Where's my hall pass?

I'm linking up with Reagan from Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits for a super-duper linky!

When I read Reagan's blog post about this linky, I knew I just had to join.  Here's how she described it:

" I don't know about you, but I could definitely use a hall pass!  Time to gather my thoughts, make funny faces in the mirror as I create a sink of bubbly water.  Maybe chat it up with the lady in the stall next to mine?  It's that time of year!  Kids know the routine, they know the work expectations, and they know how to get a few minutes to themselves!

Teachers, where's OUR hall pass?!  "

 Hilarious! And so.so.true.

Check out the categories below.

Product: Considering I began creating products just last week, I only have TWO to choose from.  Decisions, decisions.  I will have to go with this one:

It has been so much fun to create this for my classroom, try it out and discover it works, make it "cute" for TPT, and UPLOAD! 

Area: This is currently (by far!) my favorite area at the moment.  

(Click the picture to read more about our Safe Place and to grab a freebie!)

I have spent a lot of time and attention teaching my students how to use our safe place.  It is a place that the teacher the students can go to calm down, breathe, and refocus.  It works most.of.the.time. which in my opinion is SUCCESS!
Feel like punching someone right about now? Why not go to the safe place to calm down.
You're crying uncontrollably because your purple crayon broke? Head on over to the safe place.
You've asked to go to the nurse for the tenth time today because your left nostril hair hurts? Grab some boo boo cream in the safe place.
Need to blow off steam because your pencil box fell off your desk, yet again?  SAFE PLACE to the rescue!


 Signal: This is a great question because it is honestly one that I have been struggling with.  I cannot wait to learn other signals from this linky! I have a few tricks up my sleeve, but could always use more.

I Say "Class" and my students say "Yes"

This comes from Whole Brain Teaching.  

I usually sing this, or say it in a silly voice.  This gets their attention when they are talking to their elbow partner on the carpet.

I use a special song to signal my students to clean up from centers.  I used to ring my bell (just two weeks ago!) but the signal had turned into EVERYBODYYELLATTHETOPOFYOURLUNGS that it's clean up time and go find your best friend to tell them what you will be playing at recess and ask the teacher a million questions and please will you tie my shoe and I just stepped on my base ten blocks but I don't feel the need to clean up because I really need to get that drink of water and please for heaven sakes do not clean up your center I only just rang the bell because I really like the sound of it!..... We had the honor of starting fresh with a new transition signal to help with this chaos minor issue.

I have made a playlist on my Ipod for Math Centers.  We go to two math centers a day, so the playlist lasts 45 minutes long with the clean up song exactly at the time to switch from the first center to the second center and to clean up the second center.  It's glorious because I don't even need to do anything.  And it keeps me on schedule.

Sanity: Recently I have kept sane by taking a step back while I am in the classroom and finding the humor in things.  I am usually all serious. All the time.  But lately I have been looking and noticing the cute and silly things that first graders do.  I find myself smiling to myself or chuckling in my head because of their patterns and behaviors.  Laughter is the best medicine, right?  

The only other thing I can think of that keeps me sane is my 6am coffee!  It's what gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps everyone happy! "It gives shy people the courage to do what they have to do." (oh wait. maybe that's biscuits.)

Whew.  There it is.  It feels good to finally get my own hall pass.  

Where's yours?