School Year's Resolutions

It's been ages since I've posted anything substantial up here on the blog.  Maybe you missed it, maybe you didn't.  Either way, I'm cool with that.  The truth is: this just isn't my priority.  As life developed and our family went from 2 to 3 to 4 members (5 if you're including the doggie) time just slipped away.  Some things that were important to me in the past got cut out or replaced.  (I think we all know what that's like.)

When I first started this blog, I had a 9 month old.  In 2 weeks she will become my 1st Kindergartner.  Wow.  I have a Kindergartner.  Attending my school.  (Let's be real.  I'm both excited and nervous about that one.)  It's a big year!

This morning when I was returning from the doctor thinking about how right he is that I need to get more sleep, I started thinking about a bunch of things I need to work on. That's when I decided that I need to make some School Year's Resolutions.  Many of you aren't heading back to the classroom for a few weeks, but as for me and my school . . . we go back for pre-planning on MONDAY!

So, here goes . . .

My 2015-2016 School Year's Resolutions

1.  I resolve to get more sleep (as suggested by my doctor).
Yeah, I  know.  There aren't enough hours in the day.  There's too much to do.  How am I going to get everything done?!?!  Sounds like it's time to prune some more things off of my must do list . . . which means more prioritizing.

2.  I resolve to be more efficient and use my time wisely.
That's a hard one.  (It also sounds like a report card comment.)  School isn't just the place I work; I've got dear friends there, so I admit that I've spent a little extra time at school just socializing.  I won't be cutting my friends out, but I'm going to have to make sure that I do as much as I can in the time that I have (and of course, more pruning).  I have to figure out how to become more efficient so that my daughter won't be spending long after school hours at her school where she's been engaged in the fun of learning all day.

3.  I resolve to exercise more.  
Sporadic just isn't going to cut it.  I've got to get into better shape.  Not just for my waistline but for the sake of my family.

4.  I resolve to maintain a healthy diet.
No, not a diet.  Just a better overall diet to improve my health and energy for all the prioritizing and juggling and balancing that comes with life as all these growth changes take place.  (I mean, really.  Do my babies really have to grow up?) Change is serious business, and I'm working on getting better with changes.

My list could go on and on, but I'm just going to start with these.  They're big.  It probably won't be easy and I'm probably going to fall short quite a bit, but I'm going to try not to beat myself up over it.  (Maybe that should be a resolution too.  Take it easier on myself?)

So there you have it:  My School Year's Resolutions.  Maybe you'll find some activity on the blog or maybe you won't.  I'll be working hard trying to stick to my resolutions, so we'll see what happens!

What about you?  Do YOU have any School Year's Resolutions?

O"fish"ally a 1st Grader!

Today is our Open House/Registration day.  I get to meet my students and their parents!  It's kind of the moment that makes the idea of this next school year a reality.

Registration day is usually a mix of long, slow empty stretches dotted with sudden influxes of families.  Everyone always seems to come in one big wave and it's just a whirlwind!  This year we found out that we only have 3 forms for the parents to fill out in our classrooms rather than our usual 8 or so.  I always felt bad for the parents having to fill out all those papers! Now they will be doing most of the registration on computers.  I'm so excited about this!  I'm hoping it's a sign of a smoother start to the beginning of our year.

The best part of Registration Day for me is always meeting my new students.  Some are shy and hide behind their parents.  Some talk your ear off right off the bat!  This year I got a really cute idea from the goody bags I made for my daughter's 2nd birthday a couple of weeks ago.  I made these cute little candy bags using the satchel shaped cellophane bags, nerds, and Swedish fish!  Here's what they looked like:

I thought it would be a fun way to welcome my new class to give these out at registration too, so I changed the tag closure at the top to say "O"fish"ially a 1st Grader!"

These are the things you'll need.

Here's how you make them:

1. Print the top closure tags on cardstock paper.  (Get them here.)
2. Cut out closure tags so that you have enough extra paper above the words to fold over and double up in the back.
3. Cut the closure tag with a scalloped or wavy edged scissor (with card folded).
4. Pour some Nerds into the bottom of the cellophane bag to simulate aquarium gravel.
5. Add a few Swedish fish.
6. Tuck in and fold over the tops of the bag, slip it between the folded cardstock, and staple!

Start Organized!

Although it's summer right now I'm sure a lot of you are already thinking about the start of the school year.  There's always so much to do and it can get kind of overwhelming.  I know that I always try to start the year by organizing and giving everything a place and a label.  I intend on starting organized until . . . I realize how much I have to do and just how little time I have to do it in!  Then the things that were set aside to be organized and put away get shoved into any unseen spot.  You know how it goes, right?

Well would it help you if you had a way of organizing your guided reading groups before the year started?

I've tried many ways to keep myself organized with my Guided Reading groups, but a few years ago I started organizing myself using daily and weekly charts for my reading groups.  Over the years I've tweaked a few things and finally have something that really works for me. Here's what these forms look like filled out.  Click on the link to get them from my TpT.  I'm sharing these for free download (on my TpT site) for you to try if you are still looking for a better way to organize your Guided Reading groups.  (Free in PDF form.  If you're like me and like to add names, personalize the font, etc. you can purchase it for just $1.00.)  I hope you will find it helpful.



Click here to download the FREE PDF.



Click here to get the Word file.