Monday Made It & a Blog Hop

 WOW!....Today was the first day of school, and I am just flat out exhausted. I now have 17 sweet little first graders, and we had such a great day. I'll be honest- I dread the first few days. While I am a huge stickler for routine & procedure, I just know the kiddies get bored with it over and over again. I know it's a necessary evil, and I'm a product of the Harry Wong generation of teachers, but I really look forward to getting into the swing of things and doing some real teaching!!

Teaching first grade is so much fun, but I always forget how little they are at the beginning of the year, and how dependent they are.  Plus, they are so used to having two teachers in Kindergarten & a much more relaxed environment.  Anyway, I survived...and so did they .YAY!

I've been fighting against a nap, so I decided to go ahead and link up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics for another Made It Monday. 

So, first off...

I made it . . . on Monday . . . and on time!!  For anyone that knows me, this is quite a feat.  We were supposed to arrive NO later than 7 a.m. today and I got there at 6:30. Crazy for me. Our normal time is 7:40 and I come in on two wheels at 7:37 so I can sign in at the office... grab a Diet Coke (in lieu of most people's coffee) . . .  and position myself at the front door to greet the kiddies.  I am not a morning person AT ALL, and really think nothing should start before 9 or 10 in the morning. :)  My hand looks really weird in this picture, like I've got Man Hands, or I'm a wrestler or something, Sorry !!

But seriously, my "made its".. .

I got this idea off Pinterest and FINALLY tracked it down to Stephanie at 3rd Grade Thoughts.You can check out her original post at the link.  I just LOVED the idea & when I tried it out today with my new firsties, it worked like a charm!!

For those of you who haven't seen this. . . the child going to the restroom places this on his/her desk when they leave the room. This tells the teacher where he/she is. It also (best part!) serves as a reminder to use two squirts when they get back to sanitize their hands.  Because, let's be honest. . . no matter how many times I review our "Hush, Flush and Wash" rule, I'm not convinced they always fully wash their hands.  My kids thought it was cool, too. Bonus! :)

Then, for Open House (& the First Day for those no-shows)... my Parent Handbook Flipbook:

There's my Man Hand again.. ugh!  Anyway, focus !  I got this idea from a former colleague of mine at my first school. You basically take 5 pieces of colored paper like from this stack

and then you print your information in categories.  You have to run them front to back...and upside down.  Once you play around with it, it starts to make sense, but it does take some trial & error.  I suggest taking plain white scrap paper and making the flip book first. Then, type what you want & cut/paste it to the book so it's just like you like it. Lastly, take it to the copier & work your teacher magic ! :) The parents really like this and it's everything all in one place.

*Fonts by DJ Inkers

*UPDATE:

 I have had a lot of requests for a template for this handbook. Unfortunately, I don't have one because it requires printing, cutting, taping, and rerunning to make the book. There's no way to make a template.

  However, I am willing to customize & make one for you! If you are interested, send me an email at thefirstgradefairytales@gmail.com or click <HERE> to go to my TpT store & purchase it!

Email me if interested & thanks for stopping by! 

We now return to your regular blog reading...

Lastly, for the home...
Again, I have to thank Pinterest for this one. I have seen so many cute creations made out of buttons that I had to make one myself.  It looks cuter in context but this is the best picture I could get.  I LOVE burlap, and so I thought I'd try gluing the buttons to it & trying it out. Staple burlap to wood or canvas. Hot glue buttons on.  Hang with ribbon.  And done! Turned out pretty cute, I think :)

And FINALLY, the Blog Hop . . . 

 
I updated my last post with this blog hop, but wanted to make sure it got out there.  It's for Classroom Picture Tours! I don't know about you, but I really love seeing everyone else's rooms and what they have come up with. If teachers are known for anything, it's for the stealing sharing of ideas. So, when I found this hop, I thought what a great idea.  My last post was my classroom tour, but I wanted all of you to take pictures of your rooms so I could sneak a peek! :)


Anyway, thanks for stopping by ! OH!!  I almost forgot !
I'm almost at 100 followers & need your help! If I was to do a gift card giveaway, where should it be to? (yes, I ended that with a preposition. Don't judge!).  

Have a happy Monday!! :)