Cork Board DIY

I have this mini bulletin board in the back of my room that I have no idea what to do with.  I was thinking that I could use it as a "parent info" board or a place to hang little notes from the kids.  Some crafting need to happen so I could make a place to hang my notes.  I thought...cork boards!

Supplies:  

-square cork board cut in half (from Target)

-stapler

-ribbon

-scissors

I normally use mod podge for everything.  But when I was looking at the edges of the cork board, I thought of just stapling the ribbon down to make a cute border.  And to my surprise, it worked pretty well!  I just cut the ribbon the length of each side, and stapled them down.

The ribbon, helped define the edges of the cork board AND made them look way cuter. ;)

Here you can see my mini bulletin board and the little cork boards on display.  I hung them with push pins, and one small nail on the top.  The green white/magnetic board in the middle is from Big Lots.  I am thinking of hanging the parent newsletter here, and possibly upcoming field trip dates and info.  

Any ideas on what I should hang here???

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Washi Tape... Student Sticks

I have seen everyone doing cute things with Washi Tape and I haven't had time to:

a) figure out what it is

b) figure out how to use it

I went to Michael's and found some Washi Tape in the scrapbooking section.  It is just a roll of tape that has cute prints on it!  It can peel off, and re-stick, so it is easy to work with!  I decided to use the Washi Tape on my student sticks!

Here are my supplies: 

1. a jar

2. Washi Tape

3. Popsicle sticks

I wrapped one end of the popsicle stick in the Washi Tape.

Then I wrote the student numbers on the sticks.

How this works is, I will place all of the sticks in the jar, Washi Tape facing up.  I will pull out a sick and read the number.  That child will either answer the question, or it will be their turn.  Once their turn is over, I will place the stick back in the jar, WASHI SIDE DOWN.  That way, I will know that the student has already had a turn.  Once everyone's stick is Washi side down, I will flip all of the sticks over, and start again!  Fair and square?  I think so!

In years past, I have done this same thing, but painted both ends of the stick different colors.  But then you have to wait for them to dry (and I make a mess).  I was going to do the other end of the stick a different color Washi Tape...but why?  This saves money and time, and still looks cute!

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DIY organization for the little things floating in your desk....

Is anyone else obsessed with the little containers that everyone is using for dice holders?  I AM!  I was trying to think of what to use them for, and as I was thinking this, I looked at my desk and saw paper clips ALL OVER!  I decided to make little storage containers out of them!  

I found a rectangle magnet board at Michael's, put a layer of scrapbook paper and ribbon on it with Mod Podge!  It only needs a couple of hours to dry before it is ready to go!

Then I went through my desk and found goodies that would fit in the little containers, which are also from Michael's.  The best part is, the little tins are magnetic, so they stick on the board!  They can also stick on the whiteboard in my classroom, with is amazing because I definitely leave them all over the room!

Here is what I put in it:

two different types of push pins

dice

binder clips

staples

paper clips

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Linking Cubes Math Centers

I am REALLY excited to share my new Linking Cubes Math Centers with you!  I have so many cubes in my classroom, and I needed math centers to go with them!  This unit contains 5 math centers for you to use with the cubes.  My favorite part, is there is MINIMAL prep. involved because the cubes you already have are the manipulatives!  Here are some photos of the math unit:

To purchase, head to my TpT Store!

This is a fun activity to have the kids practice their counting.  They grab a cube mat, look at the number, and count that many blocks.  

In the very first week of Kindergarten, colors and sorting are great areas to start teaching math.  This is a hands on way to assess if the students know their colors AND if they know how to sort!

Is it me, or does it seem like kids are obsessed with little clips and clothespins?  Some of the kinders need help strengthening those fine motor skills, so I added a "Clip the Number" activity.  The students count the blocks on the card, and clip the number.

I made an "Adding On" activity for some of the advanced students.  They look at the number on the card, and add more blocks to equal the number.  This will be interesting for me to see who understands this concept, and who gets confused.  

To help practice writing numbers, this is an activity where they count the blocks on the sheet and write the number on the line.  

Each math center comes with a "recording sheet" to or printable to see if the students know how to do the math skill.  You can assign this for center work, independent practice, or homework!  

I am excited about this unit, I hope it can help some of you out there! :)

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Back to School SALE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is everyone ready for the TPT SALE this weekend?!?!?!?  My store is 28% off from August 18th-19th if you use the code: BTS13

Thank you Dragonflies in First for the cute button!

Click HERE to check out my store!  I'll show you some samples of units in my store...

All About Apples is a great way to start the year, especially if you want to each a thematic unit incorporating all subjects!

If you are teaching 1st grade, the Base 10 Math Unit is one of my favorite math units in my store.  It would be perfect for a review for the beginning of the year.  

If you want to get organized for the Fall, here is my Fall Thematic Unit!

I feel like several people to an ocean theme at either the beginning or end of the year while it is still hot outside.  Here is an Ocean Theme Pack if you are looking to "dive into the school year!"

I have several different sight word printables in my store.  Look and see which version would be best for you!  

If you need to practice number words, this pack might be fore you!

If you miss the sale, I might still have my store discounted for the 20th! ;)

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School is Starting! Some Goodies I Use Going Back to School!

I want to share with you some of my favorite products that I have in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store, that I use in the beginning of the year.  I use these for seat work, beginning assessments, letter introduction, and for homework.  

This is a pack is all about letter sounds.  

"Beginning Sound Printables" focuses on the letter sound itself, and the beginning sound in a word.  The curriculum that my school uses, doesn't have enough options on each page, so I use my own instead. ;).  You can check it out in my TpT Store HERE.

I am really excited to use this with my students next year.  This pack, Story Elements for Kindergarten, have individual sheets that can be used with almost any read aloud.  You can use them as an assessment after you read, to check for understanding.  It also includes the DIY Comprehension Wands that you can make, and use to check for understanding as you are reading to the children.  You can see this product it my TpT Store (here).

My Hand Prints for the Year is a little activity that you can do with your students all year long.  I made the background template for each month, and you can use them to make hand print art for each season!

 I save them and turn them into a book for the end of the year.  The parents love it!

This is probably one of the main set of printables that I use, all year long.  Numbers 1-50 is a pack designed to focus on one number at a time.  The students have multiple tasks to do on each page, and after showing them what to do once, they can complete the rest of them independently.  I use these for centers, homework, and to introduce each number.  This pack is available as a bundled set, or sold separately.  Click HERE to see the details!

Here is the Upper and Lower Case unit, that is always a hit with the kids.  This follows the same format as the number unit, but each page focuses on one letter.  You can get the bundled set of upper AND lower case, or purchase them individually.  I used these as I introduce each letter of the alphabet.  I copy the upper and lower case letters back to back, and they can complete them as homework, center work, or for independent practice.  Check them out HERE.

Last, but not least, is a Back to School Assessment pack.  It covers all of the assessments needed for the little ones entering kindergarten!  There is also, an owl themed version!

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School Outfitters Winner!

And the winner of the $100 is....

Sorry for the LOUD image with leopard print!  I have been sick in bed for the last 3 days and this animal print made me feel better!  ;)  And on an exciting note, I had some energy today and went to Big Lots and found all of the baskets that I needed for my class library!!!  Of course, that outing was too much for me and now I probably need to go to the Dr.'s tomorrow.  Is anyone else a HUGE baby when they are sick?  Anyways...thanks for all that entered to win the gift card, there will be more giveaways to come!

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Beginning of the Year Kindergarten Assessments

It is almost time to go back to school, and I like to get organized for my beginning or the year assessments.  Once school starts, have about two months before parent-teacher conferences, so I need to get started on the assessments right away.  These can take a long time, because most of the assessments for the beginning of kindergarten are given to the students one on one.  I gather all of my data from the beginning of the year, and have it ready in a folder to share with the parents during conferences.  

I created this "Back to School Kindergarten Assessments" pack to use with my students as they enter my class.

Here is what is included- There are 15 different assessments:
-Print their name (3 different formats)
-Draw a self portrait
-Handprint trace
-Coloring
-Draw a picture
-Trace numbers 1-10
-Print numbers (3 different formats)
-Trace upper case letters
-Trace lower case letters
-Print letters (3 different formats)
-Flashcard assessment and recording sheets for:
upper and lower case letters and sounds
number recognition 1-30 (you can modify what numbers they are tested on)
-color and shape recognition

If you are doing an owl theme, this version would be perfect for you!  I used this one last year with my class!

This pack does include a little owl craft as well!  Also, if you purchased it last year, be sure to re-download it so you can get the revised addition!

For more details, check out my TpT Store!

Good luck with all of your planing as you are getting ready for the school year!

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My Dream Classroom...$100 Giveaway!

I have been frantically shopping for my classroom next year.  I have been teaching 6 years, and all I have are hand-me-downs!  I bought borders for the bulletin board my first year, and since then, I have been rotating them and re-using them.  This year I decided to take the plunge and buy some essentials that will make me feel like I am getting that "stylish" classroom that I see all over Pinterest and Instagram.  I am sure there are others in this boat, and maybe a free $100 could help you???!!!

School Outfitters is letting me giveaway $100 to their online store!  First, I want to show you some of my favorite items that I have found on their website!  Click on the photos to link straight to the store....

Here is a colorful, fun, bright floor rug, showcasing A-Z!

My wheels started turning when I saw this small, portable bulletin board.  What if I used this to display weekly work, and could even roll it outside for a display when the parents are dropping off their kids?  

And I NEED one of these, because mine just broke!  It's a storage bin that has 12 different drawers.  I used mine for: each day of the week, to grade, to return, office, projects to work on, homework, to file, seasonal projects, etc.

Here are some letter activity manipulatives that I would also LOVE to use in my room!

Letter Construction Activity Set

Alphabet Bean Bags

Alphabet Soup Sorters

If you want to win $100 to spend at School Outfitters, enter the giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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