Throwback Thursday: Creating Bulletin Board Letters

Here is a post from August 21, 2012…It was a technology tip for a linky party.

I am sitting here wracking my brain about what I can share with teachers using technology.  I am not an expert, but I do okay. I couldn't come up with anything.

 I decided to share how to make great looking letters for bulletin board using your computer...that counts right???  Many people now use die-cut machines like Cameos and Cri-cuts.  You don't need fancy tools to create something like this....

1.  Choose a bold font that you like.  I set the page as landscape, I used SAF 

and size was 550.  You have to type it in yourself...my computer only goes up to 72.

2.  Type out your words, highlight and click on text effects, the outlined blue A on the tool bar.  Choose outline and line effects.  You can also right click, go to fonts and click on text effects at the bottom.

  

3.  Click on text fill and choose no fill.  Click on text line black.  Click on weights and arrows. I chose solid line and 4 point, it is your preference on colors and lines.  I choose thicker lines, so I can cut them out and still have some black showing.

5.  You are ready to print!  I added some scraps of paper and stitching using a sharpie marker.  I made this on foam board.

I hope this technology tip will help someone out there!

Throwback Thursday: Supply Pails

I am linking up with:

Link

I posted this on July 23, 2012 and it is something that I love and still use in my room!!! 

I saw this idea on Pinterest last summer and I loved it.  I bought extra large muffin tins at Target. (They weren't cheap but I didn't have time to shop around and I really wanted them)  The metal pails are from Target and fit in perfectly.  The kids can bring the pails to their seats while working.

Throwback Thursday Back to School Rules

Here is a throwback to September 2, 2012.  I use the posters when having the children brainstorm expectations around the school.  I plan on using these with my new fifth graders.  I will read "Back to School Rules" and "What If Everbody Did That."  Read below for my original post.

This week I will be establishing and focusing on Rules and Being Good Citizens of Our School as part our of Social Studies Curriculum.  I think it is important that the children take part in the process of creating our rules; they need to understand what they are, what they look like and why we have them.  I will use the documents below to brainstorm with the kids as we talk about each area.

Click to download document

I have several books that I use and I have ordered a few new ones from Amazon.   I will read these books during the week and chart our rules that we use in the classroom, hallways, cafeteria and recess.  We will then narrow down our ideas to 3-4 rules for each chart.  I plan to have the kids create posters to hang in the specific school areas displaying our expectations.  I will post our final projects at a later date.

I did not order these books but thought they might be good for younger grades.

Throwback Thursday- Geometry Galore

Here is a throwback from 9/24/2011.  I love the "Sir Cumference" math series and plan on using them with my fifth graders.  There are a few new books that I need to add to my collection.  My students LOVE using the elastic to create geometric shapes.  Great way to get the kids up and moving.  My principal walked in last year while I did that lesson and she wrote it up for my evaluation. (love when that happens)

Original Post:

My first math unit in Every Day Math is Geometry.  I was pretty relieved because I taught it in late spring with my third graders and it is a unit that they love.  There are only a few new vocabulary words introduced at this level .  I read  a few of my favorite geometry books and planned activities to reinforce our standards:

We used compasses for the first time.  It went better than I thought.  No one tried to poke anyone and there were no accidents.  We practiced drawing concentric circles.   It also reinforced our multiplication facts.

Another activity that we did was break into several groups and use our bodies with elastic to create polygons and to demonstrate geometric terms.  I read the lesson on-line and it said to use Chinese jump-ropes that I could not find anywhere.  (you know you are old when the kids don't know what they are)  I ended up buying 3 packages of sewing elastic (3/8") and tying each one into a big circle.  Here are the kids demonstrating intersecting lines.

Another activity that I plan on doing next week is using toothpicks and glue to create geometric vocabulary pictures.  I also found this idea from Pinterest.

Throwback Thursday: Hopes and Dreams Time Capsule

Here is my blogging TBT.  It is a post from September 18, 2011.  I still do this activity with my students every year…they love opening the can the last week of school.

Second Grade Shenanigans

As part of my Responsive Classroom I always have my students write their Hopes and Dreams/Goals on clouds and hang them up on a wall in the classroom at the beginning of the year.  I wanted to change things up and loved this sheet from Dotsnspots.  Thanks for sharing!!!!

I reduced the size of the Hopes and Dreams sheet so it would fit into can when rolled up.  I had the children share them during morning meeting.  We rolled them up and tied them with a ribbon.  We then closed up the Hopes and Dreams Time Capsule and will share our sheets on the last day!

The paint can was from Home Depot.  I tied lots of ribbons on the handles.  Here is the cover sheet and top of the can.  Click on picture below to print out:

Link

There is an end of the year reflection sheet that I  use before we open the can.  The kids like to compare their favorites and see what has changed and what has stayed the same.  

Link

Throwback Thursday: My Top 10 Back-to-School Must Haves

Click for Second Grade Shenanigans TBT  

This is my first blogging post from August 11, 2011. It would be exactly the same, except that I now use an Erin Condren Planner.  I just had to buy a larger USB.

What is in your shopping basket this year?

Here are some of my favorite things to stock up on

for back-to-school and setting up my classroom!

#1  Mr. Sketch Markers

#2  Post-It Notes

#3  Chart Paper

#4  Good Stapler

#5  My USB

#6  Plastic Clear Folders

#7  Bic Flair Pens

#8 Personal Laminator

#9  Black Fadeless Paper and Black Card Stock

#10 My Teaching Binder/Plan Book

Here is my new Erin Condren Planner for 2014-2015. 

I bought one last year and loved using it.