Do or Die(cut)

The Ellison Die Cut Machine has been a staple in elementary schools for decades. It's not my favorite school supply to use though - I'll save that award for the trusty laminator. The die cut machine so effortlessly cuts through stacks of construction paper requires the strength of an Olympic weightlifting champion to finally obtain your finished product - whether it's a catchy bulletin board title or pumpkins for the upcoming classroom Halloween party. And sometimes, it doesn't even cut all the way through the paper! Do you want to know something that does cut through the paper? The Cricut machine! I think I'll be using mine a lot more this year - more on that in a future post. 

We do have a pretty nifty Golden Gate Bridge die cut though. Maybe I'll make use of it this year. And I always end up using the hearts around Valentine's Day and the shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day. 

But I'm not here to talk about the Ellison. I am writing about the way I create bulletin boards now - sans old fashioned die cut machine. I searched my photo albums to find a picture of the bulletin board above my reading center my first year of teaching. Look at those letters...and the fish...and the sand dollars! I quickly learned that making these letters took a long time. It could take nearly an hour to make ONE bulletin board. My time is valuable and I didn't want to waste it on the die cut machine any longer. 

So - I decided to start TYPING the text for my bulletin boards. What a really simple solution! I cannot begin to tell you the amount of time it has saved me. Another perk? With the die cut machine, you only have a handful of fonts from which to choose. With your computer - the possibilities are seemingly endless. And you can change the font size too - small or large - it's up to you! (My graphic design friends will be happy to hear I've never used Comic Sans for a bulletin board. Well, okay, maybe once before I knew better...)

Here is the process you can use to create bulletin boards within minutes: 

1) Choose the font of your choice and type your desired text. 2) Print and cut out the words. 3) Glue the words to colored paper of your choice. 4) Cut out the words and staple to your bulletin board. 

This bulletin board is hanging above my reading center. Students have the option to sit on pillows or a beach chair while they enjoy their books. 

Here are some bulletin boards that were hanging in my classroom last year:

I have five bulletin boards and plenty of wall space to decorate in my classroom. Typing the text I want has saved me (and my teacher's aide) hours of work!

ABCs & 123s, 

Heather

Los Chimichangos

Every few months, I find myself inside a local Kohl's store in search of new books. Kohl's releases various children's books and stuffed animals as part of their Kohl's Cares program. 100% of the net profit made from their special program is donated to support kids' health and education programs nationwide. And the best part? The books and stuffed animals are only $5.00! 

I was so excited when I walked through the doors a few weeks ago and found...

           SKIPPYJON JONES!!! 

To my surprise, several of my teaching friends have never heard of the Skippyjon Jones series, written by Judy Schachner. (I have had some of these books in paper back for a few years, but absolutely couldn't resist picking them up in hard cover with stuffed animals to match!) The main character in the series is Skippyjon Jones, a mischievous Siamese cat who longs to be a Chihuahua. In the first book of the series he travels far, far away to old Mexico where he runs into Los Chimichangos, a pack of Chihuahuas. He spends his days in old Mexico telling everyone he meets that he is El Skippito, the great sword fighter. Los Chimichangos ask El Skippito to help them defeat El Blimpo Bumblebeeto Bandito, who stole all of the beans for their burritos. An epic battle ensues and alas El Skippito and Los Chimichangos are victorious. A fiesta is held and everyone is happy! 

You'll have to pick up the other books to find out what happens in those. No spoilers here. 

I love these books for many reasons. This is a great series for teaching students to use their imaginations when they write! Skippyjon Jones doesn't really travel to old Mexico, but he does so in his imagination. And do you know where old Mexico is located? Inside his closet at the house owned by his mother, Mama Junebug Jones. And the Bumblebeeto Bandito that he so effortlessly defeated? Well, that was supposed to be his birthday piñata. His mother warned him to stay out of his closet, but that didn't stop him from exploring. 

Another reason I LOVE using this series in my classroom is because of all the Spanish words the author uses. The books are a great way to introduce a unit on Mexico to your class. Will you be teaching them Spanish in the near future? Pick up one (or all!) of these books today. It is very important muy importante that you read these books with your best Spanish accent. I can't help but think that a great Spanish accent adds to the charm of these wonderful books. 

Head on over to El Skippito's website for downloads, videos, games and a link to download the new Skippyjon Jones app. The teacher's section is overflowing with resources and lesson plans you can implement in your classroom right away. I already know I'll be downloading the Lost in Spice Readers Theater script to use with my 2nd graders this year! 

If you feel ridiculous for reading this book with a Spanish accent and catch yourself saying "Holy Guacamole!" from time to time, remember this quote by Dr. Suess, "You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child." 

What are some must have books in your classroom library? Tell me! I have well over 1,000 books in my classroom and I'm always looking to add more! 

ABCs & 123s, 

Heather

Where do I sit?

One of the first things I do to get my classroom ready at the beginning of a new school year is make the name tags for student desks. My name tags always match my classroom theme. 

Ocean theme - ocean name tags. Travel theme - travel name tags. Owl theme - owl name tags. Dr. Suess - Dr. Suess name tags!

I've searched high and low for Dr. Seuss name tags, but have come up short. What's a teacher to do? Oh, that's right - I'll create some matching name tags myself! 

Here are the steps I took to create my own student name tags: 

I bought the blank sentences strips at Michaels Arts & Crafts Store - only $1.00 for 50 white sentence strips. I obviously didn't use them all and now have some left for another project in my classroom. I bought the Dr. Suess stickers for $1.99 at a local teacher supply store. 

Then, I added a Dr. Seuss sticker to the left hand side of the name tag. 

I wasn't satisfied with my first attempt - it was too plain. I decided to use blue and red permanent markers to add some more detail to the name tags. 

The finished product! "Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!" -Dr. Suess

What is the first thing YOU do to prepare your classroom for a new school year? 

ABCs & 123s, 

Heather