TeachersPayTeachers Gift Card Giveaway!!!!

It has been a CRAZY week.  We started back to school on Wednesday and it has been three days of get-to-know-each-other games, slide presentations over rules and procedures, handing out books, covering books, storing mountains of tissue boxes, hand sanitizer, and clorox wipes...you know the drill!

It's the weekend and we need a WELL DESERVED break!  What better way to relax this weekend than with a Back to School Freebie and Raffle?!?!?

Enter the raffle below by following my blog and commenting on your favorite back to school activity.  

Click on the picture below to get a Book Fair (Reading Fair)project FREEBIE (for a VERY limited time) until Sunday!!!!  
(Please leave feedback!)

Boggle or Bust!

I have hopped on the Boggle Bandwagon and I am loving every minute of it!  My 4th graders are very excited about this new classroom activity and it has gotten pretty competitive in our room! 

I changed it up a bit from what I have seen around and made my own to add more letters, thus creating more columns and rows.  

We start a new Boggle Bash game each week.  Students have all week to fill a sheet with 25 words.  They know I tally the sheets by how many letters they use.  So they need to fill up their sheet with bigger words to win...the three letter words aren't going to get you the win!

When they are finished, the put their sheet in the Boggle Bash Box (a wooden toy mailbox - I think it is Melissa and Doug - that I purchased at a garage sale and painted).  The following Monday, I tally the sheets and declare a winner.

What does the winner get?  

They go crazy over a simple bottle of Powerade!

This week's Flash Freebie is this Boggle Bash game.  It includes the heading, letters, answer sheets, and directions.  

In case you were wondering, I use a Calendar Pocket Chart from Carson-Dellosa which fits everything perfectly.

Click on the picture below to get your Flash Freebie!

Our Family Fav Toys

Our family got some fun new toys this Christmas season and in holidays past.  Here are some of our favorite learning toys that can be played with at home or in the classroom!  These have been tested and approved by my own kiddos!  (and they can be tough critics!)

 

 

First up...and probably our #1 favorite...is our Snap Circuits!

This is the set we have...

It comes with a book that gives step by step instructions on how to create awesome circuits.  This is my 8 year old daughter doing it all by herself and getting my 1 year old son involved as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up...our Learning Resources Gear Set.

We have the Light and Actions Set, however there are many different sets to choose from.

Again, my 8 year old can pretty much put the gears together on her own.  Sometimes she will ask for adult help because it can be challenging...but isn't the challenging part the best part?!?!?  How else do they learn???

 

 

Our set comes with an electric gear turner which my son absolutely LOVES!

Not all the sets do include this...so if you are planning to purchase...do your homework!

Our next favorite thing is our Laser Maze Game.

My 11 year old daughter actually prefers playing by herself and just making laser beams even though the game is met to be competitive between more players. 

   The idea is to get the laser beam to reach your target using a series of mirrored angles.  It is hard to see the beam in the pictures, but the piece with the red button on top is where the beam comes from and she is directing it to her target pieces below. 

Finally, our last favorite toy is the Lego Fusion.

 

The idea is to build a Lego home, take a picture with your iPad, and it uploads and becomes a virtual reality.

 

All they need to do is download the Lego fusion app, snap a picture (the app gives you hints), and play!

 

 

If I had all the funds I could ever hope for...I would buy each of these in bundles for the 4th graders in my room!  They would make AWESOME centers!  But for now, we settle for playing them in our home!

 

 

 

 

 

For our Friday Flash Freebie, let's ring in the New Year FROZEN style! 

 

 

 

This is a fun and easy prep writing craftivity...Perfect for New Year's Goals and Resolutions!!

 Students will write an essay on their goals for the year using the quote, "It's time to see what I can do to test the limits and break through" as a reflection. This Unit has student templates to fill in as they go through the writing process to get their final published piece perfect!

 

 Also included are templates that can be copied to make your very own "self-portrait" Elsa or Kristoff holding your essay!

Everything you need is included so prep is as easy as making some copies!

Common Core Aligned

 

Enjoy!



Friday Flash Freebie and Some Of My Fav Organizing Tips!

Organization is my ongoing epic struggle.  I am always trying new tips and tricks to keep my day running smoothly!  Here are some of my favorite tips!

Tip #1 - Every Day Answer Keys

There are certain Answer Keys that I grab on a daily basis or weekly basis that I want easily accessible.  For example, our Math Minute and our Grammar Warm Ups are exercises we do nearly every day and correct together nearly every day.

I printed off the answer keys out of the books and put in page protectors.

 I labeled them on the side and stuck them in a file folder.  Best thing ever!

Tip #2 - Supply Organization

I have seen this organizer on several Pinterest sites but decided to try it a few months ago after finding a freebie label download at http://imlovinlit.blogspot.com/.  Now I think this is one of the best things I have done to stay organized.  My desk is no longer cluttered and I can always find everything I need.  Amazing how the littlest things can be the biggest help!

Tip #3 - Staying on Top of Make Up Work and Corrections

This is probably my biggest organizational struggle as a 4th grade teacher.  How do I keep track of corrections and make up work?  It's not so bad right now, but wait until cold and flu season!  So, I have been using this system for a few years and it works great for me!

Any time a paper needs correcting, I put that paper in the student's "Catch Up" File.  If a student has a make up work, that also goes in the student's "Catch Up" File.  Both students and myself can easily see at a glance who has work that needs to be done.

Click on the link below for a FREE download of the sign.

Tip #4 - Sending Papers Home to Parents
Loose papers in desks is one of my biggest pet peeves.  Each child has a mail folder and all papers that need to be taken home are put in these folders.  I also have two students whose assigned jobs for the week are "Paper Passers".  They pass back corrected papers into the mail folders.  Every Friday, students clean out their mail folders and put all papers in their Friday Folders.  Parents know to expect these folders.  After parents have seen corrected papers, they sign the Friday Folder and send back on Monday.  We actually do this as a school which is very helpful.
Here is my mail system.

Tip #5 - Keeping Track of Parent Communication and Student Info
I have tried keeping a binder (but I didn't like the extra steps of 3 hole punching everything and opening the binder - time is limited!).  I tried keeping File Folders but then I have to relabel each year.  So now I use an expandable file folder like the one below.

 I folded back the cover so the files just lay open.  I labeled the expandable file with student numbers that can be reused and I placed in my desk drawer.  Student papers and info can be slipped into it in seconds which helps me stay much more organized!

Tip #6 - Helping Students Remember Names
I think I got this idea a long time ago from somewhere but can't remember where.  However, it is the best idea EVER!

Provide students with highlighters near the turn in station.  Have them highlight their name and number before they turn in papers.  If their name isn't on their paper, they will remember to write it so they can highlight.  
(I mounted this to a book end so it will stand on its own above my Assignment Station.)

Click on the picture below for a link to a FREE download.

Tip #7 - Student Homework Helpers
I have students mark who has homework turned in right away in the morning.  They go though each assignment and check off an a pre-made student list those that turned it in on the list.  That way you know right off the bat who has late work!

Tip #8 - Supplies
I believe it is important for students to have the necessary supplies at all times.  I have a Supply Center where I keep everything the students might need throughout the day that is not necessarily something they would keep in their desk.  It makes life easier if they know to look in the same spot for everything.

This is a new product of mine that I am excited to share.  My kiddos love playing games to review and practice concepts.  Some of them were struggling with contractions, where to put the apostrophe, and what letters remain in the contraction.  This Bingo game will help!

Laminate the cards for durability!

This Contractions Bingo is my Friday Flash Freebie!  Click on any of the pictures above to download this Freebie.  But hurry, it's not free for long!