New List!

Alright, I thought it was time to re-do my to-do list.  I have been updating and updating my old to-do list for weeks now. I just need to scrap it and make a new one. I have 3 days until my school year starts back up. I go back to work "officially" on the 20th...but we know how those first few days are - MEETINGS!!!!

1. Finish creating materials for the 1st unit.
2. Create my ISN cover and table of contents page. I'll make the rest as I go along with the kids.
3. Create birthday calendar/area.
4. Create enrichment station with materials for students to grab when they finish their work for the day.
5. Vocabulary for the 1st 6 Weeks. (WWW)
• Create SmartBoard work/bell-ringers.
• Create flowers for above my board.
6. Finish "What Did You Say?" wall on cabinets. Put white letters up on each cabinet door.
7. Finish bulletin board in classroom. Needs to be a welcome back board with information for beginning of school + a way to display work. Hmmmm....
8. Make copies for the 1st day of school (how many should I make? 4 classes and no hint of how many kids in each class...)
• Welcome Back letter
• Rules
• Procedures
• Journals
• 18 Book Project Stuff
• Truth/Lies
• ELA Survey
• Discipline Record
9. Re-do calendar so that it matches classroom scheme (duck tape). Hang it.
10. Re-do Rules/Consequences posters. Hang them.
11. Finish creating my grade/copy/file container.
12. Add flowers to my desk...maybe. :)
13. Create space for emergency information (above phone).
14. Make new Date, Homework, Learning Target, and Agenda Labels for my white board. :)

That should take care of my classroom and make me prepared for the beginning of the year.

Phew. I'm still so anxious. Does the anxiety about the 1st day of school ever go away?

**Update - 8/15/12 (3:30 pm) - Finished my bulletin board, "What Did You Say?" cabinets, calendar, and grade/copy/file box. Realized that I still need to hang my emergency information...so I'll create that tonight and hang it tomorrow. I didn't plan on coming back to work tomorrow, but I'll be here anyway.**

**Update - 8/16/12 (2:51 pm) - Finished my expectations and consequences posters, hung the rest of my ELA writing posters, created my space for emergency info and the phone list, put my files away, created my date, homework, learning target, and agenda labels (but need to print them, laminate them, and cut them out), laminated my months of the year and "I can..." statement cards and cut them out, and got my calendar completed. Busy day!**

XOXO

Classroom Day #3 (kinda)

Today, I went to speak as a second year teacher in a meeting of BT1s (Beginning Teacher - 1st year). I got to speak to all of the middle school newbies! That was super exciting! Last year, when I was sitting in that room listening to the other BT2s talk about their first year, I couldn't imagine myself getting there. I couldn't imagine myself being a BT2. It seemed like it was so far off...like being a BT1 was so difficult that I actually would be one FOREVER! Now, here I am, a BT2...and I love it! I'm so glad that I was able to go and speak to the new teachers. I hope that I answered their questions to the best of my abilities and that I was able to ease some of their anxiety about teaching!

After the meeting, I got lunch with some of the new teachers who will be working at my mom's school. They are elementary teachers...and are wonderful ladies! :) It was so nice to go out with a group of girls and just sit and talk.

After that, it was 1:30. Christian was in day care but I don't like to pick him up until after 3. He loves to play with his friends and he's so happy while he's there. I live too far away from everything to go home and come back in an hour and a half...so I decided to go to my classroom. My school is only about 3 minutes away from Christian's day care :)

Here's what I got done today:

**My back wall/cabinets. The four black spaces will be my grammar wall. I ran out of pink ribbon on that last one. Oops! Each door will have one word at the top. It will say "What Did You Say?" and each class will work with one door. Any time a student says something incorrectly, they have to get a post-it, write what they said on the post-it, write it the correct way, sign their name, and stick it on that class's door. It will be a nice competition!**

**This is the left wall of my class. It has my bookshelves and two computers that don't work!!! Lol. I need to have them removed this year. I added those three posters on the left today. I left an open space....it needs something....hmmmmm**

**Close up of the posters**

**I put up those two posters above this bookshelf which is on the right side of my classroom. I also put all of those books on the shelves today!**

So that's it for now! I'm super excited about how it's turning out! :)

Monday Made It + B2S Sale (last few hours!)

Yay! I love Mondays. Wanna know why? If it's Monday, that means it's time for Monday Made It! I'm linking up again with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics for my 3rd Monday Made It!

This week was another week that I made something digitally! This week, I have these cute labels for each month of the year. I wanted to make something that I could put over my calendar that would match my classroom color scheme! Here's a sneak peek of the labels!

Super cute, right?! I'm so happy about the way they turned out. I just have to print them out, cut them apart, and laminate them and they'll be ready for the classroom! I added them to my TpT store and they are on sale for the last part of the B2S sale! Go pick them up! :)

Then, I was able to get into my classroom again today. I wasn't there for very long. I probably got in a solid 2.5 hours in my room. Here's what I was able to do:

**My door before**

**My door now! It's wonderful how a little bit of ribbon can make something look so much better!!!*

 Here's my desk area right now. I got the bulletin board up...put the black background up plus my DIY border...tissue paper! How cool! This was an idea someone gave me on Facebook! It turned out really well!**

 **Here's a close up of the "flowers"**

That's it. I have a lot of trouble just going in and getting started. I wish I could go in, get busy, and knock everything out tomorrow. That way, I could stay away from the classroom for the rest of my last week of "freedom" and have it all ready for next week! I'm hoping that I'll be completely done by the end of the day on Wednesday. This will give me Thursday and Friday "off" to get my head in the game for my week of Teacher Workdays starting the 20th. Phew!!!

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Ok. Quick reminder about the B2S Sale on Teachers Pay Teachers. It lasts for a few more hours. Everything in my store is 20% off...and then TpT gives you an additional discount if you use the code B2S2012. This makes EVERYTHING 28% off! Those calendar cards are only $3.00 BEFORE the sale. Go check it out! It ends tonight! Here's the link to my store: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Andrea-Gardner


Last thing: THANK YOU so much for reading my blog. It means a lot to me! Have I mentioned that I'm currently at 5200+ page views! That's so exciting!!!!! I haven't even had the blog up for a month! I'm also at 33 followers! Once I get to 50, I'm going to have a giveaway! :)


XOXO

Anxiety *Twitch* *Twitch* & PLEASE VOTE!

First of all, I would love it if everyone would go to this link: http://gapc-vote.com/?p=3417980 and vote for my baby to win a photo contest. I never ask for favors like this...but I could really use the money! Plus, he's super precious. You'll click the link, fill out the information so that your vote counts, click no for all of the offers (if it asks you that...they won't spam you!) and then vote! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE VOTE!
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Ok. It's beginning to set in. The school year is HERE! I'm going in tomorrow to start setting up my room. I've already got my desks set up, I think. I am thinking about leaving my desks the way I have them for a little while. We'll see.

I'm getting super nervous. I just don't know how I want to start the year. I think I have my beginning of the year activities completed. Unfortunately, I don't know how I'm going to jump in with this unit. I know what stories I'm supposed to read. I know what writing activities I'm supposed to have the kids do. I've read it all. I've created the sheets. I just don't know where to go from there. I need to get them into the stories...but I need to do it in such a way that reflects upon the new curriculum as opposed to what I did last year.

I guess I need to just start creating stuff and tweak it once I get going. Actually, I guess what I really need to do is create my assessment first and then go backwards from there? I've never done it that way...even though that's recommended...lol. I'll have to try that and see if it's any easier :)

My anxiety over the year beginning is really starting to affect me. I'm not able to sleep at night. I toss and turn until I pass out from sheer exhaustion. I don't know why I'm so nervous about it this year. Last year turned out fine. I was actually really sad to have my kids leave me. I wasn't done with them. I needed more time to mold them and shape them. I wish I was going back in and having the same kids again. Now, starting over with four new classes of kids makes me SO nervous. Add that to the fact that all of the ELA teachers on my floor are new to the 7th grade and you get one very nervous Andi.

Ok. Deep breath.

I need to finish my drink and go to bed. Otherwise, I won't be able to get any sleep. It takes me a few hours to fall asleep anyway :(

XOXO

Workout Week #1 Down & Updated To-Do List

Alright, guys. I've officially completed one week of Rockin' Body! Woo Hoo!

Here's how the first week changed my body!

• Pounds Lost: 1.1
• Inches Lost: 4.5 total
• Waist: -1
• Hips: -0.5
• Chest: -1
• Right Thigh: -1
• Left Thigh: -1

Woo Hoo!!! That was in just one week! I'm loving this! The weight part is sad...I wish I would have lost more weight...but that'll come off in time! 4.5 inches in one week - I'LL TAKE IT!

I also thought I'd go ahead and update my to-do list while I was posting! I try to update it once a week so that I can see, realistically, what I have left to accomplish. I have one more week before I go back to work and two more weeks before I have kiddies again. AHHHHHH!

Here it is:

1. Finish creating materials for 1st Unit.
2. Create a sample ISN. Keep it updated throughout the year so that kids who miss notes and assignments have something to reference.
3. Organize books by genre and author. Put labels on shelves.
4. Word Wall/Concept Map sketch for one of my whiteboards.
5. Create hanging file box for lesson plans, folders that I'm currently using, and calendar (Pinterest idea).
6. Create a master notebook with one copy of every worksheet that I use. (I want to do this, but, with the new curriculum, I may just have to make it as I go along...and stick a post-it on each sheet with the standards that it helps me teach???)
7. Get this for my desk! It would help me with the organization and with the staying on task! Decorate it with labels - To Grade, To Copy, To File
8. Create a birthday chart (need rosters!!). Each month, I'll put up the birthdays. Each child get some sort of prize on his/her b-day. Ideas???
9. Create a "behavior bingo" for management?? I think they could really like it once they start getting prizes. Here's where I got the idea: Fabulous 4th Grade Froggies.
10. Create a station (or place in my room) for enrichment. A place where students can go to get something else to do that will enrich their minds (not just busy work...). What to have there??? Hmmmmm......
11. R-E-A-D letters for my bookshelf. Decorate and put on the side???
12. Create vocabulary for the 1st 6 Weeks (Word Within the Word again?)
13. Get in my classroom and start the decoration process! I can't teach in a boring classroom! :)

Well, I'm down to 13 items (how much do you want to bet that this will be completely different...back up in the 20s...before the week is over! lol). :)

**Update 8/14/12 - Marked off 4 items from the to-do list! Woo Hoo! I decided not to do the hanging file box quite yet. Maybe one day. For now, I'll just keep them in my teacher organizer. I'm also not going to organize my books this year. I think that my kids should be able to decide what genre the book is on their own. It'll be part of their book project.**

XOXO

Rockin' Body, Giveaways, and TpT SALE!!!

Well, I've said that I was going to blog every day...so here I am!

Only problem is, I don't have much to talk about today. Instead, I'm going to talk about a few giveaways, my workout stuff, and the TpT sale!

Let's start with my workout stuff. :)

A week ago, I started working out again. It had been a while...but I figured that I should get off my behind and get busy! I need to work up some energy if I'm going to have FOUR classes of 7th graders this year (PHEW!!!). I started doing Rockin' Body again. I'm sad to say that I've never completed the 4 week workout plan. I need to do that! If I keep it up, I'll be finished with the 4 weeks on the 29th. I go back to work on the 20th and my students come back to me on the 27th. I think I can do it! It's going to get difficult once I go back to work...but I CAN DO THIS!

I'll update tomorrow how many lbs I lost (if any) during the first week and how many inches I lost. I'll keep updating as I go. Now, I'm not going to tell you where I started (a lady never reveals her weight!) but I'll let you know how many lbs/inches I lose over the course of the 4 weeks! I'm excited to see the progress tomorrow.


Next, let's move on to the giveaways that are going on right now:

Tonya over at Tonya's Treats for Teachers is giving away a $25 TpT gift certificate!!! :)

Crystal at Ms. Jones' Junction is giving away her "I Love the USA" writing packet!

Vicky over at Keep CALM & Imagine, Then Get Excited & Make Things! is having her 100 follower giveaway! You can win a $25 amazon.com giftcard and a $10 TpT gift certificate!

Yay! I love giveaways! I won the second place prize in the very first one I ever entered! YOU REALLY CAN WIN! Just try :)

Finally, I wanted to remind everyone that Teachers Pay Teachers is having a Back to School Sale on August 12-13th! Everything in my store will be 20% off. On top of that, the fine folks at TpT are offering an additional discount if you use the code BTS2012 at checkout! How awesome is that?! Click on the picture below to go to my store!

That's all folks!

XOXO

New TpT Product ("I Can..." Statement Cards)

Alright, guys! NEW PRODUCT ALERT!

I just uploaded a new product to my TpT Store. I'm super excited about this one.

"I Can..." Statement Cards that are aligned with the 7th Grade Common Core State Standards!!!

Take a peek:

In this package, you get 117 "I Can..." Statement Cards (8 of them are blank). They are aligned with the following standards:

• RI.7.1
• RI.7.2
• RL.7.1
• RL.7.2
• L.7.2a
• L.7.4a
• L.7.4b
• L.7.4c
• L.7.4d
• SL.7.1a
• SL.7.1b
• SL.7.1c
• SL.7.1d
• W.7.2a
• W.7.2b
• W.7.2c
• W.7.2d
• W.7.2e
• W.7.2f
• W.7.4
• W.7.5

You can purchase it by visiting my TpT store or by clicking on this link: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Common-Core-I-Can-Statement-Cards

I hope you enjoy!! Let me know what you think!

XOXO