Adventures on Track in Day

Some of you may wonder (or maybe not) what its like for me to track in four times a year.  This time I took some pictures.  I'm always moving into another teacher's classroom.  There is a period of time where both of us have stuff in the room and it's a mess everywhere.

When I came in yesterday morning at 7:00, this is what the room looked like.  The other teacher had already pulled a bunch of my stuff off of the track out room shelves so she could put her stuff on them.  Basically, you have everything set up to be easily put up and down.  Pocket charts, stick on magnets, tri-fold presentation boards, rolling carts.  There still is a lot of work putting things up, and a lot of teachers don't bother to do as much "decorating" because of it. 
I finally finished setting up around 6:45 in the evening.  Not bad, considering I had meetings half of the day.

This is the view of the room from behind my desk. 

Got this idea off of Pinterest (got addicted to that thing over track out).  I dare my little cuties to try and move their desks now!

Notice my desk accessories.  I got tired of the old random plastic stuff and decided to pretty it up.  Love the Container Store!  The kids baskets are ready to be filled with books!  One thing to make track in and out easier is all of the teachers have the sticky side of Velcro stickers on the backs of the cubbies.  Then we all put the fuzzy side on our own cubby tags.  When its time to track in and out, just pull 'em off or stick em on in seconds!

This is the view of my desk from the other side.  I found the owl wall sticker at Target.  School desks are so ugly, but this makes it cute!  Notice my big black cart.  I invested in that years ago, tired of packing up all of my math manipulatives and what not every single time.  The funny thing is, the idea spread and a lot of teachers now have their own!

This is one side of my double sided book shelf.  I lucked into acquiring it a few years ago when it used to be a grade level cart and the items were moved elsewhere.  These are my personal books, organized by genre.  On the top shelf is a framed "I Pick" sign.  I also made a little photo album of pictures of my kids through the years. 

My word catcher, waiting to catch some vocabulary words.  Each week I read a book and choose good vocabulary words to focus on.  Last year, my kids loved "catching" words in their own reading to add to the word wall.  It got so overwhelming, I had to give them their own "word catcher" books to keep in their reading baskets!

My CAFE board is easy to put up and take down for track out.  We will be setting goals next week.

My "carpet area."  I got the ideas for the seats off of Pinterest (again).  I had leftover striped fabric from my window cornices and Scott cut the boards from leftover wood from our book case project.  My Daily 5 I-charts have inspiring words "create" and "imagine."  My rocking chair folds up easily and I put it on top of my cart for track out.

Check out the desks.  I've never arranged them this way before, like a pinwheel.  We'll see how it goes.  I think its pretty cool! I use electrical tape for their name tags.  It stays on pretty well, and comes up super easy for track out time.  I used to spend time laminating and making cute name tags, but the kids pretty much destroyed them within the first 9 weeks, so I gave  that up last year.

The other side of my double sided book case.  Yes, that is a lot of books.  Years and years (13 to be exact) of collecting books with book club points.

Anyway, I had fun decorating.  I'm asking the kids next week to bring in 4"x6" framed family pictures which I'll place around the room.  I always tell them we're a family, especially being on a single track and pretty much staying together from kindergarten through 5th. I want my kids to feel cozy and like this is their home away from home, which in a way, it is!

Picture Day

So, picture day was three weeks ago and I knew it was coming.  I always dread this day, but at the same time have hopeful anticipation that maybe this year my picture will turn out all right.  The last few years pictures were of me in braces, looking as good as I could, considering.  Last year, just a month before having my braces removed, I had to have one more of these brace face pics.  Nothing like a school picture with braces to bring you back to your middle school angst!
Well, I woke up that morning 3 weeks ago, and went in to school, only to remember once I was there that it was picture day!  I had forgotten to fix my hair, wear my best outfit, and put on even a scant bit of makeup so I didn't look like a ghost.  Sadly, I had to make due with what I had on that day.  So I gave my best smile, sat up straight, and gave the best lip gloss smile I could.  The photographer let me see the picture, but in passing I just said "It is what it is."
I finally got my pictures this week and low and behold, they actually are decent!  This came as a relief, as my family and friends had recently decided to post two undeniably bad pictures of me on Facebook.  One of me and my sissy and cousin Jay as toddlers.  Ashley was cute, as usual.  Jay was cute, even though he had a black eye.  But me, I had this crazy look on my face with my tongue sticking out of the side of my mouth.  Even as a baby I wasn't photogenic.  Scott regrettably had to agree that this wasn't my best look.  Then my good friend Natalie, not realizing how horrified I would be if she posted it, put a picture of me and Scott at a wedding up.  I look pregnant.  I'm not pregnant.  Nuff said.
So, with no further ado....here is my lovely 30th anniversary of 2nd grade school picture.

 

Marlo, 2nd grade 2011-2012

Yay! No braces!  No crooked smile!  Oh happy day!

Busy day, busy times

Life is a whirlwind right now.  Funny to think a month or two ago I felt like life was standing still.  Most of the stuff for the wedding is all planned and arranged now.  I'm about to track out (tomorrow, yay!) and I'm basically spending the whole time working on wedding stuff, going places, doing things.  I think I might have one free day where I don't have to do anything, ha ha!  But I'm not complaining, it's all fun.
Today is picture day at school.  I was looking in the mirror trying to practice my smile.  I decided it's no use.  I still have braces, my cheeks are still chubby.  Another year of school pictures with me looking horrid.  I had a nightmare last night about my braces.  I dreamed that my orthodontist said he didn't know when my braces were coming off.  He told me I might have to wear them forever.  That's how I feel right now.  Like they are never coming off.  I'm so sick of wearing them.
My friend Jenna just had her wisdom teeth taken out on Monday.  She is all swollen and in pain.  I feel so bad for her, and definitely can relate.  I hope she feels better soon.
Tonight is Open House.  Its crazy, but they planned open house the day before I track out.  So my room is going to look bare.  No pretty artwork or projects on the walls.  Desks will be mostly cleaned out, so parents can't see what it looks like.  I just hope they are understanding, that's the way it goes in year-round school.
Last weekend, Scott and I painted, repaired, wired, and cleaned his house.  He got his carpets cleaned on Monday.  This weekend we will finish painting and cleaning.  It's really coming together, but it sure is a lot of hard work.  I still have paint on my feet that I can't seem to get off.
But this weekend won't be all work and no play.  Saturday night, my girlfriends and I are going to see Barenaked Ladies!  I can't wait, it's going to be so much fun.  We're going to park at the NCAE building, walk over to The Pit for dinner, then walk to the ampitheater.  I just hope that it's not too hot and it doesn't rain.
Well, that's all for now, I have to get to school and take my terrible picture.   :)