tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51114454565574768212024-03-15T18:09:26.038-07:00Happy Little HeartsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-44978143813409496602017-08-01T19:55:00.000-07:002017-08-01T19:55:21.912-07:00Printing Posters!I just learned how to print a PDF poster-sized. You guys. This is life changing.<br />
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Can you imagine the possibilities?!<br />
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Okay, so the first thing I thought of enlarging was my Common Core cheat sheets. My teams use these in planning almost daily, and I've had other teachers tell me before that they turned them into posters and LOVED having big versions of them. I had no idea how on Earth they did that, but I was super stoked for them.<br />
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Well... NOW I KNOW! And of course I'm going to share the love with you:<br />
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Now, I am on a MacBook, so if you have a PC it may look a smidge different on your end, but it should be very very similar.<br />
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Step 1 - Download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader. It's totally free!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsT4xTFv5hpkdlAigK6UGLfGGSlNbydL93gwG1GIx3IWE9xwhJfKN5SYqYyBIx9Bfi7by_ogj5Jwv7LIofa_3Xdm3ruuCNiQOJEDCCsOe6_EZsJ7g_rbC8YPVPrqCL1AQ9C9zEH8w6hg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-07-31+at+8.41.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="807" data-original-width="1348" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsT4xTFv5hpkdlAigK6UGLfGGSlNbydL93gwG1GIx3IWE9xwhJfKN5SYqYyBIx9Bfi7by_ogj5Jwv7LIofa_3Xdm3ruuCNiQOJEDCCsOe6_EZsJ7g_rbC8YPVPrqCL1AQ9C9zEH8w6hg/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-07-31+at+8.41.13+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Step 2 - Open Adobe Reader and go to File > Open, and select the PDF you want to open.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgKc9Yw0gNTdY9JaaneFoUB5nM1QBraP3VfObO4iMnK6tXSOthvqgZYuSnZQeU6tvNhCKriVy5CqzRBMydptDzQNe49sq6i9bw5tdeICoMY9KGcwwO4Ngxxmh4sUAQL2iUtqW02lfiQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-07-31+at+8.41.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="521" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgKc9Yw0gNTdY9JaaneFoUB5nM1QBraP3VfObO4iMnK6tXSOthvqgZYuSnZQeU6tvNhCKriVy5CqzRBMydptDzQNe49sq6i9bw5tdeICoMY9KGcwwO4Ngxxmh4sUAQL2iUtqW02lfiQ/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-07-31+at+8.41.40+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Step 3 - With your PDF open, go to File > Print, and select "Poster" under Page Sizing & Handling. Select which page/pages you want to print poster sized.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJw56mYSEvmDNQxCrsEMNtj3yGZ_korc-ncG84_dJGnnJJzTKdc9kTQ1lGuoITTjk5DzXRjK6ZuBecpIXBmPIyRP9SQSU-LTIn5FZY1HKF6fGKJtY_z0PlF1sitTdYySoVyW31cZ-EVQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-07-31+at+8.43.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1440" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJw56mYSEvmDNQxCrsEMNtj3yGZ_korc-ncG84_dJGnnJJzTKdc9kTQ1lGuoITTjk5DzXRjK6ZuBecpIXBmPIyRP9SQSU-LTIn5FZY1HKF6fGKJtY_z0PlF1sitTdYySoVyW31cZ-EVQ/s320/Screen+Shot+2017-07-31+at+8.43.11+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Step 4 - Adjust the scale percentage by adding a little at a time (I added increments of 10%) until you get the desired size that you want in the preview window. I had to click on the preview shot every time I adjusted my percentage for the image to update, not sure if that is just a quirk with my computer or not, but you may have to do the same.<br />
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Step 5 - Click print! Each page will come out, then you just cut them, piece them together, and... voila! A poster!<br />
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Are you dreaming of all the things you can make giant sized now? I know, me too.<br />
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If you are a K-2 teacher and you want a closer look at the Common Core cheat sheets, just click the TpT button at the tippy top of the page and you'll find them in the Common Core category.<br />
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Happy poster printing!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com82tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-24278089178165893212017-07-30T08:26:00.001-07:002018-04-16T13:38:36.103-07:00Teal - An adorable book about the beauty of inclusion.Let's be real. Any time the mailman delivers a package, it's exciting. And when you have an Amazon addiction like I do, you get a lot of mail excitement. BUT... the day he brought me Teal was way more exciting than the day he brought me a new box of batteries.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QL5saSpO0L5StzGBnyUSNE-Xh9HwIV5u9orOOf9DlbO8ALT16rMXKB8LiHNgjeJNSxEth9PK4_69pziM3-PmUaVWGhdbu2hQA676zGK7oi0JbZV4gRL44eBZN0q-vdYHQmt9y-9KEQ/s1600/IMG_1238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QL5saSpO0L5StzGBnyUSNE-Xh9HwIV5u9orOOf9DlbO8ALT16rMXKB8LiHNgjeJNSxEth9PK4_69pziM3-PmUaVWGhdbu2hQA676zGK7oi0JbZV4gRL44eBZN0q-vdYHQmt9y-9KEQ/s320/IMG_1238.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Teal is a sweet sweet story with beautiful illustrations by the amazingly talented Renee Galvin. In this story, Teal is a crayon who doesn't quite fit in. He's not green, he's not blue. He is different. He feels left out and is not sure what his purpose is, until one day when he finds a way to bring all the different colors together. The reader discovers that differences are what makes our world more beautiful.</div>
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This story is especially meaningful to me, as I teach in a full inclusion school. Children with a wide variety of different abilities, who might be isolated in a self-contained classroom at other schools, are fully included in general education at ours. We have an amazing staff of people who are dedicated to ensuring that ALL of our students succeed, and the beauty of inclusion is apparent around every corner in our school.</div>
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Teal is going to be such a special addition to our library, as it embodies everything we believe in; We are all human, and our differences make the world beautiful.</div>
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Renee has had such success with this little gem of a book, that she is currently sold out on Amazon.com. If you don't want to wait until they are restocked, just message her on her FB page, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/booksbyreneegalvin/">https://www.facebook.com/booksbyreneegalvin/</a>, and she will pre-order a copy for you. =)</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-29970652634813091342017-06-23T14:33:00.000-07:002017-06-23T14:33:15.296-07:00Solar Eclipse Fun!On August 21st, the United States will experience its first coast-to-coast total solar eclipse since 1918, that's 99 years! Everyone in the contiguous US will be able to see this solar eclipse! If you are lucky enough to see it in totality, I am way jealous. We will see about 90% here in Denver. =)<br />
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This solar eclipse falls on our first day of school! I am beyond excited to share this experience with our students. Our PTA has ordered us 700 pairs of solar viewing glasses (Amazon has a lot of options) so that all of our staff and students can watch safely! <b>If you purchase a set for your class, make sure they are CE and ISO certified.</b><br />
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Below is a super easy art activity we are going to do on the day of the solar eclipse, along with some other activities for before, during, and after...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Solar-Eclipse-Activities-and-Resources-3215608" target="_blank">Solar Eclipse Activities!</a></span></div>
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Who else is stoked for the solar eclipse? I can't wait!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-70169369741780941742017-02-20T19:41:00.002-08:002017-02-20T19:42:31.708-08:00Read Across America / Dr. Seuss' Birthday Fun!<span style="background-color: white;"><i>We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.</i></span><br />
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I am so lucky to have my son at my school. I love being able to see him at school every day. I also love getting to share our fun events with him, like celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday for Read Across America Day!<br />
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At my school, we dress up as Dr. Seuss characters and celebrate our love for reading all day long.<br />
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Last year my son and I loved our costumes so much that we are wearing them again this year!<br />
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Behold- The Lorax and his Truffula Tree!<br />
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It was so easy to make these costumes.<br />
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For my son's Lorax costume, I bought orange footed pajamas. They aren't available anymore, but an orange hoodie and sweatpants will give the same Lorax-y effect!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=happylittlehe-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B008A50RY6&asins=B008A50RY6&linkId=5e94fd8129570c9659a5872b90df14b5&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
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For the facial hair, I bought party favor glasses from Target, then hand drew and cut out the mustache and eyebrows from craft foam and hot-glued them on! Boom! Lorax!<br />
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These glasses are similar to what I bought, only mine didn't have lenses. And bonus- the extras went into my prize box!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=happylittlehe-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B008FEF4FE&asins=B008FEF4FE&linkId=1b993ff8324e3657e4c9183c2e841f0f&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
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For my Truffula Tree costume, I started with a black plastic headband and some pink tulle. I cut the tulle into strips and tied them around the headband one at a time until I got the fluffy Truffula Tree look I was going for.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=happylittlehe-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B007Q2JJA2&asins=B007Q2JJA2&linkId=a389ccdf8a7a17b80d142d4319482cb5&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
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Next, I got a white tshirt and white sweatpants, and some good ole trusty duct tape! With a black sharpie, I unrolled and colored the edges of the white duct tape black and stuck down a small section at a time on the shirt, but without cutting it until I reached the end. Then I did the same thing for the pants. After that, I went back and colored in the zig-zags on the tree trunk. Done! Super easy costume, but one that had a big effect!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=happylittlehe-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B002TOL3ZG&asins=B002TOL3ZG&linkId=09b43708edc723d5d545dfdacba812ba&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;">
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Warning! The sharpie will rub off a little when you touch it, so make sure the t-shirt and sweatpants aren't your favorites just in case some rubs onto them!<br />
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We can't wait for March 2nd!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-54584282282425912002016-05-26T21:20:00.000-07:002016-05-26T21:31:56.601-07:00GoNoodle Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is very bittersweet to be leaving the classroom at the end of this week for the foreseeable future, as I enter the world of coaching. So, in an effort to not be a baby and cry all week, I am going to make our last week of school <u>epic</u>. We are having a science day, where we will do tons of science experiments all day long. I also posted recently about a really fun tech activity that is totally going to knock it out of the park. And finally, my most recent brainchild... GoNoodle Day!<br />
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If your class is anything like mine, they could do GoNoodle all. day. long. And now, they can! I am devoting an entire day to GoNoodle fun. Now, I don't think even my little firsties have enough energy to <i style="text-decoration: underline;">actually</i> do GoNoodle all day long, so I have paired some academic and some just plain fun activities to go along with some of our favorite GoNoodle activities.<br />
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Below are the links to the two (free!) documents I'll be referencing as I describe our day-o-fun:<br />
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Lesson Plans- <a href="http://bit.ly/1WYNlgn">http://bit.ly/1WYNlgn</a><br />
Activity Templates/Worksheets- <a href="http://bit.ly/1WYNe4w">http://bit.ly/1WYNe4w</a><br />
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In no particular order...<br />
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1. We LOVE Koo Koo Kangaroo. Neil is my kids' favorite (I think it's the mustache, sorry Brian), and they love his T-Rex arms in Dino Stomp.<br />
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After we show off our Dino Stomp skills, I am going to do a read aloud of one of my favorite books to read aloud: Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by the brilliant Mo Willems. Predictions, drawing conclusions, maybe even a little inferring thrown in, and a whole lot of laughter.<br />
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2. Those Kidz Bop kids know how to work it. And we love flailing around acting like we are working it too. They have three great songs with fun summer themed videos and dancing, and by golly on GoNoodle Day I might just play all three! Summer, I Love It, and Everybody Talks.<br />
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After dancing our little hearts out, we will sit down to rest and write and/or draw about what we like to do in the summer, using an information web to organize our thoughts (included in the free pdf listed above).<br />
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3. Run With Us really gets my future Olympians moving, and on GoNoodle Day we are going to practice the Long Jump. Afterwards, we are going to do some jumps of our own, and measure our distances. In partners, students will take turns jumping, then measure the lengths of their jumps (using standard or nonstandard units of measurement, whatever is applicable for your students). T-chart included for keeping track of jump measurements.<br />
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4. Moose Tube's "It's Not Hard" actually is quite hard, but we always love a good challenge. After practicing a few times, we will reflect on the past year and write about things that used to be hard, but aren't anymore!<br />
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5. Maximo always makes me laugh, but my kids never get his jokes. I make them watch him anyway, because yoga = peace. And peace is good amongst 29 first graders. On GoNoodle Day we will practice Willow Willow with Maximo, then read and discuss the classic <u>The Giving Tree</u>. It will be a good opportunity for some quiet, calm, down time. Namaste.<br />
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6. Next are a couple of Happy options. The YouTube channel and the Zumba channel both have dancing videos for the song Happy by Pharrell Williams. I'll probably go with the YouTube option because of the Minions. These kids and their Minions...<br />
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After dancing and getting happy, we will write about what makes us happy.<br />
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7. Koo Koo Kangaroo, we are coming back for more! Another favorite is Just Kidding. We are pretty sure that Brian does actually know how to count to four, but we have fun with this one anyway. After doing JK, we are going to have a joke party. I bought this set of jokes from TpT - <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/JOKE-OF-THE-WEEK-2010022">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/JOKE-OF-THE-WEEK-2010022</a> - and can't wait for my kids to read them together. I can hear the roaring laughter already! If a joke set isn't in your budget (apparently my TpT budget is endless), you could find some online and project them, or have the kids write their own! Those are sure to be terrible. But will make you laugh in a totally different way!<br />
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8. Finally, an art activity! Don't worry, I would never make you get out the paints in the last week of school. That would be plain crazy. This one only requires glue and paper. And when you are done, if this is your last gluing activity for the year, you can do the always cathartic practice of dumping the whole tub of glue sticks/bottles into the trash can!<br />
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For this activity, we will start with a Flow calming exercise called Rainbow Breath.<br />
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The kids will then make a rainbow paper garland. I found a great tutorial here - <a href="http://www.minieco.co.uk/folded-paper-garland/">http://www.minieco.co.uk/folded-paper-garland/</a> - and while I haven't actually tried it myself yet, it seems doable! There is always the possibility of ending up with a Pinterest fail, but hey, it'll be good fine motor exercise!<br />
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I hope your kids love GoNoodle Day! I can't wait for ours!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-79485142278109693252016-05-16T20:58:00.006-07:002016-05-16T21:03:43.497-07:00End of the Year Fun!Oh boy do I have some fun end of the year activities to share with you.<br />
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First, an iPad/coloring/writing activity for the books. This one is going to be a HUGE hit, for all elementary ages.<br />
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I discovered this really cool iPad/iPhone app called Quiver that turns a 2D coloring page into a 3D masterpiece. It is so cool, my kids are going to FLIP.<br />
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There are dozens of free coloring pages you can download, but I chose two that I could turn into a school-ish activity. Totally school-ish, so your principal will totally approve.<br />
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1. Post your objective. (See, I told you it's principal friendly.)<br />
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***I can write about a trip I will take using future tense.**<br />
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2. Give students writing prompt and have them write about a trip they will take this summer OR a trip they hope to take one day. Freebie link here! ------> <a href="http://bit.ly/1ZZP1DM" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1ZZP1DM</a><br />
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3. Pass out Quiver coloring page - Go to <a href="http://quivervision.com/" target="_blank">http://quivervision.com/</a> and download the airplane page. I also printed the Enjoy Summer page since it fits well with the summer travel theme.<br />
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4. Color.<br />
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5. Open up the Quiver app (download it in advance, duh).<br />
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6. Watch your picture come to life! It not only pops off the page in 3D, there are sound and movement effects too! So make sure the sound is turned on!<br />
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The airplane pulls the flag with your destination, the propeller spins, smoke trails behind, and you hear the engines roaring!<br />
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There is no way your kids won't like this. It is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Since I have 29 students and only 6 iPads, I decided to give an extra coloring page for students to work on as they take turns with the iPads. There are dozens of free options on the website.<br />
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Another thing I like to do in the days leading up to the last day of school, is have my students reflect on what they have learned over the year, and begin goal setting for the next year! These little fold and cut booklets (below) are so easy to make, and the kids love them. Especially on colored paper. So fancy! And free! <a href="http://bit.ly/1qpyWLu" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1qpyWLu</a><br />
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If you are underwhelmed with your current Memory Book options, like I was last year when I opened up my 10 year old memory book file (old lady alert)... I've got you covered. <a href="http://bit.ly/1R5lnGP" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1R5lnGP</a><br />
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Finally, my favorite Last Day of School activity. In my classroom we begin our last day the same way we started our first.<br />
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Students walk in and find their personalized name coloring page in the circle, and sit down for our last morning meeting together.<br />
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At the end of morning meeting, they spread out around the room and enjoy some quality time with their community, coloring and chatting.<br />
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Then, each student glues their coloring page to a big piece of construction paper. Everyone walks around with a pen (omg, a pen?!) and writes nice messages to each other on the posters. It is a lovely feeling of community, the room gets very quiet and the kids take this job very seriously, thinking of just the right thing to write to each person.<br />
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The final products (example above) are so adorable. Last year my kids loved them so much, I laminated them on my lunch break. =)<br />
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These are available for K-2, <a href="http://bit.ly/1SGUwmG" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1SGUwmG </a><br />
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I hope you have found something you and your students will enjoy in your last days together!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-78030327186728461932016-05-09T20:49:00.000-07:002016-05-09T20:52:42.054-07:00A Journey into Alternative Seating <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Ready? Set? Go!</div>
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I had been dabbling with the idea of alternative seating for years, and once even bought some exercise balls for my second grade classroom, but that didn't end well when I went on maternity leave and the balls turned into play equipment rather than seating equipment.<br />
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This year, with my move to a new school and a new grade level, first, I decided was THE year. And I will never go back.<br />
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Alternative seating, also known as flexible seating (if there is a difference, please educate me, but until then I'm going to continue acting like I know what I'm talking about), has transformed my classroom in a way I couldn't have imagined. It has lowered stress and anxiety levels, heightened focus levels, and has allowed me to personalize the learning that goes on in my classroom.<br />
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Here is a panoramic view of my classroom in all of it's flexible glory!<br />
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Here is how our journey unfolded, in 3 steps! <br />
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Step 1 - <b>Adjust</b><br />
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Provided to me at my school were a lot of tables and chairs, so I started by <b>adjusting</b> the use of what I already had by removing legs from a few tables for floor seating, raising a few tables to standing height, and leaving a few tables at chair height. Each step that I will be outlining involved a lot of class meetings and discussions about how to monitor what your body needs, and that everyone's body needs something different, and this one was no exception. After a couple of weeks, when everyone had had the opportunity to try out the different tables, most had settled into an understanding of what was best for them.<br />
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(Notice the stacks of chairs in the back of the room? Yeah, we don't use them anymore.)</div>
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Step 2 - <b>Acquire</b><br />
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The next step in our journey was to <b>acquire</b> some new seating options. This can be an expensive step in an alternative seating journey, but thanks to the age of the internet, I did it with very little out of my own pockets. The only thing I bought myself was a set of 5 sturdy laundry baskets. They were $7 each at Walmart, and I was anxious to get started, so I went for it! I don't often shop at Walmart, but when I do, it's for cheap laundry baskets and school supplies.<br />
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Next on my list of desired seating options were wobble stools, balance cushions, and bouncy bands. Those were the more expensive pieces, just one stool is over $60. Definitely above my budget... Donor's Choose to the rescue! If you have not used this website yet, you have been missing out. I had 8 Kore Wobble Stools, 5 balance cushions, and 5 Bouncy Bands funded in less than a week's time! When I posted my project on Donor's Choose there was a matching code where every donation up to $100 was matched by Donor's Choose, and they do matching codes often if you keep your eyes and ears open. I got permission from my principal to send a letter home to the families of my students, posted a link to my friends and family on Facebook, and boom! It was fully funded in under a week. (A lot of people have luck with anonymous donors as well.) About a week later, the new seating choices were delivered to my classroom. =)<br />
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Now, if you don't have immediate luck on Donor's Choose, and haven't won the lottery, there are some cheaper options out there. Bathmats and pillows are something I've seen used, but I prefer hard plastics over cloth because of a debilitating fear of lice. I've heard good things about Scoop Rocker chairs, as seen here (http://www.overstock.com/Sports-Toys/American-Plastic-Toys-Scoop-Rocker-Pack-of-6/10458964/product.html).<br />
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Step 3 - <b>Acquaint</b><br />
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This step addresses the biggest question I get about flexible seating; How do you introduce this concept and the different seating options to your students? Don't they fight over the stuff?<br />
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My answer - Take. It. Slow.<br />
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I <b>acquainted</b> my students with one thing at a time. And each introduction was sandwiched with class discussions. I like to call this routine the "Expectation Sandwich". First, we circle up and talk about what is about to happen. What are the expectations? How will we appropriately use this space or this tool? Then, everyone gets a chance to try that particular seating option out properly. Finally, we have another circle discussion about how that particular seating choice is helpful, who it is helpful for, and how we know it is helping.<br />
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In the expectation sandwich discussions, a big piece of the conversation (multiple times a day in the beginning) is that everyone is different, and everybody's body needs something different. Some of us feel just fine working in chairs at tables, some of our bodies prefer to lay on the floor with clipboards. Some of us like to stand up to help us focus, some of us like to sit on the floor. Some of us like to wiggle and move as we work, some of us like to be cozy and tucked into in a small space. I even had a mom come tell me after school one day that her daughter told her about our new alternative seating options, "I don't use the wiggle stools much because my body doesn't really need it as much as some of my friends." Perfection.<br />
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In the beginning, yes, there may be a certain level of excitement due to the novelty. But if you can be very methodical in acquainting the children with the seating choices, and very patient in reminding them about how to choose their spots, the novelty will wear off, and it just becomes the regular day-to-day routine. Kids settle into the areas and options that they prefer, and there is now, in my classroom, absolutely zero conflict or disruption caused by flexible seating.<br />
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The change that alternative seating has made in my classroom has been invaluable. My students have learned how to self-regulate and listen to their bodies. They have been given the gift of choice, the choice to do what is best for them. They are more focused, more centered, and more productive. <br />
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This is the perfect time to start thinking about how you can make shifts in your own classroom for next year, so go for it! Remember - <b>Adjust, Acquire, Acquaint</b>. And how can I forget my #1 most important rule/motto with the kids about alternative seating - "They are <b>tools</b>, not toys!"<br />
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Please feel free to hammer me with questions!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-14423221871704737562016-03-24T13:28:00.003-07:002016-04-07T00:32:34.887-07:00How To Make Your Students Better WritersIt's a large claim, I realize that. But I have found the secret to making my students better writers. Let me explain...<br />
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Writing is my favorite subject to teach. For years though, I struggled with getting my kids to edit and revise to improve their writing. I would rock my mini lessons and my model writing, they would rock in their understandings, they would knock out some decent drafts, and then the writing process would stall out. They could not get past the stage of drafting independently, they relied on me to tell them how they could improve their writing. And I was one teacher with, this year, 29 students... so they were waiting a lot.<br />
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Now, they don't wait for me anymore. They are masters of their writing process, they have found their voices as writers, and they are confident that their work is the best it can be.<br />
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Let me explain how we got to this beautiful place.<br />
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To start a writing lesson, I have a specific writing skill focus. In the beginning, I start with some conventions like using capital letters, punctuation, finger space, neat letter formation. Then I move into some more content based skills like using adjectives, vivid verbs, similes, dialogue, etc. to enhance writing.<br />
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I introduce the new skill, model it, then have my students begin the process of planning and drafting independently; their opportunity to "try on" the new skill.<br />
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The end of this drafting time is where my students used to come up to me with those words every teacher dreads hearing... "I'm done!" Oh darling, you are most certainly not.<br />
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Introducing... The edit and revise wall.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Editing-and-Revising-Checklist-2463315" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNljic8TZVCsgbUJquvKtCfvoZhta5yivoGRaNjADWaN3jrhKHoRsh-bjM6swn0_BvSe9jKpCDCv2Dk0uYG8fpXrCSZqpHUD8kJSWgdVOHTzp-qubeLnc6gF6MAuVVpbSQcQyrZ1vBQ/s320/checklist.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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On this wall, my best and most favorite wall, are each of our writing skills (added as we learn them) in checklist form.<br />
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You might be saying, "Big deal. I have all my skills posted too. The kids NEVER look at them." But THIS wall is not just there, it is a <u>guide</u> that is used <u>daily</u> to lead kids through the editing and revising process.<br />
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Each skill card has an example, along with a marking to note the example. For instance, the adjective skill card below with the adjective underlined in red. During the editing/revising phase of the writing process, students independently re-read their writing, and mark each time they used an adjective by underlining them in red. As they read, with adjectives as their focus, they will think of new places to add adjectives, they will revise to use better adjectives, or they will notice that they haven't used adjectives and realize that they should probably add some to enhance their writing. This act of "marking up" their draft draws a new level of attention to their writing.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Editing-and-Revising-Checklist-2463315" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4AuioOD9RGjusaqwOzuVjcuPqS_o-57Rgn9kSRC80smzOA9YswVMJmZo6eMsI_pgFOY_boc5nE_HkM6WXQvtB0ywUny3YTTTit_1RWHs7LTKXQ_qz-kEBlCkZQ67OckleB0kP8b9sGQ/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-03-24+at+2.07.45+PM.png" width="320" /></a><span id="goog_916972051"></span><span id="goog_916972052"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a></div>
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They continue down the list of skills on the edit and revise wall, editing, revising, and marking up their drafts until they are sure their writing is the best it can be, that they have done their absolute best to approximate use of all of the writing skills they know.<br />
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When it comes time for me to confer with my students, we take a look at a "marked up" piece of writing. Together we take notice of markings that there are few or none of, and students set a goal for themselves. We put a sticky note with their initials right up on the edit and revise wall next to the skill they need to work on, to serve as a reminder of their goals. Then the next time they draft, they have that skill, their goal, in the forefront of their mind.<br />
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Now, if a student tries to come to tell me that they are "done", (they know better by now!), all I have to do is point to the wall, and remind them that they have the skills to improve their writing on their own.<br />
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This process has been huge for my students. It pushes them to take ownership of their writing and of the writing process, and to take ownership of their goals. And subsequently, it has made them better writers.<br />
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For a more detailed look at my editing and revising skill cards, click <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Editing-and-Revising-Checklist-2463315" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-83305786221125696642016-03-15T21:17:00.001-07:002016-03-20T13:56:19.158-07:00Data collection in the 21st century.Plickers is my new best friend. Plickers, you make individual data collection so easy. Goodbye grading paper exit tickets every day. Goodbye paper and pencil pre-assessments that I have to take home on the weekend and spend hours grading. Goodbye moans and groans when it's time to take a quiz. Hello Plickers!<br />
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Plickers describes themselves as, "... a powerfully simple tool that lets teachers collect real-time formative assessment data without the need for student devices." It is an app/website that collects individual student data in seconds and sets it right in front of your pretty little face. When I first visited the website, I didn't quite understand what that would actually look like, so let me do my best to explain it in my own words.<br />
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First, you create an account and set up your class list (or multiple classes) at <a href="https://plickers.com/">https://plickers.com/</a><br />
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Then, type up (or insert pictures of) some multiple choice problems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOP2LPJ3sssI-i5ZbXrKGur8DmsChHQAxlFbdWyFBX0ecHsLfIiOBOvbMVBLkk9DEwVy46xWIMYjnk8bNtPR_5sOO8Es7bcpk__1vgstcid-v_M1mwYTCU9412TU7r6LUXliqrygf8w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-03-15+at+9.50.14+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOP2LPJ3sssI-i5ZbXrKGur8DmsChHQAxlFbdWyFBX0ecHsLfIiOBOvbMVBLkk9DEwVy46xWIMYjnk8bNtPR_5sOO8Es7bcpk__1vgstcid-v_M1mwYTCU9412TU7r6LUXliqrygf8w/s320/Screen+Shot+2016-03-15+at+9.50.14+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Prints out a set of QR codes, one per student. You can laminate them or print on cardstock so they can be used over and over.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvYVo8kdm3Mt4j2ICdEHmhTAyjMARM8f3LHqDqsy8RivmGRAWu-YIRAQGTSg1W9CKnITDPWC9MHg1O8yESQwMSob2iPd8nzj5PVZx_gEXH01fb_kph1tCy0p7gvYL7FE1ml5QUfILXQ/s1600/IMG_0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvYVo8kdm3Mt4j2ICdEHmhTAyjMARM8f3LHqDqsy8RivmGRAWu-YIRAQGTSg1W9CKnITDPWC9MHg1O8yESQwMSob2iPd8nzj5PVZx_gEXH01fb_kph1tCy0p7gvYL7FE1ml5QUfILXQ/s320/IMG_0058.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Each 4-sided QR code has answer choices A, B, C, and D around the sides.<br />
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Students have an assigned QR code card, unique to them (numbered).<br />
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Next, you open the Plickers website to project problems for students.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLG4g1pCtv_Y7q-7dLRkLnOr_RnIDtZbfsAL6vD-MdLiosILNAUYyNL3GGWb7_PC-_2LiDphe85GdIlP8cDLmygASHPLOdzvoqWSqAWSVtEXvec1pf648-EDSEYFCHSRglYcc-IGv8RQ/s1600/IMG_0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLG4g1pCtv_Y7q-7dLRkLnOr_RnIDtZbfsAL6vD-MdLiosILNAUYyNL3GGWb7_PC-_2LiDphe85GdIlP8cDLmygASHPLOdzvoqWSqAWSVtEXvec1pf648-EDSEYFCHSRglYcc-IGv8RQ/s320/IMG_0054.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Then, open Plickers app on your phone or iPad and select the first question.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlogJO3ipaBTHF3W9PzBDs9oOi4gf2reoPn2r72zeUXwhAkxJRMieb5KmXPLbCdn6u7h0f7N0UaewVMj5njYf12Z5Ks6ye4MbEw_cXt0nHkaVTc45-a5UE3rndmIhQ5utLUWQmJrATw/s1600/IMG_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlogJO3ipaBTHF3W9PzBDs9oOi4gf2reoPn2r72zeUXwhAkxJRMieb5KmXPLbCdn6u7h0f7N0UaewVMj5njYf12Z5Ks6ye4MbEw_cXt0nHkaVTc45-a5UE3rndmIhQ5utLUWQmJrATw/s320/IMG_0055.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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The question is projected through the computer/projector.<br />
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Students turn and hold up their QR code with their answer (A-D) at the top.<br />
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Now, you click "scan" on the app, and scan across the room while the app magically finds student answers by scanning the direction of their QR code.<br />
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When all students have been scanned, you click the check mark button and... voila! Data!<br />
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Now you can make re-teach or enrichment groupings in the blink of an eye!<br />
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It is so easy, you guys. And so fun. And so amazing. And I love it so much I'm using conjunctions at the beginnings of my sentences.<br />
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Another really cool feature is that you can insert pictures as your questions, and then just type in the answer choices. I'm currently working on prepping some fractions questions for an upcoming math unit using screenshots of some of my fractions task cards! So. Easy.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fraction-Scoot-Game-and-Posters-1778583" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj384O5SQ-Z2GPttt0bakpmydGX6rYEtvNS-kCyZ-rrJUCrtV2vSkmmxMa3IzPcZvrkXgefTW5I-GAb2F8kS4LlURFm_vyhn_yxlIxng5uLzZHeD4AefW4s0FsyYmATjLJK63-MQsIOBA/s320/Fraction+Scoot_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This tool is seriously life changing. Once you make an account (easy), download the app (easy), and print some cards (easy), you are ready to gather all kinds of data. And you know how we teachers looooove data! (Your principal will <i><u>really</u></i> love it, you data driven diva.)<br />
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Oh, how have I not mentioned this yet... Plickers is 100% <b><u>FREE</u></b>!<br />
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I know. You can't even deal.<br />
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Go! Get set up NOW. You won't regret it.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-46126522936482624972016-02-07T09:50:00.000-08:002016-02-07T09:57:02.902-08:00SUPER Classroom Tip and SUPER(bowl) GIVEAWAY!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well folks, the day has come. Our city is once again waiting on pins and needles for the big game where our Broncos will take on the Panthers to try to get Peyton one more ring!</div>
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To celebrate, a bunch of fabulous Colorado teacher bloggers and I are teaming up to offer you some SUPER classroom tips, and some SUPER prize packs!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcu5dY2n3gjLXH_SrVtH2zJA4YQ-yZ_wh2Svnr7N6cS_rHaRD1huj1TNRmqel03-H4Ce4bkK1kqdkBkJdS5eoZHZuYiiWw8CIDA7LqQd5-51aaPUo54-DAxIXxsDkE94Im09MUEcTFww/s1600/Classroom+Idea+header.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcu5dY2n3gjLXH_SrVtH2zJA4YQ-yZ_wh2Svnr7N6cS_rHaRD1huj1TNRmqel03-H4Ce4bkK1kqdkBkJdS5eoZHZuYiiWw8CIDA7LqQd5-51aaPUo54-DAxIXxsDkE94Im09MUEcTFww/s320/Classroom+Idea+header.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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My SUPER quick classroom tip is The Secret Object. This is a trick I only learned of last year, in my tenth year of teaching! I can't believe it took me so long to find it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw30ZIMgI0yroOKpZJsqS-jbxUx-OtQoU2pqeG6EpzkTnl6Iq6j48ugyJkjHYEJT6IE-uYLNRGIBaBQJ037dlfaFI0Jn92YwyvJhmz87w1spCVsX1jSK0IPj8g348Nly7hSp5FauPWOw/s1600/Image-1+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw30ZIMgI0yroOKpZJsqS-jbxUx-OtQoU2pqeG6EpzkTnl6Iq6j48ugyJkjHYEJT6IE-uYLNRGIBaBQJ037dlfaFI0Jn92YwyvJhmz87w1spCVsX1jSK0IPj8g348Nly7hSp5FauPWOw/s320/Image-1+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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With The Secret Object game, my room has never been cleaner, quicker. You take a few seconds to scan the room before announcing that it's time to clean up, and put a secret object in your head... a pencil on the floor, a piece of trash that needs to be thrown away, a chair that needs to be pushed in, etc. Then as the kids are cleaning (and desperately hoping they get the secret object) you watch to see who cleans up your secret object! Once everyone has transitioned to whatever you instructed, you can announce the winner! This year I am in a school that uses reward coins that students can use in the school store, so my winner gets one of those. Last year I simply gave high fives, and my second graders loved it just as much. I would give away a random amount of high fives (25, 65, 100!) and they loved if they got a high number, and it was great skip counting practice.<br />
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I hope my SUPER tip helps to keep your classroom SUPER clean!<br />
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Now, here are the prize packs up for grabs...! There will be three winners who will win the SUPER items below, as well as a pack of more than a dozen SUPER TpT products. Just enter the Rafflecopter below, and visit the other blogs listed for additional entries!<br />
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Have a SUPER day! I sure hope our Broncos do!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-37911919883520349152016-02-06T17:07:00.002-08:002016-02-06T17:07:42.276-08:00Day 6The weekend has already been good for my soul! Tonight, it's movie night! I rarely watch movies these days, and I miss the feeling of getting lost in one. So I'll be snuggling up on the couch with a good blanket and HBO!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-41175753007882924082016-02-05T19:28:00.001-08:002016-02-05T19:29:22.426-08:00Day 5... whew!Getting out my journal right now to do some reflecting and then moving on to some yoga for some centering. What a week it was. The last 3 days knocked me on my butt big time. Our students had indoor recess, and we had PLCs two days in a row, which means we only got one 15 minute break each of those days. On top of that, a behavior friend of mine had a really rough week, and I am just exhausted.<br />
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I'm trying really hard to let go, and really struggling. Going through some of my pinned quotes for some inspiration and motivation to just keep moving forward.<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1695732291"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/brittphilipsen/these-things/">https://www.pinterest.com/brittphilipsen/these-things/</a><br />
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How is everyone? How have your first 5 days been? Remember, it's about progress, not perfection.<br />
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Here's tonight's self-care task. I think it might be just what I need to empty my mind... =)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-21155725344625048272016-02-02T18:34:00.001-08:002016-02-02T18:34:34.474-08:00Day 2My first gratitude of the day was easy!<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0tfEmefx70HHGFvjlORZXecncB4GH00X14gfAOU5_yCZ6XKxOnzL1vHjQgRzhb07i5-Q8DwtUKzTSmS2fM6dAZnbmyI_NH5h1Ypbf74p6ZUMJyOWbB5IaLCeml_55XXtWid0jtvCvw/s640/blogger-image--1540137600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0tfEmefx70HHGFvjlORZXecncB4GH00X14gfAOU5_yCZ6XKxOnzL1vHjQgRzhb07i5-Q8DwtUKzTSmS2fM6dAZnbmyI_NH5h1Ypbf74p6ZUMJyOWbB5IaLCeml_55XXtWid0jtvCvw/s640/blogger-image--1540137600.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Your bonus self-care task for the day is....</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0CfWtCbKoP1RWMrMrnbDCw1Rxsxyv4GkdtSRPGdrie9MFPmOfbUxRFF__03YaX9YwvPnMxgToGfWNi8ZAucK2fnJ8v_DdVjNN5PpO1U58XTTnXlw_aDh7mGRX3M-Sq_QVnBDdVQP2w/s640/blogger-image--20766986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW0CfWtCbKoP1RWMrMrnbDCw1Rxsxyv4GkdtSRPGdrie9MFPmOfbUxRFF__03YaX9YwvPnMxgToGfWNi8ZAucK2fnJ8v_DdVjNN5PpO1U58XTTnXlw_aDh7mGRX3M-Sq_QVnBDdVQP2w/s640/blogger-image--20766986.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-58620019383080455072016-02-01T20:28:00.001-08:002016-02-01T20:28:52.762-08:00Look!Even my faucet is happy!<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdNqKQK7Jxalma_OxYtGSz6NQgYC-K9wWPIYarUNCT73wzNhz1jjQjrpWjfA80EALQIvcJK5C4R57GYT3jkubzysfbxybozNRt56qmT2jKKVkMg__laLHOGgrjAMJo0riih-7a28vPA/s640/blogger-image-800896409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdNqKQK7Jxalma_OxYtGSz6NQgYC-K9wWPIYarUNCT73wzNhz1jjQjrpWjfA80EALQIvcJK5C4R57GYT3jkubzysfbxybozNRt56qmT2jKKVkMg__laLHOGgrjAMJo0riih-7a28vPA/s640/blogger-image-800896409.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-22056616446206896002016-02-01T17:18:00.001-08:002016-02-01T17:18:03.329-08:00Happiness Challenge Day 1So far so good! <div><br><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ihTy43zi8kTz5kWPRE6vLYHXzL1OyxGCILt-CM3wTp1c-IuHF1UnoWoNTs_1DXg4PfMsulvJt_8vnM8C4DsNFgqbfUq35aIVnoLz6p-YyOS-3Kv_S3Eg77uLZJUDPeCbyxhkj1wXoQ/s640/blogger-image--1789584948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ihTy43zi8kTz5kWPRE6vLYHXzL1OyxGCILt-CM3wTp1c-IuHF1UnoWoNTs_1DXg4PfMsulvJt_8vnM8C4DsNFgqbfUq35aIVnoLz6p-YyOS-3Kv_S3Eg77uLZJUDPeCbyxhkj1wXoQ/s640/blogger-image--1789584948.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div>I still need to do my yoga and meditate, but I plan on doing my meditation minutes while doing today's bonus task...</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3hy3GgZkV5OfGhgkWlU5aQPytcabulmmJ-Ezv1UPI02FXVgcUMiGVTptA0e3MgavOFt_3JDNg0lOqHbCO9OrywS6BzHyhGrtwErQp7mLlJeu1cQVZSJH6zAg131L8j3lRLT-ib28ug/s640/blogger-image-672779318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3hy3GgZkV5OfGhgkWlU5aQPytcabulmmJ-Ezv1UPI02FXVgcUMiGVTptA0e3MgavOFt_3JDNg0lOqHbCO9OrywS6BzHyhGrtwErQp7mLlJeu1cQVZSJH6zAg131L8j3lRLT-ib28ug/s640/blogger-image-672779318.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div><div>Each day I will have an extra self-care bonus task for you, in addition to the daily 5. If you don't have a bath, do a shower and allow yourself some extra time to sit or stand and just be. Let the water pour over you and let your thoughts melt away.</div><div><br></div><div>Good work Happiness Tribe; one day under our belts, one day closer to better versions of ourselves. :)</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-85159734095011592442016-01-27T21:17:00.001-08:002016-01-27T21:17:07.742-08:00Happiness Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our principal showed us a TED Talk video a couple months ago called <i>The Happy Secret to Better Work</i>. My biggest personal takeaway from this video is that my high levels of stress are sucking away my happiness, and that a more positive and happy frame of mind is going to be essential to eliminating that stress and allowing me to be the best me I can be.<br />
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I know I need more happiness; in all areas of my life. The stress has taken over, and it's time to let it go. My marriage, my children, my friendships, my job, my health... they have all suffered because of the toxicity of stress.<br />
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With the new year upon us, I am ready to take on a challenge. So, starting February 1st, for 21 days I am going to follow these 5 steps to train the brain to become more positive, which Shawn Achor describes in the video above.<br />
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1) <u><b>Three new gratitudes every day.</b></u> I remember way back when Oprah introduced us all to the gratitude journal. I think I'm finally ready to try it, Oprah. Three new things I'm grateful for every morning, for 21 days.<br />
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2) <u><b>Exercise.</b></u> I have two young children, ages 2 and 4, so it is not easy for me to find a time to get away for exercise. We are a pretty active family, but I have been feeling the itch to get back into a regular exercise routine. I am going to start with yoga, once a week. On the other 6 days I am going to incorporate something I can do at home; stretching, living room exercises, taking walks with my kids, etc.<br />
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3) <u><b>Meditation.</b></u> I have never meditated in my life, so I have been googling and youtubing, and I think I have found a simple routine that I can start with <a href="http://zenhabits.net/meditation-guide/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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4) <u><b>Journaling</b></u> daily about one positive thing that happened in the past 24 hours. Giving the brain a chance to re-live a happy moment; so obvious, but I never take the time to pause and do something like this. Now is the time.<br />
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5) <u><b>Random acts of kindness.</b></u> One positive email or note a day to a student, parent, or colleague. In first grade terms; filling other people's buckets fills yours up too.<br />
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I've created a printable journal that I am going to throw in a binder to help keep me on track. Download one for yourself for free here-<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Happiness-Challenge-Journal-2354880" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsBt2VlYHssHmrkjJKL-WyJNXVn2_msjBbjdTtK7mzuB0mUgaO9RPMjuo2DZIxnP1mmLQPYFVxrR9vvw3KxPcq2pbShp_8sIq0iCOa-AZooCpogu7RtBdU_hVoODShBvxDx5TR60ljQ/s320/Happiness+Challenge+Journal.005.jpeg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Happiness-Challenge-Journal-2354880" target="_blank">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Happiness-Challenge-Journal-2354880</a></div>
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Even typing this out lifts me up a little, so I have high hopes that this plan will be good for my soul. Who is with me? 21 days to a happier you. Let's hold hands and jump in together! Comment below if you are joining my Happiness Tribe! We can do this!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-34747808800695971322015-11-29T16:49:00.000-08:002015-11-29T21:06:39.483-08:00Giveaway Time!***Update!***<br />
Things were looking shaky for a while there, but we did it! Go Broncos! That's good news for us, and good news for you! Below is the link for the Rafflecopter giveaway!<br />
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Sunday is always an important day here in the Mile High City... it's game day! If the Broncos win tonight, you win! Up for grabs are some Broncos car magnets and a $25 dollar Teachers Pay Teachers gift card, just in time for the big sale Monday and Tuesday. =)
Stay posted for the Rafflecopter link if our Broncos win!
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-7064350703648251612015-11-09T20:41:00.001-08:002015-11-10T18:57:03.012-08:00Homework Made Easy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had been pondering for years the ideal way of doing homework, and my move to a new school this year and a new grade level prompted me to finally take the plunge and make a big change.<br /><br />Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all worksheets for homework! Gone are the days of endless hours of grading! Gone are the days of families struggling to balance nightly homework with busy schedules.<br /><br />I dreamed up the idea of a homework menu while thinking of new ways to give my students academic choice. Where was the choice in the worksheets I was sending home? Where was the personalization? And as a mother to my own two children, why create an additional unnecessary stressor on busy families that already struggle to simply eat and bathe each night?<br /><br />Of course, your administration might have requirements for homework, but I'm lucky in that my administration realizes that required nightly homework is for the most part unnecessary in the primary grades, and they allow us flexibility in how we deliver homework. Our little first grade babies have already worked for hours upon hours all day at school, it's just not developmentally appropriate to expect them to continue that pattern at home. <br /><br />My answer- a monthly homework menu! A list of choices and options that children and their families can choose from, and can also choose when the tasks are completed.<div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
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We change and update the tasks at the beginning of each month, and have students turn in their signed menus at the end of the month (with any paper tasks stapled to it). We grade for effort and responsibility, because in first grade that is the bulk of what we are trying to establish. <br /><br />A key component to our homework menu is the “other” section, where we encourage families to enter valuable learning they do on their own (reading about animals at the zoo, discussion of a mountain habitat on a family hike, etc.). <br /><br />Of course there are always people who are hesitant to try something a little outside the box, but by and large we have had rave reviews from our families about the homework menu.<br /><br />Head on over to the store to pick up my FREE Editable Homework Menu (click below)! =) And if you give it a try, please sound off in the comments, I'd love to hear how it goes for you! <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Editable-Homework-Menu-2198799" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Editable-Homework-Menu-2198799" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQUYHN9rIWmxLI9OwLkq02rjIOloO2-RdhcY56-VvonRlasK124_DX8aqrA0vyEL6Oc7lUodN_TfjVwe-TZvZOj9eFN64yy9H8qf8odnghAuiI7FugzLVWvMfK_2gQTB_ty3zGryuDg/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-11-09+at+9.21.18+PM.png" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-80374494240345230792015-10-01T20:08:00.002-07:002015-11-12T20:13:21.308-08:00Kindness.My first graders and I have been discussing kindness, and we love this video. It had the room completely silent as my lovely students contemplated the power of kindness.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rwelE8yyY0U/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rwelE8yyY0U?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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After the video, I asked them what kindness meant to them. I just love their answers.<br />
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"Kindness is like, if you have 10 popsicles, and your friend doesn't have any, you give them 2 or 3."<br />
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"If there's a friend who's hurt, you should help him up. That's being a kind friend."<br />
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"Kindness is like, if somebody didn't have that good of a snack, if my mom and dad let me give them a snack, I could give them one of my apples, then they would be able to eat a healthy snack."<br />
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"Kindness means not to ignore people."<br />
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"If someone doesn't have anyone to play on the playground with, then I would play with them."<br />
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"Kindness is caring and not just worrying about yourself."<br />
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"Kindness to me is, when I feel sad and lonely and a friend comes over to play with me. That's kindness."<br />
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We also made a class book called The ABC's of Kindness, which you can grab for free <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-ABCs-of-Kindness-Class-Book-1843670" target="_blank">here</a>!<br />
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<blockquote class="flipagram-embed-media" style="position: relative; padding: 0; margin: 0; background:#EFEFF4; border:0; max-width: 560px; min-width: 300px;" data-src="https://flipagram.com/f/fOWeDq53wb/embed"><div style="line-height:0; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 100%; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,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); display:block; position:relative; top:-44px; width:88px; height:88px; margin:0 auto -88px; padding: 0;"></div><div style="display: block; position: absolute; bottom: 0; width: 100%; margin: 0; padding: 13px 0; text-align: center;"><a href="https://flipagram.com/f/fOWeDq53wb" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; color: #A2A2A4; display: inline-block; padding: 0 18px; margin: 0; text-decoration: none;">View on Flipagram</a></div></div></blockquote><script async defer src="https://flipagram.com/gen/embeds.js"></script> <br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-ABCs-of-Kindness-Class-Book-1843670" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-ABCs-of-Kindness-Class-Book-1843670" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7W_McJ0B6was8i0YXIqgMYs83-hdwpc9QD1Mg8nXm9RBavLOSvc3sQYYfm6ZL0z7czdAWT5R7B0Ws5FWm1d8hAIA3JNQIlqiZ9TkZB6FRfL-CBdhktsusj9a_4yH1OZWV-o-EYlCFSQ/s320/ABCs+of+Kindness+square+cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-43631952401708643112015-09-25T12:44:00.005-07:002015-09-25T12:57:05.052-07:00Portable Reading Nooks!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't tell you how much I love my reading baskets!<br />
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My firsties do too!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUd35W8UoyhUUFvgUuuiBb552KgmnuRNdeTDkgPxFzl1BzHulpg58SqsHY4sdQaFgH0-rg3yybObJJcBfScjeNHOLloc8yQwq3SSsEX-3LBplY5HbO9rL5tSI7GLMbaMQAWIqnB1wqAA/s1600/null.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUd35W8UoyhUUFvgUuuiBb552KgmnuRNdeTDkgPxFzl1BzHulpg58SqsHY4sdQaFgH0-rg3yybObJJcBfScjeNHOLloc8yQwq3SSsEX-3LBplY5HbO9rL5tSI7GLMbaMQAWIqnB1wqAA/s320/null.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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They fit perfectly in them sitting criss cross and leaning against the back. It gives them their own personal cozy portable reading nook! Kids in primary grades love fitting into spaces the size of their little bodies, and these provide them with a cozy nook that they can take anywhere in the room for a comfortable and quiet reading spot all to themselves.<br />
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I bought these Sterilite laundry baskets because they were the sturdiest ones in the low price point I was looking for (teacher salary, duh!). They stack up easily, which makes storage a breeze. They also were great for school supply sorting on the first days of school! Multi purpose baskets!<br />
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Every kinder and first grade class (maybe second grade, but I'd test one out before buying a slew of them) NEEDS reading baskets!<br />
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Kid and teacher approved!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-32978505702710851722015-08-30T19:44:00.000-07:002015-08-30T19:44:02.713-07:00Magic Play Dough<span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text4:0">If you have never done Magic Play Dough with your students, you are missing out. This was the number one moment of our first week of school.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text4:0">You make magic play dough by putting food coloring inside a ball of play dough, then closing up the hole so that it looks like regular play dough. I bought a 3 pound tub of white play dough from Amazon and it was just enough for my 29 students, and I even have a few left over. I used about 3-4 drops of gel food coloring per play dough ball.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISqyZkbBq49_lPv6tGJDDeoSTZoaR5X9kZoT-JxdQiQ_A8BtN-QbjQByQc1oQ7zxcAvvPwUX_9hFvj8dKi-BGgngv5bBKW7x73qq_r8zDs_JQIoFaSFKf6gT1Ztumy-SNCUCXjvIFIQ/s1600/IMG_9031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISqyZkbBq49_lPv6tGJDDeoSTZoaR5X9kZoT-JxdQiQ_A8BtN-QbjQByQc1oQ7zxcAvvPwUX_9hFvj8dKi-BGgngv5bBKW7x73qq_r8zDs_JQIoFaSFKf6gT1Ztumy-SNCUCXjvIFIQ/s320/IMG_9031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text4:0"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text4:0">I
started off the activity by telling my students I bought some magic play dough, but I wasn't
sure if it was really going to work or not. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text4:0">I really played up the fact that
I wanted to try it because I heard that sometimes it will turn colors and then you
can make a wish, but I have never tried it so I don't know if ours
will or not... I told them if it does, great! If it doesn't, that's okay, we would still have fun playing with
our regular play dough. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text4:0">Then I explained that the instructions said to keep it in
the bag for two minutes because otherwise the magic will not work,
something to do with air getting in the bag. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text4:0">The kids totally bought my
act, and then were completely amazed when it worked! I'm talking over-the-moon excited, making wishes, glued to their changing dough. And after two minutes or so, I told them it was okay to take it out of the bags because the magic had already happened.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text4:0">It was so fun, such a special moment to share with my new little firsties. =)</span><br data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text5:0" /><br data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text7:0" /><span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text8:0">The
next day though, I picked my kids up from recess and one of my boys was
crying. I asked what was wrong and he told me, "I don't want my wish to
come true! I don't want to turn into a robot!" I just about died
laughing, on the inside of course. I assured him that the robot wish was just
his <u><i>pretend</i></u> wish, and he could still make a different <u><i>real</i></u> wish. Haha! I checked in with him a few more times after that, and he doesn't seem to be scarred for life, so I think we are okay.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1h.1:5:1:$comment758355687608090_758375430939449:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text8:0">For a FREE Magic Play Dough poem (written by yours truly!) and an accompanying writing activity, head over to my store! <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magic-Play-Dough-Activity-1998507">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magic-Play-Dough-Activity-1998507</a></span></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-4861681478167433852015-08-13T13:56:00.002-07:002015-08-13T13:57:26.980-07:00Giant Base 10 Blocks!So easy. So cheap. I've seen this idea floating around internet-land over the summer, so I
had to make giant base 10 blocks for my new first graders this year!<br />
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I bought 6 pool noodles from Dollar Tree, so this project cost me 6 dollars. Basically, I cut each noodle in half using a serrated knife, which made 12 halves (woah, math!), then I took two of the halves and cut them into ten pieces each.<br />
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Now, you only see 10 of the "ones" pieces because the first time I cut one of the big pieces into ten little pieces, I was not successful. They were uneven, and I didn't cut straight. It was sad. So I did some verrry careful measuring and cutting the second time around, and got 10 mostly even and straight pieces. Ten is all you really need anyway. ;)<br />
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With the uneven reject pieces, I cut each one in half, then
cut a slit in the tops of them so they can be card holders! Name tags,
table numbers, station labels, etc.! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!<br />
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(Schedule cards are all I had at home to test these babies out!) </div>
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I can't wait for my kids to practice place value with these super fun giant manipulatives!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-5964361072792407812015-08-10T20:42:00.000-07:002015-08-10T20:47:36.587-07:00First Day of School, Part 3: Activities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The first day of school is a lot of logistical stuff, and of course tons of routines and procedures. But there must be fun too! The following activities are guaranteed to put smiles on your students faces and make the nerves melt away, and a lot of routines and procedures can be worked into these activities so you can feel like you are accomplishing a lot.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">1. Magic Play Dough</span><br />
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Magic Play Dough is always an instantaneous hit, your kids will talk about it and remember it all year long.<br />
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The idea is that each student gets a ball of magic play dough and a poem (A freebie! Written by Yours Truly!). The poem tells students that if their magic play dough changes color, they can make a wish for the new school year!<br />
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Of course, all of their play dough will be magic, as you will have loaded it with food coloring to ensure they all get to make a wish!<br />
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Some teachers make their own play dough, but I don't have the time or the kitchen skills for that. I ordered this giant tub of white play dough and will put different colors of food dye inside-<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/1J7KPOK" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/1J7KPOK</a><br />
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You can also buy primary colors of dough and mix them to make secondary colors, it's up to you! The kids will be amazed either way. =) <br />
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Have students keep their play dough in the baggie for the first two minutes of squeezing and squishing to make sure they don't get dyed fingers, but then they can take it out (once you've given them the go-ahead) and it does not stain at all. They can play with it, mold it into something that represents themselves or represents their wishes, etc.<br />
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Next, the poem can be turned into a fun little flap booklet.<br />
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Students simply fold down the center dotted line, then cut on the star lines to make the flaps (Or you can cut the flaps for students in advance if you are not ready for them to use scissors on the first day, I'm still debating whether or not I'm going to!), then students write their responses underneath each flap.<br />
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Gotta love Magic Play Dough. <br />
Link- <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magic-Play-Dough-Activity-1998507" target="_blank">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Magic-Play-Dough-Activity-1998507</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">2. Gingerbread Man School Tour</span><br />
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If you haven't read this book, don't bother... ORDER IT <u><b>RIGHT NOW</b></u>. It is seriously my favorite for the first day of school, especially because of the activity that goes along with it.<br />
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In the book, some students bake a gingerbread man and as he comes to life, they leave for recess. The gingerbread man panics because he doesn't know where all the kids went, so he searches for them throughout the school, then finally arrives back at the classroom where the kids are ecstatic to see him again!<br />
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The author, Laura Murray, has a fabulous (free!) gingerbread man hunt as a follow-up activity - <a href="http://www.lauramurraybooks.com/resources/gb-hunt-printable-clues.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.lauramurraybooks.com/resources/gb-hunt-printable-clues.pdf</a><br />
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This is the PERFECT opportunity to do a school tour on the first day of school. You leave the clues out ahead of time, and the clues lead you and your students around to different parts of the school. It's a great opportunity to practice line up and hallway procedures, to meet other staff members they need to know, and to familiarize students with their surroundings.<br />
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In the end, the final clue leads you back to the classroom where the gingerbread man is waiting for you!<br />
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This guy (<a href="http://amzn.to/1gv0ytW" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/1gv0ytW</a>) is on his way to me right now, I can't wait! You can also print out a big version of him (<a href="http://bit.ly/1gYXPdd" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1gYXPdd</a>) and color him in, or put out real gingerbread man cookies (Little Debbie makes some).<br />
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I will be leaving little gingerbread cookies (just small, round cookies) out at each student's desk; a gift from the Gingerbread Man! You will need a partner in crime in order to pull this last part off of course. Someone who can set out the cookies and the GB Man while your class is out and about... so save some cookies for bribery!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">3. School Transportation Graphing Activity </span><br />
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A little taste of math! To make sure that I know how students are going home, I do a graphing activity on the first day of school.<br />
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For Meet the Teacher Night, before school begins, I have transportation visual cards in a pocket chart. Parents fill out and sign parent permission cards with the required information about how their child is getting home each day, then they put them in the pocket chart and I collect them at the end of the night for my records.<br />
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Then on the first day of school, I do a math activity where I have the students put a name card in the category that describes how they are going home that day. Then they color in a graph to match the transportation data and we talk about which category has the most, the least, etc.<br />
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Link: <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/School-Transportation-Chart-and-Activity-2008471" target="_blank">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/School-Transportation-Chart-and-Activity-2008471</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">4. School Year Timeline</span><br />
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I have a year-long timeline set up somewhere permanent before school begins. It is a place where we document special events throughout the school year, and kids just love checking out the timeline and reminiscing about our year every once in awhile.<br />
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On the first day of school, I take a class picture in the morning. I print it out during my lunch or planning period, and we put the first event on our timeline sometime in the afternoon. Kids just love the nostalgia of always getting to look back on this picture of our first day together. And I start working on those social studies standards right off the bat! ;)<br />
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Link: <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Year-Long-Class-Timeline-1824260" target="_blank">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Year-Long-Class-Timeline-1824260</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">5. All About Me Activity</span><br />
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Finally, the first day of school isn't complete without an All About Me activity! It's so important to get to know your students, and for them to get to know each other. Relationships are what this whole school thing hinges on; with them, your class will be harmonious and successful, without them, everyone struggles. Take the time, on this first day and throughout the first few weeks, to build those relationships.<br />
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There are so many great all about me activities out there, but this is the one I'm going to do this year! It comes from Sparkling in Second Grade, and I fell in love with it the moment I saw her post it!<br />
<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Me-1421870" target="_blank">https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-Me-1421870</a><br />
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It's adorable, it's editable, and it's fun. What more do you need? =)<br />
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I hope you have found some helpful ideas in this three-part series about the first day of school! If you missed one of the prior posts, you can navigate to them on the side bar -----><br />
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Have a great first day, and a great year!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-84265028644667240222015-07-30T21:10:00.002-07:002015-08-12T20:22:36.698-07:00First Day of School, Part 2: Routines and Procedures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you missed Part 1: Arrival, make sure to check it out!<br />
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If you have taught before, you know very well that the first few weeks of school are
very heavy on routines and procedures! Our motto at my old school was
"Go slow (now), to go fast (later)." The more time spent on setting
expectations and practicing routines and procedures NOW will pay off
immensely in the long run. That means that academics might start off
slowly, but they will pick up later. If you don't take the time to
practice routines and procedures, you will be losing even more time
redirecting later. Go slow to go fast!<br />
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Here is a handy dandy list of routines and procedures you will need to teach in the first <u><b>week</b></u> of school. (Click the image to download a copy for FREE!)<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Week-of-School-Routines-and-Procedures-Checklist-1996836" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Week-of-School-Routines-and-Procedures-Checklist-1996836" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbaGaBINfI-4KE2SLmFNSw2ObxCrGDgY7bO34HsjVGIpriVsv_mvNe2K0F9zJzUCBUGil2btSYvF6oWQXYon-8fwD4pRAQ6MtXzaEwpo_8XCJHJksqYdmSErJfaOZHrc_NWX8Wwk42gA/s320/first+week+of+school+routines+and+procedures.001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first <b><u>day</u></b> of school in my class is comprised mostly of practicing routines and procedures. There are a lot of things students need to know and begin practicing right away, and I'd rather them do these routines properly from the beginning, rather than letting bad habits set in and having to break those bad habits later. For example, take my addiction to Iced Mochas... if I'd never even tried one, I wouldn't have given as significant of a portion of my salary to Starbucks as I have. If I would have just filled my Nalgene up with water and been on my way, we wouldn't have this issue. Moral of the story: Make good habits before you have to break bad ones!<br />
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The first column on the routines and procedures checklist are the things I recommend building in to your first day, and a few items on the second column as well. As I plan, I work these things into some fun activities, and spread the stand-alone procedures out (like bathroom and recess expectations and routines) in between activities. For example, if I'm planning to do an All About Me activity where students will be writing about their favorite things, I will first model how to properly use and take care of pencils before students are given this material. The activity will then give students the opportunity to practice what I've modeled. After this activity I might take some time to introduce our procedure for going to the bathroom, and have students practice this procedure. Our next activity might involve using crayons, so I would do another model of proper use of crayons. You get the picture. Real application of the routines and procedures; thoughtful planning of how to incorporate them into your day. (**I explained how I make this work for my arrival activity in the comments section below!**)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjts5u7iA316iZaBYW8aGMrdsOMeSsTE0BoKxtYSgBU4I6ZZaD6r9weJUNm7bMerTjBLmmZHfWmUQFazKst1WTU9HvtmW0W58Ayxz8INWtmCbbyp0t2wpHtgDqwx5VgFn9KeiFJ6i9arw/s1600/post-16078-Groundhog-Day-Meme-c3X8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjts5u7iA316iZaBYW8aGMrdsOMeSsTE0BoKxtYSgBU4I6ZZaD6r9weJUNm7bMerTjBLmmZHfWmUQFazKst1WTU9HvtmW0W58Ayxz8INWtmCbbyp0t2wpHtgDqwx5VgFn9KeiFJ6i9arw/s320/post-16078-Groundhog-Day-Meme-c3X8.jpeg" width="320" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0U2-1Cdo2IY9PtvtZTZ-RwHKQjLrsOc7o6787e0mfc3Beg5GAYz_1IuU4VsgWmzUIDSfA_OeD1yi82fEvYo46zCur-EbNeZ8NzEK7Pv2JhX8DA_nt4QoEPvIZLqV2iiep1gP00zR_A/s1600/bill-murray-groundhog-day-1993.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0U2-1Cdo2IY9PtvtZTZ-RwHKQjLrsOc7o6787e0mfc3Beg5GAYz_1IuU4VsgWmzUIDSfA_OeD1yi82fEvYo46zCur-EbNeZ8NzEK7Pv2JhX8DA_nt4QoEPvIZLqV2iiep1gP00zR_A/s320/bill-murray-groundhog-day-1993.png" width="320" /></a></div>
For some of these things, you will need to re-teach multiple times over multiple days and/or weeks
before students are 100% ready to take on the routines and procedures on
their own. They will need lots of repetition and lots of opportunities to practice the routines/procedures correctly. It will feel like Groundhog Day to you, but kids need it, and it will pay off, I promise.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iCVlI7hdtnCDE-wOB8pJgLkdi29QVI0L3SlFWAJDKz5i2rUCA_k9lPZ7I_GMm0iAwNwJY_aih9GCOzlFJWVQ192l0EYOeno9aIom5BykHtp6Kd6W5XEDXp6OeYDtsdAiebVBsw5u-w/s1600/Routines+%2526+Procedures.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iCVlI7hdtnCDE-wOB8pJgLkdi29QVI0L3SlFWAJDKz5i2rUCA_k9lPZ7I_GMm0iAwNwJY_aih9GCOzlFJWVQ192l0EYOeno9aIom5BykHtp6Kd6W5XEDXp6OeYDtsdAiebVBsw5u-w/s320/Routines+%2526+Procedures.png" width="213" /></a></div>
Responsive Classroom has some <i><b>great</b></i>, highly effective strategies for teaching routines and procedures. I wrote about them and included some fabulous video examples here: <a href="http://www.happylittleheartsblog.com/2015/07/establishing-routines-and-procedures.html">http://www.happylittleheartsblog.com/2015/07/establishing-routines-and-procedures.html</a><br />
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Remember, this first day can set the tone for the whole year, and you do not want to lose the opportunity to start off on the right foot immediately. So, establish routines and procedures, and establish them well. You can have fun and still show your students that there is work to be done and there are expectations that are to be followed in order for that work to get done.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5111445456557476821.post-34961237148566416422015-07-30T20:59:00.002-07:002015-07-30T20:59:24.956-07:00Establishing Routines and Procedures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROrIO9HeSl_mMi_d7CrqBTekXogBCaWbHJG23UzyYbRpCsVi5CiXPpIypynF414qDBALEvvPqvTXZAMUruvaNS100yEcLEmsPNxvTgHPCeEvR6Awi_5QNkL6RX6l0vBMgoZOSXXnWuw/s1600/Routines+%2526+Procedures.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROrIO9HeSl_mMi_d7CrqBTekXogBCaWbHJG23UzyYbRpCsVi5CiXPpIypynF414qDBALEvvPqvTXZAMUruvaNS100yEcLEmsPNxvTgHPCeEvR6Awi_5QNkL6RX6l0vBMgoZOSXXnWuw/s320/Routines+%2526+Procedures.png" width="213" /></a></div>
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Responsive Classroom has two strategies for teaching Routines and Procedures that changed. My. Life.<br />
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Guided Discovery is used to introduce a material, an area of the classroom, or an activity to students. It's focused and purposeful, yet it still allows some open-ended discovery. Interactive Modeling is used to teach a very specific behavior, procedure, or routine, it is not open-ended. So, before you decide which technique to use, you have to decide if there is a specific way you want the routine or procedure done, or if there are multiple acceptable ways it can be done.<br />
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For example:<br />
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Bathroom procedures; I have one specific routine... so I use Interactive Modeling.<br />
Using crayons; I allow multiple (appropriate) ways to use... so I use Guided Discovery.<br />
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1. Introduction of a material, area of classroom, or activity (naming).<br />
2. Generate ideas and model exploratory work (teacher models exploration, a couple of students model exploration).<br />
3. Children explore.<br />
4. Children share explorations and observations.<br />
5. Cleanup and care of materials.<br />
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Here's a video of Guided Discovery in action!<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fmKykA77aJE/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fmKykA77aJE?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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1. Teacher names the desired expectations for a routine or procedure.<br />
2. Teacher models the desired expectations.<br />
3. Teacher asks students to notice and explain specific elements of the routine or procedure.<br />
4. Teacher chooses a few students to practice the routine/procedure.<br />
5. Teacher again asks students to notice and explain specific elements of the routine or procedure.<br />
6. All students practice routine/procedure.<br />
7. Teacher reinforces desired behaviors that are observed.<br />
8. Teacher continues to reinforce, and redirects and reminds as necessary.<br />
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Here's a video of Interactive Modeling in action!<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3OaA66aX8qA/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3OaA66aX8qA?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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For more Interactive Modeling videos, check out this link from the Responsive Classroom website-<br />
<a href="https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/interactive-modeling">https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/interactive-modeling</a><br />
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While these strategies are used a lot in the beginning of the year, I find opportunities to use them all year! I introduce new routines and procedures at many different times throughout the year, and sometimes we have to refresh our understandings of routines/procedures that we've practiced before. <br />
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Give these strategies a try! It might seem like overkill if you haven't done it before, but once you do it, you will not regret it. These strategies give kids such a firm understanding of routines and procedures, you will be amazed. <br />
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