Remains of Monday Made It + Sharing Is Caring

Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics put together these really cute little "Puddlies" (sniglet for glass PUDDLES plus SMILIES), and she inspired me to put together my own little jar of happiness.

These didn't take long and each jar of happy smiley faces cost a total of $3.00...thanks Dollar Tree!

I made two jars, one for me and one for my partner-in-crime, Linda.  I figured that each of us could have one of these sweet little jars on our desk.  Because we co-teach, we share kiddos all day long and send our little sweeties back and forth through the wall of the classroom.  When a kiddo has a great class, we often walk into the other's room (through the wall) and share the great news.  These sweet little Puddlies can now travel back with the sweet little kiddo and be given to the proper classroom teacher for a reward (being moved up to blue or super purple on the classroom rewards chart).

Anywho...that gets me to the idea of SHARING IS CARING!  I have the awesome good fortune of teaching my little heart out with a wonderful friend, mentor, and most AMAZING teacher of all time!  Linda is just this outstanding human being who teaches in the classroom all year and then takes her classroom gig outside to the local pool where she keeps young lifeguards in line by teaching them life lessons and keeps a watchful eye on the children of our community as she shares the lifeguard chair with the young people she mentors.

The only drawback to the Wonderful Linda, as I shall now refer to her, is that she is "craft challenged." Her creativity in the classroom is unmatched, her crafty creativity, well...we're not sayin' anything!

So, I've been stalking blogs since the holidays and pulling in the amazing ideas that are out there and making centers and other fun classroom stuff for both of us.  I figure if I can make one Synonym Shaker, then I am certainly capable of making two.

This has not only made the Wonderful Linda smile and shake her head a time or two, but I think it has padded my "emotional bank account" so-to-speak.  It also takes away this line:  "How come Mrs. L's kids get to do the fun stuff and we don't?"  I would give anything to keep our kids from comparing, but there is nothing we can do about this!

So...if you have a teaching buddy who is even half as amazing as mine is, then MAKE TWO CRAFTS/STATIONS/NEAT THINGS FOR GOODNESS SAKES!  If you like the competition between neighbors, then might I suggest doing something like this for a teacher who needs a boost of confidence, a colleague who is drowning under a gigantic pile of worksheets, or for "the new kid on the block?"

Remember...SHARING IS CARING!