Sunday Summary: 3-2-1 Style

I saw this on a post over at Middle School Math Rules! and wanted to use the same strategy to summarize the week.

3 Things that Happened This Week:

1. I finished my classroom!! Here are pictures :)

These are still not even the fully finished pictures. I added the novels and some supplies to the red caddies. I added books to the shelves, fixed the shelves, and got everything perfect for tomorrow.

2.  I attended Church and got exactly the sermon I needed: all about dealing with anger. I am not an angry person, by any means, but I have been angry here lately. I just need to remember that God is in control. Period. If I can remember to trust Him to do what is best for me and my son, I have no reason to hold on to this anger.

3. My son prayed. He prayed for someone who was in desperate need of prayer. Then, he told me his heart felt better. On Sunday (today), he prayed again in Sunday School AND in the car after Church. Moments like that make me feel like a champion as a mother. :)

2 Things on my To-do List:

1. Run copies for next week (well, decide what all needs to be copied and get the master copies so I can make the copies).
2. Get my house cleaned up and ready for tomorrow!

1 Thing I'm Looking Forward To This Week:

1. Meeting all of my kiddos at school! I can't wait to run through my first week of lesson plans with eager new faces! They'll be angels this week. Then, it'll get interesting. ;)

--A

To-Do List Update!

With school starting in 3 weeks from tomorrow, my time is growing more and more limited. This means I need to update my to-do list.

1. Finish creating materials for 1st Unit.
2. Decorate clipboard(s) (Pinterest Idea)
3. Create a sample ISN. Keep it updated throughout the year so that kids who miss notes and assignments have something to reference.
4. Back to school shopping. Tax Free Weekend ends today and there are usually some really good sales after it's over.
5. Organize books by genre and author. Put labels on shelves.
6. Revise procedures, rules/expectations, consequences/rewards, welcome back letter, and supply list.
7. Create 1st day activities (getting to know you things).
8. Word Wall/Concept Map sketch for one of my white boards.
9. Ask my hall if I can do the August/September welcome back board. (Football board)
10. Create hanging file box for lesson plans, folders that I'm currently using, and calendar (Pinterest idea).
11. Create an all-in-one teacher binder (or this one from Clutter-Free Classroom)
12. Create a  master notebook with one copy of every worksheet that I use. (I want to do this but, with the new curriculum starting this year, 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???)
13. Get this for my desk! It would help me with the organization and the staying on task! Decorate it with labels - To Grade, To Copy, To File
14. Create a birthday chart (need rosters first!!!). Each month, I'll put up the birthdays. Each child gets some sort of prize on his/her b-day. Ideas???
15. Create a "behavior bingo" for management?? It seems too juvenile for 7th graders...but I think they'll really like it once they start getting prizes! Here's where I got the idea: Fabulous 4th Grade Froggies.
16. 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??? Hmmmm.....
17. R E A D letters for my bookshelf. Decorate and put on the side.
18. Take other older decorations off of the bookshelf.
19. Create vocabulary for the 1st 6 weeks (Word Within the Word again?)

There is so much that I am unsure about doing. There is still so much to do. I need help...and motivation...and money. ARGH

**Update 8/6/12 - Tax Free Weekend is over. I did go to Dollar General and get paper and pencils. They were on sale B1G1...so I got 8 packs of college ruled paper and 10 packs of 20 pencils for 12.50! Not bad, right!?**
**Update 8/6/12 #2 - I finished creating the materials for my Teacher Organizer (I decided to go with the one from Clutter-Free Classroom. She's amazing). I moved the master notebook onto its own number. :) **
**Update 8/9/12 - I finished updating my materials for this year (welcome letter, supply list, consequences, etc.) I also took the old decorations off of the bookshelf and pushed it against the wall where you can't see the giant UGLY Dallas Cowboy on it...EW. Hate them. I also have my 1st day materials made!**

XOXO

Giveaway!

Hi! I've been really good about this posting madness over the last few days.

Speaking of "maddeness........" :)

I've been spending a lot of time on teaching blogs and websites over the last few days. A friend of mine turned me onto this blog in particular. I was thrilled to see that she had reached 500+ followers and was giving away a $50 Amazon gift card to celebrate.

Well, if you know me, you know I could use the $50 (frankly, couldn't EVERYONE during this time of struggle?)! Thought I would blog and share it with you guys as well.

Check her out: Teaching Maddeness $50 Giveaway

--Andi

Posting every day!

Trying to get the hang of this posting daily thing. Don't have much time today. Will write tomorrow.

--Andi