Some of you may remember that I switched from desks to group tables.

You can read more about my classroom reveal here.

It's something I've been wanting to do forever and I love it! Of course, there were definitely challenges to overcome with the switch. One of my biggest concerns was how to give the kids some sense of personal space when they'd be sharing just about everything as a table. So, the first thing that came to mind was seat sacks. I researched like a loon until finally settling on some that were handmade by a seller on ETSY. They were the most affordable option I found and they seemed like they'd do the trick. While I was mostly pleased with them, I didn't love them like I wanted to.

For one, I ordered black to hide the wear and tear and the seams were very visible and sewn with white thread, which really irked me. I also had to order them based on the seat size. I ordered the correct size according to the seller's recommendations, but they are definitely too big because the edges fold over and they slide around the back of the seat. But my biggest issue is that they really hang open quite a bit when you start to fill them up. I had to resort to keeping most things like clipboards and pencil cases in the crate at each table, which is kind of a hassle.

So, when I was contacted by EAI Education about reviewing a product, it took me about seventeen seconds to try the NeatSeat Organizers! I have no idea how I didn't see these when I was looking around this summer. I can only guess my superior Googling skills must have been on the fritz.

I was initially attracted to them because of the fact that they have a top flap with a velcro closure to minimize hang and droop. I also really appreciated the way they attach to the chairs with adjustable straps so I didn't have to guess which size to order. I strapped them on as soon as I unwrapped them and was immediately impressed with the quality and design. In fact, my room mother was there as I was unpacking and she was just as impressed as I was.

Look how thin they are from the side!

I also LOVE the mesh pockets for keeping their lanyard, crayons and
other things we need to access quickly.

I was a little worried that the buckles used to adjust the straps would bother the kids when they sat with their back pressed to the chair. But not one of the kids has complained and when I tried it out myself I didn't feel the buckles either.

Here are some side by side comparisons:

I also really love the plastic sleeve so I can slip out the NeatSeat sign and add my kids' names. The NeatSeat also has a divider inside which I think helps with bulkiness since everything is not falling into the exact same spot. And can you even believe that they are less expensive than the ones I ordered?

So, I'm sold. In fact, I've ordered enough for the rest of my class. I've been using them for about two weeks and I'm still as impressed as I was from the start. I can't wait to get the rest of them because I can't even tell you how many times a day my shirt catches on the things that are exposed and hanging out of the other seat sacks. I didn't think I would like the assorted colors, but now I'm looking forward to them. What a great way to call the kids by groups to line up, get supplies, or come to help me present a concept when I need volunteers.l I can call all the blue seats, or orange seats, etc. I'm also thinking of perhaps putting all of one color at one table and then naming the tables by color. I'm still thinking that one over.

Ready for the really good news? I get to give away a set of four to one of you! If you're wondering what to do with just four, I've got some ideas for you. How about placing one on a chair at a center or shared workstation to hold the activities, games, or supplies necessary for that center? You can use them at your computer center and put recent read alouds in the pockets for students to use when taking an AR test. Maybe give one to your students of the week to use as a special little perk. You could also set up a seat for volunteers who come to your room to work with students or do tasks for you. Just fill up the sack with supplies for them!

The rules for entry are super duper easy. The only mandatory entry is to leave a comment on this blog post to tell me what you think of the NeatSeat Organizers. You also must enter using the Rafflecopter widget below because that's how I will choose and contact the winner. You'll see some other optional entries there which are not required to win. EAI has also graciously supplied a free shipping promo code that is good for purchases of $25 or more through the end of the year: SSDFS2013

Good luck my friends!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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SunnyDays

When I first started teaching many moons ago, I learned pretty quickly that if your organizational skills were subpar, you were in for a world of trouble. One of the things I struggled with the most was managing students' finished work. I tinkered with various methods, like mailboxes and file crates and just handing  it back to them when I was done grading with a wish and a prayer that it would actually get home to the parents somehow.

After many years and many methods, what I'm doing now seems to work better than anything else I've tried. Just thought I would share in case any of you struggle with this like I did. Man, where were teacher blogs and Pinterest when I started teaching? Oh, that's right! They didn't exist yet! Seriously, I did not even have a phone in my classroom when I started teaching, let alone internet access. We didn't have to chisel our lessons in stone, but I did have an actual chalkboard. I am making myself sound oooooold, but it's not like we had to hide from dinosaurs at recess or anything. {I'm 41 for the record. How did that happen so fast??}

Anyway, I digress. Back to organization.

Tip #1: Take a number
Assign each student a number and have them put that number on every paper. This makes it easy-breazy to put your students' work in order before you enter grades or get it ready to send home. Seems simple enough, but it took me 3 years before I saw someone else do this and I had one of those V-8 moments. I also number many, many things in the classroom so that I can re-use them next year without making any changes.

Tip #2: Have a strict return policy
Be sure your students know how to return homework and other finished work. My students have 2 folders in their desk. One red, one green. Red means stop. Green means go. The red folder stays at school and any unfinished work or work not yet collected goes in the red folder. Green is the homework folder. Green folders go home every day with notes, homework, handouts, etc. I  never randomly have kids return work to the finished work basket. I have my daily helper collect each assignment and turn them into the basket all together. If someone is missing the assignment, the helper tells me. This eliminates the "I put it in the basket, I swear!" conversation.

Tip #3 Get off the Friday Folder train
So many teachers struggle with Friday Folders. Now,  I like alliteration as much as the next girl, but having everything checked, graded, filed and ready to send home on Friday turned me into a giant stressball. Now I give the kids some Fun Friday time every week and that's when I try to catch up on grading, but I don't have the pressure of having to have it all done before they leave.

Tip #4 Recruit volunteers
I have the same mom who comes in every Monday, affectionately known as my Monday Mom {ha! Got my alliteration in there after all!}. She takes all the graded papers and organizes them into a pile for each kid and tucks them into their weekly work folder.

Tip #5 Invest in your folders
I spend a chunk of change each year on these plastic folders. They will last all year though. I ask for gift cards to office stores at the start of the year and most of the time I get at least a little bit to help defray the cost. Check with Office Depot to see if your school has a savings card plan with them. We have a special card that we can show them at checkout and we get a pretty significant discount on some items.
I'm a dork and make little labels for each folder with clip art that looks like each kid. In all honestly though, the kids end up loving that and they take a bit more pride and ownership in the folder when handling it.

Tip #6 CYA
Include a sign off sheet in the folder for the parents to acknowledge the fact that they saw the work from that week. I also like to have a place for comments so I have additional documentation of parent contact. If they are writing "nice job!" every week, they can't all of a sudden storm in and demand to know why I didn't teach xyz using the blah-blah method if they've been complimentary the entire year. Click on the pictures below to snag a copy of the note I send home with the first folder of the year along with the parent signature page I keep in the weekly folder.

Hope this helps someone out there who may be struggling to find a simple system that works :)

P.S. Be sure to stop by this weekend. 

I'm having a contest that you won't want to miss!

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SunnyDays

     If my mother was here to see that I was a guest blogger on a site called "The Organized Classroom", she'd certainly have something to say about it. She was never one to mince words. My husband also thinks it's pretty darn funny. I have to admit, I'm a little bewildered myself. In my classroom I live by the credo, a place for everything and everything in its place. I am notorious for walking around and straightening up kids' desks as I'm teaching because it drives me nuts when they're all crooked. My kids actually put their hands up in the air as if they're being held up when I come near their desks while I'm teaching because they don't want to get their fingers squashed when I straighten the groups.  You know that student who seems allergic to the contents of his pencil case, and drops every supply he touches (and then leaves it there)? That kid drives me insane on the daily. It takes all my restraint not to stop teaching and tell Messy Marvin to pick up his crayons and scissors and glue stick and...

     Then when I go home, uh...not so much. Now, I don't exactly qualify for an episode of Hoarders, but the mini mountain of shoes in the little nook right next to the closet would never fly in my classroom. Right now, on the end table beside me is an empty box of Cheez-its that has become a bit of a permanent fixture. I know I'm totally blowing my cover here, but if we're going to become friends, its important to be honest. So, now you know. My classroom is the picture of organization and my house is a bit more...um...relaxed. 

     I've stopped trying to figure myself out. It is what it is. I'm a real life Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde of organization and housework.  So, I invite you over to The Organized Classroom Blog to check out my superior (and puzzling) organizing tips for using task cards in your classroom. And now, I leave you with this thought from one of my favorites, the great Erma Bombeck:

My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be.  No one else cares.  

Why should you?

Amazing use of space, if I do say so myself...

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SunnyDays

As a fairly new teacher blogger, I've been overwhelmed with how openly other teacher bloggers have welcomed me into the fold.  I started this blog as a way to keep my focus on the positive during the most trying times I've ever been a part of as an education professional. Between the amazing connection I've forged with other dedicated educators and my effort to focus on the good stuff, my self-prescribed remedy is totally working.  Enjoy this guest post from one of my new blogging buddies, Charity Preston. It's full of great ideas to keep the positivity on an upswing in your classroom.  Charity is such a great guest, she's already invited me over to her place in return. I will be a guest blogger on Charity's blog on April 19th. 

    Motivating Your Students

     Student recognition in the classroom is a necessity to keep students working their hardest. It becomes easy to overlook the student who is always doing what is expected, and to always notice the child who is misbehaving. But, consciously recognizing students as they achieve great things is vital to motivating children throughout their school career.

     Think about the last time you were praised by your superior. How did it feel? Did you remember whether or not you smiled? Were you then more likely to continue working at that specific something in order to improve it even more? I know I am always grateful when my boss takes notice of something special I have been working on. Make sure your students also have these too-rare experiences. Without them, they are less likely to continue working as hard. Children, in particular, work to please you. Intrinsic motivation only goes so far in school, until extrinsic motivators (positive or negative) take over. Make sure you create those positive choices in each child's frame of reference.

     Take a class roster quickly this week and start noting what talent(s) each child is particularly good at, or has been working extra hard at accomplishing. At first, the list will be easy - you always have shining stars. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you will also easily be able to jot down how behavior students have made strides at certain things because they tend to take up so much of your time. But, the middle-of-the-road students become more challenging. These are the students you want to zone in on because they are the students that typically get overlooked. They are not star students, but they also are not time-consuming behavior issues either. You may really have to work hard throughout the week to notice talents that you may have not seen before.

     By focusing in on all students, you will have a complete list of subjects or talents from which to recognize each individual in your class. You can then make it be a special awards day, complete with a party. Or do something simple like make a call home or send a note. Whatever way you choose to celebrate, every student will feel special and continue to want to please. Extrinsic or intrinsic, as long as they feel good, that is all that matters.

Charity L. Preston is an author, teacher, and parent. Most importantly, she is an educator in all roles. The ability to teach someone something new is a gift that few truly appreciate. Visit her now at http://www.theorganizedclassroomblog.com or at her facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/TheOrganizedClassroomBlog to sign up for a free newsletter that offers free downloadable classroom resources every month delivered right to your inbox! Check it out now!

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SunnyDays