Creative Writer Worksheet – Writing Study Guide (PDF) This week marks the end of our year of creative writer worksheets. From a multitude of possible topics I had to choose one last worksheet, and here it is! I hope this worksheet will serve as a reminder to keep studying and improving yourself as a writer. There’s always more to…

The Bored jar is an easy way to keep kids occupied through the holidays and guarantees you won't hear them say 'I'm bored'. All parents need a bored jar.

Keeping Students Engaged Part 1: I Spy 6 comments Engagement Activities, Freebies, Popular Posts, Student Engagement Raise your hand if you strive to keep your learners engaged. My hand is raised. I may even be hopping up and down in my seat as that hand is raised. There is nothing worse than looking out at your class and noticing that they are off task or disinterested in what is going on around them, am I right? One of my favorite ways to keep my students engaged is to provide them with structured activities that encourage engagement. I thought it would be fun to share these activities over a (mini) series of blog posts. In this mini series, I'll cover the following structured engagement activities: Part 1: I Spy Part 2: Scoot Part 3: Quiz-Quiz-Trade (Kagan) Part 4: I Have, Who Has Like I said, it will be a mini series...just four posts. Note: When I use say structured engagement activity, I am referring to a learning activity that can be used and reused throughout the year with different skills and content. The content may change, but the activity and how it works does not. These structures allow students to be successful because they are familiar with them, and they don't get bored with them because the content is always different. With that said, on to today's activity! OK, wait, before I get started, let me just say that I realize that you are probably familiar with some of the structures I'll be talking about. But, don't abandon ship just yet. I'd love for you to stick around for the tips and tricks. Who knows, you might be able to spice things up in your classroom, or streamline a few things. Oh, and there will be freebies. Alright, now I'm ready to go. Are you? I Spy is one of my favorite structured engagement activities. Mine, and the kids! You might also know this activity as "Around the Room." That's what it's commonly called, but somewhere along the way, I heard it called I Spy and thought that was a much more interesting name. Plus, we get to act like spies when we use this structure. That's right, spies. But, more on that in just a moment. What is I Spy? I Spy is an activity that gets kids moving as they review previously learned concepts and skills, and practice new ones. In this activity, question cards are placed around the room (hence the other known name, "Around the Room"). Students move from card to card, at their own pace, to answer the questions. Note: These cards may be fancy, but believe me, fancy isn't required or necessary. You can write your questions on index cards and it will still be just as effective. I {pinky} promise. I Spy is perfect for encouraging individual engagement within a whole group setting. And, did I mention that it gets the kids moving? It's also super versatile. You can use this activity, or structure, to review and practice any skill within any content area (see the cards in the picture above...the proof is in the pictures, as they say). How to Play I Spy is a pretty easy "game" to play. Place some numbered questions around your room and give each student a recording page. You can tape the cards to your walls, or set them on the floor...or both! How many questions you set out is up to you. If using task cards, you could set out the entire set, or just half of it. It depends on what the kids are being asked to do, how much practice/review you want to do, and how much time you have. The students visit each card and answer the question. There is no need to visit the cards in order. Just remind your students to be mindful of the card they are on so that they can make sure to record their answer in the correct space on their recording page. At the end of the activity, go over the questions/answers with your students so that there is some sort of closure to the activity (and you can address any mistakes, misconceptions, etc). That's it. It's that easy. Tip #1: When placing out fewer question cards, you may want to set out duplicates of those question cards so that students aren't crowding around the questions and getting in each others' way. For example, when I use I Spy to practice answering story questions, I limit it to about four questions because the students need more time to formulate an answer, write said answer, and consult their book, if needed. Since I have 21 students, it wouldn't make any sense to put out 4 cards. Instead, I make 3 copies of the 4 questions and place them about the room. This way, there are only a few kids at each question at any given time. Tip #2: Your kids will finish at their own pace, so be prepared to have a task for your fast finishers. I usually have them do something on the back of their paper. For example, if they are answering story questions, I might have them draw a picture of the setting on the back of their paper. If we are practicing math facts, I might have them roll the die in their desk to write, and solve, their own number sentences on the back of the page. Materials The questions you set out can be from a set of task cards or a set of cards specifically designed to be used as an I Spy/Around the Room activity, like this fact family I Spy. Click here to grab this fact family I Spy for free. :) Task cards work great, and can easily be reused when you laminate them, but I also frequently type up questions and print them on bright paper. Nothing fancy, but it works like a charm. Tip#3: Make it fun! Kids like to have fun. So, why not let them have fun? Remember how I said that my students act like spies when they play this game? Let's talk about that, because, seriously, it makes this activity fun for the kids. Like, really fun. A few years ago, a (brilliant) colleague shared with our team how she taught her kids to act like spies when they play I Spy. Get it? That little tip was such a game changer for me! Ever since then, I have taught my students to move around the room like spies. They creep about the classroom moving from card to card. They move silently and speak to no one. After all, they don't know the good spies from the bad spies, and they certainly don't want to be seen by other spies as they accomplish their mission. I never have to remind them about voice levels or ask them to stay focused when playing I Spy. I don't need to. They are completely into it, every.single.time we play. Final Note I really, really, really like using engaging activities that are centered around movement. 7-year-olds need to move. I work at a school where recess is a at a minimum. And, let's be honest, we can only Go Noodle so many times in one day. Engagement activities that get my kids moving are a great way to let them move about while they learn. It's a win-win for everyone! I hope you were able to take a tip or two away from this post, and be sure to check out the rest of the series: Part Two (Scoot) Part Three (Quiz-Quiz-Trade) Part Four (I Have, Who Has) ::PIN IT!:: Share It:

Student engagement is my number one goal in the classroom. None of the academic goals can be achieved without student engagement. It is essential! My biggest advice to you is to decrease teacher talk and the time students spend in their desks.I want to share some more specific ways that I keep my students engaged

I absolutely loooove word art as home decor. And judging what I see on the store shelves, I'm not the only one.In this post, I’ll show you how to make an easy a…

Find out what steps I took to stop my IBS naturally.

8 ideas to keep students engaged and having fun with a simple worksheet

I often get a question from my readers - how to sew straight? In this guide, I will show you how to easily keep stitching lines straight. I will talk about topstitching mostly because keeping seam allowances equal is a different topic. Have you ever had problems with crooked stitching lines? I bet you had. Even intermediate sewists are struggling sometimes to do it and had to rip and redo stitching. But sewing in a straight line is much simpler than you think. And I want to help you to sew straight every time.

Real talk: classroom management has always been my biggest struggle as a teacher. I think that this is true for a lot of teachers. It’s one thing to read about classroom management strategies in a college classroom, but it’s a whole other ballgame when you’re standing in front of a roomful of middle schoolers and you are somehow expected to keep them all in line! I’ve had a few tough groups over my first few years, and I needed something to up my classroom management game. The classroom management strategy I’m going to share with you today has been a total game-changer for me, and I hope it can help you, too! This strategy is called Behavior Bingo. To implement it, you will need a 10×10 chart numbered from 1-100. I used to draw mine out on big chart paper, but I’ve since created this handy printable board so that I don’t have to draw it out each time! You will also need 100 popsicle sticks each labeled with a number from 1-100. I keep these in one of those metal pails from Target, and you will also need another pail for the sticks to go in once you have pulled them. You will need a board and set of numbers for each class you are using this with – I have used it with up to 4 classes at once! I marked each class’s set of sticks with a different color and then discarded them all into the same tub. If you don’t want to buy or have to label all the popsicle sticks, I have also seen teachers use small slips of paper numbered 1-100, or even just a random number generator online! Here are the rules that I use: The object of the game is to get 10 numbers in a row (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal) and get a bingo. At the start of each class, I write the numbers 1 2 3 on the front whiteboard. During class, I erase a number any time the students are not meeting my expectations, starting with 3, then 2, then 1. At the end of class, however many numbers are left on the board is how many popsicle sticks they get to pull that day. For example, if only the 3 was erased, then they get to pull 2 popsicle sticks. They can earn up to 3 numbers each day. The students pull out the correct number of sticks for that day. I let them take turns. I hold the jar up above their heads so they can’t peek inside. Then I color in the numbers that were pulled on the bingo board. You can certainly adjust these rules to meet your needs. For instance, you could use a smaller or bigger bingo board, depending on how quickly you want them to earn their reward. With the 10×10 board, it usually takes 1-2 months to earn the reward. You could also adjust how many numbers they can earn each day. Another thing you could do is tie the numbers to specific goals. For instance, my students know that at the beginning of class they need to be in their seats with homework out and working on their warmup. If this doesn’t happen, they know I will erase a number. As for the reward, we choose this as a class before beginning the game. I have the students brainstorm ideas (I tell them that they need to be something either relatively inexpensive or free and can only take up about 20-30 minutes of class time) and list them all on the board. Then I have the students vote for their top two choices. Some ideas we have come up with in the past include an ice cream party (I bring the ice cream, they bring the toppings), root beer float party, time outside, free time, board games, donut party, dodgeball, or popcorn and a short movie. I write their choice at the bottom of the bingo board as a reminder of what we are working toward. And that’s it! It’s very easy to keep it running, and it has been very motivating to my students, especially when they are down to only one number left for the day. You can find the printable board that I use in my Teachers Pay Teachers store if you’re interested! Do you have any awesome classroom management strategies? I would love to hear about them in the comments!

With one simple word, you'll boost your kid's confidence and inspire them to keep trying.

These FREE speech sound cue cards have a picture of a mouth producing the sound and a picture to remind your students of the sound.

I've got a Spaceman Freebie but first, I have some new products added to my Teachers Pay Teachers store: ⤤ SUPER EASY to implement - GREAT for the first weeks of school!!!! Click on the pictures to check them out or click HERE to visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store and click HERE to get a FREE kit each month!! Wonder how many times I've had to remind students to use spaces between words when writing? Maybe a million! I've been wanting some "spacemen" to help students remember to use those spaces, so I decided to make some. If you would like to make some too, I have a free download for you right here: {Click here or on the picture to download} BTW, I post a lot of freebies on my blog - if you don't want to miss any of them, make sure to click on this button follow me on bloglovin': There are a couple of ways to do this - the easiest would be to print on cardstock, laminate, and cut into strips. They can be used this way, might get a little worn after a while but it would be easy enough to replace them each school year. To make them super sturdy, I wanted to make mine to fit on large craft sticks (the kind sized 6 inches x 3/4 inch). I bought these at Walmart: I tried using Mod Podge at first, and that worked good, but I realized I had a MUCH easier way to do it so I broke out my trusty Xyron machine with the laminate/permanent adhesive cartridge: This: That's the smaller one, that works just as good, I have the larger one here: I got mine years ago and it's a lot cheaper now! I loaded in the printout of Spacemen... and out they came, laminated with permanent adhesive on the back. Then I just cut out on the lines (I used my paper cutter) and peeled the backing off to stick on the craft stick. I have these sized to fit the craft sticks exactly with just a little extra on the top and bottom. I made that extra space on purpose - here's a little trick to trim off that top and bottom and make it perfectly molded to the stick. Use a fingernail file! Just use a downward motion pressing the file to the stick where the paper is hanging over. It files the paper and laminate away and shapes it to the edges of the stick: Now they are ready to use!!

The Best Dad Jokes that will have the family belly laughing. We found the Best Dad Jokes, not just ok ones, but the Best Dad Jokes, The corniest of them all!

I cannot believe I haven't blogged about this before, but even if I have, here's a fun refresher & freebie :) I have a rowdy bunch this year, so a lot of my teaching involves movement, Brain Breaks and Whole Brain Teaching strategies. One thing that rates at the top of my pet peeves is when kids start to transition the second I start giving the directions. It turns into a scene of me yelling over a group of moving kids who, of course, end up asking me what to do 2 minutes later.... grr! Enter Ms. Noonan, from Teaching Channel, and her great video about managing transitions using the Word of the Day. I love so many things about this video, don't you?! Rewatch it, you will find something new every time :) Every day, I end our Morning Meeting by introducing the Word of the Day. This word can come from our content units, character ed training, a new vocab word from Teacher Time, anything! Some recent examples include: schooner when we started our Westward Expansion unit herbivore when we researched our Colorado Animals profit when we began our economics unit compromise when our day included making decisions as a group I will intro the word using the "I say, you say" she highlights in the video above, then write it on the board and have a child define it aloud to the group. I will add on to his/her definition and provide a few examples. The word stays written on our board all day (and sometimes it's the Word of the Day for two days in a row if it's a really fantastic one!). Then, whenever it is time to transition and begin a new task, I begin all directions by saying, "When I say the Word of the Day..." This has worked out so incredibly well this year and it has also increased by students' vocabularies! During Birthday Circle today, one student's compliment to the Birthday Boy was, "You are always willing to find a compromise," and I knew it was because that had been our WOTD late last week :) Interested in my Word of the Day poster? Pick up your free copy HERE.

Back when I was a student, there is only one vocabulary activity I can ever remember doing in class or for homework. It was looking up the word in the dictionary, writing the definition, and using the word in a sentence. I can recall this assignment itself (probably because of the sheer number of times I had to do it), but ask me how many of those actual words I am able to remember. Couldn’t tell you a single one, to be honest!

Use our Avengers themed I spy activity page to keep your kids occupied while stuck inside, for a birthday party activity, or so you can get some work done.

Have a chatty class? Do your talkative students get louder and louder during small groups until it feels like chaos? Do they talk when you'r...

I love these math games for middle and high school students! They are great for small groups or whole class activities.

Keep kids busy and learning while stuck indoors with our I spy weather themed activity page. Kids will find clouds, sun, thermometers and more on the page.

Here are 100 Cute Things to say to your boyfriend. Pick from this lovely words to say to your boyfriend how much you care about him...

Anyone who knows me, reads this blog, or uses my resources knows that I am passionate about differentiation. I think that is because I grew ...

Color words are included in almost every kindergarten curriculum! Kindergarten students read them, spell them, and write them! When teach...

Finally, it's time for a homemade Korean Kimchi Recipe. My grandma makes the best kimchi and I can vouch for that. This kimchi is the real deal. It is authentic, delicious, and classic. Kimchi is a great side dish for any meal. It also makes some of the most delicious Kimchi creamy dip, Kimchi Fried Rice, Spicy Kimchi Tofu Stew, and Kimchi Pancakes. This recipe is a treasured one that I will always keep. This Grandma's Classic Kimchi recipe is one of my most treasured. It was an honor to learn from her and, best of all, it tastes damn good. It is my pleasure to share this traditional Korean Kimchi recipe with all of you! What is Kimchi/Kimchee? Kimchi, also known as kimchee, is a traditional Korean dish that's made with fermented and salted Napa cabbage. Marinated and fermented vegetables are used to preserve them during winter. Although Napa cabbage is the most popular vegetable used to make kimchi carrots, radishes and cucumbers are also used. There are many kimchi recipes, which vary according to the season and region they were made in. It is easy to make vegan kimchi, you just need to keep plant-based ingredients. Kimchi is readily available and affordable, but I would always advise you to make your own homemade kimchi. Although it can take some time to prepare the vegetables, unlike other fermented foods like bread, beer and kombucha, it is mostly an easy process. Kimchi can be kept in the refrigerator for quite some time, making it a versatile, economical and simple-to-prepare dish. How does Kimchi taste? Kimchi has a very unique taste which makes people love it or hate it, this is mostly due to some people don't like sourness. Kimchi's taste is complex and can vary depending on the recipe. Kimchi will have three main flavors: umami, spicy, and sour. The vegetables you use, the fermentation time, and the amount of sugar or salt used will all affect the taste. Kimchi is a fermented food, so its predominant flavor is usually sour. The bacteria that produces lactic acid during fermentation gives kimchi a spicy, spicy flavor similar to sauerkraut. If garlic is used in kimchi, the flavor intensifies during fermentation. Kimchi can be spicy depending on the amount of pepper used and the type of pepper. What do I love about kimchi/kimchee? Besides being one of the healthier food, kimchi has definitely got something addictive regarding its flavor. There are many wonderful flavors. It has three distinctive flavors: garlic, sour, and spicy. Also, kimchi has a certain level of crispiness which adds to the fullness of experience while eating. Is homemade Kimchi really spicy? It all depends on what type of kimchee is made and/or bought. You can make your own kimchI, which is less spicy than some. Why is homemade kimchi more delicious than store-bought? As I've said before, this kimchi recipe will amaze your taste buds. And as you know, most homemade recipes are better than store-bought, in some cases even better than in restaurants. Some other reasons why is homemade kimchi version better: Homemade kimchi is much cheaper With some tweaks, you can make it your own recipe Share with family and friends It's fun! Can American cabbage be used as a substitute? I wouldn't advise, it won't be the exact same. Napa cabbage has different properties, it is more crunchy and overall makes way better kimchi. Can I substitute red pepper powder with gochujang? No, don't do that! Although gochujang is a red chili paste, you shouldn't substitute it with red pepper, because the texture is totally different. For how long should kimchi be fermented? Kimchi is fermented for at least one day. Usually, Kimchi is fermented from 1-3 days at room temperature or 21 days in the fridge, depending on how sour you want your Kimchi to be. After opening your kimchi jar, it can stay fresh for up to a week at room temperature, and for up to 6 months refrigerated. While refrigerated your kimchi keeps the fermentation process, but if you don't like your Kimchi to sour, you can use it for up to 3 months. If Kimchi becomes too sour, but you don't want to throw it away, try mixing it into some dishes with a milder flavor, like rice. Can regular salt be used for Kimchi? My grandma explained to me that thick sea salt is better than salts like Morton and Diamond kosher salt. It makes cabbage soft and withers and also removes too much moisture. Look out for coarse sea salt grains. What if I don't have red pepper powder for Kimchi? Okay, I have a small discomfort because everyone wants authentic cultural dishes, but not everyone is willing to pay for the authentic ingredients. :) This red pepper powder cannot be replaced with any other. This powder is the only powder if you want to make kimchi authentic. It is not the same as cayenne pepper. It is not the same as chili powder. It is not the same as red bell pepper flakes. It is not the same as powdered pepper flakes. It is not the same as Sriracha. How to make Kimchi Taste better? It should be left out for a longer time before it is put in the refrigerator. Is there a way to make homemade kimchi less sour? Place it in the refrigerator within 12-24 hours. After this, let it rest for at least one night and then place it back in the refrigerator the next morning. What type of jar should I use for Kimchi? I purchased half-gallon wide-mouthed jars. It is very simple to place kimchi into jars with wide mouths. Homemade Kimchi Recipe Ok, now that we know everything we need to know on how to make authentic Kimchi recipe it is time. Kimchi/kimchee is a favorite of mine, so I recommend making homemade kimchi. It's cheaper to make at home than to buy it in the grocery store. If you like this Authentic Korean Kimchi Recipe, share it with your friends and to your Pinterest board! Ingredients For the cabbage: 16 Oz Napa cabbage (cut into 1 inch size) ½ cup of sea salt 1 cup of water Seasonings for kimchi: ½ medium sweet onion ½ tsp of sugar 1 bulb garlic, peeled 4 TBSP cup of water ½ cup red pepper powder 1 bundle of julienned green onions Directions Cut the cabbage into 1-inch size pieces. Mix and Stir the Napa cabbage with the already prepared mixture of sea salt and water using a large bowl, until the sea salt has completely dissolved. Mix the cabbage using your hands. Allow it to stand for around 2 hours. Using a blender, mix the garlic and onion with 1/4 cup of water until you have a smooth paste. Combine the mixture in a large bowl. Add the red pepper powder, green onions, salt and sugar. To make a separate radish-kimchi separate the portion for radish kimchi. When the cabbage is ready, rinse nicely it to get rid of most excess salt. Toss it with the red pepper seasoning mix until the cabbage is well coated. The seasoned kimchi should be placed in a large jar (large-mouthed jar). With your fist, press the cabbage to compress the contents nicely. Continue filling the jar with the seasoned kimchi. If necessary, you can use another jar. Cover the pallet jars with a tight fitting lid and let them rest outside overnight at room temperature. The next day, taste the kimchi. If you like it more sour leave it out for another day or two. When the kimchi is according to your liking, you can place it in the fridge. Kimchi is a fermented food that can be kept in the refrigerator for a very long time. But I wouldn't say it lasts more than 6 months.

Happy Monday! Well well well, if it isn’t another installment in the Box Chain Series… I know. I keep suggesting that the end of the series is nigh. And then I change my mind. It’s just that for a while there, I was making box chains with a vengeance. Box chaining at the boy’s karate....Read More »

Virtual Classroom...what is that? Running an effective virtual classroom isn't as hard as you think. Don't worry, I'm here to help!

Giada's simple bolognese is a longtime favorite among readers, and it's no question why.

Welcome! Here is the view of our first grade hallway at Wayland Bonds Elementary! This year we decided to go with a camping theme. We made our doorways look like log cabins by making logs out of butcher paper. We all bought a pine tree from Mardels. I also had my mom sew red and white checker curtains for each of our windows. Each one of our doorways has our names on them out of the wooden letters you can purchase from Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Here is the camping welcome sign as you enter the first grade hallway. We each took laminated scrapbook paper and glued it to the wall with a cloths pin. Now we can easily hang the student's work in the hallway without having to use a lot of tape! This awesome idea came from my teammate Ms. Fleming! My Classroom Pictures Here is a look into my classroom! This is my teacher desk. I got rid of the traditional desk I had in my classroom. I never sat at it and it took up a lot of space. I love using this table as my desk! All my office supplies are stored in the drawers that are located behind my desk. Pictures of the drawers are below. I have each pod of desks labeled with group signs. Click HERE to download my group signs from my TpT Store! The baskets on the shelf are each student's individual book basket for their independent reading books. I use this pocket chart to store the student's library and lunch cards. Weekly Activities and Worksheets This is how I organize the week's worksheets and activities. Sharpened Pencils When my students need a sharpened pencil they just come get one from the drawer. This prevents the students from interrupting my lesson using the pencil sharpener. To keep sharpened pencils always on hand I have my student helper help me at the end of the day sharpen all the pencils. I found this storage container at Wal-Mart. Need a Color/Found a Crayon When there are crayons found on the floor, the students simply put them in the bin. Then whenever someone needs a color they can just come to the bin and get the color they need. This helps prevent a big interruption when a student needs a certain color crayon. I purchased this storage container at Wal-Mart. Click HERE to download my pencil and crayon system labels on my TpT store! Centers In order for the students to know what math or literacy centers they go to each day they look to the center wheels. Each section of the wheel has 2 to 3 names written in it. Each day the students go to the center that their name is located. When that center rotation is over (about 20 minutes later), the students follow the arrows to their next center. I have a total of eight centers. The students do two centers each Monday through Thursday. Then, Friday is used as a day to finish any unfinished work. I found the storage containers that I put the worksheets and games in at Mardels. Each center tub is labeled with a sign. Click HERE to download my literacy and math center signs from TpT! Each student has a math and literacy center folder that holds their center work for the week. They take these folders to their centers each day. All center work stays in these folders until it is due. Anytime a student has extra time they are to check their center folders and finish any unfinished work. These folders are stored in the pocket charts to prevent a desk full of folders and paper. FREE Centers! The writing center has many different supplies for the students to be creative in drawing, coloring, and making stories for their writing. I have included stencils, colored pens, stickers, markers, stamps, shaped scissors, etc. for the students to use. In the Science center I have scales, measuring tapes, magnifying glasses, etc. for the students to explore with. Morning Work Drawers Planning morning work can be so time consuming and also take a lot of copies - so I needed a new system. My teammate Mrs. Fletcher from Fletchtastic in First came up with this awesome idea! Each morning the students come in and get their morning work drawer for the day. The students know which drawer to get for the day because they have a folder with a morning work calendar that is labeled specifically for them. Each day on the calendar has the morning work drawer number they are to complete. The drawers are filled with file folder games, worksheets, and activities. Each activity is meaningful and reviews the skills that have been taught in class. After morning work time is over, I go around and check each worksheet and activity the students completed for the morning. If they missed any problems they get immediate feedback. Also if they complete their morning work on time they receive a small sticker on their morning work calendar. I couldn't believe it when my first grade students learned the morning work system and got it down so quickly! I bought the drawers from Michaels. They were so much cheaper than the drawers Mardel's sells! Click HERE to download the Morning Work Calendars and Teacher Planning Pages from my TpT Store! Files I have organized my math and literacy worksheets by skill. This makes pulling a worksheet for a center or activity really easy. Click HERE to download my Math File Folder Labels by Skill on my TpT store! Click HERE to download my Language File Folder Labels by Skill on my TpT store! I also use these boxes to store my files in. I got them for free using my Scholastic points! My themed worksheets and activities are stored in my unit binders. Using these binders to store all my unit stuff makes it so much easier to find and pull the things you need. I can't even imagine how many file cabinets and what a big mess of paperwork I would have if I didn't use these binders! Click HERE to download my unit binder covers and spines from my TpT store! Construction Paper/Fancy Paper All my construction paper, writing paper, border paper, etc. is stored in my file cabinet in hanging folders. Teaching Carpet Area Each of my students have an assigned square they come to each time we meet at the carpet. This prevents many problems like students sitting by other students that they talk to, sitting far away, fighting over where they sit, etc. Cubby Boxes Each student has their own cubby box. I use these cubby boxes to place each students graded work in. I placed it right behind my desk, so I can easily turn around and place their work in their cubby box! I got these cubby boxes at Sam's. Read Aloud Books To keep the books I use as my read aloud books separate from my other books, I have organized them into these magazine holders. Each holder is labeled with the unit or theme of the books. I got these holders at Mardel's. This holder has all my fall themed books that I use during my read aloud time. Click HERE to download the labels I use for my book holders from my TpT Store! Organizing Books I have the books that the students read organized by reading level. I am really particular that my students are reading books that are within their ZPD range. By organizing my books by reading level it really helps the students be able to easily find and read books that are on their level. Click HERE to download my leveled book bin labels from my TpT store! Organizing Supplies To prevent my students from playing with scissors, glue, etc. when they are not supposed to- I do not allow them to keep their supplies in their desk. Instead many of the supplies are kept together in certain parts of the classroom. Each one of the bins has the different supplies stored in them. I bought these bins at Lakeshore and they came in a package of four. Click HERE to download my supply labels from my TpT store! Each one of these supply tubs are assigned to a certain group. This has a group supply of red pens, glue bottles, scissors, etc. in them. This is a fast way to pass out the supplies when needed! I bought these tubs from Target for $3.00 each. These numbered bags are used to place different student materials in that you might need in the middle of a lesson. Instead of having to pass out each of the supplies you can have what each student needs in their bag at all times. They just grab their bag and come to the carpet or to their desk. It makes things so easy! I bought these bags from Oriental Trading. I cut the numbers out of material and then had my mom sew them on. Organizing Manipulatives My manipulatives are stored in these storage containers I purchased from Mardels. It is very nice having the storage containers with the lids. It prevents the manipulatives from spilling out when bumped into. I can easily pass out manipulatives or have the students come get what they need from the bins. Click HERE to download my math manipulative labels from my TpT store! Storing Games I had my husband make this cabinet for me. Inside the cabinet I have many storage boxes. Each storage box is labeled with a specific math or language arts skill. For example, one of my tubs is labeled rhyming. All my rhyming activities and games are stored in that storage box. I can easily find and pull out games for centers or activities since they are organized by skill. Keeping Desks Together I was tired of my desks looking like a train hit them by the end of each day, so I found a great and cheap way to keep them together. I use medium and large sized zip ties to keep them together. I place the zip ties on multiple places on the desks. It works really well! Here is a look from under the desks where the large zip ties were placed. I used the medium sized zip ties on the legs of the desks. I bought these from Lowe's. Here are the actual zip ties I used. My husband is really good at fastening the zip ties really tight...so he's the one that puts them on the desks for me. :) I am getting to borrow these awesome table tops from one of my teammates that went on maternity leave this year. She had them made to fit a group of six desks to hold them together. I am not going to want to give them back next year!! I've had a lot of people ask how the table tops were made. Unfortunately since I just borrowed them I don't know exactly how they were made. I think they were made like a countertop. Here is a picture of what they look like underneath. Hopefully that will give you a better idea... Keeping Items Organized Inside Cabinets The best way to keep my things organized inside my large cabinets is by using baskets. These baskets can be found at the Dollar Tree for $1.00! Here is an example of some of the baskets I have. Here are all my large books stored together. Inside this cabinet I have my anchor charts hanging up. See my blog post Storing Anchor Charts to see how I did this. Here is a look at my other large cabinet. I used more baskets, storage containers, and boxes to store my items. Keeping Items Organized Inside Drawers To keep my office supplies inside my drawers organized I used baskets and storage containers to keep the items grouped together. Since I don't have a traditional desk in my classroom, I use these drawers to hold all my office supplies. Inside Cabinets This cabinet holds my monthly bulletin board bags. Each bag holds monthly supplies, decorations, activities, etc. I have a free center and inside recess game cabinet. This prevents me from having to pull from different places to get out games for the students to play. My students can easily find and get out the games they want to play with during indoor recess or free center time. Free center games and activities cabinet. Inside recess game cabinet. Bulletin Boards Changing out bulletin boards during the school year can be very time consuming and expensive - so I came up with bulletin boards that I can keep the same during the school year and also ones that are good to have. Here are pictures of my different boards. Birthday Board Each student receives a birthday certificate and bag full of goodies on their birthday. This makes celebrating each student's birthday so much easier and a good way not to forget. Classroom Rules Board On the first day of school we sit down as a class and make our own classroom rules. These rules are created during a discussion by the students, while being facilitated by me. Surprisingly, student created rules are often the same as – or even tougher than – rules a teacher might create. The rules the students create become the standard for expected behavior by which all students agree. When students actively participate in establishing rules for the classroom and agree to them, they are more likely to follow the rules because they take ownership and know the importance of them. In turn, this leads to a more conducive learning environment with fewer classroom disruptions. These classroom rules, also known as our Classroom Constitution are signed by the students and posted in our classroom for all to see! Accelerated Reader Board Visit my blog post on Accelerated Reader Rewards to see what I do to keep my students motivated to read and take AR tests! Click HERE to download my AR Rewards from my TpT store! Star of the Week Board Each week one child in our class is chosen as the "Star of the Week." This is a special opportunity for that child to be highlighted throughout the week and share some important parts of his or her life with our class. Each student will be asked to fill out some information and collect some special items to display on our "Star of the Week" bulletin board. Calendar/Schedule/Behavior Management Board This bulletin board used to have all my calendar stuff on it but I have now begun doing my calendar routine on the smartboard. There are tons of great smartboard calendar lessons on the internet and on TpT that you can use! Click HERE to download my Daily Schedule Cards from my TpT Store! So instead this bulletin board has been changed to display many different useful tools that we use each day. First, we have the calendar with important dates listed. I also have our schedule posted for all the students to see. I think it really helps the students when they can see what is planned for the day. It also prevents questions like, "When is lunch?" or "Do we have PE today?". I have a tree made out of butcher paper. This tree gets changed out each season to reflect what a tree really looks like during that season. I also have our behavior management pocket chart posted here. Restroom Break This is a picture of the restroom break system I use. When the green sign is posted the students (one at a time) may move their number next to the restroom sign and take the pass and go. If the red sign is posted, then they may not leave the classroom to take a break. (Unless of course it is an emergency.) This prevents students from raising their hand and asking to go to the restroom in the middle of your lesson. Eventually the students catch on to when is an appropriate and inappropriate time to leave the classroom. Click HERE to download my restroom break signs from my TpT store! Outlaw Word Wall I don't have a traditional word wall. The words that we post on our word wall are words that cannot be sounded out to spell. That's why our word wall is called the "Outlaw Word Wall." These words are outlaw words because they break the traditional spelling rules. Anchor Chart Wall I use many anchor charts during my lessons. I found that I needed a place to display them so the students could refer to them if they needed to. I hot glued clothes pins on my back wall. It makes it so easy to hang and switch out the anchor charts when needed! Numbered Chairs Weeks into the school year the nameplates I place on each student's desk begins to take a turn for the worse. So I eventually tear them up. The students just rely on their numbered chair to find their seat. Click HERE to download my chair numbers from my TpT Store! Keep checking back year to year as I continue to update and add more things to my classroom each year! ...

Beach themed kids I spy activity free printable. Fun summer boredom buster to keep kids busy and screen free at home or a class party school activity.

This "Canada Day" themed word search contains 50 words and is challenging. I usually have students work in partners to complete it. A great activity to celebrate Canada Day while also keeping your students busy. Enjoy!If you enjoyed this product, please check out my other word searches. More to come...