Let's Make Some Noise!

Well it's the first week back and I already seem to be behind. How does that happen so fast? I have a full class with 33 first graders and it seems as if we are always on top of each other. For those of us who work with the little ones, you know how antsy they can be when they are starting off the year. I know I better get a handle on it fast, because it will set the tone for the entire year.

I have always been a big believer in acknowledging the good behavior with a blow horn, rather than blasting them for negative behavior. I feel like a grouch when I'm constantly correcting poor choices. "Raise your hand. Don't shout out. Keep your hands to yourself. Look up front." Ewwww. When I give praise for the positive behavior..."Thank you for raising your hand. Look how Johnny is facing front. Lilly always waits to be called on, way to go!" It changes my whole attitude. Acknowledging kids desired behavior, will encourage the behavior again. Bring attention to the positive behavior in front of the class and others will be encouraged to do the same.

This year I've made some "anytime acknowledgements" to pass out to a few kids each day. These notes are quick and easy. They are not in color because they should not be saved for a special awards ceremony. I keep a class list and check which character note each student has already received. I have a large coupon folder in which I store the notes. I try and pass out 3 a day and by the end of 2 weeks, the whole class should have been recognized. If I have a few extra minutes, I might jot a message. If I am short on time, the note is sufficient to let the parents know what behavior their child has been rewarded for.

Rock & Roll - Anytime Acknowledgements

So much fun!

I like using positive character traits as the foundation for these notes because it allows me to talk to the kids about behaviors that make a person of strong character. When children remember to bring in their share, I say, “Amy showed responsibility. She remember to bring in her share. Awesome job!” Playing a math game with partners, “Johnny and Jason are great partners, They’re taking turns and waiting patiently. Great cooperation!” 
Check out the freebie below. See what you think.

Grab this freebie at my TpT store.

"Bucket Filler...That's Me"

"Bucket Filler...That's Me"

Have you heard of the Bucket Filler books? If not, you must check them out. They are a wonderful addition to your classroom library. I created "Bucket Filler...That's Me" to compliment these books and it will enhance your students' understanding of what it means to "fill a bucket" or to be a "bucket dipper". 

"Fill a Bucket" Freebie

 Grab the "Fill a Bucket" Word Search Freebie. My kids love, love, love word searches. It's something they can easily do on their own and they love helping each other out. Enjoy!

Barrels of Apples and Johnny Too!

Barrels of Apples at TpT

The new school year will be here before you know it (Boooo!). Time to get out my apple unit. I decided to change it up a bit this year and I'm excited about all of the new additions. The kids get real antsy, especially at the beginning of the year, so it was important that I make the lessons fun and hands-on. 

  

 Who doesn't love a craftivity? We're going to make Johnny Appleseed to place on the top of our paragraph. I use Step Up to Writing as a model for our writing series and I love it. It's clear and shows the kids step by step how to write a paragraph at every level. Find all these activities in my new unit, Bundles of Apples and Johnny too!

I'm including a tried and true freebie below. Reinforce the subtraction concept with this hands-on math lesson. We have these great baskets I punch out with an Ellison cutter and the kids can glue them down in a way that they can place the "apples" inside the basket, but in case you don't have something like that available, the baskets included work just fine. I usually do this in a small group, so I can make sure everyones number sentence matches their picture before they glue it down. Have fun!

Bundles of Apples - Subtraction Freebie

Classroom Bulletin Board and Touch Points

This year I've decided to change some things around and I'm so happy with how they turned out. We have a super short summer this year because of a calendar change, so I got some bulletin boards up early. I didn't want to have to show up even earlierand cut the summer even shorter.
At the end of the year, my grade level partner was complaining about never having enough of those large posters for Star of the Week. We usually have more than 30 kids in our class. Throughout the year, kids leave, they come, and they go. The poster packs usually have 24 to 30 posters in them. She didn't want to have to buy a whole new pack for just a few children. The money can really add up and you end up with mismatched posters. So I decided there has to be a better way and at the same time make it match your classroom style. I made a pack of Superheroes- Star of the Week. There are 5 sections. You pass out the half sheets for the child to fill out. Easy shmeezy. It also has a bunch of other stuff... I posted the picture below and I just love the colors. My friend is crazy for owls, so that's what she has in her room. My second grade buddy is groovy, so she got a Hippi Theme.

Touch Points for your walls.

Touchpoints are something I also use a lot of at the beginning of the year. Some kids definitely use them more than others. I put them on their desks as well as post them up on the window for them to refer to. I have a set below for you to download it is something you like to use as well. I just cut a half inch border, then placed them on fun colored construction paper. I also have students practice touchpoints with some fun super hero practice sheets. Give Batman a try.

You can also grab the whole set...HERE.

Try this fun freebie with your class. Grab it here.

100 Followers Giveaway Winners

Congratulations! The five winners are
Miss A's Kindergarten
Julie
Science for Kids
Barbara
rmariemuniz
Please email me and let me know if you would like the Interactive Shape or Color Booklet. Please write in the subject. 100 TpT followers, just in case it gets kicked to my SPAM folder.
Thank you again for all of your support on TpT. I can't wait to see what the new school year brings.

100 Followers Giveaway

A Selection of Shapes

I've officially reached 100 followers on TpT. That took a bit, but I appreciate everyone who has stopped by my store and have left such kind words in the comments. Obviously I'm a little behind that number of followers on my blog and I thought maybe some people who like my work may not know I'm here. Sooooo, in celebration of my TpT milestone, I sent out a note to my followers that I'm throwing a GIVEAWAY of one of my latest additions to my store. The plan is I'll randomly pick 5 followers on my blog (I'm not able to tell who my followers are on TpT) and they can choose either my- Colors - A Rainbow of Colors Interactive Booklets or Shapes - A Selection of Shapes Interactive Booklets.

A Rainbow of Colors

As of now I have 6 followers, one which is me and the other is my husband. Hmmm, looks like the others have fairly good odds to win.
I think it takes a few days for my TpT note to get to my followers, so how about we do the drawing next Sunday, June 9.
I'll post the result the following day, so check back for your name. If you were selected, please email the set of booklets that you would like.
Thanks again for all of your support. I have grown as a teacher since I've joined TpT and have started blogging. This community of teachers have been nothing but supportive and generous with ideas and advice.

Classroom iPad Rules

Yahoo!! We just received two new iPads for our classroom and we are all so excited to start using them. I have a lot to learn about the best ways to use these in a first grade classroom and am happy I have the summer to research new apps. Does anyone have any suggestions of what has worked well for them?
I want these iPads to last, so I thought I should post some rules sooner than later. Below are 5 I think our class can manage. Hope they are helpful to you.
And I'm not counting but.... 3 weeks until summer vacation. Stay safe over this holiday weekend.

Classroom Rules for the iPad