2010...A Banner Year

Or was it, "the year of the banner?"

My love affair of all things Vista Print is no secret. As I've mentioned before, my motto is, "If it's free it's for me!"

I have such fun designing new things and just about pounce on the mailman when my boxes of goodies arrive. I heart the postcards and shirts and magnets and posters and yard sale signs and key chains and lions and tigers and bears oh my!

But, my mostest favoritest of all the items is the banner.

Oh, the banners! Oh, the possibilities!

Thanks to the free banners, I got to be that over-the-top mother who has banners printed for her kids' birthdays. Because seriously, who does that?

People who get free banners that's who!

Thanks to the free banners, I have recently implemented the all-time-numero-uno-super-bestest thing ever to grace my classroom. Well, next to Find it/Fix it. It's "the clip chart" and you'll have to come back tomorrow (or maybe the next day) to read about that.

And thanks to the free banners, I have made bulletin board creation super quick and simple and yet oh-so-colorful and wonderful and kind of even professional-looking.

A commenter (That's you, Amy) had asked about sign in the center of my board. And I realized that I had never posted about my new addiction to banners as bulletin board time saver accessories. So here goes.

Vista Print is always offering amazing deals that allow you to get a whole heaping helping of freebies for super cheap. Yeah, I know the free and cheap part can be confusing. See, you pay for shipping. Or not. Sometimes, you can can spend $30.00 and get free shipping and up to 10 free items. Those are my favorite promos.

Anyhow...

While you can get up to 10 free items, you can only get 1 of each type of item (i.e. post-its, postcards, magnets).

But...

Vista Print views banners that are designed vertical and banners that are designed to print horizontal as two different types of items so you may get one of each.

You can use their easy templates and create major cuteness. Or, you can design and upload your own image. If you do that simply rotate the image 90 degrees and print it as a vertical banner. That way you get 2 horizontal banners in one order.

They fit perfectly in the center of a typical bulletin board with plenty of room to display student work around it.

You could also design just titles for boards and print several onto one banner and cut them apart.

The options are endless and there are lots of creative folks who have uploaded images of what they have made for you to find for inspiration.

As an added bonus, teachers often pop in to comment on the banners. It's nice to have adult contact. :)

FYI: At the time of posting this, the following links were working and offer great deals.

Giving Away the Farm (free shipping with $30.00 purchase)

and this is my personal favorite because it offers FREE 7 DAY SHIPPING with a $30.00 purchase...and uploads count towards the $30.00)

DIY Classroom Decorations

Today's Thrifty Thursday Tip is: Do It Yourself Classroom Decor

I love me some adorable Carson-Delossa kits as much as the next gal.  But, I also have a mortgage to pay and can’t be spending money all willy-nilly.  

Granted, time is money.  If you don’t have the time then you might want to spend the money.  But, if you do have the time then I’m here to tell you it takes surprisingly little talent to make cute things on your own.

This is especially handy if you are into classroom themes and are struggling to find items to complete your desired look.

Use the Overhead:

Find some clip art that you like.  Make a transparency of it (using a printer, copier or just tracing it with a Sharpie onto a transparent sheet).  Project it onto paper at a size that fits your needs.

You can paint it, but I prefer a paper pieced look.  The lion was traced onto different colored paper, cut out and glued together.  

The benefits to creating your own decorative items include:

• cost-savings
  
• custom to match your room theme or decor
  
• exact size you want
  
• great project for classroom aides, parent volunteers or even the kids
  

I recommend looking through coloring books or googling "___ coloring page" (insert what you are looking for).  

Choice Board

Today's Thrifty Thursday Tip is: Recycling Crystal Lite Containers to Make a Choice Board

All those who love to micromanage, please raise your hand!

Oh, look at me waving both hands high into the air.

I’m really excited to put this into effect in the fall.  I do assign kids to groups and centers during our literacy block, but there are times when there is opportunity for “choice” on their part.  In my class there are two such opportunities that come to mind: Fun Friday and Indoor Recess.

To keep some sanity in the classroom, maintain peace and to be efficient, I limit the number of students in one activity/area and also limit the options. 

First, I’ll explain how this works and then I’ll explain how I made it.

How it Works:

• Each child has a popsicle stick with his name on it.
  
• Each container will display a small card under the paperclip.  The card will state the activity and the number of students who may participate.
  
• I will also have a slightly larger, colored card that I can slide underneath the original one to signal that the choice is at capacity and can no longer be selected.
  

How it is Made:

For months I’ve been looking at the new Crystal Lite containers and trying to determine a use for them.  I finally had my lightbulb moment, sent an email to the parents of my students requesting them and had more than enough to do this project the next day.  If you don't have the opportunity to ask for donations of these because it is summer then drink up.  It is cool and refreshing after all. :)

Put a push pin through the plastic container.

Select paper to match your classroom color scheme or theme.  Scrapbook paper is awesome for this.  Cut the paper to fit around the container.

Slide a paperclip over the top of the paper.

Apply a stripe of hot glue to the back of the paper and attach it to the container.

Label sticks (details on the lil' cuties above coming soon).

Display on a board and add a cute sign..or click here to buy the one pictured

I love how the push pin allows you to simply flip the container over to remove the sticks.

I bought the rafia at the Dollar Tree (it was a grass skirt) and the scrapbook paper was less than $1.00.  Grand total for this project was under $3.00.

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Dry Erase Marker Ideas

Today's No Mess Monday Organization Tip is: A Marker Holder

Fourth of July is this weekend.  You would think that would represent the start of summer, but I've learned it really means that all of the Back-to-School items will be out by Monday.  

Sure, you'll find the obvious items you need for your perennial shopping trip.

But, it's also a fabulous time to "think outside the box."

Look at the items and think about how you can use them in your classroom.

Shower caddies for college students make great supply caddies.

Dorm rugs are perfect for the classroom (translation: cheap and funky).

You get the idea.

On of my favorite scores a few years back was this handy little thing here.

It's meant for high school or middle school lockers.  It's magnetic and perfect for sticking to my dry erase board.

To hold my dry erase markers.

Up high.

Where 3rd graders can't reach them.

Because 3rd graders like to draw on whiteboards during indoor recess and use up all the ink.

Also, it keeps things neat and organized.

And you know how I love neat and organized.  Since I'm chatting it up about dry erase markers, now would be a good time to give a shout out to a product I totally heart.  Let's all give it up for Board Dudes Double-Sided Magnetic Dry Erase Markers. 

I bought a set for my son to use at home (me thinks it was at Target or Staples), but they are on my shopping list for school.  Each marker has two colors.  And not just your typical lame dry erase colors like red, blue and black, but fun colors like purple, teal and lime green.  They also erase easily.  I bought some snazzy colorful markers before and needed to really get my scrub on in order to erase them.

If the fun colors and easy erasability were not enough to make these awesome, they are completely magnetic.  As in, stick the marker to the board.  Love them!

But, if you can't find the locker thingy.

And you don't want to buy the snazzy markers that I've plugged.

I have another tip for you.

Hot glue (or Superglue if you dare...personally, I'm afraid of Superglue, but I digress) a strong magnet to the cover of your current dry erase markers.  They'll stick to the board and when it dries out simply get a new marker and swap the cap for the magnetic one.

Happy Monday All!

Diary of a Pig - reading response idea

Today's Teacher Tip Tuesday idea is: The Diary of a Pig

Have you read the Diary of a _____ books by Doreen Cronin?  So much fun.

There are diaries for a worm, a fly and a spider.  Each is more awesome than the last.  T

hey are written in the form of a diary, are witty and have fun illustrations and quick one-liners.  

I love them.  Kids always love them.

One of them mentions that a worms head looks just like it's butt.  What kid isn't going to love that?

A few years back, I happened to be reading Charlotte's Web to the class as my chapter book read aloud and broke these fun titles out during our writing block as a model of organization and voice from six traits.

Ever have one of those light bulb moments?  You know, the kind where you scrap your plans and go with something way better that "just came to you?"

That's when "The Diary of a Pig" was born.  We used Cronin's books as a model/inspiration and composed our own version based on the events in Charlotte's Web.

We discussed 1st person vs 3rd person.

We talked about style.  We chatted about the important parts that would be important to include. Not only is it fun and creative, but it is a fabulous way to check a child's level of comprehension on a text.

After reading a chapter (or chapters in some cases), I asked the class to compose a diary entry.

While the book doesn't specify dates, we used context clues to form a timeline and thus "date" our entries (Wilbur being a spring pig, Fern being in school, the crickets signaling summer, etc).

They were asked to include some words that they considered to be "key vocabulary."

The cover was designed to look like Cronin's.  We observed how each of her covers had a white background and each had a pencil as part of the illustration.  They needed to do the same.

After all of the books were completed, we made them available in the class library for a bit.  They took a lot of pride in this activity.

You could easily do this with other books as well.

The Important Book - a great writing activity

Here is one of my favorite lessons.

I do it every year.  

I do it several times a year.

And you should too. :)

Are you familiar with The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown?  

Love it!

It’s basically a book that details simple objects.  There is a pattern to her writing.  It is such a wonderful example of “organization” if you teach Six Traits.  You can peak at the inside of the book here.

I think the best thing about this lesson is that it can be used with any subject area and at every grade level. For the younger learners simply make a template for them.  For the even younger learners let them dictate it to you.  Older learners can write it on their own.

I read the book.  I discuss the pattern and organization to her writing.  We chat about how she finds the details in simple objects.

I reread the book.  During the second reading we discuss each page.  We talk about how she intertwines the writing with the illustrations.  

I model an example of how they need to write it.  I even work in one of my sad little drawings.

I am creative. I am not artistic.  I firmly believe they are two very different characteristics.

I then give them a topic and they each select something to write about.

I start the year with them writing about themselves.

Example: The important thing about Jane is that she is a great friend.  She is funny, she walks her dog every day and she cries when she gets hit with a ball in gym.  She is ticklish, she loves to eat oatmeal and she is saving money to buy a new American Girl Doll.  But, the important thing about Jane is that she is a good friend.

I have them write about a content area:

The important thing about magnets...

The important thing about Pilgrims...

I have them write about math:

The important thing about a (insert the name of a geometric solid)

The important thing about multiplication is...

It’s a really good way to assess what they know.  The final products make beautiful displays.  They also make fabulous class book.

Trioramas - Teaching Tip Tuesday

Today's Teaching Tip Tuesday Tip is: Trioramas

How's that for a tongue twister?

If you look at the picture below and squint, you will see that my shelf is lined with trioramas.

or you can click on the photo and the image will become bigger and then you won't have to squint as much

This was during Open House in 2007.  As a side note, I ALWAYS cover my open shelving during Open House to prevent little siblings from pulling books and manipulatives off of the shelves.

I highly suggest that.  It also serves as extra display space for more creative works of art. :)

Anyhow, back on topic...

Trioramas are great little projects and can be used as an extension in most subject areas.

They are very easy to create: 

1. Take a 12X18 piece of construction paper (in your desired background color...I usually go with blue for sky) and cut it down to 12x12.

2. Fold the 12x12 paper in half two times and then unfold it to form an X crease on the paper.

3. Start at any corner and cut along the crease until you reach the center.  Stop there!

4. At the split, fold one triangle under the other to make a 3D Triorama.

I realize that might sound confusing.  Just grab a pair of scissors and a piece of paper and try it.  You'll be amazed at how simple it is.

The photos in this post are from the Open House that I did a Wizard of Oz theme.  We had read the book in class and were in the process of putting on the play.  There assignment was to write about their role in the play and to create a triorama as a visual.  They used construction paper and paper-pieced most of the components.  The key to making them look so awesome is to have them outline everything in black Sharpie.

I heart outlining in Sharpie.  It makes everything look super amazing.

I much prefer them to the old showbox diorama for 2 reasons. 1. They can be folded flat which makes storing them until display time very easy. 2. They are all uniform which makes for a nicer display.  If you've been reading along for awhile now, you realize that my obsession with organization would prevent me from looking at mismatched shoeboxes without breaking into hives.

Below is a list of ideas for other triorama projects.  Leave a comment letting me know what you would use them for.  I love new ideas!

 Other trioramas I've created include: significant scene from a book, animal habitats, Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indian homes (I attached two together to create a scene for each), my community (each student made part of our town) and a math project where the students needed to design a house within a budget.

creative classroom ideas, literature extension, project-based learning

Workstation Rotations: Teacher-Tip Tuesday

Today's Teaching Tuesday Idea is:

WorkStation Rotation Chart

One of the hardest tasks as a teacher is managing "centers" or work stations.  I've tried several methods and most work well as long as you take the time to teach the students what your system is.  I especially like this one for two reasons: it's compact (the size of a standard posterboard) and it is easy to see at a glance who should be where.

I have the children work with a partner for literacy centers.  Each pair is assigned a color and I write their names on that colored rectangle in dry erase marker.  The color aligns with a workstation that is designed for two people.  You'll notice that two colors also align with a 2nd center (outer circle).  That is a station that can accomodate up to four students. 

The children work in their assigned center.  I then rotate the wheel one spot and they are on to the next station.  So easy!  

Everything is laminated flat onto the board with the exception of the small circle with the colors.  That is attached with a brad so that it can rotate easily.  

The other added benefit to this is that when I've rearranged my classroom or moved rooms, it is easy to transport.