June Dollar Deals and Freebies!

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!

Thursday - #thriftythursday
Friday - #freebiefriday

I picked two of my most popular science products to offer at $1 for TODAY ONLY!  Grab these deals before they are gone!

Just click on the picture to go directly to TPT and see all of the fantastic $1 deals for today!

Happy SHOPPING!  Don't forget to search tomorrow for some FREEBIES!

Welcome June!

It's SUMMER time EVERYONE!

Time to relax and enjoy some fun!

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!

Enjoy every minute!

Happy Teaching!

Give Task Cards a Try and a Gift Card Drawing!

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!

Happy Teaching!

Math Game Monday!

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.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Happy Teaching!

November Numeracy Favorites

An InLinkz Link-up

Celebrating Easter with a SALE and a Mental Math FLASH FREEBIE!

I hope everyone is enjoying a relaxing weekend with friends and family!

One of my goals this year was to sharpen our mental math skills.  Throughout the day I ask crazy mental math questions...

What is 20 plus 40.  Now subtract 8.  What is the number?

We make it a contest, first kid with their hand up gets a chance.  First right answer gets something.... but they don't know what.  Sometimes it is a high-five, or moving their clip up, a fancy eraser, or a treat.   They don't know and that is the fun of it!

At first it was HARD....  we had some tears, but we have kept on it and overall we are all getting better at it.   Can I say perseverance!

We have been off this past week, so I thought what better way to start back on Monday...  a game of SCOOT!  Mental math challenge!

I just finished these task cards today and to celebrate the holiday weekend, they will be a FLASH FREEBIE today.  Just click on the picture to download them from my TPT store!  Please leave feedback when you have a chance.

I made this set printer-friendly to save on colored ink.  I just ran mine on colored copy paper and they look great.  My number #1 helper is laminating them for me as I type.  What a good kid he is....  I guess he is hoping the Easter Bunny is good to him tomorrow.  

I also have a few kiddos that are extremely advanced in math.  I love to give them an extra challenge, so I made another set that uses simple multiplication and division as well as the addition and subtraction.  When I use 2 sets of cards so I can differentiate better, I just make them different colors and the kids know which set they follow.  This group follows the blue cards and this group follows the pink cards.

Here is a hardest page from the "challenging" pack.

I am joining in with a BUNCH of other TPT sellers for a special sale tomorrow!  No codes are needed. Just click and BUY!  You can search for sellers that are having a sale by using #eastersale!

Happy Shopping!

 

Planning for the Next Grading Period... it's Monday already?

I can't believe that 1/4 of the school year is already over!

We were on fall break last week, so I decided it would be a great time to get my "ducks" in a row for the next 9 weeks topics.

We did a BUNCH of read alouds the last few weeks and my kids LOVE THEM!  So I'm going with the Halloween/Thanksgiving themed books for the next few weeks.  I figured that I could slip in a craftivity or two to go with the holidays, so I've been busy designing those.  Check back later this week to grab the templates!  Here is a little cutie I have been working on today.  Can you guess what story he goes with?  It is one of my favorites!

I try to be very systematic when we do our read alouds.  I usually do them for 3 - 4 days.  Each day we have a focus.  Sometimes it is story elements, characters, problem/solution, and even grammar.  My cute little mummy is part of a chart activity during a read aloud focusing on adjectives.

Number of the Day Packet #1 was a big hit, so I am so excited to unveil Packet #2 to the kids when we return.  The concepts are the same, but we are adding larger numbers and more story problems.  It also includes more work with number lines and money.   I am so amazed by the progress with the kids after we finished the first set I can't wait to see what they can do by December!  Can I say NO math RTI!

My books are already made, thanks to an amazing group of PTA moms.  Having helpful parents makes all the difference in the WORLD!  

Here is a sample of the pages from set #2.  I am so pleased with how they turned out!  Now that the kids are in the habit of doing these everyday, they can complete them in under 5 minutes!  Can I say AWESOME!!!!!!!

We started by hitting the ground running this morning and made some CANDY CORN!  The kids were really excited until they figured out that we were making math candy corn!  I wanted to do a quick review on place value from the last 9 weeks, so I whipped up a little freebie!  Click on any of the pictures to download the pumpkin template and packet.

I used to always make a sample up for the kids to look at when we did these types of activities and I felt like a chicken with my head cut off running around the room showing them what it was suppose to look like.  I felt like someone was constantly calling my name because they needed another look.  My solution was to make a PowerPoint slide of the finished product.  It works like a charm!  It is SO MUCH bigger than the sample I would make and everyone can see it.  Here is the slide I used for this project.

Here is one of the kids papers before we added the color to it.  We picked any number and did the writing first.

Then we added color to it, cut it out and put it on black construction paper.  I hung them on our door and they look so cute!  It is festive and in the spirit of HALLOWEEN, but still educational!

Today was also GOAL SETTING DAY for AR.  This year I have really taken a different approach to AR and it is working so much better.  I have conferences with the kids and talk about where they are in their reading and what types of books they should be reading on their own.  I have a HUGE range of readers this year, so I feel like it is really important that they understand where they are and be PROUD of how far they have come.  

Each grading period (we are on 9 weeks at a time) we select new goals.  We fill out AR Goal contracts and sign our names to them.  Then the kids take them home for their parents to review and sign also.   This has been a BIG help this year having the contracts so that we are all on the same page.  During the grading period, I send out updates so the parents know how many points their child has earned.  The contracts have really helped get the parents more involved and the kids are reaching their goals much faster.

So that is a WRAP for today!  I am one tired teacher.  

Let me leave you with a happy picture.  A few months ago we rescued a sweet dog that had to loose her eye due to owner neglect.  Adopting a dog is hard and it is especially hard when she is considered a special needs dog due to her medical problems. When we got her she was shaved bald due to all of the surgeries and it has been a struggle as we watched her fur SLOWLY grow.   Thanks to my sweet groomer that took the extra time to try and get BOWS in my little girls hair because she knew that her momma wanted them badly!  SHE IS ADORABLE!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Happy Teaching!

Back to School FREEBIES!

Just a quick post to let you know about a link up with a BUNCH of FREEBIES for Back to School!

Check it out!

Happy Teaching!

Tracy

WOW! My product was featured on someone's BLOG! HOW COOL!

Ok, so yes I might be a little dramatic, but SOMEONE PUT MY PRODUCT ON THEIR BLOG!

I love the game BUMP and so do my kids!  They play it over and over again.  The best part is that they are reinforcing so many different math skills while they do it.  They are easy to use and you only need some dice and linking cubes.

I have different BUMP games for holidays/seasons, but this blogger put together a great post on all of the different BUMP games you can download for FREE!  I found a few in her post that I didn't already have, so they are in a pile ready to be laminated for next year.

You can check out her post and download some great ones!  Just click on her link below!

My Summer Plans and Joining the TPT Seller Challenge!

Summer is finally here!

My summer plans are packed full of fun!

I couldn't be more excited for all of the great things that are coming up for my blog and TPT store!

I am even more excited about going to VEGAS for the TPT conference in a few short weeks!

My blog is finally getting a MAKEOVER!  I've hired a wonderful TPT author to create a new look for my blog.  My hope is that my new logo will be ready in time for the TPT conference and the blog is fully up and running over the summer.

I spent last week teaching some amazing teachers in TN.  We focused a lot of the instruction on reading and specific strategies for helping all our kids. The best part for me was hearing all of the wonderful ideas from the teachers in my sessions.  I've got several new ideas that I can't wait to try out on my kiddos this year!  I will be teaching the sessions for two more weeks, so I promise to blog about what we are doing in the sessions and show you some pictures.

I am joining into the fun with the TPT Seller Challenge!  For the next few weeks I am following the challenges set up by some amazing TPT authors to help me make my store better and increase my followers!  This week's challenge was to revamp a product that I currently have.  This was on my to do list last year and I didn't get them all done, so this challenge was exactly what I needed to get moving on revamping some old ideas!

Here is my "evidence" for the challenge.  I can't believe how much better it looks!  It will be FREE in my TPT store for the next 24 hours, so please download it and leave some feedback!  Keep checking back often because as I complete these challenges I will be putting a product up as a FLASH FREEBIE!  So you don't to miss any of them!

Here is the NEW and IMPROVED "Whooo" is Even and "Whooo" is Odd packet.  I can't believe how much better it looks.  I added a printer friendly version of the game cards for folks that don't have access to color ink.  You can download it for FREE for the next 24 hours!  Just click on the picture and it will take you to the product.  

Happy Teaching!

Tracy

Planning Some Holiday Fun!

The holidays are finally coming up!  I think I get more excited each time I go into a store and see more lights and decorations!

Instead of grading papers, I decided to make up a task to use as soon as we get back from Thanksgiving.  My husband got the biggest kick out of it because I can't bake a dozen cupcakes let alone 525, but that's the fun of creating things for your class.  My kiddos can think I am an amazing baker!

The TPT download includes directions to using tasks in your classroom.  You can click on either picture to download this for FREE!

I hope you can use this freebie!

Happy Teaching!
Tracy

A New Year and a New Room Ready to Go!

Hi Everyone!  Well I am officially back in school.  I can't believe that the summer went so fast!  I have to say the best part of the summer was my vacation to Las Vegas.  We saw lots of shows, ate too much food, and stayed in fantastic hotels.  Of course part of the fun was attending the TPT Conference and then spending eight days with my husband and son.  Here is a picture of my boys....

The beautiful Venetian Hotel....  highly recommend this one!  Well worth the money!  

We finally got to do the one MUST DO on my list....  a gondola ride!  It was so fun.  This is my son Jackson....  only this kid at 12 years old could have a blast in Vegas!

So it might have taken me four days of moving and arranging things over and over, but finally my room came together.  Here are some pictures of my room so far.  It is truly going to be a work in progress this year, but I got enough done that I could welcome my new little ones.

One of my first projects was to make a safari print clock....  couldn't buy one so I turned my old one into one.  I took a regular clock and covered the outside with printed cheetah duct tape and BAM I had a fantastic clock.  One of my grade level partners loved it so much she brought me her clock and owl duct tape....  it looked adorable!  I highly recommend picking up duct tape when it is on sale...  it dresses up everything!

This is a finished project....  FINALLY!  I hate trying to find things fast, so I bought a bunch of tubs and everything from extra pencils, to math centers are organized into bins with labels on them.  I LOVE it and I can't believe how many parents commented how nice it was to see such organization.  If they could only see my closet at home....  HA HA!

This is a picture of my teacher book center.  All of the tradebooks are organized in the green bins by subject and the chapter books are divided by series.  My kids know that these are my special books and they have to ask to read them.

This is one of my book shelves in my student reading area.  It isn't finished yet, but I had to show you the repurposed old shelves.  I couldn't stand all of the old discolored shelves.  I was going to use duct tape, but I knew that would take forever, so I found safari print contact paper.  This was a two person job, but in the end they look fantastic!  I've covered almost all of the shelves.  It really has made the room into the safari theme that I was going for.  The only thing left is to create the giant forest of trees in the reading center.  I'm saving that for the next teacher workday!

This is my conduct chart area.  I was going to make my rules and chart, but I decided to look and see what was already on TPT....  Hotdog!  Not only already made for my theme, but they were FREEBIES!

This is my attempt at solving the NO NAME issue.  I've struggled with this for years.  This year I filled the bucket with highlighters.  After they finish a paper they come to this station and use a highlighter to highlight their name before they turn their work in.  So far so good....  only two no name papers so far!

Well that is the progress I've made so far on my room.

I hope everyone has a wonderful start to the new school year!

Happy Teaching!
Tracy

First Day Back for the 2014-2015

Where did the summer go?  It went by so fast and I can't believe all the things that I didn't have a chance to get done.  Oh well, I guess they can be first on the list for next summer vacation.

One of my goals over the summer was to make more freebies for TPT.  The first freebie is an adorable banner that you can make those first few days of school.  I'm going to put a ribbon clothesline in the hall and attach the banners with clothespins.  I am planning on leaving it up for parent night.  Click on one of the pictures to download it for free.  The packet has a page specifically made for each grade, so make sure that you only print the one for your grade.

The other freebie for back to school is an easy to use conduct report.  I don't know about you, but I really needed a checklist that I could use real fast to get those conduct grades out.  Click on it and go to the file to download it for FREE!  I hope these make life a little easier these first few weeks of school.

I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL and HAPPY first few days of school!

Happy Teaching!

Tracy