Dollar Tree Items for Your Classroom

Well, hello there! I know it's been a minute since I've posted, but it's summer now and I actually have time for myself!!! Hollaaaaah if you can relate!!! 🙌😉😄

Soooooooo...with that said, I went to Dollar Tree today and my mind was whirring with ideas as I walked through each and every aisle. Yes. EVERY aisle. That's what one does when at Dollar Tree. Go through EVERY aisle because one does not want to miss anything that could have a multitude of uses in the classroom.

Wait. Please don't tell me that I'm the only one that does this! 😲😳

NAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! I know there are others like me out there. Right?😏

Anywhoooooo!!!!! Onward to ideas I envisioned in my mind with all of the stuff I saw today.

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Item #1:



You can create a durable $1 Math Station with these miniature tower blocks! Just write a math problem on each block and assign it as a math station. Of course, you can buy more than one. Create a station for addition, subtraction, multiplication and/or division of whole numbers, decimals or integers. Whichever suits your grade level. I created a math station for my middle school classroom with a larger version that I found at a Goodwill store.

Here's a link 👉CLICK!

I grabbed a few of these and will post pics when I have them done. (Be sure to click the blue FOLLOW button on my blog page so that you will receive an alert when I post them!😉)

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Item #2:


These aren't just regular craft sticks. They are JUMBO SIZED craft sticks!!!! That means that they are PERFECT for writing on with a fine tip permanent marker. I have used these before for random name calling in my classroom. Wait! I don't think I worded that correctly. I can assure you that I don't call students names, randomly, in my classroom.😳

What I meant was, I write one student's name per craft stick and use them to keep students engaged. They don't know whose name will be chosen for the next question or who will explain next, so they are "motivated" to listen carefully during lesson.

Being a middle school math teacher, I have more than one class. So, I color code sets to help keep them organized. For example, I use a red marker to write the name of my 1st period class, blue marker for my 2nd period class, and so on. I also write the number of the class period at the bottom of the craft stick. A small plastic cup, rubber band or, my favorite, a Crystal light container with a lid can be used to house them for when you are ready to use them.

I have also used them in a few of my math stations. I'll be posting how I do this soon, so stay tuned!

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Item #3:


Acrylic Frames that only cost $1 can be used to display directions at a math station, list of expectations for a certain event, or even used to post reminders by the pencil sharpener. Just print in color or on colored paper and slip into the frame. They come in various sizes too!

I also realized that you can write on these with a dry erase marker. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?!?!?! You can type up a student list with boxes beside them to use as a check list! So you can place a basket/box where students submit their assignments and have them put a check in the box by their name when they turn it in. (Or you can do this.) This idea will definitely help keep track of who still needs to submit an assignment.

Here is an example of how I used one in my classroom. I love this quote by William Glasser and needed something to cover up all of the wires behind my computer screen, soooooo TA-DA!!!!

Here is a link for a FREE DOWNLOAD of this mini poster

👉FREE MINI POSTER

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Item #4: 



I have bought these before in the past and think that they are TERRIFIC to use for storing small items in the classroom. At 3 for $1, it's definitely a bargain and the clips on the side make it so easy for students to open and close

Playing cards fit PERFECTLY in these small containers. Dollar Tree usually has a package that includes two sets of playing cards for $1. One set has a red design on the back and the other set has a blue design. This makes it easy to sort them.

 

I'm working on a post that will show the different ways I organize and use playing cards in my classroom. Be on the lookout for that!!!😉

These can also be used to store colored counters, dice, bingo chips, and two-color counters. Ooooooh! How about task cards for stations? They also come in green and blue.

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Item #5:


I posted about an activity I've used involving Velcro and ping pong balls. Well, I saw these at Dollar Tree today and wanted to share, again. All you need is about a yard of felt fabric and a black permanent marker, plus Velcro and ping pong balls. Trust me. Your students will thank you for this one. 😊😉

Click here for that activity
👉On Target With Math

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Item #6:


I just LOVE these tiny containers! They are always available at Dollar Tree. They have them in a circular shape as well, but I prefer the rectangular ones because they are easier to stack and store.

These are just some of the ways I use them in my classroom. Perfect size for setting up with stations. My students were also pretty good at putting everything back in the container. Of course, I always told them that if we lose any pieces, we can't do math stations! I think that might have had something to do with it. 😉



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Item #7:


I also found this two pack of cute mini buckets that came with a "bonus".....a third mini bucket! All I saw was "3 for $1" and I was hooked!

Mini buckets are great to have in the classroom to use as mini "trashcans" when ever you have those group paper cutting activities. I instruct students to place all trash in the bucket and when everyone in their group is done, one group member could stand up, walk over and empty out the mini bucket in the classroom trashcan.

They can also be used to prepare items needed for the day's lesson. Store scissors, markers, rulers, pencils, etc. and have the "Materials Manager" for each group pick up the bucket when the class is ready to begin the activity. The "Material Managers" should also be responsible for making sure everything is placed back in the bucket for the next class.

These buckets can also be used to prepare items needed for the day's lesson. Store scissors, markers, rulers, pencils, etc. and have a "Materials Manager" for each group so that they can pick up the bucket when the class is ready to begin the activity. The "Materials Manager" should also be responsible for making sure supplies are placed back in the bucket so that it will be ready for the next class.

I assign groups numbers in my class, so I label my buckets with numbers. It's just easier to keep tabs of materials and buckets.

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Wow! You're still here!!!!

❤❤❤I really appreciate that!❤❤❤

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading through. I hope you find my ideas useful and I sincerely hope that you stop by again! I'm really looking forward to sharing more of my ideas with you.

Be sure to click the blue FOLLOW button on the right side of my blog page (closer to the top) so that you will be notified when I post again!!!!

Please be sure to share any ideas you have for using these items in your classroom in the comment section below! I'd love to read them and I'm sure other would too. 😊

Thanks again and have a wonderful day!!!😉

New year! New you! New seating assignments?

I hope everyone brought in the new year with happiness and joy! I also hope you have had the chance to re-energize during winter break for the second half of the school year!

It's been a while since my last post. I blame it on work overload and holiday chaos. I'm sure many can relate.  ;)

Any who! It seems the new year has blessed me with a huge wave of ideas and energy. (I truly hope it will last all year.) 

I'm actually thinking of going to work before I actually HAVE to go to work, if you know what I mean. You know the saying, "New year, new me!" Or at least, new seating arrangements and new seating charts. Yeah, it's about that time.

Let's talk about these, shall we? This is what I do in my classroom.

I have my desks set up as illustrated below. I actually write the letters and numbers on the desks with permanent marker. I've tried the colored dots, labels, stickers, etc. with packing tape, but some students keep fidgeting with the tape and curling the ends. GRRRRRRR! Don't you just hate that?

The number on each desk is the group number and the letter represents the student sitting at that desk. It comes in handy and definitely avoids confusion. For example, if I'm calling up a group to conduct a presentation in front of the class, I just call on Group 3 when it's their turn. If it's time to put away journals, I'll just have student C from each group put them away. No arguing. No chaos. I love it! You can find more information about writing on desks with permanent marker HERE.

By the way, I refer to this as "Position One". All desks facing the front of the classroom. As you can see, the illustration above shows 24 desks. You know and I know that not ALL classes have exactly 24 students, so you have to be creative for some classes. If I ask student D to gather the supply baskets for their group and student D from Group 4 is absent or no one sits at this desk, I just tell students to go on to the next in line which would be student A in their group. I just needed to tell each class about this once and they caught on really quick.

My students talk a whole lot in my classroom. I love for students to discuss ideas for solutions, take turns explaining to each other, and peer tutor during certain activities. "Shoulder partners" are perfect for doing this! So is "Position One".  Group 1 is shown below. Students A and B are shoulder partners and students C and D are shoulder partners.  If the activity involves taking turns, I'll just have students A and D from each group go first, then tell students B and C to go second.  It works really well in my classroom.

 

"Position Two" is for group activities, such as stations, projects, etc. Sometimes, I even allow students to sit in "Position Two" to complete a practice sheet for a newly presented skill. This gives students that are struggling or don't understand something a chance to ask students in their group for help. This works really well for students that are too shy to ask the teacher for help in front of the whole class. Some students prefer to ask a peer instead of the teacher on certain situations. They just feel more comfortable doing that. I'm okay with that as long as they are learning!

As you can see, only students A and B move their desks so that they face each other. Students C and D remain in the same position. This makes the transition from one position to the other easier, quicker, quieter and smoother.  It also allows all students in the group to face each other to allow for better communication during activities.

By now you have noticed the order of the letters in my groups. It comes in handy for activities that require all students in a group to take turns participating. I direct them to take turns clockwise or counterclockwise. This is so that they can understand what direction clockwise and counterclockwise go in, especially if and when it appears on a particular test. You know it will and not only on a math test. ;) Most importantly, with more vocabulary, they receive more knowledge and more power!

Another advantage to setting up your desks this way is that you can make larger groups for other activities. For example, you can have all A's form a group, B's form another group, all C's form a group and all D's make the last group. They can do a gallery walk activity then reconvene with their main group to share ideas they gathered from the group they were just in! Imagine all of the discussions, ideas shared and learning taking place!

Whew! That sure was a whole lot of information!  I truly hope it is helpful.

I'd like to spend a little more time explaining how I assign seats now. I promise, I'll be quick. 

I don't allow my students to just sit anywhere they would like. I'm pretty sure you know why. I use test data.  For example, when we finish a unit and take the unit test, I place students from highest score to lowest score. I then create quartiles, so that I have quartile 1 (highest), quartile 2, quartile 3 and quartile 4 (lowest).  I place one student from each quartile to form one group alternating between highs and lows. This way, students can peer tutor each other when they are doing a shoulder partner activity and their levels are not so far apart that they will get frustrated with each other. I also do take personality conflicts into consideration. :)

I hope these tips on seating arrangements are helpful! As anything else in life and on the internet, all of these are not guaranteed to work but they are definitely worth a try!  I do understand that everyone is different, students and teachers alike. I also understand that everyone has their own ideas as well.  I am just sharing what works for me in my classroom in hopes of helping someone else.

Thanks so much for reading and have a wonderful 2017!

If you do have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. I will get back to you as soon as I can!  ;)

Quick and Easy Game Board for Stations!

Task cards are great, but sometimes students can get bored with them. So I like to change it up in my classroom by having students use task cards with a game board!  

Here is an easy, inexpensive way to make a game board for your classroom.

All you need are some markers, manila folders and 3/4" colored dot stickers.

Use a marker to create a "path" on the folder.

Write "Start" at the beginning of your path and "Finish" at the end.

Here's a closer look at the way I wrote mine.

Not the best, but I try!  :D

Now it's sticker time!

Place dots on the path you drew.
I chose to create a color pattern.
Helpful tips for placement of dots can be found
at the bottom of this post.

Ta da!  Game board done! Cute, colorful and best of all, easy and inexpensive to create!

Oopsie!  I got a little carried away with my marker.
Don't let this happen to you!

Here is the front cover.

Here is another one I made.

I made a spiral path on this one and spaced the dots further apart.

Instead of including directions on the game board itself, I explain how to use the game board to the entire class and let students know that they have the option to use it when they are working on task card stations.

Here are a few tips if you decide to make your own:

• Instead of markers, type it up with a fun and colorful font.
• Use clip art or stickers to decorate.
• Dots placed closer together = more dots used and longer game. 
• Dots spaced further apart = less dots used and shorter game.
• Laminate for durability.  Don't have access to a laminating machine? Use clear packing tape!
• Make it more specific and write the task card name on cover.
• Make one, show it to your students and have them make more! I bet they can come up with some pretty creative paths and covers!

Click here to see how I store my number cubes (dice) and game pieces that my students use with game boards!

Hope this was helpful!