Vinyl in the Classroom

Well, hi!!  

I'm so happy to be back on this little old blog!  I had such a busy and wonderful summer.  Posting here just hasn't been a top priority.  BUT...ready or not...school started on Tuesday!  Our first week of 2015-2016 is in the books, and it was great!  My kids came home excited every day and woke up happy every morning.  My Kindie cuties are easing into a routine, and they worked hard this week!  I didn't lose my voice (for the first time in 13 years, I think), and I'm not exhausted this weekend like I was expecting to be.  All in all, it's so good!  Summer is amazing, but having a job that I LOVE is pretty amazing too.  I'm thankful!

I didn't get many photos to share of first week fun this week (not much time for a camera on days 1-4 of Kindergarten!), but I do want to share some of the fun ways I'm using vinyl in my classroom this year.  I had so much fun with my Silhouette this summer!

My teaching partner asked me to make this crayon organizer for her.  I used the same mini 5-drawer Sterilite that I used for my pencil drawers.  Didn't it turn out cute???  I hope it helps to keep those extra crayons nice and organized for her this year!

I don't have caddies on my student tables, but I do have two other tables in my classroom for small groups to meet and work at.  I like to keep caddies at those tables with pencils, crayons, glue, etc.  I decided to add some inspiration to the plain caddies!  

Since I teach Kindergarten, not many students are able to read these.  Of course I tell them what they say, but honestly....I love having positive words around to inspire ME throughout the day!  I think that a text-rich classroom is key for our little learners!

This was a bit spur of the moment.  This school bus clip art from Whimsy Clips was begging to be used! ;)  Nevermind that this cute vinyl is covered by my bus information sheet...  Still adorable!!

I've had these buckets on my desk for a couple of years.  They hold my markers, pens, scissors, etc.  I love that they are all uniform, but they needed a little something.  Aren't these Melonheadz kids the cutest???  I love the fun that they add to my desk!

At the last minute before school started, I decided to simplify my life a bit by labeling the drawers and cupboards that students have access to.  The blue words pop and make it easy for students to find what they need.

I also added labels for a choice time cupboard and the band-aid drawer. (PS about band-aids....it literally took me a decade of teaching to realize that band-aids are something kids can apply on their own.  Having to stop instruction to put a band-aid on totally disrupts the flow of a lesson!  In Kindergarten, kids need band-aids A LOT, and 9 times out of 10, it's not for anything that requires my assistance.  Teaching independence is a beautiful thing!!)

HOORAY for a successful back to school week!  Next week we dive into more instruction.  My kiddos are ready!!