Happy Friday!!  I know many of you have already started your summer break...but if you are like me, you are still in school!!  I wanted to share my end of the year gift for my students in this post! I have done many different things throughout the years for my students at the end of the year.  Sometimes I use my Scholastic points and get each student a book.  Other years I have given them an A to Z memory book.  I put pictures of different things we have done on each page that start with each letter of the alphabet.  I have also made folders for my students with their work and any pictures I have taken of them throughout the year.  So many different gift options!   This year I have seen SO many wonderful ideas on Instagram!  I thought the idea of sunglasses was super adorable so I made some of my own tags to use!  I got some adorable sunglasses from the Dollar Store.  They had some really cute patterns!  I'm so excited to pass these out at the end of the year! 

 I created a pack with 10 different End of the Year Gift Tag options.  If you want to check it out just click the picture to go to my TpT store!

 I am also including a "Sunshine Coverall" math game and two dice in a baggie with their sunglasses gift.  We have played different coverall games throughout the year and my students always enjoy them.  The dice also came from the Dollar Store - don't you just love the Dollar Store?!?! If you want to grab the coverall game for your student gifts or just for a fun end of the year game, I've created a *FREEBIE* for you!  Just click the picture to download!

 Have a wonderful weekend!!  Hope it is filled with SUNSHINE!!  

Read more »

Recipe for Teaching

Hi blogging friends!  We are doing an ABC countdown just like many of you are doing as well.  Today was the letter Q day so what do we do...paint with Q-tips!!!   I have done this in different ways in past years.  Last year we painted pictures with Q-tips.  Check out the Raven logo that I did last year.  I have serious Q-tip painting skills, right?!?!

Today we used Q-tips to paint the dots from dot cubes and then recorded the addition equations.  Can I just tell you how wonderful this was...seriously...so.much.fun!  They were engaged, excited, and LEARNING!!  We have been working a lot on addition and subtraction and my teacher heart was so happy when they did an awesome job with this!   Here are some pictures of their work!

Want to try this with your students?!?!  Click the image to grab the FREEBIE!!

Have a super rest of the week!   

Read more »

Recipe for Teaching

Just wanted to share a quick blog post about a new freebie for you!    Last summer I created a First Day of School freebie and posted it on TpT.  That product currently has 2,317 downloads - wow!!!  I thought I would create a Last Day of School freebie for you too!    As you are winding down the school year, you could use this Last day of School activity on the last day for students to draw a picture of themselves.  This would make a great keepsake for them to share with their families.  You could also use both products together for next year.  Have your students draw themselves at the beginning of the year (save in their file) and then draw themselves at the end of the year to compare just how much their artistic skills have improved throughout one school year! Grab both freebies from my TpT store just by clicking the images below!  Enjoy!

 

Read more »

Recipe for Teaching

Happy Weekend!  Just wanted to share with you some of the amazing math work we have been doing in kindergarten!

We have been really working on addition and subtraction!  I try to teach them how closely related addition and subtraction are.  Addition always seems to be a skill the kids get quickly.  Subtraction always seems to be a little more tricky.  I think part of it is the concept of taking away because let's be real...at 5 and 6 years old, what kid wants anything taken away from them!!  They want MORE, not LESS!!    Well we have been working super hard on our subtraction and this week we used a resource from Navigating through Problem Solving and Reasoning. 

We used the Teddy Bear Park work-mat to tell subtraction stories about bears in the park.

    Earlier in the week, we sat around our carpet and I modeled telling subtraction story problems while my kindergarten friends used the bears to solve the problem.  They LOVED it!!  I had kids telling me this was "So fun!" and asking "Are we going to do this again tomorrow?"  Sometimes I have to remember simple is best because look how simple this activity is! The next day I let them practice telling subtraction stories to a friend using the work-mat and the bears.  As the week went on, we made a chart of all the places the bears could start off at in the park.  Then I modeled writing a subtraction story.

I had my students work to write their own subtraction stories using the work-mat and the bear manipulatives.  They recorded their story in their Notebook of Learning.  *I think I have mentioned before on my blog that our Notebook of Learning is one composition book that we use for ALL subjects.  Seriously, it's amazing!  ONE notebook for all subjects!  So much easier than trying to manage a different notebook for each subject.  I highly recommend it! Check out their awesome work!!  #seriouslyblownawaybytheirwork

  

I hope I have inspired you to try something like this with your students if you haven't already!!  Enjoy the rest of the weekend!    

Read more »

Recipe for Teaching

Hi everyone!  Hope you had a marvelous Monday and a great start to your week!  I decided to join Angie over at Lucky Little Learners and Ashley over at Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd for their fun #2getherwearebetter link-up!  Thanks for a great link-up ladies!!  I'm a little late joining (this is a super busy time of year!), but better late than never!

Here are some of the ways I communicate with families: 

1. Email: I think a lot of us use email as a tool of communication.  I get email addresses of parents/guardians at the beginning of the year and then create a group list.  This way when I need to send an email to all families about something, I can just email everyone.  **One tip about this...I usually send the email to myself and then do a blind copy of the email to the parents.  This helps with keeping email addresses private.

I send this home to collect information so that I can easily communicate with families.

2. Phone calls: I try to make sure I call parents for a variety of reasons.  I want them to know if their child has an area of need or if they are doing great things in the classroom!  We certainly don't want anyone having the school's number come up on their phone and parents wondering what their child did that was wrong.  

I use this family communication form when contacting families.  I have them copied and in a 3 prong folder which makes it easy to grab when making a phone call!

3. Notes: Just like emails and phone calls, I like to send notes home for when there is an area of need or for when they do great things in school.  There is nothing better than a student who is so proud of themselves for getting a positive note sent home from school.  One of my memories from kindergarten is reading a book to my class and getting a certificate from my teacher! 4. Conferences: We do parent teacher conferences once a year and then as needed throughout the school year.  I always enjoy face to face communication with families because it is so personable.  5. Weekly newsletter: I do a weekly newsletter in my classroom.  This helps families to see what we are working on in school. 

This is what my weekly newsletter looks like!

6. Week in a Peek: We use a one page "Week in a Peek" document that shows student behavior (we use the clip system), homework ideas, PE/library/music/art rotation, and any notes/reminders.  This stays in their take home folder throughout the entire week.  

 How do you communicate with families??  Join the linky party to share!

 

      

Read more »

Recipe for Teaching

Happy Friday!!  Hope everyone had a great Teacher Appreciation Week!  This Five for Friday with Doodle Bugs Teaching is not at all teaching related, but I thought I would share 5 shows that I am currently watching throughout the week!  I would love to hear if you are watching any of these shows too!!

Photo from: IMDB

Love this season of Dancing with the Stars!!  They are all so good and I have no idea who will win the mirror ball trophy!

  

Photo from: IMDB

Any other Jane the Virgin fans??  This show is great!  It is a newer show and the star, Gina Rodriguez, won a Golden Globe earlier this year for her role in the show.  

Photo from: HULU

I like a lot of TLC shows, but this is one of my favorites!  I just finished watching the most recent episode that I had recorded on Tuesday.  My husband and I also love watching The Little Couple and we were super excited to see that new episodes start back up at the end of the month!!

Photo from: IMDB

I watched the entire first season of Married at First Sight and was hooked!!  This season is great too!  Three couples are matched together by experts and then married without meeting.  They get married, go on a honeymoon, and live together.  At the end, they decide if they will continue to stay married or not. 

Photo from: IMDB

This is another show my husband and I both enjoy watching!  It's a great show!

Some of the other shows I enjoy watching are:

*Once Upon a Time

*Shark Tank

*The Bachelor/Bachelorette (starts back this month!)

*Big Brother (starts back this summer!) 

What are some of your favorite shows to watch??  Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

  

Read more »

Recipe for Teaching