My Teacher Tool Box

I have coveted The Teacher Tool Box since I first saw it on Pinterest last year. I obsessed over it. I would find my mind drifting to it when I was trying to find supplies in my desk. I thought I was organized with my drawer organizers until I saw The Teacher Tool Box. It is the Holy Grail of school supplies and I needed it to be mine.

So I began pinning ideas. Here were my top three favorites:

http://flipflopteacher.blogspot.com/2011/08/2011-2012-classroom-still-under.html

http://classroomdecorandmore.blogspot.com/2013/05/teacher-tool-box.html

For the last photo I could not find a link. If you simply type 'teacher tool box' into your search box on Pinterest, you can find tons of adorable ones. The two links above post great tutorials for how to customize your tool box. 

The one thing that I noticed that was different about each toolbox was the way the labels were made. Some decided to print labels to fit inside, others used scrapbook paper and stickers, and the last photo I featured I believe used a combination of wooden letters and labels. Some preferred using Mod Podge to adhere the labels while others used double-sided tape.

So after much rumination obsessing, I finally made a trip to Lowes. I searched high and low for the "Stack-On 22-Drawer Storage Cabinet." I figured it would be in the aisle with all of the tool organizers. WRONG. Finally I pulled up the item on my phone and showed it to an employee who led me down the aisle where all of the nuts, bolts, and screws are. Go figure.

When he handed me the organizer, I realized that it looked MUCH smaller than I expected. (Expos, highlighters, and sharpies fit into it no problem but pencils will not fit and pencils need to be placed diagonally.)

http://www.lowes.com/pd_354713-941-DSB-22-3_0__?productId=3381356

It comes in navy blue. I have heard that Home Depot carries it in different colors but my boyfriend, Justin did not look so keen on the idea of going to another store so I simply said "I'll just spray paint it." They also come in bigger and smaller sizes and can be stacked.

After making a stop at Michael's to pick out scrapbook paper, double-sided tape, and stickers, we made our way home where I measured each drawer (under the lip for length & across the front for width). I left about an inch extra so that I would have room on each side to tape it. I cut 14 of these for the smaller drawers and 8 for the larger drawers.

I decided which drawers would hold which supplies and used my stickers to spell out the label on scrapbook paper for each drawer. I realized that I didn't have stickers small enough to label the small drawers so I created labels on my computer using Word, making sure that the font was just small enough to fit inside each drawer (much cheaper and easier). I cut out these labels and adhered them to the scrapbook paper using double-sided tape. I taped each strip of scrapbook paper to the inside of the drawer using 2 strips of double-sided tape on either end. It sticks to the plastic well.

A picture of one of my larger drawers. You can see the extra paper on the side where I taped it down.

After all of my drawers were finished I waited for an afternoon where it wasn't pouring to spray paint my tool box. My advice: Make sure you use a spray paint that also has a primer in it. Do not spray too close to the tool box or it will bubble. Spray in bursts rather than in one continuous stream.

The finished product! I can't wait to use it!

The Blogging World

I am going into my second year of teaching at a high school in Palm Beach County, Florida. I never thought I would go into teaching, as a matter of fact I dismissed the idea many times growing up. My dream was to pursue a career in criminal justice. After working for two years as a juvenile probation officer, I found myself overworked and underpaid.

After taking and passing the English certification exam, I was offered (and accepted) a job before I had even considered leaving probation. Cue a two-week scramble to leave my job, create substitute plans, and prepare a classroom. I began teaching one week after school had already started. Needless to say, it took me the entire year to catch up.

I set a goal at the end of the school year to become more organized and better at teaching. The journey to becoming this way, I decided, would have to begin over the summer. So with the help of Pinterest, some ideas I had that worked this year, and innovation I have begun planning my curriculum and my classroom. I found out at the end of last year that I will not be teaching 9th grade Intensive Reading/English and 12th grade English again.

Instead, I will be teaching 10th grade Intensive Reading/English. We have just transitioned from the FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test) to a brand new test called the Florida Standards Assessment and are beginning to use a brand new textbook (HMH Collections).

With all of the new changes coming, I decided to create this blog for self-reflection and to share my ideas.

Looking forward to the 2014-2015 school year!