Appreciation and a Sale

Happy Sunday, friends!

Tomorrow begins Teacher Appreciation Week, and you know what that means!

TpT and TN are both having AWESOME sales!

BUT...before I get to that, I'd like to share a new product AND show some appreciation to some TpT shoppers who left some amazing feedback on products in my little store.

Hot Off the Presses! 

I've been wanting to create some sound boxes for my kiddos for a while now.
I finally got around to it and will have these babies ready to go in the fall!!
Can't wait! I'll post about them in the next few weeks, but you can find them here!

Fabulous Feedback!

TpT has some amazing shoppers who truly know how to make you feel appreciated!
I'm getting together with some blogger friends to return the favor!

First up, feedback for Classroom Coupons!
There were some great comments so I chose 2 (for now).

 

Second item, feedback for Here Comes Summer-First Grade Common Core Math Tubs

I also wanted to share this Here Comes Summer feedback from my friend, Kelley at Teacher Idea Factory. When she wrote this, we didn't know each other! Makes my heart smile to read it now!

 

Last for today, feedback for Writing Booklets-Everyday Stories!

 

There's More!
Now, here's the fun part! If one of these shoppers is you,
meaning you recognize the username and feedback, shoot me an email,
and you may choose an item from my store as a token of my appreciation! 

I'm linking all this great feedback to Christina's blog and adding my blogger buddies who are shouting out the fabulous feedback they've received! You may just find yourself there!

One Last Thing!

Thanks to Beth at Zip-a-dee-doo-dah for the precious button!

 Come join the fun at the TpT Teacher Appreciation Sale!
My cart is loaded and ready to go!! 
Click the button to start loading yours! 
Enjoy! 

 

Magical Product Swap-Spring Style!

Hi, friends! It's time for the Magical Product Swap,
brought to you by precious Jessica at Mrs. Stanford's Class. 

This past week, we dug deeply into Homophones, thanks to my friend, Kacey at Doodlebugs!

 You know Doodlebugs, right?? Kacey's stuff is quality stuff, y'all!
Even before we "met" and even before I found out she was a Mississippi girl, I was a fan! 

I can tell you, my kiddos KNOW homophones, now!
They've been completely fascinated by them!
Check out what's included in this pack and what we've done this week!

The first activity we completed was a Homophone match.
I used this as a game, and we HAD to play several times each day.

 We stood in a large circle. Then I distributed one card to each child. Once everyone had a card, the kiddos walked around the room in silence (Ha!) until they found their homophone partner. They loved this "game." This match was in a center each day, too.

We completed the next activity whole group before I placed it in a center.
Each child was given a sentence. Some homophones were used correctly in the sentences.
Some were not. Each kidlet read his/her sentence then placed it under "Yes" or "No"
to show whether the word was used corrrectly.

 

 I apologize for the blurry spots on these pics.
I had a smudge on the lens.

 We also used this fun little activity in a center.
Kiddos read sentences and chose the correct homophones to complete their sentences.
Then the kiddos completed their recording sheets.

 This pack also includes several other printables to reinforce the use of homophones.
My students completed these independently, and I used them as assessments.

I have to tell you, I loved this mini-unit!
It's perfect for a week of quality Homophone instruction!
Thanks so much, Kacey, for allowing me to give it a go!
Click on the cover above to try it for yourself, friends!

Click Jessica's button to see all the products "swapped" this week!

Happy, Happy Weekend!

Behavior Made Easier!

I wrote this post when I Guest Blogged for Alisha at The Bubbly Blonde. I've had a few questions about how I use my coupons, so I thought I would re-post the info here.

A BEHAVIOR MAGIC WAND??

 If you have been teaching a few years, you've probably asked yourself what the best behavior management plan is for you. Over the last 22 years, I've seen a lot of things come and go. I guess if there were a magic wand, we would all wave it and have no need for this conversation! Well, after a lot of trial and error, I'd like to share with you what works for me. 

About 10 years ago, I was using the Stop Light clip chart where students started the day on green and then moved down if behavior declined. Although I liked the general idea, I disliked the negative aspect of it. If it's 8:30 am, and you are on yellow, what are the chances for a stellar day??? 

 HOW ABOUT A RAINBOW??

Well, one day, my friend saw a similar clip chart online, and we thought, "Wow! Maybe this is what we've been missing!" We implemented it right away and loved it! 

I'm sure most of you are now familiar with the rainbow ladder, but if you aren't, here's a pic. 

Each student begins the day on green and moves up or down depending on his/her behavior. 

I loved the positive spin! I mean, seriously! Think about it! My days are not always filled with green. If yellow (or Heaven forbid, orange) creeps in, I want the chance to change my behavior and turn my day around! Don't you?

CLASS STORE...BUT, IT COSTS $$$

So, the plan was in place. I just needed some sort of incentive to inspire that "green or above behavior." Enter, Class Store. I decided to distribute tickets to those students who ended their days on green or above. On Fridays, students used their tickets to shop in our class store. Simple enough, and it worked. But...during those less than great parental involvement years, it was expensive. What to do now? 

Ticket distribution:
Green: 1 ticket

Blue: 2 tickets
Purple: 3 tickets

Pink: 4 tickets

FREEBIES, ALL AROUND! 

I had a list in my file of free ways to reward kids, so I thought, why not turn those items into coupons and allow the students to spend their tickets that way. That's what I did, and the kiddos LOVED it. They still love it! I love it! My pocketbook loves it! There's love all around!
Do you have to use tickets? NO! I've used pennies, and that works great, also. They can exchange them for nickels, etc.

About a year ago, I compiled all my coupons. They've grown from about 10 to 50. I'm sure the number will continue to grow! I've recently updated them to include full page coupons to use in a catalog binder, as well as the original individual coupons.

  These precious papers are from my hostess, Alisha!

These coupons make my life so much easier.

JUST A THOUGHT

I introduce the Class Store system at the beginning of the year.
I DO NOT, however, introduce all the coupons at one time. I find it is more fun and fresh to introduce new coupons each week. And, really, the kiddos are not ready for all the coupons right off the bat.

I have to tell you, this is the only behavior plan I've truly enjoyed!  If you are looking for something new, you may want to give it a try! Whatever your behavior plan, make sure it works for you and makes your life easier! 

 My coupons are available on TpT and TN.

Have a beautiful day!

Love a Good Teacher Discount!

100 Stores that Offer Teacher Discounts! 
I saw this list and thought you may find it
interesting, as well.
It's pretty self-explanatory.
I've never checked my Dollar Tree for a discount. Hmm...
I've also never known there was a Lakeshore discount.
15% pays the shipping!
Party City? Really??
Apple? Lowes and Home Depot?? Had no idea!
GRACELAND for free?? Elvis would be proud!

Click the pic below! 

This is definitely worth checking out!

Although most of the businesses listed require a teacher ID,
several businesses you see on the list make reference to the
International Teacher Identity Card.
Here's where you can get one. It does cost $25 a year,
but could be worth it depending on how you plan to use it.

Hope you find one of your favorites on the list!

Happy Weekend!

Five for Friday!

I'm joining Kacey again for Five for Friday!
I'm also linking up with Amanda for a Friday Flashback!

 
Here are a few pics of our week!

 

Happy Weekend, friends!!

Learning Prefixes with Reading Olympians!

Hi, friends!

The azaleas are blooming in The South! These are in my front yard!

This past week, I had the opportunity to use First Grade Roots from The Reading Olympians Program. This program was developed by Teachers Krista Miller and Julie Kiss who wanted their students to truly understand the roots of the English language. Let me tell you, The kids and I loved it! It's easy to use and very effective!

 Here's what we did:

First, I introduced the program with a Powerpoint presentation.

 Just FYI: The first reaction to this slide was, "Look! It's Jesus!"
The second was, "He's walking on the water!" 

I love First Grade!

After the inevitable questions of why Jesus was in his underwear and had his crown on a stick, we had a great discussion about how prefixes change the meaning of words. I used the program to introduce the prefix un-.  The kiddos had a great time thinking of all the words they could change using the prefix un-.

The kiddos then put together their prefix puzzles.

 

 Afterward, we worked on a page in our Prefix booklet.
We'll add a page with each prefix we cover.

I have to tell you, I really believe this program helps children understand how words work. My students truly know un- means not. 

If we could teach young children basic prefixes and suffixes in Kindergarten and First Grade, think of how much easier this concept would be in the upper grades! I'm already making plans to include First Grade Roots in my lesson plans next year. 

If you haven't had the opportunity to take a look at this program, click the button and you can see for yourself. 

Check out the Pass the Torch linky, complete with prizes, at Michelle's blog!

  

Thanks to Michelle at The 3am Teacher for putting this linky together!! 

Happy Sunday!

April Currently!

Happy Easter, everyone! 

I hope you had a beautiful day filled with family and those you love! 

Can you believe in a few hours it will be April 1st?? Incredible!

Farley's back with Currently, and I'm linking up!

These adorable fonts are from Jen Jones' Hello Fonts!

1 - I'm an avid classic television fan! Love it!

2 - I absolutely loved spending Easter with my sweet family!

3 - We are off for Holy Monday tomorrow. One more day...

4 - This Day reminds me to be a better example of the Love He showed for us by giving us His most precious possession. That kind of love is unimaginable!  

5 - Need I say more?? Does anyone really like to go grocery shopping?

6 - My advice for new bloggers?
Ask for help! Teacher Blogland is such a supportive community!
Get to know some people and ask for help when you need it!
Oh, and Stay Positive!

 

 Click the button to link up!

Happy Sunday, my friends!