Dollar Deals!

So... This past year has been hectic CrAzY!!! We sold our business, bought a new one, and got an additional new job that pays less right now, but has insurance and retirement for my hubby and kiddos. My school's insurance is outrageous!!! 

Because teachers work so hard and our time and money is precious, I've made everything in my store $1.00. By the time we pay for ink and laminating... :/ 

I hope that this helps your year and your pockets. :)

Love, Heather

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Heather-Gower-2

Character Bulletin Board

I create our character bulletin board at school each month. This month our character word is motivation. I saw a picture {on pinterest of course} and changed it a bit to fit. We don't have a butterfly die cut. {we NEED one!} So I used hearts instead. I LOVE it!!!!

DIY Personalized Clipboard

Today I'm going to show you how I made myself a personalized clipboard for my classroom.

I LOVE having pretty things in my classroom, but I DON'T want to pay the big bucks for them. :)

So... I started with some clip art that I bought from Pixel Paper Prints on Etsy.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pixelpaperprints

I LOVE her! I bought three sets and got one free. But... she sent me two free and a discount code for my next purchase! AWESOME!

I opened Power Point and picked the papers that I wanted for my clipboard. I put the paper image that I wanteed for the top of the clipboard on one slide and printed.

Then I put another paper graohic that I wanted for the bottom of my clipboard and positioned it at the bottom of the slide, leaving about half of my top paper exposed to be seen.

{I am SO sorry that I don't have pictures of this!}

I chose a third paper image and positioned it in between the two and sent it to the back. The top paper got sent to the back next and I had three different papers exposed.

I had a tree image and put it on the edge of my slide and put an owl in the tree.

I added a text box to the lower right corner and chose my font {Digs my Hart from Kevin and Amanda. LOVE!} and color.

If you are confused by these directions, please let me know and i'll try to explain more.

I printed that slide and was done with the computer.

Using my paper cutter, I cut the white edges from paper.

Now to the fun part!

I bought a 97 cent clipboard from Wal-Mart and some Mod Podge.

I fit the solid paper print {my first slide} around the clip part. This was probably the hardest part of the process. I took a lot of fitting and cutting to get it just so. The clip isn't flat against the board on the edges, so I slid my paper under it in some places.

Leaving it on the board, I lifted the paper up and brushed Mod Podge under the paper. Don't put too much. You shouldn't see any white globs. I worked from one side to the other in small parts and pressed the paper down and smoothed it out as I went.

Then I lined the second slide I printed up with the paper on the board

and Mod Podged it down.

I left an edge on my papers so I could fold it over.

I Mod Podged it down and left the corners alone.

I snipped the overflow just a little so I could fold it

over and Mod Podge it down.

Let this dry and use as much as you need.

Mod Podge the top of your clipboard so it will stay nice and pretty. I used two coats and dried them in between.

Here is the finished product.



If you have any questions, please ask. I'll try to explain more. :)

I plan on tying strips of ribbon to the clip part of the board.

Heather

Wicked witch of the elementary?!?

So... Apparently I'm an awful mean and witch of a teacher because I lost ANOTHER student today! He's only been here about 8 of the 15 days he's been enrolled and he moved!
Does your school have this high of a student turnover? I wrote yesterday that I have gotten 5 new students and have had 5 move away now! Yeesh!!!
We are a very small school in a small town (4?? Population.) So to have this many come in and out, I'm perplexed! :)
Heather

Absences

Hello! I hope you are enjoying this short week!
I have a very small class this year. 15, yes 15! I am currently on my fifth new student. I started with 13, lost 3 and gained 5. It's been a busy year!
So Friday I had 4 students absent. Today I had 3 absent and 2 sent home. :(
One if my absent students siblings were burned in an accidental fire. Please keep them in you thoughts and prayers. They are currently doing well. Praise the Lord!!!!
Heather

Our Friend, Martin

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we watched Our Friend Martin today.
My kiddos LOVED it! It's about an hour long and I only had to say Shh! twice! WOW!!!
So while they were engrossed in this film, I was a busy little bee! Cutting, Sorting and labeling centers! It was pure bliss to sit there and have them all so interested!
So if you are in school on Monday, take a look and search YouTube because you might just find an hour of your day already planned out. ;)
Love,
Heather

Exhausted!!!

Today was the kiddos first day back. We went back for a PD day yesterday.
Today started SO amazing! Thy came in all sleepy and missing me that I thought to myself, "self, this isn't going to be as bad as you thought."
Oh but by 10:00 I was regretting that thought! They went cAh-RaZy!!!! (That's how I spell it when they're all wonky!) they were talking, interrupting, crawling across the classroom floor! I kid you not!
Needless to say, I have a headache and Tylenol is not working!!!
I'm going to try to make more time for blogging and TPT this year!
I passed the $100.00 earning mark before the end if the year and leaped for joy! (Really I was leaping and twirling across the living room. Hubby thought I'd lost it. He doesn't understand these things.) So this year I'm going to try to dedicate myself more and get the ball rolling!
I hope you all had a great holiday season and a not so aching first day back! :)
Love,
Heather