Welcome to School Books! Introduction to Everyone in the Class - Teachers AND Students

When I taught Kindergarten a couple years ago, I wanted to introduce more about myself to my students in a fun way! So I created a book about myself. The book introduced me, my family, my pet (at the time), and my previous teaching experience.


Click on the picture below to see what my book looked like. I especially like the last page!! (I did take out some of the more private information - nothing personal, but I don't need all of internet-land knowing everything about me!)

I also wanted the students to introduce themselves to one another. So I created a book for each of them to make. Here they introduce their name, the town they live in, their family, and what they like to do. Click HERE to get your free editable copy!

What fun activities do you do for beginning of year introductions?
~HoJo~

The Lesson Cloud Giveaway & Sale!

Thank you to everyone who purchased from all of the great authors at The Lesson Cloud! The sale is now over.

I hope you enjoyed Dollar Days!!

~HoJo~

Book Sales - Round 3 - with FREE Rubric for Grading!

I'm a little slow getting this post to you, as we actually completed our final book sales of the school year during the second week of May. As always, they were a total hit! (If you missed my first posts about book sales, you can find them here! Book Sales #1 and Book Sales #2)

Here are just a few of the awesome costumes we saw this go around.

This girl had the most awesome accessories around!
(Remember, props are part of the criteria for the rubric!)

The student on the left asked his three classmates to help him "surf" for his book sale, and it totally rocked!

 I cannot remember what book this was, but this monster twin was hilarious!

I just adored this chef costume!

This was a unique outfit!

Is this something you might implement this fall?
~HoJo~


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One other thing! The Lesson Cloud is hosting a giveaway and a sale on July 29 & 30!! Check the site or stop back here later this week to get more details. I can tell you this much - you'll find a great deal of savings and a chance to win an item that makes me jealous I can't enter! ;)

Good luck!

Math Worksheet Freebies Galore!

As I told you a few days ago, I created quite a few one page worksheets while working as a Title I reading and math teacher. So today I'm going to share some more with you. Below you find seven math worksheet freebies!


Here your students will complete a 10 problem worksheet to practice their standard, expanded, and written form. Click on the picture below to get your freebie!

This worksheet will give students practice with place value through the hundred thousands place.

Below students can practice their standard and expanded form.

Here students will practice making change up to $100. There are two of the same worksheet - one asks for just the numerical answer, while the other sheet wants the answer and a drawn picture of the change. 

This worksheet allows students to practice rounding up to the thousands place.

This freebie has students practice converting between inches, feet, and yards.

With this final worksheet students will determine place value through the thousands' place, order numbers, and compare numbers.

I hope these little worksheets are worthwhile to you!
~HoJo~

Breaking Compound Words Apart FREEBIE

Several years ago I was a Reading Recovery/Title I teacher. I created a lot of my own materials to use as a Title I math and literacy teacher for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. Many of these materials were simply a worksheet here or there. But if they helped me, I'm sure they'll be a help to other teachers as well!



Click on the picture below to download your FREEBIE!

Will this be helpful to you?

~HoJo~

Parent and Family Communication Log

Keeping in touch with parents is so important! I always keep a communication log for every time I contact home. One school required this as part of our Title I services, but I also just find it's a good habit to get into. Reason #1 is because it lets me see which parents I need to get ahold of if I haven't had contact in awhile. Reason #2 is because I feel my log can act as a safety net if I ever have an upset parent come in to complain that I don't keep in touch with them. (Thankfully this has never happened to me, but I like to be prepared!)


So - here is the basic little log I use.

I have set my log up in two different ways in the past. First, I just kept a three-ring binder with numerous sheets. Then each time I contacted a parent, I would write the information down. BUT - that made it difficult for me to go back and quickly see how often I had talked to _______'s family.



So the thing I have found to work best for me is to again keep a three-ring binder, but this time with a tab for each student. I keep these tabs in alphabetical order. It doesn't take me long to see that if I haven't contacted a parent in a month - I'd better get in gear!



At the back of this binder I also keep the original copy of all the newsletters I've sent home. That is the way I communicate with all families weekly. I find this system works great for me!


What type of communication log do you have?
~HoJo~

Showcasing Great Student Work!

This was one of my favorite ideas that was shared at a teachers' meeting last year! (See - they really can be worthwhile! hehe)


One of the first grade teachers said she was getting a TON of sloppy handwriting, so one day she randomly gave an "award" to a student with the neatest paper. She said everything in her room quickly changed! Students were suddenly taking their time and asking, "When do I get an award?"


So she started giving out weekly awards!


We loved this idea so much that we started using it in 5th grade too. We would showcase a bunch of random things --- A+ papers, great effort on a tough assignment, neat handwriting, a well organized paper, and so on. Each Friday we would take about five minutes to show the class who was receiving an award, and then those students could hang them on their lockers (or put them away if they chose to). I think this would also make a neat display to change out each week with maybe five students highlighted.


One thing to note - make sure you keep track of who has received your "award"! You want to showcase everyone in your class at some point!!


Here are a couple pictures of our VERY basic "awards".

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While you're here - please take a moment to go see the Teacher Feature on me in this week's Teacher 2 Teacher post!
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How do you motivate your students to do their best work?
~HoJo~

6th Grade Common Core Math Activities

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have been spending a LOT of time thinking about next school year. I haven't taught sixth grade since student teaching, so I'm excited!


I decided the best way to start preparing might be to look through standards. (Because I've already been blog stalking, pinning Pinterest ideas like crazy, and hunting down awesome resources on TpT!) And as long as I was looking through standards, I might as well find some resources to go along with them! So I compiled a list of free math activities for all of the Common Core standards. (Well, nearly all of them. Some are tough to locate!)


Click on the picture below to get your freebie!

This took me a LOT longer than any of the Reading Literature lists did. Therefore, I make no promises on when (or even if) I'll get the other grades done. But if I do, what grade level would you like to see next?? Majority rules!!

~HoJo~

Another Product Created! Act quickly to get it for FREE!

I created another 3-page Magic Square for subtracting 0, 1, and 2. You can purchase it by clicking on the picture below.

But you know I wouldn't post about a product without allowing some of you to get it for FREE! The first three comments below with an e-mail will receive this product for FREE!

Go! =)
~HoJo~

Magnetic Boards in Upper Grades and Magic Square FREEBIE Guest Post!

Alrighty folks, today I'm asking for your help! As you have already read, I will be teaching 6th grade this fall. I have a small dilemma. I bought these cute magnetic boards for about $3.00 a year ago at Target thinking I would be able to use them for centers for K-2 students. However, I want to be able to use them in my 6th grade room!


What activities can I do?

I think I have two or three of them. So I'm thinking they would work well for group activities where each group writes down their answer. What else? Is there any way to work them into CAFE or Daily 5 (in case I implement either of those this fall??).



Now to sweeten up the pot ---- If you give me a new idea that has not yet been listed, I will give you one item of your choice from my TpT store. Of course, it needs to be an idea I think would be wortwhile! Please leave your e-mail address in the comment so I can e-mail you to see what item you are most interested in. (My July is a bit hectic - Alaskan cruise and crazy part-time work schedule - so please excuse me if my e-mail back to you is slow... I WILL get back to you if I love your idea and it helps me out!)


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Number Dice Magic Squares are being given away for FREE at Pocket Full of Kinders. Click here to check it out and get your freebie! (But it's only good for one week, so act quickly!)

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Now please leave your ideas for the magnetic boards below! ;)
~HoJo~

Creating Tolerance in the Classroom

This past year my co-teacher did an awesome activity using sign language at the end of the school year. However, I thought the lesson could be one that might be more fitting at the beginning of the year.

The lesson is pretty easy to do. You won't need much for supplies. Put up some type of sign language poster in the classroom where students can easily see it. Or give each student their own print out of the sign language alphabet and/or short phrases.



Explain to the students that for the next ___ minutes, they will be able to communicate with absolutely no sound (talking, grunts, etc) and no lip reading! (We went for about 15 minutes with 5th graders.) They can write down what they want to say or use sign language. Then let them go for the amount of time you specified!



It's amazing to watch the students communicate during this time frame. Some will reference the sign language letters and phrases quite a bit, while others will just write. Oftentimes students will get frustrated, throw their hands up in the air, and just walk away - particularly if they are trying to use sign language and their classmates are simply writing.


When the time is up, get everyone to sit down and discuss how this went. How did the communication go? Were they able to gets their thoughts, feelings, wants, and needs across? How did it feel when they were unable to do so? What did they feel when their classmates wouldn't use sign language like they wanted them to? What happened is someone did not want to read what they wrote?


This lesson teaches how patient students must be with others. Just because something comes easily for one person, does not mean it will be easy for everyone. It takes time and understanding to get ones point across. Explain how this may happen many times throughout the year. Just because something comes easily for one person does not mean it will come easily for another. Remember to have tolerance for everyone in the classroom.



Here's a great blog post by Laura Candler on ways to create a caring classroom. Check out here post and the great linky party she has going by clicking on the picture below!

What beginning of the year activities do you do to build student relationships and foster tolerance among all of your students?
~HoJo~