Check out my new cart

 

It was just delivered today.  I am so excited to use it in my classroom to house and organize my small group supplies.  Speaking of classroom I get to get in on Thursday.  I am so looking forward to it...but not because this time around I can't move the furniture (did I mention I was 15 wks prego) so now I have to have a clear plan of where I want everything to go or else my hubby will be moving things around all day, like I normally do.  

I haven't done much school related other than make a long list of all the things I need to get done.  

Stay tuned!

More organization!!!

Look what I bought myself.  Click on the pick to get yours.  It ROCKS!

 

Yep, I decided I needed to have one at home so that I could be getting my center activities ready for next year.  Amazon had a great deal.  I just used mine tonight to laminate my monthly labels from Under the Alphabet Tree.  Get yours here.

Here is what Jessica's look like.

I decided that since I have tons of plastic tubs..why not use them.  Plus they will fit nicely on my shelf in my BIG old closet.  Here are mine.  Not sure about the placement on the shelf...or cabinet. 

These are mine.

 Speaking of tubs...I ordered a set of 10 tubs from Wal-mart online and here is what they look like.  I can never have enough tubs. :)

  

If you notice to the right you see more tubs...well, When I got my first package I opened it up and only 5 of the 10 tubs had the blue latching handles.  I then contacted Wal-mart and they said they would send another set and that for all the mess I could keep the first set too.  SO - now I have 20 tubs, 5 of which do not have latching handles...oh well.  I am going to use these to hold my math center activities.  The ones I used last year were too small. 

Ok...now check out my garage...I am making good progress considering I don't really have a lot of time to work...plus it is so hot!!!

 

 

Operation Organization: Classroom Library part 2

So I am still going through books in my garage.  It's hard finding time to work when you have a 20 month old.  My work times are during nap time (usually an hour or a little more) and when she goes to bed.  That being said - have have been going through books and taking ones I don't read out and putting them in my personal collection for my daughter.  I have also been setting aside books for a friend who is starting her first year teaching next year.   She just so happens to be taking my place at my old school.  So happy for her!

While blog stalking, I came across this.  Herding Kats has great book dividers for free.  Here is a pic of her tubs with the dividers.  Click on it to go get your dividers.  She has them in her TPT store. 

   

I will not be using tubs to organize my books, I luckily have a giant double bookshelf in my closet to use.  I wish I would have snapped a picture before I left, but we had already filled the shelf with all my junk.  I am going to use the dividers as tabs to separate my books into units/themes.   Then if ever I move again into crates/tubs they go already separated. 

I guess I could use baskets, lord knows I have tons of them...but for now this will work for me.  The dividers are also a good tool to store your books if you are putting them in tubs. 

Operation Organization: Classroom Library

My plan this summer is to get better organized and get rid of things I don't use...well ok, well maybe find a use for things that I don't use.  I am changing schools next year so most of my stuff is in boxes just waiting....waiting...waiting.  This is what I brought home to organize. YIKES!

step 1: organize and catalog classroom books.

This also includes getting rid of books that I don't use in the classroom.  :(
Some will be donated and others will be set aside for my daughter.  Ok, that done...now make a list of what I have...hmmm.

For cataloging I found this...

So far so good.  I started out just typing in the isbn's, but then I found there was an app for my phone.  So, I downloaded it and now I just scan the codes in.  Sometimes it won't recognize a code, then you have to type it in.   I haven't spent too much time playing with the website yet, but it appears you can also record which books your students have checked out.  Right now I am just using it for my own personal books so I am not playing with that part yet.  At least now I will know what books I have.  :)

A finished crate.