LBUSD Helps Cut Exam Costs

Long Beach Unified School District shared big news last week! This year, they will help cut costs for high school students taking AP exams, the PSAT, and the SAT.

Advanced Placement, or AP, classes are offered to students in grades 8-12. They are college-level courses that high schoolers (and some middle schoolers) can take in lieu of accelerated or honors courses. They are worth 5 GPA points instead of 4, and if you pass the College Board exam in May, you are eligible to receive college credit for the class. Some students are able to wipe out a whole year of GE classes and enter college as sophomores. These tests cost $89 a piece, but this year, LBUSD will pay $84 per test. That means that students only pay $5. Isn't that terrific?!

The PSAT provides detailed feedback on skills, access to scholarships and personalized online tools, and excellent practice for the SAT. It costs $14 and is administered to students at their high school campus, but LBUSD is covering the cost for all 10th graders. This gives students at least 12 months to prepare for the SAT using the feedback they received from the PSAT.

As the nation’s most widely used college admission test, the SAT is the first step toward higher education for students of all backgrounds. It’s taken by more than two million students every year and is accepted by virtually all colleges and universities. The SAT tests the reading, writing and math skills that you learn in school and that are critical for success in college and beyond. The SAT also provides the opportunity for you to connect to scholarship opportunities, place out of certain college courses and learn more about your academic strengths. If your 11th grade LBUSD student enrolls in and completes the FREE SAT prep course paid for by the district, the district will also pay for their SAT exam. That saves you $52.50!

Can I get an Amen for that?! See it to believe it here.

Praise Pins

If you follow Heather over at river&bridge, you must have seen her mention our email exchanges. I try to keep my emails short and sweet, but she's one of the lucky ones that gets my long-winded emails full of back stories, unrelated topics, and tangents. I'm trying to find the right words to explain how this idea came about, but I think this excerpt from our first email exchange about this project is a pretty good start:

"Girl Scouts get badges, military gets pins, athletes get letters and trophies, and students get report cards. It's completely unfair. Students work so hard, and although some teachers are great at sending home positive notes and awards, they're usually hung on the fridge for a week and then stashed away. I'm on a mission to get kids to be as proud of their academic accomplishments as they are their athletic accomplishments. I'm making pennants that students can hang on their walls and 1.5" buttons that they can earn and add to their pennant."

So there you have it! It's so important to recognize REAL student achievement. No, I'm not talking about the "everyone gets a trophy for participating" kind of achievement. Students sometimes fail, students sometimes achieve without putting forth their best effort, and students put their heart and soul into their work every now and again. It's fantastic to hang their spelling test or their science unit test on the fridge for all to see, but they're usually taken down a week later, and students can easily forget about it as they're studying for, or working on, their next project.

                  

I sent Heather my list, and she made us some pretty sweet designs. Before I order all of the parts, I'm offering our pennant and button sets to you at a presale price of $35 until 9pm on Monday, September 1st. The price will go back up to $42 after the first, and we will have limited quantities available, so if you want your very own, get those orders in! 

Each set includes:

16"x12" pennant with hanging hardware

35 1.5" praise pins (choose primary K-5 or secondary 6-12)

1 Kids Under Construction pin

If you're looking for a way to encourage your students at home, THIS is it! 

Payton's Picnic: A Homemade First Birthday

We're getting ready for Payton's second birthday, and since I share so many pictures of her on my Kids Under Construction Instagram account, I thought I'd share some of the pictures from her first birthday with all of you.

The ever-fabulous Heather Myers from river&bridge designed all of the paper goods, her amazing cake came from Sweet and Saucy, and our favorite photographer, Heidi Bolles, captured the details of her party beautifully.

To see more pictures and read more about her party, hop on over to my personal blog by clicking here. 

I hope you're all enjoying summer picnics in this beautiful weather!

xoxo
Kristen

Summer Workshop Schedule and FAQ

We've got lots of you asking questions about our group workshops this summer, so we thought we'd compile a list of your most frequently asked questions. You can also view this information on our website by clicking HERE. If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to contact us! Here's a look at our schedule this summer:

How do I sign up for a workshop?
To enroll your student(s) in a workshop, click on our workshop page for the grade span that you are looking for (clock here for elementary school, here for middle school, and here for high school). Find the workshop that you'd like to enroll in, and click on the icon for that workshop. A window will pop up that will allow you to select the sessions that are available. For our four week sessions, there will be 2 date spans to choose from. For our nine week sessions, there will only be one. Once you've selected your dates, click "enroll". Repeat this same process for every workshop that you'd like to enroll in. Once you've added all of your workshops, click on the black "tuition" button on the upper right part of your screen. This will take you to a PayPal screen, which gives you the option to securely pay using your PayPal account, a debit card, or a credit card. Once we receive your payment, we will contact you to answer any other questions you might have.

How come some of the workshops are 4 weeks, and others are 9 weeks?
Our four week workshops are designed to give students academic support and enrichment without committing to workshops for the entire summer. We offer a wide variety of workshops that (hopefully) appeal to everyone's interests and schedules. Our nine week workshops run throughout the summer so that we can really dive into some amazing curriculum.

I love this workshop, but it doesn't work with my schedule. What are my options?
If you see a workshop that you LOVE, but it doesn't work with your schedule, shoot us an email and let us know. We'll try our best to find a time that works for you and fill it with other students. If you know of three other students that would like to join you, we'll give you a 20% discount on your enrollment. Contact us for more details!

Why is there such a wide grade span for some of these workshops?
Within a grade-level classroom, there are always students with different abilities. Some students in third grade are at a second grade reading level, while others are at a fourth grade reading level. Some second graders have mastered multiplication facts, while some fifth graders struggle with subtraction facts. The curriculum and activities that we have planned for each workshop are developmentally appropriate for the grade levels indicated. We like to offer our students a variety of workshops to choose from, and combining grade levels with similar abilities allows us time to offer more workshops. Once students begin to enroll in our workshops, we take a look at the students, their abilities, and their interests, and we tailor our workshops to them. In our science workshops, for example, we have several activities that we love doing with students. If we end up with mostly primary students, we use the activities that are best suited for them. If we end up with a wide variety of grade levels, we can bring in another instructor to break the workshop into 2 smaller groups. You'd be surprised, though, to see how excited students are to work with older or younger students. In our workshops, grade levels are just a number. We can promise you that we will work hard to ensure that your student, regardless of their abilities, will participate in activities that are appropriate, meaningful, and interesting.

How many students are in each workshop?​
We will only enroll up to 8 students in a workshop, but we will offer a workshop with as few as 3 students enrolled.

Group Workshop Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions we get asked most frequently about our workshops. If you have additional questions, don't hesitate to call us. We are here to help, and we'd love the chance to help you select the workshop that's just right for your student(s).

Will any of these workshops be available again?
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It’s easy. Just click “Edit Text” or double click me and you can start adding your own content and make changes to the font. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.​

Can I enroll my student(s) in workshops that meet back-to-back?
Yes! Our summer workshop schedule is designed to offer back-to-back workshops. We have snacks and water bottles available to all students free of charge, and we offer lunch for an additional fee to students on Mondays from 11:30 am-12:00 pm, Wednesdays from 11:30 am-12:00 pm, and Thursdays from 12:00 pm-12:30 pm. If your student is enrolled in our K-1 Bookworms, K-2 Math Potholes, Addition/Subtraction Stacks of Facts, Seven Habits of Happy Kids, 4-5 Bookworms, and/or Multiplication/Division Stacks of Facts workshops, you can purchase lunch for them before, between, or after their workshop(s) during the times stated above.

What happens if we have to miss one of the workshop sessions?
If you are able to give us at LEAST 24 hours notice, we can try to work with you. For our four week sessions, you can attend one workshop (of equal or fewer minutes) in another session. For our nine week sessions, you can reschedule one thirty minute one-on-one session with the instructor. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer any refunds or reschedules of any kind if we do not have 24 hours notice. Please double check your calendars for vacations, family events, and any other potential conflicts BEFORE enrolling in a workshop.

Do your four week workshops repeat the same curriculum and activities?
Each four week workshop will have different curriculum and activities. For example, if you have a child that is really interested marine biology, each four week workshop will be different. We'd love to have your students join us for both workshops!

How will my first grader learn appropriately while in the same small group as a fifth grader?
It might help to think of our workshops as exercise classes for your brain: when you take a group fitness class, the instructor gives you modifications for beginners and for more advanced athletes. Our workshops are designed in a similar manner. Students use many of the same strategies when they read. First and fifth graders both read to find the main idea and supporting details, but they do so with texts at different reading levels. For our reading workshops, we are able to teach the same strategies as a group while allowing students to read and practice them at their own level. If there is a large discrepancy in abilities within one workshop, we can bring in another instructor to split the group up. The new Common Core math standards are scaffolded so that each standard increases in depth and complexity as students progress through different grade levels. We've noticed that ALL students, regardless of grade level, are really struggling with explaining and proving their mathematical reasoning this year. Our potholes workshops are designed to give students strategies and practice with this task. We can easily have all students work with geometric shapes at the same time. Our first graders might be counting faces and vertices, while our fifth graders might be making geometric nets.

My 6th grader still needs help with basic math facts. Can he enroll in a younger workshop?
If you have a student that needs (or is interested in) a workshop that is outside of the grade levels, give us a call so that we can help you decide what the best fit is. In LBUSD, students need to be proficient in addition and subtraction facts by the end of second grade, and proficient in multiplication and division by the end of fourth grade. If students to do not meet these benchmarks, they will be recommended for retention UNLESS they have an IEP or a 504. If you have a student in 6th grade that that struggles with math facts, our one-on-one instruction might be better suited to accommodate his needs than a group workshop. IF YOU HAVE A STUDENT THAT IS INTERESTED IN A WORKSHOP THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE HIS/HER GRADE LEVEL, PLEASE LET US KNOW SO THAT WE CAN SET SOMETHING UP.

I see the book club is for 6th-8th graders. My child is entering 7th grade but reads at a 5th grade level. Will books be chosen for their reading level or their grade level?
Our book club books are chosen according to their grade level. We have a few books in mind, and we will post the titles, as well as the reading levels, on our website once they are set in stone. We recommend choosing a book club that is for their reading level, therefore I'd recommend the Bookworms 4-5 workshop for your 7th grader.

Do students just practice flashcards in your math facts workshops?
No! Most students that struggle learning math facts have already tried using flashcards. In our math facts workshops, we focus on finding number patterns, using memorization techniques, and understanding how numbers work to memorize math facts. You can't memorize something that you don't understand, so we don't use flashcards until our students understand how numbers work.

We hope you'll join us!

23 Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK FOR 2014 IS MAY 5TH-9TH.

Teacher Appreciation Day/Week is here, and I know that many parents scramble to find something appreciative, thoughtful, and/or last minute. Before I suggest a few amazing (if I do say so myself) ideas, here are a few teacher truths that you should be aware of:

1. IT MIGHT BE CUTE ON PINTEREST, BUT IT'S NOT PRACTICAL. There are so many adorable ideas on Pinterest (think crayon monograms and framed printables), but some of them aren't practical. Chances are, your child's teacher already has their room set up just how they like it. The crayon monogram might look cute, but if counter space is already at a premium, it might just be one more thing that takes up valuable space.

2. TEACHERS LOVE NOTES FROM THEIR STUDENTS. Your child's teacher knows what they are capable of writing, and having them write a heartfelt note on their own means the world. If the note makes perfect sense and has no errors, it's obvious that they had help with it. If your child has a hard time writing something, encourage them to write what they like most about their teacher, most about their classroom, or something fun that they did in class that they will never forget.

3. TEACHERS BUY A LOT OF THEIR OWN CLASSROOM MATERIALS. An online article by ABC News reported that the average teacher spent $448 of their own money on supplies for their students during the 1998-1999 school year. Since then, budgets have decreased and class sizes have increased, so I'd guess that teachers spend closer to $600 on activities and supplies now. Beginning teachers can spend upwards of $2,000 to build classroom libraries, purchase supplies for bulletin board displays, and/or buy furniture.

4. TEACHERS APPRECIATE KIND WORDS. Every year, there is at least one parent that can't seem to find anything nice to say. They may write a nasty note, they may speak poorly of their teacher in front of their child, or they may criticize decisions that the teacher makes. If you have something nice to share with your child's teacher, your words mean more to them than you know.

5. TEACHERS BRING THEIR PERSONAL INTERESTS INTO THEIR CLASSROOMS. Your child's teacher might love traveling, crafting, blogging, visiting museums, reading, animals, running, surfing, etc. How can you tell? Look around their classroom, ask your child what they talk about on Mondays and Fridays, and ask other teachers at school.

With all of that being said, I've got quite the list of teacher appreciation gifts for you. I separated them into 5 different categories so that you all can find what works best for you.

CLASSROOM GIFTS

1. pencil sharpener: Teachers need new pencil sharpeners every year because they get so much use.

2. EXPO pens/erasers: By now, the only pens that still work well are the ugly colors. If students use markers as well, you can print out (or hand write) mailing labels with their names and attach one to every marker. This prevents fighting over markers, and your child's teacher will love you!

3. new stamps and/or stamp pads: New colors, new smells, new designs!

4. treasure box items and/or raffle tickets: If your child's teacher uses raffle tickets and a prize box, or if they have a classroom store, you can load up on raffle tickets at your local office supply store and prizes from the dollar section at Target or your closest Dollar Tree store.

5. sharpened pencils: Those pencils start looking pretty dreary around this time of year.

6. mailing labels: Some teachers print out several sheets of names at the beginning of the year, but I don't ever think a teacher can have too many. Teachers use them for classroom folders, homework folders, supply boxes, art work, book bags, etc.

7. postcards/notecards: I can't think of a single teacher that doesn't send thank you notes home with students. If you're looking for something more versatile, try "a note from" or "I'm proud of you because" cards instead. I love these on Etsy by katygirldesigns.

8. gift cards: Your 4 safe bets are Target, Starbucks, Michaels, and Amazon. If your child's teacher uses an iPad or iPhone in class, they might like an iTunes/Apple gift card that they can use for apps and/or music. If they print out lots of pictures, perhaps a Shutterfly gift card would be most useful. If they make a lot of their own worksheets and paper materials, they would probably enjoy a TeachersPayTeachers gift card.

9. planner: I'd be willing to bet that 95% of teachers use a paper plan book. Some use those supplied by the school, and others purchase theirs online or from their local teacher supply store. You can probably sneak a peek at theirs on their desk. You can find some at teacher supply stores, such as Lakeshore and C&M, and online retailers such as Erin Condren sell them as well. You can always ask another teacher in the same grade level since, chances are, they plan together and are familiar with how they each use their planners.

10. non-reusable items: Teachers use tons of materials that they personalize for students each year. Teachers buy new sets of these items every year, and I don't know a single teacher that wouldn't appreciate a basket full of them. If your child is in elementary school, chances are they have a book bag. Teachers use gallon bags to send home small phonics and decodable books, and some even purchase the "fancy" ones with handles on them. If your child's teacher has a Student of the Week, they might use and appreciate a new set of posters for next year. Look around the room to see if you can find the ones your child's teacher prefers. You might also look for clothespin clips and binder clips. Teachers often use these to hand student work and/or label student mailboxes.

11. Homework bag: I have fallen in LOVE with the Thirty-One line of bags. I have many of them, but I think that the organizing utility tote with the file folder box is the BEST for classrooms. You can personalize it with the teacher's name, include a file for every student, and students can use this to turn in papers. Teacher can also use it to take things home to grade or prepare. See how I use mine here.

12. yearbook: If you've got pictures of each of the students, you can make class yearbooks for the kids to sign at the end of the year. You can contact other parents, or even the room mom, to get pictures of field trips and classroom activities. Shutterfly has some great templates that are easy to add pictures to. 

PERSONAL GIFTS

13. manicure/pedicure: Isn't this just the perfect gift for someone that need to sit down and unwind for an hour? This one is self explanatory.

14. gas card: Does your child's teacher drive long distances to get to work? If so, they might love a gas gift card. Those miles really add up!

15. animal food and/or supplies: Does your child's teacher have animals in the room? If so, they might appreciate supplies for its habitat, food, or some new toys.

SPECIALTY GIFTS

16. cleaning supplies: If your child's teacher has a new rug, new whiteboards, or wipes down the desks everyday, they might really enjoy some new cleaning supplies. I worked with a teacher that was very meticulous about his rug, and he spot cleaned it everyday after school. An even BETTER idea would be to organize a small group of parents (and maybe some helpful former students) to come in and clean the room after school one day. You can reorganize supplies, clean out bins, wipe down desks, clean off ledges, dust bookshelves...the possibilities are endless. Most janitors sweep the floor and vacuum rugs, so anything above and beyond that is up to the teacher. Any help will be GREATLY appreciated!

17. special interests: If your child's teacher has a special interest, they probably share it with their students all the time. Do they love to travel? Do they have a child away at college? Do they love to run, stand up paddleboard, hike, swim, or surf? Do they make crafts? Do they read or write? Think about some of their passions and find something that might be useful to them.

LAST_MINUTE GIFTS

18. printables: We all know that you didn't MEAN to put this off until the last possible moment, but it happens to the best of us. If you're in need of something you can print and grab, I've got some solutions for you. Here are some great printables that you can attach to items easily found at the last minute. This one is from my girl Heather at river&bridge:

You can find a few others on the same blog post here. Another favorite of mine is from chickabug:

 If you don't have time to go grab pencils or scissors, you can print off one of these bad boys and pick up a gift card at your local grocery store. If you so choose, you can also troll the teacher appreciation Pinterest boards for printables you can pop in a frame, amongst several other ideas with doughnuts and apples and stuff like that.

19. organize meals: You can ask a few other parents to help you organize a week or a day of meals and snacks to bring to the classroom. Consider bringing in lunch, coffee, healthy snacks, and sweet treats. Ask your kids what their teacher likes to snack on!

FREE GIFTS

20. grade papers: If you really want to warm a teacher's heart, ask what kind of grading you can help with. Some grading must be done by the teacher, but other worksheets and quizzes are easily graded by parents (math facts tests, spelling tests, etc). 

21. set up a donorschoose.org account: donorschoose.org is a fantastic site that allows teachers to create classroom wish lists. Donors can browse through the accounts and donate money that goes towards these gifts. If your teacher doesn't have an account, and you know that they have items they'd like for their classroom (SMART boards, whiteboards, Expo pens, website subscriptions, projectors, document cameras, iPads, etc), you can set up an account for them here.

22. prep an activity: This is a great idea, especially if your student is in grades K-2. Teachers spend lots of time cutting, sorting, and assembling materials for fun activities. Stop in and ask if there is an activity that you can help set up. You might even be able to do this at home!

23. ten minutes: If your time is limited, and you only have a few minutes to spare, read my post from the beginning of the year to see how you can make a BIG difference in ten minutes. 

I hope this helps some of you that are out there scrambling!

Kristen's Five Favorite Thirty-One Bags

Kids Under Construction, Inc. is hosting a Thirty-One event this Thursday night from 6:00-8:00pm in our Long Beach academic studio. We have a nice mix of moms, teachers, students, and a few neighbors that are coming to the event. Irene, our consultant, has many different bags for all of us to touch and feel. Some of you mentioned that you won't be able to make it, but that you'd like to place an order anyway, so I thought I'd give you a little bit more information about my five favorite bags. Here we go:

1. Organizing Utility Tote: This versatile, spacious tote keeps your clutter organized! Great for your cleaning supplies or sporting gear, or use as an everyday tote or gym bag! Seven side pockets are perfect for shampoo, magazines, and water bottles. Pair it with the Fold N' File to make a portable filing system that's perfect for teachers or anyone that needs to transport files. I use this for my work bag, and I'm shocked by how much stuff it holds. You can read more about my work bag here. It comes in 20 different patterns this season, and it can be personalized with one line of 12 characters or two lines of 8 characters.

 2. Large Utility Tote: This oversized bag holds a LOT! It's perfect for toting towels and toys to the pool, carrying your sports gear to the big game, or for taking on camping trips and more! The structured frame keeps the bag open to carry bulky items, then easily collapses for storage. My favorite thing about this bag is that it's big enough to carry several 3-ring notebooks. I keep my students' notebooks inside of it in my car, and I'm planning on ordering another one to keep by our front door so that I can toss stuff that needs to go to the car or to my office in it. It comes in 22 different patterns this season, and it can be personalized with one line of 12 characters or two lines of 8 characters.

 3. Retro Metro Weekender: This City Weekender is perfect for a weekend getaway. It fits great in the back of the car or the overhead compartment on an airplane. Carry it by the two top handles or the shoulder strap that is included. It comes in 2 different patterns this season, and it can be personalized with one line of 12 characters or two lines of 8 characters.

 4. Room for Two Utility Tote: Use this roomy organizing solution as a hamper with whites on one side and colors on the other, or use it to keep all of your gift wrap organized. It's so easy to use with a zip-up divider for separate compartments, and it also collapses for easy storage. It comes in 3 different patterns this season.

 5. Fresh Market Thermal: This roomy thermal can fit up to two 9x13 pans inside, so it's perfect for potlucks and family picnics! It also has expandable sides that are just the right size to fit 2-liter bottles inside. Plus, it comes with long handles so it's super easy to carry! It comes in 5 different colors this season, and it can be personalized with one line of 12 characters or two lines of 8 characters.

Monthly Specials:

For the month of October, get 50% off one of seven travel items for every $35 you spend, including the Retro Metro Weekender. Click here to see more information about this month's special.

For the month of November, get a medium utility tote for $5 for every $35 you spend. There is also a new snowman print that's being rolled out.

We will be placing two different orders to allow everyone to place the order that works best for them. Irene and I will help you decide which special is better for you depending on the products that you order. If you'd like to split your order up so that you can take advantage of BOTH, we can do that as well. 

We're so excited to share all of these products with you. Remember...if you can't make it to the party, you can still place an order!!!

Happy shopping!

Kristen & Irene

Educators: 25 Items That We Always Bring When Tutoring Students

Recently, I've had a few people ask me what I carry around with me when I visit students in their homes. We had a new mom call us on Monday, and she asked me what kind of materials we would be bringing to her home. I had a friend from out-of-state that is going to start tutoring also ask me what I toted around. Since I just got a new work bag this week, I thought it would be the perfect time to unveil my arsenal of materials. So, here it is:

After I finished labeling all of my materials, I realized that I had 26, rather than 25, items. There are more details about that later. Below is a picture of the inside of my previous bag. It's a Steve Madden bag that I got a few years ago. The fabric on the straps has started to come off, there's not enough room in the inside for me to keep all of my supplies, and all of my materials end up getting squished because the opening of the bag in quite narrow. The straps are also very short, so it's nearly impossible to carry it on my shoulder.

One of the moms that I work with sells Thirty One merchandise, and she was kind enough to show me some of her favorite items. I looked up teacher tote bags on Pinterest, and I found sooooo many other posts about Thirty One's organizing tote bag. I ordered it, I love it, and I want to buy them for everyone I know. I'll go through it pocket by pocket.

Pockets 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8 are described in detail below. I used to squish all of these things into a pencil pouch or a small side pockets, and they were difficult to get to. I use pocket 3 for my laptop cord, pocket 4 for my water bottle, and pocket 6 for my wallet. If I leave the house with an empty pocket, it means I've forgotten something important. 

Item #1: highlighters

I love showing students how to effectively use highlighters. Most students highlight every other word the minute they get one in their hand, and it's important to show them how to use them to label important information. I also use them to color code sentences for writing (Step Up to Writing) and to locate information while working on reading comprehension (main idea, details, definition, text features, etc).

Item #2: Paper Mate Flair felt-tip pens

I love these pens because they are colorful and they don't bleed through paper. Color-coding is very effective for many of my students.

Item #3: scissors
I use scissors most often with my elementary students, and mostly for homework, but I also use them to cut down flashcards for my older students. For my little ones that struggle with fine motor skills, I often use these and have them cut out a squiggle line on a sheet of scratch paper.

Item #4: hole punch
I originally started carrying this around with me so that I could punch and clasp flashcards together, but recently, I've been using it to 3-hole punch handouts so that they can be filed in students' notebooks (I use a sheet of notebook paper as a guide for the holes).

Item #5: eraser

If you're not making mistakes, you're not trying. I love the Pentel erasers because they get rid of the graphite without leaving smudges.

Item #6: dice
Dice are my go-to item for motivation. Sometimes, I roll it to see how many problems we are going to do, how many sentences we are going to write, or how many paragraphs or pages we are going to read. I also use them to practice multiplication facts (roll two and multiply), addition facts (roll two and add), comparing numbers (which is greater, how many more is one than the other), and adding three numbers together. I also carry a deck of playing cards which are not pictured here.

Item #7: flashcard rings
I use these to clasp together flashcards.

Item #8: Paper Mate Sharpwriter mechanical pencils

I love everything about yellow wooden pencils (Ticonderoga Dixon #2, of course), but there are 2 things I can't stand about carrying them in my work bag. First, I don't like how the graphite gets all over the fabric of my bag. Second, having wooden pencils requires carrying 

Item #9: Semikolon tab markers
I love composition notebooks (see pocket 8), so I use these to separate the pages into different sections along the side. If I need to draw attention to something, I'll use it along the top of the notebook. For my students, I use these as subdividers for their 3-ring notebooks. For example, I use them to separate work by type (classwork, homework, notes, quizzes, study guides) or by chapter. The Container Store carries this Semikolon line, and it's unbelievably awesome.

Item #10: Post-It Note flags

One of the families I work with found these for me, and they're terrific. They're transparent post-its with the words "study", "to do", and "on test" already on them. I love to use them to draw attention to formulas, definitions, and resources that students will want to refer back to.

Item #11: small Post-It Notes

These are the most versatile Post-It Notes that I carry with me. I use them if I have to add a temporary note to student work, or if I can't find one of the other items in this pocket (which is totally not a problem now). More recently, I've been using them to pre-plan students' sessions. I write down what material we will be covering, or which activity I have in mind, for the following session. I put it in the box for the next session, and then I remove it and replace it with notes about what we did and how it went. I could go on and on. If you follow me on Instagram (link here), you'll see that I post about these often.

Item #12: Martha Stewart color-coding labels

These aren't removable, so once you stick it, you're stuck with it. I use these mostly on calendars, and occasionally I'll pop a few into students' planners to highlight certain dates. These are more fun than functional.

Item #13: lined 3x5 index cards

I could rattle off 284632847 ways to use these, but I'll spare. you all. I (obviously) use these for making student flashcards, but I also use them to make small notes or reference materials that students can use like bookmarks in their textbooks. 

Item #14: Martha Stewart tabs

I know, more tabs. I use these the same way that I use most of my other tabs and labels. These are a lot thicker (I think they're poly) than the other paper ones, so they're much more durable. I use these as tabs to draw attention to important reference materials that students will use for extended periods of time, such as selected answers in the back of math text books, as tabs in planners for the current week, and for reference materials in textbooks that are needed throughout the year. 

Item #15: Expo pens

I've always used Expo dry-erase markers for my white boards because they are the easiest to erase. The red one, however, tends to leave a reddish tint. The larger pens are easy for my younger students to grasp, and they don't often get to use them in class, so that makes them EXTRA special. I use these 3 colors the most often because they're how I structure writing (green for main idea, yellow for details, and red for explanations). 

Item #16: small Expo pens

These work better for my older students, especially if we have a math problem that takes up more space.

Item #17: Expo eraser

This eraser works so much better than the cheap ones that leave those little filaments of ink everywhere. I keep it in a sandwich bag to prevent the dried ink from getting all over my new bag. There are some new ones out (I'm not sure who makes them) that have layers of eraser that you can peel off. I'm sure that will be my next purchase. If I don't have this with me, I use paper towels or napkins.

Items #18 and 20: business cards and case

Sometimes, I work with kids in public places, such as Starbucks (shocking, I know!), youth centers, and/or public libraries. Occasionally, someone will ask me for one of my cards. I actually have several cases in a bunch of different places so that I can hand them out, post them on community boards, or enter those fun raffles at restaurants. Sometimes, I even use them to show off Heather's amazing work. You can check out her stuff on Etsy and on her blog. This case came from my dear friend, Alexis, and I LOVE how it matches my bag.

Item #19: gum

This is my favorite gum ever. I drink a lot of coffee, and let's face it; no one wants coffee breath all up in their face when they're trying to solve a system of equations using the substitution method. Am I right?!

Item #21: chap stick or lipstick

I hoard chap stick and I use it several times a day. This is my Merle Norman lip stick that I keep in my work bag, but my bag is kind of like a revolving door of lip care items. I can't think straight if my lips are dry. This lip stick came from another dear friend, Selena, when I went back to work after maternity leave. Isn't that just the sweetest idea ever? Lip stick can change your whole attitude.

Item #22: business binder

I keep all kinds of notes in here, separated by my Martha Stewart dividers. I love the colors, and they're easy enough to erase and relabel if necessary. I keep lists of procedures, new student forms, billing records, a sheet of notes for each family (for vacations, reschedules, etc), a sheet of notes for each of my tutors (payment information, availability, subjects taught, etc), lists of blog and website ideas, and a calendar for workshops in the office and school events. I call this my sanity binder.

Item #23: student binder

This is where I keep all of my notes about students, as well as welcome postcards for new students, pacing charts, and lists of the common core state standards by grade level. It's my go-to binder when I need to realign my materials according to the new standards.

Item #24: elementary math common core composition notebooks

This is the newest addition to my fleet. I use Semikolon tab markers to mark off each grade level. I printed out an address label for every math standard and put one on each page (except for the few that were out of order on my sheet...those were added on the lower half of some sheets). I miscalculated how many pages were in the notebooks (there are 70 rather than 100, which is standard), so they spilled over into 2 notebooks. One was supposed to be for math, and the other for ELA. This makes my OCD-tendencies flare, but I'm trying to get over it. I keep track of the unit that each standard is taught, how many times it is revisited, what materials I have in my office that help teach this standard, which assessments I have that assess students' knowledge of this standard, and ideas for activities. It's sort of like an organized way of brainstorming. I'll share more on how I'm using these and my common core filing boxes to keep track of all of my materials according to the new standards.

Item #25: business composition notebook

I used to keep so many Post-It notes all over the place. I had notes about everything from client information, to reschedules, and even business ideas. Now, I keep everything all nice and neat in one place. It feels so good to be organized!

Items not pictured:

• computer: I carry my laptop everywhere because I keep lots and lots of documents on it. I can also hook up my personal hotspot to get internet access anywhere. 
• math manipulatives: I carry around a makeup case full of manipulatives such as dice, bingo markers, base ten blocks, play money, and a mini clock. I make math as hands-on as possible for my little ones.
• student data notebooks: These are new this year, and they deserve their own blog post. I'll get on that soon.
• white boards: I carry 2 because 2 is better than 1, right?! Tandem math problems!

What do you carry around with you?