Sunday Scoop

I'm joining The Teaching Trio for their brand new, fun linky ...

Be sure to stop by The Teaching Trio for more Sunday Scoop posts. You'll be able to catch up on the blogging world news and perhaps make some new friends.

Five for Friday Late on Saturday

OK, OK I'm going to say it again: WHERE DOES THE TIME GO? Last I knew, it was Wednesday; now it's late Saturday night! Jeepers! I was suppose to keep up with the September Teacher Photo Challenge (I actually have on IG); I had promised myself I would be on time for Five for Friday; and I had two special bloggy friend celebrations to shout out! It's all going to be rolled into one!!!

First... Photo Challenge Day 4: Teacher's Desk (ha ha, love this one... silly grin)

It is LARGE! It is covered! This is CLEAN... believe it or not!
My goal for this school year is to keep a much neater desk than usual.
So far, so good... for me.

Second... Photo Challenge Day 5: Read Aloud

I received this book as a demo early in the summer.
I fell in love with it! It is filled with terrific life lessons,
a character who relies on God, and loads of literary skill material:
allusion, allegory, character development, conflict, et al.
My sixers are LOVIN' it!

Third... Photo Challenge Day 6: Morning Drink

No explanation needed, other than...
Hazelnut YUM!!!

Fourth... My friends over at The Teaching Trio have quite the celebration going on. They have a brand new blog design just launched, and as part of the launch a huge giveaway with 30 TpT participants. Hop on over to check out their fresh new bloggy face and enter to win one, two, or all three prize packages they are offering. The giveaway ends this coming Tuesday, Sept. 9th.

Fifth... My dear bloggy friend Deb from Crafting Connections is celebrating a HUGE TpT Milestone... 3000 followers as well as 600 blog followers and 700 Pinterest followers! WOWZA! She is celebrating with a terrific giveaway. Be sure to visit Crafting Connections before Sept. 9th to enter to win one of three AWESOME prizes.

September Photo Challenge Day 3 and Wordless Wednesday

Today's photo in the September Teacher Photo Challenge calls for a pic of a bulletin board.

How many of you change your bulletin boards on a regular basis? I absolutely HATE bulletin boards. All of mine are tied into routines, anchor charts, learning posters, etc. so I do NOT have to change them EVER! Here is a shot of one of my boards. On it students keep track of their homework, brag tag (some are currently missing), and classroom rules.

I'm joining Miss DeCarbo for Wordless Wednesday for this photo as well. Be sure to stop by her blog to see lots more fun, interesting photos shared by teacher bloggers.

September Photo Challenge Day 2

Today's photo challenge topic calls for a shot of a chalkboard.

 Hmm? Technically, there is a chalkboard in my room, but it is covered by a Smartboard and a part of a widescreen T.V.. Therefore, it's not used as a chalkboard. I use what little is left of it as a place to hang learning posters or student work.

When  I think about it, I really do not have the board space on which to write a lot of material. I find that since I am housed in this current room I rely more on anchor charts (I go through A LOT of chart paper), learning posters, interactive notebooks, and smartboard activities than on the traditional chalkboard/whiteboard kinds of teaching and learning activities of my past. I've adapted in a variety of ways, so much so that I really haven't missed using the chalkboard. I remember when I fist moved in to this room, complaining and moaning about the lack of board space. I didn't think that I would survive without it. Survive I have, and happily so... no more chalkdust, clapping erasers, or chalk prints on my pants!

What is your favorite way to present lessons to your students?

September Photo Challenge Day 1

Here it is already September 1st. Time seems to fly once school is back in session. It's hard to believe that we've put in two weeks already. Busy with school work, I've been neglecting my blog a bit although I've been posting on Instagram regularly.

There's a fun little teacher photo challenge that appears each month on Instagram.

I have great intentions at the beginning of every month but seem to peter out halfway through. I decided I'm going to challenge myself to make it through EACH DAY of September, posting a photo on Instagram according to the topic.

Today's topic is Labor Day Activitiy. I worked on making my class set of brag tags today: printing, laminating, cutting, punching, sorting, and stringing. They are all ready to go for tomorrow mornng!

My sixers LOVE brag tags! I used them with this group last year during fifth grade Language Arts class and they really helped the kiddos keep motivated with homework and studying for spelling tests. My sixers have been asking me where their tags are. I decided to wait until my class roster settled before making them since the initial set of tags is personalized with student names. We have new students enter during the first few weeks on a regular basis. This year my class has added three new boys since the first week of school.

In celebration of finishing my brag tags, here's a little FREEBIE for you. This is one of the tags that I give to my sixers in their initial set. You can download your copy HERE. If you'd like to read more about the complete product simply click on the pic below.

Throwback Thursday Response Booklets

It's that time again (I almost forgot it was Thursday....egads!) so it's time for...

What is Throwback Thursday? How does it work, you might ask? Simply look through your PURR-fect Previous Posts, perhaps a particular favorite of yours, and re-post it! Then add the TBT badge to your post and include your link below! Purr-fectly easy and simple! Your post doesn't have to be from LOOOONNNGGG ago; it can be from last month or even earlier this week. And if you don't have a post to share, perhaps an old photo or two from WAY BACK will do! Even a favorite pin is PURR-fect! Just join in the Throwback fun!

This blog post originally was posted on Feb. 20, 2013, my first REAL post ever (I did write an introductory post but that one doesn't count)

I recently observed a sixth grade language arts teacher at a different school and liked an activity that she was doing with her classes. I immediately began planning how I could incorporate this same idea into my own classroom. I call the activity a Response Booklet. The first one I'm having my students do is centered around sentences and aligns with the Common Core Standard for English Language Arts grade six number five. It's a great way for my students to brush-up on previously taught skills without them having to complete a worksheet, and it causes them to read more closely and thoughtfully.

I am anxious to see my students' completed booklets and will share photos here when they are finished with them.

 Feel free to download a copy and try it out in your classroom. Although intended for a sixth grade class, it can easily be adapted to other grade levels. This is the first of several response booklets I have planned. The complete set will be available for purchase in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store when it is finished.

You can download the FREE sample copy HERE.

Now it's your turn...

Wordless Wednesday

I'm joining Miss DeCarbo once again for...

Do you ever do STEM challenges with your students?

Monday Made It: Voice-o-Meter

I'm happy to be joining Tara once again for...

This week's Made It was another quick and simple one that I whipped up on Sunday afternoon. I had planned on having this done before school started but I ran out of time (and steam). 

Here's my Voice-o-Meter! 

You've probably seen the Noise Level Charts all over Pinterest, and if you are a proponent of Whole Brain Teaching then you are familiar with the Volume-o-Meter and how it works. My Voice-O-Meter is similar. There are six levels of voices that my class identifies from Jackpot (REALLY LOUD and FRENZIED) to BARELY THERE (quietest whisper imaginable). This clip chart is meant to be prominently displayed in a classroom. The teacher can mark the acceptable voice level for each activity throughout the school day with a clothespin or clip. Students can view the chart and be constantly reminded of their expected noise level.

I can't wait to put it to use this coming week! If you'd like a copy of my Voice-o-Meter you can download it HERE; it's a forever FREEBIE!

Don't forget to hop over to Tara's blog for more Monday Made It's! Make sure you also stop by Classroom Freebies where you can find loads of terrific FREE teaching items.

Throwback Thursday 8.21.14

Are you ready? Let's get started with...

What is Throwback Thursday? How does it work, you might ask? Simply look through your PURR-fect Previous Posts, perhaps a particular favorite of yours, and re-post it! Then add the TBT badge to your post and include your link below! Purr-fectly easy and simple! Your post doesn't have to be from LOOOONNNGGG ago; it can be from last month or even earlier this week. And if you don't have a post to share, perhaps an old photo or two from WAY BACK will do! Even a favorite pin is PURR-fect! Just join in the Throwback fun!

This post originally appeared August 18, 2013, while I was preparing things for the first week of school which is what I'm doing now as well. That's how I came upon this post.

I'm linking up for the first time with Collaboration Cuties for their weekly Mentor Text Linky Party. I've been following the blog posts for this linky for several months and have finally decided to join in... with this awesome science text...

From Amazon..."Not an ordinary mystery book, One Minute Mysteries makes science fun! Each one-minute mystery (solutions included) exercises critical thinking skills while covering earth, space, life, physical, chemical, and general science. This entertaining and educational book is great for kids, grown-ups, schools, educators, homeschoolers and anyone who loves good mysteries, good science, or both!"

I LOVE to do read alouds with my upper elementary students, and I make sure that I read something each day in each class. I think it's a terrific way to model fluent reading for kids, and it can quickly engage students with content area material... not to mention sharpening auditory/listening skills. That's exactly what 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Science does.

I was introduced to this book and its companion about Math at an inservice for Gifted and Talented students about three years ago. The presenter picked it up from his stash of books on a table and randomly opened it without telling us what the title was or what the book was about. He began reading and I was hooked!

Each mystery is a simple narrative chock-full of Science content with something amiss. At the end of the narrative is a photograph or illustration related to the content followed by the "solution."

When using this as a read aloud, my students must listen for what is out of place, amiss, or just plain in-your-face wrong with the Science presented. You can read a few of the mysteries HERE to get a feel for the book. Based on their knowledge I ask my students to solve the mystery and provide reasoning for their response. No one may simply guess; each must provide Science evidence. If they can not solve the mystery, I send them off to do research, not immediately but rather on their own time, and we proceed with the day's lesson. The next mystery is not shared with them until they solve the current one. 

Doesn't this sound a little like close reading, textual evidence, comparing texts, reading across the curriculum... common core? I think it would be great to have enough copies of this book to use with a class of students. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to sway my administration. However, 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Science is available in Kindle format so I am able to project the text on my Smartboard or widescreen TV and present it to my students. We highlight evidence, underline or circle important text, and immediately head off on the internet to answer science questions they may have. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!

You can imagine then how excited I was when I went in search of links for 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Science on Amazon and found...TA DA!

It is already stored in my Kindle, ready to go. LOL!

This book is once again ready to go in my Kindle (actually on my Kindle app on the computer at school). I hope this crop of sixers enjoys it as much as the last did.

OK, now it's your turn.

Monday Made It Corny Treat Labels

I had every intention of writing this blog post on Saturday (I went to see Cirque du Soleil), then again on Sunday evening (I spent a longer day than I thought with special friends)... you see that my intentions didn't make it until now when Monday is nearly over. However, it is still Monday so I made it for...

This week's Made It is a quicky and oh so simple one! I was looking for a clever, cute treat that I could share with my sixers on the first day of school. I didn't want the SODA-lighted pop cans from last year or the survival bags of previous years. I wanted REALLY quick and simple! While I was walking through Big Lots I spied these and grabbed a couple of boxes.

My incoming sixers LOVE corny puns so I thought of this little greeting and made some labels which if you like, you can download HERE.

I cut out the labels using a giant, scalloped hole punch and stapled them to the fruit pouches. Here's what the finished treat looks like!

Not too bad for a quicky!

Be sure to stop by Tara's blog 4th Grade Frolics for more Monday Made It's!

Please also stop by my dear, bloggy friend Jessica's blog, Joy in the Journey. Her husband and friends from church are traveling to Southeast Asia this fall to help improve the living conditions for Cambodian villagers.

To help defray the cost of the trip, Jessica (along with a little help from some of her bloggy friends) has put together a wonderful back-to-school package of teaching products that she is offering in her TpT store at a very low price. All of the proceeds from this package are going toward the trip.

Please consider purchasing this bundle for a great cause!