making progress.

thank god for summer school. and pinterest. because without those two things, i would have been much less productive this summer. barring any unforseen disasters, i plan to teach summer school again next year. it really kept me in "school-mode" and had me working on new ideas throughout june/july.  and once summer school let out, i started quite a few pinterest-inspired projects for the new school year. all instead of spending my usual spare time eating chips and watching reality tv. on to the progress. . .

when i left my classroom in june, every thing to my name was packed up and stored in closets. our rooms are thoroughly cleaned over the summer and everything has to be away. nothing on the walls or boards, in the desks and bookshelves, or on the floors/windows. all furniture is stacked and placed in the hallways.  once the closets are locked up, it looks like no one has ever lived there.

and of course, the room had to be labeled with this:

a few weeks ago, i received a very special letter from my superintendent. congratulating me on my TENURE! ive also been trying out some projects. i followed a pinterest tutorial to try making those adorable tissue paper poms that everyone uses for classrooms and parties. not bad, but i need some practice (its a littleeee lopsided):

and i made a classroom setup chart. ive done this in the past and you wouldn't believe the amount of time it cuts down when i make my way into my room for the first time at the end of summer. this year, i photocopied the chart so i can draw arrows, jot notes in pencil, etc. without ruining or smudging the entire thing.  the basic set-up stays the same for the entire year (most of the outside walls are immovable objects). the student desk arrangement changes almost monthly, but by photocopying the chart, i can just draw the new setup and photocopy it on top of the old.  

AND this year... i took it a step further. for those of you without my level of ocd, i apologize for this picture. i used mini post-it notes to label and organize the entire classroom. im sure its incredibly hard to read and a little dark but its ev-ery-thing. from what goes on or in all available furniture to where specific posters hang on the walls.

yesterday, i took the chart with me to my classroom. and as i accomplished each area, i ripped off the post-it and threw it in the trash. it was like crossing items off a to-do list (and you know how i feel about that!!!). and it also was a super easy way to keep track of what i had or hadn't finished yet.  bear with me, but it worked so well - i would contemplate making one for packing back up, cleaning the house, running errands, ahhhh the possibilities are endless!

last week, i was feeling a little more than anxious. my relationship had hit a little rough patch with both of us stressed about work and what little "us" time we were managing to enjoy. we were at odds about seemingly everything. i was also overwhelmed with the amount of directions ill be dragged in starting in approximately two weeks. it all started to sink in. and i was nervous about the many things that still needed to be done. one of the major stress relievers for me is organization. when i can look at something and it just looks polished and makes organizational sense - and may even go so far as to save me time/energy/stress in the future - i start to feel myself calm down immediately. so i completed a few mini-projects, compliments of the target dollar section and a little creativity, for my classroom.

my classes are color-coded. each student has a colored folder that matches all drop boxes and materials for their class. these are my master versions :)

for absent students. they check the file box when they return. 

i have a few more projects in the works but plan on only showing those off in my classroom reveal.  so, you'll have to wait a week or so.  but i may be posting again today [gasp] because i just finished a fab book that needs reviewing. toodles.

nightmare on dalton street.

around this time every summer for the last five years, ive gotten the nightmares. i wish i knew how to write in psycho slasher movie writing a la alfred hitchcock

or maybe drippy bloody rocky horror 

so i could type in that font. the nightmares are that serious. its almost time for school to start and its not uncommon for me to gasp and/or shriek, bolt straight up, and realize ive been sweating profusely in my sleep. about things a normal person would laugh at. in addition to the normal, run of the mill teacher nightmares... i have a few more joining them this year.

1. i finally applied to grad school. and got in. and completed the process. v-e-r-y quickly. my first class starts on the first day of school. 

2. im getting a student teacher. also on the first day of school. with me all day every day until christmas. 

3. i started receiving mail from the many projects student council is responsible for completing in the fall. like, all before winter break. 

4. i drafted my first blog entry for our kidblog. and realized just how big of an undertaking this project is. 

5. im contemplating whether or not ill be able to fit the tutoring program into my already busy schedule. but i know i need the money. its whats paying for grad school (and that new set of tires i just got). 

in addition to all that, the usual troubles... i have students rostered. BUT i have received no schedule, no special ed support schedule, no testing schedule, no information about interventions, no program for interventions, no word on benchmarks or gates, no answer for questions on vocabulary study, no new grammar materials, no print shop copies. and no level of organization that i need right now. its an understatement to say that im a little more than stressed. im trying to eat well and exercise, organize and plan what is in my control, and enjoy the time i can with friends and b. wish me luck. 

check. check. and check.

ohhh here we go, yall. its about to get real obsessive compulsive up in here. some days i think my entire life is consumed with lists. and i am constantly writing/typing/thinking new ones. they come in all forms - paper, post it, iphone note, email, daydream. they are usually split into categories as well - to do, go here, long-term, do immediately, for today, and so on. do i realize i just made a list of my lists? yes, of course. i live in this brain every day. the point is that it should not surprise you that on a particularly long drive home from a shore weekend, i convinced b that we should create a new adventure list. what in the world is a new adventure list? well its pretty simple, really. he didnt like the name "bucket list" so after about ten minutes of the two of us suggesting ideas in circles around one another [as we often do] we decided on the title of a new adventure list full of... wait for it... new adventures we wanted to try. i know, its a wonder with all that creativity, the two of us arent running the world. but i digress.

i wont bore you with the rather lengthy list, but it does range from the everyday [lazy brunch, an imax movie, and the farmers market] to the seasonal [pumpkin carving, nyc @ christmas, and fireworks] to the romantic [a boat picnic, drive-in movie, and a bed&breakfast] to the downright silly [bumper boats, somewhere haunted - and to specify in the words of b "like legit haunted, with a real life scary story. not a hayride", and a slip-n-slide]. and im proud to say, we can already cross a few off the list! we knocked out fireworks on the 4th weekend, with the most impressive display ive ever seen. we were lucky enough to spend the night at a house party in our favorite shore town. the neighbors across the lagoon set up a little personal firework show that was out of this world! and as this is my usual firework of choice:

the impromptu show was juuust far enough away for a scaredy cat like myself. it was a beautiful night to begin with, from the length the couple went to with festive decor to the live band to the yummy food to fun crowd in attendance. so although we didnt plan the adventure, it was still the experience we were looking for. im sappy as the day is long, so i assumed this list would end up being something only i look forward to. it became real for me when b turned to me and said, cross it off the list! one down, a million adventures to go! knows just what to say!

and now... another feat accomplished. summer school ended yesterday. so after a couple celebratory cocktails, we decided to hit the driving range to whack a couple buckets of balls. the highlights? the amount of times i accidently nailed the poor kid driving this:

due to the fact that im just that bad. oh, and b breaking his driver. excuse me, "breaking" just doesnt do it justice. i mean like, mid-demonstration of what i (his pupil) should do to increase the distance of my drive, shattering the shaft into a million pieces and ducking from his backswing. i died. but gosh, was it fun! it really is crazy how a little everday experience can turn into an adventure, just like that!

obviously...

its day one of my [attempted] 30day photo challenge. andddd its also day this is not going to happen. i want to thank my bff h for sending me the most awesome challenge that i truly was looking forward to trying. however, life got in the way as always. who do i think i am, trying to not only blog every day during the month of august but also take and upload a themed picture to go with it? like, hello! did i forget school starts at the end of this month? i have fifty bajillion things to do this month. so, unfortunately, the photo challenge will have to wait for now. i promise i will try it soon!

in other news, HELP! im trying to find/mimic/create a poster for my classroom about my sheer intolerance of whiners. i found some cute slogans and plays on words but im still up in the air. i dont want to do the whole cliche "no whining" sign:

also, if you have a rational brain in your head, you will go to groupon immedately after reading this and purchase the vistaprint deal. it is amazing. i ordered seven classroom posters, one hundred personalized stickers for student agenda books with my blog website/email address/kids login info, and fifty blank classroom labels for... the mere $17 i spent for the groupon. i saved over $100! and got free shipping! you will be the happiest girl alive. trust me.  

right on target!

im assuming you may have some questions. who is this incredibly old man? and no, its not my soulmate walt whitman, for those of you that follow me religiously. why is he featured on my blog? why am i calling him my hero? is that black and white effect an instagram trick or is he actually ancient and possibly dead? does she know him? and to be fair, i had to google this dude because i myself had no clue who he was. in answer, the google question read... "who invented target" aka not my most shining moment. looking back, one does not invent an entire department store, one founds the corporation. duh, english teacher. so after a few failed attempts, i found him! the "inventor" of all things glorious. the man behind that big red bullseye. his name, in case you ever need to win trivia at your local watering hole, is was george dayton. hes long gone but his legacy lives on.

you may think im being dramatic here, but face it, the place. is. heaven. stop snoring, theres an actual point coming here. im trying to save rather than spend these days. it doesnt always work, and i do splurge here and there, but i am making the conscious effort. ive put more money in savings in the last six months than in the entire time since i was allowed to drink vodka legally in a bar, aka my 21st. which was..... cough almost six years ago cough. while this may be an exaggeration, i also used to dip into that account when i went overboard. and im proud to say i truly havent. in forever! which is where target comes in.

so thank you, mr. dayton. for the dollar section that gets replenished every week with items in bulk. for the surplus of uber-cheap teacher supplies that cost an arm and a leg at foofy teacher stores. for the awesome seasonal section. for everything imaginable that comes color-coordinated. for the scrapbook aisle. for the plastic wine glasses. for the underpriced, yet fashionable, clothing section (ditto for the accessories). for the entire aisle of "just because" greeting cards.  for the shoes, shoes, and more shoes. for the normally friendly staff. and [i guess if im being honest] for the fact that i go in there for $2 worth of stuff and never leave with under $100 - because the purchases are all so well worth it. for the incredible return policy and quick area for it. for the hand sanitizing wipes at the doorway. for the new sonia kashuk makeup line which i looove. gah, for everything in that whole entire placeee. ok im done.

thank you, martha.

 for those of you who may not know just how big of an organizational freak i actually am... this teacher binder was a process extensive in the making. as of yet, i have seen approximately 50 teacher binders. loved some, hated some, been indifferent to some. ive also checked out various "home" binders, where housewife/mother types take their organization to the house. literally. and over the past few weeks, ive downloaded more printables than i care to mention. ive been thinking about creating one since the end of this past school year and it seems like a logical place to keep all kinds of important stuff. especially for an organizational monster like myself.

finally, i was ready to get this party started. or so i thought. thank you sweet baby jesus, for sending me the most patient boyfriend in the entire history of the world. because without him, i would have been whining and pouting contemplating purchases in staples alone. i spent an ungodly amount of time in the very much overpriced but so damn cute new "martha stewart for avery" aisle. sooo many unnecessary organizational tools to choose from. and i could be wrong, but im pretty sure my boyfriend wished martha stayed her ass in prison where she could not possibly create so many mindless items for me to have an anxiety attack over. i know. im insane. but when i get in these zones, i am convinced that the world will in fact end immediately if i choose the wrong sticky labels. hey, at least im admitting this. first step, right?

anywho, that was just the beginning. because obviously this debacle was followed by the all-important decisions of: deciding on the category/title for each tab, its relevance to the specific color of said tab, which labels to use, what printables actually worked for me, how much stuff i could realistically fit in the binder, if the "off-ness" of the binder color was a good off or a bad off in comparison to my martha gear, etc etc etc. for longer than im comfortable with admitting. but finally, we have liftoff! many items still need to be added, but cant be until school begins. aka, im as ready as im going to be. the unveiling starts now. . .

inside the front cover - overpriced luxury ziploc c/o martha that holds my incredible new "binder pens" and labels. 

 and example of the cutesy tabs i bought and how i labeled. 

do. not. ask. what i spent on this coordinating calendar. but on a positive note, i am very particular about calendars (they must have big square boxes for the days with nooo lines in them). the little tidbits of lifestyle advice from martha are a little much, but whatevs. so it was a must. 

 

 found the best free printables for substitute teachers, my infamous "to do" list, and grade level/faculty meeting notes. 

part of my management tab - those drops are part of a positive interaction plan i have in the works. 

 finally - a place to keep all parent contact information in one place. just today, i found another printable for recording when/how/why i contacted parents. also good to have. 

ok ok, for anyone who isnt a teacher - you are probably bored out of your skull. and for that, i apologize. but hopefully you were at least inspired by the organization? or the super cute whimsical play on primary colors that martha used to create this collection? anyone, anyone? bueller? 

random updates

1. the room is stilllll clean. holy canoli. how much longer will it last?! stay tuned!

2. my 2012-2013 teacher binder [a previously unpublished project] is complete. pictures to follow on my mad organizational skillz. yea, skillz with a z.

3.  ordered my new colorful desk pad calendar from here. personalized AND shipped for only $35. will show off when received.  [side note: why did i need a new desk pad calendar when i have a gorgeous one good thru december 2012?  sad chain of events. first, incredible hulk boyfriend b broke my current one. and then, in trying to order a new one, i came to the horrifying conclusion that these bitches discontinued it. the nerve.]

4.  only. six. more. days. of. summer. school. ahhhhhh.

5. boyfriend with dragging feet syndrome has taken initial steps to house hunting - organizing financials and contacting mortgage broker, talking with realtor, proposing the plan to harshest investment critic (aka dad). id say baby steps, but these are bigfoot-size steps for him. me = happy girl.

6. im currently following and loving the best blogs on the planet. i could read all day.

7. new project! recently learned to use instagram (thanks h) and id love to try one of those 365 picture projects. but i dont have a kid. or a dog. or a house. and im thinking in advance that b will get sick of posing by day #4. so starting august 1st, im trying a 30-day trial. if nothing else, ill get more picture taking practice and amp up my instagram skills. no z this time, im not even close to there yet.

8. im tentatively done class rosters for the upcoming year.

9.  this weekend holds NO PLANS WHATSOEVER. cant remember the last time that happened.

10. ok, i lied. the summer olympics start friday. america!!! fuck yea.

minor glitch

well im sad to say that at least one of my projects will stay on the forever long to-do list. my district, in an attempt to keep up with the joneses, has implemented a grueling, impossible, time-wasting schedule full of nonsense and the "next big thing" in education reform. gag me. which leaves me with even LESS instructional time than last year. i was struggling to get it all done then, i cant possibly add anything more now.

i know. im as sad as you. say bye bye to "thats my jam!" unless they have a super change of heart. it just takes up time i really dont have. but dont despair y'all, i have a plan! my school does plan to continue the responsive classroom program this year. in the past, they have let everyone do their own thing, which ends with a: a few teachers really getting into it and following the program, b: some teachers participating when they feel like it but often using the time for other odds and ends and c: many teachers just flat out smiling and nodding in the workshops and then using their manual to hold up their wobbly bookshelf all year. this year, the entire school will be doing it at the same time! call me corny if you will, theres just something cool and a little goosebumpy about a large group of people starting the day off positively together. im thinking its a great way to greet one another and socialize, encourage students to (booyah!) fill someones bucket, and (wait for it...) play some light-hearted "jams" to send the kids off to first block. this way, i can even ask for requests from the student of the day - making it more kid-centered and personal, like rc is meant to be! not all hope is lost.

in other news, im currently in the process of cataloguing my wardrobe. updates when i finish! wee!

as promised...

the during shots:

 organizing clothes. sorry for the blur, i was a woman on a mission.

post-it labels for my sister k, giveaways, and school supplies.

this +2 more lifesize trashbags. booyah.

and the moment youve all been waiting for - the reveal. the after:

who knew i had all these clothes?!

and i sah-wear there is not a single thing under that bed!

my formerly overrun jewelry minimized to what i actually wear (with leftover room for school ID lanyards and headbands, wowza!)

its insane, right. im so proud of myself, and with a few small things left to do - finito! feeling very accomplished, maybe ill crack a bottle of champagne for my troubles. ahhh. 

this. is. embarassing.

in order for you to truly understand just how big of an undertaking the overhaul of my childhood bedroom is... you must know that in cleaning today, i found my very official american girl historical club handbook anddd a homemade concert flyer from a very exclusive living room flute/piano duet concert with my little sister. im currently 27. something is not right. ive never been a big "spend a whole day purging my life of the no longer useful and end with half of the original belongings" cleaner. im more of the "take it all out of its current spot, organize it into categories, and stuff it randomly in a desk drawer, cabinet, under the bed" cleaner. which leads me to today. i plan to get the mother f out of here pretty soon for good [no offense, mom] and i would really really reallyyy rather spend that time doing my happy dance than sorting through this nonsense. so think of this is as the clean before the clean. and boy, did it need it. if you still dont agree with the process this all is, i have proof. the following pictures are in no way exaggerated for dramatic effect. this shit is as real as it gets. hence the post title: this. is. embarassing. in my defense, my house was one of those lucky miserable ones without power for the last week. that, plus the fact that ive been living out of a bag at my boyfriends for the last six months, spending every weekend at the beach, and working a summer job for the first time in years - makes this jungle just a teeny bit worse than its ever been. for my few loyal readers, i give you the before:

told you so. had to stand on my bed to get those aerial views for ya. so clearly i had my work cut out for me. today, i cleaned out and reorganized my desk, white dresser and the surrounding areas. i also cleaned out and reorganized my large dresser and hutch. i also cleaned out every single thing from under my bed and am happy to say - tossed most of it! im currently in the process of putting away all clothes, shoes and accessories to finish off the closet. tomorrows project is to finish that, attack the mirrored dresser area (aka the high traffic spot) and vaccuum the whole joint. once i do that - i will post all after shots.

i think the most rewarding part of this day is the amount of work ive done. i know it doesnt sound like much, but you never really know how much junk youve accumulated until you go through a cabinet full of old bills, receipts, day planners, checkbooks, prescriptions, paychecks, etc. takes hours. and my god, i havent seen the underneath of my bed in yeeaass. if i waited to do all this, i would just be dusting, clorox wiping, and vacuuming. trashing everything in my path in the mad rush to get packed up and out. by starting now, i am able to take time to salvage the memories and the truly good stuff. i had a few good laughs today and smiled at some great times. and the feeling of clean is sinking in. the weight is lifting. first project, almost complete.