Saturday 24 October 2015

Just treats please!

My heart loves the excitement of kids dressing up and exploring their communities door to door for delicious treats, & my sweet tooth loves leftover candy! Needless to say, Halloween has always been a favourite holiday of mine, & this year I have created some special mason jar goodies for the adorable kiddies in my life, both young and those young at heart.




Simply purchase any size mason jar from a store of your choice, some halloween themed or coloured ribbon, twine, or yarn depending on your personal preference, print these fabBOOlous gift tags for free, and fill with delicious treats of your choice!



The freebie also has this adorable tag, and a simple Happy Halloween one as well, with a spider web graphic created by the wonderful Laura Strickland of My Cute Graphics.

Wishing everyone a fun and safe Halloween! Please tag @ms.elizabeth.a or #mselizabetha on Instagram to share your own spooktacular creations.

Sunday 18 October 2015

For the love of DIYs & babies.

As much as I love creating for teaching, I also love all things stationery. I am so excited to let you all know that soon I will be opening a Ms. Elizabeth A. Etsy shop to share many of my stationery designs with you! To help celebrate this exciting news, I want to share a few temporary freebies, enjoy!

This past weekend I enjoyed creating adorable tags and tickets for the easiest (& most delicious) baby shower game that I am so happy to share with you!

First, you must find an adorable jar, maybe you have one around your house, or you may have to buy one like I did. I used a large mason jar from Michael's to suit the rustic & simplistic style of our wonderful mama to be, and it only cost $2.50, as it was originally $4.99, but I used a 50% off coupon - yay for discounts!

Once you have your jar, you get to make the sweetest of decisions and decide what type of candy or candies you would like to fill your jar with. I originally wanted to do Cadbury mini-eggs, because I absolutely love their pastel colours, however for some reason finding the large bags of them was harder than I thought and therefore I went with delicious Hershey hugs & kisses! While filling your jar make sure to count how many candies are placed inside as this will be the number your guests will have to guess to win! If no one guesses the correct number, the guest with the closest number, wins the beautiful jar of candy!

For added charm, and to better fit the feel of the festivities I tied the rim with twine I purchased at the Dollar Tree for $1.15, and a cute kraft tag to let guests know what it is they need to do to play. I also created pretty-in-pink guess tickets to celebrate the baby girl without going pink overboard. A simple kraft gift bag was used to collect the guesses, which was also purchased at the Dollar Tree for $1.15 (for 3 bags!).

You can of course print these tags and tickets on any colour you wish, card stock paper works best for durability! Please share your games & prints with me through Instagram: @ms.elizabeth.ca or #mselizabetha as I would LOVE to see what you do!

Sunday 13 September 2015

Tidy Desk DIY.

Sundays are for comfort food and your favourite pastime; reading, planning, watching football, or in my case (for today) a classroom DIY. After a quick run to my local dollar stores (Dollarama and Dollar Tree) I decided to make these adorable boxes to help keep my desk clutter free as much as possible this year. It is so easy to let our desks get covered up by paperwork and random nicknacks. So to those loose paper clips, post-it notes, and whatever other stationery goodies you may find all over the place, we now have a home! A cute home if I do say so myself...


Not only was this DIY super quick and easy, it was very affordable at only $5.50 plus tax. I found the kraft paper boxes at Dollarama for $1 each, in two different sizes, and the cute letter stickers for $1.25 each package (one white, one black) at the Dollar Tree.  I chose to label them with "Clips", "Post-Its" and "Clutter" as the first two are items I use often and have a lot of, while the third I simply found cuter than "Random" or "Stuff", but you could label yours with any words that you find useful or cute! Of course any colour boxes and any styled letters would work too, these just happen to fit my classroom-chic theme!

Do you have a desk-top organizer that works well for you? Mention #mselizabetha or tag me @ms.elizabeth.a on Instagram as I would love to see! If you make your own, please tag me as well! SO excited to place these on my desk tomorrow!

Happy Sunday! XO

Ms. Elizabeth A.

Sunday 16 August 2015

Making a list, checking it twice.

Happy Sunday wonderful lovelies. Dare I say it is that bitter sweet time of year, where we all wish for just one more week of summer at the same time as get giddy over back to school shopping. FYI Canadian teachers, Staples' teacher appreciation days are August 27th, September 3rd & 12th, & for all of my Quebec teachers Bureau en Gros' teacher appreciation days are August 20th, 27th, & September 5th. Take advantage of that 15% discount & grad your free gift - I wonder what it is this year?!



As I sat here sipping on my hot coco, guilty of wishing it was a mimosa, & planning for my first days back at school, I wanted to share my Back to School Checklist I created to help us all be as prepared as possible before we welcome our new students! Please feel free to use for personal use, & send your planning-crazed colleagues my way to get theirs too. I would absolutely love to see how you use it & hear how it helped you get ready so please tag me, @ms.elizabeth.a or #mselizabetha on Instagram. Do you have any helpful tips for teacher back to school prep?! Share your must-do plans in the comments below!

Wishing you all fabulous final summer days, and a fantastic start to the 2015-2016 school year!

XO

Ms. Elizabeth A.

Thursday 6 August 2015

Busy brunching.

I love brunch.
Comfort food, good company, & mimosas: yes please! If you love brunch & planning as much as I do, you are going to love my new favourite weekly event: busy brunching! I am so lucky to work with wonderful ladies who enjoy brunching & planning as much as I do.  So what exactly is busy brunching? The beauty of it is that it can be exactly what you want it to be! Our group has a very stress free vibe & I am loving it! After connecting with coworkers & realizing how many of us spend time working alone over the summer we decided to set up weekly "meetings" where we enjoy delicious food & inspiring company while we plan for next school year. This week my fabulous friend Casey hosted with her wonderful homemade waffles... that I failed to get a picture of because I couldn't resist eating them right away. Bad blogger, I know! Pictures from next time - promise!
As much as I would love to talk about food this entire post I should probably focus on the planning part too. My newest planning obsession is with the many beautiful fonts by the lovely Kimberly Geswein. I am beyond thrilled to have purchased my first set of commercial licenses to be able to share my Summertime Weekly Planning organizer with you! We started our session with filling this helpful handout with our planning goals & ideal weekly to-do lists. With some of us being away the first two weeks of summer vacation we had our first session yesterday, in week three, and therefore we just skipped over week one & two! Next week we are thinking about meeting at a local cafĂ© or restaurant to enjoy our planning... & food.
I would absolutely love to see your summertime planning & how you stay motivated! Please #planningwithmselizabetha so that I can check it out. If you have any of your own great planning tips share them in the comments below or tag me (@ms.elizabeth.a) on Instagram!
Happy planning! 

XO
Ms. Elizabeth A.

Celebrating Canada.

I hope you all had a fabulous day celebrating our beautiful country's birthday! Although the weather was not very cooperative here we still made sure to enjoy family with good food & delicious drinks! 
As a new, proudly Canadian, blogger I have LOVED connecting with, & browsing local shops. There are so many talented entrepreneurs out there that our country should be darn proud of. To all of the boss ladies & gentlemen out there, cheers to you, and to those unsure or hesitating on starting your own business, I say get on it! Let's celebrate our country's own & show the world how incredible our bloggers, crafters, creators & all entrepreneurs are!  
In celebration I have some of my favourites to share with you. Of course these lovely ladies made my top list because of their beautiful, quality products, but also because of their fantastic & friendly service.  
 
As an owner of multiple Trink Jewelry pieces I can personally speak for their quality, comfort and beauty. I have always loved the versatility of Tracy's designs and how she creates such beautiful pieces for both casual & formal wear, accessorizing us from yoga class to our wedding day! I absolutely love the practicality of my own Reflect silk ribbon wrap from her yoga jewelry line as I have worn it both as a bracelet & hair band! There is just something about wearing a piece of jewelry when you know so much love & passion went into each & every step. 
Some of you may know from past posts of my love and admiration for Britne of Let's Plan It & her incredible planner stickers. These are my absolute favourite planing accessories that not only make planning fun but simplify my process & help highlight important details - thank you, Britne!  
 
My newest love affair has been with Wrinkle and Crease, & yes, it was definitely love at first sight. The simplicity of Kayley's paper products make for very attractive pieces. Her stationery products have you covered from greeting cards for all occasions, notepads & weekly planning pads to wonderful wall prints that will add that perfect touch to your home or workplace. 
We have so much to be proud of Canada! Vow with me to support our local shops & please share your favourites on Instagram: #shoplocalcanada - I would love to see them! 
XO
Ms. Elizabeth A. 
| Originally posted online July 2nd 2015. |

Pretty planning.

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Iced coffee and pretty stationery make the planning process for teaching so much more enjoyable. If I am honest, I actually love the planning process but I know it is not for everyone, so I thought I would share some of my pretty planning essentials with you all on this beautiful Monday morning [It is a holiday here in Canada, Happy Victoria Day lovelies!].
Recently my love for planning grew [yes, it's possible] with my recent purchase of planning stickers from the wonderful [and Canadian!] Britne Letourneau of @lets.plan.it.brit . I fell in love with her pastel collection, and was so excited to see her school teacher stickers.
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I love how her stickers suit both my teaching and home life. With adorable ice cream and heart checklist stickers I can easily keep track of personal to do lists and teaching must do's by period. Not only are her own creations wonderful, but this girl does fabulous custom designs too! I went for some exam stickers for my students'  upcoming finals, and tweaked her school collection to have a pay day flag. I truly could not be happier with the look and quality of these planner stickers, and cannot wait to make my massive order for next school year!
Another beautiful boss lady I must mention this morning is the brilliant Blair Turner of @onelessonatatime . The creator of Blair Turner Paper, and the brilliant mind behind the incredible Very Busy Box. If you have not signed up to treat yourself to a surprise delivery of adorably useful stationery you need to add this to your to do list, now. After a busy three months of teaching and completing my intermediate math additional qualification I decided to listen to the May cover of my Kate Spade planner and treat myself with Blair's May Very Busy Box, and I was not disappointed.
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I absolutely love how Blair [& Steve!] include a personal note and description of all the goodies and their shops, making it easy for us very busy people to repurchase our favourite items and find new stationery must haves! Being a self diagnosed list writer addict, I was so pleased to see not one but three paper products; an All Out Of checklist from the always fun Knock Knock, making grocery list writing a breeze, and two gorgeous and inspiring note pads from Blair's own collection. Clearly, I am one happy list maker, but perhaps I should vow to not purchasing any new paper products until I finish these.. we'll see.
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The gold facet box from Creative Co-Op , and my new friend Teddie the turtle from Oh Hello Friend added the perfect antique touch to my workspace and organized my papers and paper clips. As much as I love to say I have the summers off, I spend a lot of my time planning in my office where I enjoy opening the windows and taking in all the fresh air I can get. Teddie will definitely be put to good use this year, by helping me keep my important papers in place.
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With taking the words right off my new Blair Turner Paper pad BE JOYFUL NOW and treat yourself to some pretty planning accessories and ENJOY the planning process. As for summer planning, this year I have scheduled planning days with one of my coworkers as a way for us to motivate each other, and make September a little less crazy!
Wishing all of you a fabulous spring, and end to the school year. Countdown your days until summer vacation with me by saving this photo and add your number of days left, upload to Instagram and hashtag #mselizabetha .
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Words of wisdom.

This morning I am sitting here preparing to return to my university for the first time since graduating in 2012. I am beyond excited and honored to have been given the opportunity to not only meet but share my experiences with this year's McGill University: Bachelor of Education graduating class. With only having such a short time to speak with them, I thought I would share some words of advice from both teachers and students that I have gathered through social media and discussions with my current grade 11 students.
From one teacher to another...
Don’t be scared to ask for help because you do not need to reinvent the wheel. Don’t worry if you don’t “feel like a teacher” you will have that moment eventually! – Kylie, Native Resource 7-11
It’s never personal, but it is okay to cry when it feels personal. Be unafraid to laugh with all of your might. – Natasha, English 6-9
It is okay to run off course, to seize the teachable moment. Sometimes that lesson will be worth so much more. Asking for help does not make you weak; it shows determination to be that much better. – Karina, French 1.
You learn a lot more from your students than they might be learning from you. Watch them excel in areas outside of the classroom. You cannot except or demand that they respect you; you must earn it, just like they must earn yours. – Robyn, Media Lit., ERC, Drama and history, 8-11.
Never underestimate a student no matter their needs or situation. If you lead them and believe in them, and just give them the opportunity to surprise you it is amazing what they can accomplish. – Daniel, CFER pre work, and WOTP.
You are teaching kids, not a subject. They know if you want to be there or not. Care about them as people first, students second. Own your mistakes and laugh at yourself. You are not perfect, and that is perfectly fine. – Karen, Literacy Program 7-8.
Be yourself, when teaching and when interviewing. Apply, apply, apply. Interviews are great experience and it will only land you a job. Do not give up. Focus on what you want and you will get it. – Heather.
From current students to future teachers...
Make sure students understand completely, use examples. Do not put students on the spot. It is intimidating and embarrassing. – Myriam, 11.
Give students more of a free mind and more hands on instead of having to always go step by step. – Heidi, 11.
Be who you are. Do not try and be someone who you are not. Be understanding. Do not be closed minded. Let the students have their side of the story. –Travis, 11.
Do not be too strict. Be friendly, and joke around. Do not give out tons of homework. – Connor, 11.
Let your students listen to music. – Devonte, 11.
Be strict, but not too strict. Get along with your students, and do not give a lot of homework. - Brandon, 11.
Just because you are a teacher it does not mean you are always right. – Tim, 11.
Be friendly, but with rules. – Max, 11.
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To the graduating class of 2015,
Congratulations. Be you, and enjoy.
XO
Ms. Elizabeth A. 
*Enjoy some previous posts on teaching below: "go for it" , "a little head start never hurt" and "the power of environment".
*Follow @ms.elizabeth.a on instagram !

Get organized.

SpringChecklist
For those of you who do not know me, I am a HUGE list person. I make lists for everything. There is just something about checking those tasks off that feels so great! Without them I, for whatever reason, don't feel as accomplished, and let me be honest, I would probably forget that I even had some things to do! They are a life saver. So, just like anything else, I have recently written up two lists for my spring cleaning and organizing plan. The first [ image above ] is a simple [ and cute! ] list with important areas to tackle. The next, is a more detailed checklist that not only lists the important areas but what exactly needs to be done for each. You can download my Spring Cleaning and Organizing Checklist for FREE simply by clicking the link!
As you clean, I highly suggest actively thinking about how you organize your things! Cleaning can sometimes feel overwhelming because it seems to be all messed up again in such a short time. With a little organization I promise you, your spaces will seem to stay tidier a little bit longer, and be easier to clean in the future! Here are some helpful tips I jotted down while thinking about organizing my own home:
Tip #1: Write a daily to-do list. Prioritize must-do items by putting them first!
Tip #2: Make sure everything has a place! When you're not using it, put it away & clear your clutter.
Tip #3: Think about your placement of an item when organizing cupboards & closets.
Place commonly used items in easily accessible places.
Tip #4: Use reusable jars & labels! Mason jars are an inexpensive way to dress up your pantry,
& labelling always helps for knowing what goes where - bonus: it looks pretty!
Tip #5: When organizing, take your time. Choose one room to focus on, once it is organized enjoy how tidy it stays!
Tip #6: If you don't want it, need it, or love it, DONATE it! Less is more!
Tip #7: I am all for colour but I love white or glass for storage. Easily adaptable to any decor if a future change is ever needed.
Tip #8: Everyone has a junk drawer or bin, this doesn't mean it has to be messy.
Envelopes or envelope folders are a great way to organize mail, receipts or take-out menus.
Tip #9: Organizing cleaning products in a bin makes for easy room-to-room cleaning!
Tip #10: Pet lover? Use pet bins to store toys, food/treats, and leashes!
Tip #11: Place all of your daily skin & hair care products in a decorative bin or bag.
This way they stay off the counter and are easily accessible when needed.
Tip #12: Running out of space? 
Additional shelving for cupboards and closets can not only help make room but make items easier to access.
If you haven't already, follow me on Instagram @ms.elizabeth.a & on Pinterest by searching Ms. Elizabeth A. or www.pinterest.com/mseaonline . Use #getorganizedwithmselizabetha to show me your spring cleaning & organizing progress, or tips of your own! Would love to hear/see what you have to share!
Happy tidying!
XO
Ms. Elizabeth A.
| Originally posted online March 4th 2015. |

The added touch.

As a teacher planning is definitely a regular past time of mine, but anytime event planning is necessary I am even more thrilled! I like to consider myself a self proclaimed event planner - in the making. With having recently planned my first baby shower event [ I am going to be an aunty! ] I thought I would highlight some of the stand out items & moments. 
Event planning can definitely be overwhelming & therefore I highly suggest not doing it all yourself. Family & friends can be the best of helpers [ they were fabulous caterers in my case ] for making your event come together brilliantly. With potentially having a variety of helping hands I highly suggest choosing a theme, colours, or both. We decided on a nautical theme, with navy blue and white as our colours to suit the parents' wish for a nautical themed nursery for their future little man. With everyone knowing the theme and the colours, it allowed for everything to fit perfectly together on the day.
The little details make a big difference. We opted for an alcohol free shower with the exception of serving champagne for a champagne toast to start the event. Serving non-alcoholic to the mommy-to-be of course, and all guests who preferred. Starting with a short and very sweet toast given by my mother, one of the soon to be grandmothers, was a wonderful way to honour the parents-to-be & thank everyone for joining. The compliments received by the nautical touch to the glasses were well worth the time it took my talented stepmother to decorate them.
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Two of my favourite pieces used for decor during the party were then gifted to the parents as decor pieces for the nursery. These were gifts I wanted to purchase anyways, & using them instead of wrapping them added a beautiful country-home touch to the shower.
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The beautiful wooden sign was created by the wonderful B&C signs! A local small business of Ottawa, Ontario, that makes custom wooden signs. This was the second sign that I have had made by them and once again, I could not be happier! Not only are they great at what they do, but have just the sweetest customer service as well.
The wooden book crate was my very own [ and first! ] DIY project that I created with the wonderful help of my boyfriend, Ryan! As a teacher, I could not help myself but encourage guests to help build my nephew's library by suggesting to those interested to bring a book, instead of a card and to write their memorable note on the inside. With so many people gifting books I thought the crate would be a great addition to organize these books both at the event and in the nursery. These two wooden accents added just the write amount of country-chic to our shower, and can be life long pieces for the family.
You can now follow Ms. Elizabeth A. on Pinterest! Check out my new baby shower board for more fabulous ideas! Feel free to email me at mselizabetha.online@gmail.com if you have any specific questions.
Happy March to you all,
XO
Ms. Elizabeth A. 

The power of environment.

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Throughout my education and young career as a teacher, I have had the opportunity to work in 6 different schools of 3 different school boards and within 2 provinces. I am humbled to say that I have had great experiences overall, working with wonderful people and being able to grow as a teacher through both the pros and cons of all.
With embracing my OCD, as it works wonders for staying organized, I willingly admit that having my own classroom is definitely a huge must have and top of my pro list! In the one teaching experience where I did not have my own classroom, I one, became even more of a bag lady and two, more than I thought, felt limited. One of the worst feelings as an educator (in my opinion). The walls were grey, the desks were grey, and as much as I love a nice grey, it was dull. Without decor, I lost the power that I truly believe comes from creating an environment. The ability to give students a feeling of excitement, and interest while influencing them to not only succeed but enjoy.
This year, I am thrilled to say I am back to having my own classroom to share with my wonderful (for now... kidding!) one hundred and thirty or so students. With being the resource teacher, and having so many students come and go, working on different assignments, being organized is my main priority.
The days before my students arrived I was determined to give my once not so nice to look at filing cabinet a face lift. After a trip to Target, and another to Walmart because I bought the wrong Con-Tact paper (you need the adhesive one... obviously..), she is pretty, and I can cross off my first classroom DIY project - just call me Martha!
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She holds all of my important files regarding students, my master documents (always ready to go for the photocopier) and keeps my card stock and paper supply organized. I am very happy with this upscale, because with previous experience working in an office, and as a supply teacher I learned I really cannot stand an ugly filing cabinet.
My world of organization continues with my phone table (an ugly filing cabinet, that I did not take a full photo of because it has yet to be upscaled) and my two chalkboards. Besides my classroom phone, my phone table holds my latest educational reads, my school council files and my important folders; attendance, meeting notes, supply folder - to see these folders, check out my previous post a little head start never hurt.
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My chalkboards are not only used to keep myself organized but my students as well. The first board is to inform students of upcoming events at both schools. The other is my task manager, where I record all possible assignments students in work completion can be working on while in my class. The board is divided into homerooms, using Scotch masking tape in pink. I absolutely LOVE that they produced colours. At the bottom right corner I simply posted a bell schedule for students to work on time management.
The large green bookshelf that I tell myself is almost mint so that I like it better, is used for student supplies. Besides paper and pens, this is where I keep all of my students' duo-tangs that hold their Daily Task Manager where they record what they have worked on during class. I use this, and sign off on it at the end of every class, to ensure that students in Work Completion are doing just that, completing work and not using this useful time as a spare period.
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The power of words is significant in my room, from notes to my students and checklists, to some of my favourite quotes.
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With math being one of the more common classes students struggle with, I use chart paper to create a large example memory aid for grades 7 through 9 math exams. As the year goes on I add the current material needed to help support students in their studies and in creating their own personal copy.
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Finally my seating arrangement, storage and technology. The large conference table serves as a great group learning area, with perfect view of our classroom SMART-board. To the left, are my two storage cupboards where I keep a lot of extra resources that I do not need on a daily basis. They are also home of my second classroom DIY project that I plan on completing this week - stay tuned! On the right side of the conference table are the two independent study areas, where students can work alone or in small groups on class assignments. I also have another similar table located in front of my desk, which is used as my guided teaching area where I work with students one on one or in small groups to help them with specific concerns/questions or content review.
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I absolutely love the convenience of having student computers in my classroom, not only can students use them for their class assignments, but I have found great online resources for students to use and play after completing their own work. However, I do have to admit, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the excess amount of wiring, so please if you have any wire-hiding solutions please share!
I often feel pressured to have my classroom ready on the first day of school, but it is definitely on ongoing process, and I am now embracing the creative experience. I am looking forward to filling my walls and shelves with decorative pieces and inspirational words. As my students leave my classroom they are reminded of one of my more important lessons... "If you can be anything, be kind" - Unknown.
All smiles,
Ms. Elizabeth A.

Living in a blogger's paradise.

This new school year has been all about blogging! With starting Ms. Elizabeth A., I fell in love with the simplicity & ease of blogging I decided to not only move my classroom website to a blog but also start a blog for my professional portfolio!
For both of my professional blogs I have used google's blogspot. I created a google account using my school email address and started two blogs. This way it is super easy to view everything at once and connect my google calendar for parents and students to view school events and important due dates! [...okay connecting the google calendar wasn't that easy, but luckily I have wonderfully intelligent friends! THANK YOU!]
Other than blogging, the first days of school have been fabulous! I cannot wait to finish up my classroom and get pictures up to share with you. Until then enjoy getting to know your students & happy teaching!
XO
Ms. Elizabeth A.

A little head start never hurt.

If I think back to this time last year I was only just getting ready to interview for possible teaching positions for the 2013-2014 school year. Thankfully, before I knew it I was offered a job, and was giving my two weeks to my current employer at the time. Which reminds me, if you do not get a teaching job right away, do not refuse to work somewhere else! There are many other job opportunities in the education field, I ran a tutoring centre for just under a year. No, not my dream job, but a job that paid my bills and gave me valuable experience towards the big, and wonderful world of education. Explore it, or heck, try something completely different and unrelated if you wish!
With transitioning from one job to another so quickly and having very little time before I was face to face with three groups of enthusiastic, to say the least, 12 to 15 year olds, I of course was flying by the seat of my pants. Luckily, I think I work best under pressure. I like to think procrastination works in my favour… however, with having more time to prepare for this school year I thought why not share some helpful tips for starting off the school year a little less frazzled.
I am definitely proud of my organization and planning skills, but I am certainly not that teacher who already has her lessons planned and copied all the way up to Christmas break.
Be real.
What I plan on having ready before our first day back are more general tasks that will be helpful for teachers of all subject areas.
Planner: Some schools provide teacher planners while others do not, and you may have to purchase your own. If the Staples creation is not your cup of tea, there are plenty of wonderful teacher planners available online, and can be easily found by searching “teacher planner” on Pinterest. I am a sucker for planners, and this year I bought Kate Spade's 16 month planner from Chapters, simply because I could not let it pass me by. Personally, I use one planner for my everyday life, and with being given a school planner, I use one for my daily lessons and meetings.
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Staying organized is a key foundation to a successful, and non-stressful school year.
Attendance and Grading folder: Secure your attendance files in something light and slim, easy to carry in events such as a fire drill or assembly. I like to copy two sheets per month to avoid overcrowding. Some choose to copy their attendance sheets for grading purposes, however in the past I have created a new document with larger columns simply for clarity. This year I have recently discovered a pre made grading document on Pages for all you Mac users, not sure how good/useful it is yet, but I am excited to try it! I am not sure if Word offers something similar, but I definitely recommend checking it out. Oh, and I highly suggest having a pocket or envelope of some sort for administrative handouts or student late slips, they pile up.
Substitute folder: Having a supply folder with pre made attendance sheets and a general welcome letter and daily schedule made my life so much easier in times of needing a replacement. I recently found this lovely editable cheat sheet online the Inspire Me, ASAP blog. Teaching high school I would adjust the left hand columns to periods of the day, providing a detailed outline of my lesson in the right column. It is definitely a ton of work to prep for a supply, and was surprisingly stressful. I didn’t think I was so attached to my students and classroom until I had to take my first day off for a conference. Having this folder definitely helped for my future days off, especially those unexpected. 
Meeting notes and communication log folder: So excited to have found a great resource online the Clutter-Free-Classroom blog to organize my notes from school and parent meetings. I definitely plan on making this purchase! I will also be including communication logs in this folder, to keep track of parent communication, when, why, the resolution or conclusion etc.
I also recommend taking the time before first bell to organize your computer. Just like I do when organizing my home, I always make sure everything has a place. Every file has a specific folder, making my life so much easier when looking for something to use throughout the year!
With this little head start, hopefully our first days back in the classroom will allow us to have the much needed time between meetings to decorate, organize and plan our first days. Cannot wait to share my classroom with you!
XO
Ms. Elizabeth A. 
| Originally posted online August 14th 2014. |

Wednesday 5 August 2015

Go for it.

Exactly two weeks from today I will be sharing hugs and smiles with the wonderful people I am so proud and fortunate to call colleagues. I am so excited and honoured to be returning to my first school as the resource teacher for our junior high students.
As a newer teacher, having the summer off knowing I had a job come September has been wonderful to say the least. I know there are many people who are waiting for last minute positions, (which come up ALL the time), and even those hoping to get a place on a supply list, or even the emergency supply list per school - yes, these really exist.
If I can lend any piece of advice to those seeking teaching positions, I recommend emailing principals directly. It made a world of difference in my life and got me my first contract! It was recommended to me by a family friend, and I will forever be thankful. Fair enough, emailing principals may have more pull in Quebec schools and private schools, but I don't think it would ever hurt anywhere. Email them, introduce yourself and your interests with highlighting your teachable(s). Of course begin with the ones you're certified in but don't shy away from mentioning subjects you are interested and confident in teaching as well, even if you are not certified. Personally, I am certified to teach English, Ethics/Religious Culture, French as a Second Language and I have my special education qualification. I signed my first contract as a math teacher, simply because throughout interviewing for a French and English teaching position, the nerd in me mentioned I loved math! It lead me to a full-time contract, and I could not have asked for a better first experience, which all started from an email to the principal.
Go for it. Why not?
To all of you. Whether you are new, experienced, employed or unemployed I wish you the best. Stay positive!
XO
Ms. Elizabeth A.
| Originally posted online August 11th 2014. |