Bulletin Board and Label Day

Before I talk about anything educational...I must share my love of volleyball and Dodgers.  Love that they won gold....on the same night Dodgers won against the Rockies.  Click here to watch Matt Treanor watch and talk about his wife winning gold! 

 
Teachers don't start back until August 27th and kids start the day after Labor Day.  Nonetheless, I have spent quite a bit of time there.  It is amazing what you can get done with a quiet building:-)   Here is what I have accomplished so far....I seem to have started with one corner and am working clockwise:-) 
Finally...after a few years of wanting to label the clock times, I made them.  Unfortunately, they are a bit small, due to the size and placement of the clock.

The map I have had for a while.  I really like the colors.  But I made new labels for the continents and put a border around the space.

Continuing with the flipped signage, I made labels for group supplies.  I attached the same label to the counter, so students could return their things to the proper place.

Put all the drawers together....34 kids so far! I still need to add the pockets for a few of the drawers.  Also going to have to move the lamp....another set of drawers belongs where the lamp is.

The word wall was up last year, but didn't have a title, so I added one:-)

The carpet area and focus wall needed some titles.  

And then the birthday bags as well.

I have two really long bulletin boards in the hallway.  I usually leave the bottom one empty and work on the top.  It says, "This Class is Full of Characters" I cut the most of the book characters out of book jackets and scholastic calendars.  The bigger characters were painted or created by former students. 

And that concludes the upper half of 1/4 of the room as well as the outside bulletin board.  More to come....cuz I still have lots to do!

Happy Friday,
 

Summer Recap

Peterson's Pad is having a sad summer linky party. 

Directions:  Share 4 things about your summer!

1.  A Place I Visited:

I visited Seattle to watch all three of the interleague play between them and the Dodgers (I know I have mentioned this numerous times, but it will be one of the best weekends.  Ever!)  Seattle threw a no-hitter, using six pitchers.  I watched history.....a no-hitter in person!  Saturday, Kershaw pitched a great game and I saw (in person) Ethier hit a grand slam! 

Baseball dork that I am....my dad taught me how to keep score.

2.  A Book I Read

How to pick a book from the 52 I have now read.  (I challenge my students to read a book and day and try to do the same)  I think I am going to make it.....Anyhow, I have a lot to choose from!  My favorite was For Darkness Sees the Stars a dystopian version of Jane Austen's Persuasion.  Also read and LOVED One and Only Ivan.  I am fairly certain it will be my first read aloud.

3.  Something you did or made for your school class
I have wanted to fix my popsicle stick jar for a while. When I first started teaching, I had to jars....one for those who have been chosen and the one for those who had not.  Then I thought I could just use one jar and flip the popsicle sticks.  Only somehow they were always getting mixed up.  Last year I thought, I will paint the ends of one side.  Then I will know when everyone has had a turn.  Well that actually helped, but then I could never remember if I was pulling sticks that were paint side up or paint side down.  I think I have finally solved all my problems:-)  
Step One:  Paint one end of the sticks.  I just dipped them in cup of tempera paint and then they dry.

Step 2:  Write names on popsicle stick.  (I will be waiting for this step until first day gets closer.)  I also write the name as close to the middle as possible, so it is harder to read the name when kids are pulling them out. 

Step 3:  Label the two buckets.  I keep one with calendar so everyone helps out and one for writing, so everyone shares.

Step 4:  (Here is my lightbulb moment)  I attached a velcro dot to the jar.

Step 5:  Put other piece of velcro on a painted stick.   Now the popsicle sticks can go both directions.

Step 6:  Match the popsicle on the front to the ones in the jar.  If popsicle stick is paint side up, then I pull paint side up sticks and vice versa. 

4.  A fun thing you did

source

While at my aunt's (when I wasn't in the pool) we decided to try and make our own cute bobby pins.  I found some ideas on Pinterest (of course) and adapted our versions as we went along.

source

Here is how some of ours turned out.  We just used felt, buttons, and beads.

Your turn.....go link up and recap your summer!
Happy Tuesday, 

More Monday Made It...With a Freebie

Super easy.....you all can do this!  You only need paper, scissors, and glue.  Every year, I find a quote and simply scrapbook around it.  At my school 1st-3rd grades are all in the same hall.  So I make an inspirational note for each of the teachers in the hall. 

Find a fitting quote.

I wrote each teacher's name in the pennant.

 Final product....sorry about the pics....I have yet to locate my real camera.

If you would like to use the quote, I uploaded it to google docs.  Click here to get your copy.

 

On another note, I am in love with Olympic volleyball.  I don't really care whether it is indoor or beach.  I would really like to be any one of them....well maybe Misty May the most, since she has a huge "in" with the LA Dodgers:-)  Loving that she gives a Dodger shout out at the end of each win!

Happy Monday,
 

Teacher Binder

Scrap booking is one of my favorite activities.  I don't have a lot of things that I take pictures of, so I apply scrap booking funness to other things...like my teacher binder.  I made the cover and back last year...I didn't do anything to them except put them in a new binder.  

I did make new dividers.  The same sections pop up each year, but I usually don't label the dividers.  This time I made labeled sections.  I used Tagxedo (because I may have an addiction to making things with this site.)  For each section of the binder, I made a "chickadee" shaped word cloud.  There are nine sections.  
Lesson Plans-I keep pages for about a month at a time.  At the end of the month, I file the lesson plans into the filing cabinet. At the back of this section I have a page protector with the masters of blank lesson plans for easy copying.
Calendar and Year Long Plan-School calendar and Year Long Plans.  Also pacing guides and weekly schedule.
2nd and 3rd Grade Common Core-Teaching a blend, so need to know what both grades goals are.  I also keep testing info and the like in the 3rd grade section.
Student Checklists-Homework Checklist, In-Class Work Checklist, Math Checklist...At the back of this section I have a page protector with the masters of blank checklists for easy copying.
Student Info.-Addresses, phone number, email, birthday for students.
Sunnyside Info.-This is where I keep information specific to my school.  Assembly schedules, character ed. schedule, PBIS schedule, staff contacts, etc.
Meeting Notes-For things I need to remember from Staff or Grade Level meetings.
Ideas-Plans and to dos for later.
*I do not use this binder for assessment data.  That needs its own binder and well I just don't see a whole lot of purpose in cutetifying that one:-)

The binder goes to and from school almost everyday, although I don't generally use it during the school day.  During the school day, I keep the things I need on my clipboard.  It goes everywhere, takes up less space, and for some reason I can keep track of it:-)  My clipboard has the things I use on a daily basis with my chickadees.
-Current week's lesson plans (at the end of the week I return them to binder)
-Class List
-Student schedules:  For students who may go to speech, ELD, Resource Room, etc.
-Daily 5 checklist
-Reading Group List
-Math Attendance (because we switch kiddos around for math, I need to make sure I have everyone)

 

And on a completely random and unrelated note.....

Scentsy....and a Dodger towel of course.

Dodger tagxedo!

I finished working on downstairs bathroom.  It needed a new coat of paint....and some art.  (I told you I am a bit addicted to Tagxedo.) Here a few pics.  (I don't have before pics...just imagine the walls bare and painted a non-descript white/beige color.)  The walls are now grey...and the Dodgers have taken over!  I wanted to paint pinstripes....but couldn't talk myself into that adventure.

My cousin made the adorable LA t-shirt.

Found this treasure at Goodwill.

Happy Saturday,
 

August Currently....How is That Possible?

It is a new month and time for a new currently.  Vacation with my aunt was fabulous and now it is time to get back to a bit of reality....less than a month before school starts.  I am not sure how that happened!

-Summer is made for reading.  Most of the books I read are not for book shares with student. (The only downside to teaching elementary)  But for those of you needing a good book, here are my three summer favorites:  For Darkness Sees the The Stars, Blood Red Road, and One and Only Ivan.  

-Sports stress me out....so if I know what is going to happen, I can watch the Olympics far more peacefully!

 -If Mary Poppins can snap her fingers and clean a room, the same thing should apply to me and my classroom.

-Loved Inspector Gadget as a kid, and his legs would be so much more effective than up and down the ladder....move the ladder...repeat.

-I use 3m packaging tape for almost all things hanging!  It doesn't leave sticky stuff and keeps things where I want them.
-Scrapbook Scissors....allow you to fake straight lines....the scissors aren't straight, so the lines can be a little off and you can't even tell! 

Happy Friday,