Friday, June 22, 2012
A Modern Teacher
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Wow! It has been awhile...
This is probably the longest I've gone without writing a post and I feel
like something has been missing the entire time! I have had mucho
going on in my life...vacation...birthdays...and since announcing the
new planners I have been super super busy. Plus, the planner was
featured in the Teachers Pay Teachers
Newsletter...a first for me. Couldn't believe it!! I really went out
on a limb submitting it... and since then I have made several tweaks to
the planner...just making it more effective for you. The planner
is now editable in power point. So, if you happen to purchase the
planner you have an option to just write in it or type in it. Enough of
that though....
Today I thought it would be fun to bring you 7 DIY Projects for Math Manipulatives. This is a collection of tools that I've seen around the internet. Maybe you could use one in your class. Do you have an idea on a DIY for Math Manipulatives?
Today I thought it would be fun to bring you 7 DIY Projects for Math Manipulatives. This is a collection of tools that I've seen around the internet. Maybe you could use one in your class. Do you have an idea on a DIY for Math Manipulatives?
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| Place Value using Paint Chips from Tattling to the Teacher |
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| Using Paper Clips to Match Numbers from Mrs. Kelly's Kindergarten |
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| Angle Sticks from Tales of Frogs and Cupcakes |
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| Money Dice from Sunny Days Blog on May 22 |
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| DIY Giant Dice from A Modern Teacher |
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| Place Value Tools from A Modern Teacher |
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| Bottle Cap Math from FlapJack Educational Resources |
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Monday, June 4, 2012
Going Out on a Limb
"Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is." Mark Twain
I can't believe I get to share this with you. Finally! I have been wanting to make this for you for a loooong time now. After much encouragement from my husband and my blogging buddies, something I started ages ago is now coming to reality. I had put this on the back burner for a lot of reasons but you know when you just gotta share something you really haven't seen before...it keeps popping in your mind.. you gotta 'just do it'!. And my husband just wouldn't let me. He knew I had worked so hard on this project and he encouraged me to finish it.
So, what is it? Well, it's NOT ROCKET SCIENCE folks, it's really NOT that big...but it is to me...in my little world. :: a super pretty teacher planner....
But this isn't just a pretty little thing!
This planner has so many spots only a teacher needs...
but first let me tell you...I'm going to personalize the cover for you for free. Yup. Free. Just send me an email with what you would like on the cover. I'll email the cover back to you. (just allow 24-48hrs. please :)
Ok...back to what the planner has...
the basics..
--a weekly planner
--a monthly calendar
--a yearly planner
and some spots that only a teacher gets...
--a place for you to write the common core standards for the week
--an overview or what I call 'at-a-glance' common core standards for efficiency
--standards listed in the grade levels 'around' you for awareness
--a page for you to write small group monitoring notes
--a page to write station/center work
--a place to put what needs to be retaught in the next month (both whole class and individually)
--a spot for listing the staff meetings for the upcoming month
--a spot to note who to schedule a parent conference with
--a spot for district benchmark dates
--a personal spot
So, I'm going out on a limb with this new product of mine. I am offering it at Teachers Pay Teachers. So head there. I hope you like it. I'm going to be writing another post on some helpful tips on how to use it. (and you know I don't like writing posts strictly on a product so going out on many limbs here :)
Hope you are having a great week!
April
I can't believe I get to share this with you. Finally! I have been wanting to make this for you for a loooong time now. After much encouragement from my husband and my blogging buddies, something I started ages ago is now coming to reality. I had put this on the back burner for a lot of reasons but you know when you just gotta share something you really haven't seen before...it keeps popping in your mind.. you gotta 'just do it'!. And my husband just wouldn't let me. He knew I had worked so hard on this project and he encouraged me to finish it.
So, what is it? Well, it's NOT ROCKET SCIENCE folks, it's really NOT that big...but it is to me...in my little world. :: a super pretty teacher planner....
But this isn't just a pretty little thing!
This planner has so many spots only a teacher needs...
but first let me tell you...I'm going to personalize the cover for you for free. Yup. Free. Just send me an email with what you would like on the cover. I'll email the cover back to you. (just allow 24-48hrs. please :)
Ok...back to what the planner has...
the basics..
--a monthly calendar
--a yearly planner
and some spots that only a teacher gets...
--a place for you to write the common core standards for the week
--an overview or what I call 'at-a-glance' common core standards for efficiency
--standards listed in the grade levels 'around' you for awareness
--a page for you to write small group monitoring notes
--a page to write station/center work
--a place to put what needs to be retaught in the next month (both whole class and individually)
--a spot for listing the staff meetings for the upcoming month
--a spot to note who to schedule a parent conference with
--a spot for district benchmark dates
--a personal spot
So, I'm going out on a limb with this new product of mine. I am offering it at Teachers Pay Teachers. So head there. I hope you like it. I'm going to be writing another post on some helpful tips on how to use it. (and you know I don't like writing posts strictly on a product so going out on many limbs here :)
Hope you are having a great week!
April
Saturday, June 2, 2012
DIY: Repurpose a Garden Tote
I am so happy to be a guest at The Tutor House!
I am thrilled about sharing my ideas on Adrianne's blog. Hop on over
to her blog and check out why and how I repurposed a garden tote.
Thank you, thank you Adrianne! I am so happy to meet you in this bloggy world. Your support means a lot.
Thank you, thank you Adrianne! I am so happy to meet you in this bloggy world. Your support means a lot.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
DIY: Rainbow Inspired Classroom Door Wreath and Free Printable
Oh.my.word. Today I am a guest over at Schoolgirl Style. Moi?!!! Yup! I was honored. Just honored to be sharing a DIY Project for Melanie's Rainbow Theme Classroom Decor. Please check it out! Oh and a bonus for both our readers...a free printable.
A big THANK YOU to Melanie! Thank you for all your support.
A big THANK YOU to Melanie! Thank you for all your support.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Memorial Day Free Printable
Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all the men and women who have served
our country and are currently serving this great nation (including my
dad and grandpas). I have a lot of pride in America and although I have
been blessed to travel to other countries, I am grateful for living
here! Thank you for your service. Here is a fun little freebie for all
of you. I have many friends who are teachers and are married to the
military. Thank you for your support as well! Click HERE or on the picture to grab yours!
I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the day. Now...off to that barbeque!
PS And don't forget the saleabration at A Modern Teacher's Store: 20% off everything thru tomorrow.
I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the day. Now...off to that barbeque!
PS And don't forget the saleabration at A Modern Teacher's Store: 20% off everything thru tomorrow.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Happy Memorial Day Sale
Happy Early Memorial Day! As you know I live in Texas and we have MANY
military bases in our state. I am blessed and humbled by the service of
so many around me. I know many military personnel who are teachers...
and MANY teachers who are married to the military. I am proud to have a
father and grandfathers who have served.
So, I am joining Nordstrom's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Anthropologie, Home Depot, Lowe's, tons of teachers including Mor from A Teacher's Treasure and Hadar from Miss Kindergarten, among MANY other stores to bring you a saleabration!! My sale will last until Tuesday and unless some unforeseen circumstances happen, I will not have another sale until August for Back to School. So stock up now!!
So, I am joining Nordstrom's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Anthropologie, Home Depot, Lowe's, tons of teachers including Mor from A Teacher's Treasure and Hadar from Miss Kindergarten, among MANY other stores to bring you a saleabration!! My sale will last until Tuesday and unless some unforeseen circumstances happen, I will not have another sale until August for Back to School. So stock up now!!
Have fun shopping! A Modern Teacher's Store (click here or on the picture)
Thank you! April
Friday, May 25, 2012
Classroom Crashers :: Heidi Part 2
Last week I had the wonderful oppportunity of sharing with you Heidi's First Grade Classroom. She had so many ideas I wanted to split the pictures up into 2 days. Here is Heidi's Classroom Part 2!! I hope you enjoy!
First up, while students are lining up and waiting for their peers, they
can brainstorm equations with these numbers. Always an opportunity to
learn. Keeps them focused and quiet :)
In Heidi's district, students are responsible for their learning. They
use a system which gives students a rubric to assess their knowledge.
Last but not least, one of the stations students can go to is a 'boggle' word station. Fun! And I love the curtains!
Thanks again to Heidi for sharing her classroom.
If you are interested in sharing your classroom with the teaching
community, just send a few pictures, a few words, and I'll put it
together. (amodernteacher@gmail.com)
Next week I have a couple of guests posts that I am sooooo excited to
be bringing you and really HONORED!! Can't wait to share with you.
A special thank you to all of you and our family members who have served
our country. I am so blessed and thankful to be living in this great
country. I have many family members who have served, including my
father and grandfathers, and I am humbled by their service. Have a
wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
DIY:: How To Make Place Value Tools
Tens Rods (as I call them) and Ones Cubes can be a hot commodity. I
know how we beg and borrow for more of these tools. One way to help the
situation is to make them yourself. I know...who has the time for
something like this...but let me tell you, this is one of the easiest
DIY projects I will ever post. I would still have your district buy the 'real' ones but these are good for extra groups and just to have some extra on hand.
Supplies:
thin, plain sponges (I got mine from the dollar store (3 in a package for $1.00)
scissors
pen
ruler
(whew, that was a lot :)
1) Tens Rods and Ones Cubes measure about 1 cm in width; so I just take a ruler and mark small nicks 1 cm apart on the sponge
2) Then cut and that's it.
It doesn't come out perfect, but the kids still understand that 10 ones cubes equal 1 ten rod. It gives them a 3D tool that is cheap, cheap, cheap!
Have fun! If you would like more DIY Projects, check out my pinterest board: DIY Teacher
Supplies:
thin, plain sponges (I got mine from the dollar store (3 in a package for $1.00)
scissors
pen
ruler
(whew, that was a lot :)
1) Tens Rods and Ones Cubes measure about 1 cm in width; so I just take a ruler and mark small nicks 1 cm apart on the sponge
2) Then cut and that's it.
It doesn't come out perfect, but the kids still understand that 10 ones cubes equal 1 ten rod. It gives them a 3D tool that is cheap, cheap, cheap!
Have fun! If you would like more DIY Projects, check out my pinterest board: DIY Teacher
Monday, May 21, 2012
Father's Day Craftivity and Printable
Dads Rock! If you read my post last week,
you know that there have been many years that I didn't have the
students make a Father's Day gift. For lots of reasons...mostly time, I
just couldn't fit it all in! Now that I have my own children, I don't
ever want to miss one! So, here is a little craftivity
to celebrate Father's Day. (p.s. this is my first post that I have ever
just written about one of my products--woa! totally stepping out of my
box here :)
I hope all of the dads have a very Happy Father's Day!
I hope all of the dads have a very Happy Father's Day!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Classroom Crashers :: Texas
This week we are sharing Heidi's First Grade Classroom from Texas! As
you guys know Texas is my home so I was excited to take a peak in
Heidi's room...not too far from me. I took so many pictures that I
think I'm going to make this a 2-part post. She just has sooo many
great ideas.
We start off here....
In Heidi's district, students are responsible for their learning. So to illustrate what a 'top' paper would look like, Heidi has students think about an ice cream cone. From non-existent to plain to a little sprinkles to all-decked out! Students really understand what their writing should have in order to have the fancy ice cream cone (and score the highest possible points).
I love this sign she has in her room "Drivers and Barriers". You could tell that I visited at the end of the day...and that this sign gets used...a lot :) Together students come up with things that are going to help them learn and things that are going to distract from their learning.
And last, but not least, there are so many fabulous ideas in this
picture...where do I start? How about with the 'stop, think, go'. I've
never done something like this and I think it is a great reminder for
students to 'check' themselves. I always say "walk with a purpose" or
"work with a purpose", having the students stop and think about
(visualize) where they are going...like art. But this is an even easier
way to have students think about what they are doing.
A social contract--do you use one? I love this!!
And a mission statement. Mission Statements are good! Especially at the beginning of the year. Everyday we recited our mission statement (that we came up with). It was done during community circle (I'm a 'tribes' person--love that!). Does your class have a mission statement?
So, there you have it--Part 1 of Heidi's First Grade Classroom. A HUGE thank you to Heidi for letting me peak into her room--unexpectedly at that. She was so gracious and took time out to explain so much. See you soon with Part 2.
AND if YOU would like to share your classroom with the teaching
community, send a few pictures, a few words and I'll put it together.
I'd love to feature you... AND YOU don't have to be a blogger! (Heidi's
not...yet :) amodernteacher@gmail.com
Have a fabulous weekend!!
We start off here....
In Heidi's district, students are responsible for their learning. So to illustrate what a 'top' paper would look like, Heidi has students think about an ice cream cone. From non-existent to plain to a little sprinkles to all-decked out! Students really understand what their writing should have in order to have the fancy ice cream cone (and score the highest possible points).
I love this sign she has in her room "Drivers and Barriers". You could tell that I visited at the end of the day...and that this sign gets used...a lot :) Together students come up with things that are going to help them learn and things that are going to distract from their learning.
A social contract--do you use one? I love this!!
And a mission statement. Mission Statements are good! Especially at the beginning of the year. Everyday we recited our mission statement (that we came up with). It was done during community circle (I'm a 'tribes' person--love that!). Does your class have a mission statement?
So, there you have it--Part 1 of Heidi's First Grade Classroom. A HUGE thank you to Heidi for letting me peak into her room--unexpectedly at that. She was so gracious and took time out to explain so much. See you soon with Part 2.
Have a fabulous weekend!!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Classroom DIY
Charity from The Organized Classroom Blog has started a fun blog that is right up my alley. Classroom DIY
will be posting DIY Projects for the classroom from a variety of
bloggers. I am super excited to be posting once a month on the
collaborative site. I encourage you to stay updated with the new blog.
You are going to get a ton of great ideas like...an end-of-the-year gift for your students, stamped clothespins, and literacy rocks...just to name a few.
Today I will be posting a fun DIY on number dice. This is a great way to save a lot of money! I only brought these out for special occasions but the kids love it!!
Head on over to Classroom DIY!!
Today I will be posting a fun DIY on number dice. This is a great way to save a lot of money! I only brought these out for special occasions but the kids love it!!
Head on over to Classroom DIY!!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The Important Father Free Printable
On Monday, I shared a free Father's Day Printable.
(head there for what I do before this printable)Well, since then I got
to thinking (uh-oh) that I should also have a blank one for any man in a
student's life. So, I made another one and a student could fill in who
they would like...grandpa...uncle...friend.
Thought I would share with you. Click on the image to get both versions for free.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Thought I would share with you. Click on the image to get both versions for free.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Father's Day Printable
Poor Dads. Over the years of teaching, sometimes I had time for a
Father's Day activity and sometimes I didn't. I feel so bad about
that...now that I have my own children. I hope to always make time for
dads too! I have a craftivity coming to you next week for Father's Day,
something hopefully you can squeeze in before school is out but for
today I thought I'd share a printable for one activity I've done over
the years.
I start out reading The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown.
I love this book because it can be used for so many subjects and holidays. It really challenges the students to think of what is most important about a topic. The first and last sentence always tell what is most important and is exactly the same. Then I have the students answer these prompts in this printable (which you can get free). It is so much fun to hear their responses. Simple. I usually glue to construction paper, laminate, and voila. The craftivity I have for next week is similar in prompts but a little more creative and therefore time consuming :) Check back next week for more details!
Have a great week!
I start out reading The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown.
I love this book because it can be used for so many subjects and holidays. It really challenges the students to think of what is most important about a topic. The first and last sentence always tell what is most important and is exactly the same. Then I have the students answer these prompts in this printable (which you can get free). It is so much fun to hear their responses. Simple. I usually glue to construction paper, laminate, and voila. The craftivity I have for next week is similar in prompts but a little more creative and therefore time consuming :) Check back next week for more details!
Have a great week!
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