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You are here: Home / Archives for Classroom Projects

Classroom Projects

How to Conquer the Clutter in the Classroom

May 9, 2019 By Crafty Team 1 Comment

Are the papers starting to get out of control in your homeschool or classroom? Have you accumulated a ton of curriculum over the years and it’s overwhelming? It’s time for a clean space — here’s how to conquer the clutter in the classroom.

It’s easy to allow your homeschool space or classroom to get messy. But, there’s a solution for all of it — declutter! It’s time to get your organization skills sharpened along with those fresh, new pencils. Here are 5 quick tips on getting your room tidy and neat before the school year ends. Less mess, less stress!

1. Write a quick list of homeschool curriculum

First, you need to know what you have before making decisions on what homeschool curriculum to keep or toss. Once the list is finalize, mark the curriculum that you need to keep for the next 2 years. Now that you have a comprehensive list of unnecessary homeschool materials, take them through a triage process. It’s very simple — reuse, recycle, or remove!

2. Removing unwanted homeschool curriculum

It’s now time to get rid of the paper pile up! You want a clean classroom, don’t you? You’ve loved on this curriculum for many years, and it worked for your homeschool child or classroom. Yet, it’s ready to go to a new home. I know, it’s tough. You have fond memories and know how valuable it is, so let someone else enjoy it too.

Here are some questions to consider:

  • Will I use this in the next 2 years? If yes, it’s a keeper! Put it in the keep pile for organizing later.
    • But, can I reduce the double copies, ripped pages, or broken materials to make it more manageable?
    • Can it be stored digitally and/or displayed on a tablet?
  • If I won’t be using it in the next two years, it’s time to give it away, sell, or store it digitally. Below you’ll find ways to sell or donate your used homeschool books, manuals, worksheets, and materials.

Remember, storing too many items takes up time and space, which ultimately takes up precious time from other important obligations. Plus, if you are getting a paycheck, it reduces your pay.  Yes, you heard that right! If you are taking time to store unneeded items, you’re making less money based on the hours it takes to store them. If you’re a homeschool teacher, your wasting time without your family or doing something you love.

Also, recycle any of those papers, including duplicate copies, you longer need. Just think of it this way — your messy papers just may be transformed into thoughtful greeting cards to brighten someone’s day!

3. Remove the Broken Writing Utensils

Yes, we could come up with a hundred projects on how to recycle those broken crayons. But, if the ‘Recycle Old Crayons in the CrockPot’ is not on your school calendar this year, toss them! Plus, get rid of any pencils or pens that don’t work, are short, run out of ink, or just not useful anymore.

Now it’s time for some homeschool organization! Gather all of those colored pencils, markers, pens, and pencils you are keeping. You’ll find all you need to know below under Permanent Storage Solutions.

4. Resell Your Teaching Curriculum and Homeschool Resources

Make some extra money by reselling your previous purchases or inherited items. You’d be shocked at how much you can make by free advertising online using Craigslist, Facebook or a small percentage on eBay.  

For free advertising, just search for “Craigslist + Location” and you’ll find a section ‘For Sale’. Facebook is also an easy way to make a little money from used homeschool materials. Click on Marketplace on the left hand tool bar, then select the ‘+Add something’ button on the left.

5. Permanent Storage Solutions

Now that the clutter is finding a new home, let’s discuss your homeschool curriculum and materials you want to store. Classroom organization is key to a stress free space.

There are many permanent storage solutions, and there’s not a perfect solution for everyone. But, here is what I’ve seen worked best digitally and physically.

Digital Storage Solutions

Google is a great way to store digital homeschool curriculum and printables. All you have to do is create a Gmail account, and you have 15G of free electronic space. Create folders based on grade then subject. It will make your job a lot easier when you’re looking for homeschool curriculum!

Another great tip is to name your digital files by product and brand. If you ever lose a file, you can always search for it by name.

Physical Storage Solutions

There are many homeschool hacks and classroom organizing tools available, but here are my frugal favorites:

  • Organizing Containers
  • Labels
  • Writing Utensil Jars
  • Organizing Folders

What organizing tips do you have to help clean out the classroom clutter? Whether you are a homeschool mom or classroom teacher, we all deal with messes whether its paper, pencils, or programs. It’s time to get organized for a happy, stress free school day!

Filed Under: Classroom Products, Classroom Projects, Homeschool Classroom, Homeschool Curriculum, homeschool printables, Nature Crafts Tagged With: declutter classroom tips, declutter homeschool room, organizing homeschool space

Christian Easter Activity Pack

January 31, 2016 By Valerie Mcclintick 5 Comments

EasterEBook

We had such a huge response to our Christmas Activity Pack last year, that I thought it would be a good idea to put together a similar resource for Easter!

I know many of you are already planning your Easter lessons, so I wanted to get this out in January to give you plenty of time to put these resources to work for you.

And since it’s the 31st I can pat myself on the back for that goal met…. ha!

You can download our Easter Activity Pack  from our Teachers Pay Teachers eStore

 

Want to peek inside?  

This pack is filled with  80 pages of multi-level games, activities and resources to take all the work out of your Easter Sunday School Lesson planning.

Three Different Easter Bible Games:

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Seven Easter Arts and Craft Activities:

(Five shown below)

Easter Story Wheel & Easter Story Resurrection Eggs:

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Easter Cross Geometric Art Project for Kids:

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Easter Story Eggs for Art Projects

(Wreaths, Storybooks, Easter Baskets….etc)

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Easter Crowns for Take Home:

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There are TONS of coloring pages and Worksheets:

Full Size Easter Egg Coloring Pages

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Three Levels of Easter Mazes for Kids

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Easter Crosswords, Word Scramble and Word Search

(these make great take home items!)

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Easter Copywork

Print, Cursive and Blank available with NIV

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EasterEBook

 

You can download our Easter Activity Pack from our Teachers Pay Teachers eStore

 

 

Filed Under: Bible Crafts, Bible Printables, Classroom Projects, Easter Printables, EasterCrafts, Homeschool Curriculum Tagged With: bible, christian, easter, printables, resurrection

Free Mini Office Printables

September 17, 2014 By Valerie Mcclintick 2 Comments

 

MiniOfficePrintables
This week we’re featuring a FREE Mini Office for our newsletter subscribers!
What is a Mini Office?

 

A Mini Office is basically a custom built learning resource for your student.  The goal of a mini-office is to serve as a self led reference chart for children, freeing up time for teacher to work with other students and encouraging children to find answers to their own questions.  The benefit of making a mini office is also in the size and the minimal supply list.   All you’ll need is a couple of file folders, scissors, glue, and your printable pages.  (Free Mini Office Printables Below)

MiniOfficePrintables3
How to Make a Mini Office:

To assemble your mini office simply cut the tabs off of two file folders and glue them back to back.  This will create a three panel office.  You can make a larger office if you want to include extra information, however I find that the three panel is useful for small hands and when it’s stood on end it makes a great privacy blocker.  (This is especially helpful if you’re teaching around the kitchen table.)

MiniOfficePrintables2
Inside the folders you glue in KEY concepts for children to help them along with their studies.

Really you can add whatever resources you want your child to study.  In a homeschool setting, I’ve found these reference folders to be helpful for PreK-3rd graders, but you could certainly use them with older children as well.  You might consider ways to build your folder so that you can expand and adapt it as your child grows.  Alternatively, you can create multi-leveled folders for each student year.  The resources provided below can be adapted to suit your needs.

 

MiniOfficePin

Newsletter Subscribers Download our Free Mini Office Here

Not yet following?  Subscribe Free Here

MiniOffice Videos on Lapbook Lessons:

Find more free printables and links for making thematic mini office’s for yor children:

LLMiniMathLLLanguageLLGeo

Filed Under: Classroom Projects, File Folder Games, Math Tools Tagged With: alphabet chart, days of week, hundreds chart, math, mini office, months, number line, weather chart

Stained Glass Nativity Craft

December 4, 2013 By Valerie Mcclintick 3 Comments

StaineGlassNativity

Christmas always comes faster then I’m prepared for.

I remember it was even faster when I had lesson plans to prepare for.

This is a quick and easy craft that will give you beautiful results.

(You might remember that we’ve used this technique on our Stained Glass Easter Craft)

NativityStainedGlass

Download: Nativity

So here’s the deal.

You can either print that page on vellum paper and color it in with markers

-or- a more budget friendly and FUN way is to print it on regular paper and then do the following:

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Color your paper with marker.  Encourage children to leave areas of white or to use their yellow pen to highlight the tops of each section.

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When your page is colored, flip it over and apply oil to the back.  I used a canola oil and a paper towel to rub it in.  You’ll instantly see the oil soaking in.  Oil the entire page.

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Let dry, then Hang up in a sunny window.  You can see in my image the oiled area lets the light through.  You can even get creative with what areas you oil and don’t oil for a different effect (see that little oil spot near the bottom of the page)

I think a window full of these would be beautiful in a classroom window!

Be sure you subscribe for exclusive printables, tips and resources.

Siggy

 

Filed Under: Bible Crafts, Bible Printables, christmas crafts, Christmas Printables, Classroom Projects, Coloring Pages Tagged With: children's ministry, christmas crafts, christmas printables, co-op, for kids, kids crafts, nativity coloring page, stained glass nativity craft, sunday school

Making a Classroom Quilt: Printables!

April 21, 2013 By Valerie Mcclintick Leave a Comment

 

Yup, just for you!

QuiltPin

We’ve got ABC’s, 123’s, and everything in between!

You can print it all FREE!

Wondering how to use the printables?

It couldn’t be eaiser!

 


Print up a set of Classroom Quilt Printables.  You can use regular paper, if children are coloring with markers or watercoloring you might use cardstock instead.


Print up a set of Classroom Quilt Printables. You can use regular paper, if children are coloring with markers or watercoloring you might use cardstock instead.

NOTE:  Some of our Classroom Quilt printables even come with optional handwriting practice on the side.  You can instruct children to cut this part off first, write their name on it and turn it in.


NOTE: Some of our Classroom Quilt printables even come with optional handwriting practice on the side. You can instruct children to cut this part off first, write their name on it and turn it in.

Have each child color in their own quilt square.  Have them write their names on the back.


Have each child color in their own quilt square. Have them write their names on the back.

Have each child cut out their own quilt square.  There are easy cut dotted lines around the square.


Have each child cut out their own quilt square. There are easy cut dotted lines around the square.

Show children how to slide their square into the correct pocket.


Show children how to slide their square into the correct pocket.


This is the Quilt Pocket Chart we use, however any bulletin board or blank wall space works too!

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Stand back and enjoy your classroom quilt!  These look amazing when they are filled up with children's artwork!


Stand back and enjoy your classroom quilt!
These look amazing when they are filled up with children’s artwork!

 

Like our Classroom Quilt Pocket Chart?
Here’s where we got it!

Ready to make your own?

Click Here for ALL of our Classroom Quilt Printables

ABC Quilt

123 Quilt

Alphabet Animals Quilt

Butterfly Quilt

Christmas Quilt

Community Helpers Quilt

Earth Day

Easter Quilt

Farm Animal Quilt

Seasons Quilt

 

Want to suggest a theme?

Have an idea for using these in the classroom?

Leave us a comment below!


Filed Under: Animal Crafts, Butterfly Printables, Christmas Printables, Classroom Projects, Coral Reef Crafts, Creation Crafts, Earth Day Crafts, homeschool printables, Preschool Printables Tagged With: alphabet, classroom quilt, coloring, free, handwriting, homeschool, numbers, pocket chart, printables, teacher resources

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I am a Christian mother of four, with over 13-years experience homeschooling in Southern Oregon. The resources and products I create are designed to keep the prep to a minimum while also bringing a little educational fun to your classroom

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