Top 5 things teacher's want for Christmas.

Teacher gifts are NEVER expected....EVER!

With that being said I am sure you do the same thing I do at this time of year and think- OMG what am I going to get her/him?!?!  Here are a few ideas that may be helpful!

Here is a list based on items I have received in my 10+ years as a teacher.  I always LOVED everything that came from my students.  Although my favorite were handmade items- but that's just me.

What NOT to get teachers....
1. candles- I have enough to light every room in my house continually from Christmas to New Years. They are pretty and smell divine but if I have to store it then I may not keep it.

2. Christmas knick nacks- Yes they are cute and sweet and that snowman is just darling but I have a whole tree of ornaments my children have made and probably enough to furnish another tree.

3. Homemade food- as yummy as the looked when you sent them to school is usually not how they looked after they made it out of the backpack.  Sometimes I was lucky and was able to salvage some items but most likely not.  Book bags get squished- it happens.  I had a student bring me a sheet cake in her backpack once......The back pack was on her back....upright.  Yeah, probably not a good idea unless brought in by a parent.  

4. Clothing- In particular pins! I have a ton in every imaginable shape and size.  Cute yes- storage- no.


What to get teachers...

1. New supplies:
Yes we are nerds.  That's why we are teachers.  We love new pencils, sticky notes, markers and YES! Mr. Sketchy markers! Buy in October when items are on clearance and fill a gift bag for your teachers.  They will LOVE you forever!

2. Gift Certificates:
Contrary to popular belief we do not live in the school.  We LOVE to go out to dinner or maybe for a surprise pedicure.  A GC for Barnes and Nobles is perfect! Just the right size.  Any coffee house GC is awesome too! One year my students gave me a GC for a local ice cream parlor- YUMMY! If the teacher has kids give them a GC for a place they can take their kids.  Free family time is awesome!

3. Handmade items:
 I LOVE handmade items from students or from their parents. Handmade scarf, lap quilt, mittens, hat.  I have even received a handmade doll from a parent who had a doll making business.  

4. ANYTHING with our name on it!:
I had a student make me a desk plate one year.  Thought it was the coolest thing ever.  The parent didn't think it took a lot of time but I LOVED it.

5. CHOCOLATE
That never gets old.  Yes.....chocolate.  We all need chocolate.

Fall craft ideas for teachers grades K-4

Hello again! It's been a wild first few weeks of school.  I haven't had the opportunity to post and I do apologize for that but hopefully now the craziness will begin to settle and I can give you some more great ideas to use in your classroom.  

I was looking for a great way to incorporate the look of fall trees in the room.  I noticed that a fellow teacher had a really cool paper bag tree in her classroom and that got me thinking....Then of course I found this pin on Pinterest and I figured I would share.  I added the link to the original blog post so you can get more detailed ideas.  One thing I might add would be to have the students make thumbprint "leaves" in fall colors and hang them from the branches.  

OMG in LOVE this one! Especially if you have an owl theme in your room! 

Well isn't this just adorable! So easy to do too! 

Kinda easy- Kinda self explanatory.  Really like! I would recommend doing this in a two day process.   Those plates need a lot of time to dry! 

OK admit it- This is different! I don't think I have seen this done in a classroom before.  I kinda like the hands on idea.  Especially if you are doing a farm visit and going through a corn maze.  Would like to give the kiddos an idea of what actually grew on those stalks.  

   

Ahh yes it's also sunflower season here in the north east.  Can't forget those beauties! 

The fall time just lends itself to so many different ideas and the best things to make with your students are things that are found in nature,  I know that as a parent I tend to hang a lot of my kiddos art work but the ones that last longer on the walls or fridge are the seasonal pieces.   

Classroom ideas on a budget

I have been looking for inexpensive ways to make classrooms easier to manage.  I found a few but any suggestions would be helpful.  

Bookmark for interactive notebooks! What a quick and simple solution.  A lot of this kind of ribbon can be found at yard sales and who wouldn't like cool duct tape.  Students can even assemble this themselves.  Wish I knew this when I taught fourth grade.  Totally loved waiting forever for students to find the next page- NOT! 

How many times have I had to fix those tags on the classroom mailboxes.   What a great idea to use binder clips to identify who belongs to which slot.  I also had students who used to get confused as to which box was theirs- The one above or below the clip.  I may add an arrow just to show which box.  

 

Cute and inexpensive way to have students match upper and lower case letters.  This would make an awesome center activity.  You can also use this for addition/subtraction facts.  

Okay so I have pinned this several times.  Totally LOVE this idea! 

Stops the line from forming over and over again. 

I LOVE these little cups! Can't wait until the end of summer when I can get some in plastic! I use these for sight word practice all the time.  This is a cute activity involving the bear.  I usually just write the sight word on the bottom of the cup and allow the student to read them off.  For every one they get right they get to hold the cup.  Afterward they make a pyramid with the words they know.  

THIS JUST IN! Amazing teacher discounts for your back to school shopping!

Walmart is offering 10% for teachers on school supplies! 

Walmart 10% deal

Here are some other places that offer discounts throughout the school year....

Deeply discounted books all year and free shipping- Just a great deal

1. The Container Store
   The Container Store helps teachers stay organized all year long with their Organized Teacher Program. Register online and you will receive exclusive discounts throughout the entire year. A school ID will be required to receive discounts with in-store purchases.
2. Staples
   Register for the Staples Teacher Rewards Program to garner five-percent back in rewards points and free shipping from Staples.com. The program covers a slew of products, from ink and paper to teaching and art supplies. 
3. Michael's
   Receive 15% off your entire purchase every day. To view eligible products and more details, click here.
4. Pets in the Classroom
   This unique program offers K-8 teachers grants to help cover the cost of a pet for the classroom. The maximum grant amount is $125, but there are also a number of different grant types to help pay for pet supplies.
5. CJ Banks/Christopher and Banks
   Get the looks you love for less with 10-percent off purchases from both retailers. This offer is only valid in-store, and excludes discounts on other special sale events. Just show the cashier your school ID at checkout.
6. Apple Store
   Apple is generous to teachers of all grade levels, offering varying discounts up to $200 on computers and accessories through the Apple Education Store. This offer also includes librarians, home schoolers, university profs and even elected officers to PTA boards.
7. National Park Service
   Show a valid school ID at a slew of National Park Service visitor centers across the nation and receive 15-percent off many purchases. The discount doesn't apply to park entry fees, camping fees or Smokey the Bear petting zoo fees.
8. Legoland Florida
   Florida teachers K-12 can enjoy an entire year of free admission with the Florida Teacher Pass to both Legoland and Legoland Water Park. Bring your most recent pay stub, Florida photo ID and teaching certificate to receive your pass.
9. Museum of Science, Boston
   Teachers of grades K-12 can register for the free Teacher Partner Program at the Museum of Science to receive a slew of exclusive benefits, including free individual exhibit passes, discounted annual memberships, and 10-percent off at the Museum Store.
10. Blick Art Materials
    Teachers should sign up for the Dick Blick Preferred Card. It’s completely free and gets you 10% off purchases at Blick and Utrecht stores. Blick also offers organizational discounts for bulk orders.
11. Barnes & Noble
    The B&N Educator Program provides teachers with 20-percent off the publisher's list price on purchases for classroom use. This discount is ramped up to 25% during Educator Appreciation Days.

That's all I have for now but you should ALWAYS ask if they offer a discount when you go places.  That includes asking for law enforcement, Emergency personnel as well as military if any of those apply to your family situation.  

ACK! I almost forgot! If you have a smart phone you need to download the app Snipsnap.  It is an amazing coupon app that lets you use coupons right on your smart phone.  Pair a Michael's coupon with the teacher discount for some awesome savings! If we are going anywhere I always check the app.  

Okay now I'm done

#kraftyteacherz