Tales of the Sassy Teacher: 2016

Let's Celebrate

I am so excited to come today for a BIG celebration. You know your whole life you look for people and places that make you grow as a person. Well, today the Primary Punchbowl is celebrating our one year anniversary since we found each other and started our blog.

So in honor of this day, we have an amazing giveaway happening as well as my store is on sale for 20% off. We even have some freebies for you as well. Now who doesn't love some freebies.

Now I started thinking about what it was I wanted to celebrate. Today, I am celebrating the fun time I am having with my students.

For those that dont know, I teach in a Title 1 school. This year I have had lots of behavior problems so what is a girl to do.

YOU MAKE FRANKENSTEIN FLAP BOOKS!!!!!!

I know! I know! That was not what you thought I would say. My kiddos have been tested and pushed that I decided they needed some fun. So we created some flapbooks and their whole world changed.

I love these kids and it is so much fun to what their faces light up when they read a funny story and can tell you character, setting, beginning, middle, and end. Now my original plan was to use Crankenstein but it did not come in until the day after we did the activity. We did however use the book Room on the Broom.

Click HERE to get your freebie.

Just print each page of the flap book in different colors and then staple together. Secretly, I didnt staple until the students were completely finished with the book. It made it so much easier. I printed the bolts on different colors and let the students choose. This was a hit.

Well, thank you for celebrating with us. Now hop over to Sarah at Mrs. Barnett's First Grade. Make sure that you stop by The Primary Punchbowl to enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a Target gift card.

Pinterst Pick 3: July Edition

Hey guys! I am so excited to be back to blogging. I have missed being here and sharing my world. Today I get the privilege to link up with The Inspired Owls Corner, Just Reed, and Pawsitively Learning for their Pinterest Pick 3: July edition.

So let me tell about the items that really have stood out to me this month.

Now since July 4th is happening tomorrow, I thought I would share a couple fun July celebration. My first one is holiday wreaths. Who doesn't love a good wreath.

Click HERE to see original pin.

As a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, I love my God, Home, and Country. This pin was so awesome to me. Who doesn't love those colors together? Now I am not the best wreath maker so here is a picture of my wreath on my door. It isn't fancy but I love it!

Click HERE to see original pin.

Now my second pin is something that can be done for any occasion. It is a STRAWBERRRY SHORTCAKE POKE CAKE! Now I am not a strawberry fan but my family love it. It is the perfect amount of sweet. I will say you NEED this cake in your life. I even enjoyed the tiny piece I ate.

The last pin is school related. I got out for summer break on May 20. I will return on August 8th. I am currently teaching summer school so my room is half way ready.

Click HERE for original pin.

This year my school is allowing Kindergarten and 1st grade will be going to self-contained and I could not be more excited. I am finally getting to teach what I love Reading and Writing together. This pin from First Grade Garden and her grouping intrigued me. I like that it spiraled bound. Also, this has all of her guided reading plans blank so that she can plan for the next day. This is an ingenious idea. Why not make notes and keep your plans all in one place. This will be something I will need to "teachlift."

Well there are my picks for this month. If you want to join the then click on the images below and link up. You can't beat the fun of going to Pinterest. I mean do we really need an excuse to get on that amazing website.

YAY!!!!

Well, I am so excited! I have been trying since March to get into my blog. Do you know how much good stuff I have missed sharing with you? Anyway, I am back and super excited.

Life is at a whirlwind since we lasted chatted so I wanted to give you an update.

1. I will be staying in 1st grade next year but not just teaching Math. I AM GETTING TO BE SELF-CONTAINED AGAIN!!!! I am so excited.
2. My interim principal was officially hired as the principal of the building and I'm so excited. I feel that a light is coming to our school and real changes will happen.
3. My other teammates retired and I was left alone. So my school has hired me some awesome new teachers. I cannot wait to work with this team. We are going to rock 1st grade.
4. I am working summer school for the next 4 weeks.
5. I am going to flexible seating. I am super excited about that. I just can't wait to test it out let you know about how it is going.
6. My vacay will be coming at the end of summer school and I won't return until Opening day on August 8th.

Okay, I have talked your ear off. I am so excited to be back. Get ready, I am ready to share some fun in the summer sun with you!.

Organizing your Field Trips

Hey everyone! I am so sorry that it has been awhile. I have been trying to channel my inner Ashley Schroeder and work ahead so that I can plan more effectively. #beintentional

Today, I wanted to share with you that I have started doing in my classroom that has really helped me with my field trips. It is a Field Trip Form & Checklist Binder! Now if you hate binders, you are probably saying, "OH GOSH! NOT ANOTHER BINDER!" But, if you are like me, YOU are jumping up and down and yelling, "WHOO HOO!!!! A BINDER!!!" Let me tell you how this all came about.

I had always sent home forms and collected the money. I checked it off on a checklist that I generically made in my attendance book. I kept them all paper clipped together in my top drawer of my desk until the field trip was over. I would come back from the trip and throw it out. Now close your eyes and image the horror of these papers being waded from the drawer or me accidentally moving them to another drawer and forgetting that I had done this. Picture the panic at night of did I mark that child paid for. The panic of asking kids (who never remember) did they pay for the trip. Yes this has been my life for 15 years.

I decided to take control of the madness and create something that would help not look like a crazy person. Thus, the Field Trip binder was formed.

I'm going to go over some of the items that I have in the binder and why I have them.

The first section is the signed forms from my parents.

This is an obvious section. When I place them in this section, I place them on number order. At the beginning of the year, I give each child a number for everything. So when I file their forms, I mark them paid and place the signed forms in this section.

The next section is the checklist. This is a simple does document that I mark the form and money on. I just put a plus sign or a check mark. I mark where the forms are for as well.

The next section is the bus seating chart. I keep seating charts that I prepare at the beginning of the year as well as a blank copy.

Sometimes when new students some to my class I have to adjust so having them saved electronically helps so I quickly make changes and print to add to the binder.

The next section is the Money Receipt Forms.

I don't know how your school works but at my school we have a receipt form we MUST turn out money in on. I keep blank copies in this section so if another teacher needs on or I need it, then it is always available.

The next section is my extra Field Trip forms.

I always have a parent or a student who ask for another copy of the field trip form. I try to keep 5-10 copies of the current trips form in this section. This is a life saver and saves me from rushing to the copier.

The last section is my Emergency Contact section.

This section is just what it says it is. On my field trip forms I have emergency numbers. I keep those numbers on notebook papers in this section. They are easy to access at anytime.

This binder will travel with me on our trips and help keep me organized. I hope this will give you a thought to create one your self. If you like this idea and the forms, let me know, I'll add it to my TPT store. Just comment below and let me know.

Double Feature Teacher

Life has been crazy for me but I want to give these two ladies the time they deserve for Featured Teacher.

Our First Featured Teacher this week is Melanie Ebersole from Momma with a Teaching Mission!

Melanie Ebersole is a 1st Grade departmentalized Literacy Teacher. She is also the Mom to 4 young children, 2 boys (ages 10 and 6) and 2 girls (ages 7 and 1).

Melanie is currently in her 3rd year of teaching. She teaches at a school with approximately 700 students in Maryland. She worked in Human Resources for 5 years before finishing her teaching degree and pursuing her dream of teaching. Melanie always wanted to be a teacher, but with life happening, wasn’t able to pursue completing her degree until after having 3 children. You can read more about her journey HERE.

Melanie has a passion for departmentalization. She did a guest blog on Rachel Lynette’s Minds in Bloom, you can read HERE! She also wrote another guest blog post on a blog she collaborates on Who’s Who and New, you can read about Why Teaching in a Departmentalized Classroom Rocks HERE. You can also read more about departmentalization within the primary classroom on her own blog HERE.

Besides running her blog, Melanie is also a TpT author! You can find her store at Momma with a Teaching Mission.

Some of her newest products include…

Miss Independent CVC No Prep Printables. These are perfect for building your students independence stamina when working with CVC words.

*Common Core Bundle 1.NBT No Prep Printables*

This bundle pack is perfect if you are teaching the common core. So many different options for games, homework, formative assessments, or warm-ups.

*2nd Edition Homework Pack for 1st Grade*

This is the 2nd edition in homework packs’ that Melanie has created for her own classroom, that turned into a TpT project! You can find the 1st edition here! Her students love this daily homework pack, and it is simply a review of 1st grade material. Homework can be a hot topic, but these no prep pages take students only a few minutes a night!

You can follow check out Melanie’s social media accounts here--

TpT

Our Second featured teacher is Ashley, 1st grade teacher and blogger over at The Blessed OCDiva. The name pretty much speaks for itself! She has a passion for sharing God’s word, sharing goodies for teachers, and providing a fix for anyone else just a tad OCD!

She is married to her other half and they are doggy parents to Groot (yes like Guardians of the Galaxy Groot) and Maximus(yes like Gladiator Maximus Aurelius).

Ashley has been teaching for 7 ½ years and 6 of those have been in first grade. Along with teaching she also is the lead mentor for her campus and has been a team leader for 5 years. She loves being able to help lead other teachers and ignite their passion for learning and teaching; ultimately hoping to be able to turn that into a path for her career.

In 2014, she was Teacher of the year for her campus. What an honor and blessing this was!! All possible through God’s never ending love and direction.

Since starting her blog, The Blessed OCDiva, she also opened up her TPT store as well and has worked at building it to offer resources for other teachers that span across the curriculum. Some of her products include: (click to check them out)

-Rockin Landforms

This little packet is an integration of social studies, writing, reading, and math!!!

It focuses on 6 main landforms: hills, mountains, valley, canyon, cliff, and island.

I have included the following types of activities to help you teach:

-anchor charts

-writing definitions/characteristics of each

-matching the name to picture

-identifying the type of landform and labeling

-Count, Tally and graph

-Writing response with question stems

-landforms book with fill in the blanks (answer key included)

-Guessing game

I have also included a page of suggestions to help with understanding how it is intended to be used. However, feel free to use it according to your kids needs!

-Responsive Readers

Do you like to challenge your kids during reading workshop? Do you want them to be able to have accountable talk and written response with their text? If you do, these cards are for you!!

These can be used very easily within the workshop time frame of read to self, read with a buddy and even small groups. The teacher will want to model A LOT! But it is intended for slow release until independence!!

-2 formats for teacher’s preference of printing

-mini anchor charts for reference or can also be easily inserted into the kids card bundle

-color coded for ease of use

- table of contents for teacher and student use

Click here to see how I use them!

http://theblessedocdiva.blogspot.com/2015/06/make-your-masterpiece.html#