For The Love of Reading

I pride myself on creating a classroom of kids that love to read. Nothing makes me happier than when I see my students carrying books with them everywhere. We get excited about books... and want everyone to else to feel the same way.  I made this poster of one of my favorite sayings to use in the center of my Journey to 40 Books interactive bulletin board. Enjoy!

The Seven Habits: Subway Art

Since I've been on a subway art kick, I thought I would make one of my own inspired by Laundry is My Nemsis.

Birthday Bouquet... For the Lazy Teachers Like Me

I fell in love with the idea of the Birthday Bouquet.  It's adorable and something I think the kids would really remember.  I saw this idea originally on More Time 2 Teach.   I love creating things for my classroom... once.  I am not one to have to do it every single year, especially something like that that requires this much cutting.  Yes, I'm lazy.  Hats off to all the teachers who do it, you are much more ambitious than me! 

So I modified the system a bit to make it a little less labor intensive for me.  (Did I mention I'm lazy?) 

I made my own flowers that I cut out and will have laminated.  The students will pick a pencil and attach it on the first days of school.  They will write their name and birthday in wipe off marker on the back of the flower they choose. 

Then on their birthday they will turn their flower in for a little certificate that they take home.  

I realize the point was not to have to give a certificate, but to me, it is a fair trade off to not have to cut these bloody flowers every August! Want them? Click here!

Inspired: Subway Art

So spraining my ankle feels a lot like a death sentence. So much of what I love to do revolves around dancing, and so I'm out of commission.  Luckily, all it takes is a great computer project and I'm completely occupied and engrossed. Still in pajamas at 4pm engrossed.  

I found a few posts on subway art and decided to have a go at it.   I absolutely love them!  A special thanks to Eighteen25 and RemarkableHomes for their inspiration. 

Here is a sample of the collages I made.  The reading and Harry Potter ones are for my classroom.  As you can tell, I love to share. If you'd like any of them, just shoot me an email or comment and I will send them along.  Maybe you'd even think about following my blog too?  Thanks!

I made them square and got 8x8 frames at Michael's to make them look extra trendy. :-)

Nothing Like Accountability

Each night my students are required to read for twenty minutes at home.  This reading log helps me monitor what they are reading and how much progress they are (or aren't) making on their books. As you can see, I like to make my stuff look a bit edgy.  Click here to download. 

Kid Fitness 101

I've been on a fitness kick.  I want to make healthier choices when it comes to diet and exercise.  I've been reading a lot and making some great changes to the way I eat.  There are simple things we can do that allow us to live healthier lifestyles.  I know many of us have Healthy Snack policies in our classrooms, and as part of that I hope to pass on some of the rules I've been living by to my students next year. 


I found a great website for kids to learn about making healthier choices called KidsHealth.org It is likely more geared towards middle school, but it was enough information to help me create my Kid Fitness Cards.  One challenge a week, for eight weeks. Feel free to download the cards below to share with your students or their parents. 

Thanks Pinterest: One Fabulous Bookshelf!

There Are Few Greater Moments Than The Ones Where You Surprise Yourself


So I'm not crafty.  At all.  I am convinced I have a spatial disability (the theory of multiple intelligences says so) and I rarely have any vision to create things, other than on the computer.  So when I saw this book shelf on Pinterest I repinned it... a girl can dream right?  At the end of the school year I realized that I could put a bookshelf on a counter in my room near some dead space.  So I was on a quest.  I refused to pay too much money and as always, Walmart comes to the rescue.  My room has a black theme so I decided to go with a black bookcase. 

And that's when I remembered that fabulous bookshelf I saw on Pinterest.  I have been warned by my fourth grade boys before to make sure I don't decorate the room with anything too girly so I had to switch it up a bit, but in the end... I am in LOVE!  I guess the moral of this story is that there's nothing a girl can't do with her pretty pink toolkit.