Procrastination Led to Creativity!
After sitting in so many meetings and discussing the beginning of the year must haves, one’s mind begins to wander and breed creative thoughts! After I painted the file cabinet, my creative juices were still flowing. What pushed me over the edge you ask? The announcement that there were volunteers in the building that could help. Well, that is just what I had been waiting on–someone to help me move the shelf to the grass to paint. I already had the vision in mind for the purple and blue color scheme to match the other items I had previously painted. I got the spray paint at Wal-Mart. Nothing fancy. I’m going to work on making the containers on the shelf look more HGTVish this coming week. I hope I spur on your creative ideas as well! What creative decor ideas do you have?
Be the Vulture!
Something they don’t teach you in your college education classes is to be the vulture. Trade up your items. If someone is getting rid of something, examine it to see if you may be able to turn it into something useful for your classroom. SO MANY useful items are thrown away every year–books, furniture, etc. This year the lady who moved in next door was getting rid of a short two drawer file cabinet. I thought it would be a good item to store extra things in, so I grabbed it. It was black and ratty looking–perfect for a transformation! Cans of blue and purple spray paint turned this old, black, beat up file cabinet into a beautiful creation.
What is Summer Slide?
PARENTS! This is for you! Give your child a head start and a review of last year’s content. Teachers, you can use this, too, to support parents for those long summer months! According to Super Teacher Worksheets, “Every summer, something invisible happens to your child’s learning. It’s called “summer slide” – and it means that during those sunny months away from school, kids can lose up to one full month of what they learned during the year.
That might not sound like much, but here’s what makes it serious: summer slide adds up. Year after year, small losses can stack on top of each other. By the time your child reaches middle school, the gap can be huge – and hard to close.
The sneaky part about summer slide? You probably won’t notice it right away. Your child might start the new school year just a little behind. Their teacher spends the first few weeks reteaching last year’s material. And the cycle continues.
Summer slide doesn’t happen because your child isn’t smart. It happens because the brain needs regular practice to hold on to what it’s learned – just like a muscle needs regular exercise to stay strong.Why You Can’t Afford to Wait
The achievement gap that shows up in high school often traces back to what happened – or didn’t happen – during elementary school summers.
Not the school year. The summers.
That means what your child does during summer break matters just as much as what happens in the classroom. And the time to act is now – during the elementary years, when your child’s brain is building the foundation for everything that comes next.
The good news? You don’t need to be a teacher. You don’t need hours of free time.”
At the very reasonable cost of $24.95 you get access to these resources! Before the back to school season starts, you can obtain these materials to help your child. You can get access to multiple subjects and multiple grade levels! That means you can purchase for children who are at different grade levels! Not only that, but you can give your child a head start in so many areas during the school year with many more resources on the website!
Happy 250th Anniversary America!
A few years ago I drew fireworks and sent fireworks cards at New Year’s instead of Christmas cards. You will need some chalk oil pastels and black cardstock. I followed a video such as this on and got rave comments from the recipients of the firework cards! The video I am sharing is one of the best after I watched several. I hope you enjoy making some fireworks cards as well with some children!
Get Ready for Father’s Day
A good father is hard to find and such a noble thing. If you are working with kids this summer, try this craft to celebrate fathers! I recommend it for older children because the origami is a bit challenging.
Also, check out the great selection of cards and Father’s Day ideas on Super Teacher Worksheets!
Peaceful Memorial Day!
Have a peaceful Memorial Day weekend! I’m sad to say that it was only this year that it occurred to me that it is insensitive to say “Happy” Memorial Day. That is inconsiderate of all who have lost someone who served. Instead I have honor and respect for anyone who has served or who has lost someone who has served. If you are not yet out for summer vacation, this is something you can try to communicate to your students while most of us are consumed with a BBQ grill and lemonade. I truly appreciate those who served!
Happy Mother’s Day
Read this book to celebrate Mother’s Day!
These make meaningful gifts for mothers on Mother’s Day! I have children wrap them and give them for surprises! Click the picture above to see how we accomplished this.
Pun Fun!
Consider this fun pun to go with May 4th. Ask students if they can think of a pun to go with another day of the year. Doing so can add some pun fun and critical thinking to your lessons!
