Cool Contractions

     Learning contractions can be cool with this cute activity.  Each student will make his or her own scene using snowmen.  Write the two original words on the top two snowballs, and the new contraction on the bottom snowball.  How cool is that?!?

I made the snowmen on my Gypsy by welding together 3 circles.  The hats and scarves are cut from the Cricut cartridge, Everyday Paper Dolls.

 

I drew on the faces, but was thinking this would have been a good excuse
to buy the Peachy Keen winter faces.  :)

The snow is cut from the Cricut cartridge, Plantin SchoolBook.  

The tree is from the cartridge, My World.

Blessings!
Becky

Luau Place Cards

     One of the many blessings in my life is my second job.  I am a teacher Monday - Friday and have the privilege of working with my mother on the weekends.  She owns an elegant event facility.  She coordinates, caters, and hosts weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and reunions.  Last weekend we hosted a "Sweet Sixteen" birthday party with a Luau theme.  My mother and I like to label the various food and drink items that are being served.  
     The Cricut cartridge, "Life is a Beach" had the perfect images to compliment the theme.  I cut bright colored cardstock into four inch squares, then scored and folded them in half.  I used solid cardstock from Jo Ann's and DCWV "Flower Shower" paper stack.  I think the colors matched beautifully!   

Blessings!
Becky

Baby Gift

     A sweet friend of mine will be welcoming a new grandbaby next week.  Our co-workers are putting together a basket for her.  I bought an inexpensive photo album and photo frame.  I used some small pieces of vinyl to personalize them.  Now she will have a "brag book" and a picture frame for her desk.  I can't wait to meet baby Olivia.  I have a sneaking suspicion she is going to be a little spoiled!  

      The lettering is from the "Gypsy" font with the letters welded together.  The polka-dots and swirls are from the "Accent Essentials" cartridge.  
     Welcome to the world, baby Olivia! Congratulations, Grandmother, Debbie!

Blessings!
Becky

 

Thank you "SNOW" much!

     Teachers, if you are like me, you are blessed with some amazing gifts from your students each year at Christmas.  I always feel that a thoughtful gift deserves a thoughtful thanks!  This year I made adorable penguin cards for my student thank you notes.  I printed the sentiment on 8 1/2 by 11 light blue cardstock and cut it in half to make notes.  I loved the "made with love" tag on the back.  I think I'm going to have to get a stamp to put on my projects.  :)
     While shopping at my favorite Jo Ann's, I ran across some DCWV adhesive paper.  Oh my, adhesive paper, where have you been all my crafting life?!?  Cutting the scarf, beak, and feet out of this heavenly invention made assembling these cards much simpler!  The penguin image is from one of my favorite Cricut cartridges, "Create A Critter."
   And for those of you just stopping by my blog, "Thank you SNOW much!"

Blessings!
Becky

Happy Birthday Graph

     Happy birthday to you!  This is a graph we make together as a class each year.  Each child's name is written on a cupcake and placed on the row for his or her birthday month.  We graph many things in our class:
     - favorite "Starburst" flavor, using the rectangular wrappers to make a bar graph
     - how many syllables are in your name
     - your favorite color, pizza topping, season, etc.
     - the type of pet you have
     - favorite school activity (art, music, computer, or P.E.)
     Anytime we make a class graph, we use it to practice important math skills.  We make addition and subtraction sentences.  We compare using greater than and less than statements.  We look for the categories that have the most, fewest, and any categories that are equal.  The graphs remain posted for a period of time and become part of our learning center area.  The students are given specific tasks to complete during center time using the class graph as a reference.  

      The cupcakes are cut from the Cricut cartridge, "Doodlecharms."  (We cut off the candle.)
      I am very proud of my student teacher, Mr. Nails.  This was his first Cricut project.  It was also the lesson he taught for his formal observation. His professor was impressed with his lesson.  I know he will be a great teacher.  
     I hope you will have fun making graphs with your class.  The possibilities are endless.  

Blessings!
Becky

Sentence Train

     All aboard!  Today we are learning to write good sentences.  One of the most important language skills in first grade is learning to write a complete sentence.  Don't forget a capital letter and an end mark!  This learning aid stays on our board as a visual reminder of the sentence components.  I have a white board that is magnetic.  I use it as a place for instructional posters, charts, or reminders. For any instructional aids that I make, I laminate them and put magnetic strips on the back. 
     I teach an inclusion class, with both typical and special needs students in the same classroom.  I try to keep my classroom free of unnecessary visual distraction, only posting the items I feel are important at the time.  The sentence train is one of the items that remains posted most of the year. 

     The images are cut from the Cricut Cartridge, "Word Builders, Word Party."  I Used the blackout feature.  The two middle cars are also the caboose image, with the end piece cut off.  I printed the words on my computer and adhered them to the card stock before laminating. 
     I have also used the train shapes in my classroom for interactive games about sequencing, alphabetical order, and numerical order.    

Blessings!
Becky

Character Posters

     These posters were some of my very first Cricut creations two years ago.  The "Fruit of the Spirit" are wonderful qualities to cultivate in young lives regardless of religious background.  I have always believed that a teacher has a greater responsibility than just instructing academics, we must shape our students' character.  

 

     I do not even remember what cartridges I used to create these signs.  I remember taking basic shapes, such as a heart, to make the strawberry, and cutting part of a flower to make the strawberry stem.  I used various sized circle to make the grapes.  I have bought the Cricut Preserves cartridge since making these.  I feel certain it would be easier to make using the wonderful images on "Preserves."

Blessings!
Becky 

First Grade Banner

     This is the bulletin board at the end of our first grade hall.  Those names you see are some of the most wonderful women around.  I am so blessed to work with such a fine group of people.  We moved into a brand new school building this fall.  Our principal wanted our hall bulletin board to serve as a directory to our visitors.  

 

     For the banner, I used the roly-poly font and a tag from the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge.  I used my Gypsy to "hide contour" and remove the hole from the original tag.  I turned it around and punched two new holes to string the banner.  The fall leaves and nuts are from the Doodlecharms cartridge.  The ribbon for the border is wired floral ribbon from Wal-Mart.  It is my new favorite bulletin board border.  I think it is much cuter than the old scalloped corrugated stuff.  Don't you?  :)

Blessings!
Becky

Happy Fall Y'all!

     I will not even apologize for saying "y'all!"  I am a Mississippi girl and proud of it.  I think the word "y'all" is just oozing with Southern charm.  :)
     This is my classroom door for the months of September and October.  The letters are from Plantin Schoolbook cartridge and the fall shapes are from the Doodlecharms cartridge.  I used my Gypsy to "hide contour" so the leaves were just simple shapes.  The cutie-patootie scarecrow came from the dollar store. 

Blessings!
Becky

Pick of the Patch

Hall Bulletin Board

This is a bulletin board I made for our main hallway.  I used Plantin Schoolbook font cartridge. I used the basic font and the font shadow for the lettering.  My first grade students made the pumpkins.  They tore orange pieces of paper to make a sort of mosaic.  The three-dimensional pumpkins are made using some great rolled fabric I found at a local home store.  The pumpkin vines are made using a similar material, only on a narrower roll, and lime green.  The cute scarecrow came from Wal-Mart. 

Blessings!
Becky