Well I've made it through the first month of my 28th year!
I can't believe it! Where have all the years gone.
Here are a few of things that worked great to start off the year. I covered my chalkboard with Better than Paper this year. It was super easy to put up and I glued it right to the board. It did take 2 rolls to cover this board, but so worth the time and effort. It looks fantastic! It's on sale on Amazon right how if you want to try it out.
If you haven't tried the whole sheet shipping labels to make big stickers for your journals, you are so missing out. I love how cute these turned out. I used the 8 1/2 x 11 shipping labels. Each sheet made two labels and the kids loved that their names were on the big stickers.
We are using a new series in math this year, Envision. I am loving all of the lessons and the kids are starting to really get the hang of it. We are currently working on repeated addition and arrays. I wanted a fun game for us to play this week, so I made these cute task cards. I'm planning to play a game of SCOOT with them. The kids haven't played SCOOT yet, put I know they will love it.
I wanted to make sure that the kids are focusing on rows and columns. The set has 10 cards that focus on rows and 10 on columns. We had a lot of confusion this week on which way a row or column went. I just finished printing and laminating the cards. I'm going to hang them around the room and then let the kids work with a partner to write the repeated addition sentence for each card. Click on the cards to see more!
Just a quick post to let you know about some great $1 deals and freebies all month long!
I've teamed up with some TPT Sellers to kick off the summer with some fun! You can grab $1 deals each Thursday for the whole month. We will also be promoting some amazing freebies on Friday.
Just search on TPT using the hashtags to find all the deals! I just picked up 4 products that I can wait to use next year! Only a $1 each! Shhh..... don't tell my husband!
Time to reflect, get organized for next year, and make some goals!
Goal #1
Do a book study with my teacher friends!
THE WILD CARD!!!!
My book has been ordered and the Amazon man should be bringing it Monday!
I'm so excited to read this book! Everyone that has read it says it is a GAME CHANGER!
Goal #2
Clean out my closet! That one is on hold.... I just can't!
Goal #3
Organize all of my task cards and cute things I've bought on TPT into tubs by months. The giant pile has been moved from the garage to my dining room.More about that later this week!
Goal #4
Get back to blogging! I'm not sure exactly why I stopped but I'm back at it!
To celebrate the month of June I'm picking some of my favorite things to share with you! They will be discounted for the week or something might be free for a day or two! Check back often so you don't miss a DEAL!
Today's favorite thing for this week is my teacher planner! Here is a picture of last year's version. It has an editable file so that you can customize it. Printing new covers is on my TO DO list for tomorrow. You can snag a new teacher binder for only $4.50 all week long! Just click on a picture to see more details of the binders.
What I love about my binder is that I can keep everything from student contact information, parent conference forms, long range plans, to a log of all my passwords in one binder. It even has a section to keep important dates/sessions to use for your professionalism.
At the end of the day I only have to take the binder home with me!
Everything I might need is right in there!
Over the different years I've wanted a new binder theme, so I have lots of different themes!
A Safari Theme!
Polka Dot Kids!
Planning for next year already? Looking for something to use in a center?
I'm in love with CLIP IT CARDS and have been making a bunch for next year. As a thank you for visiting my blog tonight, you can download these adorable Clip It Cards for Free! It will be a FLASH FREEBIE for the next 24 hours, so download it QUICK!
I hope everyone is enjoying their SUMMER break or if you haven't made it to summer break yet I hope it comes soon!
One of my favorite parts of the day is our read alouds! I was trying to think back to exactly when I started doing read alouds, but I honestly can't remember how or why I started... guess that is my old age taking over!
Each week we have a main read aloud that I use to teach the reading skill(s) for the week. I also do several other read alouds throughout the week, but we might not dig as deep into them as the main one.
For the main read aloud I pretty much follow a pattern each week. On Monday, we read the whole story cover to cover and focus a lot on prediction skills. The rest of the days we work on different reading skills and vocabulary. Somedays we reread the whole story, but other days we might only read a page or two. It really depends on what we are doing. Then on Friday we WRITE! We use a writing prompt that somehow ties to our story to get the kids focused on writing to a prompt for the BIG state test at the end of the year. (Like it or not... it is always in the back of my mind.)
Many years ago a parent gave me a beautiful basket. At the beginning of the month I stock the basket with read aloud books that go with the month, holiday, or season. I keep all of my read aloud books in a special teacher only place so that the kids haven't read them yet. If we have a few minutes of down time we pick a book to read to class and discuss. I've been doing the monthly book basket for about three years and I think it really is excellent idea. The kids love it and beg to reread a book from the basket on their own that I have already shared with the class. (Whatever it takes to get them to love books works for ME!) They are really good about only reading the ones we have shared.
Here are some of my favorite read alouds for January.
Martin's Big Words - By Doreen Rappaport
This is a MUST read! The illustrations are amazing and the vocabulary is so rich! We select unknown words as we read and make a list on chart paper. Then we work in groups to come up with a definition that is kid friendly based on what is happening in the book. I am lucky that for this book I actually have several copies so the kids can put them in their hands while I read!
Snowmen at Night - By Caralyn Buehner
We love this! It is a favorite! This is story is great for sequencing and prediction. The kids get a big kick out of trying to name all of the different things that the snowmen do at night and then put them in the right order. We do a writing prompt that is so much fun!
Here is the prompt we use:
During Snowmen at Night the snowmen come to life and do some amazing things. What do mailboxes do at night while we sleep? How about your lunchbox? Select an object that doesn't move and write a story about their crazy adventure at night while you sleep!
The Missing Mitten Mystery - By Steven Kellogg
This is a book that we spend a few days working on! We focus on what a mystery is. I am always shocked at how many of the kids don't exactly know what a mystery is. We focus on a bunch of different skills because the kids love this book. We write about something that we lost and leave off the ending. Then we pick a few to read to the class and the kids work in groups to make predictions of how they found their item. It is a great reinforcer for making sure your story provides the reader with enough details. This book is always a hit with the kids!
We work on identifying the beginning, middle, and end of the story. We make this flip flap book. Under the flaps the kids write in detail what happens during each section.
We work on sequencing using this printable. I just print them out and give the kids construction paper to cut and glue them into the correct order. This is a great activity for partners. Just click on the printable to see the whole packet of printables that go with this cute book.
These are just a few of my favorites for January! I hope one of them is something you can add to your collection.
Today I started working on my plans for January! Each year I try SUPER HARD to get ORGANIZED! Making lists and planning some fun ways to get back in the swing when we get back.
I always like to start off with having the kids do some writing about their New Year resolutions. I am always amazed at the number of kids that have no idea what a resolution is. We talk about how they are like goals that we set for ourselves. Once they learn how to use the word, they try so hard to get that "BIG" word in every sentence they can.
We are going to start out by focusing on some resolutions for school and some for home. We brainstorm and make some lists of things we might want to consider. Then we WRITE, EDIT, and SHARE! After we do that we publish our writing on some fun paper! (You can get it below for FREE!). Once we finish our writing we hang them in the hall. When we take them down, we put them in our writing portfolios. I like to have the kids bring them out at the end of grading period to see how we are doing on meeting those resolutions.
I keep all of the kids writing and projects in portfolios. We used manila folders that we decorated. I put them in a giant plastic tub. As we complete things to put in them, I just drop the stack of papers in the tub. About once a month, we get them out and look at them. I have a few kids pass out the things that haven't been put into the folders yet, while they talk with their table about how much progress they have made. At the end of the year, we take them home. It's a really great way to end the year and the kids have something special to take home. If you haven't start portfolios for your kiddos yet, it is never to late! You can do one starting in 2018!
My New Year writing paper just had a revamp and best of all it is a FREEBIE! Click on the picture to download the file so that you can get a jump start on your plans. The paper comes in lots of options! You can pick the size of lines you want and also in color or printer friendly! I like to print a bunch of the different color options off (thanks to HP Instant Ink of course!) and let the kids pick which one they want.
I hope everyone is getting themselves organized for 2018... THE BEST YEAR EVER!
YES!!!! It is finally here! The annual TPT Cyber Sale!
November 27th and 28th!
Save up to 25%!!!!!!
Want to win some TPT cash?
Just click on the picture below to visit my Facebook page to enter!
One winner will be drawn Nov. 27th at 9:00 p.m.!
Tasks cards.... where have you been all my teaching life? Better yet... all my life! I know that I would have loved them as a student.
My kids and I use task cards all of the time. We use them for both math and ELA. Sometimes I use them as a pretest to see where the kids are and then we do the set again to see the GROWTH!
Task cards are great to play a game of SCOOT! Scoot is super easy and keeps the kids engaged! Just print out a set of task cards and hang them all over the room. Sometimes I hang them in order and sometimes I don't. Assign each student a card to start at. Once we start, they read the card, record their answer on their sheet, and wait for the bell. I use a bell sound on my phone to signal for them to move to the next card. You can also say "SCOOT" or use any ringtone that you have. Everyone moves from card to card around the room.
If two kids are at the card at the same time, no problem. Some of the kids work a little slower and it is perfectly OK with me for them to take their time and do their BEST WORK! The task card in this picture is in orange. I print a lot of the task cards on colored copy paper to save ink.
For a little variety, sometimes I just project the cards on my board.
We use dry erase markers and write our answers on white boards. I really like this way because I can walk around and see really quick who has the correct answers and who needs more help!
If you haven't given task cards a try yet, why not give it a shot!
Once you try them, I PROMISE you will be hooked and so will your kids! I can't even explain how excited they are when they come in and see the cards hung around the room! Are we playing this morning? I must get asked that a million times! They are so quiet when we play and you can see the engagement in their eyes! Makes a teacher's heart HAPPY! We also use them in centers and for extra practice. Just put the cards in a baggie or folder and the kids can practice them with a partner. I even send them home with different kids from time to time.
Still not sure? Will you try it for FREE? Download one of my freebies and see what you think? I know you and your kiddos will love task cards as much as we do!
Just click on the picture below to go to my TPT store and download them for FREE!
If you love them, please leave me a blog comment below or feedback on TPT. A Valentine freebie set is in the works, so check back soon!
I want to share my top 5 favorite things about my classroom this year!
The best part of this post, is that each of these adorable pictures
are linked to my favorite things!
Where have you been all my life? I mean SERIOUSLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How fun is it when all your reading centers are in colored ink? Every math game comes to life! Best of all no more COLORING things in!
If you don't have HP Instant Ink.... don't walk.... RUN and get yourself signed up!
The program is really simple. Sign up for the service and your printer lets HP know to send you ink. No more running out at 1:00 in the morning to buy ink! The ink comes right to your mailbox.
They have different plan levels from $2.99 to $9.99 a month. I am on the $9.99 plan. That gives me 300 copies a month! Unused copies roll over to the next month. (One catch is that you can only bank 300 copies in the roll over)
If you have an HP printer that is wireless you already may be in luck! You can check on the link to see if you already have what you need. (Just click on the cute kid above!)
I bought the HP Envy 5540 at Best Buy for less than $75. Turns out that I could have gotten a better deal at CostCo, so make sure you check them out before you buy. Also check online for some great deals at Amazon and Walmart. I have a few friends that have bought one the last few weeks and have gotten some great deals!
Once you have your printer, all you need to do is log in on the site and set up your account. The huge bonus is that you can enter promo codes to get free MONTHS! Yes, FREE MONTHS!
When I signed up I used two codes and got 7 free months of ink! These codes worked for me and also for my friend last week, so give them a try.
6freeink
gDTW3
Don't forget to check your box because you might have scored 3 more free months like my friend did!
I promise if you only give yourself one gift this year.... MAKE IT INSTANT INK!
I am always looking for new sites for the kids to use in the classroom and this summer I discovered a WINNER!
ZEARN!
Zearn is a free independent learning program that allows the students to work at their own pace mastering their math skills.
It is rated as a Tier 1 instructional program with proven research based results. You can read all about it on their site.
This is my first year using it and so far I am impressed with it! The kids seem to really be engaged and want to get extra time on the computer to work on it some more!
Take a peek at it and see if it will help your kiddos!
This book is FANTASTIC!
This is one of my favorite ways to start the school year off and we always revisit this clip every so often to help use make sure....
We aren't being a VOLCANO!
At the end of last year I read about NAIER and had to take a look!
NAIER is basically a teacher paradise with all kinds of supplies we need at HUGE discount prices!
You have to apply to be a teacher member and it does take a few weeks to get approved, but it is worth the wait!
I ordered 24 rolls of Scotch brand packing tape, 12 tablets of sticky notes that were 12x12, 6 rolls of duct tape, markers, pens, tape dispensers, and more!
Total cost..... $47
Yes, you read that one right! The only drawback is that it does take a few weeks to get your order, but it is so WORTH the WAIT!
If you haven't checked it out yet.... take a look!
Well... that one is a WISH!!!!!!!!! A classroom that is all set and ready is just a DREAM! Every year I stress and worry that the kids will be disappointed if everything isn't perfect.
THEY DON'T CARE! All they want to do is spend time with YOU! The decorations, name tags, and color coded stuff can come later. All they want to do the first week is spend time with YOU!
It is so easy to get tangled up in all of the stressful issues that surround us each day, but this year celebrate the JOY and SUCCESS! That joy and success is far more important than anything else!
I hope everyone has a wonderful school year. Enjoy every minute with your kiddos.
TPT is having a sale August 1-2. Everything in my TPT store is 20% off. Combine that with the TPT discount and you will save 25% off all of the items you need for BACK TO SCHOOL!
Want to win some TPT cash to spend? Enter to win a $10 TPT gift card! Just hop on over to my Facebook page and comment on the post with the grade level you teach. A winner will be chosen 8/1 at 10 p.m. Click on on the picture below to go to my Facebook page!
The next few weeks I'm sharing some of my favorite activities and ideas!
This week is Math Game Monday!
GUESS MY NUMBER!
A few years ago I need a quick group game that we could play on a regular bases and would be student led. I made up this chart and laminated it. You write a number from the chart on a sticky note and put it in your pocket. The students have to ask yes and no questions to try and figure out what the secret number is! As they ask questions, you cross off different numbers that it couldn't be.
You could use any group of numbers depending on your kiddos ability level. This game is great to reinforce key math concepts and really helps the kids formulate quality questions. When you first start is a learning process. They have to practice and listen to each other. After playing a few times they get the hang of it and now the BEST PART.....
Let it become STUDENT LED! Yes you read that right, let a student run the game! The student that guesses right gets to become the next leader. They can play this FOREVER if you let them!
Once they get good at being in charge of the game, this frees the teacher up to do some quick reteaching for a friend that needs extra help. Everyone stays engaged and best of all.... they are having FUN!
BUMP!
Another favorite math game is BUMP! If you haven't discovered it yet, you are in for a real treat! TPT has BUMP game boards for lots of different ability levels and skills. The best part is that I have been able to find one for anything I needed that was FREE!
My kiddos LOVE IT!
Ready to give it a try? Click on the picture to download one for free from my TPT store! Just make copies, get some dice and cubes. You are ready for the kids to use this in small groups, in centers, or for early finishers.
June flew by and now July is almost over.... How did that happen?
I spent the first two weeks of June in Nashville training to lead professional development. One of the sessions dealt with the new Tennessee Standards for ELA and math. The other was a special session designed for 4th grade teacher to dive into fractions. (I'll blog about that another time.) Both of them were AMAZING!
While I was in Nashville I managed to lock my keys in the car. Yes, my car beeped at me over and over to tell me that it didn't want to lock, but I forced it to. I was in a hurry and wasn't thinking. Thank goodness that my insurance covers people popping your locks. (Please check and see if yours does! You will be glad you did) Just a phone call, they pinged my phone to get my location, and in ten minutes a nice man had my car open. (Lesson - When your car beeps it is trying to tell you something!) When this happened I said that things couldn't get worse.... I was wrong.
The next day I got that call.... the call that NO PARENT wants when they are 3 1/2 hours away from home. It was my husband letting me know that our youngest son was pitching at a baseball game and was hit by a line drive. He needed me to find a place to take him because they were certain it was broke. I think my heart stopped for a second.... I have always worried about not being there if he ever got hurt and now I'm hours away and can't do a thing. Thankfully the wonderful people at Marriott took my insurance information, called to verify a fax number with ER, and got everything taken care.
Jackson was lucky.... I mean extremely LUCKY! It turns out that when he released the ball, the batter hit it hard and it was coming straight for his head. Had he not put his hand up, he would have been hit in the head. So as bad a broken hand was, things couldn't have been so much worse.
Then I realized.... his injury would keep him out of TN Future Stars. We were suppose to leave in three days. Jackson wanted to give up his spot so that his team would not be down a player, but after contacting the staff of TN Future Stars the decision was made that he would still attend. With sad eyes and a broken heart, we ventured off to take part in the experience that was so amazing last year. While he didn't get to play, he experienced another year of working like a college football player. He came home more determined than ever to work hard and make his dreams come true.
We made a quick trip to visit my parents on their 51st Wedding Anniversary. I was walking behind my mom and Jackson when it hit me.... 13 years ago I walked behind them down the sidewalk at our house and took a picture just like this. He was much smaller of course, but I remember thinking to myself how could I love two people so very much.
That's when I realized.... SLOW DOWN! Enjoy each day! Make them all count.
So here I sit realizing that this summer went by TOO FAST! All of the things that were on my "list" never got done and I'm OK with it. I spent the last two weeks being a MOM! Yep, I sure did! I volunteered at my son's new high school for two football events and enjoyed time with him. I think we might have gone to lunch almost everyday and I wouldn't trade that time for the WORLD! Don't tell my husband!
So while you start making goals for this year.... put family FIRST! Every year I make goals for school. While I am still working on those, the first goal I made was to commit more time to my family. Enjoy being a mom and make every minute count!
Seems like just yesterday we were unpacking boxes for another year.
Over the years I have learned from my many, many mistakes!
Here is my list to PACK like a BOSS!
#1 - Do not be a HOARDER!
Get yourself a box of GLADE trash bags and go to town!
Take time to throw away anything that you didn't use the last two years. (Face it - chances are you don't need it!) Go threw all of the books in your classroom library, if they are torn up or missing pages, into the trash they go! Have some sweet kiddos go threw all of your buckets of supplies. If it doesn't work, write, or glue - OUT IT GOES! My kids did this Friday and had a BLAST!
Why is this #1 on my list. My friend next door. She is a convicted teacher HOARDER! Just last week she came to show me that she was throwing away a HUGE stack of blue DITTO papers! Yes folks.... those old blue ditto machine worksheets from our childhood!
Don't be a hoarder!
#2 - Be a Photographer!
Take pictures of areas of your room that you loved! This will make it that much easier to set back up when you return in the fall.
#3 - Clean, Clean, Clean!
Get some Clorox wipes and clean it before you pack it. No sense in packing dirty bins. You will thank yourself later.
# 4 - Organize!
Take the time to organize everything. Put everything by subject in the same area. If something is missing a piece..... Throw it away!
#5 - Taking Home!
Only take home things you know you will use. One year I took home several boxes that sat in my garage all summer and never got opened. Don't do it! I limit myself to 2 boxes of things I plan on working on. Everything else stays!
#6 - Label each Box!
Put things together in a box and label it. Run off a bunch of papers with your name and room number on it. Use plastic tape to secure each box with a label - write in marker what is in each box.
#7 - VIP Box!
As you pack label a special box VIP! Put anything you need to set up your room in the fall. Scissors, tape, glue gun. staples, Ziplocks, markers, glue sticks, and anything else. This saves me so much time when unpacking because you can set up at the same time.
Label this box with bright paper so you can find it easily!
#8 - Box it Small!
Collect a bunch of boxes. The best place to get them for free is a liquor store. (Ha! Ha! I am totally serious and while you are there.... pick up a couple of bottles!)
Think about the poor people that have to move things during the summer and pack lightly. You will thank yourself when you don't break your back in the fall!
#9 - Work in Stages!
Don't try to do it all in one day. Start the week before and do little things. It makes it much easier and way less stressful! If you try to do it all in one afternoon, you will end up just throwing things in boxes and come fall it will be a disaster!
I hope these little suggestions make packing up a little easier this year!
Use code - Thankyou17 to save up to 28% on some great things to finish out the year STRONG or begin to get ready for next year!
Want to win a TPT gift card to use at the sale? YES, PLEASE!
I've teamed up with great sellers and we are each giving away a $10 TPT gift certificate! To enter visit me on Instagram! Just hop around and hopefully you might be one of the LUCKY WINNERS!
https://instagram.com/smithsafariadventures/
I hope everyone has a wonderful Teacher Appreciation Week! Every single one of you work day and night to make each day special for your kiddos! You are making a difference each and everyday!
Just a quick follow up post on one of the test prep ideas I blogged about over the weekend!
If you didn't catch that post, you can read about the anchor charts right below this post.
This chart....
IT WAS A HOMERUN!
The kids loved it! We read the book The Stray Dog. After we finished reading we split into four teams. Each team got a different color of sticky note. They worked together and wrote their answer in a complete sentence. I had them write in complete sentences so we could throw a little grammar and punctuation in while we were at it.
We talked about their answers and they were so engaged! Not a peep and hands waving in the air to talk about their group's answer.
Here is a picture I took of the chart after we finished.
So this test prep idea gets 10,000 GOLD STARS!!!!!! You might want to give it a try!
