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 27th

This past week flew by at my house! We are on the hunt for a new house since ours sold the first day it was on the market. I did manage to create a few things for this week's Monday Made It.  Thanks Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for hosting my favorite linky every week!

My first project this week is a baby gift for a sweet friend's daughter.  I made letters like this last summer that spelled out "BOOKS" for a display in my media center. You can read all about how to make these letters HERE. The directions are in the Made It #2.

Please excuse the wax paper...the letters were still drying and Mod Podge peels off of wax paper so easily! :)

My next project has been in the works for way too long! I started this project when we were still in school, but because I had to pack up the entire media center (read every book in the place touched at least 3 times as it was saran wrapped in a group, replaced on the shelf, and then moved to a cafeteria table after school ended) this project got pushed to the back burner. Without further ado, here is my calendar for 2016-2017. It is modeled after the ones I normally purchase at Target or Wal-Mart with the exception of the price. Mine only costs $1 and you can get an updated calendar next year at no additional cost to you! Take a look and let me know what you think.

There are 8 covers to choose from: 4 girls and 4 boys. It starts with an "All About Me" page that includes a section for passwords. The calendar has a 2 page spread with lines for you to write on. This is for all of my Type A friends out there who can't stand those empty boxes and slanted writing. I have also included 2 pages after each month for you to brainstorm, take notes at faculty or grade level meetings, create lists, etc.

There are inspirational quotes scattered throughout the calendar and plenty of space for To Do's and Material Lists needed for lessons. If you record all of your parent conferences in here, you'll have them all in one place for reference when working on TKES (or whatever teacher observation tool your state uses).

I love these pages because they allow you to keep all of your faculty meeting and grade level notes for each month in one handy dandy place. Sometimes you need to refer back to this information when people's recollections become hazy. ;)

You can check out my Teacher Calendar in my TpT store. Remember, it only costs $1 and you never need to buy another calendar!

It's time for me to head back over to Monday Made It and see what fabulous things I need to add to my to do list. Thanks for stopping by!

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!

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? 

Monday Made It: July 20

It's time for Monday Made It with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics!

Unbelievably, I only have one more Monday in my summer vacation after today. I return to work officially on July 30th. :( I much prefer the "unofficial" work day. You know, the one where you stop by school, move a few things around, unpack your desk, sip your Starbucks, and then leave after a few hours to go home and read a good book!

This morning's post will be short and sweet; I have two days of training for Blackboard this morning. Have any of you used Blackboard? If so, I'd love to know what you think!

On to the MMI...I finally finished the bookends that I saw early in the summer right here on MMI. I tried to find the original post, but was unsuccessful. If this was inspired by you, please let me know so I can give you credit!!

This is the beginning. The ampersands (love.that.word.) came from Michael's on sale, and the wood was from the scrap pile in the hubby's workshop. Love.that.man!

 A word to the wise- this project used almost that entire bottle of paint you see in the top right corner. The hubby says I should have painted water on the wood first so that it wouldn't soak up so much paint. Who knew?

 I decided to try to paint the edges in a different color. Can you see that edge? Ummm hmmm. I wasn't feeling it either, and I was in too big of a hurry to wait for the paint to dry so I could tape it off to get a clean line. So, I did what any teacher/mom on a deadline would do....

 I painted right over that orange with blue! My need for neatness has been satisfied. Ahhh...

 Next, I Mod Podged the entire piece of wood. Then I painted Mod Podge on the back of the scrapbook paper that had been cut to size, lined it up, and smoothed out the wrinkles using a stiff plastic grocery bonus points card.

 Repeat the procedure on the top and then put a layer of Mod Podge over the whole thing to protect it.  The white film you see will dry clear and make the entire thing a little shiny!

 Attach the ampersands with some good old fashioned hot glue, or you could use E6000. I prefer the hot glue because it's faster and doesn't stink nearly as badly!

 Here's the view from the end. I love the way the scrapbook paper adds a pop of color!

The final product: an inexpensive project that will help you feature books from your classroom library!

If you made it all the way to the end of this post, head on over to my TpT store where my top selling bundle is about 40% off.

How many more Mondays do you have left of vacation? (Just know that if you say 3 or 4, I may have to hate you. Just sayin'!)

Head on over to 4th Grade Frolics to see what all of your blogging friends have been making. You may find something you can't live without!