Easy Peasy Classroom Jobs

Well, this is the 2nd ICE DAY we've had in a row!  I'll admit it... I was psyched!  I am gearing up to move (yay!) to a new house and spent the last two days packing.  Sure, I'm not even moving until the end of February and now my house looks like someone broke in and stole all of my things, but I was so productive this week!

I did want to pop on and share with you how I'm doing class jobs this year.  I used to change jobs on a weekly basis and had a job for every student... but, when I would rush out on a Friday, I'd forget to change the jobs and then kids were bummed when they came in on Monday... so it was a mad dash to quickly change them.

Then, some of the things I had jobs for were not as grand or desirable as others... which left some of my friends feeling like they never got to really DO anything on those weeks.

So, now we do this:

I whipped up this chart during my planning period one day, quickly assembled it, laminated it, and we started using it that very day!

The GREEN clip is the "main kid" of the day... they do everything... line leader, answer the phone, file papers, run messages, carry the lunch basket, write tomorrow's lunch up... all that good stuff.

They choose a friend who will be their helper for the day and that kid puts his/her ORANGE arrow on their number.  At the end of each day, the kid on green moves the clip down and reminds tomorrow's helper to choose a friend.

I just used a clothespin!  Tacky glue and hot glue could not hold the laminated arrows on, so now they're on with velcro and it works perfectly!

We LOVE this and my kiddos love that, for one day, they are THE kid!  They get so excited when they know their day is coming too... and I don't have to remember to change jobs for 30 kids every Friday!

(Oh- and I used Wikki Sticks to cross off 11 and 14 as I don't have students with those numbers this year!)

Modge Podge on a Pocket Chart... Whaaaa? *Monday Made-It!*

I think you're aware that I need help with my pocket chart addiction.  And if you aren't aware... now you are.  I have a lot of them.  But, when they are $1 at Target, how can I NOT buy three to five every. single. time I go there?  Every.  Single.

Anyway... I am using them.  The rest, I've squirreled away in a drawer for a rainy day!

Last night I decided to try something out on one.  Last year I had my class jobs printed on Avery labels and stuck to the outside of the pockets.  It worked great!  Except that, by the end of the year, they were smudged and peeling off.

So, last night I decided to try sticking paper labels on with Modge Podge and it worked out beautifully!  I actually love it a whole lot and am trying to figure out how I can do this on more of my charts!

All I did was print those on paper and cut them out.  Then I did put paper behind each pocket so that the Modge Podge didn't get on the fabric.  I applied the Modge Podge to the plastic strips, laid down the paper, and Modge Podge'd over it!  It took about 30 minutes to dry and now it's done!  If you do it, just remember that it is only paper, so you have to go gently with the brush so you don't rip the paper.

I used a sponge brush too, btw!

I'm thinking some of my other charts that usually get student's names stuck on them every year might be getting numbers instead so I can make them with Modge Podge!

Link up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics to show off what you've been doing!

And don't forget that you can enter to win my new "Grammar Snapshots" pack with 42 CCSS aligned short and sweet grammar assessments (or homework or morning work or exit slips or practice pages or remediation) for 2nd and 3rd grades!  Just click the pic to find out more!

Facebook Freebie Friday, Updates to the Teaching Oasis, and Class Pics Too!

Don't forget to check out the post about reading interventions that Marygrove College did on my blog yesterday. I would really love to hear what you think!

Ok... FIRST... yesterday I took some updated pictures of my Thursday Book Bag check-out station, my new helpers board, and my new display for bucket filling... here are the pictures!

For the past four years, my students have been able to check out a "book bag" on Thursday that they can take home over the weekend to do with their family and then return on Tuesday. I added five new ones this year and decided to update my "check out chart" too. If you want to learn more about my bags, you can check out my website!

I've already established the fact that I am a crazy furniture hoarder on my blog and I am officially out of room for displaying things... or so I thought. Last year my bucket fillers were on the back of a book shelf but then I rearranged my classroom and a new table that I *had* to have is up against the back of that shelf... so my bucket fillers are on my bathroom door! I got these great pocket charts at Target! You can download some "Bucket Filler" freebies on my website!

This is right next to my bathroom- it's actually the side of my "listening center". I used a 3M Command Hook (best invention EVER!) to hang my bucket and inside the bucket are business cards from Vista Print with the bucket on the front where the kids can fill out their name and the name of the friend they are giving it to. I have them write why they are giving it on the back. I'll also keep the book here for kids to borrow and return.

This isn't really a *new* item, but my old one was falling apart. So, this is my jobs chart. The kids each have their name on a Popsicle stick which goes inside the library card pockets. I laminated it and slit open the library pockets. Want more info? You guess it... check out my website!

Second I also made a Facebook page for my blog yesterday and Alicia from Dreamlike Magic Designs has made me an amazing button for it! When I get 100 "likes" on FB, I'll be posting a back-to-school freebie on my Facebook. So, be sure to head over to FB to "like" my blog page.



That's it! Happy Friday, teacher friends!

**One more thing!** Ms. Winston has been hard at work uploading new resources to the Teaching Oasis today and the class grids for 30 are up! So if you didn't win my giveaway and would like the file, you can head over there to pick it up! There is one for 25 students too but... (shhh!)... I secretly think the 30 grid is cuter! ;)


I just have to say... I *love* you, Dreamlike Magic Designs! Thanks for the super cute blog buttons! :)