Fresh Ideas for 2015 and a GIVEAWAY {The Learning Chambers}

Hi y'all!  This is Stephanie from The Learning Chambers to share with you some fresh ideas for 2015.  I'm excited to share a few tips and helpful hints to help spruce up your classrooms and engage your students!

Last year was my first year in second grade and I was a little hesitant to share ideas from my classroom.  I felt like it was my first year in second and I needed more time to grow.  Now it's my second year in second grade, and I'm so excited to share some fresh ideas from my classroom!

The struggle with number lines is real y'all!!  My kids needed a number line that was hands-on and one that they could manipulate if needed.  I just took some yarn, some clothes pins, and some index cards that I had cut in half.  Then, I just stretched it along the bottom of one of my cabinets to make it kid height.  The kids write the numbers and then I place a missing point or points on the number line.  At first, we really discussed the number line and solved it together but now they are totally independent!

When I moved into my second grade classroom, I had these wonderful book boxes but they all had stickers and name labels all over them.  I took some WD-40 and a razor and I worked super hard to get all of the stickers off.  It was after all my hard work that I realized that I needed to number my boxes instead of re-labeling them with names every year.

I printed out the number labels, laminated them, and then taped them on with two strips of clear packaging tape.  The green boxes are for my mockingbird group and the yellow are for my robin group.  I used the calendar cards from Hope King's Pattern's Galore Classroom Decor Bundle.  You can check those out HERE.

Those labels have been on my book boxes for a year and a half and they still look perfect.  I took the picture just today!

Right now, my second graders are busy researching during our biography unit with their partner.  I was so tired of finding the articles, report foldable, and notes all stuffed in their book boxes.  I gave each group a pocket folder and labeled the front with the famous person that they were researching.  Normally, I would make a cute label but this time just a basic label was fine with me.  I have a basket that they put the folders in when they are finished researching for the day.

The Biography Report Foldable Flip Book is from The Third Wheel and it's a super AWESOME freebie.  Click on the product cover below to grab it.

I hope you enjoyed my fresh ideas for 2015.

Now, don't forget to enter our laminator giveaway below.  I mean who doesn't want a new laminator that you could use at home or in your classroom?

a Rafflecopter giveaway