OK...so I don't know if that is a real day or not but I am going to go with it.  I was in class today, looking over some papers from the inbox (that were stacked a mile high) and stamping them with my little "Mrs. Moorman" stamp...when suddenly it hit me.  I LOVE THIS STAMP!  It has made my life SO much easier and I just wanted to share. There really is nothing revolutionary about it.  It is a simple stamp I made with Vista Print that says "Checked by Mrs. Moorman"  That is it.  When I look over something that doesn't need to be graded, but I want the students (and parents) to know I actually did look at it, I put this little stamp on it and, viola, it is done!  Pure, simple, love. What is something you love this Wednesday?...

Testing is over!  YAY!  So now I can put my room back together, and get back to teaching :)  Whoo hoo!!   So with that said, I just wanted to share a little thing with you that has been working to help get the kids into their seats each day.  As we all are well aware, you can be the best teacher in the world but if the kids are absent, it doesn't really matter.   A few years ago, we were really struggling with an absenteeism problem at my school site.  Kids just weren't coming to school.  For one reason or another, they were taking days off like crazy. So I thought that if they actually *knew* how many days they were absent within a given month, it just might help to make them think about coming in.  To help them keep track, I created this little postcard on Vista Print .  You can see that all the days we are in school are written on the card, from September to June (this is actually a Vista Print image of the card from a......

I have been reluctant to link up to Tara at 4th Grade Frolics ' party because, well, I am decisively uncrafty. I really just don't enjoy making these fabulous projects that I see all over the web. Last year, I went to get the stuff to make those amazing crate seats, and ended up buying ottomans instead (which, incidentally, were a FABULOUS purchase on my part...my kids LOVED them!)  I have the tool box for the office supply organizer sitting in my car....like it has for a week.  I am thinking it will probably sit there for a few more weeks.... But THEN Tara sent me a very sweet note saying that yes, I am indeed crafty...just not in the cute way.  ;)  (she didn't say it that way, I did, but she was very nice)  And she mentioned that this isn't only about the cute stuff, but the practical.  Well, that got me to thinking.....I do have practical!  I was actually working on some practical right at that very moment.  VISTA PRINT!!! I am gearing ......

One of the things we are required to do with all work that is placed on bulletin boards is post feedback to the students (well, I know we really should be doing this on all work we assign, but the bulletin board one is a mandate ;) )  Since every board has a rubric, a task, and the standards, it would be presumed that the students know what they did or didn't do to earn the score posted.  But, they really don't.  So giving feedback became another layer to all of our assignments. Now, I think that feedback is a WONDERFUL thing, just as much as the next guy, but actually providing written feedback on all papers that go on the board is quite time consuming.  If you know anything about me (and from this post you just might), you know that I practically wallpaper my room with student work.  So giving feedback on all of the papers would have me at school until the cows come home.  To avoid that, but still have some feedback on each paper I put up, I have cre......

Years ago, while I was taking a professional development class, the teacher always began with the most positive an uplifting mantra.  She managed to perk up 100 teachers, who were tired from an entire day of teaching, in five seconds.  It was really amazing -- the positivity and energy that little greeting brought into the room. So I decided to use it myself.  It really is very simple. 10 points to the person who can tell me where I made this  :) At the beginning of the year, we brainstorm adjectives as a class.  Then, throughout the year, I choose adjectives from the circle map to use in the blank spaces. Each day that first week of school, I model for them the call and response.  I have the magnet on the board so that the kids can just read it off of there.  After the first week, they really don't need it....however I keep it up anyway because it is cute ;)  (also, if I ever get a new student, he can jump right in) I honestly can s......

Recognizing birthdays is always a tricky issue in the upper grades.  I want the kids to feel special, that their day was remembered, but we just don't have the time to take out of class to have a "party" (not that we are allowed anymore anyway...with party restrictions on campuses nowadays)  So here is what I have found to work in my classroom. As most of my teacher friends know, I am IN LOVE with Vista Print.  Seriously, it is a mild obsession of mine.  :)   On VP I made this Birthday Banner. When a birthday comes up in my class, I proudly hang the banner in the front of the room somewhere for all to see.  I take a sticky note, write the birthday child's name on it, stick it to the banner, and viola!, a special reminder for all who walk in to see.  I leave the banner up all day just so the kids can keep in mind that we have a wonderful student celebrating a birthday for the day. Once the kids have walked in, we finished our morning work an......