The Johnston Family Blog

It's Mid-July and already there are school supplies

out on display at your local stores.

Call me the "Grinch-of-back-to-school" but, REALLY?!

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This school year my room has been super sized.

The past two years, I was forced into seeing

60+ kids in a 10x10 foot "cell."

(Cement block walls, and all.)

This year, the fake divider wall has been pulled back

and my neighbor for the past two years has been relocated

elsewhere in the building, thus allowing me DOUBLE the space!

So I've been anxiously planning and purchasing supplies

that will allow me to do more things with my students!

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First, I will have a sensory corner in my room for the students

that I work with who have Autism. I'm going to have

little bins filled with different

sensory tools that they can use throughout their school day.

On occasion, you may find me in the corner

playing with all the cool bins I will be building!

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First bin built...obviously the staple to any elementary classroom!

PLAY-DOH!

Second, Moon Sand.

For those who have never heard of this...it's the coolest

feeling sand in the Universe!

There are still about 4 more sensory bins I'm going to build...

Probably one filled with grain rice and pennies...so the students

have to feel their way through all the rice in search of shiny little coins.

I'll also probably do one with bubbles, so the students can "blow-out"

some of their energy. Any more ideas?

The bin the students (mostly the boys) find the most

fun is my "Creepy Crawler" bin. It's filled with

frogs, lizards, snakes and other disgusting little

reptilian and amphibian creatures.

In other "Educator-News"

I found 400 stickers for $2.00!

Not that I have a window in my classroom...
but they are fun to dress up a whiteboard...
I found these cute window clings for $1.00!

Color 3-ring binders for $2.99!

And decorative printing paper for

$0.99 each!

What on earth has my life come to?!

I get excited about stickers, play-doh, creatures and sand!

Sheesh.

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It sure has been raining here....

(It's even thundering as I type)

Photos from yesterday's down-pour!