STANDARDS STRESS RELIEF

okay. I am going to put it out there. STANDARDS STRESS ME OUT. ...maybe that isn't totally accurate. It isn't teaching the standards that stresses me out, it is the documenting that I always tend to ignore and then just skip. 

As an Indiana Teacher, we are ditching Common Core next year and using the Indiana College and Career Ready Academic Standards. (...that are really quite similar to Common Core, but okay.)  ...I will also be spending a lot of my time curriculum mapping during the upcoming school year...  

...so I am renewing my efforts to pay attention to the standards and document when I teach them. 

My Indiana Academic Standards Binder

I spent quite a bit of time last week organizing the standards into a table that will allow me to note when I teach each standard, when I assess each standard, and record any notes.  I am going to pair my checklists with the Common Core Pacing Guides since they are not yet available with Indiana's new standards.  ...fingers crossed. I am really hoping this is a step in the right direction. 

Indiana Teachers, I have made these fantastic checklists for all grade levels and you can find them [here]. They are even ON SALE through the holiday weekend. HAPPY 4th of JULY!!

How do YOU keep track of standards? Is there something my binder is missing? I would love your suggestions...

HOP TO A MORE ORGANIZED CLASSROOM

With summer approaching, the list of things I want to do this summer to become slightly more organized is growing quite quickly. …and I have a feeling this Spring Clean-Up Blog Hop is going to inspire me to add a few more things to that list.


Creating a Spectacular Substitute Binder lived on that list of things to do to become more organized for years.  It had always been something I wanted to do; after all, I think we can all relate to this…


…but I just never got around to it.  Whenever I was sick, I would find myself frantically typing up the basics, emailing them in, and hoping for the best.

This fall, I went for it.  I made the Spectacular Substitute Binder that has allowed those miserable mornings of panic to be slightly more manageable.  Check it out!!

SCHEDULES


PROCEDURES

CLASS LISTS


BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT

LESSON PLANS 

…my lesson plan section is a little lacking.  This summer I am planning to fill it with emergency plans and activities that can be used at any moment.  While I still have to type up a quick plan when I am unexpectedly sick, knowing this binder is sitting ready on my desk puts my heart at ease!  …and having this sheet in the inside cover of the binder often encourages my substitute to actually leave behind some feedback about the day.

Ready to make your own?!  Get your Editable Spectacular Substitute Binder [here].

Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter for your chance to win a HUGE Teachers Pay Teacher gift certificate!!

. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hop to Learning in Progress for another Spring Clean-Up Tip!

FANTASTIC MATH CHEAT SHEET ORGANIZERS

I will admit it, I was not brave enough to go all out and commit to using interactive notebooks to teach math this year.  Instead, my students keep all of their foldables and flippables in their Fantastic Math Cheat Sheet Organizer.  Check this thing out!!  With just one fold, a few cuts, and a little glue, students have a mini-book complete with an envelop to store their notes!

Now, I have to be honest,  I cannot take credit for coming up with brilliant idea.  However, I am also unable to give credit where credit is due.  At a conference this fall, I ditched a not-so-great presenter, and happened upon THIS.

Here is how...

Fold the bottom of the envelop to the top of the envelop.  

Fold carefully so that the flap of envelop is still able to be closed.

Use scissors to “shave" along the three folds that I have highlighted in the picture.  (This is by far the most challenging step.  I am a huge advocate of "hands-off" moments in my classroom.  Take your "hands-off" your supplies, and have your eyes on me.)  By shaving those three folds, you now have an additional page for gluing your flippables and foldables.  It is important to not shave past the fold that was made in the first step.

Carefully use the smallest bit of liquid glue to seal the fold from Step #1.  This will allow you to still have an envelop for students to store notes that you do not glue in place.

With a well-placed single hole punch, you can close all the pages of the 

Fantastic Math Cheat Sheet Organizer with the envelop flap.

BAM!  Decorate, add all the flippables and foldables that create in class, and enjoy!

These were easy to make, and they have been a great alternative to going all out with interactive notebooks. ...I would love to jump to an interactive notebook next year.  I have pinned and bookmarked tons of resources, but if you have any advice or resources you are willing to share, I will take it!!

MY MASSIVE TO DO LIST

While some people enjoyed warm weather getaways over Spring Break, I stayed at home with high hopes for accomplishing the MANY things I just kept putting off.  When I sat down to actually be productive, I decided that if I'm going to have a Spring Break To Do List, it better at least look exciting!! ...so I created this.


I am so excited to have gained so many new followers recently that I decided I just have to give you all something to THANK YOU!!  This fantastic Massive To Do List is my first Teachers Pay Teachers product and all you have to do is click [here] to download it for FREE.  The bundle includes three different pages including a blank template for you to add your own headings.

Enjoy!! 

…and yes, I actually checked many things off my list over Spring Break!

FILING CABINET UPCYCLE

Brought to you by Popular Demand: Fabulous Filing Cabinet DIY Instructions

…if you need a Spring Break project, this is it!!

DISCLAIMER: I am a messy crafter. To say there was spray paint everywhere is an understatement. I recommend drop cloths. Many of them. Covering everything.

1. Remove the drawers of the filing cabinet. (I eventually covered the drawers with fabric so I did not even bother to clean them or paint them.) Clean the filing cabinet using a clean rag and denatured alcohol.

2. Lightly scruff the filing cabinet using a 3M AutoBody Scruff Pad RED and then wipe down a second time using denatured alcohol.

3. Before spray painting, use a tack cloth to clean the filing cabinet one last time. Then, spray away. (I have no painting suggestions. The first filing cabinet I painted was the first time I had used spray paint. Just go with it. I used about four cans of spray paint on the four-drawer cabinet, and probably could have used one more.)

4. While the spray paint is drying, remove the hardware from the front of the drawers. (On the two-drawer, I was able to remove all the hardware which made covering them with fabric a piece of cake. The four-drawer was a little tricky. I couldn't get the sliding tab that you use to open the drawer off, so I had to slit the fabric and get creative.)

5. Once the drawers are hardware-free, go to town with the ModPodge. I put down a heavy coat on the drawer and around the edge of the drawer before laying down the fabric. (I used fabric quarters and left them full size.) Once the fabric was in place, I focused on making sure the fabric adhered to the edge of the drawer by putting a coat of ModPodge on top of the fabric and around the edges. I then cut down the fabric to size by trimming around the wrapped edges. …I repeat, I am a messy crafter. There was ModPodge everywhere. I just kind of went for it.

6. After each drawer was covering in fabric, I went back and put a second coat of ModPodge down to “protect” the fabric and, hopefully, create some durability.

7. When the fabric was dry, I used an xacto knife to cut through the fabric and create holes where I needed to be able to reattach the hardware.

Fabulous Filing Cabinet complete.

DESKTOP MAKEOVER

Maybe you can relate.  …as the school year progresses, my desktop becomes more and more explosive with files, downloads, programs, and clutter.  AND, I hate going through the same “click series” over, and over again, to find that one file that I always seem to need.

This past weekend, thanks to the fabulous, Amanda @ Mrs. Pauley’s Kindergarten, I discovered the solution; a desktop makeover.  While sitting next to her at the Indiana Spring Teacher Blogger Meet-Up, I couldn’t help but notice her awesome desktop complete with a colorful background and frames for organizing all of her icons.  …I had to have one of my own!

DISCLAIMER:  I am NOT a tech expert.  I tend to click around until I either have a complete disaster, or something useable.  My first attempt was chaos.  I created an image that was the same size as a PowerPoint slide, only to find that when I set it as my desktop background, it was too stretched and extremely fuzzy.  Attempt #2 was much more successful.

I started by inserting a rectangle in PowerPoint.  Then I adjusted the size of the rectangle so that it was the same size as my computer screen.  I literally grabbed a ruler to measure the size of my screen.  (Of course, a normal ruler was no where to be found.  My 6th graders gave me slightly outrageous looks as I used a yard stick to measure my laptop screen.  Good thing they are used to my crazy!!)

  

Then, I changed the fill of that rectangle, added frames for maximum organization, and inserted titles.  …this took me forever.  I just have so many fun backgrounds, frames, and fonts…decisions, decisions. 

When you save your final creation, it is important to save it two ways.  First, save the PowerPoint so that you can easily edit your desktop in the future.  Next, select all the items and save them as a picture.  To do this, use the shortcut CTRL+A to select those items.  Then, hover over one of the outlines of an item, right click, and save it as a picture. 



SUCCESS!  Set the image as your desktop background and enjoy a whole new, organized look.  I love the Sticky Notes that you can add to your desktop; an inspirational quote that can be easily changed each week was the perfect finishing touch.  “Rise up and attack each day with enthusiasm!”

Be sure to check out Amanda’s blog for more of her brilliant ideas!!  Thanks Amanda!