HAPPY NEW YEAR! again

It's a good thing we don't make resolutions around these parts because this was our breakfast on New Year's Day.

OK so only the Boy had marshmallows, chocolate syrup and whip cream on his crepe, but my crepe spread with Nutella wasn't much healthier.

I did intend to post about my New Year's bulletin board today.

It came out super-cute.

But, I completely spaced on taking a picture of it and it's not nearly as cute if I just describe it to you so I'll wait until Monday night for that.

In the meantime, I figured I would take this opportunity to link to one of my summer posts about a Back to School idea I had shared involving New Year hats and tiaras.

Because you can get them super cheap right about now.

Since not many people will be hosting "Happy 2011" parties now that that ball has dropped, you can snag some bargain-priced hats, tiaras, blowers, and noisemakers to rock in the new school year in September (or August for those of you who start back earlier than moi).

Here's the linky to my August Post

.....ahhhh, August!

Hot. Sunny. Beach-weather August.

And on that note, enjoy your weekend in whatever climate you are in.

How Dedicated Are You?

When I was hired at my current school (just shy of a (gasp) decade ago), I was in good company with several other spring chickens who were part of that year's new recruits.  We went through the new teacher training week and became friendly.

We vowed to stay young and fun and pledged to hold an intervention should one of us start to morph into the wooden jewelry paired with a seasonal sweater type.

We have since been displaced from our roles by a crop of younger, hipper teachers.  However, we have held true to our word and have not yet ventured into the world of track suits on casual Fridays.

I consider myself to be very lucky because one of my closest friends is also my partner teacher.  We only have 2 teachers at each grade level at my school and we make up the "third grade team."  She proven to be an above and beyond friend and is a great ally as a teacher.

She initiated the jungle theme and I was fine with that.

But, give me a theme and I'm going to go all out.

Which is why I suggested we both wear animal print outfits for the first day.

Calm down folks.  I wasn't suggesting leopard print unmentionables or a loincloth.  I was thinking of pairing a subtle animal print skirt with a solid black shirt.  

I called dibs on the zebra print.

She claims I'm bordering on thematic sweaters and wooden jewelry.  

Your thoughts?

How dedicated are you to YOUR theme?

Will you be sporting a feather boa and sunglasses to enhance your Hollywood theme?

How about making the folks at the coffee shop question if you are going to school or a Jimmy Buffett concert to go with your beach theme?

Are you going to show up in khakis and a hiking vest to prove you really love your camping theme?

Perhaps denim and a bandana for those of you who are having a boot stomping good time with the western theme?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I know a lot of you are starting back to school today.  I hope you all have a great first day and a fabulous school year.

I still have 3 weeks (and one day and 1 hour and 56 minutes) until I need to trade in my flip flops for sensible shoes and apply make-up instead of sunscreen.

I'll probably need to do something more than pull my hair into a ponytail and call it done as well.

Note to self: appreciate the next few weeks

I thought that today would be a great day to share a 1st day activity and super cute bulletin board idea with you.  For those of you who are about to carry that big ole teacher bag into school for the first of 180 days in a few hours, don't fret.  It's best to file this idea away for next year anyhow.

It's a Happy New Year Celebration!

A few years ago, I had a Happy New Year gift bag waiting for each child.  It included some cute school supplies, a homework pass and a New Years hat or tiara.  I also had some Happy New Year balloons in the classroom.

It made for a fun, festive and exciting start to our year together.

I then took a picture of each child wearing the hat/tiara with the balloons as the background.  I used the pictures to make a really cute bulletin board that included a writing sample from each child titled, "My New Year Resolutions."  

The reason I say it is best to file the idea away is because you can buy packs of hats, balloons, etc dirt cheap in January/February because there is little market for a Happy New Year 2010 hat in 2011, but it is perfect for the 2010 school year.

You can also make your own super cheap.

Just buy regular party hats at the Dollar Store, print your message on the computer and attach with a little hot glue.

Creating a Sub Binder Day 2

Sub Binder Day 2

Let’s start with a true story.

Because I swear I could not make this up.

This past school year we had a very nice man who would occasionally sub at our school. One of the first grade teachers was absent and he filled in for her. She had quickly written down sub plans for the day and next to 11:45 wrote, “Eat my lunch.”

You know, because 11:45 was her scheduled time to go to the teacher’s room and eat her lunch.

Well, this gentleman (who was apparently channeling his inner Amelia Bedelia) took it literally. He went to the classroom fridge, opened the door and found a lunch inside (which incidentally belonged to the classroom aide who was out of the room at the time covering lunch duty and scheduled to eat her delicious home-cooked meal a bit later).

He ate the lunch and wrote a note thanking the teacher for making him a lunch.

Hysterical!

Today we are going to work on the “SCHOOL INFO” section of your substitute teacher binder. You want your binder to be thorough and complete, yet simple to use so that a busy sub can find things easily.

Check with your school to see if there are any specific requirements.

Some schools actually put together this information for you so that it can be passed out to any sub that comes in. If that’s the case, your job today is quite simple.

If not, then here is what I suggest you include:

• a map of the school (mark: your classroom, the office, the bathroom that they may use, and the teacher’s room). The kids can show the sub where music, gym, etc is. You just want to mark off anything that she may need to find on her own. I also mark where the sub will need to meet the class in the morning.
  

• a directory of the staff members that she may need to contact (nurse, principal, secretary, social worker) along with where they are located and their phone extensions
  

• a copy of any school-wide rules
  

• instructions for emergency lock downs, fire and tornado emergencies and crisis evacuation plans

Create the SCHOOL INFO TAB for your binder and add the above info into that section.

You should be able to complete this section before school starts. If at any time you find there is information that you are unable to include until school starts, simply write down what is missing on a post-it note and place it in the spot the info will eventually go in the binder.

If there is anything else that you feel should be included in the SCHOOL INFO section, leave a comment.

Dry Erase Board Ideas

Having a class set of dry erase boards for your classroom is a beautiful thing.

Funding a class set of dry erase boards is not.  

Don't get me wrong.  If you are going to make an investment into your room, this is a good one.  But, there are some alternatives that will save you some dough.

Shower Board: Home Depot and Lowe's both carry large pieces of shower board that work well with dry erase markers.  They will even cut them to size for free.  Home Depot is really good about making donations to classrooms so try asking the store manager.  Even if you do have to buy them it will still only run you about $10.00-$12.00 (bonus tip: The Post Office has change of address packets available with a 10% of your purchase at Lowe's coupon inside.  HD gladly honors Lowe's coupons too)

Target: The Dollar Spot currently has 2-sided dry erase boards that I've read good reviews on.

Dollar Store: You can find magnetic dry erase boards at Dollar Tree.  They are designed for lockers and dorm doors.  While the quality isn't great for this purpose, it does come with a small marker.

Page Protectors: Simply slide an 8.5 x 11" piece of cardboard and a piece of copy paper into a page protector and let the kids write on them with dry erase markers.  They clean off pretty well and are low cost to replace.

Cheap and Easy Project

I have a project that is so easy a five year old can do it.

Even a five year old that has only been five for less than two weeks.

Of course, I helped make everything straight.

And if I didn't have the help of a five year old it would have literally have taken under ten minutes.

And best of all it was under $3.00.

Not bad for something that is cute and custom and functional.

We decided to make it into a job chart.  But if you don't do job charts this project is still for you.  I'll tell you why at the end.

A trip to the Dollar Store got us a sturdy piece of black foam board, a 2-sided sheet of wall clings and a package of 25 colorful library pockets.  We had leftovers of the clings and pockets which is why this project comes in at under $3.00.
We simply arranged the pockets and clings onto the board in a way that we liked.  See that bottle of water on the floor?  There are downfalls to having a 5 year old do your school work.  It was promptly knocked over within 2 minutes.  Luckily the project was spared.  My pants were not so lucky.  

The clings totally rocked!  You can peel them off and stick them back down easily.  Dollar Tree has lots to choose from.  If you click on the picture to make it bigger you will see how super cute these little animals are too.
It helps to have moral support when you are doing any type of project.  

And yes, all three of my kids were still in their pajamas at 2:45 p.m.  Don't judge.

The final product was a job chart for my classroom.  I printed the title on the computer and added more of the wall clings to it.  I will label the pockets with the classroom jobs and then go with one of two options to identify who is responsible for the tasks.  The first and easiest option is to just write their names on the top of an index card (turned sideways) and slide them in and out of the pockets to change them around.  The second option is to take a picture of each of my friends wearing safari hats and cut out their little hat-wearing noggins and attach them to a popsicle stick.  I don't switch jobs often so I'm leaning towards that route.

Want another great project idea using the same supplies?

A trivia game board!  Arrange the pockets into a 5 x 5 array and label them with points or dollar values (think Jeopardy). You can them make each column be a category and write out your questions on index cards and slide them in. It makes a great review for any subject.

Find It / Fix It

I think I'm getting to that point of blogging where I can't remember what the heck I've already blogged about and what I have not.

Perhaps I am kidding myself and in reality I have reached that point of LIFE where I can't remember what the heck I've already done and have not.

Either way, I find it very hard to believe that I would not have already blogged about this, but enough readers have emailed me to ask about it that I'm guessing I might not have.  And even if I did already blog about this, it is so flipping fantastic that it is worth mentioning again.

May I get a drumroll please?  

Shine the spotlight.

I present to you:

Find it / Fix it

I listed it in the procedure template I made and it peaked the curiosity of many.  What is it?  It's only the absolute best thing I ever came up with to get my room super duper clean and organized each and every afternoon before dismissal.

It's sort of a game.

But, not really.

If kids think it is a game they will want to play along.  If you simply tell them to clean the room they may not be so interested. 

Here's how it works:

Picture a classroom at the end of a school day.  While it may not be a complete disaster, there are surely things out of place.  I'm talking about things like a pencil on the floor, a pillow that is not straight, papers left on desks, a random crayon in the colored pencil box, a stapler left out of place (usually by me), books that are not facing the same direction, a goldfish cracker lying belly up just waiting to be crushed by a pint-sized Croc, and other nit-picky things.

You pick one of those things and secretly put it into your brain.  Then you tell the kids to "Find it / Fix It."  At that point they scurry around like little elves and perfect the imperfections of the day.  The whole scene lasts about 1-2 minutes.  It doesn't end when the mystery item is found, but rather when the room is perfect.

The rules are simple: No talking, no running, no crawling under tables and no moving something unless you know for sure where it needs to go.  The last one is important because you'll always get some kiddo who shuffles things to look busy.  If a child talks, crawls or runs they are 'disqualified' and must sit down.

After everything is made to look spotless and every last thing is in it's place, I tell them to return to their seats to find out who won.  I have them stand behind their chairs and will give them elimination clues to reveal the "winner."  I say things like, "the winner is wearing shorts" or "the number of letters in the winner's first name is an even number."  As the year goes on I incorporate a lot of math practice by saying "the number of letters in the winner's last name is the sum of 4 + 3" and things like that.  As they are eliminated they sit down until only one friend is left standing.

It wouldn't be any fun without a "prize."  The prize is that the Find it Fix it winner earns a tally (a behavior incentive in my class) and gets to be the "helper of the day" on the following school day.  That simply means they mail the folders and bring any messages I have up to the office.

Want to know a secret?  Come closer and I'll whisper it.

It's usually rigged.  

I try to make it fair so that everyone gets a chance to be the helper.  I will often pick the winner before they start playing and will watch to see what he/she fixes and claim that was the "secret thing."  I then put a little dot next to their name on my roster so I know that the student has had a chance to be the winner.

Either way you play your room will be clean.  Add this to your first week plans and tell others.  I promise you will be glad you did.  It's so nice to have the classroom looking perfect as the kids leave so your prep for the next day is much easier.

Oh, The Supplies!

Tips for Collecting Supplies on the First Day of School

Despite having a slightly unhealthy love affair with shiny new school supplies (just typing those words makes me float off to a happy daydream involving pointy crayons that reek of Crayola newness and unsharpened pencils with perfect little erasers), I despise the chaos that they can evoke on the first day of school.

If you have been teaching awhile you know what I mean.

If you are new to the classroom this year, you will thank me for sparring you the headache.

Here’s how it plays out: A classroom of kids enters wearing their spiffy new duds, modeling their stylish new haircut and sporting their brand-spanking new backpack full of the bounty you enlisted them to acquire via your annual “supply letter.”

They are excited and they can’t wait to force upon you said backpack.  Those who elected not to adhere to the list that specifically said 24 yellow, #2 pencils are especially excited to show off their collection of Mario Kart pencils with (gasp) scented erasers.  

Yeah, I get it.  I’m not so far removed from my own brand-spanking new Trapper Keeper excitement days to have forgotten the glee it brings.  But, as ring master of this circus it is important to have a plan.

A good plan.  A damn good plan.

The first day sets the tone and it is doubtful that you want that tone to be “crazed lunatic who breaks down on day one when the Rosearts, Sharpies and glue sticks start coming out.  So I have a few options for you.

I’ll start with the best one.  Because it is the most efficient and organized way I know.

Start by schmoozing with the teenage bagger at your local grocery store.  If you can’t butter him up then just go straight to the head Honcho and play the teacher card with the store manager.  However you go about it, you need to get a large paper grocery sack for each child in your class.  If you aren’t in the business of begging for free goodies then just answer “paper” to the “paper or plastic” question for the next few weeks and you should be all set when school starts.

Write the children’s names in big, bold letters on the front of the bags and then place them on their desks.

Make a copy of your supply list for each child and staple it to the back of the bag.  Write their name on that as well.

When the students arrive, instruct them to put all of their supplies into the bag on their desk quickly and silently, hang their bag onto their chair and sit quietly.  

Collect the bags and put them out of the way. Go about your first day plans.  Then after the kiddos are on their way home (or if you are lucky enough to have an aide or a student teacher she can do this), sort through the supplies.  Use the checklist on the bag to make sure that everything is accounted for.

If you are going to use community supplies then put them where you want them. 

If you are going to have them be responsible for their own supplies then print out a sheet of labels with each child’s name on it and stick them on.

It is MUCH easier to accomplish the supply-sorting task when the kids are not there.  It is even easier to accomplish this with help.  My suggestion is to recruit a parent or a former student to come in and give you a hand.

When you are done, fold the bags up and store them in a closet.  At some point during the year I guarantee that you will need to send something home in them and they will come in handy.

Spell it Out in Black and White - PROCEDURES

Happy Tuesday.

Or as I like to call it day two of creating THE ULTIMATE TEACHER ORGANIZATIONAL TOOL.  Which, for lazy typing purposes will hereby be referred to as UTOT.

(If you missed day one you should read this first.)

Even if you are not following my "build a binder from scratch" recipe, I highly suggest you take part in today's activity.  This is probably my number one tip for effective classroom management.

And as you know, I've got oodles of tips, so number one must be impressive right?

Today's assignment is to work on a Classroom Procedures Manual.  It's micromanaging, um, I mean consistency at it's finest.  I include it in my UTOT because I feel it is important to have on hand for reference.  I also think it's important so that anyone can step into your classroom and run it if an emergency arises.

What It Is:

A collection of your expectations on the process of just about everything that will take place in your classroom.

Why Do It:

By making the expectations clear and consistent to the children (and by having a way to reference them) your classroom will soon run itself.  It also allows subs, aides and volunteers to maintain consistency.

I have a copy of my procedure manual in my UTOT, my Sub Binder, and on the counter.  I also make several copies for the students that I use for mini-lessons at the start of the year.  If a student is having a problem following directions, I will ask him to look in the manual to see what he should have been doing.

Most importantly though, creating it is going to make you aware of what you expect from your classroom and that alone is key to being an effective teacher.  

1. Brainstorm a list of all of the procedures you need to teach the children.

I've put together a few worksheets (pictured in this post) to help you.  You can print them out for free at the link below.  I included two sheets.  One is filled with ideas I had that you may want to include. The other is blank for you to fill in with procedures you feel apply to your classroom. 

2. Write out very specific instruction for each procedure.  Keep the wording as simple and kid-friendly as possible.

3. Put them into an order that makes sense for you (alphabetical, by category, etc.)

4. Create a table of contents to make each specific procedure easy to reference.

5. Select the most important procedures to teach first and include them in your lesson plans for the first week.

For some of the procedures I also make a poster that can be used for the initial lesson and referenced for the first week.

Click here to print the free worksheets pictured in this post.

FRUGAL FRIDAY - FREE STORAGE CONTAINERS

I love me some Target any time of the year.

But, if I'm being honest, I must say that I get an extra rush of adrenaline when their seasonal display is transformed into a mecca of shiny notebooks, perfectly pointy crayons, and markers that are ready to perform in all of their rainbow glory.  

Serious endorphins people!

In addition to the perfection of back-to-schoolness and the bargains galore lies a real treat.

FREE BOXES!!!

Sure you can stroll into most stores 365 days a year and walk away with free boxes, but only now will you find an abundance of colorful, sturdy treasures that are designed to hold classroom items.  Most have minimal markings on them and are ideal for housing notebooks, folders or even your guided reading sets in your classroom.

Be respectful about it. I do my best to impersonate a Target / Walmart worker as I condense stray composition books into one box so that I may become the proud owner of the boxes they were scattered into.

So aside from the obvious, what do you use these little freebies for?  Leave some comment love to let us know your ideas.

In the mean time...I'm off to the beach to celebrate my favorite soon-to-be-Kindergartner turning FIVE!!!

I've Got the Power

Power Teaching that is.  Have you heard of it?

It's also known as Whole Brain Teaching and it is an amazingly effective tool in the classroom.

It's high energy so it isn't something you would do all day, everyday.  But, it is a great way to deliver important information and to manage your classroom.  

I HIGHLY suggest you give it a try because I do think there are components in it that would benefit every teacher.  

The website is very comprehensive and if you google it you will find tons of youtube videos of actual classroom teachers using it.  In my class we use the following:

Class - Yes

Hands and Eyes

Teach - OK - MY FAVORITE PART!!!

Switch

Scoreboard

I've been using this in my classroom for 4 years.  The other third grade teacher and I switch classes for science and social studies.  When her class came to me for the first time I was able to teach them the key parts that I use for instruction in a matter of minutes.

I don't use the gestures as I find they are way too distracting for my classes.  You'll have to pick and choose and find a rhythm that works for you, but I do think there is something in this for all teachers.

Start by watching this video that shows an overview of several key parts of Power Teaching.  Then watch the second part of it.  Next, go to the website and find the tab that says, "First Steps."  Read through those.

Chiming In

I have 75 cupcakes that are not going to decorate themselves.

I have 50 balloons that are not going to inflate themselves.

And, I have one 4 year 362 day year old who will bounce himself off a wall with excitement if I don't proactively occupy every minute of the day until his preschool posse arrives at 5:00 p.m. to party like rock stars.

So, with my apologies, today's post will be short, sweet and not even an original idea of mine.

Instead I am here to endorse an idea that has been around forever.

An idea that has gained popularity because of the Daily 5 book.

An idea that is so simple, yet so wonderful at the same time.

Today I am "chiming in" on wind chimes.  I have a whole bag of classroom management tricks up my sleeve (as I'm sure you do too) but this is just a great thing to add to your repertoire of attention seeking methods.

Because, don't we all seek a little attention now and then?

I don't like to use any one method in class all the time.  In fact, I have different signals and phrases to signify different things.  I do your usual share of clapping patterns.  I've been known to shout out, "1-2-3 eyes on me" and wait for my little charges to chorally respond, "1-2 eyes on you." In desperation, I resort to the old "turn out the lights" method.  Tomorrow I will share with you what I consider to be the greatest method of getting and keeping their attention.  But, for today I want to tell you about the benefits of the wind chime. 

It's lovely and it's soothing.

I use it to signal that it is time to clean up an activity and join me in our whole group area (which btw, I ALWAYS assign seats for and you should too).  When I swat the chimes the procedure is to become silent, put away whatever was being worked on and quickly transition to the group area.  I don't need to talk over people.  I don't need to state 50 bazillion times that it is time to clean-up.  If someone needs further direction, the classroom is silent and I can speak in my normal tone to instruct them.  The thing I love most about the chimes is that they sound lingers before it fades so it isn't a signal that will be missed.

Don't rush out and buy some chimes today though.  Because it's only July 20th.  If you wait a few more weeks they will start to be marked down as stores like Lowe's, Home Depot and garden/pool specialty shops begin to wrap up the season.

And now I need to go stream streamers and arrange paper products in a visually appealing way.  You know, because 5 year olds really care about that kind of thing.  I do love a good theme and a birthday is a perfect excuse to get my theme on.  So I'm off to get this party started because there ain't no party like a Toy Story party cause a Toy Story party don't stop!

Hey Staples...I've Got Your Number

The teacher message boards are all abuzz with gripes of the injustice that is Staples.

As in the office supply megastore.

Complaint numero uno is that not all Staples are honoring the expanded limit (25) for teachers. I suggest calling the store before you go and asking.  If they say yes, get the name of the person you are speaking to.  If they say no, call another Staples.  I'm pretty sure it's company policy so you could also argue.  Point is, let your fingers do the walking and do your arguing/sweet talking on the phone and save yourself the headache at the register.

Complaint numero dos is the new stipulations.

I recently posted about how they strapped on a $5.00 minimum purchase requirement in order to get the .01 cent goodies.  This made me question if it was worth making the trek for my penny folders because while there are plenty of things at Staples that I need in life (ink, envelopes, etc) there was nothing pressing that I MUST have in my possession this week.

People (and by people I mean angry teachers...a demographic nobody wants to mess with) are angered and annoyed by this policy.  They find it unfair that a business is enforcing the policy that is stated in their flyer and making them pay $5.50 for five dollars worth of merchandise along with 25 folders and 200 pencils.  

I'm on Team Teacher by default, but, I also see the business aspect of it so it makes sense to me.

Anyhow, being the crafty and peacemaking sole that I am, I've devised a plan that will help to make everyone happy.  I hope.

This brings me to one of my mostest favorite concepts in the retail world.

Price matching!

One stop shopping at it's finest.  I checked with Staples and their policy is that they will price match if you bring in a printed ad from a local store with the same product.

I was going to go to Walgreens anyhow to buy me some love in the form of a colorful Sharpie 12 pack at the bargain price of only $3.99 and who can't use a box of Crayola washable markers for only $1.00.  Sure they will probably be on sale for a mere .88 cents in a few weeks, but we need a little give and take here. 

Let's take a moment and talk about price matching because I love it.  I am all about ease and simplicity.  I can't be bothered schlepping all about town on a sunny summer day to hit all the major sales so whenever possible I eliminate some stops.

Target and Walmart both honor price matching.  Just bring the flyer to the register and they will manually adjust the price.

If you have an AC Moore nearby then you can really score because they carry Crayola.  When the markers and crayons go on sale (and they will) for a fraction of their usual cost, just bring the flyer to AC Moore.  They will not only honor the price, but they will take off an additional 10%.  Plus, if you have the teacher card you can save an extra 5%.

And since no post would be complete without a picture or two AND since I have not done any shameless self-promotion in at least 48 hours...

I bring you an update from our sponsor: ME!

I just released my latest product this morning.  It's a 17 page printable Genre Set.  It includes 10 signs that define the genres as well as several activities.  It will save you time and energy and will shower your students with academic excitement.  Plus, it's chock full of adorable Thistle Girl graphics and if those smiling little cartoon people don't make you happy then I don't know what will.

As usual, it is only $3.00.

And, unlike some big box corporations, I don't charge a $5.00 minimum :P

Click here to buy the GENRE KIT

Click the photos to enlarge them:

Monday Means Nothing at the Moment

It's Monday morning.

Did you even know that?  Today hubby and I are celebrating our 7th anniversary.  We took a cruise for our honeymoon.  Each morning they would change out the carpet in the elevator on the ship to represent the day of the week.  Because after a couple of days on a cruise ship you have no idea what day of the week it is.

One of the best perks to being a teacher is that for the months of July and August you kind of forget what day it is.  While the rest of the country is cursing out Monday morning, it means nothing to us.  It's just another day at the beach...often literally.

But, all too soon we will be commiserating with those experiencing "just another manic Monday."  Weekday mornings will once again have the potential to be chaotic and crazed.  While the school year may seem like it is way off in the distance, there are some things I can suggest you do now to make your days easier then.  Summer is the perfect time to tackle these.

Summer Vacation To Do List:

Clean out your closet.  Keep only clothes you enjoy wearing that fit you well in there.  This will make getting dressed for work much faster.

Spend some time "freezer cooking."  There are places you can go like Dream Dinners, but it's just as easy to make things on your own.  Plan to have your freezer full of dinners for the first few weeks of school.  Make enough so that you'll have lunches leftover.

Fold a paper in half.  On the left side write out a list of everything you need to do to get out of the house in the morning.  Think not only of yourself, but the other house members as well.  On the right side, brainstorm ways to make things more efficient and streamlined.  For example, I need to pack my son a lunch.  I can make our mornings easier by prepping foods on the weekend (make fruit salad cups, fill bowls with yogurt, put cereal into baggies) and by packing his lunch bag the night before.  Have other family members look at the list and brainstorm ideas.

Scour yard sales, dorm sales and craigslist for a few small appliances for your classroom. Having a fridge, small microwave and a small coffee pot will allow you to get out of the house and into the classroom faster.  By keeping some foods at school, you will save time and money.

Declutter, organize and streamline your home.   By having less stuff at home and knowing where things are you will be able to function efficiently.

What are your tips and ideas for making the mornings easier?  Share them in a comment for others to read.  Have a great week!