Must Have Monday: Classroom Essentials

I'm excited to be linking up with the girls over at Freebielicious today for Must Have Monday. There are LOTS of things I MUST have that you can't just go and buy.... can anyone say SmartBoard?? I'll share the things you can grab though that have made my teacher life a lot easier!!

Book Bins from Really Good Stuff

I love my clear book bins from Really Good Stuff. I bought them 3 years ago and while some of the kids have been a little rough on them, most of them are as nice as the day they were purchased. I made the choice to buy clear ones because our school changes themes every year and this way I know they will match no matter what! I simply print a new themed label each year and stick it on! Easy Peasy!! 

I love the look of circle labels but I HATE cutting circles... enter the most fabulous invention ever. The Circle Punch! This one is a 3-inch diameter and it makes cutting my labels a breeze! I bought mine at Michaels with a 40% off coupon and my teacher discount!!! Here is the link to one on Amazon though if you're interested. 

Clear File Folder Book Bins (Amazon Link)

Lastly, I love these clear file folder sized bins from Amazon. It comes in a pack of 6 for around $25. I have these on a book shelf behind my reading table. I labeled each container with the names of the kids in my group and then stuck the reading pouches for the books we were working on plus the next few inside the bucket. I would also put any games we were playing and reader's response prompts inside. This made it so easy. Once I called a group to my table, I would just put the bucket next to me and have everything I needed. It was also a cinch to leave sub plans since everything was in one spot! 

I cold go on and on about Sit Spots, rolling containers, pens, markers etc - maybe I have a problem!! Ha. Head on over to Freebielicious to see what everyone else must have!

Pin Party!! Some of my Favorite Pins

Hi friends!  I am linking up with Fun With Firsties for her Top Pick Pins Party... and I LOVE to pin!

Here are some of my most recent pins. Click on each picture to see it on my board and then you can click the pin to go directly to the source!!

Okay, this one is a bit self-serving. I just recently updated this product and I love the new look. It is such a fun way to get families excited about science, reading and writing. Click here to read a blog post about it. 

We moved into a new house in September and didn't "do" anything to it. This summer we are starting to decorate. I want a natuical-ish living space since we have large windows looking out towards the pool. I love these DIY curtains because it would allow me to get the exact blue I want and they are WAY cheaper more inexpensive since we need 6 panels. 

I love this idea from Teaching With a Mountain View for storing anchor charts - genius!!

Behind our house, we have an ugly shed. I have dreams to turn it into a mini pool house... sigh.

I am really wanting to start eating "clean" breakfast seems to be the hardest for me because I love anything that involves carbs / sugar and can be eaten as a breakfast.

I am really working hard to step out of my 'I'm over weight so I'm just going to wear jeans and a t-shirt" funk. I have been pinning ideas lately and this outfit is so me!! I already have the jeans, sunglasses and red Toms!

Click the Linky button on top of the post to see what other people are pinning. Thanks for stopping by!

Optimum Organization : Reward Coupons

I am dropping by with a quick post about my reward coupon organization system! 

I simply print, cut out, and laminate my reward cards. Then I place one of each type inside a baseball card holder like the ones here (I bought mine at Wal-mart) and then I put the rest of those cards behind it in the same sleeve. Students could look through the 2 pages of rewards quickly and just pull out the card they were choosing! No more cards scattered everywhere! 

One more small tip. I would have the students write their name with a sharpie or Vis-A-Vis on the back of the laminated card so if they dropped it before using it, I could return it to them. Then, when students "cashed" in, I would erase their name by covering it with dry erase marker and wiping clean so that it could be reused (like this). Gotta save money on that colored ink!

Thanks for stopping by. Please head on over to Fun in Room 4B or Ladybug's Teacher Files and see all the other amazing ideas!

5 for Friday

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs for her fun linky, Five for Friday! Here are my 5 random things about this week...

1. I am loving poly envelopes from Target. I am using them for all my math stations and they are awesome. They have tons of room, fit full size sheets of paper, seal tightly with the snap, are super durable, and really easy to orgainize since they are see through. Yes, I am too excited about plastic envelopes :)

2. I really need to remember to bring my camera to school. Enough said.

3. I am loving "math talks." You can learn a lot about your student's thinking by listening to them explain a concept to a partner!

4. How come 4 day work weeks always seem WAY longer than 5 day weeks? Bizarre. 

5. I really, really want to get my multiplication game pack uploaded to TpT tonight. I am excited about it.. check out these adorable graphics!

See? Totally random! I hope you'll stop by again tomorrow for a fun product swap!