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Hot Glue Gun
Who doesn't have at least one hot glue gun? Personally, I have an entire crate full of them, because every time I needed one, I couldn't find one and didn't have time to find it. Hint! Put your hot glue gun and hot glue somewhere where they can easily be found at the drop of a hat! Then, try both of these simple ideas using your low-heat hot glue gun!
1) Do your classroom cupboard doors bang when anyone opens and shuts them? Soundproof those cupboard doors by putting a dot of hot glue on the bottom or top corner where the door meets the wood.. Let it dry before closing the cupboard door. The sound will be muffled.
2) Is your alphabet chart or posters falling off your wall? Reattach them with a couple drops of hot glue. They will stick to the wall and, when you are ready to take them off, peel it carefully and the glue will come right off. If your wall won't release the glue easily, warm it up and it will still come off easily!
Pool Noodles
Pool noodles are so cheap-especially if you have a Dollar Tree nearby, and I really hope you do! There are so many things there you can buy to use in your classroom. Every teacher needs one!
3) Use pool noodles to build a quiet reading space in your room. Cut them in half and notch them like the old Lincoln Logs. A really great thing about building with pool noodles, besides their cheap cost, is that you can take them down and store them easily when you do not need them.
4) Use a pool noodle to make a visual example of fractions. Cut five pieces 12-inches long each. Leave one piece complete. Cut the second one into two 6-inch pieces. Cut a third one into three 4-inch pieces and another into 4 three-inch pieces. The final piece will be cut into 6 two-inch pieces. If you cut one more, you can make eight 1.5-inch pieces.
You can do different fractions by cutting the single piece different lengths, such as ten inches or sixteen inches to make it easier. The great thing about using pool noodles to make hands-on fraction examples is that you can make them whatever size you want!
Cardboard Boxes
5) Sturdy, empty cereal boxes can be cut in half diagonally to create a magazine holder. Knowing that you can buy them, the beauty of making your own is that you can cover them with any color of contact paper or material, making them fit with your room's decor. Another option for this is to buy plain white cardboard magazine holders from Ikea and cover them on your own.
6) Choose boxes that will easily accommodate the student books on your shelves. Cover them to match your magazine boxes and put your books in them. Organize them according to topic and label each box.
7) Use cardboard to make a treasure box that can be used for Escape Room activities. You can use actual hardware for the hinges or you can use strips of leather or lace for the hinges. Use the real deal for the lock and you can use a combination lock to close it .A simple visual is found at ikatbag. Scroll down past the cardboard stage her daughter made and you will find a unique, easy to create box that will be so cheap, you can afford to make several of them.
PVC Pipe
8) Use 1/4 inch PVC pipe and build a simple puppet theater for a corner of your room. I made mine 4-feet across and 3-feet high. The tops and sides were connected with PVC pipe elbows. The bottom pipe was connected to the sides with T-shaped connectors that allowed me to add another pipe that went 3-feet back and was connected to one more 4-foot piece to balance the theater. Shower curtains, sheets or material make a simple front for the puppet theater.
9) Take classroom photos for holidays by using the PVC pipe to make a photo backdrop. Because I do not want to reinvent the wheel, head to downhomeinspiration to find simple directions. Not only is it simple, it is easy to set up and, if you do not glue it together, easy to take down. Make one in time for Valentine's Day.
Paint
10) Create fun designs in your classroom, if you are allowed, by adding paint. Use painter's tape to create designs, like Chevrons, and paint the area. Paint the back of your bookcases different colors to denote what genre of book is on the shelf. It is also a great way to freshen up your filing cabinet. Here is an example of a filing cabinet make-over using paint.
Where there is a will, there is a way. Make your classroom what you want it to be without breaking any budgets or doing without, yourself. Your students and you deserve it!
