Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Activities for the First Day of School

Although my attendance during the 1st week is still up in the air, I started prepping.

I'm getting ready to add a new packet/CD of Back-to-School Activities to my store and am trying to make things easy for my sub in the event that I'm not there.  I thought this would be a good time to share a few ideas with you.

I always start the year by making playdough the day before school starts.  It's really easy and cheap to make  and kids LOVE it regardless of how old they are.  I leave it white when I make it.  


I roll it into balls (one for each student), poke a small hole in each with my finger, add a few drops of food color and then cover the hole. I then place each ball into a ziploc bag and put a bag at each child's seat for their arrival.  

After they arrive I instruct them to squish up the bag to see what happens.  They oooh and ahhh over the "magic" (even in 3rd grade).  Having them mush it in the bag prevents them from getting the food coloring all over their hands.  After the color is well-blended I have them take it out of the bag.  I give them about 5 minutes of "free play" with it and then instruct them to make certain things:
  • their initials
  • their favorite animal
  • their favorite food
  • something to represent their favorite subject in school
After they create each we share them.  It's a great get to know you activity, but also gives them something to do to release any nervous energy they have.  Also if something unexpected occurs (student added to roster, parent that stops by, crying child who won't come in) it gives the class something quiet to do at their seats until you can focus your attention on them.  This is key since you will not have any guidelines, rules or expectations in place at that point.

You could also have large sheets of paper and crayons available to have the children illustrate a self-portrait.  Not only do these make an easy, colorful and appropriate display, but I love having them repeat this activity at the end of the year.  They always grow so much as artists.

Another favorite activity of mine is to create a "Who's in Our Class" word search.  There are some great free online sources for generating them.  All you need to do is type in the first names, print and copy.  Just be sure to check the word search and make sure everyone is included.


I've also done crossword puzzles with their names, but find that some children need help.  The goal is to have some fun, independent activities available so that you are free to tend to unexpected first day issues that may arise.

  

Monday, July 27, 2009

Shop 'Til You Drop

That's how the phrase goes..."shop 'til you drop."  Unfortunately, this 'pregnant-with-twins-on-a- hot-July-day' thing makes it harder to shop and easier to drop.  I was exhausted 10 minutes into my Walmart adventure, but the back to school shopping has begun.

As I mentioned in a previous entry, we collect money and gather all of the kids' supplies ourselves.  Normally this makes me giddy. This year it makes me tired.  I thought I was being smart by taking all of the store flyers to Walmart because they will honor competitor prices.  I figured we could tackle all of the weekly sales in one stop.  I was surprised to find that Walmart lacked the usual aisles and aisles of school supplies.  Instead they had one aisle and it was almost empty.

I did get my Crayola crayons for .25 cents, but not the glue sticks.

I gathered 30 boxes of Crayola colored pencils for $1.00.  In the past these usually go on sale for .88 cents, but I figured .12 cents a box wasn't worth returning for down the road.

That was it.  Everything else was missing.  I was even going to break my 'only Crayola' rule and buy the Roseart water colors that were in the Target flyer, but Walmart no longer carries them.

While I was there I decided to check to see if they happened to have any Rashguards in stock for my 4 year old surfer dude.  On my way to the kid's section I did find a display of Crayola markers next to Walmart's "fine jewelry" counter and was able to cross those off my list.

Tired, waddling and hot I made my way to the register.  The friendly cashier looked me up and down and said, "How many do you have in there?  Two?"  Man, is it that obvious?  I must look lovely.

I sent hubby into my classroom on his way to work this morning to drop off my loot.  The last thing I needed to deal with was melted crayons in the back of my SUV.  I'm anxiously awaiting a report from him on the condition of my rugs.  My guess is that they still haven't been done.  My bigger guess is that they won't be back to do them.  I'm planning on going in on Thursday and start setting up.

Either I'll get the room set up or Murphy's Law will kick in and they will come clean the room while I'm there.  Either way it is progress.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009


Literally!  Last year we started the tradition of doing an overnight at the beach to celebrate my son's birthday.  I'm hoping the weather cooperates.  We are staying at the same hotel that my grandparents used to take me to (circa the 1970s) and there is something neat about the fact that NOTHING has changed there in 30 years.  

Anyhow, if anyone is placing orders from www.LittlestLearners.com that will be mailed out on Friday and I'll be around to answer emails tomorrow afternoon!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Try...Even if You Don't Think You Have to!

As a teacher I am sure you have muttered this phrase.  Like a parent preparing for a family roadtrip, I send my students in to the restroom before every field trip with those directions and a warning/reminder that there are no bathrooms on the bus.

Lately, I've been taking my own advice.

We live in a 2 story house and just had new flooring put in our kitchen, hallway and bathroom downstairs.  This means that the toilet has been removed from said bathroom.  At 7.5 months pregnant with twins there is one thing I need to do A LOT and that is pee.  There is one thing I dread doing and that is climbing stairs.  

So lately I've been using my field trip advice anytime I need to come upstairs for something because I sure as heck don't want to have to make that ascent more than I need to.  

We should have bought a ranch.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Where are the Sales?

My summer vacations are typically spent grilling, sunning and scouring the back-to-school sales flyers.  A few years back my teaching partner and I stopped sending home the standard "list of school supplies" to the parents and instead requested that they each send in $15.00.

We were a little nervous about doing this at first because we were not sure how the families would react.  As it turns out the parents were THRILLED.  Never in my career have I received so much positive feedback than this idea generated.  We have not heard one negative peep and have actually been sent thank you cards and emails for doing it this way.  The parents say it saves them time and that they are spending far less on school supplies than ever before.  

As a teacher I am a huge fan of this.  I like things to match and I like as little distraction as possible in the classroom.  I am thrilled that each of my students has the same box of 12 Crayola markers and that there is no class struggle because one child has an 8 pack of Roseart while another brought in the deluxe art kit.  I have everything labeled and ready on the 1st day of school and I don't need to sort through bags of supplies.  It's been great.

But, seriously...where are the sales?  I know Labor Day is later this year, but the trends of marketing are off.  I have spent years studying this as a science and can pinpoint which store will offer which items and for which price in a way that would make Bob Barker automatically promote me to the Showcase Showdown.  It's odd.  Staples offered pencils for a penny, but where were the folders, erasers and sharpeners?  Walmart has some college stuff listed on sale, but the five cent spiral bound notebooks are yet to be found.

Maybe this is retails way of telling me to get my mind off school and go to the beach.  I'll give that a shot.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

YEE HAW!



PLEASE NOTE: THIS ITEM HAS SOLD.  I DECIDED TO LEAVE THIS POST ONLINE TO SHOW SOME IDEAS AND PRODUCTS YOU MAY WANT TO MAKE/USE. 

If you haven't checked it out or if you would like to see pictures of these items in use just visit CLUTTER FREE CLASSROOM and go the the "themes" pages.  Click on any of the images to make them larger.


26 COW ALPHABET CARDS - fully laminated - great for word walls and vocab

2 BRAND NEW PACKAGES OF WESTERN-THEMED REWARD STICKERS (almost 800 stickers in all)

1 COWBOY HAT
1 BANDANA (The hat and bandana are cute on a stuffed animal , but make great props for photos...I created wanted posters with my kids wearing them)
1 COMPLETE SET OF BANDANA PRINT CALENDAR SQUARES (plus blank ones)

1 LARGE PAINTED COWBOY
1 LARGE SIGN READING: Math Vocabulary Round Up
1 ROPE (I pinned it to the wall to form a lasso coming from the cowboys hand)


1 SET OF BANDANA LETTERS READING “WRITE EM COWBOY”


 SET OF BANDANA LETTERS READING “THE WORD HERD”
1 SIGN READING “Words that have been put out to pasutre”

1 LARGE PAINTED COW/BULL




20 WESTERN THEMED LIBRARY POCKETS
13 COWBOY HATS DEPICTING CENTERS
1 LAMINATED MENU BOARD READING “Chuck Wagon” to write the lunch choices on
1 BOYS BATHROOM PASS
1 GIRLS BATHROOM PASS



LARGE STICK KIDS BULLETIN BOARD DISPLAY
12 STICK KID WESTERN ACCENTS



7 HANDMADE PILLOWCASES
fits standard sized bed pillow - great for a comfy reading nook


FABRIC FOR BULLETIN BOARDS OR TABLE COVERS (5 kinds)
-navy
-denim
-brown
-light denim
-cow print
-black bandana


BORDERS (5 kinds)
-red bandana
-blue bandana
-cows
-stick kids western border
-denim with yellow stitching

ALSO
3 FENCES FOR BULLETIN BOARDS
1 SIGN READING “Hats off to Literacy Centers”
1 SIGN READING “Birthday Buckeroos”






Friday, July 10, 2009

Going Buggy....MAYBE


I'll admit it.  I have theme envy.

I love themes.

Themes make me happy.

It just doesn't make sense to go all out on a new theme since I'll be on maternity leave until December.  Things need to be organized and streamlined for my sub.

But (insert me stomping my feet with clenched fists) I want a theme!!!!!

Luckily my son's birthday is coming up and I can get a theme fix there.  After much debate his party theme switched from "Christmas in July" to "Fiesta" to "Under the Sea" to it's current (and permanent) theme "Insects."  I do love the Christmas in July idea, but decided that would be best saved for next year when I can reap the benefits of 90% discounts on holiday decor, plates and napkins in January.

The bug themed birthday has me thinking a bug themed classroom would be fun for my next theme.  The irony...I HATE BUGS.  I seriously think that every mosquito bite I get will result in my contracting the West Nile Virus and that my backyard is filled with Deer Ticks just stalking me and waiting to embed into my skin and give me Lyme Disease.  I'm a bit of a hypocondriac...can you tell?

Anyhow, real bugs are gross...cartoony bugs in my classroom will be cute.  

Monday, July 6, 2009

Starting Point


I dragged Hubby into school this morning with the hopes of getting my room set up.  I was told the cleaning crew would be done last Friday and I would be all set.  Well, that would be true for all but two classrooms...mine and my teaching partner.  Supposedly they'll be back this week to finish.  Let's hope.

Right now my room looks like this.  It's a new room for me.  It's smaller than my old room, but the higher ceilings give the illusion that it is bigger.  I do like the higher ceilings.  I'm really starting to feel every bit of being "7 months pregnant with twins in the summer" so I'm anxious to get in there and get it set up before I get really sore and exhausted.  

My goal is to keep it simple and organized for the sub so that it is easy for him/her to find everything and implement routines as close to my own as possible. 

Saturday, July 4, 2009

World's Colliding

Happy 4th of July!!!

It is very important to note the date.  We've been out of school for less than two weeks (both of which were cold and rainy).  It feels like summer is just kicking off!  I made a quick trip to Target this morning to pick up a birthday present.  As I entered the door, my eyes tried to focus on what was at the end of the VERY long row leading to the back of the store.

Could it be?

Was I seeing things?

Nope.

Sure enough the school supplies were out in full force.  They surrounded a sad-looking pile of clearanced patio furniture like they were planned for their attack.  They were.  They are closing in.

Admittedly, the 'back to school sales' (especially Staples .01 cent sale) is my idea of a good time, but please retail: At least let us have the 4th of July before you start discounting the bug spray and replacing it with colored pencils and 3 ring binders.