"I'm engaged to my book!"

Last week, I used Laurie's idea (from Chickadee Jubilee) and taught her lesson on the three types of readers.

 

Pretender

Dutiful

Engaged

 

It was perfect! My kiddos were so excited to tell me how they were engaged in their books the rest of the week--although it was cute to hear some of them say, "I'm engaged to my book because..." I did explain that we were not talking about being "engaged" to be married, but many of them stuck with that idea. Ha!

 

I'm also linking up with Angela from:

 

 

 And Jean from:

 

 

 

For:

 

 

 

I love the entire idea behind this linky! Click on over to one of their blogs to read more about it.

 

Here's two of my quick tips this week.

 

Checklist!!!

 

 

If you've been following our blog very long, you may have heard of this little time-saver before. I have my list of things I need to do every day slipped inside a page protector. As I accomplish things on the list, I cross it off and when the week is done I can use it all over again. The best thing is that it keeps me focused! PROVEN - I leave SO much earlier each night when I actually USE the checklist. Love it!

 

Dojo Prizes Simplified!!!

 

 

I have been using Dojo a lot this year. I found this awesome prize book from Mrs. Goodwin at ilive2learn ilove2grow (I changed it up a little). I was struggling with the "choosing" part. It was taking up my entire "Fun Friday" time which I usually like to use for accomplishing things on my Friday checklist. It took me long enough...but I came up with this idea. Slipped the pages into page protectors. Now the kiddos sign up during Fun Friday and I don't have to walk around asking them what prize they want, waiting for them to decide, and finally recording what prize they want. Last week I walked them through it because it was new, but this Friday I will be free to work while they are having some FUN!

 

Hope you're having a great week! Head on over and link up your quick tips!

 





List Making and Commenting Survey

It's happening...that small sense of panic as I realize that my summer is slipping away and I have so much left to do. I had to do something...

As you may remember, I like to spend a lot of time planning to be organized. Ha!

 And I was at Target the other day and picked up a nifty set of metallic gel pens so I felt inspired to start a to-do list...secretly hoping that will inspire me to get motivated to get busy so I can cross some things off my to-do list.

I'm sharing my to-do list today...maybe it will help you remember something you have forgotten. :-)

Yes, I know...I do not have cutesy teacher handwriting!

So what have I forgotten? I'm sure there is something--or somethings. Leave me a comment with some of your big "to-dos" before you go back to work.

Kristi is already jealous...I don't even report back until she has already started WITH kids. Hee hee! I am going to miss everyone over there though.

Speaking of comments... Notice the poll in the sidebar?

I really like responding to comments via e-mail, but then I fear people reading my blog will think we don't care about our comments because they won't see the replies on the post. Plus sometimes I like reading the blog writer's response to comments and it ends up being helpful to others.

So please vote! Tell us how you would rather a person respond to comments.

And...something else I'm curious about...what makes you want to comment on a post? What makes you decide not to?

Personally, I like to comment and encourage other bloggers (we all love comments), but I do hate the "prove you're not a robot" step.

If you're not sure if you have this...follow these steps:

From your Blogger Dashboard, go to Settings.

Click on Posts and Comments

Show word verification: Does it say yes or no?

When we first started blogging, we didn't know it and that was default to yes.

Don't forget...what'd I miss on my to-do list? ;-)

Update on Checklist and Timer

YAY!  It is working!  I love the checklist and timer......well I guess I should say that it worked 3 out of 4 days.  I left fairly early for me (4:30-5:00) three of the days and then the last day, I didn't even set the timer because I knew that there would be no way I would be able to get out of there by the time the timer went off.  Of course some of it may be that we only had 4 days this week and the last day was an in service day.  So, I had to be done with everything a day early. 

So, once again thanks to all for the great ideas and I'm glad that I started doing this.  I feel more organized and I stay on task (for the most part LOL)!  

Since it was going well at school, I decided that I was going to make a checklist at home as well.  I only did the checklist this week without the timer.  I believe that I will need to add the timer next week because I think the timer makes me move faster (the checklist that I had daily at home took me quite awhile each night to get done-so I think the timer will make it go faster).  I will say that by Friday evening, I had my house all clean, dishes done, laundry done (and actually put away) and groceries done!  I felt like I actually had a weekend where I could just lounge and do things that I really wanted to do (like check out pinterest LOL)!

Hope all of you had a great weekend and have a great week!  Kristi

THE TIMER AND THE CHECKLIST!!

The last time that Crystal blogged about always having a lot to do after school, she asked if anyone every left at contract time.  Well, Amanda Hallman from Elementary Teacher Files http://elementaryteacherfiles.blogspot.com/ replied that she actually sets the timer for 30 minutes after contract time and leaves when the timer goes off.

Crystal told me that I should try it (of course she volunteered me to do it to see how well it would work for me......she used the excuse that she had to wait on her husband until 5 LOL! so she couldn't do it).   I had been trying hard to be able to leave on Fridays by at least 5:00.  So, awhile back I made a checklist of everything I needed to have done on Friday before I could leave.  I was making a copy of it every week, until Crystal gave me the great idea to just put it in a page protector sheet and just use an expo marker and mark it off as I go (I never think of those kind of things). It saved me time because I no longer need to copy it every week. 

Well, I decided that I should probably do a checklist of things to do daily instead of just on Friday.  You see, I am one that will just sit there thinking of all the things I need to do and I think so long that I waste time and don't get as much accomplished, so with my checklist, I won't need to waste as much time thinking about everything that needs to be done  :-). 

On normal days, I usually don't leave school until around 5:30-6:00, then I have a 20 min. drive home, which puts me home somewhere between 5:50-6:20.  Then you know once you get home you have to make supper etc.  Anyways, my nights seem very quick.  Therefore, when I heard about the timer, I thought OK I'll try it.....and with my checklists maybe I can do it. 

My first day was on Wednesday.  I was very nervous the first day so decided I would gradually start it.  So, I started with 60 minutes instead of 30.  I was very excited because I completed my checklist and was able to leave school by 4:55 (our contract time is 3:45, so I was a little more than 60 min.-so didn't leave right when the timer went off, but it was still early for me)  YAY!!  On Thursday, I decreased the time and actually left at 4:15-WOW!  Then on Friday-I left at 4:20!!  I believe that this system will be nice to use.  I'm sure that there will be days that I won't feel like I can leave when the timer goes off and I will stay longer.  But, I can see how the checklist and timer is definitely going to help me out.  Not only does the checklist keep me organized, but I think the timer keeps me on task and makes me move a little faster LOL! 
(I should probably do something similar at home with cleaning etc. :-))

So, thanks Amanda for the idea and thanks Crystal for making me be the guinea pig and try it because it helped me leave a little earlier this week and gave me more time to spend at home with family.  :-)

Hope you have a great weekend!  Kristi