HUGE Giveaway!

Since I am a bit late celebrating my 100 followers (WAHOO!) I decided to have a BIG giveaway now!  :)

The GRAND prize winner will receive:

 

a $50 TPT gift certificate!  :)

AND any 3 items that they want from my TPT store.


5 second place winners will receive:

Any 3 items that they want from my TPT store. 


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HERE ARE THE RULES:
*Leave your email with each entry.
*Feel free to leave the name of the products you want as well- but you don't have to!  I can contact you once you have hopefully won!  :)

How do you earn entries?

1 entry by commenting that you follow my pinterest page.
1 entry by commenting that you follow my blog.
1 entry by commenting that you follow my TPT store.
5 entries if you blog about my giveaway!  ( I would be SUPER appreciative too!)

I WILL DRAW THE 6 WINNERS ON

APRIL 7TH!

 

 

i ALSO HAVE A 20% OFF SALE IN MY tpt STORE UNTIL APRIL 2ND.  :)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CC First Grade Cumulative Math Assessments

I decided to throw a 20 % off sale on all of my TPT products from now through Tuesday!  (Which is back to work day for me!)  :)

Check it out here.

As promised...  I finally finished my CC 1st Grade Cumulative Math Assessments!  :)

Here is a tidbit about it:

In Ohio- we have to write Student Learning Objectives (SLOs.) These require us to have baseline data in math for all students.  The assessments are then given periodically throughout the year to measure growth. 

I made 5 cumulative math assessments.  These can be used at any point in the year but have the majority of first grade common core math standards on each one.  There are 5 assessments and you can use as many or as few of them that you need. 

Since many of the skills will not have been taught at the beginning of the year- I always tell my students to “Try your best even if the answer might be wrong.  If you get really stuck- mark it with a question mark or cross it out.”  I have included a sign stating this that can be displayed in your room.

You will also find recording sheets at the end of this document that can be sent home to communicate scores to parents or also be used to keep track of student learning in your classroom.

The first 2 pages have the standard with corresponding assessment questions.  The third page is a whole class recording sheet.  The fourth sheet is an individual recording sheet used to measure progress throughout the year. 

I will use these assessments as jump off points for where to begin instruction at the beginning of the year.  I still will use pre-assessments and post assessments weekly during instruction.

I designed these assessments to have the same type of questions for easy grading and comparing of scores.  This way you can tell if they miss question #8 on asessment1 and 2- you can tell that they are struggling with comparisons.  #8 on each of the 5 assessments are all comparison questions.

For #27 and #28- I actually give the addition assessment once a week starting second quarter.  Once a child passes it- they start taking the subtraction assessment once a week.  This way it gives them multiple times to try to pass it!

 You can download copies of the timed assessments here for free!  :)

Here is an example of one of the assessments:

Instead of just giving away this today.  I decided to have a HUGE giveaway!  I plan to include a TPT gift certificate, this, and a few other CC goodies of mine.

BTW- I am finally getting better at Pinterest and have started pinning better.  I have been keeping track of all of my favorite CC treasures on this board: http://pinterest.com/daniellelasota/common-core/

Feel free to check it out!

I should post about the giveaway tomorrow! 

So stop back by!  :)

 

 

Spring Break!!!

I have had a wonderful break so far!

It started last Saturday morning when I flew out to visit my 8 month pregnant sister and my nephew.  I even got to be there for his 3rd birthday!  His dad is deployed right now so we made the most fun that we could with a Mickey Mouse birthday party with just his aunt and mom.

Beware if you ever sit next to me on a plane- because I will talk your ear off and we will be like old friends by the end of our flight!  I always "size" people up before I start chatting them up to determine if they just want to be left alone or not.  My husband is the type that would prefer to be just left alone.  (Perhaps that is why I am forced to make friends across the aisle!)

Well- on my first flight I made a friend with a car salesman and a school secretary.  :) 

On my way back was the best part and shows you what a small world that it truly is! 

I saw a woman in the Dallas airport that I thought that I recognized.  Then I said to myself- "No- that can't be her."  Then I boarded the plane and walked all the way back to my 27A seat.  Almost immediately I started chatting my my 27B seatmate- who was a lovely guidance counselor on Spring Break as well.  I noticed the girl that I thought that I recognized came and sat in 26A (right in front of me).  I thought surely this can't be the girl that I thought I knew- because she would have said something to me and noticed me.  So- I keep chatting away discussing everything from the little carts that they push down the aisles to Phoenix to our jobs.  As soon as I said the name of the district where I worked- the 26A lady whipped around her head and yelled, "I thought that was you!"  It was one of my favorite student teachers from 2 years ago!  I loved her so much!  She is the sweetest person and my first graders adored her! 

When I accepted the job in my new district- she was the first person that I called.  I wanted her to have "my room".  I get really attached to people and in the case of my old classroom- sometimes objects.  It was tough for me to leave my district and I didn't want just ANYONE taking MY classroom.  I wanted her to get the job so bad.  Unfortunately she didn't.  :(  However my replacement is a very nice man.  He even came to my house and I loaded his car up with a bunch of starter materials since I owned everything except for the desks- I took everything when I cleaned out my room.

Now I'm home with just enough time to finish up my Summ. first grade math assessments, cleaning, trying out the new Tracy Anderson workout DVD that I ordered and relax. 

I'm making 5 different assessments so I can give them as a baseline in August and then quarterly to measure their progress.  In Ohio we have to write Student learning Objectives next year.  For this we need an assessment that covers all skills like these.  We will have to give the test at least twice a year but we haven't yet decided how many times that we will be giving it.  So- I'm making 5 of the assessments that will have the same type of questions.  I'll post them most likely tomorrow since I've already worked on them for about 40 hours already.  I just have about 5 hours to go!  :)

Here is a peak at one:  (I'll give more examples and show the recording sheets tomorrow.)

If you are on break- yay for you!  If you already had it- I bet you are well rested.   If it hasn't came yet-  good luck with your count down!

Have a terrific Thursday!  :)

Hallelujah!!! Teacher Help Cards!

For years I have been using question cards.  Mine were just pink with a question mark on it.  My students could borrow one anytime that they wanted and place it on their desk.

 

The problem with these is that:

1.  Some kids would use them during writing.

2.  Some kids used them for ALL other types of things.

Pretty much they were used WAY too broadly.

 

Other problems that I have (regardless of signs/ tricks and reminders) are kids coming up to me when it is NOT an emergency!

All too often I hear, "I lost my pencil!"  When I ask, "Is it an emergency?" as I am in the middle of teaching a small group.  I have always had rules regarding ask 3 before me and it is an they have been emergency if I need to call a police man, fire man or a doctor.  Regardless I STILL have kiddos interrupting me.  I teach first grade so I have to tiptoe around their feelings and can't say, "GO SIT DOWN!"  If I do some would probably NEVER come back up to me again, even if it was an emergency.

 

Lo and Behold- I decided to create an updated version of my question cards that are used for specific purposes!  I have been using them for a week and I have to tell you- they have been HIGHLY effective!  I just wish that I would have combined my rules/ signs and question cards together BEFORE now!

 

Up first are the cards that I am now using during writing workshop:

 

The first is used when students have Writers Block.  The second card is used if students are ready for Teacher Edit.  This side faces away from the student.  They are also color coded so that I can easily see them even when I am at my reading table.

 

This side faces the student.  On the yellow card- it has a small version of our revising and editing checklists.  These are to be used as a reminder to the students that they should have used these alone BEFORE they place the yellow card on their desk.

 

The gray card is used with Writer's Block.  It has pictures for the students to look at to inspire them as they are waiting for me to call them up.  I plan to train peer mentors to help students with Writer's Block soon!  :) 

 

I just folded the cards on the lines and taped them together at the top. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is BY FAR my favorite card and has saved me SOOOO much time!

 

I copied this on an ivory color so that it would stand out from all of our white paper.  This side faces away from the students.  I keep these in a basket right by my most common teaching area which is my large reading table.

 

 

This side faces the student.  I have said the items on the back of the card to the students and even had posters hanging up but none of them worked that well.  Once a student comes up to me  

 during a group and raises his or her hand- I point to my basket full of these cards and they are instructed to take one.

 

They first need to read #1.  This is a reminder that if it is an emergency that they can interrupt my group RIGHT away.  We also are reminded  that other emergencies are like if you have an accident, if you feel the worst that you have EVER had before, if you already threw up etc.

 

If it isn't an emergency- they need to read #2 and are reminded to carry the card around and ask 3 different people their question.  We also discussed that friends can even remind you of what I ALWAYS tell them to do if their belly hurts or don't feel well.  (Ask to go to the bathroom, get a drink, put your head down for a little bit.)  If they solve the problem, they put the card back and get right back to work.  If the problem isn't solved- they place it on their desk and wait until I can help them. 

 

 

 

 

I have to tell you that these have made my week SO much better!  Typically I have to ask EACH student that walks up to my reading table, "Is it an emergency?"  This way the card does the asking for me!

 

The first 3 people to correctly guess what I'm REALLY hoping to happen tomorrow will receive these for FREE!  :)