It's an OO 'Round Up'!

'ROUND UP' THOSE OO WORDS!

This packet is ideal for student practice, review, and enrichment.

It includes activities, games, and vocabulary.

The BINGO has pictures and vocabulary.  You choose!

Find it here.

GREAT TEACHERS!

Danny Steele is a principal and has worked with and observed many classroom teachers.

He writes:

OUR WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE BECAUSE OF THE PASSION AND DEDICATION OF GREAT TEACHERS EVERYWHERE.  THEY INSPIRE ME DAILY.  THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE TRUE ABOUT GREAT TEACHERS.

I always use to love going to meetings and sitting in the lounge blaming students for not understanding.  How often have you heard...THEY JUST DON'T GET IT!  THIS CLASS DID SO POORLY ON THE TEST!

These statements do not bother me as long as they are followed by...I NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT I AM DOING AND SEE WHAT I CAN CHANGE SO THEY WILL GET IT OR THEY WILL DO WELL ON THE TEST.

Notice this takes the blame off the students and just moving on accepting the fact they don't get it or did poorly to WHAT CAN I DO!

I agree...ALL GREAT TEACHERS REFLECT AND ADJUST!

In my mind I am wondering if learning can take place without a good relationship with kids.

Teachers with a solid relationship with kids encourage, accept, praise, and care.

Research has shown that students working with teachers they trust and those they know believe in them make the most progress.

Is a great lesson enough or does the relationship have to be in place?

Food for thought!

In my opinion great teachers have both.

As much as we hate to admit it summers are time to refresh and regenerate new ideas!

What are you working on?

After my own children began school I really understood the meaning behind this statement.

One time I had my parents fill out a questionnaire right after school began.

My goal was to discover what they wanted for their child in the upcoming school year as a student in my classroom.  

The majority of them responded with 'they wanted their child to be happy, love learning, and love coming to school'.

If I had a wish for my children I know it would be similar.

What would your response be?

This could be one of the biggest challenges every teacher faces.

I always try to turn the negative thoughts into positive ones.

What works for you?

This post will be ongoing.

Classroom Decor...Colorful and Editable!

Here is a colorful classroom theme that will work the entire school year.

It will save you time and money!

It is colorful and editable so you can add your special touch.

The packet contains suggestions and directions.

The letters can be copied and laminated then posted for WELCOME BACK!

I love using the acrylic frames in my classroom and these anchor charts fit perfectly.

Finally there are several color pennants you can hang on a colorful ribbon for a banner.

Next there are name tags.  I use some for lockers and the small ones for name tags for open house and the first day.  Run the small name tags on full label sheets so they will self stick.

These name tags are used on student tables.  They have an alphabet and a number line.

There are also table signs.  They can be hung or mounted on the table.

My favorite bulletin board every year is our class photos.

It stays up all year.  I take a photo at the beginning, middle, and end to see how we grow!

This alphabet is so cute for posting.

It matches the kidlettes theme

The numbers are also the kidlettes theme and match the alphabet.

These are used around the clock.

It is so helpful when the students are learning to tell time.

Here are items for a HAPPY BIRTHDAY board.

Several cupcakes for student's birthdates.

Colorful pennants to make a birthday banner.

Letters for title.

Clip art for decorating.

I always make my own calendar.

There are the months, numbers to 31, days of the week.

I post this for behavior.  I do not clip up and down but I do point to the sign and use eye contact with student.  There are also behavior notes for home/school connection.

These labels are great for how we get home.

There is an editable sheet for listing student names and how they get home or use the name cards below.

Put velcro on the job card and the student name cards.

Then you can change the jobs daily.

There are 6 signs for posting in center areas. Acrylic frames work great!

 

It includes a teacher binder (editable) cover and signs for the pencil sharpener area.

I put them on boxes.

Find it here.

Welcome to the SHOW!

YOUR CLASS will love this circus themed packet for word work using OW such as in SHOW and CLOWN.

There are games, activities, anchor charts perfect for small groups, independent practice, centers, and more.

Each sound has an anchor chart with 24 vocabulary cards and a poster for sorting.

Put all 48 cards in the center and have the students put them in the correct spot.

Put the anchor vocabulary list charts in the writing center.

Have your class focus on OW words for the week while writing about a circus.

The word sorts focus on cut and paste, read words, parts of speech, and writing.

There are two word searches, and two read and illustrate.

The Word mat provides letters for students to make words with and then write the words they make.

I like them to paste their favorite word at the end on the mat and then prepare an illustration.

The partner game has the students rolling a die and then reading the word list in different voices.

My class loves this.  There is one for OW Clown and OW Show.

The writing has students use a word in a sentence.

There are two styles of BINGO.

Each student makes their own game board.

The one focuses on the students reading words and finding the picture.

The other focuses on the students looking at the picture and finding the word.

This is ideal for small groups.

Find it here.

Exploring Light and Sound Waves

Let's Explore Light and Sound Waves

The packet is filled with activities that allow students to predict, experiments, reflect, and create.

It allows you the teacher to assess, teach and provide meaningful activities for your class so they will better understand the core ideas of this topic.

Although it is written for NGSS 1st Grade other age level students would benefit from these activities.

There are 12 vocabulary cards for posting in the room.

These are followed by vocabulary building activities ideal for your word work center.

Core ideas are listed and ready for posting.

There is a home/school connection note for parents.

Covers are available so activities can be made into a booklet easier for organization.

Both sound and light begin with informational text.

You should also visit the library and pick up books for reviewing.

There are pre assessment activities in the form of a list and a sort.

Teaching is done through making predictions, testing our thoughts and then reflecting.

The first study is about illumination.

There is also an activity using mirrors and reflections.

This is followed by looking a opaque, transparent and translucent.

There are explorations, reflections and a post assessment.

Next students look at shadows.

A student observation and recording book is available for looking at shadows and the position of the sun.

Again sound begins with Informational text and pre assessments.

There are two experiments to study vibrations.

One is making a kazoo and the other is creating a rubber band guitar.

After creating and experimenting students reflect.

There is a final experiment on vibration and pitch with a reflection and a prediction.

As an end to the unit of study the students use what they learned to create a form of communication.

Find it here.