Bulletin Board

We have a grade-level bulletin board that we sign up to take care of 2 months at a time.  October/November is my time and I created this little scarecrow patch.  I put the standard and I Can statements on his pumpkin.  The assignment was to draw and label parts of a plant and also to label what a plant needs to grow.  We're not allowed to color (in 1st grade!!!!) so they're in black and white.

Water Cycle

We study the water cycle each year in 1st grade and they usually get it even with the big words.  A coworker had found these bracelets and made them the year before and I wanted to do them as well.  A quick google search returned with this link: http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/RainbowWaterCycleBracelet.htm

First I separated the beads by color.  Then I saw everyone in a HUGE oval (didn't want to move desks).  Next we talked about the water cycle and how it works.  Then I started passing the baggies of beads around  and they were to each take one but NOT put them on the pipe cleaner yet.  After everyone had all the beads, we talked about the water cycle and how the beads would go on the bracelet.  

First it rained (precipitation) on the grass and created a puddle.Next the sun came out and evaporated the puddle and turned it back into a cloud.  Then it rained again and the cycle started all over. 

The only change I made was I made the cloud beads dark gray since they look more like rain clouds than the white bead did.

October

Yes,  I know, I suck at this.  But I'm trying to get better.  Here goes:  We did a unit on Tall Tales and one of the books--Thunder Rose--was about a little girl who lassoed tornadoes.  I thought it'd be really cool for the kids to try so I got a long jump rope from the coach, tied a loop in it and showed them how.  They had to lasso the bad bumblebeeto (from SkippyJon Jones story) and save the classroom.  There were LOT of giggles and fun and quite a few good little cowpokes.

My finished organizer!!!

The last time I posted, I included a link to the blog where I got the AWESOME idea for an organizer.  I'm telling ya--whoever created this thing is a GENIUS!!  Of course I IMMEDIATELY ran out to Lowe's and bought the base, got some adhesive border papers from Michael's and pulled some bright color paper from my stash at home.  I couldn't decide how I wanted the color scheme to go so I just printed out 2 sets of labels.  Then I played around with how I wanted the color scheme to look before I taped the labels onto the front of the drawers.  Last I added the borders and voila!  I know have a really cute organizer!!!

This is the base of the organizer.

Added the labels in the color scheme I chose

Added some adhesive borders and voila!

Found this great DIY organizer and am in the process of making it.  It's super simple so far.  Here's the link to the blogger: Teacher Toolbox.  I've got one more step and then I'll post pics of the finished project.  I think my coworkers are going to be JEALOUS!!!!  :)

Easy Rearranging

I have tables instead of desks and 25 little firsties.  Sometimes students who were BFFs are all of a sudden frenemies.  Or the students who didn't really talk before sit next to someone who all of a sudden becomes their new BFF and it's chatter away.  Last year I tried the use of nametags taped and then velcroed to their table spot.  That didn't work.  They would pick at the tape or keep playing with the velcro and I'd hear that all day.  It didn't matter how many times I told them to stop, it just wasn't a good plan for me.  I mentioned it to a fellow teacher before school started and she gave me a GREAT idea!  Instead of putting nametags on the tables, I put them on the backs of their chairs!  Now, whenever I need to make a change, all I tell them is to grab their pencil and reading bookbag and their chair and switch places with someone.  It doesn't take any time at all to do this and then we can move on to learning.  This even works when you want to do a whole class rearrangement.  I have them all bring their chairs to the front of the room and then I call out names and table colors and they go sit down.  I can rearrange the whole class in less than 5 minutes.  It sure is a lot quicker than moving nametags on the desks.  I've only had 1 student destroy his chair nametag during a fit of un-medicated rage.  I didn't replace his after that so he knows his chair is the only one WITHOUT a nametag.

DIY word wall

My newly built classroom did not come with any bulletin boards!  I mean seriously, who designs these rooms!  I took matters into my own hands and made my own bulletin board for both my calendar area AND my word wall.  I used foam core sheets I got at Dollar Tree, wrapping paper from Walmart, and glue dots from a craft store.  I also got some cool ribbon from Michael's when they put it on sale to use as dividers.

First I decided on how many sheets of foam core board to use.  I chose 8 because you can easily divide it into 3 parts each for 24 parts.  I double-up W/X and Y/Z.  Then I wrapped the boards in wrapping paper like I would a package.  Then I added glue dots--3 on the short side of the board and 6 on the long side.  I lined up the boards with the seam on my walls and pressed them into place.  Next I took the ribbon I had found and covered up the seams, top, bottom, and sides of the boards.  Last I took a smaller ribbon and divided the boards into thirds then added letters I had found on a blog.  And voila--instant, very cute, wordwall!!!

I stapled words onto it as we added them.  Since I had made the word wall myself, I was able to hang it at a level where the children could truly interact with it.  It has stood up the whole year despite several temper tantrums involving desks, chairs, and little bodies being tossed against it.  The only thing I've had to redo was to restaple the ribbon a few times when that occurred.