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Sunday, March 22, 2015

Teacher Tool Swap Linky

I am SO excited for my very first linky! This school year has been full of many firsts for me. I am a first year teacher. I am a first-time TpT seller. This is my first blog. This is my first linky. Lots of firsts for this girl! Last weekend I was able to meet and collaborate with some of the most passionate and amazing teachers I have ever met. I will blog about my experience at the #SpringTeacherBloggerMeetup2015 next week, but I couldn't wait to link-up and share about all of our amazing teacher tools we received.
Click the link above for the original linky post! :) 

For those slightly confused right now... 
here's the 411 on the teacher tool swap!

We were able to bring a small gift that was either a manipulative or something you felt you just couldn't live without as a teacher. When we exchanged these gifts during the meet up, we were grouped into grade levels. Since some teachers brought a manipulative, it only made sense for use to be split into K, 1, 2 & 3, and 4-6 groups. I was so lucky to be sitting with some amazing upper elementary teachers. I remember sitting with my teaching friend and neighbor, Alex, and asking her "Do you think we're the only upper elementary teachers?" It was such relief to see a solid upper elementary group! :) 
Look at this great Upper Elementary Teacher Tool Swap group! :) 


When we met with our groups, we sat in an organized circle, which is clearly expected out of educators. :) Amanda Pauley, from Mrs. Pauley's Kindergarten, came up with the CUTEST gift-passing story. Every time we heard left, we passed the gift we had in our hands to the left. Every time we heard right, we passed the gift in our hands to the right. I received the absolute sweetest gift from Heather at Smack Dab in the Middle. I am pretty sure my whole face lit up when I opened this:

I told Heather this had been in my Amazon cart just sitting there. It was clearly fate that I received this book! :) I CANNOT wait to start reading this! The adorable gift was also accompanied with a pretty cool Jamberry kit! Teachers know other teachers almost too well! 

For my portion of the Teacher Tool swap, I thought long and hard about what I absolutely cannot live without as a teacher. There were so many obvious (but still so amazing) choices to give: Flair pens, Post-Its, marker, etc. I knew I could give (and receive) those types of things and they would be absolutely ADORED by other teachers. I wanted so badly to think outside of the box. My idea was literally sitting a foot away from me on my desk. Hello, LIGHT BULB moment! Three words: task card organization. 


These have recently come into my life and I am so glad that I found them! At one of far too many Target hauls, I came across these containers made for photos. It then donned on me that these would fit my task cards perfectly! I am such an organized teacher, but when it came to task cards, they were everywhere. Some were here, some were there and some were nowhere to be found....I never knew where they were when I wanted to pull old task cards to use for intervention time. I needed a solution and I needed it NOW! Since I have found these boxes, it has made my life so much easier when storing and using these task cards. 

Happy clicking! :)


An InLinkz Link-up

The whole weekend was pure teacher heaven! 

What teacher tool can you absolutely not live without?
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14 comments:

  1. Oh, that task card system is so cool! I will have to try that out!! Melissa from Mrs. Dailey's Classroom

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  2. Great way to store all of those task cards!! Thanks for sharing :)
    Julie
    The Techie Teacher

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    1. I completely agree! Thank you for the comment! :)

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  3. What an awesome way to store task cards! I think I may need to take a trip to Target now...oh darn ;)

    Sara :)
    The Colorful Apple

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    1. There's always a good excuse for a Target run! ;)

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  4. I really didn't need another reason to go to Target, but it looks like it is time to go stock up!

    Mrs. Plemons' Kindergarten

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    1. I did the same thing! I bought 2 to start out, but I casually grab a 1 or 2 each time I go! Can't beat the 5% off each time! ;)

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  5. I thunk those boxes could be useful for the alphabet and subitizing cards I use in my Kinder classroom. I have a Target 2 minutes from my house - yeah, it can be a dangerous thing.

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    1. YES! I would have done the same thing with my firsties last year! :) That would kill me if I was that close!

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  6. It was so great to meet you at the Meet Up! I love your task card organizers! Target is completely dangerous to teachers! Have a super week!

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    1. I loved meeting you both--y'all were hilarious! I LOVED your buttons you put out on the table. I attached mine to my GoNoodle lanyard and I think it fell off at school--super depressing moment because it was so cute! Target is such a dangerous place...I don't think I've ever walked out of there empty handed! :)

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  7. I don't have a Target nearby, however, I am planning on ordering these little beauties ASAP. Besides, BEP receipts are due soon. :)

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  8. It was so great meeting you!! I am so excited to have another fabulous middle school blogger to follow and it is just a small bonus that we happen to live so close to each other. We need a mini-meetup!! I can't wait to hear what you think of Crash Course!

    Heather
    Smack Dab in the Middle

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