Binders, binders and more binders

Ok, call me crazy, but I think the older I get, the more OCD I am becoming or maybe it's just that I like things to match and look nice. I take a lot of pride in my classroom and strive to make it comfortable and homey. 

So, binders don't exactly make my room homey and comfortable, but every time I sit down at my desk to start lesson planning and I see my random colored binders with an eclectic variety of inserts I can't stand it!! It always looks so disorganized and messy! So this summer I decided I was going to invest in all new MATCHING, BLACK binders (my boys have been teasing me about how everything I've bought for my classroom the past 2 years is black- but everything goes with black, right?!) I also decided that I was going to make matching binder covers and spines to match my dog-themed room as well. 

Look how nice they all look together? They're going to look fantastic on my bookshelf. They make me smile every time I look at them... it doesn't take much to make me happy! Hmmm... looking at the pic made my OCD kick back in, I think I'll have to put them in alphabetical order on my shelf as well. LOL

Now I just need to find some time to get into my room and redo my files. After umpteen years of teaching, many are getting pretty ratty and dog-eared. To my benefit, the file cabinet effectively hides them~ Out of sight, out of mind! I hate to hope for a rainy day, but I think that's what it's going to take to go in and tackle that job.

PAWSitively germ free

OK,  PAWSitively germ free might be a bit of an overstatement but anything I can do to help prevent the spread of germs is a good thing, especially with 17 little munchkins bopping around the room.

I simply created these cute little labels to match my dog themed room and then printed them out and used packaging tape to adhere them to bottles of hand sanitizer. (You can get a set from my TPT store here.) When my kiddos ask to use the bathroom, they grab the correct bottle and leave it at their desk. When they return, they take a quick squirt (a great way to double protect in case any of my little sweethearts forget to wash their hands when they are in the bathroom). This has also been a great way to manage bathroom visits during Daily 5 time. I keep the bottles near my reading table and if kiddos need to use the bathroom they simply check to see if they pass they need is available and then leave it at their desk. This way I can see who is sneaking out of leaving the room and with a quick glance at the tables I can see who is still gone. 

I've been using this idea in my classroom for a couple of years now and love it!!