Other NEW STUFF!

Check out this other new stuff! So much available in my store to supplement your textbooks and lectures! Great center activities, printables, writing, thinking maps, and SO MUCH MORE!

Becoming Clip Art Savvy!

Creating a bunch of new clip art! Check out the Clip Art section at my store! Enjoy your summer!!!! CLICK HERE

New Additions

 

     It's been a wonderful summer and well deserved after a late transition at the end of the school year. There have been a few new additions to my store that would be perfect for your classroom! Stop by and check them out!! CLICK HERE!

VISIT ME ON FACEBOOK!

I have started a Facebook Page that will eventually take place of this blog. Please stop by and visit the Facebook page! Become a follower to keep up to date on new products and FREEBIES! CLICK HERE!

Thank you to my all TPT followers!

Thank you so much for all of your wonderful feedback and reviews! I am holding a drawing for one free item from my store valued at $3.50 (or lower). All you have to do is

1) buy something (3/29-3/31/14)

2) RATE IT!

3) Leave a detailed comment as to why you liked it with your email

 

I will draw the name on Monday evening and email the winner! The winner will also be posted on this blog.

 

I am also discounting my store this weekend as an additional thank you for all of you who have made it successful! Click the sale banner to link you right to the store or CLICK HERE!

 

You are all wonderful!

 

Thanks again,

Barbara

Holy Spring Break!

     Happy Spring Break everyone! I am now back in session and spent my entire break producing, producing, producing! I was able to get so much done, but it was a challenge. My old school got 2 weeks for spring break, because they were a year round school. So, that was an adjustment. However, it was so incredibly productive! Probably the most productive break I have ever had! I am excited to share with you that I have completed Unit 4 Reading Street Aligned Literacy Centers and developed a Dolch Sight Words Centers Pack! I am currently working on Unit 5 and Build-A-Bookmarks! I am excited to share those with you as I develop them. Please feel free to check out these centers. They are highly rated and help boost your students' retention of the skills presented by Pearson. Just CLICK HERE or on the pictures!

Happy Dr. Seuss Week!

     This week has been full of change! I transferred to a new school. It happened rather suddenly and proved to be the best thing I ever did. It is so close to home and it is a Light House School. This week has also been our Dr. Seuss week and I have loved every minute of it! It's a big deal at my new school and everyone themes their hallways and teaching around him. I have had a blast this week... even though it has been very busy and stressful! I hope everyone has a wonderful week. I want to share with you a "best buy" I found! It is called "Six by Seuss"... the best purchase I have ever made! Check it out!

Integrated Curriculum

Recently I had the delight of participating in a curriclum mapping day for our Common Core implementation. We decided to integrate our reading series, writing, science, and social studies so that they all correlate and address similar content to deepen the understanding of the content found within them. I can say, that I am so excited to implement our curriculum next year! I believe that our students will greatly benefit from this and I am thrilled to already have my year planned. It is a great feeling to know that everyone is on the same page and that at any point in time all I have to do is check our map and I'll know where I need to be and by when. Have you ever done a curriclum map? Did it work out for the better of the students?

Encouraging Student Reflection

     Good morning! It has been a couple weeks since I have posted. Busy lives and all. I came across something this week. I was discussing different ways teachers encourage student reflection in their classroom. I got a few great ideas and I wanted to share them.

     The first is a flipchart, that the students keep on their desks, that has 3 phrases 1) I got it and I can teach someone 2) I am having a little trouble but can keep working 3) I am confused and need help ***This by far was the coolest thing I cam across. For two reasons it is EASY to implememnt in every lesson and it was color coded so that students (it was used with Kinders) could associate meaning with color if they weren't yet able to read.

     Another idea I saw was a post-it graph (as a frugal people I think this could get expensive, but you could laminate names and use velcro to make it reusable). At the conclusion of a lesson students would participate in invidual work and put their post-it where they thought they fell.

     The final way I fould was called "2 stars and a wish" students have to actively think about their activities or lessons. They must identify 2 stars (2 things they liked or found easy about the lesson) and a wish (something they would change, needed more help on, or a new way to look at something). These all were wonderful ideas and I think we're (as teachers) always looking for new ways to encourage reflection, retention, and engagement.

                                           I will post another helpful hint tomorrow.

  If you have any helpful strategies to help others with student reflection PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT! We're all in this together and if we collaborate those who benefit most are the students.

Black History Month Ideas

    As most of you know the time approaches when we celebrate the important milestones in African American History. I have found a few books that are great to use to introduce, or build a lesson around your Black History Month activities. Check out these local books at your local library, school library, or at a local book store. My personal favorite is "Henry's Freedom Box" by Ellen Levine. Do you have any good books that would be great to use for Black History Month? Leave a comment below and let people know about it!

Hand Drawn and Hand Painted Clip Art!

 We are now making and selling hand drawn and painted clip art. This is our Forest Pack 1 and it includes papa bear, mama bear, bear cub, squirrel with nuts, evergreen tree, leaves in the wind, leaf pile, grass, yellow leaf, orange leaf, and red leaf. They all have beautiful detail and they are perfect for any resource, project, scrapbooking activties you may have. Each one is it's own PNG file.They can be used commercially. **Please see our Terms of Use included in the download**. Enjoy and keep your eye out for more of this unique clip art.

Thank you!

 

    

        It is always nice to come across someone (when you are new at something) that is understanding and willing to help no matter what. I have had two of those instances happen to me recently and I understand that by advertising their sites I may lose a little business, but I take it on good faith that you will see it for what it is. Honest to goodness gratefulness. Although they are competitors in this cut throat business I am truly grateful for their understanding guidance and I LOVE their products! So if you don't see something on my site that interests you, you should check out their sites! One is strictly clipart and the other makes fabulous educational resources for the primary levels.

Buzz Into Kinder (This happens to be a colleague of mine and she is amazing. She is incredibly helpful and patient.)

TheFirstGradeDiaries (I was a first time clipart buyer and did not READ the directions carefully. This shop owner was incredibly understanding and I hope you will check out her store!)

HUGE SALE IS COMING!

     Check out my store this THURSDAY and FRIDAY (1/30-1/31/14) for a savings of 10%! ALL CENTERS WILL BE ON SALE! ALL CLIPART WILL BE ON SALE! EVERYTHING! CLICK HERE!

NEW CLIPART!

     I am now making and selling clipart to be used on resources, personal products, or commercially. Please stop by and check out my store for this and a ton of other great products to be used in your classroom or at home for a child who needs extra practice on skills.   CLICK HERE!!! 

Updates

      I have been a busy, busy bee. Although posting on a blog is very difficult. I have not been able to make it a habit. I think I'm going to be a weekend blogger, because being a full time parent, wife, teacher, and TPT'er has me pretty stretched. I am trying my best to keep everyone updated on my new products and the process.

     It is hard. Plain and simple.There just are not enough hours in the day.

     I have been hard at work broadening my repertoire. I AM NOW MAKING CLIPART! It is awesome. I discovered how to in the wee hours of the morning last weekend, while working on my "Where Are My Animal Friends?" literacy centers. It is the first time all the clipart used is of my own creation. 

Feel free to check out all the new stuff at my store! CLICK HERE!!!! 

Math Strategies Bundle

**For the first 48 hours I will sell it for $6.00 and then it will go to $8.00**

This bundle has ALL 3 of my Making Ten to Add center packs AND my Doubles center pack.

Within these centers students will practice making ten and doubles and these can be used throughout the year to introduce, reinforce, and encourage mastery of these strategies.

Doubles: Math Centers and Games
In this 36 page center and game pack students will practice doubles, doubles plus one, and doubles plus 2. The centers and games are Common Core aligned. There are easy to follow student direction pages and fun worksheets to encourage student accountability for the centers. The centers can be conducted in small group or individually. This centers pack will help students become fluent in their doubles facts and they will have fun doing it!

Making Ten to Add:
This center is common core aligned and practices the skills found in the Pearson enVision Math series. This center provides the opportunity for the students to practice making 10 to add in a fun and interactive way. Students tend to forget they are learning while playing this game! In addition, a worksheet has been added so the students can record their learning and have accountability.

Making 10:
These three easy learn math centers are Common Core aligned and allow opportunities for students to become fluent in their strategies to add. These centers will provide practice making ten and encourage students to investigate and understand the ways to make 10. They will use ten-frames and various other ways to practice making 10 during these fun center games.

Making Ten to Add 6, 7, 8, and 9:
This center is common core aligned and encourages students to think critically about math. They practice making ten to add numbers. This strategy is a great foundation for mental math and this fun matching game helps to promote retention and application of the strategy. It comes with child freiendly directions and is truly an independent learning station, however, it can also be used in sollaborative groups or small group instruction.

Martin Luther King Jr. Literacy and Math Pack

 

     Just in time for celebrating Martin Luther King's Birthday. This literacy and math pack is full of great activities for your students to practice skills found in the CCSS and there are activities that will promote interest in MLK Jr. Students will get to know MLK Jr.while practicing their foundational skills.

**This pack will be $3.00 for 48 hrs and then it will go back up to $4.00 on 1/14/2014 at 5pm.**

     This 69 page pack is just what you need for your classroom! It includes skills that your students can practice to get closer to mastery of our CCSS standards. This pack was designed to follow our curriculum and address skills for this time of year, all with the theme of the MLK holiday.

     Included in this pack: (all with child friendly instructions) CVC and CCVC Sort (Tree Map included) Building MLK themed Sentences (Sentence Sheet included) 3 MLK Themed Circle Maps Vocal Vowels Sort (Tree Map included) Number and Name Match (58 cards) Addition Puzzles (10-15) MLK Addition Mat MLK Subtraction Mat MLK Number Sequencing (1-30) MLK Number Sequencing Numbers and Names (1-30) Dual Ten-Frame 2 sets 30 MLK Counters MLK One Hundred Twenty: Missing Numbers MLK Before and After MLK Sight Word Match and Scramble MLK ABC Order and Sight Word Sentences

CLICK HERE TO SHOP!

Science Jeopardy Bundle!

Have you thought about the standardized tests coming up this spring? I HAVE! I have put together three rounds of a jeopardy game to review all science concepts grades 3-5.  

 **THIS BUNDLE WILL BE $8.00 FOR 24 HOURS, IT WILL GO UP TO $10.00 AS OF 1/14/14 @ 9:30 PM**

  
     Within this bundle their are three Review Jeopardy games. These games are wonderful and fun to use to review science concepts found in the Florida State Standards assessed on FCAT 2.0. The questions have been pulled directly from grades 3-5 standards. You play by breaking the students into teams of three or four and they compete for the points.

     This can be played multiple times throughout the year to promote retention. It is perfect for short weeks, or those trying weeks before our holiday breaks.

     These games are played just like the real Jeopardy Game Show. It is made on PowerPoint and is very easy to navigate.

If you do not want the bundle... they are sold separately. ENJOY!

CLICK HERE TO SHOP!

Back to School

Well, school is back in session and in full swing. So far, I have gained two new students and reorganized most of my classroom. It has been a very productive couple of days. I am always looking for ways for my classroom to function seamlessly and to be organized. My husband bought me some of the plastic drawers, for Christmas, to keep things nice and neat on my reading table and desk. I don't know about you, but with everything we go through throughout the day it is very easy for my desk and surrounding areas to get cluttered with materials. It of course drives me crazy, but unfortunately being a working mom and having so much to do before, after, and during planning (data analysis, planning, grading, etc.) I find it hard to continuously keep things organized and de-cluttered. If anyone has any helpful quick, easy, and maintainable tips for us PLEASE SHARE! I love having the mini (plastic) set of drawers for my desk for nurse passes and bandaids. I use the medium for the bookshelf behind my desk to hold morning work by subject, stickers, writing utensils, math packs for our series, and many other materials. It keeps them very convenient and I never have to walk into my closet for supplies. I recently acquired the large drawers and plan to use them for sub materials and other educational materials that I use for RTI and reading group. My goal this coming year is to find a system that works to keep my class organized without endless hours of sorting and running around replacing everything. Dreaming, you say? Maybe... we'll see.

First Day Back

     So, tomorrow is the first day back for the year-round schools in my county. It is going to be a very busy and probably a difficult day for teachers. Students return, and most from unstructured homes, which leads to misbehavior and a culture shock for most. They have to readjust and learn procedures all over again. Coming back from breaks can be very trying at times, but what would we do without them right? I have created a wonderful FREE writing template. It will help students become better at organizing their writing and proof reading before transferring to lined paper. I hope to post some fun examples of activities this week... Stay posted! Enjoy your return from your holiday break! CLICK HERE FOR FREE WRITING TEMPLATE!