Second Grade Perks: 2015

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Wednesday, September 9, 2015

DIY Door Hanger

This year I decided I wanted one of those super cute teacher door hangers for my classroom. I searched on Etsy but the ones I really liked were more than I wanted to spend so I tried out a DIY project and I LOVE the way it turned out.



I took pictures along the way so I can show you exactly how to make one for yourself.

You'll need:
1 burlap place mat (Hobby Lobby)
pink, white, yellow, silver paint
black Sharpie
plastic bags
hot glue gun
decorative flower
hanging wire

Step One: Draw a line vertically down the middle of the burlap place mat. Cut in half.


Step Two: Use a piece of card stock and position as in the picture below. Draw two lines along the edge of the card stock to create the pencil tip. Cut these pieces off. This was the easiest way I found to make it even. Do this to both pieces and save one piece for later steps.


Step Three: Use a black Sharpie to draw the tip and eraser.


The next steps are pretty self explanatory so I didn't take pictures of those.

Step Four: Paint each section. The burlap really soaks up the paint so it takes a lot.

Step Five: Let dry and use a Sharpie to write your name.

Step Six: Hot glue all of the edges to the piece of burlap you have not used yet. Leave the eraser edge unglued.

Step Seven: Stuff with plastic bags.

Step Eight: Hot glue the end closed.

Step Nine: Glue on decorative flower and attached wire hanger. I used three pieces of wire and twisted them together to make it thicker. I stuck the ends through the burlap and twisted close.

You're Finished!! Super easy, cheap, and cute!


If you make one I would love to see a picture of how it turns out.


Monday, August 3, 2015

August Pinterest Pick 3

This month's Pinterest Pick 3 will be things you can use in your classroom during the month of August. I have recently given my classroom a makeover using mostly ideas found from Pinterest. Since most of you are probably getting ready to spruce up your rooms for back to school, I'm going to share three of my favorite ideas.




The first I chose is a bulletin board idea.


I loved the bright colors and had to copy this. I made one for my ELA vocabulary and one for math vocabulary.

 I also used this idea on my big board out in the hallway for displaying student work.




The next idea I used for my new classroom was for my word wall. I saw this display and loved it. I got my ribbon at Hobby Lobby and downloaded the letters from Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits fan freebies on her facebook page. She had them as large letters and I just printed multiple to a page to make the smaller to fit my board.


Here is what mine looks like.



This Pin taught me how to recover my glider cushion. You do have to do some sewing for this one but it was super easy!


My glider cushion was dark brown which did not go with my new chalkboard bright theme at all, so something had to be done. This is how it turned out and I loved it.


Check out the other August Pinterest Pick 3 ideas below!




Saturday, July 25, 2015

$50 Edubucks Giveaway

Hey everyone! I have some exciting news today. I am hosting a giveaway that I am partnering up with Educents on. They are donating $50 to their site (Edubucks) to one lucky winner.


First, I'll tell you about Educents if you aren't sure what that is.

Educents offers daily deals. For example, you may see actual hard goods such as educational shower curtains, shape sorting cubes, Hot Dots, etc.




Or you may see downloadable deals.




Either way the deals are offered at a super discounted price.

Educents has also recently allowed shops to open on the site. You can browse tons of sellers stores for fabulous products. Click {HERE} to visit my shop on Educents.

Educents also offers freebies on downlaodable products. For example starting on August 5th I will have a freebie featureed on Educents. Click on the picture below for more details on what it will be.
If you want to win $50 in Edubucks to spend on a daily deal or in a seller's shop enter the rafflecopter below. You from now until July 31st to enter.

Good Luck!




Monday, July 20, 2015

Deal of the Day: Wonders Focus Wall

One of my hottest products right now is my Wonders Focus Wall materials for 1st-5th grade. If your school uses the Wonders Reading Series this product has everything you need for an entire year for your reading focus wall. 

The posters are all in a bright quatrefoil pattern. Here's what my completed board looks like.
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Complete-Wonders-Focus-Wall-Materials-2nd-Grade-1148726

The types of posters included are Genre that come in two different versions. 



http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Complete-Wonders-Focus-Wall-Materials-2nd-Grade-1148726

Vocabulary strategy posters


http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Complete-Wonders-Focus-Wall-Materials-2nd-Grade-1148726

Comprehension strategy and Comprehension skill posters
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Complete-Wonders-Focus-Wall-Materials-2nd-Grade-1148726

Phonics posters

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Complete-Wonders-Focus-Wall-Materials-2nd-Grade-1148726

Grammar posters
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Complete-Wonders-Focus-Wall-Materials-2nd-Grade-1148726

Spelling, vocabulary and high frequency word and essential question posters. Each of these have the unit and week number on the bottom corner for easy organization. (This was not included on the other posters because they are used in multiple units).

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Complete-Wonders-Focus-Wall-Materials-2nd-Grade-1148726

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Complete-Wonders-Focus-Wall-Materials-2nd-Grade-1148726

There are 4 versions of the header cards for you to choose to set your board up.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Complete-Wonders-Focus-Wall-Materials-2nd-Grade-1148726

These skills, words, and strategies come straight from the Wonders program. The number of each of these posters vary based on the grade level. There is a poster for each skill you will teach using the Wonders program.  

For the next 24 hours you can grab this packet for half off making it only $4.40. This deal will end at 11:15 CST tomorrow. Click on the picture below to be taken to the 2nd grade version. From there in the description there are links to each grade level.




Friday, July 10, 2015

Whole Brain Teaching Freebie

Do you use Whole Brain Teaching? If so I have a freebie for you. I made a set of Whole Brain Teaching rule posters and to go along with them I created a year long set of calendars to go in my student's take home folders.


On the calendar at the bottom are our classroom rules. When a student has to clip down for breaking a rule they have to write the number of the rule they broke on the date so their parents know why they clipped down. I also included our behavior clip chart colors and what they mean. At the end of the day the students have to color the date to match what their clip is on.


I also have the matching behavior clip chart for you as a freebie too. To get all three of these like my page on facebook and click on the more tab and then fan freebies to download.

I also have the whole matching decor rainbow pack in my TPT shop if you want everything that matches. It includes ABC and number posters, center signs, voice level posters and more. In the packet some of the items are editable including the rule posters and behavior chart.


Happy Friday!!


Friday, July 3, 2015

Pinterest Pick 3

I am so excited to be a part of this month's Pinterest Pick 3! 


I am absolutly in LOVE with some Pinterest. My husband and our neighbor were just talking yesterday about how Pinterest is going to literally kill them with all of the projects we put on them. HeHeHe! I'm going to share 3 of my all time favorite pins for my house and show some after pictures of our completed project.


My laptop's home used to be on our kitchen bar. Not a lovely place. I decided I wanted a desk to store it but not just a simple table top desk. This is what I found:


I knew I would have so much fun decorating something like this so I showed my amazingly talented husband and in one weekend this is what he built me:




The next big idea I found was a bed. We had been using a bed frame that was broken and held together by a board for years. I saw a plan for a bed that looked like this:


And again in one weekend super husband built me this:




The third idea is one that I recently found and have shown my husband and he plans to start on it this summer. We already have a pond with some fish in our backyard. I want a path leading from our screened in porch around the pond to a sitting area in the yard.


I also want a pergola with these poles to hang flowers and lights on around the seating area. Hopefully in a few weeks I'll have an after picture to show of all these plans.