Monday Made It

Happy Monday everyone!  Today I'm off to work in my classroom for the first official "you can get in and work in your classroom day"!  FINALLY! 

I wanted to link up with Tara for the Monday Made It linky.  I have only a few things to share today:

I told myself I WAS NOT going to make a teacher's toolbox. Well...here is mine! Okay so I caved in and made it. I'm so glad I did. I love how the polka dot paper looks.

Here is a file box I bought from Joanne's.  I didn't like the pattern on this so I changed it. 

I covered it with fabric and then added purple duct tape to the file parts.  Didn't it turn out cute?

Here is my Book Nooks poster.  I have used something similar, but I made it look cuter this year.  I use this to show where each child will read during silent reading time (that way I don't have any fights).  I use little clothespins that I write the student's names on.  I clip it to where they will read.  I change their spots once a week.

And finally, here is a little magnetic dry erase board I bought.  I covered the ends with ribbon.  I have magnet circles with the student's numbers on them.  When they are going to take an AR test, they will move their magnet to this board.

Have a great day everyone!  I'm off to the destruction zone I mean my classroom.  I'll try and post some classroom pictures later this week.  :)

Linky

I just got back from a back to school teacher party...Teacherpalooza!  It was great seeing my fellow teachers in a relaxed atmosphere.  Just in time for us all to start freaking out on Monday (that is the first day we get to go into our classrooms)!

Since I'm pooped from the get together and running errands today I just wanted to share a quick linky for everyone tonight...Debbie from Rainbows Within Reach is having a Pinterest Linky party.  If you pin (don't we all) you gotta join this linky!  I was number 266...yes I said 266!  Happy pinning everyone and have a great night!

Click on the picture to join this fun linky!

Hall Pass Sign

I finished my hall pass chart.  I usually use a lanyard with my passes.  But my boys last year...I just gotta say I don't know what they did to that thing, but it is beyond repair.  I saw on Pinterest, as I'm sure you did, the cute hall pass signs that people have been making.  I decided to jump on the sign and mini clothespin bandwagon.

So here is how we made mine (we meaning my son and I).  First I bought the wooden star from Hobby Lobby.  It is thin enough so that I can clip the pins right to it.

We painted it yellow.

Then I wrote on it and put polka dot stickers on it to match my room decor.  I also hung a polka dot ribbon so that I can hang it up in my classroom.

The clothespins I Mod Podged, glitter, and Mod Podged again.  The glitter is staying on!  Love that idea.  Thank you to who ever figured that one out.  I used two blue for boys and two green for girls.  I also made a few extras, just in case.

And finally here is my completed sign. What do you think?  Didn't it turn out cute?  And no more bathroom germs!  YEAH!!

Shared Writing Journals

I have used shared writing journals in my classroom before, but the kids never really wrote a lot in them.  Well I decided to change how mine look.   I know there are a bunch of teachers out there who have made signs you can put on journals this summer (I Teach What is Your Super Power has some really cute ones), but I wanted some to fit my classroom.  I used super cute graphics that I know will get my students to WANT to write in them.

I started out making a few and the next thing I know I made 15 of them!  I have topics like:  favorite book, vacation memory,favorite food, third grade, favorite movie, a scary time, a favorite hobby, etc. 

So now that they look cute, what am I going to do to entice the students?  I decided I would start out with 5 and gradually bring out a few more at a time.  You know if I set all 15 out there I would have journal writing overload with my students.  I am going to use this during my writing time in my reading block.  I was also thinking it could be fun if I passed out some and had the children buddy up and write a page together (great getting to know you activity).

Here is a picture of my finished journals.  I just printed the pages on paper.  I trimmed them and then used packing tape to tape the entire cover.  This way I knew they would not get ripped off of the covers or written on.  I know some people use composition notebooks but two reasons why I decided not to:  1) they haven't gone on sale by me yet and 2) I figured the students can use the front and backs of the notebook (and folding over the page for them to write on is impossible in a composition notebook).

If you are interested click on this picture, it will take you to my TPT store where I have them for sale.

Giveaway Winner

And the winner is...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations!  I will be contacting you soon!  Thank you so much for everyone who entered the giveaway.

Monday Made It

Happy Monday everyone!  I am linking up with Tara again this week for her Monday Made It linky. 

I have been busy trying to tie up some projects I wanted done before school starts.  So here a some of them:

My pencil cups for sharp and dull pencils with polka dots of course.  I don't remember where I got the signs from...maybe Clutter Free Classroom.  If they are yours, please let me know so I can give you credit! 

My birthday straws

My dry erase pockets with the pattern duct tape (so cute)!

My binder clips (I have file, no name, keep, reteach.  I also made my grade/graded clips double sided so I can flip it over when I'm done.

Here is my mystery polka dot themed job chart.  If you are interested, you can order it  HERE.

I bought some metal sheets in the Target dollar section.  I then added the magnet sets I bought from WalMart.  I used a snack Ziploc bag to put the magnets in.  Then I used my pattern duct tape to tape the bag on to the back.  Now the magnets are right on the magnet sheet.

Of course I had to add a cute magnet graphic from Scrappin doodles.

I almost finished with my Shared Writing journals.  I will have those to show you tomorrow.  And I will have my giveaway winner later too!  :)

Smartbead Freebie

I had a different post on here earlier, but I am having a lot of trouble with Blogger tonight.  So I'm sorry.  I wanted to get my freebie back up quickly, though. 

I'm sure you have seen the Smartbeads ideas and the buttons on Pinterest.  Well I couldn't decide how I wanted to incorporate these two ideas into one.  What I've probably finally decided on is to use a little bit of both ideas.  When a student does well on a test, they will earn the necklace with the red owl cutout to put on it.  I will also send home the little cards telling their parents that they earned Smartbeads today.

Then every time they do well on a test, they will earn one of the white owl cutouts to attach to their necklace.  I've decided this would be a great way to show the student's their successes in our classroom.  By the end of the year they will have a whole bunch of owls on their necklace.  What do you think?

If you click on the picture, you can get me owl as a freebie.