Tried it Tuesday...A Little Bit o' This and That!

Today I'm linkin' up with my buddy Holly from Fourth Grade Flipper for Tried it Tuesday.  Shh...don't tell her I was up until 12:30 on a school night writin' this post because I was so excited.

I'm just goin' to give you a fair warnin'...this post is goin' to be all over the place because I tried all kinds of stuff this week...YIPPEE!

#1 Awesomeness:

Last year I saw this pin on Pinterest(wouldn't you know after scrollin' through 2,000 pins that I can't find it) and tried it out with my kiddos.  It was so colorful that we left it up all year.  I HAD a picture of it before, but I had a phone incident and lost all of my pictures.  I'm just full of excuses aren't I?  

Since I have looped with my kiddos, I decided I wanted to do it again to see how different their answers would be for this year.  They didn't disappoint.  Plus, I have a love relationship with Post-It notes...win, win!

Anyways...here's this year's picture...

I have 6 different questions hangin' on the door.  The students responded to the question with the matchin' Post-it note.  Example question:  What will Ms. Rose need to do to help make 5th grade successful?  

Don't you just feel happy lookin' at all those pretty Post-Its?  Thought so!

#2 Awesomeness:

Last week I saw THIS fabulous idea on Teaching in Room 6.  I LOVED it so much that I decided I needed to quickly sneak it into my plans.  Why is it that I feel this need to get every creative idea I see over the summer shoved all into the first week? For some reason I forget that there are 180 days to try out everything.  I imagine I'm not the only one that feels this way!  Stephanie's obviously way cooler than I am because she was actually able to locate the pin she found on Pinterest.  Stephanie used a circle map with her kiddos.  I decided to use this 50 Things I Love Graphic Organizer that Nick from Sweet Rhyme-Pure Reason is offerin' for FREE:

The students filled out 50 things that they love and then put them into illustrations on their hands. 

Here's my class' rendition of the project...

I love how bright and colorful they turned out.

Everyone's is so very different.  The pictures just don't do it justice.  

It's way more awesome up close and personal.

Here are all 22 hands together.  The kids think I should have turned the hands upside down, but it's stayin' this way because I like it.  It almost feels like they are reachin' for the stars!

ROSE'S ROCKSTARS ARE HANDS DOWN A ROCKIN' CLASS

#3 Awesomeness:

The next idea I tried was from THIS post that Courtney at Polka Dot Lesson Plans posted this summer for a Throwback Thursday.  It is all about "Tamin' the Paper Monster".  I think Courtney thought I was either jokin' or nuts when I told her that I was immediately goin' to Wally in the middle of the night to get folders for this activity.  I'm sure by now those of you that are frequent readers of my lil ol' blog know that I did indeed go in the middle of the night to scoop up 24 folders.  It was cheaper to get the pack of 8.   I hung the folders up with blue sticky tack(it's the only kind that works as far as I'm concerned).  After a week of papers flyin' in and out, they are still on the wall.  I'm impressed.  

I am usin' them for Unfinished Work because I don't send home paper homework. 

Here's a close up shot.  

We are workin' on Self-Portraits, so this is an example of an unfinished piece of work in the folder.  I used the numbers that Tara from 4th Grade Frolics offered this summer for FREE.  

#4 Awesomeness: 

Every year we have a bazillion(okay, maybe I'm exaggeratin' a little)website log-ins and passwords to keep up with.   In the past, I have used two different ways to keep track of this.  I have used one sheet per student and typed in all of the info, placed it in a plastic sleeve and had the students store it in their binder.  The past two years, I have actually cut out each square and used packin' tape to tape them in the front of each child's agenda.  If I print the whole sheet, I have to reprint every time we add a new site.  If I tape in agendas, I still have to print, cut and tape.  I don't know which way is easier, but I do know that it is a LIFE SAVER.  This way, if we go to the Technology Lab, the students can either carry their binder or agenda and I don't have to waste time lookin' up their log-ins(chances are I've left my thumb drive in my room with all of MY log-ins and there is no way I can remember one single one of my own without lookin' it up first).  Since both items go home each night, the students have easy access to all of their online info.  I find that usin' different colored highlighters helps locate the websites easier at a quick glance.  

It's not necessary, but something that I just do.   

I made this file several years ago on Publisher.  It took me about two minutes to add the boxes and text. 

I considered droppin' this into a PDF file for anyone that wanted this, but then that would defeat the purpose because you couldn't add text.  Then I thought about transferrin' it into a Powerpoint file, but addin' the text boxes would have been a pain, so I ditched that idea.  If you don't own a Mac, and would like the Publisher file, I can send it via email.  That way you can add which ever sites you use in your classroom.  Leave a comment with your email or you can email me at butterflialisun@gmail.com with the subject: Website Log-ins and I will send it to you...if it's even something anyone is interested in havin'!

#5 Awesomeness: 

I didn't get to try out Jennifer from Mrs. Laffin's Laughings new linky party A Peek at My Week, but I will be this Sunday and you should too(if you haven't already)!

I hope everyone is havin' a great week.  

You'll all be surprised to know that I only took a ONE hour nap on Monday instead of my 

normal first week-three hours.  Gettin' better!