Dreams Coming True

Although I recently ended one of the best experiences of my life, I have since been given a new opportunity. I have been asked to be a long term substitute teacher in a 3rd and 4th grade classroom!

This subbing opportunity is one of indefinite length. It could go as far as the end of the school year.
I am SO excited to be back at my school and working with such a wonderful staff and awesome students.

I have been hard at work creating things for my room. There are some things that I real wanted to implement and try out. I am thrilled to be starting soon! Now if it would just stop snowing..... *sigh*........ snow day #9.....

One of the first things I created was something that we used in the classroom that I student taught in. It is a very simple project, but it makes all the difference in the world. I purchased a large crate. It is important to find the ones that you can hand the file folders inside of. You will know by looking at the  ring that is inside of the perimeter of the crate. I then purchased hanging file folders. I needed 32 to complete this project.

The use of this crate is to store extra papers. So often we make "a few extras" when we are copying papers in order to ensure that we have some in case students make a mistake or lose them. Often times students are absent and are unable to get a copy until they return to school. This crate solves all of those problems! All of the extras from a particular date go into the corresponding numbered hanging file folder. For example, February 1st's papers would all go into the file folder labeled "1".

When absent students come to pick up their work, you simply go in to the labeled folder and retrieve their work. It truly takes the confusion out of finding extras!

I also created "Absent Folders". I store these in a hanging file folder at the back of the crate.These stay on the desks of absent students and go home with all of the work they missed while they were out. The students are pretty good about filling them with work for their absent friends. I'm in love with this system!  I bought these adorable folders on TPT!

I also created a No Name Board. This is a project that is all over Pinterest and I have been dying to make one for quite some time! I love the way it turned out.

I used a piece of MDF board cut from Home Depot. I glued black card stock on to the board and finished off the edges of the board with wide, neon washi tape. I bought the question mark clipart on TPT and glued them on to card stock for durability. 

I received a Circuit cutting machine for Christmas and have been putting it to good use! For the "No Names" text on the board, I used the Circuit Chalkboard Fonts cartridge. 

To finish it off, I hot glued clothes-pins to the question marks and then glued them on the boards. I then glued 1-inch ribbon to the back of the board! TA-DA! No more messy piles of no-name papers.