With the start of the new year, we are introducing two new features on TimeToSignUp.com.

First, you now have the ability to duplicate an item in a sign up sheet with the click of the mouse. Instead of repeatedly typing “Volunteer for 5:00 – 6:00″ when you need 5 volunteers, simply enter the item once and then click the duplicate icon 4 more times. Sign up sheets keep getting easier and easier!

Second, the more flexible registration forms are now fully implemented on the site. While they went active back in the summer of 2011, they weren’t the default for many accounts. Now all new registration forms will use the new method featuring unlimited number of fields, sorting, and reordering of fields.

Happy New Year!

FislerData is excited about the newest feature added to MyConferenceTime.com: account admins can email each teacher his/her own conference schedule as a printer-friendly .pdf attachment.

It’s easy to do:

1. Log in as a MyConferenceTime.com administrator.
2. Click on the “Schedule Summary” link in the lower left column.
3. Select the conference schedule(s) you want to send.
4. From the drop-down menu at the top of the list, select “email .pdf schedule to staff.” There are two options: one shows all scheduled conferences, the other shows all scheduled conferences as well as available times.
5. In a few minutes, teachers will receive his/her conference schedule in their email inbox.

We expect this new feature will make organizing parent-teacher conferences even easier when using MyConferenceTime.com.

We posted new help files for MyConferenceTime.com yesterday and today. We’re trying to make it easier for schools to get set up and ready for parent-teacher conferences. Please remember that despite these new help files being posted online, FislerData is always willing to personally help you with any support issues that you have.

The start of school is rapidly approaching. Some teachers look forward to it and can’t wait to get the year started. Others hold onto summer vacation as long as possible, waiting until the last minute before heading into their classrooms to get things ready for the students. But the majority are somewhere in between: they look forward to meeting their students and working with them at school, but they also enjoy the relaxation of summer.

Regardless of where you fall in your view of the school year starting, everyone can use some help with the transition from summer relaxation to school stress. We’ve compiled a few tips to make the school year get off to a good start.

1. Get your classroom organized right away. It will let you focus on your students, and having this chore out of the way will relieve a lot of the start-of-year stress.
2. For experienced teachers, look at what you’ve done on the first day of school and evaluate if it’s a good activity. If it’s good, stick with it. If it needs some adjusting, seek some advice from other teachers. And please share ideas with the rookie teachers. They’re already lost, and the school year hasn’t even started yet.
3. Consider not handing out your list of rules, policies and procedures on the first day. This is especially applicable for secondary teachers because it’s possible your students are hearing the same speeches in every class. Mix it up a little for them.
4. Set a goal. Maybe it’s to smile more. Maybe it’s to grade papers quicker, or get to some of the students’ concerts or sporting events. Once you set the goal, write it down. And if you’re really feeling adventurous, discuss it with a colleague so that he/she can keep you accountable.
5. Figure out a time to exercise during the day. Before school, after school, anytime to get the blood flowing and take care of yourself.
6. Update your webpage. Parents and students look to the Internet for information and appreciate the teachers who have updated pages.
7. Consider more technology in your classroom. Having a class party? Please consider using one of our products, TimeToSignUp.com, to simplify the organization of volunteers and food. Your first sign up sheet is free, no strings attached. We promise.
8. Make it fun! And I don’t just mean your classroom. Have fun in the numerous faculty meetings leading up to the start of school. My favorite: playing bingo with buzzwords. I find it more fun to sit with others and come up with the list of words prior to the meeting, or use one of the lists available online. Up the ante by offering a prize for the winner. And double the prize if the winner yells “bingo” out loud during the meeting.

Do you have any suggestions for new or experienced teachers? Maybe you’re a parent, teacher or student – all viewpoints are welcome.

[Photo courtesy Miami U Libraries on Flickr.]

Congratulations to Bonne DuCharme, June’s TimeToSignUp.com Subscriber of the Month. Bonne receives one of our new TimeToSignUp.com hats!

Bonne has been an active user of TimeToSignUp.com for the past few years and has made some great suggestions to help improve the site. And she makes really good biscotti. (Those of you hoping to win this glorious title in the future, take note.)

Thanks, Bonne, for your use of TimeToSignUp.com!

About a week ago, friend and business advisor Ken Mueller wrote about how to help customers. He referenced brick and mortar stores having the “leave a penny, take a penny” dish to alleviate digging for the exact change. Then he asked how small businesses can can promote sharing.

Lately TimeToSignUp.com has been getting a lot of new customers, but many of them have been starting a sign up sheet and then leaving. From what I can tell, many people couldn’t figure out how to complete their first sign up sheet.

After reading Ken’s challenge as well as getting frustrated that new customers were leaving TimeToSignUp.com (and leaving most likely dissatisfied with TimeToSignUp.com), on Friday FislerData added our version of the “leave a penny, take a penny” dish. TimeToSignUp.com now has an option for customers to automatically create a sign up sheet based on the more popular sign up sheets on the site. There are about a dozen pre-made sign up sheets that can be copied to an account so that participants can sign up right away.

• Picnic Sign Up Sheet
• Committee Sign Up Sheet
• Volunteer Sign Up Sheet – General
• Volunteer Sign Up Sheet – Weekend Shifts
• Class Party Sign Up Sheet
• Provide Meals for a Family Sign Up Sheet (every day)
• Provide Meals for a Family Sign Up Sheet (3 out of 7 days/week)
• Workshop Sign Up Sheet
• Team Snacks Sign Up Sheet
• Concession Stand Sign Up Sheet
• Swim Meet Sign Up Sheet
• Church Nursery Sign Up Sheet

Get started now!

Also, we’re looking to add more. Do you have a sign up sheet you’d like to see in the pre-made list? Or do you have a sign up sheet you’d like to “donate” to our list? (Don’t worry – we make a copy of it, and nobody will see your original sign up sheet.) We’d appreciate it, and we’re sure that other customers would be glad to see your sign up sheet in our “penny dish.” Let us know or add your ideas to the comments below.

Congratulations to Dave Truitt who won a $20 Amazon gift card for having the closest guess for our 40,000th sign up contest. Dave’s pick was only about 10 hours off – we received our 40,000th sign up at 10:01 am on May 4.

Thanks to everyone who participated. See you at 50,000!

[edit 5/5/2011: the contest is now closed]

We’re thankful that many people have signed up for food, volunteer shifts, meetings, appointments, donations – the list goes on and on. TimeToSignUp.com has been live on the Internet for two years now, and we’re proud of a milestone we’re about to hit: our 40,000th sign up.

We are having a contest to celebrate the 40,000th sign up. We’re giving you a chance to win either a TimeToSignUp.com prize pack or a gift card. The rules & entry form are – where else? – on TimeToSignUp.com. Be the closest to guess the date and time, and the prize is yours. Go ahead: [link removed because contest is over]!

Thanks as always for your continued support of TimeToSignUp.com.

Andrew

FislerData just received a new shipment of TimeToSignUp.com hats with the new logo. We’re giving the hats away, and we’re sure that you want to know all of the details.

Why are you giving away hats?
Because we can’t afford to give away iPads.

Who gets a hat?
One lucky “TimeToSignUp.com Subscriber of the Month.”

How does one get selected to be “TimeToSignUp.com Subscriber of the Month”?
The person must be a TimeToSignUp.com subscriber, use TimeToSignUp.com frequently, have lots of friends who are prospective TimeToSignUp.com subscribers, and hopefully own a digital camera so he/she can take a picture of him/herself wearing the special hat.

Is there another way to get the hat other than being “TimeToSignUp.com Subscriber of the Month”?
Cash.

Can’t you think of a better name than “TimeToSignUp.com Subscriber of the Month”?
We couldn’t, but you are welcome to. Leave a comment below.

When will the first “TimeToSignUp.com Subscriber of the Month” be selected?
In a few days.

We are providing a new option for people who need help while using TimeToSignUp.com.

If you’ve been on the site lately, you might have  noticed text at the bottom right of the screen that says “Click for Live Help.” This allows you to chat directly with TimeToSignUp.com support during support hours (which unfortunately are not 24/7).

Need help creating a sign up sheet? Not sure how to send email reminders? Having trouble setting up a registration form? Get immediate help using chat!