Commercial sewing patterns can be hard to understand. Learn how to read a sewing pattern with these easy steps. Each part is broken down into simple terms.
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College. There are the courses that prepare you for the "textbook stuff", but nothing in the world prepares you for teaching quite like actually teaching does. Learn the special ed secrets, that things you don't learn in college, only at Mrs. D's Corner.
Don't spend money on those Swiffer refills. Learn how to make reusable Swiffer Refills that you can use over and over again.
Your Ultimate Guide to Soller, Mallorca in Spain! Find out what to see & do, where to eat, sleep and drink! Enjoy!
Planning a trip to London? In this London travel guide, I give you the scoop on the tacky tourist traps in London to avoid at all costs. Some of London's vaunted attractions just aren't worth the time, expense, and crowds. Read on to discover what tourist traps to skip and what to do instead.
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Strengthen your core by adding these five ab exercises to your routine.
If you’re looking to regain some of your essential time, this is a post for you! Many of the daily systems teachers have setup for themselves and students can quickly turn into time-suc…
Do you feel like you're running in circles as a stay at home mom? Here are six things I changed in my life to help me stop wasting time.
Ever experience clothes that smell after washing and drying? Use this DIY solution to remove odor from clothes & get rid of the funky laundry smells.
FREE PIECED FABRIC MAKING OK players! Got your bin of scraps? Here's a step by step of 15 minutes of play... Put those strips of fabric away and dig out all your little bits... This will be 15 minutes of sewing... They go together quickly, Don't think, just sew! I have a box under my sewing table that I put all my itty bits in that I save for making fabric. Grab a handful of various sized scraps. Sew one on, press open. This is a good place to add in angles. Is it looking to straight up and down? Lay your next piece on at an angle.... You don't have to line up your seams. I stitched a piece on at an angle, now trim off the bit that sticks out... press it open. Always press your pieces as you sew them on, this will keep your allowances smooth and flat on the back. Keep adding bits... at odd angles, you do NOT need to follow your fabric edge when you do this. THINK ANGLES at all times... sew it on, trim off the bit that sticks out... Keep adding around and trim off pieces that stick out. SAVE the BITS and add them in other places or use to start a new block. Working on any edge that you can add to, keep adding bits and pieces to your made fabric. I am NOT focused on making a SQUARE, I am focused on making a usable piece of FABRIC. Once you have a piece about 7", lay your ruler over the fabric and cut your shape. Here I just followed the size of my ruler. Makes for easy cutting! At 15 minutes, I have on my ironing board, This fun block to play with. When you cut out your squares, try to cut the blocks that will give you the most angles. Save the bits you have cut off to start your next 15 minute fabric process... If your edges get to Curvy or crazy, just trim them to a straight edge. Just don't focus on making them square. You may find you are working with a pentagon or hexagon shape or some unrecognizable shape... just keep adding where you can. If you find your piece, as you practice, does not lay flat, then cut off the wavy bit. Once you cut that wavy part off, you will find "THAT wavy SCRAP" will lay flat after you cut it off. Save it and use it on your next block. You can continue adding to your blocks with made pieces and make even bigger blocks these blocks below are 13 inches square. Often times, I had 4 bits of made fabric that I pieced together... See if you can figure out where I sewn the pieces together. this one above started with the lower right hand section, I squared it off into a pentagon shape then added the top strip, then the LEFT long strip. Use strips of made fabric... You can make strips of fabric and join them around a funky shaped piece of made fabric... Can you see how this block came together? This last one, I had two large pieces of made fabric, and one strip. I cut them on curves and joined them together, then made one more strip of fabric to go across the top... The more angles you use the more interesting your block will get... and it you've made something that you can then try a new idea with! Sometimes you find a piece that is just so perfect and you don't want to cut it down... that is were your Y seams come in... or rather, PIVOT points... If you think of Y seams as pivot point it makes them seem less scary... And it's far better to try Y seams here then on some big fancy project... See where the fabric leads you... It's a good way to practice your sewing techniques that you may otherwise avoid... or not! Like I said, CUT IT OFF, and add something else... That's what your scissors are for! :-) Have a go... Hope this helps.
Curious about mistakes tourists make in Paris? Check out these common tourist mistakes in Paris, and how you can avoid making mistakes on your visit to France!
Work Smarter, Not Harder {10 Tips for Teachers} 10 comments Just for Teachers, Popular Posts, teacher motivation, Teacher Productivity, teacher self-care, teaching, Tips and Tricks Sometimes people ask me how I get it all done. When they ask this, they are referring to the work that has to be done outside of the actual act of teaching. The planning, the grading, the prep, and so forth. The truth is, I make it look easy because I've learned to work smarter, not harder. Once upon I time, I had a different career. I had many different tasks to accomplish each day. I had daily deadlines to adhere to and people counted on me to be knowledgeable, punctual, thorough, and prepared. The demands of this job required that I work smarter, not harder. Many of the work habits I adopted back then followed me into my teaching career, and along the way, I've added some strategies to my repertoire that are specific to teaching. While I'm no expert in efficiency and work productivity, I hope that the tips that follow help you to make better use of your time as a teacher. Make a list. Every day. Identify what needs to be done and write it down. Then, prioritize it. It doesn't matter what you use to write your list on. Like sticky notes? Great! Prefer a pretty note pad? Super! Don't give two hoots and prefer to use scratch paper or whatever is lying around? Fabulous. Just write it all down! I like to write my tasks down at the end of each day. This way, I know exactly what I need to do when I get to school in the morning. I try to write my tasks in the order they need to be accomplished, but I have also been known to write them down and then number them to the side. This is just my way of making sure I tackle the most important tasks first. And, I'm flexible about my tasks. Anything I don't get to one day (because it was low priority) gets bumped to the next day and prioritized with the next day's tasks. Get it done. Once you've identified the tasks you need to accomplish, and you've prioritized them, do them. Get to work. Quit dilly dallying. Put your phone down, stop chit chatting with your neighbor and get to work. Confession: this can be hard, but you'll have time to stalk your phone and chit chat if you get your work done first. Think of it this way, if you don't get your work done you run the risk of being unprepared, stressed out, and ineffective as a teacher. And our job is too important to chance that! Force yourself to focus and get things done as quickly as possible. If this is super hard for you and you need some external motivation then reward yourself each day/week that you get stuff done. Before you know it, it will become a natural work habit. Establish a daily work routine. Yes, there will be interruptions and disruptions, but you can still create a framework for what your work time will look like each day. Decide which tasks you will attend to each morning before school starts and each afternoon when the students are gone. Write down your thought bombs. You're a teacher, you probably have 25 random thought bombs a day....when you aren't at school. Sometimes I get random ideas or remember small things that need to be done when I'm not at school. To help me remember these things, I carry a small notepad in my purse. And I keep one on my nightstand as well. Sometimes, I email myself from my phone! This way, I can easily record those little reminders and ideas as they come to me and I won't have to waste time trying to remember my thoughts and ideas when I'm back at school the following day. Establish an email schedule. What I mean by that is, pick a time of day that you will read your emails. I tend to read mine first thing in the morning. We don't have a "desk job" so checking email periodically throughout the day is not always practical (or smart). Maybe you opt to check it first thing and immediately after school. Great! The point is, create a routine that works for you and your situation. I also have a policy of responding to emails within 24 hours. Keep in mind that you don't need to respond to every email you get. So many of the emails we get as teachers are FYI type emails. Don't bother with responding to those. Finally, I also have a policy of never checking my email from home. You never know what's lurking in that inbox, so I err on the side of caution and refuse to even log into my email from home. Work emails get read when I'm at work. End of story. Collaborate. Whether it's with a like minded individual or your grade level, collaboration can make your job so much easier. Keep in mind that collaboration isn't dolling out or splitting up responsibilities. It's discussing and evaluating the material you plan to/are expected to teach your students. The point of collaboration is to help you perfect your craft and effectiveness as a teacher. So, make sure you confer with people who will help you achieve this. Set limits. Leave your work at school. Teaching is demanding. It demands your energy, focus, and your time. Time is the biggie. And let's be honest, there isn't that much time in the day. How do some teachers cope with this? They take their work home. Even I have fallen victim to this, but in the past several years, I have set limits on what/when I take work home. See, I'm not just a teacher. I'm also a mom, and a wife, and human being with interests outside of my job. When I'm at work, that is my priority and when I'm at home that is my priority. It has to be. Now, as I said, there are times when I bring work home, such as when I am *seriously* behind on grading (it happens, friends) or need to work on report cards. This is something I need to do free of distractions (and on a computer that works more efficiently than my ancient desktop at school). I can bust out more report cards at home, once my little one has gone to bed, than I ever could at work. Other than that, my work pretty much stays at school. It all boils down to prioritizing your workload at school and sticking to a routine. When you find what works for you, you won't feel the need to regularly bring work home and when you do bring it home on occasion, you won't feel as guilty. Grade like a boss. Say what? What I mean by that is, know what you're going to grade. Mark it in your lesson plans, or put a sticky note on those materials to remind you so that when you give that assignment you know you're planning to use it for a grade. Then, set aside a day or two each week to enter grades. This way, you are able to enter them without spending huge chunks of time doing so (and parents knocking on your door pestering you as to why you haven't entered grades in the past month). Remember, you don't have to grade everything. If you've completed an assignment together in class, don't even collect it from students. Send it home! If you want to look over class work (and you probably should), you could spot check certain assignments, depending upon what it is. Or, you could go over it in class so your students are able to see how they did right there on the spot, saving you time in the long run. Take a break. Or two. During the school day. No, I'm not suggesting you run out into the hall and hide from your students, but just like your students, you need a brain break here and there too! Last year, our second graders endured an extremely long afternoon in the classroom. Most of that three hour chunk of time was core curriculum. It was a challenge for all of us, but thank goodness for brain breaks! On most days it was obvious that the kids needed a break, and some days, so did I. Go Noodle to the rescue! After our brain breaks, we were ready to refocus. The brain clutter was gone and the students were able to move onto the next set of learning tasks with a fresh mind. More importantly, I was able to tackle the next lesson with a fresh, decluttered state of mind. NOTE: While Go Noodle is a super easy way to facilitate brain breaks, I know that some people have extremely hard core firewalls and can't access this site. No worries. Play a game of Simon Says, or lead your students in some stretching exercises. You could even line up your class and walk a few laps around the school. If anyone asks, tell them you're practicing your hallway procedures. ;) The point is, it's OK to take a break, it's natural! Doctors, police officers, and everyone in between take them. And, it's a well known fact that breaks refuel and recharge the the body and mind, and teachers shouldn't think that breaks are off limits. You're the professional, use your judgement to facilitate breaks as needed in your classroom because you will all benefit in the long run. Make time for you. Find time in your day to focus on YOU! Focus on something other than teaching. Yes, we love what we do, and yes, we are passionate about it, but it isn't healthy to focus on teaching all.of.the.time. Read a book, find a hobby, get your nails done, binge watch Netflix. Whatever! Just make sure you carve some time out for you to focus on other things. Otherwise, you fail to take care of yourself and run the risk of burnout and/or unnecessary stress. Plus, you're worth it. ;) Read more about Teacher Self-Care HERE. Do you have any favorite "work smarter, not harder" tips to share? Comment below! DON'T FORGET IT, PIN IT! Share It:
There is nothing more frustrating than scheduling writing time, carefully preparing your coffee or tea, finally sitting down at your computer or notebook, and then… staring. You start a sentence. “Bah, that sounds terrible.” You get a few sentences down, then you re-read them and think, “That made a lot more sense in my […]
If you want to declutter and organize iPhone photos I’ve got your back. I’ll show you how I declutter my photos to save space and how I organize them so I can easily find photos. Why you should organize iPhone photos Organizing your iPhone photos can have several benefits. Firstly, it can save you time...
A layover in London includes a quick sightseeing tour and a view of the city from above on the London Eye.
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Vegetable broth is a necessity in vegan and vegetarian cooking, and a great way to add in an extra bit of flavor to grains and otherwise bland components. And what better way to make it than with ZERO WASTE!
Are you looking a way to get your class quickly and quietly to the carpet? There are 30 different songs and chants to help make transitioning to the carpet fun for your students! Eliminate the "extra" time wasted getting kids to the carpet that are talking and not focused. These chants help keep your kids engaged singing so you don't lose that precious teaching time! What's included? 2024 - Updated 5/4/24 - Songs Zipped Folder (Previous version) 30 Poster sized Carpet Songs 30 card sized Carpet songs (same songs smaller size) Prep: 1. Print out the cards (Optional: Use card stock for durability) 2. Laminate for durability 3. Put up on your morning meeting anchor chart or clip them together on a binder ring for easy use. Have classroom jobs? Have a student choose a card each time your class transitions to the carpet/ rug time. Don't forget to write feedback. You get FREE money to spend on Teacher's Pay Teachers!! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected] . Need a special order? Check my FB page "Carolyn's Creative Classroom" and write a post under "personal requests." Thank you for visiting my store! Miss. Hacker Carolyn's Creative Classroom
Enjoy the delicious taste of pears all year long by canning them. It is simple to do, and will let you savor the fresh flavor whenever you please. They are delicious right out of the jar, or to use in pies, crisps, and many other desserts.
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During classroom transitions, student like to get off task and talk, causing time to be wasted. These classroom management strategies can help you save time in the classroom while speeding up your transitions so that you have more time for teaching.
The 80/20 Rule Credits to Eric Partaker, follow him for more insightful cheat sheets. ------ Here is the original post: Steal this cheat sheet to achieve…
Can You Freeze Pasta? Yes but follow these steps to freeze pasta the right way. Avoid soggy leftovers and freeze pasta and spaghetti the right way
