Tried It Tuesday {Scanning Documents}

Happy Tuesday!!  It's time to see what teachers have been trying lately.
There's always something to try, isn't there?  

My Tried It:

Scanning Documents and Merging PDFs
Our district uses the Charlotte Danielson model for its teacher evaluation system and there are so many components to remember.  We are required to have artifacts or evidence for each of the components of Domains 1 and 4 (Domains 2 and 3 are observed during the teacher observations).  I made organizers for my binder and then listed them as a product on TpT last fall.  Now, for the past couple weeks, I have been working on updating the Editable Danielson Teacher Evaluation Organizers in my TpT store.

While this product was meant to originally just include cover pages and dividers for the domains and components, I added four generic examples of evidence/artifacts for some components over time.

Then, many teachers started asking if there could be more examples of evidence or artifacts that I used in my teacher binder included in the product.  Much of the evidence was unique to my classroom and included photocopies of student work or various documents that I didn't have as digital files.  I decided to get to work scanning the documents since it would be helpful to have them to refer to later for my own APPR binder anyway.  I thought that it would also be useful for teachers to see as many examples as possible of domain evidence when putting their binder together even if they had to edit the evidence examples to fit their needs.

So, as I scanned the documents and incorporated them into one PowerPoint file with other digital documents that I could make editable, I learned a few things along the way!  I put together this tutorial for anyone else that has scanned PDFs that they would like to merge into one document.  This tutorial is for a Mac.

So, now my Danielson Teacher Evidence Binder pack went from 30+ pages to 130+ pages!  I was pretty proud that I figured all this out and found the time to update everything.  The evidence examples for Domains 1 and 4 include over 50 pages.  This is the Table of Contents:

I also added some different choice of styles for cover pages and dividers.  

Is your district using the Danielson model for teacher evaluations?  I always love to give away new products (or, in this case, an updated product) to some people who would like to play "Pin It to Win It!"  If you pin an image for the Danielson product and leave the URL of your pin in the comments section, I will choose at least one winner using random number generator on Thursday to receive this product free!  Don't forget to leave your email to be contacted if you are a "no reply blogger".  Can't wait to see if you win?  This product is 20% off from now until midnight EST Thursday night!  Thanks, friends!! :)

Five for Friday...the longest shortest week!

This was the longest shortest week!  

I am finding it difficult to come up with five notable happenings to blog about for Doodle Bugs Teaching Five For Friday linky but I will give it a go:)  

Read at your own risk...notable?  not so much.

Although...I can't resist!  

It is wonderful reading what everyone else has been up to and 

reading comments from you guys! (a little New Yorker accent there). 

1.  Natural Disasters Projects:  My students began working on a "Natural Disaster" project at the end of last week and were assigned writing the rough draft for the essay on Tuesday night for homework.  They are working in pairs on this project and the room has been a buzz of excitement!  They have to write a 5 paragraph essay (intro., 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion) and have a visual aid.  

Many students went home over the weekend and worked hard on their project.  I can't wait to see the presentations next week and I am so proud that they have worked with their partners so well.  It is a great way to also get some much needed practice reading informational text since the Common Core emphasizes a 50/50 split for fiction and nonfiction reading.  I know they have been introduced to a lot of new vocabulary while working on the project.  

I tried importing the directions and rubric I made for the project, but of course it didn't turn out the right way.  If you would like a copy of these, write a comment with your email and I will send them to you.  If there is a lot of interest, I may upload this on TPT.  This has been revamped with 10 pages total for the project and is uploaded on TP here! 

Check back next week and I will blog about some of the presentations with pictures of the final products:)

2.  MOST Unexpected Snow Day on Wednesday!  

There was no school on Monday (President's Day), back to school on Tuesday and then a phone call at 5:45 am Wednesday morning.  

The forecast called for 2-4" overnight (which is nothing!). 

Well, the weatherman had it wrong again....

My district got over a foot overnight and with the 50 mph winds at just the right time, it was that magical combination!  Wahoo!!

3.  Stayed home sick Thursday!  I told you it was the longest shortest week ever, right?  

My husband and I both started to feel sick on the snow day (he had to work though!).  I laid down during the kids' naps (loved spending extra time with them:).

I did not get up the entire nap time!  Body aches, feverish, dizziness, and no appetite.

Well, I was bound and determined to get back to work on Thursday.

I just had a snow day, right?

Got up at 5:20...took my shower, and I was exhausted!

My temperature was 101.5 and there was no way I could make it...

4.  Several students were quite naughty for the sub!

with a pile of papers waiting from being out one day sick...

some naughtiness to attend to...

summaries on a nonfiction piece written that didn't even make sense by my top writers...

today was quite exhausting!

I mean some of those summaries were like they did not even read the story and there were run-ons, incomplete sentences, and some incoherent writing!  I am telling myself that it is because there was a sub but I am not so sure...starting to panic a little.  Our state test is mid-April but we have a 2 week spring break before it....FOUR weeks of school left until spring break...yikes!

5.  Added to Danielson APPR binder organizers:  With the little bit of down time I had resting Wednesday and Thursday, I was [slightly] productive.  I updated the APPR binder organizers that follow the Danielson rubric for teacher evaluations on TPT.  Included now are checklists for each domain and examples of four artifacts that can be used.  

I am actually looking forward to a five day {slightly normal} week next week!  I think the five day weeks are easier somehow.  Anyone with me on that?  

Have a great weekend:)

Monday Made It, Literacy Centers, APPR binder:)

I am linking up with my blogging idol, Tara, from 4th Grade Frolics for Monday-Made It!

I am absolutely loving all the products I have recently bought or got as freebies on TPT!  Cyber Monday Sale, I love you!  Finding time to sort, print, and laminate has been a challenge but I cannot wait to use so many items.

One item I bought, printed, and laminated are the Folktales Sorting Cards from TPT here.  I am going to use these for a literacy station to practice the subgenres of folktales (legends, fairytales, fables, and tall tales).  The cards also included Porquoi and Trickster Tales.

I made this worksheet to go with the folktales sorting card station.  You can get it here on google docs.  This is my first time linking a google doc, so please let me know if it doesn't work!

One of my favorite sellers on TPT is Rachel Lynette!  I purchased this Folktales: Fairytales, Fables, Tall Tales, Legends, and Myths pack and it really streamlined my materials.

I also love the December Literacy Centers for Big Kids that I purchased from the amazing Miss Klohn (Adventures of a 6th Grade Teacher).  Here is the Fact and Opinion Sort laminating (have I mentioned how much I LOVE this laminator?!?).

Here is the "Snowmen Sentences Fix-Up" laminated and cut from the same package.  Love it!

I also love all these literacy centers for grammar work from the TPT's Winter Holiday EBook!
"Santa's Prickly Punctuation Problem" is FREE From the Dragons Den and can be found here at TPT.  I laminated the answer keys for a literacy center and love that there is extra practice on commas, quotation marks, and a friendly letter. There is a little for everyone in this 28 page packet with pages for 1st to 5th grade!

 This is the "Great Gift Mix Up" laminated for a FREE math center from Lindsay Perro.

These are a great FREE math center on "Snowman Word Problems" from Time for Teaching.

After posting my APPR binder dividers for the Danielson Model of Teacher Evaluation here on TPT, I received a request to create APPR binder dividers for the standards and elements of the TED (Teacher Evaluation Development) model.  

Here are the Danielson Model binder dividers for each domain and component at TPT:

Here are the APPR binder dividers for the standards and elements of the TED (Teacher Evaluation Development) model on TPT:

Finally, for my home Made-It, I have the wreath that I spruced up for my new fireplace:)  I have never, ever modified a wreath before and I really like how it turned out.  I don't consider myself very crafty (the curtains in my classroom were made with a hot-glue gun and my teacher stool was made using scrapbook paper!), so when I can buy things and make it into something somewhat crafty, I am feeling pretty good!  hehe!  

Wreath before sprucing up:

Wreath after sprucing up:

My hubby figured out how to hang this 36" wreath on the fireplace using a hook in the ceiling.  It is barely noticeable and is tied to fishing line.  I have heard of people doing this before but never actually tried it.  Genius!  Can you see the hook in the ceiling here?

Two more weeks to go and so much to get done!  It always seems to get done somehow though, right? Have a wonderful week everyone:)

If you haven't heard of this new blog, Collaboration Cuties, you have to check it out.  They have an awesome, well-established TPT store and just started this blog!  This weekend only they are giving away a product from their store ($5 and under) to anyone who comments:)