Happy New Year!

I can't believe that it's 2015 already! What happened to 2014.  It just flew by...I started out last year blogging a lot, but then life got busy with teaching, coaching and my oldest daughter graduating high school.

Not that this year will be less full. Instead I am going to work on my time management a bit more.  Tomorrow for example, will be my lesson planning day.  I am going to try to get at least a general map of all my lesson focuses for the next three months.  Fingers crossed that goes quickly.

Common Core, a new Language Arts adoption (Journeys) and another year of our piece-meal math program (new adoption planned for next year) will keep me busy.  

So, as a fun aside, I will be polishing up and loading more of my creations to TPT and TN.  I will also resurrect and continue my 365 Blog Hop.  It is always so much fun to find those talented teachers out there and share what they are doing.

Today I am going to start with one of my favorite things....FONTS.  There are some great Free Fonts out there.  Some you can use in your creations that you sell, some you need to purchase a license, but it's always good to support fellow artists/teachers!

My number one favorite is Kevin and Amanda...I have a link to them on the left bar of my blog too.  If you are a scrapbooker or Font fiend like me....then you have to check out their free downloads.  They are awesome!

Another one I just discovered is Miss Tiina.  She has a lot of cute stuff.  Great sales on her blog and freebies!

Kimberly Geiswin has beautiful fonts.  You must buy a license to use them on things you create and sell.  But these fonts make my class newsletters so much more fun.

I'm not sure how to search her site for fonts, but this is the link I did find on Educlips.  She is a talented designer and she has some great free fonts on her old blog.

Here is another one of my favorites....Graphics from the Pond.  She has a lot of great fonts and clip art.  Many free fonts that you don't need to purchase a license to use in your TPT creations.








There are lots of talented artists out there...but these are the ones I use the most.  If you have a favorite that I haven't mentioned, please put a link to it in the comments below.  Thanks!  And I hope you have a creative New Year!

It's Almost Gingerbread Time!

I love December because it's gingerbread time!  I do lots of fun things and I found even more this year surfing around the web.

Here is a freebie that I made after seeing a cute Tennessee version of it on Swamp Frog First Graders.  She made a little booklet telling about the Gingerbread boy traveling through Tennessee.  I live in Idaho...so I made a few changes and made it a bit longer and turned it into an Idaho book.

Now we have something fun to send to our 1st grade pen pals in North Dakota!

To get a copy of this freebie...click on the title:
The Gingerbread man runs through Idaho!
It's loaded into my TpT store.

Constructing some Deconstructing

I gave up my valuable report card day to attend a district level workshop about creating effective assessment.  It was a good workshop for getting my brain thinking, but I didn't walk away with more answers than questions.  Good formative assessments are in important to have  in light of new Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  Unless you teach on the moon, or perhaps Texas or Alaska, you have to have been impacted by the CCSS by now.

Most of the states, except for the two mentioned above plus a few more, are in the process of changing their state standards and state testing to follow the guidelines of the CCSS.  So far they have ELA and Math.  The CCSS are a new set of universal standards that follow a scope and sequence throughout the grade levels, K-12.

Quite a few states have been swimming in the sea of CCSS for a few years now.  Our state, Idaho, has been a little shy of jumping in.  Our state sat on the sidelines for a bit just to make sure they really had to jump in.  They decided at the end of last school year to dive in....head first...with no flotation device and pretty much no swim trunks either!

The frustrating part is that Idaho doesn't have an ESD (education service district) or a COE (county office of ed) to help oversee this process of changing over.  In states like Arizona, Washington, California, Kentucky, and North Carolina (among others) there is a 'middle man' --the county office of education--that helps organize the big stuff.  In Idaho, the individual school districts deal directly with the state.  Which means they administration passes the buck to the teaching staff.  I suppose there is a positive side to that, but when it comes to huge tasks like new state standards, it would be nice to have some education organization to help unify the districts so we are all doing the same thing.  It also means that we have to take time away from lesson planning and our students to come up with new learning targets and new assessments.

As it is now, each school district has been left to interpret the standards and create local assessments to measure student growth.  Don't get me wrong.  We will still have an annual common state test through The Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium.  I don't know what those of us in K-2 will be seeing.  I personally won't miss the IRI (Idaho's state reading test for k-2).  It is an assessment tool that can only be improved upon in my opinion.

For those of you new to education, or maybe teaching in a school district that is dragging its heels...here are some sites to visit for more information about Common Core and creating assessment.

Arizona Department of Education -- they have been working on this for quite some time and have a lot of information on their state's website.

North Carolina has come up with Extended Common Core State Standards.  They took the CCSS and added to it.  They aren't exactly Learner objectives or deconstructed standards.  It looks like they just added things that they thought CCSS was missing at each grade level.

Here are some sites with lots of support information about the CCSS:

Common Core State Standards Initiative
Achieve the Core -- I like the name of this one although it's not my favorite resource.
Education Northwest --Great resource for finding some meaningful assessment tools, both formative and summative.  Dig around the site...it's full of lots of treasures!

School Improvement.com Here is a free webinar to help you learn how to create learning targets from the common core standards.

I could go on forever listing resources...but these are a good start.  I now have to put the whole assessment piece on the back burner for now and complete my 1st quarter report cards!  If you have a great resource that you find to help wade through common core, please share!

In the Middle of the Mess

Moving, unpacking, sorting, re-organizing...that is how the last few weeks have been.  Just plain crazy.  And this new school has an alarm system that I can't wrap my mind around yet so  I have only been there while the office staff is there--which of course never seems like enough time.

 But it's starting to look like a classroom.  with a cozy little reading area...

The 1st graders love these chairs. They are covered in that soft corduroy and they are big enough for two of them to sit together.  I found them last summer at Walmart for $10 each.  It has been well worth the money!

 A writing center with all the supplies at their fingertips...well they will be soon enough.

 

Notice my bulletin boards.  They are all covered with fabric.  I love it so much more than the rolls of paper. Even "fadeless" paper seems to fade.  But the fabric stays vibrant and I leave it up all year.  Plus it doesn't show the pushpin and staple holes like paper does.

Then there is the always favorite computer center.  I will have to get rid of these chairs.  They are like 6th grade sized and the three chairs don't fit together under the table...I see problems this could cause down the road.

You see the white tubs next to the computer center? That's my math.  I hate this math.  It takes up so much room for storing it.  But you will see more of these tubs around the room.  They are my hidden storage bins.  Most of them have a little fabric table cloth over the top to camouflage fancy them up.  I thought my last room was bad, but there is less storage in this room. 

This is my meeting area...it's still in progress.  I don't like the way my math wall is coming together yet.  And I'm still missing my little table that goes up front.  My dear husband is sanding off all the old paint and layers of ugly contact paper and repainting it for me.

Here are my desks...I mourn the loss of my tables in my last school.  Perhaps if the levy passes I can get some again.  Desks are dirty (they shove all sorts of stuff in them), they are uneven and most of all they take away the feeling of being a group.  They are all individuals pushed together...not the feeling I try to instill in them.

Next problem....managing all my books.  After teaching for almost 20 years, I have gained quite a collection.  I don't fault myself for this, but I do have to work around this 'problem'.  I guess on the list of top problems--a first grade teacher having more books than her students could read in a year--isn't too bad. :-)

My  husband is also making me an extra shelf for that bookcase so I can put another row on it.  

The math center...still a dumping ground at this point...give me a few more days to tackle this corner.

More pretty fabric to brighten up the blah white walls...

Not the fanciest curtains I've ever made but they make a nice color splash over the backpack/coat hooks.  Behind it is a big shelf with tons more books (my monthly stash is hidden back there...I have to save a few 'new' books to share each month to keep my readers inspired.)  I also have more boxes of things stored up there as well.  Oh yeah, and the 5 sets of Anthologies that go with the Scott Foresman reading curriculum for our district.  They take up half the shelf all on their own!

More books...these come with the classroom.  I'm trying to figure out how to store them for easy use as well.  One of my problems with this classroom is the heating system.  It's baseboard heaters.  So we can't put anything that's not metal near them.  I am trying not to stress out our wonderful building custodian...but I'm also trying to stretch the limits a bit as well!

This is the one and only closet.  It's stuffed full in an organized way.  It should be better as the supplies get used up.  This school isn't one that instills hoarding.  In my last school we were taught to hoard our supplies in our classroom.  In this school, they have a supply room that is stocked and not locked!  So I may be able to clean out a few boxes soon.

"If the Levy passes"....that's how many sentences begin around here.  But if it does, this wall will become a whiteboard.  Then it will be the 'front' of my room because 'if the Levy passes' you will also see a projector hanging from the ceiling from in between those ugly  light fixtures.  Which would be a good thing because I have a document camera (Elmo) collecting dust until it does.

                                     

This is a good sign...empty baskets and boxes!

These are the bad signs....

My desk and my reading table are still full of piles!

Well soon I will be done...I have to be because the new group of 1st graders will be walking in the door in just over a week!

And So It Begins...

I have been a teacher for 19 years.  I have worked in three school districts, but most of those years have been in 1st grade.  I have dabbled in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and even kindergarten...but my favorite and my home is in 1st grade.

I'm not new to the teaching world, but there is nothing that will knock you back down to that very first year than...

Setting up a classroom!  

Fluctuation in student populations within a larger district can apparently cause this.  I am not used to it though because I worked for so long in a smaller district.  Big districts are a different beast.  So now instead of a 10 minute drive to work, I have a 25 minute drive to work.

Instead of enjoying my last month of summer, I am cleaning out the closet and cupboards of all the 'stuff' left in them from countless previous teachers.   Three huge black garbage bags full of old outdated stuff!  

So after I get the cupboards and the closet cleaned out...I stop and cry...because I finally have a minute.   I mourn the traditions, the friends, the parents and mostly the kids I will miss at my previous school.  I probably would have thrown a few things if they weren't all mostly packed in boxes and then I would have had to pick them up :(

I say to myself, "be thankful you have a job and it's even at the same grade level!"  My best friend and teaching partner also had to move schools, but she is at a different school and has to teach 4th grade!

But the other, inwardly shy part of me, has to put on her big girl panties and do the new kid on the block...again!  That's the hardest part for me.  Nobody realizes that I'm actually kind of shy...lol.

So new parents, new kids, new staff, new building, new traditions to learn, new ones to make...and I'm still not sure where the grownup bathroom is yet....

and then there is still that huge pile of boxes to go empty out and put away!  ugh!

Did I say that my classroom is on the south side of the building and there is no cool air and I'm sweating like I'm in a dang sauna!?

ok...enough whining and back to work!

I will post pictures once I get things looking halfway decent!

To Be or Not to Be: Teacher Unions

When I first became a teacher in California it was at a school that didn't have a union.  It was a smaller district.  We had a group of teachers that was our negotiations committee. They met with our Superintendent, principal, and a board member or two.

They had some long nights.  They respectfully worked together coming up with compromises and thoughtful solutions to whatever the budget woes were.  We had a workable contract for the next year -- before the end of the school year. We kicked in money to buy them all dinner once they were done.  Ta da! Neat and easy and move on with the job at hand...educating our kids.

Well, then I moved to the Inland Northwest.  I never was a member of the union in Washington.  I did lots of long term subbing...but never long enough to have to put a toe into the union pond.

Moving to Idaho and getting a job brought me into the Union's den.  I joined up.  Not because I was excited about being a member of a union.  I already felt a kinship with my fellow teachers.  Not because of the amazing deals and discounts that you get as a member of a union...I haven't used a single opportunity that they have offered.  Every deal I have gotten has been because I'm a teacher--not because I'm a member of a union.

But because of the 'protection' you get from a union.  Yes, I'm picturing those Chicago style gangsters right about now, aren't you?

"Hey Joey, that parent over there just yelled at that teacher.  You wanna take care of dis one or should I?"

LOL...just kidding.

In this day and age of suing because McDonalds makes their coffee too hot...or Justin Bieber's music was too loud at his concert...you have to be careful.

So I joined up.

But then the Luna-cy Laws happened in Idaho.

Among other drastic changes to supposedly improve education, all unions lost their powers of negotiation. They were basically rendered to be so powerless that it makes the Girl Scouts Council look stronger!   They put the power in the hands of the school's Administration--and teachers' futures at their whim.

This didn't just kill the teacher's unions but all unions--firemen, police, etc.

So in November, in Idaho, the people of Idaho are going to get their chance to strike down the Luna-cy Laws.  If you want to be educated on why you might want to consider voting No on 1,2,3...check out this link:  NOon123

I'm not telling you to vote no, but I hope you educate yourself a bit before you swallow the rubbish that is out there about why it is a good thing.

Unions...I'm still not decided as to whether I will continue with them this year.  I did not see the support for teachers in a couple situations over the last few years, one in which included myself.  The local union representative's attitude in these situations appeared that they were more interested in supporting the union and that they were trying not to ruffle any administrative feathers--at the cost of not supporting teachers.

I am actually considering moving on to another organization called Northwest Professional Educators:  NWPE.org.  It is cheaper, still tax deductible and gives me the nuts and bolts of what I'm looking for--support in my profession.

If you have any thoughts or feedback about unions, please let me know what you think.  I have given them 4 years to try and prove their worth to me and my faith has done nothing but fade.

I need a new bag

My favorite teacher bag died last year.

This sweet little pup of ours took a fancy to the leather handles. Perhaps it was retaliation for this picture...or the fact that she had a bath.  I'm not sure, but I lost my favorite bag.  

It was just the right size.  Big enough to take home some work, but not so big that I took home more than I had time to do.  So it was perfect.

Now that I have time...I'm searching for a new bag.

So now I'm searching....if you happen to come across my blog, and you have a favorite bag, please let me know what it is and where you found it.

In the meantime...

Pinterest has helped me a bit...Here is a Pinterest page full of Teacher work bags/totes. 

This is what my first bag looked like:

It is the extra-large one.  It's monogrammed with my maiden name and came from LL Bean.  It was a gift from my master teacher and the first class of 4th graders all signed it.  It holds a lot...way too much!  It has a lot of sentimental value, but I don't use it to carry school stuff anymore.  Now it holds a whole bunch of yarn!

I've had an assortment of bags since, including the medium size LL Bean tote bag.  I have even resorted to using one of those reusable grocery bags!

But now I'm ready to be more organized.  One of the things that all my previous bags have had in common is that they were just a big bottomless pit of a bag.  Everything got lost in it!  I hate to admit how many times I've lost those important surveys, evaluations or letters that needed posting in it!

Here are a couple that I found interesting....

This one is from Really Good Stuff.

I like the file idea, but I'm not too keen on the outside pockets.

The 31 Organizational Tote has come up a lot in other teacher blogs:

It comes in some fun designs and fits one of those plastic stand alone files.  It also has some outside pockets....one of my sticking points.

Then there is the rolling thingy...

This is from Educational Insights.  The rolling thingy is a good idea if you are the kind of teacher that takes way too much home with them at night.  Are there teachers who don't take too much stuff home?  Could you give me a tip on that too?

Well...I will keep looking in between doing all the things on my summer bucket list.

Hope you are staying cool where ever you are...it's even hot up here in North Idaho!

Summer Plans

--Welcome summer!

--Welcome to evenings not filled with homework!

--Welcome to waking up without an alarm clock!

--Welcome to seeing friends and talking about non-school stuff!

--Welcome to time spent with the family...sort of...they are teenagers you know and have much busier lives than I do!

--Welcome to date nights with my husband!

--Welcome to my camera and the time to spend taking pictures of anything and everything!

--Welcome to the casual clothes in my closet and the occasional day when I don't get dressed until 1:00 in the afternoon!

--Welcome to my garden and the time to get my hands dirty!

--Welcome to my closet, the garage, the home office, the kitchen pantry and the pile in the corner of my bedroom...all the places that need cleaning! (honey, the shop is all yours!)

--Welcome to finally starting my teacher blog!