It's going on sale tomorrow!!!

I started getting together a reading fluency center for my kiddos over this wonderful Thanksgiving Break and I just kept adding, and adding, and adding to it!  

I ended up with a product I am so proud of! Check it out! I think you will love it...especially because it is 28% off Monday and Tuesday (11/26 & 11/27)!!!

The cover + a Table of Contents (NF text features!)

Example of one slide (fold in half for student's booklet)

10 popular and funny songs and poems included!

I added 5 ELA activity pages, too!

Here is the example of ELA activity #1: Tune into Interesting Words.

I will be printing, copying, and stapling my books together tomorrow at school. I think I will wait until the first December day of school to introduce them to my students though :)  Kind of like radio stations switching over to Christmas music before Thanksgiving... I just can't start with Christmas-themed stuff in my classroom until our calendar reads DECEMBER. 

When do you start with Christmas-themed activities in your classroom??

It's a CYBER sale!!!

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Take a quick look at some of my best sellers!

Year Long Calendar Math Workbook

10 Easy-to-set-up Math Stations

I have math assessments for 1st and 2nd grade 

based on the new CCSS

Teacher Checklists are included

2nd grade example

I can statements for Kindergarten, 

1st and 2nd grade math 

(insect and pirate themes available)

Plus lots of FREEBIES

SAVE THIS FOR NEXT YEAR!!!

A fact-filled craft all about the Liberty Bell!

SAVE THIS FOR NEXT YEAR!!!

Thanksgiving placemat + addition practice!

Editable newsletter templates

Editable CC Teacher Binder Covers 

(insect and pirate themed)

And my newest items

Arrays 

CCSS ELA Guiding Questions

Place Value Puzzles

Take advantage of this awesome sale while you can!!!

"The dog ate my homework!"

As teachers we hear it all...

"My mom didn't put it in my back pack!"

"You didn't give me homework!"

"My little brother colored all over it!"

and of course...

"My dog ate it!"

I had never actually heard the one about the dog, but yesterday, my teacher life changed forever... and for the better I might add!

One of my students made my day when he handed me this:

I literally laughed out loud. 

Yes, that is a baggie with the shreds of homework. The evidence.

But, at least he was responsible and brought back his homework! And I just love that his mom sent in the evidence with the note!

What is the best I-forgot-my-homework-excuse that you have heard?

Motivational Monday

Sara, over at Smiling in Second Grade, is hosting a Motivational Monday Link up! 

Right now I am motivated by my wedding. We have less than 5 months until the big day! I am in full count-down mode and upping my workouts and paying closer attention to what I am eating.

A few of my favorite motivators from Pinterest.

My fiancé's niece, our flower girl, chose her dress this weekend :) She LOVED it and so do I :)

What motivates you...every Monday needs a little boost, right?

Turkey Art

I have THE GREATEST art docent mom EVER this year! She comes up with the most fun projects for my students, and these projects have multiple steps...let me tell you! I am always impressed with all of the time she puts into planning and prepping for her lessons with my class.

Here is their ADORABLE Turkey art that she came and did with my class this week!

 They painted leaves white and them pressed them onto brown paper. Then sponged fall colors on the background.

Next, students chose from many different colors of pre-cut (by this wonderful mom!) of tissue paper. They used regular glue stick glue, then wrapped the tissue paper around the eraser-end of the pencil and pressed it onto the turkey.  

 Keep going... and going... but they really got into a rhythm! They loved this! 

And look how great they turned out!

I have parents and other teachers walking into my room daily complimenting our turkeys :)

I am so lucky to have such a wonderful and creative Art Docent Mom!

Thanksgiving Addition Practice Placemat {Freebie}

I am so super excited tonight because my students brought in over $90 in COINS for our Hurricane Sandy Coin Drive this week. Yesterday we had $28.02, which was awesome, but we decided with one day left we needed a goal. I talk to my students daily about the importance of goal setting...to read more difficult text, to pass the next math timing, to get to the next RAZ level...to donate coins to people/kids who need it more than we do right now.

So we set our goal for $50...which meant we needed to bring in almost $22.00 today (Friday). Then we talked about where the money would be going, why those children needed our help, and how we would feel if the hurricane had happened over here. We talked about maybe giving part of our Friday Treat money, searching the couch cushions, under the seats in the car, or even doing some extra chores around the house.

When my students walked in this morning they had happy smiles on their faces...proud smiles! As they brought their coins and dollars up to our Coin Drive cup they very proudly cupped their coins in their little hands and donated them to other boys and girls who need those coins a little more than we do right now.

Soon I heard, "Ms. O'Brien! The cup is overflowing!!!!" Yep! We filled our donation cup and then some! Mrs. Black (our principal) needed to make the deposit for the Red Cross this morning so I quickly started counting the coins and dollars. It took me a while though... my students brought in $63.40 TODAY! Making our class Grand Total = $91.42!!!! They were pumped! Impressed! Excited! One student said "That shows that we really care about them!" Another student said, "I gave all of my Friday Treat money!" Another student asked if we could write letters to the kids who would be getting the money, and I am going to look into that one! How cool would it be to have pen pals from the other side of the United States?!

So in celebration of my students being so giving, I thought I should do the same. 

I have been working on a Thanksgiving Addition Practice Placemat project and just posted it to my TPT store. It's yours for free! Go download it!

I am thankful for each of my followers, I love learning from you and with you. You are all inspiring educators and people.

It is quick, easy, and it is a sneaky way to get your students to practice their math facts while eating their Thanksgiving turkey! They can show off their addition skills to family visiting from out of town!

Liberty Bell Fact-ivity

I had hoped to get this ready as an Election Day activity, but it just didn't quite happen like that. 

The fall-flu hit my house this past weekend and it took everything I could to get out of bed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Today I am feeling much better so I finished this super cute fact-ivity (a fact-filled-craft-activity!)

So because it is a little late, but because I know you will love it and it can be used for other upcoming celebrations, like Presidents' Day... I am offering this product to you for free!

I include ideas for where to find information about the Liberty Bell.

Learning all about the Liberty Bell will help prepare your students for this activity!

Lots of templates for you!

And colorful examples, too!

The facts about the Liberty Bell hang from the bell... like the dangling part of the bell...which according to wikipedia is a clapper! 

Download it for free at my TPT store!

Enjoy!