My Scratch Offs are DONE!

I am so excited to tell my students about them and share them, but there wasn't a good time yesterday (Mondays are SO busy).  Today my Gifted students are out for their enrichment class (7 out of 21 in one group), and I don't want them to miss out.  Maybe tomorrow...but since I'm chomping at the bit to share them with SOMEONE:

Here they are in the process...

A close-up.  It only took about 2 to 3 layers.  

Thank you, Pinterest, you've done it again! Click here for the source and the how-to! :)

Here are a couple of general (with my name removed) free printables you can use in your room:

Classroom Lottery Blank 2
Classroom Lottery Blank 1

Special thanks to Rebecca Morris (source) for posting her format that I modified to suit my needs (you guessed it...COLOR)!

Have a great day,

kvk

FREE breast cancer awareness printables

The Susan G. Komen 5k is coming up and I am looking forward to running in CELEBRATION of my mom and her courageous battle with the C word last year. After years of being involved with this cause and not knowing too many people that well who had it, it his close to home and now I'm REALLY involved in the cause!

 Thank you to Heather at Chickabug for such generosity and beautiful work!

Free Breast Cancer Printables HERE

Honored with an Award!

I am absolutely BEAMING! My baby (blog) is so brand new and I'm still learning the ins and outs of how to do everything and then BAM!  I'm awarded an

Click on the award to check out Mommy and Me's WONDERFUL blog!

Thank you to Jacque for such a super-sweet and thoughtful award.  And cute to boot!  I never would have imagined that in my first month of blogging that I would win an award AND be paying it forward already.  I wasn't even really sure what it would be like to consider myself a "blogger" to be honest.  I was a little concerned that I may have bitten off more than I can chew, but truthfully, it has given me a creative outlet and a voice that I hadn't realized had been ignored.

Okay, back to the award:

Rules:

1. Give the "I Heart Your Blog "Award to your favorite Top 10 Blogs that have touched your heart and inspired your teaching by listing them on your blog.

2. Contact that person and let them know of their heartfelt award.

3. When you receive the award, copy and paste the graphic onto your blog and give a shout out to the person who nominated you.

4. Spread the LOVE by passing the "Heart Your Blog" Award on to your Top 10.

Now if I can just try and narrow my choices down to 10.  As honored as I was, as a newbie, I think I'll try and make sure to include some of them...

Teaching with Flair

Smiling in Second

That's it...those are the ten I'm picking (and that was the hardest thing I've had to do all day)!  Thank you, again, to

for such a sweet blessing! I HEART YOUR BLOG TOO!!!

Freebie Friday (A Day Late)

Sorry for the delay in posting my very first Friday Freebie.  To be honest, I was just too tired to create last night and so that's why you got a pic of my handsome Golden boys instead.  I wasn't happy with the format that I was using for my "penciled in" plans because it didn't offer all of the shortcuts that I'd like.  Some things are a definite for me every week, given that I'm a fifth grade reading teacher.  I also teach social studies and language (and in language I'm incorporating reference and research skills to help ready our fifth graders for sixth grade science fairs).  SO, a ready made one wasn't cutting it.

So I looked around at other formats that I'd bought on TpT inthe past as well as some  that were posted on Pinterest and decided that I would just create my own.  There was no sense in paying for another format when I could create one to suit my needs just as easily--I'm just not that dependent. ;)

For me, color is a must, and the brighter the better.  I also wanted to be able to just check things off that were being done on specific days.  That way when I was typing plans into my excel spreadsheet, I wouldn't feel like I was writing and typing everything twice.

Of course, since it's designed to accommodate my needs as a teacher, it might not help you...but you are welcome to it either way.

So, without any further ado, my very FIRST Friday (+1) Freebie:
Written Lesson Plan Format

Have a GREAT Saturday and GO BLUE!
kvk

Funny Face Friday

Just for fun...and just because I love them:

BOYS!!! How many times do I have to tell you to STAY OFF OF THE COUCH and to STOP EATING THOSE LIGHTNING BUGS???

Naughty, bright-eyed Golden Boys.  

Sweet dreams, Blogalicious Bloggers!  Enjoy the weekend!

kvk

Things are FINALLY Coming Along!

"Pinterest-ingly" enough, I saw the paint chip samples for color words--and even then, it was more of a flower.  And though I liked the color word idea, I couldn't help but think that this would also be a great way to 'show, not tell' Shades of Meaning for fifth grade vocabulary.  SOOO, I was able to finally get these and assemble my board (it is just one set of colors but the board it's attached to is labeled on both sides so that I can use write on/wipe offs for whatever my lesson is about at the time.  I am also excited about this idea because it doesn't limit me to a specific set of words because I can wipe them off and write new ones when the current set is mastered.  :D

Space is limited, so my bathroom corridor  door is used to display the birthdays for my three groups.  

My modified (because they broke the first time around) lunch and attendance cookie sheets

Vocabulary bulletin board (more to come, including the source)

Nothing is Never an Option ;)

Bloom's board

It's such a process when I change how I do things.  This is my library checkout board; they are color coded for the three groups I have , but you may not be able to see them from this distance. 

My GO BLUE corner.  ♥

Portable Word Wall I've had for 100 years (give or take)

Individual rewards are growing so fast!  I'm truly blessed to have the groups I have.. What amazing kids!  Below my Super - Stars is my recycling bin.

Again...writing late.  And I. Am. Exhausted!!!

Good night and sweet dreams,

kvk

The Starfish Story--and Motivation Behind my Beach Theme

What started off as just an end-of-year Luau had emerged as a classroom theme over the past year or two.  The following story has been a driving force behind my sandy, starfish-y, sand dollar-y theme:
The Starfish Story

That is my goal--to make a difference for "that one" (and that one and that one and that one, etc.) and to keep reaching for the next starfish I can save.

♥,
Krystal

New Lunch Board

This is going to be brief, as I'm about to swallow my head with my own yawns and have more papers to grade.  However, I found this BEAUT on Pinterest and wanted to share the sheer genius of it:

<<Source>>

Ironically I was already using cookie sheets for my lunch/attendance magnets, so I thought it would be great fun to dress up those drab ol' silver guys.  Here is mine:

Along the lines of "live and learn" I had to fix it twice that first day as it fell off of the bookshelf.  So it's already had a face lift.  I thought I had a picture of the changes, but I guess I'll have to take another tomorrow because I can't find it now.

Have a great evening!

- Posted by kvk using BlogPress from my iPhone

Applying My Theme

WOW!  What a bunch of work to recreate and apply my theme to things I'm already using.  I don't even know if it's overkill or just a bunch of things that only I appreciate.  Truly, I am not concerned if only I appreciate them.  The fact of the matter is that I spend a bulk of my life for over 200 days a year in this classroom and if it looks pretty to me and I appreciate it, it makes me happier...thereby making the lives of my itty- bitties (the ten year olds) and my loved ones better by default.  A happy teacher makes a happy learning environment. 
**Stepping down from my soap box.**

I made a sign (stay tuned, I'll post it below) for my classroom because even my principal stopped by during preplanning to ask me for a favor and stopped dead short in her tracks to say, "Oh, I was going to ask you to make something for me, but seeing this, perhaps I should ask someone else."  To which I replied, "Nonsense...what do you need?"  She is my boss after all, and I absolutely adore her. 

Now, what she was referring to is no surprise to my teammates.  These lovely ladies have come to expect what my principal saw every time we have an extended break.  It's a combination of my self-diagnosed ADD/OCD (or ACDDDO, in alphabetical order, like it should be).  Basically I pull everything out of my closet, shelves, drawers, bins, etc. and re-organize it. I don't know why.  It makes no sense and I wish I had complete mind control over my OWN brain to stop it. 

And THAT is what brings me to my current dilemma...why is it that I'm trying to apply my beach theme to everything this year?  Is it because I've already reorganized and need something to occupy my OCD part of my brain?  HAH!  I assure you, that is not the case.  It is because the school year is when my ADD takes complete control.  Grade papers?  But, but, but, I haven't typed that cute sign (found on Pinterest) up on the new beach backgrounds I've bought and downloaded:

Feel free to click on the poster to download it.  I won't embarrass myself by telling you how long something so simple took me to recreate.  *blush*

Have a great Sunday...I'm off to grade papers!  

Seastars, Sand Dollars, and Love,

Krystal

Sneak Peak

I've finally gotten around to taking some pictures of this year's classroom.  Here are a bunch to wet your whistle and then I'm off to bed (captions will have to be added tomorrow, folks, sorry).  It is waaaaaaay past my bedtime for a school night!

These are used to remind the students of the color code in my classroom.  Some of them have three teachers, and it can be a challenge remembering what each teacher has assigned to a specific time of day.  There are also labels on their desks with their numbers printed in the ink color that matched their period as well. 

My homeroom made quilt squares to honor the memories of the  nearly 3000 people lost to the attacks of 9-11.

This was a Pinterest modified idea.  Each roster is listed in Wordle format and posted outside of my door.

This is the Hello and Welcome board outside of my door.

I have this board posted outside of my room to remind the students  of the resource and lunch for the day.  They have about 25 minutes in the hall before entering, so they should, in theory, have read it before entering.   My Secret Word will be posted on this board beginning next week. 

This is the view of my door (the classroom side) with folders for students who were out and a couple of reminders.  The first--the BEACH sign--tells them what they should remember before entering the Beach every day.  The second is at about eye level for the seated children that reminds them that their future is in front of them (meaning the instruction/or activity in front of them, not who or what is seen in the window of the hallway).

The clipboard hanging is one that I decorated with scrapbook paper and some small shells and starfish.  It contains  my Tardy Log and is located just inside the door.  When students are Tardy, they are to sign in, so as not to disrupt instruction to report in.  You can also see the Standout Students and Student of the Month Character Traits posted next to it.

This is a word wall on which bricks containing Figurative Language will be posted.  It used to be posted outside on the hallway walls, but I've brought it in to make it more student interactive and am going to try and color code it to reflect class period.

This is my AR Stars board.  It is simply laminated scrapbook paper with an image of beach sand.  When the students take and pass their first AR Quiz, they (in theory) take off their flip flops and enter the beach to begin beachcombing for seashells.  For every passed quiz, they get a seashell sticker with their name on it and for every tenth quiz passed, they get a larger, laminated seashell placed on the board.  The smaller shells are sticker sheets that I buy at A.C. Moore and they are 27 for about $1.00 (although sometimes I find them on sale) and the larger ones are simply clipart shells that I printed and laminated last year.  The paper and larger seashells can be re-used so I am able to save the school on laminating.  The flip flops are scrapbook paper that I cut out on my Cricut using the "Life is a Beach" cartridge.

I found these signs on one of the blogs I'm "stalking" and will figure out which one and post the link this weekend.  

I have an individual reward ticket procedure and draw five tickets, randomly, each Friday.  I take their pictures in front of the board and they get a visit to my candy bin when I draw their names.   

I have a separate clipboard for each of my class periods.  I found these key chains at Home Depot and the cover pages are old calendar pages that I trimmed down and laminated for durability.

The hanging garland in front of the door I found at Big Lots, on  clearance--WOOT-WOOOOT!

I have posted these Pinteresting finds before, but here they are , in use, in my classroom.  I also have a Dr. Seuss corner so that his books are easily accessible when I need them for mini-lessons.

These are the bins where the students put their individual reward tickets.  I am embarrassed to see that I  haven't added labels to them yet.  That will  most likely change today (Mrs. Van Kampen LOVES labels).  :D

Each child has an individual bin to turn in any assignments or anything that I'd be collecting whole group.  I just realized I didn't take a picture of the flip side of these and will try to do so today after they take their vocabulary quizzes.

This is a close-up of the sign.  Ideally, the children would read it and then check their papers for the listed items before turning them in.  I truly think that the number of "Anonymous (no name)" papers has dropped, dramatically, but there are still those precious few who forget.

I saw something on Pinterest where people were making alphabets for students to use in their stations (spelling or vocabulary).  I modified it to fit my needs and this is my lunch count board.  It is an old calendar page that was a picture of a beach.  I'm not sure if the picture is as clear as I had hoped, but it was only my second attempt at making them--the first attempt I gave to Mrs. Devine to use in her room.

Here you see the board in action.  This also serves as my attendance.  This will likely be updated this weekend because I saw the CUTEST idea on Pinterest last night *insert cheesy grin here* and am just dying to get those boards home to give them a face lift!

I refer to two of these signs often:  "Nothing is never and option!" and "It's okay not to know; it is not okay not to try."

Believe it or not, this is a $5 beach towel I found on ABC Distributing.  I thought it was super cute and brightly colored so it is a backdrop behind the student computers.  The sea-art above I made and (I believe) I have posted before.  If you'd like to know how I made them, leave a comment.  I'd be happy to share the simple instructions!  :)

The top of my media cabinet has some "Personals" as well as a few of my favorite things.

More of my Teacher Desk wall area.

The wooden word phrases I found at A.C. Moore for $1 a piece a few years ago and the sign I found on one of my Blogger Stalkee's pages.  I'll post the link here after school sometime today to give proper credit.

Seastars, Sand Dollars, and Love,

Krystal