Virginia Bloggers Blog Hop: Spring Edition!

Welcome to Virginia!

                     Virginia Bloggers Appreciate Y-O-U!!

A lovely group of Virginia bloggers would like to show our appreciation of you by extending a bit of southern hospitality.  You can follow along the blog hop to visit 10+ Virginia teacher blogs for terrific teaching tips and fun freebies to help get through the last couple of weeks before summer break.  Thanks to Andrea over at Reading Towards the Stars for the button! :)

The end of the year always brings review and end of year tests.  One thing my grade level does this time of year is a China/Egypt rotation.  It's one of my favorite units and there's so much to cover about these ancient civilizations!  So, each teacher takes an idea or concept and teaches it in a 25 minute block.  Each class rotates to each of our five teachers.  To motivate students to behave, listen, and participate in these fun activities (because face it, at this point in the year, they are "done"), we usually gave each an index card with their name on it and each teacher stamps it as they go out the door to the next classroom.

I am the teacher who, always always always forgets to do those darn index cards until the kids are lined up to start!  So, one thing I offered to do for my team this year was to make a passport for each child.  We could have it duplo'ed and it would be something more than an index card that at one point or another, got lost or left in another classroom.  I could add some cute clipart to it and make it more "fun" for the kids!

So, here is my Egypt/China one:  (pretend it's copied double sided)

Now, everyone doesn't do Egypt/China like good ol' VA (or teach 2nd grade).  So I made a "generic version" that we'll use at other times of the year.  This is the one I'd like to share with you.  While you are more than welcome to download the Egypt/China, you might be more interested in this one!

Knowing that each school is different with different numbers, the second page ("stamp page") varies, with anywhere from four to eight stars for stamps, depending on your number of rotations/classes. 

I hope you're able to use this for your reviews!  It could also be used for stations within your classroom as well.  Really, the possibilities are endless :)  I hope you enjoy and find it useful!

Be sure to hop on over to the next blogger for the next freebie/tip! :)

 

Second Grade Blog Hop

A wonderful group of ladies decided to initiate a blog hop to help out with end of the year matters, specifically for 2nd grade (although you could use these ideas for any grade). 

My freebie is for a summer packet.  This is not your traditional summer packet with worksheets.  The kiddos (and parents) I have don't always go for that.  Last year, I got the idea to create a packet and combine it with an end of year gift to my students.

I got everything at Dollar Tree - the sidewalk chalk comes 4 packs in a box, the bubbles were in 3 packs, and the cards are in 2 packs.   The buckets were $1 each (this year, though, I have ones I snagged on clearance from Michaels in the fall!).  So, all in all, it wasn't as pricey as it could have been! 

The packet contains ideas that students can do with things from their house.  No worksheets....just ideas on how to keep the learning "fresh" in their head.  I got a great response from my kiddos last year (and parents) on how this was a great summer boredom buster, the kids played "school" with younger siblings/cousins with the ideas, and just an overall positive response!  


Click on the picture below to take you to my packet!

I've also included a version for students who are not going to third grade (I have 2 of them this year), so it doesn't mention moving up.

 

Be sure to check out the next blogger on the hop!  Have fun and merry "it's almost the end!"

Things to Come, Pronouns, and a Freebie!

Soooo.....little hint of things to come.  Please stop by on the 14th and 18th for special blog hops!

We're getting ready to start our last unit for the year, which is pronouns.  Obviously, we've done this around Christmastime, since everything in my folder seems to be holiday-related!  So, I felt that although kids love reindeer and Santa, it might be best to go with another theme.  

I've recently fell in love with task cards and the unlimited possibilities you could do with these - write the room, SCOOT, centers, small groups, to mention a few.  

So, knowing I needed something a little less seasonal for pronouns, I created task cards where students have to apply what they know about task cards, as well as have a cute little story about going to camp!

Click on the pictures below to see more.

Annnndddd....here is the other thing I created this weekend.  I always have my class do a "top 10" that I can post for next year's kiddos at Open House.  It's an old template from Mailbox that frankly, was kind of plain looking.  The last few years, my kids also had trouble either clarifying what they were saying, using complete sentences, or coming up with ideas.  So, why not hit several birds at once, so to speak?  I went ahead and themed it to my room (safari) and revamped the "top 10" so that they had to say one thing about 10 given subjects.  

So, please click on the picture to download from Google Drive.  I've also included a blank template so you can fill in your own subjects, or have your students fill in their own with pictures for the younger kiddos or leave it open ended!

It's a Giveaway Over at Table Talk With C and C!

Table Talk with C and C is having a fantabulous giveaway!  (I've amended my post so that you can click on her site for more details).

"We recently achieved a major milestone for our little ol' blog . . . . over 1,000 followers on Instagram!!  A-MAZING!!!!  So that means it's giveaway time!!!" 

Who doesn't love a good giveaway?  Head on over to their blog to get started!

Feeling Appreciated (with a few sales!)

Are you celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week?  Our PTA is treating us to breakfast on Monday and a special dinner on Thursday.  My favorite, though, will be "Funnel Cake Friday!"  Yeah, THIS is why I can't diet during the school year! :)

Well, it seems that Teacher's Notebook as well as Teachers Pay Teachers are also showing some love.  Each site is throwing a huge sale where you get an extra % off your total purchase.  Tack that onto sales shops are throwing, and you can easily clean out that wish list!

I've discounted my shop on TpT to 20% (the max), so please go check out some of the recent bundles I've created, as well as my measurement activities!  I have the same on Teacher's Notebook (which are 25% off.....sorry die-hard TpTers...but TN lets us do that!).  My stores are practically identical, so if you're a member of both websites.....

Click on the links below to head to the sites and use the special codes....you can also click on the links to the site to take you directly to my shop!  

Teachers Notebook is upping it one more by also sponsoring a contest where you could win an iPad, Google Nexus tablet, and gift certificates as well!  Click on the link below to enter.  Good luck and happy shopping! :)

Time for a Change....

Not sure how I like my new blog look - I had noticed that the header hadn't appeared for awhile and finally realized it was because my free design that I loved was no longer "free."  So....this might be permanent or it might move on! LOL  I spent hours last Sunday trying to figure out HTML and do a blog roll (to no success)....and I miss my 3 columns :(  It's going to be an ongoing process, though.

However, that is not the change I mentioned in the title. 

This is about a change that my state needs to make for ESL/ELL students.  This year, one of my parents adopted 3 Ukrainian boys (brothers) and, along with their biological child, one of them is my student.  I simply love both of these boys!  "N" has really taken a shine to English and tries his hardest.  Math is his favorite subject and he caught onto English numbers very quickly.  I mean, I had NO idea that Ukrainian numbers were so very different!  He's been like a sponge this year and just absorbs everything!  He has struggled with the language and obviously, reading.  Still, he always has a smile on his face and his personality, like his spoken English, is really starting to shine.

"N" has an older brother in fourth grade and a younger brother in first that came with him.  They are not doing quite as well as "N."  My parent has been very perplexed this year at the lack of services that these boys have received.  We are a small county with a low ELL population, mostly hispanic, and many of the parents of these students do not speak English either.  I think that's why in this case, I realized how little we do for these students!  They are one of the most undersupported groups in our district!  The more I have discovered with this parent, the more brick walls she has hit, the angrier I have gotten.  I mean, everyone has a right to a free and public education, right?  Because this parent has vocally avocated for these boys and the lack of services, she's been treated poorly (in my opinion). 

Is it because I am also a parent of a child who I have had to advocate for in the past, to make sure his IEP accommodations are being met, that he is not ridiculed or bullied?  I don't know.  Maybe it gives me more sympathy.  However, I still don't think it's right.  We, as parents, are our child's best supporters and they look to us to not only keep them safe, but to fight for equality.

On that note, please consider checking out my parent's petition to increase services in our state for ELL/ESL students.  Please share it with others.  I'm hoping her voice and efforts will help make a difference!

https://www.change.org/petitions/sen-tim-kaine-increase-esl-student-teacher-ratios-for-esl-ell-students-require-schools-to-have-esl-instructional-plans-in-place-with-guidelines-for-instructional-time-based-on-lep-levels

Hop On Over to the Easter Sale!

I'm jumping on the bandwagon with other TpT sellers and hosting an Easter Sale!  My entire store will be 20% off Sunday and Monday.  I'm also linking up with Teaching Momster for a sale linky, so you can see which stores are participating!

 

Some of my newest products, you've seen in my previous posts.  However, I've been busy this Spring Break and have added a few more!

I've added a Reference Bundle to join with my "Virginia SOL Map Skills" bundle.  Some of the items included in the reference bundle are:

There's also "Underwater ABC Order", "Using An Atlas", "How Do You Web?", and "Dictionary Detective."  The set is $5.00 for right now (a total value of $8.00), but as I add to it, the price will go up.  This would be an excellent buy now because you'd get it on sale, plus anything I add to it will be a free download for you!  I saw another buyer do this idea, and thought how cool the idea was!  I plan on doing a few more bundles as well!

I've also added a packet for this set of books here:

I at first ordered them from Scholastic a long time ago, thinking I'd use them for fluency readers.  I've since moved on from that thinking and decided how great they would go in one of my centers about vowels or word building!  I did a similar single sheet for the Star Wars set, but will revise that and add it to my store when I'm finished (that might be on my summer to do list!).  Students not only word hunt, but there is a comprehension component to each story as well.  Who doesn't love Scooby? :)

A few of my favorites:

So, happy shopping and be sure to check out Teaching Momster's link up!