Word Wands

My classroom isn't the only thing I have been focusing on this summer. I've been doing a lot of exploring/studying different word work methods for Kindergarten and trying to decide how I am going to implement them in my class. One of the things I did discover are sight-word pointers (which I'm going to call Word Wands). The idea is that after the students have learned and mastered a new sight word, they use the wands in a word work and/or reading station to point at the word when they find it in a book or passage. 

These are just some of the wands that I made: 

Making them was easy-peasy! I simply printed the words on card-stock, glued them to these cute mini-accent circles I bought at the teacher store, laminated them, and then hot-glued them onto Popsicle sticks! 

I LOVE the way they turned out, and I think they are sturdy enough to last a couple of years! 

Now here is the exciting part...you can make these SAME Word Wands for FREE! (well, almost) I started a Teachers Pay Teachers account so that my followers can download some of my word work ideas! So if you like these word wands, simply click on the link below and it will take you to the TPT site where you can download the words in their cute little circle format for FREE! (you're on your own with the mini-accents and popsicle sticks!) :)

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/K-High-Frequency-Words-Printable

The FREE printable includes 36 Kindergarten sight-words. I hope you enjoy the printable and have success with your own Word Wands! 

~Lindsay

Pinterest Project

Well, I fell into the trend...MILK CRATE SEATS! I have seen them all over Pinterest, and I even have a few coworkers that have created them. Not only are they adorable, but they allow for extra storage! Here is a quick little look at the process.

I bought four file folder crates from Target. (Make sure that if you ever decide to create these on your own that you use the file folder crates. They have a small "lip" on the top inside of the crate that allows for the seat to set in.) My cat, Elton, inspected the crates to make sure they were the right kind. He's such a good helper. :)

I then recruited my Mom to help because she is the BEST at projects like this. (She also recently reupholstered her dining room chairs, so I knew she knew what she was doing!) We took one of the crates to Home Depot and asked an employee to help us cut the wood. We purchased a sheet of 1/2" thick plywood and Mr. Home Depot measured the inside part of the crate where that top "lip" is, and cut the wood to fit inside. He was fantastic, and there's NO WAY this project would have been completed without his help! 

We then ran across the street to Hobby Lobby (yes, my one true love!) to buy foam and cow-print fabric.

This stage of the project is where my Mom did most of the grunt work. I helped her cut the foam and fabric to fit the size of the wooden seat. She sprayed adhesive on the wood so the foam would not shift when she stapled the fabric, and then she worked her magic! I'm terrified of staple guns, so again, my Mom did all the work here. :)

My Mom also stapled a small loop of ribbon to the bottom of the seat so that it would be easier to lift it up from the crate. Here is the finished product:

Aren't they great!? I'm going to use them at my small group table in the classroom. I'm not exactly sure what I will "store" inside the crate, but I have no doubt that I will need to put something in there. 


~Lindsay

Farm Frenzy!

Hi everyone! Just a quick little post to share some more of the farm items I will be using in the classroom. I literally have FARM FRENZY!

I know it's not the best picture, but I found a farm themed calendar set! To say I was excited about this is an understatement. haha! I have been looking everywhere, including the internet, and I finally fell across it at a local teacher's store. There's much more to it, but I don't want to spoil all the fun for when I finally post classroom pictures. :)

These adorable "Peek Overs" are going to be great for my "Farmer of the Week" display. 

And finally, introducing....

Bessy and Boots: our class mascots! My cousin gave me a great idea to add some plush to the classroom. To make it extra special, I'm going to let the "Farmer of the Week" carry around Bessy the Cow or Boots the Pig with them at school during their designated week. So the animals can go to recess or lunch with them, sit on their desk, etc. 

That's all I've got for now! I finally get into the classroom (with no air conditioning!) on Monday, so hopefully I will be posting some classroom pics real soon. 

Have a great weekend, friends! 

~Lindsay

Down On The Farm

As soon as I learned I would be teaching Kindergarten this year I knew I wanted my classroom theme to be "On the Farm." While teaching second grade I never really had a theme...I guess you could say it was just busy and bright. So I am super excited about creating my Farm Classroom!

Over the summer I have been doing a lot of looking and collecting of farm-themed supplies. I can't get into my classroom until next week, so I thought I would just show you some of the things I have gotten so far.

I stepped into Hobby Lobby (my GREATEST weakness) last week and discovered a ton of cute farm-themed decorations ON SALE! I couldn't resist this Welcome Sign!

Another Hobby Lobby grab. It's a little bucket. There was also a sheep that I will most likely be purchasing in the near future. :)

Some of the bulletin board sets I purchased from Carson Dellosa. 

I love Cut-Out Buddies! I use them for all sorts of things around the classroom like labels, station cards, etc. 

Adorable borders! The farm animals are also from Carson Dellosa and the grass border is from Lakeshore.

Some of the other ideas I'm hoping to incorporate into the farm-theme is:

• Farmer of the Week 
• A weekly showcase of an individual student from the class. 
• Farmhands
• The name I want to use for my friends that have a "daily duty" for the class such as collecting papers, organizing, etc.
• Fun on the Farm
• Bulletin board I want to have outside the class in the hall where I will frequently change out student work. 
• Our Barnyard Best!
• Behavior management pocket chart. 

I have a ton of other ideas brewing in my mind. Please feel free to share if you have any farm-themed ideas for the classroom! 

~Lindsay

Welcome!

Welcome to Twist, Twirl, and Teach!

My passion in life is teaching! I try each and every day to add a little twist and twirl into my classroom. I have taught 2nd grade for the past 3 years, but this year I am embarking on a brand new adventure: KINDERGARTEN!

I am new to the blogging community, but my goal is to share this new journey with everyone in  hopes that I can share some of my ideas and get some insight on the wonderful world of Kinder!

Thanks for joining me!

~Lindsay