Classroom Behavior Management Linky Party

Check out how other teachers deal with classroom behavior issues here: http://lessonplandiva.blogspot.com/2011/07/linky-party-behavior-plans.html

1.    At the top left of the picture you can see my "How is your day chart."  What you can't see is that there is a smiley face on each card.  If the child stays on the green card with the smiley face they are eligible for my end of the day raffle.  I draw one popsicle stick and that child will get to pick out of my prize box. 

2.  Along with the card system, I do 1-2-3 Magic in my room; the book is a quick read (http://www.amazon.com/1-2-3-Magic-Teachers-Effective-Discipline/dp/1889140171.)  Behaviors that I want to stop, I count.  Count 1 flip to a yellow card, Count 2 flip to a blue card, Count 3 flip to the pink card and go to the time out desk.  I started this last year, and either I had an awesome class, or this system really works.  Here is my time-out desk.  You can't see the poster but it's the ABC's of a good classroom citizen.  They can read as they sit in timeout.

I just bought this jumbo timer for my timeout desk.  

Favorite Back to School Activity Linky Party

If you want to share your favorite back to school activity, head here: http://fun-in-first.blogspot.com/2011/07/whats-your-favorite-back-to-school.html

1.  I do this smartboard activity with my kids.  They come up and tap on a square to reveal a question like, "Do you have a pet?" or "What is your favorite book?" or "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

2.  We also do paper plate portraits.  I give the students a paper plate, markers, and yarn and they create a portrait that looks just like themselves.

Grade Level Linky Party

Check out http://theteacherslane.blogspot.com/p/grade-level-linky-party_28.html  for a grade level linky party.  Link up with teachers at your own grade level and share great ideas!

Classroom Shopping Linky Party

Love this linky party at http://ladybugsteacherfiles.blogspot.com/2011/06/classroom-shopping-linky-party.html where you will find lots of great finds.

Oh yes, I too have been shopping.  These are my great finds from Oriental Trader, which just arrived today!

These say Happy Birthday from your teacher.

 I have a smiley face theme in my classroom, and these water bottle covers are going to look so cute sitting on their desks.  I was going to buy plastic water bottles for all the kids so everyone would have one, but then I saw these cute covers.  I will buy the bottles (Walmart brand) that fit in them, and then the kids can just refill their bottles.

 To save on paper next year, I laminated a ton of stuff over the summer.  I plan to have a binder for each child and then they can use dry erase markers and erasers and reuse, reuse, reuse.  These erasers from Oriental Trader are really nice.

 This is a jumbo 3-minute timer.  I plan to use it on my time-out desk.  That way there is no embarrassing timer to go off.

 I use name tags throughout the year for a variety of things.

I love these hall passes on lanyards: girls' & boys' bathroom pass, hall pass, library pass, nurse pass, and office pass.  I really just wanted the boys and girls bathroom lanyards because the passes that I have always get left in the bathroom...ewwwww.  These will go around their neck and should always come back...at least I hope.  Happy Shopping!!!

Classroom Jobs Linky Party

Hop over to http://seusstastic.blogspot.com/2011/07/classroom-jobs-linky-party.html if you would like to share your job chart with others.  Here is mine:

First of all notice, that I have to use a stand for my jobs pocket chart.  I simply have no wall space available.  

1.  Calendar - Calendar person has to put in the date, plus change the yesterday, today and tomorrow cards.  I ask the calendar person many questions like is the date even or odd.  What will the date be one week from today.  What is the pattern (aabb, abc, abc, etc.)

2.  Hundred Day Chart - this person puts in the day that corresponds with the days we have been in school.  They have to  state whether the number is odd or even, they have to write it in expanded form on the board, and they have to round it to the nearest ten and after we reach a hundred then they round to the nearest hundred as well.

3.  Money Chart - this person represents the number of days we have been in school in 3 different ways.  Then I ask question like if there are 10 dimes in 1 dollar, how many dimes would be in 5 dollars

4.  Time - this child has to read the time, and then I time them on the clock 5's.  

5.  Temperature - I have a large thermometer and this child rounds the temperature to the nearest ten.

6.  Word Wall - This person points to words and the kids recite them.

7.  Office -  This child delivers lunch money, notes to the office.

8.  Paper Passer - Also sharpens pencils.

These pictures show them at work.  I also have monthly jobs like bathroom monitor and quiet captain.

What TPT Means to Me

Visit http://lifeinspecialeducation.blogspot.com/2011/07/why-is-tpt-so-great-linky-party.html  to join a linky party "What TPT Means to Me!"


1.  Most importantly it is an outlet for creativity.  It is unique and allows me to express myself.  


2.  It is a great resource for my classroom!


3.  It is a great way to connect to other teachers and share ideas.


4.  It provides me with extra income so that I can do things that I wouldn't otherwise get to do.  Like....this summer my daughter and I have been hitting the garage sales buying things for her new college apartment.  Here are some of our finds which are taking up precious space in my garage.  Husband has to park outside!

This is a full size bed that we got at a garage sale for $5.00 (including mattress which was in awesome shape!)  The bed is only 3 years and was bare wood, so we painted it black.  It also has pull out drawers that go underneath...great for tiny apartment.

This is the comforter set we bought at Bed, Bath & Beyond!  Not my taste, but she loves it!!

This is a night stand we got at a garage sale for $15.00.  Now doesn't that go nice with the Zebra-striped comforter?  Yikes!  Again she is in heaven!

She has no cabinet in her bathroom (just a sink) so we got this at a garage sale ($5) to go over the toilet.

This is a TV stand we got for $3.00 bucks.  The same garage sale had a really nice Sony DVD player for $2.00.  She's supposed to be saving money to buy cable...let's hope so!

This is a microfiber couch we got on Craigslist for $40.00.  I steam cleaned it myself and it came out like new.  The pillows are just the perfect touch and came from Kohls, buy one and get one free plus another 15% off.  (My husband doesn't know those were extra...so mums the word!)

This coffee table was from the same Craigslist ad as the couch.  The guy said he would throw it in for an extra $10.00.  It was covered with shot glasses and beer glasses, and I said to my daughter that we will probably have to paint it black.  But, when we went to pick it up, it was perfect, not a scratch on it so no paint!

Another awesome find at a garage sale was this large area rug for $5.00.  It will help hide some sins on the carpet in that college apartment!

This black desk was on Craiglist for FREE!!!  I was so happy we didn't have to sand and paint it!

Yup, you guessed it, another garage sale find for $5.00.  I did have to sand and paint this one, and we are going to buy handles to match the desk.

Mirrors from Ikea.  We are going to paint the brown ones black to match.  50 cents each!

Large tin star, a free discard from her sister.   Plus she has found cute dishes, candles, lamps, pots and pans, shower curtain.  Really the only thing left on her wish list is a little table and chairs for her tiny kitchen.  She has collected so much that I have had to reserve a Uhaul.  This is a first!  Usually my husband's van and my car was enough to get kids back and forth to college.  I told my daughter she's going to have to stay put for the next two years...no switching apartments now!

My son is in grad school, and he will be home this weekend.  I can't wait to see his reaction to all the stuff in the garage.  When he moved into an apartment, we got him a pull out love seat and tv stand.  That along with his computer and video games seemed to be all he needed!

Also at garage sales this summer, I have bought a ton of books for my classroom.  Most of them went for 25 cents each!  I also found stuff for my prize box and art box!  Because of TPT, I feel a little less apprehensive about spending a little extra cash to provide some comfort for my kids.  I am also taking a trip to North Carolina to see my other daughter who is doing a residency there.  She just moved there from New York and rented an apartment   after only seeing the model, and I guess her actual apartment is awful.  Stains on the carpets, stains on the ceiling, and it smells moldy!  I probably will be painting and cleaning while I'm there!  So, once again, that TPT money comes in handy.

Bulletin Board Linky Party

Sunny Days at http://sunnydaysinsecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/07/look-at-me-few-months-ago-i-had-no-idea.html is having a bulletin Board Linky Party.  I wish I had more pictures of my bulletin boards, but one that I do every year is a silhouette board.  I trace each students head using my overhead projector, black paper, and a piece of chalk.  After I cut them out I glue them onto bright paper.  I don't let the kids see them until they are all cut out and mounted.  Then I hold them up for them to guess who each child is.  It really gets us all laughing.  It is amazing how each child has familiar identifying characteristics.  I also have each child complete a bio-poem about themselves to hang up with their silhouette.  When we do the light unit, it creates a great discussion on how shadows are made.

Smartboard Linky Party

Join the Smartboard Linky Party here: http://www.lutton519.blogspot.com/   Best linky party yet...I love creating Smartboard Lessons.  I can't choose one over the other; they're all my babies!  But...here are some that I spent many hours tweaking:

ABC Order is fun!

My kids like this one...and

Lots of activities in this one.

We do a lot of work on context clues in my classsroom.

One of my newest.

                      R controlled

Ordinal numbers is free and found here: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ordinal-Numbers-Smartboard-Practice

My Wish List Linky Party

Really Roper @http://reallyroper.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-wish-list-linky-party.html  is having a wish list linky party.  For ten years now I have been wishing for a beautiful, durable classroom rug like this one:

 

As you know, these are very expensive, so I have been trying inexpensive alternatives.  I tried a large remnant which started to fray within a couple of weeks.  Then I bought a bound rug from Walmart and painted a grid on it which looked great for about a month.  I blogged about it here: http://luvtoeduc8.blogspot.com/2011/04/carpet-time.html .  

But then it started to wrinkle and get bunchy so at the end of the year I rolled it up and gave it to another teacher who is going to try and put the edges under bookcases to see if it will stay flat.  I, on the other hand, bit the bullet and bought an authentic classroom rug.  I was lucky to find a factory second, which is the same high quality as the perfect rugs with a minor flaw.  I'm still not sure what the flaw is in my rug.  I blogged about it here: http://luvtoeduc8.blogspot.com/2011/05/what-ive-learned.html.

 I have received the rug; it's beautiful and half the price.  I will keep you updated on how well it works in my classroom.  


The other big item on my wish list is for my classroom to be painted.  A couple of years ago our principal had a two male teachers come in over the summer and paint our entire building gray and white.  The bottom half of every wall, every post, everything is gray and the top is white.  Nothing lines up and it is the messiest paint job I have ever seen.  They actually painted around things so if you move a cabinet its a different color behind it.  AWFUL!  When I came in after summer, I literally wanted to throw up.  They took our elementary school and turned it into a prison.  I spent weeks painting all the trim red to cheer things up, but painting the entire classroom is just too daunting for me.  I have spoken to our new principal about my wish, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. (You can kind of see what I'm talking about in this picture.)

Linky Party at www.CFClassroom.com

I love, love, love all the blogs and the wonderful creative teachers that share their ideas.  It so much fun seeing how teachers set up and organize their classrooms and motivate their students.  If I had to choose just one I'd have to say that Lory Evans would take the prize for most generous.  She shares so many of her resources on her blog.