Christmas In July!

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells....  Okay my peeps.  I'm going to give something a try.  It's going to be more work on my end, but you all are worth it!  120%!  Through midnight tonight (July 25th) I am going to have a Buy 2, Get 2 FREE sale!  But, of course, with TPT (and TN) there isn't an option for me to do this.  What you'll need to do.  Buy 2 items.  When you leave feedback, leave your email---OR you can email me your user name and what two items you would like for FREE (click on the email button at the side of my page, or it's also in all my packets that you purchase on the last page).  Now, please remember.  It's just like any other place.  Your frees must be equal or lesser in price.

I'm starting early!  Whatcha waiting for?!

*Please note that I will get it to you as soon as I can.  Some files are too large to email so I will have to set up a google drive file for you.  Also, my TN store is not as up to date as my TPT.  If you are a TN shopper but would like something you see at my TPT store, I can still get you the files. 

Happily Ever After-A Fairy Tale Unit

Hi all!  This post has been in the making since May.  I just have not had it in me to finish the packet that I'm going to show you, nor could I find the time to get the amazingly cute pics loaded from my week!!!!  This summer is flying by, and I know many of you are getting ready to head back already!  We only got out mid June... so we have till the last week of August yet before heading back for some PD.  Make sure you read the the end of this! ;)

I LOVE Fairy Tales.  It's something that I always read growing up.  Maybe it's because I always wanted to be rescued by a handsome prince... or live in a castle with all those dresses and shoes?!  ha!  However, it's something I didn't do very well in my classroom.  Till now anyway! :)  (Still incredibly thankful for TPT!!!)

We spent the week looking at different Fairy Tales (Might I add, there were a few munchkins that did NOT know some of the stories I took for granted that they did?!)  The first day we read a familiar one--Cinderella.  We talked about all the different things that the book had that other stories did not have.  We displayed the posters.

Then we completed a "checklist" worksheet (it's what I called it, though it isn't really a checklist, but it's things to look and see if a book had!)

The rest of the week was similar.  We completed the checklist for each book, gradually getting to the point where they completed it independently.

We created some fun things with some of the books. 

 {Checklist we did for each}

 {WANTED posters we completed at the end of the unit}

 {What would be at the top of your beanstalk?}

Fairy Godfather applications:  (forgot to take a pic of the godmothers!)

 Wolf Research:

I just uploaded this packet to TPT.

Here's what you'll get:

{The packet also has math integrated into it---which I didn't take pics of, but you can see the sheets in this picture}:

Leave me a comment and I'll give this packet away to a few random people!  I'll pick Sunday night!  GO! Congrats #1 and 11 for being my random numbers generated--I'm emailing you now! :)  (PS-don't forget to click and follow this lil blog on bloglovin'!)

Throwback Thursday {Daily 5}

Once again, I'm hooking up with my fave Cara from the First Grade Parade for Throwback Thursday.

 ******Original Post: Daily 5 Posted on December 3, 2012******

Hi all!  I hope this month is going fairly smooth for you so far!  My 2 year old is still exhausting me with not sleeping through the night...  Oh how I wish I drank coffee this year!  (and last year...)  I don't have anything NEW that you could use in the coming weeks, but thought I'd share a little about my classroom.

I know that there is a ton of things out there for the Daily 5.  I thought I'd take a moment to explain how it works in my classroom!  First, I need to say, since we switch our kiddos, I do not set it up as well as it's supposed to be---with building stamina and all that...  If I did, I'd still be working on that at this time of year---and lets face it.  I'd be redoing everything when we get back in January!  I just couldn't.

I found on a blog a few years ago (so I do not have a link to give proper credit...) that a teacher used bookmarks for students to know how to go from station to station.  I decided to do that last year, to save my sanity on moving kids' names, scheduling even more, etc.  I couldn't let them just have "free choice" off the bat either.  I created 25 completely different bookmarks.  Each bookmark has a different "rotation" schedule.  It's designed to have 5 at each at any given time.  {This year I redid them, and forgot about making them ALL different and had 5 bookmarks that I made 5 copies each of... and I realized.  When they travel together from station to station---my room gets louder and louder and they start to lose focus.  LAST year, when I had all different ones, they don't travel from station to station and things were smooth.  I loved it!}

Each student will pick a bookmark either at the beginning of class, or when they are done with work before small group time starts.  This year, I labelled the back of each bookmark a different letter from the alphabet.  This is so they can keep track of these darn bookmarks.  THIS group has such a difficult time organizing themselves and had lost at least 6 bookmarks that I had made in the beginning of the year-that we're not using anymore.  Now that there is a letter, they KNOW which is theirs, and if it's left behind, they can now easily find it---of course, that is, IF they didn't lose it in a book or somewhere else.... :/

 My bookmarks match the posters at each area, so that they have no trouble figuring out where to go!

Click {HERE} to grab yourself a copy of the posters and bookmarks.  

I'll be back later to explain how I work my Word Work area.  

Disclaimer---the above information is what I personally do.  The Daily 5 and CAFÉ are trademark and copy written content of Educational Design, LLC dba The 2 Sisters.  Educational Design, LLC dba The 2 Sisters does not authorize or endorse these materials.

Throwback Thursday----Book Groups!

 I'm joining the fabulous Cara from the First Grade Parade!  I went through my posts from the past year and am re-posting it again, for all the newbies that may have just stumbled upon my lil old blog!

 ******Original Post: Book Groups Posted on June 23, 2012******

I thought I would share how I ran my book groups this year.  Here's a few pictures to show you how I organized it.  I have the packet uploaded to my TPT store.  You can buy a complete set of Story and Informational books (I created an informational literature circle set to meet the Informational text standards---and well, they are much different than the roles that would occur in the usual book/literature circles!  Click on any picture to take you to my Literature Circle Packet on TPT.  (I do also have them listed separately)

 This is how I kept track of who was in each group.  (This is included in the packet)

 I made 5 sets (1 isn't shown because I didn't need it this year) of each job on a lanyard.  Each group is a color to help organize things.  I still haven't found the perfect home for these yet!

This is an example of a packet I put together for one of my groups.  Each group had a packet that was the same color as their lanyard.  It was then the name of their group.

This is an example of student work from one of the pages in their book journals (that's what we named them).  Each journal had a different rotation of jobs so that I didn't have to tell them what their next job was.  I wasn't always meeting with each group EVERY time.  I wanted them to have some responsibility to run their groups without having to rely on me all the time.  (Though, I did have an ear on the groups and could tell what was going on!!!)  

Here's one of my group of cuties discussing their book!  Wish I didn't have to blur out their faces so that you can see how intent they are on discussing their chapter!

Another group working together

I had been searching and differentiating so many different literature circle groups through the years to use with my kiddos.  I am a believer that these can be done at ANY level.  I modeled many times how they should be run and we also completed the worksheets that are their "jobs" in the groups many times in class as a whole group kind of work before setting them loose in their new "book groups."  I had ALL work done in class.  Nothing went home (we had strict homework policies this year and I have had bad luck with students remembering books in the past---and they NEEDED their books to run the groups!)  We met 2-3 times a week, depending on absences and making sure all had their work finished.  If needed, they could read/do their job during the Daily 5 time that I was running in class.

I don't really have a new freebie for you right now, but wanted to remind you of one that I have had in the past!  It is something that can be used throughout the year for book "reports." 

Click on the picture to grab yourself a copy!

Also---for those of you who have 4th and 5th grade teacher friends who would like a cute checklist like I have made for K-3, I am currently working on those!  I had a special request from a few people---so I wanted to let you know that it's in the works.  I'd actually like to try to finish it this week because next week.....  shhhh!  I'll be in Disney!!  (and my boys still have NO idea!!!)  We'll see if they catch on as I try to "sneak" pack this week!

If you missed out on seeing my checklists----here they are!  (I just realized that I don't have a cover page for 3rd.  Click here to see third grade!)  I was SUPER excited to see that my Kindergarten checklist had been pinned over 1,000 times off of TPT!!  I could not believe it!!!!!!!  {To see all of my checklists click HERE}

Throwback Thursday {Getting to Know You Through---Numbers!}

 I'm joining the fabulous Cara from the First Grade Parade!  I went through my posts from the past year and am re-posting it again, for all the newbies that may have just stumbled upon my lil old blog!

 ******Original Post: Getting to know you---through numbers! Posted on April 9, 2012******

First-I have to share that I had been working on a place value packet that I just finished and uploaded to Teachers Pay Teachers!  I had created 10 games and activities that align to the First Grade Common Core Math standards.   I have many variations of each of those games for differentiation in your classroom too!  All you would need to do is supply the base ten blocks (and possibly dice for a few of the games!).   Click on the picture to check it out!

I had to share an activity that I am sending home with my students for Math homework.  I used to have each kid do a poster for their "star of the week" that I did in the past, however with out new schedule and our switching kids for classes, I just couldn't find a way to fit it in or get into a routine to do so...  That gave me a little dilemma because I would have these posted for our Open House we have in early May.  I thought more, and I realized that I won't have that much for my Math students' parents to see, since most of what is displayed in my room is reading related, as well as most of what is in the desks!

I had an A-ha moment!  Each student is going to pick 6 numbers that describe themselves and we will turn this into a poster!  I asked that they also send in 1-2 pictures to illustrate 1-2 of the numbers that they could place on the posters.

They were soooooo adorable working on this project before break.  We have 1 hour for math.  The room was almost silent for that entire hour while they worked!  They all finished in that time too!  I asked them to illustrate each number, but also have some kind of math involving their number in the box too.  They came up with great ideas!

Here are some pics of what they did!!!!

Click on the worksheet to grab a copy for yourself to use in your classroom!

 Don't forget to follow me to keep up with more freebies and giveaways!  I'm nearing the 100th follower and am planning something special!  Also-follow me on facebook too!  https://www.facebook.com/RulinTheRoost

Organization-Math Common Core

I thought I'd take time to show you how I organize my math stations and math teaching materials.  Back when we taught by chapters with a Math Program, I had binders where I placed all kinds of worksheets/activities inside to go with each chapter.  I labeled them by what chapter and skill and how many days to spend on it.

{The second picture is of the binders in a box at home, not on my shelf at school.  I brought them home to organize this summer!}

Gone are those days!  I have decided to move away from "chapters" especially since we are on our THIRD program in the past 11 years.  (2 in the past 3 years..)  I've decided to create Standards Binders.  Math was easier to create, partially because I was one of the teachers who helped align our curriculum to the new CCSSs (I guess they aren't really new anymore, right?!) and math is my strong point.  {Next year we move to our "new" LA curriculum, but I can't really create binders to go with those...  We will be teaching "themes" so I will be creating ways to organize things by themes.  I'll post more on that another day, when I know I can wrap my head around it better.  I taught by themes this past year, as you know by what I've been posting and also creating.}

The binders are pretty simple right now.  (I have updated the font since last year)  I'm still dividing up my old binders and sorting them into the new ones.  In each binder, I plan to have dividers and organize them by standard, as best as I can.

As I find things, I will put it in a pile to file right into my binder.  {I WILL DO IT RIGHT AWAY!  okay.  hopefully that will help me remember that since I usually end up with a bazillion papers to file at the end of the year...} In the front of each, I have the standards for each domain.  (From my checklists)

My stations are pretty simple as well.  Since they are "themed" right now (By the way, I do plan on having some newer non-themed ones to go along with the standards---to use ANY time of the year... I just have to find the "just right clip art" if you know what I mean!  Feel free to comment below on what you'd like to see!!!)  My stations are designed to print, laminate, cut and go.  I store them all in ziplock bags.  When they are done every 2 weeks, I put them ALL into ONE gallon sized ziplock baggie and pace them in a magazine file.  {I do the same with my literacy stations too---and put them in the SAME magazine holder-so they stay together.}  My masters are just stored on my computer.  Less papers, ya know!  You can do the same, whether you bought from me or anyone.  Teachers Pay Teachers allows you to have access to what you bought forever!  Saves room on your computer.  Saves time trying to find the right file.  PERFECT!

 {Baggies containing all of my stations.  Inside each bag are other baggies with each game/station}

 {Front row of magazine holders.  Labels coming soon!  This year was spent organizing to how I like it--now I can label!}

 {Back row-I can fit 2 rows on my shelves}

 {They are tucked behind laminated poster boards that I use for displays!  You'd never know they were there!}

I am putting my binder covers and spines in this post for you to have for free.  WARNING.  I made these last year, when I wasn't so savvy (not that I am yet either...) but they take forever to print.  MAKE SURE TO PRINT AS IMAGE FOR FASTEST PRINTING! (once you click the print button, click on the "advanced" tab and find "print as image" This works for at least macs.  Not sure about PC's)   I'll try to work out the bugs.  My spines just wouldn't go into my binder either.... hopefully you'll have more luck.  I think it was the binders I bought.  They are small enough when I print them here!  So, I just laminated them and taped them on my binder.  Still looks cute ;)

 

Click on your grade level to to grab your freebie:  KINDERGARTEN   FIRST/SECOND  THIRD/FOURTH/FIFTH  SIXTH

They kind of match my Common Core Standards Checklists.  Leave a comment below with what grade you teach and I will pick a winner (or 2) to give a free Common Core Checklist of your choice!  I'll choose a random winner tomorrow night! Congrats to numbers 3 and 11.  I've emailed you!!  Check your emails! :)