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Friday, August 3, 2012

Nightmares and Notebooks

Shhhh...I am supposed to be on vacation with my family and not blogging but I just had to jump on and tell you I had my first school anxiety dream last night. Have you had one yet? I am not the only wacko who gets these, right?

It wasn't the showing up to school naked kind, more of the wide awake at 2 AM with lists of things that still need doing rolling through my head kind. It was probably triggered by the email I read from my principal yesterday listing the zillions of meetings and trainings I will be required to attend rather than work in my room next week. Less than a week left of summer for me :-(

I am a planner and like to get things ready early. One of the jobs that always drives me crazy is labeling anything with student names because it has to be done as close to the first day as you dare. Do I go ahead and start labeling and hope there aren't too many name changes?  I used to type the names on the labels but it was inconvenient when I got a student change at the last minute to go in retype since I would have to print out a whole sheet of labels. So, I switched to making cute labels and doing all the sticking on the notebooks and folders ahead of time. Then I write the names in when I am feeling daring desperate.  If I was less Type A, I would have the kids write their own names on everything the first day but I'll be honest, I'm not there yet. What can I say, I am a work in progress.
I uploaded the labels I use for folders and notebooks and made a few more trying to anticipate what others might need and uploaded them to TpT. They are formatted for Avery 2x4 labels. Click {HERE} to save yourself some time and grab yourself a set.

I had a few requests to change the wording on my Decoding Strategies for Parents letter to make it gender neutral. In the letter I refer to the parents' student and saying he or she every time was WAY too wordy so I reverted to the old-fashioned he. My gut instinct was to use they but I was afraid other teachers might not like it since it really is a plural. After doing some research, it seems this continues to be a problem since there is no appropriate pronoun and my gut was right and using they is deemed acceptable. So, to make a long story longer, I edited the letter using they and hope those that didn't appreciate the he will be happy.  Click {HERE} if you missed my Decoding Strategies post and have no idea what I am talking about. Click the picture below to go download the revision if you already bought it (THANK YOU!)

 If you have not entered my MEGA GIVEAWAY you still have time! Click {HERE} to enter. You could be one of 24 lucky winners!!
I'm off to the beach but I'd like to giveaway a copy of my labels to a lucky follower so enter below and I will sneak on again later to announce a winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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7 comments:

  1. Wow love the labels! If you have time stop by my blog and join my "Classroom Tours Linky Party"! I would love to see your classroom!! If you aren't ready just quite yet, share a before pic and then go back and share an after pic! :)

    Brigid

    Brigid's Daily Lesson Log

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  2. Hi Jen, you sure aren't the only one. I haven't been able to sleep in 2 nights because of the nightmares!!! It's horrible. I'm constantly rearranging my room in my head and can't decide where to put x bulletin board and on and on it goes! The labels are super cute! One more thing on my todo list; label folders and notebooks!

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  3. Um no you are NOT the only one who gets these dreams! I also have stressful dreams the night before the first day of school because I have so many thoughts running through my head that I can't shut them down even after my body finally passes out for a few hours. I like your decoding strategies!! Going to go check them out right now!

    ❤ -Stephanie
    Falling Into First

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  4. Last year around this time I posted this to facebook:

    It must be time to go back to school. I had my first school dream last night: Amy Winehouse watched my class while I went to look for something, and when I got back all the kids were in the bathroom! In rugby uniforms instead of their school uniforms.

    I'm sorta waiting to see what my unconscious thinks about this year!

    ✿Lynn
    Inside this Book

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  5. I think we've all started having those dreams about the first day of school. I start back next week and students on the 20th. I always try to have everything ready, but there is always those sleepless night before, trying to mentally click everything off the list and finally getting up and putting it on paper. Love your labels. Hope I win.

    Rose
    "The Wonderful World of Kindergarten"

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  6. I had my first dream last night too ... It must be August! Love the labels

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  7. Just an idea for you with the name labels... I do the idea you mentioned about typing all the kids names on labels. When you get those unexpected additions--like we always do--just make a whole sheet of the new student's name. Then you can add labels to all that belongs to that student. It's has worked out well for me in the past!
    Karen :o)
    Mrs. Stamp's Kindergarten

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