Library Binders

When I first started teaching, I was sorely lacking reading materials for my library.  I think this is an obstacle that most teachers face.  We were particularly in need of books that were on my students' reading level -- the books in my first classroom were a mishmash of K-3 storybooks, so a lot of the material was way over my students' heads.

We use the Treasures series, and it came with some student resource books.  It would have been too cumbersome to make copies of each poem and story, but then I realized that all of our resource books are on disc!  I popped the disc into the PC, pressed print once, and I had a wealth of new reading material for my students!  I put each page in a sheet protector and the sheet protectors in a binder.

Since then, I've procured many books for our classroom library, but the Library Binders are a favorite among students, so I still use them.  I think that the short poems and stories are less intimidating than a full storybook to some struggling readers.

We have about a dozen different Library Binders from various things that I've collected.  I even put fluency charts and sight word sentences into the binders for students who want to practice their sight words.

If you decide to try this, sheet protectors are cheapest at warehouse stores like Sam's Club and Costco. You can also get cheap binders there, but you might do better to check out all the school supply clearance going on right now!

xo, Ally

How to Make a Whisper Phone

I first encountered "whisper phones" when I was student teacher.  My (amazing) mentor teacher used them during her small group time.  It was love at first sight... I instantly knew that I wanted an entire class set.  I went home, looked them up online, and balked at the price tag.  

Way to break my heart, whisper phones.  Luckily, Home Depot was there to pick up the pieces.

I was pretty sure that I could DIY a whisper phone with PVC pipe.  I showed a picture to my dad, and he said that a piece of PVC and two elbows would do the trick.  You can see the pieces that I used above.  Each bit was under a dollar, and the total cost was about $2.50 per phone, if I recall correctly.

Once you have your pieces, all that is left to do it fit them together.  Instant whisper phone, and a very durable one at that.  This will be the fifth year that I put my DIY phones to use.

Of course, if you like to make your projects more Pinteresting...

You can add some patterned masking or duck tape.

I only did this to one of my phones.  We'll see how it works out.  While I think it's super cute, I'm not sure how practical it will be.  I like to take my phones home often to run them through the dishwasher.  First-graders are germ factories, so regular washing is necessary.  I just pop the pieces apart and arrange them in the top rack.  I'm pretty sure that the masking tape is not going to hold up to washing, so you might want to keep that in mind.

I intend to use the decorated one myself during modeling sessions.  I learned the hard way that I have to model, model, model, have them model, and then model some more.  They're just so fun, you know?  It's hard for a first-grader to resist using one as a megaphone.  After a few modeling sessions, I let my students use the phones under supervision during small group sessions.  Once I'm sure they can handle it, I move some to our reading stations.

For anyone wondering what all the fuss is about, here's why I think these phones are wonderful:

1.  They force students to listen to themselves.  It's easy for a student to ignore their own voice or let it fade into the background.  These put their own voice right in their ear, so they can hear what their own reading sounds like.

2.  Quiet.  Students need to read aloud, but it can be very distracting to their neighbors.  The phones allow reading aloud and a quiet environment to coexist.

Does anyone use these in their classroom?  Did you splurge on a store-bought version or DIY it?  Made it pretty or kept it simple?

THE Pencil Sharpener

Oh, how the summer flies by!  Our school year has already taken off, and I know that those of you who are still enjoying the summer will be back in your rooms in a few short weeks.

I have to admit, I feel a little silly writing about my pencil sharpener.  But guys, having a reliable pencil sharpener has changed my life made me a happier teacher.  It's the little things, right?

I have been through SO many electric pencil sharpeners.  I've broken some, my students have broken some, and I basically just want to tear my hair out every time.  I haven't even been able to keep a wall-mounted sharpener in my classroom.  Only two classrooms that I've taught in came equipped with one, and they both fell off the wall within the first month of school.  Seriously.

Another teacher told me that she had found success with a pencil sharpener from Sam's Club, so I took the chance.  I was a little wary of the 17 dollar price tag, but felt it would be worth it if it lasted.  After all, I had already spent approximately a bazillion dollars on numerous cheaper versions.

So I shelled out the money, brought it home, plugged it in, and fell in love!  Seriously, this thing sharpens pencils so quickly!  It takes noticeably less time to sharpen each pencil, keeps them nice and smooth, and I have never had to clear any broken pencil points.  It's held up for about a year now with heavy use, so I'm pretty impressed.  Obviously.

I just wanted to pass along my review in case anyone is shopping for a pencil sharpener this school year.  Here's a shot of the model number -- it's called the Royal p70 pencil station, if you go looking for it!