Summertime

Friday, August 11, 2017 - Posted by Ms. Mini at 3:00 PM
I'm not exactly sure what it is, but every single one of my teacher friends are in a consensus: this summer flew fast. And faster than other summers. Theories anyone? We were that tired from 2016-2017 that we just needed a few extra weeks/months of vacation?

Well, things in my life are zip-zappin' and bee-boppin' all over the place, but I did spend a significant portion of my summer at school. The good news was that I was doing something I love... painting! I am so fortunate to have administrators who are of the mindset that "color is better". I come to them with an idea and they're like "Mini, make it happen." So I do.

It all started with the nurses' office, who had a personal request for an office sprucing, after seeing my music hallway. From there it progressed to the library, and then we even added on some stained glass windows! I think the kids will be excited when they return next week. 


This will greet the students as they come into the building. 
Our PBIS 3R's of Ready, Responsible and Respectful
(And yes, folks, that's painted on the INSIDE. Backwards lettering anyone?)
And as they come up the hall to go to the cafeteria, or through the doors to go home, 
they will once again be reminded of those 3R's!




 Continuation of the nurses office---even a word search for kids who are waiting!





No--they don't actually point to where the books are, but it looks cool don't it? 


Because every kid loves Captain Underpants...
Our librarian and I had to share the wall and take turns bouncing from character to character.


So there you have it. That was my summer ladies and gentlemen. 

My Music Hallway

Posted by Ms. Mini at 2:59 PM
Evidenced by my classroom, I am a teacher who loves color. In fact, life in general is just better with color, especially when you work in a building with lots of young learners. So I was six months into my first year of teaching and the hallway down to my room was driving me CRRRR-AZY. It was long (it still is) and very bland (which now it is not). 

The entirety of this project took a week to complete, with some amazing help from my administrator (over Christmas break, 2015-2016). We re-coated the whole wall white, I came in a sketched, and then we tag-teamed the painting from a sketch I had submitted to her. Now, the kids are all jazzed up for music. The quote reads, "music is the language everyone speaks", which I thought was appropriate for my school since so many students are bilingual. 






The hanging music notes were a 2016-2017 addition, which make the hallway even more colorful. I asked each grade level one questions about music (what is your favorite song, how music makes you feel, etc.) I recorded each students response on a separate music note and strung them up.