Morning Messages

I have done morning messages with my classes for years, even in Kindergarten. I write a message in letter format. I always include a certain number of mistakes, many of them are based on skills we are learning. Then, I include a problem for them to solve in Language or Math, which gives a good review.

The messages are handwritten on the easel each day. My students get a post-it, tally the mistakes, and solve the problem. After that, they turn in their post-its, and we go over the message after morning work.

After we go over the message as a class, I go through each post-it to see who got both the number of mistakes and the problem correct. Those who get both correct get a treat of some kind.

I thought it would be cool to make this into a Powerpoint that animates the corrections. Then, I realized this is a great idea to share with other teachers! The children enjoy doing them, and are engaged. Teachers get a good review and a quick snapshot as to which students understand certain concepts. It's a win-win situation!

The result is March Interactive Morning Messages for 2nd Grade.

My class was very excited to do the messages in this format! Here are a few pictures!

This student even used her word bank to look up how to correctly spell a word from the message!

I simply have them use post it notes to record the answers.

 Then, they fold them and put them in the bucket.

This is what it looks like on my projector.

When we finish going over the message, we get a cool picture with an encouraging message!

Below is a video to show you how they work. You can choose whichever message you want each day. All you have to do is put it on the slide you want, then go to "slide show, use current slide." Please note, there is no narration on the video, so you don't need to adjust your sound!

 

Since I wanted teachers to be able to use and reuse the messages year after year, I made the date in the heading and the message editable. It's pretty easy to do. However, I am aware that there are many people who aren't familiar with editing in Powerpoint, so I have included this video to show you how to edit the date. There is no narration in this video either.

Included in the packet is a slide that would be most helpful if printed for students to use each day. It explains the types of mistakes they should look for. Here is a picture.

I plan to make them for each month, then maybe do some themed messages. I'm very excited about this product, and I hope other teachers like it too!

To celebrate this great new product, I will be giving away 2 copies of March Interactive Morning Messages! To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also get a copy of March Interactive Morning Messages at 50% off March 14 and 15!

I'd love to hear what skills and concepts you'd like to see in future Morning Messages products! Please comment below to let me know what you'd like. I'm definitely open to ideas that will help other teachers!

 

 

Adventures in Whole Brain Teaching Week 1

I discovered Whole Brain Teaching this summer. It sounded so easy, and I could just imagine how wonderfully my new class would respond. I was also a bit nervous about it since I am NOT very animated, and I personally hate it when I have to share what I've learned with a partner. I've always been the type of person who learns best by myself. I was also the kid who would go ahead and start working on the paper while the teacher gave instructions because I already knew what to do. Yes, I was THAT kid who now drives me nuts! :)

On the first day of school, I was all ready to start WBT. I knew to teach Class-Yes and the WBT rules first. I knew to practice them over and over until the class could do them flawlessly. I also introduced the scoreboard so the children would be even more excited about the process. 

The first Class-Yes was met with a few groans, and, "I've already done this!" So, I tried to make it a little more exciting for them by being animated. I added gestures, funny noises, and little dances to keep the children interested. I had most of the children buying into it, but I felt ridiculous since this was not my personality at all. Still, I was determined to make this work. I had read about the brain research behind WBT, and it made sense to me. 

As the day went on, MOST of the class was doing fine, but I still had a few that didn't respond or complained each time I went through a procedure. I made sure I added points to the scoreboard, keeping to the 3 point rule where there can't be a difference of more than 3 points on each side. We kept practicing, and I introduced Teach-Okay, Mirror, and the 3-peat for following directions. Most of the children seemed to be getting it, and I was being as animated as I possibly could be.

By afternoon Resource, I was physically and mentally drained. I couldn't imagine teaching like this everyday. It felt so unnatural to me and my fairly quiet personality. I also didn't know what I was going to do about the students who still weren't participating.

I still wasn't ready to give up on WBT, but I knew something had to change. I went home to do more research. I went to the WBT website, reread the introductory information, but still couldn't figure out what I did wrong. I decided to watch some videos of it in action. In one of the videos, Chris Biffle (creator of WBT) mentioned timing students during procedures. They could then try to break their own records by doing it faster the next time. I made a note to myself to try that. Then, I watched a video of a 1st Grade teacher doing WBT. Her children were obviously familiar with the procedures already, but I watched what she did. I knew I hated putting on a song and dance show like I had basically done that day, so there had to be a better way. She simply stated the Class-Yes and Teach-Okay without all of the craziness. The class still responded enthusiastically. That's when I decided I was definitely going to try again.

I've always been the type of teacher who is mostly serious, but occasionally makes a goofy remark or jokes around with students. My humor is often subtle, but in 2nd Grade many of them seem to get it once they get to know me. So, I went in the next day, reviewed the WBT that we already knew, and practiced procedures more in depth. I wasn't as animated, but I added a few goofy sounds or actions as I felt comfortable. Most of the class responded, but there were still those few that I couldn't seem to reach. Overall, the day was better.

The next 2 days I felt that I wasn't keeping the attention of a few more students. I felt like I was doing what I was supposed to do, but something had to be wrong. Were my expectations too high? Why didn't it seem to be working as well. They seemed to be bored with it.

After a long week, I am grateful for a restful weekend! I will continue to learn more about WBT, and hopefully things will go a bit more smoothly next week when we have more academics to add to the mix. I truly want this to be fun and helpful for them and manageable for me.

Stay tuned for more Adventures in Whole Brain Teaching Week 2!  I am determined to make this work! :)

Check out my Whole Brain Teaching Scoreboards Freebie!

Are there any other WBT teachers out there? Share your experiences! I'd love to hear about them!

August Currently

I know, ANOTHER post from me in the same day! I just had to post the August Currently, hosted by Farley at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade.

Most of it is self-explanatory. 

LOVING my new classroom setup because I put 2 comfy reading areas instead of my usual 1. I have the students read everywhere in the room anyway, but it's nice to have 2 cozy spots. 

NEEDING to cut and organize all of those task card sets I printed and laminated (I tend to spend all of my TPT seller earnings on TPT products!). I plan to try something new with  task cards this year, and I wanted a variety of subject areas and topics. What better time to get them all ready than summer vacation?! Well, it would have been great if I had decided to work on them sooner. I decided to spend more time relaxing and enjoying my break instead. My plan for the cards is based on this post I saw on the blog at Sunny Days in Second Grade. I can't wait to try it this year!

Yes, I go back on August 5. Our Orientation is August 8. The students return on August 12. That's the day my son, Jeffery, starts 4th Grade. I can't believe he's going to be a 4th grader!

If you have any other great ideas for using task cards, please share them with us!

Back to School

My summer is almost over. I have to go back to school on August 5. I don't mind going back, I just hate getting up early in the morning. This year will be a bit different for me. It will be my first time as Team Leader, and we have 3 new people on our team. Two of them are new to our school. I'm up to the challenge though!

Be sure to head over to TPT on August 4 and 5! They are having a Blast off Back to School Sale! Items will be 20% off in participating stores, including mine, and you can get up to a total of 28% off by entering the code BTS14. Start your wish list now so you can stock up on August 4 and 5!

Click on the image above to add to your wish list!

When do you go back to school? Are you ready, or would you prefer a longer summer? Do we have any other Team Leaders out there?

It's Time for a Giveaway!

It's almost time for me to go back to school. I can't believe I only have 1 more week! Summer has gone by much too quickly! I have been working on things for school while I have been home though. I was even able to get to my classroom a little bit this summer. I have taken some before pictures. Well, I remembered to take them after I had moved some furniture, but before I really decided where to put everything. I'll be posting after pictures when my room is completely done.

Everything that is on the wall was kept up from last year. It makes things much easier if I don't have to start completely from scratch every year. I now have all of the furniture placed, but I'm waiting until everything is 1st day of school ready so you can see the transformation.

On another note, our county is starting with a new reading and writing series this year - Making Meaning and  Being a Writer from the Developmental Studies Center. The books don't look very exciting, but we'll see how well the series works. Since the books aren't very pretty, I decided to make my own writing rubrics based on the ones in the book. 

These rubrics can be used for ANY writing program, not just our series. They are Common Core based, and would work well in any 2nd Grade classroom. 

If you want to see more, click on the images above and download the preview file. This packet includes  rubrics for narrative, fiction, informative, nonfiction, letters, poems, and opinion writing.

I have the rubrics in various styles and colors, including blackline masters. You are welcome to choose the format you like best. There are smaller copies of the blackline rubrics for student writing notebooks, folders, or whatever you choose. Each rubric (and color) has its own numbered rubric, which can be posted next to it. After each question on the rubric, students decide how they would rate their work on a scale of 1-3 (3 being the highest). This helps them to take more care in checking their writing. Of course, modeling the use of each rubric is necessary, but it will be worth it in the end!

To celebrate the launch of my latest product, I have decided to give away the rubrics to 2 lucky winners! Simply enter on the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



 I am also offering this product at 50% off until July 28 if you'd like to purchase it instead.

Good luck to everyone who enters!




 

I'm Back - With a Freebie!

I know it's been a long time since I last posted. I had a very difficult class last year, which definitely didn't put me in the mood for blogging. However, I'm ready to start the new school year with a clean slate! 

I recently discovered Whole Brain Teaching! I'm sure many of you have already heard of it. For those who haven't, it's a method of keeping the class engaged through listening, seeing, speaking, and moving. I still have lots to learn about it myself, but if you are interested in finding out more, please visit http://wholebrainteaching.com . 

When you get to the website, they have tons of great information about the program (which costs NOTHING, by the way), including reading materials, videos, and lots of FREE downloads! You have to register to access the downloads, but it is definitely worth it. All they ask in return is that you pass along their website to at least 11 people, and send them proof of it. That's exactly what I'm doing right now! :)

If you find you want to try out Whole Brain Teaching, there are also tons of free resources on TPT to help you get started. You can start checking them out by going here.

I also made a freebie for you! The first level of classroom management in Whole Brain Teaching is the scoreboard. You can easily draw one on the board, but I'm all about making useful things cute and decorative for the classroom, so I made 7 scoreboards in different styles. You are welcome to use them for anything you want, but I plan to use them for WBT. 

I decided to upload one of the scoreboard images to Vistaprint, and have it made into a small car magnet to put on my dry erase board. 

To download these, click on one of the images above or click here.

If you download this product, please take a minute to leave feedback! I really appreciate it! Thanks!

What are you looking forward to this coming school year? Let me know in the comments section!

December Currently, a New Item, and Cyber Monday

It's December, and here is my Currently, hosted by Farley at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade!

 

Most of these are self-explanatory, except my favorite tradition. Each year, everyone in my family (there are only 5 of us so it's not too excessive) buys everyone else a stocking stuffer costing no more than $10. For some reason, we had stopped doing it for a few years. This year we decided to bring back the tradition. I like this because we have to be more creative with our gifts. It's always fun to try to think of things to buy others, and it's fun to see what everyone else gets.

I have created a new item for my store, just in time for Cyber Monday (and Tuesday)! My class has a very difficult time with multisyllabic word reading. So, I thought I'd make this simple game that can be used in various ways. You can put it in a center, use it in small groups, or make it a whole-class game. 

Each child takes a turn choosing a card. If he/she reads the word correctly, he/she can keep the card. If a "mischievous elf" card is drawn, the player must put back all of his/her cards. The player with the most cards at the end is the winner. 

I have divided the words into syllables by using the colors red and green. This will help students to sound out the words. I plan to review all of the words with my class tomorrow before putting the game out for them to play.

One thing I love about this game is that the elf cards were made with elf clip art that I drew myself! Those elves can be found here.

Starting tomorrow, everything in my store is 20% off! When you make a purchase at TPT tomorrow and Tuesday, be sure to type in the code CYBER to get a total of 28% off everything in my store! Also, if you aren't already a follower of my TPT store, be sure to become one. That way you can get information about new products and sales. 

I already have several items on my wishlist that I plan to buy during the sale. What do you plan to get? Be sure to share with us in the comments below!

November Currently and Some October Fun

It's November, and here is my Currently, hosted by Farley at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade!

 

Listening - It's laundry day, so of course I can hear the washing machine. Otherwise, things are pretty quiet right now.

Loving - I'm loving that it's the weekend! I can sleep longer, relax, work on my TPT products, and continue reading Allegiant, which I have been wanting to do all week. 

Thinking - I brought my car in to get the oil changed (and to get rid of that annoying light that says, "maintenance needed" or something like that), and they told me I needed 4 new tires. I already knew that, but didn't really want to spend the money. Well, there goes the money! :(

Wanting - I'm looking forward to using some of the new Christmas clip art that I bought to make holiday items for TPT!

Needing - Now that the holiday season is fast-approaching, I need to start Christmas shopping. Oh, wait! I can't do that now. I had to buy 4 tires for my car - UGH!

A Yummy Pin - Anyone who knows me knows I don't like to prepare food. Here is a pin of a dessert that sounded good though. 

It's a recipe for Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cheese Bars. I found it on Pinterest, but the original link is http://www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-cranberry-cheese-bars-198502 .

The day before Halloween, we were visited by the Candy Corn Bandit. 

He stole the Starburst candy corn I had for my class. Before we tried to look for him, we had to predict what he looked like and where the candy was hidden.

After that, we followed the clues to find where the candy was hidden. That bandit brought us to the cafeteria, PE, the playground, the library, and back to our classroom. It was hidden in the classroom the entire time! 

After that, we wrote about the Candy Corn Bandit and our adventures. Then, we completed the craftivity. My class really enjoyed that part because we hardly ever have time to do fun stuff like that anymore.

Obviously, some followed directions, and some decided to add their own creative touches. There were others that took creativity too far, so I didn't post those. 

The most difficult part was gluing the candy corn and the pipe cleaners. I have yet to find an easy way to get pipe cleaners to stick. I'd love to hear suggestions!

Did you do anything fun with your class last week? Be sure to let me know in the comments below!

Math Fluency - This Is Great!

I was visiting Mrs. Croft's Classroom blog. By the way, I found her through the SLANT box program I mentioned previously. She shared about her experience with a site called XtraMath. It's a web site that gives students practice with basic facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It sounded interesting, so I clicked over to check it out.

I was able to sign up very easily, and it took almost no time at all to get my class entered since it only takes first names. When students use it, they have to type in their assigned 4-digit PIN number. This was easy enough since they have a link to print out all student PIN numbers, one page in list format and another in grid format. I quickly cut apart the grid, taped each student's PIN to an index card, and they were ready to go!

The true test of this site was yet to come. I couldn't wait to try it out on my class. I set up my computers, logged in to my class, and it showed the names of the students that would go first. I only have 2 very old computers, but they were sufficient to run the site. I showed my class the introductory video so they would know what to do, then sent the first 2 students to the computers. They were able to log in easily, and seemed to have no problem working the program. They are given a pre-test to see what level they should be working on, then they can move on to that level.

One of the wonderful things about this site is that it requires no effort after you log in! When a student finishes, it shows the name of the next student to go. He/she will go tap the next person on the shoulder to let him/her know it's time to get on the computer. There is no interruption of class time at all! There are buttons to click if a child is absent or busy when it is his/her turn. When "busy" is selected, the program will simply call the student at a later time.

One drawback to this program occurred when almost everyone had had a turn. A child was on one computer, and her name also showed up on the other computer for her turn. That was resolved simply by pressing the "busy" button. So, it wasn't too much of a concern.

There are parent letters to let parents know how to let their child do this at home. That's a great way to get homework done while getting extra practice with math facts!

You can also see the progress of each child. Their daily performance is color-coded, and if you click on the arrow (it looks kind of like a little heart with an arrow in it), you can see which ones the student answered correctly and which ones he/she missed. Over time, it graphs the child's progress. You are also sent weekly reports in case you don't have time to check in on the site.

Here is a screen shot of one day's scores for one child:

The colored dots on the right-hand side show how each child did. The class list is covered by this student's scores in the picture.

To help you interpret the results above, here is something from the site's FAQ:

"What do the yellow smiley, green check, blue hourglass and red X icons mean?"

"Click on the colored dots on the student report calendar or the class report usage column to see detailed information about the questions answered by the student. A yellow smiley face means the question was answered correctly within 3 seconds. A green check mark means the question was answered correctly within 10 seconds. A blue hourglass means the question was not answered within 10 seconds. A red X means the question was answered incorrectly."

The best thing about this site, and I KNOW everyone will LOVE this, is that it is FREE!!

I highly recommend trying this out. It's great for teachers and parents to help children develop math fact fluency. Parents can sign up even if their child's teacher isn't using it.

Do you know of any great learning websites that you'd like to share? Comment below and tell us!

Flash Sale!

I'm having a 20% off sale from now through 10/14!

Click here to visit my Facebook page, and find out how to save even more!

Be sure to check out my new math facts card games when you visit my store!

Have a great weekend! 

October Currently, a New Discovery, and a Treat

It's October, and I'm a little late, but here is my Currently, hosted by Farley at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade!

 

Listening - Yes, I live with my parents. I have lived on my own in my own house as well. This situation works out for us right now. Anyway, our computers are set up in what used to be the dining room. All is quiet, except for the faint sound of music from my mom's Scrabble game.

Loving - After MUCH nagging, I was finally able to get my 8-year-old son to clean his room! He had to be told what to do a little at a time, but he did it!

Thinking - I posted a few new TPT products today, and now I'm thinking of new ideas.

Wanting - It's Saturday night, and we still have Sunday. However, it's always nice to have a 3-day weekend. I tend to get more done when we have one. Too bad we don't this weekend!

Needing - During the summer I had lost 25 pounds. Once school started, it was too easy to fall back into my old eating habits. I need to get back on track!

Treat -  You'll have to do a few tricks to get it! Visit my store and find your favorite product that is $5.00 or less. Comment below with the name of the product and your e-mail address. On Monday, I will randomly select 3 winners to get their favorite product. Good luck!

Now for my new discovery! I found the blog, Lessons With Coffee, and found this:

 If you sign up by the 3rd of the month (I was too late for this month), you are paired up with another teacher. You get to know one another, then you send a box with gifts (worth no more than $10.00 total) based on the monthly theme, and a hand-written note to that person. By getting to know the person beforehand, you get ideas for what to send. It sounds like such a fun idea! I signed up for next month already! Click on the picture above to find out more about these SLANT boxes!

Also, I have added a few new items to my TPT store. They help students develop fluency in addition and subtraction facts, and have a fall theme. They are all 50% off for a limited time! Click on the pictures to learn more!

Remember to comment below with the name of your favorite product in my TPT store that is $5.00 or less and your e-mail address! You could be one of 3 lucky winners chosen on Monday!

The First 2 Weeks...

Wow! The first 2 weeks of students is done, and I'm exhausted! I think I have a pretty good class this year. They are VERY different from last year. Last year, seemed easy as far as my students were concerned. I showed them what to do, and they did it. They were fairly independent, so I could focus on learning 2nd Grade curriculum. This year, my class doesn't seem to have the same independence. So, I've been modeling, modeling, modeling. They are trying very hard to do what is expected, but I can feel the difference between this class and last year's class.

I feel good about taking my time with rituals and routines this year. I keep reminding myself it will be worth it later. Then, I hear about all of the things other teachers on my team are already doing. That's when I start to wonder if I'm going TOO slowly...

Then, today I check my e-mail, and find this in my box . It was a wonderful reminder that I am doing the right thing. I have subscribed to this e-mail list for months now, and have both of the books on my Kindle Fire. After reading today's e-mail, I thought I'd share it with all of you so you could benefit from it too.

What has inspired you so far this year (whether you've started school or not)? Feel free to let us know in the comments section!

Back to School, a Freebie, and a TPT Sale

Our students returned on Tuesday. I have 4 students I have had previously (3 from Kindergarten, and one I retained last year whose mother wanted me to have again). This is a very different group from last year. Last year's class didn't need as much direction, and were calmer overall. That's exactly what I needed because I was starting in a new grade level, and wasn't exactly sure how I would do things. 

This year I'm trying to be more organized, and I know how I want to do routines based on things that worked/didn't work last year. This is good because I can focus more on getting the children to learn routines. So far they have been receptive to learning how I want things done. I just have to make sure I don't let them get carried away with the talking. 

One of the routines we practiced was the Morning Message. This year's anchor chart for the message came out much better than the one I did last year.

After making the chart, we did a practice message together. I showed them how to get their materials (pencil, clipboard, paper). Then, we went through the message sentence by sentence and tallied mistakes. After that, I showed them how to fold their note papers and put them in the Morning Message Bucket. 

The next day, I had them try one on their own. I only put 3 mistakes. However, only 2 people got it right. I'm sure more of them will get it right with practice. The children who get it right get a small prize. It's a great way to review skills taught in class.

Before going back to school (when I had lots of time), I made some table labels for myself. I liked them so much that I made them into a freebie for you. The colors are pastel, but they show up nicely in my classroom.

Click on the picture above to download.

Teachers Pay Teachers is having their annual Back to School Sale on August 18 and 19! All of my products will be 20% off, PLUS if you enter the code BTS13, TPT will take another 8% off. You'll get a total of 28% off of your purchase! Also, remember to leave feedback for all purchased items. If you do, you'll earn points good towards $$ off of your purchases. This works all the time, not just for the BTS sale!

Click on the banner below to visit my store.

Thank you to Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs for the sale banner!

I also have a brand new product! I decided to make editable templates based on a theme. Since My current theme is sea life, I went with that. 

In this packet you will find editable templates with a sea life theme. The templates can be used for nameplates, nametags, signs, word walls, notepads, binder covers, flash cards, and whatever else you can think of.

For nametags, simply print the page(s) on full sheet labels, then cut them to the appropriate size. The rest of the pages work best when printed on card stock. After printing, laminate for durability.

I have typed in the text boxes so you can see where they are. Simply replace my text with your own in whatever font and size you choose.

Click here or on the images above to check out this product.

Now, my question to you is this:

What themes would you like to see in editable templates?

August Currently

I know - you're amazed that I'm posting twice in one day! I am too! :) It's time for Currently from Oh' Boy 4th Grade!

The Listening is self explanatory. The Loving is that I've lost 22 pounds this summer! I still have a long way to go, especially since the loss doesn't seem to show that much, but I'm very excited to have lost as much as I did. I hope I can continue to lose even after school starts!

As for the Thinking and Wanting - don't we all? I already have a to-do list of things I want to get done before we start school next week. This summer has been a fun and restful time for me, and I hate to see it end. 

Needing, well I'm kind of embarrassed about this. Since summer started, my sleep schedule has gotten WAY off track. I can't seem to fall asleep until around 3 am, and then I sleep until 11 or 12. It's going to be hard to get out of that bad habit. Yes, my son gets up earlier than that. He wakes me up when he gets up. I get him settled, and he keeps himself busy (he's very good at that). Then, I go back to sleep. Also, we live with my parents, so they are there to help out with him if he needs something. I consider myself very lucky!

Now for the back to school must-haves! I LOVE Sharpies of all different colors! I just love writing with the fine tip and using multiple colors on posters for my classroom.

Computer labels are definitely a must-have! It's so nice to just print out an entire class of names on labels to put on nametags, journals, folders, cubbies, pocket charts, and whatever else I need to put them on. It's so much easier than hand writing the names on everything like I had to do when I first started teaching.

As for the 2nd Grade Data Folder and Checklist, it's an item I found on TPT by 1st Grade is WeinerFUL. Our grading system and report cards are drastically changing this year. We will be starting to implement Common Core, and I am terrible at keeping data. So, when I found this product I was thrilled. There are pages and pages of charts for students to keep track of data, as well as Common Core checklists for them to use. Also, it's CUTE! Everyone who knows me knows I need to have teaching materials that are cute. If it isn't cute, I make it cute. If you want to check this out, click on the picture below.

Be sure to download the preview because it gives you a good overview of the product, and you get a few freebie pages in it. I don't plan to use all of the pages, but many of them will work for me. Also, I may print 2 pages each on the back and front sides of the paper to save on copy paper.

UPDATE: I found out she has them for Kindergarten and 1st Grade as well, and they are just as cute!

What are your back to school must-haves? Let me know by leaving a comment below. Thanks!