New Items Added to My Store - Need Teachers' Help....

I've added a total of 5 items {Yea Me!} to my store... and more are coming very soon! Right now I'm focusing on the learning chips - because I am loving creating them for my own classroom! I need some teachers to help me evaluate and rate my items! The first 5 people to comment on this post with their top choice of question chips they would like to check out - will receive their pick of chips in exchange for them to evaluate the items in my Teachers Notebook store {this part is very important, please, please, please don't take the files if you don't intend to leave feedback in my store!} In your comment, please leave your email address! I would like to thank you in advance for your help!

For everyone else....here are the files from my store. I'm so excited to use these chips this coming year with my students. Seriously I have so many ideas on how to use these, and I know the students are going to love using them!

Monday Made It - Cooperative Learning Tools

I'm still on a cooperative learning kick!! This week I made some helpful tools for my cooperative learning structures. In a previous post, I mentioned that I love Kagan, but their tools are a little pricey. This week I borrowed their idea of learning chips. {I love these...the possibilities are endless!} I basically used their template and typed different question stems. After punching out the circles and laminating, I used spray adhesive and attached them to cheap poker chips. So far I have made the chips for non-fiction texts, paraphrasing, science, and pre-reading. I will make 1 set for each table group {roughly 6 sets of each} I plan to add several more! {Here is a great article on using learning chips in the classroom!} This was a pretty inexpensive projects {actually free} since I already had the spray adhesive, laminator, and chips. I just had to print them on cardstock. :) Love it when I already have all of the materials for a project! *******UPDATE I WILL BE MAKING THE CHIPS AND OFFERING THEM IN MY STORE SOON!!! Until then, enter to win 3 sets- Non-fiction, Pre-reading, and the science sets!! {enter at the bottom of the page} - I'll pick 5 lucky winners {Thanks Tara for the idea!} Good luck!

I also jumped on the bandwagon and made the dry erase boards using duct tape and report covers. However, I changed mine up a bit! I searched high and low for cheap report covers. The best deal I found was 3 for a dollar something, and they had a frosted cover. So I got home to see what I could use instead. I have several boxes of transparencies...and I don't even have an overhead in my room anymore! I tried the dry erase marker and it works perfectly! I basically just took 2 transparencies and taped around 3 sides so I could slip a piece of paper in. The transparencies are slightly smaller than the report covers, so any papers I slip in will have to be trimmed just slightly. I love how they turned out! This project was also pretty inexpensive since I already had the transparencies on hand. I just bought 2 rolls of the duct tape (around 3.50 each). I also tried the packing tape, but it didn't work as well for me! I plan to have one for each student at the table and wouldn't you know this is also a Kagan tool! I love the dry erase markers from Ikea. They are super cheap and are perfect for these boards!! {Please excuse the black lines - I haven't had a chance to erase them yet ;) }

On another note, I had to select another winner because the last one didn't respond! So congratulations Cindy Toalson! Please contact me so I can give you all of your AWESOME prizes!!!

Now go link up with Tara and share what you made this week!

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Awesome finds....

Sorry I've been MIA the past few days! It was my baby girl's {8th} birthday and I have been shopping..shopping..and some more shopping! I {heart} back to school sales - I have been finding some amazing things for my classroom! Here are just a few {well a little more than a few!}.....



I found these at the dollar tree! They are different sized clocks that you can use a dry erase markers with. I plan to break them up and make centers {check back because I'll be sharing the centers I create!} I also found a synonym file folder game.



Another Dollar Tree find... this great spinner. I'm thinking about using this to call on students. {My students are in groups of 4-5 and each have an assigned number 1-5 to each group!} I would have to ignore 6-8 though! I also found this pointer - I got it just because the teacher store is right next door to DT and they were selling these things for 6$!!!!!!!!




More dollar tree finds {it was a great day!} I found these for my treasure box. I will use the balls for a grand prize week. My students last year went nuts for erasers! I was so excited to find these bright colored ones as well as skateboard erasers!






Ok last dollar tree find. I found these adorable tubs that match the colors in my room! {Love it} I thought about moving all of my math manipulatives into them. Of course I bought like 12 of them {I wanted more though!!!}

I found these at Target so I can make those cute paperclip bookmarks that I saw on pinterest {love pinterest!} I found the ribbon in the dollar spot! The giant paperclips are on the supplies aisle! I already started making these and they are so much fun! I plan to give them as gifts to my teammates.







I found these sticker gems at the Target 1$ spot. I got an awesome idea from Tara at 4th Grade Frolics to put jewels on students' papers when they use "sparkling" vocabulary or use creativity in their writing. {Love this idea!}







Another great Target 1$ spot find! More shaped erasers {ice cream, crayons and cute hand shapes - i love you, hang 10, thumbs up} These are for my treasure box! I also finally found the mini erasers! I found them awhile back and decided to wait, then went back and they were GONE!! I plan to use them with centers!






And my coolest find is this timer {Target 14.99}! Sure it just looks like a regular timer....but it's quite the opposite. This is a giant timer {hard to tell in the picture} it's 8.5 in by 8.5 in! The best part - it's magnetic! I plan to put it on my whiteboard!!

I didn't take a pic of it, but I also found a good size rug 7ft X 5ft - with giant polka dots {and my room colors} for only 15$!!! And guess where I found it?!?! At my grocery store of all places. They had a dorm section with all kinds of goodies!

I think that is enough goodies for now!! Stay tuned, I've been working on some great printables to label your crates {should post in the next few days!}

Pinterest Inspirations!

The other day I was searching the area Targets to find more stickers for my multiple choice sticks. I just happened to go down the "summer stuff" aisle and saw that everything was 75% off! If there is one thing you should know about me - it's that I go a little crazy when I see the word "SALE" or "CLEARANCE or " blank % off" {ok you get the picture} I found metal tubs {beverage containers} and I was beyond ecstatic because they were only 3$ {yes 3$} I grabbed 2 of them {probably should have grabbed more!} My hubby has been wanting one for when we have get-togethers. I wanted one for my classroom because it reminded me of a picture I found on pinterest from Ms. Nichols classroom....

Like many of you, I'm completely addicted to ! I seriously have a pinning problems {and I just started!} I have found so many ideas {check back because I have a long list of things I'm going to make from the ideas I have found!} So I found this clipboard bucket and thought it was adorable. We do a lot of carpet work with whiteboards, yet I store my wb at the back of the room {opposite end of the classroom}. I thought this tub I found would be P-E-R-F-E-C-T to store my whiteboards, dry erase markers and erasers! Here are my before and after photos.

Before

After

Want to make a bucket too? It was super simple. I took scrapbook paper and used my cricut to cut out the letters {you could also buy letters already cut out}. Then I modge podged them on the bucket {remember to do thin layers at a time to prevent bubbles and the paper raising off} I put 6-7 layers of modge podge. You may also want to spray a clear sealant once it all dries to ensure that the letters are secure. Next I just tied coordinating ribbon on the handles. I plan to put some sort of basket inside this to store all three things and keep them organized. I'll keep you posted!

What have you made that was inspired by a pinterest find? Or what are you considering making? If you are on pinterest come check mine out!!

Looky...Looky!! Look what I made!

I was so inspired when I first saw these adorable multiple choice sticks on Tara's blog 4th Grade Frolics! I just knew I had to make them! Being in an upper elementary grade we do so much testing. {unfortunately} Of course I could have made another set of ABCD cards but these are way too much fun! {Don't you know the kids are going to love them!} I promise - super, super simple to make. It took hubby and I less than an hour to make 25 of them!! {including the drilling}

Here is what you need:

Total cost for 25 of them:

Popsicle sticks (100) - 2$
Screws/Nuts (#8) - 3$
Washers (#8) - 2$
Stickers - 5$
Total: 12$ for these amazingly cute multiple choice sticks!

Basically you drill a hole and attach 4 sticks together using the screw, nuts, and washers. Then if you'd like you can add alphabet stickers {or you could just write the number on them}. We found that it was easiest to put 4 sticks together using a binder clip and then drill the 4 sticks at one time.

I couldn't find the stickers Tara used, but I found these really cute dot stickers at the Target 1$ spot that fit perfect on the tip of the stick. They came with 5 sheets to a package {so I needed 5 of them} I also didn't use modge podge for the sticks like Tara did {I didn't have the patience - I wanted them that bad!} but the stickers were pretty secure on them. {I'm sure I'll regret it later!} I also went ahead and put the numbers 1-4 on the backside. {since I already had the stickers}

I cannot wait for my students to use these! Such an awesome, awesome idea! Again I would like to thank Tara for the inspiration and sharing her wonderful idea! If you have not checked out her blog - GO NOW!! She has so many more wonderful ideas! {definitely one of my favorite blogs!}

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a 20$ gift certificate!

Teacher Pointers {Make your own}...Easy as pie

Once upon a time...I was going to be teaching 1st grade. However I was moved to 3rd instead. {and I couldn't be happier!} I had already purchased so many things for my classroom..and it seems I forgot about a few. I have been reorganizing my office/craft/teacher workspace. I was so amazed at all of the little treasures I found. One was supplies that I had bought to make my own teacher pointers. I decided to get my creative juices flowing and make them {and I thought you might like to know how to do it too!}

What you need:
*Glue Gun
*Wood Paints in coordinating colors {these are so cheap - I got mine for .60}
*Paintbrush
*Wooden Dowels {I found mine at Walmart for less than 2$ for 16 of them}
*Cute Wood shapes {These are already prepainted! Look on the wood aisle at your craft store - super cheap around .50 each}
**Ribbon if you'd like to add a little something!

Super, super simple....
1. Paint the dowels
2. Put a glob of hot glue on the back of wooden shapes
3. Attach the stick to the back

How is easy is that?!?!? {Easy as pie...right}

You can add a little bow for a nice little touch.

Since I don't really use pointers in my classroom - I'm going to give these as a gift to a really good friend {who happened to be my cooperating teacher when I was student teaching}. I am going to make a few more and put them in this cute bucket I picked up at Hobby Lobby!!

I hope you have as much fun as I did making these!