Teacher's Mailbox

Do you remember the days when mailboxes used to be in front of the house?

As a kid, we always ended up hanging out with our friends at the mailbox. Not because we were waiting for the mail but it is just where we ended up. They were typically found at the end of a driveway and so we naturally stopped there waiting for our friends to arrive. When you sent out a letter, you raised the little red flag on the side.

This is the inspiration for my teacher's mailbox. I wanted something that would look adorable, hide what was inside so that it could remain confidential but yet catch my attention when needed.

You can pick up a mailbox for about $15 at Home Depot. This is so on my list of craft ideas for next summer but I couldn't wait to share this idea! My rule will be once it goes in the mailbox it does not come out. This means no more losing money, transportation notes, or other stuff from home anymore.

YIPPEE!!

Check out some of these cutesy ideas I found for decorating your mailbox.

I tried to find the one that first sparked this idea but could not. I found this beautiful mailbox while searching for wedding ideas years ago. It was covered in black and white photos of all of their favorite things and ideas.

I really like the monster but I think I am going to create something closer to the first one. What do you think?

Community Bulletin Board

A few days ago, I shared chapter 2 with all of you from Conscious Discipline. In case you missed it... I LOVE this style of classroom management. I am finding similar ideals in my favorite teaching resources and it is all starting to blend together into one seamless foundation. At last!!

Do you remember my community board?

I have had many comments and questions about this.While many of you seemed to love it, I was struggling to feel the same way. In fact, all those stripes were driving me batty.

Inspiration finally struck when this banner arrived in the mail. I purchased matching fabric but soon found out that the black print would just not work for what I had envisioned so I used it on another project and it came out perfect!

Armed with these fabrics - I redid my cork boards on my community board. I created this:

I love this look so much better. Please ignore the dust on my quotes. I should have dusted prior to taking the picture! This was taken on my living room floor. I can't wait to hang this in my classroom!

You cant see it clearly in this picture - but the red fabric is actually a red and white polka dot and the black and white is a damask. Here is what the fabric looks like up close:

The black school print fabric was not used in the design but since I am using black magnetic chalk boards with quotes in white - it is a close match.

Question: Is each board separate or is it one big piece?
Answer: Each board is separate. In the new picture I made two long strips instead of a square with the pieces.

Question: What size is each square and how much fabric did you use?
Answer: Each square is 14x14. I purchased them at Joann's Fabric when they were on sale for $8 a piece. There are 8 cork boards and 8 magnetic whiteboards that I made into chalkboards. 1 yard of fabric covers approximately 4 boards. To complete this entire project, I used just less than 2 yards of fabric. Yes, I have a plan for the scraps. =)

Question: Are the chalkboards glittery?
Answer:  Yes (giggles)!! I have a love affair with glitter hairspray. I have found many many uses for it. Prior to putting on a clear coat to seal the boards I sprayed them with glitter hairspray and let them dry. It applies and even coat of glitter that is subtle but still catches the light. I love how it works.

Question: What quotes did you use and why?
Answer: I looked for quotes that had character traits that I wanted to see emulated in my classroom and also by people my students should recognize. I also wanted a variety of people so that every student could perhaps find someone to connect with. I wanted the quotes to have meaning to my students.

Efforts and courage 

are not enough without 

purpose and direction. 

~ John F. Kennedy

Try not. do or do not. 

There is no try. 

~ Master Yoda

All of our dreams can come true - 

If we have the courage

to pursue them. 

~ Walt Disney

In the middle of 

difficulty

lies opportunity. 

~ Albert Einstein

Nothing great was ever

achieved without enthusiasm.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

The dictionary is the only place

where success comes before hard work. 

Hard work is the price we must

pay for success. 

~ Vince Lombardi

The more that you read,

the more things you know. 

The more that you learn, 

the more places you'll go. 

~ Dr. Seuss

No legacy is as 

rich as honesty. 

~ William Shakespeare

Question: Do you change out the quotes?

Answer: I have contemplated changing out the quotes to ones with more meaning for my students and may do so at some time in the future. I had a long list of ideas to use but with the help of my children narrowed it down to these 8. I have also contemplated changing out the cork boards seasonally but I think this maybe more work than the impact of the board will warrant. Besides - now it matches my classroom perfectly.

Question: How will you use this board?
Answer:  I originally designed this to go behind my desk but quick realized it was probably too large to do so. Instead, I will either hang it above eye level but still reachable along a wall or perhaps even split it into multiple areas of my room. The cork boards will hold pictures of our school community. My students, their families, and other people we encounter throughout the year.

This is an idea that I had when asked to create a way to celebrate diversity in my classroom. It was always made to hold pictures of our class from the beginning even when I was going to put it behind my desk. The change has been to the made as I found a similar idea in Conscious Discipline.

So what am I gonna do with the stripe fabric? I am not sure to be honest. I am saving it for that one day when I will have another ah ha moment! And find the exact thing that it will work on. =)

Clipboards - Oh my!!

So awhile back I bought these cute little lightbulbs from Lakeshore to number my clipboards.  At dollar tree I finally bought 30 clipboards for my classroom. They are a cheap quality... I hope they hold up well!!

Simple plan -- on the back of the clipboard modge podge or use clear packing tape to adhere numbers. This way the kids can put them in number order, since the light bulbs are different colors I can assign colors to students, pick a color to put theirs away first, partner them by color, etc... Super simple and easy.

Then my third grader happened! This is him, do not mistake this picture as his version of helping. Oh no... this is him explaining to me my short-comings as a teacher and mama.

Ya see... my plan was missing the cute factor. It needed some ribbon or something to make them look more fun. Third graders like fun AND cute. My plan was simply not approved. So he got out some supplies for me...

and put me to work....  I thought about making them all the same but I was quickly informed that the same does not make them fun! He inspected everyone... I got to escape after making 10!

Now there are only 20 more to go. What I want to know is how long is the "cute factor" actually going to last? Kids love to pick at things... it took me 30 minutes to make 10 not to bad but not something I want to repeat multiple times per year either.

And while he was discussing my short comings... third graders love math. He has been deprived of math all summer. I have asked him to try other things out, read some new books and tell me how they are and such but no math. This is very bad I am told as it is the "most favoritest thing of all third graders". Did you know that?

Now my fourth grader... he says math is the worst invention ever so I can leave it out.

So for all of you teachers reading this here is there advice.... 

Remember ONLY teach math in third grade but not in fourth. PLUS you should teach math "like most of the day" and "some reading for when my brain needs a number break" but nothing else!

And in fourth grade you should teach primarily lunch and recess and then do a little reading when they are tired from too much running. Remember that "kids are growing and need lots of food and exercise to get big and strong. They especially need sugar as it gives them more energy to exercise." PLUS I am told that this is considered "brain based teaching" as it allows my son's "small box" to have time to process what he read.

Hmmmm... I don't think I will be sharing their advice with their new teachers on back-to-school night.

Mental note for next summer - get the teenager to help with classroom projects and leave the little two to pencil sharpening. They are bossy!! And no.... I don't know where they get it from and no asking my hubby either!

Made it Monday - Posted Wednesday

I have been hiding from my blog this week. It is not my blogs fault --- it is my classroom blogs fault. That thing is making me so frustrated that I finally closed blogger and said "I am not speaking to you!" Then I didn't for 2 whole days. I am still not speaking to my classroom but blogger and I are on glancing terms now so I can post again.

So... what did I make this week?? Nope... I didn't make my bed. So glad some of you got my sense of humor on that one. I made my bed this year, we are over that now. =P

I made this:

Well, I supervised anyways while hubby did a lot of it. I am HORRIBLE at making straight lines. Even with a ruler.

What you will need... ruler, exacto knife, 1 magnetic white board (on sale for $5 at Wal-Mart), 1 roll electric tape, and 1/4 roll of fabric tape (the original idea used fabric and hot glue).

 Yes.. my razor blade matches! hehehehehe... so do the scissors if you are curious.

So he used the ruler to make the spaces even he just laid in down so it is 1 ruler width apart for each line. Then I put the tape on the silver part all around the edge. Wala - done! It took us like 5 minutes to do.

I forgot the puddles when I went to Dollar Tree (which is WHY I went) which I am going to use as magnet numbers. If a student doesn't finish something when I collect it, I will write it on a line and he/she will put his number next to it so I can see across the room who has work to do.

You can check out the original idea here:

I made a few other things but I think I will save those for another day. However, I am gonna wait for another day to post. Teachers go back on Monday!!!  Where did summer go?

What did you make this week? 

Got Sanitizer and Fabric Banners

This week on SHE Made it Monday (hehehehe)...

this cute package arrived in the mail.

Totally love this!

I bought one for each table in my class
It fits perfectly in my caddies.

They are all similar but different.
She offers a discount if you buy a lot.

My 7 year old thinks they are really fun to play with
Makes a great ramp for cars
Or it could be a building as part of his lego set
Also an evil dragon....
Bet you didn't know they were so versatile.

And you can get your own from

Lilcookies

Stay tuned... there is gonna be a giveaway on this one. 

Soon....

But right now I am focusing on a

500 Followers Giveaway!!

Watch for it on July 4th. 

My Anniversary. 

Also arriving by mail this week was....

Sorry -
my wall was shorter than my banner...

This is a better picture!

Totally LOVE.

Completely. 

Utterly adore it.

 This is a close up of the fabrics.
Love!

Gotta redo my teacher's board to match it now.
Stay tuned for that project!

You can get it from

This is a fabric one.
You can custom order yours in any color.
She offers a teachers discount!!

And yes...
there is a giveaway coming up for your very own banner!!

And this...

INSPIRED...



Oh wait! 

That's a secret!!!

11 days and counting...

Time to study!

Buckets, Clipboard, & a Giveaway!

I am a day late. Hubby was off and then there was my Freakout moment.  Seventeen days and counting to pass the test.... I am not obsessing much over this. Can you tell??

Have ya'll figured out how much I am enjoying Made It Monday? I have been so motivated to get things done so I can post it on Monday. Thanks Tara! But I am finding myself with one small problem... Made It Mondays is giving me a great excuse to procrastinate on homework.

I am so excited to see what everyone did this week. My goal this week was to create buckets to hold my clipboards (still need to purchase) in. However, I ran out of time to do that. But I saw how other people have had their kids help soooo....

I wrangled up my youngest two sons.

I gave them the vinyl polka dots

and told them to go to town. 

Have fun.... 

I ran away to do homework as I have been busy lately. 

I did not supervise.

I forgot how creative little boys can be. Instead of polka dots I have faces, moon phases, targets, and I am told someone's bottom. Sigh.... this is NOT polka dots. I should have been more explicit in my instructions. I thought this was a simple task!

Do I leave it as it is? 

Do I redo it?

The boys know that while it is adorable

It is NOT what I had in mind. 

Their response....

Mama you have boys in your class too!

And we do NOT do polka dots. 

Can I sigh again?

I did not add the "Clipboards" label as I am not sure yet what to do. Note to self... little two banned from craft assisting. Big one is still my slave. Bwahahahaha! Only down side is he runs away and tells me I am on my own. 

I think I will wait until I get the clipboards and then decide what to do. What are your thoughts on this?

Speaking of clip boards.....

I saw all of the cute clipboards you were all making and decided "I can do that!" Then I remembered some of my less fond crafty moments and thought "yea right!" That will end up being an expensive disaster and I do not have a crafty daughter to help.

So... ETSY to the RESCUE! 

This part is now called ---> "She made it Monday" LOL!

Meet Fallon... 

She designs custom clip boards like this one: 

This is the one she designed for my classroom in black, white, and red with a little bling. She asked for my blog information and checked it out and decided this would be perfect for me! What do you think? 

It matches everything I have ever created... look it even has the stripes from my teacher/motivational board. Its got the damask from my teachers bag, the bling from my bling letters (I think ya'll remember my girly squeal over that find), and polka dots. 

So these are sideways... you will have to forgive me as I don't know how to make them go the right way. Can anyone tell me??

But guess what???

She is making you one too! Well... one lucky winner of this giveaway. The rest of you will just have to pop over to her store and purchase one.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Teacher's Board

Welcome to another Pinterest inspired project. If you checkout my Classroom Decorating Board or my Classroom Wall Board you will find a lot of ideas. Here is one for the how office that I particularly like. Wouldn't something like this be amazing behind a teacher's desk? Yea... I thought so too!

However, it would never work like this. I found several different ideas for this same type of board and pinned them. Then I came up with an idea that would work! I took 16 14x14 boards to create my teacher's bulletin board. I used red and white Seuss fabric to cover the cork boards. And then used chalkboard paint on the magnetic white boards to create this:

Ohhhh! Awwww! Isn't it pretty? Here are some close ups:

I used my cricut to print out vinyl letters for the quotes on the chalk boards. These are motivational. I used people my students should recognize and found things I want them to do. The corkboard will be used for hanging up pictures of my students hard at work. On the chalkboards, I will write the child's name who is living up to the quote. I can also use it to pin sticky notes and other reminders. Or I can use a magnet to hold up a new quote in place of the old.

I have it set up as a square here but I can add or subtract squares, rearrange, etc.. to fit the area I am working in. My sons actually did the lettering for me. They did a great job. 

What we thought was a relatively simple project turned into a GIGANTIC PAIN! I am not sure I will ever do anything like this again. The black boards are still having issues but I am not working on them any more. Only the Yoda square came out perfect. Sigh... I am a perfectionist and this project is still bothering me. I also wanted it to "pop" more. It is also much larger than I envisioned.

Lessons learned:
1 - always sand and wash before painting! This removes unseen greasy residues and primes the boards for painting. Yep... you even have to do this to metal.
2 - you cannot mix brands of spray paint and primer. Different brands can and will interact in unfriendly ways with one another (as one of my boards demonstrates. Grrr!).
3 - spray paint can expire. If there is dust on the can, don't buy it! (similar results to #2)
4 - Kyron has AMAZING customer service. Always buy their brand first! (They sent me knew paint for free and primer after #2)
5 - Test out your idea before jumping in with both feet. It will save you a lot of time.
6 ~ Cutout words in scrapbook paper and place on board where you want them. Remove one by one and replace with vinyl to create final project.
7 ~ A little glitter takes the results from awful to liveable

I really like the 3-D aspects of the pinterest board and may add some more things later to it after it is hung to create this effect. I am also thinking of adding in actual white boards for writing my own messages and reminders. It wouldn't be too hard to add them in. Or to create a few extra corkboards covered in holiday specific fabric to make it seasonal. The ideas are endless. Stay tuned...

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
~ 8 14x14 cork boards
~ 8 14x14 magnetic white boards
~ 2 yards of fabric
~ Staple gun & Staples
~ Scissors
~ 3 cans Kyron Primer
~ 3 cans Kyron Chalkboard Paint
~ 1 hand sander
~ Sandpaper (600 grit)
~ Cricut
~ 2 packages of vinyl adhesive
~ 5 pages of scrapbook paper
~ Glitter Hairspray

The Mystery Box

I tend to run all my ideas, rules, and procedures past my 3rd and 7th grade boys as they are close to my targeted audience and having been in school know what their teachers have done in the past. They also tell me what they do and do not like, no sparing of Mama's feelings are involved in these conversations.

When creating a management plan, my oldest child, aka the teacher's nightmare or the principal's best friend (at least he should be with the amount of time he spends there!),  had to sit through countless hours of "what about this..." To which he says "I would...." and I would become frustrated. Finally, we came up with a compromise and he had an idea that I found simply brilliant.

 

Introducing... the mystery box! Isn't it cute? I made the box myself with some black spray paint and my Cricut. In the picture is also one of my shoe boxes with the pretty red lid (I warned ya about the matching!) filled with red raffle-tickets and my kitchen counters.

Most of the rewards I came up with my son decided would be boring after awhile as you always get the same thing. He wanted something new and exciting. If it was a mystery prize, he would have to try for it as it might be something really good. He suggested I do things like no homework passes, a candy bar or soda, treasure box toy, extra time on the computer, extra points pass, lunch with the teacher, and then he said to throw in a few big prizes to keep the kids guessing... a free book from scholastic, a Lego set, or a football. Depending upon the amount of entries, I would draw 1-2 students that week to win the grand prize.

I use a clip chart for classroom management; there is an opportunity every day to win 1-2 raffle tickets depending upon the students behavior. At the beginning of the school year, I would bring in a bunch of different prizes to show the students some of the things they could win but not everything. I would check Dollar Tree often for items to include. I know I have seen lots of puzzles, crayola sets, and some other "bigger items" that could be used for my big prizes. At the most, it will cost me $1-$2 a week.

After seeing the box, my son also suggested hiding things inside it and allowing the students to guess what it was. This might be a fun way to introduce new units. What would you use the mystery box for?

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
~ Cardboard box ($3 at Hobby Lobby)
~ Black Spray Paint
~ White Vinyl Paper for Cricut
~ Clear Lacquer
~ Plastic Shoe Box (Dollar Tree)
~ Raffle Tickets (Dollar Tree)
~ Prizes

Mr. McPea

I would like to introduce you all to my friend... I originally name him Mr. Pea (as my last name starts with a 'P' and he is green and shaped like a pea (the kind that you eat) but then my classroom testors came along and ruined it!!

They turned my friend from Mr. Pea into Mr. Pee. Bathroom humor... complete with sound affects and motions. There were even a few jokes that I will not share so... he is now Mr. McPea. Poor little evil testors... they had no comments on that one!

He lives in Australia.

I am sure we have all seen the Tattle Turtle and similar products that allow the student to gossip till their heart is content. Well... this is a twist of that idea.

I have several "Ps" in my classroom. Some how a collection of them started after using monograms at my wedding. The idea has carried into my classroom. One of the first day activities I will be using is a hunt for Ps. They will probably miss my friend which gives me a chance to introduce him and Australia!

Who could forget Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? When Alexander's day goes all wrong, he dreams of runing away to Australia. I have a good friend who lives there and sent me an Australian Flag. I was always wondering what to do with it and now I know!

I will be setting up a corner in my classroom referred to as Australia. It will be in my library/carpet time area of the class. There will be a small end table with a lamp and a saucer chair. The Australian flag will drape over it like a blanket. This is where Mr. McPea will live. He has several jobs in my room.

First, he is my tattle turtle.

With the help of this adorable tattle monster (found on pinterest!) and some monster-shaped note pads, my students can share their thoughts. When they are done writing them... they can feed them to the monster. Mr. McPea never shares the secrets that he eats!

Second, my students can run away to Australia for a cool-down period if they are having a rough day. They too can use the monster pads to share their thoughts. What is fed to the monster is confidential. Mr. McPea does not share his secrets nor does he gossip! Not even to Mrs. Poland!

This is the sign I created to use with the monster.

I am thinking of adding a vase of flowers here or something else to give it a quiet homey feel. I am hoping that the saucer chair will be good for me to use during carpet time. If not, I will be shopping for a different chair. Only time will tell.

Your Shopping List:
~ Stuffed Animal
~ Saucer Chair
~ Lamp
~ End Table
~ Australian Flag
~ Book: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
~ Empty Tissue Box
~ Empty Egg Carton
~ Spray Paint
~ Craft Paint
~ Craft Foam
~ Hot Glue Gun
~ Googly Eyes
~ Acrylic Frame
~ Monster-shaped pads of paper
~ Colored Pens or Monster Pens (still looking for some!)
~ Something to hold the pens

Don't forget to place your order for 31 products using the link in my "The Madness of March" post to receive $2 off!

Zebra Quest

In a previous post, I shared with you the Dr. Seuss quote which inspired my philosophy of education. I wanted to further this idea by challenging my students to "go beyond zebra" as often as possible. I want them to love to learn and to seek out new information. And I want to reward them and motivate them so that seeking out new ideas, exploring more places, and learning more is a lifelong habit that they take away with them after spending a year in my classroom.

So I came up with the idea of a Zebra Quest... and adventure that they can participate in if they finish early in class or to do at home. Imagine my surprise when I discovered Mrs. Renz's Mastery Club! It was exactly what I had envisioned but the work was done for me already. I simply moved it from her site to mine... with her permission and joined the hundreds of other teachers using this idea.

Here is my Zebra Quest mascot all dressed up in his Dr. Seuss hat. The quests were designed for use with fourth graders and come from all subject areas. These quests serve as review items of materials the student should have mastered in previous grade levels as well as things the student should know by the time they complete the fourth grade. Prizes are earned for completing so many quests (future blog post). The original club has 100 questions, I am currently working on 100 more. Got any ideas I can add?

UPDATE: A Zebra Quest Kit has been created for your classroom! Purchase it from my TpT store and join in the fun!

I found this great scrapbook paper holding box and deciding it would be perfect for turning in Zebra Quest forms. My mascot and Zebra Quest now decorate the top of this. I forgot to take a picture of the finished project. It is currently packed in some box waiting for our move. I will try to remember to post it another day. For now... you are stuck with your imaginations!

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:
~ Scrapbook paper organizer box
~ Mod-Podge
~ Sponge Paintbrush (to apply Mod-Podge)
~ Colored Cardstock