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DIY Spray Paint Lamps: Make Your Classroom Cozy + redditgifts for Teachers 2014

I remember the few times my teachers traded the fluorescent overhead lights for some low lighting and calming music as some of the most exciting. Something about the cozy, relaxed feel in the normally over-stimulating classroom environment got me really eager to pull out a pencil or a book and get to work. I want my classroom to be a place where my students feel comfortable with rather that stressed about the work we do. Environment has such a big impact on that. That's part of the reason my classroom color scheme (rather than theme... I'm not a theme kinda girl) is fairly subtle: blues, greens, white, grays and black. 

I had two old lamps that were bronze with a glass crackle situation and overall outdated so I decided to grab some spray paint and bring them from 2004 to 2014.

Spray painting lamps is super simple! First, pick your favorite color spray paint (I like the brands Rustoleum and Valspar and decided to go with black and white because I already had bold lamp shades) and put down some old newspaper, sheets, or drop cloths in a well ventilated area (I did mine on my deck outside). Tape off the wire and lamp shade/light bulb holder thingy (name?) with painters tape. 

Now you are ready to paint! This is self explanatory but one word of advice I have is to ALWAYS keep the can moving. In other words, spray while moving the can back in forth constantly. I held the it in one spot for too long on the lamps in our bedroom which caused the paint to drip. 

Let it dry, find a fab lampshade (I got the chevron shade at Goodwill {$4!} and the green shade at Hobby Lobby clearance {$11}) and you're good to go! I can't wait to see how these lamps and a few others will create a welcoming, relaxing vibe for my third grade classroom! 

And last but not least, reddit does an annual school supply drive and this year's deadline is August 18th! If you are a teacher who needs help providing your kiddos with all the supplies they need to be successful (umm who doesn't?) then sign up to be "gifted" from a very generous reddit gifter. You just have to enter your info and what supplies you're in need of! Click here for the link!

T minus 20 days until the first day of school! Butterflies have officially kicked (flew?) in.

Summer reading list for the first year teacher

Luckily, I got hired in early June. I had dreaded the thought of not getting hired until August so when I did learn I was hired, I first felt relief and then I felt a gentle wave of panic wash over me. After telling my boyfriend the good news and doing a celebratory dance in my bedroom (just me, not both of us, that would be weird) I thought, THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO! So I went to Starbucks and got on Pinterest. After I got my iced chai, I updated the name of my teacher pin board from "Future Teacher" to "Third Grade Ideas" and got to pinning (follow that board by clicking the white button above). I know this isn't the best way to begin planning, but I was excited and Pinterest is fun.

Next, I knew I had to take advantage of the free time I had this summer to catch on reading some books that I had heard mention by my professors, other teachers, bloggers, etc. The first one I read was The First Year Teacher's Survival Guide: Ready-to-Use Strategies, Tools and Activities for Meeting the Challenges of Each School Day by Julia G. Thompson. This is a HUGE book. It is kind of like a textbook for all things teachery. I loved that it has sample letters to send home to parents about the homework policy, worksheets to use with students for goal setting, student inventory worksheets to learn about the kiddos at the beginning of the year, and documentation logs for parent contact. These things were super helpful as a first year teacher because I don't have already made versions of these. I copied them out of the book and I'll be ready to go. This is a great resource for a wide range of topics.

Next, I purchased Teaching with Love and Logic by Jim Fay and David Funk. WOW, this book was talked about really highly by a teacher I know, but I didn't expect it to be this good. It basically spells out how to make classroom management manageable. Fay and Funk talk about how its important to allow students choices in the classroom but to set limits on those choices. Also, I love LoVe LOVED the overall idea that if we show empathy toward our students when they make poor decisions/misbehave and encourage them to think about their actions, they will focus on what they learned from mistakes rather than on seeking vengeance for being told how to run their lives. An example might be, "I'll call you by table as soon as you're quiet" or "feel free to work quietly or feel free to move to the table in the back so your table mates can continue working." Students need to learn to be in control of their actions and the best way to teach them this is to stop bossing them around ("Sit down! Stop talking!") and allow them to make the choice with our guidance.

I just finished The First Days of School by Harry Wong. This is perfect for first year teachers, or honestly any teacher who wants to know how to set the foundation during the critical first day through the first few weeks of school to ensure success during the rest of the year. Wong stresses the importance of having procedures for everything you will do in class written out before the first day of school, and then practicing those procedures with students until they work seamlessly. This is definitely on my to-do list for this upcoming month! He also talks about building relationships with students- uber important. I would definitely recommend purchasing this one and sticky-noting all of your favorite ideas like I did!

This one I have just started but already got really into it. It's called Positive Discipline in the Classroom by Jane Nelsen, and Lynn Lott. What I love so far is the emphasis on the importance and effectiveness of Classroom Meetings. I can't wait to sit down and really think about how I want to structure my meetings. If you have any ideas or experience of your own, please share! I recently finished a DIY teacher chair for class meetings that I will post soon!

Oh hi, blog world.

I'm not going to lie, as I write this I'm a bit jittery... mostly from the excitement of beginning this blog and being a month away from my first year of teaching, and partly from the coffee I got at Einstein's this morning. I was hired as a third grade teacher in a Title 1 school here in Texas for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year AND I AM SO EXCITED!

Naturally, my summer has been filled with DIY projects, reading and planning (between my nannying job and watching The Real Housewives, obviously). This blog will be a place for me to share my ideas, questions and experiences as I enter this year as a first year teacher.

I am incredibly passionate about closing the achievement gap for our kids because all children deserve a stellar education. To do this, I think we need to understand that part of the challenge lies in closing the teaching gap- in other words, the best teachers should not be only teaching the more fortunate students. Unfortunately, many incredible teachers don't necessarily want to work in lower SES areas for a number of reasons. I am hopeful that by blogging and sharing innovative, research-based ideas and information we can improve the quality of education we are providing for our students, regardless of what "type" of school we work in. Plus, being reflective of our teaching practices through blogging is really powerful as we can reassess what is and what isn't working while gaining insight from other teachers and their experiences. 

Look forward to my first post about a few projects I've been working on to give my classroom a warm and inviting vibe- think coffee shop meets classroom! AKA my two favorite places.