Tag Archives: teachers

How Do You Know When It’s Fall?

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How do you know when it is FALL??

When STARBUCK’S brings out…

It’s FALL! Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte is BACK!

It’s HERE!

FALL!

My school district is on a “modified” traditional calendar.

What that really means is…our FALL starts EARLY!

We start school in JULY…go for 9 weeks…

& get a two-week VACATION IN OCTOBER!!!!

YIPPEE! Fall Break!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

In approximately 22 days ( and 24 parent conferences)…

I will be on Fall vacation for 2 weeks! YIPPEE!!!

I only have a few things to do…

ELA Benchmark tests to be administered, corrected, & data inputted…

Math benchmark tests to be administered, corrected, & inputted…

report cards to be inputted ( no comments needed…)

&  24  Parent Conferences…

  And keep teaching to keep up with the 

district pacing guide!

OH, Yeah! Teach FALL theme also!

AND…It’s Johnny Appleseed’s birthday!

WE MUST MAKE APPLESAUCE!

(And after all of that…PLAN FOR the 2 weeks of OCTOBER after we get back!)

So, to help with the October stuff..

A NEW Fall PACKET!

Click HERE

Trick or Treat October Centers from 1stgradefireworks

 

How Many Syllables from Trick or Treat October Centers

Syllable Task Cards from Trick or Treat October Centers 1stgradefireworks

Noun or Verb Cards from Trick or Treat October Centers 1stgradefireworks

Noun or Verb Task Cards from Trick or Treat October Centers 1stgradefireworks

Let’s Write from Trick or Treat October Centers 1stgradefireworks

Story Sentences Pages from Trick or Treat October Centers 1stgradefireworks

Fall comprehension stories from Trick or Treat October Centers 1stgradefireworks

Math Centers from Trick or Treat October Centers 1stgradefireworks

Math Mountains from Trick or Treat October Centers 1stgradefireworks

Number Bonds Math Centers from Trick or Treat October Centers 1stgradefireworks

Missing Addends from Trick or Treat October Centers 1stgradefireworks

Candy Corn Fact Families from Trick or Treat October Centers 1stgradefireworks

Candy Corn Fact Families B/W from Trick or Treat October Centers 1stgradefireworks

Here are a few more packets to help with …FALL!!! 

CLICK   HERE

Sight Words for FALL

Fall Thematic Unit 1stgradefireworks

Greater Than, Less Than, Equal to Math center

BEST SELLER! Halloween Fact families Halloween Booklets

And a FREEBIE for YOU!

Happy FALL!!

CAndy Corn Fact Families FREEBIE

If you are looking for MORE  classroom resources:

Tag Parents, YOU’RE IT! Teachers want to SHOP on TPT!

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I know. It’s SUMMER!

Our Brains won’t STOP!

Relax. Thinking about desk arrangement.

Poolside. Reading a book about Classroom Management.

Computer. Should I redo my lesson plans?

Keep Swimming!

We don’t STOP!  It’s a LIFESTYLE!

Want some help? Want to WIN a $100 TPT Giftcard to Shop on TPT?

I would LOVE it for Back to School stuff!

Want to WIN a $100 TPT Giftcard? ENTER HERE! SHop on TPT!

Some bloggy friends of mine & I have put together a $100 TPT Giftcard to giveaway to ONE SPECIAL WINNER, so YOU can shop on TPT!

YOU can’t WIN…If you don’t ENTER!

Let your friends know.

YOU want a TPT Giftcard! And YOU want a giftcard! And YOU want a giftcard!

Oprah …You want a giftcard!


GIVEAWAY DETAILS:  


 
Prize: $100 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card
 
 
Giveaway Organized by: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher)
 
 
Co-hosts:   An Apple for the Teacher, The Froggy Factory, MM Bilingual, Jackie Crews, Kim Heuer, Paula’s Primary Classroom, A Plus Kids, 180 Days of Reading, The Chocolate Teacher, It’s a Teacher Thing, 1stgradefireworks, LIVIN’ IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER, Kathryn Watts, Digging Deep to Soar Beyond the Text, It’s Kinder Time, Globe Trottin’ Kids, Reading and Writing Redhead, Tanya G Marshall The Butterfly Teacher, Mrs Wenning’s Classroom, Teacher Gameroom, Teach with Hope, and Roots and Wings.
 
Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter.  Giveaway ends 6/13/18 and is open worldwide.
 
Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media?  Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome group of bloggers!

Enter on Rafflecopter HERE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

Don’t forget to shop on TPT at

1stgradefireworks logo

1stgradefireworks

 Here are some posts to help your TEACHER BRAIN ( We never stop.)

What are YOU reading this summer?

Leave me a comment… I’m adding to my professional library! 🙂

 

Happy Mother’s Day

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I want to say a HUGE Thank You…to my MOM!

Happy Mother’s Day!

I LOVE YOU!

Mom with her birthday cake.

Happy Mother’s Day! 

Myself and a team of amazing teachers have grouped together to gift an awesome teacher with a TPT gift card to show them how appreciative we are!

Mother’s Day Giveaway


PRIZES INCLUDE 1 x $75 TPT Gift card

The giveaway begins         Friday 11th May 2018 12am
It ends             Saturday 19th May 2018 12am
If YOU are VERY, VERY  good…MOM might share her winning TPT Gift card
with YOU! 🙂
Enter the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck to ALL!

Happy  Mother’s Day!

Mommy, I love you.
Check out these fun posts from 1stgradefireworks:

Skinny Food for Skinny Jeans? Lifestyle changes.

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I must admit…

I am NOT a fan of SKINNY JEANS!

Well…just NOT on me!

I am a 54-year-old Grandma.

I couldn’t wear those when I was 12…

more or less today!

Yes. I am BIG BONED…always have been!

So I am determined to make the lifestyle changes

to “decrease” my density.

So..Weight Watchers and I have been in a

RELATIONSHIP,

for the past 40 years…on and off!

I have been through MANY, MANY 

programs.

Yes, I ate LIVER, counted FIBER grams, and 

Worked out for MORE POINTS!

MORE POINTS  =   MORE  FOOD

I can honestly say..the last 18 months

I have made MORE Lifestyle changes

than I EVER had.

My blood pressure is down, my knees don’t hurt,

 I work out 4-5 days a week, 

and I eat fruit! 

A LOT OF FRUIT!

And I have lost & KEPT OFF 30+ pounds!

More to go..but on my way!

CLAP…CLAP…CLAP

So HOW?

What made the difference this time?

I am determined to never, ever DIET again!

If I want chocolate cake..eat chocolate cake.

EAT THE CAKE!

 

 To make a LIFESTYLE change, you have to have a PLAN!

There is a BALANCE SYSTEM.

Kind of like my checking account.

I can make deposits (save points & workout more)

So that when I make a withdrawal (chocolate cake).

I NEVER EVER GET OVERDRAWN!

Zero means zero!

When you use ALL of your points for the day…

YOU ARE DONE!

I am NOT a weight watcher leader.

I am NOT getting paid…just good info!

Just trying to keep my hubby & me healthy!

We have 4 children & 5 grandchildren.

I plan on being there to be a GREAT GRANDMA!

I want to see graduations, weddings, births, etc, etc.

I will do everything I CAN.

I will make lifestyle changes to ensure I will be there.

I have a very active PINTEREST BOARD.

Weight Watchers Chocolate cupcakes from Pinterest

SKINNY FOOD

Here are a few pins so you can choose 

what works for YOU!

TRY SOMETHING NEW!

Make a lifestyle change!

Do Your BEST!

LOVE WHAT YOU DO!

Believe in YOURSELF!

WE GOT THIS! 🙂

EASTER GIVEAWAY!

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Hippity, Hoppity

Easter’s on its way!

Happy Easter!

 Myself and a team of amazing teachers

have grouped together

to gift an awesome teacher

with a $150 TPT gift card

to show them how appreciative we are!

The Easter Bunny is having a giveaway! Who wants to win a $150 TPT Giftcard? ME!

Anyone want a

$150

TeachersPayTeachers

GIFTCARD?

HANDS  UP!  I DO!  I DO!

The Giveaway information…

Starts: Sunday 25th March 2018 12am

Ends: Sunday 1st April 2018 12am

How to enter?

HERE….

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also enter on my

INSTAGRAM 

site.

1stgradefireworks logo

 Good LUCK!

Wendy    1stgradefireworks

Reading Workshop

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Reading Workshop

“Creating a Community of Readers”

via…LUCY  CAULKINS!

This is my newest FAVORITE thing!

I LOVE Lucy Caulkin’s 

READING, WRITING, 

& 

COMPREHENSION LESSONS

If you get a chance to hear her, see her, and/or youtube her…

DO IT!

When I teach reading, I don’t want my students to stop and ask for help.

I want them to have skills to be independent readers.

I want them to be problem-solvers.

So, I am…

How to create a community of readers

 How?

 

What do you do BEFORE reading?

 Take a picture walk. Cover the words. Make them use the visual cues in the story. Frontload any vocabulary that may change thinking, distort comprehension, or unfamiliar to them.

Have them make predictions PRIOR to reading.

After reading, check their predictions.

When you finish reading, do something!

 I LOVE this!

After reading..then what? DO SOMETHING!

Reread it for NEW information. Retell it to yourself or a friend. We use our 3 fingers retell. I love this part…DIGEST IT! Just as a good meal…when you are finished, appreciate it. Think about it.

 ENJOY IT!

Read MORE!

 You are NEVER done! 

When you finish…read more! My kiddos love to stack ALL of their books on the left..as they finish reading a book…place it in a pile on their right. Keep reading! Their goal is to read more every day! STAMINA! Reading MATS are used to make goals. 

Our goals are to read MORE!

Use your eyes to read…not your fingers.

 We want kids to quit using their fingers to read.

Good readers use their EYES!

“SCOOP” up words (phrases) with your eyes. When reading, put 3-4 words together and read the phrases! GREAT time to teach prepositions & prepositional phrases!

Always reread text

 Always, always…reread!
You will see more, read more, and understand more when you reread a story. Read it to a partner, a parent, a friend. The same book can sound new when you are reading it the second or third time!

Lucy Caulkins Thank You

A HUGE THANK YOU to Lucy Caulkins!

So there you are..

GET  READING!

Remember….

When in doubt…

ALWAYS make it

BALANCED  LITERACY

Where is reading in a Balanced Literacy classroom?

Clean up 2017

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Can you hear the song?

Here’s a link to help you…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY-H2WGThc8

My NEW YEAR’S Mantra!

CLEAN UP!   CLEAN UP!

I LOVE to start the NEW YEAR with cleanliness!

NO ...I AM NOT  OCD ( quite the opposite ).

I like to start the year off with a clean slate…

doesn’t always stay that way!

So here I  go!

MY Closet! 

ICK!

Keeping these…pants together..skirts…etc

Hubby even did his shoes! 🙂

Pile to GO!
Cleaned out my closet…found my LOST slippers!

YIPPEY!
Pile of unneeded hangers!

Gave some of them away with donated clothes.
Kept some…yes..I got rid of the WIRE HANGERS!

HAHAHAHAHA

So I am DONATING 2 bags of 

“UNUSED” clothes & shoes

( Doesn’t fit, holes, haven’t worn, aren’t going to wear…)

to Goodwill.

Have you tried this COOL  closet  trick?

Take ALL of your hangers and turn them 

BACKWARDS!

As you wear something…

turn the hanger forwards.

Next year…

ANY hanger still turned backwards…

YOU HAVE NOT WORN IN ONE YEAR!

DONATE  IT to someone who will!

The Christmas Decor!

I LOVE my Christmas tree.

I turn on the lights, sit in the dark, and watch it twinkle!

But…it has been up since November.

( Yes, before THANKSGIVING!)

I didn’t have Thanksgiving at MY house..so..

UP WENT THE CHRISTMAS DECOR!

Makes me happy!

But…Time to “CLEAN UP, CLEAN UP!”

Gma loves help! Such a decorator!

It takes a LONG time to put ornaments away!

You have to touch each one…remember when or where you got it…

the memories are sometimes OVERWHELMING..

Sniff..sniff..giggle..giggle

We started this years ago…

When we travel, or have a special place…

we buy an ornament.

Check out my UPDATED post on 

“In Life…there is NO “Do OVER!”

Newest member of my snowman ornament collection.
Don’t forget the year!
Little sister got married  in HAWAII!

We were ALL there!

So FUN!

and last…

ME!

I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions…

I don’t need ANOTHER thing to worry about!

But..

I have changed my eating habits!

( Lost 32  pounds …so far )

YEAH!!!

My new favorite “treat”…

APPLES & Peanut Butter!

But wait!

 Isn’t Peanut Butter FATTENING??????

Here’s my SECRET..

Slice apples ( I buy mine pre packaged & sliced ). 🙂

Put them single layer on a plate.

Put 1 Tablespoon ( Yes I measure ) peanut butter in a small zip-lock bag.

Close bag. Microwave PB ( mine about 20 seconds).

Snip ( tech term) the corner off of the bottom of the PB bag.

DRIZZLE over apples!

It’s like FROSTING the cake!

* UPDATE…  You CAN use PB.

BUT…

My newest LOVE

PB2.

Powdered Peanuts…NO  FAT!

Mix 2 TBL powder with 1 TBL  water!

PRESTO!

PB  with NO  FAT!

I LOVE LOVE  LOVE  the PB2 with CHOCOLATE!

CAN YOU SAY…  REESES???

I have it on my toast in the AM.

So…I am beginning my

CLEAN UP 

mode.

I should start on the kitchen cabinets, or the bathroom…..

I think I hear 

APPLES & PB

calling me!

Happy New Year’s,  my friends!

Data Collecting 101

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Data Collecting!

The words that send

SHIVERS

down 

EVERY TEACHER’S

BACK!

WHY? HOW? WHEN?

 Relax…take a breath…

go to your “HAPPY PLACE!”

Data is very important in education.

We as educator’s not only need to deliver the instruction, but we do have the need to ensure our student’s master and apply the knowledge we are delivering.

For me, it was a

CHANGE of  MINDSET.

When I change my lifestyle, I need a WHY?

Why am I doing this? Why is it needed? 

WHY?  WHY?  WHY?

BECAUSE.

Collecting data is NOT about the numbers.

It’s NOT about “judging” my teaching. It’s NOT about seeing

HOW many of my students DID or DID NOT master a concept.

It’s about looking for those SMALL skills, those giant holes, those little tweeks that are missing FOR THE CHILD!

What areas are missing…so I can fill them!

IT’S NOT ABOUT ME???

NOPE!

It’s about the KIDS!

Data is to help our kids.

OK.   So  HOW?

There are a MULTITUDE of  assessments that you can use. 

In this day and age, I bet your district has a LONG list of assessments they  want you to use.

USE them!

Don’t just give the test & move to the next lesson.

LOOK  AT  THE  DATA!

You might be surprised at what you see!

I recently gave a math assessment to my firsties.

We had spent 4-5 weeks (YES WEEKS) on place value!

Tens and ones.  Tens and ones.  

OVER  AND  OVER!

After my “district” math assessment,

I noticed a trend…

On 5-6 of the tests  ( 25%  of my class..)

they missed 3-4 questions about 

adding ten to a number.

WHAT? ADDING TEN IS EASY!

We had gone over tens & ones, tens & ones…

BUT…

I “assumed”

…remember what they say about 

ASSUME…

that it would be easy for them 

because they understood place value!

So…a week later of

SMALL  GROUP

math ..adding tens to numbers

SHAZAM!

100%  on the place value review test!

So what if I gave the review test again.

They didn’t get it the first time!

It is NOT important that 

OUR numbers

 look good to others!

What is important is

DO THE KIDS KNOW IT?

Knowledge vs. numbers.

WOW!

A New MINDSET!

If you are looking for some reading/writing assessments 

to HELP your kiddos…

THIS WILL HELP!

See how I use it 

 HERE…

Kinder Friends GIVEAWAY!

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Kinder Friends GIVEAWAY

Merry CHRISTMAS!
Feliz  Navidad!
Joyeux Noël
Frohe Weihnachten
There are sooo  many ways to say
“Happy  HOLIDAYS!”
My friends and I at
Kinder Friends
are having a
DECEMBER  GIVEAWAY
We are celebrating
Holidays  Around  the  World!
We are giving away a $25 TPT card!
Raise your hand if you want one!
ME!   ME!   ME!
Here are a few of my
December    products
to help YOU
survive the month!
THAT,
my friends,
is a  UNIVERSAL  theme!
A HOLIDAY BUNDLE!
5 Packet BUNDLE!
Includes:
BABY It’s Cold Outside:
Noun Sort
FROZEN!…HFW Game
SLIP SLIDIN’ AWAY…Long vowel Silent “e” Word Work
SILLY SNOWBALLS…Beginning blends word work
Color & B/W printables
Grades 1-2
Do You Want to Build A Snowman?
Place Value Activity for whole group / small group / independent practice.
Snowman “pieces” to create a snowman based on a given value.
Snowman HATS have a number. The students “build” the snowman using corresponding units. Uses base-ten blocks, expanded notation, math mountains, & ten-sticks to make numbers. Differentiate based on student needs. CCSS CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.NBT.B.2
Power Pronouns
25 Pocket Chart Word Cards and
Printables to help students practice using pronouns
in complete sentences.
Snow Fun
4 ELA Centers for Winter
Included:
Sight Word Snowball Fight
Partner Reading Stick Puppets ( Reading Comprehension)
How to Make a Snowman: writing
Christmas Tree “Rhyming” Chains
Available in color & B/W
Grades 1-2
This Elf is NOT on the Shelf!
32 Math Task Cards …
1 more / 1 less
10 more / 10 less
Holiday Themed
And…..
The ELVES are Working OVERTIME!
ELA centers :
Verbs…Past, present, future
Nouns…Common, Proper, plural
Digraphs
Inflectional Endings
Punctuation
Here is a FREEBIE
 from ME to YOU!
OK…my friends!
Enter  the RAFFLECOPTER
and then….
HOP  ON  OVER to my friend
PAULA at
Paula’s Preschool and Kindergarten
For MORE Goodies!
Goodbye!
Adios!
Happy Holidays to one and ALL!

It’s ALMOST HERE! CYBER MONDAY is ALMOST Here!!!

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You know you are an online shopper when….

The  UPS  man  comes to your house daily.

You check the “package” spot on your porch, before you get out your front door key.

Your laptop automatically goes to AMAZON.

You look in the spare room, and YOU have more boxes than AMAZON!

OK.

I GIVE!

I shop. I shop well.

So…

CYBER MONDAY

is almost here!

I know there will be 

LOTS

of sales.

I am offering to help!

I am giving away a

$10

giftcard

to 

TPT!

You can spend it

ANYWHERE

you want…

might want to check out

1stgradefireworks     🙂

Short & sweet!

Nov. 26 & Nov. 27