Oops, I Didn't Do My Homework! (Freebie)

I must admit that I am not ready for summer to end.  I keep reading other blogs about setting up the classroom and I have to keep reminding myself that I have almost another month left of summer break.  It is the perk of going through the middle of June.  I am slowly beginning to think about next year and what I want to try with my new Littles.  I think that is one of the biggest blessings about our job...the chance to be innovative on a regular basis.  I  love the feeling of possibilities.  I love that we can reinvent what didn't work last year and keep what did work. 

So, I wanted to share with ya'll a little freebie that just added to TPT tonight. It's something that works for me and I wanted to share it.  It's a way that I communicate with students and parents that missing assignments have consequences.  My Oops sheet helps me relay that to my students and their families. 

It is a quick (yes QUICK) sheet that students complete before going to recess if they didn't bring their homework. I know some of you might be of the notion that students need recess and I do to.  I just also believe that actions have consequences.  I also understand that most of my students don't have active parents at home helping them with their homework each night.  My school has over 75 % free and reduced lunch.  My school has over 30 languages too.  But, my Littles all speak "recess" and "get this signed by your mom or dad."  And again, it is QUICK!  You simply tell the student what number to add to the math facts on the sheet and have a copy of the spelling words handy.  If you think that you would like a copy, visit my TPT store (click HERE) and snag yourself a free copy :)



Happy Teaching,

Email Hoarding

My name is Christy Holder and I am an email hoarder.  Admitting you have a problem is a step towards fixing it...right?

 I just spent over an hour in my school email account.  I went through over 2500 emails stretching back to 2011.  Yep...over 2500 emails.  Since 2011.  I seem to always tell myself that I might need that email or I'll delete them later.  Well, 2500 emails and 4 years later, I finally did it.  I had kind of gotten used to the 4 Friday morning emails telling me that my mailbox was becoming to large.  I mean 4 emails.  To tell me that my mailbox was too large.  4 emails that added to the already overflowing mailbox.  Emails like these: 

 

Do you get these too?  Sure, I deleted some throughout those 4 years, but clearly not enough.  Or regularly.  But, it's done now.  My inbox is only showing 11 emails that seem (right now) pertinent to next year.

                                                                 (11 feels so good!!!!)

 I admit that it felt soooo good to push delete on some emails about certain students.  You know the ones that made you question your calling.  The ones that your spouse prayed for you to have patience to deal with on a daily basis.  Those.  It was like a cleansing :)  Now, I need to go through my personal email account because unfortunately, I didn't leave my email hoarding at school each day :)

Classroom Rug Giveaway

Friends, Lori from Teaching with Love and Laughter is having a wonderful giveaway.  Visit her site to enter to win a new classroom rug :)  I have my fingers crossed cause Lord knows my classroom rug has seen better days. 


Happy Teaching,

Mother's Day Candles

I am in LOVE with the Mother's Day gift that my class did this year!  A friend of mine teaches K and she shared a photo on FB the other night of the candles that her Littles were making.  Instantly I knew that this was our craft for our moms too! I purchased small white pillar candles at Dollar Tree.  You could possibly get them cheaper.  I didn't have time to shop around for the best deal.   Today the Littles decorated a small strip of tissue paper.  It was very little prep work. :)  I had already cut the paper to the size needed to fit around the candles. You will want to cut the paper smaller than the height of the candle.  It's easier to maneuver that way.  You will also want to make sure that they have paper underneath the tissue paper.  The marker WILL bleed through the thin tissue paper!    We used regular old Crayola markers to decorate our paper.  Tonight, I wrapped the tissue paper around the candles and used my blow dryer to slightly melt the candle.  This allowed the tissue paper to adhere to the candle.  It was easy.  I used the low setting and it worked like a charm. It did take a little bit of time, but it was worth it.  

Happy Teaching,

It's been FOREVER... (winter freebie)

Well, I just haven't been a consistent blogger this year!  I have good intentions, but goodness gracious, I just have been lacking in the motivation department. 

One of my Littles is quite the handful and after a day with him, I almost always feel like kicking my feet up and having a glass of wine. 

I hope that I can be a more regular with my posts.  I have a lot of ideas that I want to share. Some school related and some not.   I will start with the not :) 

I bought a frame at Goodwill for $3.00 a couple months back.  I finally got around to making a bulletin board out it.  After a little spray paint and attaching some free cork that I was given, my board is finished.  I also have been into all things burlap lately.  Here are a couple of my projects:

As for school, I created a Winter Word Bank for my Littles to access during Writing Workshop.  Head  *HERE* if you want to pick up your copy.

Have a BLESSED day!

Counting On (math strategy) and a freebie.

In my room, we have been spending a lot of time learning and practicing the count on strategy.  Most of my Littles can do this, but I still have a few that struggle with holding on to the larger number and counting on.  They are counting all.  Here's something that we are doing to practice this skill:

 

 

The big number cards came with my Math Expressions curriculum and they have the number on one side and the dots on the back that correspond.  I just used our whiteboards for the plus and equal signs. We start out by telling an addition story problems.  Then 4 students create the equation with the cards.  My Littles love to be the "one" chosen to solve the equation.  They must:

 

We also have been using this little game in our math intervention time this week.  It's called Odd and Even Sum Snakes.  One partner has even numbers and the other has odd numbers.  They take turns rolling 2 dice or 1 die and 1 number cube and add them.  When they use the number cube it is easy for them to practice counting on :)  Anywho, the idea of this game is to X-tinguish all your snakes with X's  :)  I laminate my boards and the Littles use dry erase markers.  Grab you free copy here!

 

And Lastly, here is our finished schema chart about pumpkins.  After reading several informational texts about pumpkins, we added our new schema in the form of leaves.  The Littles seemed most impressed that there are in fact BLUE pumpkins.  They thought that was super cool.



Have a blessed week,

November Currently

It's November!  That means it's time for a new Currently Linky party hosted by Farley.

Here's my Currently:



Listening:  The wind has been blowing like crazy all day!  I am so thankful that we haven't lost power.  But, I live in western WA and it is that time of year that this (and rain) happens a lot.  One of my facebook friends put it best:  Goodbye sunshine.  See you on July 5th. 

Loving:  I love TV.  My newest favorite is the show The Blacklist on NBC.  James Spadder plays bad oh so good!  He is a criminal mastermind that is working with the FBI to catch the worst of the worst criminals. 

 

 

 

Thinking:  My sweet hubby's birthday falls on Thanksgiving this year.  I don't know what I will get him.  Ideas?

 

Wanting:  Next week's lesson plans completed...no explanation need :) 

 

Needing:  Cooking breakfast on Saturday morning is a tradition in our house.  I don't do it any other day unless it's a holiday or my parents are visiting.  I also cooked lunch too.  Now, my kitchen needs to be tidied up.  I hate doing the dishes.  My hubby usually does them if I cook, but poor thing had to work this afternoon.  I'll get to it in a bit....

 



A Yummy Pin:  Chocolate Gravy...I know some of you might be thinking WHAT?!?!  I grew up in MS and I love chocolate gravy.  I love it on biscuits or dunking a doughnut into it.  It is really delicious!  This pin says that you could eat it with eggs...I wouldn't suggest it.  That sounds gross!  But, it is a great accompaniment to a wonderful carb of your choice.  Here's the link to the pin :)

 

 

 

Have a blessed night and enjoy falling back :)