DIY-Running Display Wall

Apart from teaching and being an AWANA director, I have always loved to RUN as a past time. I started running Cross Country in High School. In cross country, our meets consisted of running a 5k (3.1 miles). After High School, I began running in local area 5k's (Road Races). Not only did this keep me in shape, but it was something that I loved to do. I even finally Ran my first HALF-MARATHON in March 2012. After this half-marathon, I ran a few road races. However, due to the amount of stress and no free time from my last 2 semesters of the Education program that included Student Teaching, "running" got put on the "back-burner." With the majority of road races coming up soon, I am determined to get back into running shape this year and add more "awards" to my display. 

This post will show my DIY running wall from many different inspirations from several pinterest pins. 

I am currently in the process of remodeling (painting, flooring,etc..) my entire room. So I had to take down my previously "decorated" award wall. Before the current display, I had all of my running pictures and bibs (that I had kept) stapled/taped to the wall. around the bibs and pictures, I would hang my medals on medium sized tacks. After browsing pinterest the past few years, I have always been interested in the "award/bib display boards" that people make. I took a variation of ideas and incorporated them for my wall. 

1. Bibs:
Previously: my bibs were taped or stapled to my wall.

NOW: I created TWO bib canvas boards. Here are the how to's for my boards:

Materials:
-Canvas (I think it is 11x14). They come in a pack of 3 from walmart [super cheap].

-Paint/brushes (being an education major, I already had these on hand).

-plastic wall hanging hooks. 

-Command Velcro picture hanging strips. 

Directions:
a-Paint your canvas in the colors or design that you want it. Also paint inspirational sayings on it, or even just the word "Bibs." 

b-Once the paint dried, I attached my plastic hooks to the canvas board. 

C-I used picture hanging velcro strips to hang the canvas. 

D- I put my bibs on the hanging hooks. 

2. Pictures. 
Since the canvas came in a pack of three, I used the 3rd canvas as a picture board. I only have roughly 6 running Pictures that are PRINTED. I have several more that I may add later down the line. To make my picture board, I first tacked the pictures where I wanted them. Then I painted the leftover white space between the pictures. After that, I hot glued my pictures to the board. I also used velcro strips to hang my picture board. 

3. R-U-N
To add an extra element to my wall, I purchased the wooden letters from Wal-Mart to spell the word RUN. At my hometown's walmart, there are a small abundance of letters in our craft department. I found an R and an U just fine! I was missing my N. Since I found 2 U's. I decided that I would just turn one of the U's upside down to form an N. I painted the Letters and after drying hung them up with strips as well. 

4. Medals

For the medals I have won, I used the rest of my "hooks" and mounted them on the wall. I tied two medals together for each hook (except my heavy Half marathon medal). I still have 2 trophies that I have to figure out how to place somewhere! Below is the final results of everything on my running wall! 

Have a Blessed Night,
Mr. H. 

LIFE UPDATE, CHURCH-AWANA SPARKS

Hello Everyone, 
It is time for an update, since my last post from March. As you know, the first half of the year I was in the process of completing student teaching!! I passed all of my classes (including all 3 ST classes) and graduated with honors (cum laude) in May with my BA from GSW. 

Post-Graduation, I am still looking for a job, but will be continuing to gain experience through subbing! 

A part from being a full time student (not anymore haha), I am very active in my church! I am a member of the choir and help with several children's ministry activities. One specific ministry being the AWANA program. AWANA stands for Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed.

In awana, students or (CLUBBERS) participate in a schedule of activities during each club night. The clubbers are split off into separate groups (Puggles, Cubbies, Sparks, and TNT, each with their own mascot(s)....there is also a middle and high school youth program(s) in AWANA).The clubbers have their game time (some churches even go to the "competitions"), snack suppers, Handbook time (verse memorization), COUNCIL TIME (BIBLE LESSON), and  Closing ceremonies (for music, follow ups, award ceremonies, etc...). For more information on awana, you can visit their site by clicking on the caption.

AWANA MINISTRY WEBSITE

Now, this is my 6th-(7th) year in the awana program working with the SPARKS group (Kindergarten to Second Grade)! I have went through many of the awana ranks. I started off helping occasionally as a student leader/helper, then I became an official leader (signing off on memorized verses, assisting when needed, etc..). After being a leader for 2 years, I took the place of our SPARKS secretary, where my role was to record the verses the clubbers recited in my records, put them in the computer, and award the clubbers their (wings, jewels, emblems)[note; awana awards are "similar" to patches in boy/girl scouts]. Last year, our Sparks Director stepped down after I believe almost 10+ years of service. I stepped up and took over the responsibility. So now I am going on my 2nd year as a director. The director's job is to help run the club for your group. You must make executive decisions, help your leaders, plan the bible story for your group, etc...). Since I do always want to "grow" and "learn," I have attended the awana conference for the past 2 years and it has been amazing! 

I learned a lot in my time as director last year, and have been able to make several improvements THIS year!! It was a difficult process/journey, especially when student teaching came along. My bible lessons unfortunately became lack-luster :(! This year will be different. Found below is my ("newly" decorated room). Last year, I just had awana posters hanging, a move-able marker board and a "CD" player. This year I believe will be a more "welcoming" experience for my clubbers. 

Our Mascot "SPARKY the firefly" welcoming clubbers into the sparks awana room! 

Here, We have our SPARKS theme song. Under the poster are file folders. These folders will contain activity sheets for each grade level (handbook level) to complete once they have finished their ALLOWED 2 sections per night limit. 

While at home recitation and discussion with parents is encouraged, if students have a tendency to forget their book, they are allowed to leave their handbooks with us. Here are our organizational baskets. 

Our LESSON table, here we see our sparky puppet, CD player (for handbook music, music for lessons, etc..). This week's lesson is already prepped and ready to go. Under the table, we have our treasure box (new this year), the clubbers won't know when I will call treasure box time. It will not be a weekly reinforcement. Instead, it will be an every now and then to reinforce that we should be loving, caring, kind, respectful ALL the time. 

Our Sitting area for council time :)! 

Our lesson marker board. This will be used to write notes, scripture, etc.. that pertain to the lesson. I have also "pinned" a business card of our AWANA missionary to remember to pray for them. 

Here is our information wall! Where I will keep our theme nights, and nightly schedule for easy viewing. 

Here is another Sparky drawing for extra decoration. 

This wall will most likely be used to hang up posters, or activities that we complete during large group lessons to remind us of what we have learned this year. 

Our Handbook time rules just as a reminder to my Sparkies, what to do after they have recited their allotted amount of sections.

I will try to remember to update my blog regularly with up to date awana happenings!

Blessed,

-Mr. H. 

Horton Hears a who Activity

 Hello!!!

As promised, here is the "Horton" activity that I completed with my students. 

Since I didn't have a "Horton" book, I found this abridged version of Horton hears a who on youtube:

After the video, the students started on their activity. 

There were many components to this activity. 

Materials:

1. Writing Prompt

2. Copies of ELEPHANT NOSE 

3. Construction Paper

4. Pipe Cleaners

5. Pom-Poms

6. Dicuts:

-Medium hearts (2 per students) [ears]
-Mini Hearts (2 per student) [inner ears]

-Circle (head)

-Half Circle (2 per student) [feet]

7. googly eyes

These were the items that I used based on my school's resources. I found a template that used the same shapes HERE!!!

Instead of making my students "CUT" a lot, I went ahead and made these dicuts for them.

DIRECTIONS TO YOUR HORTON: 

The students had to complete their WRITING PROMPT FIRST.

2. The students were given their ELEPHANT NOSES. I drew my elephant nose, and copied it on cardstock. The students were told to color their noses, any color they wanted to (THIS IS ALL ABOUT CREATIVITY/FINE ARTS, students should be given the opportunity to be creative and not complete things in 1 way). 

3. The students were given their construction paper. I used Yellow. The construction paper serves as a background. 

4. The students were given a Ziploc bag that contained their DICUTS and THEIR GOOGLY EYES. 

5. The students were told to glue their pieces down in whatever order/location they liked. If they wanted to turn their paper vertical they could, or if they wanted it landscape, they could do that too. The students should also glue down their writing prompt. 

6. Once the students were done, I called them to the back to glue on a "clover" flower. Since I ran out of green pipe cleaners, I made 3 different colors of clovers. 

The Original "Horton-Pink/Green clover"

Thing 1 and Thing 2-blue/red combo

Orange and Green-Like Green eggs and ham! 

I hot glued the students' clover, wherever they wanted it. After everyone had a clover glued down,  I gave them an extra "clover" to keep!! 

To make the Clovers: 

-Take a Pipe Cleaner (twist it up).

-Take a colorful pompom and hot glue it to the end of the pipe cleaner. 

NOTE: Make sure you know which end of the pipe cleaner OR pompom has clue on it.. With you get something like cotton balls or pompoms stuck to you with hot glue it's a big scabby mess (as mentioned in my MLK day fiasco). 

Found below are the pictures of materials and student work...ENJOY!!

Thing 1 and Thing 2 Clovers 

Classic Horton Clovers!! 

Green Eggs and Ham Clovers! 

Bag of Materials 

Materials

MR. Haggard's Example! Look and see how creative my students were in their placement of everything!

BLESS,

MR. HAGGARD 

Dr. Seuss Week! Wacky Wednesday

TODAY for DR. SEUSS DAY, we read "Wacky Wednesday (because it was Wednesday DUH!). 

In Wacky Wednesday a young boy wakes up to  find many wacky things, it starts off with 1, and by the time the book ends, it goes to 20 something. The students had to respond to Wacky Wednesday, by telling what they would see....Found below are MOST of my students' work.

On Wacky Wednesday, It was a worm chasing a cat. 

There is a Desk on the Ceiling on Wacky Wednesday.

On Wacky Wednesday there was a house upside down and a person walking in upside down with the bed on the ceiling upside down. PLEASE NO MORE WACKY WEDNESDAY!!!

ON Wacky Wednesday there is a baby with 5 heads. On wacky wednesday, there is a cat chasing a dog. There are three houses on top of each other. On Wacky Wednesday there is a Chihuahua marrying a person. 

On Wacky Wednesday there is a straight up and down very skinny and twenty-five cars are going up the road (there was a picture of this in the book). A ant running faster than a cheetah. A flower getting nectar from a bee. The word hot dog saying dog hot. And the word Ice Cream is Cream ICe [many took it as opposite day]. A Rat chasing an OWL. A truck running away from a basket, and the sun was on the ground. "END THE"

On Wacky Wednesday a motel was swimming in an outdoor swimming pool. It would be Wacky. BAD-HI [opposite of Good-bye]...

ON Wacky Wednesday an octopus was in a house and people were in the sea. 

On Wacky Wednesday a house was on a house. One day there was a bus on a car. One day there was a house on  car. One day a kid fell on a city. One day a bird was on a little cat. 

On Wacky Wednesday a bird is "Pooping" Money.....[I guess THEY HAVE SEEN the GA Lottery Commercial, with the Goat]. ON Wacky Wednesday, a dog is marrying a person! 

ON Wacky Wednesday there was a shoe in a lunchbox. 

ON Wacky Wednesday, everything is weird. A shoe is on the wall and a car is on my house. A desk is on a desk and a fish is in a cup. And a Dog is on the wall.And a Dog is on a Cat. 

ON Wacky Wednesday a weird guy that has no head and walk through the door and he has no hands and he was ugly. He has no eyeballs and he can't figure it out. END THE! 

On Wacky Wednesday a car was on a house. The end! 

ON Wacky Wednesday at school there was 4 wacky stuff. there were 3 desk stacked on one another and the teacher was wearing roller-skates and a desk was turned the wrong way. after school lots of wacky stuff. there was a giraffe coming out of the water drain in the middle of the road and a house upside down and a tree with a chimney and a girl with no head and 100 houses stacked on top of each other upside down. That was 9 wacky stuff. 

On Wacky Wednesday a bus is on a tv. On wacky Wednesday a snowman is saying, "hello." ON wacky wednesday a apple ate a fish. On wacky wednesday a person turned into a love heart and had been thanking home.

ON Wacky Wednesday a bus driving upside down and no wheels. On Wacky Wednesdays 10 houses stacked on top of each other. On wacky Wednesday a baby chasing a truck. On Wednesday a boy chasing a school. 

ON Wacky Wednesday "Mr. Haggard is crazy, because Mr. Haggard is crazy he chases a monkey, the end!"



These were turned out cute and humorous!!!!
Dr. Seuss week is almost over.....expect to see our Final Activity featuring Horton the Elephant!

Bless,
Mr. Haggard