Project Progress

I've been working hard this summer (no, really) and have made significant progress on the projects I posted last. In fact, I have photographic evidence.



Here is the easel that Drew and I built. It has a magnetic whiteboard on one side and a chalkboard on the other. We got some veneered plywood, cut two pieces the same dimensions as the whiteboard, then screwed them in place. I got some chalkboard paint and went to town. It works great (after I sanded it down and gave it one more coat).










Here are the close ups of the hinges and the supports. Drew engineered those parts after I got frustrated and gave up for a little while.

It folds up nice and flat since space is such a precious thing in my classroom, where ever it may be this year.

Total cost: About $40 for paint, primer, wood, screws, and whiteboard.
(Other not-as-sturdy school versions start at $300) I will be adding two clips (to hold chart paper) that I found while volunteering to clean out the teacher's resource room at school. The secretary said I could keep them if I could use them.


Finally! I finished labeling all those book in the classroom library. I have over 500 books! They have labels and everything. Total cost: $4 for garage sale labels. Laminating and printing bin labels were free.

Another project that is almost finished is the database project. I have sent it off to my dear friend, Kat, who will be messing with it to make it work also as a check-out system for the kids. Since the only computer in my classroom is the teacher's computer, I've decided that I will make it available to the kids for library check out. Of course, this can ONLY happen with my supervision since there are confidential files on there. Total cost: $0 Microsoft Access is included on my computer, and Kat volunteered her expertise.

I've also decided to get rid of the teacher's desk, since it takes up WAY too much room. To make this work, I got a file cabinet rack to fix the bottom drawer of my 4-drawer filing cabinet so I can put my student files in there now. I also bought some drawer organizers at the Dollar Tree for storing office supplies. I will be setting up a "computer station" with storage for the things that used to be in my desk. But where, oh where, will I find a piece of furniture that is small and can do both tasks? The trash, of course! I knew when I trash-picked a tiny wood desk back in '06 that it would come in handy someday. I cleaned it up, primed it and painted it to look cheery in the classroom. Total cost: $7 ($5 for a gallon of mistinted paint from the home improvement store and $2 for the drawer organizers. The desk was free, the primer was left over from the easel project, and we had the painter's tape.)

New project: To get rid of of some drawer storage (aka dumping ground - out of sight, out of mind)and turn it into bookshelves.


Here are some other great additions I've made:

This lamp is to get more incandescent light into my classroom. A collegue told me that she heard about some research saying that fluorescent lights are not good for a learning environment. I've always preferred lamps over those industrial ceiling lights anyway. I'd like my classroom to be more homey and inviting than an office, so I nabbed this lamp at a yard sale for $3. Drew had to take it apart and tighten everything up, but it is very sturdy now. It even came with four working bulbs. Total cost: $3 (plus one 40-watt light bulb)

This IKEA chair is great. It bounces like a rocking chair and is very comfortable. I would love to have this as my chair in the library/whole group teaching area, but I KNOW there won't be enough room. Instead, I'll probably slipcover it and put it in our office or living room at home. We helped paint the apartment of a friend who was moving, and he gave it to us. I even have fabric that matches our living room already. Total cost: $0