Winners!

Veronica won my Student Teaching Giveaway! An email is already on the way with more information.  Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter, hope you enjoyed the series!

Winner from the Blog Hop was Robin B. Congrats!!

I'm crazy busy trying to get stuff ready for my classroom, packing, and getting ready to move.  Hopefully once things settle down in the next couple weeks (who am I kidding?! School starts soon!) I'll be able to show you all the stuff I've been working on - I'm really excited about decorating MY classroom soon!

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Last day for Giveaway

What a week! Definitely a smorgasboard post is in order!  Below you will find 2 giveaways going on , it's the last day so be sure to enter!

 

 

My new husband, me, and one of my best friends attended a guided painting class.  Here is the result from "Owls in the Moonlight" - such a fun thing to do.  There's at least 3 of these places near our home hopefully we'll find some when we move!

 

 

Personal laminator - FINALLY! I feel  like a real teacher :)

Can't wait to get in my classroom next Monday, trying to get some things done ahead of time.

 

Here's sadly what my house looks like :(  What's even worse is that my piles are organized - soon, soon it can be moved!

 

 

Can't wait to post about all the things I've been making....

 

Don't forget to enter the giveaways!

 

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Best of the Midwest

I'm so excited to be a new resident of Minnesota and get to participate this awesome blog hop and giveaway! What's better than FREEBIES and a chance to win some great items

Hey Everyone! School is starting right around the corner, even if you don't want it to be sadly :(
Hopefully I've got something that can make your day a little brighter.  I was trying to think of ways for students to get excited about reading and the upcoming year and I came up with.....Back to School Bookmarks!

What better way to get excited about reading?! Especially in the younger grades! My plan is to print the bookmarks, cut them out and then have the students decorate the back with their name before laminating! That way each student has it personalized and hopefully it will be lost less than the generic bookmarks!

Click either pic for your free copy!

Hop on over to Learning with Mrs. Leeby to get your next FREEBIE! :) 


Here's what all you can win!   I'm sure you follow most of these awesome blogs below - so enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Student Teaching GIVEAWAY!

Thanks for sticking around!  To end the series I'm teaming up with Rachelle from What the Teacher Wants!  The giveaway gives you a chance to win her "Ready, Set, Go, Getting your Student Teacher off to a Great start"  and your choice of any item from my store.  What a perfect way to end the series! I immediately thought of this pack when starting this series.  It would certainly help any student teacher whether you are one or will have one! She has a great post here, if you want to know any more about this product.

Kindergarten, 1st or 2nd grade CCSS  Quick Checks

                           


Or choose any of my other items!

There are plenty of chances to win below!  The giveaway will run from 7/22 through 7/29 so you have plenty of time!  Make sure if you are going to have a student teacher or you know one that they enter to win these great prizes that will start their experience off right!

Sidenote~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I don't think I've mentioned officially that next year, I will be a kindergarten teacher!! With moving to a new state (MN) and getting married this summer it has been a whirlwind but I'm really excited to have found a position so close to our new home (literally I can walk!).  I've been collecting TONS of resources but let me know if you have anymore :)   We're moving starting the beginning of August then I start new teacher training- I'm excited for my own classroom the whole year!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Student Teaching Success- Now What?!

Thanks for stopping by again today! We're moving on to part 4 of our series but first: 

Part 1: Initial Contact 

Part 2: Dress Code 

Part 3: First Day and Beyond!

Part 4: Last Day

Part 5: Now What?!

So you've finished.  It's probably a bittersweet feeling.  Below are some options and ideas to help you get started for what you might want to do next: 

DO - Keep in Touch

• Your cooperating teacher and principal will serve as vital references for future jobs. Like I mentioned in the last part make sure to leave on a good note! 
• They can let you know of future positions!
• Schedule a visit esp. if you student teach in the fall for a special performance or other event at school to see students and staff at school.  Make sure this is an after school event or something the public is invited to since you are not in the school anymore.

DO - Sign up for Substitute lists

• If you don't already have a position, sign up for sub lists in your district and surrounding schools if your district is small. Subbing is a valuable time to make connections to MANY school personnel.  Leaving a good impression is vital.  This also gives you a feel for the school and if you might want to work there in the future.
• Subbing is not exactly like a regular classroom.  Some days are really tough unfortunately but it is probably the best experience I've had because I can apply everything I have learned even when the class is tough. 
• Here's a link to a Freebie to help organize all your jobs - job list
• My Go-To game for subbing - saved me many a time.  

DO -Start the job hunt and prepare for interviews

• start your portfolio to take to interviews.  You can see mine here.  Gather resources you can take to interviews that can give you talking points. 

 

• look at this post for a great website that can really help with this transitional time in your career.  Trust me- even I submitted some questions for this site.  Run by principals it is super relevant information. 
• Start looking at sites that have job postings.  Bookmark them  and refer to them often.  Schools have different timelines but generally in the spring jobs will post all the way through the start of school.  
• Get a teacher ready wardrobe!
• There is a ton of resources for sample interview questions even for teachers.  Start with standard questions and practice answering them.  

From there you'll be on your way to landing a job!

I have a big announcement to conclude the series coming soon! I hope you have learned a few things you can do to be successful.  Share it with anyone you think would find it beneficial!

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Student Teaching Success- Last Day

Thanks for stopping by again today! We're moving on to part 4 of our series but first: 

Part 1: Initial Contact 

Part 2: Dress Code 

Part 3: First Day and Beyond!

Part 4: Last Day

So you made it through! You have planned projects, lessons, made it through observations, possibly had a meltdown (or two) and yet you are going to terribly miss your students.  You will always remember learning and growing with them.  Whatever you do - enjoy the day!!  I got pulled out to sub a 1/2 day during my last day and I feel like I didn't get all the time with my students like I wanted...good thing I was back later in the year. 

DO- leave a good lasting impression

• You have a couple of different options here.  I'll let you know what I did and then you can go from there. 
• Write a letter to the principals/administration.  I wrote a thank you note for accepting me into their school community for this time.  I added examples of things they did like making me a custom place-card for meetings.  I also added why I liked working in this school and how they helped me grow with feedback and observations.  I think it let them know it really was a privilege since I wasn't a contract teacher.  As your professors might remind you- it all reflects on your school and yourself the whole time!!
• I gave my cooperating teacher a gift.  I got her favorite items and this canvas with words the students used to describe her in her favorite  colors. 
• Sometimes you get presents too, so if there are any teachers that need ideas......
• I know some get books the students make.
• My teacher gave me: this tub full of books and supplies!! We have a Scholastic warehouse in our city so books are available for cheaper.  A perfect start to my own library!!! I love how cute she made the tub too - tape and all the signatures :) 

Stay tuned for the next post about what to do after student teaching! 

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Student Teaching Success- First Day and Beyond

Thanks for stopping by again today! We're moving on to part 3 of our series but first: 

Part 1: Initial Contact 

Part 2: Dress Code 

Part 3: First Day and Beyond!

This can be a super nerve-wracking day! If you have made contact and know what you are wearing (from previous posts) then you are ahead of the game. With contact before, you should know somewhat your role for that day.  For me, we had Open House before school started so we got to meet quite a few students and parents before school which was great.  I even got to help and put a part in our presentation.  What a way to feel welcome!

DO - Prepare yourself

• Remember it is the first day for students too! They are nervous as well.  
• Hopefully your teacher introduces you but ask to make sure students know that you will be in the room for awhile and what your role is.  
• If your teachers asked you to have anything ready, make sure you have read books, arrived on time, went to any meetings or open houses. 

DO - Make a presence in school

•  Make friends with secretaries, other teachers, janitors and anyone in school.  
• show up for extras- PTA meetings, Professional Development opportunities, Getting classroom ready, etc....  This shows dedication and that you are taking your role as a student teacher seriously. 
• Do your best work! If you have a great lesson/project/presentation invite the principals to come watch and see what is going on.  It really keeps the lines of communication open and shows you are proud of what you and the students are learning. 
• I asked the principal to come observe during reading time.  I had the experience of a full teacher observation with pre and post evaluation meetings.  The feedback was great and it shows the administration that you are trying to improve. I encourage you to do the same even if it is scary to ask - they are usually more than happy to do it.

here's a picture of our Author Celebration with our red carpet! Such a hit! The memories were invaluable for  me and the students!

DO - ask for help

• As you get further along, you will be planning everything! That can be overwhelming at first but realizing teachers do it all the time, it can be done.  Ask your teacher for pointers and specific ways that he or she plans so you don't upset the balance too much.
• Use resources such as blogs, TPT, teacher books to help! Do not reinvent the wheel, teaching curriculum can be done with what others have created. 
• Management is hands down the toughest issue you will deal with.  College does not prepare you for that! Having a multitude of strategies can help.  Again, watch how your teacher deals with a problem use the same strategies and get feedback to see how you could handle it better.  

DO - Try new things

• This is your time to try new things whether with management or curriculum within the teacher's parameters of course! A really positive cooperating teacher will be there to help and offer guidance if something does go wrong.  After finishing, it seems some teachers like have a different perspective in the classroom but some teachers have trouble giving up control.  Be sensitive! It is their classroom and they are gracious enough to let you teach their students for a short time.  
• We did some crazy marshmallow activities here.

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Student Teaching Success- Dress Code

What to Wear

One of the most important things when starting in a teaching profession is what you wear.  It can really help! Yes, this is a sad truth but giving the right impression can really help you land a future job why not start while student teaching?!

DO - Read the manual

• All schools have some sort of dress code, make sure to read the manual for your school which should be given out or you can ask for one.  
• If you have any questions, run them by your cooperating teacher - he or she should know the basic rules for most items. 

DO - Be professional 

• It is always better to be more dressed up than dressed down!  Go shopping before! Some of my favorite stores are Old Navy, Target (clearance!!!), and TJ Maxx.  
• I did participate in jeans days at my school and school support color days.  I know some schools that say you should be dressed up everyday - as if it were an interview.  Get a feel for your school whatever you feel comfortable doing. 
• Make sure it is comfortable though- flats are your best friend! You will be standing A LOT! Stock up now.  
• Short skirts/dresses and low cut tops (for ladies) are never acceptable.  If it is in question - leave it out!!  I won't buy any dresses I can't wear to school now. 

DO - get lots of basics

• I find it so much easier to have basic pants, shirts, dresses, that I can change out with shoes, jewelry, or a cardigan. It's easier to dress in the morning and planning outfits doesn't take as much time.  
• Starting out you probably don't have a ton of professional clothes, stocking up on basics that you can build on over years is a great place to start!  You might rotate a few outfits at first but changing out pieces and gaining some new ones you'll be surprised by how many outfits you can make.

I have a couple posts devoted to this topic: 

• Professional dress- here
• Where to shop for clothes - here

Share any tips for dressing in a school! 

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Student Teaching Success- First Contact

I'm starting a new mini-series on the blog this summer!  I was getting all ready for student teaching last summer. Follow this series for some advice/tips for student teaching success! 

First topic: Initial Contact

If your school works anything like mine, you probably know who your cooperating teacher will be pretty early on.  Starting initial contact can be tough but needs to be established early.  It is not their job to contact you- you should take the first step.  Student teaching is just like one super long interview, start off on the right foot!  (Do not let this scare you- its AWESOME!)

DO - get in touch early !

• Email or call (we all know school schedules so that can get pretty hectic).  State why are contacting, a little bit about yourself, possibly show some enthusiasm...can't hurt!  Set up an initial meeting in person - short but informational.  
• **** Make sure they get email! My teacher didn't get email from me because my email was sent to spam! This happened to the principal as well so if you don't hear back this could be the issue.****
• Talk to the principal as well! Make sure you meet them at your initial meeting even if it is just to introduce yourself.  My principal liked to give me information and get to know me a better, it makes the transition into the school building easier. 

DO- prepare for meeting

• Do your research on the school and grade level.
• Come with questions! Whether about the school, curriculum, students...etc...
• Make sure to ask if there is anything you need to do to prepare.  My school started Daily 5 last year so I read the book she requested to help prepare to implement the following fall. 

• Arrange for next meeting.  Make sure if its beginning of year to ask if you can help set up, or when you go to meetings - it is always safe to assume you are suppose to go! 

DO- be organized!

• There are some great teacher binders out there.  Make yourself one or at least have a binder ready for your meeting and/or first day.  Personally I used these dividers - here - and put them in my own binder. Worked like a charm, funny my teacher used them too and we saw we both had them on the first day - how cool!
• Make sure to include: 
• Class info
• curriculum papers /information
• Contact info - professors #s, teacher #s, principal....if you have to call in sick
• school schedule - they are usually up WAY in advance mark all the dates and ask any questions if you have any. 
• Notes- with student teaching you usually need artifacts for your portfolio.  Notes are a great artifacts either from meetings or on special students, interventions, etc..
• I had a teacher bag (31 rocks!) that I kept all my supplies in.  My binder, any manuals, papers to grade, grading pens in front pockets.  It also fit my lunch and emergency snacks + it was so cute.  I didn't usually carry my purse into the school.  

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Monday Made It

So I decided to try my hand at the Sharpie mugs for my Monday Made It project.  I was doing some research since I knew some methods didn't work as well as others and I'm here to report what I found.  

First: Gather supplies: 

• cheap mug (cheaper the better)
• Sharpies or permanent markers - I used the ones above
• acrylic spray - Hobby Lobby has it.  I use mine for tons of things!

1.  Decide on a design.  I used stickers to create mine. 

2. Use Sharpies (oil based specials ones if you have them!)  to create. 

3. Put in cold oven.  Turn oven on to 425. when it reaches that temperature set a timer for 30 min.  Turn off but leave mug in.  

4.  When mug is completed cool use a thin coat of spray to seal it.  

*I'm sure this isn't perfect but it doesn't come off when I scrub or wash. I DO NOT plan on putting my mugs in dishwasher!

Check out the ones I made below! So easy and Super Cute!!

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