A Giveaway with School Outfitters!

Now that school is back in full swing, I want you to think about what's missing from your classroom.   The physical layout, classroom climate, and the psychological environment of your classroom all affect student learning in either a positive or negative way.  School Outfitters and I want to help turn some negatives into positives.  Maybe you need some new classroom supplies, or a new bookshelf.  Perhaps your listening center can't accommodate  the number of students you need it to.  Here's how we can help- School Outfitters is giving away a $100 credit to one of my readers!  Think of all the ways you could spend $100 in your classroom!!

As you know, I moved from classroom teacher to school librarian this year, and I had a long list of things I needed.  At the top of my list was an attractive way to display, and make accessible, all of the magazines the library has a subscription to.  They had been previously stored in a back room where the students couldn't get to them.  What a waste!  So when School Outfitters offered me a chance to spend $100 on my library and then give $100 to one of you- I jumped at the chance!  I finally decided on this awesome magazine rack-

Click the pic above to see this magazine rack on School Outfitters' website.
This purchase made a huge change in my library!  The magazines are out where the students can actually use them now and the stand is so attractive!  I just love it!

So, if you had $100 to spend at School Outfitters, what would you buy??  Someone will win-it might as well be YOU!
Use the Rafflecopter below to enter each day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Pintester Movement

I am linking up with one of the funniest bloggers I "know"- The Pintester .  If you've never read Sonja's blog, you absolutely must!  Of course, read my post first, them go to her blog and read about other bloggers' Pinterest pin tests at 

So we've been eating completely healthy at my house for the past 2 weeks.  It's not always easy, but we are definitely seeing benefits in the mind, body, and spirit!  While swapping recipes at the lunch table the other day, I found out about this yummy, HEALTHY little ditty!  Chicken salad with avocado instead of mayo! 

Here is the original pin- click the image to see it on Pinterest.

We followed this recipe, but after sampling, we added a few dashes of hot sauce {for some more flavor} and a handful of sliced almonds for a great crunch!

I declare this pin test a WIN!

Best Seller Linky & International Pirate Day!

Check out this great giveaway and linky!  It's all about reading!  Click on the image above to enter Table Talk with C & C's giveaway and an opportunity to link up your best selling reading activity!  Mine is an activity pack to accompany the book, The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash.  

So who knew International Talk Like a Pirate Day was September 19th??  How FUN!  Mel has rounded up many pirate activities on her blog.  Click the image below to see them and link up your own!

Monday Made It {classroom decor}

I am looking up with 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It!

I feel like I have been the worst blogger in the world since school started!  Things have yet to settle down...maybe they will soon.  I have worked so hard on my library and I have yet to reveal the entire thing, because when I look at it, I always think of just one more thing I want to do, so I don't want to share all my pictures yet because it's not done, but then I think, Jeez Dana, when will it be done? We're almost to the middle of September!
 ANYWAYS- I will show you how I took a regular 'ol bulletin board and gave it a whole new look.

I don't have a picture of the before, but you know what they look like! :)

So, I found some fabric I loved {I also made no-sew curtains for my library with this fabric, I'll show those next Monday!}.   Measured out enough to wrap around the ends and I just used duct tape to hold it in place for now.  

I bought these cool silver tacks to hold the fabric in place.

If you can wrap a gift, you can do this.  That's the method I took with the edges.  I used hot glue to hold the fabric down.

Then, I turned the board over and spaced the tacks out along the edges.

I didn't even measure them, I just eyeballed it!

The whole thing took less than 30 minutes.  I have 7 square windows in my library and this one goes to a room that is never used, and already has blinds on the inside, so I put the board up to mimic curtains and give the illusion that this window is like my others.  I plan on using it to display my target skills.

Your cool tip for the day- 

If you want an easy way to hang things from the ceiling- hot glue fishing line to a magnet and stick it to the metal grid {if you have one} of your ceiling.

magnet

fishing line hot glued to magnet

Tissue pom balls from Pick Your Plum

  So easy hang {and remove when the fire marshall is making his rounds!}

Have a great week!

New Teacher Blog Tuesday & Freebies!

Every Tuesday I feature new bloggers and they share a little about themselves and some freebies with readers.  If you would like to be featured, email me at dml8609@gmail.com!

Today’s blogger is Gretchen from

1.        Name of blog and link:

SweetSweet Second Grade

2.       Tell us about your blog and why you started it.

Teacher blogs are an amazing resource for professional learning. Not only can you get so many amazing ideas from teacher blogs, but you can take part in a book study and learn about the newest teaching strategies in your classroom. I can remember being a new, young teacher visiting other schools for professional development. I would just take in so much when I went into another teacher’s room. Now we can get a “peek” of fellow teacher’s classrooms in the luxury of our home. I really felt like I HAD to be a part of this amazing new way of learning!

3.        Tell us a little about your teaching background.

This is my 10^th year of teaching! I started out in first grade for 4 years, looped a group up to second (which was an amazing experience), jumped up to 5^th for a couple of years, moved down to kindergarten (which I loved) and now I’m back to second!

4.        What songs are included on the soundtrack to your life?

“Sweet Home Alabama”

5.       What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?

Selling my favorite barrel horse last summer. I still miss him!

6.      What’s your favorite TV show?

Please don’t laugh… “Pretty Little Liars”! I’m obsessed!

7.      What is your favorite item of clothing and why?

My buckle jeans… They are comfy, cute and long enough to ride (horses) in.

8.      Number of candles that appeared on your last birthday cake?

33! Well… not exactly. My mother in law is very frugal and reuses candles. Yes, she reuses candles. She buys the kind that have the number and usually doesn’t have the correct numbers for the actual age. Therefore, she ends up making a number sentence with random numbers for the cake! For example, the cake might appear to say 267, but actually its 26 plus 7 equals 33!

9.       What was the last book you read? What are you going to read next?

I just re-read for the millionth time, “Reading with Meaning” by Debbie Miller. I don’t know what I’m going to read next, maybe that new Beth Moore book.

10.      What was the last thing that you ate that you really shouldn’t of?

Fried okra today at church! So good!

11.        Give us some links- Twitter, Pinterest, Teacher’s Pay Teachers, Facebook, a free teaching item etc.

TpT: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Sweet-Sweet-Second-Grade

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SweetSweetSecondGrade

Freebies on fb and tpt

Thanks for stopping by!!

New Finds for Every Teacher!

Every good library has policies and procedures.   How can you find these policies and procedures?  Well, if you are in my library looking for them, they are so easy to find because I used some awesome Avery products to organize mine.  Shoplet.com recently sent me several Avery products to try and share my thoughs on.  First of all, who doesn't love Avery products?  When I found out I was getting a whole box of Avery products, I was estatic!    

The dividers came 8 to a pack and are very sturdy, with reinforced holes and tabs.  

Through Avery.com, I found the template for these dividers and easily printed my information on the table of contents page.

Then I put them into place and I have an awesome policy notebook! The best part is, these Avery dividers only cost $2.72 from Shoplet.com!

This Presentation View Binder is perfect for the dividers.  I loved that I could slide my cover into the front pocket and it looks great!

Have you ever used round labels?? I hadn't before now.  They are adorable!  Once again, I used a template from Avery.com for the design {although, you can design your own}.  The templates open in Word, so they are easy to adjust to your liking.  I started a Birthday Book Club for my students and made these stickers to give them as they join.  They have a great glossy finish and were easy to print on with my ink jet printer.  Click {HERE} or the image to see them at Shoplet.com.

I am still designing a brochure for my library with these awesome Avery Tri-fold Brochures with Tear-Away Cards from Shoplet.com.  Each section is scored for easy folding and the tear-away cards are perforated so they tear off very smoothly.  Think of all the classroom uses for these!  Free homework passes, behavior passes, informational brochures for parents with your contact information on the cards, etc!

    

 Never buy gift labels again with these cool Printable Tags with Strings from Avery!  Print whatever you want on these tags, tear them out, use the enclosed strings and attach to your gifts!  Couldn't get easier than this.  The strings will definitely hold up because the ends are coated in plastic to prevent raveling.  With 96 tags in this pack, you won't run out any time soon!

I designed my Birthday Book Club stickers and Table of Contents dividers on my laptop while using this handy Fellowes Labtop Riser  from Shoplet.com.

  

This laptop riser is even comfortable in your lap!  It has plenty of room under it to allow for air circulation.  It's lightweight and small, so it doesn't take up much desk space.  Click {HERE} or the images to see it at Shoplet.com.  

Shoplet.com also sent me a Fellowes Document Lift with a Dry Erase Surface.  This product is great because I am STILL thinking of new and different ways to use it!

   

I can use it as a clipboard on the stand or off.  I can use it as a sign.  Lately, I have been using the two pieces separately.  Each class brings with them a behavior clipboard and I have been putting it in the stand.  

If these products inspired you or gave you any great ideas, please share them in the comments below!