Teacher Tuesday: Book Retriever App

Happy Teacher Tuesday! 

So, I discovered this really cool app the other day called Book Retriever and I'm pretty pumped about it! 

I recently brought all of my classroom library books home to label and organize. While I was searching through Pinterest I stumbled upon this app! You can literally put in every book and use it as a check in and check out system for 99 cents! BAM!  Even teachers can afford that! 

There are still some tweaks that need to be worked out on this app, but it is a very cool concept and a very useful tool if you have time this summer to work on a classroom library! 

Have a great Tuesday!

Fixer Up Friday: Front Porch 4th of July Edition

I have been doing so many DIY projects around the house I decided to dedicate a blogging day to them... hence "Fixer Up Friday"! 

Since it's the 4th of July, I'm going to show you how I spruced up the house for the occasion! 

This was what our house looked like prior to decorating! 

Since then we received two white rocking chairs as wedding gifts which I put red pillows on!  I made a small table out of a navy blue drink tray and a small white pillar from Hobby Lobby.

This past week I felt as if our house needed a couple more touches to feel complete, so I got some navy blue paint and painted the front door! I think it made the house look more up to date! 

I decided to try my hand at these curly-Q wreaths I've been seeing everywhere!  I found this wonderful tutorial here!

ANDDD VOILA! This is what I came up with!

How do you decorate for the holiday?!?

Have a blessed 4th of July!

Teacher Tuesday: Bookshelf Facelift and ORGANIZATION!

So, I decided to go to school... DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REINACT OR RECREATE THIS STUNT.

I've been itching to get in the classroom and work on a few projects and I love how they turned out!

My first project was this white bookshelf I had in the classroom. It didn't really go with anything else, so I decided to use my leftover wall paint and spruce it up.

Even after the bright paint, I felt like it needed a little something extra! So, I painted some fun Dr. Seuss-ish lines on the side and looked up the word "read" in different languages. This end of the bookshelf juts out into the center of the classroom, so it's going to be a great focal point!

My second project was this GREAT cabinet in the classroom! It had a blue striped curtain hanging over it, which I  used as a drop cloth for painting... WOOPS! 

I decided to go through all the supplies hidden in the cabinet and see what I could use and what needed to GO. I ended up storing most of my math manipulatives and resources in the top portion and my FOSS kits in the bottom.

I also picked up some bright fabric from the sale bin at Wal-Mart and my momma sewed together these fun curtains to replace my drop cloth curtains!

I ended up going off on an organizing tangent and managed to get my social studies resources organized as well! I lined them along our shelf in chronological order. I plan on putting a timeline above them, so the students (and I) have a visual to go along with our lessons through time!

I ended up finding a ton of cool science stuff in the big storage cabinet and decided to take them out and put them on display in our "discovery center." By having these materials out I'm hoping students will be more willing to jump in to science and not be afraid of the different instruments! 

I know it doesn't look like much, but I feel like it's all coming together. My biggest goal right now (one month out!) is to see what all I have to work with! As you see, I still have a long way to go! 

This is my next big project... the classroom library! I want a fun, inviting space that encourages students to discuss and promote what they're reading! I've got a couple ideas in my head, but I'd love to hear yours! 

Happy Tuesday!