Ramblings

I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth, just been so busy trying to get things ready for school.

Update on my classroom:  School starts the 22nd.  The latest I heard was I would be able to start working in there on the 17th.  Sure, that's 5 days before school starts but let me remind you  my classroom is completely bare!  I have three bulletin boards to complete, signs to hang up, desks to arrange.  Oh my, the list goes on and on.  I have a fabulous teacher I work with who is more than willing to help me out when it comes to getting those things done.  (Thank-you Miss K!)  I think during our open house (which is the 16th) as people walk by my classroom, I'll take the motto that the penguins on Madagascar take...Just smile and wave.

Miss K and I did get the locker tags done this past week and I'm super excited about how they turned out!  They are fairly simple, but their black background with bright name colors really make them pop.  Of course, I forgot to take a picture of them when we finished them so picture to come in another post.

The other exciting thing that happened this week was...(well two things actually!)
1)  Groupon had another Vistaprint deal.  $70 for $17.  I bought two!  Yay me!
2)  I bought these Groupons to have my posters printed for cheap.  As I was telling Miss K this, she said, "You should just get them printed at the local AEA.  It's super cheap!"  She was right!  I spent the same amount on 4 posters as I would have on 1.  (See, isn't she wonderful!)  Now, I have great posters and will have $140 to spend at Vistaprint.  (and I can always find things to buy there)

That's about it for now.  I'm very excited (and nervous) for the next two weeks.  Teachers report Wednesday and students report the following Wednesday.  We'll all be into the swing of things in no time!

God's Blessings!

First Day Jitters

I've been reading lots of posts from blogs I follow about First Day Jitters so I thought I would try a blog hop.  Fierce in Fourth is hosting the blog hop based on the book with the same title, "First Day Jitters".

1)  This will be my first year teaching middle school math.  (After graduating 5 years ago, I will finally be teaching my passion!)  I'm nervous because not only is this my first year teaching math, but I will also be teaching middle school science and K-8 Physical Education.  That's a lot of planning to have to do!

2)  During both my math and science classes, I will have  multi grade classroom.  The 5th and 6th grade are together and the 7th and 8th grade are together.  Our school is very small so the class sizes aren't that big, but for math I will be teaching two different curriculums during the same period of time.  I'm not quite as worried about science, because, although the grades are together, they are working with the same curriculum.  I'm sure we will get into a routine, but right now it's hard to plan for because I have never done it before.

3)  I'm the lucky and unlucky teacher in our school that gets one of our new classrooms this year.  I'm lucky because everything will be brand new and I get to set the classroom up completely how I want it.  Unlucky because I can't get into my classroom until about a week before school starts!  I hope they don't push it back again.

Through all my nerves I know that the Lord will continue to guide me on the path He has planned for me.  I just need to remember to breathe and trust in Him.

Blessings!

Making Progress...

I'm continuing to feel overwhelmed with the amount of work I need to get done before school starts,  but I'm making progress.  As stressed out as I am, I have to admit the more I work on getting the things on my "to do" list done, the more excited I get about school.

Since I am not able to get into my classroom until a week before school starts, I'm doing everything I can to get things done at home.  One of these things includes making different signs that I will hang around my room.  Here are two that I finished yesterday:

I got both of these sayings from Pinterest, but made them myself using my digital scrapbooking software MyMemories.  (Which I highly recommend if you are at all interested in digital scrapbooking!  I have tried a  couple different programs and this one is by far the easiest to use and the most versatile. )  Now I just need to get them printed at our local print shop.  I have quite a few sayings or signs that I have seen on Pinterest that I want to make.  Some of them are specific to math or science.  Hopefully I can get them done and printed before I head into my classroom.

I'm still trying to figure out how I am going to set up my math notebooks.  I started making sheets for my 5th graders notebook and realized if I continued to do it how I was doing it, I would end up making one for each lesson.  Even as I type, I'm getting more ideas.  It's a process that I know will all come together eventually.  (And I know this year may be a bit of a trial year for them since I've never done them before.)

One last thing...I came across my newest favorite teaching blog.  Head over to Making it as a Middle School Teacher and check it out.  She has LOTS of wonderful ideas.  Now to find time to look at all those wonderful ideas...

God's blessings!

So much to do...so little time

Only 27 days until school starts...ahhhh!  I have so much to do!  I stopped at my school today to register my kids and take a look at my classroom.  It's a little (okay, a lot) stressful to think they say it will be done a week before school starts.  It's construction, so that means 2 days before school starts right?  They don't even have a ceiling or carpet in there right now so it's even hard to visualize how I will set things up.  Ok, just breathe.

I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my math book I ordered.  I have read lots of good things about this book and I'm hoping I get lots of good ideas from it.  Anyone else read it?

Guided Math by Laney Sammons