organization

  • 5 Tips for Staying Organized

    I read an article the other day – well, I don’t know if you could call it an article, it was more like one of those click-bait-ey facebook links where the content is only as important as whatever it takes to get you to see all of the ads.  But that’s not the point. Anyway, it was titled “Habits of highly organized people.” As I read it I found myself saying “I do that” over and over, which I guess means I’m highly organized.  The habits included in that particular article were a little vague though, so I thought I would share some of my organizational habits with you –…

  • Lesson Planning Supplies

    Raise your hand if your new years resolution had something to do with making sure your lesson plans get done sooner – this was always me. I felt like I knew what I wanted to do the upcoming week, but actually sitting down and planning it all out was the one task that got pushed off all week.  Then, when I did get time to put my lesson plans together I would find that I really didn’t have enough ideas, or all of my ideas needed a ton of prep work – prep work that I didn’t have time for. I’m here to give you a couple of suggestions so…

  • All of My Calendars

    I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I’m a planner – this might be a bit of an understatement.  I’m very type A – I enjoy planning and I am meticulous about recording my plans.  This means that I spend a lot of time on my calendars, yes calendars plural.  I thought I would share my systems with you just in case any of you were striving to be more organized in the new year.  I completely understand that my way is not going to work for everyone, but if something sounds helpful feel free to use it as inspiration! Unfortunately I can’t give close up photos of my calendars because…

  • Holiday To-Do List

    The holiday season is in full force, and my to-do list is a little bit crazy at the moment.  The shopping, wrapping, baking, parties, teacher gifts, decorating and all the events can get a little overwhelming.  I really needed something to help me keep track of it all because the random lists on my phone just weren’t cutting it anymore.  Here are some of the amazing planners that I found to help sort out all of the chaos and help make the holidays just a little less stressful! Giant Holiday Planner Everything Christmas Planner Sparkle Holiday Planner These are amazing, and I’ll definitely use one of them next year to…

  • Friday Freebie – Teacher Planning Pages

    Happy Friday! This summer has flown by! This week is a double freebie week.  On Tuesday I shared an awesome list of ideas for your monthly newsletters (download that here) and today I have a freebie for those of you who have started thinking about next year – or for those of you who know you probably should, and will eventually! I love, love, love these teacher planning pages.  They have helped me stay organized for years and include 6 different idea trackers and lists to keep you on your toes.  Go download your set and have a wonderful weekend!

  • Friday Freebie – End of the Year Checklist

    Happy Friday! This week seemed to drag on forever, I am so happy to see the weekend! That said, it’s never too early to start thinking about the end of the school year.  This free End of the Year Checklist from Mrs. Irvin’s Toolbox will help you start planning for all of those end of the year to-do’s! Download your copy and have a wonderful weekend!

  • Re-establishing Classroom Routines after the Holidays

    I may have gone back to work last week, but last week was all about survival. This week, on the other hand, is about getting back into routine and evaluating those routines as I think about the rest of the year. That means making sure that I’m planning ahead, following the schedule, and setting up systems that are helpful – not ones that create more work for myself! If you’re thinking about some of those same goals, here are some of my favorite tools for re-establishing routines and organizing all of my plans: Picture schedule cards are perfect for this time of year.  They help the entire class get back…

  • Friday Freebie – New Year Organization

    Happy Friday! If you had to go back to work this week like I did, then congratulations! we made it to the weekend! Today’s freebie is for those of you who’s New Year’s Resolution is to get organized! These classroom labels are one of my most popular freebies, and for good reason.  They’re cute, and large enough to read from a pretty good distance. Go download your set and enjoy your weekend!

  • Friday Freebie – Holiday Checklists

    Happy Friday! We’ve made, just a couple more days until Thanksgiving (and hopefully a nice little break), and then we rush headfirst into December. If you have given any thought at all to everything you have to get done in December – even if just to dread managing all of it – then this freebie is for you. I am so excited about this Holiday Checklist Sampler from Ladybug’s Teacher Files.  You put your students’ names into one list and it automatically fills all of the lists for you, so you have easy checklists to help you make sure that everyone has finished their gifts for their families and you…

  • Friday Freebie – Math Center Labels

    Happy Friday! Don’t you love four-day weeks?! Earlier this week I shared a new freebie for the math center, and today I have another one.  These Math Manipulative Labels will make your life easier and save you tons of time. Download them and start organizing because nothing is more fun than labeling stuff (I’m not joking). Have a great weekend!