Bulletin Boards & BUILD

Today was day one of getting back at it - wahoo!  I spent a good amount of time in there organizing and trying to get a few things set up - it's so hard to focus on just one item in the classroom when there are SO many things I want to get done.

So here was where I started - the janitors had just finished cleaning my room a few days ago so it was fresh out of being newly cleaned. I came in and knew I wanted to get at least my bulletin boards redone today - I made a few pennant banners and wanted to double border them and make them more lively.  I ended up literally jumping from end to end to end and trying to get something done.  Next time, I need to make like a "to do" list for each section of the room and stick to doing one thing. That being said I am in love with my bulletin boards.  They are really great with the banners and I love the double banners. Here's a cool tip - instead of buying two borders, I just bought one and then added some cheap ribbon from hobby lobby.  The orange one needs to be finished still - I ran out of ribbon. Go me. I'm using the math talk wall for all of our math vocabulary words and strategies that come up - my computer is a bit in front of it but it's not an interactive board so I think it'll be okay.  My new "desk" area is just a table now and I have never been happier with the choice to get rid of my big clunky desk.  The calendar wall will hold our days of the week, date writing, and weather mapping.  I have to go out and find a better calendar - mine is pretty beat up. I love the banners and headers for the boards though.

This one is in the back of the room with my easel and right outside the library.  I think I'll like having our strategy board so close to the easel where we do so much reading strategy work.  All of the banners that you see can be purchased in my TPT store in the next couple days after I finish them up. There are ones for math, calendar, reading, writing, CAFE, focus wall, and quite a few others.  Check back in a few!





I decided after bouncing around from spot to spot to really focus on the front of my room today - in my little "math zone" area.  I made the number line which is way better than the one I had before because we do so much 10 frame work so it'll be quite beneficial for my nuggets.  My BUILD math center zone is right below our SMARTboard - this will be where my nuggets pick their math zone for the day and they'll place their little letter tile on there. I got the little magnetic boards at IKEA and then am just making the tiles with things from Hobby Lobby.


My whiteboard will hold the kiddos jobs and our morning routine and schedule - I don't really use my whiteboard that much except with math and to write the date.  Otherwise I'm a big user of my SMARTboard and our easel.  I went to our teacher store in town yesterday and found this "magnetic border" which I am in love with - to separate off areas of the whiteboard for different ideas. The shelf below will hold our math BUILD baskets that they students can use when they go to each station.

This is how I left my classroom.  Yikes.  I had to walk out because it was so cluttered and messy and I was getting overwhelmed.  I still have a month or so before teachers have to be back so I have time - today I'm THANKFUL for time in there to really spend organizing and making it the best it can be. Check back for the full reveal in a few weeks! Until next time.  

Journey TPT

  Yesterday, I got the email that I sold my first teachers pay teachers product.  I really didn't think it would be that big of a deal - but I was so excited to know my products were going to impact more students besides my own and that someone found my work so beneficial that they were willing to PAY for something I created.  With the milestone of my first product selling, I thought it'd be great to blog about this whole journey that I've been going on with TPT. And it really has been a journey.

  Last summer I contemplated the idea of starting up a blog and opening a store on TPT. I followed so many teachers on instagram, read teacher blogs for ideas all the time, and I already made so many things for my own classroom and kiddos that I didn't think it would be that hard to really get started.  I was completely wrong.  I started in on my first product and realized the amount of work, energy, resources, and other things I hadn't thought about would need to be done. I gave up.  I put my creating on hold, didn't keep up with my blog, and continued to focus on my own classroom and kiddos.  I watched as one of my very good friends Kayla, over at Kayla In The Classroom launched her store, blog, and everything around the same time as me and she was succeeding and it was SO fun to watch - make more products, get feedback from people, and build her community. I was frustrated that I wasn't spending that much time with my store and products but I just wasn't motivated and had so much stuff I wanted to get ready as a second year teacher that building that community just wasn't important priority. What I didn't know was that creating products, selling them, and knowing they would be used in other classrooms to benefit other kids was important to me. I tried to keep up with blogging in the school year but I was so tired by the end of the day, and wanted to really spend time with my hubby and away from school.

Fast forward to January.  I finally built up courage to ask my friend about her journey and what she did to get started and posted my first FREE product into my store and thought if someone wanted it, they'd download it.  I didn't know how many people downloaded it, if anyone would really want it, or anything until I got my first comment in February - and I screamed in my car. I was that excited. Someone had looked at my posters, thought they were worth the download and EVEN left me some feedback.  I told myself I was really going to pray about this new journey - what would it mean for me this summer, how could I manage it in the school year, and was this really something I should pursue.

It took some major work on myself and my resources  but I decided I was going to do this.  I was going to do this TPT journey because it would make me a better teacher, it would help me reach my kiddos in new ways, it would push me to try different resources and to make myself BETTER.

I continued to be more consistent with my blogging and by following different linkups that other teacher bloggers have posted.  I started following more people on instagram [which you should follow me if you're not - clvanderbush!] and really started working on my products.  I bought people's clipart, read lots of forums on TPT, looked at other people's work, and knew that whatever I would make it could benefit myself and my kids but also other people and their students.  TPT and the teacher blogging world is SUCH a great community of friends that really will help you out if you need it - and they've inspired me to really be a better teacher.  I followed...
   The First Grade Parade
   Schroeders Shenanigans in 2nd
   Queen of the First Grade Jungle
   First Grade Blue Skies

And knew it would take a LONG time - if ever - to really be where they are as teachers, but they had to start somewhere too.  And after that first sale yesterday - and ANOTHER this morning, I'm invigorated to keep going.  I'm brainstorming my next thing, finding more ways to build community and market my blog, thinking of changing my blog name to something more teacher related and give it a BIG facelift.  So, to whoever "Carol Thompson" is, thank you for being my first buyer in my new journey.  Thank you for believing and liking my work enough to pay money for it.  Thank you for pushing me to keep going.

Five for Friday: July 10th

  This is the first year as a teacher that July 4th has come and gone and I haven't felt like my summer is over - wonderful news. Since we start school later this year I still feel like I have a couple relaxed weeks left before I really have to start thinking about and preparing for the year. Just what I need i tell you.
  I'm linking up with Doodlebugs Teaching for her Five for Friday posts - even though everyone is probably in Vegas for TPT Vegas 2015 I'm over here pretending I'm not missing out.

The husband and I have been working on making our outdoor space more "friendly" and with the sunshine and weather being pretty amazing here in South Dakota, I have been feeling guilty for not being outside and enjoying it more.  Besides being outside for my morning walk/run I don't really go outside and just ENJOY because we haven't had a place to do it.  Well, that now is put aside. We bought some cheap plastic lawn chairs from a local store and it has been my go to relax place.

The last couple mornings it has been beautiful to just sit outside and read in the morning - it hasn't been too hot and I've even needed a blanket in the shade because I got a little bit chilly.  The afternoons have been nice to just sit outside as well and the husky has loved it because we just tie her up to the little stake we have out side and she can just sit and watch people, or sometimes I'll be nice and play with her :) and our neighbors just love to see her and so she's gotten lots of attention being outside. I've been working on my tan a little bit in the afternoons and letting the sun get on my skin while doing some work - love summertime sitting.

If I'm being honest, I have never been much of a "runner" but this summer in our semi cool weather I have been more into giving it a try these last few days. And, of course when new Nike shoes are involved I always say they'll motivate me. So, last night the husband and I were at the mall looking for some new shoes for him [my husband has a slight addiction to shoes] and we ended up finding me a new pair. They are bright and pink and awesome and I am loving how comfy they are.  I've only had them for a day but they were super comfortable to walk/run in and I wore them most of the day just around town.  They're the Nike Free Flyknit and if your in the market for a new pair of shoes for running [or just wearing around town because they're so darn cute] check these out ASAP.

My desktop was becoming a cluster zone for everything summer related, TPT related, and future classroom so I had to do something about it.  I mad my own personal organizer for my desktop and feel so much better about how it looks. 

Now I feel like everything has a home and it doesn't look like a big ol' mess.

In my classroom I use a self assessment tool for my kiddos called "Fist to Five" where when we are learning a new topic I'll often ask them how they are feeling on a "Fist to Five" basis.  They'll use their hands to tell me what they're feeling and it really helps me figure out where they are at and it's a great way to teach them to be reflective. I've been working on it for a while but decided I needed to finish it up and get it posted in my TPT Store for others to check out if they wanted.  The best part if making things for your classroom that you are sure will be useful to other teachers as well.  Go check it out if your interested in something that involves self assessment on an easy scale and paper free!

Last year I used Shutterfly for a classroom website and it was pretty basic.  I would just upload photos, or files whenever and didn't really care about the layout but HATED the colors that were so basic and generic and didn't fit my style as a teacher very well period. That being said, I heard of a few people using Edublogs and pairing everything through Google Drive but really getting to personalize their website.  Well, I got a site, started playing around and realized I still really didn't like that either.  I was telling my husband how frustrated I was and when he looked at it he goes "it's just a wordpress site, you could probably just create you own." Duh Camie. Your husband is a web designer. So off he went to Wordpress and got me my own domain name and a website all set up - mrsvanderbush.com. He helped me with the layout a little bit but I did most of the creating and designing and just asked him questions along the way. Can I just say I am in love. It fits my style, has everything I want on it, is easy for parents to remember instead of the long shutterfly one, and I can easily edit everything on the site.  AND having my own domain name only cost me $12.00 a YEAR. I haven't been more excited for my classroom website.  It now has a blog where parents can learn about and see the learning we are doing, a place for parents to look at our calendar easily, and so many other things.  I'd love to help anyone get set up with one if they need help or designing anything for them!

Thanks for stopping by! Until next time - I'm off to enjoy that sunshine!

Currently July [linky]

I can't believe it's almost July!  Offta!  Last year around this time I would have been thinking about getting back into my classroom soon as we would only have about 6 weeks left of summer - BUT this year we don't go back until after Labor Day so I still have a whole month off before I really start thinking about getting back into the classroom.  I'm linking up with Farley at Oh Boy Fourth Grade with her Currently - or as I like to refer to it as my favorite linky.  One of these times I'll post a blog that is without a linkup with it - but they're always so fun!

Listening: In the summer I am kind of addicted to Food Network.  Don't ask me why, I just love it.  When the husband comes home he's starting to just know that when he turns on the TV it'll probably be on Food Network.  And, I love Alton Brown and his show Cutthroat Kitchen.  The hubs doesn't like it so I watch it when he's gone.  It's a cooking challenge show with lots of bad "sabotages" mixed in.

Loving: In the school year I never get to read as much as I'd like too.  There are too many articles, professional development books, and emails for me to read and when I sit down to read at night my eyes are always closing within about 10 minutes.  It's terrible.  So I'm loving diving into good reads right now in the summer.  I finished the Selection Series, and the Maze Runner, and am currently halfway through The Good Girl which is SO good.

Thinking: I'm planning on mapping out some new TPT products to get working on for my classroom in the next few weeks.  I'm hoping having a little list will get me more motivated to get things done and start posting something new.

Wanting: SUNSHINE.  It's summer people.  And I have seen more clouds in the last few weeks then sun.  I want to sit outside by a pool with my book or laptop!  Go away clouds!  The sun in Mexico was amazing so I'd like that back in South Dakota.

Needing: To start organizing for the year.  Our school district has a summer program that uses a few classrooms in our school - mine being one of them.  So I usually bring a lot of stuff home with me so that I can still get some stuff done while my classroom is being used.  It'll go back to just being my classroom in a few weeks after they rotate rooms and clean it, so I need to start getting some of that stuff I brought home with me organized so I can move it back into my room ASAP and clean out our extra bedroom of being a teacher clutter zone.

All Star: I am an organizing fanatic.  All school year I am either organizing, thanking myself for being organized, or thinking of ways to BETTER organize.  I love it.  Labels, containers, folders, you name it - I love it.

Link up and let us know what your life in the new month.  Happy July!