Classroom Inspiration

Friday, 6 June 2014

YAY!! Five for Friday!

Fridays have always been my favourite day of the week, and now they are for another reason. 
Doodle Bug Five for Friday Linky Party!! 
It's a great way to sum up the week and I love getting a sneak peek into the other amazing classrooms that link up.

So! We ran out of hand sanitiser this week, I promptly went to the supermarket to get some more. I chose a Dettol brand at what I thought was a great price. Turns out I didn't buy hand sanitiser, I bought hand soap instead (sigh), and didn't realise until the kids came to me with soapy hands saying 'It won't rub in!'. So back I went to the supermarket and came back with this deliciously inviting GREEN hand sanitiser. Needless to say the kids were very impressed. 

I also decided that I needed a new set of hand sanitiser labels, so I made these! They are available in my TPT store now!



I always drill into my kids how important presentation is to their completed work. My little wonders have heard me loud and clear! No more sloppy grey lead drawings with stick legs and mixed-match colours. They now give me background, bright colours and gorgeous drawings. 
It's great to see them show such pride in their work.


This week, as part of our poetry unit, we wrote some free verse poems. To inspire us we went outside and sketched whatever inspired them. The little wonders sketched magpies, galaghs, trees and flowers. I really love this photo, the little wonders have learnt to carry on working when I'm taking photos, I love catching honest moments. 

I've decided to begin the long process of organising a classroom library. The first step is to level the books I already have. Wouldn't the world be a better place if there was a single program/website/app that could level ALL my books?? Of course it would, but alas, there is no such tool. 
The inspiration for my library is, of course, Maria Manore's classroom library. 
Who isn't in love with it??

I purchased her Classroom Library Labels which are absolutely gorgeous! 



Anyone else out there a HUGE Mo Willems fan?
He is one of my all time favourite authors, and for good reason. His books are entertaining, funny and full of character. The little wonders love hearing about the Pigeon and his adventures. 
I am suuuuper excited that this little beauty, Mo's newest book, is currently on it's way to me and will land on my doorstep any day now. I can't wait to read it to the kids, a title that I'm sure they can all relate to!

Thanks for reading :)
Enjoy your long weekend!


Posted by Zoe at 7:35 pm
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10 comments:

  1. Jem6 June 2014 at 21:10

    I read "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" today!! Most of my kids had never heard it before and they loved it!! Such an awesome author!

    Also, it's great to find another Aussie Blogger!!

    Jemima
    Luck's Little Learners

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    1. Zoe 6 June 2014 at 21:17

      Hi Jemima,
      I'm glad your kid's enjoyed the book, Mo does such a great job of making the pigeon relatable, especially for the little ones.

      I know! I feel like we're a tiny bunch amongst the huge amount of American bloggers. But we're making our mark ;)
      Thanks for following!

      Zoe

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  2. Carol Davis7 June 2014 at 10:18

    By far, the best thing I ever did was put LEGOS in my hand sanitizer! The kids use more of it just because they are so fascinated by the floating LEGOS! I love your blog design!
    Carol
    Teachers Are Terrific!

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    1. Zoe 8 June 2014 at 15:51

      Thanks Carol :)
      I've seen lego in them on Pinterest and have thought about it. Might have to give it a go!

      Zoe

      Delete
  3. Kristin8 June 2014 at 07:39

    Zoe, at our school, this is the first year students have had art in years. Because of it, their presentation is often quite subpar. It's great that you've been able to get your kids to take pride in their work! I love your adorable hand sanitizer labels, too. I'm trying to spread the word - sorry for the shameless plug - I'm starting a new linky party for the summer called Sell It Saturday. I have a smaller blog, but if you're ever interested in joining in, that'd be great! Your hand sanitizer labels could be a perfect addition!

    Kristin
    Teaching In A Nutshell

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  4. Zoe 8 June 2014 at 15:56

    Hi Kristei! We're very luck that we get to teach art in our own classrooms, I absolutely love it. When the kids write me letters they always mention how much they love doing art.
    I love link parties! I would love to be a part of your Sell It Saturday party. I guess I missed yesterday so will link up next Saturday :)
    P.s. your blog is super cute!

    Zoe

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  5. BAK Pack Photography8 June 2014 at 20:30

    I definitely need to organize my classroom library better. :) Love the hand sanitizer labels. :)
    ❀Beth Ann❀
    Taming My Flock of Firsties
    tamingmyflockoffirsties@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Zoe 8 June 2014 at 22:34

    Hi Beth, I don't have one at the moment and am still trying to figure out the best way to set it out, which book boxes to use, etc, such a big job!
    Thanks for the compliment, I love Krista Wallden's clipart, it's perfect for the hand sanitiser labels :)

    Zoe

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  7. Amanda D!9 June 2014 at 09:12

    Mo Willems is the best!!! We did an author study on him the last week of school and the kids LOVED it! There are a lot of fun activities on TPT (a lot of them for free) in case you ever need 'em! =)

    -Amanda
    Kindergarten Teacher at the Wheel

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    Replies
    1. Zoe 9 June 2014 at 13:31

      Hi Amanda, I'm right with you there! I have a Pinterest board dedicated to Mo Willems and his books. So much great stuff out there, what would be do without Pinterest?!
      Thanks for reading :)

      Zoe

      Delete

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