Back to School With Curious George!

An early back to school gift from my husband...love!!!

Curious George is always a huge hit with my students.  They are going to love this!

There are a variety of Curious George books and character stuffed animals for $5 each at Kohl's right now (in the Kohl's Cares section).  

Basic Shapes Sort Freebie

 Teaching basic shapes in the beginning of kindergarten is pretty standard MO.  For this reason, I wanted to create a meaningful and mostly independent activity for the kiddos to work on in the first weeks of school.  An added plus...this will give them a chance to practice those all important scissor and glue skills you will surely be drilling into their little brains ;).  Just click on the link below or one of the images to snag your freebie!  

Free Basic Shapes Sorts

(I would greatly appreciate your feedback if you choose to download this item!)

K is for Kindergarten- Photo Prop

After already making my first day of school frame (see it here), I came across another photo prop on Apples and ABC's (see it here) that was just too cute to ignore.  I was especially excited to make my own version of her "K is for Kindergarten" because of my latest Mod Podge obsession.

Here is how it turned out:

For the simple tutorial, keep reading.  All items were purchased at Michael's.

First:

Pick out your scrapbook paper, flip it over, and trace your letter.

Next:
Cut out the K, Mod Podge the paper K onto your wooden K.  Flip it over onto wax paper, cover with some heavy books (great for those cookbooks collecting dust...), and allow about an hour for it to dry.

Then:
Add some pizzazz!  I purchased pre-painted wooden pieces from Michaels.  I also Mod Podged the edges with ribbon for a clean look.

Finally:
You are ready for your photo shoot.  I think I will use my K as a photo prop for our "Meet the Teacher" event.  I think the parents would enjoy snapping a photo of their new kindergarteners with the K.

My New Behavior Chart

Earlier this summer, I decided it was time to finally retire my old behavior clip chart.  I had made it the summer before my first year teaching, so after many great years together, I said goodbye to it's faded colors and wrinkles.  I am going with an apple theme for my classroom this year, so I decided to continue that theme with my behavior chart.

My project started like this:

And ended like this:

If you would like to create an apple themed behavior chart of your own, just click on the image or follow the link below to my TPT store.  It's only $1!

Apple Themed Behavior Clip Chart

Kindergarten Portraits

I realize I am a year late with the "oversized frame" student portrait trend, but that didn't stop me from joining in on the bandwagon!
I started with this:

I found it in the clearance section of Michaels for $2.99.  I found some unfinished letters from Michaels and wooden decoration pieces.  The decoration pieces were already painted.
Here is my finished product:

I used my adorable (soon to be second grade) niece as a model:

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Classroom Art Print Canvas

After years of being (teaching) blog obsessed, I am very excited to finally be entering the scene as an author!  A quick word about me- I have been teaching for six years in Burbank, California.  I have taught second grade, third grade, two years of kindergarten, and transitional kindergarten.  I will be back to kindergarten in August, and couldn't be more excited!

I have been giving great thought, like most of you, on how I would like to decorate my room for the upcoming school year.  While perusing Pinterest, I came across an adorable free art print that I knew I wanted to display somewhere in my new room, and this is the completed project I came up with:

 I downloaded this adorable printable free from eighteen25.  Get it here.

 I had a 9x12 canvas laying around that was gathering dust, and decided this would be a good use.  Now, this project was kind of a big deal for me, as I had no prior experience with Mod Podge, but it was super easy and I love the way it turned out! 

Materials:

• Art Print
• Mod Podge
• Acrylic Paint *I used Martha Stewart's Glitter Acrylic Craft Paint in Sterling.  Found it at Michael's!
• 2 brushes *I used cheapie sponge brushes
• Wax paper

Step 1:  Paint the edges and sides of the canvas with your paint color of choice.  No need to paint the entire thing, as you will be covering most of it with your art print.  Give it about 10 minutes to dry.

Step 2:  Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the back of the art print.  Be speedy, as it dries fast.

Step 3:  Place art print onto canvas.  Spend a minute (a full minute, no cheating!) smoothing it out to prevent bubbling.

Step 4:  Brush another thin later of Mod Podge onto the top of the art print.  Lay out the wax paper, and flip the art print over on top of it.  Place some heavy books on the back of the canvas to allow it to dry smooth.  Give it about 30 minute to dry, peel off the wax paper, and voila!

Enjoy your new classroom decor!