Friday, July 26, 2013

Must Haves

Hi, Friends!

I'm seeing Back To School (BTS) sales everywhere!  Seeing these made me think of some of my favorite BTS items.

1.  Mr. Sketch Markers  There's nothing better than a smelly marker!  I remember smelling the smile my teacher drew on my paper with the cherry marker.  Ahhhhh!  I can smell it now!
2.  Scotch Thermal Laminator  BEST PURCHASE EVER!  I use it all of the time!  Find stuff on blogs, Pinterest, TpT or create something and BAM it's laminated! I found mine at Walmart and it was not very expensive.

3.  Pencil Sharpener  I am not a fan of the ol' hang on the wall kind o' sharpeners.  Is anyone?  They eat the pencils like nobody's business.  I found one by Bostitch that I like.  It sharpens pencils quickly and is quieter than most.  Check it out HERE.


4.  Binders (and lots of 'em)  I use them for everything!  Lesson plans, grade book, units, keeping track of parent communication, the list goes on and on!  I also love pocket dividers to hold loose papers.  Check them out HERE.


5.  Last, but not least, every teacher needs a Door Buddy!  The trusted next door neighbor!  I have the best door buddy a girl could ask for!  She watches my class during a quick bathroom break, listens to me vent, offers words of encouragement, and shares, shares, shares!  The cost of a good door buddy is PRICELESS!


What are some of your essential BTS items?


Monday, July 22, 2013

So Much Going On!

I've been a busy girl!  Where do I begin:

First, I have to tell you about my latest DIY project!  I did it.  I dabbled in craftiness again.  This time I made crate seats.  I found a great tutorial over at What the Teacher Wants

I wanted to make these for many reasons:
          1.  They provide extra storage.  Who doesn't need extra
              storage?
          2.  They will allow for more seating in my classroom.
          3.  They are just the right size for first graders.
          4.  They are super cute! 



I could not have done it without my handy hubby!  He had extra plywood in the garage, cut it and sanded it for me!  :)

I did use 2-inch  foam, rather than 1-inch foam.  I wanted some more cush for the tush!  :)   It did take some time and patience to complete, but I am very happy with the finished product! I can't wait to use them!

 My next big thing was that I recently added some new shape posters to my TpT store!  They are in classic color chevron!  LOVE the classic colors.... My classroom is going to be very colorful this year!

Click Image to get them!

Oh!  I almost forgot I have a FREEBIE for you!  I created some binder covers! They are in classic colors and brights. They are EDITABLE!  You can add your own titles, graphics, whatever!  Click the image below and download it.  The binder covers are in powerpoint.  Once you open the powerpoint, click on the text, erase it, add a text box and add whatever you want!

Click the image to get your FREEBIE!

I'm now on Bloglovin'!!!!  You can follow me there. If you don't know what bloglovin' is, it is the best way to follow your favorite blogs.  Click the button on the top right side to follow me!

Saturday, July 20, 2013

It's a Bright, Bright, Sunshiny Day!

In honor of summer and sunshine, I have created a new word wall bundle in brights!  Get your shades!

Click the image to check it out!     



 I'm working on some new freebies, so be sure to check back soon!  :)
 

Friday, July 19, 2013

It's Hot, Hot, Hot!

It's sweltering here!  I seriously think you could fry an egg on the sidewalk! To beat the heat, I stayed inside and created some number posters! This is for all the chevron fans! 

Click the picture to check them out!  






Stay cool, Friends! 

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Organizing Daily Materials


My organizational system in my classroom is always changing. I have tried many ways to organize my daily materials:
1.      Folders for each day of the week: These become ripped and don’t hold much.
2.      Bins/magazine boxes:  These fall over and drive me CRAZY!!!

This year I’ve decided to try plastic drawers.  I’ve seen lots of bloggers with cute labels that match their room.  Of course I had to try to make some!









I think they will look great in my room!  In fact, I love them so much I decided to share the LOVE!     You can get them for FREE on my Facebook Page! 

I am definitely not very tech savvy. I’m slowly figuring this stuff out!  After a few youtube videos and some trial and error (not to mention lots of coffee and deep breathing) I finally figured out how to add FACEBOOK FAN FREEBIES!  Major accomplishment!   

I would love for you to go check it out and "like" my page.

Click HERE to access my Facebook page.
Once you "like" the page, just click on the Fan Freebie link and download this FREEBIE!

I'm hoping to be more active on my Facebook Fan Page and add more Fan Freebies from time to time.

When you "like" my page you will also receive updates on new products and freebies! 


Tuesday, July 16, 2013

DIY: Glitter Magnets

 
Do I consider myself a “crafty” person?  Not really.  I don’t have a craft room or do crafts on a regular basis. I do have a box o’ craft supplies.  I guess you can say that I dabble in craftiness.

While scrolling through pins on pinterest I came across some very sparkly glitter magnets. You can see the original post HERE.  I thought they would look fabulous on my white board and looked relatively easy to make.  I thought I would give it whirl.  I made a list of materials and ran to Hobby Lobby.

Materials:
Clear flat back 'marbles.’ The glass domes you can find at the craft store or dollar store.  ***They must have flat bottoms!

 
Mod Podge
E6000 Glue
 

Glitter of your choice (I liked using the fine glitter the best)
 

Strong magnets
Q-tips (for glue)
 
Newspaper
 
Paper Plates
 
Foam brush/small paint brush (optional)
 
 

STEPS:  

1.      Cover work surface with newspaper.  I then put one paper plate on top of the newspaper for each color glitter.

2.     Grab a marble flat side up.  This is where you want to put the Mod Podge. 

3.     Use your finger to spread a SMALL amount of Mod Podge on the flat side of the marble.  You can use a brush/foam brush but I found that my finger worked best.

4.     Lay them on the paper plate(s).  Lay out as many as you want for each color.
 
 
 
5.     Sprinkle generously with glitter.  I found that sprinkling was the best method.  I also tried dipping the magnet in the glitter but found that it was A.) messier and B.) didn’t cover as nicely.
 
 

6.    Repeat steps 2-5 for each color that you want to do.

7.     Let dry for about 3 hours.
 
8.     Put a small dot of E6000 glue on the bottom of the magnet. I have never used this glue before…..  It was super messy and oozed out of the tube. I squeezed a dollop of glue on a paper plate and used a Q-tip to apply the glue.  This helped me to control the ooziness.
 
    Side note:  When looking for glue at Hobby Lobby, I wanted strong glue so the marble would not fall off the magnet. (***Remember, I only DABBLE in craftiness….  I am learning as I go!)   The lady at Hobby Lobby said E6000 would do the trick!  We’ll see! 
 
 

9.    Place *Sparkly* marble on top of glue.
 
 

10.   Let dry 3 hours or so.

Viola! SPARKLINESS! 
 
 
If I can do it, you can do it! 

 
What have you been crafting for the classroom?

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Word Wall

I have been thinking about redoing my word wall for quite some time. I finally buckled down and got it done! My classroom will be decorated in classic colors so I created this to go with my theme. This is a huge bundle!

It includes:
Word Wall Label (6 inches round)
Headers for each letter in 3 sizes:
    6 inch round with pictures
    5 inch square with pictures
    4 inch square with pictures
100+ Word Wall words
Editable cards for you to add your own words

Check it out HERE!




I also created a set of Word Family Word Wall Headers. I plan to use these as I introduce each word family.  It comes with both a color set and a black and white. Each set comes in two sizes: 4 inch or 6 inch. Check them out HERE!




 
 

~Kristen

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Writing Graphic Organizers and a Freebie!


I LOVE to teach writing to my kiddos! A few years ago, the teachers at my school decided to use the same graphic organizer for writing. By doing this, the kids are all on the same page and not confused. We call them “GO Charts.” GO charts are a great writing tool to help our kids (and their thoughts) stay organized and on topic.

Before the kids sit down and start writing their rough draft, we give them this prewriting GO Chart to help them guide their writing.

This is not my creation! I just spiced it up with new font! Click HERE to get your freebie!



Enjoy!

~Kristen


Monday, July 8, 2013

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Welcome!

Welcome to my first attempt at blogging!  I enjoy reading blogs by other teachers and   decided to step out of my comfort zone and give blogging a try.  Please be patient with me as I learn about this new world.  I promise to share as soon as I figure this out!  :) Check back soon!
~Kristen