DIY Crayon Art!

So you know that website, Pinterest?  It's such an awesome places to bookmark your favorite things in pictures, but to also get great ideas from the people you follow.  (Follow me on Pinterest HERE).


This piece of art has been circling around Pinterest.

 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/77430119/rainbow-falls?ref=tre-450322965-11

How pretty is that? I've been oohing and ahhhhing over it for days! One of my friends decided to try this on her own. So she inspired me to do the same!


What you need:

• Canvas (I used 16x20)
• Crayons (I used 64 count crayola)
• Wood glue
• Hair dryer

I took the crayons and lined them up in the order I wanted, and glued them down to the canvas with wood glue.  I let it sit overnight.


The next day I got some books to prop up the canvas. I plugged in my hair dryer, but it on the medium heat setting, lowest fan level. I did one small section at a time. Once the wax started pooling up under the crayons, I picked up the canvas and let it drip down how I wanted. Another thing I loved about using the hair dryer was that I could use it to kind of guide the wax where I wanted it to go.


When I first started, I aimed the dryer over the whole crayon. That caused my crayons to melt towards the top. Not bad, but I then started to aim the heat just at the bottom of the crayons, and I like the way that looks much better.

The total cost for this project was around $12.00. If you have a coupon to Michaels you can get a canvas for 6-7 dollars. It took about 20 minutes to melt the wax.


The final product, not bad, huh?! I plan to hang this one in my classroom and make another for my son's playroom!

You could probably even just stick the canvas outside and let the sun do it's job, because WOW is it hot outside or what?! 

 

My New [school] Year's Resolution

Ahhhh, this time of year is filled with anticipation! While I have loved staying home with my little guy, a part of me is just itchin' to get back into the swing of things. 


With a new year, comes new goals and resolutions. Let's see if I can stick to them this year!

RESOLUTION #1 - Implement the Daily 5 format into my classroom routine.

I read about the Daily 5 years ago. I agree very much with the philosophy but couldn't figure out how to make it work in my classroom. Well this year, I'm going to make it work! I know it will be challenging in the beginning getting it going, but I can't wait to see how students respond and progress throughout the year.

RESOLUTION #2 - Be more productive during the school day. 

While I do love my job, I am a mommy first and foremost and I hope that I can accomplish more during the school day this year. This will free up time at home so I can spend it with my sweet baby boy.

RESOLUTION #3 (and I make this one every year) - Be more organized.

Siiiiiiiigh. I try. I really do. But my desk is just a nightmare. Maybe I should just get rid of it all together?

So what are yours?? Be sure to link up with the Clutter Free Classroom! Go HERE to link up now!

My Shopping Finds Today!

I'm working on revamping my classroom (mobile) and creating more fun places for students to read during our Daily 5.

Today at my most favorite store EVER, Target, I found this rug. Only $29! It was by the kid bedroom stuff.

And then at Lowes, I found these chair to go with the rug, on sale for $7. They seem durable, and easy to clean, which I love. I plan on finding some matching pillows to throw on them. I got green and yellow.

And last but not least....a saucer chair I picked up at Walmart for $17. Awesome, huh?

Still on the lookout for a rocking chair that I can paint and make all cute for my teacher chair! Currently I have this oversized recliner that just takes up too much room and is almost as old as me!

Stay tuned for pics of my classroom!

Daily 5 SOS!! Can you help me??

I'm determined to give Daily 5 a go this year, but trying to wrap my head around the logistics. I've read The Daily 5 -- I have the CAFE book, but it's at school. I hope to get it tonight and maybe it will help answer some of my questions. Because school hasn't even started and I'm already feeling like this:

So....here are my questions. If you have an awesome I'd LOVE YOU FOREVER if you'd post a comment and help out!

1. I LOVE Lucy Calkins Units of Study for Writing. Do I just incorporate this into my Daily 5....no extra writing time needed? Just give my minilesson during one of the blocks? 
2. Is it ok if I do 2 parts of the Daily 5 before lunch and 2 parts after?
3. How long are each of your blocks? Right now I'm thinking 30 minutes for each part....that includes minilessons. 
4. Anyone willing to share their schedule?

If you can help me out, I thank you!

My Favorite Back -To-School Activity

I'm joining up at Fun In First for her Back To School Linky Party!

A lot of teachers are posting their favorite books and activities, so I thought I'd post something different.

On the first day of school, I teach my class our "secret handshake". The LOVE that it's a 'secret' and have so much fun learning it. They also love that it is special to our class.

Have you seen the movie Parent Trap? It's one of my favorites. I teach them the Parent Trap handshake. It looks tricky, but the kids pick it up quickly -- maybe not the first day, but definitely after the first week. We start very S-L-O-W and then pick it up. 

Here's a youtube video that shows the handshake from the movie.

And here's a tutorial that shows step by step instructions.

It's so much fun, very silly, and LOTS of giggles for that first day.

Be sure to link up at Fun in First and share your favorite back to school activity!

Postcard Exchange Update -- 3 states needed!!

What an AWESOME exchange we have planned -- so far we have 47 out of 50 states! If you are participating....THANK YOU!

We still need participants from the following states:

• RHODE ISLAND

• VERMONT

• NEW HAMPSHIRE  

 Go to Primary Graffiti and read all about this awesome exchange HERE. !
If you are interested....leave a comment here!

Skype Story Time

I've received quite a few emails about the Skype Story Time I did with my class last year.  I set this up for the month of May -- for 2 consecutive weeks, we had story time via Skype with friends from all over the U.S. (and Canada)!  The kids loved it so much, that I'm planning on making this a weekly addition to our schedule. 

I'm planning on asking parents at the beginning of the year for names of people that would be interested in Skyping with our class. I will encourage them to think of people in other states, maybe countries. The students were so excited to learn what the weather was like and what the time was in place our reader was skyping us from. Sometimes the reader would show us outside by aiming their camera out the door or window. 


The kids interacted great with the readers. They laughed, asked questions, and were really interested in this type of read-aloud. The readers enjoyed it too! 

Some tips for starting your own 

Skype Story Time:

1) Patience. Sometimes, especially with technology, things don't go as planned. Be patient and work through the problems. Front load your class that if you are working on a technical problem, they should sit quietly until it gets worked out. 

2) Tell your reader to hold up the book so the kids can see the illustrations. My readers did a great job at this. 

3) Connect your computer to the internet via hard wire. It seems to be more reliable and faster than wireless. 

4) Set a time with your reader and stick to it. Coordinate around their schedule, especially if they are in another time zone. 

5) Experiment with your webcam and how you can capture most of your kids in the frame. 

6) Use your projector to project the Skype story time on your wall/Smart Board.

7) Take screen shots during the reading to add to your class blog!  Like this:

My friend in Seattle, reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

My high school teacher and coach reading to the class.

My friend, Ryan in Calgary, used conferencing software for his reading. It was awesome!

This was a screenshot that Ryan took of my class. They just love hearing the stories!

Are you interested? I hope I encouraged some of you to use this awesome tech tool in your classrooms next year! I plan on typing up a tips sheet for my readers to help them get connected, etc. I'll post this once it's completed.

More SMART Board Downloads for Everyday Math! *FREE!

2 more games to go with the Everyday Math series --

Penny Nickel Exchange -- read the description for directions. Click HERE to download.

Dice Roll and Tally....Click HERE to download.

What I've Been Up To....

Long time, no blogging! I've been enjoying some time with my family on vacation! We just returned from San Diego. What a lovely and gorgeous place that is! I miss the sunny days and perfect weather. I'm jealous of anyone that can call that place home!

We packed in a bunch of activities -- the zoo, Sea World, the beach, lots of food, Coronado....so fun! Here are a couple of pictures. More teacher blogging soon!