Monday Made It and I LOVE It!

So, I know it's a day early, but I just couldn't contain my joy anymore! I made my teacher binder for next year and I love, love, love it!  What do you think?

Check out the inside....

The red thing is a preprinted calendar I found at Walmart and I just added the insignia with glue. I have to have everything matching. 

And the opening title page of course...

It all started with a trip to Joann's Fabric Paradise last week. I stumbled upon this fabric that I had to have.  I just had NOOO idea what to use it on.  Then, I woke up with an idea that I had to put into action...a quilted binder cover! 

So Friday morning Bean was kind enough to let me work on it and an hour later I was happily hugging my binder.  I know, one does not simply hug a binder, but when one gets as much use as mine, one simply must make it huggable or it would never see the light of day.  

Project Two: Kagen-ized Desk Chips

A few months ago, I stumbled upon a post on Pinterest where a teacher made desk chips to help with her Kagen strategies and grouping her kids.  What better form of flattery than to try my own! However, hers were ocean themed and ocean doesn't go with my superheroes (excuse me Auquaman but do you know how hard it is to find stuff with your fins on them?!?) so here are mine.

Each chip will get a spot of Velcro on the back and placed on a corner of a student desk.  I can then call out find a super friend (insert name here) and (insert task here). Hopefully the kids will like them-cuz I spent my Super hot Saturday (116 degree heat hot) painting and mod-podging those little suckers. 

Project Number Three: Alphabet I Spy Bottles

S for project número tres, I decided to give the dyed rice thing another try.  Last year I tried this but one of my students who shall remain nameless (I know exactly who you are) managed to pry off the top and scatter the rice everywhere. Hopefully I have used enough (read a whole tube per bottle) superglue to render that feat unattainable this year. 

I had to use superman colors in the rice- red, yellow, and red!

So there you have it- my ambitious weekend projects. Leave me a comment and tell me what you think! 

Always yours,

Shauna

Monday Made-It!

Good afternoon, fellow crafters! Here at Edison and Bean we are proud to announce that laziness, (if only for today) has come to an end.  We are presenting three, yes, you read right, three fantabulous Monday Made-It projects!

First up:  that awesome little teacher tool box/caddy that seems to be the rage on Pintrest (I've seen about 10 different versions of these handy little things and finally have decided to try making my own.)  The tool box itself came from Lowe's (at a cost about $20).  The scrapbook paper paper and labels I had on hand, and the time it took to complete was about 30-45 minutes depending if my little one let me work.  Here is the "before" picture...

And here is the "after"....

I love it!  All ready to ditch those 3 drawer-rollie thingys that take up a lot of valuable space and just collect a ton of junk throughout the school year.  Now, If it doesn't have a drawer, it doesn't have a space in the classroom!

Monday Made-It Project Number 2:  fabric borders for the bulletin board.  This year I have decided to change my room theme to "Superheroes"and  try to find cutesy borders in that!  Not happening, fellas!  So, what's a girl to do when she can't find what she needs?  Make it herself, of course!  

If you choose to do the same, this is what you need:  fabric of your choice, heavy duty shipping tape, good fabric scissors or a rotary cutter, and time on your hands.  

What to do:  Lay your fabric right-side down.  Lay a strip of shipping tape along the edge.  Cut.  Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.  

The PERFECT Superhero Fabric! Uncut.

The 2nd PERFECT Superhero fabric cut into strips with the tape backing on the other side.  

Now, I've put twin unfitted sheets (black) from Walmart on my shopping list (they run about $2.00 per sheet) and I'll cut the amount that I'll need for the back for the bulletin board.  Lined with these awesome borders, they'll keep for at least a few years.  I am SOOOOO tired of those cheap corrugated cardboard borders that seem to become destroyed when you look at them with cross-eyes.  The kids play with them and they NEVER LAST.  SO hopefully, these will stick (ha!) around a year or two.  

Monday Made-It Part Three!  Oh my gosh!  Anchor charts.  What do you think?  Pretty cool, huh?  I felt like I needed to color something and when I get in the mood, nothing will soothe that particular itch like a box of Crayola crayons and markers.

Saw this one on Pintrest and needed to make my own.  Love how it shows/tells how we listen.  Sometimes I even need a reminder of that!

These two will be laminated and hung on the wall after I cut them out.  No more guessing on what a question word is!

This one still needs to be shaded and colored in, but Bean needed to eat.  It happens.  

All my anchor charts could be a post of their own.  I love just putting in a movie (my favorites are: The Princess Bride, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, or any Frankie and Annette Beach movie) and just going to town on my paper with pencil, industrial-sized eraser and my box of markers.

Well, I hope you enjoyed your tour of my creativity here at Edison and Bean.  I hope to post more crafty things in the future, but alas, I hear wee little child waking from his delightful little nap.  My other job has begun after this exciting little respite.

Always yours,
Shauna

I Like It, I Love It, Do I Want MORE Of It?

I no longer wonder if I want to make the jump to middle school.  The answer...NO. Well it might be the best thing since sliced cheese between sheets of plastic for some, for this gal it is just too boring to teach the same lesson umpteen times a day.  Half-way into the second go-round of this rodeo, I'm already bored and wishing I was anywhere but there.  On the other hand, the students (all 5 of them if I'm lucky for that particular class) seem to be enjoying themselves and they are getting just a taste, A TASTE, of what it will be like in middle school i.e. several different teachers, clanging classrooms, having homework in every subject, and not being allowed to use the bathroom except at passing times, well then, I suppose it's alright.

The program breaks down like this.  This particular school is located in the 'hood.  You know, broken and empty liquor bottles in the gutter, graffiti on every building surrounding the school grounds, and free lunch being served to anyone in the neighborhood 18 and younger.  That kind of 'hood.  So these kids who usually roll out of bed 5 minutes before school starts and still getting there on time, and who aren't used to having being held accountable for things like homework, or spelling, or other things, will be going off to middle school in a few short weeks.  They have no idea what awaits them.  So, my teacher-friend devised a program that will hopefully fill the void.  This is how it works:

She found three of us suckers teachers to help her out.  We each took a subject (science, math, and ELA/Reading) and we broke them up into three groups.  They have a class, then rotate to their next one, and so forth.  They get a lunch period of about 15 minutes, 5 minutes passing time in between classes and a computer lab for 30 minutes every day Monday through Thursday for the month of June.  Due to the society into which these children live, daily participation is not as high as we would like it to be.  Our highest day of attendance so far was 14.  On average, its runs 11.  So, as I mentioned earlier, the classes are about 4-5 students.  For the ones that have come everyday, they will at least have some sort of idea what middle school will be like.  

I only have 4 more days to go then the project will be over.  it's only from 8-12 in the morning, but I still am missing that time with my Bean - and who can judge me if I want more time with this face? 

Edison and Bean: this is my new favorite picture. (Until I take a new one that is!)

He just makes me happy.  Just happy.  

Tomorrow, Bean, Graham Cracker, and I are off to scour JoAnn's, Michael's, and Walmart for superhero fabric for my classroom.  We love our "questing" for treasures!  

Always yours,

Shauna'mar

It's Great to getaway, but it's GOOD to be home

So the hubbs and Bean and I just got back from a two day stay in San Diego. I was totally focused on having everything ready for Bean, that I forgot to pack light jackets for us! I did not realize that the weather is about 40 degrees cooler there than the 110 degree heat here in Vegas! So our first "souvenir" purchase was a sweatshirt. Go figure!  We stayed on Coronado Island right across the street from the 125 year old Hotel del Coronado, and Bean loved the beach! We walked about 1 million miles up and down the quaint streets and wished we could stay forever. What is it about the pounding surf that seems to wash all your stress away? But alas, we had to head home.  No matter how luxurious your stay somewhere may be, there is really nothing like your own bed. 

Speaking of souvenirs, I also found these and I am dyeing to use these next fall! I've tried to do class sugar skulls before and they take a lot of sugar to make.  Now all I have to do is make cookies!  Check them out!

 

Aren't they just awesome! Only $12 as well, so that's what I call a "win-win"! 

The last time I posted I was going to try to make a poke cake with banana pudding. The flavor was great, but the looks-well they left something to be desired, like a garbage can.  Really terrible.  The hubbs came in, took one look and declared it to be "disgusting" without even tasting it. He wouldn't come near it after that. Probably thought it might reach out and try to grab him. Oh well, we will just have to try again. 

Tomorrow, I continue with summer school.  I think it's a really great program and the kids who do come everyday are getting something out of it.  I'll post more about it tomorrow or whenever I find time to get back on the computer.

Until thn, happy Father's Day and relax!

Always, 

Shauna

Am I A Glutton For Punishment, Or Am I Just A Glutton?

So school was out, right?  I was on summer vacay, right?  So why oh why did I sign up for a 12-day summer workshop to help kids from the inner-city transition to middle school?  Because they needed my help, that's why.

Today was the start of a 12 day program to help kids from an inner-city school make the transition to middle school.  I am working with two other teachers, each of us taking a subject, and helping the students get used to a middle school environment.  That means today, in 111 degree weather, we took a field trip.  Now, imagine yourselves deciding to talk a walk.  Not too bad, especially if you've eaten a large meal, or want the quiet of a summer morning.  Now imagine that walk is only SUPPOSED to last about 10-15 minutes.  Not too shabby, right?  Well, this walk lasted 45 minutes and it was on a a crowed, busy street, and, did I mention it was fraking HOT outside?  Well, as you can imagine, I now have very sore legs, feet that do not want to cooperate with me, and hat-hair.  Oh well.  It's for the kids.

Anyway, that's been my schedule for the past few days - getting ready for this mock middle school thing.   Sorry I haven't been "on the line" (if you've seen "The Internship" you'd get it) lately.  SO goes life.

But, this is Monday and so, I am working on a Monday Made It for you.  But alas, I will have to get back with the finished product tomorrow because it's half-way done and chilling in the fridge as I type. What is this? you may ask.  Well, it's called Banana Cream Poke Cake and I found it on Pintrest.  These pictures are from the original post.  My pictures will be posted tomorrow.  Judge for yourself if I nailed or not.  Sorry for the tininess of the pictures.

I'm off to finish this particular project with a fork and spoon.  

Until tomorrow, when I will undoubtedly need another 45 minute walk,

Shauna

It Is Finished

There it is - it's over.  11:40 came and went and the children scattered into the four corners of the world. (well, more like the four corners of the playground but enough of that.)  For celebratory reasons like that I do not wish to cook, I have ordered pizza and I am awaiting it's delicious aroma to come forth to my door by the way of a delivery person bearing gifts.  (A two liter of soda and the aforementioned pizza.)

My classroom is clean and totally empty, I have been checked out successfully and I have been given the green light to NOT, I repeat NOT come in tomorrow.  So, I'll be staying up past 9 pm tonight reveling in my newfound freedom.  Which means by the way, changing nasty dipers.  So fun.

The Hubbs and I went last night to the movie and saw "Now You See Me."  Really good!  I loved the twist at the end - I'm not gonna tell in case you want to see it too.  But really good!

I know this is Wednesday and I should have something awesome to post about, but in reality, today was the last day of school.  I'm beat.  So this post is gonna be short and sweet.

To all the people out there that called today THE END, congrats.  To all the people out there with a few more days to go, you can do it!  Hang in there!  It will come!

Goodnight everybody - I hear my doorbell ringing which means my dinner has arrived.

Always,
Shauna

Tech Talk Tuesday

Good afternoon fellow bloggers!  As promised today I'm going to tell you about my favorite apps for the iPad.  First let's take a look at one of my screenshots and I walk you through some of my favorite apps and I'll tell you all, and this is the real catch, they're all free. (With the exception of one, that is!)

 This particular screenshot is the one of all my math  apps. The first one I want to share with you is Math Zombies. In Math Zombies, the students fight zombies by answering addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems as the zombies try to get closer to you, the player.  The more right answers you get, the more zombies you kill, the more points you get.  

The second one that I love as well as my students is the geoboard app.  It works the same as a regular  geoboard but only digital.  There's also a classroom dice app that acts just like a pair of dice.  You have the ability to choose 1, 2, or more dice to roll.  Free to download and free to play as well.

 

On this screen shot, you can find all the free space apps that my students love.  The one that they fight over is the "learn sharks" app. This one has pictures, and facts about sharks and it even has. A flash card portion that the kids love to quiz each other over.  In our classroom this year, sharks rule.  (Sorry Jets, your time will come.) 

The other app I want to share with you is the only one that has a price at: 99 cents.  It's called "Win A Spin" and in it you choose the prizes to enter (eat lunch with the teacher, 10 minutes on the iPad, a sweet treat, you name it) and the student spins a wheel (like wheel of fortune but without a lady in a fancy dress) and the student finds out what their prize will be! The kids ask if I am going to do win a spin all the time-they love it that much!  Hey, for a buck its worth its price.  

Now, are these ALL my apps that I have on this thing? Absolutely not! I have found free apps to tell time, learn money, help with grammar, tons of math fact apps and a few that help with writing stories and sentences.  In a few short days (now that summer has almost arrived) I will be compiling all the apps that I have on my device into a document that you'll be able to download and check out on your own.  But you'll have to be patient because with the Bean, it takes me twice as long to do even the simplest tasks.  Cleaning my house (which I abhor by the way) used to take me about an hour. Now, it takes almost three on a good day.  So I'll try to get this done as soon as I can.  In the meantime, if you have a question about something I've said or mentioned, leave a comment or email me at edisonandbean@gmail.com and ill try to answer it as soon as possible. 

So tomorrow is my las today of school. After 179 days, I am glad that its here, yet sad to see it none the less.  New chapters to read in is life of mine are waiting just around the corner. 

As Justin Timberlake sings in "Mirrors" "today is history and tomorrow's a mystery" so I'll leave it like that! 

Shauna

Monday Made It!

Welcome and thank you for you for joining us on this wonderful Monday afternoon.  Today's guest stars are: short op-ed piece about wishing and a very special guest for Monday Made It!  Stay tuned!

I am not one to sit around and say things like "I wish today was Christmas, " or "I wish it was January right now" beacuse when you think about it, wishing things like that instead of living in the moment and enjoying your time in the now, you end up wishing your life away.  That being said, I really wish it was Friday morning.

Why Friday you ask?  Friday morning means that I would be officially on Summer Vacay.  No more report cards to file, no more packing up a classroom to do, and no more students asking "what are we gonna do next?" Summer vacation is almost here.  It's so close I can almost taste it. And it tastes like strawberry lemonade, hog dogs on a grill and ice cold watermelon.  You know what I mean?  So, I wish it was Friday morning.

But it's not.  It is Monday.  And that means...Monday Made It!

Today I am going to introduce you to a project that might take a little time because you have to drink a lot of bottled drinks.  A lot.  But, you are going to recycle them into something awesome for your students.  Trust me on this.  It's worth it.  (And due to the excessive heat we get here in Vegas, your kidneys will thank you as well.)

FIrst, I'd like to say that this idea is not mine.  It belongs to an awesome blog I stumbled upon while trolling Pintrest for new ideas.  Here is the link: http://flapjackeducationalresources.blogspot.com
It's totally worth your time.

Today's project is called Bottle Cap Math Facts!

Take these:  

To these! 

Here's what you need:

bottle caps - a lot of them.  Repeat: A Lot of them.

Avery labels #5408 

Time.

1. Go here to download your free copy of Flapjack's Bottle Cap Math Facts.

2. Follow her instructions on how to print your labels.

3. Make your bottle cap math facts.

4. Play!

Seriously - I have made the addition and subtraction in the fall and my students loved it!  I am now making the multiplication and division sets and can't wait for my students to play with them this upcoming fall!  

So there you have it - a Monday Made It Special.  Up-coming on tomorrow's show: Tech Talk Tuesday - some of my favorite apps for the iPad.  

Thanks for watching er, reading.  

Until tomorrow, 

Shauna