Monday Made It!

Happy Monday, friends! I have been working pretty much nonstop on my graduate classes, but I managed to squeeze in some downtime and do some fun stuff! So, I'm linking back up with Tara from Fourth Grade Frolics for another week of Monday Made It! Head over to her blog now and see some of the other fabulous "made-its" by other amazing teachers.

(Future) Coin Dividers: Okay, so this wasn't as much a Monday Made It as it was a Monday Did It sort of project. I wanted to use these pill boxes in the classroom to hold coins or for place value practice, but those days of the week on the lids stressed me out. I could've covered them, but I knew my quickest solution would be to figure out a way to just remove them. So, I used nail polish remover and cotton balls, and VOILA! They wiped right off! I can't wait to figure out how I will use them first. I'm think mini-dice in each compartment to practice place value, since it's the first unit we teach. But...we'll see!

Summer Postcards: I love sending happy mail to my students over our long breaks. We are blessed to have an amazing school schedule that includes a 2-week fall break, all of Thanksgiving week, 2-week winter break, and a 2-week spring break. We do begin August 2nd, but I'll take an early start to get all those refreshing breaks! Anyways, I like to send my students something through the mail during each break. Postcards are my favorite because I can use the cheaper postage. (#poorteacher) I will be sending these out on Monday, and they will be the last ones for this year's kiddos! 

You can download a free editable version of the summer postcards HERE. Just make sure when you cut them that you stay under the 4"x6" requirement for postcard postage. I posted a couple of the other postcards I've sent below...

This was from this past Thanksgiving. I downloaded the sweet little note template from Polka Dots Please and adjusted the size to make it a postcard.

This was from this past spring break. The little bugs are from Creative Clips (I think!). 

School Bag: My daughter picked out this fun canvas bus tote at the Dollar Spot for $3. I thought it would be fun to add her name on to it, and it turned out even better than I imagined! I used some scrap glitter HTV that I had on hand, and I used my t-shirt heat press to apply it. Now she is all ready for her (second) first day of PreK! (She missed the kindergarten age cut-off by 8 days, so it's another year of PreK for her!) The font I used is by Amy Groesbeck. 

Well, I felt like I did more, but I guess I didn't! Check back next week because I just got access to my class list, so I will start making personalized labels for the kids' cubbies and coat hooks. I'm also still waiting to find out the status of hanging things in our newly painted hallways, so I can figure out a fun hallway bulletin board. Until then, have a great week!

Five for Friday!

What better way to kick off the summer than with Doodle Bugs Teaching's Five for Friday Weekly Linkup?!?!

Most of these were on my Instagram this week, which you can follow HERE. But...here's a quick (re)peek at my week...

Last fall, I found 24-piece Crayola sidewalk chalk for $1 a box at Walmart. I knew they would make a great end of year gift for my kiddos. I made the tags using fabulous chalk clipart letters from Rebecca B Designs. The rainbow digital paper is from Red Pepper Paper, the black chalk frame is from Lovin' Lit, and the font is from Cara Carroll and is called Mascara Queen. I love how they turned out!!!

You can download an editable copy of the tag HERE.

I've seen a lot of posts flying around about this cart from IKEA being discontinued. I bought mine last summer, and it is invaluable to me. It normally sits right next to my easel. It holds my dry-erase and poster markers, post-it notes, and all of my multiple response strategy tools. I used that cart many times a day every single day. If you've been debating on getting one, I would definitely go know and get one before they're gone forever!

I love, love, love brag tags. This was the first year I've used them, and I followed the crowd and bought a storage container from Lowe's to hold them. I never got around the labeling the drawers, so I had a hard time finding the tags I wanted. Plus, it sat up on a shelf that wasn't too accessible. So, I decided to switch over to a binder. I used collector card protectors from Walmart. A pack of 35 was only $4.98. I had some old dividers that I labeled with specific categories like holidays, homework, data, etc. I love this system so much more! (Handy tip: Keep the binder at an angle when you're flipping through it or you risk tags sliding out. I also keep my binder standing up on my shelf.)

I use these pencil pouches to hold math manipulatives throughout the year. This is what we start our year with. I had some of my second graders reorganize everything and restuff the bags. We will add more things-like shapes, place value blocks, clocks, etc. They're really convenient because I don't have to waste time handing out supplies every day. If a random piece is left out, I just keep it on my cart and more often than not it is claimed by someone. 

I've mentioned NAEIR before, but I'll give them a quick shout out again. I just placed an order, and I received it within 4 days. Their turnaround time has really improved. In all, everything you see in this picture cost me about $50. My order included 1,000 labels and 450 BIC mechanical pencils. It was definitely worth the money. If you haven't signed up for a teacher account yet, you must!

And finally...summer has officially begun for me! This was my happy face this morning before work. I expect that look will stay plastered on my face for quite some time. I had a great school year, and I loved my class...but I am ready for some down time to spend with my family and to get my crafting on!

Happy summer break!