Monday Made It: Quiet Zone Light, Book Nook, and Brag Tags

I'm linking up with 4th grade frolics for another Monday Made it! 

This week, I am building on my idea of a book nook from a couple of weeks ago, (hopefully) solving a guided reading problem, and getting ready to celebrate some success!

I love my Cricut, I really do... I just don't use it as much as I should! It has been sitting in my closet collecting dust for too long, so this week I decided to get it out for a made it!

I wanted a visual way to remind my students that they are not to disturb guided reading time. I briefly considered a hat of some sort, but then I stopped myself- am I really going to want to wear a hat every day during guided reading? As much as I like making hats, the answer to that was no.

There were several requirements for my project:

1. I wanted it to be something I wouldn't need to continually interact with. 

2. I wanted it to be easily seen, but not in the way of the guided reading table/supplies.

3.I wanted it to match my decor (naturally) :)

I came up with a quiet zone light!

I used a glass block with a stand and light. I cut out the Quiet Zone sticker on cricut vinyl and stuck it on the front of the block. I've never worked with adhesive vinyl before, so I was a bit nervous. 

I was able to get most of the air bubbles out, but there are a few still on there. I take comfort in the fact that it will be on top of a shelf, so no one will be inspecting it close up. :)

Disclaimer: I couldn't get a really good picture of it lit up, it looks MUCH better in person!

I like it, but I am considering adding some ribbon around the edges. Maybe for next week?

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about the book nook that I want to make in my classroom library with shelves and a bench. I wanted to make sure that everyone knew it was a book nook, enter: pennant banner!

After printing the pieces and cutting them out, I laminated them(and cut them out again). I was going to add the ribbon, but I didn't have enough, so that will have to come later. Just imagine that it is strung on bright pink polka dot ribbon!

Confession: I actually made parts of this project twice. My classroom projects/purchases have officially taken over my apartment and I was unable to find the printed parts, so I had to print them again. :(

This project is also part of the book nook that I am working on- the bench!

I got one of those black three cube organizer shelves and put it together. I wanted to use the openings for book baskets, so I added some leftover contact paper so they wouldn't get scratched.

Maggie loves the bench and is constantly on top of it! I found a pretty turquoise cushion for the top, but I don't want to get it all full of cat hair, so I am waiting on adding it until I get it in the classroom. I can't wait to see what it looks like when all put together!

I'm not sure that this next one really qualifies as a "made it," but it is so cute that I just have to share!

I found this pillow cover on etsy and knew that it was absolutely necessary for my classroom rocking chair!

I added a pillow form (hence the made-it!) and... that was it! 

So in love!

Last up, something I have wanted to make for ages, but have been putting off: math standards brag tags!

I use brag tags quite a bit in my first grade classroom and wanted to make some that were tied to specific math standards/targets. I made one last year (I can count to 120!) and it was a HUGE motivator! Even my little friend who suddenly became"allergic to paper" whenever we had math work (true story) wanted to write all of the numbers to 120 to get it!

I used the Common Core math standards as a jumping off point, and added in a few extras that we cover in our district (identifying and counting coins).

Voila! Now I just have to laminate/cut/punch/sort all of them... 

You can find the brag tags here.

Thank you so much for visiting! Make sure to check out all of the other awesome made-its at 4th grade frolics!

Monday Made it: New Library Additions!

I am linking up with 4th grade Frolics for another Monday made it!

This week I am sharing some new additions to my classroom library!

First up, my new chapter book shelves!

I recently finished the classes to get my gifted endorsement, and have needed some higher-leveled books for my library for those kiddos who go beyond first grade reading levels. Enter: Scholastic Reading club! I had been saving points for ages and had enough to get a ton of chapter books at the end of the year. Unfortunately, I didn't have anywhere to put them... until now!

I got two of these black media shelves at Wal-mart (only $10 each!), but wanted something prettier. I found some turquoise contact paper and covered the inside of the shelves.

I was a bit scared at first, I have never worked with contact paper before and I was worried about messing it up. It was way easier than I thought it would be!

The only problem I ran into was when I went to put the shelves back in. It was such a tight fit that it tore the contact paper in a couple of spots. Luckily, I was able to patch them with leftover scraps of contact paper. Once they were pressed down, I could hardly tell where they were!

I added some green polka dot washi tape around the edges to finish it off. I am so in love with the results!

My plan is to have them on either side of a bench in the library. It is going to be called the "book nook." :)

Next up, a small (and awesome!) project that makes my organizational heart happy... color-coded book labels.

I started with some Avery labels and printed them with a solid color. They are rather long, so I am thinking I will be able to cut them into two or three strips each.

The colors may seem a bit random, but here is where the awesomeness comes in... they coordinate with our media center's lexile labeling system!!

I am going to start using them on the chapter books first, and may expand to the rest of the library if I like the results.

Once the kiddos take their Lexile test, they will know which color they should be picking from for a good fit book.

My next project is made entirely of materials that I found leftover from last year's crafting supplies!

I was going through my stash well-organized crafting supplies when I found these two wooden shadowbox frames.

I peeled the labels off, but was unable to get the corners off. I don't know what kind of adhesive they used to stick them on, but it would not be removed!

So, naturally I just came up with a way to cover them!

I painted the frames blue and glued some green felt on the inside to cover the label remnants. I am apparently incapable of cutting felt in a straight line, so I added the pink ribbon to cover the sides.

Voila! They are done and ready to be hung above the chapter book shelves. One will be the display of the lexile color labels, and the other is for the chapter book club. Once the kids are ready for chapter books, their name will go on the sign and they will be able to pick books from the chapter book shelves.

Next, I wanted a way for the kids to know where to put their books back without using bins. I decided to use place marker sticks.

I got some 6 inch paint stirrers and painted them blue, green, or pink. Maggie was kind enough to supervise and was well-behaved enough not to touch! She must not have gotten over that time she got paint on her and I had to chase her around the apartment with a wet washcloth... :)

(here's a quick tip- paint on tin foil for a nonstick surface that is easy to clean up!)

They looked a bit boring, so I added some polka dot washi tape and white circle labels. Once they are in the chapter book club, they will pick a stick that their cubby number go on.

They will leave the stick in place of their chapter book on the shelf so that they will know where to put their book back when they are done.

That's it for this Monday Made it, it was a busy week! Make sure to let me know what you think in the comments and remember to check out all of the other awesome made-its at 4th Grade Frolics!

Monday Made-it: Bucket seats, fluency strips, and a back to school freebie!

Well, the time has come... the first teacher work day! Based on the schedule we received last week, it looks like we will have quite a bit of time to work in our classrooms before met the teacher on Friday.

 

 I was hoping to have my classroom finished for my post today, but I clearly underestimated the amount of time it would take. It will definitely be ready for next Monday's post though!

Before I show you my made-its, I have to mention what I got in the mail last week...

 

this beautiful sign from TallahasseeSunday! They customized it to match my classroom colors and it looks absolutely amazing on my classroom door!

 

 

 

 

I just finished putting together the gifts that I am giving my students as a welcome present.

 

 

 

I made a couple of cute tags to go with the bubbles and the glow bracelets and put them in these pretty bags.

 

 

Naturally, the bags had to match my classroom colors!

 

You can grab the gift tags freebie here!

 

Next up, I have my new way to store the fluency strips I bought from the Moffatt Girls last year.

 

I originally had them hanging on magnetic hooks on the side of a metal bookshelf, but that was when I only had 10 sets made. There was no way all 30 were going to fit!

 

I ended up cutting some foam board to fit in my library windows, adding some cork board to the front, and covering both with felt.

 

 

I added some pushpin hooks and voila! I love how bright and colorful they look!

 

 

This next made-it was a quick update to an old project.

 

 

I made this ribbon wreath a few years ago (see the original how-to post here), but it didn't really match my colors any more.

 

 

I ended up adding some new turquoise loops so that it would tie in better with the new color scheme. Nothing big, just a quick fix. :) 

 

I am VERY excited about this made-it... bucket seats!

 

I started with some plain 5 gallon paint buckets from Home Depot.

 

The first (and hardest!) part was to get these gigantic safety labels off the sides.

 

 

I used nail polish remover to get the top layer off, then got the remaining adhesive goo off with WD-40. It took a big chunk of one afternoon and was a pretty smelly process!

 

 

My mom was kind enough to cover the paint bucket lids with the foam, batting, and fabric.

 

Naturally, a bucket with a fabric top wasn't enough for me, so I added a band of the fabric with a flower.

 

 

 What do you think?!

 

 

 

That's it for this week! Make sure you check out the made-its at the 4th grade frolics link-up!

 



Classroom Tour 2014!

Well, here it is! I have FINALLY finished my classroom and have the pictures to prove it! For some strange reason it took me longer this year than it ever has before, even though this is the first year I am returning to both the same grade level and same room!

Here we go!

This is the inside view of the front door.

Last year we read a story in our reading series where the characters were decorating their classroom and the writing prompt that came with it was- "What could you do to make your classroom a brighter place?" For the most part, my poor little friends were at a loss! I did have one student who came up with the idea for adding border around the front door and he was SO excited when he came in the next day to see that I had added it!

 

Here we have my hall/media center passes, guided reading baskets, snack basket and turn-in bins.

This is the back wall of my classroom. I have three "bulletin boards" I created out of fadeless paper with scrapbook paper and clothespins for hanging work. I have the pocket chart that my mom made me a couple of years ago for content area vocabulary and our supply station.

 

 

This is a close-up of the cubbies, I used ribbon along the edges to fancy them up a bit. The back of the cubbies is covered with black wrapping paper that I added polka dots to.

 

 

I keep textbooks and our reading series materials in the extra cubbies. I covered them with the wrapping paper so that it looks a bit neater.

 

 

 

Here is our supply area. I am very picky about how we keep supplies, especially extra crayons! They are organized by color into the small drawers so they are easy to find.

 

 

This is our writing/notebooking area. We keep our portfolios here too.

 

 

Right by my writing center I have my listening center set up. I use the crate seats to store extra supplies and listening center stories. The black on the table is a vinyl table cover my mom made for me last year. We also display our sight word scoops on the wall here. The flower is something I made last year- once I get the mini stickers of my student's yearbook pictures, I add them to the wreath.

 

 

Here are my supply cabinets. I use them to display classroom jobs, behavior chart, table points, homework club, brownie points, hall of fame, student of the month, related arts schedule, and my noise level chart. We also have our mailboxes here.

 

 

I added the bathmat under our behavior chart because I was tired of the magnets falling apart whenever a student dropped one on the floor. It works wonders!

 

 

This is my pride and joy, my library! The rug, ottoman, and green bean bag are all new this year. The tree is our reading tree, we add a leaf with the title of every book we read together throughout the year. It is pretty full by June!

 

 

 

This is my birthday display. Students get their name and birthdate on a tag on the present for their month. Below that we have my classroom community display. We add pictures throughout the year. That is probably one of the most popular things that kids show their parents on student led conference nights!

 

 

 

I will need to get a better picture of this, it came out pretty blurry. This is my word work station and word wall.

 

 

I used scrapbook paper for the back and black giftwrap ribbon to section them off.

 

 

 This is the front board. I display my activity direction cards on the far left and the learning goal/scale on the right.

 

 

Here we have my center board and center group display. I also have my share chair (which needs a few minor repairs) and my brag tag display.

 

 

 

I keep my brag tags organized in the drawers. The students are responsible for hanging their brag tag back up on their number at the end of the day.

 

 
This is my desk area. I keep my teacher stool right next to my desk so that it is close to the rug and perfectly positioned for using the document camera. The white drawers by the window are going to be for our classroom tablets.

Here is my guided reading area. I have the gigantic science kits covered with the green felt to form a table of sorts. My TEs/materials are stored on the bookshelf behind the felt curtain.

 

 
Here are my student computers. Please excuse the mess of wires, I can't stand setting them up every year so I always leave them until last... :)  I have my classroom and school rules on the bulletin board overhead. I like it there because it is something I will never have to change!

The baskets are something new this year. I attached them to the felt-covered foam board to store student headphones. I have my mystery walker poster/chart on the wall as well as my new reminder board.

 

 

 
This is the group table. It is most often used for guided reading extension. My center groups are not the same as my guided reading group, so I just send my guided reading group here to work on their extension activity. I also use it on those days when we have to split a class and I end up with extra students. The pocket chart stand (laundry rack!) holds chart paper on one side and our 120 pocket chart on the other.


Last, but certainly not least, I have my table supply shelves. I have made some modifications to them this year (including a removal of the polka dots/fresh coat of paint), but you can read about how I use them here .

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

Well, there it is! I am really happy with my classroom this year. It was a TON of work to get set up, but the kids and parents have all seemed to like it so far!

 

 Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

 

Victoria