December 15, 2013
Gettin' into the holiday spirit!
I wanted to link up with Fabulous in First with this little linky because it's so much fun to see how everyone celebrates the holidays!
Hot Chocolate or Eggnog?
I am a lover of both- especially since the fiance just made some from scratch last night! Yuuuummmy! So I suppose right now I'd have to say eggnog!
Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
This year since we are planning (and paying) for our wedding our Christmas budget has been light. So, instead of gifts we are just saving more and putting it towards our wedding fund. So technically no presents this year under the tree.
Colored lights or white?
The boy likes the look of colored lights, however, I have always liked the cute and clean look of white lights on a Christmas tree! Maybe next year :)
When do you decorate?
I start getting into the Christmas spirit even before Thanksgiving but apparently I'm not allowed to start decorating until after Thanksgiving day. I personally think it's a dumb rule but I get to go all out the rest of the month :)
Real or fake tree?
Our first Christmas together we did real since I have a co-worker whose parents have their own tree farm! It was beautiful but with us traveling to Texas for the holidays we never really got to enjoy our tree. So, this year we made the decision to go fake.
What tops your tree?
Since we are beginning our family decoration collection we don't have much. I am still on the lookout for an angel (like what I had as a kid) or a star, but for now we have a D (for Daniel - last name initial) ornament that tops our tree.
Favorite Christmas memories or traditions?
Again, the fun thing about beginning a new life with someone is that you get to start your own family traditions and even blend the traditions from both our families. Something I've always loved doing was baking cookies from scratch. His family does the same thing by baking sugar cookies and as a family decorating them- I look forward to that every year!
Last year Philip and I baked cake pops and decorated them as elves. Needless to say we got pretty into it!
Do you remember your favorite gift as a child?
Barbies and all things Barbie! My grandmother would get me absolutely anything and everything...it's something that I hope my future daughter will enjoy as much as I did growing up.
And I cannot forget how much I loved my Ginger Spice Barbie doll. Again, one of the best presents ever as a kid!
Do you prefer giving or receiving?
I am always the one that enjoys giving gifts more than receiving since I love the looks on my loved ones faces when they open them. I always try to put a lot of thought into the gifts I give and the feeling of making someone feel loved and appreciated is priceless.
What is your favorite Christmas song?
Rudolf is always a fun and classic Christmas song that will always remind me of when I was younger and singing songs while decorating the tree with my mom and sisters. It's hard to pick just one but if I do it'll always be Rudolf!
Candy Canes. Yuck or yum?
I like candy canes but I do like how they come in all different kinds of flavors and not just peppermint. So technically I can say yum but only if they're the Starburst flavors (not real Christmas-y, I know).
Favorite Christmas movie?
Christmas Vacation all the way. The holidays are a time that everyone spends with family and every visit brings on some kind of stress in one way or another, haha. I come from a dysfunctional family and this movie does a great job at poking fun at it. It's just a fun movie that makes you laugh and remember that although you may want to kill your family sometimes, you'd never want to trade them in for anything.
Do you shop online or at stores?
I am a HUGE fan of online shopping, however I do like the instant satisfaction feeling of walking out of a store with the bags. It's just so much easier these days to order gifts online and have them shipped to your house. No crowds- no problem!
Photo Cards, Letter or Store-bought cards?
I am in charge of the Christmas cards and I love making and sending the photo cards. It really makes the message personal to family and friends and it's nice to see photos of everyone throughout the year, especially those that I don't get to see too often.
December 14, 2013
Remembering Sandy Hook
Thank you to Amanda over at Teaching Maddeness for her beautiful button. Today is a day that I believe all teachers and anyone in education will remember as one of true tragedy but also an example of the unyielding love teachers have for their 'kids'. Not a day goes by that I don't think about what happened and what I would do if ever put in a situation like that- and I think many of us would do the exact same: protect your students no matter what.
Today is a day of remembrance but also one for reflection. I look back on the past year and I think about the ways I could be better. I don't need New Years to set goals for myself but this time of year is always a good reminder to always self-improve; no matter if it is personally or professionally. Amanda put it best: "we honor their memory with our service." Today and always, think about the random acts of kindness you can share with others. You never know the impact it could have on a life.
December 10, 2013
Snow Days and Matter!
Matter
The first product I've been working on is to enhance my matter unit (which we were supposed to start this week). I love student packets because it puts all the information and learning into one, easy to use, packet. My kids have been good about not losing them, which is even better. I just prefer to keep everything together.
This packet also includes:
-Why Does Matter, Matter? [3 states of matter]
-Properties of solids, liquids, and gasses
-Volume
-Mass
-Matter Picture Sort
-Measuring Matter [mass/volume]
-Changing States [investigating heat]
-Changing States graphic organizer
-Matter Molecules
-Physical vs. Chemical Changes
Experiment: Physical/Chemical Change Investigation
-Sugar Cube
-Solid, Liquid, Gas Poems
The best part about study packets is that teachers can choose what to include and what to omit. Feel free to add nonfiction articles or other items to your packet to make it more interactive and focused on a particular skill. I love seeing the different ways teachers incorporate content into reading or writing activities.
I'll be posting my other activities soon!
**THIS MATTER MATTERS DOWNLOAD HAS BEEN SLIGHTLY MODIFIED (TPT HAS THE MOST CURRENT DOWNLOAD).
August 25, 2013
Monday Made It | Treat Labels + Class Jobs
*Edited and updated June 2018
Open House Blow Pops
At my previous school we hosted Back to School Night for parents and invited students to Open House before school started. It gives the families a chance to meet the teacher, learn about the curriculum and year ahead, and allow students a chance to see their desk and become familiar with the classroom and find their seats before the first day of school.
One way that I love to connect with my new students is giving them a little treat on their way out, thanking them for coming. It's just a fun little touch and so easy to prep! Simply print and cut out these treat labels and tape them to your favorite brand of lollipops. I place each one on my student's desks and for years they've always been a hit!
Pick up these labels for only $1!
I love having a designated area in the classroom where I display the classroom jobs. I change them up every week but know of teachers who change the class jobs every day or even assign them months at a time. Another fun thing I've seen teacher friends do is accept 'applications' for certain jobs! Whichever way you organize your jobs, these job cards will be sure to help students know what their responsibilities are.
This resource did get a update a couple of years ago, but I did make sure to include both the old version (see below) and the new circular job cards! I've also added a number of new jobs to help cover all the needs of any classroom.
Class Jobs
I love having a designated area in the classroom where I display the classroom jobs. I change them up every week but know of teachers who change the class jobs every day or even assign them months at a time. Another fun thing I've seen teacher friends do is accept 'applications' for certain jobs! Whichever way you organize your jobs, these job cards will be sure to help students know what their responsibilities are.
This resource did get a update a couple of years ago, but I did make sure to include both the old version (see below) and the new circular job cards! I've also added a number of new jobs to help cover all the needs of any classroom.
Job descriptions are now available in this download and are great for including in your parent info packets at the beginning of the year. It also gives kids a chance to read and see what jobs are available in the classroom. Use as many or as little as you need!
I hope you enjoy these new resources now available in the shop!
August 15, 2013
Teacher Week '13: Taming the Wild!
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I'm back and linking up (finally!) with Blog Hoppin' once again for Thursday's topic: Taming the Wild! These past couple days have been so busy since I was able to get into my room on Wednesday....I was bummed I couldn't snap any cute photos of my room since it's not in that stage yet...but I am super close! However, I have enjoyed peeking inside the rooms of everyone else!
Anyways, today I wanted to share with you the few things I do in my room and a couple new things I'm looking forward to trying out (photos coming later!).
#1 Clip Chart
I swear by this thing. I first started using the clip chart last year and wasn't quite sure how it was going to go. Then, out of nowhere...everyone was using it so it must have been worth it! But over the course of the year it was amazing to see how well this system worked with the kids (I mean, I've never seen children care so much about a clip before). At this point I'm sure everyone knows how it works but for those who don't, it's essentially a behavior management system that incorporates moving of student's clips up and down depending on certain behaviors. If you don't have one, I definitely recommend trying it this year!
To keep my kids accountable and an easy way to track behavior, especially for those parents who want a daily update about their kid, I made a 'Clip Slip' that goes home each day. As a part of their dismissal routine, my kids have to color in where they ended the day on and I check it before they get their things. Parents have to initial each night so I know they saw it. Worked perfectly last year :)
#2 Money Management
Another good tool for behavior management: money. This one was a little difficult for me to keep track of, personally, so I'm looking into how I can be more organized with it. How it works: students earn coins and dollars based on work/effort performance, positive behavior, etc. Money can also be taken away as a consequence for poor behavior, missing homework routinely, etc. The money earned throughout the month can be used in purchasing "rewards" at the class store. I typically have a parent volunteer run the store so I can be busy doing other things around the room.
One thing I am trying new this year is relying less on store items bought/donated by parents. The year started off great but then parents didn't want to donate as cool of toys the rest of the year (I can't really blame them). So, this year I am going to use rewards in the classroom as prize items they can purchase.
#3 Compliment!
The letters of compliment are spelled out on the board and each time the class gets a compliment from other teachers, positive behavior as a class at specials, etc. a letter is flipped over. The class votes on what reward they're working towards (adds the extra incentive) and when all the letters spell compliment they get their class reward. Works very well...
...aaaaand possibly in place of compliment this year I am considering on another idea I found from Pinterest. This incorporates the same concept as compliment but instead of spelling out the word, rewards are already printed and laminated and each time a compliment is earned, a student can color in the tile of a letter from whichever reward they want. The first reward completely spelled out is what the students earned.
...but I'm also trying something new this year. I saw a pin over the summer in which the teacher uses NOISE to control the voice level. NOISE is spelled on the board and each time the voice level gets too loud a letter is taken away. If all the letters are taken, then students have to work silently for the rest of the period, day, etc.
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