Creating with Classroom Materials

This might be my favorite blog post this month.  This is a new hop that I will hopefully get to join each month.  It is all about finding new teaching ideas and strategies for your classroom.  When I started thinking about this concept, I immediately thought I'd love to show my friends some of my favorite materials and how I use them.  The best part is all of these materials are typical things in your classroom.  If you are like me, you probably have a box, cabinet, or storage bin just for all your crafty leftovers.  Well, those crafty leftovers can be used to form some pretty easy centers that your kids will love!

Here are three of my favorite items I use to create that are always in my classroom.

#1 - Clothespins & Popsicle Sticks

Popsicle sticks and clothespins are two of those things that I didn't understand a need for until I started teaching first grade.  Now, I think I have at least 500 of each in my craft tub at all times.  I have everyday Popsicle sticks and clothespins, but I have to say, I love the colored ones.  One thing that I like doing is writing math facts on them.  Then, my kids sort them into cups or piles.  You can also write the answers on the back if you want to let your kids self-check and see if they got them right.  This is literally a quick, hands-on center that is easy to throw in when you may need an extra center.  Oh, and if you need to differentiate this activity, you can let your higher kids make up their own facts.

#2 - Hangers

I have to admit, I am the world's worst when it comes to putting my clothes on hangers at home.  I think I have a permanent pile of clothes.  I am, however, great at hanging things up at school.  A few years ago, I hung four hangers from the ceiling in my classroom.  So they are out of the way, they hang on four pins on my barn.  When I need them, I just take them off the pins.  I use them in several ways - fact families, true/false equations, types of sentences, etc.  My favorite way to use them is to sort types of nouns.  I usually write the nouns on index cards or die cuts and put the nouns in a basket.  Then, my kids hang them on the correct hanger.  After that, my kiddos write them down on a recording sheet or even a piece of construction paper.  This is another quick center that your kids will love!  The best part is it's a little different, so it tends to grab their attention.

#3 - Construction Paper
Oh, construction paper, how much do I love you?  Yeah, I don't think I'm going to worry about counting the ways.  I have an obsession with fun colors.  My storage cabinet has all of my construction paper organized by color and size.  One thing I think most of us have at school is construction paper.  One thing that I make for one of my centers is ice cream cones.  All you need is a circle die cut and a triangle die cut.  If the triangle isn't the shape you are wanting, you can always draw them yourself which I do a lot.  Once you finish cutting everything out, make sure you write on them.  You can do nouns, verbs, and adjectives or even word problems.  Be sure to laminate them when you are finished so you can keep them from year to year.

Alright those are just a few of my ideas.  If you are looking for more awesome ideas, then definitely visit the next blog in this hop.  It is written by one of my closest blogging friends Lisa Mattes.

Seriously, you don't want to miss reading about how she organizes her book boxes.  If you are in a bit of a hurry, you may also visit the link up below.  It includes all the lower grade teachers in this hop and the topics they are covering.

Thanks for visiting and have a fantabulous day!

More Bright Ideas for Lower Grades:

1. Using Hallway Time Wisely	2. Adding In Movement	3. Three Steps to Increased Student Engagement	4. Partner Talk Tips
5. Singapore Math	6. Start a Kindness Revolution	7. Easy No Sew Chair Pockets	8. Managing Your Turn-In Tray
9. Valentine's Day Door for Craft-Phobic Teachers	10. Tips from the Trenches	11. Fluency Tips and Tricks	12. Fishies Can't Write ~ Writing with Class Mascots
13. Goodbye Carpet Squares!	14. Science Centers from Dollar Store Finds	15. Interrupter Stopper! Classroom Management	16. Color Coding Text Evidence
17. School-year Resolutions!	18. Student Leaving the Classroom Board	19. Unique Art Ideas	20. Brain Breaks for Winter
21. Gallery Walk	22. Dice and card games	23. Reading Instruction with Readworks	24. Blurt Chart + Minute to Win It
25. Class/Student Supplies	26. Learning CAN come from Creative Hands	27. DIY Privacy Screens	28. Whole Brain Teaching The BIG 7
29. Celebrate Writing	30. Tap Light Ideas	31. Adapting activities	32. Organizing Student Data
33. Cooperative Learning	34. Edible Science	35. Don't Rip Your Hair Out - Classroom Management	36. Bright Ideas for iPads in Elementary
37. Simple 5 Minute Game	38. In case of emergency	39. A Differentiated Kindergarten Bright Idea	40. The Many Uses of Mini-Desks!
41. Classroom Management & Brain Break Ideas!	42. Pinterest for Smooth Transitions	43. Word Making Fun	44. Technology in the Classroom
45. Keep 'Em Learning in the Hall!	46. Teacher's Technology Station	47. Building Reading Stamina in Kindergarten	48. Don't Waste a Second!
49. Managing Computer Time	50. A Classroom Bank	51. Classroom Management...When all else fails....	52. Using Sentence Frames To Help Students Write
53. Data Notebooks in Kindergraten	54. Making Every Minute Count with Math Facts	55. Help from DonorsChoose	56. Save Time With Labels
57. good behavior... no matter where you are!	58. All About Fidgets!	59. Math Journal Fun!	60. GINORMOUS TUB Organization
61. Magic e sort	62. Keeping Kinders Organized	63. Building Vocabulary	64. Scientist Lab Coats in 3 Easy Steps
65. A Solution To Copycats	66. High Fliers	67. Teacher Heaven	68. Easily Distracted Students
69. Colorful Center Creation Idea	70. Whole Brain Teaching: Super Improver Wall	71. Twitter, Tweets & Graffiti	72. Best Toolbox E V E R!
73. Dollar Store Items in the Classroom	74. Organizing Supplies	75. Early Number Ideas Using Feet	76. Interactive Word Wall
77. Small Group Writing Conferences	78. Kidblog in the Classroom	79. Visual Spelling Practice	80. A TOUCH of Technology during Daily 5
81. Offering Choice in the Classroom	82. Accountable Talk	83. Displaying Student Work	84. Portfolio Writing
85. Ten Tips For Helping Learning Stick	86. Why didn't I think of that! {organization}	87. Creating with Classroom Materials	88. Writing mini-rubrics
89. Literacy Studio	90. Attention Getting Signals	91. Organizing Games in the Classroom	92. Making word work independent!
93. Coin Counting Fluency	94. Reusing Containers for Learning	95. Get Kids Moving- AND Learning!	96. Groundhogs and Shadows
97. Think Math	98. Engage Students Outdoors with Authentic Writing	99. Organizing Classroom School Supplies	100. An Adaptable Learning Game
101. Communicating with Gen Ed Teachers	102. Classroom Organization	103. Organizing Guided Reading Time	104. Beginning Letter Sounds Game and Song
105. Book Box Organization	106. Birthdays & Student Jobs	107. Behavior Management Ideas

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More Bright Ideas for Upper Grades:

1. Critical and Creative Thinking in Minutes A Day!	2. Get great discussions going in your room!	3. Organizing Lesson Plans	4. Indoor Recess: Try Mum Ball?
5. 7-Up! Introducing New Vocabulary	6. Math Manipulatives on a Budget	7. Secret Student (Even for Big Kids)	8. Displaying Mentor Texts
9. Just Add Kids and Questions- Quick Review Game	10. Classroom Organization: Colored Pencils	11. Save Your Old Cords	12. Making Meaningful Connections
13. The BIG Move (From Primary to Intermediate)	14. Planning with Pinterest	15. Making the Most of Classroom Jobs	16. Igniting a Passion for Learning in Kids!
17. Building Fluency	18. Ideas to Maximize Learning in the Classroom	19. Ten Tips for Making Learning Stick	20. Room Organization
21. Special Delivery Book Bags	22. Using WebQuests	23. Attention Getting Signals	24. Organization in a Departmentalized Classroom
25. Mixing Guided Reading and Literature Circles	26. Student Response Cards & Organization	27. $2 Versatile Valentine's Center	28. Make Grading a Little Easier
29. Stress Relievers for a Bright Teacher!!

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