Diggin' Into Next Year - Classroom Organization

Welcome to the summer long blog series "Diggin Into Next Year" hosted by Laura at Where the Magic Happens. 

This weeks focus is ORGANIZATION! There are several things that I do every year in my classroom to assist with organization. The biggest has got to be assigning my students a number. I can't tell you how much this simple and quick task helps keep so many things in my classroom organized!

Here is a picture of how I post our names to a number in my classroom. My students and myself need this visual reminder. It does not take long for students to memorize their numbers! I have used this system with kindergarteners and they were able to handle it easily as well! This poster has been up since the first day of school, so it is starting to show some wear!

Here is the first way I use numbers in my classroom - for classroom jobs!

Simple and effective and really gets the students to remember which number they are!

Here is the second way! Super easy! With numbers instead of names on the ziploc bag, you can easily reuse them from year to year. It is also so much easier to count the numbers and put them in order to make sure you have all your materials as you know quickly which dry erase board you are missing!

Above are some additional ways using a number system in your classroom can make things more organized for both you and your students! My personal favorite is calling out numbers at a fire drill! So much easier and FASTER than calling out names - a much more efficient way to make sure everyone is safe!

Do you like this job chart?

It is free in my TpT store! Click on the picture to go on over and get it for the upcoming year!
I laminated it and used velcro for the circles so I have mine for next year!

I hope you find lots more wonderful organization ideas by visiting other bloggers participating in this fun and helpful blog post  :)

Father's Day Gift Idea

Hello friends! Do you have a Father's Day gift in mind for your kiddies to make for their dad? Father's Day this year is June 15th! Why not have the children in your class present their dad with a trophy for being a #1 DAD or WORLD'S GREATEST DAD? 

Below are the steps to make this awesome gift! I got the idea from my nephew's daycare and have been using it ever since (he is now 8). I think I have mastered the steps in this project to be the most efficient. You do however, need time! You cannot expect to get this done in one day! So gather up your supplies and start early!

I prefer the styrofoam cups that are smooth, and do not have ridges from top to bottom. The masking tape lays flatter on this kind of cup.

It is important to use short strips of tape to cover the cups. You would think you could just wrap the cups like you would wrap an ace bandage around a sprain. It does not work! You will get tons of bumps and lumps! The goal is to get the tape to lay smooth. Use short strips! Depending on the age, students may be able to do this part themselves or with guidance.

I have been making these for quite a number of years. Just last year I decided that I needed to find a better way to make the base for the trophy. Foam? Too expensive. A box? Good, but where to get 17? Make them of course! So I taught myself how to fold them via good old origami! Faster and easier for me anyway. I know some reading this may think I am crazy but really it is easy! You may also want to have your children (depending on age) do this part themselves. I tried to show some pics of the steps but I think it is safer to watch this youtube video on how to do it!
I use card stock. I have not tried construction paper yet. It may work. You need to make sure you use a 12x12 square to start. If you do decide on the card stock you will need something hard to smooth down the edges to make them tight (if not, the box will pop open at the seems). I used a plastic knife. 

Steps for an alternative way to make a base. I like the boxes better. You may prefer this technique.

Just one more step!

I am going to wrap them in a sheet of tissue paper gathered at the top and tied with a ribbon! I hope you found this useful and maybe inspired you to try something new this year :)

Throwback Thursday with The Teaching Tribune!

I have to let everyone know about my newest indulgence! I splurged on a pair of Tieks! I did! I did! I treated myself to an additional Mother's Day present! I am here to let you know about my amazing purchase!  I have about 6 different pairs of black flats that I have picked up here and there. My latest faves are from Payless so I am not one to spend a significant amount of money on my shoes. 

Let me first start out by saying that before blogging, I had never heard of Tieks. I did not see them on Oprah's favorite things. I have however, read wonderful things about them from teachers across the U.S. who are thanking their Tieks after a long day on their feet. I am so glad that I took the plunge and got myself a pair!


So, first things first. Your Tieks will arrive in BEAUTIFUL box! The great thing about these shoes is that they fold into themselves making it easy to carry them with you or pack them to travel with.

Look how cute the box is with a HAND WRITTEN card! How nice is that?!?! Below is a closeup of how the shoes fold and fit into the box.

I wear a size 10 ever since I gave birth to my beautiful trio! I do not have dainty, tiny feet. In fact, my feet are big and like to be COMFORTABLE! When I took out my shoes, the smell of a rich and creamy leather tickled my nose. It reminded me of that "new car" smell when you are lucky enough to get a new car with leather seats! I LOVE THAT SMELL! I couldn't wait to have my feet encased in that love! I slid my naked foot into my new Tieks and was greeted by a friendly hug. That is what I need to call it. The shoe hugged my foot like an old friend! A caring, loving, friend! I wore them to work today and had not one problem! Not one bandaid in the back on the heal. Not one wish for my little puppies to escape the confines of their fashionable prison - not one! In fact, I couldn't stop looking at them and admiring them! I wish I had gotten one of their AMAZING colors though! I played it safe with black because I know I will wear them the most, but I would love to get a hot color to highlight an all black outfit! I know my students would love that as much as I would!

Here is a pic of my feet in my new Tieks! 

Here is a link to their website so you too can drool over the enticing kaleidoscope of colors offered by Tieks! I hope they fit your feet as well as they do mine :)

http://tieks.com

The Best for the Best Blog Hop

Welcome to The Best for the Best Blog Hop! I hope you are enjoying you freebies and chances to win amazing products from wonderful teacher authors!

My top selling product is my Living vs. Non-Living Resource Pack. I made this pack to use with my first graders as the materials that were passed onto me seemed dated. When I uploaded it to TpT, I never thought it would be my best seller! 

Here it is:

 Here is one of my students working on the last page of the non-fiction reader that is included in the pack. She is circling the living things and putting an x on the non-living things. 

And this is one of my friends working on a living/non-living sort by writing the name of each item into the correct column. I was able to use these pages as classwork, homework, and center work! 

Would you like a chance to win this pack along with many other FABULOUS resources? Yes, you say? Great! It is so easy! Just enter below via rafflecopter! Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Continue on The Best for the Best Teacher Appreciation Blog Hop by clicking the picture below.

May the 4th Be With You Sale!

Hello friends! I have teamed up with a great group of bloggers to bring you an opportunity to grab our top sellers at a discounted price! Yeah! So, here are my top 4 on sale for today ONLY - MAY 4th - May the FOURTH be with you!

An InLinkz Link-up