Let The Work Begin!

I have a little less than 3 weeks before teacher work days begin.  I have purchased and made almost everything I want for new school year. 

I am slowly getting my classroom bulletin boards ready for the new school year.  This is my first completed one.  What do you think?

I will be taking pictures of my students wearing a cowboy hat and bandana and placing it on the wanted job posters.  I am going to use the sepia setting so that it will stay with the theme.

I have a long way to go, but when I finally finish my classroom I will post a room tour.

Here are the three borders I am using throughout my room.  I purchased the borders from Scholastic and Mardel’s:

These are the other things I purchased from Mardel’s.  I am jealous of those of you who live close enough to visit their store.  I have only made online purchases.

Did you notice… my classroom will have a Western theme?

I purchased this pocket chart from Walmart for $12.97.  I was surprised to see this in the store.  It is well made and has 27 paper slots.  I saw them in red, blue, and black.  I know a lot of teachers use it for students’ mail, but I plan to place graphic organizers, reading response sheets, and other forms that students will need on a regular basis in it.  This way they have access to them without needing my help.  I can also clearly see when more copies are needed.

I purchased these two pocket charts from Target.  If I remember correctly they were $3.00 each.  The first one shows the folders that I will be using in them.  The second one shows the folders that come with the pocket chart. 

I purchased new library book baskets for my room, too.  They came from Michael’s.  They were pricey but I won’t have to purchase new baskets again.  They come in 3 sizes and I purchased the medium and large ones.

Both baskets hold a great number of books.  The smaller baskets will hold my series and author study books.  The larger baskets hold books by genre and all of my nonfiction books. I will do a post on my new library in a couple of weeks. 

I have two items, genre posters and calendar pieces,  in my TPT store that I made for my western theme.  You can pick them up by clicking on the pictures below:

Before the end of the week I will be sharing the chapter books that I have chosen to read to my students.

Until next time!

Monday Made Its - Smile Box, Random Number Selector, and Overalls Organizer

Okay, yes, I am a little late to the party.  The good thing is that it is still Monday.

I am linking up with Tara at 4^th Grade Frolics for her wonderful linky… Monday Made Its.

 

Up first is my “Smile Box”.  This will be used for my students to write thank-you notes to their classmates for doing something throughout the week that made them smile.  Each morning during morning meeting I will read two of three and the students will be able to add the thank-you note to their rings.  They will keep their rings on the side of their desk to read when they need a little pick-me-up.

I bought the tin container from Hobby Lobby on clearance for 80% off!  It was white and lime green, but I spray painted it to match my classroom decorations.  (This year I am decorating my room with denim, smiley faces, and daisies.  You can read about it here.) 

After spray painting the container, I added the smiley faces on two sides and denim pockets on the opposite two sides.  The pockets will hold the slips for the students to complete.  The completed forms will be placed inside the container.

 

 

 

 

My second project was desperately needed!  Each of my students have a number that they use for various things in our classroom.  Previously I have used popsicle sticks with numbers written on them with a black sharpie marker to assist me in randomly calling on students.  I see so many beautiful ones on Pinterest, so I decided it was time for me to step up my game.  Here is my new set.  I like these so much better.

 

Lastly, are my helpful overalls.  My mom bought these for me from a thrift store and sewed the legs up and folded them in the inside.  I will use this beside my small group table to hold all of my favorite writing utensils and small group supplies.  After I get my classroom set up, I promise to come back and show you pictures of how it looks with my actual supplies in it.  I will purchase a cute child size hanger before it goes in my classroom, so please ignore the oversized back hanger. 

I am happy to have these three projects completed.  Don’t forget to stop by 4th Grade Frolics to see the other Monday Made It projects.

Take care!

Classroom Purchases, Winners Announced, and OH NO! Not My Laminating Pouches!

I want to thank everyone that stopped by my blog this week to help me celebrate reaching 100+ Followers.  Congratulations to the winners of the giveaway and they are…

#56 Kim V. - $25.00 gift certificate to Teachers Pay Teachers

#194 Katie O - $50.00 worth of products from my Teachers Pay Teachers Store.

#245 Kristi – Box of my favorite teacher/school supplies

I have sent each of you an email.

I have purchased a few things for my classroom and I thought I would share some of my purchases with you.

1.  A.C. Moore Craft Store had these wonderful storage boxes on sale and I couldn’t pass by them without picking up four for my classroom.  They are a jean print, which I ABSOLUTELY love!

 Positives:

·      they fold down easily to store them over the summer

·      sturdy enough for my 4^th graders to sit on with a cushioned top (I had one of my 14 year old sons test it out for me.)

·      remove the lid for hidden storage

They also come in several animal prints.

2.  I purchased new borders for my classroom from Carson Dellosa.  I ordered the wood planks and grass border.  These will work well with my camping theme.

3.  Fleece is perfect for classroom pillows and to cover the tops of sitting benches.  My mother sews pillow covers for my classroom when I change themes and I just slip off the old cover and put on the new ones.  Since they come off so easily, I wash them about 4 times a year.  The fleece washes well and my students love the feel of it, too.   I will show you my new pillows next month when I post about my finished classroom.  Here are the pictures of the fabrics.

The fleece was purchased at JoAnn’s Fabric and Crafts, Hancock Fabrics, and Hobby Lobby.

It feels good to have some things marked off my to-buy-list.

Now for some heartbreaking news!  Last week, I was informed by a manager at my local Sam’s Club that they will no longer carry the laminating sheets that come in the 200 count pack for $20.00.  They will be replaced sometime in late August but he doesn’t know which brand, the quantity, or the new price. He did say that Sam's Club still had some in the warehouse that can be purchased online.  I ordered 3 packs but should have purchased 6!  I hope the replacements are of the same quality and are still at a great price.

What purchases have you made for your classroom in the past week?

I just posted a new back to school item in my TPT Store. 

Me: The True Story Paper Bag Book

This is a great back to school activity for your students to complete in class and share with their classmates. It will also make a great keepsakes to take home.

You will find step by step directions, including pictures of each step, on how I put together this paper bag book. This is only my suggestion but you are free to have your students put it together any way you choose.

This is a list of the pages:

Title Page (I have included two different ones.)
All About Me (2 pages and 1 for the pocket)
My Family (2 pages)
The Strong Me (2 pages and 1 for the pocket)
My Goals for School and Home (2 pages)
My Favorites (2 pages and 1 for the pocket)
My School (2 pages)
My Classmate (2 pages and 1 for the pocket)
I also included to blank pages.

I encourage my students to color the page borders to brighten up their books.

I will send a free copy to the first person that guess how many students I currently have on my class list for the upcoming school year.  You can purchase one here.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Task Cards - How I Use and Store Them

I have been away for a while due to needing some time to rest after a long school year. 

Just as the school year ended, my laptop crashed (without warning!) and I had to purchase a new one.  Fortunately, my step-father gave me an external hard drive that I had been using to back-up my files.  If you aren’t backing up your documents, I STRONGLY suggest you do this immediately!  I could not have imagined losing all that I had saved on that laptop.

The last time I blogged, I had a small giveaway for my favorite color crayon out of a 24 box Crayola crayons.  Unfortunately, no one was able to guess my favorite color.  I would still love to giveaway the product.  If you would like to win one, please go here and take a guess. Read the comments, my mom left you a hint.  I will send a copy to the first person who can guess my favorite color.

My students and I love using task cards in the classroom. They are convenient and there are so many ways you can use them.  Here are a few ways I use them in my classroom:

·      to play Scoot  (I love any chance for them to get up and move!)

·      I hang them around the walls of my classroom for students to walk around and solve.  (another opportunity to move)

·      literacy and math centers

·      small groups

·      whole class – I place them under the projector and show them on the SMART Board.  The students use their white boards to answer the task card.  This is a good way to do an informal assessment.

·      Jeopardy game – I place them in a pocket chart and assign a value to the question.  We play the game just like the original game of Jeopardy.

·      To play Quiz, Quiz, Trade

For my first year of using these wonderful tools, storage was a HUGE problem.  I could not find a system that worked for me.  I needed something that would hold task cards (of all sizes), answer keys, and the recording sheets.  I like to have everything in one place.

About three years ago, I found a perfect solution to my problem.

Here are the six things I use when preparing my task cards for classroom use and storage.

 

laminating sheets – to laminate the task card cover sheet and the task cards

scissors – to cut out the task cards, like you didn’t know that

Ziploc (in this case Dollar Store Brand) bags – I buy the sandwich, quart, and gallon size bags.  I place the task cards in the bags depending upon their size.

glue dots – I use these to attach the laminated cover sheet to the front of the 9x12 clasped envelopes.  One dot in each corner has been enough for me.

velcro mini dots – I attach two of these to the back top of the envelope to keep them closed.  Over the years, I have found that those clasps don’t hold up well after being opened and closed several times by nine and ten year olds.  Velcro is easy and last over the wear of being used.

 

9x12 clasped envelopes – I attach the laminated cover sheet to the front of the envelope.  Then I place the answer key, recording sheets, and task cards in the envelope.

This system may seem like it has a few too many steps, but after trying many different ways… this is definitely what works best for me.  My task cards have lasted for a few years and very few have gone missing.  Not one has been torn or destroyed…said as I knock on wood

Here is a post where I share where I store these envelopes.

Check out Melissa’s post at Common Core & SoMuch More for other ways to store task cards.

Do you use task cards in your classroom?  I would love to hear how you use them and your storage solutions.

Dollar Tree Finds, Crayon Storage, and a Small Giveaway!

I posted here about needing to find a sturdy container for my students to keep their crayons safe. I am always finding broken, dirty, and/or lost crayons.

Well I took a trip to the Dollar Tree, which I frequently visit just in case they put out something new, and I found several goodies. 

All of the following items were located in the front of my store. They were being housed in boxes.

The first was the perfect container for a box of 24 crayons.  It is called a “Lock-Top Snack” container and comes with two containers and top lids.  They are made of the sturdy thick plastic. My store had them in blue, green, red, and purple.  If you live near me, I cleaned out the blue and green ones!

Here are some pictures of the containers.

They have secure side flaps that snap closed.

I added Avery Labels 6359 to the top of them and used Modge Podge to keep the labels from getting dirty.

 

The container with a box of 24 crayons in it.

 

These containers will be kept in their table crates.

 

They had some other great new products in the store.  Here are some pictures of some of the other finds:

I purchased a few of these items.  I will post about them soon.  Do you have the perfect use for one of the items I found?  I would love to hear your comments and suggestions. 

I want to share some addition task cards that I made for my class. You will find 4 sets of cards with a total of 100 task cards.  Students will need to add numbers up to 5-digits with regrouping.  Here is a picture of them:

Anyone who can guess my favorite color from a box of 24 Crayola Crayons will win a FREE copy. You must use the exact name from the crayon.  I will accept answers until 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 21^st.  Don't forget to leave your email address. 

You can also pick up a copy HERE in my TPT store.

Thanks for stopping by today!