September Currently

Twice in one day?!  This is what happens when the twinnies take marathon morning naps.  I'm taking a quick break from #TeacherWeek15 to post my September Currently.

Y'all.  The AC in our apartment runs SO LOUDLY!  Like when the hubs and I are watching shows in earnest we have to turn them up to hear them over the air.  We have to do it with the heat, too.  It's so crazy.  I don't know why it's a thing in this apartment because it's never been an issue before, but it's so loud.  

The twinnies are 5 months old.  What the what?!  How can that be?!  It's so crazy to believe, like when I think back to April 2nd it's totally surreal.  It was such a crazy week and a crazy day and it's completely unreal to me that the boys are growing so big, but they're regular baby sizes now and they can smile and hold stuff and they're starting to play.  I like to pretend that they like reading as much as I do because I make them read with me every day.  

If I'm going to commit to staying home then I need a plan.  Or at least some goals.  I can't just sit home with these boys.  As much as I love them that will drive me crazy.  

I don't know about you, but fall is a lovely time of year. I love when the seasons change and all the colors of fall.  And the pumpkin flavored everything.  (Which reminds me that I should probably start thinking about some costumes for the boys.)  But it is so DANG HOT that I really can't mentally prepare for fall.  It's going to be 96 today and it's been over 90 every day this week.  Summer just won't let go.  Which is mainly a bummer just because it makes it tricky to take out our pup and the babes for a walk.  

Apparently, I have lots of needs.  Who knew?  I swear, these boys plot against me.  When M was sleeping through the night, T always woke up and now that T is sleeping through the night M is waking up.  Ay, ay, ay.  I feel like this is just #twinlife.  Yes?  

So, clearly, we've got some twins.  And clearly, when you have babies you gain some weight.  I mean, I'd love to lose all of the weight that I gained whilst pregnant, but for the first time in my life (seriously) the number on the scale isn't the goal.  I know these guys are tiny now, but pretty soon they'll be moving, and before I know it they'll be all over the place all the time.  My personal goal is to be fit and healthy to be a model for these nuggets.  I never want to have to tell them that I can't do something (play a game, run a race, etc.) because I'm out of shape.  I would say it's currently going well (see what I did there.  Currently.  Haha), and I'm feeling optimistic that I'll stick with this.  Cutting down carbs wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, and I think it's really helped me stay on track.  If we talk numbers I gained 40 pounds while pregnant and I've lost 24 so far.  Like I said, I'm trying to not get too hung up on numbers.  

And last but not least, I'm trying to not get too hung up on planning.  Our lease is up this February and we're currently (there it is again) trying to decide what our next move is--buy a house, move back home, rent again (please, no).  I just hate when things are up in the air, but this isn't something that I have a ton of control over, so I'm trying to be inspired by Elsa and Anna to let it go.  I'll let you know how that goes.  

Thanks for stopping by my corner of the interwebs.  I gotta go feed these babies; they're rousing from their AM nap.  Have a great long weekend!

xoxo

#TeacherWeek15: Sanity Savers

Hi, friends

So, I skipped yesterday's classroom tour link up because I don't have a classroom this year, and I never took enough pictures of my classroom to do a tour of an old classroom.  But I am back in business for today's Sanity Savers conversation.


I think as teachers one thing that is INCREDIBLY important is working smarter, not harder.  I mean, teachers definitely work hard.  But it's also important to work smart, or you'll never get anything done.  So I'm going to share a few of my work smarter/stay organized strategies that helped me stay organized and calm when I was teaching.

Number those nuggets.
Every year, I numbered my kids.  Generally, our list followed ABC order, but invariably we'd gain and lose some kids throughout the school year so it wasn't always 100% true, but close.  Here are reasons why numbering kids is a sanity saver.
1.  It allowed me to reuse materials when students came and left class, so I could get more bang for my buck.  Students could use the same folders, pencils, scissors, and crayons as the student who just left.
2.  It eliminated line up issues.  Students always lined up numerically, so there was no arguments about who was busting, or how someone cut in front of someone else.  (Line leader was a job in my class; that person would just line up in front of number one for that day.)
3.  It gave students a certain sense of anonymity.  While students did know each other's number as the school year went on, it let me organize data, conference notes, and assessments in binders by number and they didn't necessarily know whose it was.

Use pictures whenever possible.
Now, I realize that this is mainly an early elementary tip, but using graphics in my classroom was key.  Especially early in the year, and especially with my lowest nuggets.  For example, our work station rotation board always had pictures as well as group names and pictures as well as the written name of the work station.

This was part of our fall work station board.  Each group is clearly named, but also has an icon/graphic to go with it so that if you can't read the word pumpkin you still know your group.  

And here's just a quick example of rotation cards.  Station name underneath, with a picture on top.  

Organize your student data.

Okay, so I realize this is a terrible tip because obviously you want to stay organized.  I don't have pictures to go with this, but I am planning a Periscope in the next few days about this same topic.  (You can follow me at Whale_Tails_DC.)  I'm going to give you the highlights of how I organized student data.  First, and most crucial, was a grid that I created and printed weekly.  In the header, it had the week (Week of August 31) and then below was a grid.  It would have each of my students' name in a square, and beneath their name it would say "math, reading, writing".  When I conferred with that student, I would highlight the subject so that as the week went on I could see at a glance who I had met with and who I had not.  When I met with students, I would quickly jot notes on address labels.  Address labels come in lots of sizes, but I have big handwriting so I always liked to get the biggest address labels, but you can get them in any size.  I would just jot their number or initials, the date, and the subject (which I usually abbreviated--M, R, W) and then at the end of the day I would stick their label on their page in the binder for that subject.  I realize that pictures would be really helpful to this; hopefully, it will make a little more sense after you see the 'Scope, but I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about this method.  

Thanks for sticking with me to the end!  Those are my top 3 Sanity Savers.  And don't forget to check out Blog Hoppin' to catch other teachers' brilliant ideas.  You're almost to the weekend, teachers!  You can do it!

xoxo

#TeacherWeek15 Make Ahead Meals

Hi, friends

This is just a super quick post; the twinnies aren't feeling terribly cooperative today.  I'm obviously linking up with Blog Hoppin' for Teacher Week, and today is about make ahead meals.


I love using my crockpot during back to school season, but this is a newer recipe that I am legitimately obsessed with.  I would honestly make it every single week if I could get the hubs on board for it.  But tragically he doesn't love Mexican the way that I do.  So here's why I think this recipe is so great:  first, I feel like often 30 minute recipes really take longer than 30 minutes to make because you have to cup, chop, etc.  But there's no cutting or chopping in this recipe so it really takes 30 minutes (sometimes 25 if you're really organized and your meat is thawed).  Secondly, you only need one pot to make it so clean-up is super easy.  And, as a bonus, there are always tons of leftovers (lunch the next day, anyone?)  I could write a love story about this recipe, but instead I"ll just share the link with you.  Put this in your belly. NOW.

(For the record, it never looks this nice when I make it, but it's so dang delicious.)

xoxo