Western Pick A Stick

Every year I have my usual pick a stick with student names on them. I've read blogs about painting two different colors so you know who as been called on, etc. As I was sitting at my desk starring off into space instead of getting my room ready, I came up with this idea...instead of using names, numbers. Then I added sticks with TC (teacher choice) and boy/girl. Finally, I decided to add foam western shapes of all colors/types to the top. What I came up with is below.

What I like about the sticks is this...I can pull a student number to call on my kiddos or have a teacher's choice, boy/girl. What I liked better was the idea of quick groupings of students. I could pass all the sticks out and have students group by evens, odds, color foamy, shape of foamy, 1-5, etc. AND now that the sticks of numbers instead of names I can use them AGAIN next year!

Share your ideas, thoughts, or ways of being creative with your pick a stick and quick grouping methods. PS...I got these western foam shapes at Oriental Trading.

Western Wreath

Like I have said in a few previous posts, our school wide theme is WESTERN this year. I had a cute little zebra wreath outside my door from our old jungle door. I didn't take a picture of it because it got smashed and was all dirty and dusty.  

I was not looking forward to trying to create a new wreath to match the new theme...I just don't feel that is where my creativity is...so I didn't take any pictures of the process because I was stressing over the entire thing! But I can say, I LOVE how it turned out! Not my best work of art, but I'll take it!

I just took three red bandannas, wrapped them around a green foam wreath ring, and secured them into place with pins. The cowboy boots, hat, and stars are all left over bulletin board items I used to spice it up some. When it was all said and done, I was wishing I took pictures of the process!

Whisper Phone Make over!

Just a quick post about a fun idea I saw on Pinterest. We have classroom whisper phones made out of PVC piping for my kiddos to use during the year. They came home for their usual dishwasher cleaning and I have to say they still looked FUNKY after two rounds in the dishwasher! I enlisted the help of my daughter and her huge Duck Tape collection. The result...really cool looking and so much better than plain old white!! I wish I had taken a "before" picture, but I didn't. You can see the ends are still dingy (and if you think that is bad you should have seen what is now UNDER the cool stuff), but the Duct Tape did a perfect job covering up grime, marks, and old label gunk!

I will be posting a lot of stuff this week as I go back into the classroom! Be sure to check back soon!

Daily 5 Western Themed Anchor Charts

My school district started a modified version of The Daily 5 initiative last year. I was one of the "pilot" teachers for this initiative. We spent last summer reading and discussing The Daily 5 in depth and then all last year implementing it during our Title I / Workshop Time. I have to say even though we are doing a modified version, I LOVE the organization and terminology of The Daily 5. It really works well in my room. 

With our building theme change to Western, I created new anchor charts. I used a blank page from Mrs. Magee's Classroom Forms and Substitute Information - Western Cowboy Theme to create the pages. Click here to see it! Mrs. Magee has so many different options and the forms are all editable in word. I used the Western Cowboy Theme one for my teacher binder and substitute binder. 

I create the same exact chart with students on large chart paper first. Once students have mastered which area of The Daily 5 we are working on, then I remove the large chart paper. I put the small anchor chart on the focus wall along with examples of student work and pictures of students working in the center correctly. 

These pictures are from last year. 

So I really liked the basic anchor charts I used last year. I got those for free from Lori Evans on TPT and from her blog. I then got the FREE Stitched Star clip art from Ashley Hughes to create additional posters I needed.

Click both of their names to get the free stuff!

So I used the anchor charts from last year as an example for my new anchor charts this year. 

Get your FREE anchor charts here!

   

TpT Sale & Back to Blogging

Hi all! It has been a very long time since I have blogged...life just seems to get to be overwhelming. I'm not sure how much I will get to blog...between the start of school, working on my Mastser's, family, and all the other parts of life...but I will do my best to at least do a weekly post of something new or great I am doing in my classroom.

So first, things, first...Teachers Pay Teachers is having their annual back to school sale! I will have all my items at 20% off! Combined with TPT's discount, you will save 28% on all  your stuff for back to school. I suggest you get your carts ready and buy early...avoid the dreaded site meltdown that tends to occur with the sales. Check out all my items here!

Thanks to Mary Beth White for the free graphic. She is a brand new seller with just a few followers, so I couldn't resist this graphic and helping out someone new!

Cyber Monday Sale!!

Get your shopping carts ready! Teachers Pay Teachers is having their annual Cyber Monday Sale! Everything in my store will be 20% off. Enter the code CYBER to get an additional 8% off.

Click here to go to my store to stock up & save!

The sale runs from Monday, December 2 -Tuesday, December 3.

Monthly Writing Calendar - November & December!

My students love writing! So I designed this simple writing prompt calendar for my students to use as Morning Work. It will also be used for DEW (Drop Everything and Write). Other uses . . . Daily 5, Writing Centers, small group, the possibilities are endless!

What I love...there are NO DATES & you can use it year after year! :)

Print one calendar page and put under a document camera...create a monthly journal packet...put in a writing center...glue into a composition notebook...again, the possibilities are endless!

What's included each month?

1 Calendar with 20 different prompts (Canadian version for Nov. too!)

7 different cover pages (color & B/W)

6 Lined Stationary Pages (color & B/W)

6 Primary Lined Stationary Pages (color & B/W)

2 Blank Stationary Pages (color & B/W)

       

Get your October Calendar here!

Get your November Calendar here!

Get your December Calendar here!

I will be making these for EVERY month, so check back often!