School and the City

About a year ago, I created a monster: the Tattle Monster.  I saw the idea on Pinterest. If someone is hurt, the kids are supposed to come tell me. If no one is hurt, a student can write his or her tattle on a slip of paper and feed it to the Tattle Monster for me to read later.  #NEVERFORGET It worked GREAT last year. This year, not so much.  Today, after recess, I had four kids crowded around the Tattle Monster. I shooed them away and saw that I had 15 tattles in the box... from this morning only. FIFTEEN.  So I said, "This is the end of the Tattle Monster" and all of these things about how maybe we should all just be nice to each other so that no one has tattles to write. I may have gotten a little caught up in my not-so-kind speech about kindness that I may have made a big show of throwing the Tattle Monster in the trash can.  We're lining up to switch classes in 30 seconds, I told myself, I'll just get it out of the t...

"Can I help you?" asked the Home Depot man. "Yes please. Want to guess what I'm making?" "Ummm is it legal?" Either he didn't see my shirt that says iTEACH in giant letters or he doesn't think very highly of teachers.  I informed Home Depot man that it is very common for teachers to make fluency phones with PVC pipes and that whisper phones are in fact legal and that I couldn't get the parts to fit together like I needed them to. He said, "That's because you need a PIPE, honey." It was a little more complicated than I expected it to be.  The pipe that Home Depot man picked out for me was a 2 ft long, 3/4 in (diameter?) pipe. He cut it for me at the store... after I laughed when he asked me if I had a saw at home.  No husband = no saw, obviously. He cut the pipe into seven 4-inch pieces.   Because I had 7 pipes, I grabbed 14 of the 3/4 inch, 90 degree "elbows," as Home ...

Yes, I am aware that my open house was four whole weeks ago.  This whole back-to-school thing has been completely out of control. I CANNOT catch up, and I come home every day aching and exhausted. I would totally be asleep right now, but it's storming, and I don't do well with storms. SO, what a perfect time to (finally) share my open house night! [ If you missed my classroom reveal, you can see it here . ] *     *     *     * First I whipped up these ridiculously cute station signs.  Then, due to some demanding Instagram followers - love y'all - I turned them into a TPT product. Grab 10 blank and editable station cards HERE . UPDATE: I have created a few different versions of the signs , including polka dots & pirates!  Before chaos ensued, my front table looked like this:  Station 3 instructed parents and students to grab a blue checklist. The checklist included sorting suppli...

Today was the first day of school and I lived to tell about it! I also fed myself AND am now blogging. I'd say today was a success, other than the fact that I just popped some Ibuprofen to numb the pain in my legs and my roommate / coworker / live-in comedian is moaning about how she needs a cane and some orthopedic shoes. Don't tell her I told you that. Today was an absolute BLUR and naturally I didn't take enough pictures. We started by reading Froggy Goes to School. It was a great introduction to rules and procedures. After Froggy, we studied our school's behavioral matrix and brainstormed ways that we can be respectful, responsible, and safe while at school. I also taught my new students how to use sticky notes appropriately so that they don't lose their stickiness!  Next we did the polar opposite of rule-following by having a "snowball fight" at school!  (Shoutout to Karen H. for the suggestion on my giveaway post last month!...

It was a loooong week back at work. I've been crazy busy - and exhausted - but am excited to finally publish my classroom reveal!!! Let's start at the beginning. I really needed a bulletin board here. Last year I made a faux board, but I couldn't staple into it. This year I bought some little cork square. Ta-da! I'm sure they will fill up soon with calendars, reminders, and more.  How cute is this? My paper sorter (students mailboxes) is new this year. So excited! This area is most of my classroom library. The empty wooden shelving is used to store my math centers. All of our reading anchor charts will cover up that blank wall! I love this new setup. The board behind my desk is two filing cabinets pushed back to back. The table in front of my desk will be the turn-in area. I have ribbon strung across my windows to display student work.  (Forgive me for forgetting to unroll the American flag!! It kept hitting m...

I'm linking up with Blog Hoppin' for Teacher Week 2014! 10 Fun Facts About Yours Truly 1  - I'm a second year, second grade teacher in Charlotte, NC. My kids come a week from today. Cue panic attack. 2 -  I have a major sweet tooth. (Thanks, dad.) My two vices are candy and Coca Cola classic. I also love chocolate milk. I am a child. 3 -  I am overly competitive. Like, if you want to get to know me on a too-deep level, initiate a game of rummy. Or Monopoly. Or say "I'll race you home." 4 -  My middle name has been passed down four generations. My great-grandfather had to make up a middle name for himself when he enlisted in the Army. They wouldn't let him enroll without one! That middle name was given to my grandfather and then to me. How cool is that story? 5 -  I like to eat (obviously) but I do NOT like to cook. I hate the prep. I CAN cook, though. I make mean green beans. My favorite meal is chicken parmesan, but I've never t...

Hey y'all! I'm Kristin. I grew up in Atlanta, GA then moved to sweet home Alabama for college. After graduating from The University of Alabama in 2013, I moved to Charlotte, NC for a new adventure. I am about to enter my second year of teaching 2nd grade - my favorite grade!   THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS... Tervis Tumblers. Alabama football. Football season in general. Maps, new and old. Bodies of water. Views from airplanes. Friends that have become my sisters. My wonderful boyfriend (I know you're reading this; #sappy). The Bobby Bones Show (basically my other boyfriend). Saturday mornings. Mindless TV shows. Snail mail. Girl Scout cookie coffee creamer - yum!! ROLL TIDE ROLL!  IF YOU WEREN'T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO BE? An anchorwoman! I started college as a communications major, but switched to education after a semester. Teaching has always been "what I want to be when I grow up." My ultimate goal i...