Teachers Pay Teachers sale!!!

Hey all I'm out of town this weekend for a family wedding. So I decided to put my whole store on sale. Go ahead and go stock up.

Have a good and safe holiday weekend.

Assistance PLEASE!!!

So I have worked the last three weeks without an educational assistance, half of that time has been with students. I always knew my assistant was was left arm but I feel like I have no arms lately.

I walk into school everyday hoping today is the day that my new assistant will be there. 

So please do not take your assistant for granted and if you are an educational assistant thank you so much sand you are more appreciated than you will ever know. 

Thanks for reading and maybe tomorrow will be the day!!!!

What exactly do I do?

 First of all sorry for being a day late in my post. I just finished the first week with students and have come down with a head cold. I'm trying something new this time, instead of using medicine, I am trying essential oils. For being on day two of this treatment, I a feeling so much better :)

Now back to what I teach. A lot of people ask that when they find out I am a teacher, I think some of my extend family wonder that as well. The special education program I teach is called Developmental Preschool.  A student in my class is any where from 3-5 years old, they can be any exceptionality as well.  My program is structured I two sessions, a morning and afternoon, we try to keep the younger students in the morning and the older ones in the afternoon.  My students come for 12.5 hours a week and my related service provides either do large group activities or pull my students indivually.  Starting this year I have five students in each class. I can have nine students in each class but that usually doesn't happen, last year I had eleven in my afternoon class, but then they had to hire another assistant, so getting to that large of a number rarely happens. 

Well I'm off to apply my next round of oils. Thanks for reading :)

Teacher a Week: When in the Day?

Today's post is to focus on when in the day I do things like planning and for Progress Toward IEP goals.  So here is a break down:

At the school I was at for the last three years teachers were expected to be at school from bell to bell, this always seemed odd to me. Before this I was at schools where teachers came in a little early and a little after students left.  I, this year, am back at a school where teachers have to be to school half an hour before the students and stay a half an hour later.  I like this model because it gives me time to set up and clean up.  However because I am new and still without my educational assistant :( this time seems to fly by without me getting anything on my to do list done.

Also I have an hour in the middle of my day between my morning and afternoon classes.  This time is blocked off to be my lunch and prep, since my students do not go to pull outs. While I would love this time to lesson plan or work on IEP's.  I usually end up talking with my related service providers about students and what I am seeing in the classroom as opposed to what they see in their sessions.

It all ends up that I am being truly useful in my time, but I am hoping that when I eventually get my EA I will be able to do more my of planning and paper work stuff. But again I will probably feel that there is not enough time. And doesn't everyone do lesson plans on Sunday suring nap time;)

Thanks for Readin!!!

P.S. I was going to include a look at what my daily schedule looks like but it needs to be drastically changed. Ah tomorrow is Friday of the first week of school :)

Organized: Who Me?

So today for the third installment of teacher week we are talking about organization.  As of today with being back for two weeks and with students for three days I am feeling very unorganized. The reason for this feeling is due to the fact that I am without an educational assistant and have no idea when I will be getting one. And when you are teaching special education preschool you relay on that extra set of hands and eyes. Keep your fingers crossed that someone comes sooner rather than later.

One thing that I can not live without though are my Erin Condren planners. They really are the best and worth every penny. Just the other day my brother-in-law saw my life planner on my kitchen table and laughed saying "who writes down what they ate everyday". He didn't realize that it was my meal plans for me and my family for the upcoming week :)

Here are my life saving planners:

As for lesson planning I keep that on my computer in a word document. I could find anything that had enough room to put all my details and differentiation for all my students in a hand written form.  Also since we have a printing/coping allotment for the year this way I can email my plans to my eductional assistant and related service providers, as well as my principal.  

Thanks for reading:) 

Teacher Week: My Classroom

Today we venture into where I teach. This is my first year at this school I was unsure how to plan to decorate my room, also with a group of new little guys I didn't want it to be to over stimulating for them.  When I first walked into my room I was shocked to see ceiling that are close to twenty feet tall, even with the biggest ladder I own there is no way I would be able to hang anything from the ceiling.

This is my dramatic play area:

This is my block center (sorry all the blocks are in the cabinet) this is a favorite with all my boys:

In the background you can see my circle area with the smart board. This area also doubles as my literacy center.

Here is another shot of my circle/ literacy center.  I use carpet squares because it gives everyone their own defined space and I can add in fifer chairs which tend to be a little larger. I was able to get my carpet squares through a donors choose project, it is such a wonderful resource for teachers.  Check it out if you never have.

Next is a very big multitasking area in my room. These tables are used for breakfast/lunch, as well as for table toys, my art center and the math science centers. When your room is long and narrow I've found you have to sometimes double up on centers. 

One of they many things that I love about the school I'm at is that when it was built in 2009, they did a green build. So we have things like dual flush toilets and faucets that are sensors, which is interesting with students that are potty training :) my students want to was their hands all the time. But my FAVORITE part of my classroom is that there are twelve skylights on a switch that I can open and close to let in the natural light, but they look like regular classroom lights. We have so many sunny days that I think I the two weeks I've been in my room I haven't had to turn on any lights :)

This is another great part of my school. This is the view from our playground. Duty is always wonderful when I get to see the mountains and the city :)

I hope everyone enjoyed this mini tour of my classroom digs.

Also don't forget the sale tomorrow at teachers pay teachers. My store will be on sale so stop by and check it out. I know I will be doing some shopping.

Thanks for reading!!!!!!!!

Back to School 2104: Who!!!!

It's that time of year when we all start heading back to school :)
This year has lots of excitement me and my family, not only am I back at school and a new school for that matter, but my baby (well my 1st born) goes off to kindergarten this year.  I wont insert any tears, I've been doing enough of that. Here is my big boy on his first half day last week:

Waiting to go to school :)

Tomorrow he goes for the real thing, is first time in all day school and eating lunch at school to.  He is very excited :)

Thank goodness for my other son, who keeps me laughing with his comic relief.  Here he is trying to be like mommy in my sunglasses.

He's a little ham :)

I am so thankful for them and my wonderful husband.  The three of them keep me on my toes.  But hey there is never a dull moment in our life :)

The three loves of my life.

See you all tomorrow with another post about me and my life :)

Thanks for reading.

Back to School

The first week of school for teachers has officially come and gone.  Thank goodness for me my Pre-k students do not start for another week, I need that time to get my new classroom into order.  When I walked into my classroom earlier in the week this is what it looked like.......

And it still looks like this today.  After three days of teacher meetings and going over my class list and calling parents, there was very little time left to arrange my classroom.  Thankfully I was able to clean out the many storage areas that are in my classroom.

My goal for the weekend is to space plan how to arrange the six play centers that are needed in my room, as well as circle time and a place to eat breakfast and lunch.  Wish me luck and I will post how it looks when it is done.

Enjoy your weekend :)

TpT Sale

I am joining in on the Back to School sale at Teachers Pay Teachers.  My whole store will be on sale August 4-5.  I know I will be stocking up on stuff for this upcoming year.  If there is anything from my store or any other store you've been wanting now is the time to get it :)

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Sweetnsassy-In-Sped

New School Year = New School

The new school year is upon us, well some of us.  For me the new school year is bringing a change in schools. Since my last post a lot of things have changed.  I accepted a transfer within my district to stay in Developmental Preschool. For the last three years I have been teaching Developmental Preschool and I love it.  I have been at a school that is one of many hubs, as my district calls it, which means there is more than one Developmental Preschool class.  This upcoming year however I will be at a school where I am the only Developmental Preschool class.  This is something that I am looking forward to, but I will miss the collaboration.  I learned so much from collaborating with those ladies.
On Wednesday I will finally be able to get into my new classroom.  I have no idea what the layout looks like, or what I am being left from the previous teacher.  I will post before and after pictures once I am able to get into my room.
I hope all of you that are already back at school are having a wonderful year and good luck to all of us that will be starting back here soon.