National Teacher Appreciation Day falls on Tuesday of the first full week of May every year. If you are a teacher or know a teacher, you will know that they are always looking for fun and creative ways to promote learning in the classroom. Innovative DIY crafts for teachers can keep students focused on the matter at hand. We have compiled a list of fun PVC projects for teachers that will help them maintain a healthy learning environment! If you are a teacher and would like to surprise your fellow educators on National Teacher Appreciation Day, try making one of these DIY crafts for teacher gifts to pass around in the teachers' lounge!
1. PVC Laptop Stand
This project is helpful for about anyone, but especially for teachers in middle and high school. Many middle and high school students use laptops for their classwork. However, laptops that are flat on a desk or table can cause discomfort when used for too long. They could also encourage students to hunch over in their seats to get a good angle. This PVC pipe laptop stand will elevate and angle your student's computer to assure they're using it in a healthy manner.
Click here for full instructions.
Watch our video below for easy-to-follow directions!
2. Mini Anchor Chart Stand
When children are learning important concepts, focus is key. If they are distracted or bored, they will not fully absorb what is being taught. This PVC anchor chart stand can be used to display important information in a colorful, fun way! By displaying the information at eye level, students are more likely to focus on it and really take it to heart. It can be painted however you want, so these could be personalized with each student's favorite color or pattern! This project is great for elementary students.
Supplies
- (3) 10” lengths of ½” PVC
- (2) 12” lengths of ½” PVC
- (4) 2” lengths of ½” PVC
- (2) ½” Tees
- (6) ½” Elbows
Directions
Step 1: Take two 2” lengths of PVC and connect them with a tee, and then place an elbow on both ends. Repeat a second time.
Step 2: Connect both pieces from Step 1 with two 10” piece of PVC to create a rectangle.
Step 3: Place a 12” length of PVC into the open slip of each tee, and then place an elbow on the end.
Step 4: Connect both elbows together with your remaining 10” section of pipe. This is the stand of your flip chart.
Once your stand is built you can attach rings to the top of the stand to hook the flip chart onto.
3. PVC Whisper Phones to Help the Budding Reader
Whisper phones are a fantastic learning tool for beginning readers and writers. This tool transports sound from the mouth to the ear, making your own voice louder and clearer. All a student needs to do is whisper in it to hear themselves clearly. This makes whisper phones ideal for classroom environments. When writing, students can read back their work and more easily spot grammar issues than if they were just reading it in their head. Hearing something in your own voice can make any problems more obvious.
To make your own PVC whisper phone, all you’ll need is two 1” PVC elbows, and 3” of 1” PVC pipe. Use the pipe to connect the two elbows so that they look like a phone.
The next time your students are practicing their reading, direct them to use their whisper phone. This will help them fully hear what they are saying to better help improve their diction. Make this a fun craft for your students by allowing them to decorate their whisper phones however they choose.
4. PVC Pipe Crayon Adapter
This DIY craft for teachers is mean for kindergarten and pre-K students who are still finely-tuning their motor skills. This adapter gives more surface area to crayons so children who are not very good at gripping small crayons can still use them. It uses foam pipe or wire insulation to keep the crayon in place inside a 1" PVC tee. For children who are still having trouble holding onto it, a velcro strap can be placed through it and wrapped around their hand. Everyone deserves to be able to make art!
Click here for full instructions.
Learning with PVC
As you can see, PVC is a handy and versatile option when it comes to making great DIY crafts for teachers. By using PVC to help facilitate learning in the classroom, educators can save money and time. Plus, with National Teacher Appreciation Day just around the corner, any of these projects would make a great Teachers Day gift and would show your favorite educator how much they mean to you! Find more ways PVC can help in the classroom by checking out this blog post.