Complete renovation of my classroom?!?

Thanks to my new found addiction to Pinterest I am going to attempt to renovate my poor classroom.  I will work on it over the summer and update my blog as I go.  I hope you will take the ride with me and allow me to pass down tips on "what not to do" or "wow, why didn't I do that first" as I begin this adventure.  I will have A LOT of before and after pictures, and I hope that I can spark your imagination as some of you have sparked mine.

New seats for my reading table:

I am going to make covers for milk crates as I've seen on Pinterest.  I'm having trouble finding crates as I've only been able to get 1 so far, but I found the best idea for covering them.  Rather than spending $4 or $5 a yard for cute fabric I spent $4 each and got table cloths that I LOVE and I'm going to use them for covers.  I like that they have similar covers but will be different too.  I'm not one to have EVERYTHING match.  It's great if you do, but I like a little mixing it up.

Stay tuned...



Ever start a project and then realize that you opened a HUGE can of worms???

I asked if I could pull the paneling off of my classroom wall.  Yes, you heard me correctly.  Almost 40 years ago when my school was built they put paneling over sheet rock.  And to add to the fun it was just tacked down...TONS and TONS of glue.

So, I pulled it down, ripped the sheet rock, and found a wet wall.

 I make a phone call and our head of maintenance shows up.  They are now going to hire someone to come in and fix the issues.  Catch?  Do I hear a catch?  I have to move EVERYTHING out of my room because he will be ready in 2 days.  I realize a lot of teachers have to move things from their rooms, but we're usually allowed to leave our bookshelves along the wall and just pile stuff up.  I can't do that because they are going to fix the walls and make a great mess while doing it.

Here's a little of the mess before I started working.  I had already moved the book bins off the shelf so I could pull the paneling off the wall.  That was the 2nd time I'd moved them.  :)

After 7 hours of moving EACH item out.

Stay tuned...

Today I got to go into my room (the floors finally dried from the wax) and put all my stuff back.  Next, I get to go through ALL of this stuff and put it where it actually belongs.  

This is the 3rd time I've moved this stuff.

My student computers will go back here eventually.

I found out yesterday that I WILL be getting a new water fountain soon.  That one is 30+ years old.  I also painted this wall a sage green as a focus wall.  The trim hasn't been put back yet, but I like it. 

What do you think?

This will be my reading area soon.  Wait until you see what I have planned!!

This is the place on my newly painted wall that I get to retouch because when they were putting my computer counter top back the wall was a casualty.

I'm not sure if you can tell but the wall that has my board is two shades darker than the rest of the room.  I read studies that said doing that would help ADHD/ADD students focus.

I got in there again today and hung some of my bulletin board (aka ceiling tiles) and I'm beginning to get excited about the progress.

Moore,Oklahoma Donation

 

My store entire store will be on sale tomorrow, and ALL profits will go to the victims of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado.

Click on the picture below to be taken to the SALE.

 

Last Monday

Over the next few days there will be so many lasts for them while they are in the 1st grade.  The kids are so excited by all of the end of the year activities they don't realize how close to the end of the year it is.  In the past I've noticed my kids don't really understand that it's over until the very last day.  They usually say "See ya' tomorrow" and that's when I remind them they won't see me until next school year.  At that moment a look comes over their face that says "Are you kidding me????"

This week I still have to work to finish the end of the year testing that never seems to end.  I know that testing is important so that we can then plan from those results, but my goodness it seems to be all I do anymore.

We honor our father's tomorrow during a program that my students are putting on for their favorite guy.  We'll have some grandfather's there too, and I can't wait to see the look on all of these tough faces when their baby is reading their writing to them.

We have an award's assembly on Thursday, and parents will be there anxiously awaiting to see what their baby receives for their hard work this year.

We will also do our handprints that I put up around my room each year.  They love this, and people from the community love to come in my room to see their child's handprint years after their baby has left 1st grade.

Finally, I will give them a little present to take with them.  I found the idea on Pinterest, but I'm going to change mine up a little.  I purchased a tumbler for each of them (6 for a $1.00 at Dollar Tree) so I can write them a message.

Click on the picture to see more great ideas on Pinterest for end of the year presents.


I'd love to hear what you and your students plan to do for the end of the year.

Mother's Day Program

Yesterday my 1st graders put on a very special program for their mothers.  We had a wonderful time full of hugs, kisses, tears, and sweet memories. 
My students worked for a week on the program.  They made the invitations to the program themselves, made a project for their mom, and wrote about what their mom means to them through things she does with them and for them.  I read Love You Forever and made them cry.  Of course I cry everytime I read it too.

This is one of the tables that was decorated for the moms to sit at while they watched the program.  The students made the name tags so their mom knew where to sit.  They also made the "Flower Project" that is sitting by their moms name tag.  On either side of the center piece I had candles inside of beautiful glass containers.  All the lights were turned out other than one spot light on the student, the candles, and lights along the stage.  This gave us a very private and special feeling.

This is the "Flower Project" my students made.  They tore construction paper to decorate the pot.  The flower has their thumbprint as the petals. Click on the picture above for this and more project ideas.

These are the cupcakes that I made for the moms and the kids to eat after the program.  One of my little girls said "Oh, Ms. Pearson you did so good."  Cute!!!  Click on either picture for this and more cupcake ideas.

My students all sat together while one at a time they read their writings to their mom.  After they read their writing I read the book Love You Forever while each student was sittng in their mom's lap.  Sniffling and tears couldn't be helped.  The pictures on the wall were of the student and their mom.  No names are written on the pictures, and I make a kind of game out of it.  I challenge the moms to go and find their child's picture with no help.  The kids LOVE it!!

Time to Show Appreciation

Want to show your appreciation for someone?  Find out what their favorite flower is and put it in a vase of Lifesavers and 100 Grand candybars.  For so many of us their are people who are worth 100 Grand and are our Lifesavers.

 



Had some fun this week!!

One of the incentives to get kids to read and take Accelerated Reader Tests is to give them the opportunity to put a pie in the face of a teacher when they reach a certain amount of points.  Well, it was my turn.  This young man is a 1st grader who earned his points, made up a nice pie of cool whip, cake icing, and something green that ended up in my nose and ears.  It was great!!  I have at least 5 students put a pie in my face every year.  This was the first one this year, and yes, I put some pie right back in his face too.

 

For the last couple of weeks my students have learned about insects and plants.  I had them put this foldable together as their study guide for their test over plant parts and functions.  They had a blast and I had great feedback from their parents.  I was excited when I found left over cupcake holders from my daughters graduation party.  They worked wonderfully.

 

 

 

One of our high school class groups asked me to make some cupcakes for their bake sale tomorrow so I spent the last 4 hours playing Baker Smurf.  I love to bake and try new things.  These are no where close to being great, but I am proud of myself for trying something that I had never tried before.

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Teacher Appreciation

Different people have different thoughts about teachers and teacher appreciation.  Maybe you appreciate a past teacher because she hugged you when you cried or helped you learn something that was exciting.  Maybe she was just the nicest part of your day.  For whatever reason every one of us can think back in cobwebbed filled memories and remember at least one teacher who inspired us to be better.
For me I have 2 inspirational teachers.  My mother taught school for years and was known as a compassionate, loving, caring, sweet teacher.  Kids loved her and still say hi to her years later when they see her at Wal-Mart.  I've always thought how wonderful it must be to be that loved that decades after teaching someone they'd want to come tell you about their life.  I hug my students and tell them I love them because she inspired me to be loving with my students.
My inspiration for my teaching comes from someone else also.  When I was in the 3rd grade my teacher was retiring.  She often yelled at us and I honestly have no recollection of her ever leaving her chair behind that big, metal, green desk.  (And now you all have an idea of how old I am based on the color of that desk.) When I left her class I was no better than when I entered. 
I went on the to the fourth grade where the teacher again never seemed to leave that desk at the top of the class full of rows of chairs.  She often had me rubbing her shoulders and grading papers for her.  I again was no better when I left that class than when I entered. 
 At this point I felt stupid and worthless.  I also felt terrified because I had been assigned to the math class of one Mrs. Sue Calaway.  She had a reputation of being the meanest teacher in the school.  Kids told me that I'd hate the class and that she hated kids.  I was so scared and wide eyed at the wonder of when she was going to yell and scream and tell me I was stupid.  None of that ever happened. 
I can't remember how she found out, but she quickly realized that I was a 5th grader who could not add or subtract, and she needed me to multiply.  I remember crying and telling her that I didn't know how.  I am 37 years old and can remember this statement like it was yesterday.  She looked at me and said "Well honey you will learn."  Even now as I think about this tears fill my eyes.
Mrs. Sue Calaway believed in me.  She pushed me and held high expectations for me.  She never let me quit and made me believe in myself.  I was never scared of her only scared I'd let her down.  I was on top of the world when every time I'd pass a timed multiplication test in her class.  I can still remember finishing before time was up, looking up at her face, and her wonderful smile that let me know she was proud of me.
Because of life and the way time goes by faster than we'd ever wish it to I lost track of her, and was never able to explain to her how much she meant to me.  27 years after she touched my heart and my life I was able to reach out and talk to her.  I told her how she was an inspiration to me and my teaching.
I push my students and hold great expectations for them.  I know what they are capable of and want them to feel that wonderful feeling of "I got it!"  Mrs. Sue Calaway is a lady who I put up on a pedestal for years, and after talking with her tonight for the first time in 27 years I remember why.
Thank you, Mrs. Calaway, for believing me and not letting me slip through the cracks.  Thank you for pushing me and helping to mold me into the person and teacher I am today.  I look forward to knowing you as an adult.

End of the Year/Graduation

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I want to share some of the things I've done in the past at the end of the school year. Last year my daughter graduated high school, and we had a HUGE party for her. I wanted a really special way to display the dozens of cupcakes that we had and came up with the graduation cap you see below. The bottom of it is a wash tub that I spray painted blue, and the top is a piece of foam that I also spray painted. The tassle was made out of yarn. It was a huge hit!

 

 

At the end of the year I have each of my students make a handprint for me to hang in the classroom as border along the top of my wall.  I have handprints of students who will be graduating high school next year and I teach 1st grade.  Students love to come in once in a while and see their handprints.  Parents come in at open house from year to year to see their babies' handprints.  I started this the first year I began teaching at this school and I treasure it.

 

For more end of the year ideas please click on the graduation cap above.

Earth Day Fun!!

Oh my gosh!  Earth Day was FUN!!!!  I saw some ideas on Pinterest and did some tweaking.  My kids had a BLAST!!

Math Center Idea inspired by Pinterest

Click on the picture for more AWESOME ideas for math. 

I  saw someone use this idea on Pinterest for practicing writing sight words, and it made me think about math.  Why not use Playdoh and Legos for adding numbers??  I used a cookie sheet and stuck it in my math center.  I LOVE PINTEREST!!

Spring Cleaning

 

Last year I decided this look had to go.

 

 

So, I tried this look.  I had my daughter cut up poster board to fit.  While it looks cleaner, it also looks boring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I added some construction paper, and I like it better.  The look is still clean and not too busy to distract my students, but this adds some much needed color.  I could label these if I wanted to, and I think they'd still look clean. 

We'll see what the kids say Monday morning.



Freebie

The first 3 people to leave a reply on my blog will get this new game for FREE!

 

Just leave your email address in the reply, and I'll send it your way!

Mother's Day

I know that I'm hitting my blog pretty hard the last couple of days, but oh my its busy in my classroom, and I really want to share with all of you.  Here's a cute project my students will be working on soon to prepare for Mother's Day.

 

The clay pot is from Dollar Tree.  I used torn pieces of construction paper and glued them to the outside for color.  Then I took lima beans and turned them into rocks.  Throw large lima beans, a splash of rubbing alcohol, red, green, and yellow food coloring into a bag and shake.  Out come "rocks."  The flower petals are fingerprints, and I'll probably have my kids put a picture of themselves in the middle. 

Poetry Month

I've got a new product in my TeachersPayTeachers store that I've got at an introductory price of only $1.00.  I will be updating this file with more and more poetry work by Robert Louis Stevenson, and the price will go up.  I wanted to let my blog followers know about it so that you could get it now for only $1.00 and get all updates for free.  My students love working with his poetry.  This product begins with his poem "The Rain."

Freebie!!

Grab this freebie for metamorphosis if you'd like. It's simple and to the point, but it helps me check for understanding with my students.

 

 

Metamorphosis

I love this time of year!!!  Testing is over and spring is here!  I love teaching about metamorphosis, insects, plants, and everything Spring! 

I just finished updating a PowerPoint presentation on metamorphosis and put it in my TpT store.  I hope you come check it out.  Click on the butterfly below to get a closer look.



I also included a game with this product. 

Here is a cute project on the stages of metamorphosis that my students are working on.  Who knew there were so many uses for pasta.  I used food coloring and rubbing alcohol to get the color.

If you click on the picture above you can see more 1st grade projects on my Pinterest Collaborative board "1st Grade Projects."
As always, I'd love to have you follow my blog!!  If you have trouble following, please click on "Already a member? Sign in."  This seems to fix the problem  :)



School Supply Thoughts

As we move closer to the end of the year we begin to dream of sleeping in, going to our favorite vacation spot, and getting to those chores we can't seem to get to during the school year.  However, before we leave for our summer break, most of us are asked to think about the beginning of the school year for just a moment or two.
It is tradition at my school that we give our school secretary a list of school supplies that we'd like to have on the "Back to School" list that will crop up about July in Wal-Mart. Before you develop a list I thought I'd share a few ideas that I've implemented now for a few years, and I've received great feedback from parents because of them.

     *Use classroom money given by your district or personal money to purchase a class set of things like scissors and crayon boxes to keep year after year.  I spent $20.00 years ago on a class set of scissors, and I still have the same set and they work great.  All my students have the same crayon box and it fits into their tub perfectly because I can choose the box.  The greatest part is nobody feels inferior because their box isn't as nice as their neighbor's box.

     *Collect $10.00-15.00 from each parent.  This will allow to purchase a couple of boxes of Kleenex rather than attempting to store 50 boxes.  I also purchase the pencils and eraers with this.  All the students have the same color of pencil and this keeps them from arguing about whose pencil is whose.

     *If you do collect money from your parents, keep all receipts and offer to show them to any parent at any time that they ask.  In all the years I've done this not one parent has asked to look at my receipts.

This may not work for everyone, but I've loved it.  I get what I need when I need it and don't have to store a large amount of supplies. 

Just wanted to share something that might come up for you before school is out, and can help you prepare for the upcoming year.

Celebration Time!

My students are finished with their testing!!  They worked so very hard and I'm truly appreciative to them for wanting to do well.
I had great parent support also.  My students reported they went to bed on time and ate a good breakfast.  I also had several parents send nice snacks for students to have.  They felt so very special during this time, and I know that extra special feeling helped them during the test.
I'm glad it's over! 

Taking the TEST

I got to spend today with my daughter and had a great birthday.  She's in her first year of college, and I'm in my first year of adjustment.  We went to see the movie "Olympus has Fallen" and I highly recommend it.
Now it's time to journey home and prepare for the dreaded week of testing.  I've put my kids through drills and practice, and I have faith that they are ready.  
I've noticed some of my students are praying before taking a test now so I'm excited.  I always pray over them as I walk around the room monitoring.  Of course they can't hear me, but that's ok because He can.  
As our state prepares to include student test scores as part of our evaluations I'm very happy with the knowledge that He's on my side and that my students invite Him into our classroom too.

To everyone who is preparing for their standardized testing...may God be with you and your students!!

Birthday Giveaway Winner!

Thank you to everyone who participated in my giveaway!  The winner this time is Olivia!

Birthday Sale

Update:  Because of changes that are beyond my control, in order to follow my blog you will just need to simply click on "Already a Member."  I apologize for the inconvenience.

Please enter to win a free product of your choice from my TpT store in celebration of my birthday. Become a follower of my blog and leave a comment on my blog for your best chance at winning.

I am also having a sale on my birthday (March 31st) and the day after my birthday (my mother's birthday) so stop by for 15% off!

My Birthday Giveaway!!!!

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St. Patrick's Day Freebie

Here's my newest FREEBIE!!  Click on the link below and download!!  I hope you and your students enjoy.

 

St. Patrick's Day Freebie: Pot of Gold Tally Mark Match Up

Pot of Gold Behavior

My kids have never worked so hard!!!  I showed them my bag of "gold coins" and they are doing whatever I ask them to get the "gold coins" into our "pot of gold."  So far I've got them doing more of their work by saying things like, "If everyone has this work done in 15 minutes, I'll add a gold coin to the pot." 

To make these wonderful "gold coins" all I did was use the ends of fozen lemonade and orange juice containers and spray paint them gold.  They make the perfect "gold."  If you don't use classroom money you could put any reward you wanted to on them.  My kids are filling our pot of gold and at the end of the month each student in my class will receive that much in classroom money.

But you could...

put a reward on them and hand them out to individual students when you catch them being good and they can redeem them later
or
make homework passes out of them and give them out.

Any othere ideas???

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

I am so excited for this week because it is my favorite!!  I love Dr. Seuss books and I love watching my 1st graders discover his books for the first time.
Every year that I plan for this celebration I try to make it better than the year before.  I'm including a schedule of events for our "Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss" week this week.

Monday- We have a "kick off" in our school's auditorium.  All the classes involved with the week come together first thing in the morning.  I give them a quick outline of the events of the week and tell them about their Accelerated Reader test goals for the week.  I've created a chart to show them what their class did the year before to help get them motivated.  The challenge is to meet the 500 AR tests taken and passed (80% or better) during this week.  The students tally mark their passed tests on the chart.  On Friday, if the challenge is met, they get to pop 500 balloons.  One of the balloons will have the name "Dr. Seuss" in it and will be the winner.  That student gets a prize.

Tuesday- I let my students bring their clean and appropriate pajamas to school to change into for our Accelerated Reading morning.  They bring their blankets and pillow and relax around the classroom with their favorite book.  They spend the morning (about 2 hours) reading books and taking AR tests. 

That evening we open up our computer lab and library and allow parents and their child to come in and read together for a couple of hours.  The students get to take AR tests.  Awards for most 100% on tests are given.  Awards are always books, notebooks, and pencils.  In the picture you see some Dr. Seuss decorations (when I took the picture all the "books" hanging from the ceiling were facing the other way and I just noticed) to help make our auditorium seem more like Seussville. 

Wednesday-Students make their own personalized book mark in celebration of 
the week.  We also have a book giveaway.  Each student gets a free book!  I had each grade separated on the table to help the kids when they came to come get their book.  They were all so excited.

 

Thursday- Classes who wish to participate rotate students.  Each classroom has a different reading activity that has something to do with a book by Dr. Seuss.  The students who come into my classroom will make a Trufula tree.  I use green pipe cleaners and colorful pom poms as the top.  I get these items at Hobby Lobby.

Friday- This day is our HUGE day of celebration!  All the participating classrooms come into our auditorium and rotate through different stations.  Station include:  eating green eggs and ham, pin the egg on the plate, making a red or blue fish, voting for your favorite Dr. Seuss book, making a Seuss treat, and making a Seuss hat.  At the end of the day I serve the cupcakes I've made and we have our balloon pop.

This is one of the things that will be done at a station with the students on Friday.  I made one so I'd know if my idea made sense.  I haven't seen this anywhere else, but I'm sure I am NOT the first person to think of it.

 

This is the same fish.  One side is red and the other is blue.  That is just tissue paper in the middle.

 

Here are some pictures of the auditorium the night before the students participated in the day's events.

 

This is the station where they made the "Red fish, Blue fish."  I had all the materials and an example already laid out for the volunteers.

The students played "Pin the Eggs on the Plate" and had so much fun that this station was the loudest all morning.  It was great!

Here the students voted for their favorite Dr. Seuss book (they chose from 6) and created a class graph.

 

The students always do an estimate jar filled with Goldfish Crackers.  There were 200 of them in this water bottle and 1 student got it right on the mark. 

This is the station where they made "Seuss Sweets" and ate them up!  Can you believe I forgot to get a picture of them before they ate them up???  The students also play Seuss Tic Tac Toe at this station too.  I have them do this while they wait their turn. Again, I had all materials out and ready for the volunteers.

 

Here are some pictures of the cupcakes I made for the kids to celebrate the day.  They were a hit.


This is the "Green Egg" cupcake.  I dipped a vanilla wafer in white chocolate and added a green M&M on top.

 

 

These are my "Hat" cupcakes.  I had seen this on Pinterest in many different forms, but I put a twist to it. Instead of using an Oreo cookie I used a dipped vanilla wafer.  Instead of using a marshmallow for the white I just used a dab of white icing.  For the red I used gummy lifesavers.

 

 

 

And here are my "Trufula Tree" cupcakes.  The trunks are sugar coated licorice sticks and cotton candy for the tufts.  These were a big hit because the majority of our students are just in love with the book "The Lorax."

 

 

Here are the pictures of the thank you "hat" I gave to each volunteer.  I went to the Dollar Tree and bought the glasses, painted the bottoms, and filled the glass with white and red hard candy.