Back to School Sale! And a FREEBIE!!

Unless you've been hiding under a rock you must have heard about the Teachers Pay Teacher Back to School sale today and tomorrow... who doesn't love a sale??

Now, I don't have a TPT store to direct you to for great savings...all my stuff is always a freebie here at my blog.

But I did buy some great items!

Since I am only going back to school for 9 short days before my mat leave starts I have been racking my brain about how to go about planning and teaching for those 9 days. I don't want to set up too many routines in case they're aren't what the teacher coming in will want for the class, but I also don't think I should teach any routines at all. Such a dilemma.

Then I start to think about curriculum...my school board has a process every September/October called re-organization. This is where schools and classes that have either too many students or not enough students get re-organized into proper class sizes. I understand the need for it but it's a lot of disruption for staff and students as classes can end up collapsed and teachers moved from one school to other overnight. Horrible, right?

Well, the chances are high of my school getting re-organized because our numbers are so high. This has happened to us every year for the last three...this year isn't looking any different. I want to spend my short time in the classroom creating small portfolios that my students can take with them in case they are moved to a new class and the teacher will have a glimpse into what they can do and have been doing without feeling like he/she needs to play catch up.

So when choosing my products for the sale I looked for items that covered a lot of general expectations and would allow the students to have fun while showcasing their abilities.

So what did I get?

Click on any of the images to be taken directly to the sellers TPT store and the product.

I love the idea of Math About Me...students start to think about numbers and math in a whole new way. I think this will be a great starting activity for my grade 3's and to pass along to their new teacher. 

After a whole summer off it can be difficult to get students to start writing again. I am hoping this will jump start their writing muscles and provide some diagnostic information for their new teacher. 

Gotta see how well they can make connections. I am hoping to do a 9-day (LOL) intensive connections unit while I am school to gain some insight into my student's reading ability that I can then pass on.

This product has some great get-to-know you activities and many of them could be used to create some cute class books. I think I will use a lot of them as time-fillers and seat work as I try to complete as many reading assessments in 9-days as possible.

Math diagnostic!! Grade 3 is a testing year in my province so I want to get my students started on the right foot (even if I won't be there at testing time) so they can be prepared. 

Lastly, I got some more of the ADORABLE Pink Cat Studio clip art that I have been using for my Back to School Teacher Binder Series. I am in love with it. 

If you've missed on on the freebies so far make sure you check out

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

And now for Part 4...more freebies for you!

Here is a little form to help you keep track of all your student's birthdays!

This a is cute package of forms I put together to help you prepare for a substitute. This freebie includes a spot to leave information about your class/students, classroom rules, procedures, behaviour management, recess routines, lunch information, dismiss routines, morning routines, and a feedback form.

Finally, I'd love for you check out the TPT stores for my fellow contributors over at A Class*y Collaboration.

Click on the buttons below to head to their  TPT stores.

Kathy is participating too! She has a tonne of math games that would be great for math centres.

Brenda has some amazing Beanie Bag Decoding Strategy Posters...just added to my cart!

Everything in Ciera's store is sooo cute! I love the Author's Purpose Powerpoint and colouring set.

Jacque has some super cute alphabet posters.

Rachel is in on the sale too!! She has a wide variety of sub plans available.

Sabra has two cute fraction sets- Fraction War! The kids would love it. 

Hope your shopping is going as well as mine!

My Teacher Bag Linky Party

Well, now that all the Schoolapalooza over at A Class*y Collaboration has reached an end (sad face) I can post about my...

TEACHER BAG!

I must say, I don't have just one. I am a self-diagnosed bag-aholic and having Thirty-One come to Canada was probably not the best thing for my wallet. I change my purse at least twice (if not more) a week and probably only carry the same teacher bag for a month at a time. That being said, I do have some go-to faves that stay in rotation longer than others.

Last year the bag I used the most was this amazing canvas tote from The Bay. 

Photo via Gracious, Good's Blog

I loved that it had the traditional Hudson Bay colours (I wish I could afford one of their blankets!) and how sturdy it is. 

Plus, it was on sale for $25! Awesome.

I could pack this baby full of stuff and it would still hold more. My car often told me that my passenger wasn't wearing their seatbelt when I carried it to school. A sign that maybe there was too much in it? Hmmmmm.

Photo via Thirty-One

My best friend just bought me the Organizing Utility Tote from Thirty-One for my up-coming birthday (August 19th if you're wondering) and I love it. She got this print with my initials on it. I'm sure for the next year while I am on mat leave it'll be put into service as a diaper bag, but look out September 2014! I've got a new Teacher Bag.

Photo via GreenThinkers

Sometimes I just carry a few reusable grocery bags from a local grocery store because they're big, sturdy and can hold a lot. Plus, they come in all sorts of cool fruit and vegetable designs!

  

Photo via Thirty-One

Photo via Thirty-One

Since I am only going back to school for nine days this year, I don't anticipate needing to carrying a lot of stuff so I am going to rotate between my new Retro Metro Bag and the Inside Out Bag from Thirty-One.

I've been carrying these bags everywhere with me since they arrived and I love both of them!

I would love for you to link up with my ongoing linky party and share your Teacher Bag...or bags, as the case may be.

As a thank you to everyone that links up, 

I'd like to offer them a personalized Teacher Planning Binder cover page like the one pictured below. 

Would you like to display the linky party on your blog? Then grab the code here.

get the InLinkz code

Teacher Binder Cover Pages- Freebie

Welcome to Part 3 of my Back to School Teacher Binder Series.

I hope you have found something to your liking so far. If you are coming over from A Class*y Collaboration's Schoolpalooza- WELCOME!

Please make sure that you have see the first two parts to this series so that you don't miss out on any of the freebies.

Part 1

Part 2

I've saved a good freebie for the day that I was being highlighted for Schoolapalooza...I think it's my favourite part of my series!

How can you resist chevron AND owls?

Today's freebie is COVER PAGES!

That's right. These can be used as cover pages for your Teacher's Planning Binder or to for the divided sections inside. Which ever suits your fancy.

In this freebie there are 17 different covers! Whew...There has to be at least a few that work for you. BUT if not, please leave a comment or email me. I can add more covers to please everybody in their organizational needs.

Here's a few samples.

Click on either of the images above to get your copy 

of these 17 (!) cover pages.

This freebie includes the following 17 cover pages:

- Anecdotal Observations

- Assessment Profiles

- Common Core Standards

- Curriculum Planning

- Grade Book

- Guided Math Planning

- Guided Reading Planning

- Homework

- Lesson Planning

- Monthly Calendar

- Communication Log

- Staff and Team Meetings

- Standards

- Student Information

- The Daily Five

- Year Long Planning

- Teacher Planning Binder 

Thanks for visiting and please leave a comment below... especially if I am missing a cover you would like!

Back to School Freebie Series- Teaching Binder Printables

Thanks to a follower who emailed me to say that the links for my freebies weren't working. I'm so sorry. 

The problem has been fixed and they are working now.

It's back to school time and I have been working hard on updating my Teacher Binder printables from last year (here and here) and adding new ones for y'all. 

This is going to be a series of posts so make sure you check back often...plus, some of my freebies will only be offered over at A Class*y Collaboration as part of a special event we have planned. Whew, can you handle all that excitement? 

I am basically attempting to create all the forms and organizational tools I need for my class...the things I find most useful. If you don't see something you think you would like, please email me or leave a message and I will do my best to try and create something for you.

My first two freebies are for the all important act of communication. My very first associate teacher in Teacher's College told me that one of the best things a teacher can do is 

C.Y. A. 

(Cover Your Ass!)

Which means documenting all communication between home and school. Believe this type of thing has saved me a lot of trouble in the past.

A quick tip: For those student who always seem to have trouble returning notes and tests signed...especially if the grade/mark is not so great, I photocopy the test BEFORE I send it home so that I still retain a copy even if it is "lost" before a parent sees it. 

Student Contact Information

This is a sheet to help you keep all your students contact info in one place. My board doesn't allow emailing between parents and teachers so I did not include a column for that, but you could always use the notes section. 

Parent Communication Log

In the past I used one sheet per student to record communication between home and school, but I found there were some students who required little communication and it was a waste of paper. So this year I am going to attempt a monthly log. That is I will record all the communication that takes place within a given month on one sheet. We'll see how it goes. 

All of the gorgeous clip art I will be using during this Teacher Binder series comes from Scrappin Doodles (http://www.scrappindoodles.com) and Pink Cat Studio (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Pink-Cat-Studio). I am in LOVE with the owls!!!

And...please, link up with my What are you carrying? Back to School Linky Party. There just might be a surprise freebie for all those who link up!

Teacher Binder Printables- Part 2- Behaviour and Missing Assignment Logs

Thanks to a follower who emailed me to say that the links for my freebies weren't working. I'm so sorry. 

The problem has been fixed and they are working now.

Thanks for coming back to check out the second post in my Back to School Teacher Binder Series.

If you missed Part 1, click here to check it out. 

Part 2

Today I am offering you two different logs to help you track student behaviour in your classroom. 

Behaviour Log

Click on the image above to get your own copy. 

Missing Assignment Log

Click on the image above to get your own copy. 

I find that these simple logs are powerful tools in your classrooms. It will help you to communicate with parents or guardians about their child's achievement in your class. Also, you will be able to track patterns of behaviour that your students are exhibiting and be able to intervene to help them. 

My Teacher Binder series is just getting warmed up! I still have an amazing collection of Cover Pages that can be used at the front of individual binders or as dividers, a Substitute Teacher Notes set, as well as much more!

Want something for your binder? 

Leave me a comment below and I'll get to work.

Teacher Planning Binder: Information and Forms (Freebie!)

I'm still plugging away at my teacher planning binder. So far everything is just on my computer or in my head, but I am still 4 weeks away from starting school again so I have time to compile everything. When that is done I will definitely post some pictures for you all to see. 

If you missed my first two posts about my teacher planning binder ideas click on the links below...

Teacher Planning Binder Cover Pages

Teacher Planning Binder Extra Cover Pages

I do feel like this is going to be an ongoing process, or at least should be an ongoing process. As the year progresses I will be adding and removing items from my binder as I need to and as it suits my teaching. Some things I plan on NOT putting in this binder are:

1) My guided reading plans- I hope to create a "Pensieve" a la the Cafe book 

2) My guided math plans- still not totally sure what I plan to do here. I know I will be keeping my Math Stretches and Calendar Math plans in one binder/or spiral bound as I outlined in this post.

Click on the picture to head to that post and pick up those freebies if you haven't already!

Other than that I keep my math units in separate binders (or have in the past) based on the unit/strand I am covering.

My Teacher Planning Binder is (hopefully) just going to contain the most vital information needed on a daily basis. As I see it right now, I plan to have the following information in my binder:

1. Assessment Profiles- I moved from a class list style assessment sheet last year to having one sheet per student for assessment. This way I can see my students' achievement in all the areas of their academics in a glance. Don't worry...I will be posting about this soon!

2. Long Range Planning- My team and I completed our Math and Language Arts long range plans before school was out in June (awesome!) so that's done. I need to look over the other subjects I teach but as I like to integrate as much as possible it will really be a matter of fitting Science and Social Studies (mainly) in with my Math and Language programs. 

3. Monthly Calendar- I like to be able to see ahead a few weeks at a single glance so this is an important section for me! I downloaded the calendar pages from Leslie over at Kindergarten Works and so far, these are the only pages in my binder!

4. Student Information- I use this section to keep track of birthdays, transportation, allergies, and past achievements. I have a profile sheet I have used in the past to get a glimpse of my students' past grades and learning skills from their student records but, like many things, I plan to revamp this! 

5. Staff and Team Meetings- This will be new this year. I have always just grabbed a sheet of paper for meetings with my team but had a designated notebook for full staff meetings. I am hoping that if I keep it all in one place I can be more organized in this area.

And that's it!! I don't want too much in one place because I don't think that leads to increased organization...plus, it'll just be too big to lug around with me everywhere. 

So I imagine that by now you are wondering why I wrote freebie in the title...and if you are this far into the post (and have read through all my blabbering on) then you definitely deserve a freebie!

Here are three forms I've created for my teacher planning binder that all free for you!!

Staff and Team Meeting Notes

Student Transportation Form

Student Birthday Form

Do you have a teacher planning binder? 

What do you put in it? 

How did you go about planning and organizing your binder? I'd love to hear from you!!

Teacher Planning Binder Extras

You asked for it and I delivered!

All of the clip art used is from Scrappin Doodles, and the frames are from From the Pond. 

Enjoy!!

And don't forget to visit the original post for even more Teacher Binder Freebies.

Follow The Road to Freebies

I have been seeing so many great examples of teacher organization/planning binders around the blog-o-sphere that I decided I wanted to make one for myself this year! Plus, it is was International Blog Hopping Day!

I've started with just the cover pages for each of the sections I think I might use...and I made a couple extra just for you all that I know won't apply to me. Each file is a separate download so you can pick the ones that you want, or get them all!

I use a single assessment page for each of my students so that I can see all of their progress in one place. 

I love being able to see ahead to where I am going with my instruction.

Blank!! Totally customizable...BUT, if you have an idea for a cover page that you don't see here but would really like, please leave me a comment below and I can whip one up for you. 

For my American friends!

 (we don't have Common Core here in Canada)

To go along with our fun book studies...anyone else's mind totally reeling with ideas? Mine is whirling and smoking all the time.

I don't keep my lesson plans in my organization binder but I know that a lot of people do...so this one's for you.

Now everything can be stored in one place...PLUS, I am working on some super cute note sheets to go into this section so make sure you check back soon. 

Super necessary!

All of the clip art used is from Scrappin Doodles, and the frames are from From the Pond. 

Well, I hope you enjoyed your trip down the road for some freebies! I'm glad that you came by. Don't forget to leave me a message if you would like any additional cover pages created.  Once I have my teacher binder all up and running I'll be sure to post pictures for everyone to see.