Back to School Haul

Posted on by chopstickstomasonjars

In the past I ran around to all the teacher appreciation events gathering all the supplies that I could.

Check out this video from a year or so ago:

This year, however, I have refrained from doing so. I realized that I did get a lot of supplies for cheap – but I really spent a lot of time doing this when I could be focused on other stuff. It was difficult and yet freeing to not look through all the back to school ads.

I really thought about what I needed for class. Glue is ALWAYS a struggle for me. I use interactive notebooks and that uses lots of glue. And it is something that I am okay dealing with because students actually keep up with their notes when they glue them into a notebook. That being said I wanted to think of an alternative to glue sticks, liquid glue, glue sponges and so forth. So here is my solution:

Brilliant Bingo Bottles With Sponge Tip, Paint Marker Daubers, Great For Dot Painting, Easy Grip (12-Pack)

I am putting glue into these bottles and it is like the best of both worlds. I can have the cheapness and refill-ability of liquid glue with the ease and cleanliness of gluesticks. I actually tested them during Vacation Bible School and they worked great. I am hoping I have finally found the real solution to my glue struggle (I have thought this in the past, but this time I am more hopefull).

I also took advantage of the target teacher discount and purchased the following:

As you can see I am in love with sloths and llamas. And I cannot say enough about pastel highlighters. What have you purchased?

1st Day of School – What Will I do?

Posted on by chopstickstomasonjars

The first day of school is upon us – for me it is officially August 7th! I am both excited and nervous as I always am for the first days of school. I am anxious that I won’t be firm enough on the first day of school (because I have had years like that in the past) and then my whole year is ruined – not really, but it feels that way.

So, what am I going to do to set the stage?

At our school, the very first day is already prescribed for us. In all academic classes, we read through a section of the handbook. ALL. DAY. LONG. – It is one of the necessary parts of teaching. Especially because I have 6th Grade. In order to break up the monotony, I try to plan a light-hearted activity. In the past, I have played two truths and a lie, but this year I think I am going to try something new.

First Day of School Investigate the Teacher Activity

I am going to try an investigative challenge. Students will have to gather clues from items around my room to decide what type of teacher I am. I found this idea on Pinterest – which then lead me to TpT and teacher-author: Write With Ms. G. I am excited to try this out with my students and I will update you with how it works.

As I was perusing her store I also found a set of back to school stations. Stations are a large part of my teaching. I use a lot of Kesler station labs and others that I create myself. I thought this set of stations would be a good way to train my students how stations work, while getting them to look through the syllabus, etc.

First Day of School Activity: Learning Stations - Engage students on Day 1

What are your plans for the first day or week of school? Let me know in the comments below!

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Cornell Doodle Notes = Best of Both Worlds

Posted on by chopstickstomasonjars

If you have subscribed to my blog for any amount of time, then you know that I love doodle notes. I have also written about using Cornell notes as well. Toward the end of the year, I stumbled across the best of both of these note-taking methods = CORNELL DOODLE NOTES!

Basically, you combine the organization of Cornell notes with the graphic organization of doodle notes. Over the summer I have been converting a lot of my notes into this style of note-taking.

Here are a couple of examples of notes that I’ve created so far:

From my BIG BANG THEORY Notes –

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From my WHERE WE ARE IN THE UNIVERSE Notes –

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I love that I can combine graphics and notes in such a well-organized way. I cannot wait to use these with my students! Have you thought of any new ideas this summer?

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End of Summer Panic!

Posted on by chopstickstomasonjars

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So, I can now clearly see the end of summer! We go back to school for pre-planning on August 1st! Why do summers fly by so fast?

I will say that around my house we were a lot more productive, but I am still having that end of summer moment where I’m just flabbergasted that it is almost over! How are you feeling right now?

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Long Range Planning

Posted on by chopstickstomasonjars

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In the past, I have been dependent upon pacing guides and curriculum maps. I knew the units of study at the beginning of the year. Then, I just planned week by week using that as my guide. However, what I found was that I would spend too much time on some topics and gloss over others.

This year I wanted to intentional about long-range planning. So, I looked at each standard and came up with the main topics. Sort of the top five or so for each standard. my plan is to spend one week on each main topic. I am hoping this will help me not to rush through things and also with retention of information.

I’ll give you updates about how my planning is working out as the year progresses. How do you long range plan?

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Bible Cover Review – Mamabooclay

Posted on by chopstickstomasonjars

This post is a little different for me. I am just very obsessed with a gift that my husband got for me this year!

For my Birthday my husband designed and purchased a custom bible cover for me. I have nothing but amazing things to say about it. He purchased it from an etsy seller named Mamabooclay.

In her shop she has several designs and add-ons. You can even have a Bible Cover and Pen Case to Match.

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My Bible Cover looks like the one below but has a rose pink spine and pink monogram on the front. It also has a glitter shaker pocket on the inside. When he ordered it he had to measure my Bible and it is made to fit my Bible exactly.

So, if you are looking for an amazing Bible Cover, please check out Mamabooclay! You will not be disappointed in the least.

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