Good ol' fashioned note-taking with sticky tabs

I absolutely refuse cannot believe  that it is time for conferences. As I was planning away last week I took a look at the calendar and my jaw about dropped to the freakin' floor. During this time last year I was on maternity leave. I returned after conferences, convenient I know ;). When I returned I felt like it took me a really long time to get to know my kids personally and academically. I just couldn't get a handle on it all. I ended the year knowing that the next year would be different.

One of my favorite things I have implemented this year is my anecdotal notes journal. I have tried fancy little binders, the notecards all taped together and pretty on a clipboard, notes on an iPad. I never end up following through with any of it. I am not sure why because I know those things have worked for other teachers. I guess I just had to find something that fit my style.

When it comes to notes I am a writer not a typer. I make all sorts of notes and to do lists on my phone. Usually I forget about them. I am a paper and pencil gal - all the way.

I had a bunch of the little post it sticky tabs. I decided to take a composition book and every four pages I added a tab. Each tab is placed to the right of the tab before it. On each tab I wrote the initials of a student. I keep this journal on my teach table at all times. There are also several pages left over at the back for new students or other notes.

Any time I think "Hey, I need to remember __________." I remind myself that I will NOT remember and immediately grab my journal and jot a quick note. The inside isn't as pretty as the outside. My handwriting is sloppy and each sentence is a fragment. It all makes sense to me though and it is going to be a huge help while I am completing report cards and planning conferences.

If you have tried it all like I have and haven't found something quite right try this out and see what you think! Happy teaching, friends!

"You Oughta Know"

I am so excited for this Link Up with Jasmine over at Buzzing with Mrs. Mcclain!
Along with other teachers I am sharing something with you that I think
"You Oughta Know"
 and will make your year a bit easier!

When I came across this link up I had a few things come to mind that I knew I had to share.
When I was trying to decide which one to use first it was hard not to let them all out at once.
So, I decided on one that I knew you all might need as you are getting your
classrooms ready for your little readers.

Before I share this with you I have to tell you I tried to take pictures of the process
without being in them and it just wasn't the same so I had to have Josh take them while I acted it all out with lots of smiling and dramatic flair, of course.
So here you have it, me being super happy about creating some book bags!

4 years ago I wanted to do away with book boxes. 

For one thing I was tired of buying them every year
and for another I just did not want to give up the space to store them. 

I desperately wanted to buy book bags to put on the backs of the chairs, 

but like usual at around $6 each I desperately didn't want to pay the steep price for them, 

especially with almost 40 little darlings in my class that year. Yikes! 

So I set out on a mission and I would have to say it has been one of my best yet!

I went to walmart and bought 20 sets of pillowcases for a total of 40. 

They were $3.97 for two so I spent almost $80 for my whole set.
I was at the Dollar Tree a couple of weeks ago though and they had pillow cases too. I couldn't believe it. You could make them for $1 each... there's no beating that!!

Here's what you'll need to do. Take a regular sized pillow case.

I don't sew, but my Auntie has a sewing machine and sewed them all up for me. LOVE HER!

From a sewers standpoint she said it was the easiest things she's ever done. 

It took less than an hour to do all of them.

Here they are in my classroom. I have had them for four years and this year I had to replace two due to someone cutting a giant hole in the bottom with some Fiskars. Stinkers! Other than that they have tons of room for storing books and journals, plus I can take them home and wash them over winter and summer break to keep them looking new! 

I hope you found this helpful. Let me know if you try it out. 

I would love to see how they are working out in your classroom. 

Make sure to head over the "You Oughta Know" blog hop 

and check out some other amazing ideas!