DIY White Boards - so CHEAP!

I was so surprised this week when I asked my colleagues if they knew about how to make super easy and cheap white boards out of white panelboards. They did not know! So I thought some of you may not know! Here's the scoop:

Go to Lowe's or Home Depot (lumber store) and locate the White Panelboards (in the paneling section of the store). 

It is 4 ft by 8ft which cuts into 24 pieces of white board (12 inches by 16 inches).

Did you know that they will cut it for you?  It is just a couple bucks extra and bam!  You have 24 white boards ready to go for under $15.  Can't beat it!

 Just use kleenex or paper towels as easers!

Beautiful Jewelry for a Teacher's Heart

Oh how I love sharing special resources!   I adore beautiful jewelry and I have found the best priced handcrafted earrings and necklaces at Freebird Trinkets.   I couldn't help but share this resource!  I have several pieces of my own and I wear them constantly.  Get this - these are handcrafted by a teacher!    Marnie puts a special sparkle in her work that people always comment when I wear them.  

My Waldorf mentor once said you should dress like you are going to a nice casual party when you go to school.  She said that those details that we take into account when we dress for a party - we should do for our class.  It brings a special level of attentiveness.   I think it is a perfect reason to have special earrings for teaching.   Don't you? 

Click on the images to find out more!  To see more of her pieces go to Freebird Trinkets on Etsy!

I love, love, love drop earrings!

This is one of my favorite styles of earrings. 

This is amazing! 

 I adore the wrapped wire work at the top of these stones.  Ooo, might have to get these. . . 

 

More pieces:

Celebrating New Siblings

I know most of you probably do something like this or even something more elaborate.  But I think it is always fun to share ideas.  Here is what I do -- I would love to hear about what you do!   Cole is becoming a brother for the first time tomorrow so we made him a book.  (I love making books for big events like moving, new siblings, etc.)

I demonstrated how to draw a baby in swaddling.   The kids love drawing babies!

 Here is the finished book!

Here is a sampling of the book:

Next, I make a little baby for a card:

 I cut a round piece of tissue paper.  This one is about 3 or 4 inches wide.  I cut out a "baby."

 Fold one side of the circle over onto the "baby." Glue.

Fold over the other side and glue.

Glue the little baby to a card and write something! (I added a little heart.)  I like to make a big deal about the kindergartner becoming a big brother or sister.  Cole's new sibling is a little girl - he calls Sissy.  So we all agreed - Sissy is one lucky baby to have sweet Cole as a big brother!!!  So exciting!!

Drawing + Word Work

I think it was five or six years ago that I went out to San Francisco to visit my BFF Mimi. Her daughter, Fifi, attended an arts based charter school and her kindergarten teacher welcomed me into his classroom for the day.

As the children arrived, they would draw the picture and word he had drawn on the chalkboard. I was amazed at the children's ability to reproduce his images. It was a simple task but I saw so many rich and wonderful processes at work. First, and perhaps most obvious, was the eye-hand coordination. There was the visual perceptual development and spatial perceptions. But what truly captured me was the incredible power of image and word dancing together. What would it be like to do this day after day - new words, word family words, theme based words all linked with a picture symbol.

Five years later, I am hooked.  I begin this process mid-year as their fine motor skills have developed a bit further. 

My drawing on the white board with the word written below. There is no instructions given.  The children just look up on the board - draw and write the word at the level they can do it. 

A sampling of the children's work:

I love the little details the children will add like the tree in the background.

Another student adding details.

Fish Windsocks - Super Cheap!

This is another great project for a weather unit.  AND it is super economical.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• paper fish windsocks (Click here to order) Under $8 for 24!
• Blotters or watercolors
• Yarn
• Glue sticks

 The windsocks come pre-cut.  All you need to do is decorate them and glue together.

 Color blotters are perfect for this project as well as watercolor paint.

 The children love decorated their fish.

They look so beautiful fluttering in the wind!

Beautiful Pinwheels

As a part of our weather unit, we made watercolor pinwheels.  Pinwheels are so easy to make and so beautiful to see in the wind.  There are several methods of attaching the pinwheel - the method of I am sharing is from my colleague, Mrs. Flynn.  It works!

What you will need:

• copy of the pinwheel pattern on white cardstock
• pencils
• straight pins with round plastic heads
• watercolors
• masking tape or duck tape

Click here to download pattern.

 STEP ONE:  Watercolor your pinwheel pattern.  Watercolor both sides.  Let dry.

STEP TWO: (for teachers) Cut the pinwheel out and cut a long black slits.

 STEP THREE:  Using a straight pin with a plastic ball top, push four alternating corners through the pin.  You do not have to be exact.  I just gather up those corners on the pin.

 Here my corners are gathered!

 STEP FOUR:  With corners still gathered push pin through the silver part of the pencil.  Yup.  It will go through with a nice push!  Leave enough of the pin on the "pinwheel" side for spinning. 

STEP FIVE:  Bend the end of the pin down.

 STEP SIX:  Wrap the silver part of the pencil (with the pin bent) with masking tape or duck tape.

 Look how cute it is!

STEP SEVEN:  Go outside and watch it spin in the wind!

The Peace Table

One of the best gifts from Montessori education has to be the concept of the Peace Table.  The Peace Table is a conflict resolution tool for the classroom.  Traditionally, there is a peace rose that the children can present to a child they have a conflict with and "go" to the table to work it out.  I have adapted the process for my classroom and circumstance and am using a little heart stone a friend gave me.  My Peace Table is small and easy to sit on the floor with. 

 The child who is upset brings the issue to the Peace Table.  Holding the stone, they state the problem.

I coach the child to state the problem as "I did not like it when. . . ."

Then from that point on it is a "I feel ______ when _______" statement. (I statements!)

 The other child has a chance to say what they are feeling as well.  The peace stone goes back and forth until the children have expressed all their feelings and the issue is resolved.

What is amazing about the process is that the children are given a chance to safely express their feelings to a peer.  There is the tool for "talk turns" - the peace rose or stone.  It eliminates tattling as I just send them to the Peace Table.  Nine times out of ten, the problem is resolved by the very act of communicating their feelings.  The children who have trouble with their peers need help with this process - but it is a great forum to do it!   

Wish we could have a global Peace Table for big people. . . .and it worked like this does!!!

A Fun Dr. Seuss Idea

Okay, so I am a day late and dollar short but here is a fun thing I did for my students:

Using a science fair tri-fold, I painted the cat and the hat on it and cut out face holes.  So much fun!  I drew it free hand but you could use a projector or even your smartboard to trace the image on the board.

Book Buddies!

Every year I go to a local book fair at Holland Hall School.  I load up on the best stuffed animals and books for a very reasonable price.  I use them to make book buddies.  This year while piling up my stuffed animals - I had a great idea.  Why not buy tote bags and let each child have a book buddy in their cubby for reading time?  (Previously, I had sent the book buddies home on a rotating basis.)  I went to Oriental Trading and found the best deal on personalized totes!

 Twenty-four personalized totes cost just $30.00 from Oriental Trading.  

 Every child has a book buddy bag hanging in their cubby.

 Inside each bag is a special book "buddy" -- a stuffed animal.  

 The children may bring out their book buddy to read with.  There is no "play" with the book buddy.  They are strictly a reading buddy.

 The joy of one student as she greets her book buddy for the first time!

 Oh, how this makes my teacher heart go pitter patter!  Reading everywhere!

Here's a few tips for making your own:

• Find stuffed animals at thrift stores, resale shops and local book fairs.  They wash up quite well!
• Better yet, ask parents to donate stuffed animals.  (You could team up with a colleague and trade stuffed animals so your students do not get their own!)