Ripples of Influence

Where do you find inspiration?  Who influenced you? Not only do we look to other people for inspiration, we also are the inspiration and influence for others.  As a young girl, I read biographies of famous people such as Helen Keller, Clara Barton and Amelia Earhart. While those ladies didn't inspire me to become a nurse or a flier,  I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I read a short story about a girl and her teacher in my 10th grade literature book.  Now as I look back on my life, I realize books weren't the only source of my inspiration.  My grandmother and mother were huge influences.

Anna Marie Kaufman was born in eastern Pennsylvania on May 13, 1894 to German immigrants. Marie, as she was known, showed her strength and determination at an early age.  She fought to be accepted in a country that didn’t always look favorably on poor immigrants.  She pushed for an education at a time when few girls went to school.  She marched for prohibition and Woman’s Suffrage.  After her marriage in 1920 to a dairy farmer, she worked alongside her husband when needed to see that the cows were milked, corn hoed and hay stored in the barn.  This was in addition to seeing that her four children were taken care of.  Cooking, sewing and cleaning were a part of her everyday life.  As Marie’s children grew, she continued to pursue her dream of an education.  She took Bible courses as well as becoming a practical nurse.  She volunteered in a variety of ways in her church and became a 4-H leader.  Marie taught her children the value of education.  “Be whatever you want to be, but be a good one," she told her children.  Marie faced problems head on with an optimistic view of life.  A trait she definitely passed on to her daughter Virginia.

Virginia Ann Parrish was born March 31, 1924.  “Almost an April Fool’s baby,” she often said.  Life on a farm isn’t easy, and life on a farm during the Great Depression was even more challenging.  “We were poor,” said Virginia, “but we didn’t know it.  Everyone was poor.”  Virginia saw her parents fight to keep the farm in spite of drought and, one year, the loss of the entire herd of cows.  It’s no wonder that when Virginia faced difficulties in life, she also faced them head on.  Like her mother before her, Virginia fought for an education.  She had a Bachelor of Science degree when she was 20 and taught one year of high school science.  The following year, she met Carl, the young Navy veteran who would become her husband.  Together they had three daughters.  Virginia was a stay-at-home-volunteer-at-church wife and mother while her children were young.  Her daughters didn’t always have the latest whatever they thought they should have, but they did have food, shelter and love.  As her oldest daughter approached high school, Virginia took classes to obtain an elementary teaching certificate.  She also nursed her husband back to health after his first heart attack.  In the early 1970’s, things at home began to fall apart.  Virginia finally decided to divorce her husband of nearly 25 years.  Her daughters watched as she made the difficult decision and as she fought to regain her self-esteem.   She ultimately didn’t let the divorce stop her.  She pulled herself together and continued her teaching and church work.  She was honored for that church work just a few weeks ago. 

Marie and Virginia didn’t set out to be inspirational.   They were simply doing their jobs, living their lives.  Each of us is an inspiration to someone whether we know it or not.  We don’t always realize the impact little things have on others.  A smile or hello can brighten someone’s day.  Giving a student a little extra time can stay with that person for years.  Did you ever stop to think where the world would be if you hadn’t been born?  We’re the pebble tossed in the lake.  The ripples of our influence multiply as they extend beyond us.  Let’s say an elementary teacher has 25 students in her class.  If she teaches for 30 years, that’s 750 people she’s had an influence on!  But it doesn’t stop there. What about those children?  What do they become?  If just one of your former students becomes a teacher and teaches 25 students a year for 30 years, that’s another 750 people that your ripples have reached.  We haven’t mentioned your family, your friends, or other people you come in contact with.  So, when you’re tired and discouraged, remind yourself that you are doing good things in this chaotic world.  Remind yourself that television, movies and social media aren’t necessarily real.  What is real is what you do every day.  Putting food on the table, helping your children with their homework, ironing your husband’s shirts are real.  Listening to Billy tell you about his home run last night or complimenting Sally on her new outfit is real.  Like Marie and Virginia you are an influence and an inspiration to someone, somewhere.  

Acknowledgements:   Like most writers, I had help writing this piece.  Thank you, Virginia Jordan for the eloquent essay you wrote about your mother.  It helped me tell Marie’s story succinctly.  Myra Clark, thank you for your “where would we be” suggestion. It was just what I needed. 

A Story About Tolerance

Hello.  My name is Karen.  I am (in no particular order) a retired teacher, mother, wife, grandmother, daughter, sister and cancer survivor.  During a conversation about her blog, Suzanne (my daughter) asked if I’d like to be a co-blogger.  Here we go! 

My love of words and learning came early in life.  I was one of those lucky children whose parents read to her.  Supposedly, I asked for the same book over 20 times before either my parents gave up or I finally quit asking to have it read again.  My mother isn’t quite sure.  I am sure, however, that I still have the poetry book I received for Christmas in 1955.  I can also still recite the bunny poem from that book!  My formal education started at Kenwood Elementary in Bowling Green, Ohio.  I didn’t stop “going to school” until I retired from teaching, 56 years later.  I may have stopped going to school but I haven’t stopped teaching and learning.  My hope is that I can bring some wisdom, inspiration and maybe a little humor to your day.  You will certainly read about my family, my students, my opinions and occasionally, God. (I didn’t do this without Him.)

I am Suzanne’s mommy.   If you know Suzanne, you know she loves her kids.  While teaching students with special needs is challenging, Suzanne seemingly does it with ease.  Part of that ease is having grown up with inclusion.  Suzanne first met Teddy in pre-school.  Even though Teddy is Down-Syndrome, he was able to attend public school spending part of his day in the regular classroom and the rest with an MR teacher.   Teddy also played soccer with his friends.  He was so loved and respected in the primary grades that when the ball came near him, kids on both sides would cheer for Teddy to kick the ball! 

At this point in my career, I was teaching a Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) resource room.  My students came to me for reading and math.  One day, Teddy’s teacher asked if she could bring her students to my room as she had been called to the office.  All of them came in and sat down without a problem – except Teddy.  Teddy was not about to set foot in my room.  I grabbed a picture of Suzanne, knelt down to Teddy’s level and said, “I’m Suzanne’s mommy.”  Bingo!  Teddy came in and sat down.

As you can imagine, I saw a lot of changes in education over my 40 year career. Some of those changes I wish never happened, others, I embrace.  We need more inclusion in our lives.  A couple years after Teddy visited my SLD classroom, I transferred to a regular 4^th grade position.  Because of my special ed experience, I had a number of special ed students in my classroom.  Teddy was in that first class.  By the time Teddy was in 4^th grade, our district was undergoing a growth spurt.  I began to see the difference in children who had grown up with Teddy, and those who did not.  One of my proudest moments as a teacher came in that 4^th grade class.  As we were reading Scholastic News one day, I noticed a short article about a Cincinnati Reds Baseball player.  I asked Teddy about him since I knew him to be a fan.  Teddy began to read the paragraph.  I wish I could duplicate his reading.  Teddy would read the words he could, and mumble over the ones he couldn’t. 

There was not a sound in the room as Teddy read.  The class applauded when I finished, and I needed a moment to compose myself.  It is bring tears to my eyes as I write this.  I’m still not sure if I was prouder of Teddy for his reading, or the rest of the class for listening.  I know that the acceptance of Teddy and his reading came from these students having grown up with Teddy in their lives.  The students who came to the district later, were often less tolerant of Teddy and students like him.

Is tolerance the answer to all our country’s ills?  Of course, not.  But acceptance and tolerance makes us better people.  It makes us more patient standing in line at the grocery story behind a young mother digging in her purse for enough change to buy a box of cereal for her daughter.  It makes us think twice about judging the family of the crying toddler in the restaurant.  As teachers, we need to listen to our students, to their parents.  We can’t change the situation at home.  But that situation – whatever it is – has an influence on how Johnny or Sally is behaving and learning.  Knowing about that situation can help us help our students be better learners and better people.

I am happy that I can offer an ending to Teddy’s story.  He has found acceptance as a bagger at a local grocery store.  He still asks about Suzanne.  

Until next time…

Note:  I can’t tell these stories about my former students without using names.  Names will be changed to protect their privacy.

Meet Karen!

Hello friends! 

I am so excited to announce that Karen (my mom!) will be co-authoring this blog with me! I have to say (if you didn't notice), I am not much of a writer. I love the idea of a blog and sharing my ideas, but to be honest, I don't have the time to write consistently. I am a full time teacher and TPT'er, this blog sort of gets pushed to the side and I think, "Oh I'll do that next weekend." Well, next weekend rarely comes. 

So as I was sitting discussing all things teaching with my mom over spring break, I asked her if she would want to co-write on this blog. She was ecstatic! You see, she has been a writer for many years, but didn't always have the "write" platform (see what I did there?! 😁). She originally went into college to be a journalist, but life had other ideas for her. 

Now a retired teacher, my mom is a granny-nanny (as she likes to call herself), but she is still invested in education and inspiring others. I hope you will come to love her as much as I do. 

(Look below for a few fun facts about my mom!)

I won't be disappearing completely from the blog. You will still hear from me from time to time as I have many thoughts and ideas I cannot wait to share with you. So until then, in the words of Ellen DeGeneres, be kind to one another. 

Are your students confused by the Beanie Baby Reading Strategies?

Hello there!! I have a few things (including a freebie!) that I am super excited about and can't wait to share with you all! In fact if you follow me on TPT, Facebook, or Instagram, you have probably already seen a few of these items. :)

About a year ago or so, the Reading Recovery Teacher in my building came to me and expressed concern with the Beanie Baby Reading Strategies that are so popular these days. Don't start throwing tomatoes at me yet! Hear me out. I used these strategies all the time and used to love them. However, we started realizing that our struggling readers were often getting confused by these strategies. They may work well for some students (and that's great!!), but they don't work well for all students. So I set out to create something simpler for those students who were getting confused. That's when I came up with the Reading Strategy Tools.

In order to create something that would be beneficial for all students, I looked to our amazing Reading Recovery teacher for guidance and utilized one popular resource: Jan Richardson's The Next Step to Guided Reading (if you haven't read this yet, you should! It's filled with amazing ideas and information.) Also, after getting my Masters in Literacy, I knew that MSV (Meaning-Structure-Visual) was going to need to be a huge component in these reading strategies. 

So here we are. Reading Strategy Tools. By know you might be wondering what these look like. Well let me break it down for you.

(Check them out in my TPT store!)

These reading strategies are broken down by type of reader. There is a set for Emergent readers and a set for those Early-Transitional readers. 

The Emergent set has 4 basic reading strategies that beginning readers can utilize when they get to a tricky word: point underneath each word, look at the picture, say the beginning sound, and does that make sense. 

The Early-Transitional set has 8 basic reading strategies that readers can utilize when they get to a tricky word: look at the picture, think about the story, say the beginning sound, look for parts, does it look right, does it sound right, does that make sense, and go back and reread. 

Each set includes bookmarks, posters, table strips, and bulletin visuals.

Since implementing these strategies, I have seen less student confusion. Before, when students approached a tricky word, the dialogue would go something like this:

Me: What strategy could you use to help you figure out that tricky word?

Student:  Um... eagle eye.

Me: Ok.. what does that mean you have to do?

Student: I don't know. *Student blankly stares at me*


Using the Beanie Baby strategies is a 2 step process. They had to know what strategy they were using AND what it meant. With the Reading Strategy Tools, its only 1 step as each strategy tells you exactly what to do. While going from 2 steps to 1 step may seem small, to struggling readers, it could be a game changer.


Now, the dialogue goes like this:

Me: What strategy could you use to help you figure out that tricky word?

Student: Look at the picture.

Me: That's correct! Now, what would make sense?


I'm not saying these strategies are perfect, or perfect for everyone (we all know teaching is not a one size fits all), but I can tell you that I have seen less confusion with my struggling readers. :)


-----


On another note.. I have a freebie for you!! I use these Hello Name Tags every year as part of my door décor and welcoming the students to my class. My students love them (they get to take them home at the end of the year)

They are FREE and they are EDITABLE!! What more could you want?!

(Check them out in my TPT store!)

Thank you for stopping by!! :)

You Can, Toucan, Math (Mentor Text for Mental Math)

This week, my second graders have been practicing mental math. They were struggling to make the connection from their 'worksheets' to what we meant by doing mental math. I'm not a huge fan of worksheets, so I took a step back and remembered I have a great tool at my disposal. I told my students to put everything away as I pulled out the book "You Can, Toucan, Math" by David A. Adler.

 

 

 

If you haven't heard of this book, and you teach math in the primary grades, I'd highly suggest you go pick it up. It's one of my favorites for math. According to Amazon.com, it is less than $10, and it  "introduces kids to addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in a fun and unthreatening fashion. Math riddles encourage young readers to think through math problems as they study both the amusing verse and pictures."

 

If you haven't heard of David A. Adler, he has written books for children such as, Cam Jansen, Picture Book Biographies, and books related to math strategies (fractions, money, area/perimeter, etc.)

 

Anyways, as I read the first word problem to the kids, we talked it through. I picked a fairly easy one. Then I prompted with questions like...

 

 How do you solve this problem?

Do we need to add, subtract, multiply, or divide?

Ok, now how do we know what to add?

Alright, so what answer did you get?

Are you right?

Are you sure?

You're positive?

Well, so and so got a different answer, so who is right?

All of you try it one more time and see if you get the same answer.

Well then how did you get to that answer?

What strategy did you use?

 

As the kids got the hang of it, I didn't use as many prompts. Eventually, I would read the riddle and wait for them to raise their hands to give me their answers. Often, I would have each student (keep in mind I'm working with groups of 2-4) whisper me their answer so the others couldn't hear and copy off of each other. Then I would prompt with, "Are you right?" and "Are you sure?" I would follow up by asking them what strategy they used (ex. counting on).

I have noticed that many of my kids, when asked, "Are you right?", they would immediately change their answer because they are so used to being wrong when questioned. I try to question my students whether they are right or wrong. I want them to gain the confidence in their answers and start thinking more for themselves.

If you decide to try this out with your kiddos, or you have used this book in other way, I'd LOVE to hear about it!! :)

Until next time..

 

 

 

Through Your Child's Eyes (Simulations)

This morning as I was scrolling through Facebook, I noticed an article from Understood.org, written by a mom of a child who has Dyslexia. (Now before you stop reading my post because your child does not have Dyslexia, or because you think this is all that it's about, it's not. There's more.) Normally I would keep scrolling, but the title of the article drew me in. It is called "Now I Understand What My Child With Dyslexia Is Going Through".  As I read the title, I thought to myself, "how could anyone possibly know what a child with Dyslexia is going through, unless they've gone through it themselves?"

 

According to the author of this article (Lyn Pollard) one way to understand what these children are going through is to see for your self through simulation. As a special education teacher of children with multiple learning disabilities, I had to find out what this simulation was all about.

 

But before I tell you more about this simulation and my thoughts, I want to explain what the site, Understood.org, is all about. (Keep in mind that I am in no way affiliated with Understood.org, I simply thought this would be a good resource to share.) Understood.org is a site dedicated to helping parents access information needed to help them understand their children with learning and attention issues. It provides resources, tools, and support. Understood.org is supported by 15 non-profit organizations (including the National Center for Learning Disabilities) , and countless numbers of experts and advocates.

 

The experts at Understood.org have put together a simulator in order for others to experience what a learning and attention issue might look like. Each simulation starts with a video of a child and/or expert speaking about the specific issue (You can skip these videos if you'd just like to try the simulation). Afterwards there is a simulation that takes you through what that child might be experiencing. Keep in mind that each child's experience is going to be unique for them. The simulations are short, and if you are interested, it should only take you a few minutes.

 

I, myself, still don't fully understand what my students are going through even after experiencing the simulations. It did, however, give me a different perspective. It is not the child's fault that they struggle on a daily basis (yes, I already knew this, but it was a reminder I needed). As teachers and parents, it is our job to help these children find ways to cope, adjust, and succeed with the tools they are given.  Each time I get impatient and frustrated, I am going to come back and revisit this site as a reminder of what these children are dealing with.

 

If you take anything away from this, hopefully you will have a little more understanding, compassion, and patience for these children.

 

Please continue reading for step-by-step directions on how to access the simulations.

(You do NOT need to set up a profile in order to access the simulator.)

 

1. Click on the link Understood.org.

2. Go to 'Your Parent Toolkit'.

3. Click on 'Through Your Child's Eyes'.

4. Find the box that says 'Experience It' and click GO.

5. From there click your child's grade level (I clicked grade 1 since I teach K-2)

6. Click on 1 or ALL (Reading, Writing, Math, Attention, Organization) issues. ( I chose to click on ALL since I deal with all on a daily basis.) It will prompt you to begin, or continue.

 

(Feel free to click on the direct link below)

 

https://www.understood.org/en/tools/through-your-childs-eyes

 

I hope to have helped open your eyes just a bit, as this did for me. It is one thing to know that a child is struggling, but it's another thing to experience it for yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

The Battle of the Pencil Sharpeners! (My Review)

Who doesn't love a good pencil sharpener?!

 

Before this year, I had been using the cheap pencil sharpeners that only last 1/2 a year at most. I was soo tired of them breaking mid-way through the year that I decided to invest in some better ones.

 

I had seen, all over social media, buzz about this pencil sharpener from Classroom Friendly Supplies. When I first heard about it, I thought.. "Manual? Why would I want a manual pencil sharpener? Electric are soo much nicer."

 

Boy was I wrong!!

 

I sharpened that first pencil and my eyes lit up. It did a fabulous job! It was probably the sharpest pencil I've seen in a long time. I couldn't believe it so I sharpened another pencil, and another. I could even sharpen those cheap pencils, you know those ones that the stuff peels off the outside if not done correctly.

 

I was sold!

 

I was so excited about these pencil sharpeners that I convinced a few of the other teachers I work with to invest in one. Like me, they were all skeptical, but after seeing it in action, they were amazed!

 

Check out this video from Classroom Friendly Supplies to see how it works!

 

As of right now I am using it with the basic clasp it comes with. Every so often it will come loose (especially if my students use it). I am in the process of ordering the permanent mount.

 

 

 

 

 

So on top of the manual pencil sharpener from Classroom Friendly Supplies, I also wanted to see if I could find an electric one I enjoyed just as much. I also needed a pencil sharpener that would work for those big pencils. Although they didn't have it at the time, Classroom Friendly Supplies now has a pencil sharpener made for those bigger pencils!

 

I decided to try out this one I found at Staples. Its the X-ACTO School Pro1670 Pencil Sharpener. For an electric sharpener this one is pretty great!

 

SO far so good.

 

 

So you may ask, "which one do you like better?"

 

To be honest, I can't choose. I like them both for different reasons and I use them both on a daily basis. I like the convenience of the electric sharpener, however, the manual one works wonders. You be the judge. :)

 

 

 

Until next time...

 

 

It's Been Awhile... (FREEBIE INCLUDED)

So.. I have been gone for quite awhile, yet again. I figured I owe everyone an explanation.

First of all, I am still working on that Masters in Reading. Fortunately, I have a year left and if all goes well I will be graduating in the Spring of 2016! Cross your fingers all goes well!

So why can't I work on my business while getting my Masters, you ask?? Well, I made a deal with myself. Since I am a HUGE procrastinator, yes... me, I made a deal that if I could complete my work in a timely fashion, I would allow myself to work on my business. Unfortunately, even though I am motivated to create and socialize with you all on social media, I am even more unmotivated to do my school work. :( It's a terrible fault I have. I'm not perfect. I blame my mom for that trait. hehe ;)

You might be wondering if there's something else going on.. well there is.

I have been having some health issues. Starting with a TON of headaches. Some bad, some reallllllllly bad. And who wants to be on a computer when they have a headache? Not me! I won't go into personal details because I am a fairly private person, but I am getting things checked out and taken care of. So no worries. But now you understand why I have been a little unmotivated as of late. :)



While I have been gone, I received a HUGE complement from a well known Teacher-Blogger!! Mrs. Lemons, herself, from Step Into Second Grade! She used my Telling Time watches this January with her students (Might I add that they are a FREE in my TpT store! ). Go check out her blog to see how!!

    She seriously made my year and I can't thank her enough! :)


And no... that's not the FREEBIE I had in mind.. there's more..


With things improving, I plan to dabble in the business as much as I can until school is out for the summer when I can create and socialize FULL-TIME! (I can't wait!!)

My goals are to write more blog posts with better content, fix a few products already on TPT, add some new ones I have created, and post more on Pinterest and Instgram. I am still on Facebook, however, I find that Instagram is my go to! So if you want the latest, check that out. :)


As for your FREEBIE...  As a thank you to all of you for your patience and support, I have created something just for you.

The phrase "I can't" is NOT allowed in my room. At this point in the year, I start to hear that saying creep back into my classroom after I have trained them so well. Blame it on the winter break.. the snow days.. or whatever you'd like. But my students needed a little encouragement, so I thought I'd put a positive spin on it. Rather than explaining to the students, yet again, why we don't say that silly phrase in my room, I point to the poster.

 

 

I printed this poster on cardstock, trimmed the white edges (depending on your frame you may want to leave them on so it doesn't slide), and instead of laminating it or just putting it on the bulletin board, I decided to frame it. I found this frame at the dollar store!

I hope you like it! :)


Thank you again for your patience and support. It means the world to me.


Until next time....

 

Giveaway over at Simone's!!

Simone is celebrating her 5th year with TeachersPayTeachers! Congratulations Simone!! 

To celebrate she is having 3 different giveaways with up to $300 in prizes!!! 

Who wants to go one a shopping spree for FREE?!?!!

(I do! I do! I do!)  

Head on over to her blog, or enter the Rafflecopter below. 

Good Luck!!!!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September Currently and My New Classroom Calendar!

Finally linking up with Farley from Oh' Boy 4th Grade for this months Currently. 

LISTENING: I always listen to iHeartRadio while I work, but in the evenings I listen to jazz or classical to wind down. 

LOVING: PIADA!!! One of my friends suggested this restaurant one day when i was up in Columbus, Ohio visiting. I was HOOKED!! Amazing food! SO when my parents came to visit me today, and I noticed there was one in my area, I HAD to go! Their Tuscan Chicken Salad is amazing!

THINKING: I am super tired, but I am way behind, so I am trying to stay up a little later while I can to catch up on some things. 

WANTING: More time in the day would be great. SO much to do between work, TPT stuff, and my masters class. 

NEEDING: I don't really NEED anything.. but.. a clone would be nice. :) They could stay up late for me.. work on my masters work while I worked on TPT stuff. How AMAZING would that be?!

Totally unrealistic.. I know. :(

3 TRIPS: I have barely traveled. Money has always been an issue. But I would LOVE to go to ITALY, IRELAND, and AUSTRALIA. (Not to mention out west) Italy has always been on top of my list, mainly because I LOVE Italian food. Some of my family roots trace back to Ireland. So I always thought it'd be a neat place to visit and to see the countryside. Australia I think would just be fun. 

Thanks Farley for the Link Up!! 

Now on to a shameless plug!

(but something I am really excited about!!)

I have not done my classroom reveal yet, but I wanted to share this part with everyone because I LOVE how it turned out! It's also something you can make if you wish! 

 I was wanting a new classroom calendar to go with my color scheme. I was tired of bold products I would buy that didn't match. (Yes, call me crazy, I like everything to match!) 

So over the summer I created this... 

Here's the scoop. There are 4 different sets so you can mix and match. I kept the same 4 colors throughout. 

I decided I liked mine best with the black outlines, so I mix and matched sets 2 and 4.

I included instructions on how to make your own classroom calendar. 

and here is my final product...

Obviously I have an owl theme going on there. I also added some of my own bunting I made to fill in some empty spaces. The blue container is resting on a push pin, and it holds all of my extra pieces. 

I hope you like this as much as I do! If you're interested it is in my TeachersPayTeachers Store. :) 

Let me know what you think! 

helloPLANNER from The 3AM Teacher

I am soo excited today to share with you a new planner from The 3AM Teacher!! I have been looking for an amazing Teacherpreneur planner that had everything I needed. This planner has everything and more! 

There are over 200 pages included in this planner including:

1. Directions and Terms of Use

2. Five Cover Page

3. Section Divider Pages

4. Accounts & Password Log-Ins

5. 12 Month Calendar Spread Pages

6. Wide Calendar Pages

7. Birthday Calendar

8. Contact Pages

9. Goals

10. Monthly Blog Post Planner

11. Weekly Blog Post Planner

12. Single Blog Post Planner

13. Daily Schedule Pages

14.. Time Tracker/Hours Worked Log

15. Fun Notes Pages

16. Product Listing Log

17. Product Planner

18. Sales & Promotion

19. Monthly/Weekly Blog Stats

20. Google Adsense Stats

21. Pinterest Board Stats

22. Shop Stats

23. Weekly Planning and Scheduling

24. Yearly Snapshot

25. Daily Ledger

26. Daily Sales Tracker

27. Income & Expense Tracker and Report

28. Monthly Bills

29. 12 Month Profit Report

30 .Recurring Business Log 

31. Weekly Income & Expense Report

32. AND MORE!!!

I started putting this planner together by figuring out what size I wanted my planner and how I was going to keep it all together. I tend to like my planners on the small size because they are easy to handle and I can easily throw them in my bag. So I went with a small 3 ring binder that I had gotten at Staples.

Next I had to figure out what pages I liked most and which ones I would get the most use out of. When I went through all the available pages, I printed off my favorites using the landscape mode. These pages are portrait, so when printed landscape, they print smaller and fit perfectly into the binder (once I trim the edges). Here they all are ready to be organized and hole punched. 

I had to adjust my hole punch before I began so they would fit the binder. 

Once I finished with that I began to assemble.

 Just in case you didn't know... :)

(Sorry, I had to add a shameless plug in there about the ONE DAY BOOST sale!)

Ok, let's move on. I won't bore you with all the photos (trust me, there are a ton!) I will share with you how I organized my binder.

My hello PLANNER Table of Contents

Weekly Schedule

Monthly Planner 

Accounts & Passwords

Income & Expense

 Plans &Goals

Product Planning & Ideas

Product Listings 

Blog Posts & Planning 

Sales & Promotions

Notes

Stats & Data

Shop Stats & Data

Blog Stats & Data

License & Permissions

Index & Resources

SO there you have it! I am excited to get started using my helloPLANNER!! 

Thank you The 3AM Teacher for an amazing, practical product!

What are you waiting for?! Go check it out! 

Meet the Teacher Blogger (Linky Party)

Stephanie from Falling into First is hosting a Meet the Teacher Blogger linky party! What a fun way to read about your favorite teacher bloggers and share a little about yourself!

Ok, so here's a little about me...

My name is Suzanne. I'm a 28 year old daughter, sister, fur baby mom, teacher, graduate student, crafter, blogger, TPT seller... not all in that order ;)

This will be my 5th year teaching. I have been in the same district as a K-2 (mild-moderate) Intervention Specialist. I work with students who melt my heart, drive me crazy, and love unconditionally. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. 

I adore my fur babies. 

Gus, 8 years

(Mr. Spoiled Rotten)

 

MochaJo, 1.5 years

(my sweet baby girl)

 

Baloo, 7 months

(adolescence for this young man is not out friend, but I still love the goof)

 

A few things I have enjoyed this summer...

Reading for Pleasure (while dog sitting)

DIYing

 THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

Starbucks (or just coffee in general!), Target, creating and DIYing, music (pop, country, classical, jazz), HomeGoods, Chai Tea, Food Network and HGTV, farm fresh food (especially sweet corn and cantaloupe), and all things Chevron. 

 IF YOU WEREN'T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO BE?

I thoroughly enjoy anything to do with art. I'd love to dabble in photography, graphic design, or anything where I can be hands on making crafts. :) 

THREE LITTLE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU.

Reserved, Loyal, Loving

FINISH THE SENTENCE, "________,  SAID NO TEACHER EVER!!"

"I LOVE working for 2 weeks in August, WITHOUT PAY, to prepare my room and materials ...said no teacher EVER!!"

Q: IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY AND YOU CAN INVITE ANYONE {DEAD OR ALIVE} TO THE PARTY. WHO ARE YOU INVITING?

Frank Sinatra and Adele for entertainment

and of course I'd have to hang out with Jennifer Lawrence !!

Q: IF SOMEONE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD BE THE TITLE?

Why would anyone want to do that?! haha! um....

"Stop! Don't Open this book.. It's a snooze fest!"

 Q:YOU GET TO PICK ONE SUPERPOWER. WHAT IS IT?

 Maybe telekinesis.. think it'd help me get more done? 

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR SAYING?

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” 
― Mahatma Gandhi

Q: IF YOU HAD TO SING ONE SONG ON AMERICAN IDOL, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

ahaha! no one wants to hear me sing. 

 Q: ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON OR A NIGHT OWL?

Can I be both? I used to be a morning person in High School, turned into a night owl in college, and now I'm just stuck in between.

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE RESOURCE THAT YOU'VE CREATED IN YOUR TPT SHOP?

Ooo, that's a tough one. I'd have to say my First Grade Sight Word Activity Packs. I am still in progress of completing the entire 24 weeks. However, I have week 1 up. It has taken over a year and many many many revisions, but it's coming together nicely. 

  

Q: SHARE SOMETHING WE MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU! 

I originally wanted to be an Art Teacher. I decided to change majors to General Education (PreK-3) and Special Education (K-12) after speaking with an adviser and several teachers in my own family. I love what I do, but my creativity side always wonders "what-if".

Now it's your turn! Visit Stephanie's blog, grab the buttons and the questions and link on up!

Thanks for stopping by!