Sunday, August 26, 2012

Stephanie's Purple Painted Nails

In honor of my Kevin Henkes author study, I have painted my nails purple just like Lilly's purse. Call me crazy, but I am going to do my nails to go along with my author study for the whole year! I am excited. I always feel like I am lacking inspiration when I go in. Now I have found my inspiration...books! Thank you to the wonderful Ashley Farris at The Parlor Salon in Lebanon, MO for not thinking I'm too nuts and just going with it! I would love to hear your ideas. I will be doing Audrey Penn, David Shannon, Cynthia Rylant, Jan Brett, Robert Munsch, Audrey Wood, Dr. Seuss, Mem Fox, and possibly Patricia Polacco. 




 

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Kevin Henkes author study

In order to keep the system clutter free for the sale, I won't be uploading this unit until Monday so I will discount it myself on Tuesday to 28%off! Also, it will be 20% off all of August.






Stations and Room Ready to Go!

This is my set up for magnet station on the front of my desk. You can see the student book hanging there, but of course it isn't usually. Also, my cute stations signs that I have for all my stations. I will be adding the signs and 2x4 labels to my freebies page soon. The the little palm tree and treasure box go with my pirate theme. I have put my list of what they can do when they finish. The sheet that the mixed up letter are on is card stock with a magnet on the back. To make the pieces I printed, laminated, added a magnetic strip to the back of parts with letters and then cut them apart. Since the words are different colors, I just have a binder with an envelope that I store each set in and sort them onto the mat when it is time for that set. As you can see the students know what words they are looking for because their sheet tells them. They have to decide what word each is, sort it out, and write it down in the same box on their paper.




I use an easy set up for stations assignment. In my example there are only two post-it note students, but of course normally there is a partnership next to every index card. I have students do two stations a day with their partner and then everyone does the same thing for the last station time. (word work, read alone, read with a partner, writing, or spelling) On my station board, the student pictures stay in the same place but the last stations card gets taken off, all of them moved down (the bottom one to the top of the one to it's right) and then the one I took off goes to the top of the first column. I usually train one student to do this. Each stations card has two stations on it. The partners go to the top one first and the bottom second. They understand and can do this quickly. 


Like I mentioned before, I use the same stations signs and labels. Here they are throughout the room. They are either where that station takes place or by where the stations booklets are kept if they do not have or always have parts. You can get a free Literacy stations pack with stamping station, big book station, listening station, fiction station and non-fiction station papers at my TPT store.You can also purchase the Magnet station, Word Work Station, Sentence to Story Writing Station and Writing Station. Word Work and Magnet are available for the entire year. The writing stations are available at bundle pricing for August to December with January to May in the works. Mimio station will be available soon. I use a follow the directions pocket chart book for August to December, but will offer a January through May. I have a poetry station that I have made up of other peoples things, but there are a lot of great Poetry station resources on TPT.








Just a few more things I want to share! :)  We have an island theme in our school this year and my room is a pirate/island theme so for open house I got this picture props and will have someone there to take pictures of students and siblings. I also got each student a foam frame and foam island or pirate pieces to put on it for their picture. I will send one student picture home and any of siblings, but I will take another and make it their stations picture. 



The last thing I want to share is my behavior area this year. I (with the artistic ability of my sister) have made a treasure map. The jewels are for each student and are on a green magnet around the edge. Then the students can move up or down the map. They will move down a color at a time inner green, yellow, orange, red. They can also move up to blue and purple. Students are free to move back up for good behavior. I want it to be positive. Each of the colored map lines are magnetic.
Purple=Outstanding!!!
Blue=Great!
Green=Ready to Learn
Yellow=Think about it
Orange=teacher's choice (based on consequences that fit and are geared toward improving not punishing)
Red=Parent Contact and possible Office referral
Students will color in their behavior calendar the color they are on at the end of the day unless I need to make notes.


 
28% Off everything in my store. Also, check out the Kevin Henkes author study with powerpoint will be added on Sunday! It is a great back to school resource that I am excited to share!

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Word Work Station organization

During the Teacher Appreciation Jackpot, many of you downloaded my August to December word work station for free and many others have purchased it since then! Since it is almost time for school to start back, I thought I would show how I have mine put together.

I keep the whole year in a binder so that I can easily change out the pieces each week. Of course, the students have their stapled booklet that they keep. I will add pictures next week of where they store those and how I set up the station in the classroom.

Each week has a sheet protector. I put the directions page in the front and envelopes with the pieces in the back. I have two at a time at the station and they each will get a set.




Each piece has a one or two on the back so they do not get mixed up. There is a number on the envelopes that they go in and when they are our for students, there is a number on the little basket the pieces are in.





The pieces can make many different words. The students will use the pieces over and over to make as many real words as possible. The real words are recorded on the sheet.




Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Measurement is a Hoot!

MrsStanfordsClass


I got to partner up with Tamera from My Heart Belongs in First to do an awesome product swap. I got to pick from her store and I immediately wanted to do my review on her Measurement is a Hoot! pack. Tamera has been teachinf for 20 years and has experience in title one, kindergarten, second, and for the most part first. Check out her store for other great products!


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This activity goes directly along with what we do for measurement in first grade. The owls are so cute and make it easy for all the students to participate. It also is so hands on and I know that students are going to have a lot of fun with it!

There is a page of easy to follow teacher directions and also a page of easy to follow student directions.

 There are 9 different sized owls for students to measure and they vary a lot in size.


The math talk sheet gets the students using the language we love to hear and the easy to follow chart makes it easy to see that everyone is on track.