So a week or two ago I was in the local teaching supply store and came across these great grouping pencils. They allow you to put your students in groups three different ways.
You put your student’s name on the pencils and can also use them for calling students randomly. I have used the random method of student calling for years, using Popsicle sticks with student names on them. Most of the teachers I’ve subbed for have a similar method for ensuring that each student gets a chance (eliminates playing favorites and calling only on the strong students). At any rate – I saw them and thought… COOL!! I LIKE IT! Then I looked at the price tag and didn’t like it so much. While not extraordinarily expensive, I am on a budget and have already spent too much getting my classroom set up – but let’s be honest – how much is REALLY to much? lol Back to the story – so I decided I could make these for a fraction of the cost. I bought a box of Popsicle sticks at Wally World for like 3.50. I used liquid watercolors I had for years, plastic baggies for coloring them in, sharpies and voila!
Basic supplies — total cost – about 3.75
Here they are in their baggies, soaking up some color! I did six colors. Since I will have a class of 23, that allows for six groups of 4 or less.
Time to Dry! This is after the first batch – I ended up doing the whole box so I got 50 of each color.
Now it’s time to add numbers and shapes – I only used 4 numbers, so I can use those when I want to do larger groups. I did use six different shapes though, the tricky part was ensuring that the shapes didn’t conflict with the color or number groups!
The student names went on the back and TA DAH! Home made grouping sticks at a fraction of the cost (about 1/5 the cost – go me!)
I have had an exciting week. I had my orientation. Then spent yesterday in the classroom finishing up. Today was our staff meeting, followed by a potluck at the principals house. After that I headed back to school for some lesson planning. LadyBug came along and helped out by doing some cleaning, organizing and putting some of the name plates on desks. It’s starting to look good! Wanna see? Oh you know you do. Even if you don’t – I’m posting pictures!
First some before shots. And actually, these “before” shots actually came AFTER about a week of cleaning, organizing, decluttering, rearranging, painting, and stripping bulletin boards. Before that it was a REAL mess. The storage closet behind the bulletin board was filled to overflowing with junk! There was about 3x more teacher furniture than I could ever possibly need or want, and junk and trash everywhere. Ugh. A lot of work went into getting it to where it is in these “before” shots.
Plain and boring, but clean!
But now — much more welcoming!
This is the library corner. The bulletin board has logic/brain teasers/rebuses on it. Students can work on solving them when they have finished their work. When all the puzzles posted have been solved, I will replace them with new ones – either everyday or several times a week, depends on if they solve them quickly or not! The girls were getting rid of some fuzzy friends on garage sale day and I appropriated them for my classroom. I love the monkey hugging the Chronicles of Narnia set!
Here is my prayer table/corner. Yes. We have prayer in school. It’s a Catholic school so we get the pleasure of expressing our faith and learning at the same time. This area is not quite done. I need a table covering (green for ordinary time) and plan to put some silk plants and other pretty items on the table. I also am going to have the students make clouds to go on the board describing the things they give thanks to the Lord for.
This is the main white board with the 6+1 traits posted above it, as well as the small bulletin board next to it. This is right next to the main door and will be where all my parent info goes, but for right now, it has a copy of the dress code (I hope to ward of any detentions by enforcing this early!) Yes, their dress code is A LOT! My girls read it and about had a coronary. LadyBug immediately hugged me and thanked me for not every subjecting her to something like that…. hmmm… it’s not too late is it?
And the main bulletin board. I went with a tropical theme. I didn’t get a picture of them, but my bathroom passes are a surfboard for the boys and a Hawaiian hibiscus print for the girls. On this board we are going to have fish with each students name on them made out of a collage of things that they enjoy or are known for. I am going to put this in a school grouping with the caption “School is in”
I tried to get a close up of the posters above the board, my favorite is the one that looks like a shark. It is really a huge school of fish in the shape of a shark and has the quote “The sum of us is greater than all our parts” by Maya Angelou.
I also have some other posters that I didn’t take pictures of, above the doors, and above the other whiteboard. all in all I’m pleased with how my class is looking. BTW – notice that spiffy desk chair in the picture with the main bulletin board? That is a wonderfully comfortable, just perfect for me chair that was a gift from my friend and manager Carlos at SuperCuts. I think of him every time I sit down! And always, with a smile.
Question of the day:
Do you try to make things you’ve seen elsewhere, for less?
