"What do you LOVE about your child?" Getting to Know Your Students Through Parents

Today is our last official day of summer, it is incredibly hard to believe that 77 days have come and gone and tomorrow we tackle another school year. As a teacher-mom I always wonder what will walk through that classroom door.  I would love to chat with my students' parents, grandparents, or caretakers over a cup of hot coffee to get the nitty gritty, but I know that is not possible.  So my favorite thing to do is make phone calls home after the first day or two of the school year to find out what I can about my students.  In addition, I always want families to know that I truly care about their child and can't wait for what we have in store.
 
This year I send three children off to new adventures-a 4th grader, a 1st grader, and a two year-old pre-preschooler.  I am already so thankful for my children's teachers and all they will do to teach my kiddos this year.  I know they will teach them, care about them, and do everything in their power to make each day the best school day possible.

So how do you get the info you want to learn about your students?  What questions do you ask kids and families in order to learn as much as you can to make the school year the best for everyone?  Do you give a parent interest inventory or parent questionnaire?  Do you make phone calls?  I would love to hear your "getting to know your students strategy."  Here is mine...I just ask, "What do you love about your child?" or "What is your favorite thing about your child?"  Simple, but I promise the responses to these questions will make you see that kiddo in a whole new light...

Here is what I would offer the teacher that asked me that question about my three...

I LOVE Brennan's enthusiasm for fun!  Having fun makes him genuinely happy!  Brennan is not very excited about school!  Once he realizes how much fun fourth grade is and that he can trust his new teachers, life will be grand.  This may take a few days, but he will come around.  He is smart, but he would much rather be taking part in sports, riding his scooter, playing with his friends, and listening to music.  All four at once would be ideal!   Don't let him be a minimalist, because he can do so much more than he cares to showcase, he just needs a prod now and then.  He is a rule follower and will be listening carefully to EVERYTHING you say.  He is a bit of an old soul and will be that boy laughing in the back of the room because he is the one who "got" that witty joke you just shared that went over everyone else's head.  If you have ever read the poem, "Love That Boy" by Walter Dean Myers, it sums my boy up perfectly.

I LOVE Lilah's smile!  She has a smile that lights up her whole face.  She loves her friends and likes to do special jobs.  Lilah can't wait to be in school!  She is a people pleaser and has a love for learning.  She can be very sensitive and will cry!  A hug or quick snuggle will make everything better.  She LOVES art and could make books all day long.  She often needs a bit of a nudge and some kind words of encouragement before she believes she can do anything!  She has a loose tooth that may come out any day now.  She will want to help you with any teacher task that needs completing.  She will adore you a bit more each day and she will walk to school excited to have your smiling face greet her.

I LOVE Landon's love for life!  There is pure joy that oozes out of him when he sees something he wants to explore.  Landon has been by my side since March 7, 2013.  He is a busy boy who seems older than his two year-old body because he has been trying to keep up with his big brother and sister.  He LOVES TRUCKS and anything that has to do with TRUCKS!  If you can make trucks CRASH, that is even better.  He loves to listen to books, color, and share with friends.  He is going to love his time with you.  I know the first few days are going to have some tears, so thanks in advance for the extra snuggles I know you will give to him. He doesn't know it, but he is an expert at physical comedy and will have you giggling at his resemblance to Chris Farley.  I just hope he strives for more than "living in a van down by the river."

When you are considering how to best get to know your students, check in with those parents!  I promise they will LOVE sharing those favorite things!  Best wishes with your school year!

A Teacher's Life in Summer!

So this happened!

This was our last walk to school day because these sweet faces finished kindergarten and third grade, respectively, and were anxiously awaiting the fun of summer!  In the last 7 days since school has ended we have...

planned and hosted my daughter's 6th birthday party, attended a friend's birthday party, taken two trips to the zoo, had four playdates,  attended basketball camp, played at some local parks, grabbed summer reading books from the library, begun our summer reading, played countless games of Uno and Go Fish!, eaten too many ice cream cones and popsicles, gardened, grilled, ran, biked, swam, stayed up too late, and snuggled!

The next weeks will bring more of the same and I can't wait!  Baseball, soccer, and cheerleading camp will be attended by my oldest kiddos, and I have some sweet time with my littlest.  I am attempting to sneak in some teacher work here and there, before all three kiddos wake up and at night.  I also try to get it in when I have a napping two-year old and big kids busy with friends.  I am happy to report that I did complete a novel unit that I am testing out on my son, which will be much to his chagrin, of course, but a boy's gotta read, right?!

So despite the urge to prepare for next school year, I am making sure to make the most of this summer with my kiddos.  While a teacher's work is NEVER finished, be sure to take some time to just BE and ENJOY!  I don't say relax because there isn't much of that happening at my house, so I assume it doesn't happen in other busy households either.

Happy Summer!  I would love to hear all about how you are spending yours!

Expository Writing FREEBIE-Inspired by our New Pet!

So this past week we won the lottery-the 3rd grade Crayfish Lottery, that is!  My son had been studying crayfish in science, and after his classroom learning was completed, his teacher decided to allow students the opportunity to take one of the three classroom crayfish home!  While I figured it would be a long-shot to win the permission slip crayfish lottery, we did!  You have never seen a boy more excited about winning such a prize!  My sweet third grader could not have been more excited to bring home a plastic container with a real, live, crustacean. 
Here is a pic! 

So Norma, our crayfish, is not the snuggliest pet we have ever had, but she has added some excitement to our pet-free home.  In addition, Norma got me thinking about how I can share this experience with my students...

Along with Norma, Brennan came home with a simple note about what we needed to do to care for our new family member.  To bring this critter home, we needed to do a bit of research to learn as much as we could to keep her alive.  We did a Google search to find out what to feed her, what size tank she would need, and how to make sure she was most comfortable.  Through our research and new crayfish experience, we have learned something we didn’t know how to do before, which made me consider my students…what experiences can our students share that they have learned to do?  With some reflecting, brainstorming, and discussion, you can turn student knowledge into a fun writing exercise.

And here is what I created if you are looking for an expository resource to enhance student writing, grab this FREEBIE!

 The FREEBIE includes:
-directions for immediate implementation
-Teacher Lesson Planning
-Notes on Expository Writing
-Notes on Sequential Writing
-Sample Essay Organizer
-Sample Essay Labeled for student understanding
-Brainstorm Organizer
-Student Drafting Organizer

I hope you can use it to enhance the writing abilities of your student writers!  

and here's how it went! Unwrap a Party Ball!

What fun did you have with your students this week?  I am a Pinterest fanatic!  I find that any type of inspiration, event, recipe, paint color, birthday idea, house design, bathroom remodel, etc...can be found on this wonderland of a site.  It didn't fail me this week as I was looking for a really fun game to share at my son, Brennan's, holiday classroom party.

I had pinned this a while back, but was waiting to implement it in my classroom or in one of my own kiddo's.  This past weekend, I purchased all of the goodies and put it together.  Because I was shopping with an almost two-year old and five-year old, I was just throwing the materials in my basket.  You can likely save lots of money if you plan ahead and grab the goodies when they are on sale.  Just a tip, Walgreens does not have the cheapest candy or office supplies!

Here is what I used:
4-bags of treats (I chose Laffy Taffy, Smarties, Nerds and candy canes because they are nut-free)
1-bag of bouncy balls
1-bag of holiday erasers
1-box of Saran Wrap
2-rolls of mailing tape (it is sturdy)
-invisible tape to hold treats in place
1-Ring Pop for the center

I started with the Ring Pop and then just kept layering on the Saran Wrap and goodies.  My son claimed that I made it too hard with so much tape, but those kiddos had a blast tearing and pulling.  I stopped when it was about the size of a soccer ball. It took me about 30-minutes from start to finish!

How To Play:

1. Put the kids in a circle on the floor.
2. I used 3-dice as I wanted it to be pretty fast-paced so I kept their attention for the 10-minute game time.
3. I gave the ball to the person with the closest birthday to Christmas.
4. Then the person to their right had the dice.
5. The person with the ball got to tear at it until the dice roller rolled a double.  As soon as a double was rolled, it was passed to the roller.  
6. The dice kept moving and the ball kept passing.
7. I had them roll in a little plastic container so the dice stayed contained.
8. With three dice the chance of rolling doubles was higher, so the game moved quickly keeping everyone's interest.
9. Students got to keep the candy they pulled out and eat at a later time.

Let the fun begin!

Fun was definitely had by all and I would totally do this again!  High-interest and fast-paced.  Perfect for keeping enthusiastic kiddos' attention.

I would love to hear about fun party games in your classroom!  Keep me posted!

Classroom Party Game! "UNWRAP A PARTY" BALL...

Holiday parties are events that students really look forward to at EVERY age. Even my 6th graders LOVE celebrating holidays with one another throughout the course of the year.  I am one of those teachers that loves to have fun, too!  It can be a bit pricey and time-consuming to coordinate it all, however!

I am ALWAYS on the hunt for new ideas...I have seen this "UNWRAP A PARTY" BALL idea on Pinterest and decided that I HAVE to give this a try.  Because I have the fun task of planning, organizing, and implementing a game at my son's third grade classroom holiday party, I thought this was the perfect time.  So here is a very simple "how-to create" this and I will keep you posted on how it all goes down...

I bought the following items:

• Saran Wrap-200 sq ft.
• Clear Mailing Tape
• clear tape 
• 1-Ring Pop 
• 2-bags of candy (Smarties and Laffy Taffy) due to peanut allergies
• 1-box of candy canes
• 3-bags of holiday erasers and bouncy balls

To CREATE:

1. use Ring Pop for the center/core
2. wrap a layer of Saran Wrap and tape 
3. tape candy or trinkets to the Saran Wrap
4. layer over the candy/trinkets with more Saran Wrap
5. tape over that with the Mailing Tape
6. repeat until you run out of goodies or until your ball is the size of a soccer or basketball

Supplies for creating!

Almost complete!

How to PLAY:

1. Students will sit in a small group.  The student with the birthday closest to Christmas goes first.  Then the game goes in a clock-wise order.
2. The first student will roll a pair of dice.  In order to begin trying to unwrap the ball, the player with the dice must roll doubles.  Once the player with the dice rolls any doubles, he may begin unwrapping the ball.
3. The player may continue trying to unwrap the ball until the next player rolls doubles.  Each treat that is acquired can be kept by the student that unwrapped it.  
4. The ball continues to be passed around and the dice are rolled until the teacher calls time.

I wrapped this things up REALLY well, so it will be pretty challenging to get to each and every layer.  I will keep you posted on how this goes!  Please share any games you love to play with your middle grades to upper elementary students.

12 Days of Christmas Sales Linky

For the next 12 days I will be featuring different products each day at DEEPLY discounted prices to get you even more in the holiday spirit, or so you can have fantastic resources ready to go when your holiday break is over.  Nothing says, I love you like a good deal, right?!

So stay tuned for the next 12 days to find some AMAZING deals. Day 12 starts with $1 deals, Day 11 will feature $2 deals, Day 10 will feature $3 deals, and so on until Christmas Eve. 

Without further adieu, here goes...On the 1st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...ALL OF THESE ONE DOLLAR DEALS!

Make planning for the next week SIMPLE!  Click on the image to grab it for $1:

 

Be sure to check back tomorrow to find out what you can snag for just $2.

Click The Primary Gal's image to find more great $1 deals...

Giving Back to Norwood Connection

As teachers we may feel like we are overstretched very often.  It is times like these where we need to take a step back and realize how grateful we truly are for what we have.  Our time may be of the essence, but we have love, health, family, shelter, food, clothing, and the other essentials and not-so-essentials to get us through our trying days.

I have taught my entire teaching career in schools where: the majority,75%+ of students were on free or reduced lunch, many parents struggled to provide proper clothing for the cold-weather seasons, and where I provided students with the school supplies they needed to learn.  It is eye-opening, to say the least.  As a teacher in this type of school setting, you want to help every student and work to improve their situation.

I have had the privilege and honor to work with one of the most generous individuals.  Having taught 6th grade for many years and seeing the struggles of our building families, my teammate, Christian, began a non-profit called Norwood Connection.  Norwood Connection’s mission is to assist families classified as working poor who are under stress and who have children in the Norwood City School District.

I could go on for days about all of the things that Christian and his wife, Randi, have done for the families of our school district community...providing beds for kiddos that have slept on the hard wooden floors for far too long, getting the necessary strollers, car seats, and cribs to a mom of twins in need, providing a stove so a family could eat warm meals...his work is tireless and incredible.  He is always seeking out donations and working toward getting one more family back on their feet.  In fact Christian is the kind of guy that could convince you to give him the shirt off your back because someone he knows is more in need.  He is truly able to make AMAZING things happen for these families.

While I have donated baby items that are no longer needed in my household, I would like to do more.  On Sunday, December 14th, I will be donating 50% of my TpT store profits to Norwood Connection.  Please help me in making that amount be as great of a donation as it can be.

Thanks in advance and take a look at all of my other GENEROUS teacher friends...

An InLinkz Link-up

Girl Scouts, anyone?

So coaching soccer just finished for the fall last night and I embark on my next challenge in motherhood...girl scout troop leader!  Has anyone else out there taken the plunge into this land of promises, laws, petals, pledges, and adventures?!  Holy Moses!

It all started a few months ago when my running buddy texted me...

Rachel: Is Lilah doing Girl Scouts?  The meeting is tonight at 7PM.
Me: No!  We aren't signing up for one more activity at our house right now!
Me (after 5 minutes of reflecting on the fact that my daughter loves crafts, playing with friends, and adventures): We will meet at your house and walk to the school together.

After the meeting...
Me: A few hours ago we were having nothing to do with girl scouts...
Rachel:  Now you are a troop leader!  HAHA

DANG IT!!!

Tonight...17-five-year olds are heading into our elementary school art room and ready to begin their little journey, and take on the task of earning their Daisy petals over the course of the next ten months.  I have to say that a cafeteria full of rowdy 6th graders is a bit less intimidating to me than a bundle of chatty kindergartners. Do any of my middle school friends feel the same way?

Like any seasoned teacher, I walk into this adventure with lots of preparation, mounds of art supplies, sacks of snacks, and a bag of candy in case things go awry!  I have purchased some crazy binder from Amazon, taken a trip to the Girl Scout store of which I had no idea existed, spent lots of time on Pinterest, and I believe I am as ready for this as I will ever be.  Here is a look at our night...

Read more »

iPad App for Elementary to Middle School and an AMAZING iPAD GIVEAWAY!

At one point in time for a number of years we had a computer lab where students were taken once a week to do various tasks on desktop computers-weekly assessments, research, and publishing of written pieces.   Students were excited to have this opportunity, classroom teachers might have been just as enthusiastic or maybe a little flustered to add one task to their already "crammed to the limits" weekly schedule.

While many schools may still have these "labs," many schools have done away with this idea due to the need for classroom space or because due to budget cuts, no one is able to manage the computer lab.  In my building it was a space issue.  We needed the lab to be turned into a classroom because our student population had grown.  Those of us "techy" teachers panicked a bit thinking of how we would possibly teach the technology standards to our students when we only had two classroom computers...Enter laptop carts and iPads...

Technology use in the classroom setting is more important than ever for our students.  With standardized testing taking place on computers and the many different classroom tasks shifting gears with our students needing to be able to navigate text on a screen versus paper, it is essential that we as educators are providing these essential opportunities for our students.

So, how do you get and keep your students connected?

In my building we had laptop carts.  Each cart contained about 30-mostly-working laptops that we utilized for weekly assessments, research, and publishing our writing.  And over the last few years, iPads have been introduced.  Because I have school-aged children that are utilizing these essential tools on a daily basis at their school, I wanted to find some different apps that I could use with my own kiddos as well as find classroom apps that would meet the needs of my students. A FREE app that I LOVE...

As a language arts teacher who teaches spelling AND a mom that reviews spelling words with a third grader nightly, Vocabulary Spelling City is an AWESOME app to have!

Here is how I utilize this app and how you can prepare to utilize this AMAZING app...

• Register at www.spellingcity.com

• Only register for the FREE version, if you want to update later you can, but the FREE version is perfect for spelling and vocabulary work with students.

• Go to List Management and type in your spelling list for the week-if you utilize Reading Street, Journeys, or Wonders, you can import your list directly from the Publisher Lists.   

 

• If you are utilizing this as a parent, you can do the same or for extra practice, students can type in their lists on the site (great extra practice)

• Students can then click on the Unit to take a test where they are given the word and they type in the correct spelling.

• Not only does this give them practice listening for the word, but it also gives them practice typing, which I find all my students need practice with.
• Once you have created or imported your list on spellingcity.com-you are ready to utilize the app.
• Students will utilize the URL to find all of the lists created by you as their teacher
• Download the app to iPad.
• Login to the app.
• Pull up the list you created using the URL.

• Begin your fun review.

Once you have completed the above steps on the website-your students can use the link to connect to play the games below.

1. Missing Letter is a fun game for kids of all ages. Even the youngest learners can practice letter recognition by trying to find the missing letter that completes each spelling or vocabulary word. 
2. Alphabetize is an activity that can be used to practice putting words in alphabetical order, a vital early literacy skill. Students love to play ABC order activities and games. 
3. Spelling TeachMe is a great activity to introduce a new word list to students. Each word is read aloud, spelled letter-by-letter and used in a context-rich sentence. 
4. Sentence Unscramble helps students practice sentence structure as well as using words in context by unscrambling words to form a complete sentence. 
5. Word Unscramble is a popular word game that is a variation on other word games such as text twists, jumbles and anagrams. 
6. Read-A-Word is an activity that gives students practice recognizing new words. Can you find the words that you hear? Try Read-A-Word and find out! 
7. Test-N-Teach gives students the opportunity to learn as they practice. Students do their best to build a monument to good spelling. The better they spell, the better their monument!

Custom word lists may be entered by registered members (registration to save lists is free!) on www.spellingcity.com for use in the games and activities on VocabularySpellingCity’s app.  If you are looking to simplify spelling review time, REGISTER NOW!  You will LOVE this app as well!

No longer will you be draining yourself trying to come up with cool spelling game ideas for your classroom or review ideas for your own children because the fun is right here!  Now that you have an app idea that you need to grab, be sure to enter this giveaway to win your very own iPad mini.  You can use it in your classroom or keep it all to yourself, but be sure to download this app to check out with our students!  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

"This giveaway is only open to teachers (classroom and homeschool) who are living in the contiguous United States. The winning entry will be verified and proof of eligibility may be required. Please see the complete terms and conditions at the bottom of the giveaway for more information."

Back to School: A Few of My Favorite Things For Upper Elementary to Middle School

If you are like me, you are wondering where in the world the summer has gone and how on earth it can possibly be a new school year...I feel like I was just blogging about how I was going to manage three kiddos at home for the entire summer.  I was just enforcing Xtra Math and reading during quiet time, planning play dates to the park, packing and unpacking our vacation bags, making nightly ice cream cones and milk shakes to eat while playing with buddies outside, and like that, it has come to an end!  Here are a few of my favorite pics from our summer adventures...

Ice cream fun!

Hula hoop dinners!

Tricycle rides with "sweet" shades!

Boat rides with Pappa!

Adventures at the pool!

More ice cream...

Today, I will be sending two kiddos on their way to the elementary school, my sweet girl to kindergarten, and my oldest to third grade.  YIKES!  It has truly been a flash and they are BIG!  Not one of my favorite things.

To make me feel a little more upbeat, I have linked up with a few of my teacher friends to focus on the positive...

As teachers head back to the classroom, I wanted to share a few of my favorite "teacher" things that you can find on sale tomorrow (a favorite thing), and I know will quickly become a few of your favorites, too...especially at 28% off!

Here are my top 5 must haves and tools I have used in my classroom...

#5:  Hello Fonts by Jen Jones!  Have you seen her fonts?  They are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  She can make even the most unexciting lesson more fun when you create with her fonts.  Check this out!

#4: Catching Fire Novel Unit by Tracee Orman

I have never had more engaged readers than when my students read Hunger Games and Catching Fire!  Her novel units are packed with EVERYTHING you might be able to come up with yourself, but you'd gladly pay someone to create because it is done so well!  She thinks of it all!  I want to be a student in her class.  If you are even thinking about reading this book with your students-you NEED this novel unit!

#3: Hunger Games Novel Unit by Tracee Orman

Well, of course you needed this one first!  Again, incredible resource that has it all!  She includes project ideas, powerpoint games, EVERYTHING!

#2: Would You Rather Questions for Kids! by Rachel Lynette

Do you ever have those moments at the end of class when a teammate isn't quite ready to switch classes, but your crew is in line waiting and ready to go?  Look no further, this is the perfect tool to keep those kiddos ready to transition successfully and keep their minds engaged, thinking...and not causing problems!

#1:  Reader's Theater MEGA Bundle for Middle Grades to Middle School by ME!
Finally, here is a favorite that I am really proud of...I wrote each of these 15-reader's theater fun packs that your students will LOVE! Each script includes: word work, reader response questions, and other reading literature tools that will enhance fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.  Each fun pack is also the perfect resource to leave for a substitute when you are forced to be away from your classroom.  This is the perfect tool for your ELA class.

Be sure to snag some of these MUST-HAVE resources! Your students will thank you!
...and keep me posted on any tried and true tools that you love for your upper elementary classroom!

An InLinkz Link-up