March Currently and Math Strategies

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Happy Sunday y'all!  Tomorrow is Monday, but for some of you Spring Break is just around the corner!  I don't have that luxury!  We don't have another break until the end of April!  That seems like a V-E-R-Y time away!!

I'm stopping in tonight to link up with Farley for her Currently linky!  Love it and I love her new blog design! Hop over there and take a peek!

Here's a look at my Currently!

Listening to the Oscars pre-show on E!  I love looking at all the beautiful dresses!

Loving that we are finally having a bit of beautiful weather!

Thinking that I have been fighting a cold and I really need for it to stay away!

Wanting some wonderful Banana Cream Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory.

Needing to NOT eat cheesecake and to exercise more!

And...the answer to my secret question is...MATH!

Speaking of math, I have just finished re-working a pack that I have used with my parents to help them understand all the Common Core addition and subtraction strategies.  I absolutely LOVE teaching my students these strategies and I tell them it's like choosing from a menu (think CAFE) and they should pick the strategy or strategies that they understand and use it (them) in order to efficiently solve the given problems.  I want them to have a grasp of all the strategies, but they are not necessarily going to be proficient in all of them.  I want them to use what works for them because everyone sees and thinks about numbers differently.  The goal of using these strategies is that students think flexibly about number.  

The down side to teaching these strategies is that often parents have no idea how to help their students.  With my new pack, I send home the little cards that are included in the pack.  The little cards give an explanation of each strategy with an example.  I copy the addition cards on one color and the subtraction cards on another color.  

Go check it out in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  And for sticking with me is the L-O-N-G post, the first three who comment get it FREE!

Don't forget to link up with Farley too!

Till next time...

What? What? A New Blog Post??

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         October has almost passed right on by and not a peep from this blogger!  It has been crazy busy as I know you already know.  It seems when back to school time and then Fall hits, there is no time for anything, but I am determined to slow down and smell the apple cider!  (I would've said the pumpkin spice, but I can't figure out what that craze is all about - not a fan of pumpkin! GASP!!!)

      Our school celebrated Red Ribbon Week all last week.  Each day, we had a special day and/or event planned.  Monday, was Wear Red Day.   Look at these little cuties all in their red!

      I also found out on late Sunday into Monday that my DonorsChoose project had been funded by Sonic!  Oh happy day!  It was an even better surprise to find out that it would be delivered within days.  Gotta love DonorsChoose and Sonic!!  Plus, our 2nd grade team was chosen for a Partners in Ed field trip grant!  We were soooo excited!!  

      Tuesday was our World Series of Reading day.  Our fabulous media specialist always plans for all day reading contests within our school during the World Series and the SuperBowl.  She splits up the school into two teams and we read all day!  The kids have a blast and the team with the most points wins a treasure tower token!  They think that is great!!  This year, some of my sweet kiddos I had previously got to come and be buddies with some of my students this year!  

                     

          We also had a door decoration contest.  One of my fabulous parents did this door for me and we came in first place!!!  Love!!!

      All week long, students have been purchasing strips of duct tape to tape our principal to the wall and for a teacher to kiss a goat!  Thank goodness, I didn't win the kiss the goat contest!  I was worried for a minute that I was going to have to do that!  At least, it was a baby and not an adult goat!!!

      Here's our principal stuck to the wall!

      To end up our very busy spirit week, we had a masquerade dance.  Our art teacher had them create masks to wear during the dance.  Students paid for a wristband to get into the dance and then they jammed out for an hour and a half!      Look how cute they are in their masks!

      Now, you can see why I've been an absent blogger!  This is just one week and I know your weeks are like this too!  

      Hope you have an awesome week ahead and remember to slow down and enjoy!

Till next time...

Tech Tuesday - Remind 101

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      Ok, am I the O-N-L-Y one who didn't know about Remind 101. I saw a pin from Mrs. Stanford and knew that I needed to learn more!!  I am so excited to use this great communication tool with my upcoming class! I am so excited, I even made my hubby sign up just so that I could try it out!!  LOL!!

This is the app icon.  :)

      There is an app as well as a website and it is SO easy to set it up regardless of what platform you use.

      First things, first.  You must set up an account and then you add your class name.  A teacher that has multiple classes can set up to 10 classes.  I thought this was great for middle and high school teachers who have lots of classes.  It would also be great for those elementary grade levels that departmentalize.

      Next you invite your parents/students to subscribe.  If they text the code, they will receive their updates via text.  If they email the code, they receive their updates via email.

      Oh, and this is a one-way communication.  It is only for reminders, announcements, etc.  Parents/students cannot text you back through this medium.  So, your number stays private and others' numbers are not published!

      Remind 101 provides you will a flyer to share with your parents so that they can subscribe either by email or text.  It is seriously so easy to set this up!  

      Once a parent/student subscribes, they will see a text or email that looks like this:

This is the where I got my hubby involved!

      Once he sent his name, the web and app both updated listing him as a subscriber.  It automatically adds them to the subscriber list.  I didn't have to do anything in that regard.

I, then, sent him a test email and he received it very quickly!  Love this!!

      You'll notice on the pic above that my username is @rhar.  I did not like that!  On the help menu on the website, there is a step by step way that you can fix that so I just  followed those simple directions and got it the way I wanted!  :)  [The first class that you create, they will automatically set up your username.  You just have to create a new class with the username of your choice.  Then, you can delete the other class if you want.]

      I have this app already sitting in my teacher folder ready to go for the new year!!

      Hope this little tutorial/review helps.  I know I am excited about it!

Classroom Catalog of Good Behavior

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Hi y'all!

      I've had several people ask me about my classroom management system so I'm here today to explain what I do. :)

      I know so many of you use the clip chart, but for me, I don't think I could keep up with it.  I love the idea of the clip chart and maybe one day, but for now, I'm sticking with what works for me!  Kudos to all of you that can keep up with it, but man, it's enough to keep up with just this!

      So, I have this wooden clip stand.  The best pic I can find on this computer is this one...and it's from 3 years ago!!!

       At the top is a green circle, in the middle is a yellow circle, and at the bottom is a red circle.  As you can see, the red is at the bottom and you can't see the green at the top.  Sorry...that's the best I could do...

                          

      All the clips are clipped to the green at the start of each day.  If they have an infraction, they move down a level to yellow.  If they have another infraction, they move to red.

      At any time, they may work themselves back up a level.  Each level is represented by a number.

Green = 5

Yellow = 4

Red = 3

      At our school, they are given a spiral bound agenda.  I write the number that they earned each day in the agenda and I expect my parents to initial each night.  That way, the parents are always aware of how each day went for their student.  If they have a number less than a 5, I always jot a little note telling the parents what the issues were.  This also gives me a chance to write a little good note too :)!

      At the end of the week, I tally up their points that they have earned for the week and based on the points, they get to pick out of my Classroom Catalog of Good Behavior!!!  They absolutely LOVE this!! 

      I am pretty strict with the points so they really strive to keep their five for each day.  It usually just takes one time to miss out on catalog orders and they are right back on track!!

      This little catalog has been a great classroom management lifesaver, as well as a teacher budget saver. No longer am I purchasing lots and lots of items for my treasure box because my students are choosing rewards that don't cost me a single penny! 

      I just print out the pages I need, place in sheet protectors, and then place in a binder.  That way, they can browse through like a real catalog!     

  Now, that's what I call AWESOME!!!!

Another FREEBIE!

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A quick post today offering up a FREEBIE!

Up for grabs today is some Parent Homework.  Your students will love that you are giving their parents homework and your parents will love that you want to know more about their child!  It's quick, simple, and painless!!  This is great for your meet the teacher night.  Just give it to your parents and have them return it on the first day of school!

Just click on the graphic.

What do you think?? Please leave a comment letting me know.
Till next time!