Do you love the look and functionality of classroom posters, but dislike the fact all your big company manufactured posters are mix-and-match and don’t really gel with your current classroom theme? I have always felt that way and for years, I always ONLY purchased classroom decor items that were solid primary colors so that way […]
Classroom DIY
Classroom decor ideas for all classroom teachers. Includes ideas for storage, managing mailboxes, easy center stations, word walls, organized desks, and more! Have fun exploring!
Fact Family Funhouse
Teaching a fact family lesson is one of my favorite topics! I love watching students light up when they realize how they can easily figure out how to subtract without using fingers. Like any other math concept for young students, you will want to start by using concrete models and then eventually moving to […]
Keeping Tabs on your PD Materials
Hey teaching friends! So, I was looking for a PD resource book the other day for an idea and I realized that I had loaned the book to a friend and it still has not yet been returned! While the person who borrowed it, did not mean to have forgotten about it, it is still […]
Serving Up Place Value with Straws
Teaching place value is certainly a building block of math instruction and using items such as place value charts, simple manipulatives, and printables can help to create a deeper understanding so that when decimals are introduced in later grades, students can easily add their prior knowledge. What is place value and how do you teach […]
Flipping for Assessment
Keeping with the video theme this week, today’s idea is an oldie but a goodie that I imagine a lot of veteran teachers still use to this day. Assessment is part of being a good teacher and while many think the only way to assess is through a paper and pencil test, I am here […]
Having A Ball With Vocabulary – DIY Style
Teaching vocabulary is super important for background knowledge and understanding context clues within new reading passages, math story problems, and other nonfiction subject area resources, like geography and science. Finding teaching techniques that work fast and effectively to broaden all different types of vocabulary lists can feel daunting at times. When students show up on […]
Quiet Dice Solution
Hi there fans and followers of The Organized Classroom Blog! Today, I created another video! Whoo hoo! This one is from a tip from Janice! I mentioned how the sounds of 15 sets of dice hitting the table (or mainly the floor as they were being whipped about), was almost unbearable without carpeting. Janice’s idea was […]
Winter Craft Paper Plate Fun!
Need a new fun winter craft for students? This class craft is easy and perfect even for older kids! When choosing winter arts and crafts for kids, I like to to find things that can be done inside, yet incorporate winter activities for kids outside in nature as well. It helps if they are less […]
DIY Countdown Calendar
Ok, you are heading into the Winter Break homestretch! Yay! But many of the students seem to believe that Santa is coming tomorrow! No! And their excitement is bubbling over into your lessons making it a tad difficult to get teaching across. How about an idea to at least keep them reminded of the days […]
Marker Mug Magic
Hey teaching friends! It has been a crazy last couple of months for me to say the least! I hope your life is way more calm. Today I wanted to share a fun and inexpensive gift idea for your colleagues. Seriously – it is so simple and fun! I don’t know what you all like […]
Learning with Washi Feathers!
As I was thinking about US Thanksgiving, I thought about how I learned about Thanksgiving when I was in school. What I don’t remember learning a lot about was Native American culture throughout that process. {Keep in mind, this was a great many years ago.} So, while I was doing a little research, I did […]
Concealing the Clutter
Does a cluttered classroom make your head hurt? Or do you just accept it as inevitable and go with the flow? The classroom environment does play an important role in student learning, but with budgets that are small (or more likely nonexistent), it is tough to get rid of anything. With that said, the visual […]
Classroom Job Organization
Hey teaching friends! Today I have a fun and EASY way to set up a classroom jobs chart in your classroom using a few basic supplies that you can easily change out from year to year! First up: Grab some scrapbook paper, cardstock, washi tape, and magnetic tape – all in the colors of your […]
A Nice “Thankful for Our Students” Gift Tutorial!
So, the awesome people at Silhouette contacted me to see if I wanted to play with some vinyl. Ummmm, OK? You all know I am not super crafty, so I was a bit apprehensive about working with a new medium (I am pretty much a cardstock and construction paper kind of girl). Of course, I […]
The Gifting Tree
Need an idea for a “gift basket type” of fundraiser item, without having the hassle of coming up with a gift basket theme, going to 10 different stores to get the materials, and making it look super pretty (well, maybe I am the only one who has problems with that)? Or maybe you have a […]
Upcycled Flash Card Containers!
Hey teaching friends! Just stopping by today with a quick DIY tutorial! I had actually posted an idea on the Facebook fan page the other day from a pin I had found showing soap containers repurposed as flash card containers, which I thought was a fabulous idea! The only problem? Many people commented that they […]
Clipping Up a Good Book!
Today, I decided to create a super easy and inexpensive bookmark made from jumbo paperclips and ribbon! Fun! You seriously won’t believe just how easy it really is to create these! Plus, they won’t break the bank if you want to do a class set (as is usually the case with most things). The video […]
File Folder Game Organization
File folder games can be easy to put together and make learning fun your your students! Not sure where to find file folder game printables? Look online for resources that are books which have file folder games to print and go. Setting them up is even easier! Grab some basic file folders, open them up […]
DIY Pencil Pouches
Maybe you can relate to the following: “Sue” is a sweet student, albeit a little more than a little scatterbrained from time to time. She is very excited to learn, but doesn’t really have organizational skills when it’s time to clean up and move on to something else. So everything gets dumped into her desk. […]
Storing Tablets in the Classroom in 3 Easy Steps
New technology in the classroom is always super exciting for the teachers who get the joy of adopting new materials! This is often short-lived when the educator realizes how much planning will be devoted to not only incorporating the devices into the curriculum effectively, but also topics come up such as behavior management, care of […]