Planning ahead & setting goals

Happy New Year friends! Are you ready to talk goals for 2016? If your goal is to be a better planner, you may want to scroll to the bottom. #giveawayalert

One of my goals for this year is to CLEANSE. Now I don't mean like a detox or juice cleanse, I'm talking about relationships and my house. I've been holding on to a lot of negative energy and STUFF (yes, tangible things that I don't need). I tend to hold on to things people say or do and let them eat away at me. Do you ever do that?  I think it's finally time to let things go. I've come to realize that in order to be well and feel happy, I need to begin to purge and let things go. Photo credit: Jenna Drew

I'm starting off by getting my house organized. Now, I'm not a hoarder or anything (like the kind on TV), but I have so much STUFF that my house gets messy in a matter of days. I have no idea how it gets so messy (considering that it's just me and my hubby), but it does. Arg! So, I've decided that this year I will buckle down and get every room organized. 

Now, this might seem like a daunting task... um, maybe I should go hide under the covers right now. But I've decided to go room by room. #notahoarder

Regardless of what your goal is, you should make sure to set manageable mini-goals. I would chunk it out or set attainable goals in order to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Nobody wants to fail. 

Next, I've decided to come up with a specific plan for getting each room organized. 

I plan on throwing things away or DONATING (if it's not garbage). Then, I'll decide the best way to organize what I have.

I decided that I needed more containers and organizers in my craft room to keep specific items together. Now, is a GREAT time to stock up because stores know that many people are putting away Christmas. Of course, those items can be used for anything though. 

I bought the bins seen above at Big Lots and the shelving unit below at Costco. It came with the little bins as well. I was able to store almost all of my Christmas ribbon, bags, boxes, and miscellaneous items. Clearly, we really like Christmas. On the other side of the closet is the wrapping paper.

Just to review... whatever your goal is this year remember to set manageable mini-goals and make a plan of action. You could take it a step further and set a date (you plan to complete your goal by), but that scares me a little too much. 

Are you determined to be a better planner this year? Blue Sky is letting me give away one of their FABULOUS planners! If you don't have a planner, then YOU NEED ONE! Seriously! Doesn't have to be expensive or anything. Whether it's just for school or home or both. Mine helps me keep my head on straight. I have EVERYTHING written down. Because hello, I'm a teacher and I have a life too. #Imreallyjustforgetful

You can head to my Instagram account (@TheSuperSparklyTeacher) to enter. Hurry! Ends January 2nd @ 12 EST. Open to U.S. residents only.

If you're really into planners like me, you can check out the new Instagram account I created: @SparklyTeacherPlans. It's going to be all things planner related including giveaways just for stationery addicts planner girls like myself.

Well friends, if you stuck around this long YOU ARE THE BEST! Hugs! Be sure to check out the other friends who joined Ashley and Angie to share about their plans & goals for 2016.

Have a super sparkly 2016!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Conferences Are Coming!

#2getherwearebetter

They’re almost here! Parent-Teacher conferences can be tricky, because there’s so little time and much to share with parents. But they don’t have to be nerve-wracking. This month I’m linking up with Angie (Lucky Little Learners) and Ashley (Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd) to share some of my best tips.

Greet parents as soon as they enter! Make sure to get up to give them a handshake and smile. This will help set a positive tone for the meeting.

Once it's time to have a seat, sit alongside parents, rather than across from them. 

Have an agenda to ensure that I stay on track. I can easily go off on a tangent, so it's imperative that I know exactly what I need to go over with parents. This is something you can share with parents or keep to yourself (whatever works best for you). 

Know exactly what you want to say regarding each student. It's important to be prepared and knowledgeable about each child. Share something that the child is doing well and a goal that he or she should work towards next trimester/quarter. 

I used to record my notes on index cards, but moved to more detailed notes. You can click {HERE} to get a copy of this for yourself.

Record any and all notes that require a plan of action or follow-up. You want parents to know that you care and that you're on the ball. Then, make sure to touch base with them once you've addressed the concern or  problem. I usually print this page on bright colored paper and post it next to my desk, so I don't forget (because I forget EVERYTHING). #forgetful

I'm sharing ALL of my parent-teacher conference goodies with you for free! Yeup! Enjoy and good luck! I hope your conferences go smoothly.  Click {HERE} to get all of the pages.

Do you have any of your own tips or goodies to share? Link up below!

An InLinkz Link-up

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Math Stations Demystified

#2getherwearebetter

I was so excited when Angie (Lucky Little Learners) and Ashley (Schroeder Shenanigans) revealed that the topic was math! I just LOVE math and I've been meaning to get this post up for quite some time. Today, I'm sharing all about math work stations.

 Two years ago I had a desire to implement math stations. I had a hard time finding resources that explained running the groups, rotations, etc. Luckily, I was able to find a professional development and figured out a rotation system. The hard part in second grade was finding time in my schedule for math stations. Somehow it's been more manageable in first grade. 

This book is full of ideas!!

I usually have 20 students (16 this year), so I have 5 groups of 4 students The games students play are typically individual or partner games, so it helps to have even numbers. Every math group has a captain. I select new captains randomly throughout the year. The captain's job is to get their group's math bin and put it back in its place at clean up time. The student’s name is in blue font in case teacher anyone forgets.

I decided to keep the time to 10-15 minutes. This helps to minimize behavioral issues. I find that the more time students have, the more likely they are to be off task (at least in my class). Students go to one math work station each day. By the end of the week, they should have done all 5 (as long as our schedule wasn't interrupted).

I recently attended a Cognitively Guided Instruction PD (you can read about that HERE) and have modified my centers to include more counting activities. I definitely plan on adding more rigorous activities as time goes on.

I'm sure you've seen these before! Ashley Hughes posted these Hundred charts a while back. They're free too! I printed and laminated them, then provided a blank 120 charts for students to check their answers. Click {HERE} to find the Hundred Chart Printables.

I've been using calendar cards that were provided by my teammate. It was a great way to review numbers to 30. This station has already been retired in my room. 

This student is playing Puzzle Pics on MathPlayground.com (a FREE website). They get so giddy when they see these puppies. It's so sweet. I supply my students with cubes, so that they may model their responses.

Do you have any math work stations that your kiddos LOVE? Please share. I'm always open to new ideas. ^_^