Field Trip-Part 3

If you were absent for the other field trips, you can catch up here and here. You don't even have to have a doctor's excuse!

The last installment is to show you all some signs that I made for my classroom. I'm sure you all are like me and find all kinds of inspiration in stores and on the 'net. If you are also like me you think "I'm not paying that! I could totally make that myself!" When I feel guilty for creative theft, I just remind myself that copying is the highest form of flattery.

When you first walk into my classroom this sign greets you:

I found several variations of this on pinterest. I painted mine to have a "used chalkboard kind" of look then I picked some of my favorite lines from the inspiration ones.

This next sign was the first one I ever painted. I still love the message.

I have it hanging over my student computer workstations:

Next up isn't really a "sign" but maybe it is. It coordinates with my "Mrs. Cash" letters I showed you last time. Go up top for the link. I did the same thing: different font styles decoupaged with fabric and/or paper and at least one was spray painted. "Lakers" are our district's mascot

. Not really sure what a "Laker" is, but I support 'em just the same.

Next sign I saw in a store and I took a picture of it because I HAD to make it for my students because they do...

Up last is one more idea taken from pinterest. If any of you are teachers you've definately heard the phrase "I can't do it."

I tell my students to put the word "yet" on the end of their sentence.

Or what about this phrase? (spoken by a student as I AM EXPLAINING THE CONCEPT)

"I don't get it." Drives me crazy. every. time. But I still love my job!

Field Trip-Part 2

We are back in the classroom today.

I showed you the entrance and a few details yesterday. Today let's go look at my desk.

If any of you are teachers, you know that most of the furniture in your class has been handed down since the beginning of time.

That bookshelf was no exception. I spray painted it red this summer to brighten it up. That task was more than just a little pain in the bootay. At least 3 cans of spray paint and then it kept getting this weird film on it. It just about did me in.
If any of you know me at. all. then you will not be shocked by the baskets. It's not that I have a basket fetish, I just have a "it has be cute fetish." I made little chalkboard labels for the baskets and tied them on with ribbon.

Above the bookshelf are my decoupaged letters.

It says "Mrs. Cash" if you can't tell.

I went to Hobby Lobby and found the letters I needed in as many different styles as possible. The "M" is just as it came. The other letters I decoupaged with scrapbook paper or fabric. (I used the same fabric from the drop cloth drapes.)

I hot glued magnets on the back.
(Many of the walls in the school are metal. Or magnetic. I'm not sure how to say that. Magnets stick to the walls-k?)

I originally wanted to put the letters above the windows in the room, but those walls weren't magnetic. Or metal. Or whatever. Then I couldn't even get 3M strips to stick to them. Plan B was to put them behind my desk. So there.

On the front of my desk I made this nameplate with some extra scrabble letters. Remember my sign on the door?
But I decided to spray paint the tray red.

#1 because it is the school's color (and my favorite color) and

#2 it is against the law for me to leave it plain.

It's helpful to have that nameplate there just in case someone missed the ginormous name on the wall behind me.

Here is a shot of my pencil cup. I had another one but it got on my nerves that it was really full and all the pens and pencils and highlighters were all mixed together. I found this polka dot one at Cracker Barrel and it is perfect for sorting!

Plus it spins and it is polka dot, you just can't go wrong with a good polka dot!

Behind that is my "To Do Thing." I am constantly making "to do" lists and sticking them all over my desk. I am also always remaking "to do" lists because I lose the first ones under all the stuff that accumulates throughout the day.

I got this from Wuslu this summer. It was when they had their "surprise box" deal. Honestly I was a little disappointed when I got it, but then I thought about making it into something to hold all my lists! Of course I spray painted it too. I went with blue this time-the other school color.

I have gotten a ton of compliments on this and it has helped me cut down on the number of post-its I use in a day!

Next post I'm going to share some of the artwork I've made for the room. Check back!

Field Trip-Part 1

I've shown you all pretty much all over my house. Today we are going to go on a field trip!

I am the Title I teacher at a local elementary school. That means that I work with small groups of children who need extra instruction in reading, math or even behavior/social skills. My classroom used to be science lab and storage room. This is my second year in this room and there are many things I would still love to do. But let's go take a look. I'll break this down into a few posts because there are several little things I want to show you all. And I want to make you come back :)

Entering from the adjoining room:

The "Keep Calm" sign was my adaption to the "Keep Calm" stuff you can now find all over the place. I had a super old scrabble board in the depths of my cabinet that wasn't being used so I created a display. (The board is super and it is old, but I really mean for it to be super-old. As in extra old.)

I tried to think of as many "school words" as I could. It was easy at first, then I started running out of letters. I laid out the design. Made adjustments when I needed an extra word in other places then hot glued the letters down. I used 3M velcro hanging strips to hang it on the door.

The word "target" is my attempt to bring Senate Bill 1 into my crafting-- Not.

As you look across the room, you can see the big old wall o' cabinets.

This was a total. eyesore. Great storage, but not so easy on the eyes.

The cabinets are great, but I could not work in the room while staring at all the junk that was on the shelves. It would literally drive me insane. I got some drop cloths, a few yards of fabric, some ribbon and stitch witchery to help me with the cover up.

I just cut the fabric into strips, added the stitch witchery to the sides and ironed it onto the drop cloths. To hide the rough edges I hot glued the white ribbon on top of the sides. To hang them I bought cheap cafe rods and used curtain clips. I didn't even hem the drop cloths; I just folded over the extra fabric.
I'm going to link up with The CSI Project this week for the "Decorating with Letters or Words" Challenge.
Thanks for dropping by! Later in the week I'll show you my desk and the artwork I've painted for the room.