Monday Made It: Craft Time

What do you get when you put a glue gun, washi tape, and a laminator in the same room?  Can't figure it out?  It's Monday Made it!  Ha ha ha... my sorry excuse for a joke.  I hope you are having a leisurely morning - maybe you got to sleep in... maybe you were able to finish your coffee when it was still warm... maybe you are still in your PJs...  

Well, take a minute to feel my pain.  I had to be awake way too early to go meet up with my teaching friends way too early, to travel an hour away way too early, to arrive at 7:30 am for an All Day Long, All Week LONG workshop.  I'm hopeful there isn't as much traffic as I'm expecting, and I'm hopeful that I won't be bored out of my mind, and I'm hopeful that I will actually learn something that will help me as a teacher.  Did I mention that this was optional?  Yep!  Way back in March this sounded like a good idea, but now that it's the last week of summer I'm not so sure.  :)  New science standards, here we come!  Linking up on this fine Monday with Tara to share what I've been up to this past week.   

I made up my markers and erasers this past week. All 132 of them.  Just those little dollar tree puffs glued onto the top of the marker to act as the eraser.  It works!  I also didn't burn myself with the hot glue, which was a win all by itself.

  I've had some questions about these... 

1. They do last for the length of the marker - My class just needs to have a talk about proper etiquette.  

2.  I choose to glue onto the cap so that when the cap falls on the ground the neon puff makes it easily able to be seen.

3.  I know the cap can't go to the back of the marker because of the puff, but honestly my class never puts the caps on the back anyway.  This way they write with one hand, hold the eraser with the other, and when done they snap the cap back on.  

I also labeled up my new group baskets.  These hold community supplies for 4 kids.  2 years ago I gave up community supplies, I'm bringing them back ONLY for the things that partners share.  They have their own pencil boxes with the majority of the supplies (i.e. scissors, pencils, colored pencils, glue sticks, highlighters, whiteboard markers, pens), but these baskets will hold the 2 glue bottles, 2 tidy tubs, 2 crayon boxes, 1 hand held pencil sharpener, and one package of markers.  I'm going to try it one more time...  

This was my thrift store find.  It's a magnetic easel.  I added a little washi table and those laminated name tags to it.  The plan is to replace my desk post it note frame with this since I can use it as a way to stick post it notes, write notes on the laminated part, or stick notes on it using magnets.  It has a smaller footprint and won't take up as much room.  :)  

When the washi tape was pulled out I also tagged my popsicle sticks.  I wrote my  preliminary class list on them (because even if a couple of kids change, I will still have the majority complete).  The blue tape are boys, the green are girls.  I will add another layer of colored tape when I learn more about my kids so they will still look "random" but they aren't that random.  Yes, it's sneaky, but it helps me meet their needs. 

I also laminated a ton and prepped them for the journey back to the classroom, went through half my brand new package of laminating pouches... Isn't that always the life?!?

Hope you have a wonderful day!