Sawyer and I are cuddling by the fire this morning... filling up our TPT cart!
Doesn't he just look full of Christmas cheer?
HA.
He's pouting because I'm making him leave his dad alone for a little while so that he can catch up on some sleep. He was up all night running calls at the fire station.
Also...it does appear that the stockings are on fire but I assure you they are not. ;)
Anyways....make sure you don't miss out on the big sale tomorrow (& Tuesday) on TPT! Everything in my little store is already on sale starting today...just in case any of you are trying to get ahead with some planning today like I am. :)
This precious graphic was created by Ashley Hughes. I just found out about this talented lady. A bunch of her clipart is already in my basket for tomorrow!
The newest item in my shop is Math Mega Pack full of Christmas & Winter Themed math activities & games perfect for math tubs/stations as well as whole group instruction & assessment.
There is a lengthy preview available if you want to check it out and see what all is included. Most of the activities and games focus on number sense and addition/subtraction. There are a lot of opportunities for differentiation within the packet. For example... 40 different word problems are included for the story problem book so that you can pick and choose the ones best suited to your students. Many require higher level thinking skills. It stretched my little brain just to THINK of them. ;)
Also...one of my favorite new ideas (pinterest inspired) are these BACKWARDS word problems. I tried a few out last week before Thanksgiving and the kids loved them because they got to make up weird stories. I loved the fact that they were using critical thinking skills and that it correlated with writing! Instead of reading a question and solving to find the answer...students get the answer and have to use their imagination (and their math skills) to write their own story problem. (think JEOPARDY style!) So for example...if the answer is "one reindeer," the problem could be any number of things.
"There were 9 reindeer ready to help Santa on Christmas Eve. 8 of them got sick. How many could still deliver presents?"
The possiblities are endless. My kiddos came up with some VERY interesting stories about turkeys, pies, and all things Thanksgiving so I can't WAIT to see what they come up with for these. :)
I kept making a HUGE deal about how much smarter they were getting everytime they thought of a story for one of these and they were lovin' it!
Click here to download your free copy and try it out with your students.
Also...one of my favorite new ideas (pinterest inspired) are these BACKWARDS word problems. I tried a few out last week before Thanksgiving and the kids loved them because they got to make up weird stories. I loved the fact that they were using critical thinking skills and that it correlated with writing! Instead of reading a question and solving to find the answer...students get the answer and have to use their imagination (and their math skills) to write their own story problem. (think JEOPARDY style!) So for example...if the answer is "one reindeer," the problem could be any number of things.
"There were 9 reindeer ready to help Santa on Christmas Eve. 8 of them got sick. How many could still deliver presents?"
The possiblities are endless. My kiddos came up with some VERY interesting stories about turkeys, pies, and all things Thanksgiving so I can't WAIT to see what they come up with for these. :)
I kept making a HUGE deal about how much smarter they were getting everytime they thought of a story for one of these and they were lovin' it!
Click here to download your free copy and try it out with your students.
There are a bunch more of these included in the Dazzling December Math Pack. :)
This math pack is aligned to Common Core:
1.OA.1
1.OA.2
1.OA.3
1.OA.4
1.OA.5
1.OA.6
1.OA.8
Happy shopping!
And last...my call for help. I know my blog friends will come through with some great ideas. I am getting a student teacher right after the holidays and I am *trying* to get a few things ready to welcome her in January. This is my first student teacher ever! I am excited but nervous and want to make sure she has a great experience.
Any tips would be welcomed and appreciated!
Enjoy the last day of your break and rest up for the whirlwind month of December.
Happy teaching to you!
6 comments:
Hi there, Thanks for a great pack & freebie. Congrats on your first mentoring job. This is so important for new teachers entering the field. When I have a student teacher, the things I do to welcome him/her is to make sure they have a space in the room- a table, desk, corner to call their own, I take them around to introduce them to the staff. (If possible, arrange a tour before they officially start), I have a packet for them that includes a class list & schedule, school calendar, bell schedule,and anything else that you feel is important. Enjoy. It's a lot of work but has a lot of payback. I always end up doing a lot of reflecting on my own practice to make sure that Iam modeling the best for my intern.
Thank you, Elizabeth! I know how much my student teaching experience influenced me and that's why I want to make sure I am providing an awesome experience for her. :) I started on a packet today...but didn't think about all of the introductions. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond!! Have a happy week back to school!!
I love your cheery Christmas decorations! I have nominated you for an award. Stop by my blog to find out more!
Karen
An Apple a Day in First Grade
Thank you, Karen! What a lovely surprise. I can't wait to play along. :)
Hey Amy!
I think I've had 10 to 12 student teachers...YIKES! :-) It can be a great experience - especially if you get someone that is as excited about teaching as you are. Here are a couple of things I suggest:
1. First thing to do (and have it semi-ready before they arrive) - a SCHEDULE for their time with you. I know for my student teachers they usually observe, take over beginning of class protocol, work with small groups, then I turn one grade level at a time until they have a full schedule - some colleges require different levels of "in-charge" time. I found this helps them with managing their time in regards to getting to know the kids, setting up observations, and planning their lessons.
2. Make sure they have a desk to call their own. This also carries over to lunch - make sure the people you eat lunch with know they are coming and that they have a place to sit.
3. Find YOU time during the day. I learned this from my dad. His #1 suggestion was to make sure you have a certain time during the day that YOU get some YOU time whether to check your e-mail or to talk with co-workers - it is IMPORTANT :-) Sometimes it can be challenging to add another adult to your daily routine. They will also appreciate it :-) Sometimes during planning, I just tell them I'm checking my box and that I'll be back.
4. Remember that they may want to do things a little different than you...you might know it won't work (from your own experience) but let them TRY IT!!!!
5. LEARN FROM THEM!!! Even though you are young and still remember everything you learned in college (and Pinterest :-) you WILL learn something from your ST.
6. Start a place in your file cabinet for your student teachers - because you WILL have more. In this file keep a copy of ALL paperwork and letters of rec. that you have for them. I also include their name, address, e-mail, phone numbers, and anything that I think may be helpful if I need to write something for them down the road. This has come in VERY handy for me MULTIPLE times.
7. I meant to include this with the desk suggestion (#2) - make sure it is stocked with pens, markers, stapler, name tag, etc. It will truly make them feel welcome.
8. Make sure they visit other classes and a couple encore classes (music, PE, etc.). It is great for them to see how different teachers do things.
Hope this helps...it may not be what you were looking for...but I am excited for you...it is an awesome thing!!!
salt likit
salt likit
dr mood likit
big boss likit
dl likit
dark likit
WQDF
Post a Comment