2 more projects completed!

I finally got my crate seats made that I have been wanting to make all summer with the help of my husband!

I actually used vinyl fabric so that I could clean them easily! I had originally picked out some polka dot fabric put but Drew talked me into using some vinyl he had left from his boat.

I also made a yarn wreath for my classroom door and added my initial and some scrapbook flowers to the top of it!

I think they both came out great!

Newest additions for my classroom

So over the past few weeks, I have been working on a few projects.

The first thing I fell in love with is the "Light Em Up" jar. Basically when a child is not nice to someone they have to pick a stick out the jar and do something nice for someone else.

Here is the link I found on pinterest with FREE printouts included!
http://kindertastic.blogspot.com/2011/12/light-em-up-random-act-of-kindness-for.html



I just bought a pack of mason jars (which I am in LOVE with Mason jars, look for more posts to find out what I do with the extras) at Walmart (12 for $9.99) and tied a ribbon around it. I then printed the free PDF, laminated them, and hot glued each activity to a large Popsicle stick.

I used another mason jar and made these Brain Break sticks. I used contact paper to get them on the Popsicle stick this time. Bacially whenever the students are looking tired or in need of an energizer, we pull an activity out the jar and do it. I found mine for FREE on pinterest at this site: (I actually can't find it, but I saved the PDF, so if you want it, email me and I will send it to you. I will continue to look for the link in the meantime).

My next craft (well task cards really) I made morning meeting greeting and morning meeting activity cards. I found them for FREE at http://www.bainbridgeclass.com/morningmeeting.htm

I printed the ones she shared and laminated them and used some binder rings to hold them together. Basically, I will use these during my morning meeting every day. There are lots of greetings and activities to choose from so the kids won't get bored.  I have been looking for something like this for a long time because I know it will build community in my classroom! I think the kids will enjoy greeting each other in new ways and then building community with a new quick class activity!

Hope you enjoyed my finds as much as I did!

Brag Buttons

So I have been trying to figure out a way to REWARD my kids.

Pinterest gives a lot of great ideas, but I have been trying to think of a way to reward the whole class.

I was reading a lot about Brag Necklaces, Brag Tags, Brag Buttons but all of that was for individual achievement. So then I started thinking...why not make Brag Buttons as a class...

The class earns it when a certain skill/profile/etc is demonstrated, and I can pick an individual that demonstrated it best to wear it.You could make it for the learner profiles or life skills or whatever skill you want your class to focus on.

I picked 6 Learner Profiles (my school is IB) that I want to focus on. Each day I plan to focus on that profile and as a CLASS look for it being demonstrated. Throughout the day (especially when we leave our classroom) I plan to pick a profile that was used as a class (even ask the class which one was used) and then as a class pick someone to represent the class and wear it in the hallway. I am hoping as we walk to lunch etc other teachers and classes will see the button (*HINT HINT my WE friends) and will ask my student wearing the button to explain it.

There may be days we proudly wear all the buttons, two of the buttons, or just one. I will start out with one and take it from there. There may even be a day we wear NO brag buttons but that will be a class or teacher decision.   I think it's going to go GREAT! But we shall see!

Pack of design a buttons from Hobby Lobby (3 Large buttons for a $1.99), scrapbook paper, scissors, and glue, home printer

the 6 buttons I made (sorry can't get pic to rotate)

close up of one of the buttons

Teacher Tool Box because well who isn't making one?

SOOOO!

My lovely teammate Katie told me a she found a teacher toolbox at a yard sale a while back and I had no idea what she was talking about, sooo she told me to search it out on pinterest and well I fell in love with it!

I have been wanting to make one for a while but was searching for some premade labels because why reinvent the wheel? HAHA!

But here is the PIN I found for it for FREE Labels to use! :) And I love this download because she includes some blank labels!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teacher-Toolbox-Kit-Turquoise-Dot-Theme


I got the toolbox at LOWES ($16.99 for a 22 drawer storage cabinet made by StACK-ON), and printed the labels from home. Just used some clear tape and there we go!

I LOVE the way it turned out! I think Raegan did too!

Gotta love pinterest and great teammates who share their finds!

How do we go home?

So again looking on Pinterest I found some amazing ideas. I found this cute idea about displaying how the kids go home. Here is what I found on pinterest...

http://tattlingtotheteacher.blogspot.com/search/label/organization?m=0

(hope it links, I'm on the iPad)


But basically it was a chart with ribbon hanging from it and using clothes pins to clip how the kids go home (since it changes so often)!


So I decided I was going to make my own version of it and I went to Hobby Lobby and I got the materials that I needed. And I made this!

It was SUPER easy! I painted a wooden plaque, glued the little wooden designs on it, stenciled the wording, and stapled the ribbon on it!

All I have left to do is buy some clothes pins so I can write the kids name on each one and pin it to the correct ribbon they go home (bus kids: will also have their bus number on their pin, as well as daycare will have the name of their daycare on it)

I LOVE IT! Thanks pinterest!

Teacher contact info

So I was researching pinterest as I always do mutiple times a day! And what did I come across today? This...

http://kindergartencupcakecrumbs.blogspot.com/2011/08/meet-greet-plus-something-sweet.html

All your contact info on a magnet to hand out to your parents instead of them copying it down and losing it? They can just slap it on their fridge and yay! WHAT? HOLLA! So I started researching places to buy business card magnets and I found http://www.vistaprints.com/!

Here's the one I made with the website! I can't wait for them to come in!

IT WAS ONLY $6.50 for 25 magnets! I was excited! Now, I am a nerd and paid a few more dollars because I wanted to personalize it a little bit more... BUT how handy will this be to pass out to parents during Open House? I am SOOO EXCITED!

Oh and if you notice I have the texting number at the bottom of the magnet for Remind101.com it's an app that you can download on your iphone or login to their website. Basically, you create a login, your parents text the above info to it (you get your own number, hehe) and they can receive notifications from you without you or them ever exchanging phone numbers! I personally don't mind giving out my cell, but for some teachers this is great if you want to text your parents! I also think it's great because even though I will have my parents' number in my phone I now don't have to create a group to text everyone... I can do it in one click from my computer or iphone and it will go straight to all my parents! YAY! The only downfall I see is that parents can't respond back...but it's good for a quick reminder of "Don't forget to bring your lunch box for the field trip" etc! Check it out!

http://www.pinterest.com/ is amazing! :)

*********OHHH and I have no idea when I view this some of the words are highlighted like "business" it doesn't show that on my side, but when it's published it's there...sorry for the advertisements...any one know how to make it go away???

first post on my teacher blog!

Well friends I finally did it! I wasn't sure I would do it or not but here I am! I finally started my very own teacher blog!

I am so excited to have finally started this! I just hope I can keep it up and run with it! We shall see! :) Taking are of my family is my first priority, but hopefully I can find a little bit of me time to work on this blog and let you know what's going on in my classroom.

I taught kindergarten for 3 years and last year I taught first grade. I will be teaching first grade again this year. I can't believe I will be starting my 5th year of teaching next month! Where oh where does the time go???

We have about a month left before teachers report back. I've just been spending my summer break with my precious baby girl and looking/dreaming at pinterest and going over my to do lists to see what I need/want to do. I haven't really bought anything besides some book cases for my classroom (pics to come later on that). But I will be doing some major shopping for my classroom in the next few weeks! Every year I spend WAY TOO much! But it's for my kiddos, so it's all good! Our district this year is going to a district wide school supply list to help cut back on school supply costs to our parents. This is exciting and stressful at the same time. It is great for parents, but I am not so sure how this is going to work out for us teachers as we already spend a lot of money ourselves on stuff for our classroom... but we shall see how the district/school plans to help us out!

My plan is to use this blog to post about new things I found or am doing in my classroom as far as management, organization, and all of our very fun learning activities! I can't promise how often I will post but I will certaintly try to do it as much as I can. I will TRY to post pictures (and less words) with all my posts etc in the future on things I am working on in the classroom, but until then later my blogger friends!

Going to get my baby girl down for a morning nap, and just maybe work on some of my school to do lists!