Summer Prepping... Random Classroom Projects

Today I wanted to share some randomness of old Instagram pictures of projects that I do at the end of summer to prep for the new year.  Super simple stuff, that I can handle when my brain is starting to ramp up to stress levels. These are old pictures because I still need to prep them for this upcoming year... when I have motivation to head to the store...

I like making a new set of these participation pencil sticks each year.  Do I really need them? No, not really.  But they make me smile every time I use them to pull a stick.  They are really easy to prep.

Items to gather: popsicle sticks, mustard yellow craft paint, rose pink craft paint, and a sharpie.

Paint the middle of the stick yellow, then go back and do one end pink - leaving room for the sharpie detail.  It takes maybe 15 minutes when I get going.  I add names and class numbers later on when that is ready.  

I also like to do this to my sets of new markers.  I only buy markers for groups to use, one set for fall, another set for spring.  I take all the markers out of the box, and then use duct tape at the caps to tightly hold them together.  See how the tape is attached? I LOVE doing it this way, because the tape makes the set stick together all year long... and it's very easy to know if the markers aren't tightly closed.  

Another project that I do while watching TV is making up my new Book Bead pipe cleaners.  I only need black pipe cleaners and black pony beads to prep.  I stick the pony bead about 1 inch on an end, then twist the cleaner so it's attached. I fold over tiny address labels around the stem with class numbers.  This helps us to figure out what pipe cleaner belongs to which kid.  Then they are ready for my mason jars at school.  

Okay, one last thing that I do when I'm daydreaming about the new year is create a basic template of my classroom.  The things that I can't move around - like the counter, doors, whiteboard, etc... After I have the things that I can't move, or that I know I don't want to move, I make copies of the plan so I can draw my different desk, table, and bookshelf arrangements without having to redraw everything.  

I haven't done much on Instagram in over a year, but at least the old pictures remind me of what I have done.  Here's my IG link if you want to go through my old feed.

 

Hope this helps, 

Birthday Pencils

For birthdays I have always celebrated in class by having my students make each other a birthday book.    In primary grades they drew the birthday child a picture and wrote a sentence wishing them a happy day.  In my 4th grade classroom, I changed it up to make a birthday wish book.  My students use a 1/2 sheet of copy paper to write a wish for the birthday child.  My wish for you is _____________.  They have to use color, draw a small picture, and include the child's name on it.  The kids think of so many things for birthday wishes - everything from a pony, to an ice cream sundae, to a vacation at Disneyland... it's just something fun for them to help celebrate that child's day.  My wish to the student is always for them to not have homework.  I give them a homework's pass for a complete day's worth of homework.  Of course they can save it for another day if they want, and of course they can't use it for projects or take home tests.

This summer I wanted to create something else for them, something that they can keep from me.  I saw this at Classroom DIY, a birthday bouquet of pencils and dicuts.  On the original it has each student name and their birthday.  I changed it to being just a simple saying, "Happy Birthday! Love, Mrs. S".  Of course I don't have just 10 kids in my future class, so the rest of the pencil/dicuts are already completed in a plastic bag ready to refill once the pencils are dwindling.

I learned from my past experiences that you never just make 32 of something that will be used all year long.  I almost always have students moving and coming (last year was the exception).  So, I created 36 of these - yes, I used all 3 packages of pencils, and a bunch of the dicuts.  This project cost me $5 - I went to the dollar store for the fancy pencils and dicuts, and used a planter and glass beads that I had at my house.    

Sincerely,