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Friday, August 31, 2012

Room Tour


Welcome to my Classroom!  

We will start the tour with my room sign!  I made this with my Cricut last year and have made one for each of my team members (and assisted with a few others). They really perk up the hallway!


My door. A little Cricut hello and some gel clings for the window. (I have gels for each holiday/season) I love the stars but my very tall son helped put them on.  I told him that the tiny first graders will not be able to see their names all the way up there!  You can see that he really listened to me, right?


A lot happens in this area.  Lunch count, clip chart, extra supplies, bathroom passes. My "Poet of the Month" Poems are going in that lovely blank space to the left of the the white board.


My sink area. My school rule bees (found on Pinterest).  Our rules are: Be respectful; be responsible; be proud; be ready to learn.  During the year, I add examples of how to show these rules on strips under the bees.  I was thinking that I may do some photos of children showing these.


Mailbox area.  I have a bigger table here this year so it may work out better for us. They turn in their communication folders here and the blue baskets are my "inbox" and "outbox". I store the library return crate andthe art smock basket under this table.  During the day it doubles as a workspace.


Smartboard.  I love her. Yes, it is a girl. "Smart" is in her name, that is how I know! :)  There is that Author of the Month bucket (isn't it pretty there?) and the blue bucket holds the monthly/seasonal books.  Lots of Fall and Back-to-School books in there right now.


This table is a new thing for me.  They re-wired our smartboards this summer and we now have to have the computer that runs the board, in the front of the room.  I have my how-did-I-ever-live-without-it document camera up there too but I had to put a table cloth on the table to hide the 30 miles of cords that were hanging behind the table.  The throne is also in this picture.  Much of the paint has chipped off (I had not learned the importance of priming back then) but the back cover that I made for it makes up for the paint chipping off.


The library.  That wooden cart has a back side that it equally loaded.  I can't remember who the incredibly SMART teacher was that suggested bath rugs but I bought these 2 blue ones and they are GREAT!  They are really soft and do not slip at all.  I am going to keep adding these little beauties around my room.


Reading corner.  As I looked at this I noticed that it looks kind of bare but I like to add strategies to the bulletin board and anchor charts to the metal door as we move through the year!


My desk area. If I am sitting at this desk after school, I can hide behind the crate and files and sometimes people don't see me. Sometimes.


 True Confession......this is what my desk looked like BEFORE I cleaned it off for the picture.


This is the shelf that my computers used to be on.  We will be getting netbooks and a laptop instead so we don't need the counter space.  I use the blue cupboard doors for the word wall.I am currently using it to hold a bunch of junk educational materials and I am going to do my best to keep it cleaned off....right.

This is the room from the doorway.  It is ready for children and many great memories that are waiting to be made!  Thanks for visiting and I hope everyone has a lovely Labor Day Weekend!



Thursday, August 30, 2012

From Ugly to....Not-So-Ugly

Well....I really wanted new mailboxes this year but I was unable to find this kind again.  The only ones that I could find were $70. Not in my budget this year so........I bought a roll of really cute contact paper and went to work.
ug-ly
Remnants of past students under the name labels.
The back....

This stuff is STICKY!

A little touch-up with the sharpie...

Ta-da!

Not perfect but much better!  
I am waiting for contact paper to go the same way as duct tape....bring on the pretty patterns!

Bee the Change~~

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Author of the Month & Bucket

One of the things that I promised myself that I would do this year (I somehow did not have time to squeeze it in last year and I MISSED it) is Author of the Month.  I love how the children get excited about the Author of the Month and are really able to identify certain authors/illustrators by just hearing and looking at the books.  I have a fairly good collection of the certain authors that I like and am always "on the lookout" for more copies at garage sales, library sales and book orders.  I also go to the public library and clear their shelves of that particular author!  

Some of the authors that I have used in the past (and will use again) are listed below.  I have linked all of them to their websites.  There are often interviews and other fun things on the websites that will enhance your author studies!

I also decided that I would make a special place in the classroom for the monthly books.  In the past I have used a washtub or a basket but this year you will not have any doubt where they can be found! 

My lovely assistant Natalie holds up the "before" picture.  It is a metal tub that I bought at The Christmas Tree Shop years ago and holds (or used to hold) my magazines. 

I decided to paint it yellow.  Many of the baskets in my room are yellow.  It makes the long, cold winter seem sunnier!  Used Krylon....think that I like my Rustoleum better but it worked for this project.


Why is it that I thoght that this would work????   Never underestimate the power of PRIMER!


After 2 coats of Rustoleum 2x Primer, I was ready for the YELLOW!

I love the way it turned out. Very bright and cheery.  (My spraypaint table is a chunk of tile and plywood floor that came out of our dining room when we remodeled, I did not paint directly on the floor!)


Ta Da!!  Now all it needs is the books!  I wonder which author will be first?


Who are your favorite authors?

Bee the Change~

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Blog Design Giveaway!

My friend Barbara (of Grade ONEderful) is hosting a giveaway at her blog design location at

Ruby Slippers Blog Designs


PS-- I really love Barbara's work and I have been saving my TpT profits to have her do a new blog design for Bee-the-Change so I am hesitant to have all of you enter the contest!  I want to WIN it for myself! I will NOT be selfish, though....head on over and check her portfolio out.  She does beautiful work.

Bee the Change~

Finally......

Well, I was finally got the chance to get into my classroom today. Wow, do I have a lot to do but at least I can start! (sorry so short but this is the first post that I am doing from my iPhone!)

Friday, August 17, 2012

New Year's Resolutions!


My very favorite school superintendent used to greet us at our "back-to-school" assembly by wishing us a Happy New Year.  As teachers, we DO get to celebrate New Year's twice a year.  I don't go back to school for another couple of weeks but I am already starting to feel that panic wash through my body.  I can't even get into my classroom until next week sometime so I feel paralyzed and helpless.  I think that I am going to have to make a few "New Year's Resolutions" to get me through.

One of my very best friends gave me this magnet for my birthday.  It is on the back of my new car and I love it.  I also think that it will have to be my new resolution.


I also may be attending yoga on Monday afternoons.....

...and get back into my running training......

...and try some different wines  recipes with a healthier focus....

What is your New Year's Resolution this year?

Bee the Change~

Saturday, August 11, 2012

TpT Sale


Our TpT store Primary Divas is participating in the Back to School Sale over at Teachers Pay Teachers this weekend!  We are offering 20% off items in our store but if you enter the code mentioned above when you check out, you will get some additional savings!  

As sad as I am about school starting in a few weeks, I love a good sale!  So click on my sidebar to go to  our store.....thank you!

I am off to shop!!!!


Bee the Change~

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Monday on a Tuesday, a Funny and a Beauty

Well...I have been looking at all of these fantastic Monday Made it Posts and have been thinking....."maybe I will get started at some point......" I only slightly FREAKED out when I was in school yesterday and realized HOW CLOSE it is to show time!  I started getting some of the projects started today. SO.....even though it is Tuesday, I will post my Monday Made It!


 In my district we do Math Investigations and I really do like the program.  The one thing that drives me a little crazy about this program is the different types of dice that we need to use.  We use regular dot dice, dice with 1, 2 and 3 dots only. Dice with numerals on them both 7-12 and 1-6.  I have been storing them in one bucket which drives me crazy and difficult for the children to find the dice that they need. Well, i hae solved that problem with my new set of dice containers!


My kids love to drink Wyler's drink mix.  I have been saving the containers for months now and finally found what I was going to use them for!  I got this very cute duck tape at A.C. Moore today and off I went. Below are the 3 stages of progress.  My daughter and I made 6 of them today in abot an hour (maybe less).


Well...it is only one project but at least I am getting my head in the game.....

Onto something funny.

Was driving behind this on my way out this afternoon.....would have loved it if it had pulled over and given me one!!!!


One of the last flowers that usually bloom in my garden are blooming now.  It would make me sad if they weren't so pretty.......

Japanese Anemone
Off to find another project!

Bee the Change~

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

TpT and Blog Design

I got so excited about my 100 (now 101) followers that I forgot 2 things that I actually wanted to blog about today!

A while ago a co-worker (and great friend) of mine and I started a Teachers Pay Teachers store.  I wanted to wait until it was full and it is now (no thanks to me.....Heather is the product-goddess). So I wanted to invite you all to go and visit.  You can get to "Primary Divas" by clicking on the TpT button on my sidebar.  We add things quite frequently so you may want to consider following us.  Let me know what you think!
Primary Divas on Summer Vacation!
We may have discussed TpT while sitting on our beach chairs at the water park.
Maybe.

The other thing that I wanted to ask all of you Veteran Bloggers out there is about blog design.  I love my bees but was thinking that I wanted to give my blog more of a professional look.  Where would I start my search????

Thanks again!

Bee the Change~

WAHOO!!!!!

Who knew that I was just one linky-party away from 100 followers????!!!!  
I am so excited!!!!!! 
I think I may throw a party! 
(Or at least wear my party headband!)


Many, many thanks!

Bee the Change~