Monday Made It!

This is my first time linking up with Monday Made It...hopefully not the last!

This is what my project started out like...a sad, beat up (slightly dirty) table that my kids have used and abuse. It used to have matching chairs which have since bit the dust.

All I did was sand it slightly before I started. I didnt take progress pics, but it was a 2 step process. Firstly, I painted the legs and under side of the table. I ended up doing 3 coats to cover over the darker colours on the legs. The I painted the table top with black board paint (2 coats)

And.....

The table being tested out.

My kids think its pretty fun to draw on the table. I see this as an option for some kid of literacy or maths group activity down the track - I actually bought a second table from an op shop for this very reason.

What do you think?

Literacy Work Stations - Teacher Tip Thursday

Guided reading is definitely not my strong suit. Coming from a primary background, kids usually came to me knowing how to read, with plenty of strategies. Then I was put down to Year 2. Lots of these kids could read up to a certain level but some couldn't! Panic came creeping in. I developed something that worked for me, with those kids, at that time. Panic subsided.

Enter Kindergarten.

Wow!

Know I need to know how to give them the strategies they need to read, to listen, to speak, to write.... you know where I am going.

Enter Debbie Diller.

I read something in a blog post while cruising Pinterest about a book of hers called Literacy Work Stations. I thought I should give it a shot, bought it on Book Depository and it arrived yesterday.

Wow again.

I am only up to chapter 4 but my head is so full of ideas of how to manage groups while the kids are involved in meaningful learning. One of these ideas leads me to....

One of my recent TPT purchase was a fabulous set from Keeping Life Creative. It is a felt story set of the Hungry Caterpillar. Click HERE to go and see it on TPT. 

At the time, I only bought it because of its uniqueness, but after reading some of my new book, my ideas got going!

I was going to use the pieces to create a drama/puppet set and get the students to retell the story!!!

Firstly I cut out each piece, then laminated and cut again. I usually hate that extra step but thought it would be worth it in this case :) How cute are these pieces!!

 Then I sticky taped a long thin paddle pop stick on the back.

How cute is this guy?? Taadaa....puppets!

He was still hungry so he ate through a piece of chocolate cake......

If you love these felt creations, she has other story sets available too! Go and visit her blog/website too http://keepinglifecreative.com/

I see this workstation being a favourite as I develop other sets of characters from well known stories. I hope this is something you might use in your room too :)

Teachers are crafty!

Yesterday I went into work to do some tidying up for the new school year. We start back on the 29th January and it seems to be creeping creeping up!

I also had to cover my boards in fabric - I have just gone for bright colours as a theme (pics will come when it is all finished) but I did get some pics of my little crafty effort which was LONG overdue!

This is the chair I sit on every day. Goodness knows how old this sucker is! But the kids pick it, an pull stuffing out and....it looks a  bit sad. Enter fabric and a staple gun!

 At the same time I took on the stools that were left in the classroom for me. Not in as bad a shape but still butt-ugly!

I don't have any process pics but this is the result!

 What a difference? I don't know how clean it will stay...but it is definitely better than the alternative. I might scotchguard it. Any thoughts?

 The stool for the kiddies :)

 My little reading corner - I have a mat to go down but I am still waiting for the cleaner to vacuum - still hasn't been done since the last day of school 3 WEEKS AGO!

The ensemble! In no way am I going to take up upholstery as a side job, but I found it easy enough :)

So what do you think?

Monday (we) Made It!

I haven't made anything crafty (the crates are still sitting in the backyard and the clipboards are begging to get covered) but every Monday on my day off, my 2 kids beg me to bake something. So bake we did.


All I had left was some vanilla cake mix so I thought I could jazz it up with a bit of Nutella. Do American's have Nutella? Its a chocolate hazelnut spread that is totally yummo.


So the kiddies mixed and licked and slurped raw batter and I luckily had enough to make 12 cakes:)


The baking cupcakes

Finished cakes. Yes I know they are upside down, but when they were cooking, the Nutella sank to the bottom and when I pulled them out of the pan,the Nutella was stuck. I had to reinsert it with my finger (insert inappropriate giggles here hehe)

Nutella icing on top - YUM!

Hopefully sometime soon Ill actually make something crafty. As these were cooking, I had a flash of inspiration for my crate seats. Will hopefully have it done by next week!


Before you go, if you like to win stuff, go and check out The Hands On Teacher! Marie is having a huge giveaway

There are lots of great prizes including this from me!

Hope you are enjoying your time off - I'm back to school tomorrow. Only 10 more weeks until holidays