Hall Pass

Anybody need a hall pass?  Reagan's gonna hook you right up!  Sometimes I feel like a good walk down the hall, toward the Diet Coke machine, would do this girl some good...

Or, I'll send my firsties off to lunch/recess - close my classroom door, turn off the lights and blog stalk.  Ahhhhhh....

Today, I'm home - on my couch - the ULTIMATE HALL PASS!  Blog stalking, creating, and catching up on The Bachelor. {And mulling over in my head how on earth my second grader is going to create a 3D mallard duck}

Here's how the Hall Pass works...

 

Product...

 

Hmmm...which product of mine do I like the most?  Gosh, that's a tough one. Since I'm not at school right now I looked through my classroom pictures on my computer.  I'm a background "looker" and kept seeing items from this pack...

 

So, for today, this will be my favorite!

 

 



Give Me Five posters are referred to frequently!

See the table sign? Several color choices!

 

Area...

 

I would have to say my favorite "nook" in my classroom is where we store lots of our Daily 5 activities, our little couch {road-side find} and our Writer's Workshop materials.  It's so cozy and my kiddos this year can HANDLE it  {nobody hides out there} - another major plus!

 

Isn't it cute?  By the way, if you're a look around at the whole picture kinda person...the table number situation was fixed...I made it two-sided! HA!

 

Signal...

 

I use so many different signals in my classroom.  Gotta keep it varied, right?  My go-to when I need them to stop what they are doing and listen for some quick directions is "Give Me Five" {Posters pictured above and can be found here} but I also say "Eyes, Ears and Lips" {eyes are looking, ears are listening and lips are zipped...same basic concept as Give Me Five}.  I say Eyes, Ears and Lips when they are sitting on the carpet and have started some side-chatting during my teaching {I'm sure that never happens to you}.  If I want them to clean up I have special songs I use for different subjects...I use this CD a ton..

 

There's a great one called "Read a Book" that we use for Daily 5 and the others are songs with great lessons.  The kids love 'em!  "Itchy, Itchy, Owie, Owie, Boo, Boo" is another crowd favorite.

Sanity...

We have something in our school called the "Perk Cart".  Some cuties in our school push the Perk Cart through the halls of our school in the morning.  They stop by and ask if we would like to purchase something from their cart.  It gives them great practice interacting with others - practicing their manners and collecting/counting money.  Anyhoo...I'd like to say it gives me practice with exerting self control, but I'd be lying.  Lots of goodies on that cart from York Peppermint Patties, to carrots {I'll let you guess what I buy}.

Nothing gives a girl a boost like an hour lunch/recess to get herself ready for the afternoon, a few of these...

And a little blog-stalking!



Organize Your Week!

I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for ways to organize my classroom.  I'd like to say I'm an organization queen, but that's really not true.  I do try, but my week usually buries me, and by Friday - you don't want to see the tornado I call my classroom!

I'm pretty bin-happy in my classroom.  I have a bin for everything.  Sounds good, I know.  Who doesn't like a cute bin?!?  Label it, and you're giddy, right?!

But...

Who also has a classroom the size of a postage stamp?  I had so many people comment on my classroom pictures, saying how BIG it looked.  Friends, that was an optical illusion.  Trick of the camera.  Camera adds ten pounds feet?!  Because I gotta tell you...my classroom really IS itty bitty.  Teeny tiny. 

Not only that, but it lacks sorely in storage space.  Zip, zero, nada! 

I love our custodian.  He's a great guy, funny - on top of things.  SO on top of things, he's constantly reminding me to leave my emergency exit "bin free" <gasp>.  He did agree {with some prodding from me} to allow this:

No worries friends, I do keep the safety and well being of my students in mind.  My emergency window is able to slide over the green and blue bins!  {I was tested on this, by the way...}

But I have to tell you, I know in his heart of hearts he'd like for those bins to be G-O-N-E!  Anything I thought of involved another bin.  So the search was on.  Hopping around blogland I saw this cool product on somebody's blog...I can't remember who, but I did remember the name of the product:

FILETASTIC!

 

Before, I had two bins.  The blue one held what I was doing that day, and the green one held what I was doing for the week.  At the end of each day I'd pull out what I needed for the following day and put it in the blue bin.  Nice system.  It worked for me, but honestly, I was looking to streamline things.  So, when I happened upon Filetastic I just knew that could possibly be my answer.

 

I was lucky enough to receive a Filetastic from Mardel ~ Christian & Education, Inc.  They have so many fun colors and patterns.  I'm pretty sure you'd be able to find one that matches your classroom theme!  Some hold 12 file folders {which are also ADORABLE - and very sturdy!} and the mini Filetastic holds 6.  I have the one that holds 12.  At first I thought that may be too many, and wasn't sure if I could find a space to accomodate such a long contraption...where there's a will there's a way.  If you're space is limited like mine, you may opt for the 6 pocket Filetastic.  I must say, though, it's nice having extra space.  I organized mine like this...

 

Included are lots of "tabs" so you can switch things out as your needs change...

The lables I chose:

 

*Monday-Friday

*Extra

*Next Week

*To Copy

Do you see those adorable stripes, flowers & polka dot file folders?

 

And I still have room to grow!!! {4 more pockets!!!}

 

So I went from those green & blue bins to...

 

Do you see how CLEAR my emergency window is?!?  Somebody just won themselves some brownie points!!!

 

Honestly, I don't have a bad thing to say about this product.  I'm not kidding you.  The files themselves are not only cute but they are really sturdy...not flimsy at all.  The actual Filetastic holder works just like those pocket charts us first grade teachers are used to.  There are three holes at the top and I used suction cups to adhere mine to my window {I know ingenius right?  I wanted them right next to my computer/"desk" area which is where I do my planning}, but you could use Command Strips or whatever else a resourceful teacher might come up with. 

 

Here are a few pictures of other Filetastics that are available for purchase at Mardel, Inc.

 

Red

Jungle

Blue

Zebra

There are others too!   You can check them out {here}.

You've gotta know that Mardel, Inc. has sent me this item to ask me to write a review and tell about my experiences with it if I choose.  This review is my honest opinion.  I was not directed to write anything other than my opinion about the product based on my use of and experience with it.

 

Toodles!!!