Folder Holders (Simple and Affordable)

Have you ever wanted to purchase a seat sack or chair organizer, but couldn't afford them?  They are SO expensive!  This year, I got a decent deal on some homemade denim seat sacks.  Then I dyed them and added a ribbon detail.  When I (finally) finish my classroom and post pics, you will get to see them.

My son starts Kindergarten this year, and one of the K teachers saw my seat sacks and wanted to make some.  So I thought I would try to come up with a design for her to use.  Her room has a jungle theme. I think these turned out really cute and they were not difficult or expensive to put together. 

With folders:

Without folders:

How to make them:

I  bought this in the fabric section of Walmart for about $8.

13 1/2 inches wide worked nicely for me.  The plastic is 9 feet by 54 inches.  Cut it into 54 inch strips that are @13.5 inches wide.  Then fold cut that in half so that you have two 27 inch strips that are 13.5 inches wide. You only need one strip for the folder holder.

Begin by taping one short edge with duct tape. There are so many cool duct tapes now; you can find one that matches your classroom design.

Then you want to fold that strip about 1/3 of the length of the strip and staple the sides.

Then flip it over and fold the other end in the other direction and staple the sides again.  One pocket will hold the folder. One pocket will go over the chair back. 

Then add duct taper border and put it on the chair!  Very simple!

I don't know how strong these will be.  They will hold folders just fine though!  I may work on other designs in the future.

Spin and Summarize

I plan to post this on my door instead of a standard ticket-out-the-door, we can add a little chance and a little fun to wrapping up our learning!

Spin and Summarize

Download HERE.

Free Poster

Download HERE.

I'm printing this and layering it on printed paper and solid paper with scalloped edges to hang in my classroom. OR I may use that red frame I painted. .  . Hmmmmm.

Their EIEIO Farm

If you've ever wished that social media came with a red pen app.. . . . today's post will make you very happy.  Since so many adults apparently struggle with how to use the words they're, their, and there, it's no wonder that students have a difficult time mastering the skill.  However, there is hope!  I have written an original song which makes it really fun and easy to teach.  You can view the FREE SONG VIDEO here:

Their EIEIO Farm Song Video

But if you'd like the unit, complete with lesson plan, presentation, printables, and much, much more, click on the link below to visit my teacher store!

http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/KES3Davis/their-eieio-farm

It's visually engaging, with cute farm graphics, and you should have everything you need to teach!  Thanks in advance for your support!

Bucket Seats for Guided Reading Table

Obviously, this is not an original idea. I got the inspiration from Pinterest.  But the pirate design is all mine, and I love how great these look!  The buckets are going to be real space savers, so not only are they super cute, but super useful!

A couple of hints: 

Do not waste your time on cheap spray paint.  Get the Rust-oleum that  works on plastic.

It's OK to use the cheapest Home Depot orange buckets, but if you can find them already the color you want, that's great too! They are $2.60.  The lid is $1.28. 

A light duty staple gun is awesome for this project! Here's the one I used.

Sneak Peek of My Pirate Themed Classroom

Wow!  It's been a while since my last post.  Having a whole lot of fun on vacation, but I've managed to sneak up to school a couple of times.  I wish I could say I was done, but is a teacher ever really done?

Anyway, here is a sneak peek of how it's going.  I can't wait for it to be complete, and then I can post a full tour.

I made this.  Yes, I did.

I'm in love with my reading corner this year. So cute.  Makes me wanna go over there and curl up with my Ipad.  :)

In my own little corner of my own little room. . 

Lordy!  Got to organize these books soon. HELP!  Haha

Cool scene setter from Oriental that looks like a pirate ship deck.

Painted Frames

Pinterest is a lot of fun for a lot of reasons, but particularly if you are a teacher. If you, like me, have seen picture frame projects you want to try, let me give you a tip.  I bought this beautiful frame at Michael's for only $8.  It's solid wood and awesome.  I almost hated to paint it, but I wanted it to match my classroom decor.  The reason it was so cheap is because it was an "OOPS" (It actually had the word Oops! written on the back.) from the framing department.  There were several to choose from. 

There was no glass or backing of course, but that makes it perfect for those Pinterest projects where you don't need that stuff anyway.

I'll post again when I decide how I'm going to use it. I may add my own backing. . . . 

(to be continued. . . )