Monday Made It - Arc Punch

Did you notice that title?

It didn't start with The One...

I don't know if anyone pays attention to that or even cares, but for me making the decision to no longer continue that was a big one.  

But I feel like it is hard to come up with good catchy titles that aren't extremely wordy.

So I'm letting it go.

I guess making that decision could be my first Monday Made It item.  Ha!

Monday Made it is easily my favorite teacher link up.

I love it for two reasons.

1. It motivates me to get stuff done.

2. I get so many awesome ideas from others.

Here we go...

Last Thursday I bought myself a new toy.

The arc system desktop punch.

For the past several years my teacher notebook has been housed in a big 3-ring binder, which I have loved.  

But a few years ago I started noticing that teachers were taking their pages to office stores and having them spiral bound.

While I loved that idea, I didn't like that I couldn't add pages to my notebook.

I even had my notebook bound and then didn't use it.  I threw it in the trash and went back to my binder.

I feel like the binder is so bulky and when opened to my calendar it takes up too much desk space.

So I decided to invest in the arc punch.

And I must say I am LOVING it!!!

My notebook is now arc bound.  I love that is smaller than the binder and I can fold it back on itself so it doesn't take up as much desk space.

I can add or remove pages with no problem.

I have been making all the things to add to my notebook.

I made section covers - which I still need to add tabs to those, but my washi tape is at school.

I found this pin awhile back and decided to recreate it to go with my travel theme.

I made my calendar awhile back.

I like to add things with washi tape.  We all know assemblies get canceled or rescheduled.  Washi tape allows me to move it with no trouble.

In fact I had originally hole punched my calendar for my binder.  I reprinted it to add to my new notebook and just moved the washi tape from the old calendar to the new one.

And the last item I have finished for my notebook - there are several things still in the works - was inspired by MiddleSchoolMotivation.

I follow him on instagram and have loved seeing all his middle school motivation quotes.

I want to do this in my classroom next year, but I know that if I have to find a new quote each week I will quit as soon as I start.

So I decided to be proactive.

I gathered my quotes and made a schedule.

This will ensure I always have a quote and I won't duplicate.

My notebook is definitely my new favorite teaching item.

The One with Homework, a Toolbox, and Clips.

Summer Break is in full swing.

I'm not sure that it's fair to call it a break.

I've already attended three workshops and did 2.5 hours of PD online.

Of course I've also done plenty of this...

Sorry...this post has quickly gone away from the topic at hand.

Homework Bingo.

I was working on my new Bingo board for next year when I realized I have never shared it on the blog or on Instagram.

That needs to be remedied so let's get started.

Let me start with the homework part.

My students receive their math homework every Monday.

It looks like this...

Homework is due every Friday.

The homework is divided into days...the only real reason for this is to help students pace themselves throughout the week.

Any student who turns their homework in on time gets to write their name on the Bingo board.

The letters & numbers are road maps to go with my travel theme.

On Friday I draw a winning square.  Any one with their name in that square gets to scan a QR code for a prize.  If there are multiple names in the winning square, they all win.  If there are no names in the winning square, no one wins that week.  I do not draw until I have a winner.

My students loved this last year and it was a big motivator from some of those kids who wouldn't normally do their homework.

This was my teacher toolbox.

It got a little makeover this past week.

Stay tuned...it may get another makeover before school starts.  I'm not totally loving how it turned out.

I also added some spray paint and washi tape to a few binder clips.

So much cuter than the plain black.