Cookin' Up a Great Year

Well friends, I have two more half days to go!! TWO!! I can almost taste the summer! I know many of you have already finished, but I know some of you still have a little bit of time left for fun activities to wrap up your year!

I am wrapping up my last two days with this fun little mini unit. It could be used for the beginning of the year as well.

It is available in both of my shops!

And, here is an end of the year word search freebie! Just click to download!

End of the Year Freebie

I have been seeing so many end of the year student gift ideas around and I wanted to make my own. I thought it would be cute to send them off with some of the top songs from 2012. I'm gonna make them each a CD with  this cute little printable to go with it.

They are available in blue and pink for your boys and your girls. Just click the image above to download.

I hope you guys can use it! I think the kids will love it!

Don't forget about my Memorial Day sale! It ends tomorrow!! I added a new set of newsletters to my shops too!

Memorial Day Saleabration!

I'm in Waynesville, North Carolina with my moms scrapbooking group and it has been SOOOO relaxing. Kinda having some personal issues so my mom asked me to come up for the weekend. I'm glad I did. Now I have time to do some thinking and some work that I have been meaning to get done!

First of all, I'm joining in on the Memorial Day sale! Head to my TPT shop by clicking below! I also decided to throw a sale in my TN shop as well!

Yesterday, I worked on a new set of newsletters to use during different holidays of the year including:

Labor Day/Memorial Day
Veteran's Day
Christmas
Fall
Martin Luther King
Cinco de Mayo
Groundhog Day
New Years
Mardi Gras
Earth Day
St. Patrick's Day
Easter
Summer

They are available in both of my shops!

Summer Sale and a Social Studies Freebie!

I'm celebrating the end of the school year with a sale!

The sale runs from today through May 26 in both of my shops!

I would love for you to participate by grabbing the picture above, posting it on your blog, and throwing a sale in your own store(s)! Please link back to this post if you choose to participate! 

In other news, we are going to review what we learned about South Carolina's regions this year with this fun little book!

I know this doesn't really benefit anyone but us South Carolina 3rd grade teachers, but I still wanted to share! Directions are included as to how to print and assemble!

You can download it for free HERE!

Learning Resources Giveaway: Luna Projector

I actually have a document camera in my classroom and I love it because there are sooooo many amazing things you can do with them! But, I must say, Learning Resources' Luna Interactive Projector is flippin' amazing! My document camera takes up way too much table space, but this little gem is small and versatile. 

It not only functions as a projector, but it is also a web cam and takes pictures and videos! How nifty is that!? All the while needing NO batteries! 

This projector is great for so many different things including:

Making Words

Demonstrating handwriting and cursive

Showing books/textbooks

Modeling writing and other activities

Using manipulatives for math

Displaying homework/classwork

Checking homework/classwork

Demonstrating science experiments

I can't even list them all, but you would definitely want one of these in your classroom!

For more information on this resource, please visit the Learning Resources youtube link by clicking HERE. 

You can WIN this amazing resource by doing ALL four of these simple things:

1) Follow my blog and leave a comment (WITH YOUR EMAIL) letting me know how you would use this in your classroom.

2) Follow Learning Resources on Facebook.

3) Follow Learning Resources on Pinterest.

4) Follow Learning Resources on Twitter.

Please use the Rafflecopter for your entries to be counted! If you do not see it below, please click Read More. Your blog comment will not be counted if you do not enter it into the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kindergarten Common Core Math Vocabulary Cards

I have finally completed my Kindergarten Common Core cards! FINALLY...after like two months of putting it off...THEY'RE DONE!

I plan on working on the ELA version this summer!

The first person to comment will receive a free set of Common Core math cards for whichever grade you teach! Just leave me a comment telling me your summer plans! Don't forget to include your grade level and your email. I have cards for grades K-5.

I would also very much appreciate it if you would go an follow both my TN and TPT stores. You can click on the buttons below to purchase the item and to follow my stores!

Kindergarten Common Core and more...

The end of the school year is fast approaching and it's always kind of bitter sweet. We learned Friday that many of the teachers are being moved around and we are losing two of our teammates. =( We were such a great team and it makes me sad to say goodbye to these two ladies! I just hope next year, our new team can be just as awesome!

I have FINALLY started working on the Kindergarten Common Core Math Word Wall cards! I know...I have been saying this for months, but I really have been working on them. I hope to have them finished and posted for sale by Sunday. 

This summer, my goal is to create them for ELA also, along with many other ideas I have floating around in my head.

I am also currently working on a landforms clip art set. I am just having some issues with my scanner, so until that gets remedied, it'll just have to wait. 

I will also be having my final Learning Resources giveaway this weekend. 

So stay tuned for that!

I will also be having a Summer Sale starting next week!! More details to come!

Happy Saturday! I'm off to a cow roast!

AND, vote for me for most fascinating blog!

Lesson Plan Template Freebie

I have been wanting to change up my lesson plan template for a while now and finally got busy working on one after I finished my Voyage to the Volcano Novel Study unit, which you can now purchase in both my shops!

Here is my new lesson plan template, inspired by the amazing Kristen from Ladybugs Teacher Files. I just changed the page orientation and started from scratch building my boxes and how I wanted them to look. It took me hours to get it just right!

You can customize it to fit your own classroom.

Here is what mine looks like with actual text in it.

I know, it's a lot of writing! I personally have to have a well written out lesson plan or sometimes, things get left out! We use the Learning Focused model for our lesson plans so AS stands for Activating Strategy, TS stands for Teaching Strategy, and SS stands for Summarizing strategy. Just in case you were wondering...

Just click the blank template above to download your copy!

It is in Word so you can edit the text. If you want the fonts for the templates they are LD Elementary (Lettering Delights - not free) and Minya Nouvelle (Dafont - free). If you don't want to pay for the fonts, just  change them to suit your tastes!

What does your lesson plan template look like? I'd love for you to share yours on your blog also and link back to this post in your comment!

Volcano Unit Proofreader Needed!

Hey blog friends! I need two people to proofread and check over my 85 page Voyage to the Volcano Unit. I have already looked over it, but it's always good to get a second set of eyes! 

I need them to be checked out within the next hour or so! The first two people to comment with their emails will be my proofreaders! You will keep the unit I email you as a token of my appreciation for helping me out!

I hope to have this posted in both my shops this evening! 

Happy Mothers day to all those wonderful mamas out there!

Novel Study and Mother's Day Activity

I know I am posting again, but I had to share the CUTEST mothers day activity I found on Stickers and Staples last night! 

How adorable right!? The kids draw pictures of things they would do for their mother on each app block and then write an explanation of each. Finally, they write a sweet letter on the last page! They give it to their mother as a present! My kids were so excited doing theirs today! I wish I had thought to take pictures so you could see theirs! The images are from Stickers and Staples when she did the activity with her class! 

Also, I have been working on a new project! I ordered two novel sets this year through Donors Choose and haven't been able to read one of them with my class yet. I thought it would make a fun end of the year unit to study all about volcanoes. The unit will be jam packed with activities for ALL content areas. I have only just begun, but here is a sneak peak! I have so many ideas for this unit, I don't have the time to sit and list them all because after all, it is the Friday after our state testing and this girl is freakin' pooped!

 I hope to have it very soon if you are interested! And, as always, if you have any ideas for the unit, please let me know and I will be happy to include them! Let me know what you guys think!

Have a happy weekend!!!

Learning Resources Giveaway: Part II

Hey friends! I am excited to bring you another giveaway from Learning Resources. But first, let me tell you a little bit about this amazing tool! It is called an Easi-Speak Recorder and it looks like this:

Seriously, this thing is awesome! The kids think it is too because it's a microphone and they all think they are rock starts while they are using it! HAHA If that isn't motivation enough to use it, I don't know what is...

I just recently acquired a new student from Oregon. That's pretty far away from South Carolina and she's totally shy, doesn't know anyone, and I have only heard her speak a couple of times. I needed to benchmark her to put her into a reading group and I didn't want her to feel too uncomfortable or put on the spot so I whipped out this bad boy and asked her to read the story into the device. I instructed her to read the questions from the story printed on the sheet I had given her and answer them orally into the microphone after she read the story. I showed her how it worked (which was short, sweet, and easy as pie!) and then I walked away and left her to it to attend to the rest of the class. She raised her hand when she was finished and played it back for myself later in the day when I was by myself. I was able to assess her fluency and her comprehension, ALL without making her feel overwhelmed, judged, embarrassed, etc..

I often find it difficult to find students who are willing to share their writing aloud with the class, but this is great for your reluctant readers because you just let them step into the hall or in a private part of the room and read it into the recorder without feeling like all eyes are on them. Then, you can embed the sound file into a powerpoint or slideshow with artwork or pictures and enjoy a fun presentation of students oral readings!

You can play it back right then and there or you can upload the file to your computer and listen to it that way. AND it doesn't even need batteries! I hate batteries! All you have to do is plug it into your USB and it charges!

There are so many other ways you could use this, I can't even list them all. All I know is it totally has a special place in my classroom from now on.

For more information on this resource, please visit  this youtube link HERE. 

You can WIN this amazing resource by doing these four simple things:

1) Follow my blog and leave a comment (WITH YOUR EMAIL) letting me know how you would use this in your classroom.

2) Follow Learning Resources on Facebook.

3) Follow Learning Resources on Pinterest.

4) Follow Learning Resources on Twitter.

Please use the Rafflecopter for your entries to be counted! If you do not see it below, please click Read More. You blog comment will not be counted if you do not enter it into the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rockin' End of Year Unit

Hey everyone! I finally finished my Rockin' End of the Year unit! 

It is available for purchase in my TPT shop right now! Click my button below to go get yourself a copy!

And, I am giving you a couple of freebies from the unit in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week!

Click HERE to download these copies!

And congrats to Sally from Elementary Matters for winning the Hear All Assessment Recorder giveaway!

A new giveaway from Learning Resources will begin tomorrow so check back!

End of the Year

I have survived day 1 of our state testing! It is always so exhausting! I cannot wait until it's over and we can begin the fun end of the year activities!

I was thinking about the end of the year and I thought it would be cool to do a Rock Star themed end of the year unit! Initially I was thinking of a Space theme, but them I realized Rachelle from What the Teacher Wants beat me to the punch!  =)

I literally just started working on it tonight, but here is what I have in store:

Rockin' Memory Book (including the band - your class picture, your groupies - friends, and don't forget the lead singer - your awesome teacher, tour schedule - your year of fun events)

ipod playlist - Favorite songs from this year

How to Rock out the _____ grade writing prompt

Next year, I hope to Rock out ______ grade by writing prompt

Rock Star Classroom Awards (RSCA's) 

Thank You Speech - students thank all of the people who contributed to their success this year

My summer playlist - students list things they wish to do

Word Search

You're a Rock Star note from teacher

Rockin' Writing Portfolio

Guitar Craftivity

Boom Box Venn Diagram

Here is a preview! 

It's not much yet, but stay tuned! HAHA Get it?

I hope to have this finished this weekend, but who knows!?

What do you guys think? Any suggestions? I am still in the brainstorming stages so I welcome suggestions!

Don't forget my TPT sale ends tonight and the Hear All Assessment Recorder giveaway ends tomorrow night!

Teacher Appreciation Sale Finds

I'm linking up with Erica Bohrer's First Grade to see all the neat resources all of you bloggers have snagged during the Teacher Appreciation Sale. Click below to head to her linky!

Here are my fabulous finds!

First, I purchased Abby Mullins' Back to School For Big Kids unit! I am so excited to use this next year!

Next, I found this great summer writing craftivity from the Down Under Teacher that I plan on using next week!

And finally, I bought Amanda Nickerson's Arctic Snow Business: An Avalanche of Nonfiction Fun! This oughtta really spice up our nonfiction text feature unit next year!

Now, go link up so we can all see what you bought!!