Perfect Pencil Sharpener

I have been using Panasonic pencil sharpeners for about fifteen years because they are reliable.  I decided to try out the X-Acto School Pro sharpener this summer because I read that it was designed by teachers with an emphasis on safety.  Absolutely LOVE IT! It's quick, quiet, and has a guard to prevent over-sharpening.  Everyone who comes in to use it comments on how great it works.  If you're looking for a fabulous sharpener while back to school shopping - this is the one to get.







Teacher Tees from The Chalk

Life is an experiment. Today I've decided to try something new.  I've opened a teacher t-shirt shop on Spreadshirt.  As teachers, we definitely have our own lingo.  Wouldn't it be great to have a t-shirt for the many things we celebrate at school?  I'm looking forward to documenting and sharing my experiences with you as I learn the ropes.  Click here to visit my shop.  Please leave feedback and suggestions.

The BEST Kindergarten Slideshow Songs

What are the BEST songs for a kindergarten slideshow?  I have been creating slideshows for years, but this was my first time adding music.  I searched endlessly online for song lists appropriate for K students.  I narrowed my list down to the following:

                                       1.  We're Going to be Friends by Jack Johnson
                                       2.  Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion
                                       3.  What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
                                       4.  I hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack
                                       5.  You've Got A Friend in Me by Randy Newman
                                       6.  You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker

I really wanted to use I Hope You Dance, but decided against it because of the use of the word hell.  I will use this song next year after I learn how to edit lyrics. I've been told that I can do this for FREE using a program called Audacity.  My final decision was We're Going to Be Friends and Because You Loved Me.  I created the slideshow using iPhoto and iMovie and it was AWESOME!

          

         

Food for Thought

Sir Ken Robinson's Changing Education Paradigms is a thought provoking piece that should be seen by educators and parents.   The map of prescriptions for ADHD is particularly fascinating. 



Enjoy!



Getting College and Career Ready in Elementary School

How do you get elementary school students college and career ready?  Students and families need to understand the road map to higher education and careers.  Through exploration and setting high expectations students CAN achieve their goals.  On the elementary level there are a number of age appropriate activities students can engage in to get them thinking about college and/or their future careers.
 
Elementary College and Career Activities

• Career Day
• College T-Shirt Day for Staff and Students
• Bulletin Board Displays with Academic Vocabulary
• Classrooms and/or Groups Named after Colleges/Universities

This is a flyer I created for our upcoming Staff College Spirit Day.

Awesome FREE Random Name Picker

ClassTools.net has a fantastic random name picker that is quickly and easily customizable.  Just edit the list of names and spin.  Keep your students on their toes with the anticipation of not knowing who will be called next.  It works!

Celebrating Dr. King's Dream

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday is  fast approaching. In remembrance of Dr. King's immeasurable contributions to the civil rights movement, I have compiled  a collection of quotes and photographs to celebrate his legacy. 

        

 

 

 

 

 Please visit my TPT store to download this freebie.  

Best Education Parodies of 2014

Edutopia has compiled a list of the best education parodies of 2014.  These videos are a great way to engage students.  Word Crimes by Weird Al Yankovic is set to Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke and will have them dancing in their seats. 

 

Paper Snowflakes

Making paper snowflakes will be the parent/child activity for our January meeting.  Hopefully I will be an expert by then.  I'll be sure to share the pictures. We are going to have a hot chocolate bar too!

 



A Mountain of Books

A new teacher that I'm mentoring inherited this... 

 

This is just an inkling of the humongous mountain of books to be leveled. 

 



We're  making progress - about 30% done.

I looked for an App to make the leveling process more efficient, but reverted back to Leveled Books K-8 by Fountas and Pinnell.  I made some of my own labels but then decided to purchase a set from Clutter-Free Classroom  to save time.  To be continued...
      

 

Attendance Matters!

We're Working to Improve Attendance and Raise Achievement

We know that students who miss too much school suffer academically at every age and every grade.  Each month I create an attendance board to acknowledge the class with the highest attendance in our school.  I often observe students looking to see which class has the highest attendance.  I also hear students comparing the percentages and checking the graphs to see that the elements they are learning about are included.

 

I created the graphs in Powerpoint.

This board is across from the main office and new parents get to see what our school uniform looks like when registering their children.

I'm Participating in Jumpstart's Read for the Record

Jumpstart's Read for the Record is a wonderful opportunity for students to participate in a shared reading experience.  PreK and Kindergarten students at my school will take part on October 21, 2014.  We've made our pledge, ordered copies of Bunny Cakes, and are excited about the photo contest.

 

Click here to join in the fun.

Scholastic Book Fair

Our Buy One, Get One FREE! Book Fair is coming soon.  I hope to get the kids excited about reading by getting an early start with promoting the Book Fair.  Our goal is to get 1,000 books into the hands of children.  Our schedule is Monday, May 12th - Friday, May 16th.  I'm looking for great ideas that will work with our fiesta theme.  Check out my Scholastic Book Fair Pinterest board to see what I've accumulated so far. 

   

Book Fair Chairperson,

 

The Tiriba of Moz by Scott Pivnik

This poster was created in PowerPoint and then printed with our new eCOLOR SCAN CLICK PRINT Full Color Poster Printer.  Our First Grade classes are preparing to do an African adaptation of The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz called The Tiriba of Moz.  What do you think?

 

 

 

 

Read, Give, and Share with We Give Books!

 

I just found an amazing free resource and I wanted to pass it on to all of you. We Give Books is a free online library of children’s books that enables your kids to help other children around the world while they’re reading. The best part is, your reading will directly impact the great work of non-profit organizations around the world! Their tagline says it all, “combining the joy of reading with the power of giving.” It’s the perfect tool for parents, teachers, caregivers, and anyone who loves children’s books!

        

When you go to www.wegivebooks.org, you’ll be able to read a special selection of books without a We Give Books account, but you have to sign up to access their full library. It’s definitely worth it, though. It’s just a quick form, and once you’re signed up, you’ll have access to over 150 quality children’s books! There are many familiar titles. You can sort the books by age level, genre, author, and seasonal selections in the “Featured” section, so everyone can find something they like.

        

On the Causes page you can learn more about where your donated books are going. During the fall, We Give Books focused on early childhood literacy across the United States and supported great causes like Jumpstart for young children. This winter, you’ll be able to read to support global literacy and give books to non-profits like Room to Read. They also give you the option to donate to help your book donations reach even more children.

        

We Give Books is a program of the Pearson Foundation and Penguin Group. Penguin works with its authors to provide an outstanding selection of online books while the Pearson Foundation donates print books to charity partners. We Give Books is a great way to get your children excited about reading and to teach them about the importance of helping others.