Glue sponges!!

Hello!!

So we've been busily working through our year, getting used to classroom norms and routines. I've been POSITIVELY SWAMPED! I logged on to my blog to check how things were going with my redesign...and I realized, I hadn't posted since mid-August!! I'm horrible! 

I wanted to give a little update on some fun things we've been working on in my classroom and the wonderful tools that have helped with making that possible! Now, a good portion of my report card focuses on motor skills...and I've been doing {these} wonderful guided art lessons by TLC Lessons that I purchased (they are AMAZING) but...they require A LOT of glue so the construction paper sticks. My solution? GLUE SPONGES!! 

Now, I can just about HEAR you all saying, "But Nichole...what about glue sticks!? They're less messy, and easier to use!" and I completely agree...they are less messy and easier to use, but the glue sticks we get from our supply closet seem to be construction paper repellent. It takes A LOT of glue stick to make the construction paper pieces stick. Back to my solution: glue sponges. Last year I was able to use glue bottles, but I found my kids still used  a ton of glue no matter how I tried to remind them not to. I taught them "dot, dot, not a lot" and I told them that "we don't want to make our papers cry." Yet still, every time I did an art project I was wiping up glue off the tile in my classroom.

This year, my kiddos are younger, and in need of more time to grow and mature with our materials. I didn't want to waste a lot of glue while trying to teach them the different methods I'd used. I did a lot of research and decided to try out glue sponges. I already had these cute little orange containers that I bought at the dollar store (2 to a pack) that I used for "piggy banks" a couple years back!

I numbered them for my kiddos so they could keep track of their lids.

I went to the store by my house and found sponges on clearance! CLEARANCE! A pack of 4 for $1.35! Did I mention these were massive sponges that I was able to cut into quarters?? Yeah. So one pack of 4 got me 16 sponges! I bought another pack of 4 (smaller) sponges that I cut in half and viola! I had 24 sponges cut to just the right size for my little containers. 

These were the last few left that I didn't cut up.

Now I have to put a disclaimer out there...I didn't actually READ a lot of how-to's on how to make glue sponges...I just assumed toss a sponge in a container and cover with glue. WRONG! After I made a complete mess of the first one, I went back and did my homework. I found out that I'd skipped not one - but two crucial steps to help make glue sponges work! *Sigh* This is why you do your homework kids! 

So day 2...this was how I made my glue sponges. I started by taking my sponge pieces and dropping them all into my sink in my classroom. I filled the sink with a little bit of water just to dampen the sponges and get out any chemicals that might be in the sponges. Then I went to the containers and put a thin layer of glue along the bottom. I grabbed a sponge and wrung it out. You do not want a ton of water in your sponge because it will not soak up the glue! You just want it damp. I placed the sponge in the puddle of glue and then put another thin layer of glue on top of the sponge. I placed the lid on it and then walked away. I'm so glad I walked away. The next morning there was no glue in the container! It had all soaked up into the sponge. I put another layer of glue on top of the sponge and left it. The glue settled around the sponge and viola! My handy-dandy glue sponges! Here is the finished product!

 I love them! The kiddos just have to press down on the sponge and it deposits just the right amount of glue on the paper. There is no spilled glue, no wiping glue off the tiles! I did a little happy dance after our first art assignment when I noticed there were no crying papers!! 

One draw back is, I do have to fill them once a week, but I typically pour a little glue on top of the sponge on Friday afternoon before I go home for the weekend and then by Monday the glue has settled properly. It's just amazing! I don't think I can ever go back to glue bottles again. 

Did I mention that they're the perfect size for students to share? I put one down between two students and they can each use it! It's just perfect. It teaches the kids about taking turns and sharing, while also teaching them the appropriate amount of glue to use. Did I mention perfect? (I did...oh. Ok.)

Anyway, I hope some of you find this helpful and maybe you can make your own glue sponges for your kiddos! Always remember that every moment can be a learning moment!

Sincerely from TK,

White boards DIY style!!

So, I requested whiteboards from my district, and they said they would order me a set but it would take a while for them to be processed and brought to me...and I wanted them NOW (I'm impatient) because I want to use them with my kids to really teach them number sense and ten frames.

Anywho, I decided to hit up my local hardware store (I am a die-hard Lowes girl personally) and I found a sheet of whiteboard material 32inx4ft for likee $12. (There was a larger sheet of 8ftx4ft for like $14 but it was recommended to me to get the smaller ones instead. To each their own.) 

This is the large sheet that I took a picture of

I bought 2 sheets of the whiteboard (the smaller sheets) and the lovely Lowes person, who stayed with me through the waffling and switching materials only to switch it back, carefully cut it down to the size I wanted. I went with 12inx10in squares and I got 24 our of the two sheets. If I had been thinking clearly I would have gotten the bigger sheet and gotten 12x12 squares but it was after a long day of teaching (and subbing during my prep hour for another teacher who was at a training) with very little coffee...and I was hungry, so I didn't go that route. 

Once cut the stuff collects dust like nobody's business so I used some swiffer dry cloths to collect the dust before I taped up the edges. I bought blue duct tape for the edges. You don't HAVE to tape the edges. I did because I thought it looked cuter and the edges of mine were a little frayed and dusty (and we all know how much of a perfectionist I am.) Duct tape now has neat patterns and colors and even TRIM ROLLS! Little rolls that are about half the thickness of regular duct tape that you can use for trim on decorative projects! Who would have guess?? I did not realize this was a thing...so don't laugh at my out-of-the-loop-ness.

I went with a nice solid blue of the regular thickness and, because of the quantity of my boards, went with the 20yd roll. I cut strips long enough for each side and then ripped it down the middle to "thin" it out. Twice the yardage for the same price! I'm all about saving the $$.

 

 

I worked on a TV tray for this project because I got to watch my favorite show with my husband and "craft"/diy at the same time. Plus the tray made a convenient place to stick my strips so I could quickly do a couple boards before I needed to cut and rip anymore. After I prepped the tape it was just a matter of sticking it to each side and folding it over the back. They're not 100% even, but they're going to a 4 year old...I think I can live with it (at least until Christmas when I can take them all home and do them again with a cuter tape and making the strips even.)

 

What I started with...

The final result.

This was a super easy, rather quick (aside from my indecisiveness it really only took me about an hour to an hour and a half to tape all of these up) and REALLY inexpensive project. I now have a class set of whiteboards for $25! Best part is: You can totally customize it how ever you want! Change the tape color, change the size. Make it work for you! 

P.S. This board will "ghost" so some windex or a magic eraser is perfect for cleaning it when it gets grungy. 

All in all I love the way they came out and I couldn't be happier about how easy it was on the wallet. I hope some of you find this helpful!

Always remember: Every moment can be A Learning Moment.

Sincerely,

Your TK teacher

Nichole

Busy Little Life

I know, I know! I haven't blogged or posted in a while (I think I'm going on 2 weeks now??) A lot has happened: I had a surprise trip to NV for a "Celebration of Life" for my husband's aunt, formal observations from my principal, and my dad gets married next Saturday-I found out Wednesday that I needed to make the table overlays and center pieces for the wedding. I've been a very busy bee! Lol.

But I am back! Table cloths are made, centerpieces are crafted and I'm halfway through my new alphabet tracer packet that I'm going to be posting here.

 

For the past couple of weeks I have been focusing on a number a week, my "Magic Number" and the kids have been loving it. I created a Magic Number poster that hangs on my learning wall and we fill it in each day (it's the same answers all week so the kids get repeated exposure to the facts all week.)

 

I got the idea for each section from talking to my kinder team and finding out what they would like the kids to know when they get to kindergarten. They really wanted the kids to know one less than, one more than, tally marks and ten frames. I threw in odd and even and the number word, just because. 

I was also asked to work on penmanship. Not just recognizing the letters and knowing their sounds, but also how to PROPERLY form the letter. We were working on Aa the same week as the number 1 so I took some pictures of student work. As we get further into the alphabet the students will be expected to write the letters on their own. For now, I'm writing it in highlighter and the kids are tracing them.

I did a super fun lesson with the kids about coloring and following our "coloring rules" so our pictures come out really pretty for everything we do. I wrote the rules down and then drew three of the same pictures. I colored them in three different ways, progressively getting better, and I let the kids rank them and tell me which kind of face to put underneath it. Before every lesson we remind ourselves that "We are working for big smiles!" This poster is put up on the wall and they can look at it any time they want. So far it's been really helpful.

 

I have many more fun lessons I've done, and I can't wait to share them with you!

Sincerely,

Your TK teacher

Nichole