Spooktacular Sale!

Trick or Treat! Happy Early Halloween!

In honor of one of my favorite holidays, we are having an early Halloween sale October 1-10. All Halloween products are 50% off and all other products will be 20% off! Stop by and check it out for some great savings!

Spooktacular Sale

Kickin Off Giveaway Day!

The huge giveaway is finally here! Enter today!

Good luck!!!

 

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Gaming It Up

This is the last week of the Linky Party before the Diggin' Giveaway! This giveaway is going to be GINORMOUS!

Make sure you enter!

As this is the last week of the Linky Party, we get to chose our own topics! We decided to post on our latest Pinterest inspired classroom hack. Instead of doing another frame wall, we created a Game Wall! This way our board games can help decorate our classroom, we can have easy access to them, and they take up less of that precious space in our classroom closets.

Start with some fun boardgames for your classroom. They can be educational or just plain fun! Keep the essentials and recycle the rest. The frames we used are the Nyttja 19.75" x 19.75" black frames from IKEA. They cost only $7.99 each! We chose them because they are light weight, have a nice design, we liked that they are square, they're make with plastic and not glass, and they're cheap! We chose a frame with a plastic inside and not glass just in case it gets dropped. Don't want broken glass everywhere! We wanted the students to be able to take the games off of the wall themselves. The frames were hung with Command Medium Picture Hanging Strips. Easy to hang and won't mess up our walls. Just place the game board inside the frame as you would a picture and attach a zippered pencil case on the back with either more Command Picture Hanging Strips or velcro, we decided to go with velcro as it is much cheaper. Place your boardgames pieces and cards inside the zippered pencil case, hang, and you're ready to start playing! We also placed an "I Can" statement in the frame with each board game.

 

 

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Tech Or Treat!

This week's topic is technology. I absolutely love technology! I love using it in my day to day life and I especially love using it in the classroom! Here are a few tricks that I have used in the past to incorporate iPads into the classroom with a 1:1 iPad to student ratio.

Every morning as a part of the students' morning routine, they would collect their iPads from the secure storage and charging station and place their iPads in their seat sacks on the back of their chairs. This would allow the iPads to be easily accessible throughout the day as well as out of the way in a place where they would be unlikely to be damaged when they were not being used. The students also kept their headphones on their seat sacks. *Side note: I recommend using headphones instead of earbuds as earbuds seemed to constantly be getting tangled up and broken.

As a part of cleaning up at the end of the school day, the students were responsible for returning their iPads to the secure charging cart. Each student was assigned an iPad with the same number as their student number and had a specific slot within the cart so it was very quick to see who's iPad was missing from the cart at the end of the day. I did not have my students plug their iPads in to charge them. They simply placed them in the slot with the charger side facing out. Typically I would only charge the iPads once a week (Thursday nights). I chose to charge them on Thursday nights instead of Friday nights because I didn't want them to be plugged in and potentially charging all weekend long. Most of the time this was all I had to do. Occasionally we would use the iPads more or something else would happen and I would need to charge them again. I also taught the students how to read and monitor their iPads' battery life. They were in charge of letting me know when it got below 10% and needed to be charged. It was great! I love natural consequences. If the students weren't responsible and watching their batteries, then they wouldn't be able to use them when they wanted to.

The uses for the iPad within the classroom are endless! With so many options, you may want to start small. I really enjoyed using them during Daily 5. I created folders on each iPad and labeled them Listen to Reading, Word Work, Work on Writing, etc. Then, when the students made their choice for that session, they could go to apps within that choice's folder. Folders are a great way to organize the apps within the iPads and make it easy to assign subjects or topics but also allow the students' choice.

What are some technology tricks that you use in your classroom?

Check out the other technology posts for this week.

 

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V for Vocabulary

This week's topic is Phonics/Word Study. We all know how important developing an expansive vocabulary is for our students. Vocabulary is a huge emphasis of Common Core and our new state (Illinois) exams, PARCC.

A few months ago we discovered a wonderful new site, Flocabulary. Flocabulary is a great source for building vocabulary. Flocabulary presents vocabulary in fun rap-like video formats that really seem to speak to the students both young and old. They have videos for every grade level building vocabulary in almost every subject area.

We also have some fun Superhero Vocabulary Card Posters available in our store. These bright and cheerful printables help expand students' vocabulary by suggested synonyms for commonly overused words. Download the preview for a free page! * Side note: everything on our Tpt store is at least 20% off!

What do you like to use to teach vocabulary?

 

 

 

 

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Writing to Write Right

Does anyone else have this problem where they have a million ideas about what they want to write about and have terrific, wonderfully articulated sentences that are both moving and whitty right up until the moment that they actually go to write them down? I feel like that is constantly my problem. Even when it is just me going to write down a few ideas for later. Or when I do manage to write those ideas down, I go to elaborate on them and am stuck. Total brain fart. Can't think of a single word to add. I've attended a plethera of classes and workshops solely focused on writing and I still have this problem. Perhaps it is a battle that I will fight til I write my last word but if I, with all of that formal writing education, still struggle to write, then what must it be like for my young writers? Some of them have no problems starting to write at this point, uninhibited by concerns of perfection and the pressures that are put on themselves by themselves and others. Others seem to struggle with the dreaded white space right from the start. Helping students make that first mark, write that first word, draw that first line, is our job but where do we begin?

Writing prompts are a great way to start. They help writers begin by narrowing down a focus, giving them the safety to write within specific peramiters. Students don't have to come up with the topic, idea about that topic, the words to convey those idea, as well as the grammar and spelling to allow those idea to be received by others. When you think about it, the task of writing while it sounds mundane can really be quite overwhelming! Writing is really pulling together a large variety of skills and knowledge. Here are a few writing prompt collections that we really like.

 

 

 

 

 

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Back to School

Who is it that decided that the second official week of summer would be the perfect time for Back to School sales to begin? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it probably wasn't a teacher. I know that it seems like every school district is on a completely diffferent schedule from everyone else, but it seems like the magic (a.k.a. dreaded) start date of the Back to School Sales keeps creeping up on the calendar. So, in another ten years, will we be doing our Back to School shopping in February? I don't know about you, but I am definitely not ready to go back to school yet. As of today, I have been out for only a little over 3 weeks. I haven't even reached the halfway point yet. Phew! With my Summer To Do list still bursting at the seams and only one swipe on my shiny, new 2014 pool pass, that is a huge relief. I'm still at that point where my summer feels long and luxurious. Like I have all of the time in the world and will get to do so much! Ask me again in a few weeks and I'm sure my attitude will have changed but for right now I'm loving it! With all of that in mind, this week's post topic is the beginning of the year and everything that goes into it. Here are a few ideas to pin for later.

Parent Surveys: Parent surveys are a great way to get more info on your new students. I recently found questions, new to me, that I plan to include this year. Questions to consider: How does your child prefer to work - in groups or individually? When getting new information, does your child do best getting all the information at once, or step by step, as the concept or project unfolds?

No more "What I did this summer" essays: Stand this periennial back to school assignment on its head by asking kids to tell their best summer stories using the iMovie or Friend Strip Pro app or Comic Life software. Each option lends its own spark to students' writing. iMovie is super user friendly, lets students take charge of their project by storyboarding the plot, shooting the video segments, writing minimal copy and, in return, getting very dynamic results! Friend Strip Pro includes some picture elements that enhance the story, often in funny ways. Comic Life software lets kids drag and drop pictures they choose as well as Pow! star bursts, creating their own comic strip.

Classroom drab? Flip it to fab!

 

* Take advantage of end of summer sales to pick up fun kid-sized furniture for an inviting reading area. Chevron print pillows accent bright teal or orange patio benches. And Marshalls and Homegoods stores carry pint-sized overstuffed chairs that invite readers to enjoy a good book.

* Want a colorful new look quick? Just like recipes that promise dinner in minutes, our TPT store offers classroom decor packs you can download, print, laminate and hang just like that! Packs are packed with printables including welcome banners, different versions of student name plates for desks, schedule cards, group work cards, birthday posters.... lots more. Please check them out!

 

Time for New Year's resolutions? Maybe. It's always fun to try something new and a bright, new beginning always offers new possibilities. What are you hoping to do differently this school year? In the meantime, here's to summer!!!

 

 

 

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Disney Apps on Sale

Disney apps are on sale for $0.99 for a limited time! They have some terrific storybook apps available including Frozen, Brave, Planes, and more! Check them out in the App Store if you're interested.

- Anna & Marti

 

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4th of July Sale

We are having a 4th of July Sale July 4-7 on our Tpt store! Everything is 20% off! Come check out our products new and old!

Happy 4th of July!!! Have a great weekend! Stay safe everyone! :)

~ Anna

Behavior Management Apps to the Rescue?

This week's topic is behavior management. I have tried out several classroom management tools in the past. My most recent fav. is ClassDojo.

ClassDojo is an online classroom management tool that is similar to clipcharts and other positive and negative feedback systems. I have used a combination of the website and the app on my iPad in the past. I would display the website in a small window on my SmartBoard throughout the day and use the iPad app to award students points and take away points from a distance. I loved how it distanced myself from the feedback. I found that because the feedback was displayed on the SMARTBoard, and not coming directly from myself, the students seemed to accept it with less argument.

I loved rewarding a student who was doing something correctly quietly with just the click of a button, then "ding", the sound on the computer would signal that someone just earned a positive point. I watched all of the heads in the room turn quickly to look at the screen and fix their behavior to match the student who just earned a point.

It was very helpful both in the classroom and outside of the room. I would use it while walking down the hallway, awarding those students walking quietly and following our hallway procedures. I could even leave it with the specials teachers while my students were with them.

There is also a random button which I enjoyed using to make sure that I wasn't always focusing on the same students and to call on students.One of the features that I love the most is how the program keeps track of all of the data for me. It is easy to look back and see how my students are doing and compare those times when they are struggling to hopefully find a common denominator.

As one of the possible rewards for the students to earn, I would let them change their Avatars when they got a certain number of points in a day. The students love changing their Avatars! They have some really fun ones!

I discovered a few new apps these past few months that I have only just barely gotten to taste test. They both work on volume control within a classroom. You can set the sensitivity within the app so that it varies for independent work, small group work, and whole class learning. The few times that I tried these apps my students have responded favorably. They really seemed to help. However, I almost always had a student or two who would try to set off the "too loud" alarm in the app. So watch out for that. I would definitely like to try using these two apps more this next year.

I am always interested in new behavior/classroom management ideas but at the moment I think that I would stick with ClassDojo. I really enjoy using it ... if you couldn't tell from above. :)

The school where I work implemented a new program this year which I really like. It is called Capturing Kids' Hearts and if you haven't heard about it before, you should definitely look into it. I was lucky enough to get trained in it and it really is an incredible program. It really helps the students become more responsible and invested in their own learning and decisions.

I believe that these two programs would work well together.

What are some things that work in your classroom to help manage behaviors and support a positive learning environment?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you're enjoying your summer!

~ Anna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Classroom Organization: Operation Black Box

This summer, we are very excited to say, we will be taking part in a Weekly Linky Party with some fellow bloggers! This "Party" will be featuring a variety of helpful topics so keep checking back! *Thank you, Laura Graham, for setting this up!

The topic for this week, as I'm sure you probably already guessed, is organization. I think this might just be the topic that I am most excited about. I love organizing things and spaces. I love it even more when I can can organize them in not only a logical way but a cute way as well! That being said, The Container Store, is one of my favorite stores. Just think, an entire store dedicated to organization! Unfortunately, they tend to be a bit on the expensive side and as I am currently only making an assistant's wage, I can't afford to purchase much from there right now.

That brings me to my most recent organization love which would have to be my "Black Box". It sounds very top secret and important. It probably isn't nearly as exciting as the name makes it sound but I have found it to be incredibly helpful these past few months.

For those of you who don't know, I have been working as an assistant and teaching Math Masters, an after school mathematics intervention program, this past year as I continue my search for a full time teaching job. Math Masters has been great but it has been a bit of a logistics problem. I taught 12 students in first, second, and third grades for an hour three days a week directly after school in the school library. As I was in the library and not in a classroom of my very own, I had to figure out a way to store my supplies in an organized way that would not take up very much space and would be mobile. Hence the birth of the "Black Box".

It is my one stop shop for teaching math. That, my iPad, my students' iPads, and TpT are all that I need. I got this small black file box from Target for about $20 and the silver buckets for a dollar each! As you can see from the picture above, I keep one filled with pencils and big pink erasers (you know, the good ones, Pink Pearls) [and apparently scissors, although those move between containers depending on when they're needed], another is filled will colored pencils and pencil sharpeners, and the last container holds my miscellaneous teaching supplies like my nice scissors, paper clips, tape, a few colorful pens, and a few calculators. These three buckets fit right inside the box infront of the hanging file folders.

Next, comes the file folders. The first file folder contains my plans for the students and any printables that are needed, for example, our Harry Potter Math Quest.

Followed by my emergency sub plans with at least three day's (one week's) worth of plans in them. So happy I had these when I was sick this Spring.

The next hanging folder containes my Admin folder which basically housed student/parent contact info, bus info, and other important, but not often used, pieces of information.

The majority of my box was taken up by student data folders. These housed their AIMs Web tests, math fact test record sheets, and other data. These folders were organized by grade levels and then alphabetically.

The final two hanging file folders held other miscellaneous supplies (dry erase boards, rulers, more colored pencils, shape tracers, etc.) and math games (each held in a ziplock Baggie).

At this point, I'm not sure what changes I would make in my box. It has kind of been a bit of a work in progress for a while now as I continue to fine tune it to make it even more helpful and organized. Since it is such a small space, it is really important that I maximize every square inch of it. I think that I might try using more single page board games and less Baggie games. I think that they might fit a little better.

Most everything else will stay the same at this point. I'm sure that once Math Masters gets going again I will probably change things just to keep things interesting if nothing else.

Well, that's all for tonight. Thanks for reading! - Anna

 

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