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.

The Third Wheel

Today's blogger is Mrs. D at The Third Wheel.  She is a special ed teacher turned 3rd grade teacher turned instructional coach.  This morning I was reading her class management tips.  As an experienced 20 year teacher, it is still good to sit and read and be re-inspired about class management.
This year I do have the dream class...the kind of class that substitutes leave gushing notes and messages about and can't wait to return to...15 um, I mean 16 as of last week of the best 1st graders ever!  If only I wasn't being dragged down by meetings and more meetings and new curriculum to ponder, then I could spend more time enjoying their 16 smiling and eager faces!  Ah, such is a teacher's life :)

Back to Mrs. D....

She shares great insight from the perspective of a teacher and a coach.  She also has a very well stocked TpT store HERE.

I love the Edible science experiments, as I'm sure her students do as well :)  They say they are geared to 2nd-4th grades, but I'm sure you could find some inspiration for a 1st grade or for you STEM class lessons!


I also found that she has a large number of novel studies...for many popular titles. I bet you could find one that you use each year!






And for those of you who haven't gotten a raise in a number of years...like me...there is the FREEBIE STUFF.  I mean A LOT of Freebie stuff!  Very exciting to find a talented author/teacher with free stuff!

Having Fun While Learning in 4th Grade

As the importance of Common Core Standards and Teacher Standards and Merit Pay and Testing all get bounced off the walls of every teacher's meeting and staff room, we forget the the two most important parts of teaching.  First that to learn, students have to love to learn and second to learn to love learning...it HAS TO BE FUN!

Today's blog hop find is Heather from Read and Black and Learning All Over. She is a 4th grade teacher in Pennsylvania.  And she knows that learning has to be fun for it to stick!

She has intermittent posts on her blog, but I was inspired by her Synonym lessons she created.  I don't get to spend a lot of time on these in depth word studies in 1st grade, except with the high readers, but the first graders love when I can fit in a lesson here and there such as this one.  I might be able to fit it in when I do my insect study in the spring....

Heather does have some great things posted in her TPT Store, so stop by there and see what will fit into your lesson plans this winter...your students are sure to find them FUN!

Kindergarten Connnections

This weekend I downloaded the greatest New Year's writing project and I just had to share it with you!  I can't wait to share it with my first graders this week!

I found it on this creative teacher blog:

Holly, from Kindergarten Connections, has a wonderful freebie that not only helps them practice their writing skills but also teaches them to think of others.  It's not your typical New Year's Resolution writing template.  It's a template for teaching your students to think about how they can make this year awesome for OTHER people.  I love it!  Download it now...I did :)

Happy New Year!

I can't believe that it's 2015 already! What happened to 2014.  It just flew by...I started out last year blogging a lot, but then life got busy with teaching, coaching and my oldest daughter graduating high school.

Not that this year will be less full. Instead I am going to work on my time management a bit more.  Tomorrow for example, will be my lesson planning day.  I am going to try to get at least a general map of all my lesson focuses for the next three months.  Fingers crossed that goes quickly.

Common Core, a new Language Arts adoption (Journeys) and another year of our piece-meal math program (new adoption planned for next year) will keep me busy.  

So, as a fun aside, I will be polishing up and loading more of my creations to TPT and TN.  I will also resurrect and continue my 365 Blog Hop.  It is always so much fun to find those talented teachers out there and share what they are doing.

Today I am going to start with one of my favorite things....FONTS.  There are some great Free Fonts out there.  Some you can use in your creations that you sell, some you need to purchase a license, but it's always good to support fellow artists/teachers!

My number one favorite is Kevin and Amanda...I have a link to them on the left bar of my blog too.  If you are a scrapbooker or Font fiend like me....then you have to check out their free downloads.  They are awesome!

Another one I just discovered is Miss Tiina.  She has a lot of cute stuff.  Great sales on her blog and freebies!

Kimberly Geiswin has beautiful fonts.  You must buy a license to use them on things you create and sell.  But these fonts make my class newsletters so much more fun.

I'm not sure how to search her site for fonts, but this is the link I did find on Educlips.  She is a talented designer and she has some great free fonts on her old blog.

Here is another one of my favorites....Graphics from the Pond.  She has a lot of great fonts and clip art.  Many free fonts that you don't need to purchase a license to use in your TPT creations.








There are lots of talented artists out there...but these are the ones I use the most.  If you have a favorite that I haven't mentioned, please put a link to it in the comments below.  Thanks!  And I hope you have a creative New Year!

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!

Teacher Pay Teacher Super Sunday Sale

It's cold this morning...I turned the heater up a little, wrapped myself in a blanket and ate some oatmeal with craisins and I'm still cold.  So I have to think of another way to warm up...

Shopping a good sale always helps!  Teachers pay Teachers is having a big Sunday Super Sale.  I don't have a big store...but I have a few things...and they are all on sale!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Primary-In-Idaho

Actually the sale is available today too!  All the items that aren't freebies are on sale!  Visit and empty your wish list!  Make some purchases, give some feedback and earn some TpT credits off another purchase!

So head over to my TpT store and check out my deals.  Stock up for a rainy day. You can purchase today for 20% off or shop tomorrow -- Sunday -- for 28% off!  Use the code SUPER when you make your purchase on Sunday.  Thanks and happy shopping!

Day 11 My Silly Firsties

Last weekend I got lost on TpT.  I forgot what I was even looking for at some point.  You know how that is?

You find a cool freebie on the Sunday Free Download TpT Email that comes out, 

then you visit one of the seller's stores, 

then you search for something else, 

then you visit that seller's store, 

then you follow them to their blog, 

then you visit one of the blogs that inspired the last blogger,

then it reminds you of something else you were thinking about looking for...

and all of a sudden you realize that the dogs want to go out again and the timer for the dryer went off...twice...

and what started out as a quick "just checking my email" turned into "your lost in the maze of the internet looking for the perfect activity to finish those darn lesson plans you have been dragging your heels on all weekend."

Ok, so this 1st grade blogger stopped me and brought me back to reality...or rather, my true purpose...finding another blog to feature on my 365 Blog Hop Challenge.

Today's blog is by Haley in Dallas, Texas.  Those Texas ladies are real prolific bloggers!  Is that where the saying "Go Big or Go Home" comes from?  I don't know, but whenever I come across a Texas Teacher...I'm never disappointed!

My Silly Firsties is full of great ideas.  If you are new to setting  up a classroom or you just don't like how things are rolling for you and you want some great ideas to reorganize yourself...and your students...check out her back to school post.  Her classroom is so organized and well thought out.  Now that I have read it, I want to start my year over again! lol

And in her spare time, Haley creates some great stuff to use with her class and has shared them on TpT.  Some are freebies too.  I love the game UNO and love using it with my students.  Haley has a great sight word version of it in her TpT Store.  Check it out!  

Welcome to my 365 Blog Hop Challenge Haley and anyone else who stopped by today!  Be sure to Follow me and find out who I discover next! Maybe it will be YOU!

Martin Luther King Day Ideas

Here are some links to ideas to use when studying about Martin Luther King...

You have to start with a good book.  Here are a couple good ones I've used:

Martin's Big Words

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr

My First Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr

Then after you've read a good book or two to build schema...then you can move on to planning and plotting and writing and interpreting.

Here is a freebie I made...this is a sample of what the finished product could look like.  It is on my TpT store with the writing template.  Feel free to use it :)  Click HERE to download.

Here are some other teachers with some fun and clever ideas...plus some other sites too:

Classroom Freebies

Free coloring page on TeacherVision

Kinder Alphabet 

Flying into First Grade

This is a good video on Brain Pop (I had never found this site before.  It's cool!)

Crazy for First Grade

Check out this Fingerprint Peace Dove art project.  It's amazing!

Free Kids Crafts.com

Poem Freebie

Word Search

This site has a historical narrative for you to read if you are rusty on the details of Martin Luther King Jr's life.  

Well, that should get just about anybody started.  If you still haven't found what you need, then pop over to TpT and search for free Martin Luther King stuff.  There is quite a bit more on the site.

Early Happy New Year!

Our disrict has a weird schedule this year.  We don't go back until January 7th.  New Year's will seem to be done and gone by then.  Then to make things even more complicated, we will be having our "Christmas" parties on January 11th.

It seems that some very naughty kids decided to spread rumors about shootings and bomb threats at some of our local schools.  They posted and spread rumors on some of the social networks locally and so we had school cancelled in the three largest districts here in North Idaho.

So we will come back to school in January enjoying some Christmas/New Year activities...combined with the end of the quarter assessments of course.  Piece of cake.

So, optimistically, I've come across some fun things to celebrate the New year with--in a perfect world of course.  Perhaps some of these ideas will be useful for you too.

I thought this poster would be a good start!  This poster was made by +Sarah Winchell.  She posted it on her blog: I Dream of First Grade.  

Fun in First has a fun poem she posted last January.  She also included a goals worksheet that you could adapt for your class and the new year.

Here is a great time matching game to start the New Year.  The First Grade Parade (one of my favorite blogs to visit because she has wonderful freebies!) created this one.

Jennifer Drake's TpT store has a lot of fun, low cost activities for the New Year.  This coloring page is a freebie in her store.  It will be great for the end of the first day back when my first graders burn out and are ready to go home :)

And here are an assortment of freebies on TpT related to the New Year.

New Year's Resolution Friendly Letter

New Year's Writing and Craft project (perfect for hanging in the hall!)

New Year's Creative Writing Stationery

New Year's ABC Order

New Year's Clip Art

Explaining what a resolution is can be difficult with young children.  They haven't had time to make all those mistakes that we resolve to fix each year :)  But here is a fun book that puts it in terms that kids can understand.

Squirrel's New Year's Resolution

I am certain that this is more than I could ever complete in a week.  But it's a fun list to choose from just the same!

Happy New Year everyone!!

Zebra Fun

Sometimes I do goofy things...sometimes without really thinking they are going to be goofy, but because I meant something else at the time.

This morning was one of those moments.

I typed "zebra" into the search on TpT because I was looking for something that had to do with the "Sam Likes Fried Zebras" saying that goes with Vowac.

Well...I didn't find what I was looking for...but instead found out that you could purchase everything with a zebra theme on TpT.  Apparently it's not just for the junior high girls anymore, but us teaching gals have a thing for it too??

Laura Carson, from South Carolina has just about everything Zebra for sale on her TpT site.

D'Ann Haffner has these alphabet cards...I think her kinders are going to throw up zebra with these alphabet cards and banner.  They are bit too hard on the eyes in my opinion.  Young eyes need a better contrast.  But they are pretty even if they are a bit over the top for kinders.

Mrs. Croak has a Punk Rock Zebra package.  I would have thought with a name like croak that maybe she would have leaned toward frogs...but perhaps her wild side is coming out for TpT.

Crayon Box Learning has a very bright pink zebra theme that will be all over your room in no time.  If you like pink and you like zebra...this is the one for you! lol

Here is a different spin on zebra in your classroom.  How about teaching about zebras!  This is a cute little unit on zebras.  Megan Mitchell from Ohio put this one together.  At least now you can have  a purpose to all the stripes showing up in your room!

There is a whole lot more on TpT.  The choices went on for pages.  There were multiple choices for everything from calendars to word cards to name tags to lesson planning pages and more.  So if you need to add a little zebra to your life...just know it's already out there and already been made...at least half a dozen times!

Common Core Math Assessments part 1

I wish there were more hours in a school day.  I just can't do everything that I would love to do. It is so frustrating.  But on the upside...my first graders are learning.  I love my little sponges!  They make getting up at 5:00 every morning so worth it!

It has been awhile since I posted anything.  I have really wanted to...but I also need more hours in my day!  It's crazy some weeks.  Running on 5 hours of sleep...not a good thing.  Mochas on my way to work...a very good thing!

So scary thought...the end of 1st quarter is two weeks away!  Eeek!  Got to get those end of the quarter assessments ready.  With Common Core, things have changed and so must my assessments.  Saxon doesn't have great assessments.  So much spiraling that I get dizzy.  So I have been making my own assessments over the last few years.  This year I am updating them.

So I am posting them online.  Here is the link to the first posting.  Still learning the best ways to manage uploading on TPT while still keeping things saved and organized on my laptop.

Here is the link to the first of my assessment posting.  I can't figure out how to add the link to the picture...so click HERE to go to my TpT store :)  You can see a preview of it in my store.

It is assessing for CCSS1.NBT.  They are my naming numbers and writing numbers assessment sheets.  Quick and easy...and cumulative.