Crazy for Christmas!

We just added our Crazy for Christmas: A December Unit to our Teachers Pay Teachers Store. Take a sneak peak of the unit by looking below!

If interested, click here to go visit our TpT store! (Get it today- it is on sale!!) :)

TpT Sale

We've teamed up with some of our favorite bloggers for a super sale on Teachers Pay Teachers!  All of our products will be on sale for 20% off from November 29th through December 1st.  Plus, TpT is offering an additional 10% discount on top of our sale prices on Cyber Monday (use promo code CMS28 at checkout-valid only on November 29th)!  Happy holidays!! 

Lesson Plan SOS 

Rachelle Smith

Natalie Kay

Anna Brantley
Jodi Southard

Melissa Freshwater

One Extra Degree

The Teacher Wife  

Michelle Oakes

Erica Bohrer

Kinderglynn

Primary Graffiti

Thankful Linky Party!

We are joining Rachelle and Natalie's I'm Thankful Linky Party...great idea girls!! :) Click on the turkey picture if you are interested in joining the linky party, too!

1.  What are you thankful for in your classroom?
Melissa:
That's easy!!! My 24 students who make my job exciting (I am never bored!), challenging, and SOO rewarding. I love my job because I love my students!

Nicole:  "Good mornings" and "Good-byes" -Each morning I meet my students in the hallway when the bell rings. They greet me with a polite phrase ("good morning," "have a nice day," "I hope you had a nice weekend"), a hug, and the BIGGEST smile they can make (I do the same)!!  I am so excited to meet them each day! 

We also have a good-bye routine.  At the end of the day I wear this apron:

Each student points to one of the pictures (heart=hug, 5=high five, hand=handshake, smiley face=huge smile), we do the action they chose and say a good-bye phrase such as, "Have a good night," "Have fun with your kids," or "See you in the morning."  These special moments with them are what I'm most thankful for.

2. What person are you most thankful for?

Melissa:
My (VERY SMALL!) family! :) We have been through a lot in the past couple of years. I am beyond grateful for them!!!

That's me, my brother, my sister-in-law, and my mommy!!! :) I talk to my mom at least two times every day. On the way to school and on the way home :) We always have lots to say!

My boyfriend, Chris, is also a teacher and he teaches fourth grade. We have been together for over 12 years :) and he is one of those people who wakes up happy every day and whistles when he is doing the dishes. He helps me keeps things in perspective and not worry about the little things.

These are two of my babies :) Nugget and Cinder. Nugget and Cinder are two very spoiled animals. Every two weeks, my mom cooks Nugget a big pot of chicken noodle soup for his dinner. Every morning, I cook him whole wheat waffles, with an apple, banana, chia seeds, and organic yogurt. :) He is the healthiest (and luckiest!) dog on the block! Cinder...we rescued him over a year ago! So, yes he technically is very thankful for us, too!

I'm still not done...one more VIP...

Nicole! :)

Even though Chris and I don't see her and her husband half as much as we would like to - I am still so grateful to have a friend (and blogging buddy!) like her. She never ceases to amaze me with her positive outlook, dedication to her family and career, her kindness and sense of humor. I can always count on her no matter what...whether I have a leaking toliet (sad but true story) or need a serious "I am going to pee in my pants" kind of laugh. :)

  

Nicole:  My mom-she is the best grandma to my kids!!  She is so hands-on with them.  She takes them to the Y to swim (and races my daughter down the waterslide!!), plays endless games of hockey with my little boy, and lets me vent to her after a busy day.  I feel lucky that my kids are able to have such a wonderful person in their life!! 

3. What 3 blogs are you most thankful for?

Melissa and Nicole:

What the Teacher Wants is number one hands down!!! We have emailed, texted, and sent snail mail to each other- borderline stalker, right? When we first started our blog back in March, these girls were the only ones, along with April and Amanda, who ever showed us the time of day! I still remember how excited we were to have our first official giveaway with Rachelle and Natalie. The only way that we got our blog name out there is by Rachelle and Natalie helping us out! Their kindness truely is greatly appreciated!

Becky, a super talented fourth grade teacher at our school, also has a super duper cute teaching blog! We love her blog as much as we love her!

Nicole and I also love this crafting/scrapbook/a little bit of everything blog, Eighteen25. We always can find inspiration for crafts at home or school from their blog!

4. What guilty pleasure are you most thankful for?

Melissa:
I have lots of embarrassing guilty pleasures...where do I begin??
Number one would have to be...COKE- really, sugar is a serious addiction and I think I am an addict.
I know, it doesn't seem like THAT bad of a guily pleasure...right??? The only thing...is that I teach a very in depth lesson on SUGAR SHOCK to my students every March, to go along with a nutrition unit. You know, the lesson were we measured how much sugar is in our favorite junk food??

I can't help but feel like a loser when I am teaching my students to say NO to sugar when I am shouting YES!!!

I know Nicole has her own addictions...but I can't help but laugh about this one. Nicole's new year resolution was to kick the soda habit, or at least that is what she told her students. However, I just about died laughing when I saw her pour her soda into a different container and then throw away the soda can (evidence!!) in MY trash can!!!

Nicole:
...That is true!!  Now that I have a new batch of students, I feel free to drink my Pepsi without a harch reprimand each day!  My other guilty pleasure is definitely cookies.  I can justify eating them for breakfast (ie:  Lorna Dunes because they have no frosting or chocolate chips).  I have a sign on my desk that says, "Cookies Fix Everything" and I honestly believe that!!

5. What are you most thankful for?

Melissa: My health and the health of my family! Short and sweet, but it says it all! I know that I am guilty of taking my health for granted!

Nicole:  Happiness!  Things are crazy, things are overwhelming, things are always soooo busy!  It's easy to let all the stress get to you and (uh oh...)-complain!!  I found this poster on Pinterest (brownquilts4me) and I'm proud to say that I choose to be happy each day.  Just as negativity can be contagious, so can happiness!   

And, THANK YOU, for reading our blog!!! :)

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say “thank you?” 

                              ~William A. Ward

I read this quote when I found a new blog today, Believing in Something, from one of the readers (Sharlee, that's you!) who commented on our blog recently. (We do read each and every one!!!)

Thank you! We appreciate you!

Congratulations to all New NBTC's!!!!

National Board for ProfessionalTeaching Standards just released the scores for the 2010-2011 candidates! Candidates undergo a RIGOROUS one year assessment program. Candidates complete 4 portfolio entries and six prompts that assess content knowledge.

NBPTS Standards are based on the Five Core Propositions that form the foundation for what all accomplished teachers should know and be able to do and provide a reference that helps educators link teaching standards to teaching practice.
         Five Core Propositions

• Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
• Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
• Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
• Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
• Teachers are members of learning communities.

Source: http://www.nbpts.org/

I know first hand just how rigorous the program was because I became a National Board Certified teacher in Generalist/Middle Childhood in 2007..and passed on the first time! :)
My mom and I at my district's board meeting where they congratulated all NBCT's!

I spent one year of my life (I kid you not!) on this process. WHY on earth would anyone put themselves through this?? Because it really did CHANGE my thinking and CHANGE my teaching.

If you are looking for a challenge and have always been one of those teachers who like to "go above and beyond," this is for you!!!

Are there any NTCB's out there??? Newly certified, currently a candidate, currently a retake, take one candidates...We want to hear from you!!! Leave us a message!

Thankgiving File Giveaway Winners

Time for Turkeys (Just in Time!)

Looking for a way to share what your class or school is thankful for this season? 
Make a fun all-school bulletin board! 
Cut enough turkey feathers so each teacher in the school has one (we paired up certain positions such as the social worker and psychologist) and attach a line that says, "Mrs. Smith's Class is Thankful for..." or "The Office Staff is Thankful for..."  Add them to some cute turkey bodies and you've got a heart warming bulletin board to decorate the hall!






We couldn't agree more with this one:

Click here to print a sign for your bulletin board:

Look at these super-cute turkeys a student brought in! They were made by attaching the feathers to the back of a York Peppermint Pattie and the head to the front of it! 

The kids loved them! 

The feathers and face were made using an oval and a scalloped paper punch. Almost too cute to eat!

We combined our math skills with our artistic skills for the next lesson!

I set up a cute little store that sold items for a cute little turkey art project. The store was open and ready for customers when the price tags were on the items.

Pipe cleaners (little legs and toes!) for 10 cents, red ribbon (wattle!) for 45 cents, scrapbook paper (fancy feathers!) for 10 cents per sheet, and googly eyes for 25 cents per pair.

Ask and you shall receive! I sent home a letter requesting the scrapbook paper and other supplies…and I received many beautiful donations!!!

Prior to shopping, the students filled out a shopping list and wrote the items they wanted to buy for their project.

Since we were learning about money and making change in math, I had my students bring $5.00 in REAL coins. They used the coins to help stay under the $5.00 budget and sort the different items on their list.

After making their shopping list, the students showed me what they were purchasing by writing the amount of money (with the dollar sign and decimal point in the correct place!!), the item, and what that amount looked like with the coins.

An added element of fun…they wrote on their desks with a dry erase marker!!!!! NOTE: Give a little test on a desk before you have your students do this!!!

I really think this lesson would have been complete if I just let them write on their desks and be done. They were THAT excited!!!

Students then gathered the items on their shopping list.

Artistic skills were put to the test after their shopping trip.

After a little shopping, cutting, and gluing we had our finished product!

Gobble, Gobble! Our calculations added up to one cute little turkey!

This lesson is part of the Thanksgiving Unit that we just added to TpT!

If you are interested in our file, please click on the image below:

The first two people to comment will get this Thanksgiving file (JUST IN TIME!!) sent to their email address!!! :)

Writing Resources

Does your district use the Six Traits of Writing? Have you been wanting to make posters, bulletin boards, or manipulatives to go along with your lessons but just haven’t had the time? 

We just uploaded a few new writing files on our TpT store. Check them out below!

Smart Writers Rock! 

This file includes labels for these easy to make smart writers manipulative boxes. 

Give your students a chance to take on different voices for different types of texts!

First, purchase one of these scrapbooking storage bins at your local craft store, laminate the trait cards, and attach velcro to both items:

When you’re studying a particular trait, velcro the appropriate card to the bin:

Then, find items you have around your house or classroom that match the trait and fill the bin! The Voice Box below is filled with an old cell phone and different characters. How would the loveable chipmunk, Alvin, read a passage? How about a pirate? Tough Boris by Mem Fox is an awesome book to use to teach the trait of voice (and word choice!). Boris von der Borch is NOT a mean, greedy old pirate - tough as nails, through and through, like all the other pirates.

After learning about the trait of voice, my students LOVE writing their final copy using a "microphone" pencil! Simply glue a puff ball to a pencil (I spray painted these black, but you could use any pencil)!

Smart Writers Rock! also includes 6 separate sheets that explain all of the traits.

These are great to use at Parent Night or to have students keep in their writing folders.

The file also includes colorful posters for each writing trait. I display these with my Scoopin' Up Sweet Writing bulletin board:

 

A favorite with our students is the smart writers sticky cards!

When a student uses a trait in their writing, have them place a tab next to that part in their story. This can be done when they are editing or rereading their work. The students love using them because it keeps them engaged during the writing process.

When it is time for their writing conference, this will give you a quick look at the traits they are using and what areas you need to discuss during your meeting.

For all the writing workshop fans out there...this file includes some goodies for you, too!

This is not a new idea but we love it because it works for our students! We keep track of where each student is during the writing process by having the students move their clothespin along the pencil as they go

 through the stages. Its a great reference so you know who needs help! This file includes a primary and intermediate writing process "pencil".

Here is a snapshot of the Smart Writers Rock! file (there is more than what is shown below):

Are you looking for quick and effective mini-lessons to teach your students to use the traits in their writing? We also just uploaded a new file that is over 180  pages: Writing Mini-Lessons for Smart Writers!

*Over 75 pages are dedicated to mini-lessons on using good word choice

(show don’t tell, onomatopoeia, snapshot and student similes and other figurative language, idioms, synonyms, color swatch lessons, and sensory words)

*14 different lessons to teach your students how to develop strong ideas in their writing

*5 different lessons to teach your smarties to use sentence fluency in their writing

*10 different lessons to teach your kiddos to let their VOICE be heard in their writing

*10 different lessons to teach your students that good writers organize their writing (including our favorite How to Be a Solid Shape and Lost and Found lessons!)

Some of these lessons are very brief (one page) and are meant to be taught in one day (hence the word mini-lessons!). Other lessons are more in-depth and can be taught over the course of a few days. These lessons are designed to help you effectively teach the traits that good writers use throughout their writing. Conventions are not included in this file—we are making a different file for this trait!

Here is a snapshot of some of our favorite lessons from the Writing Mini-Lessons for Smart Writers file:

Recycled Writing Ideas!

Have students place brainstormed writing topics in this bin by writing them on strips of paper. They can go to the recycling bin for inspiration when they experience writer's block on future assignments! 

How to be a solid shape! A fun and interactive lesson with a math twist!

We have used this idea for a couple years now and our students love it! Encourage your writers to use good word choice by adding color words to their writing! Warning: After this lesson, you will never be able to use "boring" color words with your students aagain! "Take out your BLUE folder" will be replaced with, "Take out your SKY BLUE or INDIGO or MIDNIGHT folder." (Really, you'll see!)

Good writers make their writing interesting by using figurative language- like similes! I enlarge this into a poster and hang it up after we learn about similes. When students find a simile during their independent reading time, they write the it on a sticky note and put it on the poster. You won't believe how many they will find! :)

Last, but not least, we have combined ALL of the files listed above (Six Traits Bulletin Board Inspiration, Writing Mini-Lessons for Smart Writers, and Smart Writers Rock!) in one HUGE file. HUGE as in 200 pages HUGE. :)   If you are interested in this unit, click on the title: The Ultimate Writing Resource for Any Teacher

And just because we appreciate the fact that you are still reading this long post we are giving away some freebies.

-The first person to comment will get: Six Traits Bulletin Board Inspiration

-The second person to comment will get: Smart Writers Rock!

-The third person to comment will get: Writing Mini-Lessons for Smart Writers

-The fourth person to comment will get: The Ultimate Writing Resource for Any Teacher (The BIG one!!!)

Just tell us your thoughts about teaching writing and DON'T FORGET to leave your email address! :)