I'm back!

Hello again!  I haven't posted in a while.  I was gone last week to Colorado and this week I been make in town (not in Kansas) & have been busy creating stuff before the big Teachers Pay Teachers sale on August 4th-5th!  Get your wishlist ready to move to your shopping cart!  I know I already have a slightly massive amount in mine.  ;)

Click the picture to go to my store.  I'll be throwing  a 20% off sale!

So Colorado...BEAUTIFUL!  I would be in heaven there.  I went to Estes Park for 1.5 days and Denver for 2 days.  We went to Rocky Mountain National Park and did only a part of the Trail Ridge Road (which is unbelievable!).  

We had to turn around at the tundra area because we were low on gas...next time we will have a full tank!  The next day we did the Rocky Mountain Tours (it's a 4wd crazy jeep tour through the mountains).  It climbed boulders, crazy slopes, small trails, etc.  We pretty much bounced around and ooohed and ahhhed for 3.5 hours.  It was so worth the $.  Then we headed for Denver.  We didn't do much in Denver because someone decided to trip/fall at the condo in Estes and completely bruise her foot.  Acckkhhhhmm...ME!  I was on crutches for 4 days and couldn't walk.  Good news is it's not fractured or broke, just extremely bruised (a contustion the doctor said).

So I'm in SWMO till Monday.  I get my new work laptop on Monday.  A MacBook Air!  I have a pretty old version of a MacBook so I'm extremely thrilled to say the least!  

I have been doing lots of custom things for coworkers and by golly they had some great ideas!  Here is one of my favorites...

Writing Clip Chart.  

I have made two version so far of Writing Clip Charts.  One was for a 1st grade teacher and the other was for my grade level partner that is themed like an author who has a certain (he who shall not be named) cat in who wears a large hat.  I'm going to make another version for myself and will probably post.  

These basically are for students to move their clip to the poster that fits what they need to work on or improve on.  So it goes along with self-assessment and goal setting.  We had end of the year PD to make up some snow days and we hear LOTS about self-assessment and goals.

Here are 2 samples from the Kindergarten version:

I have posted new number posters, a Wheel of Choices for our PBIS program we use out our school to teach problem solving during a conflict.  I have some other decor up as well.  I've been pretty busy!  

Well it's off to changing from my PJs to go work in my classroom for a bit.  Today I am tackling my classroom library.  I completely moved it from last year and I have new green rugs and a new chevron poof from Target.  I also have some new bins and book containers as well!  Here is a picture from 2 days ago...not complete by any means. 

 I'll post an update of how it is coming later today or tomorrow!  I still can't get over that my classroom has carpet now!  I love it.  Now...ask me if I love it after beginning of the year milk stains from snack time.  Ugh.

Quatrefoil Crazy!

So I have been going a little crazy today...quatrefoil crazy!  I have some awesome quatrefoil backgrounds that I've made a calendar set and number posters with last week.  So I woke up this morning deciding to do a bunch of alphabet posters.

Now, next year...I will be printing one of the sets off and using in my classroom.  I would do it this year but I already printed and laminated Maria Manore's awesome alphabet posters and I have a thing lately about being careful on my ink.  I have the tendency of going through ungodly amounts of ink during the school year.  

So...next year I will use my own ABC posters.  :)

Here are some samples of what they look like.  If you're interested...just click the picture.  Check out the calendar and number posters sets as well.

Here are the calendar sets and number posters as well:

Lastly, here is a *FREEBIE* just for today...possibly tomorrow if I wake up and forget to change it.  I use Lakeshore's huge rug with the colorful squares on it.  Each color is one of my tables.  So I made signs and labels for my room and thought I'd put it on the store as well.  The long labels will go on their supply bin in the middle of the table and the smaller ones on bins or containers.  The sign will go on the edge of their table hanging down, or possibly hanging from the ceiling.  I added a 6th table in case someone needs it and I made it yellow.  No, there is not a yellow row on that carpet...just wanted to do that if anyone just liked the color scheme.

Well, I'm heading out at 6pm for Estes Park, Colorado with my boyfriend on Tuesday.  So tomorrow I will make some new products and then pack.  So from Wednesday-Saturday I will probably not post anything new on the store.  

Have a great Sunday evening everyone!

It has begun...

Hello!  I went to my classroom on Wednesday and Thursday.  Anyone else have the problem of just putting stuff in boxes and not organizing it well?  I'm generally an organized person but I was just not in the mood to pack up my classroom for the carpet to be put in and the cleaning/painting. 

It seriously took 30 minutes to find my stapler.  30 minutes!  My grade level partner was there too and she couldn't find hers either.  :)

So on Wednesday I did a couple of bulletin boards.  I'm debating on whether to do the other huge one in the back that has a red background.  Bulletin boards are my least favorite classroom back-to-school task.  They're great when they are finished...but getting to that point stinks.

I feel Bob Harper in the background saying this:

My body is sore the next day in the most bizarre places after putting my classroom back together.

My reading area is going to be different this year.  Very different.  :)  I usually have a tiny carpet with 2 red pillows and this huge Lakeshore reading nook.  I'm still using the nook but it is over by my small group table now...which also got moved.  Here is the beginning of my reading area.  It will soon have a bench with a cushion and the books will be on that shelf and organized.

The green rug is new (Walmart) and the chevron navy/white cushion is also new (Target).  The cushion is spill proof, water proof, and is not supposed to fade.  It was an outdoor cushion and I believe they are still on SALE.  Probably even more so...I got mine 3 weeks ago.

I am going to try to get another green rug from Walmart.  I didn't realize how much room I would have for my rug and I was just shop happy and bought before measuring my area.  

Here are the bulletin boards.  I have my word wall up.  I used Maria Manore's word wall.  I already had them printed out and laminated before school was out.  I just started creating my own products at the end of June.  Which by the way...how stinkin' awesome is Maria?  She's fantastic.  She's one of the many bloggers/sellers that I follow and that I am constantly inspired by.  The skinny but tall gray and chevron board is next to the door.  That's where I post the lunch calendar, line leader cards that we turn each day, our school's events calendar, pictures, and other random flyers for parents. 

Here is my room as of yesterday when I was about to leave.  Most of the furniture is where I want it, I just have tons of stuff on them to put back where they belong.

I decided to leave yesterday when I was sweating through my shirt (oh yes, it was lovely) and the fire alarm started going off.  That was my cue.  They are redoing our bathrooms now and working on the Gym/Saferoom and new offices/safe front doors (our old office was around the corner from the doors and not very intruder safe at all).  So we have layers of dust and the custodian and workers thought maybe it's all the dust or the just them working on wires and things with the construction.  Either way, I left.

Well I'm back in Kansas for a couple of weeks since time is limited and soon I'll be back to seeing him only on weekends.  I'm about to workout and then get around to go to Walmart.  I need another green rug!

Have a great Friday everyone!

ABC

Howdy!

I'm in slight disbelief that it is already July 12th.  Seriously?  Almost the middle of July already!  I ventured out to Walmart (my boyfriend's small town only has a tiny grocery and a Dollar General) and back to school stuff is out.  

I'm going back home to civilization (complete with Targets, Walmarts, and other big box stores) next week for a few days and I'm going to get in my classroom and get started on some bulletin boards.  Maybe even take the quick trip to Springfield for some new border.  We'll see.

Anyways.  I've still been on my creating spree for Teachers Pay Teachers.  One of my latest things is an alphabet book for students and also short but silly alphabet poems that I created.

I basically sat down and started thinking with a glass of Kool-Aid...I was trying to access my inner kindergartener.  I wanted short, simple/not too fancy, rhyming, and slightly silly ABC poems.  I used the awesome Creative Clips, by Krista Wallden, to help inspire me and use her ABC graphics for each poem.

I plan on using these little poems when I do a letter a day introduction, handwriting, and songs.  It's quick and easy.  It won't even add too much time to your day.  I also thought I could reuse them when our school starts RTI in September.  The past couple years we've generally started with Letter Name intervention.  My  next thing on the agenda is to make an RTI pack.  :)  I love RTI.  I've said it before and I will certainly say it again.  Some people find it monotonous...but I love that special 30 mins with my kiddos (or 1st grade or the other K class' kids).  I mean the results...the results are fantastic.  It really works!

Anyways, here are some examples of the poems.  Enjoy!  & Don't forget to visit my store if you can't live without these little guys!

Click here to see it at my store:

Seriously, I love the ring one.  Not true at all for ladies.  ;)

Have a great weekend everyone!  Stay cool, it's supposed to be 95 here in SEK today.

New Items!

Good afternoon everyone!  I've been working all day and watching reruns of Teen Mom.  I know...I know.  I'm just using it as background noise.  We all have our guilty pleasures.  

Here are some of the most recent products:

Flower Number Posters 1-20

Farm Number Posters 1-10

Word Wall Words: Natural Edition (Fry's First 100 words)

Print and post onto your word wall.  The banner pictured underneath is the heading for your word wall.

Classroom Rules WBT Chevron Cork Board

Get Organized: Daily Bin Labels

Print and put on labels, trays, or colorful draw carts to organize your daily materials or lessons.

Is anyone else bummed out that they can't be in Vegas at I Teach K?  I would LOVE to be there!  One day I will be there.  

Okay readers, I need your help.  I'm starting to work on some academic packs (I've mainly been doing decor to start with).  I want to know what you want to see or some ideas.  They can be either academic packs or decor.  Let me know!  Email or comment below!

misskatesdesk@gmail.com 

Don't forget to follow me on TPT and if you download a product to rate/leave feedback.  You guys are awesome and I need some fabulous followers

Have a great Monday everyone!  I'm done creating for the day and I'm going to catch up on some reading.  I'm currently reading Midnight Crossroads.  I have about 80 pages left!  EEeek!

Word Banner *FREEBIE*

I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend!  I'm still in Kansas and so I spent the weekend with my boyfriend's family.  The highlight was yesterday going to his grandparents' pond. It is a beautiful farm with a great pond, small dock, shade, and lots of great food and drinks.  Then we went back to Chris' town to watch their firework show.  This town of less than 2,000 had a show that lasted 40 minutes!  I was shocked.

Anyways.  I made a freebie this morning waiting for his relatives to get out of the bathrooms so they could get around and back to their hometowns.  

I decided to make some Word Banners (chalk style) with 4 words: READ, WRITE, CREATE, and PLAY.  There are also 4 sets of 2 banners that have graphics like bows, pencils, paper, and a baseball.

I plan on printing these on cardstock, laminating, hole punching, and stringing them up in my classroom in spots.  Perhaps even hung up around each other at various heights.  They could also be used to staple onto bulletin boards.  Get creative!  :)

(click the pictures to take you to my TPT store to download this *FREEBIE*, don't forget to follow me too on TPT so you can get info about sales, freebies, new products, etc...plus I'm at a pitiful 1 follower currently!  :( )

Have a great Sunday everyone!

OOooh and I'm very excited to start the #bloghoppin2014 scavenger hunt!  I'm starting on it today!  Remember, you can follow me on Instagram @ misskatesdesk .

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July everyone!  I am throwing a sale at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  It's 20% until Sunday.

Click on the picture below to go to the site.

Happy shopping and have a fun and safe 4th!

Also, here is a Pledge of Allegiance *FREEBIE* that you can download and post by your flag or use it to teach the Pledge and its meaning.

Write the Room

Good afternoon!  Can you believe that tomorrow is the 4th?  I'm still in shock.  After the 4th, the summer just seems to be gone.  Today I want to share about my kids' favorite activity for Word Work.

Write the Room

My first year of teaching I did 10 literacy stations (How? Why? I don't know, I was crazy).  I saw a write the room online and decided to print it off and try it.  I was slightly nervous to let my kids walk around with clipboards.  I just knew they'd get into other people's business and not be focused.  

Surprisingly,

that did not happen at all.  They LOVED it.  Last year when I switched to Daily 5 my group of kids I had also loved it.  It is honestly very rare that someone has to be redirected or pick a new station for not staying on task or bothering others.

Here's how I set it up:

Print, cut, laminate, and cut again.  Literally post them all around:

*on the front of your desk

*on the paper towel dispenser

*on the back of a chair

*on a window

*on a shelf

*hidden behind something the kids can see

I have a plastic tray that holds the sheets (get the sheets for free at my TPT store).  Students go up and grab a pencil, clipboard, and snap a sheet on the board.  I told them when we started stations that they have to write one word in each box and to write with their best handwriting.  Then, off they go searching for words.

What's that you say?  You have a few that will find them in 5 minutes and have them all wrote down.

That's when I said at the beginning of the year: "If you find them all, turn it over and write that word in a sentence."  

You could even have them write their own definition for the word.  I'm sure there's even more that I'm not thinking of.

Want to get crafty?
Buy plain wooden clipboards and cover them with washi tape or duct tape.  I always then put a layer of modge podge, or some sort of protectant on it.  I have a bin filled with these cute clipboards that students grab and go.

I just started making my own Write the Room sets.  I have 2 posted currently and this next week will be adding more (holidays, themes, seasons, what we're studying, etc).  I am also going to edit my Write the Room Recording Sheet that is posted as a FREEBIE.

What kinds of themes would you like for Write the Room?

Comment below with ideas!  I would love some.

GIVEAWAY!

Comment below, include your email, and I will let you choose 2 Write the Room sets!

I will draw the winner on Sunday.  Deadline is 12:00pm CT on Sunday.  Winner announced Sunday afternoon/evening.

Blog Layout, Teachers Pay Teachers Store, & FREEBIE!

Can I get a "WOOOHOOO!"?  My blog is officially ready to go.  I used The Cutest Blog on the Block to design my blog for me.  Jana did fantastic!  (Thanks so much Jana!)  My classroom theme is sports with a little bit of Americana thrown in there.  I will post pictures once I get in and put my room back together since they gave us carpeting.  The design looks perfect to match my style and room.

Also, more big news:

My TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS STORE is up and running!  Visit: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Miss-Kates-Desk

I am mostly doing decor for right now since I'm getting use to making products.  I'm still working on perfecting my clipart, backgrounds, and borders.  I am using some of my own and sometimes other awesome teachers/graphic designers. Don't forget to follow me on TPT to get updates, see when I post new things, and hear about sales first!

I have number posters, classroom rules signs, shapes/color posters, writing paper, quotes posters, etc.  Here is a little preview:

Classroom Rules

Number Posters (chevron, polka dots, & scribbles)

Subitizing Cards

Dr. Seuss quotes (FREE)

Ice Cream for Letters game (it's the following 2 pictures)

Chalkboard Quotes

*Freebie*: click below for 2 Chalkboard Quotes posters (author/illustrator & Babe Ruth quote)

I have more products coming very soon that I'm working on this week and I will post some RTI, station games, and some printable forms in the very near future. 

I am very excited about this new journey!  I am really loving creating things.  I have been inspired by so many awesome teachers online that I want to join in on the fun.  ;)

Since I'm new to this...bear with me.  Here are the links to my Pinterest and also to Instagram if you would like to follow me (or just use the banner (or just go to the top of my blog to the Follow Me section).

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kate52/
Instagram Username: misskatesdesk

  


Have a fantastic Wednesday everyone!