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The Vocabulary of QR Codes
Let’s be honest. The school “gave” me an iPad 2 years ago. I’ve been carrying it around, using it to check email and Facebook. Some of the time the “cha-ching” of a sales works on TpT. In other words, I haven’t used it well. I did make a few products last year that used QR codes. My kids got to use the iPad a tiny bit for that, but I never really explored the cool ways QR codes could be used beyond self checking. Here’s my vocabulary of QR codes. A...
My Kids Can’t Spell!
My spelling is Wobbly. It’s good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places. ~A. A. Milne My kids can’t spell! Maybe that is because I am not doing word study the right way. Diane Henry Leipzig says “Word study provides students with opportunities to investigate and understand the patterns in words. Knowledge of these patterns means that students needn’t learn to spell one word at a time.” I thought that spelling lists also did this. Each list has a pattern that is explicitly investigated. Kids...
Visualize Vocabulary: Culture
A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. ~ Mahatma Gandhi I have neglected my blog. I think its neglect is based on my lack of focus. I haven’t or hadn’t found a purpose for my blog. My blog name screams to me that it has a purpose, but I’ve ignored that for a mish mash of items with no purpose. The purpose of my blog is not: to talk about day to day problems at school to share ideas of others...
Saturday Extra: Halloween
There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch. ~Robert Brault Happy Halloween This poster needs the following credits: thanks to Lovin Lit http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lovin-Lit, Melody Bastin http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Seller/Search:Melody+Bastin, and My Cute Graphics http://www.mycutegraphics.com/ Click on the poster to see all of my Halloween products on TpT. Click on the link to have a copy of the poster. Happy Halloween!...
Saturday Extra: Good Citizen Foldable
I hope everyone who is back to school is enjoying a great start. I know I am with my 18 third graders. We’ve learned a lot about each other this week. I am anxious to do some beginning of year testing to better understand each child’s needs (but not before I enjoy my long weekend, of course). I am enjoying my long weekend by creating for my classroom and for my Teachers Pay Teachers store! This is what I truly love to do. We have been asked to begin...
No Time Left
Lost time is never found again. – Benjamin Franklin I have had a very productive summer working on new products for TpT. My work has not gone in a linear manner. I get sidetracked by new, fun ideas. I get discouraged at a tough spot and go on to something else. I get excited about making products with different themes and run out of time for making other products. I worked probably 50+ hours each week with one 10 day vacation. I made 70 new products. I probably have...
It’s Time to Start Again
If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over? – John Wooden I am headed to my classroom this morning to begin organizing it for another school year. I have created so many new things for my penguin decor that i am not even sure that I have all of it. I still have more to do; labels, name cards, etc. I can’t wait to get my new list of names. With technology, these days I can look at pictures...
Stopping Paper Clutter
Status quo, you know, is Latin for ‘the mess we’re in’. – Ronald Reagan I really have a goal of taming the paper mess in my classroom. The pictures above are from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of a week when I was REALLY TRYING to keep papers organized and my work space uncluttered. I am not showing Thursday and Friday; it is just too sad. I’ve read a few blogs on organization over the summer. This one is great: http://clutterfreeclassroom.blogspot.com/p/classroom-organization-giveaway.html I have a plan and I think it...
Brain Breaks
“I like nonsense, it wakes up brain cells.” – Dr. Seuss Brain Breaks We’ve learned that regularly incorporating short movement activities into the instructional day allows children to get their ‘wiggles’ out, and energizes them and increases their ability to focus on the next learning activity. Find It in a Flash This activity helps students make associations (which also helps develop vocabulary). The teacher needs a set of flashcards with colors, shapes, letters, or numbers etc. For a quick brain break randomly flash a card, students must quickly find five...
Help, I Need a Name!
I’ve a grand memory for forgetting. – Robert Louis Stevenson I have a fun plan for those pesky “No Name” papers. I am going to put this poster on my whiteboard and keep some penguin magnets nearby. I will attach the papers under the sign for the students to claim. The penguin clip art is from clker.com. The font is KristenITC. Penguin Name I have been searching for some new magnets for this plan. I just ordered these: http://www.zazzle.com/angry_penguin_refrigerator_magnets-147525072923156196 I made these for those of you with an owl...
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