Must Have Monday Made It (LOTS of goodies!)

Happy Monday y'all!  As you are reading this I am finally in my classroom trying to get my room together before we move into our house on Wednesday.  YAY!!!  I wanted to let y'all know that Must Have Mondays will change to the LAST MONDAY of every month now that we are all getting back into our classrooms.  So the next time you will link up will be August 26 and  I want to know what was a must have for the month of August or just anything you couldn't live without!

I asked my husband what was something that I couldn't live without and he instantly laughed and said, "Bins."  Dead serious, no joke, bins.  And if you're a teacher, you know the obsession well.  I have had bins from Really Good Stuff for the past five years and they have served me well.  They are just now starting to crack under the strain of kids handling them and heavy books like Harry Potter.  The ones that hold the smaller chapter books are still going strong though!  That being said, I HAD to get more bins ;o)

I bought a few from the Dollar Tree (the mecca) but I will also be buying a set of the skinny book bins for individual students and as much as I have loved my RGS bins, they are not the same price they were 5 years ago... by like A LOT.  So this poor teacher had to go a hunting and found this wonderful post from Ms. Fultz's Corner.  She compares the book bins from Steps to Literacy vs. Really Good Stuff (literally side by side) and I now know which one I'll be buying.  DEFINITELY WORTH THE READ!

 

Today I'm also linking up with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It!  I have been a busy little worker bee this week trying to get everything done for my classroom.  Literally.  I mean, I put the sticky squares on the back of the Word Wall blocks already so that all I have to do when I get to school is peel and stick! HAHA!  I just want as much time in my room as possible before I have to leave early to move into the house.

Editable Back to School Packet
I finally got all my Meet the Teacher/Open House and First Week of School goodies compiled into one packet!  Can I just say that I am in love!  It has EVERYTHING that I need and all in one place.  Instead of a bunch of random worksheets in random files and folders I've now got it all in one spot and with super cute fonts, borders, and clip art.  The good thing about blogging and TPT is that is has finally made me look at all my creations and "cute them up."  I know some people don't care about that and that's okay, but I like color in my classroom and this does the job!  If you would like to see what is all included and what others have to say or even to get your own copy click on the image below.

Classroom Supplies Labels
In my classroom I have these plain, beige bins that sit on my rolly cart and house our community supplies.  I wanted to find some cute labels to put on them and then just decided, why not make them myself along with everything else I'm making?  I also wanted to make some for my math centers and supplies but have to wait until I'm in the classroom and see what I have!  To get your set of these 15 premade supplies labels click on the image below.

Blog Binder
I totally stole this idea from Katie at Teacher to the Core!  I mean, how could you not?!  She vamped up her regular binders by putting in fancy scrapbook paper!  Now, usually I just make something on the computer, print it off and slip it in the front, but for my Blogging Binder and TPT Binder I liked this idea a lot better.  She uses fancy transparency paper but I found this really pretty teal/blue cut-out paper that matched my bins and baskets in my soon-to-be craft room.  It came as a 12x12 sheet and I just cut it down to size and slipped it in the front and back pockets and the spine!

Inside is a fantastic blogging calendar made by Gina from Third Grade Tidbits!  I just wish that I had found this before July but it could not have come at a more perfect time!  I have lots of giveaways and collaborative blog and boards happening right now and it has been a LIFESAVER!  Click on the image below to see what all is included in this item.

Word Wall
For the past couple of years I just used a bulletin board with punch out letters as my prefix/suffix word wall.  Now that I am teaching all of the subject though, I need that board!  I have decided to move my word wall to below my white board in the front of the room.  It's perfect because it is such an used space and that area of the floor is where we have our class meetings and mini-lessons so the kids will ALWAYS be looking at it :o)

I made these alphabet squares with 12x12 colored cardstock and trimmed down a 12x12 piece of white cardstock to fit in the middle.  I did trim the edge of the white paper with a black sharpie to help it pop more and match with the letters that had a black trim as well.  Then I created these polka dot letters, printed, cut and glued it all together.  Once I had all 26 done I went to our local Lakeshore and got them laminated!  Might I add that a hurricane was happening outside and I was so terrified that all my hard work would get ruined by water spots and color bleeding but all ended well!

Behavior Management Scale

My last creation of the week was our class Behavior Management Scale.  Our county is big into Marzano these past two years and we wanted to include some sort of scale/clip chart but not necessarily how they do the colors in the primary grades.  So we did numbers, lol!  I know not much of a stretch but the kids use this same scale for their academics so it will be really nice for them to transfer that knowledge and experience into their behavior.  I have it printed, laminated, and rings in place ready to hang today, so I will update this post with a picture when I get it!  There are four different design styles (Big Kids, Little Kids, Bunting Banner, and Numbers) along with editable posters for your rewards, consequences, and ways to move on the scale (all in portrait and landscape).

WHEW!  You made it to the end and deserve a little treat!  Since it is back to school time, I have been giving away some BTS Freebies each day but only for an hour!  If you are not a fan on Facebook DO SO NOW so you can get flash freebie updates.  Check back tomorrow because one of these Back to School items might be up for grabs... HINT! HINT!

Don't forget to link up your last "must have" for the summer and leave some comment love on other's posts!

Must Have Monday Made It

I appreciate all of y'all hanging in there with me through this summer.  I know it has not been that great (no, really).  We've had so much going on that at the end of the day I'm just too tired to get out a post or haven't done ANYTHING that I felt was post worthy.  I think I'm still in summer mode and the thought of school, team leaders, moving into a home, working on a new home before we move in as I prepare my classroom makes me twitch a little, haha, but I am choosing to ignore all of it like it's not happening and doing one thing at a time ;o)

So this week's Must Have Monday is y'all!  Thank you all so much for sticking with me through the bad/boring/busy times, thanks for thinking of me when coordinating collaborative blogs and what not when I've been slightly MIA sans Must Have Mondays and the Book Studies and thanks for all your wonderful ideas that have helped me wrap my mind around teaching all the subjects next year!  Y'all are there for me when I have questions and concerns, given me amazing ideas that I'm so excited to use in the class next year, have become instant friends that I chat with daily and so much more!  I would not be the teacher I am without y'all and that makes you my "must have" this Monday!

I'm also finally linking up with Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It!  Last summer I was ON when it came to this linky party, this summer not so much.  I have been laminating like a mad woman and have lots of unfinished projects that will hopefully (fingers crossed) be done by the time school starts, lol.  I did finish my Parent Communication Log though!  I posted about this earlier this summer (click here to view and get your own for free!) but now it is all printed, laminated, and bound!  And very cheaply I might add.  I have never bound anything at Office Max before but it was very affordable and then with my teacher discount even better!  It was under $2!?  This might not be a surprise to some of you but was a pleasant surprise to me :o)

Don't forget to check out everyone else's Monday Made It's and link up your Must Have Monday down below!

Must Have Mondays: Crafting Coupons

Hey y'all!  It's Monday and that means another round of "must haves."  I absolutely could not do what I do without my crafty coupons.  I buy so much cardstock, ribbon, paint, buttons, etc. and I NEVER BUY THEM FULL PRICE.  There's no way I could afford it, lol.

Not only do I have JoAnn's and Michael's apps on my phone that give you all the coupons, I'm also on their mailing list (so double the goods).  Add in Hobby Lobby's 40% off coupon and you're all set!   

Now, some tricks of the trade I have learned...

*  YOUR CRAFT STORES MIGHT BE DIFFERENT SO CHECK OUT THEIR POLICY BEFORE PURCHASING!!!!  *



• At JoAnn's you can use as many coupons as you want and from as many competitors (Michael's and Hobby Lobby) but then you CANNOT use your teacher card of 15% off as well.  You have to decide between all the single coupons combining or using your teacher card off the whole purchase. It really just depends what is already on sale and what coupons you have.
• Michael's (at least the one by me who changes their mind with every different person at the register) will accept only one coupon (theirs or JoAnn's) AND your teacher card.

Without couponing in the crafts stores my room would not be able to look and run the way it does!  Now my couponing goes beyond craft stores and I have a lot left to learn in general but it's a step and it helps A LOT!  What is your "must have" this Monday?  Link up down below and don't forget to leave some comment love for someone else!

Happy Monday y'all!

Must Have Mondays: Personal Laminator

My Must Have Monday for today is thanks to everyone who participated in my very first Must Have Monday.

Since almost EVERYONE bragged on their personal laminators I knew I had to get one!  And since then I have been a laminating machine!

I've laminated my new Common Core Standards, reflection fans, classroom jobs, etc.!  It's addicting and the laminating pouches are significantly thicker than my school or Lakeshore so I know my stuff will hold up longer :o)  Needless to say, if you have not bought one head to your local Wal-Mart and pick up this bad boy!  I think it was only $27 and the laminating pouches are $20 for 200 at Sam's Club.  What is your "must have" this Monday?  Link up below and don't forget to leave some comment love on other's posts :o)

Must Have Monday: Chop n' Prep Chef

It's Monday, which means a new "must have" for the week!  This week is a "must have" in the kitchen.  If you know me, you know I need all the help I can get in this department!

Last Christmas my sister-in-law gave me this Chop n' Prep Chef from Tupperware.  THIS THING IS AMAZING!  I use it for everything!  It's like a mini food processor.  I use it to finely chop herbs, crumble Ritz crackers for my chicken casserole, slice apples for fruit salsa, and so much more!  You know, all those tedious things that take forever and you never want to do ;o)  It's perfect because it doesn't take up a lot of space, is very easy to use and clean, and does the job quickly.  All you do is pull on the handle like you're cranking up a lawn mower (except without the workout) and voila!

Here is a video that shows you how EASY it is to use and how amazingly fast and precise it is :)

What's your "must have" this Monday?  Link up below and don't forget to leave some comment love on other people's posts!

Must Have Mondays: Kindle

* SO SORRY! I had this scheduled for this morning and apparently it didn't go :o( *

It's Monday and that means it's Must Have time!!!  I can't believe this wasn't my first "must have" when I started this linky!  My Kindle is without a doubt my absolute most favorite thing I have ever bought right after my dog, Bailey :o) 

I have over 300 books on this bad boy and still growing.  I'm all about the feel of books in my hand but I also enjoy saving a tree every once and a while and we live in a small apartment, so this helps me with space saving issues :o)  One of the things I love about my Kindle is the Amazon support that comes with it!

After I had it for over a year or so it just froze and I couldn't fix it.  I called Amazon for help and she tried to reboot it herself and send it a signal but nothing was working and she felt awful that she couldn't fix it.  She didn't know what was wrong but knew that that was NOT supposed to happen.  She said she would send me a brand new Kindle with all my books already on it.  It arrived on my doorstep in less than 24 hours, for FREE.  Now the free part is important because at the time this sucker wasn't cheap and my warranty was up and they had the right to charge me but didn't.  They were beyond helpful and nice and I loved doing business with them.  It's been over 4 years with my second Kindle and no problems ever!  No, they didn't pay me for this post, I just really love my Kindle :o)

What is your "must have" this Monday?  Don't forget to link up and check out what other blogger's need in their lives!

Must Have Mondays: Types of Questions Stoplight

This week's "must have" is a very simple creation that I started doing after I was ready to pull my hair out.  Every week when my students had to do their cold read, I would have a particular student (it never failed) come up to me and run his fingers through his hair, stressed out saying, "I looked everywhere!  I can't find that answer!  It's NOT in there?!"  My response?  "You're absolutely right.  That's an inference question.  The answer is in your brain."  Now this boy was actually one of my smartest students but every week this stumped him!  I had to do something or I was going to turn into one of those teachers on TV y'all, lol.

 

So I came up with the Types of Questions Stoplight sign.  I taught it to my students and reviewed it every time we did a reading comprehension passage.  It worked wonders!  A miracle worker I tell ya!  Once my kids got the hang of the strategies, their scores went up because they were really decoding the questions and finding out what the author was actually asking them to do.  And all I wanted was one kid to stop asking me the same question every week, haha!  Who knew???

 

The spotlight method is very simple and I'm sure I can't be the only teacher that does this in one form or another.  There are three types of questions:  red light, yellow light, and green light questions.

Red light questions = STOP and think.  Your answer will not be stated explicitly in the text.  You will need to use clues from the text and your brain to come up with your answer.

Yellow light questions = SLOW DOWN and search!  You might need to look in multiple places to find the information that will make your answer.

Green light questions = GO back in the text and find your answer.

You'll notice along the sides of the poster we having graffiti looking writing.  As we introduce or review skills, we write down where they would fall on the Types of Questions Stoplight.  For example: drawing conclusions and inferring falls into the red light category whereas setting would be green light or cause and effect would be yellow light.  Now some skills can fall into all three (ex. context clues) it just depends on how the question is asked and what information is given in the text.

Once my students get their paper they read the questions first and label each one in either G, Y, or R.  This helps them understand how much time should be spent on each question and which ones they can go back and underline to prove, etc.  I always tell my students that sometimes your labeling might be wrong and that's okay!  You won't know until you read if it should be a different color.

Now I'm not saying this is the end all be all.  There are always hiccups but usually once my kids get this strategy down and actual implement it, they very rarely ever make below a high B.  And that student never had that weekly problem once he learned this strategy.  Life is good again!

What is a "must have" for you in your classroom or life?  Link up below and let us know!  Don't forget to leave some comment love on two other bloggers posts :o)

Must Have Monday: I couldn't imagine life without...

Okay y'all, I had a post all ready to go with an actual factual "thing" for Must Have Monday, but then life kept happening all week and it became apparent that I needed to bump my "must have" to next week and do something a little bit different today.  My "must have" this Monday is my husband.

I know, you're probably thinking obvious but you know when life just keeps happening and getting in the way and you get frustrated or moody and then when the sky clears you think, "Oh my gosh, they were really great and supportive through all that.  I can't believe they didn't call my butt out or tell me to put my big girl panties on and deal with it."  Or maybe they did and that's great because they're the only person who will tell you that?  Well that just happened, or feels like it's happening a lot (the poor guy).  I'm still always so amazed that my husband loves me in spite of my craziness, weirdness, stubbornness, ever changing mind, no filter mouth, sarcasm, etc.  Heck he even loves me MORE because of some of that stuff?!

As much help and support that I get from the blogging community, I absolutely could not do this without him.  He is so understanding when I'm on the computer instead of spending time with just us, or he is the first one to help me with my craft summer projects for Monday Made It, he's the first person I show all my ideas/products to (even though he probably has no idea what he's looking at, lol) and he is the first to always tell me "go for it."  I could never thank him enough for all he does for me and I know without a doubt I am one lucky gal to have him.

 

 

 

Next week I promise to be back with a "must have" that will be beneficial to you, haha, but I just felt like this needed to be said and was long overdue.  So what is a must have in your life?  Don't forget to add the button to your post and have it link back here!  Also, leave some comment love on at least two other blogger's "must haves."  Who doesn't love comments?!  Head back tomorrow if you would like to help me out with my 300 Follower Giveaway (I feel like I just had my 200!?  It's so exciting!)!

Must Have Mondays: Mythic Oil

Must Have Mondays are continuing through the summer y'all!  I'm anticipating seeing more must haves for around the house and what not but don't forget you can still link up for your classroom as well!  All you have to do is tell us something you cannot live without in your life, simple as that!  To see past Must Have Mondays and how they work check out these posts.  I have to tell you this might be dangerous to your wallet.  Since the first week of this linky I have already bought a personal laminator (AND LOVE IT! So does the hubs!) and thankfully a friend gifted me her never before used Sticker Maker, but I was prepared to buy one, lol.

Today's must have comes to you straight from my bathroom... beauty product style! Mythic Oil is a definite MUST HAVE if you live in the state of Florida with the ridiculous humidity or have frizzy hair (I have both).  My hair dresser turned me on to it at our last visit and I don't go a day without it!  All you do is pump 4-5 times and spread it all over your hands (like your washing them), the fronts and backs.  You do this so when you running your fingers through your hair, all your hair is getting a little lovin.  Once your hands have the product on them you will run it through your wet or damp hair.  Then proceed to blow dry or air dry your hair.

I'm telling you, it's like having Pantene Pro-V hair in the commercials, UH-MAZING!  And the great thing is is that it's very light so even once you run it all through your hair your hands aren't super sticky.  They are very nice and smooth, just like your hair! :o)  That's big for me too that my hair isn't oily by the end of the day, so that's a plus as well!  I've had it for a couple months and use it every other day and there is still half left.  I got it from my salon and it was affordable (under $20, I think even under $15).

So there you have it!  One of my beauty product must haves!  What is one of your must haves?  Don't forget when you link up to add the button and comment on some of our other blogging buddies!

Must Have Mondays: 7 hour Interactive Sub Plans

It's Monday again and you know what that means!  It's Must Have Mondays!!!!  What is something that you cannot live without in your classroom or just everyday life?  Link up below and tell us your secret to surviving the day and see what others are doing as well.  To find out more about Must Have Mondays and how to link up check out my previous post :o)

This week for Must Have Monday I am featuring I'm Lovin Lit's 7-Hour Complete Sub Plans Thematic Unit A Zoo Day!  Now I did not realize this was a "must have" until last week threw me a curve ball and my copies for the sub did not come back in time and I had to scramble at 5:30pm to find something else for them to do with a first time sub during the last full week of school... WORST. NIGHTMARE. EVER.

Luckily, I had just seen Erin post about how excited she was that her Zoo Day Sub Plans were featured in TPT's newsletter (how awesome is that?!).  I thought, "Why not give it a try?  I have NOTHING else, lol."  Now some of you might be thinking, "Don't you have a sub tub, or extra worksheets and what not lying around?"  Usually I do, but it was the last full week of school and my kids were going crazy and I knew busy work was not going to help the behavior issues we had been having lately.  So I took a shot and downloaded both of Erin's Roller Coaster Day and Zoo Day.

These packets are amazing!  They include ALL the subjects (even science and social studies), are aligned with the Common Core, come in different levels for different grades, and they get to make a fun lapbook of all their information at the end.  I'm sort of jealous that the sub got to have fun and create these with the kids and not me, haha.  BONUS = It comes with sub plans typed out for each section as well.  You can't beat that!  Now I printed off the Zoo Day for my kiddos but Jessica over at Ideas by Jivey has actually done the Roller Coaster Day with her kiddos and let me snag a picture to show you what it can look like!  You can read about her experience here.

The kids LOVED it and they were much better behaved this day than with the sub and independent work the day before!  I would highly recommend this to anyone who will be needing sub plans or just needs a great end of the year activity - I know I'm using them again!  Don't forget to link up your "must have" for the week and include the button to bring others back here so they can see more great ideas!  I would also love if you would leave some comment love for the other fabulous bloggers that link up (who doesn't love comments!).  Hope you had a fabulous Memorial Day!

Must Have Mondays Linky: Learning Cubes

This all started because of that TPT Teacher Appreciation Sale, it's all their fault!  I kept seeing what was in other people's carts and my wish list/"must have" list grew and grew and grew!  Now, I'm also a huge fan of Oprah's Favorite Things episodes, they were always my favorite ;o)  My husband and I always shout when we find something we like, "IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE THIIIIIIIIIIINGS!!!!!!!!! You get a car, you get a car, you all get a car!" (it's rather embarrassing, but we don't care).  We'll usually switch up "car" for the item at hand, but you get the point, haha.  Well when you combine those two things, you get Must Have Mondays!

That's what this linky is all about, I apparently MUST HAVE more favorite things!  Whenever I'm blog stalking hopping, I always see really cute pictures and ideas and think, "Oh man, I've GOT to do that next year!"  I figured this would be an easier way to combine forces and see what is working for other teachers out there.  Every Monday you can link up and find ideas from other teachers that you might never have thought of.  I want to know what are the things you can't live without in your classroom or even ordinary everyday life!  It can be anything from products, to procedures, to incentives, to lessons, to posters, to shoes, to morning bagels (don't play that's one of mine!).  It can be anything!

Here is my first "must have" for my classroom: Kagan Learning Cubes. 

I have a set of four of the Vocabulary Learning Cubes and then single cubes for Lesson Launcher, Lesson Wrap Up (both great for guided reading and even whole group), Current Events, Reading Comprehension, Story Prewriting, and Historical Events.  The kids love them and they are great because they can work with any piece of writing or lesson you are using.  The reason the Vocabulary Cubes are a must have in my classroom is because they really get the kids thinking about the word and how to use it correctly and apply it to their everyday life.

 

You can use them anyway you want but I usually introduce the vocabulary terms and definitions with my kiddos and once we have gone over them and talked about the synonyms and antonyms and used them in sentences, then we move into our table groups for the application process.  Each student has a white board, marker, rag, and their vocabulary sheet.  It will start off with one person and they get to pick a word from the list (they're supposed to pick a word they are the most unfamiliar with).  Once they have told the table which word they chose, then they roll the dice.  What ever side it lands on, EVERYONE at the table has to do what the dice says for the word that the roller picked.  I love this because then the students get to see how many different ways a word can be used.  I mean, we do this in math right???  How many different ways can we solve this problem?  So why not with vocabulary!?

 

 

Once everyone has shared what they put down, then they all erase their masterpieces and the cube gets passed on to the next person and it starts all over again.  The only rule is that they cannot repeat any words and cannot look at another person's creation while working.  Once my kids get REALLY good at this I throw in a twist.  Have you ever played Scattegories?  I love it!  Well in Scattegories, if you write down the same answer as someone else then both of you have to eliminate your answer and you don't get a point.  That's the new rule for the Vocabulary Cubes!  Only do this once all kids are comfortable and confident in this process.  When they are earning points and don't want their score to be eliminated, they become much more creative and ingenious about how they use their word and you can see their little brains working so hard.  I just can't say enough good things about these cubes!  You get so much out of so little :o)

 

The word was "apparently."  Usually I make them give me more depth to their sentences, but who's going to say no to that!? HAHA

So there you have it, my "must have" for this Monday!  Before I go, can we please talk about how stinking cute my new button for this linky is thanks to Michelle from The 3AM Teacher?!  Poor thing, I gave her a very little/vague description of what I was looking for (mainly because I didn't know) and she created EXACTLY what I wanted (again, without me even knowing)!  Head on over to her blog and check her out, she's amazing!  Link up and let me know what is a "must have" in your life?  Don't forget to add the button to your post and have it link back to this post!