Teacher Organizer Laid Out For Ya

One of my most popular items that I've put into my classroom is my teacher organizer.  I got the idea from Pinterest, (obvious, huh?)  It's funny because I actually ended up doing this around 5am in the morning one lazy summer morning!  

So here's my journey...

The person who made their organizer I found got this specific organizer at Garden Ridge.  (There is one you can get at Lowe's/Home Depot as well but it's a bit different.)

 So ta-da!  Here is the shell I started from... The example I found on Pinterest they spray-painted the black part white but I prefer the darker.  To me it helps the drawers pop (on the finished product).

So I made small Microsoft labels of all the items I could think of.  These were the larger drawers.  I glued the labels on scrapbook paper I had left over.  (I am a HUGE scrapbooker!)  I then mod-podged them on the outside cover of each drawer.  I really did complete it quickly.

Then I color-coded the smaller drawers with scrapbook paper and mod-podged them as well to the outside of the drawers.

I just let it dry for half an hour and voila!!  I absolutely love it this year.  It's on my desk and I use it probably every day.

And there's my desk (at the beginning of the year-covered computers).  I wish my desk looked that nice but the organizer helps tremendously!!

Student Birthdays

My math/science partner and I are both ADDICTED to Pinterest.  So during the summer we basically pinned each others' ideas almost each day, lol.  One of the fun ideas we found were these birthday crazy straws from Teaching in Flip Flops.

One of my kids had a birthday the second week of school so I went ahead and made them all.  Although I've got some new kids lately so will have to make more.  But the files are all FREEBIES!  So be sure to thank Christie at the above link!  I sure appreciated them!!

Team Gifts

This year we (practically) have a new third grade language arts team and a new member of the math/science team.  Everybody had so much going on before school started so I saw these blue buckets in the Target Dollar Spot so I decided to get my white paint pen out and make Team Gifts!  I gave them to each of the teachers on the first day of school.  Happy First Day of School!!

Since we have 8 third grade teachers filling the buckets started to get kind of expensive so I went with:

• Individual CheezeIt bags from Costco
• Snack bags of M&Ms
• Hair ties (cuz you always need those throughout the year!)
• Fun pens
• Packs of gum

 On one side I wrote. "3rd grade" and then the teachers' last names.  

 I put tissue paper in the bottom and sides to make it look like more of a gift.

And TA-DA!!!  I had 7 of these to get to school, lol.  Good thing I have a huge utility tote by 31 to carry them all :) 

The teachers loved them.  And I was glad to give them a smile on the first day of school!

Five Finger Rule and Helen Keller

Five Finger Rule

Last week my students worked on finding Just Right Books.  We did this by reading: 

The author, Jackie Mims Hopkins is a former Cy-Fair librarian and we just love her book!  Goldie Socks goes into the Three Bears' house looking for a just right book.  She tries out lots of books, using the five finger rule, and looks for the perfect place.  She leaves things all over the place, which adds to a great lesson in returning books/pillows to your classroom library!

 Adrian and Alexis using their Five Finger Test strategy to make sure their books are Just Right!

Helen Keller

This year we are integrating our social studies curriculum into the reading and writing workshop.  I use method at the end of my class to review concepts using a combination of reading, writing, buddy reading, etc.  One of my favorite things to teach is history and significant social studies skills.  When last weeks' lessons introduced Helen Keller I got all excited and set out to plan a fun lesson!

We began by watching the Animated History series video on www.discoveryeducation.com.  Then I brought in books from the public library with Braille.  These picture books had the Braille words and on the corresponding page had the words that the kids could read.  They loved reading through the stories in this unique way.  

Then we read the picture book of Helen Keller's life: 

And we wrapped up the day answering 10 multiple choice questions about all the information we had learned during the day.  What a wonderful, significant person for the kids to look up to!

First Week Activities

Remember to bear with me for a while until I get my blog really going.  I'm still learning how to take good pictures of the ideas I'm using.  And I'm still trying to find the time to do so :)  The beginning of the year is so fast!

The first activity I have to showcase is our Get to Know You Bags.  I have friends who do this from Pre-K to 5th grade and all over the country.  It's very simple.  Send home a little letter (I will try to upload a copy soon) and a paper bag.  The instructions are to load it with 4 items to share with the class that let us know about you.  I went ahead and colored mine and added some of my most treasured things like friends, family, scrapbooking and the LONGHORNS!

                                                  

I filled my bag with my passport, my Brighton charm bracelets, and my digital camera.

Then the kids showcased their items throughout the whole first week.  I usually started and ended the class with three people sharing each day.
Daphne was so cute, she brought her dog's leash and had to make sure she took it home to be able to walk her dog!  A lot of the kids showed off their trophies, too.  A very great beginning of the year project!

I saved Friday as our Journal Decorating day.  I sent home a parent note (will see if I can upload at another date) and asked kids to bring pictures, magazine cut-outs, and scrapbooking supplies.  Some did and some just wanted to draw.  Then I covered them with contact paper thanks to an AMAZING parent who came in and helped two days in a row!

These are my scrapbook divas!  Merrick brought in a lot of stickers and ended up sharing them with everyone.  It was so sweet to see the kids sharing only after 4 days together.

The mom who helped me wrap my journals also donated ribbon from Hobby Lobby that most of the kids decided to use.  We did a strip anywhere on the page.  It turned out REALLY cute.  And, as you can see from Brandon's journal a lot of the boys decided to just draw and color on their journals.  What a fun way to wrap up the first week of school!