Bat Week!

I never knew how much I enjoyed bats until this time last year.  I had been seeing some great activities from my favorite bloggers, so I decided to jump in.  My kiddos last year ATE THEM UP.  They may has well have been bat experts.  I was so impressed by their engagement and fact retention.  When my principal and I had a meeting at the beginning of this year he asked me what is one thing that I am looking forward to this school year.  My answer... BAT WEEK! I knew that it had to be just as exciting as last year, but with a little extra.

I got our team of 7...yes SEVEN... 1st grade teachers all on board with me.  We all agreed the hallway needed to be a bat cave. I was inspired by Jodi from Fun in First.  My awesome hubby and I spent about 4 hours on a Saturday setting the stage to engage.  My other coworkers got their activities together and cut bats for the lockers, one took some of the pics for this post, and Mel D from Seusstastic created the amazing fact posters and spooky eyes.

 Before

 I seriously love him.  He has learned to just go along with all of my zany ideas.

After

Dream accomplished!

 The fact posters were created by Mel D.

We cut out about 250 black bats with a pattern.  So worth it!

Almost nothing sticks to our paint for some reason.  I had my husband put up about a million pieces of tape to keep the cave walls up.  We aren't allowed to staple anything, but there may be one or two staples.

The kids were in a quiet awe when they first walked down the hall Monday morning.  There were spooky bat cave sounds playing from my Bose bluetooth speaker.  I actually expected there to be mass chaos, but they were in so much shock as they entered the bat cave.  Perfect!

On Monday, I decided to do the same KWL chart that Jodi did.  I wanted to see what they knew before we began.  They basically knew that bats hang upside and eat mosquitos.  Boy did we have a lot to learn.  I also introduced them to the vocabulary we would be hearing a lot this week.  They were eating it up.  We also, read Fly Guy Presents Bats.  Such a cool book full of Bat Facts.

Pic from last year.  I forgot to take one on Friday I guess...

On Tuesday, I taught them some cool batty facts and we labeled the parts of the bat.  We read National Geographic Kids: Bats.

On Wednesday, we needed to use commas in a series.  So I turned things that make me batty into a writing assignment using commas.  We added them to these adorable bats from First Grade Fever. We read Bats at the Beach.  Such a cute book!

My awesome parent helper came and helped us assembly this craft and she even stayed to hang them up!

She also knows my love for EVERYTHING pumpkin and brought me this pumpkin themed treat.  Wasn't that sweet?

On Thursday, I had a substitute.  So they did a bat fact true or false sheet and made a bat from A Cupcake for the Teacher and added adjectives to the wings.  Then we read Bats at the Library.  This book is the same author as yesterday's book.

Friday was the day for me to add as much excitement as I possibly could.  Needless to say, we did not fit it all in and will be continuing on Monday. :)  Yay, Bat Week continues...

First, we made bat hats to wear for the festivities.

Then, we began our sunset paintings that I found from Reagan Tunstall.  I did this project last year and fell in love!  We finished the watercolor portion, and will finish the facts and the rest of the painting on Monday.

These are from last year.

Next, we got together with Mel D's class and found our bat families using our sense of smell.   We soaked cotton balls in 5 different essential oils (peppermint, lemon, lavendar, eucalyptus, and patchouli).  The kids were given a random cotton ball and had to smell others until they found what matched. What did we learn??? Humans definitely do not have as keen of a sense of smell as bats.  Thanks Queen of the 1st Grade Jungle and Holly Ehle for this fun idea!

The kids brought flashlights with them and read our huge collection of bat library books with them.  They thought that was super fun!

We ended with watching Magic School Bus Going Batty.

I'm looking forward to doing more bat activities on Monday. Hehe! Maybe I planned that!

Oh I almost forgot! On Monday, October 24th we are signed up to watch a bat webinar.  You can too (for free) by signing up at Field Trip Zoom.  I have never tried this before, but I am so excited to see what they will be sharing with us!

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Mother's Day Project

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Mother's Day is right around the corner.  I don't know about you, but I am always looking for a way to spice up my gift to the special ladies in my kiddos lives.  This year I happen to have a mom who is

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A Visit from Eric Litwin

One day I grabbed my mail from the box at school and my jaw hit the floor.  It was a note that was being sent home to the students to pre-order an autographed book by Eric Litwin before his visit.  I ran straight to the librarian to see if what I was reading was true.  Fast forward a month and a half later and the week had arrived.  I wanted to make this a big deal for my students because how many times are you going to get the opportunity to see a famous author?

 Someone pinch me!

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Crate Seats...Easy as 1,2,3!

Today I am going to share with you how I made my crate seats.  There are many blog posts about this very topic, but in case you haven't seen them I will share my way.  

These crate seats have got to be the easiest project my husband and I have tackled!  Keep in mind that there are different dimensions for different milk crates, so I will not be giving you cutting dimensions.

You will need milk crates, fabric, sturdy wood, padding, a staple gun, and tools to cut the wood.

I seriously got over 2 yards of fabric for $13!!

I purchased my milk crates from Target a few years ago.  When I was there a few days ago they did not have green, but had pink and another color.  The fabric came from Joann Fabrics.  I got a yard of each color and that was MORE than enough.  

Step 1: May or may not have started with my husband dumpster diving for wood.  We live in a developing neighborhood and there are tons of scraps.  I am not advising you to do this, but it is an option. Hehe!  I don't have a picture of him doing it unfortunately.

He was able to score some 3/4" plywood.  It wasn't perfect, so he had to square it off with his circular saw.  

Step 2: He took the dimensions of the inside lip of the milk crate.  The wood will sit on the lip.  I am sure this project could be done in a different way if the crate does not contain a lip, but the crates I purchased from Target had the lip.

Step 3: Using the circular saw (and all of the proper safety gear) he cut the plywood to the proper dimensions.  When he was done we tried to fit it in.  It did not work because the corners of the crate were rounded.  He took off a small amount off of each corner of the plywood to make it fit.

Step 4: We used foam mats to pad the plywood for a more comfortable seat.  It isn't like sitting on a comfortable couch, but it did the trick.  We trimmed the foam mat to size. 

Step 5:  This is where I had some fun.  Up until this point my awesome husband had done all of the work.  I laid out the fabric face down and put the foam mat and wood face down on top of it.  I decided to cover the whole bottom portion of the plywood with fabric to prevent splinters.  I used my husbands air nailer that shoots staples with 18 gauge 1/2" staples.  I am sure that you could use a regular staple gun.  We just didn't have one at the house.  I stapled one side at a time being sure to pull the fabric tight each time.  When I got to the last two sides I wrapped it like a present.  

That is all there is to it!  Easy Peasy!  I hope I explained this clearly.  If there are any questions PLEASE feel free to comment below.

~Stacey

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Bright Ideas!- Class List using Photos

I am so excited to be linking up for this month's Bright Ideas link up!!!  I have been finding all of the past few posts so inspiring and the best part is no one is pushing products.  They are just plain and simple bright ideas!  Love it! 

This month I am sharing a spin off of an idea I actually pinned last summer from Keepin' It Kool in Kinderland.  I know before I got my teaching job I reluctantly subbed to get my foot in the door.  Oh my I had some doozy days!  That is a whole other post.  Anyway, class lists were typically left and were nice and name tags were sometimes on desks, but I really had to work to figure out who was who.  Plus there is usually the note that Johnny is really helpful or keep your eye on Susie.  I wanted to know who these kids were.  When I saw this pin I knew I needed to make a photo class list for my own class.

It is so easy to make !  You know those little pictures that you receive from the photography company after picture day?  Those are perfect to use because they have adhesive on the back of some sizes AND it already has their first and last name.  If you can't wait to receive those little pictures then you can do a photo shoot on the first day and print them to a little wallet size.

I punched out a picture of every kiddo and got out a piece of card stock.  I turned the paper horizontally and lined the students in rows.  After I figured out proper placement I peeled off the backing and stuck it down.  I made sure to leave room under each photo.  This was especially important this school year.  My students were always coming and going, so I wrote times that they left the room, special little notes about each student, and you could even add transportation info.  I write it in pencil, so I can make changes neatly throughout the year.  This idea was actually intended for my sub folder, but I referred to it often! 

So there it is... a super simple Bright Idea!  If you liked this Bright Idea please consider following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.  You can also check out my Bright Idea on How to Stay Organized a Month at a Time.

For more Bright Ideas from over 100 different bloggers feel free to browse through the link up for something that interests you.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Stacey

   

An InLinkz Link-up

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Bright Ideas- Classroom Decor on a Budget

Everyone knows that teachers are not rich in the true sense of the word.  We are, however, very rich when it come to creativity, passion, and love.  I am here to share how to have cute classroom decor on a budget.
  

This school year I decided I needed a cohesive look in my classroom.  I was tired of walking into my classroom and feeling like I was walking into a hodge podge room.  My first step was to use the same color bulletin board paper and same bulletin board trim.  I wish I would have waited until I moved into my new classroom, but I am a very impatient person.  Now due to less bulletin boards in the new classroom I think I have enough bulletin board trim to cover another 1-2 classrooms.  When I bought my trim I paid about $20.  I think if I would have waited I would have spent $5-10.  That really isn't that bad.  I also invested in a fadeless fabric/paper, so I should be able to use this theme for several years.

I also have gobs of scrapbook paper lying around my house for that day that I will find time to finish my 5 year old son's 1st year scrapbook.  You know what I am talking about moms!  I used the scrapbook paper to create ink friendly buntings.  I simply created a blackline triangle on Keynote and hit print.  Then I traced as many triangles as I could on the back of several different scrapbook papers that matched my pink and green theme.  I cut them out and laminated each triangle.  For one set I printed letters in a cute font and glued them to the triangle before I laminated to create a personalized bunting for my desk area.  After everything was cut out I punched two holes (one in each corner) and cut different colored ribbon.  Tied them together and VOILA!  The best part was I didn't have to listen to my hubby whining about ink!  They are the perfect touch to my classroom.

My calendar has seen better days, but I just am not in a place to be able to replace everything.  So I took the matching border that I have gobs of and turned it so the scallop is facing out.  It actually looks better than it did originally! 

Speaking of up cycling.  My students have cardboard boxes that they keep their books in for Daily 5. Cardboard only lasts so long with kids.  This summer my husband and I got out the duct tape and went to town!  I really had no idea there were so many cute duct tape patterns.  I love each and every book box and they are holding up quite nicely!

Last way to decorate with a budget is to strategically use student work.  Check out my new board for my objectives.  I have some major seasonal plans for this baby!  

 If you enjoyed this Bright Idea please consider following me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for more great ideas!  We also have a Bright Ideas Pinterest board, so you can see all of our ideas from the past and present in one place. 

For more Bright Ideas from 150 different bloggers, please browse through the link-up below and choose a topic/grade level that interests you!  Thank you for visiting!!
~Stacey

An InLinkz Link-up

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Organizing Yourself A Month at a Time!

I am so excited to welcome you to the Bright Ideas Blog Hop!!  Thank you for taking the time to check out my bright idea.

  This idea was shared with me years ago from a seasoned teacher and I have to say it is absolutely brilliant.  I joined a team who liked to be ahead of the game.  This meant stacks of papers everywhere!  This eliminates the stacks completely and you are organized for a whole month of teaching.  Can you say AMAZING!  

I have 32 file folders in my file cabinet.  They are labeled 1-31 for the days of the month and one says "Sub Folder".  As my team makes copies I throw them into one of the dated folders where I think I will be using them.  For example, I know I do my reading comprehension test every Friday.  As my teammate makes copies of the tests I am able to pop it into the dated folder.  NO MORE STACKS!!  

The "Sub Folder" contains my generic lesson plans, class list, seating chart, extra work, and important information.

The best part is it is so easy to prepare for a sub or if you have an emergency you can send a teammate over to your room and direct them to the file folder for the day, week, or month if need be.  

I hope you enjoyed my Bright Idea, but there is still more to come!  Next up is Tammy from The Resourceful Apple and she will be sharing with you about Kagan Strategies.  I can't wait to read her post!  You can click the link above to check out her post or go to the link up below for more Bright Ideas!

~Stacey

An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up

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Reading Strategies and Comprehension Skills at Your Fingertips

I have been easing myself into D5 over the past few years.  Last Spring I really started focusing on the Meet with the Teacher area of D5.  I was trying to prepare activities to go along with reading strategies and comprehension skills and it was taking FOREVER!  I don't know about you, but I like to do as little prep as possible.  I came across this great idea from Teaching My Friends.  She uses these file folders in her classroom and she posted a few ideas of anchor charts, but not a link to printable anchor charts.  So I made it my mission to create anchor charts to put in file folders with ready made activities that can be reused.  Well.... it has been a really busy summer.  And.... I haven't found time to focus on it.  So I asked around and found Sarah Kirby's Reading Comprehension Posters and Reading Strategy Posters.  They are absolutely PERFECT and I couldn't believe that I even thought of recreating the wheel.  So I got them and this is what I have done so far with them.   The cool thing about Sarah's posters is she created several for each skill.  So the activities that I put on the right side can be used for differentiation or just to mix it up when we practice the skill throughout the year.

I decided to put the poster on the inside of the file folder for a couple of reasons. 1) I can file them away in my desk and the posters won't get ruined and 2) I can stand them up to display them for the whole group. Genius!

I plan to use these in two different ways.  I want to start by using them in my small groups to reinforce the skills and strategies that I am teaching during my mini lessons.  Then after they have had some practice with it I would like to throw them into their RTI centers to reinforce it even further.  

I am so excited to try this with my firsties this year!  Thank you Sarah Kirby!  Go check out Permanently Primary to find other great things!

~Stacey

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Classroom Library

Last Fall I was fortunate enough to have a Student Teacher.  It was great to be able to be a part of a future teacher's experience, but it was also a great time for ME!  I had a "to-do" list before she arrived.  I have never been so organized.  My biggest project was organizing my classroom library.  It was a mess and difficult for the students to find the books they were searching for.  

My Classroom Library

I started by closing the library I already had in place and making sure I had all of my books.  I then taped a piece of cardstock to the inside of the back cover of EVERY book and made a corresponding library card.  This was probably the most time consuming part.  It could have been easier if I had purchased the pre-made library cards and pockets, but that wasn't in the budget.  

Pocket in the back of the books

Then I organized books into different categories.  I am sure there are many different opinions on how to categorize them, so just do what makes sense to you.  For the most part they are organized by series, so I have a basket for Magic Tree House, Clifford, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, etc.  For the miscellaneous books I leveled them, so I have a 1st grade level up to 4th grade.  Once I determined the categories, I made tags to stick to the basket the books belonged in.  After I had them organized, I assigned a sticker to each series and placed that on the outside front cover and on the coordinating tag for the basket.

Each basket has a tag and coordinating sticker to book.

My system to keep the cards organized.

Once the library was complete I went into GREAT detail with the students on how they were to treat the library and how they were to get books.   Every Friday after they have taken their reading test I allow them to return and check-out 5 new books for their book boxes.  I have a library card check out system at my desk.  It is made of index cards with student numbers on them.  I put their 5 library cards behind their number.  So simple!  I give them their cards.  They put them back in the books and return them to the "Return Bin".  Then they are able to go shop in the library for their 5 new books.  Later I  put the books back into the correct basket.  Sometimes as the year goes on I find a responsible student to take over the job.  

They store their boxes here and have access to them all day.

   

This system has dramatically increased the amount of reading happening in my classroom.  Instead of them wasting time searching for a book they already have 5 waiting to go!  I love it!  The book  bins keep the kiddos organized and my books in better shape.

I also find the book boxes extremely helpful when I do Daily 5- "Read to Self" or "Read to Someone".  They are able to grab their book boxes and get started right away! 

 I LOVE my classroom library!  I hope you do  too!
~Stacey

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