Happy Happy Saturday!
So our district offered two paid planning days because of our new ELA curriculum (Benchmark Advance). The district wasn’t involved, I didn’t have to drive all the way there, no agenda, no trainer . . . JUST MY TEAM AND ME.
I KNOW!
Granted, we still had to give up two days of our vacation, but you know we were going to be planning no matter what so it was nice to get paid for it.
We went in on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and we were SUPER PRODUCTIVE.
As you can see, we had treats and beverages and TpT stuff (that crayon craft is from A Cupcake for the Teacher) and Erin Condren planners and post-its . . . we were set!
On Tuesday, we took a long-ish lunch, but on Wednesday, we SKIPPED LUNCH ENTIRELY.
I actually forgot about it.
I KNOW! I think that explains how busy and in the zone I was.
Or there was a zombie apocalypse and I’m not even myself any more, but I don’t know it because I’m a zombie.
Either or.
Oh, hello little drawers that fit so perfectly inside my cubbies, hello!
Towards the end of last year, I was sitting at my teacher table, working really really really hard, obviously, when I glanced at my cubbies and thought . . .
Hmmm.
I wonder if . . .
And then I got up from whatever I was doing (guided reading, intervention, discussing with a student how to use a supply for its intended purpose, and how we don’t draw on our friends’ arms with expo markers even if we want to be a tattoo artist when we grow up), grabbed a 3 drawer storage caddy from behind my teacher table and walked it over to our cubbies . . .
AND VOILA!
YES! YES! YES!
And my kids said what? What? WHAT?
And I said LOOK!!!!!
They didn’t seem to care as much as I did so I ran over and interrupted my teammates’ classes to tell them the good news waited until recess to tell my teammates the good news AND THEY WERE JUST AS THRILLED AS I WAS.
It’s the little things.
Surprisingly, I did not go home that instant and whip up labels right away, and I did not go to Walmart to buy all of the storage caddies right then and there.
I waited until summer.
Maybe I’m not as crazy as I think I am.
I’ve added the Editable Drawer Labels to my store (in turquoise and lime or rainbow stripe)!
Or wait.
Maybe I am crazy.
Maybe my teammates and I ARE LOONEYTUNE WHACKADOODLES.
Our new principal (YEP. NEW) said we could use the copiers if we needed to.
Which was AMAZING because the week prior, our school secretary told the custodians not to let us in the teacher’s lounge (don’t get me started). But she happened to be on vacation this week so . . . when your principal says you absolutely can copy, go right ahead, here, I’ll unlock the door for you, YOU DO NOT LOOK SURPRISED OR FRIGHTENED OR WORRIED OR ANXIOUS.
You say oh, thanks so much all nonchalantly because you can’t let the new principal know that maybe you’re not supposed to be doing this.
But she’s the principal. She’s in charge.
Right?
So we went into the copy room (which is located in the teacher’s lounge) and all 4 copiers were turned off, unplugged, and SAD LOOKING.
There are 4 of us on my team so we each took a machine and did our best.
One machine didn’t have any ink in it at all. The thingamajig was completely empty.
One machine turned on, but it was grumpy, and very difficult to work with.
One machine didn’t turn on at all and was DEAD.
And the fancy copier that makes booklets and staples things for you in a sequence and is extremely intimidating was a BEAST. Two of my teammates crawled around on the floor and tried to MacGyver it, but it would not turn on.
We were FRUSTRATED beyond belief and there was no one to help (and we certainly didn’t want to bug our new principal) and we were going to give up.
But Heather did the craziest thing ever.
She told me to give her my cell phone (I was the only one who had one with me) and SHE CALLED THE SERVICE NUMBER ON THE SIDE OF THE MACHINE.
And a service guy walked her through the steps over the phone, and we were in business about two minutes later! When he asked her if he could do anything else, she said Please don’t tell anyone I called! (They had all our information – school, copier, secretary’s name, etc!!)
HA!
This is the parking lot of our Instructional Resource Center. Our IRC is a place you can go to get butcher paper, die cuts, DVDs (Ha), and I don’t know what all else because I generally just go to drop off things to be laminated. You pay 10 cents a foot and they’ll do it all for you, and then you go back to pick it up the next day.
You can do it yourself, but who has time for that when Big Brother, the Bachelorette, and The Real Housewives of New York and Orange County are on?
Our IRC is in the BOONIES. It’s at a school in the BOON-DOCKS.
I might as well be in Oklahoma when I go there.
It’s a little two lane road with hardly any asphalt left on it at all. There are no sidewalks because people RIDE HORSES on the hay or grass or trails or whatever is in place of the concrete instead.
By the way, I had a friend who used to live over there and get this——-!!!!!!——– If a horse poops in front of your house, the horse rider doesn’t have to pick up the poop. IT IS THE HOMEOWNER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO PICK UP THE POOP.
HAVE YOU EVER IN YOUR LIFE?
I’d be like . . . um, excuse me, but your horse just fertilized my lawn and I didn’t pay for that service, nor do I want that service, you’re going to have to pick that up yourself because I don’t have a shovel big enough to take care of that, thank you very much, I just have a dog pooper scooper and that is enough disgustingness for me so um, yeah, NO, sue me.
Well, anyway.
That picture above: I’m in the parking lot of the school where the IRC is located and I just wanted you all to see the BARN. There are horses and goats over to the left where all those trees are. Behind the school is a farm. Across the street is a farm. It’s the COUNTRY.
I just love going there because I feel like I’m back in Oklahoma where I grew up. Although, to be clear, I grew up in city and we had sidewalks. But I had a long time boyfriend who lived out in the country and this totally reminds me of that, as well as church lock-ins and stuff.
🙂
I added these Skip Counting Cards to my store! I like to use these during transitions when my kids are coming to the carpet. In the beginning, I use them just as flashcards, but as the year goes by and my kids get better, they “predict” the next card which means they’re really skip counting!
These can be used in a variety of ways — whole class, guided math, centers, assessment, intervention, parent helpers, or as an early finisher activity. My kids like to “quiz” each other.
There are also editable templates included if you want to make cards that go beyond 120.
I’m giving away a set on my Facebook page if you want to go enter! (It will end on Sunday, July 30)
Have a great weekend!
SaveSave
Very jealous! They just cut funding and ALL the IRCs in my state are closed until further notice ?!
Under 2, where would I find your respectful,responsible, safe posters that are on your bulletin board?
You should totally put your drawer labels and procedure posters that are on your bulletin board on TPT! I know I would buy them!!
Love your blog! Under number 2 where did you get the signs for procedures? I really like those.
I can’t wait to win the Skip Counting Unit. Hahahaha Fingers, toes and eyeballs crossed.
Sounds like you had a very productive week.
You will absolutely love your new principal!! We were so sad to hear she won’t be back next year 🙁 We have been through three principals since my daughters have been in elementary school and my youngest is in sixth this year, so I was hoping we would have her for at least another year because she has been our most favorite of them all!!
This really has nothing to do with your post but is something I keep wanting to ask you…how do you store all your games (like the ones you have and others have on TPT)? I tend to make 12 or more sets for partner use but with all the cut up pieces (like for a matching game) the bags are weird shapes and don’t line /sit up! SO would love to hear what you do! Thanks!!