DIY, Organize, AND BIG Time Giveaway! {starts with an S}

Guided Reading happens in a very short amount time.  Don't you feel you have to be super organized to get the most bang for your buck?  Today, I wanted to share with you some things in my GR toolbox. AND I wanted to share with you how I jazzed up my box (which you can get from IKEA for 5 bucks and the dividers are moveable, which makes it great for making the perfect size compartments).  Oh! And don't forget the giveaway!

First of all...let me share about all the "jazzy-ness"...

You know how much I love chevron. Well, I really wanted to add some chevron-love to my box and label my box with some fun letters.



To get it all done, I used my silhouette.  Right now I have the Silhouette Cameo, BUT Silhouette has come out with a new smaller version of what I have called the Silhouette Portrait.  It is just like the Cameo but is smaller and thus less expensive.  Here is a video to find out more about the Portrait:

{You can visit their blog for a ton of ideas and really see what this machine can do.}

Using my Designer Edition Software, I typed up the letters--this font is from KG fonts (which you can get for FREE/personal use on Teachers Pay Teachers) called "The Last Time {Bubble}."  So, the cool thing about the Silhouette is that you can use any of your own fonts on your computer.  This works out great because I have an obsession with fonts. :)

Then I headed over to the Silhouette Store to pick up a chevron design (you don't have to buy any design to use the machine--in fact, this was my first time to the store).  I found 6 different border designs in a single download for 99 cents. ! One of the borders was exactly what I was looking for.  I inserted this design and then sent to the machine and viola...my words and border were done.  I applied them (I used silver vinyl) and my toolbox is now all jazzed-up.

Now for the inside.  Here are my goods for guided reading:
a timer (for running records)
highlighter tape (focus on words or part of word)
sticky paper (connections, questions, new learnings)
notecards (same but with lines)
highlighter (for my use)
sentence strip bookmark (highlights words and sentences for students)
extra large popsicle sticks (spacing)
stickers (incentives)
beads (I wear beads to let other students know I am busy and they will have to solve their question.  I just hold them up if they approach the table. I have seen other teachers wear a crown or some other fun piece.)

What do you keep in your Guided Reading Toolbox?  Do you have something you just can't live without?

AND NOW...... THE GIVEAWAY!

FIRST, Silhouette is offering some pretty steep discounts for educators that will run starting today, February 28th-March 8th.

*** A Silhouette Portrait ($160 Educator pricing) and the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition Software  ($39.99 Educator pricing) for $179.99

*** A Silhouette CAMEO ($240 Educator pricing) and the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition Software ($39.99 Educator pricing) for $269.99

***OR if you need to upgrade to the Designer Edition Software  you can for $24.99

In order to get these discounts, you have to go HERE and enter the promocode MODERN.

In addition to the steep discounts, Silhouette is going to give ONE of my readers a SILHOUETTE PORTRAIT ($160 value)!!!  Yahoo!

Here are the giveaway/contest details:

*One winner will be chosen.
*Contest runs from today (February 28-March 4th)
*Winner will be announced March 4th

*3 easy requirements:
 ---sign-up for A Modern Teacher's Newsletter
 ---LIKE A Modern Teacher on Facebook
 ---Follow A Modern Teacher's Store on Teachers Pay Teachers

*For extra entries:
 ---comment below
 ---follow A Modern Teacher's Blog (you can use anything like Google Reader, RSS feed, email)
 ---Pin the image of the toolbox
 ---Pin something from my store

Use Rafflecopter below to enter.  You will see all the ways to enter in this window.  Sign in to participate.

a Rafflecopter giveaway