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I once loved creating bulletin boards.
And by loved I mean LOVED.
I would plan them in my head and tweak them until the reality matched the vision.
At the risk of being institutionalized, I will admit that I have used actual levels and tape measures to perfect them.
Each was a work of art worthy of it’s own gallery premiere. People should have worn black dresses and tuxes as they sipped wine and stared in awe as they discussed the merits of my work.
And then the desire slowly fizzled and the demands grew and time became limited and priorities changed and now bulletin boards have become something else on the to do list. Occasionally, the creative bug will bite and I’ll go all old school and whip up a masterpiece, but for the most part I try to keep it simple.
I have a lot of “interactive bulletin boards” in my classroom now. These are things like word walls, a weekly language arts focus wall and my CAFÉ board that are ongoing throughout the year. But, there are those boards that need to be changed regularly. One simple way to do that is to create a board that is maintained by your students.
Provide each student with a space on the wall that belongs to him. You could hang a background paper and label it with the child’s name. Let the student select what he wants to display and allow him to put up the work he wants to showcase in that spot.
Below are a few simple options to make changing the work quick and easy:
She used a magnetic white board and programmed it with the places a child would be when they are not in the classroom. These include the bathroom as well as our reading specialists, speech therapists, social worker, etc, She then made each child a magnet with his name on it. When the child leaves the room, he moves the magnet to the appropriate spot. The teacher can tell at a glance where the students are.
Love it! Check out this similar idea I posted last summer for letting everyone know where your class is.
I love today’s Thrifty Thursday tip.
Because I love books.
And because we are so close to that cherished little thing called “summer vacation” when you get to read books for pleasure.
OK, I admit it. I tend to read ‘teacher books’ in the summer. But, I also read a bunch of books just for fun too.
Today I want to tell you about a gem of a website called Paper Back Book Swap. If you visit the site you can get all the details and even watch a quick video that explains how it works, but I’ll give you the quick overview.
You sign-up (quick and easy).
You post books you own and no longer need (super fast).
You pick out new books you want instead.
People mail them to you FOR FREE.
Yes...FREE
Alright, you got me. Nothing is totally free in this world is it. The only “cost” is when you send a book to someone else. You pay for the shipping.
But, it’s media mail. And usually only a little over $2.00.
You can even print the shipping label on regular old white paper and drop it in the mailbox. I avoid the post office whenever possible so I’m a fan of that little feature.
When you sign up and list 10 books you’ll get 2 credits for free books immediately. So you can try it out without worrying about it.
They have books for please. They have books for children. I’ve even received some amazing teacher resource books (Daiy 5, Classrooms That Work, Making Words, etc.)
If you do decide to sign up, pretty pretty please use the following link:
http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?r_by=littlestlearners@gmail.com
If you use the link above to join, I'll get a free book when you post your first ten books (and you'll still get free books for posting them!)
Teachers will often trace student’s profiles. They make great displays for Open Houses and back-to-school bulletin boards. They are cherished parts of Mother’s Day gifts. That doesn’t mean they are easy.
In fact, just the opposite is true.
If you’ve ever attempted to get 24 Kindergarten students to stand in front of an overhead and “freeze like a statue” while you frantically try to outline the projection of their cranium onto black construction paper then you know what I mean.
Just getting a 5 year old to stand still is a task in itself. But, getting a kid to stand still and not turn his head to see the giant shadow of himself that is bating him to one side and the illuminated treasure on the other is a real accomplishment.
I did a mystery unit with my third graders a couple of years ago. Inspired by the Alfred Hitchcock logo-ish thingy, I wanted to use their profiles as part of a “guess who” writing display. However, the thought of tracing all those heads exhausted me.
Then I had a lightbulb moment (pun intended).
I had them stand in front of the overhead as I normally would. Instead of tracing their silhouette, I simply snapped a photo of it.
So. stinking. easy.
And they came out great.
I used the photos as they were, but you could easily enlarge the pictures on a copier and use them as a template for cutting out the traditional black construction paper.
Children are very familiar with email, texting, voice mail, and IMs. However, good old fashion letter writing is often a foreign concept to them. Keeping some teacher stationary on hand in your desk will expose them to more written language and allow you to model good social skills. As an added bonus, it will free up your time outside the classroom and save you a bit of money on postage.
I like to keep “generic” stationary and envelopes in my classroom. By generic, I mean it doesn’t specifically say ‘thank you’ or ‘happy birthday.’ It can be used for anything. When children bring in small gifts for me or when I catch them making a great choice, I like to send home a quick hand-written note.
In the past I would spend holiday breaks and the start of my summer vacation writing out thank-you notes which would then need to be mailed home. By having stationary readily available I can write an immediate note of gratitude and put it into their mailbox or folder that day. I also like to write a thank you note to parents who volunteer in the classroom for a special project or chaperone a field trip. In those cases, I try to print a digital picture from that day of the parent with their child and include it with the card. It’s a fairly simple touch on my part, but is always much appreciated on their end.