Seriously disappointed

I don't have anything kind of freebies to share today, but I did have something that concerned me when I checked my email today and I wanted to just approach you bloggers out there. I received an email to my Teacher's Notebook from a fellow blogger who shall remain anonymous. She informed me that a teacher in her district purchased a set of my Common Core Word Wall cards for a certain grade level and posted them on her districts common access drive that ALL teachers in her district have access to. I just wanted to make sure everyone was aware that these are for personal use only. They are not for sharing with an entire district. I don't mind people sharing things like this with their grade level, but an entire district really is kind of appalling. I just hope that everyone understands how much time was spent on creating those and that it really isn't fair to just give away to who knows how many people. I was just a little bummed to learn this when I came home tonight. 

What do you all think I should do?? I don't even know if I can really find out who did it, but I would appreciate any advice!

Tall Tales

Don't forget that my Teacher's Notebook shop sale will end tonight at midnight! So go take advantage while you can! =)

This week, we are focusing on Tall Tales and I am so excited!! My kids had so much fun last week learning about fables. I overheard so many comments from my students about how much they loved reading them! I think they will love these tall tales even more!

I made another graphic organizer like last week and I wanted to share. It is very similar to last weeks but I changed some of the categories based on the characteristics of Tall Tales.

If you wish to download, please head to my Teacher's Notebook shop and grab yourself a copy! Just click the image above to go download!

Here are some of the Tall Tales I am reading this week:

Also, on an embarrassing note, it was pointed out that I left out the letter W in my Bubbly Alphabet set. I am working on getting it fixed right now so I will email the corrections to those of you who have purchased it when I get it taken care of!

Freebie and a Sale!

Hey friends! I am overjoyed to be at 600 followers. Since I started this teaching blog two years ago, I never imagined that I would still be so passionate about posting things going on in my teaching world. I fell off the planet for a while, but I've been going strong since this summer! 

In honor of reaching 600 followers, I am having a sale on EVERYTHING in my Teacher's Notebook Shop until tomorrow at midnight! If you haven't grabbed yourself a set of Common Core Math cards yet, this is your change to get it 30% off! And don't forget about my Poetry Unit and much more! 

Click my button to head over and check everything out!

This week, we have been focusing on the four sounds of 'ou' during our Word block. A previous colleague of mine always did an 'ou' Scavenger hunt. We did it again and it was soooo much fun! I printed the 'ou' words on 2 by 4 inch labels and then just put them on neon index cards. I placed them around the room in random places and then handed out the scavenger hunt recording sheet. Students had to read each word they found and determine what sound it made and write under the correct sound column. I purposefully put in some harder words to challenge them a little bit and told them if they had trouble reading the word, to try the word with each sound and then ask a friend. I only had to help them with a couple of the words, but it was still fun!

And I was overjoyed to see one little friend doing this to figure out the word. 

I was so happy he was using his chunking strategy!!

If you would like to download this activity, please click the pictures below. 

This first file is a Word document in case you want to change the words. You need "Wish I Were Taller" font by Kevin and Amanda.

I have had a pretty rough time of it the last few weeks since we returned from Christmas break. There are things that have happened which I can't really discuss here that have just had me frustrated and feeling like I don't know how much longer I can continue on. It has nothing to do with my students because they are AWESOME and I love them. BUT, after these weeks of frustration, this pretty much  made my week. We have been learning about fractions and we finally got to have outside recess yesterday. It has been wet and raining for the last few weeks, but this is what my friends were doing during recess...

It made me feel like I must be doing something right, even though I don't always feel that reassurance. Talk about a bunch of awesome kids! They are what is keeping me alive! =)

Head on over and enjoy my Teacher's Notebook sale! It will end tomorrow night!

Fable Graphic Organizer and a Lesson Plan Template

This week we are focusing on fables during Guided Reading. When I pulled up the flipchart today with the essential question, the kids were like, "Yes! I love fables!" I smiled. We read the fable, "The Ant and the Grasshopper" together as a class and then discussed the different things in the story that made it a fable. Then, I showed them this chart I created which you can download in my TN shop by click on my TN button below:

I modeled how to fill out the chart on the fable we had just read together as a class. I then gave the kids their own copy of this chart and the fable "The Lion and the Mouse," to read. After students read the fable on their own, they had to fill out this chart. We came back at the end of class and shared what they thought the moral of the story was and what examples of personification they found! It was so much fun and honestly, I was surprised at how well they did coming up with the moral of the story. Some of the kids came up with different kinds of morals, but they all made sense! 

I was blog stalking Christina Bainbridge at Mrs. Bainbridge's Class tonight and she shared her lesson plan template and asked for others to share the ones they use. A couple of months ago, Kristen from Ladybugs Teacher Files shared this wonderful template which I have since embraced and used religiously from that day forward!!

I made some slight changes to suit my own purposes and this is what mine looks like. 

Not much of a difference, but I basically just merged the top two boxes into one and changed some of the fonts because when our coaches try to view our lesson plans they get all messed up because they don't have our adorable fonts!! I also added my push in and pull out times across the top so I don't forget and other people know when they come in to observe me and they don't think I just have children getting up and leaving class whenever they feel like it. =)

This is what it looks like with my lesson plans in it! Just so you get the full effect...

I know...I write a ton of stuff in there! But if I didn't, I would literally leave stuff out! I am a word for word type person. Call me OCD, but it is what it is! That Fraction Action book in that Math block was supposed to be read on Wednesday and Thursday of last week (We had a teacher work day Friday and it was a fabulous 4 day weekend), annnnnd its still there because even though I put it in my plans, I still forgot to read it. See!? Now you know why I have to put EVERYTHING in there!

If you totally love this template, LIKE ME, head over to Kristen's blog by clicking here and download yourself a copy, FO FREE!

What does your lesson plan template look like? I'm nosy and need to know. So go link up with Christina and post yours!

1st Grade Common Core Math Word Cards!!!!

I have been working on getting these done all day!! Literally, I started at about 10am and just now finished them! I might have taken some breaks in between, but still, it was a long process!!!

I am sorry it took me so long firstie friends!! They are now available for purchase in my TN shop! Click my button to head over and grab yourself a set!

I am also working on a Geometry Clip Art set so stay tuned this week for that! =)

I hope you all enjoyed your day off! I treated myself to a lunch date with my friend Hillary and I must say, it nice to eat lunch with an adult, however much I love my friends!