Valentine's Box

We exchange valentine's cards each year and I thought I should make a box that matches the theme of my room!  Here are the steps and materials needed to make this adorable owl Valentine's box.

1. Cut the top off of an a cereal box.

2. Wrap cereal box with wrapping paper.  Go into the top of the box since it shows when it's empty.

3. Cut out scrapbook paper for eyes, wings, feet, nose, and heart.

4. Arrange materials as you would like and glue/ tape them down.  I used double sided sticky squares found in the scrapbook section of most stores.  I also put a small bag of rice at the bottom of the box so it would stand up and be more sturdy.

Overall, it was a big hit and held all of the big Valentine's!

New Classroom Tour!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I moved at the beginning of the summer and was fortunate enough to start at a new school this year!  Sorry they are late, but here are some pictures of my new classroom!

Students use their numbered magnet to sign in.

Classroom Window Decor

My new room has an entire wall of windows that needed some updating.  I decided to make a banner that would stretch across the windows adding some color to that wall.  My room consists of blues and greens (which I believe to be calming) so I bought scrapbook paper in blues and greens.  

I cut the triangles all out and then hole punched each corner.  I laid them all out so that I could alternate the patterns.  (Excuse my knee)

I began stringing them on one at a time.  I made sure to keep the ribbon behind the triangle by looping it down first and then up.

I used clear command hooks to hook it to the windows.  Ta-da! 

Writing Station

 Teaching students to use colorful words in writing is a difficult task.  I found all of these great mini posters to help students with their writing.  Each one focuses on a different topic: editing, revising, synonyms, character traits, strong verbs, adjectives, etc. I created a writing station which holds all of the mini posters so that students can access them whenever they are needing inspiration while writing.  I have a rule that only two students are allowed at the writing station at one time so that they don't spend their writing time lingering at the bin.  I also laminated each of them for durability.

 This editable label can be found here.

You can find your copy here.

Here is another awesome freebie!

Here is your copy!

Enjoy another freebie here! 

Transition words can be found here!

I hope you enjoy creating your own writing station with these fabulous freebies!

Keeping Your Students Organized

It drives me crazy when papers start spilling out of desks and nothing is in the correct spot! I found this great idea to have the desk fairy and desk police visit every few weeks to leave a treat for the tidy students and a message to clean out your desk for the messy ones. For desk police click here here and desk fairy .

Student Dividers

To avoid curious eyes and ensure students' privacy during assessments, I made these dividers out of two file folders and a word doc. I laminated them to keep them durable. Students love using these because they claim their own space and they say that it helps them concentrate.  It's also nice when they are taking a test and I can just glance to see who is still working if their divider is still up.  I have heard them called both student dividers and student offices.

I made this "Do Not Disturb" sign on Word and glued it on.  

I have seen some dividers that have all sorts of information for the students to reference, however, I like to use these for assessments so I thought the smiley face would work best.  I just got it from clip art and printed them off.  It's so cute because sometimes I catch them smiling back at it! 

Be a Text Talker Anchor Chart

In preparation for the state standardized tests, I made an anchor chart that has several sentence starters for the students to use in extended response questions.  

Absent Student Folders

Keeping track of absent student's work throughout the day can get time consuming!  I found these absent student folders on TPT and love them!! Basically, it is just a laminated folder that all of the papers that the student would have gotten throughout the day goes in.  Instead of the student coming back to their desk covered in papers, they all stay contained until they complete the work.  Once the work is complete, the students turn it in in the folder.  I made about 8 just in case a few disappear.  Here is the link for the absent folders.   If you are not into the owls, there are several others to choose from!

 

 I don't try to cut the pockets, I just lay the work inside.

Here is another design I used before I found the owls:

Reasons to Write Anchor Chart

At the beginning of the year, I helped my students brainstorm reasons why we write.  I keep this chart hung up in the room so that whenever they say, "I don't know what to write about" I just point them in the direction of our chart.  It was also a great into to author's purpose.

Valentine's For Students

Each year I decide to do something different and I wanted to find something that I could use year after year.  My friend actually whipped these tags together and I printed them off and bought Valentine's pencils at the dollar section in Target.  A pencil does not fit through one hole punch, so I had to punch four holes together. I find it easier to not write their names on these so that I can easily pass them out.  

Guided Reading Basket

 When working with guided reading groups, there are certain things that I need readily available so that there are no interruptions or distractions as I am teaching.  In my guided reading basket, I have everything that gets me through all 5 groups and even my math small group!

Items (from back to front): (behind the white board) Reading Conference Binder and Guided Reading Binder

2 sets of reading comprehension spinners

Daily 5 CAFE cards

Writing prompts flip book

2 sets of task cards that fit with any book 

Tin Cup: markers, pens, pencils, highlighters, and dry erase markers

Sticky notes

Story comprehension dice (the kids love these!)

Reading Comprehension task cards that fit any book. 

Reading Comprehension Spinners (can be found at United Art and Education)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Activity

After reading, "Martin's Big Words", the students summarized Dr. King's dream and then created their own.  It warmed my heart to read some of the things they wrote for their own dreams.  They never cease to amaze me!

Materials:
Brown construction paper
Lg. black construction paper
White paper with a tie drawn down middle and "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream on one side and "My Dream" on the other.

They made a great hallway display!

Classroom Organization Tip

Do you spend five minutes each day pushing the student's desks back in their place?  I don't understand why, but their desks are always in a new spot by the end of the day!  I found a great Pin about zip tying their desks together to stay put!  I tried it and it is amazing!  They stay put and I gain a few minutes in my day!

Classroom Management Tip of the Day

I saw this poster on Pinterest and decided that I had to make my own.  It reminds the students of the expectations for working independently, in groups, whole class, or with partners.  Each time we transition, I have a designated student who moves the arrow and reads our expectations.  They get very excited when they get to move the arrow and it makes them very aware of how to behave when its posted for them to see.

(Cheap) Christmas Gifts for Students

I wanted to give my students something for Christmas that wouldn't cost too much, but also mean something to them.  After perusing different sites, I found personalized bookmarks.  I decided to make these for my students and put them in a little goodie bag with candy and a "No Homework" pass.  I went to JoAnn Fabrics and bought double sided scrapbook paper.  It's important that it is double sided so that the back of the bookmark is not plain.  I got the ribbon from the dollar section at Target.  I then typed up all of their names and printed those out just on white paper.  I used fancy scissors to crop the edges.  I cut the scrapbook paper to a width of about 2 1/2 inches and a length of six.  I then glued on the names and then laminated them.  Next, I hole punched the top for the ribbon.   Make sure to get very flexible and light ribbon because if it is too thick it will bust the hole.  I bent the ribbon in half and looped it through the hole.  Ta-da!  You have yourself a wonderful gift and it only cost about $7.00 total!

Classroom Organization

I wanted to share a few of my favorite classroom organization tricks!  I learned fast that organization is key when trying to be a great teacher.  I wanted to spend the least amount of money possible to create a fully functional and organized classroom.  Here are a few of my tricks:

I make anchor charts on the daily and try to make them look colorful and appealing. I got this little bucket from the Target dollar section (one of my favorite places to find cheap classroom items).  It holds all of my markers and can be stuck on a command hook on my white board when I need to use them on chart paper.  

Instead of buying a planning book that did not match my schedule, I decided to make my own.  With some help from a co-worker, we developed a weekly lesson plan template that fit our exact needs!  I copied enough for the entire year and keep it in my Teacher Binder.  

This is one way that I have found to work when trying to organize the three different subjects that I teach.  I have a magazine holder for each subject (also found at the Target dollar section).  Starting on the far left, I keep my teacher manuals, then Science, Math, and Language Arts.  I keep all the books I will read, tests, quizzes, and worksheets for the subject all together.  I usually copy for a week at a time or per unit.  

The "I Can" Statements have become a must-have in Common Core classrooms.  Since my classroom is owl themed, my header reads: "Whooooo Can?  I Can...".  Then I have a child friendly "I Can" statement for each subject I teach.  Sometimes I have to change them daily, sometimes weekly, and sometimes per unit.  

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I needed a way to organize our laptops and keep the cords from getting all tangled together.  I purchased a dish rack and they fit perfectly!  It holds all of them and the cords stay separated through the side slots.  

I needed a way to organize and store all of the students back to school forms, medial information, and notes I receive from parents.  I use a crate and file folder for each student.  I labeled them by number so I don't have to redo each tab each year.  I can easily grab out parent information or file student inventories.  

I despise students sharpening their pencils in the middle of a lesson so I had to come up with something so that students could quickly grab a sharp pencil.  I found these labels on Pinterest and used modge podge on the inside of each drawer.  When a student needs a new pencil, they place their pencil in the pencil hospital and can take a sharp pencil.  I have a student at the end of each day sharpen all of the pencils in the pencil hospital.   I notice that the pencils that they come with at the beginning of the year last much longer this way and they don't end up having one inch long pencils.  

I use binder clips with a small label to label my shelves  (Monday-Friday) .  I use this tray to organize the materials that I will need each day of the week.  

Once again, I use binder clips to label (notices, copy, file, morning work).

Since my students need to master their multiplication facts, I have monthly centers for them to do whenever we have extra time in math.  I got the white shelves from Target and the blue tubs from the Dollar Tree.  I found free multiplication games on TPT and Pinterest to use and rotate them out each month.  This has really helped the students memorize their facts in a fun way.

With our math series, we have so many manipulatives that the students need on a daily basis. It takes so much time to pass them out at the beginning of each lesson so I put together a "math tool box"  that has each manipulative and enough for each table.  I got the green baskets from the Dollar Tree and have one for each table.  At the beginning of math, the student in charge of the table gets the basket and puts it on their desk to use. 

In order to create a community atmosphere where my students are responsible for their actions, I guided the students as they created their own class rules.  They each signed it and we hang it in our classroom.  They take pride in their rules and enjoyed having created them.  

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