I love me a pinning party! I am so excited to be linking up with Just Reed for the first time ever! I have tried to include pins I have actually tried out or used in my own classroom (there may be one or two that I am planning to try out next year) Click on any picture to go to my pin, click the blog name to go to the blog post about the pin! 1. I LOVE this you tube video - Impossible Wordless Film. I used it at the beginning of my formal observation this year to teach an inferencing / asking questions lesson. My principal and class LOVED it!! youtube.com via Heather on Pinterest 2. This anchor chart comes from One Extra Degree and I used this same idea at the beginning of the year with The Recess Queen. A Great way to start to talk about text evidence with the character traits / actions (proof) and discuss recess rules/ treating others with respect at the same time! 3. Another LOVE - sight word sticker books by Sarah over at First Grader at Last! I actually made my own copy of the book for my daughter who had specific kindergarten sight words. I plan to make a set for my whole class to keep in their homework folders - our district has a set of words (where they came up with these words, I have no idea) Update: Now she has a math fact sticker book... I just added to my wish list! 4. I haven't tried this yet but I definitely plan too! I love using foldables in my room and think this is a super activity for a guided reading group to add to our spelling or reader's notebook. source 5. I used this adorable {freebie}from Fourth and Ten to introduce author's purpose. I loved that it wasn't the typical PIE activity (although there is nothing wrong with those!) 6. I fully intend to organize all my reading series stuff like this when our campus reopens in August. In 3rd grade, we didn't use the basal ever but the 1st grade team does - so I'll be ready!! Thanks for the tip from Elementary Organization. 7. Ball words from the fabulous A Differentiated Kindergarten. I have told everyone that will listen to me about this system and I can not wait to get it rolling in my class next year. I want all my kiddos leaving me knowing their first grade (and more) sight words and I think this will be great motivation! I also love her party idea after all the kids pass a level - click here to read the post about it! 8. Another fabulous idea from First Grader at Last. My daughter loves to play candy land and she likes to practice her sight words. Perfect! 9. We always read Charlotte's Web at the end of the year (in 3rd) and this idea from Clutter-Free Classroom looks like way more fun that the typical question/answer worksheets that we used to do! Love the creativity of writing a summary like a diary entry! 10. We made it!! I think this is a fun way to practice reading with expression! I think I will start with letters and then move onto other short phrases ... This idea came from ?? The link didn't go anywhere! If you know who it belongs too, please let me know. Thanks for stopping by and seeing my pins. I can't wait to see all of yours and keep on pinning! Have a great rest of your week. I am off to the beach with my family. #summerrocks If you're not following me already, I would love for you to start. Follow me on Bloglovin' over on the right side of my blog and Instagram as well. See you there!
Hey everyone! As you know, I am working to get Set 4 of the Phonemic Awareness set finished. However, this weekend has been a bit of a mess because of a trip to the emergency room with Francy and it’s taking her some time for both of us to recover. Nobody was here so it was …
The clouds have parted and the angels are singing…I finished a unit…HA! It has been a hot minute since I have been able to finish anything with the moving of houses and classrooms so I am so thrilled to be able to get something on my to do list done. Let me tell you about …
Hi friends! I am so excited to share with you my Traveling Scientist pack. This is an idea I have used in my classroom for the last 3 years and the kids LOVE it. My third grade teaching buddies us it now too with great success! So here is the deal. You decorate a composition notebook and a canvas bag. Add a parent note and any other items you feel like should be included (I like to add a child sized lab coat like this one, safety googles, and a book of easy science experiments.) Tell the students that they get to be traveling scientists for one week. Explain that they will conduct one or more science experiments at home with their parents (grandparents, siblings, etc...) As they complete the experiment(s) they should be recording their findings using the scientific method steps you use in class. Then they record their findings inside the included notebook and I encourage my friends to be creative with their page. They are told to add pictures, stickers, color or whatever they feel like to make it their own. When they bring the bag back on Thursday, they present to the class. In the past I have had everything from students reading what they wrote in the journal, to having parents come to help recreate the experiment in class. I only ask that the presentation be 15 minutes at the most. Most can present in under 5. You would not believe how excited the kids are for their turn and how excited they are about listening to their classmates presentations! Here is a preview of the pack. Inside you will find front and back covers for the notebook. An editable page for the inside cover where students can cross out their name after they've had their turn, a parent letter and step by step directions on assembling the bag. There is also a printable logo you can use to create an iron-on transfer for your tote bag. Many of the pages are editable within Powerpoint in case you'd like to use your own words. If you would like a free copy, enter the giveaway below. I will randomly pick 2 winners on Wednesday evening! Alright, now for the freebie! I have been using this Scientific Method Chant for years and it is a fun way for the kids to remember the steps. Here is a poster for you class.... if you print it out onto photo paper, you will be pleased. Seriously, it makes the posters so much prettier (yes, I said prettier) Click here to get your copy of the poster and foldable Any who, also included in this freebie is a scientific method foldable and directions for creating them in class with your own students. I use this same format for every experiment we conduct in class. Here is a picture of one I modeled in class at the beginning of the year. You can create the same foldable with notebook or computer paper if you'd prefer. I just like the look of the words typed on the cover! **edited to link up with Freebie Friday! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Teach your students to be a super citizen in the classroom with an anchor chart and a fun writing activity to help students understand good citizenship.
Natural vs. Man-Made for Little Learners {Freebie}
Now that I have some time this week, I am working on my presentations for Vegas and trying to get everything in order. While I was working on my getting ready for the year presentation, I ran in to a
Hey everyone! As you know, I am working to get Set 4 of the Phonemic Awareness set finished. However, this weekend has been a bit of a mess because of a trip to the emergency room with Francy and it’s taking her some time for both of us to recover. Nobody was here so it was …
Linking up a few days late with Farley for this month's currently - I love these! My son adores MMCH (that is cool mom shorthand for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) I am so lucky that my parents will come visit us for Thanksgiving. I love that we can still have some family traditions even when family lives so far away. They come every year at this time! We really want to take the kids to disney over spring break so I need to get on it. Trouble is, there are SO many decisions to make and I am decision challenged :) I am about 15 pounds heavier that I was last year at this time and I need to change that. But, I like candy.... sigh I had to change classrooms this year and was told that 3 days before school started. Needless to say, set up was rushed and I still don't like the way my space is set up... I constantly feel like I don't know where to put stuff and there seems to be paper EVERYwhere. Drives me nutssssssssss. I love my bedtime Mozart Cd. it is super long and so calming. However, I saw someone else mention that they played jazz because the upbeat tempo kept the kids just busy enough to keep them focused on toe tapping instead of talking. I am going to try it next week... it couldn't hurt with my ridiculously talkative high spirited group! In other news..... I have been very busy teaching rounding and we needed some games to practice with. I have been loving all the cute bump games around Pinterest and we played scoot last week. So.Much.Fun. Have you played with your class? Any who, I created some rounding bump games and a rounding / estimating sums and differences scoot game. The mini Thanksgiving themed pack is only $2 at my store but I included rounding to the nearest 10 bump game for free in the preview file! Click the picture below to get your copy. Happy Rounding,
Do you send a newsletter home to your parents? Hopefully, you do and if you don’t…then I think I can help you out! Newsletters are a great way to touch base with parents and let them know what is going on in your classroom and if you send it consistently on the same day, then …
This year was a little different for me teaching TK instead of K. Not just in the fact that my students were almost a year younger, but my classroom setup was completely different and I had to make the most out of my chair pockets. In the past, I had always used binders for poetry. …
Hey everyone! As you know, I am working to get Set 4 of the Phonemic Awareness set finished. However, this weekend has been a bit of a mess because of a trip to the emergency room with Francy and it’s taking her some time for both of us to recover. Nobody was here so it was …
3-D Shape Hunt {Freebie}
In the comments of a kind of random post about some Latin quizzes I made, Tamar and Caitlin asked me how I manage a homeschool day with four different grades, a preschooler, a toddler, and one in the oven. I guess the real answer is: Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Some days our school […]
With our oldest daughter in high school Jeff and I have given considerable thought about how we can best prepare her for the world outside our door.
Do you have a Minecraft lover at home? It's possible that you can use Minecraft in your homeschool as an educational tool!
I’ve finally relaxed and embraced the truth about preschool - preschoolers can learn everything they need to know in the school of life.
Bah! Sorry friends….a few days late on this one. I have been a tad wrapped up in the Cubs winning the World Series. I am a die hard fan so it has been a big week with very little sleep 🙂 Woohoo!!! Go Cubs!!!! My kiddos were all excited because I was so excited. This …
How to Prepare for Classical Conversations - Foundations This next homeschool year will involve some
So, I just realized that I never posted my classroom pictures. Yes, school started in August and it is now almost February...better late than never? This is probably the first year that I am truly happy with the way my room turned out. Last year I was in Montana the week before school so I felt rushed to get things ready, and every year before that I've had to switch rooms, which is always chaos. Here is the finished product. Reading Area with a Dr. Seuss poster that I made. another view of the reading center. Reading Goal Bulletin Board with Chic-fil-A cow. As students get closer to their goal, they put a clothes-pin with their name on it on the ladder. Encouraging students to be "bucket-fillers"--give compliments. Not sure where this idea first came from, but a lot of teachers at my school do it with their classes. The buckets now have students' names on them. Stole this idea from pinterest. Grammar Island sentence. Our mascot is the marlins. After students read a book, they fill out a recommendation card for the board. Writing Center Agenda Board. It's a little different now. Calendar, "student center" (where they turn their papers in), and my desk. My favorite thing in the room. I've had this for a few years now. Pretty sure I first saw something similar to it in a book somewhere. I love it. cubbies with printables found on pinterest. Welcome to 3G! Ask me if my room is still this clean. When I left today, I couldn't even see the wood of my desk. Any of you educators have any teacher organizational tips??
I’ve struggled to find a homeschool record keeping system that works for my family for nine years and I’ve finally found it! I’m sharing it with readers of Blessed Beyond a Doubt today. I hope you enjoy the post and Jill’s fabulous blog, too. Most of all, I hope I can help you make your …
Poster, Anchor Chart- text structures, description, sequence, compare & contrast, cause & effect, problem & solution I create a large version of this on poster board or anchor chart paper with my class and then tell them I will "copy" it onto a smaller size. Great for saving space, but ...
Humans have been obsessed with animals (and their potential for mayhem/ awesomeness) since long before we had cat memes. And so it makes sense that history's most important animals tend to be defined by their relationship to humans, whether they…
The Kids Won't Do Their Work! Homeschooling on the Go isn't always easy. The kids can get burned out just like us. It will be just fine.
Read about the benefits of teaching martial arts to kids and the surprising link between karate and bullying prevention.
An education blog about teaching third grade math and science and all the crazy things only teachers understand!
I hung around the outskirts of this party, doing my best to act cool...aloof...and to not make eye contact with anyone.
Master singing harmony with 7 essential tips. From starting in unison to trusting your ears, elevate your vocal harmony skills effortlessly.
EagleRidge High School is a charter school where teachers, staff and students don’t put up with bullying of any kind. It helps that many students who come to EagleRidge were bullied at their old schools and don’t want the charter school to have the same problems.
You can teach Shakespeare to your kids. It doesn't have to be intimidating, and it doesn't need to be a big deal.
Is Tailwind worth it? Read more about how I tripled my yearly online earnings and reached over 1 million Pinterest views using Tailwind...
Nostalgic Memes for the 80s and 90s Kids - The internet has generated a huge amount of laughs from cats and FAILS. And we all out of cats.
Splash into Math Fun this Summer! It’s time to dive into summer with Study Pad’s Kindergarten Math Splash! This adventurous App can be purchased for your little one for about $9.99, at the App store, and it is worth every cent. Our family recommends Kindergarten Math Splash for children entering kindergarten or for for graduating […]
For sensitive kids, it's a razor's edge between a nudge and pushing them off a cliff. So how much do you push your sensitive homeschooler?
How To Run Literacy Stations
“I had that first! I want it now!” my youngest yelled after dinner one evening. His little fists clenched, his face reddened, his
How to Create Your Own Homeschool Curriculum: Grade 4-5 Today I want to share this free 50+ page Resource Guide for Creating Your Own Homeschool Curriculum. It has been created to help answer some basic questions: What subjects should I teach my 4th or 5th grader? Where do I start? How do I know what to teach my kids? We are eclectic homeschoolers, which means that we use a wide...
