I recently found my way back to a Leuchtturm journal after bouncing around a few different brands and types of notebooks for a while. I even stopped a journal completely during my family’s recent cross-country move because I needed to focus on planning and to-do lists in my planner. However, it was time to move back into a notebook. As soon as I received my Leuchtturm in the mail, I remembered why I loved these notebooks for so long. When I first started bullet journaling in 2017, I was drawn to these notebooks because everyone said these were the “holy grail” bullet journaling notebooks. After years of poking around journals and trying to understand some of the lingo, I get the positives and some drawbacks of this style of notebook. This post is a review of the A5 notebook from Leuchtturm1917. It is set up in a Q&A format, and then you can take a peek at some of my Leuchtturm journals from over the years.

You don’t have to be a journal or notebook lover to be obsessed with office supplies! There is nothing like a new planner, sticky note, or pen to make you feel organized and on top of everything. Sometimes it feels like a journey to find the perfect notebook or planner. You may weigh in your mind things like size, paper style, paperweight, pen loop or no pen loop, hardcover, softcover, and more…the easier part of loving office supplies is browsing through journal accessories that will speak to your inner office supply lover and planner lover. 

Because who doesn’t feel more on top of things when they have journaling supplies in stock?

This post is a mini-shopping guide roundup of all of my favorite office supplies to buy…after the perfect notebook is already in your hands. If you are still looking for the perfect notebook or the perfect journaling system at this point, start with this post: “Choose a Journaling System That Works For You” to get you started. These are items that make journaling or using a notebook just fun and allows you to be really creative. You will also see pictures of my journal or planner because I use items like these all the time.

I first became familiar with the pre-writing portion of this assignment during a C3WP session I attended in 2019 through the National Writing Project. C3WP stands for College, Career, and Community Writers Program. If you are unfamiliar with the National Writing Project, it is an amazing network of literacy educators that often think outside of the box when it comes to teaching reading and writing. There is also a mission entrenched in the idea of “teachers as writers,” and continuing professional development as an integral way to continue building skills as an educator. Many of the writing sessions that are geared toward both adults and children focus on the inspiration from the life of the writer as a way to access the entire writing process.

Back in 2019 when I first wrote about generative writing, I said:

“...generative writing really is at the heart of all writer’s workshops because it uses the students’ interests and personal experiences to create the topics, provide the organization, and make the connections that are so necessary for engagement and comprehension.”

The term “generative” writing has a few different meanings in the world of writing.

It can take the form of an idea brainstorming in creative writing. It is often unedited and looks like a stream-of-consciousness exercise where the writer is not concerned with conventions like grammar, spelling, or punctuation. The cool thing about generative writing is that the students are the prompts. Your job as a teacher is transformative when you help facilitate the writer to discover their own writing process-including idea generation. Generative in the sense of this post means the ideas are generated from the writer’s life and then transposed into a variety of genres. This post will walk you through how to do this with argumentative writing, and then apply it to a writing workshop. 

Any teacher of literacy is going to come across this type of debate of reading levels and Lexile in their classroom and throughout their school buildings. To get right to the point: Should we, as teachers, be paying attention to the levels of reading that our students are at in terms of ability and demonstrated skill level? The answer is complicated. As a middle school teacher for over a decade, my students would enter the sixth grade at a variety of levels of reading ability and skill. This was due to a variety of factors, including tracking of students in elementary schools. The debate among educators is vast regarding reading levels and Lexile, whether or not your building has a particular strategic reading program or not. Here are some of the opinions about reading levels so you can get the gist of what everyone is talking about:

Students should be able to read any book they want. They shouldn’t be restricted to choosing books within their “range.”

Students should be limited to choosing books within their “range” because they can practice their demonstrated skillset. They can expand their selection with practice and skill acquisition. 

Students shouldn’t be told their reading levels or Lexile. 

Students should know their reading level. They are included in the process of helping them catch up. 

Teachers need to scaffold instruction with a variety of reading materials to reach students on their levels. 

Teachers need to expose their students to grade-level material to expose them to content at their grade level. 

Classroom libraries should not have publicly displayed Lexile or reading levels on books. Students should be able to choose their books. 

Classroom libraries need to be organized with a reading level in mind. Students should know what level of book they are holding in their hands to see if they can access the material. 

Programs like accelerated reader that give comprehension assessments are able to accurately show student knowledge. 

Canned programs are not able to demonstrate student understanding because it is simply measuring the student’s ability to take a test. 

There are even more viewpoints listed than the ones above. Everyone seems to have the right answer, while this post will contain my own personal opinions, it also serves as a starting point. This post is an invitation to conversation and reflection on the current practices in your classroom. As a curriculum consultant, I often will label materials with the Lexile or reading level information because it provides a means of information. Each teacher has their own opinion regarding Lexile or reading levels. In order to fully engage the conversation, educators need to understand what Lexile and reading levels are, how strategic reading classes are typically run, resources for reading level differentiation, and recommendations for selecting reading materials for your classroom. 

Journal brainstorming session (n): a time period where you think about how you will set up your journal or notebook and what theme may bring all of the layouts together

Layouts or Spreads: Individual entries in a collection in a notebook, Example: January layouts for the week, month, reflections, goals, etc

Inspiration for your journal is everywhere. This past week, I got caught up in thinking about how I might update my vision board for the month of January. Vision boards are typically collages with tons of pictures, and I noticed that I do the same process on Pinterest when I am looking for inspiration in my own journal for themes, layouts, doodles, and more. This post contains some ideas to get you thinking about your next journal entry.

• What will you learn to draw?

• What colors will you use?

• What tools will you need to make it happen?

Think of your next journal project as a vision board of creativity. This post has 12 different journaling mood boards to be a source of inspiration for your next project!

I was recently looking through Jill Jackson’s book “How to Coach Teachers to Teach (Almost) Anything: A Totally Practical Guide to Instructional Coaching” and I found myself nodding when she was talking about the difference between classroom management and behavior management. While some love talking about these topics, some stray away because of a variety of reasons: Fear of being wrong, feeling like “we are already doing everything,” or being downright frustrated with behaviors in the classroom. On the blog, I talk about all things reading and writing all the time, but the truth is, unless you have classroom management in place, the teaching of content cannot occur. This post provides a launching pad for brainstorming different areas of classroom management. The effort that goes into your routines and procedures really pays off, and then, you can focus on the skills that are attached to behavior management in your classroom.

While I am a classroom teacher and love all things office supplies, I also have many people in my life who love all things paper, office supply and feeling organized. You have to admit: There is nothing like a new planner or journal to make you feel on top of it and ready to take on the world. This post gathers some ideas about the person in your life who appreciates the same feelings you may have toward sticky notes, new pens, and stickers that can make your day better. Remember, this is a gift guide for other people, but you may find yourself clicking “add to cart” for yourself as well. My favorite thing about gifting office supplies is that the “treat yo’ self” factor does not have to be a big one. Sometimes a small pack of pencils can make my day better. Have fun spreading some holiday cheer with all things paper, writing, journaling, and organization!

Teaching inspiration often comes in cycles, especially for literacy teachers. We get excited about a reading project, and then figure out a workshop for writing that just works. We create a project for kids that gets them moving, and then come up with the perfect book-tasting setup that makes them want to read more. We hone in on the aspects of teaching that keep us going when it gets rough. Sometimes we know inspiration fades away during periods of burnout. This project with writing got my creative flow turned on again to want to research, put together, and create a lesson and activity for kids. Creative writing play kits are loose part containers that show kids how to find story ideas in everyday surroundings. They could be used for a variety of things, and you could easily create them with things you find at the Target dollar spot, local craft store, or even things around the house. Many of the things were items that my two-year-old can’t play with just yet because they were too small. This post is an outline of creative writing play kits: What they are, how to use them, and how to get inspired by putting them in front of kids.

The teaching of a poetry unit always begins the same. We talk about what is poetry, and then students will almost always give me their opinion on poetry writing as a genre. Some students love poetry. Some students immediately throw defenses up because they have notions about poetry that involve feelings, emotions, and talking about personal stuff. They aren’t wrong, but poetry is more than that perception. As teachers, we are charged with showing our students that it is okay to express feelings. It is okay to write about ourselves because it is a reflection of the safe environment we have created without our classrooms. While I have taught many different poetry assignments over the years, I have loved observing student reactions and seeing their faces when I play slam poems. It is like watching a show or attending a performance. There are tons of videos on Youtube, but this post will look at some of my favorites. Besides awesome examples you can use with kids today, I have given a few additional poems that teacher leaders could use when leading teacher training as well.

Everything that reminds me of journaling also reminds me of fall types of things. This may be the best season for grabbing a notebook and getting ready to write.

Hot beverages.

Warm blankets.

Crisp mornings.

Sunlight in windows.

Nanowrimo.

Brain-dumping worries.

Moving a little bit slower in life as we get ready for winter.

Thinking about how the goals for the year are going so far.

Getting ready to think about goals for the new year.

Whether you like the fall for the football, changing leaves, or pumpkin spice lattes, journaling has a place in everyday routine. This post is an ode to fall journaling. Think of it like a fall journaling toolkit. These are all easy things you can add to your journaling routine to get the most out of fall. Included in this post, you will find an update on my fall journaling routine, cozy fall music links to set the vibe, fun accessories and stickers, and reflective prompts to get you thinking.

Anxiety and stress have always gone hand and hand. On the blog, I have written about the natural anxiety and worry that comes with being a classroom teacher for years. Many of my posts mention waking up in the middle of the night thinking about lesson plans, feeling like I can’t get ahead of my to-do list, or wondering how to fit it all in to achieve the ever-elusive “work-life balance.” Then, I became a mama, and a newer level of worry took over. Anxiety is a natural part of life. Tapping into the fight or flight response, anxiety is one of the most natural things that someone can feel. However, when unchecked, it can also make life more difficult. Some people seem to worry more and some less. Some people cope better with stress and worry than others. No matter where you are on the spectrum of anxiety, a notebook or journal can be a useful tool to calm a busy mind. This post includes a video overview of 5 different strategies for responding to anxiety including grounding, timed release, squared release, making a creative music playlist, and growing your own thought garden. You can also go a bit slower and look at the description of the exercises in detail.

Daycare has proven to be one of the toughest hurdles so far in motherhood. I love the analogy for parenthood that our kids are our hearts walking around outside of our bodies. That about sums it up. I didn’t know how hard it was going to be to trust someone with my little heart. There are so many things to consider, research, and question when it comes to finding childcare and a daycare provider. Often, the availability of good daycare is so hard to find because of age, circumstances, or if they are full. The younger the child is the harder it seems to be. I have found daycares that weren’t a great fit for us as a family, and I have found daycares that put my mind at ease. This post is to help a mama’s mind during drop-off. Whatever your reason for needing and choosing a daycare, those reasons matter. Grab a notebook and pen and get ready to circle one of the following 25+ affirmations that stick out to you. If you need to, put it on a sticky note on your rearview mirror or take a glance at it before you start your engine.

Interested in using any notebook or journal to make life more positive? I have found that people use a notebook or journal for six different reasons: productivity or planning, expressing emotions or feelings, reflection, setting goals, learning something new, and getting inspired. The best part about journaling is that you can design a system that works for you. You do not have to have the perfect planner-you can create one! You do not have to wait to find joy-it can be found within the pages of your notebook! This post offers a basic introduction to the WHY behind journaling and also an overview of how to SETUP your notebook to get you off on the right track. You can choose how you learn throughout the post: 1.) Watch the Youtube video 2.) Review the Google Slides presentation on your own 3.) Listen to me walk you through the presentation through the Loom link.

Positivity is something we have to actively seek even when it isn’t easy. It is important to have a strategy to know how to shift from a negative place to a more positive one. This shift is known as a mindset shift because we can choose to voice our feelings, state our goals, and come up with a plan that is obtainable. You are literally shifting from a negative place to a positive one with a specific set of steps. A mindset shift can be used for a variety of reasons:

• You woke up in a funk

• You don’t feel like getting out of bed

• You are having a bad day where it feels like one thing after another

• You don’t want to work out

• You are dreading doing something

• You are struggling with motivation or procrastinating on a project

• You are completely overwhelmed

• You are cranky and no cup of coffee is helping

This post contains a quick video tutorial on how to do a mindset shift in any notebook or journal. You can also get some ideas of when to use a mindset shift from the informational slides that follow.

I often get the Sunday scaries during the school year. Sometimes, I even get summertime Sunday scaries just because my system-body and mind-have become accustomed to expecting what the coming week will hold. One strategy that always helps whatever level of scaries I am dealing with is the organization and planning of my upcoming week. I have planned my weeks for a long time now on Sundays. It has become a Sunday morning tradition where I will look to the week ahead as a fresh start, a way to get ahead, or just a way to find some time to relax. This post contains a quick Youtube tutorial that shows you 3 different examples on how to plan your week. You will also find some more weekly layout examples in this blog post and detailed directions on how to use any notebook or journal to plan your best week.

I became a teacher in 2010. I decided that I wanted to go into teaching when I was in high school, and I have never looked back…until now. When I started Writing Mindset in 2017, I wrote about the frustrations that happened within the field of teaching. Things like grading, lesson planning, and feeling like I was running a never-ending race of papers, emails, and strategies to reach young readers and writers. I always felt like I belonged in my classroom, if only I could get the amount of paper under control or figure out how to self-care my way out of stress. 12 years is a long time to try to get the balance thing right, and the secret is, that there is no balance.

Teaching is a work of the heart.

At first glance, the Passion Planner system is one that does not look like it could adapt to different types of planning and journaling. It comes with a printed layout, and using the weekly planner I have, the times are already filled in. However, after looking at some creative posts on social media, finding some awesome stickers, and using markers in new ways, I have been appreciative of how easily the Passion Planner can adapt to my needs. I just recently stopped tracking all things baby. We have a full blown TABY (toddler-baby) and her schedule is far easier to predict at this point. I have entered a season in life where I am declaring boundaries on work, and then looking at how I am taking care of myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. This post outlines how I am focusing on using my Passion Planner to become a health journal. My health journal will include a daily focus, routines, steps, exercise goals, water intake, self-love statements, and more. This post will also give lots of inspiration for creating your own health journal.

“Something has to happen…” This is what I said to one of my teaching colleagues at school regarding the level of stress, burnout, and fatigue that we were all experiencing.

I have said this in previous years, but now going into a full two years this March of teaching in a pandemic, alterations need to be made to my strategies of self-care that are realistic and adjust to the new normal of teaching and motherhood. My life has changed in a multitude of ways in the past two years.

1.) Virtual teaching and the Covid-19 pandemic created an atmosphere where we lost boundaries we never had. Teaching moved itself into our living rooms. We taught with our children on our laps, in our living rooms, and with dinner cooking during staff meetings.

2.) I became a mama. Now with an almost toddler, I am still trying to navigate my schedule on a daily basis as a classroom teacher and what that looks like after bedtime.

Classroom teaching has remained unchanged. It is just as hard as it was before, but my overall tolerance for inadequate systems is becoming something that can’t be ignored anymore. When we moved back to in-person learning, the education system as a whole tried to hold on to the things that were good about virtual learning, but we quickly fell back into old habits, routines, and schedules. We lost the social-emotional learning aspects of teaching that were so important and needed for so many children. But, we also remembered that realistic self-care wasn’t just wanted for teachers; it was needed. This post is a declaration of boundary-setting and some strategies I am going to propose regarding setting actual healthy boundaries with the profession of teaching as a whole. I am beyond wanting band aid fixes. I acknowledge that I do not have all of the answers, but one thing I know is clear: I can’t keep doing business as usual.

I have been talking to my teacher friends about something that naturally occurs each school year: Each of us will end up with at least one tougher class than the rest of the classes. This might be an advanced class that is really concerned about grades, a class that struggles with engagement or behavior, or a class that seems to constantly be at odds with each other. We have all seen the teacher memes or posts that highlight many of these ideas:

Your most challenging student will never be absent.

Dear teacher, I talk to everyone. Moving my seat will not help.

When a student asks to go to the restroom, just seconds after their best friend.

Welcome to teaching! When salaries are low, and everything is your fault.

When you find out that your worst-behaved student…has 3 younger siblings.

There’s no tired like teacher tired.

The sayings are true. We are tired. We are constantly making minute-by-minute decisions, and we are genuinely exhausted. Instead of dreading a class, I would like to offer some ways to turn that class into one that you love again. Nobody wants to be miserable. So, if some systems are put into place for both the teachers and the students, then the parameters are setup to safeguard your happiness as the leader of the classroom. You are no longer controlling chaos, but perhaps enjoying being in front of 30+ middle schoolers (at least in my position) again. This post offers 25+ tips that are designed to revise and edit classroom systems, reframe negative thinking, and insert more love and joy into your classroom for each and every hour. Take what you need. If you are struggling with a particular hour in your day, maybe you try one or two of these tomorrow or next week.

I first tried a traveler’s notebook system in the fall of 2020, and this is how I stumbled upon the narrow size or traveler’s notebook size of roughly 4.5 x 8.25”. I grabbed the traditional Midori style notebook that had elastic bands on the inside to try out the system. I loved experimenting with inserts and different sizes of notebooks, but I was hoping to still get the same notebook feeling that I get with my other bullet journals. I liked the idea of life in one notebook. After searching high and low for a traveler’s size actual notebook (not an insert), I came across the Archer & Olive company and their traveler’s size notebook. Since finding this size notebook, I now have purchased 3 of these so far. This is by far my favorite size notebook. Why? I love the size of this. It is easy to carry, and it still lays flat when I am trying to write for a larger amount of time. The only reason why it does not become my main notebook is that I need to use my planner to feel organized. This post is a complete review of the Archer & Oliver Traveler’s Size Notebook.