TRACK MISSING WORK IN STYLE

Do you ever have students who forget to turn in work on time? Who am I kidding -- of course you do! Or maybe they turn it in, but there's no name on it? It happens from time to time, no matter how great of a teacher you are. What matters is how you manage late/missing assignments. Today, I'm sharing with you my fun DIY to help you (and your students) keep up with what has or hasn't been turned in. It is SO important for students of any age to work on responsibility and my newest DIY project will allow my students to practice responsibility as well as self-advocacy. Keep reading if you want to see this cute, easy, and CHEAP project that will help you cut down on missing assignment nightmares.

What I've created is a "Missing Work" board that will allow me to post assignments and the names of students who I haven't received it from. This project cost about $12 and took me less than 15 minutes to make. I think that's a win-win. Not to mention the fact that this will save me the headache of dealing with holes in the grade book.

How I made it:

Supplies you will need- frame, scrapbook paper, alphabet stickers (optional), sticky notes
1. Take matte out of frame. 
2. Trace matte on scrapbook paper.
3. Cut scrapbook paper along traced lines.
4. (optional) Stick alphabet stickers on paper.
5. Place paper inside of the frame and secure.
6. (optional) If you chose not to purchase alphabet stickers, you could write "Missing Work" on the glass part of your frame using a dry erase marker.
7. Write missing assignments and student names on sticky notes and post as needed. 

How it works:

- After I have finished logging assignment scores into my grade book I will pull out sticky notes.
- Each individual sticky notes will represent one assignment. 
- On said sticky note I will write the assignment title on top, then list out the names of all students who do not have a score logged for that assignment. 
- Students will be responsible for checking the "Missing Work" board and turning in assignments so that their name gets checked off the sticky.
- If a student knows that they turned their assignment in, yet they see their name on the board, this should prompt them to look through the "No Name File" I have in my class to find the assignment and then they can resubmit.

To celebrate students who have had every homework assignment turned in during the month, as a 5th grade team we do a "Homework Club" lunch. This incentive of having lunch with the teacher and friends is a great motivator for students to be on top of checking the "Missing Work" board and turn in assignments on time. 

Did you give this DIY a try? Will you tweak it for your class? Please share in the comments below or post on social media using #myteacherstyle to show off your finished product. 

CLASSROOM RULES

One of my favorite things about my classroom is my Classroom Rules! It is so important to set students up for success, and making sure that they understand my expectations will help them with that. I already knew that I was going to have 5 main rules displayed in my classroom. I didn't want to overwhelm my students with hundreds of DO's and DO NOT's plastered on my walls. Here are the rules I landed on:

   - Treat everyone with respect.
   - Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
   - Follow directions.
   - Always do your best.
   - Golden Rule.

I feel that these rules cover all of the bases. After I decided which rules to highlight, I took to Pinterest to get some inspiration. I found a super cute idea (click here to see Kinder Craze's version), and decided to tweak it and to make it my own. I typed out my rules using one of my favorite fonts (KG Shake It Off, which you can download for free at dafont.com) and printed them off.

I ran into a crazy awesome deal at Michael's and scored 6 these frames on sale for $4 each. I got the Krylon spray paint at Walmart and went to town, spray painting three frames "Bright Idea" yellow, and the other "Blue Ocean Breeze." After my frames had dried and cured overnight, I mounted my printed out rules on black poster board and attached them to the frames. They are now happily hanging in my classroom awaiting the 90+ students who will come in my classroom for the first time in two weeks.

I could NOT be more happy with how they turned out!!! The bright frames catch your eye when you walk into the room and the white font on the black paper really pops.

So what do you think? How are you displaying your Classroom Rules this year? Let me know in the comments below.

LOVE YOUR TEACHER BINDER

Hello there! I'm so excited to share with you my Teacher Binder for the 2015 - 2016 school year. It is so organized & beautiful & I'm geeking out over it! I've seen a lot of adorable Teacher Binders, but I chose to create my own so that it could be organized the way I want and personalized. I'll use it for planning, record keeping, parent contact info, and so much more! I'm looking forward to carrying it into important meetings and having everything I need handy. If you're gearing up for back to school and looking for a new way to organize things this year or are looking for some fresh inspiration to show off your personal teacher style, then read on!

First things first, my binder cover! I printed out my cover and used washi tape to personalize it. My goal was for the cover to look professional without looking too uniform or boring. Not only was I able to achieve my goal, but it was inexpensive, easy to make, and turned out really cute! Let's open it up and see what's inside...

Say hello to my Flair pens! I can't wait to use them to grade papers and color-coordinate my calendar (it's the little things in life)!! I covered my binder divider tabs in washi tape not only because it looks cute, but because if I ever change my mind on my tab labels, I can peel off the washi tape, put a new strip on, and create a new label. Here's a break down of the sections of my Teacher Binder and what you can find inside:

To - Do List:

My to-do list comes from my deep desire to be super organized. I combined a few ideas I had from some books I've read, things I've seen on Pinterest, and ideas from my own brain. I have a few copies of my To-Do List in this section of my binder for me to use either day-by-day or week-to-week, just depending on how busy I am or how much I have to do. 

(If this To-Do List works for your organizational style, feel free to download the PDF and please comment below letting me know how it works for you!)

Calendar:

Next tab is my monthly calendar I got for free from Teachers Pay Teachers! I like it because it gives me a month at a glance view, so that when I'm in meetings I can quickly refer to it and make sure I don't overbook myself. I plan on using my Flair pens to color coordinate the events on my calendar so I can keep things straight.  

School Policies:

This section is where I am keeping important information about school and district-wide policies and procedures as well as my state's Code of Ethics for teachers. Now I can quickly reference those important materials right when I need them and not have to wonder, "now where did I put that again?".

Seating Charts:

I have three sets of students that rotate in and out of my room every day. I photocopied a blank mock-up of how desks are arranged and placed them in here. I will write in students names once school starts. This seating chart will help me match the faces to the names and hopefully help me get down all 90+ names sooner! It will also be a great resource for me to add to my substitute notes. 

Grades:

A place for me to put my spreadsheets... I'm one of those people who loves to have a hard copy of grades everything as well as a digital. I also decided to put my gradebook in this binder because it will go everywhere with me, so I should never have to worry about leaving my gradebook out somewhere or forgetting to bring it.

Communication:

I'm super excited about this Information Sheet/ Communication Log I created! Each student will have one of these sheets that I can refer to to look up contact info, birthdays, and other important information, as well as a record of all contacts with parents/guardians. 

(If this Communication Log works for your organizational style, feel free to download the PDF and please comment below letting me know how it works for you!)

Plan Book:

Lastly, I will attach my lesson plan booklet in the back. This booklet is something given to all teachers from our District and it's basically a weekly calendar with room for lesson plans, and mapping out scope and sequence. 

Is your Teacher Binder similar or totally different? What sections do you absolutely have to have in your binder? Did you download any of my planning documents? Share below!

CUTE CLASSROOM KEYS

A fun way to show off your Teacher Style at your school is by personalizing your keys. I did mine last week (pictured above) in school colors and LOVED the results. You can personalize your keys too in a few easy steps. To start the process gather the following supplies: keys, colored nail polish, clear nail polish, tape, glitter (if desired).

Step 1: Wash keys. You want to make sure you get all of the dirt and grime off before you start the beautification process.

Step 2: Cover section of keys that you do not want to get paint/glitter on in tape. I used clear Scotch Tape and it worked just fine.

Step 3: Cover top portion of keys in one coat of clear nail polish.

Step 4: Paint keys in color of your choice. Do two coats on each side waiting 15-30 minutes (varies depending on polish used) between coats for it to dry well. After you're satisfied with the color of your keys move on to Step 5 while nail polish is fresh.

Step 5: Sprinkle glitter on keys while nail polish is still wet. I decided to only do glitter on one side of my keys, but you may cover both sides (or not do any) if you like.

Step 6: After glitter is set, cover in 2-3 coats of nail polish waiting 15-30 minutes (once again, just depends on your nail polish brand) between coats.

Step 7: After top coat has tried, remove tape and ... Enjoy!!!

Did you glitter-ize your keys? Did this post help you in the process? If so, share your experience below!