Versatile Blogger Award

Lisa at Learning is Something to Treasure has awarded me a Versatile Blogger award!  Thanks a bunch, Lisa!!  :)   

Here are the rules for this award:

1.  Thank the blogger who nominated you.
2.  Include a link to their site.

3.  Include the award image in your post.

4.  Give 7 random facts about yourself

5.  Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award.

6.  When nominating, include a link to their site.

7.  Let other bloggers know they've been nominated.

These are the 15 wonderful bloggers that I'd like to pass the award on to!

 Colleen at Totally Terrific in Texas

Tasha at Serenade to Second Grade

Rebecca at Create.Teach.Share

Beth at Made In the Shade in Second Grade

Mrs. Nielson at Thriving Third Graders

Jenaya at The Lesson Plan Diva

Jessica at Tales of a Teacherista

Mary at Mrs. Lirette's Learning Detectives 

Mrs. McCumbee and Mrs. Schroeder at Me and My Gang

 Amanda at Teaching Maddeness 

Angie at Timeouts and Tootsie Rolls

Erin at Tales from Room 112

Michelle at Teach 123

Stephanie at Primary Possibilities

Rachel at The Tattooed Teacher 

And....seven random facts about myself:

1.  I must have ice cream daily.  :)

2.  I love to read, but never seem set aside enough time to do it!

3.  My husband and I are both teachers.  (He teaches 7th.....I couldn't do it.)

4.  I'm afraid of heights.

5.  The only movie I don't mind watching over and over again is The Princess Bride.

6.  I have one sibling - A brother 2 years younger than me.

7.  I can't whistle or snap my fingers.  (Creates some challenges as a second grade teacher.)  :)

Cookie Compliments & Brownie Points

I can't wait to try out the "Brownie Points" reward system with my class next year!  For the past three years I've done a compliment jar, but this sounds like WAY more fun!  I've seen MANY versions of this on Pinterest.  I also stumbled upon Rachelle's "Mystery Envelope" idea from What the Teacher Wants and incorporated that into mine as well.   Just for something different, I came up with the idea of Cookie Compliments that can be used as an alternative.  Below is a picture of my brownie pan and a download that includes cookies, brownies, a Mystery Envelope cover page, and rewards!

{printable)

One Lovely Blog Award

Thank you VERY much to Colleen at Totally Terrific in Texas for awarding me a One Lovely Blog award!!  If you haven't visited her blog yet, be sure to check it out!

Once you receive the award, you have to pass it on to others! Here are the 3 rules to follow:

1. Follow the person that gave you the award.

2. Link back to the person that gave you the award.

3. Pass the award on to 15 new bloggers.

Here are the 15 bloggers I'd like to pass the it on to!

     

 

         

Informational Text Post-it Poster

I created a few Post-it Posters several weeks ago, but was inspired by Aimee's posters at Primarily Speaking to make a nonfiction one!  I think I'm finally done making things for awhile.  :)  Here's the latest poster:

{printable}

I'm taking my massive stack of goodies to United Art and Education to have laminated this afternoon.  They are going to just love me!  :)

Boggle & Daily Shedule Cards

Two of my goals this summer were to create Daily Schedule Cards and a Boggle Board (Thank you, Pinterest!) for next year.  I've seen MANY cute ideas and printables for both.  Although, to save on color ink, I created some that were just in black and white.  I printed them on bright paper to add some color.  :) So, if you're a cheapskate like me, the printables are below!  ;)

Boggle Board Letters

{printable}

Daily Schedule Cards

Click HERE for the free printable!

To purchase a customized version of these cards on TpT, click HERE!

Line Jingles Book

I put together this "Line Jingles" book to use with my class next year.  We had ONE poem that we would say lining up each time....so much more fun with a bunch to choose from!  I'll have to work on memorizing these before August!  :)

Both of the items I included are from From What the Teacher Wants. Here is what I have in my binder (click to download):

Good-bye Rhymes Pages

Line Up Chants 

I just put mine in sheet protectors to save on laminating costs.  :)  Enjoy!

Objectives and Brain Breaks

My school is one of many that will be required to post our daily objectives in our classrooms next year. I've FINALLY finished mine!  I purchased Erin Morrison's Common Core posters (FANTASTIC resource!) and used Angie's idea from Timeouts and Tootsie Rolls to organize all of them! Another project checked off my summer "to-do" list!  :)

 

If you'd like the labels, click on the photo below. (Avery 5195)

I've seen some great ideas on Pinterest for "Brain Break" sticks.  This is such a fun way to help refocus the class and to give them their much needed breaks! Miss Sullard at Keep Calm and Teach On has a {free} download for a list of activities you can include.

Here's the label I created - Click to download!

Check out the dollar bins at Target for cute buckets!

Stoplight Paragraphs

Mrs. Prince at Spend a day in Second Grade has some great ideas, printables, and lessons for writing paragraphs using the Stoplight Method.  I used her idea and created a simple stoplight anchor chart to use for writing next year!  I also like her idea of copying sample paragraphs on colored sentence strips to post near the chart.  Click on the photo to download the template I used to create my stoplight!

Post-It Posters!

I love the Post-It Poster ideas I've found online for reading comprehension!  I've gone ahead a made a few of my own!

Click on the photo below to download the printable story elements I used to create this poster.

Go to the Create.Teach.Share. blog to download the printables for creating the Making Connections poster. 

Check out the links below to see where I found these great ideas!

Create.Teach.Share.

Funky First Grade Fun

New AR Incentive Charts

These are the new charts I will be using as incentives for AR points next year!  (See previous post on how I use these.)

Click on image to download.

STAR Behavior System

I started the Clip Chart behavior system last year and have absolutely LOVED it!  My kids are so motivated by "moving up" their clips!  I feel like it has provided many more opportunities for positive reinforcement!  I got the original idea from Mrs. Bainbridge's class website last summer. 

If a student gets on pink, they get to put a jewel on his/her clothespin (as suggested by Mrs. Bainbridge) and they get a "pink note" to take home and show off to their families!  To keep track of my students' daily behaviors, I've created a binder with these weekly recording sheets (click to download on TpT):

 At the end of each day, I use the chart to record my students' behaviors.  If a student stays on green (the starting point each day), then I just leave it blank.  Students who move up on the chart are marked by circled, color abbreviations.  If students move down on the chart, I mark the behavior with a corresponding abbreviation (i.e. T=talking, D=disrespect, BP=bathroom procedures, etc.).  If there is a situation where I feel more documentation is needed, I will write down the date, student name, and problem on the Weekly Notes sheet.  My students have daily take-home folders (STAR folders) that include a calendar for each month we are in school.  At the end of each day, they color the calendar to match the color they landed on.  (Parents are asked to check and initial this nightly.)  {CLICK HERE for the STAR calendar.}  It rarely happens, but if a student gets on "red", I fill out the following note with them.  Click the image for a free version!

Go to my Classroom Rules in Motion post for an updated version of my Red Letter document!

 

For more information on using the Clip Chart system in your own classroom, click HERE!