A New Classroom: What to Order?!

The day after I got my teaching job, I was asked to come into the school to pick up my catalog so that I could order supplies. Mrs. Horner handed me a book that - I kid you not- was about 2 1/2 inches thick. I had from Thursday until Monday to look through it and come up with an order list. They gave me my budget and I went home and dug right in. As I went through the book I was extremely overwhelmed. WHAT DO I NEED?! I felt like I needed everything. And as a teacher.. you kind of do!

Thankfully, my aunt retired from her job as a second grade special ed. teacher last school year and saved a bunch of things for tutoring, me, and a garage sale! I went through a bunch with her this past weekend before placing my order and talked with her about what I need to get started. She was so helpful! Four other teachers that I will be working with helped me out, too. I'd text, "Hey, do I need to order student paper?" or, "Will a clip chart be in my room already?!" I had so many questions and they were so willing to help. By Monday, I was ready to turn my list in.

So what did I order and what will you need? It really depends on how you teach, but I've compiled a list of things I was given (or else would have been looking for), things I bought on my own or will be buying, and the things I ordered through school!

Just a heads up, some schools supply certain office supplies. I found out after making my list that there was a supply storage area hidden in the office! Asking before ordering or buying wouldn't hurt.

Got a pencil and paper ready?! Here we go!

Supplies for Teacher and Classroom:
-Stapler (a couple won't hurt! Bulletin boards tend to jam them up. Ain't nobody got time to fix that in a school day!!)
-Staple Remover
-Staples
-Tape Dispenser
-Scotch, Masking, packing, and Mavalous tape. <- the teachers insisted I order this one!
-Single Hole Punch
-Three Hole Punch
-Good Scissors (a few pairs!)
-Paper Clips (assorted sizes)
-Binder Clips (assorted sizes)
-Rubber Bands (assorted sizes)
-Brants
-Hole punch reinforcements (proper name?!)
-Rings for Pocket Charts/Anchor Charts (assorted sizes)
-Avery labels
-White-out
-Highlighters
-Dry Erase Markers
-Wet Erase Markers (vis-a-vis)
-Permanent Markers (thick and thin)
-Markers (lots! I love grading with the white tube, colored lid, super tip crayolas and the kids use thick ones to make posters, ect.)
-Crayons
-Colored Pencils
-Pencils
-Pencil Sharpener (electric and wall mounted)
-Pens (flair pens are awesome as well as sharpie pens)
-Post-its
-Erasers
-Extra pairs of student scissors
-Craft Scissors
-Rulers
-Yardstick
-Tweezers
-Magnifying Glasses
-Pointer Fingers
-Headphones
-Sticky Tack
-Easel
-Bins (you'll need some for a classroom library and things you never knew you needed them for. lol!)
-Note Cards
-Thank You Notes
-Binders
-Stickers
-Band-Aids
-Febreeze
-Batteries
-Dishwashing Tubs (teacher tip: excellent for storing copies!)
-File Folders
-Folders
-Clothes Pins (behavior chart, noise level chart, names to turn in)
-Broom (kids love to sweep so grab some hand held ones too!)
-Dust Pan
-Downy Sheets (teacher tip: bees stay away from students if they wave one in the air around them!)
-Plastic Silverware
-Straws
-Paper Plates/bowls
-Cups
-Squirt bottle (teacher tip: cool off sweaty kiddos after recess)
-Tension Rods and Fabric to make curtains
-Carpet for "Circle Time" and "Library Area"
-"Treasure Box"
-Toaster/Mini Fridge/Microwave/Coffee Maker (check on school codes!)
-Coffee Cups and Water Bottles
-Lunch Box Tub
-Lunch Card Box
-Storage Tubs
-Glue Gun and Glue
-Zip Ties
-Trays for turning in papers and for teacher storage
-Dish soap (if you have a sink)
-Gloves for cleaning
-Storage for Paint Shirts
-Manilla Envelopes
-Card Envelopes
-Pocket Charts (hanging and tabletop)
-Dry Erase Boards
-Privacy Boards (for test taking)
-Play dough
-ABC Stamps
-Tempera Paint
-Paint Brushes
-Stamp Pads
-Magnetic Letters (Uppercase and Lowercase)
-Googly Eyes
-Popsicle Sticks (for crafts and name pulling)
-Pom Poms
-Pipe Cleaners
-Note cards
-Chart Paper
-Writing Paper (if your school doesn't provide it)
-Copy Paper (white and colored if your school doesn't provide it)
-Art Paper (if your school doesn't provide it)
-Timers
-Class Bell
-Sentence Strips
-Inside Recess Games
-Sidewalk Chalk
-Laminating Sheets (if you have a laminator, or self laminating if not!)
-Magnets (cute ones and ones that you can glue things to)

I apologize if there are any repeats! I read this list a thousand times and always ended thinking of more things to add. My next teaching posts will be about how to stock up on some of these things with as little spending as possible and how to decorate an elementary room so stay tuned!

I tried to keep this list more about supplies rather than teaching resources. If you'd like a list of more things you will need to help you teach, let me know in the comments below!

Pencil Skirts & Button Down Shirts

Dressing like a professional working woman has slowly become one of my goals for this school year. Something about dressing the part makes me feel like a top notch teacher even though I can honestly admit, it's true what they say. No matter how badly you want to know what you're doing- you don't. There are so many curve balls and every day is a new lesson learned and a new strategy test drive. It has to be that way in order to learn how to be the best. 

On the days that I want to go home and drink a glass of wine by 11:00am,  looking like a professional helps me feel like a professional and therefor it's like I can trick my brain into thinking I've got it all figured out. Nice "work" clothes aren't cheap. Thank God for hand-me-downs. I have just about no extra time for shopping, and when I do.. I'd rather fall down on the floor and stay there until I have the energy to move again. HA! Teaching isn't a nightmare. It's fabulous. But when you put your whole self into it, it's easy to get lost. 

Goodwill has always been my friend and she hasn't disappointed lately. I've made a few quick stops the past few weeks and scored some pencil skirts and button downs from banana republic, gap, and the limited. eBay has also been my friend lately. Winning a bid on a skirt for 3 dollars or less with a couple bucks shipping? Holla! Ballin on a budget. Last, did you know people sell clothes on insta? Wives, don't tell your husbands... It's about to be game over. People post pics of clothes they don't want and you can snatch them up! It's incredible. Scroll through my feed..."cute baby," "woah beautiful scenery," "aw I miss her," "THAT SKIRT IS MINE!"

I hope to start posting my OOTDs for any student teachers or working ladies out there. Until then, here's a look at one of my second hand outfits.

Flower Statement Necklace || Target

Drop Pearl Earrings || Target

Blue Ruffle Front Button Down || LL Bean

Gray Seersucker Pencil Skirt || The Limited

Black Flip Flops || Charlotte Russe 

Exciting News & My Mini Portfolio

I am so excited to share with all of you that I am officially a first grade teacher! I got the call a week ago and my brain has been on overload since. I am ecstatic!! My job is at the elementary school that I student taught and subbed in.. and since I student taught with first grade, I get to teach with my mentor teacher from student teaching again! This time in my own classroom. MY CLASSROOM. So cool to finally say that!

I wanted to share the details on my Mini Portfolio that I put together for this school. As I mentioned in this post, I dropped it off to my principal during the school year. He kept it and brought it along to my interview to share with the superintendent, assistant superintendent, and a first grade teacher who also sat in on the interview. They all loved it! I got so many compliments on it during the interview and I'm SO glad I took the time to put it together.

I started with the cover page. 

I wanted to include this page because I felt like it was a more personal cover letter. I wanted perspective interviewers to see the passion that I have for teaching and I felt like this - combined with some pages I included after - gave me the chance to do so. I saw this "cover letter" idea on another blog but I can't for the life of me remember the name!

The next thing I included was my cover letter specific to that elementary school. This document has been changed to get rid of any personal information. :)

After that, I put in the four page district application followed by a page I created while subbing. I asked students why a school should hire me or why I would be a good teacher and compiled a list!

Next I included my resume and reference list. There's too much personal information to really edit out to show you. One thing I will say is to include any special awards that you feel could be conversation starters. Even though it sounds silly, I included my three "most spirited" awards that I received from cheerleading in high school. The assistant superintendent loved that! She commented on how I can say I'm positive and energetic but that really proves that I am. 

The next pages were my teaching philosophy, "Are You Sure You Want to be a Teacher?", three letters of recommendation, and a copy of my license. I had it spiral bound at staples and had them add a clear cover and a black vinyl back to make it look even more complete. It cost about 15 dollars to have all of those pages printed and bound. I'd say it was well worth the money because it really did stand out.. but I would only go that "all out" for the schools where I REALLY wanted to teach.

I love how put together and organized it looks when laid out. The coral theme really pulled it all together.

So that is it! If you can spare the extra money, I highly recommend doing so. You have got to stand out if you want the job! Even if you don't want to have someone else bind it.. you could just as easily put one together in a less expensive way! 

Hope I gave you some things to think about and good luck with your job search!! Stay tuned for my post about my actual portfolio!

*This post was to give my fellow teacher friends ideas. Please feel free to feed off of the pages I shared but I ask that you don't copy word for word. Let your own heart shine - your interviewers will want to see who you are and what you're all about! :)

Been There, Done That - Teaching Job Search

As I'm typing up this post, I myself am still in the awful stages of the job search. For teachers in Ohio, jobs don't come easy.. especially when you're surrounded by small towns that haven't passed school levees in years!

At this point in time, I have a small glimmer of hope for a job next year. I've been subbing in the school I student taught in and have put a lot of time and effort into building relationships with the staff and students there. We will see what the future holds!

Here are the tips that I can share with you that may help you boost your chances for success and (hopefully!) land your first teaching job!

Substitute Teach in the School You Want To Teach in

Where I live, it's so hard to come across openings.. and when those openings do pop up it's even harder to grab an interview. If you are able you should definitely try to substitute teach in the school where you'd love to land a job. The more the staff hears your name.. the more likely they will be to recommend you or remember your name when resumes start pouring in. 

Treat Every Moment in that School Like an Interview

This past week, I stopped in to the school I most want to work in to drop off my mini portfolio and the principal said, "Mrs. Taylor, while you're here I want to go ahead and talk to you about next year.." good gosh my heart started pounding. Long story short, I know that he can see me in his school but the district is struggling for money and positions simply might not be available. But they could. His guess is as good as mine right now! What he did tell me that stuck was something like, "I'm not sure if you're aware, but every day that you've been here and that I have had the chance.. You've been having mini interviews. I've had the chance to pop in and watch you teach and I've asked other teachers to kind of observe you and it's always been great. It's been really great so that is good news for you."

I had noticed every time the principal walked in and watched me teach for a few minutes. Sometimes he'd stand and look busy, sometimes he'd pop his head in and give me a wave and a thumbs up, and sometimes he would take a seat for a while. While it's nerve wracking to be observed.. it felt good. I know I'm a great teacher and I admire him as an administrator. He shows great leadership and I know that if he found that I wasn't doing things effectively he would let me know.. not to be harsh or mean but to help me be the best teacher that I can be. One day.. he walked in during a math lesson about doubles facts. I had sung a little "doubles rap" to help the students remember the facts and had just asked if the kiddos wanted to learn it too. They all shouted "YEAHHH!!!" and right on cue the principal walked in. They shouted to him that they were going to learn a doubles song and I asked if he wanted to learn with us.  I started, "It's the doubles baby let's go, let's go! It's the doubles baby and we'll start with zero!.." and they echoed. It was embarrassing to sing in front of him by myself but it was also really awesome. He echoed the words after me with the kids and they thought it was the greatest thing. As a teacher, I'm going to keep lessons interesting. I'm going to sing and risk embarrassing myself in order to help reach every student. I'm glad he got to see that. I can tell him in an interview that I like to make lessons interesting but now he can draw from a real experience he had from watching me.

 Other teachers watch you, too. Be on your best behavior. Dress professionally. Act professionally. Give 110% to those students even if it's for one day. Doing one thing well on that one day could be the defining moment when your principal knows he wants you on his staff. That can be reversed though, and one bad judgement call could blow your chances to smithereens.

Learn School Procedures and Routines

This will help show how sincere you are about becoming a part of their team. If you're subbing and you know the routines, procedures, and rules.. the day will continue flawlessly in the absence of that teacher. But if you don't know what you're doing everyone will see that. It's also a good idea to know these things so that you can answer "situation questions" in an interview. If a principal asks what you would do if a child was misbehaving and you reply with "give a detention" when the school doesn't do detention... you probably won't get the job.

Build Relationships with the Other Teachers and Staff

This is SO important. As you sub, make a conscious effort to get to know teachers, aides, and office staff. Be friendly, smile, and ask questions when you aren't sure about things. Teachers like that you trust them to help you out and will be more than willing to give you guidance. If you do a good job and then talk with a teacher that you subbed for on another day.. they will be more inclined to ask you to fill in for them in the future. Teachers love their students and they want to have the best person possible cover them when they can't be there!

Also, don't underestimate the power of a secretary. They spend all day in the office with a principal. They know if you come in on time, send in the attendance and lunch count, and send students late to the bus. Be nice and do things properly. The secretary will love you if you make her life easier by not forcing her to waste her time tracking down attendance and stopping busses.

Perfect Yourself on Paper

Never be satisfied with your resume, cover letter, reference sheet.. ect. Always update. Change references as you build relationships with other educators. Look for ways to stand out while doing so in a professional manner. I've probably had 7 different resumes in the past three years and I have about nine references that I rotate for different districts. Tailor yourself on paper to fit that schools' mission. Don't change yourself, but accentuate the qualities you posses that a particular school is looking for. Don't just bank on winning someone over in an interview. If you don't look desirable on paper they probably wont waste their time with meeting you in person.

Create a Rockin' Portfolio that Lets You Shine

I have not yet had the chance to use a portfolio in an interview but I am anticipating the day that I get to show mine off. I've had 4 different portfolios since the start of my first education courses. Finally, I have a professional, unique, well thought out, and prepared portfolio that showcases me. I broke "rules," added personal touches, and organized my portfolio in a way that makes sense to me. I read my portfolio every day. I want to know it like the back of my hand. When I'm nervous.. my voice shakes and I start talking with my hands and tapping my feet. I don't want to self destruct in an interview, so I'm preparing myself to use my portfolio as a sidekick. It can take the pressure off of me and help me shine when I can't find the words to do so.

Make a Resume Packet

You should have a template saved on your computer and ready to print at any moment. 

This should include: 

a cover letter [adapt it to address the specific school/district you are applying to]

resume [two pages is an acceptable length for teachers!]

reference sheet [ I have six references, which I'd say is max]

3 letters of recommendation

Some districts will also ask for transcripts, praxis scores, a copy of your license.. ect. Be sure to give each district what they ask for, but don't feel like you need to leave a thirty page packet with every school. You can also include some pages that you feel allow them to see you as a teacher. I decided to attach the reflection paper I wrote during student teaching that I shared on my blog a few months ago to my resume packet. You can read that here. 

Personally Drop Off Your Resume Packet

Again, pay attention to what the district asks for in their job posting and send the information how they ask you to. However, if the posting asks you to send your information to Human Resources, the superintendent, or assistant superintendent, I would personally take the extra step to drop off the same information to the principal of the school with the opening. The only thing I would change would be my cover letter. I'd address it to the principal and specifically his or her building.

 When in the office, ask the secretary if the principal is busy and explain that you sent your resume packet to whomever but also wanted to personally drop off a copy for the principal to look over. This allows at least the secretary to put a face to your name and she can let the principal know how polite you were. Who knows what could happen from there! Like I said above.. secretaries have more pull than you realize sometimes!

Spend the Extra to have "Mini-Portfolios" Made to Leave at Your Top Schools

This past year, I went the extra mile and created "mini-portfolios" that I have left with the principal's of schools that I really want to work in. I created all of the documents I wanted to include, changed them to PDF files, put them on a flash drive, and headed to staples. The man that helped me was so friendly. He printed off the pages and I had him add a clear plastic cover, a vinyl back, and had him bind it all together with a small coil. I was really proud of the way they turned out. I think this little portfolio really showcased my personality and allowed the principals to see how truly serious I am about my desire to work with them.

Apply to Openings

When searching for jobs, decide where you'd be willing to drive to and keep an eye out for postings within your desired region. Granted, don't spend all of your time and energy on a district 40 minutes away.. but take the time to apply anyway. The worst that can happen is they don't give you a call, but at least you still took the chance incase it was where you were meant to be!

Practice Answering Questions

I don't care if you are the most eloquent, charming, and convincing speaker in the world.. you need to practice and prepare for every interview. There are a handful of questions that perspective teachers are bound to be asked such as why you went into teaching and what's your educational philosophy. Know what you'd say! It's a better idea to be ready for questions that might not be asked rather than leaving the interview wishing you had said something you didn't think of off the top of your head.

I just read Ron Clark's book, The Excellent 11..., and one of the qualities he mentioned was being prepared. It is so very important when going into an interview! If you want to land that job you have got to know what you're talking about. You have to fight for that position actively.. not go into it blindly and hope it will all work out which leads me to my next piece of advice.

Some of my favorite sites to use for practice questions:

http://www.career.vt.edu/interviewing/TeachingInterviewQuestions.html

http://elementaryteacherinterviewquestions.com/

http://teaching.monster.com/careers/articles/8943-15-popular-interview-questions-answered?page=1

http://www.kellybear.com/TeacherArticles/TeacherTip76.html

Know the School

Do your research when applying to a school. This can be extremely helpful when trying to land an interview and a job.  If you see on their website or have heard from other teachers that they are hoping to include more technology in their school, you should probably talk about how great you are with incorporating technology and tell them about your skills. You should include this type of information in your cover letter to help you get the interview and then talk yourself up in these areas once you get that interview. The interviewers want to know that you care about their school and doing your research beforehand proves that you do. They also want to know that you will fit their school's needs and bring something to their school that other candidates may not be able to.

Send a Thank You

I've only had one interview for a teaching job and it was so very spur of the moment. The school I student taught in had an opening a week into the school year. The new principal called me on a Friday while I was babysitting and asked me to come in that afternoon for an informal interview. Thank God I didn't wear sweats or booty shorts to babysit! I had to race from babysitting to get their on time!! Looking back, I think they already knew who they were going to hire but had a few people come in anyway. The person they did hire has been subbing in the district for years. The whole situation was so unusual.. I knew I didn't have time to send a thank you card in the mail but I wanted to make sure I did something! I decided to send a thank you email. I wanted the principal to know how appreciative I was to have even had the chance to come in and I wanted to make sure I stuck out in his mind. When he called me to let me down, he mentioned how thoughtful my email was and that he appreciated that I took the time to thank him. Even though I didn't get the job, our line of communication was opened up and allowed the professional relationship between principal and substitute to grow positively.

The next chance I get, assuming it will be a more normal situation.. I will send a thank you through the mail and I plan to address specific things that stood out in my mind about the interview. Choosing a candidate can be tough especially when everyone is qualified on paper. Many times, it boils down to who has more experience and other times it boils down to personality and who will just "fit" better with the school. Being willing to show your gratitude and wishing the interviewer well with the selection process says a lot about your seriousness and character and it might just be that "sign" the interviewer needed to choose the final person.

I would love to do a more in depth post on my portfolio, mini portfolio, and resume packet if anyone is interested. If you are.. please let me know!

Hope you all enjoyed this post and GOOD LUCK with finding that job!!