Stability Balls, aka Yoga Balls, are awesome for the classroom!

A fellow Instagrammer posted a question this evening about the pros & cons of stability balls in the classroom. I have been using them for going on 5 years & think they are wonderful! Therefore, I had a few things to say in the topic... Here is the comment I wrote to her (and more) which I hope you too find helpful :) 

I have them in my classroom!!!! I started with 1 per student (over time they get weak & "pop" -typically this seems to happen on the day of a sub, go figure!). Anyway, now I rotate them around the room, except for the students who benefit from using them daily. 

Pros: They are great for balance, posture, & getting out the wiggles! They really do help keep students focused & centered on their work (however, you also need to recognize there may be students in your classroom who are overstimulated by them -so stay observant). 

I use large ice cream lids (talk to a local dairy!) to keep them from rolling when not in use & to prop on desks for night cleaning. 

As with anything else, your classroom management of this "tool, not a toy" is what will make it most successful. If you are excited about them, the students will be. If you are understanding that everyone has different needs & explain this to your class, then your students will also be understanding. If you set clear expectations (& limitations? No bouncing, rolling, kneeling/laying-on), then the students will follow them (or loose their turn?). 

If you haven't implemented these into your classroom yet, now is the time! Embrace the idea, your students will thank you. Mine sure do (including other students in the building who are not even in my classroom). 

(More pictures coming soon... They aren't on my cloud) 

Mailbox Makeover!

It's Make-It Monday! Today I gave my old classroom mailboxes a makeover!!! I am so proud of how this looks :)

Here is how they started...

Step one was to remove all of the black plastic strips off the front. I used cheetah print decorative tape from the dollar store to cover them, see below. 

Then it was time to spraypaint. I did great with the black and I got a bit messy with the pink. I decided this might not even be noticeable once I put the dividers in.

After waiting impatiently for the paint to dry, I began to reassemble & added the butterfly clips (this is where I will place the labels with the students' numbers). Beautiful!

Daily Schedule Picture Cards FREEBIE

It amazes me how smoothly classroom transitions can be improved simply by placing a daily schedule in your classroom. Especially one with picture cues!

My students love to watch the schedule for what is "coming up next." Just make sure you teach them to be flexible & go-with-the-flow if you suddenly need to make changes to those plans! 

In my classroom, to help with this flexibility, I use a pocket chart & scheduling cards -which allows me to make changes quickly and easyily. 

Here is the FREEBIE of Daily Schedule Picture Cards that I currently use. They were created by blogger Little Miss Glamour Goes to Kindergarten.

Brownie Points

Like so many of my favorite classroom strategies, this idea is one I snatched from great teachers like you! Brownie Points were a motivating good-behavior incentive for my students this past year. This was a simple, yet effective, and pleasing-to-the-eye display. Here's how my "brownie pan" turned out.
 

I created my own brownies, I downloaded the free Brownie Points Headers developed by TpT seller Miss Nelson, and I purchased my cookie sheet at the dollar store. That's right, another project completed for only $1.00 - love that!

Smarter than your average bathroom pass

A little inspiration called "A Better Bathroom Pass" by Third Grade Thoughts, some "Owl Classroom Passes" from TpT seller Second Grade Discoveries, and my own twist...

 

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FABULOUS! I only spent a dollar, but now you could make them for free with this amazing FREEBIE by "Falling Into First" blog writer:

"Owl 'N' Dots Bathroom Passes" 

Not into Owls? Try searching for bathroom passes to match your own classroom theme.  Just make sure to set some ground rules when you use these or you will have a constant parade of students going to the bathroom! :)

Oh, and don't forget to utilize this Pinterest trending idea; place a hairband around the pump -those little hands in your classroom do not need a full squirt!

 

"I'm all tied-up!"

I saw this idea online somewhere last summer & I loved it.

It's now a year later and I can officially say, "it worked great!"

First, I took a large old button and covered it to read 

"I'm all tied-up!"

Next, I pinned the button to one of my favorite infinity scarfs.

Whenever I put on the scarf (usually during small groups or one-on-one fluency assessments), the kids knew not to interrupt. It was as if I was wearing a big "stop sign." 

So what about that little boy or girl who missed the sign?

 I just gave the scarf a little shake,

which they would eventually notice and wander away.  

P.S. Do you love infinity scarfs as much as I do?

Check out my friend on Facebook who makes them, 

along with many other creative treasures.

A.Wagner.Creations