Monday Made It #1 (for me)

I am linking up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics for my first Monday Made It.  I start school Wednesday and refuse to return to my room before then.

Project #1:  QUIET SPRAY
I had the empty windex bottle, scrapbook stickers, and ribbon.  Cost FREE!!!!
I got the idea from somewhere on Pinterest.
I put some modge podge over the stickers so they would not peel off.

Project #2:  KISS YOUR BRAIN! JAR 
I had the empty jar, scrapbook stickers, and ribbon.   Cost:  FREE AGAIN!!!!
Well, almost.  I have to go buy Hersey Kisses tomorrow while I'm running errands.
I put some modge podge over the stickers so they would not peel off.
I was inspired by a post I saw earlier today for a Hug Your Heart jar here.
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Project #3:  CRAFT Menu Headers     Cost:  FREE AGAIN!!!!

I am starting Daily 5 this year.  I already have my CAFE board ready.  I have seen lots of posts about using CRAFT instead.  I would not even consider it until today.  I joined this yahoo group for 2nd grade.  If  you are a 2nd grade teacher using Common Core, I suggest joining it also.  It was just started last week.  I feel like I will be relying on it this year.  Deb Green posted a  CRAFT menu with the 2nd grade Common Core standards listed under each heading where they fit.  It really made me realize that CAFE really does not meet the needs of Common Core.  If you join the group you can see Deb's CRAFT menu in the file's section.

I really like these CRAFT Headers, but they don't match my room.  So I created these in red and black.  I used the explanation cards from the set mentioned previously.  I just colored over the colored border with a black marker, cut them out, and mounted on red paper.  If you have a red and black theme, you can grab my CRAFT letters here for free.  The font used is DJ Basic.

Rockin Behavior Take Home Calendar - August

Do you use this clip chart behavior from The Inspired Apple?

I am using it this year.  I have been trying to figure out a way to send home the child's report to parents.  After seeing this  blog post on Teaching with Love and Laughter, I came up with a calendar to send home.  The kids will color in the chart on the right at the beginning of the month.  Each day they will draw a star with a crayon to show where their clip was for that day.  Parents will sign inside the calendar box each day.

You can get it here in my TPT store.  I will be adding other months as I make them so follow my blog and TPT store to get the coming months.  Enjoy!

Listening Center

I am again exhausted.  I worked in my room from 7-12 today.  Then I went bowling and skating with my sons and nieces.  I have been worried about my listening center because I don't have one.  I remembered I had one of these I am not longer using.

I decided I might be able to use this for 2 people if I ordered a headphone splitter.  I logged on to Amazon and found this amazing gadget.  I ordered one of course.

I now have a listening center for 5.  We added earbuds to our supply list this year.  Each angel can keep their headphones in a snack size ziploc bag in their book bags.  (I bought cheap bags instead of boxes this year because I have already broken my budget.  Maybe I can get book boxes next year.)


I imported the cds that go along with our Reading Street textbooks to itunes and loaded Unit 1 onto my iPod nano.  I had to create a playlist for each story to make it easy for the kids to navigate.  I will slowly add some of my books that I have on cd to my listening center this year.  I am now excited about my listening center because it will hardly take up any room and my room is small.

Canopy Tutorial

I am exhausted so this will be short. I can't believe I have over 100 followers!  I don't have anything to give away so I just created this tutorial to share with everyone.  This way everyone gets something.  You can grab the tutorial here.

I've Been a Busy Bee

I only have 10 days before school starts. :(  I have been working overtime to get my room ready.  I am almost there, so I thought I would share a few pictures of my room and some of the Pinterest projects I have completed.

Kim aka Flo and I made one of these dum-dum flowers that we saw on Pinterest.  I think they turned out really cute.

I used my leftover dum-dums to make these bags to use for letting students choose a partner. You can read about this idea here.   

We actually made these canopies in my hall last year.  Everyone has one, including the new teachers because I made them one last week.  This week I will be sharing a tutorial on how to make these to celebrate 100 followers.

Here is a view down the hall where you can see other canopies.  I also hung the display papers outside my door, as well as a What's the Password sheet. 

Here are my welcome bags for Meet the Teach Night.  You can find the print out here.  I had to go to 10 different Dollar Generals to find enough rock and roll pencils and erasers to fill these bags. 

This is the future home of my math stations.  I haven't even had time to think about them.  I am starting Daily 5 and Words Their Way this year.  As soon as I get both of those started good I will start math stations.  Kim aka Flo also had the great idea for the Love Notes binder that you can see pictured on the shelf.  This is to put all of the pictures/drawings/letters that the students draw for us in.

I am participating in the Great Postcard Exchange at Barrow's Hodgepodge.   I laminated this map, and it is now hanging in the hallway (because my room is so small I don't have room inside) waiting for our postcards to be added.

This is what my library looked like before.

It still isn't completely ready but it is looking better.  I organized the chapter books on top.  I started trying to organize the picture books by genre, but I got overwhelmed.  I can't do it.  I need help!!!!!  Please give me any advice you have for organizing this many books by genre. 

You can also see a little bit of the No Name board I made in this picture.  Here is the original pin that I saw.

This is the wall above my library.  Kim  aka Flo and I made these letters.  It was also another Pinterest project.

I made this Warm Fuzzy jar after finding this pin.  I reused my Tide Pods jar for this project.  I have a question though.  Where do I put the warm fuzzies before I give them to the kids?  Does anyone else do this?  If so, I need some suggestions.  Thanks in advance! 

Here is  my Rockin Behavior Clipchart that I got from The Inspired Apple.

I didn't take a picture of my desks, but they are arranged in groups with a bookshelf at the end like I saw here.  This is a picture of their supply basket that will be filled when they bring in their supplies.  I reused my empty Truvia jar for the erasers. 

This is my new clock.  I made the numbers after seeing them in numerous places on Pinterest. 

My Word Wall......
You can also see my 3 computers.  Work on Writing is to the left of the computers and Word Work is to the right of the computers.

I had to make these tissue paper balls after seeing them here.

 I love my reading chairs, red pillows, and whisper phones for Read to Self.

I still have a lot of work to do and will have more pictures to come. If you were inspired at all please leave me a comment.  I love reading them.  Also please follow my blog for more to come. 

Happy Birthday to Me! TPT Sale

Today is my 37th birthday.  It has been a great day so far!  I woke up to an e-mail that my first teachers-pay-teachers money had been transfered to my paypal account!  We went to my in-laws for a party with my whole family, except my sister :( (she had to work)  I got new running shorts, a t-shirt, a purse, 2 pair of earrings, some money, and a new otter box for my iPhone.  I really needed a new phone cover.  The kids had fun swimming and then having an ice fight with the ice from the cooler. 

I am throwing a flash sale on my Reading Street Planners to celebrate my birthday.  They are 20% off through tomorrow. 

I hope everyone is having a safe and fun 4th of July!

To make my birthday even better, I hear rain pounding on my window!!!!  Hooray!  I can't remember the last time it rained here.  

Kyle (my14 year old), Scott (my hubby), me, and Hunter (my 12 year old baby)

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My birthday cake.  These are the best cakes ever.  They come from King's Bakery in Meridian, MS.

I think I will go have another piece of cake now.  It's ok.  I started my first day of Couch to 5K this morning, so I already walked/ran it off.  :)

Happy 4th of July!!!!!

Donor's Choose

I added a Donor's Choose project for the 1st time a couple of weeks ago.  I am a little bummed that nothing has been given.  The last day is July 15th I believe.  You can view the project here.  Please  take a look at it and give me some tips!  I really hoped it would get funded.  I am going to be really bummed if it doesn't.


I am off to keep singing That's What Makes You Beautiful, thanks to Hope at 2nd Grade Shenanigans! She has a wonderful class song to go with this music.  If you haven't already seen it you should check it out!  My class will be singing this every morning this year.  What a great way to start the day!

And I will be going to the movies tonight with some friends to see Magic Mike.  Has anyone seen it?  I am blushing right now.

Currently: My first linky ever!

I am going to attempt my first linky ever!!  I hope I do it right and don't break any of the rules.  To join up hop over to Farley's blog. 

1.  Right click on her currently picture at the bottom of her page. 
2.  Choose Copy and paste into Word or Publisher or whatever program you want to use.  I used Publisher. 
3.  Add text boxes for your answers.  Make sure you read the rules!
4.  Save your document as a pdf. 
5.  Open the pdf.
6.  Use the camera tool to snap a picture to the clipboard. 
7.  Open PowerPoint. 
8.  Paste the picture. 
9.  Right click and choose save as picture (be sure to choose jpeg). 
That's it.  You now have a jpeg to add to your blog!

Today is officially my first week of summer vacation because I taught summer school for 4 weeks.  I didn't get to sleep late because my hubby woke me up trying to find his clothes in the closet.  My kids are still asleep so it's all good.  I get a couple hours of quiet time before the chaos begins hopefully.  As soon as they get up, I am feeding them and sending them outside for an hour so I can clean the house.  Unless they want to help me clean (this always makes them want to play outside.)  As soon as the house is clean I think we will head to my mother-in-laws and spend the rest of the day in her pool. 

Well my first linky is all done.  I hope I did it correctly.  Please leave me a comment and let me know if I need to do it differently next time.