Three for Thursday!!!

Well, since I started school this week... I've been slacking in the blog department. I have so many posts in draft in my head and will be updating a lot this weekend. Today was my Friday, so I feel blessed to have the time (TIME? Am I kidding myself???) or at least the drive to prioritize this to the top of my list. Blog Hoppin' is having Teacher's week as I mentioned in my last post and I just HAD to jump on this one!


My three favorites...


Favorite Font


COMIC SANS! lol


So, for some reason there is an anti-comic sans movement sweeping the internet. I still love it. I can't print ANYTHING in my classroom with out it. I know, lame. I had so many other cute Kevin and Amanda fonts in mind... but I'd be lying if I didn't say this was my fav.

Favorite Blog


By far, my favorite blog is Mrs. Bainbridge's Class! She is the reason I recently began blogging and was the original inspiration in my very first 2nd grade classroom. Back then, everything was FREE! lol I still love her and all of her creative goodness! They have thousands of printables, all at a minimal fee for membership and some are even free. Check them out!

Favorite Online Resource

Hmmm.... this one is a toughy. The first though that comes to mind is also Mrs. Bainbridge's Class website... but since I already paid homage to my blogging friend, I will pick another good favorite: Scholastic Printables! They have thousands of printables for your entire classroom. A small fee is required for membership, but some of the files are free! 

Blog Hoppin' Teacher Week!

ATTENTION TEACHER FRIENDS! 

So excited to have just found this blog! Compiled by fellow bloggers and teachers, they are dedicated to compiling resources of all sorts in one easy to find place. Next week they are hosting Teacher's Week with daily themes that will sure to be filled with ideas and goodies for the classroom. School starts on Monday for us... so it's perfect timing for my local friends to get some great ideas right off the bat!

Happy last day of Summer!!! :) 

xoxo,

Lacie

GIVEAWAY!!!

Soooo cool! Christina Bainbridge is having a giveaway! She is giving away a set of monthly check off sheets that are super cute.   Head on over to her blog post to leave a comment for a chance to enter. Follow her blog if your not already because she always has super cute stuff!  Good luck!

Oh, the joy of going back to school...

Don't you just love going back to a room in shambles??? Part of me actually does. I know, call me crazy, but there is something about completely revamping a classroom that gets me excited.  I've got so many great ideas for this school year I am a little overwhelmed. Here's what my room looked like yesterday, even after I had taken some boards down. Check back soon for beautiful versions in a few days. :) 

Our desk/small group area... soon to be listening station, computer station, and a teeny tiny teacher corner. 

This is the back wall of our class with those lovely, dark, plastic table cloth boards and the library underneath. This area will turn into out small group and writing station area. 

Here are the horribly stuffed bookcases behind our desk... in need of an overhaul! But where do we put all this stuff???

A view from the front door.

Ok... confession time!

I. Love. Paper! :) (Ok, I know they weren't really complete sentences, but it adds drama.) Every year, I spend nearly $100 on fadeless paper and redo my entire room. I've even tried plastic table cloths in the past which work...in moderation. Last year my husband helped me set up our classroom and we went a little overboard with the plastic table cloth idea.... epic fail. Last may, I even vowed to keep it up just incase I might possibly think about using it in the fall.

Wrong!

My job share partner and I have already decided to ditch the not-so-fantastic plastic in exchange for smaller, more meaningful boards. See, the problem is, I see wall to wall bulletin board and I have this obsessive compulsion to cover the entire thing. Why on earth has it taken me five years to figure this out?

While stalking my favorite blog Mrs. Bainbridge's Class, I recently came to the realization that in her classroom, although she has tons of pin board space, she outlines smaller board space to make neat, organized spaces for learning and reference. You mean I don't have to take out a loan at GW on Fadeless paper?

I'll let you know how it goes. I'm "going in" for the first time tomorrow.

Which leads me to a completely unrelated topic...

A new, but dear, friend of mine passed away after a five year battle with cancer.

She was a wonderful mom of two school-aged kids and was amazingly good at what she did. Arlene Silvestro, our Academic Program Leader, was one of the first people I met when I came to my new school last year. She instantly jumped into my classroom and helped at every request. She got to know me right away...and right away we hit it off. We had so much in common (babies, fertility issues, husbands jobs, teaching philosophies etc.) and when I found out she had cancer, and that it had come back, I was dumbfounded. How could this energetic, funny, fiery, spirited woman have cancer?

When I think of going back to work, although she was out most of the year for her treatment, I know that  it will just not be the same. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and the rest of our staff who really knew her and spent, in some cases, their entire careers with her. I am glad she is safe and healed in heaven. God must have really needed her, because a lot of us will be wondering how we will ever get along without her here on Earth.

God bless,

Lacie