A little hard work never hurt anyone...

Hey friends :) 

I'm not going to lie, teaching with centers is absolutely HARD Work.. I know so many teachers that do not do it because of how hard it is. It's a lot of time printing, laminating and cutting. It's an investment, an investment that will pay off year after year.I still love people's reaction the moment they realize that typically everything in a classroom is almost 75% paid for BY THE TEACHER! They think all of this stuff just appears and is paid for by schools...not likely.  I understand that teachers earn a small amount of money in comparison to the cost of teaching, and the amount of hours we work. I get it..but teaching is a CALLING. I know that God put me here on this earth for three things: To be a  MOTHER, A WIFE and A T EACHER. That's my calling, those three things. I know so many of you feel the same way. And I know it's frustrating to spend our "own" money on our classrooms and feel as if we have no support from admin..I get it. But I also know what it's like to go without a teaching position (due to our family moving states). This is an emptiness like no other. I promise you. Even with ALL of the aggravation, hard work, and money spent, I wouldn't trade it a single day, to have my own classroom. Again, this is why  I'm here, this is my calling. That's it. Bottom Line. Seriously, so many times I get asked "Why don't you just go work at a bank"..I always reply "Everyone who works a bank can READ"... The crazy thing is this has been on my heart all week....this little message. Then, today at church, we had a speak from Big Oak Ranch..oh my word..if you have a second take a look at this video..it will remind you why we are doing what we are..and God Bless the Croyle family :) John Croyle talks a lot about how we were all put here on this earth for something...what is God using you for? Take a look at this little Video Clip

okay.. back to literacy centers ;) I'm a little scatterbrained tonight :) 

Build yourself a "center library"..and just think of how many students will benefit from it! Hands on instruction is the way to go these days...students NEED an approach to their education that fits in with things they do on a daily basis...children aren't going home and playing with sticks anymore people...they are playing with iPhones, tablets, e-readers, video games..etc...... So why not use fun, colorful and engaging literacy (& math) centers? Paper and pencil has it's place in the classroom, and ALWAYS will, but adding some variety to your instruction will pay off! I promise!  Someone asked me the other day "Why do you use all of these materials"..and my answer is ALWAYS this "My kiddos love coming to school because of the fun and engaging activities we do".  So yeah, it might require a little work on your end..but as my daddy always told me 

"A little hard work never killed nobody.." 

Remember going into a teacher store? Spending $29.99 on a "Literacy Center Book"...??? Getting it home, flipping through, and only being able to use one or two things from it? This is when I started creating my own materials..materials that MY students needed. Materials that were created with students first. So yeah, it's a lot of work...but the good news is, since the launch of TpT, you can now go and find centers already created for the exact skill that you need. Then, you have a digital copy FOREVER. So what if your computer crashes and you lose all of your files...guess what? TpT SAVES it ALL For you! What if students tear up your centers that you purchased with your (own) money?? Once again, just visit "My Purchases" and print the file that you need AGAIN. I am such a fan of TpT because of this, I can find exactly what I need and most of the time it is a huge hit with my classroom! 

Even once an item is purchased, I realize, it is  work for teachers...I get that...and I applaud you! For going above and beyond and making your students successful...isn't that the real reason we all sought out this path we call education? That might mean cutting things out while sitting in front of the tube with your spouse..or you could be like me and get your spouse to cut for you :) He's such a sport! Haha!

Okay..that's my rant and soapbox... 

I wanted to share with you my center calendar that I have used for the last few years in First Grade!! Now that I'm in 4th grade, I am developing a calendar to keep up with what products I use and when :) But here is what I have used for the last few years in First Grade :) 

For September through November, I relay heavily on these four packets:

Fall-Literacy-and-Math-Center-Mega-Packet21-Centers-

Fall-Sight-Word-Literacy-Centers

Fall-is-Here-Math-and-Literacy-Center-Packet

Autumn-Math-and-Literacy-Centers-

Here are a few FREE Centers that I like to use as well!! 

Fall-Fact-or-Opinion-Freebie

Fall-Word-Wall-Words

Fall-Writing-Prompt-Cards-Freebie-

Roll-Read-and-Color-Sight-Word-FREEBIE-

Till Next Time 

Fraction Fun & Printer tips

Here is a little bit of a "WORDLESS" Post on Fractions :)

The pictures show my Fraction-Work-Stations-Mini-Packet-!! I made this for my second and third grade teacher friends. My little guy will use them soon as well :) 

It's great because it has sorting activities, memory game and bingo boards!

The funny thing is, I thought when I came to 4th grade, that memory would be too easy for them...Guess what..I was WRONG! They still show some difficulty with the concept. And I love it because it shows they are actually thinking about if the cards are equal or not...and remembering the last card that was flipped over is a great critical thinking activity! So I am now making memory games for every skill possible because my kids need this level of critical thinking!!! They might get the hang of it, after I have printed alllllll of these centers ;) 

In this activity, the students have to match the fraction picture to the fraction word and numeral! This is a great way to incorporate a little reading into your math routine!!! Love, love, LOVE!! 

You can check it out right HERE!!!

Alrighty friends, my hubby wants to know why I'm at the computer instead of watching the A&M game!!! Better go :)

Our week in Reading!

This week we started out Author's Purpose unit. What a fun week we had!
We got to read a lot of really interesting stories and discuss their meanings. We also started our small group instruction routine! We are doing a daily five break down, but we have two teachers in the room. One is doing a guided reading program, the other is reinforcing the skill for the week with hands on activities!

We started the week with a simple foldable I created. 

Click HERE to get your FREEBIE

 After reading "The Story of Ruby Bridges", we discussed the purpose of the book. The kids really enjoyed this story! I love sneaking in little stories like that into my reading, teaching them not only the Author's Purpose, but history at the same time :) Two birds, one stone :)

Then, in our small groups we used several different resources: 

Whats-the-Doggies-Purpose-an-authors-purpose-activity-

Authors-Purpose-Task-Cards-24-Cards-Persuade-Inform-Entertain-195745

Authors-Purpose-Activity-Menu-437350

Authors-Purpose-Memory-Match-Up-

 Reading-Strategies-Poster-Set-Chalkboard-Edition

I made a new activity to go along with our lesson. It's a simple but effective memory game. Students have to read the passages and match it to the correct type of Author's Purpose. 

You can check that out HERE

Next week, we are diving into Main Idea. Here are a few resources I plan to use!

Reading-Strategies-Memory-Match-Up-

Main-Idea-Cards-48-Cards-for-Differentiated-Learning

Main-Idea-Posters-Set-3-

Whats-the-Main-Idea-

Our fourth grade students are LOVING these choice boards: 

Main-Idea-and-Supporting-Details-Menu-

Read Alouds For Main Idea:
Cowboy Camp
Sweet Tooth

The Great Kapok Tree
Miss Rumphius

First Week of School and Tips for Co Teaching

Well, y'all know I've been praying about a position to come a long! School started for us last Tuesday!!! Thursday before the long weekend, I received a call, they need a long term teacher ASAP. Not a permanent, full time position, but how could I say no?!?! It was a position, working with children and that's all I've been asking for!

So it's been zero to 180 since then! I'm co-teaching 4th grade inclusion! I LOVE IT! As a primary teacher, I was SO NERVOUS about this switch. I just didn't know how I would handle the "Big Kids"!!!  I have the best teaching partners and team!!! I work with two other teachers, so technically I have two classes I'm in.  We are doing SO Many different things! I love how the students are independent yet excite about learning. 

I wanted to share with you a few tips that we are trying this year for co-teaching!!!

STAY ORGANIZED

This week, I have had to create SO many forms for documentation! I have to be organized! Organization is one of the HARDEST parts of teaching, but with the right tools, it's so much easier. 

So what did I do? I made a binder and included all of the things I need on a daily basis. Teachers these days have to document SO MUCH, and this is hard to keep up with! So I made a Classroom Forms Binder! It makes things so much easier!! I've separated my lesson plans, class roles, important IEP Information and data collection. These are key elements to my day and I have to know exactly where they are!  This way if I need to jot something down real quick, I just go to my binder, not some random sticky note that I *will* lose! I used to be the WORST at that! 

You can check out this binder right HERE!!!

It's on sale until tomorrow! 

This goes great with my Slate-Gray-Chevron-and-Yellow-Classroom-Decor-Kit-

DIVIDE UP PLANNING RESPONSIBILITIES

With co-teaching, don't forget, there is *two* of you! If one person is doing all the work, then

it's really not "Co-Teaching". My co-workers and I are trying hard to divide up the tasks. They were not sure if they would get an extra teacher, so they were used to doing everything solo! So we are now trying to work together, I just want to help them and take a load off! It's so overwhelming sometimes. So I am focusing on hands on learning activities and data collection. Data is the drive behind our instruction and it's important to know where each student is at all times. How can we effectively teach them without knowing the areas they need the most help in? We have the subjects divided up for areas that they need hands on materials. I  created a form to help me keep my activities straight and understand when and how to use each activity. We are doing a introduction lesson of whole group, then small group activities the rest of the week.  

Equal Partners

Both of my co-teachers are great at this! They don't treat me as an "assistant". The treat me as a teacher. I think this is the number one reason why our system is working! From the very first day, they've allowed me to be an active member in this process we call "education". They haven't treated me as if I was just a "temporary teacher", even though, I sort of am! They ask my opinion, advice and we work TOGETHER. We teacher TOGETHER. We help each OTHER when they other one needs it. This is KEY to Co-Teaching! You have to be a TEAM, or the students will see it, I promise you!!!

On to our lessons for the week!!! 

Author's Purpose

This  week we are focusing on Author's Purpose and Fact and Opinion!! Here are a few things we are using this week:

Author's Purpose Reading Games

Whats-the-Doggies-Purpose-an-authors-purpose-activity-

 Reading-Strategies-Poster-Set-Chalkboard-Edition

http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/pdf/g4-5/45cpartthree.pdf

Authors-Purpose-Task-Cards-24-Cards-Persuade-Inform-Entertain-195745

Authors-Purpose-Activity-Menu-437350

Fact and Opinion

Fact-or-Opinion-Reading-Center-Station-Activity-Game-FREE

Fact-and-Opinion-FREEBIE-226428

Three-Fact-and-Opinion-Games-with-Recording-Sheets

Visual Aides

I am using my chalkboard poster kit for visual aides this week!!

I'll let you know how all of these activities go, 

but that is a touch of the things we will be doing!!! So far, I'm loving 4th grade and I can't wait to share this adventure with you!!! Thanks for stopping by friends!

Incorporating Reading Into The Content Areas

Hey friends! I hope that you are finding yourself well rested :) Probably not likely, considering it's the beginning of the school year!! I hope that you all are finding some down time and are not too stressed!!

One way to help you de-stress, is to go download this Free-Parent-Communication-Binder-Forms-Slate-Gray-!!

One of the hardest things as teacher is to teach ALL the subjects in a short time frame. With all of the things that can sometimes be thrown at us, sometimes it's hard to fit in Science and Social Studies. Now, don't get me wrong Science should be taught using hands on and engaging activities! However, we can also incorporate our science lessons to into our reading and have a successful day! It's a balance, students still need the ever so important vocabulary, why not use Science or Social Studies vocabulary during our reading instruction??

One way to do this is by using Vocabulary Cards during your reading stations or center work. The pictures show different Science Vocabulary Cards that I created and use during my station or center time. 

You can use these cards in so many ways! You can print multiple sets and have students play "Memory". My students love to play a version of "around the world" with them! What we do is have one student read the definition, then they go around in the circle until someone can correctly identify the vocabulary card.

Or you can secure them on a binder ring and use as a reference, or  use them during read to a buddy time. 

I also created this science reader and placed it in my library. Along with Reading A-Z Books, I place these in a basket during "Read to Self" time. Two to Three days a week, during "Read To Self", we are reading in the content area. The other days I let the students chose a book that fits their personality and reading style. This helps with our content area vocabulary and knowledge base. It ties the subjects together and the students are not only practicing their reading skills, but they are also gaining valuable information from other content areas. Again, this is NOT the ONLY way I teach the content areas, just extra steps I take to ensure my students are receiving a balanced instructional plan.

I also use printable read aloud to introduce each standard of learning. Once I've exposed them to the topic, the book goes into our library so they can explore it on their own! 

All of these activities came from my Science-Center-and-Vocabulary-Resource-Packet- Which contains topics & centers from Seasons, Earth Resources, Recycling, Sound, Parts of a Plant, Magnets and tons of Vocabulary Cards!!

Crusade for Safety 2013

Hey friends! It's that time of year again! My annual "Crusade For Safety"!! You might wonder, what is that? 

It's just a specific time of year that I like to remind everyone (even myself) about the dangers of distracted driving.  As adults, we get in a hurry, we rush around and sometimes we just don't pay attention. We allllll do it! No matter our backgrounds, it always happens at some point. Now, imagine our *teenagers* doing this. Inexperience is such a dangerous idea when a teen is behind the wheel of the car. 

The US Government has a great web page with all kinds of information and stats on the subject Distracted Driving! I love this resource!!! 

Fox News just put out this article on the 6 causes of distracted driving! I encourage you to read it and see if you are guilty. This is a great article and you might surprise yourself. A lot of us already do these things.

If you are a parent of a teenager, please read all of these links with your children and lay down some ground rules for the car. I'm sure you've already done this, but I encourage you do to this AGAIN. 

Did you know that teens between 16-19 are THREE times more likely to have an accident than those above 20? 

Look at this from the CDC-

"Among teen drivers, those at especially high risk for motor vehicle crashes are:

• Males: In 2010, the motor vehicle death rate for male drivers and passengers ages 16 to 19 was almost two times that of their female counterparts.1
• Teens driving with teen passengers: The presence of teen passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers. This risk increases with the number of teen passengers.4
• Newly licensed teens: Crash risk is particularly high during the first months of licensure.5,6" SOURCE

My reasons for doing this are very personal.  Tomorrow, marks the anniversary that I experienced this first hand.  I was in a head on collision. My accident has all three of the risk factors mentioned above. 

 You can read more about that right HERE!

 I lost a great friend, and have an everyday reminder of this. My face was badly damaged, but I am alive and singing the song of Jesus! I know God spared us that day..I will never understand why he took Jimmy from us, but I know that Jimmy saved me that day. He wouldn't leave until we were all "buckled in", which saved our lives.  This accident wasn't a car full of drunk kids, or anything like that. It was just a result of of distracted driving. We were just a bunch of kids (4 of us) driving to school for our annual "Blue and Gold Day". I make it my mission, to tell people about my story.  To tell parents, that teens need passenger limit rules, TEXTING rules, and radio rules. We all need the reminder, even myself. 

In Loving Memory of Jimmy<3 br="" nbsp="">

Isaiah 41:10

'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Word Family Fun

I know a lot of teachers, who are not teachers at home! I understand this when we work 10 hour days and then drive back and forth to little league, soccer practices or other after school activities. I get it. I remember. But summer time is a great time to work with our own little ones..and this year that's just what I did! 

First off,  I have a little one starting Kindergarten this year (SO SAD!) 

My oldest is starting second grade!! Can't believe how big they are!!

Here are a few things we worked on!!

I know I've talked a lot about CVC words this summer, but that's what we spent a lot of time on!!

CVC Word Activities:

CVC Word Tic Tac Toe! The kiddos LOVED this!!

You can check out this packet right here

I have tons of different center ideas in this packet! From ABC Order, Words Sorts, Tic Tac Toe! It's loads of fun!!! 

Word Family Literacy Centers 

For oldest one, we worked on Word Families a lot!

I made two "Word Family Binders". One has, word family charts in it that we would visit and talk about each word and it's meaning. 

The other binder, has fill in the blank word family cards. They used a visa vie marker and made new words on them! 

You could organize this binder in so many ways! You could put the matching word family chart and the fill in the blank cards together! I like to keep them separate so I can use the visual aides during my small group instruction.

All of these activities come from my Word-Family-Cards-Literacy-Centers