Bulletin Boards

My favorite part of being a second year teacher so far is being able to take what I did last year and make it better. I had a poster of the "Mighty Writing Process" (from Brad Wilcox) last year and my kids clipped their clothespin to the sides of the poster to show their present stage. It was a nice way for me to keep track of the kids who needed extra support or extensions. I liked it, but I wished there was a better way to use this method and label each stage with proper names.

This year I just didn't have any free wall space to hang the poster, so I cut it up and rearranged it to create a writing process bulletin board.

 
The reading tests we give our students have a survey portion which asks the students to list the books they have read lately. They score higher on the test if they list books from multiple genres, so I encourage my students to read a wide variety of books. When I talked to my kids last year about reading genres they just looked at me like I had stopped speaking English. I found some genre posters on Pinterest (as well as some comprehension strategy posters) and went to work. Hopefully this year my kids will have a better idea of what it means to read from multiple genres!

I love using looks like/sounds like charts to discuss the habits we'll have in our classroom. I find that my kids are much more aware of how they behave when they get to be part of the discussion as we set up how our classroom will look and sound. I use a dry erase marker to fill out the chart as we discuss each habit, then erase it in January and we do it all over again as if it's a new school year.

This is my new favorite bulletin board. I like to post the learning objectives for each week, but last year they were kind of all over the place on both of my white boards. This year I created a bulletin board to organize them for students to see what we will be learning each week.

Welcome Sign

Last year I posted a welcome sign on my door made of laminated construction paper.

This year I thought I'd class it up a bit. I found this adorable frame at Hobby Lobby for 50% off and I couldn't leave it at the store! I designed the image on Microsoft Word, then printed it on photo paper at Costco.

I stuck the frame to the door using 3M Strips (which are my new favorite adhesives). 

I love the look!

Airplane Mobile

I have a lot of favorite things in my classroom, but this one is tops! My sweet friend Lois helped me install my airplane mobile. I projected the images I found on Google onto foam core, then painted both sides.

 

It brings me so much joy.

Table Numbers

One of my favorite additions to my classroom is my table numbers. I love my airplane theme, so I felt like we needed more airplanes in the room! I especially love that we have my favorite aircraft (the British Airways 747), as well as Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis and Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra.  

I flipped each picture in Photoshop so I could print fronts and backs on photo poster paper at Costco. I used Mod Podge (love that stuff!) to adhere them to foam core, then cut them out with an X-Acto knife. I found the cloud image on Google and cut them out, then painted the edges to make them stand out a little more. I cut out the numbers on black vinyl and stuck them on both sides of the clouds. I love how they turned out!

Back to School

I began my second year of teaching third grade a couple weeks ago. We have had lots of get-to-know-you games and I learned all their names. I’m still working on developing a relationship with each of them. I felt so bonded to my last group of students. They felt like my kids. I have to keep reminding myself that it took a while to develop that bond and I’ve only had nine days to bond with my new students. Still, I feel like a bad mother because I didn’t instantly love my new class the moment I saw their faces. I worry if it’s possible to love another group of 23 kids like my own. I’m sure we’ll get there.

I love my classroom. I moved to the classroom next door this summer, which was a ton of work but worth it for an extra window! My momma was so sweet to come up this summer and help me organize and decorate my new room. It's so stinkin' cute!

 

Meet the Teacher Open House

I love that my classroom has an aviation theme. It makes my heart so happy!

Today I prepared a few things for our Meet the Teacher Open House (for the day before school starts). I printed boarding passes for each child with a pre-flight checklist on the back to give them a few things to do at the open house. They're so adorable!

As a gift for each student, I have little airplane gliders that they can take home to play with. It's so fun to share my love of airplanes and excitement for school with my new students! I can't wait to meet them!

What do you do to bring in the new school year in style?

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like....

Back to School!

I can't believe the summer's really over! Contract days start next week, and I get to meet my new kiddos in 12 days! The class lists will FINALLY be posted this Friday, so at last I'll know the names of the children who will soon be moving into my heart. I'm so excited! I never realized as a child that my teachers might have been more excited and nervous for the first day of school than I was.

I'm sad to see some things end with the summer break: the extra time I've had to catch up with family and friends, the flexibility to do whatever I want, whenever I want, and the simple joy of being able to take naps in the afternoons after crafting all night. However, the OCD part of me really craves being on a schedule and having a routine. I'm excited to get back to the normalcy of having somewhere to be and people who depend on me.  

I'd like to think I've improved on a few things after completing my internship last year. I for sure don't feel as frantic and lost as I did last summer! I feel much more confident and better prepared to make things run smoothly on the first few days of school. For instance, last year I made labels for all my students' notebooks and folders for each subject (math, writing, reading, science/social studies... it was a lot). I could ask the students to bring their own notebooks and folders and save myself all this hassle, but I'm OCD and love to have things color-coded, so this is how I cope. Last year I printed labels with all of my darling students' names on them.

Rookie mistake.

This turned out to be more of a hassle for me in the long run. First of all, it was a pain in the neck to sort through each stack of notebooks whose spirals desperately clung to one another to find the right names. Secondly, when my cute kids came to the open house the day before school and noticed their neatly labeled and personalized supplies, I learned that Alexis prefers Lexi and Mckenzie prefers Kenzie. I frantically re-labeled all of the folders and notebooks for each of these nickname-problems the night before school started to make sure their names were right. Lastly, when I had a couple darling students move into my class throughout the year (with as much notice as... "Hi, this is your new student! Where should she sit?") I had to spend lunch and recess time frantically printing a bunch of labels to get everything ready and make my new lil' bugs feel welcome.

This year I'm going to trust my students with the autonomy of writing their own names on their folders and notebooks.

I'm kind of excited that I can just put my piles of supplies together for my kiddos (including extra packets for new move-ins) without having to dig through each stack of folders to find the right names. It sounds like such a simple thing, but it's a HUGE relief to not worry about the frantic labeling and re-labeling at the beginning of the year to get everyone's names right, as well as the peace of mind that I'm prepared for move-ins. It's the little things that make a world of difference!

How do you prepare supplies for the new school year?

If the Shoe Fits...

...Buy all the colors!

I have to confess I'm a binge shoe shopper. I'll wear the same pair of shoes every day until they're absolutely so worn out they just can't go on, then I agonize over finding their perfect replacement. Will the new shoes hard to break in? Will they give me blisters? Can the new shoes be trusted to get me through all day teaching or running errands, or will they disappoint me and make me wish I was dead halfway through the day? Will they give my feet a hug like mine do now, or will they squeeze me so I will want to secretly take them off behind my desk? Will I ever grow to love the new shoes as much as I love my worn out shoes?

Unlike many women (well, most women) I do not like shoe shopping because I have always had trouble finding new shoes. My feet are a whole size different, which is a deformity I hope I'm not alone in! I also have a large shoe size that many stores don't even carry. My left foot is a size 11 and my right foot is a size 10. This means I have to buy size 11 shoes and my right foot just has to hang on for dear life.

I find that high heels are just a nightmare. They seem to fit alright when I get ready, but as soon as I'm too far away from my house to change shoes, they stretch out and I constantly step out of my right shoe. Ugh. Since I have to consciously grip my pumps with my toes just to try to stay in them (and consequently don't wear them very often) I have trouble walking pretty in them. I feel like a newborn giraffe wobbling around on my heels. So sexy!

This summer I discovered a pair of beige plaid canvas shoes that I don't wear very often in the back of my closet. (Due to my unfortunate shoe issues I have many pairs of shoes that I have worn only a couple times and chucked to the back of my closet because they just seem to rub me the wrong way.) This pair had been chucked because a seam on the inside rubbed my feet until they bled! I investigated the problem and discovered that it was just a little corner of fabric that could easily be removed. I took some fingernail clippers to it and they became my new favorite shoes!

I loved the versatility of a neutral shoe and the casual look that could be worn with capris or a skirt. Being canvas made them the perfect weight and breathable material to give my feet a hug without feeling too hot for the summer. We became instant friends. However, after a summer of running errands, going to the pool, and playing at the park in wet grass, they're looking pretty shabby.

I looked on Amazon and Google to find another pair from the same family, but my search was fruitless. Apparently Amazon doesn't know what to do with the search "Big Buddha Best Shoes Ever."

I ordered several pairs of canvas shoes from Target and Amazon, but I had to return them all because my poor right foot would just step right out of them. Now that school's almost here and I need to go through the trust-building phase of new shoe ownership before I can wear them to teach all day, it was time to go shopping. I went to Payless because I love the fact that they carry my size and the organization of just being able to see all my options at once (rather than be disappointed time and time again when the department store salesman comes back to report that they do not carry the shoe I want in my size).

I found a great pair of neutral canvas shoes that would do an excellent job of replacing my beloved shoes. I had to go a size down in order to not step out of them, which was surprising, but I just knew we would become great friends.

Then I spotted some gray shoes that would also work well as a neutral, so I had to have them!

They had them in navy, which would be just perfect for a few skirts that I love to wear, but have thought recently that I wish I had navy shoes to go with them.

Then I saw them in red! Who doesn't need a red shoe? They're just fun and go with just about everything! I needed those too!

By the time I finished trying on all the shoes in my section, I looked at my four pairs of new friends and reality hit me that I probably shouldn't spend so much money in one shopping trip. I quickly rationalized that away with the argument that I don't often have time to make a trip to Payless, and school is around the corner and I needed new shoes. I tried to choose just two pairs and leave the other two at the store, but it felt like choosing among my children. So I bit the bullet and brought them all home. I just hope they treat me as well as my dear plaid friends have all summer.

Welcome to the family, my dear new friends!

Does anyone else have anxiety about replacing a favorite pair of shoes?

What is (was) your favorite pair of shoes?

Classroom Library

I saw this on Pinterest and I wanted to create something similar for my classroom.

I found the letters at Hobby Lobby and spray painted them a light blue/teal color. They turned out great!

Pom Pom Bedroom Decorations

On my first night in my new apartment I had trouble sleeping. I haven't slept on a twin bed in a really long time and it's been a difficult adjustment. I can't wait for my queen bed to arrive! I kept rolling over and thunking into the wall. I woke up at 4:00 am because my feet were hanging off the end of the bed and I couldn't go back to sleep.

As I laid there not sleeping I noticed this over my bed left by the previous tenant.

A lone hook, just waiting to hold something adorable over my bed.

 I got my iPad out and searched Pinterest for a solution for my bare hook. My room is all white walls and desperately needs a little personality.

I found this and this and spent the better part of the next couple days (and nights) running to Joann's and burning myself with my hot glue gun (two blisters on the same finger!) to make my Pinterest dreams come true.

 
I found varying teal chinese lanterns at Zurcher's Party Store and shiny teal tulle and gray sateen at Joann's.

I cut out about a million little circles of tulle. I bought four yards at first, which seemed like a ridiculous amount and I expected to have lots leftover, but I thought I'd be safe by overbuying to make sure I had enough. 

False! I ran out! 

I triple-layered each petal of tulle, which took up a lot more fabric than I thought. I went back to Joann's the next day and bought another yard, but I kind of wish I had bought two more yards so I could make it a little more full. Oh well!

It turned out so pretty!

I bought two and a half yards of the gray sateen because I wouldn't have to triple-layer it like the tulle. It turned out to be enough with just a teeny bit extra.

I used a silvery gray ribbon to tie them all together and now my little hook is so much happier.

Now I'm a little more excited to get my queen bed and maybe even paint the walls gray.

Kelsey's Wedding

My cousin Kelsey got married last month and I got to help with some last minute projects in the final two weeks before the wedding. She wanted a thank you banner to take a picture for her thank you cards.

This was the Pinspiration:

She liked how it looked handmade and simple. We decided to put a heart in the space to add a little color. After I made the banner I thought it would be fun to make it double-sided, so I added Mr. & Mrs. to the back. It's so stinkin' cute!

We needed something blue for tradition's sake, and we had seen this idea on Pinterest:

I cut a couple hearts out of her dad's shirt and placed them over her heart in her wedding gown. I love the way it turned out! It was a sweet way to honor her daddy on the wedding day.

Banners

I love making banners! They're so adorable and make an instant party feel.

This was the Pinspiration:

My Aunt Karen's birthday was coming up and she always protests when we try to make a big deal for her birthday, but this was just too hilarious to not do it! I found pictures of her through the years and went to town on making cute hats. This is the result:

I hung it up at Mom's house for a few days before Aunt Karen's birthday and it made us giggle every time we passed by. Mom and I went to her house and hung it up in her kitchen and Aunt Karen just laughed and laughed. I knew she secretly loves her birthday.... ;)

Later that week we had a goodbye party for my cousin Audrey's family before they moved to Las Vegas. It was fun to surprise them with a banner!

My niece Sarah lost her first two teeth on the same day. It was very exciting for the whole family. We haven't had a visit from the Tooth Fairy since my brother Jason lost his last baby tooth... and he's 23, so it's been a while! I decided we needed to have a little tooth fairy party for Sarah when she came to show off the new window in her smile.

Evee can't wait to get her own visit from the Tooth Fairy.

Canvas Prints

My new roommate and I hosted an open house to fill the third room in our townhouse. Every room in the house is painted white (a little boring, I know, but we have plans to fix that soon!) and there were no pictures on the walls. I decided to go to work to make the place a little more homey for the open house. Plus, I was locked out of my school for two weeks while the floors were being waxed, so I had a little time on my hands.

I had already made these canvas quotes last year as a cheap way to adorn our bare apartment walls, so I thought I'd simply add to my collection. Last year when my roommate Jacquie and I made them together we painted the sides of a canvas black, then glued the print on top. This year I found black canvases at Hobby Lobby for the same price!

I saw this cute quote (on the left) at my cousin Kelsey's new house. I love chevron lately, so I made my own version on top of blue and white chevron.

This is another copycat from a quote I saw at Kelsey's house (top). My version is on the bottom.

The rest are quotes that I just love.

I already had this 11x18 white canvas and some leftover teal paint, so I decided to go a little wild and paint the sides for a little pop of color.

And here's the printable:

These canvases are my favorite. I cut out masking tape in the shapes I wanted, then used spray adhesive and A LOT of glitter to make my lil' masterpieces. They are in my classroom now where I can see them every day. I love glitter.