Clip Board Craziness

So, after visiting the blog Schoolgirlstyle.com Kelly and I decided our classrooms (which we previously loved) were in the need of a makeover.  Once I have an idea, it is difficult for me to "sit-on-it". I become like five-year-old on Christmas Morning.  Since school was still in session I decided my clipboards were the first, of many, projects to begin.

My clipboards are 110 years old! They aren't that old, but let's just say that they have more than one teacher's name on them.

This isn't even the worst one.

So after some hunting on-line (gotta love Pinterest) I decided decoupage was the way to go. First I painted the edge of the clipboard, about one inch all the way around, with SILVER or BLACK acrylic paint.  Then it was time to decoupage.  In order to stick with the color scheme of my room I used SILVER, PURPLE, or BLUE cardstock.

First a coat over the clipboard and some time to let it dry. After that a second coat was added.

Here are some of the clipboards drying after being given their 2nd coat. 

I had some issues with bubbling of the cardstock and the recent warm weather we are having didn't help as the decoupage was drying really quickly but with the help of the family they are ready for the back to be done.  I tend to add some *MAGIC* to make them fit in with my Harry Potter themed classroom.

Make sure to check back soon for a PART 2 of the process and hopefully the FINAL PRODUCT. 
-Damien of The Reading Buddies

End of Year-Part 3

Time to pack it up!

Those of you who read our blog know that Kelly is moving her grade level and classroom this year. (Far away from mine Boo!)  Below are pictures of both of our rooms during pack up for the end of they year. Can you guess which room is being moved?

Time to wrap it up!

This classroom has teacher ADHD written all over it!

Lots of plans to re-model, re-organize, and re-decorate for September.  Make sure to keep checking back as we continue to show the progress we've made!

-The Reading Buddies

Harry Potter Classroom Theme

Hello Bloggers!  Feeling a little down, ok REALY down, this week and I thought I would try to pick myself up with a few of my favorite things: Blogging, Teaching, and Harry Potter.


Through this blog I have connected with quite a few Harry Potter teacher-fans.  You guys inspired me to share my classroom theme, which Kelly had a great deal of influence upon.  Ok, more than influence, she thought of the idea and forced me to do it about 3 days before school started.  Allow me to share the story.


First, one thing you must know about me is I start getting the school bug on August first.  I hound custodians for the date I am allowed back in my room and have moved my furniture back in my classroom by myself in order to start prepping (I have an illness).  One day, when I should have been organizing books or hanging bulletin boards I was sitting in Kelly's FANTASTIC Ocean themed classroom whining and drinking a vanilla bean coffee coolatta. I was in awe of her adorable theme and complained that in 5th grade you can't have a theme because 5th graders are all "big" and "cool".  To help, or to shut me up, or a combination of both Kelly mentioned that I need to incorporate a theme that I love because I will be in the room 5 days a week.  Through some quick brainstorming, she mentioned I could use the Harry Potter books as my theme.


Problem-It was 3 days before school started, I was already hanging up my baseball posters and using my lame (no offense) "we are all a team" theme.  I was tempted to stick with it, but the allure of Harry was just too much.  I scoured the Internet and found...NOTHING.  Seriously, not one Harry Potter birthday calendar, bulletin board paper, or border. (Seriously, I have been tempted to call JK Rowling and asked that chick to hook up with a company and get this stuff made).  So I went to work and created my first Harry Potter poster.

Printed out from the computer, edited, and mounted on construction paper.
Hermione waits for me to call on her. 

I know, nothing fantastic.  I still hang her up as my first Harry token, but it has grown from there.

On the first day of school everyone is "sorted" into a house by the sorting hat.

After introducing the new gang to my Harry Potter theme (they have know about it since they were in 1st grade with Kelly) I read the sorting hat poem from HPSS and sort the kids into their "house" or tables.  Above each table hangs a sign with the house name and a brief description of the type of student found in that house.  I made these myself and laminated them.

I copied the excerpt straight from the novel. 

 Our first activity of the year is to make owls and to write about whether we were sorted into the right house based on how we assess our character traits.


My students sit with their table for one month and work together to earn house points.  At the end of the month the house with the most house points wins the House Cup .  The students are resorted (without the ceremony) and the House Points competition starts all over again.

My closet door keeps track of the points. 

My students mailboxes are labeled the Owlery and a few feathered friends,
including Hedwig perch there. 

We are currently finishing HPSS, here is one of my bulletin boards

My tables are labeled Potter, students who cannot behave are put in Azkaban (figuratively of course), and Potter decor now litters my room.  Here are some more pictures.

I picked up a few chocolate frog boxes from a
recent trip to Harry Potter World to decorate the
corners of my bulletin board. 

I made this border myself: it is many, many, MANY 8 inch strips printed, cut, glued, and laminated.  It took forever-but I love it. 

My letter to Hogwarts- I was accepted!

Homemade Birthday Chart- There was a frog underneath Harry!

I use starred paper for my bulletin board, like the Great Hall ceiling.
My kids drew me these HP pencil sketches.  NOT BAD!

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!

The Magic Wands from four of the characters.
Can you guess who?

From the very first day when we sort, until we start the first HP novel (usually December), all the way until the end of the year we are filled with the magic of Hogwarts.  As the only one who stays behind to do it again next year, Harry Potter is something I never get sick of.

Let the Magic Begin!
-Damien