Thursday, June 20, 2013

End of the Year Gifts to Students...BOONDOGGLES!


Although this is the end of the year, this is my first featured blog about my teaching tips/ strategies/ ideas/ etc.  I hope for this blog is to be useful to any teachers or parents out there.  So here goes!

After two long years with my students, I'm sad to see those kiddos go! I thought a long time about what I should do for them.  I wanted something cheap and something easy.  I looked up some ideas but everything I saw required some kind of expensive scrapbook machine and a lot of money.  Then I had an idea! I started these plastic lacing keychains (called a boondoggle - so weird!) in our college colors and attached a little tag to them.  Total cost? Under $20! I already had the white card stock but I bought everything else at Michael's.  It was funny though, when I walked into Michael's I had NO IDEA what material was called.  I had to look down every aisle and finally found what I was looking for.  The name of the material is exactly what it looks like... plastic...lacing.  Believe it or not but you can get 100 yards for $2.99.  I bought two along with two different ribbon color and a pack of printed card stock.  I couldn't find the "hook" keychain holder so I just got circular kind which is actually called a split ring.  You can find that in the jewelry section under "Finishings."  It probably took me 2 hours to complete this project (I have 21 students) but if you get some parents to help or maybe a significant other, you can get it down to 1 hour.

Here are the materials:
2 different colors of plastic lacing
Split rings
Ribbon
Cardstock

I just did 3-4 stitches per keychain just to start it for the students.  You know, to represent all of the knowledge I've given them over the two years.  Now it's up to them to finish it. :)

Finished Product!

If you don't already know how to make a boondoggle, here's a youtube video to help you! Boondoggle Youtube Video

Yay, I think this was a successful first teaching idea post!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Four Square To-Do List and daily checklists.

I just wanted to share how I keep myself organized.  After getting introduced to things like blogging and Pinterest, I found myself always wanting to do things in the classroom but NEVER having the time, especially when I was a younger teacher (I still am a younger teacher...haha).  This year, I started to do this to-do list which worked fabulously for me! I started getting things done and getting out of work earlier.  What I did was basically made priorities.  I split up my to-do list into four, one for personal which is my #1 priority, the next being my professional responsibilities (lesson planning, prepping, etc.), my team responsibilities (planning, pacing, prepping), and lastly PROJECTS.  Although I want projects to be my #1, I always have to remember that I have a professional responsibility to have the basics in order for my class to function on a daily basis.  Do I really need to work on my Worthy Work wall even though I saw this great idea on Pinterest? Probably not.  BUT when I started this four square, I noticed I was being more productive, more efficient  and I even got my projects done.

After I implemented this list into my daily routine, I started to figure out what I needed to do everyday in order to be successful for the whole week...thus I came up with a daily checklist that I must complete over this four square.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Valentine's Celebration

It's Valentine's Week!

Last year my students made these valentine bags which I taped to the sides of their desk so that it was easy for them to drop their Valentines inside.  They just cut up construction paper into hearts and decorated it to their hearts' desire.

This year, my student's made a Valentine's sleeve with their Kindergarten buddies.  My buddy teacher, Brenda, convinced me to make these bags.  She took a 2 large pieces of construction paper, folded it in half.  She had pre-copied a curved lined at the top for the students to cut.  Then they fitted the two papers together and stapled it.  We had strips of paper for them to staple on the top so they could have a handle.  Then the students decorated it with heart stickers and dollies. They turned out cuter then the Valentine bags we made last year!