray hair, glasses and canes! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyB3Q6SgoKgWgbdjQ73-4Q1LtHk4adHpdBqo2PAnxKI7xyhy65t-ruZVzh7TrTKVHpYmrsaDdO37TcYCteEtA_tZaFlCzZiB7M7qyc07hAq7G4YNfEVpSzfallSOKwOCQbkwNMS-ThpRl/s1600/IMG_5666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyB3Q6SgoKgWgbdjQ73-4Q1LtHk4adHpdBqo2PAnxKI7xyhy65t-ruZVzh7TrTKVHpYmrsaDdO37TcYCteEtA_tZaFlCzZiB7M7qyc07hAq7G4YNfEVpSzfallSOKwOCQbkwNMS-ThpRl/s320/IMG_5666.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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"When I am 100, things will be different. I will have white hair. I will have glasses and a wrinkly face. I will be a grandpa and I will spend so much time with my grandchildren. I can't wait until I am 100 years old."</div>
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"It will be weird when I am 100! When I'm 100 years old I will read in my bed. I will wear glasses. I will drink coffee. It is weird to be 100!"</div>
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I'm trying to decide if I'm offended by this. I already read in my bed, wear glasses, and drink coffee!</div>
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All in all, it was a great day, and I can't wait to see what the next eighty days will hold!</div>
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I believe I've earned a nice glass of wine and a new Diane Chamberlain book on my Kindle this evening. Make sure you take care of you, too! </div>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-75551048063068277332016-02-07T11:51:00.001-05:002016-02-07T11:51:06.046-05:00A Catch Up Mash UpPhew! I have some time to come up and breathe, so I thought I'd stop by the old blog and catch you up on some of the things I've been up to.<br />
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First, do you notice anything new about my blog? It's OK if you don't. It's a subtle change. I've added an Instagram button to my sidebar, so now, you can follow me on Instagram, as well as on Facebook and Pinterest! I'm all about Instagram. It's quick, easy, and I can post a picture as soon as I take it. Instant gratification! <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shafersshenanigans/">Check it out</a>!<br />
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I also taught myself how to create my own desktop organizer, using <a href="http://iheartplanners.com/2015/03/13/organize-computer-desktop/#_a5y_p=3855708">this</a> amazing tutorial. I'm a basic, black-and-white kind of gal, so I kept it simple.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS9hdO5kAei9BEoDhCZB2omRL0J6cOggcIEeZ3lOmt84UeUz0EB-YkYMGZ0hoDTXW6yLzeX6xzw-gyRpPemKqR7m9zjD5aMdOdhXE8Jp6pEd5u756z3SeYXBXum2FeWIW_AMZ21C_sJ5A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-02-07+at+11.37.58+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRS9hdO5kAei9BEoDhCZB2omRL0J6cOggcIEeZ3lOmt84UeUz0EB-YkYMGZ0hoDTXW6yLzeX6xzw-gyRpPemKqR7m9zjD5aMdOdhXE8Jp6pEd5u756z3SeYXBXum2FeWIW_AMZ21C_sJ5A/s400/Screen+Shot+2016-02-07+at+11.37.58+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Definitely basic, but it serves a purpose.</div>
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Now, my desktop looks like this! Much more organized, and I can find things much more easily now than I could before.</div>
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OK, on to the next update. During the month of December, the Kindness Elf, Noel, came to visit our classroom! I started using <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kindness-Elves-in-the-Classroom-1585848">Erica Bohrer's fantastic (FREE!!) resource</a> last year, and I was amazed by the impact that it had on my students.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7_Fq-ym2DebgwT6bsr0hJADhiOGgqZaQkumNDTLZhGEjSxEcv7IfjlSSh6iVbDQPY8LNdZ7bOhzgrEllu3K9PPpLqcUSRuVerAp8uyPYjA5GY1oYBaBS5xjidKgL2qx3J_7kGd148tc7/s1600/IMG_5198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7_Fq-ym2DebgwT6bsr0hJADhiOGgqZaQkumNDTLZhGEjSxEcv7IfjlSSh6iVbDQPY8LNdZ7bOhzgrEllu3K9PPpLqcUSRuVerAp8uyPYjA5GY1oYBaBS5xjidKgL2qx3J_7kGd148tc7/s320/IMG_5198.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I picked up this sweet little $3 ornament at Target last year. Adorable, right?</div>
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Here, my firsties are working hard to write notes of appreciation to our cafeteria staff. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPsdZymGhrp6Yp6E5GbMLarHlspES1z80dTrNnhs5KPKflx3eZ6UuAg2KfZc1ZvIPPSqANQyLadR2hUN3WbI8S7dFei8xSeY8Rsk87Z4Mf9gDOG8eoQRdeaaifukyDxbSSMqTQOLC5eaz/s1600/IMG_5257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPsdZymGhrp6Yp6E5GbMLarHlspES1z80dTrNnhs5KPKflx3eZ6UuAg2KfZc1ZvIPPSqANQyLadR2hUN3WbI8S7dFei8xSeY8Rsk87Z4Mf9gDOG8eoQRdeaaifukyDxbSSMqTQOLC5eaz/s320/IMG_5257.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The finished product. </div>
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"Thank you for making us breakfast."</div>
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My families truly went above and beyond when Noel asked the children to bring in donations for the local food pantry. It's hard to see in this picture, but the students brought in so many boxed and canned food items that the crate in the middle was literally overflowing! So was my heart.</div>
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We've also been working really hard on our animal research projects. I've been doing this project with my students for the past three years, and it is always a huge hit! (I've blogged about it before <a href="http://shafersshenanigans.blogspot.com/2014/01/snow-much-going-on.html">here</a>). This year, my students have moved through the project much more quickly than in years past, and their work has been amazing!</div>
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This picture warms my heart. All three students are completely focused and engaged in their research. I love it!</div>
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I love that the kiddos find a spot in the classroom, flop themselves down, and get right to work with little or no prompting. </div>
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I adore this picture. This little guy was <i>so</i> proud of the cover that he created for his project. Check out that shark illustration!</div>
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You may have heard that the Mid-Atlantic experienced a little snowstorm recently. OK, it was a pretty big snowstorm. Fine, it was a blizzard. We didn't get hit as hard here on the Eastern Shore as the folks across the bridge did, but we still got our fair share.</div>
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We ventured out, right at the peak of the storm, and I can honestly say that I haven't experienced wind and snow like that in a mighty long time. </div>
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Princess A and Deedle, braving the storm. </div>
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We have already used four snow days, and it's only early February. Here in Maryland, we usually get the most snow late in the winter. In fact, they're calling for more snow on Monday evening and into Tuesday. </div>
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Hmmmmm. That will definitely mess with my 100th Day of School preparations!</div>
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Speaking of the 100th Day of School, I actually thought ahead this year, and I took these awesome pics of my students to accompany the writing that they will be doing.</div>
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These are a few of my favorites. I just searched "aging apps" in the App Store, and I downloaded a freebie. It took me five minutes to take pictures of each child, upload them to my computer, and order prints. They arrived in the mail yesterday, just in time for Tuesday's (fingers crossed) celebration.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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I've been a slacker when it comes to running lately, mostly because I've discovered Piyo. Now, I'm not one who likes to pay for something before I try it (call me cheap, I'm OK with it), so one of my good friends lent me her copy of the DVDs. I was skeptical at first, but after the first few workouts, I realized that I was using muscles that I didn't know that I have! I'm a believer! Don't get me wrong: I still love my runs, and although I didn't run my first half-marathon this past October, I have plans to run my first this spring. So, before I completely pig out on Super Bowl food later today (think ribs in the crockpot and cheddar brat meatballs with three dipping sauces), I'm going to head out for a long overdue run. </div>
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Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and RELAX!</div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-70299104481687797452015-11-26T14:55:00.002-05:002015-11-27T09:47:07.944-05:00Feeling ThankfulAs usual, I've been MIA during the first few months of school. It always takes me some time to hit my stride and to get into a routine that allows me some time (and the energy) to blog. Lately, however, when I've had a free evening, I've been putting on my PJs and watching Bravo from the comfort of my warm bed. I just can't help myself, now that the weather in Maryland has turned chilly! But, since I'm off for five glorious days on Thanksgiving Break, I thought I'd catch you up on everything that has been happening at home and in the classroom. Warning: this post is guaranteed to be a little random!<br />
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As hard as it is to believe, Princess A and Deedle started second and first grades this year, respectively. I'm not quite sure how that happened, but I do know that I am incredibly grateful that they both have outstanding teachers this year.<br />
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Deedle with SpurDog, one of THE most amazing first grade teachers I know.</div>
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Princess A with one of my good friends and former teammate. Princess A is so lucky to have her!</div>
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The three of us on the first day of school. Getting Deedle to hold still long enough to have his picture taken was more than a notion, but we got it done!</div>
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I've also been fortunate to have another group of amazing little firsties this year. I didn't think it would be possible to have another class like the one I had last year, but somehow, it has happened. </div>
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One of my sweet little ones, working diligently on a writing assignment during the first week of school.</div>
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My kiddos love some Go Noodle, and I was extremely grateful for it during the first few weeks of school when they were still struggling to get through the day. </div>
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This was my third year, incorporating the Daily Five into my Language Arts small group rotations, and I'll tell you, it gets easier and easier every year. My little guys took to it like ducks to water!</div>
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Check out that EEK position! Nothing makes my heart happier than engaged readers.</div>
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Check out this adorable little guy, using finger spaces in Work on Writing!</div>
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Thankfully, we were able to get Accelerated Reader up and running much earlier this year than in previous years. <i>And</i>, my grade level finally has an iPad cart to call our own!<br />
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It's been so great to see my students so excited to read!</div>
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I love this picture! Nothing better than reading new books outside on a beautiful fall day.</div>
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This year, we've also started using PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support) school-wide. Does anyone else out there use PBIS? I think it's so great to use a consistent behavior incentive that all of the students and staff have "bought into". We've had two incentive celebrations this year, and both have been a huge hit (even though our October celebration had to be held inside, due to rain).</div>
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Ice pops, free play, beach volleyball, and twins. What could be better?</div>
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At our October celebration, the kiddos got to finger paint, color, play limbo, and have a go at a game of Human Hungry, Hungry Hippos. This is Princess A with one of her friends. Love those smiles!</div>
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Last week, as part of American Education Week, our school had a Dress as a Professional Day. </div>
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Bet you can't guess what this little cutie wants to be when she grows up. We're twins!</div>
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And since it is the time of year to be thankful, I had my firsties write in their Olweus bullying journals about what they are thankful for. </div>
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I adore this picture. This little friend is quite the artist!</div>
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As for what I'm thankful for, I am thankful for:</div>
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1.) My patient, generous, and secretly hilarious husband (who, I might add, has been putting up with my antics for the past ten years, as of October 16th).</div>
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2.) My unique, talented, kind, creative, quirky, healthy children.</div>
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My kiddos had perfect attendance during the first quarter! How the heck did that happen?</div>
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3.) Fantastic, dedicated, innovative coworkers (and, more importantly, friends!).</div>
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This girl inspires me, every single day. Did I mention that she's getting married in July?!?!?!</div>
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4.) Running. In the past two years, running has become my absolute favorite thing to do (besides binge watching Bravo, of course, while eating every variety of Angie's popcorn that I can get my hands on). I've run two 10Ks this past year and more 5Ks that I can keep track of. I am planning to attempt my first half-marathon next spring.</div>
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Earlier this month, I ran the <a href="http://bridgerace.com/">10K Across the Bay</a>. It was, hands down, one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had.<br />
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5.) Seasonal beer, Kindle books, yoga pants, Chai tea lattes, a clean house, flannel sheets, new shampoo, our Border Collie, and Zenni Optical. To name a few.</div>
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If you like hard cider <i>and </i>pumpkin beer, you have to check out McKenzie's Pumpkin Jack.</div>
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And now, I'm off to finish up Thanksgiving dinner. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!</div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-49991872851187285262015-08-19T18:53:00.001-04:002015-08-19T18:53:01.647-04:00Room RevealWelp, the inevitable happened...summer ended and I'm back to work. We returned yesterday, and thankfully, we were given the entire day to work in our classrooms (thank heaven for administrators who "get it!"). So, I thought I'd give you a little tour around my classroom!<br />
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This is the view to the right when you walk into my classroom. Every year, I frame a collage picture of my kiddos on their first day of school, and the pictures sit on top of my cubbies,</div>
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This is the view to the left. I like to put all of my professional knick knacks, awards, and certificates here, along with my favorite teaching quotes.</div>
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Here's as much of my classroom as I could fit in the frame. This year, I arranged my student desks in groups of four, and I'm really loving the new setup! </div>
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I'm still waiting for this awesome rug to arrive. No more bickering over the seating arrangement on the floor!</div>
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My math manipulative bins always sit on my back counter so that they're accessible whenever the students need them. I include the following in them: Unifix cubes (in sets of ten), counting chips, student clocks, small hundreds charts, and number cards. </div>
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It was super bright this afternoon (I love having a classroom with lots of natural light!), so it was tough to get a good picture, but on the left, I have my Daily Five baskets (with the exception of my Listen to Reading basket...it is by my listening area). On the right, I have my Completed Work basket, complete with number clips (so it's easy to keep track of students who forget to write their names at the top of their papers!).</div>
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Here is my calendar area, and below it, are my math manipulative bins. A few years ago, I loaded up on Dollar Tree's generic Gladware containers, and I organized and labeled all of my math manipulatives. It has made life so much simpler!</div>
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These are the cups for "warm fuzzies" (notice the bag of pom poms on the left). In the past, I challenged each table of students to earn colored counters for making great choices. I decided to mix it up this year. Now, they need to work together to earn "warm fuzzies." The table with the most fuzzies at the end of the week wins a prize from my (much coveted) Prize Box.</div>
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This is the cleanest my desk will look all year, so I'm trying to enjoy it while I can.</div>
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Here is my back table, all set up for our Get Acquainted conferences. These will take place on Friday and Monday. I used L<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Meet-the-Teacher-1326575">aura Martin's Meet the Teacher pack</a>, and everything looks AWESOME!</div>
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Phew! So, that's my classroom! I'll leave you with a few pictures from the carnival that KShaf and I took the kiddos to last weekend. Nothing says "summer" like a good carnival!</div>
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That's my Deedle, with a fresh haircut, enjoying cotton candy...for dinner (yep, I was <i>that</i> parent).</div>
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My sweet girl, indulging her sweet tooth.</div>
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Somehow, Deedle and Princess A talked us into taking them on the Ferris wheel. I forgot how much I <i>hate</i> Ferris wheels. That is sweat and fear all over my face in this picture. I had to save face, though, in front of my Deedle, who after being strongly encouraged to "Stop rocking the flippin' seat!," turned and said with irritation, "But, Mom! It's supposed to be fun!"</div>
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Good luck to all of you who are beginning the new school year in the next few days!</div>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2834240367357668120.post-8405002230761579302015-08-11T18:11:00.002-04:002015-08-11T18:11:30.205-04:00My Summer is Just About OverWAAAAAHHHHHHH! This time next week, I will be back to work and my kiddos will be at daycare. I have such mixed emotions at this time of the year. On one hand, I am so, so sad to see the lazy days with my kids come to an end. But, on the other hand, I'm super excited to start a new school year with a brand new group of sweet little firsties. <br />
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In anticipation of starting school in two short weeks, I have been spending the past few weeks, trying to get myself organized and back into the "school groove."<br />
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This is what my work bag looks like right now. I should clarify: this is just one of my work bags. My other bag is full of binders. Dear me...</div>
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I wanted to give you a peek at some of the projects I've been working on. First, I picked up these two-for-one pocket folders with prongs at Dollar Tree. I was super excited to find them for so little money!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4WbJ_oHlf7LSmh0cEVIdbgKPeG6DjfO0tevgwJedIsmPz8X0bpZSxs9-5WkjztC_kq3AjFbK-wj-ji4aUm1WJMsLNvoFecsFkjn26MaciPZZL7jTHHJlgdsxjKL95xpjs-YE6pj_Xtfi/s1600/IMG_4569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4WbJ_oHlf7LSmh0cEVIdbgKPeG6DjfO0tevgwJedIsmPz8X0bpZSxs9-5WkjztC_kq3AjFbK-wj-ji4aUm1WJMsLNvoFecsFkjn26MaciPZZL7jTHHJlgdsxjKL95xpjs-YE6pj_Xtfi/s320/IMG_4569.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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I really wanted to start using writing folders in my classroom this year, and I purchased this fantastic resource from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Folder-835498">Frogs, Fairies, and Lesson Plans</a> to use with them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikgYvthTn7Aq056XzLUEMinGiSK2YOyNPpMKWMf6Yr51KAUsHOQdtxB2n4fU9fCKJQTUy9s4QphSCO_pTrKZwIS19cmYKT5Qw10882FK21lcD43JoADJxNmWkFGMpRsMmIADfDEajCYpy/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-11+at+5.38.54+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikgYvthTn7Aq056XzLUEMinGiSK2YOyNPpMKWMf6Yr51KAUsHOQdtxB2n4fU9fCKJQTUy9s4QphSCO_pTrKZwIS19cmYKT5Qw10882FK21lcD43JoADJxNmWkFGMpRsMmIADfDEajCYpy/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-08-11+at+5.38.54+PM.png" width="239" /></a></div>
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I've also been getting ready for our Get Acquainted Conferences that will be taking place next Friday and the following Monday. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: being given the time to have these conferences each year is FANTASTIC! The conferences help to alleviate a lot of anxiety (for everyone!), and it gives everyone the opportunity to get the school year started on a positive note. Last year was the first year we have held these conferences, and while they went well, I was determined to make sure that they go even better this year! So, I invested in <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Meet-the-Teacher-1326575">Laura Martin's Meet the Teacher Pack</a>, and I cannot say enough wonderful things about this product! Not only is the resource everything that I had hoped it would be, but when I messaged Laura to ask a specific question about a font that she used in the pack, she responded promptly and politely. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpnexuwp8DSMtRYHwtx4vexbSIxus6gpUyN6TuDuU19lKrPirS-aijiJROcbqDrVJl0DPWJp3u84NViHabiXUFk4joaubXLp7FVWlb63bzRiE7IiWi2j_R7ceAFgKDR8Lt6INKGWs5R8q/s1600/IMG_4570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpnexuwp8DSMtRYHwtx4vexbSIxus6gpUyN6TuDuU19lKrPirS-aijiJROcbqDrVJl0DPWJp3u84NViHabiXUFk4joaubXLp7FVWlb63bzRiE7IiWi2j_R7ceAFgKDR8Lt6INKGWs5R8q/s320/IMG_4570.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I love the step-by-step signs that Laura created to help guide parents through the whole process!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQFiVyxiUyRUZ_a9UiSIN0dUf9-8TCDWFCMV7cz1J1VsnO610vca_-IS8YvitNLViMnxjg7_f0xHqmQHFWoGuIZYDeilL5pQ9KLLrhddrkUXJEp2tdynp1T64c_yr2Zh4MBOI5O0RkwEz/s1600/IMG_4571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQFiVyxiUyRUZ_a9UiSIN0dUf9-8TCDWFCMV7cz1J1VsnO610vca_-IS8YvitNLViMnxjg7_f0xHqmQHFWoGuIZYDeilL5pQ9KLLrhddrkUXJEp2tdynp1T64c_yr2Zh4MBOI5O0RkwEz/s320/IMG_4571.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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Aren't these adorable? I'm excited to have a wish list for my parents this year. Parents are always asking what else I need at Meet the Teacher (I know, it's a great problem to have!), and this year, I'll be able to give them specific items that we'll be needing in the classroom.</div>
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As I was making labels for my classroom supplies buckets (which, by the way, I got for a steal on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W86Y1PO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00">Amazon</a>!), I got to thinking about how many stinkin' pencils I bought last year for my students. So, I did what any teacher would have done: I jumped on Pinterest and hunted for ideas! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Q2YOP_RAXLOljZPcyMK8q4atOMMahff13fkw7lDIgXZGUSzu754WPpeq4wGhoG5GQcw9i933GuBl-AFo3S9zLqd18qqQ1HVjoM0i5GvQN5d7un8GeC1RlbRr2tzq7PyJbCaRG9UL-4hP/s1600/IMG_4575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Q2YOP_RAXLOljZPcyMK8q4atOMMahff13fkw7lDIgXZGUSzu754WPpeq4wGhoG5GQcw9i933GuBl-AFo3S9zLqd18qqQ1HVjoM0i5GvQN5d7un8GeC1RlbRr2tzq7PyJbCaRG9UL-4hP/s320/IMG_4575.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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At the beginning of the month, each student will get two new pencils with his/her number on them. If a student still has his/her pencil at the end of this month, he/she will get to choose a prize. We'll see how it works! It might save me a trip (or seven) to Dollar Tree.</div>
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Finally, I have a reputation, both among my school peers <i>and</i> my county colleagues, for being really (and I mean, REALLY) bad at long-term pacing. Now, don't get it twisted: I'm a natural planner. Just ask my husband. But, when it comes to planning a month at a time? It's just not my thing. I get caught up in the day-to-day fun of teaching, and as a result, I find myself falling behind my teammates. Somehow, I manage to get done what I need to get done, and my students perform well. But, like I said, I get a bad rap. So, I created this simple pacing calendar to keep me on track.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaR4vTvatexlSweSrWRKS0OkbdRm0DirfbpSxInTsU0mAa2UTYk2MQGQJ_4qCTc6W95dpEFFc580eEekl88aIdKWwVSWdeo3jW6bIVF7ybcJxDMezKMgnBI45CFHNH3YS-BvLrKpRZicAY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-11+at+5.58.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaR4vTvatexlSweSrWRKS0OkbdRm0DirfbpSxInTsU0mAa2UTYk2MQGQJ_4qCTc6W95dpEFFc580eEekl88aIdKWwVSWdeo3jW6bIVF7ybcJxDMezKMgnBI45CFHNH3YS-BvLrKpRZicAY/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-08-11+at+5.58.03+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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As you can see, I haven't finished mapping out all of September, but I'm further ahead at this point than I usually am! You can grab the blank calendar freebie <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8h6FEJTAyJKbFZPb0Rrc0tucW8/view?usp=sharing">here</a>. </div>
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I still have TONS to do, but I feel like I have a pretty solid headstart. I'm planning to head into my classroom later this week, and once I have my classroom set up and looking purty, I'll be sure to share pictures.</div>
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjkLckGcfwbcxNRESZZjwcfdIDQJDL6h6UfEmKDOibhS4VBbL9-VdRCmHltfYjSwXq9AleY2OHg1XqB63dY-ZSIv9rb0n_2_6W5S_9wInMOYRflMrJgGqKgSIDplv-elmBXIM2krX4U_I/s1600/signature.png" />Shafer's Shenaniganshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06239433579508507732noreply@blogger.com1