Five Fav Things to Share

Well, hello there on this Friday when I have Five Favs to share. Thanks to Doodle Bugs for the weekly linky.

1. I am just finishing a week of break, and what did I do? I went into school for some spring cleaning. Here is the before pic... well, actually, the during pic.

And yes, that fuzzy creature in the midst of the mess is Popeye. See her? She loves to come to school to "help." No matter where I moved a bin, there she was. I didn't even know she was there until I went to take the picture. sigh. At least I wasn't lonely.

There are four sections to this stretch of shelf where I keep math and science materials. These items are mostly those that go with a particular unit, so I only need to get something out every two or three weeks. I keep these shelves covered with a cloth curtain which I love because it cuts down on visual clutter and provides a backdrop for student art display. Here is a pic from a few months ago. The blog post about how I attached the display strip can be found by clicking on the photo.

Problem is, when I lift the curtain to get things out or put them away, I can see only one little section. Over time, I forget what goes where and because I never have enough minutes in the day I shove don't take the care I should in putting things where they belong... stop judging. You know you'd do that, too. Anyhow, pretty soon pet supplies are with a set of magnifiers, measuring tools are with a box of magnifiers, human body parts are with a few random magnifiers, and planting supplies are with a bin of, you guessed it, more magnifiers. And when I need magnifiers, none are to be found. ugh.

So I took everything off the shelves. Then I sorted and regrouped and rebagged and rebinned and matched one kind of item with the space that they needed, keeping in mind which items need easier access than others. And now it looks like this. Ta-da.

In my mind's eye these shelves were going to be full of matching bins all labeled with cute color coded stickers. What really happened was that so much of this stuff was of odd shapes and sizes it would have been really difficult to find matching bins to hold it all. To say nothing of the expense of all the lovely matching bins if I could have found them. And sometimes it will just be handier to pull an item off the shelf without taking out a bin to rummage through. The curtain is there to hide mix-matched stuff anyway, right? I won't win any classroom decor awards for these shelves, but they will do the trick.

The best detail of all might be that I made a little map for myself. It shows the four sections of shelves and what things are on each. I'll keep it nearby for easy reference. NOW things will stay neat and tidy forever for a while.

2. I hope you didn't miss my Monday Made It!

These are DIY math manipulatives that I posted earlier this week. They are great for lots of kindergarten math, and they also have a very satisfying feel when you slide the beads with just the right amount of pressure. They can also be used as a fidget for kids who need to keep their fingers busy to keep their mind engaged. They are easy and inexpensive to make and you can read all about them by clicking on the photo. Oh, and there is a freebie to go with it :)

3. I spent a good bit of break working on various school projects. One of the projects was searching for new center activities. Not just new kinds of resources on TPT (though I found some of those, too), but new activities that can be done repeatedly and which we haven't done before. And. I. found. one. I am most excited about this– the Message Center.

This idea comes from Kristin at A Teeny Tiny Teacher. She has kids rig up clothesline between two chairs, then gives each one paper and a clothespin. The kids write messages to each other, clip them to the rope, then pull the rope across. Talk about incentive to WRITE!

My guys are gonna LOVE this. I can hardly wait! Kristin gives all the details on how she does the activity on her post, actually several posts. You can find all when you click on her button below. THANKS, Kristin. It's just the kind of thing I was looking for.

4. I gotta share... new FitFlops for me, again. Whoot, whoot! I don't usually post about clothes, but these shoes are less about fashion and more about comfort. I have bum knees that give me periodic issues... but not if I wear FitFlops. I wore FitFlop boots all winter, but as it started to warm up I needed a transitional pair of FitFlops before I could slip into their sandales. I chose the Shuv clogs.

No, Silly, they don't come two colors to a pair, and I don't wear them this way... though I suppose I could... I teach kindergarten, after all, and it's not like I haven't seen mixed up shoes before. While shopping for the black patent pair, which I found on sale, I also found the red patent ones, on an even better sale, so both went into the cart. I've been wearing them for about a month now and it is LOVE! I can wear them with socks, or without.

They have the same feel and support as any of my other FitFlops. Click on the pic of the boots to read about them in an earlier post.

I highly recommend checking them out. They have TONS of cute styles for summer. I'm contemplating the sneakers next... hmmm.

5. Pop quiz! What are these?

They are the most adorable little shovel spoons I've ever seen! They come from Orange Leaf– and I'm not talking about autumn foliage. Orange Leaf is a frozen yogurt spot. Really good frozen yogurt! Really low cal, low fat, good for you, good frozen yogurt. The entire place is done in ORANGE. Like, you could never think you were in any place other than an Orange Leaf when you're inside. It is orange to the nth degree– ours even has an orange Christmas tree inside... where did they find an orange Christmas tree?? I just discovered them, but they have been around for a little while.

And the BONUS for teachers are their little spoons. SO CUTE. I have no idea WHAT fantastic project I'm going to think up yet, but I'm definitely taking them to school. They'd be great fun in the sandbox for working small, or for digging something out of a sensory bin at a center, or for making finger puppets, or... or... I'll let you know when I figure it out. For right now, building my collection is the reason I'm going into Orange Leaf on a regular basis... okay, the spoons are another reason. If there is one near you, I suggest you check out the fro yo AND the spoons!

AND I'm not the only one who loves the spoons... I tell you, this place was made for teachers. They have a whole special page on their site about the SPOONS! You can submit pics and projects and stuff. Great fun. Click on the photo below to go there!

Whew. That seemed like a lotta stuff today. Hope you found some useful tidbits. Head on over now for more Five for Friday. Thanks, Kacey!

Hope to see you around next time!

Five for February Funny Kid Friday

Happy Five for Friday AND Funny Kid Friday. I have five goodies to share thanks to Kacey at Doodlebugs Teaching.

1. I've been saying for two months now that I was going to make a Valentines garland for our fireplace mantle, and last week's snow days finally gave me the time.

The basic materials are simple– playing cards and narrow ribbon. I got the playing cards from Dollar Tree, two decks for a buck, and the spools of Valentine ribbon from Target's Dollar Spot.

I pulled out all the heart cards, including the face cards and joker... usually there's a joker or two thrown into any game of love... heh, heh.  I also had another set of heart face cards that I pulled out from a deck that I used as number cards in class. I punched two holes at the top of the cards and strung the ribbon through. I had enough ribbon to hang nicely along our mantel by using two lengths of the ribbon that comes on those little spools. I strung the cards on the ribbon, putting a queen in the center as Valentines is all about the queen, after all  :)

I cut the other kinds of Valentine ribbon on the spools into short lengths and tied those in between the cards. It seemed to need a bit more so I raided my sewing and crafting bins, of which I have many, and came up with some sparkling rickrack, fine netting, and two red and white tassels. I had two gilded stocking hangers that I picked up cheap after Christmas to use for SOME thing SOME time and they gave it the finishing touch.

DO NOTE– the fire in the fireplace is there simply for the sake of the photo and you CANNOT leave the garland hanging down when you are using your fireplace. I don't want a part of anybody burning their house down! It is easy to pull back when the fire is lit as I just looped the ribbon ends. That's Popeye, the little photo bomber, sitting so nicely. I swear she runs in front of any camera that comes out. She loves being on the blog, too, I guess :)  This was an inexpensive, easy-peasy way to add a little festive cheer to an otherwise cold and gray February. Best of all, there is still time if you want to make one too.


2. I got a surprise email last week. The Little Free Library organization chose our little free library as a Library of Distinction. They write, "Its unique design and the creativity and enthusiasm you put into it make it an inspiring example for other Little Free Library Stewards to follow." Pretty neat, huh! I posted about it last summer when Jonathan and I put it up in our yard and you can read about it by clicking on this photo I took recently.

It's really Jonathan's design and little owl bracket that makes it so fun. We laminated a miniature version of the certificate they sent and put it inside. We didn't create our library for special recognition, in fact we didn't even realize there was such a thing. We enjoy it so much because we love sharing books and meeting passersby. The distinction from LFL is just icing on the cake. If you have any questions about how a Little Free Library works I'd be happy to share.  You can visit their site by clicking Little Free Library. 


3.  Here is a truly amazing video. I know how important ecosystems are, but this demonstrates how just ONE element can change everything, even the course of rivers. Everyone should see this, not just teachers and school kids.





4. And now a detail about the classroom... that's what I blog for anyway, right :) I participated in the nationwide Valentine exchange that Lisa from PAWSitively Teaching organized. You can read about it here so you know to sign-up next year. I combined a couple ideas I saw on Pinterest to come up with the valentine that each of my students made to send to other classrooms. I wanted it to be a bit interactive as kids are all about that.

Using Astrobrite red paper (easier to print on than construction paper) I drew writing lines on the front and lines for gluing inside. The kids wrote the Valentine phrase on the cover.

Front cover

Then I gave them a spiral heart. Someone had already cut out the heart around the outer edge when I took this photo, but they got just a square paper and had to cut out the heart, too.

Cut on spiral

I worried that this cutting would be too difficult for my little kiddos, but only one of them cut through the spiral and that was easily fixed with a piece of tape.

I had drawn a heart inside the card that matched the spiral heart's shape. They wrote Happy Valentine's Day inside the heart. Then they traced the heart in the card with a glue stick so the glue would hold down just the outside edge of the spiral heart. Using their thumb and an ink pad they drew a "love bug." They loved that part. Using their tiniest writing and a ball point pen they wrote "lift" beside the bug.

Glue down outside edge and make thumbprint love bug.

Here we go making the valentine "work."

Lift!

See the message inside!

Cute, eh?

Our Valentines went to 21 different classrooms in 14 different states. One of the nicest features of this project was finding and marking the states that sent us Valentines on the map. Several of the classrooms also wrote accompanying notes which gave details of their state and what the weather was like now. It made geography meaningful in new ways. As the Valentines arrive, I put them up around our classroom fireplace. Fun learning all around.

5. And last but not least, this is the first Friday of the month so I have a Funny Kid Story for you.

One of the greatest things about being a teacher is all the hugs you get, especially in kindergarten. At least daily, a little one will throw their arms around me for a quick hug. Just a couple weeks ago, I sent the kids from the carpet to line up for gym. One little guy, a frequent hugger, threw his arms around me before I could even stand up. Then he stepped back, and putting his hands on both my cheeks, said "I love your face."

I almost fell over. I just looked at him and said, "Wow, R, that's not something I hear every day." He looked thoughtful and said, "Why not?"

You really never know what they are going to come up with next!

Remember, if any of your posts include a funny kid story or saying, you can link up right here. We all like to hear them.  The link will be open all month.  I try to mention Funny Kid Friday at least once during the month to help readers find a chuckle or two. You can grab the Funny Kid Friday button to put on your post or not.

Now scootch on back to Five for Friday and check out some more blogs by clicking on the button below. I love to hear what's going on. I find out the neatest stuff.

Have a great month, folks. See you soon.

An InLinkz Link-up

Do-It-Themselves Student Display

I'm linking up with Miss DeCarbo at Sugar and Spice for Wordless Wednesday to show off a new way to display student work.

I have student work up in several places in my room and out in our centrum, but I really wanted a spot for the work the kids chose to display, and where they could put it up on their own. The putting-it-up-on- their-own part proved to be a bit of a challenge as display spaces, like bulletin boards, tend to be up high.  I finally created the perfect spot, heretofore unused.

Yes, this photo was taken at night... don't YOU live at school??

I took a long plastic strip that I got in the lumber department of Lowes. You could use a wooden strip but I find the plastic easier to work with. I used purple duct tape to cover it-- faster than painting and it can't flake off. It fit so that the edges of the tape wrapped around to the back on the top and bottom edges of the strip. Then I screwed the strip to the edge of my window counter ledge. I suppose you could skip this strip step and just use the edge of the counter, but I wanted to mess up the counter edge as little as possible, and gluing 20+ clips directly to it might have left too much mess. This way there will only be some very small unobtrusive holes in the counter edge when I'm gone. And I think the purple edge makes it look "on purpose." The color theme of my room is sage green, gray, and purple.

Close up– see those little screws?

I got wide black clothespins at Michaels and wrote the kids' names on them with white chalk pen, also found at Michael's. I needed a few more clothespins than they had, so I bought plain ones and spray painted them using black chalkboard paint and it worked just fine. The white chalkboard marker stays on as the kids use the clip, but if I wet it, it wipes right off– handy for putting next year's crop of kids' names on. The hot glue gun did the job of attaching the clothespins to the strip.  I spaced the clothes pins so that student work (of 8.5x11) could hang in either the vertical or horizontal position. I have fabric "curtains" that cover all the stuff on my shelves- makes for a much cleaner look– and the kids' work hangs with the curtain as a backdrop. Now the kids can hang whatever they are proud of in their own designated spot, and change it in seconds. I am happy with it and so are they!

So, how do you do student display? Do you let them choose what goes up? Have you found a way to let them put it up by themselves? Is this photo and post helpful to you?  I hope to hear!

Now click on the Wordless Wednesday button up top to find more good stuff! Have a great week!

The post Do-It-Themselves Student Display first appeared on kidpeopleclassroom.com

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A Cozy Chat and Some Monstrous Ideas

Hello Everybody! I hear some of the hardest weeks in school are these that we're in right now-- the honeymoon period is over, so much stuff is going on with parent-teacher conferences and assessments, and Thanksgiving break is still only a far away speck on the calendar. I'm busy, but loving my class and taking each day as it comes. Thanks to Kacey at Doodle Bugs for her Five for Friday link-up to share with you what I hope are some helpful ideas.

1.  I'm gearing up for the bulk of my parent-teacher conferences next week. A photo might not be the first way a teacher thinks of to share about parent-teacher conferences, but for me, the details of the setting are the first important detail.

Let's have a little chat!

I very much want parents to feel the conference is a conversation, so a comfortable setting is crucial. We meet in front of my "fireplace" looking at each other. I have a small side table available to hold my notes and handouts. There is space for parents to sit together on the couch, if both parents come to the conference.  And just as crucial there is a third chair to form a triangle when separated parents come to the conference as the couch might be too cozy in some cases. And yes, I pretty much insist that separated parents come for one conference. It's not twice the time that I must give for two conferences that is my concern, but that both parents hear the same information from me.

On that little table, I always have some handouts for parents to go away with. Tips for practicing math concepts or letters, sight, or rhyming words. I also suggest a good read– Lucy Calkins' Raising Lifelong Learners. This is not a "parenting" book, per se, but one that talks about how parents can support their child's learning from pre-K through high school. It is a fantastic book that I recommend all teachers and parents read. I copy the chapter on raising readers to give to parents as a tease. (Copying one chapter of a book for educational purposes is allowed.) Many parents end up buying the book, and I have a few copies to loan out as well.

Another important detail of my conferences is my opening line. "I have lots to share about your child, but we'll start with what you most want to know about. Don't worry, I'll fit all I have to share around that." I think it is important to share control of this meeting– parents and I are partners in the education of their child, after all. Sometimes parents respond by saying their preference is for me to start with what I have. Sometimes parents think a minute and give me an answer. Sometimes they know immediately what they want to hear about. Another reason my opening line is important to a good parent-teacher conference is because I know people have a hard time listening when they have a pressing question in mind. Much better to satisfy that so we can move on to cover everything else. And how horrible is it to come to the end of a conference, with the next parent waiting in the wings, and be asked a question that could have been easily discussed if you had known that was important to the parents!

Teachers sometimes ask me if I can still get in all I need to say if I allow the parent to begin. My answer is yes. I basically structure my conferences into two equally important parts– academics and social/learning behaviors.  I start with student strengths in these areas, then move on to concerns, though I do not see the standard parent-teacher conference as the time to discuss these fully.  I usually share what I see, giving examples, and then talk about the ways I work with the student on these points. I always tell parents I will follow up further, usually after the first report card comes out.

What elements of parent-teacher conferences are important to you?

2.  Oh, how I hate the clean up that happens at the end of the school year! WHY am I thinking of that NOW? Because this last year, for some reason, I lost so much stuff! Among the items that still haven't resurfaced is a very neat laser pointer. It was also a clicker, allowing me to click on my computer remotely when using it with a projector. I used the laser all the time in class to point out resources in the room to kids. It is important that kids remember to use the word wall, or our anchor charts posted around the room. When I'm working with a child that needs to look at something specifically, it is so useful to be able to use a laser pointer to show them where to look, so neither one of us has to get up to see it. I finally couldn't stand being without a pointer any more and decided to buy another. They are surprisingly pricey at office supply stores, but our trusty ACE Hardware store had a BARGAIN! A laser pointer that is also a LED flashlight AND a pen for only $3.50. At just an ordinary pen size, it is really portable as well. Yippee!

It looks like an ordinary pen but it's a laser pointer!

3. Well, aren't I crafty! I made a moveable number line! I took a meter/yard stick (a little longer than a regular yard stick to give more number room) and covered it with bright green masking tape. I wrote numbers every 1.5 inches, as every inch made the numbers too close together to be easily read. I then ran a strip of press-on magnetic tape on the back  Voila!

Number lines are important tools in math and we learn about numbers, number order, counting, addition, subtraction, etc.  And I can move it into and out of prime student viewing space on the white board as needed. So much easier than drawing or using masking tape for the line on the board. WHY didn't I think of it before?? I put a bit of magnet on the back of a little car, some little animals and lego guys, and of course, some monsters, to use as place holders when I move around on the line. "If the monster made three hops, and then he made two more, how many hops did he make?" Always keep it fun!

4. Do you use Phone-a-Friend in class? I find it helps kids control blurting and gives think time when playing learning games. We started with parent centers this week and parents are teaching it to the kids. Eventually they'll be able to do it on their own with lots of different games.

If one student turns over a card or lands on a spot, and can't do the task- say, read the sight word- they can "phone-a-friend." They hold their hand up to their cheek and says "Ring-ring, Sam" or whoever they choose.

Like my model child? I was too busy at schools to get a photo!

The stumped child knows who to call on because the kids who know the answer put their hand on the table in the "phone position."

It those kids do any blurting, like "me, me, me!" they can't be called on for help. This ability to signal that they know the answer keeps all the kids engaged through everybody's turn. Sam holds her "phone" to her ear and says the answer. The child who didn't know, then learns and gets to go on playing. The kids really like to use this element in games, and I love that it gives everyone think time, keeps kids engaged, and teaches the ones who need to know what we're working on. It also deemphasizes competition and puts a positive spin on helping everyone get the answer.

5. Tis the season for monsters... well, for me it is always the season for little monsters, as I've posted about numerous times before. I have a monster pin board that has everything from food, to art, to clothes, to toys, to learning activities-- and all MONSTER! You want to check it out, especially with Halloween just a week away.  Click on the Pin Board pic here.

And I'll leave you with this little video– I think it was around when I was a kid, so we can call it a classic. It will have you all bopping around the room for some Halloween brain breaks.

Scooch on back to Five for Friday for lots more fun!

Here's to a great week-before-Halloween, Everybody!

The post A Cozy Chat and Some Monstrous Ideas first appeared on KidpeopleClassroom.com

Easy Peasy Classroom Wreath

I sat in my kitchen the other day looking at the wreath on my backdoor and thought to myself– duh– I should make one for the classroom door!

Easy-to-make ribbon wreath

This is about as easy to make as can be– if you can tie a knot, you can make it. And you can easily get it done in a day.

1. Gather together favorite ribbons. Choose a color scheme, and mix em up– solids, stripes, dots and patterns. It's all good in the end. They have adorable printed ribbons now, so if you have a classroom theme of owls, or apples, or whatever, keep your eyes open and pick up a roll or two. I am a black and white nut, so I went through my ribbon bin and found all sorts left over from projects. It's a good way to use up smallish lengths. I used about ten different patterns in the end, though maybe about seven rolls worth total– it depends a bit on the widths you use.

2. Pick up a wreath frame– styrofoam or lightweight material. The wreath in the photo is eleven inches across. You can find both the wreath and ribbons at your favorite crafting store– be sure to clip coupons and check the sale bins.

3. Cut ribbons so that they give some nice "tails" after being knotted. Most of my tails were about four inches long, so I got a nice fluffy look. I can't tell you how long to cut your ribbon pieces because it depends on how wide your wreath shape is. Experiment a bit until you get it as you like it. Be sure to notch the cut ends of the ribbons in an inverted 'V' shape– it will stop fraying and give a more finished look.

4. Tie your pieces on, using just a simple knot. Keep the ribbon smooth in the back to cover the wreath mold. Randomly stagger where the knots line up on the front so the whole finished wreath has an overall even look.

5. I tied a thinner ribbon loop at the "top" of my wreath so I had something to hang the wreath from, then tied my final big bow on top of that, leaving the loop sticking out. Choose one special wide ribbon for the bow. A nice contrasting color works well, as you see the big red bow on my otherwise black and white wreath. This final one you tie in a bow with multiple loops, not tails like you did with the rest.

Hope you have fun with this project.  Your finished classroom wreath will be cheery and beautiful. I'm off to do one for my classroom now. Happy Start of School!

Special thanks to Tara at Fourth Grade Frolics for her Monday Made It linky. Click on the button and head over for some great ideas!

The post Easy Peasy Classroom Wreath first appeared on kidpeopleclassroom.com