Crate Seats

If you're looking for more storage space in your classroom and functional/cute seating...look no further! I have seen these unique seats on Pinterest for quite some time! When I saw that my new classroom includes a small group table...I finally had time for a "DIY project" and I decided to give in to this new seating option.

Supplies List

• Crates (I made 6 using crates I already owned)- Wal-Mart usually has these for Back-to-school for a reasonably good price. I found these last year for about $4 each. 
• Staple gun and staples
• Hot glue gun and glue (optional)
• Craft ribbon
• Clear shower curtain liner
• Scissors
• Foam batting (also found at Wal-Mart for around $5...may be able to find cheaper at a craft store)
• Material to cover seats (I used 6 fat quarters from the material section at Wal-Mart)
• Squares of wood from hardware store- Each should be 3/4" thick and measured around 13 9/16 x 12 9/16 (Lowe's will cut these for you)
• Sharpie 
• Box cutter (optional)

 Okay, once you have gathered all of your materials, you are ready to get to work!

Set out the foam batting under the piece of wood and trace around it

Cut the foam batting on your guide lines

Using a hot glue gun, glue the corners of the foam batting to the wood (this will help keep the cushion in place)

 Put one piece of your material on a flat surface with the cushion side of the seat facing down

Using a staple gun, carefully fold over the material. Then, thoroughly staple the material to the wood.

This next step is optional, but I would recommend it for longer lasting seats. Cut your shower curtain liner to fit around the block of wood. and staple, staple, staple it! If you think you have stapled enough, staple a few more!

The last step is stapling a piece of ribbon to the wood. I cut about a foot of ribbon and looped it, then stapled to the wood. This will allow kids to easily lift the top for access to crate storage.

Now you have a completed crate seats! Repeat steps for the other seats! 

Stay tuned for more classroom hacks and beginning of the year set-up!

New Beginnings

Where are you? What are you doing next? Are you still teaching? What grade are you teaching? But I thought you were...

I finally have answers to all of these questions! I am incredibly excited about the opportunity to teach in a public school this year. I have spent two years teaching in small, Christian schools. Both schools have been amazing opportunities. I have learned a lot and I believe that I will continue learning more and more each year!
Over the course of the past five months or so, I've dealt with a lot of uncertainty and anxiousness. I knew that God was leading me somewhere but I wasn't sure where. If I wrote about all of my life events over the past three years or so and God's impeccable timing you would be reading this blog all night. I am once again reminded that God is in control of my life and I should really just have a little faith and quit worrying about every detail.
I will be moving this week to the eastern panhandle of West Virginia where I will teach second grade. Yes, that's the same grade I taught this past school year. I was very open to teaching any grade this school year, but coincidentally I ended up with this age group again. I was even open to exploring other careers, but after prayer and much thought/wisdom from older friends...I realized that I really need to be in the classroom (at least right now). In the recent years, I have become very passionate about reaching inner-city kids. At the time of applying for this job, I didn't even realize it was considered "inner city". After the interview and upon seeing my classroom, I've already fallen in love with the school and I haven't even met my students yet. Tears come to my eyes when I think about kids that need extra love and attention. Undoubtedly, I will come across a few of those when the school year starts. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, there will be days that I want to quit. Yes, there will be frustrating situations. BUT...I once again need to remember that there is a reason I am here. It may be for one student. It may be for me to learn more about myself. Who knows? Well, God does.
Here's to another school year and more teaching tidbits to come!

Frog Hops!

Tomorrow starts the first day of standardized testing! Eek! Today’s class time was spent mostly on working on our weak areas. One area that I noticed that we needed extra practice was measurements and collecting/analyzing data. During snack time, I gave my students a frog coloring sheet on card stock to color and cut out. They love any opportunity to color since this is not a daily activity!

We cleared all of the desks from the middle of the floor so we could have plenty of “hopping” room. You could also use a gymnasium or other large, open room. Next, I listed the supplies for each student to gather (ruler, frog, pencil, notebook paper, clipboard, and calculator).

When all of their supplies were gathered, I assigned them a partner to sit with on the floor. Then, I began the demonstration of the activity. 

 

Our big, open space!

Step 1- Set one frog on the floor and stand beside it, placing your feet even with the tip of the frog.

Step 2- Take a frog hop (this demonstration is necessary as some students may try to dive and need a reminder of what a “frog hop” is)

Step 3- Have your partner place his/her frog when you landed. I had my students place the bottom of the frog even with the tips of their toes. 

Step 4- Measure the frog hop with a ruler and record the data in your chart. I had my students write down their partner’s jumps so that each student jumped 2 times. 

Step 5- After each student has jumped twice (4 jumps total per group), have students look over their data to make sure their measurements make sense. For instance, a student that jumped 125 cm. recorded that that was 102 inches…that is not reasonable. If they need to, have them re-do a jump. As a teacher, glance over their data and ask questions if something looks “a little off”.

Step 6- Gather students together and make a class chart on the whiteboard. I used four different groups’ data for my chart.

Step 7- Average the class chart data (we used calculators).

Step 8- Students work with their partner to complete their chart (averages).

You can download this activity for free at my TeachersPayTeachers store at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Frog-Hop-Measuring-Activity-1810217

The Earth is like a...pumpkin?!?

Fall! Pumpkins are everywhere! I really wanted to do an activity with pumpkins...but I also wanted it to be something educational. We were beginning our study in geography and my students needed some extra practice with continents and oceans. So....we made an EARTH PUMPKIN! I found these adorable little pumpkins at a local farmer's market.

Step 1- Paint the pumpkin blue. Some students needed to paint a couple of coats on their pumpkin.Then, allow the pumpkin to dry. It only took ours about a day. 

 

Step 2- Print and cut out basic templates for each of the continents. Use pushpins to slightly hold down the paper on the pumpkins. Trace with an erasable pen. Then, remove the papers and paint the insides of the continents green. For an extra challenge, have students use a globe and paint the continents without tracing. 

 

Step 3- Allow pumpkins to dry once again. Have students share with a partner (we call partners "sidekicks" in our superhero classroom) the names of each continent and ocean. For an extra challenge, have them find approximate locations for other places around the world. If they are unsure, have them look it up on a computer/globe and then find it on their pumpkin!

Birthday Message Board

Another teacher gave me this idea and I LOVE IT! I sectioned off an area of the chalk board for birthday messages. On each student's birthday, everyone writes a special message to that person! 
Another birthday tip- When parents ask to bring in goodies for their child's birthday, I have found that having them wait until the last 15 minutes of the day and eating in the cafeteria saves a lot of stress (and eliminates a huge mess)!!!!

On my birthday, the students wrote me messages! I had them guess how old I was....some of their guesses were 40, 17, and 29...Needless to day, they were surprised when I told them that I was turning "23".

Grandparents Day!!!!

In September, all of the grandparents of each student in the school were invited for a special day. Each class was given a few minutes on stage to perform for their grandparents. I wanted to do something unique with my outgoing group of performers. I found a cute skit on YouTube and then changed the words to fit the personalities of my students. They found perfect costumes, wigs, and props which really added to their skit. We practiced for a couple of weeks and their performance was a HUGE hit! After our performance, the grandparents joined us for about an hour of classroom time. We played "Are You Smarter Than a 4th Grader" using material that my students had been learning in class. If I can figure out how to upload the presentation to here, I will! My students also read essays they wrote about what they love about their grandparents. We shared in a time of worship and prayer before heading to lunch and an ice cream party!

Narrator 1- Isn’t it awesome to see all of these grandparents here today?

Narrator 2- Oh yeah! Where’s mine?!? Hi Grandma, hi grandpa! (waves)

Narrator 1- They look so excited to see you! Mine are here somewhere here too....oh there they are!! Hi!! (waves) I have the best grandparents.

Narrator 2- So do I!

All: So do we!

Narrator 1- I have an idea, since we have them all here, let’s talk about what is so special about them!

Narrator 2- Our grandparents are so special because they enjoy spending time with us.

Narrator 1: They make cookies with us

2 students (one is a grandma and one is a child)

Grandchild 1- Let’s make double fudge chocolate chip cookies!!!

Grandparent 1- How about oatmeal raisin? It will help you go to the bathroom!

Narrator 2: They let us work in the garden in them.

Grandchild 2- I’ll pull up the weeds for you!

Grandparent 2- NOOO! THOSE ARE MY FLOWERS!

Narrator 1: They play basketball with us.

Grandchild 3- Look Grandpa, I can make a basket from the 3 pt. line!

Grandparent 3- Let me show you how it’s done, sonny! (Shoots)

Grandchild 3- Whoa grandpa! I didn’t know you could slam dunk!

Narrator 2: They let us help them walk the dog.

Grandparent 4 casually walks the dog.

Grandchild 4- Can I have a turn?

Grandparent 4- Sure, hold on tight!

Grandchild 4- Acts like dog pulls them away

Grandparent 4- Come back, Sparky!

Narrator 1: They take us to the beach.

Grandparent 5 takes sunscreen and liberally wipes on grandchild 5’s face.

Narrator 2: They watch TV with us

Grandparent 1 and grandchild 1 sit down and act like they are watching TV.

Grandchild 1- Watching Duck Dynasty with my grandparent makes me HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!

Narrator 1: I know of a grandpa that is 93 years old and still runs every day!

Grandpa 4 runs in with grandchild 4 jogging slowly behind.

Grandparent 4- C’mon kid, we’ve got to stay under my 3 minute mile!

Narrator 2: Our grandparents have taught us so many things!

Grandchild 3- Hey grandpa I can’t wait to show my parents everything you showed me. I know how to make a model airplane with a really cool motor and I know how to…

Grandparent 3- (interrupts)- Have I ever taught you how to take a nap?

Narrator 1: Our grandparents have loved us, prayed for us, and taught us so many things.

Narrator 2: So whether you are Grandma, Grandpa, Mimi, Nana, Pap, Paw paw, Maw maw, Nana, or Granny….we want to say...

All- Thank you! We love you!

                                                                    

Another seating arrangement....and new technology!

I was blessed with an overhead projector and transparencies to use in my classroom. However, I had never actually used one of these ancient contraptions in my teaching. I began to brainstorm and found a great solution. A donor gave new computers and monitors to several of the teachers. I was one of the grateful recipients. I asked if I could keep the old monitor in my classroom and was granted permission. I went to the local Radio Shack and found an adapter to hook up the monitor to my laptop computer. WooHoo! My teaching aids became so much more advanced! I could now show my students videos, type presentations, explore other continents, and so much more. 

This called for a new seating arrangement! I decided on a "U" shape formation. This arrangement brought my class together and encouraged discussion among the students. Looking back, I really think that this arrangement united my group of super students.