This Just In...

I got a Cricut, I got a Cricut, I got a CRICUT!!!  :)

I barely know how to work it, and I am a little obsessed already!!  My mind is spinning with ways to use it.  This is my first project...I ordered a toolbox from Amazon, then made the pretty labels with my Cricut.  Now all of my teacher supplies will be in one spot!  Pretty excited about this...y'all know me and organization!  ;) 

I've been Googling and YouTubing tips and ways to use my Cricut, but if you have suggestions or fun tricks, please comment on this post and let me know!  I would love to hear them!

Here are some other things I've been working on this week for my classroom:

These are my yarn letters...love how they turned out!

I told y'all I have been making some purchases, and a couple of my most recent ones are these bookshelves.  I am sooooo excited about this!  For years, I have had two large mismatched bookcases in my classroom, and they are such an eyesore!  So, I purchased four of these stacking cubes, and a bench to go in the middle of them...

Here is a picture from Pinterest...mine will look somewhat like this.  

I recovered the bench cushion that came with the bench.  You will soon find out about me (if you don't know already) that I DO NOT sew.  Never.  I don't do it.  I don't even want to learn how to do it.  So when I say I recovered the cushion, it means that I used hot glue to do it.  :)  I can do anything with a hot glue gun that you can do with a sewing machine.  You'll see.  

Check back for pics of the finished product next week!


Just a note, guys...I see you all looking at my blog, and I LOVE IT!  Please remember to follow me by email...that way, any time I post, you will be notified.  Also, leave me a comment so I can know your thoughts.  I love hearing new ideas! 

I'll be posting my resources for our first Scott Foresman Reading Street story this week as well.  I will also be posting some "before" pics of my classroom soon!  :)  

'Til then!

Rit Dye, Modge Podge, and Scratch-offs!!

Whew...my first REAL week of summer, really.  I have been consumed with presentations and workshops and haven't actually had a chance to relax and hype myself up for next year.  After much thought, I have decided to give my classroom a big makeover and change the "theme" (if you will) to blues, greens, and yellows.  I'm not much for an actual theme, so a color scheme seems to work better for me.  So everything that you see me post that I have made this summer will probably be one of those colors.  :)  We've been told that we can work in our rooms beginning on the 9th of July, and I'm excited to get in there, rearrange, and gear up for a new year.  Here's what I've been up to this week.


These are my cool clothespins that I first dyed with Rit dye, and then hot glued a thumbtack to the back of...I think I will use these for my "Proud Wall," a bulletin board where students can display work that they are proud of from my classroom.  Here is the pic I saw on Pinterest.  And I even have lots left over that I didn't glue thumbtacks to that I will just use for my clothesline in my room.

Clothespins in the Rit dye

I decided not to do the cereal boxes taped together and wrapped in scrap paper...I ordered some white cardboard magazine holders instead.  I will be using these for book boxes...you'll see later.  :)






I'm still working on my monster of a painted foam mat to go in one of my reading nooks...whew...it's gonna be cute though!!


I also made a few other things this week...


I've been looking for a way to reuse all of these formula containers...so...I just wrapped them with yarn, stuck a cute label on there, and...voila!  These will go at each table for supplies.

Thanks, Similac.  :)

These are my good behavior scratch-off tickets.  I just have to cut them apart. This is a link from ArtMind on how to make these...a word to the wise, though...if you use lots of dish detergent, the paint kind of slides to the middle...next time I do these, I will just use a tiny drop. There is a template HERE for you to edit and use!  ;)

Clipboard that I recovered with scrap paper and modge podged...I will use this with peel-off labels for anecdotal notes at small group.

Front

Back

Ya'll, I have been making some purchases...don't tell my husband though!  :)  Kidding...he knows my obsession.  I ordered a Cricut finally, and I can not wait to get it and play with it!  I also ordered this cool pencil sharpener that has rave reviews.  If you teach, you know the hassle that is the pencil sharpener...they either break halfway through the year, eat up pencils, or are so deafening that they drive you crazy...hope this one is better!!

My orders should be in soon, and I have lots of crafts up my sleeve!  


My next projects are going to be more curriculum-focused as well...I will be working on the first week of school projects and our first story, Frindle.  Check back next week, and see what I've been working on...'til then!  

Popsicle Sticks, Punch Cards, and Presentations

Well, I've been busy all last week working on my Pinterest projects and our presentations this week at UNA.  I have managed to complete more than three classroom projects *cheers* and prepare for five, YES FIVE, presentations this week (with Shelly's help, of course!!)  I haven't forgotten about my kiddos, though, as we also did some fun projects last week.  We've been busy!  Here's what we've been up to...

Projects for my classroom:  

I can't take credit for these great ideas--you can find links to the original posts HERE.

This is my "Great Readers" mirror...I am going to face this toward my small group table so that students can see themselves as they are back there with me.  Isn't this a fun way to motivate struggling readers?  I think I will probably end up adding some kind of border to it.

Speaking of small group table...I made these pointers out of popsicle sticks for students to use as they follow along while we read, either in small group, OR I made enough to use during whole group, too!  And speaking of popsicle sticks, I made these multiple choice sticks for students to use for quick checks at the small group table.

This project is the one I'm most excited about...my good behavior coupon box!!  I LOVE this and can't wait to use it.  I was tired of buying "treasure chest" stuff for good behavior, and when I saw these coupons for FREE rewards.....I knew I had to have it for my room.  I'm going to couple that with the behavior punch card...each child will get a punch card, and when they receive 10 punches, they can choose a good behavior coupon from the box.  Soooo excited!  

*The link to the free PDFs is here.








I didn't get to the painted foam mat last week because I couldn't find one that was as thick as I wanted.  I'm moving that project to my to-do list for this week.  :(


Dax has been busy this week, too.  Here he was painting using different toy cars.  See the different patterns that the treads make on the paper?  He thought this was soooo cool!

Okay, these ice cubes were tha bomb!!  I don't know what the obsession was with these, but Dax LOVED them.  They are just ice cubes made from water and a drop of food coloring.  He caught them with his net, he bounced on his trampoline with them, he fished them out of the water with a spoon, he asked to make more.  :)  Easy, but a couple of hours of fun!!

What a busy and fun week!  


This is Shelly and me at UNA working on our presentations.  All of our presentation resources are posted on my blog as well.  Check them out!  :)

What's on the Pinterest list this week, you ask?  Along with the painted foam mat...

       +

Sorry for the long post, but with our presentations, I have been out-of-pocket for a few days!

Professional Social Networking Tools for Educators

Here are resources for our third presentation this week.  All of these involve using social networking tools as a professional educator.

Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX)

STI PD

Oracle of Bacon

How can being involved in a social network benefit you professionally?

Twerminology Quiz

Twitter

PDSN Twitter Page

bit.ly

TweetDeck

Facebook

PDSNFacebook

ALEX Facebook

Google+

SWAT Team Blog

BLOGS TO EXPLORE:

huttonfifth210.blogspot.com

blog.kathyschrock.net

kilbykids.blogspot.com

www.freetech4teachers.com

ALEXville

ALEX blog/

Pinterest

Fancy

PLN Challenge

End of Module Survey

Pinterest Inspired

I looooove Pinterest...I mean, who doesn't??  The problem I have, though, is that I pin a million things, but only get around to making a few.  This summer, I have decided to give myself a project.  I want to make at least 3 things a week for my classroom that I have seen on Pinterest.  And I'm thinking if I tell all of you, I will feel a little obligated to actually do it.  So here goes, people.  The three projects that I will complete this week are:


Good Behavior Box

Painted Foam Rug

Smart Reader Mirror

Look for pics of my completed projects soon!!