Multiple Intelligences and MEGA GIVEAWAY reminder! :)

The number one thing as a teacher that absolutely makes my heart break in two is when I hear some version of:
"I'm stupid.  I'm not smart."  Gosh- just writing those words brings tears to my eyes and so many memories of little 6-7 year old students saying those words to me.  It was at a time when they were the most vulnerable.  They usually are crying and embarrassed to tell me their feelings.  Talk about heart breaking!  :'(

To help eliminate these moments, I make a HUGE emphasis on first reading Leo the Late Bloomer.

If you haven't read this... I HIGHLY recommend it! 

Then I make a huge emphasis on multiple intelligences.  I explain that we are all smart but some things come easier to us so we need to use our types of smart to help us learn things that are a little more difficult.

I start out by sending this letter home with parents:

I'd love to share it but about 1/2 of the chart I found online about 6 years ago and have been searching for it ever since to find the original author so that I can give them credit but I haven't been able to find him/her!  If you know where it originated, please let me know!

Then we make a class tree- I wish I had photos!  I will take some this year when we make it!

For math facts and word work- I allow the students to have choices of how they practice using MI.

Each year I add more choice boards for students to choose from. 

Also just a reminder about my MEGA COMMON CORE giveaway!  Michelle from fabulousinfirst and Rachelle from whatthe teacher wants have graciously offered to giveaway a common core item and I am giving away all of my common core items!

Click the icon to go to the entry post!  :)

I'm off to the lazy river in this VEGAS heat!  :)

GIVEAWAY- Back to School: Common Core Style!

Hi Blogging Friends!

I decided to have a MEGA giveaway just in time for school- it is BACK TO SCHOOL COMMON CORE STYLE!  :)

I asked a few talented teachers and bloggers to help me out with this giveaway. 

There will be 1 GRAND PRIZE winner and 3 second place winners.

Here is what you could win if you are the GRAND PRIZE winner:

Back to School Basics

donated by Michelle from fabulous in first! 

Common Core Math and ELA Galore

(You get to select your grade!)

donated by Rachelle from What the Teacher Wants!

AND... EVERY SINGLE COMMON CORE ITEM THAT I HAVE!  (PLUS SOME THAT I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF FINISHING!)  :)

First Grade Common Core Deskplates

Detective Danielle (I wonder where I got the name...)

Fish Frenzy

Reading Assessments (You can use them with ANY book!)

Quarterly Phonics and Phonemic Awareness Assessments

Common Core is HUGE on teaching Addition Properties.

Writing Assessment and Form Packet is ALMOST finished!  I have put it on hold to make more FUN items.  :)

The reading response activities go with first grade common core.  :)

Marshmallow Madness- fun cc practice activities to do with marshmallows! 

Quarterly math pre-assessments or you can use them as practice pages!

Quarterly First Grade Common Core Assessments, Parent Newsletters, I Can Notebook, Recording Charts and MORE (It took my 9 months to make this baby!)

I am ALMOST finished with this!  There are questions to practice using the prompts whole group or as a reading response.  A sentence starter is included with each item.  :)

This is a simple item used to record student learning.  I also have a 2nd grade version.

Irregular Sight Words:  This has practice worksheets that are IRREGULAR words like of, was etc.

Weekend News.  Common Core has a HUGE emphasis on NF.

Problem Solving Strategies

Recycling Unit: Practice Items at the end of the unit are common core related.

***  I think that I'll even throw in a TPT gift certificate... I haven't decided how much yet.  I guess it depends how much I win or lose in Vegas this week!  :)



WHEW!  That took a while to add!  :) 

3 second place winners will win any 5 of my CC items.  :)

Here are the rules:
*You earn 1 entry (leave your email with a comment) if you follow mine, Rachelle and Michelle's blogs.  (I KNOW that I LOVE getting new friends.  I seriously make my hubby check it out!)

*You earn 1 entry if you follow all 3 of of TPT stores.

*You earn 5 entries if you blog about my giveaway!  :) 

I shall draw winner names next Monday August 13th!

Oops! No time today to post about my giveaway!

It will have to happen tomorrow!!! :-)

Be thinking about who needs common core things! :-)

A Peak at my New Classroom!

About a month ago when I received my latest email blast from reallygoodstuff, I thought I'd try to win one of their gift cards by submitting an idea.  I completely forgot about it until I opened my email today and saw their new issue!

I read the email and noticed the first box was mine!  :)  I was super excited!  :)  Gosh- I sure will try again- I sure can put that gift card to good use!

I stopped in my new room today and took a few pictures.  I still have quite a bit to do.  I have almost nothing on the walls  yet and am waiting to bring in my super cute zebra reading center.

I LOVE all of the storage in my room!

I don't know what to do with the binders on the top (this is a new room and district so I don't know if I need them!) 

Here is a peak at how I'm utilizing my sweet storage!

This is where I keep the craft/ art items.  On the bottom shelf I am keeping all of my classroom store tubs.

This is where I will store my math manipulatives.  (I am an add on class and my materials haven't arrived yet!)

Here is where I keep my reading, science and social studies files.

Here are random items like party materials, publishing items, bags etc.  I even have a bottom drawer left that I cannot choose what to store in there!  :)

This is a cabinet that I designated to store extra student materials.  In here already cost my $0!  (Well minus the popcorn cup holding pencil sharpeners.)  I went to Office Max the other day and as I went to scan my teacher rewards card, they started bagging up 20 boxes of crayons, 20 rulers and 20 pencil sharpeners.  I had no idea what was happening but I was super excited!  Apparently if you spend $5 they will give you all of that for FREE!  I do LOVE FREE!

This is my technology cabinet.  I have my scholastic movies, CDs, and will add my Lakeshore Interactive Whiteboard discs, headphones etc.

This has teacher items like post it notes and other supplies.  The bottom will be used to store all of the Ziplock bags that the students will be bringing.

This is my favorite cabinet!  I have always wanted a place to organize items that I copy early but I never had room.  The top shelf has frequently used items.  The second shelf has 1 tub for each day of the week.  They are labeled, "Next  Monday, Next Tuesday" etc.  Throughout the week I will fill up the tubs so that Friday evening, I can move all of it to my current week storage area.  The green tubs are items that I can copy in advance.  I have my yearly behavior calendars already copied, I have a tub for morning work, a tub for weekly items and more! (like celebrity of the week reminder etc.)  The bottom shelves will be used to hold my read aloud books.

These are my lovely cubbies!  I have 6 table groups so each table has a tub for math tool kits, table materials (after Open House it will be on the tables.), math materials (I heard EDM has workbooks) and writing materials.  The bottom two rows hold writing materials for all students and word work materials for all students.

I cannot make up my mind of how to use this bulletin board!  So it is blank for now!  I also will probably move my teacher computer to this area as well and use my laptop for teacher use instead.

This is the front of my room.  They will be adding a projector so I had to spread my WBT rule signs apart so it wouldn't be in the way of the projector.  My Focus wall isn't even close to being finished.  I am going to make a better Spotlight Sign.  The hanging pocket charts below the board hold math flashcards.  I will probably move these to the back of the room.  To the left and right of the alphabet chart I will add my celebrity walk of fame stars.  So this is blank for now!  I ought to at least put something up there for now!  :)

I LOVE this bookself!  It has so many uses and tons of storage.  I put my monthly theme books in the front.  I store (I have to organize it a bit more) the other monthly these books in the back.  Finally it has 3 slots of the the top where I keep clipboards, dry erase boards, dry erase markers and socks (erasers.)

This is my reflection center.  In each labeled bag there are character education books and matching worksheets. 

This is behind my desk.  I keep my teaching manuals for math and writing (really only for substitutes since I have been making my lessons on Smartboard software) in the black organizer.  The white drawers hold daily weekly materials.  The two binders to the right are my Emergency First Grade Plans and my Substitute Binder.

My mail area by the classroom door.  In the crate I keep numbered file folders.  This is where my students turn in their work. 

This is my future word wall!  I have made it pretty far if you can't tell.  :)



These are my new popcorn number line strips.  They still need to make their way on the wall.



These will go on the wall and I will add my Phonics Dance icons to go with it.  :)

This needs to go on the wall too!  As I introduce non-fiction features through my weekend news, I add a photo of it on one of the blue stars.

My Open House bins are ready to go!  The top of each bin is labeled with the supplies that the students will be bringing.  My desk has the large tubs for tissues, wipes and Ziplock bags.  I didn't include my desk photo because you can't see right now what I normally keep on it.  :)I also have two letters for open house with instructions for putting away supplies etc.  I'll share that, my student and parent gifts and parent folders soon!  :)

I am leaving for Las Vegas this weekend!  :)  Since no one guessed it- and so few guessed- I'm going to send my Grandparents Day item to all of you that attempted!  :)

WATCH OUT FOR MY BLOG POST TOMORROW!  I HAVE A HUGE GIVEAWAY STARTING!  :)

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