Posting Classroom Rules and a "While You Were Out" Wall

Happy Monday!  I can really only say that for a few more weeks; once school starts, Mondays aren't always happy!

Today, I finished up two more things on my To Do list for my classroom.  The first was posting new classroom rules.  In the past, I went with the same rules that our elementary school uses with the MiBLSi program.  They used the 3 Be's: Be Ready; Be Responsible; Be Respectful.  I'm not sure if I put those in the correct order, but I'm not sure it matters much.

While browsing Pinterest for more ideas, I came across someone who created rules using an acrostic poem out of the word "LEARN."  I found the idea from the following blog:  http://adventuresofmssmith.blogspot.com/2013/07/monday-made-it.html.

I changed the wording just a tad, and tried to keep going with the bubble theme.

In addition to the posting of my classroom rules, I also finished the section on my wall for students who were absent. This was another Pinterest idea, although I couldn't trace the original post.  I'll keep looking and update this post once I find it.

Here's how my "While You Were Out" wall turned out.  I originally just had the words up top with a white background and no border, but I found some cool bubble patterned duct tape that I added afterwards to make it pop a bit more.  It's slightly crooked, but it'll do the job.

Making a Chart for Exit Tickets

One of the techniques I used in my classroom last year was exit tickets.  It varied from day to day what I wanted the students' exit tickets to contain.  Sometimes I had them define a new word; other times I had them write down three facts from the day's lecture.  It was challenging at times to make sure that all of the students completed their exit tickets, so I tried to find a new way to deal with the process.

Once again, Pinterest came to the rescue.  The following blogger posted a great picture of her idea: http://teach-a-roo.blogspot.com/2013/02/ticket-out-door.html.  I tried to model my idea after this one, but I don't think I had quite as much patience because I didn't want to glue little pieces of paper to a board. I'm considering chopping off the top of mine where it says "Exit Tickets" because I don't like how it turned out.  I may try to create a an extension like the one on the Teach-a-Roo blog.

I used duct tape for the outline.  I found some of the skinny duct tape at my local Walmart, and I liked the pattern.  I was hoping to have enough to outline all of the boxes, and I may still go back and buy another roll of the tape to do that. The poster isn't laminated yet, so I can still make a few adjustments.

I haven't decided yet where I'm going to hang the poster.  On the Teach-a-Roo blog, she hung it on her door.  I have high school students who are escape artists, so I'm not sure the door is the best place for the poster. Students might just assume that once their exit ticket is hung up, they can leave, knowing full well they have to wait until the bell rings, but wanting to test my patience and sanity. Okay, I've convinced myself not to hang to poster on the door!  It will probably go above the area where they turn in their other homework, which is at the back of my room.

Upholstering my Podium

I spent a few hours in my classroom again today, and made some good progress.  There are still quite a few things I want to do at the school before the students return, but I'll have to take it one day at a time. I seem to have a problem with trying to do more than what I actually have time for.  We'll see how much actually gets done before September!

One of today's projects was a makeover for my podium.  I meant to use this polka-dot fabric to reupholster my desk chair.  It was an idea that I found on Pinterest. Unfortunately my desk chair was a bit more complex than the one that I saw on Pinterest.  I was planning to paint my podium this summer, but with the extra fabric I had an "Aha!" moment and put the fabric to good use.

This is what my podium looked like before.

This is what my podium looked like after I stapled some polka-dot fabric to it.  It's not perfect, but I think it looks better than it did.

Creating a Classroom Wall Calendar

Today I went to my classroom for the first time in a month - that's a rarity for me.  I usually spend a good chunk of my summer at the school, but this year I didn't feel the need to.  Hooray for becoming a more seasoned teacher!

My floors were nicely waxed, and an empty canvas was waiting for me when I arrived.  I didn't have much time to spend at school today, so I decided to tackle a relatively small project similar to one that I found on Pinterest.  I created a classroom wall calendar.  I have whiteboards on three walls of my classroom, so I wanted to take advantage of part of that space.

This is the partially finished project.  I used painters' tape to make the lines of the calendar.  I didn't want to get in trouble with the janitors, so I figured that I better use something that was easy to remove.  I still need to hang up signs for the days of the week, and I decided that my little circle in the upper left-hand corner that denotes the month is much too small, so I'll have to come up with a better idea.  Overall, I'm pleased with the outcome.  It didn't take long to assemble, and if it doesn't withstand the school year, it is easy to make a replacement.

Here I've added the letters of the days of the week above the calendar.  I apologize that the picture is blurry, but you get the idea.

Hopefully this calendar will come in handy for things like due dates and upcoming quizzes and tests.  I do keep a classroom website with my lesson plans, but this is more visual for all of my students, especially those who do not have the internet at home.

I'm so energized right now that I think I'll be working on more projects tomorrow!

Gearing Up for Back-To-School

The stores are already packed with back-to-school supplies.  Groan!  That is usually the first sign that my blissful summer will soon be coming to an end.  Although I may complain,  I get surprisingly excited at this time of the summer.  My brain goes into high speed mode and won't slow down until I know I have my classrooms set for the school year ahead - a new school year is full of possibilities. (And no, that is not a typo.  I actually have two classrooms - a Biology lab and an English classroom. I'll post more on this later.)

About a week ago, I began to seriously browse Pinterest.  I know that it has been around for a while, but I refused to sign up for an account because I knew I'd waste too many hours looking for fun ideas.  Needless to say, I've spent much of the last week browsing and pinning away.  Who knew that there were so many awesome teaching ideas and tricks all in one place?  This girl is hooked!  I haven't decided yet whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.  I'll wait until the novelty of the site wears off before I make any judgments.

I haven't made my way to my high school yet, but I've started picking up some supplies.  I can't wait to start decorating and posting pictures!  I think Thursday is going to be rainy; if so, I'll most likely be spending the day in my classroom.  Yay for technology and new ideas!  Stay tuned for pictures!