Pointers!

I just LOVE finding ideas on the internet and being able to use them in my classroom.  Why reinvent the wheel, right!? I do not recall where I found the idea of book pointers in the library area of your classroom, but I loved it - especially when I found these adorable bee cutouts at the teacher store.  I just laminated them for durability, hot glued them to a craft stick and put them in a cute decorated can (see previous post).  I plan on adding the student names to each bee so that they all have their very own pointer to use as they are reading books in the library!

I also put together these awesome "Read the Room" pointers for the students to use while in the word center.  Check out First Grader...At Last! for directions on how to make these.  I love Sarah's blog and find GREAT ideas there.  For the holder, I covered an old beer bucket that my husband acquired from someone with scrapbook paper. Ironically, he doesn't even drink beer! Anywhos, I decided to cover both inside and out to make it really interesting looking.  I think it turned out great and I can't wait to see my students using these pointers as they walk around the classroom. 

 

The Bees Knees

Okay, so if you haven't been able to guess yet, my theme in my classroom this year will be.....BEES! :o) I have found some really great ideas online that I am planning on using in my classroom. One of the ideas that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE (and can't wait to make) is Our Five 'Bees' Promise from  First Grader...At Last!.  I have also been in the process of making many more bee related items for my classroom.  Unfortunately, I don't have any new pictures to include since I have not been able to start setting up my classroom yet, but I promise to post some as soon as I get in there!  I was able to find a picture of my Kindergarten classroom door two years ago that inspired my decision for the bee theme this year.

In addition to deciding on the theme of my classroom, I had a genius idea as I was opening up a can of peaches for my daughter. It's strange how we teachers can come up with crafty ideas to "turn trash into treasures?" :o) I decided to turn the many soup, vegetable and fruit cans that we use in my house into nifty little pencil holders for the students to keep at their desks.  I used scrapbook paper to cover each can and then "laminated" each one by covering it with packing tape.  I then added a label to each one to write the student names on as soon as I get my class list.  I also plan on adding a piece of Velcro to the bottom of each can to keep them secure to the desks.  I am *hoping* that this idea will actually work.  I'm curious to see if it will help my students stay organized.  I guess time will tell.

Finally, for all of you that are parents of infants or know someone who has an infant, ask them to keep their baby wipe containers and formula canisters.  I wrapped mine in scrapbook paper and again "laminated" them with the packing tape to use as inexpensive manipulative holders!  Here are a few pics of the ones that I have created recently.

First Day Name Graph

This is a project that I did in my Kindergarten class last year on the first day of school and the students absolutely LOVED it!  I think that I may do this on the first day of first grade this year.  It worked as a great ice breaker last year.  The students just simply added each letter of his/her name into the squares next to where his/her name was written.  The students then answered questions about the graph, such as "Who has the most letters in their name?" or "Who has the least?"