Keeping the Classroom Creative

Displays for Gold

2012-04-26T18:51:00.002-07:00

I work with some of the most creative teachers. And when I say teachers I mean staff, principal, secretary, attendance clerk, etc. We love to do things with a theme. We were asked to use the upcoming Olympic games and "going for gold" as motivation to inspire our students with decorated doors to greet them before coming into the classroom for testing.
Classroom Olympic Themed Doors for Testing Motivation (in no particular order):

A lot going on and looking great!

You can say a lot and have a huge impact on the reader's when you keep it simple.

Finding innovative ways to add dimension really makes your display memorable.

Don't forget to think beyond boundaries.

Keeping it student centered and student made also impacts the kids like nothing else.

Go ahead and motivate your students before they even walk in the door! Even feel free to get your cohorts to go in on a theme with you. I really think it's fun.
~ The Farmer's Wife

Motivational Continuem

2012-04-26T18:17:00.002-07:00

Back to the Sucker Flower Pot...
I decided to up the ante to include a sucker pull. Now when students do their best with great success, they get to choose and pull a sucker from the flower pot. But wait... there's more! (That was fun! :) ) Now when students pull a sucker, they look at the bottom of the sucker in search of a red dot.

When they've pulled the red dot sucker, they additionally get a "treasure chest prize". Oh lucky day! To entice them further, I sometime color the bottoms of the suckers in front of them - this brings out a moment of extra goodness. Mixing the dotted suckers with the non-dotted and placing them into the pot. It just gets them ready to do their best all over again.

(I love my treasure chest. It's one of the first classroom items my husband ever built for me and was made even better by a student many years ago when he took it home, painted and decorated it. Thanks, Izzy!)

By the way, did you happen to notice the jar of marbles next to my red marker? If you don't have a glass jar in action yet, get one now. Use erasers, marbles, fuzzy little whatevers to fill it with when you have a reason to reward the class. When the marbles reach the top, celebrate as a class and try to fill it up all over again.

Hope you find joy and motivation for yourself! ~ The Farmer's Wife

FREEBIE - Classroom Goal Organizer for End of the Year

2012-04-16T15:42:00.002-07:00

Just posted my end of the year Classroom Goal Sheet and Organizer for FREE at my Teacher's Pay Teacher's store. The Goal List has been updated from my original post from The Farm to fit the needs of my classroom. At the bottom of the goal list, you will find a daily list for keeping the classroom organized in a Monday-Friday format. You will also find in this package a daily calendar for the months of April and May to get you packed up and organized for the end of the year.

The Goal List has been updated from my original post from The Bucket List #5 to fit the needs of my classroom. At the bottom of the goal list, you will find a daily list for keeping the classroom organized in a Monday-Friday format. You will also find in this package a daily calendar for the months of April and May to get you packed up and organized for the end of the year.

This is the remainder of the year's calendar along with the beginning of next year's. An updated version will go out before the start of next school year, so enjoy this FREEBIE and try using it to organize the end of your school year. Please send me messages if there's something you would like to see added to this calendar.

Use the following Organizational Goals Calendar pages along with the Classroom Goal Sheet to post and organize your classroom chore goals.

My favorite way to use this calendar is to cut the organizational goal activities (calendar dates and events) out from the calendar and add to the Classroom Goal Sheet. This allows you to easily have 8 working organizational goals that you can remove from the sheet when completed. You can also make your own to use with the scrap calendar squares. Students, volunteers, and you can remove the goal when finished and recycle for future use.

ENJOY!
~ The Farmer's Wife

She's Crafty

2012-04-06T15:08:00.003-07:00

I've been busy. It's an extension of the Bucket List.

Celebrate and Motivate

Making a sucker flower pot.

I use this for reward/ motivation. At the moment, whenever a student scores a 100% on their AR test, they can pull a sucker from the arrangement. Use it however you please.

I simply used a flower pot,

foam ball that will fit into the top of the pot,

and a big bag of suckers.

Just place the foam ball into the flower pot and instert the suckers into it. Start at the bottom and work your way up.

The Crayon Wreath

I found this idea on Pinterest and followed the pin to http://momspartycafe.blogspot.com

This wreath is currently hanging on my classroom door. I'll be doing more with this wreath and door decoration in next week's blog.

Birthday Balloon Wreath

This idea was also found on my new love, Pinterest. I created it this week in honor of my parent's birthdays. I plan to hang it on my classroom door each time we have a birthday in the class.

This below came from The Finer Things (click on the photo to go to their page.)

Simply use a foam wreath. Using pins, attach balloons of your choice. I added a birthday ribbon to mine, How would you personalize this wreath?

You Were "Mint" to Succeed

It's testing time, and the nerves are sometimes getting the best of us. Help keep your kiddos cool with this time tested method. A mint. Decorating a jar is a great way to give a little pep talk without saying a word, but feel free to tell them "you were mint to succeed".

Lucky Charms

The completed Charms of Luck bags. These went to my daughter's second grade classroom for the first day of testing, but I'm also making them for my third graders on our first day.

I've also prepared various other candies for the kids with stickers of encouragement. Hang in their guys, you'll do great!

Don't forget to treat em' right any chance you get. What they'll remember most is how you made them feel.

These Bird's Nest Cookies were made with one bag of Chow Mien noodles and one bag of butterscotch morsels. Melt butterscotch in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds. Mix in noodles. Scoop out into piles and shape. Place candied eggs in the center of your nest. Above I used malt balls, below chocolate candies. I added marshmallow Peeps to help the eggs "nest".

Good luck Keeping Your Classroom Creative!

~ The Farmer's Wife

Attacking the Bucket List

2012-04-01T18:10:00.002-07:00

Welcome Back from our Spring Break!

Step one on my bucket list (thanks to dots-n-spots) was to make these welcome back bags. I love them! I have to also say that I love the idea of welcoming the kids back from a short break. Remember that I said, " but the kids so give me their best right at the beginning of the year, so I'm going to try to dig back into that vibe again. Wish me luck!" Here it is - my welcome back bag with an Easter kick. Nothing is more motivating to to think you were missed and someone cares about you ~ and kiddos, I do.

Step 2

a.) working on perfect attendance... hoping all are back at school tomorrow morning so we can earn our P for PERFECT. Just to help bait the hook, I've cooked up these yummy bird nest treats (thanks to my friend Becca who always makes Haystacks for our Christmas Cookie exchange, and a little something I saw on Pinterest) to feed my flock this Thursday.

d.) Hopping into High Gear - My students filled the marble reward jar, so I owe them, right. So, I bought a class pet. Not a real one, silly. I wouldn't be able to turn that off and testing time is NOT the right time for something that unpredictable. A FurReal Hop 'n Cuddles Bunny.

One of my classroom rewards is time with the "class pet". I'm sure this little guy will be a big hit. Did I mention it has an OFF button?! AND NO CLEAN UP!

Other rewards for Hopping into High Gear are the reward Easter Eggs. Every egg has a prize. My bunny jar will remind students that they were "mint" to succeed. Here I'll house my "calming" mints.

e.) Tomorrow we will be decorating our water bottle labels and I have the Hershey's Kisses ready for students to give their brains a kiss for all the hard work they've done and to have their brains ready to show what they know.

Now I'm still in the middle of preparing the Lucky Charms cereal in a baggie (idea from What's the Buzz in 1st ) to add some testing luck. I think it's such a great snack to eat during the test that I'm also making these for my daughter's second grade class as well!

Step 3 looks good. I'm still making my parent's "Thank You!"s, but I've started with my plan. Step 4 makes me happy and I'm excited about Monday. Step 5 is ready to go, and I swear it's making me a better person. I've been using this organizing idea

at home and it's working SO WELL for the whole family. (Even my 4-year-old.) and I'm going to post my classroom organizing calendar at

by weeks end adding this goal list to it.

I will also then put the goal list itself as a freebie at the TpT store.

Wow this has been an exciting bucket list and I can't wait to share more with you!

Good luck with your back to school and finishing up your year's Bucket List!

~ The Farmer's Wife

The Bucket List - 5 things to do as soon as we get back from Spring Break

2012-03-26T10:43:00.004-07:00

1) Make a Welcome Back treat bag for the kids - I know it was only spring break, but the kids so give me their best right at the beginning of the year, so I'm going to try to dig back into that vibe again. Wish me luck! I'm using the "welcome back" sack idea

from Becky at

I also got many of the ideas listed below from Becky and the girls at with their Testing Survival Kit. - Now you guys rock!

2) Getting test ready...

Reward system for attendance - each day students are ALL present, we will receive a letter in the word PERFECT. When we've spelled perfect, we will celebrate. Choose what works best for your kids. My students seem to go for the homemade treats.
Tootsie Rolls during our test prep time to let kids know they're on a roll.
Reminders on when taking a test, best practices.
Hopping into high gear - going with the Easter theme to ready ourselves for the tests. Using snack ideas I got off pinterest, we will celebrate good testing practices and jobs well done with review games.
Becky's Bottled to Inspire for the first day of testing week, and a Hershey Kiss each day of testing - before the test.Pop Rocks each day as they finish the test.
Smarties for my "Smartie Pants" the second day of testing.
Cookies after testing is through for my smart cookies.
Also might add something like this idea from First Grade and Fancy Free. What a great idea to say that these tests will be a piece of cake!

and from What's the Buzz in 1st add some testing luck by put some Lucky Charms cereal in a baggie and attach one of her FREE downloadable tags! Now that's a great snack to eat during the test!

3) Drop some marbles and let students know I appreciate EVERYONE's efforts! Thank some parents - I have my plans in works, but don't want to post until they get theirs...

4) Teach some of the best lessons ever and staying the course. I don't like to get off track, or behind, but sometimes those facts alone keep me from "not seeing the forest for the trees". With this in mind, keeping joy in the classroom is my major focus in gaining the most learning possible during this intense time of the year.

5) Begin the end of the year Declutter the Classroom Event. I took the idea from

and and revised it to a calender which I've cut out into notes squares and stuck on a board for students to grab when they "have a minute". I made a chart using ConeflowerBlue studio's idea & instructions.

Put your own declutter needs up for your class. Now that the weather is nicer, I'm starting with sorting through the game boxes for games with missing pieces and organizing.

Good luck with your back to school and finishing up the year Bucket List!

~ The Farmer's Wife

Blog Beginnings

2012-03-23T12:04:00.002-07:00

I needed a place to talk about what's going on in the classroom and log all those thoughts and ideas for keeping it creative, so here I am!

I feel it's important for you to know where I'm coming from, so here for your reading pleasure is My Philosophy on Teaching:

With harmony established in the classroom, I strive to help each child reach his or her capacity for learning. I believe children learn best when they are totally immersed in learning, and they feel good about themselves, their class, and their school. The child should be inspired to develop all of their talents and abilities; their social, physical, mental, spiritual, and aesthetic qualities should be considered and cultivated.

I view each leaner as unique; therefore, the pace at which an individual learns and various learning styles need to be addressed in terms of what is taught and how it is taught. I believe in treating students and their ideas with respect. I want students to feel free to take risks and learn from mistakes, yet have pride and ownership for their actions and work products. Children should have the opportunity to show that they have acquired knowledge, skills, strategies and competencies – that they have learned - in a variety of ways through authentic assessment practices and multiple demonstrations of mastery.

Now SPRING BREAK is upon us and it's time to focus on that bucket list for the end of the year. My next post will begin there. Hope to see you soon!

Mrs. Simmons