UPDATE for Affordable Dry Erase Marker Erasers Post

Well!  I washed them and there is some good news and some bad news.  Take it as you wish.

They held up great in the washing machine.  I didn't put it in a lingerie bag like I intended to, but I guess you can do that.  I washed them in hot water and placed them in the dryer. You can choose to air dry if you wish.

Here they are.....

Yup!  I know.  They look exactly they way they did before I put them in the washer, only they are "cleaner" than they were before.

BAD NEWS?

Dry erase marker stains did not come off.

GOOD NEWS? 

They did not shrink, shrivel up, or disintegrate so they are reusable!

But considering the cost, you can also just throw them away and buy new ones.

Hope this was helpful as you begin to prepare for next year!  

Affordable Dry Erase Marker Erasers

Wow!  Try saying that really fast five times!

You didn't really just try that, did you?
I was just kidding!!!


I just wanted to share an idea I used this year that was really helpful and affordable.

In previous posts, I have mentioned that I have my students write on their desks with dry erase markers.  It truly gets them engaged in lessons!  When I first tell them to solve the problem on their desk and show all of their work, they look at each other with shocked expressions on their faces.  But that soon turns into grins and they dive right in.

Anywho!  At first I was having them use pieces of paper I would tear from a brown paper roll to use as erasers.  You know, the paper towels in bathroom dispensers.  That was just getting tedious and messy.  So, I bought enough felt sheets to make dry erase marker erasers for my students to keep in their binder bag.

They are sold at Walmart for about 20¢ to 25¢ per sheet.  They might be even cheaper at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Be on the lookout for coupons or sales at craft stores to get an even better deal. Another option would be to add it on your school supply list.

I am using these colors for demonstration purposes, but I found out through experience that darker colors like black or dark gray are better.  They hide the dry erase marker stains.

First, I folded the felt piece in half and cut.

Then I folded those pieces in half and cut to make four dry erase marker erasers!

  

As you can see, it really does the trick.  

So if you have a class of 24 students, that's only six felt sheets that cost, at most, $1.50!You can get a class set and it'll cost you pennies per eraser!

Hope this was helpful!

Stay tuned for an update!

My mini erasers are currently in the washing machine and I plan on putting them in the dryer.  I'll keep you posted on how they hold up!

Place Value Puzzle

Quick and easy prep for this activity!

Students can practice whole number place value from the ones place all the way to the hundred billions place.

They will practice putting the periods in order as well.

Just print.

Separate puzzle board from puzzle pieces by cutting.

Cut apart individual puzzle pieces. 

Now play!

You can find this activity HERE.

Be sure to check out the SUGGESTIONS page!

Making Cents in Math - Math Station

Here is a fun math station for students that need practice in adding whole numbers and decimals. You know, the place value line up gets them almost every time!  Grrrrrrr!

It's quick and easy prep and the best part is that it is inexpensive! 

Materials: Price stickers, sticks (tongue depressors), and an empty container that sticks will fit in.

I thought these stickers were great because students could practice writing the cents as decimals. For example, 25¢ as 0.25 or $0.25.  They could also practice writing the dollar amounts as decimals. For example, $1 as $1.00.  This can carry over when they are adding whole numbers and decimals together in problems not related to money.  There were 22 stickers per page with numbers on them and 15 sheets.  You could make different sets of stations!

First, I lined up the sticks because I thought it would be easier and it was.

Then I just peeled the price sticker off of the paper and adhered it to the stick.  I tried to center them, but sometimes was way off.  It was no trouble to just peel off the sticker and reposition it on the stick.

The stickers were a tad bit larger, but it was no problem just folding it over the edge of the stick.

I then typed up the station name and a set of directions.

The page was larger than the container, so I just trimmed it to fit.  If using a clear container, make sure you cover the bottom portion so students can't peek as to what amount they are choosing when they are using this station.

I used clear packing tape to adhere the page on the side of the container.

Make sure the station name and directions are centered on the front before adhering!

It's hard to see, but I used packing tape again to adhere the end of the page.  The entire page is now wrapped around the container.

I then wrapped the entire container with packing tape for durability.  

Place all of the sticks in the container with the money amounts at the bottom.

Then students take turns drawing a stick.  They add the amounts together.  If all sticks are used and time allows, encourage them to put all of the sticks back in the container and continue playing.  The student with the highest money amount is the winner! Hold students accountable for their work by having them show all of their work on a sheet of paper.
Make this a self checking activity by having them check their partners work with a calculator as they are playing. If they made a mistake, they can correct it. If they did the work correctly, their confidence increases.

Click HERE for a FREE copy of the directions for this math station!

The Final Countdown

As I lay here in bed tonight pondering on what tomorrow might bring, I can't help but think to myself, "I can't believe I made it!"

Tomorrow is the last day of school for students and it's considered a half day. We let out at 1:30.  Even though there is a "teacher workday" the following day, I'm still pretty darn excited to close the chapter on this one. I have to admit, it was a pretty rough and tough year.

We started out with five math teachers at the beginning of the year and ended up with three.  In short, a teacher quit early in the year and the rest of the math crew had to take in his students. This  made our class sizes larger. Then, another teacher quit on her kids but didn't quit her job and we had to take in most of her students so they could actually learn something. That means even more kids in our classes.  Alas, with a sense of humor seasoned with a grain of salt, we remained strong and did what we were born to do, teach.

As teachers, imagine the first day of school, or the first week even. Your classroom management, establishing rules and expectations are your main priority, right? When you're done doing that, then the teaching can take place. Now, imagine having to do that over and over with your class sizes increasing and having new students that were behaving in such a way that, well, how shall I put this? Doing whatever they wanted?  (That's the best I could do.) Now they are placed in your clas and you have to "start" all over again!  It is extremely tiring.

Despite all of this, we didn't quit on our students, original or new. We raised our expectations for ALL of them. Of course, some didn't like it. But that's an old story we know all to well. We kept our eyes on that shining light  at the end of that tunnel and prayed it wasn't an on coming train!  

Who are "WE"? Becca, Destiny and myself, Linda!   Three dedicated teachers that stepped up to the plate and did what needed to be done. We supported each other and our students. We vented to each other and laughed about it later. We shared ideas on activities and lessons and we did a great job teaching our kids considering the crazy roller coaster ride we were on.

Yes, I am tooting my own horn. And I am also bragging on these wonderful young ladies that I am proud to call my math crew!!!

Thanks so much Destiny and Becca!!! I can't believe we made it girls, but I am proud to say we did!!!

Onward and upward! With the lessons and challenges WE were given this year, next year is going to be a breeze!!!

;)

End of Year Sale!

Next week is my last week of school!  If you are like me, you have already started planning for next year.  To help kick off your Summer Vacay, I am having an "End of the School Year" sale!

Visit my store at
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Math-Imagination  and get a head start on math activities and stations for next year!

If you are teaching summer school, I have many great math activities/stations for practicing basic skills. I also have many "loop games" that will get students up and learning!

Everything in my store will be 20% off from May 29th to May 31st.

Have a great summer!!!
😄

Middle School Math Links

An InLinkz Link-up