Saturday, July 30, 2011

Pinterest inspired

So with all the pinning I've been doing on Pinterest I've decided to try and create some teacher signs for my teammates this year to hang in their room. Now before you look I just have to say that I am no artist but I really enjoyed making them and hope they like them. I tried to incorporate their favorite colors into their signs while making them look completly different. All in all I think I did well the only thing left to do is to glue the bows on them and write a message on the back. The project was a total of $7 dollars at Michaels with coupons! I do apologize for the last pic being sideways.

Happy Saturday!


Pirate Class Behavior

It's super late and I can't sleep so of course I've been spending my time blogging and pinning on pinterest when I came across Mrs. Larremore's Chalktalk Kindergarten blog.  Her blog is one of many that I stalk religiously just because she has so many resources and contacts to offer you daily and the fact that were in the same district.  So she's a celebrity to me.  Anyway I was reading her post about meeting Mrs. Jump and one of the things she was gonna implement in her room this year was a classroom manegment system using boats. If the students were disruptive their boat would get pulled.  Any way it was super cute and I couldn't find it on Jumps blog so I created my own.  It's basically like the brownie points I keep seeing on pinterest with the pan instead mine is a boat tha can sink because of bad behavior.  If your intersted I've attached a copy below.

Mrs. Shepherd

 
Don't sink the ship!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Let's Celebrate!

I've reached the 200 mark and want to celebrate by giving away something that has nothing to do with your classroom. I know when I'm preparing to go back to school I need to have a new wardrobe, shoes and don't forget some new lotions and perfumes! One of my favorite places to shop for lotions and perfumes is of course Bath and Body Works! So to say thanks for following me I am giving away a $20.00 gift card to Bath and Body works to one lucky follower!



You guys have 5 ways to enter. The giveaway will end on August 12th at Midnight and the winner will be selected on Sunday. If you win you will have 24 hours to contact me to claim your prize.


How to enter:
1. Follow my blog! (1 entry)
2. Grab my Button (1 entry)
3. Blog about my giveaway (1 entry)
4. Follow my TPT store (1 entry)
5. Tell me what your favorite fragrance is (1 entry)


Good Luck to you all!


Mrs. Shepherd

Pirate theme listening Poster

So I've dropped my beach theme for pirates this year and have been slowly getting everything together while waiting to go back to my classroom. Here is a copy of my listening poster I will put on my board by my whole group area to remind my students what a good listener looks like.

Pirate Good Listener Poster

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Math Journal Dividers

I've had several request for these dividers so I've attached them below. I also use them for my Reader's Response Journals as well as my take home folders. I will post the Reader's Response dividers Thursday after we finalize all of the components of the journal. I hope these can come in handy for you guys! FYI scrib'd is acting silly once again so they look funny but they download correctly!

Strategies - Math Journal
Extended Practice Math Journal
Math Vocab -Math Journal

Monday, July 25, 2011

With all the talk of behavior charts going on I decided to go ahead and make my labels for mine. Let me just say that they are nothing fancy but they will do. If your interested in them you can grab a copy below. My colors may be different from yours so if you need something to be changed just let me know.





Behavior Chart Labels

Saturday, July 23, 2011

I'm back!

Wow it's been a week since I have posted anything and I have so much to share!  First my school informed us that the LRC was open which means unlimited laminating until school starts so of course thats where I've spent most of my time this week.  A big thank you to Mrs. Curtain at Life's a Teach for sending me a cute id purse and $10.00 gift card to Target.  Check out all of my goodies!
The name tags are for my chair pockets I got from Mrs. Perry at Primary Perspective.  The chapsticks I use for smellies for a easy incentive.  Ink pads for my stamps in different colors, 2 desk caddies and a teacher planner I will use as a calendar for myself versus lesson plans.  The last and most important thing is my pretty Flair pens!  I love those things!  Thanks again Mrs. Curtain!

I had promised a couple bloggers that I would post my Math Journal so here it is. I used them everyday last year and loved them.  My only complaint about the way I did it last year was that they were unorgainized and so it was hard for my students to go back and find things that we had covered.  So this summer my goal was to create a version that was orgainized and easy for my students to use and understand.  My journal is broken down into 4 parts. 
Part 1 = Table of Contents - students record the concept and page number
Part 2 = Strategies - includes foldables, posters, and poems
Part 3 = Guided Practice - Left brain - students apply strategy independently , Right brain - teacher models
Part 4 = Vocabulary

Here are some pictures:

Would love to hear your thoughts before I present it to my team.

Mrs. Shepherd

Friday, July 15, 2011

Pinterest and Post its

First let me say that pinterest is addictive so be careful!:) Anywho I was pinning away this morning and ran across this classroom clock project which I've been eye balling at Lakeshore made out of post its or scrapbook paper. I didn't have any scrapbook paper so post its it was which by the way I have a ton of because Staples has them for $1.00 with a limit of 2 until today or tomorrow and Walmart and Target price matching their add! Ok back to the project here is the project on pinterest and mine which is unfinished because I want to laminate them all together before I cut them out.


After I finished what I could with that one I decided to start on my story wands and my trusty o printer was out of ink!  No worries I had all of these Post its, a sharpie and  popsicle sticks. 

Here are some pictures of my Story Wands which will be used during Reader's Workshop. I do plan to laminate them so they will last all year.



Can't wait to see what you guys are doing!


Thursday, July 14, 2011

Grab my new button!



After 3 different tries I finally created a button that I am proud to display. I would love for all of you to add it to your blogs.

Thanks,

Mrs. Shepherd

What's your favorite Laura Numeroff book linky party?

Ingles360 is hosting a "Whats your favorite Laura Numeroff book linky party"!




My favorite Laura Numeroff book is If you Give a Cat a Cupcake. My students absolutely loved covering this book since we were able to make cupcakes and write a how to about it. Well that's my favorite Laura Numeroff book head over to Ingles:360 to link up and share yours.


Mrs. Shepherd

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Spelling Homework Freebie

Here's a look at my spelling homework activity sheet that I'm using this year. Each student will have a copy in their homework spiral. If your interested in the document I've attached it below.

Mrs. Shepherd

Spelling Activitity Homework Sheet

Friday, July 8, 2011

Math Master

I was just sitting here thinking of ways to help my students memorize and understand their basic addition facts up to 9 when I remembered the game around the world. When 'I was in 3rd grade my teacher had fish all around her room numbered 1-10 and 10 would lead to the ocean she had put on the wall. Each student had a small fish with our names on it. In order to move our fish we had to complete a timed worksheet covering multiples of one number and if we made 100% we would move our fish to the next number. We were always asking for her to test us so we could move our fish. If your fish sucessfully got past 10 into the ocean you received a certiciate and multiplication pencil and when other students were tested you got to do free centers. Obviously you can tell that I loved that activity and was one of the students in the ocean!

Well last year our school tried implementing something similar called Math Masters. It was basically the same thing but required lots of paper and wasn't exciting for the kids. So with that in mind I have decided to combine the two lessons and use it in my room this year. We will focus on addition facts at the beginning and move to multiplication at the end. My materials are based on my theme which is a beach theme and will be posted around my room for my students to access and see clearly. Thebeach ballas are the numbers were covering and the sandals represent my students. I hope you guys can use these in your clasroom. If you have any questions or want to tell me what you guys do I would love to hear from you.

Mrs. Shepherd

Math Masters Set

Friday Freebie!

Today and today only I am offering my flying High with Fractions Math Center for FREE on my TPT store Here's a preview of what's inside the center. If you like it it please follow my TPT store. Flying High Preview

Thanks

Mrs. Shepherd

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Birthday Packet Giveaway

Go over to Peace Love and Learning to score a super cute Birthday Packet to use in your classroom.
http://peacelovelearning.blogspot.com/2011/07/bonus-birthday-freebie.html?showComment=1309921412657#c2261843914570610956

How to: Paper Bag Person Foldable

This is my second how to foldable post and today I will show you guys how to make a paper bag person. I learned this is my last GT training and thought it would be a great tool to use during character studies. The example I'm showing you uses a All about me template created by Mrs. Lemons- click link to go to her site to get the freebiehttp://stepintosecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/07/all-about-me-posters-freebie.html.  You will need a lunch size paper bag, scissors and tape.

Here is the finished product:
                                  


                          Step 1:  Lay your paper bag flat with flap facing facing up and fold the top of the bag just like in picture.
                                  
     Step 2:  unfold the top of the bag and using scissors round the corners of the fold. Next your going to cut the middle and top flap off the bag.

Step 3:  This flap will be the head of your body.  You are then going to make a long cut going down the middle of the bag stopping at the bottom flap of the bag.  When you get there make 2 diagonal cuts to release the arms of the bag.

Step 4:  Your almost done I promise! Now you should have a head and 2 arms on your bag.  Now to the final part.  Open the bottom pocket/flap of the bag.  On the side you will see a square.  Cut the square out on both sides.  When you have finished you will need to fold the flaps back and tape them on the edges to create a pocket. 
                                        
Your paper bag person should look like this when you are done. I think I;m going to do this the first week with Mrs. Lemons All About Me Poster and hang them in my room so that way I can see how well my students can follow directions. Once they grasp how to make them I will use them for character studies. I would love to hear how you can use this foldable in your room!

Mrs. Shepherd













Monday, July 4, 2011

I have 100 followers!!!!

Wow I can't believe that I have 100 followers!  I am truly thankful that you guys would see my ideas useful in your classrooms.  With 100 followers comes a freebie to say thank you!  I've just finished setting up my TPT store and have created this math board game for my students for the first few weeks of math centers.  If any of you are interested just click the picture and it's yours!  Once again thank you!

Mrs. Shepherd

Build That Sum

Sunday, July 3, 2011

The winner of my first Giveaway is..........

Comment # 14!

csturch said...
You are on my blogroll! (I actually just created it!) :)  yeaaaaaa!  Cari since it's the 4th of July I will give you until Tuesday to contact me to receive your free copy of my Making Words Unit.
A big thank you goes out to everyone who posted!  If your interested in the Making Words Unit it is now on my TPT store along with some math centers.
Mrs. Shepherd

How to: Foldable

I've received some questions about how to make these foldables so I'm going to show you guys.  It's very easy and student friendly!  With that said I hope you can use these in your room.

Materials:  4 lunch paper bags, 1 large rubber band, 1 square sheet of colored paper or 4 note cards







First lay 1 paper bag with the flap on your left side facing up.







Next your going to lay the paper bags one on top of each other with the flaps switching from left to right.  So the first flap is on the left side the next bag will have the flap on the right side still facing up and continue pattern until all of your bags are on top of each other.








Then your going to fold them in half.








After you have folded them unfold your bags and cut about 1 inch on each corner where folded.  A total of 2 cuts.










Then your going to place your rubber band in the middle inside the slits.  Voila your book is made.


Now using your solid colored paper fold into 4 equal parts, cut and insert them into the bag openeing.  They will be used for extra paper if needed or what ever you want.  I used mine as definition cards to show UPSL.

Here's a look inside my problem solving book.


My students show examples of how to use the UPSL method when solving story problems.  Sorry mine is so messy.  I would love to hear of ways you could use this in your classroom.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Back to school bargains

After a day of bargain hunting at Target, JoAnnes, Hobby Lobby I wanted to show you guys some of my finds. 


Target- So I've previously posted about finding book bins in the dollar section at Target but not having enough for a class set.  Well after a week of trying to hunt them down at every Target I finally found them and have enough for my entire class!  Wooo hooo! 
Here are all 22 of them.  I think I might go back and buy 5 for me for each day of the week.
I also saw a post from another blogger about making pointers and highlighters from items found in the Target sections and decided to make my own.  So here are my pointers and highlighters.  If this was your idea thank you!



 I got the erasers and pencils each for a dollar.  I made 12 of them for 3 dollars.  The cute bin came from Hobby Lobby for 1.00.
The highlighters were made using dividers hot glued to large popsicle sticks.  Project total $2.00!

Jo Anne's is having a huge 4th of July sale on their fabric some for .99 cents so I bought 2 yards of each color and my total came to $20.00 not bad.


I also bought this paper lantern for 45 cents.  Since I'm doing a beach theme in my class I was going to hang the paper lantern in my reading center to mimic the sun and have an inflatable pool for my students to read in.
Then I found these gems for my students behavior clips when they show outstanding behavior.  They were 75% off and since they give teachers an extra 15% off I got them for 1.00 for the two sets.



To end my trip I went to Hobby Lobby to look for a picture for my dinning room and found these foam square for 50% off .  Last year my behavior chart kept falling because I made it out of construction paper so I thought I could make my behavior chart using them and here is the finished product.
It looks really long because I hung it pretty high on my back door but I think it will work.  The total for the foam squares came to $3.00 and I still have 15 sheets left over.  Well I hope this helps you guys save a little money. 

Mrs. Shepherd