Five for Friday

I've linked up with Doodle Bug Teaching. Such a fun linky party. Click {here} to visit her blog. Time to get this thing started....

                                 


                                       


I need to keep reminding myself of this. Oh has this school year been a trying one. One that has tested my faith in myself as a teacher. I'm hanging on by a thread until our very last day. Come on June.

                                        

I received an interesting email today. Has anyone else received something like this? If you have, did you become a mentor? I LOVE using Class Dojo. The parents love it, the kids love it. It is seriously my life saver! The best part, it is FREE!!!

                                            
Love integrating technology wherever possible.  The kiddos love it even more! I love having all of them engaged. This is my vocabulary activity from my Blissful Butterflies ELA and Science Pack. It is the perfect activity for this gorgeous time of year. You can grab your own copy {here}.

 

This week was all about animal homes. My kids were fascinated by the story. They love animals. This nest fell out of a tree in one of my student's backyard. Look at all the things the bird used to make this nest. There is even a shoelace holding some of the nest together. So cool!

My kiddos loved it so much that I decided to have them conduct a research report on any animal they want. They can't wait to get started!!!

I know there is suppose to be five random things, but my brain is fried. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

April Product Swap...Round 2....Thank you The Busy Busy Bee Hive

A few fabulous ladies decided to do a product swap AND an awesome giveaway. As my earlier post said, I was gifted the amazing You Be The Judge {Fact VS Opinion} Pack from The Busy Busy Bee Hive. My Kiddos absolutely loved it! They asked for more and more. Which was easy to do since the pack contains numerous different Fact and Opinion games. Take a look at my kiddo below talking about the game.

The pictures are bright and colorful. They draw immediate interest from the students. The game is presented in a neat, You Be The Judge, theme. The kiddos really enjoy the power. I love that it comes with a recording sheet to keep my kiddos accountable.

Click {here} to enter the contest we are hosting. 

I hope everyone enjoys their week and thanks for stopping by!

Ziggie Tales Book Tour

I'm SOOO excited to be part of this wonderful Book Tour by Kathleen Wainwright. She is a wonderful author for little ones. I was honored to be able to preview her latest book, Ziggie Tales: Ziggie's Big Adventure. I fell in love with this humorous chapter book. This is the perfect book to kick start your little ones' love of reading chapter books.

Are you thinking about owning a classroom pet? Are you scared that it might be too much responsibility on top of all the other things you have to do in the classroom?  Why not make the decision as a group? The book gives details on how Marley (the sweet, lovable, quirky main character) decided on the perfect pet for her and her family. Marley took the time to research different animals. She consulted with her best friend, Layla (the brainy, level-headed character) as to which animal its her the best. This book would be a perfect way to show your little ones how to choose the perfect class pet. Make this task a fun one (that you might be able to get a grade out of) by having groups of students research an animal they would want as a class pet. The group can put together a poster or other creative product to persuade the rest of the class to choose their animal.

I can honestly say that having a classroom pet is one of the best experiences I've had with my little ones. It taught them how to be responsible and how to show compassion.  It helped bring out smiles of my toughest students.

 See below for some more wonderful entries about Kathleen's latest book. Also, you can enter a chance to win a copy of this wonderful book! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

An InLinkz Link-up

a Rafflecopter giveaway

April Fools Product Swap and Giveaway!

PAWSitively Teaching

The Inspired Owl's Corner

The Busy Busy Hive

Learning Lessons with Mrs. Labrasciano

The Dirt Road Teacher

The amazing ladies above and I have teamed up for a product swap and a giveaway. We all swapped products with someone else within the group. We tried out their products and are writing blog posts featuring the product. I LOVE this idea! How awesome is it to get another teacher's perspective on a product that was actually used in the classroom?!

I swapped products with Heather. She is the writer of the blog, The Busy Busy Hive. I'm going to be trying out her fabulous 

You Be The Judge {Fact VS Opinion} Product.

                       

Check back later this week for lots of pictures and kid reviews on this product.

Lastly, this group of talented bloggers have decided to host a giveaway. This is your chance to win a product of YOUR choice from one of our stores. Just enter the contest below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Quick, Cheap, and EASY classroom decor

Welcome to the 3rd installment of Bright Ideas. A group of about 150 teachers is taking back teacher blogs by providing YOU with FREE tips that you can start using in your classroom. If you would like to view the two previous Bright Idea posts click below. 

{1st post Classroom management}

{2nd Post Cheap Classroom Bulletin Boards}

My post is going to teach QUICK, EASY, and CHEAP ways to add a little flare to your room. 

I use the bins that your see below, for group materials. I hated how they looked, but LOVED how they functioned. The whole process took my 10 minutes for each bin. 

Here are the basics of what you need: Hot glue gun is a must and the glue is a must. I used the spray Elmer's Craft Glue. It works REALLY well. Caution, use the spray glue outside. I also have basic paper. It came in pack. It is card stock. I found some glitter tape (which now I'm addicted to, because it is awesome). Some extras are: duct tape, owl stickers, chalkboard stickers (not pictured here).

Cut the paper to the size you need for the bin. I found that it was best to cut to the exact height.

 Spray the glue to the area that you are ready to glue down to at that moment.

Apply some hot glue over the glue you just sprayed. Glue in various spots. 

 Apply paper. For these bins, I had to overlap the paper.

 This was the BEST part for me. Glitter tape! All you do is peel and stick. No glue required!

 Peel as you go around your bin. It is super easy to do. Press firmly on the tape.

 I used duct tape to cover the handle and the middle parts. I found glitter duct tape and tried to use that. It didn't work. Glitter duct tape does not stick. I had to apply hot glue to make it stick. However, the tape used above, stuck well.

I'd love to see what you create! Share in the comments below. 

One last SUPER quick, easy, and cheap trick. 

All you need  is Popsicle sticks and duct tape. Wrap the tape around the sticks and press firmly. I use these for numerous things in my room. The possibilities are endless!

If you liked this post, please consider following the bright ideas Pinterest board.

Thanks for taking the time to read through my post! I would love it if you shared some love in the comments section!

An InLinkz Link-up