Five for Friday!

I am joining in for a Five for Friday this week!

1.  Activity days.  Just trying to keep my first graders busy and making it a little meaningful.  My students are done, finished, finito.  I tried teaching a new lesson.  I think I saw their brains explode in their heads!  At that point I decided not to drag them and myself through mud.  I planned a theme for each day.  It would be fun and it had them learning just a little bit at a time.  Flip flop day went rather well.  Then lemonade day came.  My first block loved it.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Lets-Have-a-Lemonade-Tasting-Common-Core-Aligned-249534

They got to create their own lemonade.  We had sherbet lemonade and grape lemonade.  One of my boys decided to be funny and created meat lemonade.

Then we did our lemonade tasting.  The first block loved yellow while the last block loved pink.  (The story about the 3rd block is coming...)

Check out Aimee's lemonade day here.

2.  The rest of the story....

At the end of the year two of my groups are the most challenging, the bottom group and the top group.  Yes we do ability group (according to reading, which means little for math).  These two groups just could not settle down into routine on Thursday.  I could not get the activities leading up to the tasting done.  Then one of my students said very loudly, "Activites suck!".  My jaw dropped.  Not that I haven't heard it before, but this was my top group AND one of my top students.  I was really hurt.  I had went out, bought the lemonade, made it, made copies of the sheets we needed.  So they worked.  I guess they were happy.

3.  Noggle



Today I tried to adapt Noggle to addition with my two higher groups.  Some of my students absolutely loved it!  Others did not like it.  I was forcing them to use those addition facts they had worked so hard on and I was seeing how far they could go.  I have told all my students for all the years I have taught.  The answer should be your last worry.  The strategy is your second worry.  The first thing I want you to do is TRY!!!!!!  This was definitely their challenge today!



4. A Place for Zero.  I read this book to my lower two groups instead of Noggle.  They really liked it.  It grabbed their attention and kept it for about 10 minutes.  That is a small miracle for this time of year.  They may have learned a little math too.

 
The book is all about zero.  He feels like he is nothing.  Then he learns that he actually has three very important jobs.  It covers adding zero, multiplying zero, and place value!



5.  Concerts and Testing!

Both of my boys had concerts this week.  My oldest plays the drums and bells in band on Wednesday.  My middle son sang in an elementary concert on Thursday night.  The we add in testing for all students 3-8 on both Tuesday and Wednesday.  Yes it has been an exhausting week!

5 days and awards day left!

Crystal

Flip Flop Day

Today we did flip flop math activities!  I used Teaching Heart's Flip Flop packet.  We had a lot of fun with it.  So much that I plan on expanding it next year.  The packet includes a flip flop glyph...  The kids liked this part the best because they got to talk about their summer and what they were going to do.

Their favorite reason for loving summer was no homework (that was the yellow color on their flip flop).  Maybe I shouldn't tell them that they are taking a math packet home for summer...

We practiced tally marks when we made a class data sheet.

The packet also contained flip flop math facts.  The students took a math fact and flipped it around to find that they could add in any order!

We also practiced place value.  I added in another flip aspect.  We flipped the original number around to show the difference in its value (28 v 82).

The packet also contains time review, coin and money review, and a graph with flip flops.

Check out the packet here (TPT) , here (e-junkie store and the cheapest), or here (TN)

We had a great flip floppin day!!!

7 days, no break for me tomorrow (ahhh 8 1/2 hours with kids!), and tomorrow is lemonade day!

Crystal

Good intentions......

So I had every intention of having flip flop math day today.  I got my boys up early.  We got on the road early.  I have to print my stuff at school since I am out of ink and I do not get paid until the end of the month (North Carolina pay schedule stinks!  Once a month!  Really?).  I got to school and our printer is out of toner.  So I go to the computer lab, their printer is on the fritz.  By this time my time is about gone.  I ran down to one of my friends in 4th grade to use a student computer in her room.  Oh my gosh, it was one of the dinosaur computers that has to think about EVERYTHING you want it to do!  (Yes I really do want to open that file, maybe this century!)  Nevertheless I did not get printed out what I wanted.  So I had to pull something together last minute.  It worked really well.



http://www.prekinders.com/pattern-blocks/


Don't let the Pre K title throw you off.  I put the templates up on the projector and my kids copied it with their pattern blocks.  They loved it!  I even heard some of them practicing their shape names ("There is a hexagon, a rhombus..."  and "I need another hexagon.").  I got a chance to work with a small group and I just changed the picture when they indicated they were done.


By the way, thank you to the three people that pinned my Detective Dogs.  All 3 of you won the unit so check your email!

8 days and tomorrow is Flip Flop Math Day!

Crystal

Summer bucket list

Let's see what I can do while blowing my nose, I am sick.  It is about the worst time for it.  I have to keep up with 100 first graders that do not want to be at school!  I am looking forward to summer.  I need to regroup and rethink a lot of things.  Last year at this time I was in 5th grade and pregnant.  Last summer I had no time to really delve into the 1st grade math curriculum.  It didn't help that we didn't get any materials until August.  So here is my summer bucket list!

1.  Rest!  My little one is still not sleeping through the night.  We are going to work on that too!  I intend to use every opportunity to take a little time for me and nap when I get the chance.  My littlest one thinks the day should start at 6:30.  He does not have a concept of sleeping in on the weekend!



2.  My house is a wreck!  Between three boys (four if you include the hubby), a full time job, the blogging and TPT/TN; I have no time or energy to clean.  I intend to catch up and get ahead this summer!



3.  The teacher thing.  We really do not get a summer vacation.  I cannot ignore what I need to do to prepare for next year.  I need to correlate the math program with my centers.  I need to catch up on printing and laminating the centers.  I need to organize what I want to copy and decide what my homework will look like this year.  There are also some PD books I would love to look into.

4. My boys.  I am going to do what I can to make this an enjoyable summer for my boys without them spending all their time sitting around the house!

Sonic = Happy Hour!, the park, the children's museum.  I wish I had more time!

5.  Vacation!  We are going to Ohio during the summer this year.  We will be visiting all our favorite places!

  






We are also adding this to our visit this year!  The great serpent mound!



That is a lot to cram into what I think will be 6 weeks (no, we do not know when we are leaving school for the summer and when we will be getting back!)

Down to the single digits (with the kids at least)!

Crystal

Freebie Friday...a little late

I have had a little bit of a creative kick.  I have finished two things that have been sitting there STARING at me.  One is in my Teachers Notebook and Teacher Pay Teacher store.  The other is a freebie for you.  Please let me know if the directions are clear!  Also any other feedback is appreciated!!!  You are going to be linked to drop box.  Drop box is free for a limited amount of storage, then you can buy more.  Another way to back up all those freebies and purchases.

Check it out!

https://www.dropbox.com


Here is your freebie!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zx76ywjmtn82x3a/ants%20at%20the%20picnic.pdf

It includes sweet little ants from Shae Hare!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Shae-Hare

I hope you enjoy it!!  I am going to leave the Pin it to Win it for Detective Dogs up a few more hours!

http://thelamppostin1stgrademath.blogspot.com/2013/05/pin-it-to-win-it-with-detective-dogs.html

9 days left!
Crystal

Pin it to win it with Detective Dogs!

Boy, I have been wiped.  I have been able to concentrate on ANYTHING until this evening.  I have not written, read, or thought about anything bloggy!  I feel better now, except for allergies.  I have finished a little center packet with Detective Dogs!  I am going to play a little pin it to win it!  Pin my new packet and leave the link in the comments.  I will pick a winner on Sunday!

Addition and Subtraction:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Detective-dogs-math-centers-708182

Multiplication and Division:  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Detective-dogs-math-centers-multiplicationdivision-708187

Good luck!

Crystal

Field Day!

Today was field day!  I forgot my camera again!  I obviously did not learn my lesson.  I stole my husband's and got my pictures.  He is in charge of one of the stations every year.  Here is our field day fun!

 

 Jump the River!  My husband makes it so the kids get to pick which side they want to jump on, the wide or the narrow!  We had lots of sliding because the grass was wet.

Parachute Fun!

Instead of an egg on the spoon we had golf ball on a spoon!

Our 50 meter dash including some of our siblings!

Sack race (with the help of an assistant)

Tug of War

We also had a Obstacle Course, Limbo, Jump Ropes, and a Basketball Shoot.  We were wore out! Our PE teacher is AWESOME!

Thank goodness for a long weekend!

10 days and the older kids (3-8) test next week!

Crystal

Teachers Notebook and Moore Oklahoma

I know there is a lot of fundraising going on for the tornado survivors in Moore.  There is an awesome one going on at Teachers Notebook.  One of my riddle me this packets is part of it!

Go and donate at least $20 and receive an awesome packet of products!

http://www.teachersnotebook.com/mooreok


11 days and field day tomorrow!

Crystal

Bad teacher for not taking pictures!

Every other month our elementary has been having an assembly.  Our first grade team has been at a lost about what to do until this month.  We had 1st grade has talent!  I was so wrapped up in seeing all my 1st graders that I forgot to take pictures!!!  So I have been waiting patiently for one of my coworkers to share hers on facebook.  That was a no go!  Ahhhhhhh!  That teaches me to ALWAYS pull out the camera!

A few of my first graders are Native Americans.  They danced for us!


I took this picture the second time she danced.
















A couple of my first graders are in the martial arts!


We have two first graders in softball!


We have two first graders in dance!


We also have a first grader that rides a motorbike.


Oh well, if pictures come up, I will share!

12 days left!

Crystal

Let's get acquainted

This week linky asks us to feature two of our bloggy friends.  This is really tough.



Wendy at First grade fireworks.  Wendy is so funny.  She has fantastic ideas!  I love reading her blog.



Sara at Polka Dot Kinders.  Sara always has a  kind word to say.  She is supportive and awesome! I love looking at all the pictures on her blog!

I really could keep going about the awesome teachers that I have "met" while blogging!  What an experience it has been and my next year of teaching will be better because of it!

13 days to go!!

Crystal

Pinterest Linky and News from Greg Tang himself

1.  Puzzles with math facts!  The picture shows homophones, but it would be great to do math facts!!



2. Homework opoly (Could be used for behavior too?)



3.  I am just drooling over these!
      

4.  I may have to make these over the summer!



5.  Another summer project:  A calming jar



I had a very special guest to my little blog today.  I was amazed and shocked when I got a comment from Greg Tang himself!  He has launched a website until the official one becomes available!  Here it is!

http://new.gregtangmath.com/

Have a restful weekend!

Crystal

five for Friday...the field trip edition

http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2013/05/five-for-friday-linky-party-may-17th.html

I have been MIA the last couple of days because I have been exhausted.  Not that I am not tonight, but here I am with Five for Friday...The field trip edition.

So Thursday we wrangled our students onto two charter buses and headed towards the shore.


1.  Lunch and the beach

My students and I live in eastern North Carolina, about 2 hours west of Kitty Hawk.  There were students yesterday that had never seen the ocean.  They had never been to the beach.  One of the first timers was scared of the water, she didn't know what to think.  Her sister was with me on the bus, every time she saw water she thought that it was the ocean.  I kept telling her no, when you see the ocean you will see nothing on the other side.  When she finally got a glance, her jaw dropped!  It was a great experience to see her reaction!

Here we are at the beach.  Yes the waves surprised us a couple of times and we ended up a littler wetter than expected.  However we had a great time!

2.  The aquarium

Ok, so the otters were sleeping :( The sting ray were avoiding our hands in the touch pool.  The spider crabs were at the far end of the touch pool.  The animals were a little tired from several schools that were at the aquarium before us.  However we got to see the turtles, the sharks, the sea horses, and lots of snakes (much to the chagrin of some of the mothers).

3.  The parents

There are parents that can make and break a field trip.  We had both.  We had some awesome parents that helped so much!  They took a group of students, helped with lunches, cleaned kids' feet after the beach, and were definitely an asset!!!  There were a few of the other kind, but I rather not dwell on the let downs!  You learn a little more from each field trip!

4.  The buses

We had to take charter buses since it was a longer trip and we would be back after school let out.  It costs a lot of money for these buses, so it is a very special trip for our students.  Well they caused a lot of headaches on this trip!  The other bus (that I was not on) did not have air conditioning from about 20 minutes into the trip there!  They went the whole 2/12 hours there and then back with no ac in almost 90 degree weather.  Our bus was the one overheating.  They had to put water into it before we got on it.  Then on our way back we had to stop and put more water/coolant in it.

5.  A late night
My students come to me at 7:35 in the morning.  We left at 8:45.  Because of the buses we were late back to school and did not arrive until 7 (we were supposed to be back at 6).  We then waited for students' rides until almost 8.  So I had a 12 1/2 hour day with a 2 minute bathroom break.  I was (and am) exhausted.  I am thrilled with my students' experience!  I am sure they will remember all the good times.  The inconveniences were just that (and a little bit of lesson for the teachers).

14 days to go!

Crystal