0 popcorn themed word-wall

My popcorn word-wall is definitely the cutest addition to my circus classroom!

Since my word-wall is a whiteboard, I use magnets to keep the words up. 

For the first few week of school, I put color/number words up as a review for my students. 

Once we tested on color/number words, I changed them out for a new set of words that we studied. 

Oh and I can't forget... every time we change out the words, we POP popcorn and enjoy!

Just in case you are wondering, I purchased that darling popcorn banner from 

Hobby Lobby for $5.99 (I used a coupon). You can view it here.

I have created popcorn words (using Dolch sight words) for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. 

You can also buy these popcorn words in a BUNDLE!

Do you have a word-wall in your classroom? How do you use it?

Detail: popcorn themed word-wall

0 DIY magnetic art wall

Last year I had a "cursed" wall. I wish I took a picture of it for you, because it really was cursed.

It was ugly, damaged, and I couldn't staple a thing into it. I covered it with butcher paper (by taping and gluing it down) and used it as my art wall anyways. I struggled all year long to get artwork to stay up... because, sometimes you just gotta work with what you have.

This year I wasn't willing to deal with that wall. No way. Instead, I covered it up with sheet metal.

It was my sister's idea. She is a genius!!!

I got the sheet metal from a local heating and air conditioning company.

They were so nice and they cut it so it would fit my wall perfectly.

  

The best part: It only cost me $35.00.

It was wayyyy cheaper than a home improvement store... 

Don't you wish those places offered teacher discounts?

I didn't have to use a drill to get the sheet metal to stay up, instead I used double sided Duck Tape. 

By the way, that stuff is pretty much amazing and knocks the socks off of Teacher Tape.

And to keep the black polka-dotted boarder up, I used glue dots and so far it has worked like a charm!

Don't you love that adorable banner? My sweet mom helped me cut out all that felt and then she sewed it together for me. I'm lucky to have such a talented mama (and sisters).

I love my new wall! Now I use magnets with my students' names on them to hold their artwork.

My students think that magnets are pretty cool, too. They love putting up their own art.

For my magnets, I used a similiar idea to Mrs. Rojas over at Create, Teach, Inspire
and they turned out darling!

How do you display your students' artwork?

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Detail: DIY magnetic art wall

0 home reading tracker

Last year I wasn't good at tracking my students' home reading minutes.

I mean, I still tracked them and all, I just didn't have a successful motivating system. 

I used stickers and that's about it. Boring huh? Ya... it was.

I feel like I "dropped the ball" last year, so I am determined to succeed this year.

Since I have a carnival/circus theme in my classroom,
I decided to make a "Reading is Sweet" bulletin board with some cute lollipops I found at Target.
This board is used to track the home reading minutes.

For every 100 minutes read at home, my students earn a pony bead to put on their necklace.

All of my students have a dog tag necklace with their names and "grade 2" stamped on them. If you want to stamp your students' names into dog tag necklaces, then it is important to get a soft aluminum. 

(I wouldn't recommend buying them from Oriental Trading.) I got mine on Etsy here.  

Click here to see what kind of metal stamp set I used (you may want to shop around for this).

To start out the school year, each necklace had a piece of candy.  My students got to trade in their candy when they read their first 100 minutes (at home) and earned their first bead. I will continue to put cheap/hard candy on their necklaces every so often to keep up the motivation. 

Even though my students have only earned one or two beads so far, they are so excited! 

They are talking about the patterns they want to make with their beads... and all I tell them is: 

Keep reading at home and you will get that pattern!

I require my students to read at least 20 minutes each school night for homework. I send home a reading chart each Monday and it is due each Friday (click here to view my Home Reading Chart). In one week, they should be able to get 100 minutes read, which would earn them one bead a week. 

So now tell me, how do you track home reading minutes?

What kind of rewards do you use?

Detail: home reading tracker

0 circus postcard

I have finally finished the postcard I will be sending to my students before school starts this year. 

It is similar to my Chicka Chicka Boom Boom postcard, but it fits my circus theme instead.

I absolutely love this design. It just might be one of my favorites!

Click on the picture below to download this postcard for FREE at my TpT store.

(All I ask is that you follow my blog and my TpT store  in return...)

Thank you for your support! You are the reason I blog!

Detail: circus postcard