D.Z. Mars Creative

As a fun little side project, I created some Rubber Ducky themed PDF printable nameplates.  I may actually use these in my classroom this year, as my theme colors are turquoise/teal, lime, and black.  If you're interested in having these in any other color combination, please feel free to contact me on the teacherspayteachers comment section for this item! :)  I may turn this into a whole theme at some point when I have more time. Click on the photo or here to get to the link.

That pile of "stuff" in the corner                                  If you live in a tiny place or just don't have enough storage in your home, you may end up with a pile of "stuff" in a corner. OK, it's neatly stacked up and it's in storage bins, but when it's in a room you frequent every day, it might ruin the visual appeal of the room. Here's how to make a quick fabric storage panel / curtain (also works as a freestanding headboard for a bed!), with no tools, little time, and if you plan it right, for under $45. You can probably put the whole thing together in under 20 minutes, which is great for the "instant gratification" DIY set (of which I am part). What you'll need: -A fabric shower curtain (72"x72" is standard) -Shower curtain hooks (will not be visible, so buy the cheap kind) -A rolling garment rack that stands at least 72" high and extends to about that wide (less is ok on...

I've been working on ways to cover my shelves and make my room look more unified, all without spending too much money.  Here's how I've been doing this: Take black butcher paper and cut to desired size. Put a cute picture from a calendar in the middle (Dollar Store calendars rock) Put a border at the bottom. Laminate the whole shebang. Attach with a strip of color-coordinated duct tape to the shelf above. If you're working with a very wide shelf, it might be a good idea to make separate "doors" that are half or 1/3 of the width of the shelf.  That way, you don't need to lift a long, heavy flap.  Just lift the little door you want to move. As an added bonus, you can say, "Hey, Joey, go get a dictionary.  They're behind the tiger!" The side of my cheap utility shelves that make the side of my classroom library area:   Covered back side of my (sagging) utility shelves.  I store class library books on the other side...

So, this year, I'm trying really hard not to spend a ton of money on my classroom.  I think last year, I spent well over a thousand dollars, which is kind of silly.  This year, I want to totally change my color scheme (from every color known to man in a dizzying melange guaranteed to induce hyperactivity) to teal/lime/black.  I'm hoping to accomplish this with spray paint made for plastic (Rustoleum in light blue and lime green) and black background paper.  I reallllly want to buy black fabric, but I don't want to spend even more than I'm already spending. This is part one of how I am uniting my color scheme for (somewhat) cheap this year.  I will do more posts when I can actually get into my classroom, which is currently being used for a summer academy, I've been asking around for those cruddy wire shelving storage cubes that get put together with the corner connectors.  Everybody seems to have some to give away because they fall apart.  The tr...

Here are several days' worth of activities and plans that are compatible with Lessons 1 a,b,c of Discovering French Bleu (lesson numbers are for Nouveau edition, although it is the same vocab as in previous editions).                                       Includes the following topics: basic greetings, introductions, number 0 to 69, how to ask from where people originate. This PDF has 17 pages which include: -Cover -3 pages of instructions, plans, and games -3 pages of interactive notebook printables -3 pages of keys for the notebook -Printable "I have, Who has?" game -4 pages of vocabulary flash cards -A vocabulary crossword puzzle -Key to the puzzle

I spent most of this morning creating a new printable center for my teacherspayteachers store. This item features a Sherman's March to the Sea / Civil War printable file folder center activity that doubles as a worksheet. The questions on the worksheet are compatible with pretty much any book (trade or text) having to do with Sherman's March. This center activity is perfect for independent research in a trade book- and internet- based classroom. This center is a self-checking riddle sheet. If the students correctly answer each question, they will solve the answer to the riddle. If it is not correctly completed, the riddle reply will not make sense. The Common Core requires students to analyze primary sources, including photographs and art. Included in the center is an essay involving a series of three images / photos of Sherman's March. Students are asked to evaluate Sherman's tactics and methods and the ethics involved, while using details from the images as sup...

I've been a good and prolific little writer as of late.  Today, I wrote an article on my Hubpages about how I built a free-standing pet gate with no tools and under $25.  I actually came up with the idea just by wandering around and around in Home Depot until the moment came to me. Click here to read the article. Here's what the finished product looks like:                                                    I'm rather proud of it.  My cats have not found a way to jump over it or move it in the week and a half  I've had it up. The best part about all this is that I can now have my bedroom door open again... haven't been able to do this since M-the-bed-peeing-cat moved in 5 years ago.  Now, in winter, my bedroom won't be 20* below zero at night!  The humidity level from the shower won't make the room turn into a mini-Juma...