I love Adjective Collages! They make such a special teacher gift (or a gift for parent volunteers)! To make an Adjective Collage, I have each student choose a word to describe the teacher (or parent volunteer). Every student gives me three adjectives, that way if there is any overlap (which there always is) I have options to choose from. Then, in Microsoft Powerpoint, I create a slide that is 8 inches x 10.5 inches. I center the teacher's name in the middle using a bold font, and then add ... READ the POST
An Apple (Candle) for the Teacher
I wanted to share some cute apple tags that I made for my kids' teachers this year. I thought it would be fun to put a twist on an "apple for the teacher," so I snagged up some large, three-wick, apple scented candles from Bath and Body Works. I wrapped each apple candle in red cellophane paper and taped a green ribbon "stem" on top. Then, I attached a cute apple note to each candle. And that's it, we had apples for the teachers that would last a lot longer than a Granny ... READ the POST
Flip Sticks!
Flip Sticks are an amazing participation tool for calling on students at random! The idea of using name sticks is nothing new. In fact, this classroom management strategy has been around for a long time. Unfortunately, what I didn't learn until a few years into teaching, was how to keep track of which students had already been called on. I would pick a stick and set that stick aside, but when the "question session" was over, I would just put all the sticks back in the cup. So, the next time I ... READ the POST
PUNCH IT!
I am so excited to share this FUN and MOTIVATIONAL classroom incentive board...PUNCH IT! This board is super easy to make, only requiring a few tools. How it works is students earn letters (one letter at a time) on the whiteboard every time the class is working well as a whole. For example, if the class is working cooperative in groups, you would compliment them and write the letter "P" on the board. The next time you catch the class doing something great you would write the letter "U" on ... READ the POST
Heart-Shaped Crayons
I wanted to share a simple recipe to make cute, heart-shaped crayons. These are perfect for the month of February, as they are a great, non-candy, Valentine gift for little friends. Here's how we made them: 1. Fill a large mixing bowl with warm (not hot) water, and pour in three 64 count boxes of Crayola Crayons. 2. Wait 15-20 minutes and you will see the labels start to separate from the crayons. 3. Peel the crayon labels off (it is easier if you peel the label while submerged ... READ the POST
