Monday Made It~ July 4th

Another week has flown by! It's unbelievable that it's already the 4th of July!! I'm taking a minute out of today's festivities to link up with Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for her Monday Made It linky party. I thought I'd have more accomplished, but swimming with the boys got in the way this last week! #summerproblems  :)

     I often find myself in the situation of teaching with no paraproprofessional (aka teacher's assistant) or volunteer in sight.  This system for reserving popular books will help cut down on interruptions from your older students once you teach them the procedure.

     Basically, you create a station and set up the materials. When the book a student wants is checked out, he completes a “reservation” form. There are several options that include different lingo (homeroom teacher vs. teacher) and require varying levels of information from the student. Once the form is completed, the student places it in the completed stack.  When you have a chance, you gather the slips and enter the holds into Destiny (or whatever system you use). Keep the slips.

The containers came from the Dollar Spot at Target and the frame came from the Dollar Tree.

Here is one of the book request forms. Another form says title and author, and another one says teacher's name instead of homeroom teacher's name. Essentially, I gave you multiple options; use the one that works best for your kiddos!

     When the book comes in, you use the student slip to email the teacher, place the reservation slip in the book, and then place the book in the “Pick Up” box. The student then picks up the book and proceeds to check it out through your regular check out process. This puts the responsibility on the student and removes the “I need help right now!!” factor.  I hope you find this a beneficial tool in helping your media center run smoothly!

You can use the frames or you can just attach the directions to the basket. You have lots of flexibility in how to use this product.

Hold It! A System for Reserving Library Books can be found in my TpT shop. Be sure to swing back over to 4th Grade Frolics to see what everyone else has been creating this past week. You won't be disappointed!

Monday Made It- June 20

Monday Made It is hands down my favorite summer linky party! I absolutely love being inspired by other teachers, and this linky does not disappoint. When you finish here, head on over to Tara's blog 4th Grade Frolics to see what everyone else has been creating this week.

My school is undergoing major renovations this summer. I have been brainstorming ways to re-energize the media center for students and teachers alike. After surfing the web (including many of your blogs) and visiting other elementary schools in my area, I decided to go with this outside of the media center.

I printed out the letter cards on card stock and took the photos outside against the brick of the building. I didn't print in black and white; rather, I used the "Color" option under "Format Picture" in PowerPoint to soften the colors of the t-shirts. I really like the way it turned out!

This was an easy project and very cost effective. The canvases came from Michael's. I got a 10 pack of 8x10 canvases 50% off which equaled $10. The photo paper was $1 for 8 sheets at The Dollar Tree. I also used black paint ($.79), a foam brush ($.59), and Mod Podge. I already had the Mod Podge (matte finish); I would suggest you use a coupon at one of the craft stores for this as it is a little on the expensive side.

Start by painting your edge and onto the canvas about an inch with the black paint (or any color of your choice). You will need to do 2-3 coats of paint.

While your canvases are drying, print out your pictures. I cropped mine first so that there wasn't a lot of extraneous brick on the edge. Apply an even layer of Mod Podge to the canvas and position your picture on top. Do not press it down as you go; it is very difficult to adjust the fit if you do that. Let the picture dry so it adheres to the canvas. Come back and add 1-2 layers of Mod Podge to the top of the picture to protect it. Let the Mod Podge dry completely between layers. You can also paint the black edges if you'd like. I opted not to.

Here is the YouTube video I used for the directions:

If you don't include the Mod Podge which I already had, the 9 canvases cost me $1.28 each for a total of $11.52. Add the Mod Podge and it was around $15 although I have a ton of Mod Podge left for other projects. I couldn't have even printed the pictures at Walgreen's for that amount! #winning #frugalteachersunite

As you are planning for next year, I hope you'll run over to my shop and check out some of my back to school must haves.

Click on any of the pictures to head to my TpT store to check out the products.  Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and prepare to find great projects over at 4th Grade Frolics Monday Made It!

Soccer & Genre Posters

This weekend was filled with soccer games, house cleaning, and just a smidgen of creating for TpT.

Here's Little watching his team on the field. Little ended up with 8 goals during the game. Only one of them was for the opponents right after the half. He forgot which goal he was shooting at!!

This is Middle; he gave himself the job of assistant to the coach! Ha! He played later in the day, but couldn't resist telling Little how to improve his game.

I managed to finish my Genre Posters for my TpT store this weekend. They are very colorful with easy to understand definitions. I will be using them next year in my library.

Here's a sample of one from the pack. Click on it to see a few more samples in my store.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Back to School Sale on TpT

Teachers Pay Teachers is hosting their back to school sale, and I am participating! When you use the code BTS15 you will receive a total of 28% off of everything in my shop!!

These are some of my top sellers in my store. Click on any of the pictures to head directly to my store. :)

This is a great unit to use for an animal study / research and includes math, reading / research, writing, and craftivities.  It can also be used to celebrate the 102nd Day of Second Grade.

If you teach 2nd grade in Georgia, this is a must have unit for you! This lapbook focuses on James Oglethorpe and his contributions to the founding of the state of Georgia. Check it out!

 Geometry Games Galore is a comprehensive unit that covers both plane and solid shapes. It has components that can be used from kindergarten through third grade. It was designed for 2nd grade, but because it is leveled for below grade level, on grade level, and above grade level it can be used in a multitude of settings! If you are looking for a unit that will help you get a Level 4 in TKES for differentiation, this is the unit for you!

Are you looking for a math center to teach place value that requires few materials and minimal time to prepare? If yes, then this is the center for you! Again, this center has differentiation built into it by having 3 different levels. All you need is the cards and clothespins. It will be one of the easiest centers you ever make!

Last but not least are decor items. I am using both in my media center this upcoming year and the colors coordinate very nicely!

     

There are so many fantastic resources for sale by fellow teachers. Head on over and see what you can't live without this year!

Monday Made It: July 27

Well folks, this is my last Monday of summer vacation. I have leadership team tomorrow, Wednesday off, and I return to school on Thursday for the start of the 2015-2016 school year. Where, oh where, did the summer go???

I am linking up with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics for my favorite 

linky party ever!!

I have four things to share with you today. One of them I bought the materials, printed the tag, and assembled it. Another one I ordered. It was handmade...just not by me. I'm the girl from sewing class that created a dress that looked like it couldn't qualify for sack status. In my defense, how was I supposed to control that foot pedal? I mean honestly. I didn't even have a learner's permit yet. That foot pedal was at zero or 900 miles per hour!! Let's just say, my teacher didn't make me wear the "dress." Because the police would have been brought in and we both would have been arrested. ;) The third project also involved sewing; I was the inspiration, and my sweet hubby was the pedal pusher. And the last one, well, I actually made that one all by myself (and no sewing machine was harmed in the making of the project).

Moving on to the projects....

Project number one this week involved creating a sweet back to school gift for my two elementary age boys' teachers. Here are the pics of the contents:

The cup was on sale at Target for $1.80. It is dishwasher safe!!! Woot woot! The cup is filled with-you guessed it- Hershey's Kisses.

All of these goodies were from Michaels. Mr. Sketch comes in fine tip now. I almost had a moment in the Michaels store....the kind that draws concerned stares from non-teacher types. I know you know what I'm talking about! :)  I got the $6.99 markers half off. The pretty note cards on the left were 70% off and the "Happy is this way" notepad was $1.50.

The last group is the "must have," "need it," "I really don't want to buy any of this stuff for my own classroom" stuff. At least that's how I feel about all this stuff. A regular box of Kleenex wouldn't fit into the cutesy basket. I included the travel packs because they are great for field trips and field day. (Don't judge!  I will send in real boxes of Kleenex the first week.)

Here is what the final product looks like in the Dollar Tree baskets I bought:

Now for the happy news! You remember that cute little tag on the cup? It's an editable freebie in Polka Dots Please shop on TpT. It's not too late for you to create these cute cups for your kiddo's teacher!

Just click on the picture and it will take you right over to her store! Thanks so much for sharing Emily!

As many of you know, I am changing schools this year and moving out of a classroom into the media center. In my county, we have Spirit Fridays.              {Anything that allows me to wear jeans gets capital letters. ;)} 

 Anywho, I didn't have any school spirit shirts to wear. So, I hopped on Etsy and found the cutest little shop with the most helpful owner and ah.ma.zing turnaround time! I ordered these on a Wednesday after convo-ing back and forth. I received them on Saturday people. Of.the.same.week. #thisiswhyidon'tsew #somebodydoesitbetter

It helps shorten the shipping time since we're both in Georgia.

 Take a look at this fabulosity!

Mmm hmm. Now you want her contact information, don't you? The shirts were $15 apiece and you get to choose shirt color and fabric color/design. 

Amanda is offering $3 off every purchase of $15 or more through September 30. And if you're wondering, this is not a paid advertisement. I do not know Amanda personally, and I am not being reimbursed for this endorsement. (I sound like an infomercial, don't I?) I would appreciate it greatly if you'd wait one day to flood her with orders. I'd like to get my second order in before that happens. ;) Oh, and tell her Tonya sent you. Maybe I will get a free shirt!!

Okay, you know how in some schools when a teacher leaves a classroom gets raided? All of the good stuff is replaced with broken down, really been used (and stained), and less than perfect items? Well, my new media center had a couple of badly stained parson's chairs shoved in when no one was looking. And now I'm stuck with them. They are stained and a plaid print with roses and gold tones. The school colors by the way are purple and green. I know; I'm just as confused as you are. So, I did the only thing I could. I ordered chair covers. Iron them, slide them on, and problem solved. Right? Um, no. The "one size fits all" chair cover did not fit the chairs. And because they have a skirt that is sewn to the chair, I couldn't flip it up. Enter the wonderful hubby. 

#supertalented #lovethatman

 

I'm not sure how well you can see it, but he added 2" of gray trim at the bottom. He is a life saver for sure!! Now I need to take them to school, iron them, cross my fingers, toes, and tongue, and pray that they go all the way to the floor!! I will post before and after pics. Say a prayer y'all. It ain't pretty to see a grown teacher cry! (I know that I just used improper grammar.) #noneedforagrammarintervention

My final MMI is actually one that I made. All.by.myself. 

I shared this on Five for Friday, so if you've already checked that out this week's class is dismissed for you. Have a great week! Otherwise, keep reading please!

I created a cute sign to break up the endless brown monotony that is the circulation desk. The colors go with all of the other things I've created for the media center including the "Welcome" banner. Each of them is only a $1 in my TpT store. Click on the picture to head on over and check them out.

What last minute preparations are you making for back to school? Or are you planning your last hurrah for summer vacation?