CHOMP!

After emptying this Cascade container, I knew I had to use it for a center at school! As a teacher constantly trying to come up with new ideas to keep the kids engaged, I saw the container as an alligator right away. Later, I did look this up on Pinterest and I saw that many other teachers have the same mentality as I do, and they turned their containers into alligators, too!

See the pictures below to see how I transformed the container with some Duck Tape and construction paper. I've created three simple games to put inside the container and I'm working on some more. I'll change the games/skills out easily as I see fit for my classroom. I'm also going to keep one at home for my girls to practice letters and sight words!

Here are the CHOMP! games that I've created so far:

Prepping for a New Month in the Classroom

One of my favorite things (when I'm in the classroom, that is!) is to change things out for the new month. I love changing the calendar, the literacy and math centers, and I usually change out table cloths that I have around the room with themes for each season/month. I love it! Something new for me and new for the kids! Well, with the new month approaching, I wanted to share all of the NOVEMBER goodies that I have and LOVE to use in my classroom! Plus, I'm putting my whole store on sale this weekend, so now is the perfect time to stock up and get ready for the new month!

Here are a few pictures of how I change out my table clothes around my room. I don't put them on tables that kids actually have to work because I feel like that'd make life difficult. I put them on some tables that I have made into more of a "counter" to keep my small group materials, etc. on, then under the table I store things, so the table cloths cover up those items! Also, I put one over the table that I have my projector, doc camera, etc. on. I always purchase them after the holiday for the next year, super cheap and they have all lasted me years! I love them.

Here's how I prepare my centers. I do this once, and they have last through two Novembers, hopefully they last through this year too. But if not, the time it takes to put them together and prepare them is worth it to last at least two years! It just depends on your class, I've found, and how they are with materials. Some classes are much better than others. Also, I find that if you have A LOT of centers/games to choose from, instead of just a few, the wear and tear isn't so bad because they "spread the wealth." {Haha}

I have a lot of people ask how I put my stuff together. After printing, the only thing I cut before laminating is the cover page, to put on the front of an envelope, and I don't even glue it on, I just stick it on the envelope, and slide them both in between the laminating sleeves. Also, another common question is about the metal prongs on the manila envelopes. Yes, I leave them on and sent it right through my personal laminator. Works fine! I've probably put hundreds of them through and no problem! Here are some pictures that show me preparing my Thanksgiving centers a few years ago! These are totally RAW pictures, taken at my kitchen table and in my classroom. Real life, nothing special! :)

Slide envelopes into laminating sheet. (these are larger envelopes and I have to cut the top off, so they don't close, the pieces will later just slide in the top, no big deal!)

Laminating!

Laminating, I only put them in Ziplock bags to transport to school, otherwise they just stay in the envelopes and are nice and sturdy!

Here is an example with the smaller envelope, you can see how I put it through. This cover I just left full size and lay the envelope on the back in the laminating sleeve. Again, I don't even take the time to glue it. The lamination will hold it all together. No wasted time! :) 

When it comes to the game pieces/cards. I DO NOT cut those out BEFORE laminating. No way! No extra work for me! I laminate the WHOLE sheet, then cut afterwards. They all stay together just fine! I see a lot of teachers post pictures that have cut out each piece, then put in lamination, then they have to cut that all out again. NO WAY! Call me lazy...but I only cut once! I've never had a problem w/ the lamination using this Purple Cow laminator or the Scotch Brand one. (I like that one better!)

Here's a good shot of how I just slide the game pieces into the envelopes (I slice the envelope open with the end of scissors after laminating is done.) The envelopes don't close, but the pieces stay in! You just have to teach the kids to put them RIGHT SIDE UP in the bin/baskets when they put them away!

At my last school, here's how I would set up the envelopes on display for kids to choose. Math one one side of the shelving unit, reading on the other.

I've BUNDLED all of my FAVORITE November items. That way, you can purchase one thing and have everything that I use from my own store in my classroom in November! I honestly love all of these products and this is my FAVORITE month when it comes to centers and activities that I pull out of my NOVEMBER box. :)

If you already have some of the products in the bundle, or if you just don't want all of them. See each products below individually. Also, some examples of pages from each product!

  

Coming soon*** A blog post about my newest literature companion pack that goes with the book Bear Says Thanks. It will include a freebie! Stay tuned!

Three Quick and Easy Math Games

Hello! Wanted to let you know that I'm blogging over at Classroom Tested Resources today about Three Quick and Easy Math Games! Click on the picture above to check it out!

Math Monday: Math Stations and Rotations

I have honestly wanted to do math centers and small group math for years and just never found the time or resources. I think this is a horrible, stupid excuse now that I have started them and realized how AWESOME it is and how EASY it is! Why didn't I do this sooner!?

Well, for one thing, the past 7 years, I had a much shorter math block scheduled into my day. This year I have started at a new school and we have 80-90 minutes for math each day. At first, when I thought of how I had "always" taught math, I didn't know what I would do with all of this time!!

I kept telling myself, as I have for years, that I love how my reading block goes. Short whole group, then teaching the bulk/meat of my lesson in small groups and having the kids rotate through workstations.

Although I feel good about my rotations and groups, I know this is a work in progress and I plan to work on being more precise and differentiating even more. I'm just proud that I have it GOING!

I copied this rotation schedule from my teaching teammate, Michelle. Genius plan. I'll tell you why later. 

My four groups are lowest to highest math level. Group one is lowest/needs most help and Group 4 is the highest math level/most independent. 

This is the same rotation, everyday.

We use Envisions math. Although I'm not a huge fan, I use it for my whole group lesson usually. I start my math block with whole group teaching of the lesson. I try to limit this to 15-20 minutes. I used to teach the whole thing whole group...agh! Why!?

The rotations I use the baseline of 12 minutes per rotation, but sometimes if I get through my group fast or the kids are totally getting it, some groups go longer/shorter than others. Usually if one goes a little longer and needs more help, it works out that another group is really grasping it and the times always work out. I set a timer, but for the most part, I'm just having to go past it or stop it early. It's just a basic guideline.

Here are some reasons this works so well:

Group 4 is independent, so they start at the seat work and don't need much help from me. They get enough from the short whole group lesson that they can get right to work on the assignment. These would be the kids that during my LOOOONNNGGG whole group lesson in the past, they would be working ahead and bored. Now, they don't have to be bored, they can get what they need in 15-20 minutes, then get right to work without wasting any time. Sometimes it's only 10 min!

Group 1 needs the most help, so it's best to start with them, when I can give them the most time. I always figure that if I get to groups 1-3 and give them a lot of help and for some reason I can't get to group 4, then that's okay. But, that hasn't even happened yet! I have made it to every group, every day!

The other good thing about this is the order. After teacher table, they have "learned" even more from me, so they head to their seats to do the seat work that corresponds with today's lesson. Then after seat work is computers/ipads. SOOOOO, if need be, you can hold this over their head a little bit. If they mess around at seat work station, don't finish what they needed to, they don't go to the next station of computers, they just keep working. (It works!) This order is the same for everyone, even the highest group. They start at seat work, so again, if they mess around, they don't go to computers. 

As for the computers/iPad. We have four student laptops in our room. I utilize those four, plus my teacher laptop, plus my teacher iPad. From the beginning, for each group, I assigned who would be on each computer and laptop everyday. I have a trustworthy student in each group that always is on my laptop, and they sit near me on the floor while using it. (I have to code in for each kid, etc.) It works well! I like having them assigned to computers for some obvious reasons. SAVES TIME (isn't it all about saving time!?) and they aren't arguing over who gets to be on my laptop or my iPad. I chose at beginning who uses them, period. Argument over. :)

Math games on the left, Computers in middle, iPad on right

Teacher Table on bottom left, Envisions seat work top right, and Math Game choices bottom right

Some reasons that I LOVE my new math stations and my whole new way of teaching math:

I KNOW exactly what my kids know. I DID NOT KNOW that before. I may have thought I did, but I didn't. Honestly, I did not and I'm admitting it now. I realize now that I'm teaching like this! Now that I meet with 4-6 kids at a time, I know which kids can regroup, which kids are having trouble, which kids forget to regroup the tens place, which kids forget to add the third number, etc. Tons of details I can tell you, off the top of my head because they are right in my face working, not playing in their desks, staring out the window, copying their neighbor, or just trying to keep up with a smile on their face. They are right at this tiny table with me and I can see their wheels turning, I can see their mistakes and correct them instantly. I don't have to wonder who is paying attention, who is catching on, or be surprised later when someone totally bombs the test.

I also love it because it doesn't feel like I have to "use my voice" so much. I mean, I am talking just as long...but I'm not talking OVER other kids or having to use my LOUD teaching voice.

I love it because by the fourth group, I'm an expert at explaining how to do things and I can literally see the progress throughout the rotation of kids "catching on"!

I love it because I can SIT for the four groups. Lazy? Yes. Smart? Yes! It's just a more relaxing setting for me.

I also love it because I can look around the room and see 4-6 kids working at their seats, spread around the room, then I see 4-6 kids "plugged in" to laptops and ipads on MobyMax math, then another group playing fun math games together. Honestly, the room is QUIET!!! The only kids MAYBE talking are the ones playing math games and the ones right at my group. It's glorious!!! I'm honestly in love.

I should also add that after the rotations, I do also make time to give students a graded "Quick Check" at the end of the lesson, to check their understanding for the day. I use the quick checks that are included with Envisions, but I'm sure you have our own in place.

I will work on getting some better pictures of the process and have another post about my math stations!!!

Math Monday: The Cheapest Math Manipulative

I have a ton of math manipulatives to use in my classroom. Some have come with the math series, some have been inherited, some were purchased out of my own pocket. I truly think they are one of the most important aspects of teaching math skills. But, I have to say that my FAVORITE manipulative is my cheapest, easiest one!

At least 8 years ago, I bought a couple of boxes of elbow macaroni! At first I just had it in a big bin and would scoop out a scoop for each child to use for counters. Now, I have invested in small Ziplock containers to store them in, so I just pass out one container per kid. 

The possibilities are endless for this cheap, cheap purchase of macaroni! You can use it for adding and subtracting, making groups, multiplications, division...the list goes on. I have even used them for playing BINGO. Also, they can be used at all grade levels.

If you are just beginning your teaching career and don't know where to begin when it comes to purchasing and collecting materials for your classroom, this would be an easy start!

If this post inspired you today, please share it with your teaching friends! Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest are a great help to me! Thank you in advance!

2nd Grade Math Tasks

I created these math tasks for my second graders this year. They are meant to help them through our Envisions topics, but I have had a lot of other teachers purchase them that do not use the Envisions series. There are three tasks per topic and so far, they have been extremely helpful in my classroom! Some examples of the tasks are shown below!

Click here to find my math tasks in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Free sample

 Bundle of all 4 sets

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Set 4