Too Busy!

We have been busy, busy, busy in my classroom!  

This begins to explain why I haven't been able to visit my own blog very often!  The other reason being that we are short staffed AGAIN!  Grrrr!  Hopefully we'll just be short staffed for this next week or so (I have a new teacher associate starting soon)!  I'm looking forward to being able to function with a full team in the classroom again! 

I'm pretty sure I don't have to convince any of you; but a classroom team truly can make or break you in early childhood education!  The children in my room are dealing relatively well with the absence of the necessary number of adult hands to help!  (They would prefer short staffed and adults they know and enjoy being around rather than fully staffed with strangers!)

So, even though we are very busy, I hope to be able to post at least a few times this week!  I think we've got the short staffed management down now and I may be able to pull out the camera at least a few times, to take a few photos! 

I was just happy I had time to eat my LUNCH last week!  We can do it!  I've made time to eat my lunch...we can surely take a few photos during the day!  Wish me luck!

Hanging File Folder Organization

I meant to share this creation with you LAST week...but, as you might have been able to tell by my last post, the week just kind of got away from me! 
Last weekend I saw THESE very cute file organizers.  Then when I went to visit my mom (who happens to be a retired teacher...and who tends to donate supply items to ME), she gave me a whole box of colored plastic files folders (these are the ones that open to form a sort of flat- squared off bottom to hold more papers). 

I knew exactly what I was going to do with them...make hanging file folder organizers!  (I actually created these within a few hours of receiving them!)

Now, my version is clearly NOT as cute as the original!  But they are extremely functional!  

1. I inserted the file folders into each other (so when you are using them, you are actually just inserting the paperwork into the front of the file folder (the next file up becomes the back).  But because these have the squared off bottom, there is plenty of room!).  
2. I then punched 2 holes at the top of the entire thing and strung a ribbon loop through the top.  (It is a bit difficult to punch the holes, especially when trying to go through 2 layers.  But it's not impossible.) 
3. In order to attach each file folder to the next one, I punched holes in each file folder at the top and hooked them to the next file folder with a brass paper fastener.    I have had these hung for a week with no problem with this system! Initially, I wasn't sure if this would be strong enough to hold the weight of multiple file folders and packets of paper!  But, it seems to work just fine! 

These hanging files are labeled with each child's name and hold each of their small group (IEP goal work)- activity schedules as well as rubrics and tracking sheets. We also have a folder in each to hold the previous tracking sheets.

I LOVE how organized this has become.  I love how simple and quick it is to find exactly what we need!  This has been a great way to keep everything in one spot and help teacher associates find everything they will need to track the work they do with a child! 

H...E...L...P...!

HELP....I'm drowning in work.... :) ... that's what I get for a month off!  I'll be back soon when I can grow a few more arms and hands to take photos to accompany blog posts... and when I can juggle everything again!  :) 

Changes are never easy!

Changes are never easy.  Lately, I've been so busy working on paperwork and IEP's that the changes that are about to happen at our school really haven't sunk in yet!  Changes are never easy; especially when these changes are happening because of budgets that are created at a much higher level and are completely out of the control of anyone within our immediate area!   Changes are never easy. 

I've tried to keep looking at the positive in all this.  Although we will have teachers moving from preschool to teach kindergarten; we aren't truly "losing" anyone.  We will still be able to provide wonderful services for the children in our preschool program.  We continue to function as an early learning program...we just may look a bit different...with fewer classrooms and programs, but still a good core group of programs.  Changes are never easy. 

I'm all for learning new things!  Sometimes shaking things up is a good thing!  We'll have the opportunity to work with new wonderful people!  Although, of course, we will miss those wonderful people who are moving on to new adventures.  Changes are never easy.  

I have the month of July off...the entire month!  I'm very excited and completely ready to have a month off, but these changes will be taking place WHILE I'm off!  I'm pretty sure I'm going to come back in August and hardly recognize the place!  OK, that may be taking it a bit far!  Changes are never easy.   

So, while changes are never easy...sometimes they really do open up wonderful new learning opportunities!   I'm excited to see what these changes bring...

The Work Sampling Blues!

This blog has been quiet for a bit!  There is a reason why...there really is!  I've been working feverishly to organize all my photos and anecdotal notes for our Work Sampling Spring Assessments. 

I love taking photos and I love using them in assessments.  The process is just time consuming...especially when you have neglected to organize those photos on your computer in any reasonable way!  Yes, that would be what I did...or didn't do!  I also had the added difficulty of photos on my classroom computer as well as my home computer! 

But, here I am, sitting at my computer typing this...and...DONE finding and sorting through the photos and anecdotal notes and creating the documents for the assessments!  Woo-hoo!  So, Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!  Here's hoping you too are done with all your work and can relax on your Mother's Day! 

Hanging On!

For some reason I feel behind...behind on IEP stuff...behind on planning...behind on responding to e-mails...behind on READING e-mails...behind on working on the data team...behind on filing paperwork...behind on working on our outdoor learning area additions...behind on relaxing...behind on blogging (only had 2 posts ready for this week- so that got me through until Tuesday)...

OK- Let's face it...behind on LIFE or at least WORK!  Needless to say, I will be leaving this post shortly!  I will be taking a jaunt over to the IEP website to finish goal updates...then I will be heading down the path to list making; namely, making a list of things I MUST finish tomorrow...or ELSE!

Then...THEN...I WILL be relaxing...and I will try to leave the list of things to do until tomorrow...where I will hopefully leave work feeling like I am keeping up with the treadmill...not hanging on for dear life...and then I will relax, because tomorrow is Friday!