BubbleGum Ideas --Chewing and Learning

So we do Accelerated Reader at our elementary school.  We have school point goals each quarter.  The 1st graders work hard to do their part, but with their books only worth .5 per book...it's really a small part.  I create my own goal chart in my room with flowers that work their way up the vine -- to go along with the progress flower on the computer program.  The kids love it, I love the simple way of keeping track of their goals...it's a win-win.

But the school rewards are kind of odd sometimes.  This quarter the school reached the school-wide goal and so they get to chew bubblegum!  The principal delivers it to our rooms....the kids love it, but I want it to be a bit more fun and meaningful or rather memorable!

This year I decided to turn the bubblegum into a mini theme for the day.  Here are a few ideas and things I found to do that day.

Here is a fun math bump game with the bubblegum theme. I found it on TpT:

Here's the writing project I'm going to do....How to Blow A Bubble: 

Then of course I had to get this Opinion Writing Activity too....Should Bubblegum Be Allowed in School?  There is no such thing as too much writing...right?

This next one on TpT has a combination of math, science and art.   It's a clever approach to bubblegum chewing..

My 1st graders are going to have fun while they are learning on bubblegum reward day this year!  It might just make it fun for me too!  If you don't have a bubblegum reward day at your school...maybe these are good reasons to give it a chew and ponder it.

My last weekend of Summer 2014

Yeah....life is busy and life is full and life is flying by....But this blog is something I really want to revive and move forward with because I realized I am neglecting some of my hobbies I love the most!

This is the blog post that inspired me to blog again!   Post --> {Click THIS}  

Kathy has a whole list of great math game ideas for levels K-3.  My first graders will be coming right after Labor Day, and when I saw this I knew exactly what I needed this for!  

I am going to make one of these...

• My version: The game will be for two-4 people.
• Each person gets 6 linking cubes of of one color (or little bears or whatever you have that they can have six of one color per person) 
• They will roll one die and they get to put a color token in each section when they roll it.  
• If they roll the same number twice, they lose a turn.  
• The winner is the one who gets one of their tokens in each section first!
• This is a very easy beginning of 1st grade center game which won't take adult involvement to participate.

Kathy has other great resources on her website...check her out!

KathyGriffinTeach.com 

Day 113 Clever Classroom Blog

Here's a new blog in the Teacher Blog realm of creativeness.  It's the Clever Classroom a creation of Emma Farrell.  Emma is an Aussie teacher who has been teaching, making and creating for quite some time.  She started on Ebay and moved toward TpT a few years ago.  Her specialty is primary...from pre-school to 3rd grade.  Her blog is brand new...but her eBay store and TpT store have been around for quite some time.  

Emma has over 250 items in her TpT store.  And she has gobs of great FREE stuff...which this time of the month is a blessing to find! (payday is only a week away...man, getting paid once a month really stinks!)

She is a woman after my own heart...she is organized.  She has nice category links to her blog posts making it really easy to find the needful thing you are looking for!   See...functional and cute!  And she has more too...but this is just a few of them....

Right away I found a really cute Mother's Day art idea.  Perfect for framing or mounting on a fridge :)  I think
it will be a fun card to go with our Mother's Day tea and our flower pots my 1st graders are making for their moms.

You also need to check out her description and how-to for keeping your table cloth on the table in your classroom...or if/when the table is outside in a breeze.  This has been a battle over the years....masking tape, binder clips, chip bag clips and even the attractive roll of duct tape to no avail.

This looks like a cool idea.  Click {HERE} to go to her blog and find out how to make it.  You may need a conversion chart because being Aussie she talks in that strange metric language...lol

Thanks for hopping by today!  Come back again real soon and see who else I find!

Day 90 Queen of the First Grade Jungle

Here is a great techy blogger, Katie King, to go hand in hand with Betsy Weigle from yesterday's blog.  Katie's blog Queen of the First Grade Jungle is a great learning place for those of you new to iPad's in the classroom.  She says that we need to train and teach our students skills for jobs that haven't been invented yet.  That is so very true!

After reading THIS POST I am now on a mission to get iPads for our primary classrooms!  Holy cow this is sooooo cool! We are a bit behind the times in North Idaho.  Heck, when it snows a lot or rains a lot or if the wind blows just the right way...it messes up our internet connection! lol  We are moving forward toward technology...it just may not be at the pace of other parts of the country :)

Katie also has a TpT Store that is full of great units.  Most of them are larger packets or Mega packs as some creators call them.  But she has a series of Busy Teacher packets that are full of great 1st grade leveled stuff!  And when I say stuff...I say it because it is full of just about anything you might need to teach writing, reading, language skills, math and more.  Each month has specific themes to go with the holidays and events that happen within that month.  It's worth spending a bit to get these great activities.  Just check them out and you will see what I mean!

Day 67 Mrs. Patton's Patch

I love technology.  I would love to have Ipads or tablets for my 1st graders.  I am trying to wrap my mind around all the ways that I can use them with my students.  I believe that technology doesn't and shouldn't replace what I do in my classroom, but in our ever evolving world, it would be like burying your head in the sand if you didn't at least try to mix technology in with what you do in class.

Mrs. Patton uses technology with her students...particularly Ipads and Macbooks.  Here is a post that lists some very useful as well as engaging apps to use with your students.  Some have free versions and some have fee versions....but they are all Ipod and Ipad apps....Check them out!  Those of us with PC schools...well I will just have to keep hunting.

Day 66 First Grade in Foxwell Forest

Mrs. Foxwell, Becca, teaches 1st grade.  You have got to read her post from March 5th.  If you aren't an educator of the littler learners...you will be overwhelmed after you read this post.  No, she didn't do it all in one day (ha ha), but you will see how much we put into our jobs!

All I can say after reading her post...is ditto my last two weeks too.  Well, minus the baby shower...but add in coaching a high school cheer squad getting ready to go to state!  Then I think we are even on the insanity and lack of sleep level.

So I was hopping around her blog and I was stopped in my tracks by this post:

 The Bravo Board

I do table points, but this Bravo Board just puts the bow onto what I already do.  I love the coupon idea.  I already let the table group with the most points have lunch with me in the classroom--and they think that is amazingly awesome--makes me feel almost like I'm Adam Levine or Taylor Swift--because they think it's the coolest thing short of a third recess!  I think mixing it up with her cool coupon ideas would make it even that much more worth winning!

I know it's March...and the groundhog came out over a month ago...but I am already finding new ideas for next year.  I downloaded this freebie graph and used it this year..

But somehow I missed her cute groundhog craft to go with my paragraph writing.  I am filing this one away for next year! Can't wait to change up the old one I've been using for the last 10 years!  She has it in her TpT store...and it's not free, but it is definitely worth a look and spending a few dollars on it!

Isn't this the cutest groundhog?!

Ok, there is a whole lot more to find in the Foxwell Forest. Be sure to go visit!

Day 64 Made for 1st Grade

I chose Made in 1st Grade today because of this cool way to practice math facts.  It is an idea Diane and Kelly, two teachers from Wichita, Kansas created.  They have it posted on TpT.  They have 230 other items in their store for your use throughout the year.  Math facts are always a bear to master for many 1st graders and I am so excited to use this in my class next year.

Math next year is going to be even crazier than this year because of common core...so I can use all the help I can get.

Is anyone else a victim of having an adopted math curriculum that doesn't match the standards in the common core, yet their district isn't purchasing anything new so you have to work from scratch?  Yup, that's the boat we are in up here in North Idaho.  It's just that money is tight and it's not a year for adopting math...so we are hunting, creating, borrowing, sharing and praying for resources to help our students master the standards.

Actually part of me doesn't think that is all that bad...it helps re-invigorate our teaching and I love trying to find ways to help my 1st graders have their "a-ha" moments of understanding.  So when it is time to finally adopt a new math text, we will be sure of what we need and what we want and make a better informed decision!

If you have some great resources or links for 1st grade math...just leave a comment and let me know!  The best way to be awesome teachers is to share with each other!  That is exactly what got me started on this challenge of finding 365 teaching blogs to share!

Day 60 Criss Cross Applesauce in First Grade

Holly is a fellow first grade teacher.  I loved reading her blog.  She has a delightful sense of humor which comes through in her postings.   Her blog is called Crisscross Applesauce.  Now who hasn't used that term or at least heard it said before?

Between her fun take on teaching and life as a teacher and mom...she also seems to be amazingly creative with her fun theme units.  I want to sell more of my own so I have the money to buy more of hers! shhh...don't tell my hubby, because I think he has other plans for my earnings!

I learned something new today from her blog too!  If you put a frozen spoon under your pillow when you go to bed, it can bring about a snow day the next morning!  Bet you didn't know that one did you now?  lol....it may not work when you want to extend that 3 day weekend in May into a 4 day weekend...but maybe in January?!?!  I will have to give it a try next winter!

Be sure to visit her TpT store.  She has some fun freebies to give you a taste of her talent.  I found this amazing poster that I'm going to print up.  You know that saying..."

You get what you get and you don't throw a fit."

Well, Holly has a much better twist on it that I am going to start using with my 1st graders!

That is a much more positive message!!  I love it!

Here is the link to go directly to her TpT Store and download it for your class!

It will go hand in hand with the one I use every day....

If you're not Listening

You're not Learning

This is what I say whenever I start a lesson and I am trying to get them all to focus and listen to the very important directions I'm about to give.  I say the first part...they come back with the second part.  They love it and it works...plus it's a little moral message that is sinking into their brains as well!

Day 58 Positively Learning

Positively Learning is a blog by a Special Ed teacher in Baltimore, Maryland.  She teaches (inclusion) with the 1st grade teachers and sounds like she has a few small pullout groups, but mostly she supports the students learning in the classroom.  That's awesome!  I hate that the SpEd student I have is out of my classroom half the day.  I think this affects his behaviors in class more.

This is a very fun game that she does with her students.  It's called Batty Blast!  It's a phonics game that I can't wait to purchase from her TpT store because it's something I think my students would love to play too...

She also has the cutest "Smart Cookie" award notes.  Here is a partial shot of them.  See her full page of award notes she has posted on Scribd:

Click HERE for the full version on Scribd

Day 57 My (Not So) Elementary Life

Today's blogger is a delightful newbie teacher named Heidi.  I'm not sure where she is from...though from reading her blog she has had bad snow days and scary tornado scares at school.  I'm so happy that is not one of the drills we have to do up here in North Idaho!

Her blog is called My (not so) Elementary Life and it is full of her fun experiences as a new teacher and great ideas she has created.  I love her enthusiasm and positive outlook on even the worst of those teachable moments!   Heidi teaches title I math and is a Kindergarten Reading teacher.  She has great ideas for helping the little ones understand big concepts.

Heidi also has a TpT store and a Pinterest board with her creations and other fun things she has found.  And I am happy to say...she is one of those OCD organized people like me :)  So it is really easy to find your way through her Pinterest Board!

Be sure to stop on your next blog hop and see the creative units she has posted!

Day 55 Erica Bohrers' First Grade

Erica Bohrers' First Grade blog is inspiring me to be more creative with my lesson plans.  I made a  change this year to doing mine on my computer.  It absolutely drives me nuts to buy those lesson plan books that you have write everything in from scratch each week.  It seems like such a huge waste of my pressure hours that I have each week.

Erica has the coolest visual lesson plan book ever!  You have absolutely got to check it out if you haven't seen it already...Click HERE.  While you are there, check out the cutest ever bunny art she has for Valentine's Day.  I already finished all my V-day projects, but those bunnies would be so stinkin' cute for Easter too don't you think?

Day 54 Doodle Bugs Teaching and Five for Friday

This morning I joined a linky party :)  Five for Friday pops up all the time...not always on Fridays...but isn't that just how our teacher's lives roll?  We get to things when we have a window of opportunity...It may not be when we want to do it, but it always gets done.

So my Five for Friday...um...Saturday morning....

1.  The weather.  The last couple weeks started to feel like there was a hint of spring in the air.  Perhaps the groundhog was right.  It got close to 50 during the days and the nights barely dropped to freezing.  The snow started melting big time...I could see my roof again and the potholes in the road, the bottom of the slides on the playground at school, and the path to the chicken coop!  But then it hit...

The notorious second wave of winter!  We have had over six inches again in the past two days with more falling as I type.  Dang...I thought I might get an early start to prepping the garden for the summer season...Not going to happen.....yet.

2.  Districts is today.  I am the assistant cheer coach for our high school team.  These girls AND boys are amazing athletes.  It's so sad that people pick on them and say that they aren't doing a real sport.  It's actually a combination of many sports and it is incredibly hard...the competitive part.  Yeah, that sideline cheering at a game is not what we are talking about.  

I love this picture from last night's practice because it has both my daughters in it.  My 'baby' is the one doing the prone fall.  What incredible trust she has in her bases!  My oldest daughter is the one with the blonde hair and black shirt on the left side of the picture.  She is one of those strong bases that holds a flyer's life in her hands.  

Please send us some good thoughts as we compete today and hopefully make it to State. Because there is nothing I want more than to  ride a school bus on my birthday for 10 hours  see these kids get a second chance to go to State!  {Yup, second year in a row we are traveling ON my birthday....lol.} 

3. Finally got my A.R. (Accelerated Reader) bookmarks finished and posted onto my TpT and TN sites.  Yeah!  I found that when my first graders use these bookmarks, their passing rate is much higher because they actually read the book more than once before attempting to take the comprehension test on the computer. Keeping track of reading in a fun way and not 'cheating' the system has really helped them take ownership of their reading.  I have about 14 different designs to use throughout the year.  They love to see them change every few weeks.  You can find them here: TeacherpayTeacher and on Teacher's Notebook.

4.  The moose are back!  

This young lady will be 3 this spring.  She was born the year we moved into our house (we believe this is her).  We haven't seen her mama in awhile at our house, but we have seen her in the 'hood.

This is actually a different moose.  This is one of two that were bedded down in our yard just two days ago.  They are twins that Mama moose had last year.  Not sure where mama is, but she may be getting ready to have her newest baby and needs a bit of space.  I did see them all together just a week ago down the road.  Moose don't have their young until May, but she may be kind of cranky with two little ones tagging along! lol

5.  Today's blog for my 365 Blog Hop Challenge!

Doodle Bugs Teaching was what I found this morning.  I actually found her first on TeacherPayTeacher because I found her awesome --FREE-- calendar cards.  Here are the March cards...click HERE.  March is my favorite month...cuz I get to ride a school bus to southern Idaho...lol.

Doodle Bug is a Mississippi 1st grade teacher and I think she does what most of us do so well...packs in 26 hours worth of projects and ideas into 24 hours.  Please visit her blog and you will be amazed by her energy and creativity!  Perhaps some of her ideas and creations will help you save some creating time in your classroom!

Accelerated Readers in My Class

Once the 1st graders learn all the letter sounds and can begin blending the race is on...read, read, read.

In Idaho, Fluency is the only thing in 1st grade that is tested by the state and it's the only way they measure whether we, as teachers, are doing our job well enough.

I could go deeply into that subject...but I will skip that because it's like hitting your head against the wall.  The wall will still be there, but your head will hurt...a lot!

So, what we do is get them to read and read and read.  And being the good teachers that we are, we push comprehension while we push fluency.  What point is being able to decode quickly when what you really want to be able to do is READ.  Reading is not just decoding it's comprehending!

Ok...I had to say it.

So one of the fun things I do in my class is 'LET' them be independent readers.  No, you see, I WANT them to be independent readers, but it's a game.  You want them to WANT to be independent readers.  And it works too!  When you earn things it always means more than if someone hands it to you.

So I have leveled reading baskets that they are assigned to choose from once they are an independent reader. That alone usually sells it.  THEY get to choose the book, not me.

Then I made these bookmarks... {they love bookmarks as much as pencils}

This is a freebie sample you can download on my TpT store.  You can buy the whole set...I made 17 different variations so I can change them out every few weeks.  

I made these so the students could keep track of how many times they read their book.  They have to read their book 5 times before they can do an Accelerated Reader test on the computer.  In the beginning there are the kids who try to cheat the system, but this is easily solved when they don't pass a test.  Then they have to conference with me and either have to move down a basket level or I have to choose their book for them or they have to read the first and fifth time with me.

They don't like losing their independence...so it only takes once or twice and they are following the routine by the 'rules'.

Day 44 Today is a two-fer!

So as usual, I was hopping around looking for good ideas, catching up on what my new blog friends are posting and then I was lost.  But lost in a happy place apparently.  I found this colorful header....

Just looking at this colorful header puts you in a good mood, doesn't it?

Teresa is the author behind Fun in K/1.  Yesterday she had a great Abe Lincoln writing freebie that I snatched up and you should too!  I will be doing Abe and George next week since this week is Valentine's and we are preparing for the 100th day of school.

Teresa has some creative ideas on her blog.  I found a few other ideas that would be fun to try with my class.

We are working on these very same contractions this week with our reading program.  And since it is Valentine's Day this week...Hearts and contractions, they go hand in hand!

Then I found this fun book recommendation idea.  My students love to tell me about the books they are reading and so I'm sure they would love to tell each other.

While checking out the cool creations from Teresa, I saw the link she had at the bottom of her page crediting the clipart she was using in her work.  

So this is the 2-fer...This amazing clip art sight...the clip art is free and you can use it on your TpT an TN sights without paying those additional license fees!  It's so nice when people support teachers.  We should be sure to support Laura Strickland and her clip art website!

Day 43 Mrs. Christy's Leaping Loopers

Mrs. Christy is a looping k/1 teacher. This year she is in her 1st grade half of the loop.  She has a newer blog...but it has lots of clever ideas that she does with her first graders.  Check out her Thanksgiving post and her Halloween posts.

My favorite is her current post about Valentine's Day.  She found a great idea for easy to make Valentines for your class.  

This is from Erin at The Open Door Classroom.  I can't wait to make these!

Day 32 A Cupcake for the Teacher

Starting February off with something sweet!

Here is a fun primary blog.  It is full of very creative ideas and clever art and crafts as well.  Teri is a young energetic 1st grade teacher from New Jersey.  Her blog, A Cupcake for the Teacher is full of ideas.  She also has a Teacher's Notebook and a TpT store and has quite a few fun freebies as well.

I am always looking for something different to do with my first graders.  They LOVE Art Friday in my class.  It really stinks that I don't get to do as much art as I would like. Every time we have an inservice day or a conference day it takes away my art day :(  But when we do get to the art/craft day...they know it's a special and fun treat!

I found this fun Groundhog activity on Teri's blog.



















I already had my stuff run for the special little rodent...but I put it in my file to consider for next year. I hate to do the same exact thing every year :)

If you haven't had your 100th day yet...our school's will be on February 19th (the day after President's Day) there are still a lot of clever 100th day activities out there to try.  Teri has 5 fun centers that she did with her class.  A couple of them, like the 100 compliments and the recording sheet for what your friends brought was a neat idea that I hadn't come up with before.  

And just as an aside, our 100th day would have been the Friday before, which would have been perfect timing from a teacher's point of view, but some very naughty kids decided they wanted to get out of school a day early for Winter break and started threatening some of the local high schools with veiled threats of 'shooting them up' or 'blowing them up'.  Nice thing that Facebook :(  So to be on the safe side, and just a couple weeks past Sandy Hook, all the local districts decided that an extra day off was better than worrying about the thousands of students trying to enjoy their final day of school in 2012.