"Loving Wisdom for New Teachers" Linky Party!

Hi Everybody!  

It is getting close to that time of year where some teachers have already started back to school (OUCH!) or we are going to be in the coming weeks.  I know, you don't want to hear about it or think about it right now, me either.  I have been doing a linky each year towards the end of July on imparting our experienced teacher wisdom to those new teachers that will be starting for the first time ever.  We can all say that teaching is not anything like it was when I first started teaching.  I look at that and know that it is a positive or at least try to turn it into a positive.  I, like most of my bloggy friends, are coming close to teaching for ten years on up to over thirty years.  I personally have been a teacher for decades and things have changed significantly since I graduated from Berry College.  

I want to welcome all of you as new teachers and say that as you enter this profession for the first time this year just be prepared.  You will learn quickly who will and will not help you and those that will help without asking.  There are teachers out there that still have a strong passion for teaching and can't think of doing anything else.  There are also teachers out there that will teach one year and never do it again.  Teaching is certainly not a profession that we go into to make money but we go into it because it is a calling.  How many of you have known since you were a small child that you were going to be a teacher raise your hand? (my hand is raised)

So as our gift from all of the experienced teachers to those of you who are just graduating and looking so hard for a job, here is our gift to you.  We are offering this blog linky to help you all out, because that is what excellent teachers do, we look out for each other.  I want to thank each one of you just starting out for choosing the honorable profession of being an educator!

Here is one if you would like to link up!

Now! Let's Get This Linky Party Started!      

   

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Favorite "PINS" Friday!!!

Join At the First Grade Parade

 It's super easy to make.  All you need is a piece of poster board (Dollar Store sells them for $.50), 2 paper cups, 2 paper towel roll insides, a basket or bowl, beads (or anything to count with-paper clips, erasers, etc.) and a marker to draw the plus sign!  These are all simply taped to the poster board using packaging tape.

I made these last year in our wood shop and it was easy peasy.  Just add a little duct tape and you are in business.  You just keep those disinfectant wipes available and their names on them and you are ready to READ!  Works great during "read to self" time!  If you want to know how to make them click on the picture above.

Yep, I love MY Pikle and if you DON'T have one you need to check them out!  You can custom create what all you can put into your Pikle and the possibilities are ENDLESS!  Click on the image above to see what the Pikle is all about!  You will LOVE it and you will WANT one!

I SO want one of these to crawl into at the end of the day.  Aren't they fabulous looking?  Only problem would be everyone else in the house would want to jump in too! hmmmmm...

Click on the link if you want to go and look at all the color they offer.

Finally, I leave you with a POSITIVE thought!  Good Things ARE Going to Happen!  Thanks for dropping by my Favorite Pinterest Pins and keep on thinking that Good Things ARE going to Happen!  Have a Fabulous Weekend!

Flip Flop Product Swap Linky!

  

Hi Everyone!  I hope you are all having a great week and enjoying your summer!  There is a new and fun linky in bloggy world called "Flip Flop Product Swap" and it is hosted by "Confessions of a Teaching Junkie".  If you would like to join in on the fun just click the picture above to go and link up. 

I teamed up with Daina over at Sticky Notes & Glitter and I picked her product called "Down in the Deep Blue Sea".  This unit includes 54 pages of differentiation and FUN!  It is a fantastic math unit that covers a significant amount of the standards in one unit.  You could use just one or all of the activities included in this unit because they are all so much fun.

  

What a great way to get to see different products as we start getting ready in the next month to head back to school. (I had a hard time typing that sentence)  Here are the activities that are included in this fantastic product:

1. To Sink or Not to Sink: It is a four person game and each player gets a battleship game board.  Each player gets six cards and the fun begins.  All kids love the game Battleship including this big kid!

2. Something's Fishy: In this game the students determine whether or not the math facts are "true" or "false" and recorded on the sheet that is included.

3. Ship Shape Place Value: Students can take turns or work together to match the base ten block pictures to the ship pictures with the numbers on them. There is a recording sheet included.

4. What Number Does That Make?:  Students will place the TENS and the ONES cards down in two different piles.  Students take turns and take one card from each pile. They put the cards on the fish tank work mats to represent that number.    

5. Fishin' For Time: Students pair up to play "Time" bingo.  Put the analog clock cards in a pile, face down.  Students draw a card and match it to the digital time on their bingo board.  The letter and time have to match up to be able to cover it up!  What a great way to make bingo even more fun!

6. Battle for Power: Print out and get the spinner prepared for the game.  Students will pair up with a buddy for this game.  The goal is to spin the spinner two times and decide which number can be made to make the largest one. There is also a recording sheet for this game as well.

  

Here are the standards that are being used during this math unit and I know from looking at these standards that a lot of thought and creativity went into this unit to make it so awesome!

Common Core Standards Addressed:

1.OA.7 - Work with addition and subtraction equations. Understand the meaning of the equal sign, and determine if equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false. (1 Center)

1.OA.8 - Work with addition and subtraction. Determine the unknown whole number in an addition or subtraction equation relating three whole numbers. (1 Center)

1.NBT.2 - Understand place value. Understand that the two digits of a two-digit number represent amounts of tens and ones, etc. (2 Centers)

1.MD.3 - Tell and write time. Tell and write time in hours and half-hours using analog and digital clocks. (1 Center)

1.NBT.3 - Understand place value. Compare two two-digit numbers based on meanings of the tens and ones digits, recording the results of comparisions with the symbols >, =, and <. (1 Center)

Thank you Daina for letting me get to review this AWESOME math unit and I can't wait to use it with my students when yet another school year gets started.  Is it me, or does summer seem to get shorter and shorter each year?  Anyway, Have a safe and happy summer!

 

Going On a Blog Hunt!

Corkboard Connections

Laura, over at Corkboard Connections is having a great linky called "Going on a Blog Hunt".  Please click the image above to follow and jump in!

How are YOU following your bloggy friends these days?  I am using Bloglovin and it was SO easy to use and import all of my favorite blogs from Google Reader (R.I.P.).  I get an email and get to enjoy all of my friends and keep up with what they are doing on their blogs.  I love seeing all of the new ideas and thoughts of so many different people.  

Hopefully Google Friend Connect will not be going away anytime soon.  If you aren't already following me with Bloglovin please make sure you click "follow me on Bloglovin" up to the top left on my blog. 

If you are looking for other blogs to follow via bloglovin click on the cute little bear up there at the top and there will be some bloggy friends you might want to follow or forgot to add to your Bloglovin list!

Have a Great Week Everyone!