"Goin' to the Chapel"

I haven't written very many posts lately, and if you're wondering why...it's because I've been planning a wedding! Yes, a WEDDING!! My oldest daughter Kati (who is a 1st grade teacher) got married Saturday. It was a wonderful weekend and a beautiful wedding. Just thought you might be interested in seeing some of the pictures (or maybe I just like looking at them myself)!

 The Bride and Groom

Sharing Cake

 Ring Bearer

 Bride with some of her students

 Father/Daughter Dance

Mother of Bride (Me) with my friends...I'm the one in the  purple dress 

 Bride and Groom with Pastors

 Bridesmaid Bouquet

 Bride and her Flower Girls

 Once a Teacher. . .Always a Teacher

Happy Birthday. . .To Me (Hopefully)

It's my birthday this month, and what could be a better present than winning one of Mrs. Tabb's birthday units?! She's having a giveaway over at her blog First Grade Awesomeness, and she's giving away not 1. . .not 2. . .but 3 of her units! Head on over to her blog and check it out! It really is awesome!

Daily Schedule Linky Party

Simply 2nd Resources is having a linky party for everyone to share their daily schedules.

I don't know about you, but I struggle every year with "getting it all in". My daughter teaches 2nd grade in a different system and they are given a complete schedule...which she follows without changes. We are given our PE, Lunch, and "Special" times, but everything else is up to us. I find myself changing things throughout the year to best fit my students' needs and the class "personality". This past year I had a difficult class...several diagnosed ADHD students without behavior plans and VERY SHORT attention spans, so I found myself changing things up throughout the year to keep them focused, actively involved, and "on-task"! This was the schedule I ended up with.

I haven't been given my class list or basic schedule for next year yet. We meet Wednesday to receive them, so when I process everything and get my "first" schedule together for next year I will pass it along.

2010 Scedule 

Can't wait to see everyone else's schedules!

Back To School Freebies

I'm in the process of getting things together for back to school...and going CRAZY at the same time planning my oldest daughter's wedding which will take place in 15 days!!! Will I make it? At this point I'm not sure! My classroom is definitely taking a back seat to the wedding! Thank goodness for all my bloggy buddies who are providing me with so many wonderful ideas freebies to use! Once this wedding is over, it's back to work with a vengeance for me!!

So anyway, I thought I would share a few things I use throughout the year to help with behavior, classroom management, and parent communication. I had an unusually large amount of discipline problems in my class last year, so some of these documents were used to keep up with documenting information for RTI (hopefully I won't need to use them with my new group of sweeties!).

I have used the clip chart behavior plan for the last 3 years and really love it! We give a conduct grade, so I am able to use the clip chart to take away points for discipline problems. wherever a student ends up at the end of the day is noted on the weekly (or daily) behavior sheet for parents to sign.  I also keep a quick form on a clipboard at my desk to color in at the end of each day for my gradebook. All students start out with 100 points. At the end of each week I simply total up the points and subtract from their grade the week before. Most of my students end up with A's in conduct, a few end up with B's, and a very, very small amount end up lower than that.  Those are the students who end up in RTI with a specific discipline plan.

Feel free to grab anything you can use! I hope something I have shared will be helpful to someone out there in bloggy land! I will add more things as I have time (after the wedding) and will also be sure to post pictures from "the big event"!

Star Behavior

Blank Daily Behavior

Daily Behavior Checkoff

 Daily Reporting Sheet

Star Completed Work

Weekly Behavior (9 Weeks)

A New Look and a Thankful Heart!

 Many, many thanks go out to Jena Snowden  of 1st Grade With Miss Snowden http://1stgradewithmisssnowden.blogspot.com/ for so generously creating my blog's new look! Not only did she create a new background, header, and button for me...but she also set it up and made sure it worked! WOW!! She is awesome! If you haven't checked out her blog, you've really missed a treat! Go check it out...and be sure and tell her Debra sent you!

CHRISTMAS IN JUNE

Kathy at First Grade...a la Carte! is having a giveaway that you don't want to miss! Her games are amazing and you will want to check them out on her blog http://firstgradealacarte.blogspot.com/and at her TpT store http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kathy-Law/. Head on over there before Christmas is over or you'll be left out in the cold!

Kinderglynn Giveaway Galore

Ok, are you sure you have enough room on your computer for all these fantastic things? Anna from Crazy for First Grade, Melissa from Mrs. Freshwater's Class, Erica from Erica Bohrer's First Grade, Michelle Oakes from Fabulous in First, Amanda from One Extra Degree, Cara from The First Grade Parade and  Kinderglynn have teamed up to offer you an amazing amount of fabulous units and games! This is HUGE! Go to Kinderglynn's blog and get your entries now!!