PIrate Classroom Reveal

I have completely changed my classroom theme again this year.  I am changing from Rock Star to Pirate.  I loved my Rock Star classroom; but there is something about changing it year after year that keeps me motivated and excited about starting a new school year.  I am not completely finished, but here is a sneak peek at what I have so far.

 

Click the picture below to make your pirate themed organizational clips.

Click the pictures below to print a copy of the data cards that I will be using to track kindergarten student data this year.

I also created these pirate themed behavior expectations that we will review each day.

Stay tuned for more classroom reveals...  I went into school today and I can't wait for Stephany to share all the things she has been painting and Kathi's door is "Super" fun too!!

Endless Possibilities,
Stephanie

Guided Math Book Study: Chapter 9

Sammons has made it very clear that students need to feel like mathematicians and to connect math to the real world.  This year I plan on starting off my year using this product that is a great way to start off your guided math school year.  Students discuss what math is, who uses math, and why math is important.  It is great for setting the tone for your math block!

Not everyone is going to have a group of teachers at their school to support them in their journey to use Guided Math in the classroom.  Luckily in today's world you can turn to the internet where you can join message boards, groups, and even blogs to troubleshoot, ask questions, a look for help.  Having a support system is important for when you "hit the wall" and feel like you have exhausted all of your options!

Make sure to enter the rafflecopter below and to check out the rest of the blogs below!


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Fun and Learning with Dice!

What teacher doesn't have dice available in their classroom?  They are super easy to store, cheap, and always available.  These are all activities that can be kept on hand and used at a minutes notice when you need to reinforce skills, occupy early finishers, or use for a quick prep math station!  Here are some of the ways that we use dice in our classrooms!

 You can grab up these dice printables by clicking on the pictures below!  Included are even more great activities that you can use with dice. There is a Kindergarten and First Grade version available but both are great for differentiation in your primary classrooms!  

Endless Possibilities,
Stephany

Author Study Fun with Jack Ezra Keats!

I have always loved Ezra Jack Keat's collection of books.  His illustrations are so unique and recognizable that they stand out from any other book.    There are so few children's books that are set in urban environments that they appeal to kids in my classes because they are settings they don't see everyday.  I am so excited that this is the first Author Study of this series!

The illustrations in Keat's first books are a mixture of patterned paper, fabric and oil cloth.  He later added gouache (which produced an oil like glaze), watercolors, marbled papers and photographs to his illustrations as he continued.  Keats was first an illustrator for other authors before setting out to write his own children's books which he would also illustrate.  Keats later said of beginning to write and illustrate his own books "I was like a child playing.  I was in a world with no rules."  

"Hi, Cat!" is the story of Archie as he meets a new neighborhood cat.  The cat throws a wrench in Archie's day as it follows him on the way to meet Peter.  The cat causes all sorts of chaos for Archie and even follows him home at the end of the day.  Despite all the trouble the cat causes Archie, he can't help but realize maybe that cat really likes him... and maybe he likes that cat!

This book is a great to teach cause and effect...usually the cat is causing something terrible to happen to Archie!  

It's also a great book to compare and contrast to "Whistle for Willie" because both have animals interacting with the main character. 

You can also use this book as a great way to talk about short & long vowels.

Here is a little freebie sample that goes along with the book "Hi, Cat!"  Click on the image below to grab your sample!

You can grab the full version to this packet by heading on over to my TpT store.  Just click on the images below!

Head on over to Kay's blog Sommer Pride to check out her post about "Pet Show!"

Guided Math Book Study: Chapter 8

Assessment is essential in the Guided Math classroom because the results help you decide the grouping of your students and the skills that your students need to work on.  After assessing students and reviewing the results, you can change your groupings so that students can be retaught skills that they struggled with and students who mastered the skill can move on to a new one!

Teachers should constantly be reviewing data both formal and informal to make sure students are getting the most of their math instruction!

I use quick math assessments to find out if my students are mastering skills.  Each assessment is just 5-10 questions and give me a pretty accurate and quick glimpse on mastery.  I have pre-assessments and then 3 additional assessments in the same format.  By using these, I can graph student progress accurately.  

I also use informal assessment tools such as observations, quick response questions for the class, and data from apps and computer programs to assess the progress of students as I am teaching.

Check out the other Guided Math posts and enter the rafflecopter below to win!


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Indiana Bloggers Christmas in July $1 Sale!

We are having a  July cold front come through right now in Indiana and it is .... awesome.  Seriously, the most perfect weather ever!  So to celebrate, the Indiana Bloggers are having a Christmas in July $1 sale!

I'm offering up these 4 items for $1... so grab them up while they are on sale!

Kathi  has these 4 items for $1...put them in your cart!

Stephanie has these products at $1 just in time for Back to School.

Also, all three of our stores are 20% off right now, so load up your cart while the price is right! :)

Check out the rest of the products that are $1 during the Indiana Teacher Blogger Sale!

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