Back in the Classroom

Don't forget my giveaway ends tonight, Monday at 12 a.m.  Enter now!

Also, keep your eyes peeled for this fabulous Back to School Olympic Games Packet I will be posting tomorrow!

On this fabulous Monday I am linking up with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics!

So today was the first day I was actually "allowed" in my classroom.  I have stopped in a few other days but of course nothing was cleaned yet so I couldn't really dive into any projects.  When I drove in today I had it in my head that when I left this afternoon my room would be heading in the direction of complete.  Man was I wrong!  I didn't realize how long it takes to unpack boxes and set up a library.   Last year I was just down the hall, so after packing everything up, I started to unpack stuff today.  But after a short while of unpacking I decided I needed to let my creative juices go.  I have been seeing all over Pinterest and other blogs how teachers are making the most of every single corner of their room.  My goal is to really utilize all of my smaller room.  A teacher on my team created an AMAZING family tree (I totally forgot to take a picture I will though!) which incorporates every student in her class.  I decided I was going to do a version of a family tree BUT a little bit different.  Since my theme is jungle/safari, I decided to title the board "Our Jungle Pack."  I used black poster board and ... wait for it.... duct tape!  If you have read my blog at all you will know that duct tape is seriously my new best friend!  It has totally transformed my classroom and how I think through my crafty projects.  Besides the black poster board and duct tape, I used hot clue, pre-cut letters from Dollar Tree, and 97 cent dessert plates from Walmart.

I created this:

When my students come in for Sneak a Peek at your Seat, I will take a photo of each child.  I am going to print them in black and white and put them on the black poster board along with my own picture.  I will share a finished picture once it is done.  But I am so excited about it!  I think the kids are going to love it.
How-To Tutorial:
1. Put a small amount of hot glue on the back of each piece of poster board as you hang them.  I was able to line mine up along the edge of a concrete block.  (It made it so easy!)
2.  Measured the length from top to bottom and cut the zebra print duct tape in strips to size.
3. Hung the zebra print duct tape.
4.  For the pink duct tape, I did not cut into sections.  I started at one end and smoothed across, moving the ladder gradually.
5.  Hot glued letters to paper plates.
6.  Hot glued paper plates to wall and viola!

Today I also figured out how I was going to display my objectives each day.  This is the start of my purpose board:

For each subject (Reading, Writing, Math, Social Studies/Science/Health), I will have a white piece of laminated construction paper with a zebra print duct tape border.  In the past, sometimes I have found dry erase marker doesn't always erase off lamination.  The secret is a Magic Eraser!  

And finally, I previously posted about the wooden dowels I decorated to use as a bar in my classroom.  Today I hung the 3m hooks, placed the dowels, and hung the Ikea S hooks.  From these hooks I am going to hang all of my center games in bags!