One Less Headache

Friday, August 31, 2012

Fabulous Friday Freebies: Classroom Management Ideas & Freebies

With school just starting for some and about to start for others, this is a great time to implement new classroom management techniques into your teaching day. Here are some classroom management freebies & fun ideas that you might find useful in your classroom.

I saw this poster on Pinterest and thought it was a great idea to have not only class expectations but also give examples of what it looks like and sounds like. Those clear examples help students think about how to act and give them ideas of what is appropriate. You could even have students do this as an activity listing what different rules/expectations look like and sound like. This could work well if you have students that need to learn appropriate social skills.

This class rules poster is a great way to get your students involved by having them help make your poster. One of my colleagues does not take photos of students but she still gets them involved by having them color fish or other animals that tell the rules instead.

Classroom bucks are a great incentive for good behavior that can motivate young students. I offer a free set of Art Bucks on my TPT store. I also include some suggestions for free prizes so you do not have to spend much money, if any, to use them. If Art Bucks are not your thing, I also offer general Classroom Bucks for a small charge.

This "There are Rules?" game is something that can be adapted to a wide variety of age levels and helps students think about why there are rules in school and why rules are important. I thought it was a creative idea and comes with some sheets with questions for students to reflect on and answer.

This free Classroom Economy Power Pack is also a great way to start a new classroom management system. This pack includes a fee set of classroom money in a variety of denominations. I have not tried this personally, but I have seen teachers set up a checkbook system in their classroom where students earn money each day by doing different tasks and can spend their money on rewards. Some classes even go so far as to charging the students rent each week for their desk to practice real world skills.

Do you have a free classroom management item? Please feel free to share in the comments below!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Best Game to Get Students Speaking Spanish

Rey del Mundo is a great game to play in the classroom to get your students speaking Spanish. It is a version of hot potato. But, instead of passing something around physically, students are speaking and calling on their classmates to speak in Spanish. When it is that student's turn to talk, they are it. If the timer goes off while they are still it, then they move to the end of the line.

I have never had students not like this game. There are several variations to it, but the same basic concept is the same throughout, and students get really into it. It is one of the easiest ways to get my students speaking Spanish for 45-60 minutes without even thinking about it.

Click on the link to download the lesson description and give it a try!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Back to School Deals & Steals - 8/26 - 9/1/2012

Here are your weekly back to school deals!

Walgreens

Deals no coupon required:
20 pack Wexford wooden pencils - $0.99
Elmer's jumbo glue stick or bottled glue - $0.99
8 pack Sharpie markers - $4.99

Deals using a coupon from the weekly ad:
Penway 24 pack crayons - $0.49
Wexford legal pad - $0.49
Wexford hand held pencil sharpener - $0.50
Penway 12 pack colored pencils - $0.79
Wexford pack of filler paper - $0.79
Wexford carry all pouch - $0.99
School supply box - $0.99
4 pack Sharpie highlighters - $0.99
2 pack Uniball gel pens - $0.99
Wexford 3 subject notebook - $0.99
30 pack Paper Mate mechanical pencils - $2.99

Staples

With a $5 minimum purchase, you can get four of each of the following items for only a penny:
8 pack Staples wooden pencils
12 pack pink cap erasers
Slider pencil box

Deals $1 and Under
5 pack Bic mechancial pencils - $0.50
Staples see through plastic ruler - $0.50
Staples one hole punch - $0.50
50 page Staples writing pad - $0.50
2 pack Sharpie permanent markers - $0.50
Staples stickies bright page flags - $1.00
Staples translucent pencil box - $1.00
5"x8" writing pad - $1.00
Staples memo pad with magnetic closure - $1.00
100 pack Staples paper clips - $1.00
Staedtler compass or protractor - $1.00
Staples graph ruled notebook - $1.00
Staples 1 subject wireless notebook - $1.00
Staples poly cover or one subject notebook - $1.00

Deals $5 and Under
Hammermill ream copy paper - $2.00 after $4.99 easy rebate
Expo Scents 4 pack markers - $2.00
3 pack Scotch transparent tape - $2.00
Webster's pocket reference book - $2.00
Staples reinforced filler paper - $2.00
4 pack Bic Atlantis retractable pens - $2.00
12 pack 3M Command poster strips - $2.00
3 pack Staples one subject notebooks - $2.00
12 pack Bic soft feel retractable pens - $3.00
Staedtler 8 piece geometry set - $5.00
9 Liter Really Useful storage box - $5.00
2013 Staples academic desk calendar - $5.00
12 pack Staples stickies - $5.00
EnduraGlide dry erase started kit - $5.00
Staples letter/legal size storage crate - $5.00

Deals Free after Easy Rebate
12 pack Bic Round Stic Grip ballpoint pens - $2.49 rebate
Avery NoteTabs - $3.99 rebate
50 pack HP photo paper - $8.99 rebate

Office Max

Deals $1 and Under
Five free single subject notebooks after $5 minimum purchase
12" Ring binder ruler - $0.05
Office Max white glue - $0.25
Schoolio 1" or 1.5" three ring binder - $0.25
Westcott 5" blunt or pointed scissors - $0.50
3 pack pink Pearl erasers - $0.75
.14 L Really Useful storage boxes - 2/$1.00
4 pack Paper Mate ballpoint pens - $1.00
Office Max single subject notebook - $1.00
24 pack SchoolID colored pencils - $1.00
Office Max ream copy paper - $0.01 after $6.98 rebate

Deals $5 and Under
Westcott 2 pack pointed or blunt scissors - $2.00
Office Max single or three hole punch - $2.00
Quartet dry erase board - $2.00
Swingline tot stapler - $3.00
3 subject notebook - $3.00
All Duck colored duct tape - $4.00
1.5" Durable View binder - $4.00
5 subject notebook - $4.00
All Prang art supplies - 2/$5.00
Lexar 8GB jump drive - $4.99

Office Depot

Deals $1 and Under
Office Depot pink cap erasers - $0.05
Office Depot tissue pack - $0.05
18 pack antibacterial wipes - $0.50
3 pack Office Depot highlighters - $0.50
Sharpie permanent markers - $0.50
Office Depot graph ruled filler paper - $1.00
Elmer's X-Treme glue stick - $1.00
Office Depot three hole punch - $1.00

Deals $5 and Under
Office Depot school copy paper - $2.00
4 pack My First wooden pencils - $2.00
Paper Mate liquid correction tape - $2.00
Office Depot single hole punch - $2.00
4 pack Foray pens - $2.00
Post It die cut notes - $2.00
2 pack Scotch Magic tape in dispensers - $3.00
24 pack Paper Mate mechanical pencils - $3.00
4 pack Expo dry erase markers - $3.00
Foray battery powered pencil sharpener - $4.00
Office Depot 25 pack heavy duty sheet protectors - $4.00
Wilson Jones 1" binder - $4.00
Emtec USB flash drive - $5.00

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Organize Your Classroom with Cheap Containers

Organization is crucial to running an efficient, orderly classroom. Because businesses understand teachers' --all people's, really--need for organization, they produce and sell containers...some for quite a bit of money. They do not have to cost a lot of money, though.

Here are a few ideas of places to find cheap containers to organize your classroom....

#1: Wash out water bottles and put sets of colored pencils in them. Throw in a tiny pencil sharpener, and you have sets of supplies ready to pass around when the time calls for a bit of arts and crafts.

#2: Save coffee cans, wrap them in paper or paint them, and label them with whatever supplies you need to store. Label one with sharp pencils and one with dull pencils. When students need a new pencil during class, they drop off the old and pick up a new one.

#3: Keeping a classroom garden? Take a used Tide bottle and wash it out thoroughly. Then drill holes in the cap and use it as a watering can.

#4: Take Coffeemate canisters and wash them out after you are done with them. Peel off the label and you have another see through container to store supplies in. A quick aside....I used to have my middle school students spit their gum in one. I left the used gum jar on my desk all year long. Students were grossed out, but it amused most of them to no end. The collection grew throughout the year in front of their eyes. They didn't complain about adding to the sticky petri dish because it appealed to their pubescent sense of humor. One student actually begged me to let him keep it at the end of the year.

#5: Spray paint used Pringles cans after they are empty and rinsed out. Then keep math manipulatives inside of them.

#6: Save used spice jars and store tiny art supplies inside: glitter, tiny stickers, sequence, beads, etc.

Have ideas of your own to share? Please add them in the comment sections. In today's economy, finding ways to save money and recycle is good for the land, our classrooms and our pocketbooks!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Fabulous Friday Freebies

Labor Day is more than just the first holiday of the school year. It is a chance to teach your students about how workers contribute to society, and engage them in conversations about careers. Here are a few quality free lessons about the holiday.

#1: Click on the image below to access a free download. You will have a lesson all ready to go that includes interactive homework (interactive between the student and family/community) and classroom activity. It is perfect for low to middle elementary grades.

#2: Click on the image below to access a free puzzle page all about Labor Day. This needs a bit of background information, but it would be perfect for lower elementary grades.

#3: Click on the image below to access a labor day vocabulary activity. Students look at sets of words relating to a certain profession and write down what profession the word set is talking about. It looks fun and ideal for the middle and upper elementary grades.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Back to School Deals & Steals! 8/19 - 8/25

All the kiddos at my school are back to school on Tuesday but that has not stopped the back to school sales! Although the deals will be dying down slowly, keep on the lookout for deals & steals throughout the year. We will also be introducing a frugal element to our blog to help you get the best deals and freebies for your classroom.