24hr New-Item Freebie {Day Four}

Welcome back! Today is Day Four of my "sELFless Acts of Kindness" Challenge!

E--Everyone

L--Loves

F--Freebies

Have you been participating in the challenge? It is such an easy way to make someone smile... make someone's day a little brighter... or just reconnect with someone you work with but hardly ever see! One of my greatest work friends teaches right next door to my classroom, but because we are on COMPLETELY different recess/lunch/specialist schedules, I never get to talk to her other than a quick wave as I pass her classroom and she is happily teaching away! I have a special "sELFless Act of Kindness" planned for her tomorrow ;)

Well, let's get back to you! Today I have a Christmas Abbreviation Match-Up game for you! My students LOVED our Abbreviation week in November--especially when I threw in tricky ones like oz. and lb. --WHAT?! :) 

Download it now while it's free! Hurry! Hurry!

I would love to hear what you think about these activities, too! Feedback is always welcome ;)

Check out the Grammar Games/Activities from Day One, Two and Three! They are on sale now for $2.00, or you can buy them as a bundle and save money (see the end of this post for more details).

Buy the Christmas Grammar Bundle for $5.00 and save $3.00!

This is a growing bundle--buy now to save money!! 

By the end of the week you will have all 5 Grammar activities/games. 

1. Christmas Noun Sort (included now)

2. Christmas Verb Tense Sort (included now)

3. Christmas Cookies Compound Words (included now)

4. Christmas Abbreviation Match-up (included now) 

The price will go went up to $5.00

5. Christmas Complete Sentences (coming Friday--re-download the product Fri. night)

The price will go up to $6.00

Happy Friday-Eve!

24hr New-Item Freebie {Day Three}

Welcome back! Today is Day Three of my "sELFless Acts of Kindness" Challenge!

E--Everyone

L--Loves

F--Freebies

I am loving this opportunity to share some freebies with you! Hopefully they are coming in handy these last few days before Winter Break... I know my students are getting harder and harder to keep engaged! Mixing in some Christmas-themed activities is just the trick!

Today I have a Christmas Cookies Compound Words for you!

Download it now while it's free! Hurry! Hurry!

I would love to hear what you think about these activities, too! Feedback is always welcome ;)

 Day Two (buy now for only $2.00!)

Day One (buy now for only $2.00!)

Buy the Christmas Grammar Bundle for $4.00 and save $2.00!

This is a growing bundle! 

By the end of the week you will have all 5 Grammar activities/games. 

1. Christmas Noun Sort (included now)

2. Christmas Verb Tense Sort (included now)

3. Christmas Cookies Compound Words (included now)

4. Christmas Abbreviation Match-up (coming Thursday--re-download the product Thurs. night) 

The price will go up to $5.00

5. Christmas Complete Sentences (coming Friday--re-download the product Fri. night)

The price will go up to $6.00

Enjoy! 

Do something sELFless today ;)

24hr New-Item Freebie {Day Two}

Welcome back! Today is Day Two of my "sELFless Acts of Kindness" Challenge!

E--Everyone

L--Loves

F--Freebies

Today I have a Christmas Verb Tense Sort for you!

After today it will be added to my Christmas Grammar Pack where all of the "24 hr. New Item Freebies" will be available together for a bundled savings!

Download it now while it's free! 

(Day One: now available for $2.00)

24hr New-Item Freebie {Day One}

I love seeing all of the "sELFless acts of Kindness" going around cyber world lately. 

E--everyone

L--likes

F--freebies

My class is full of active Bucket-Fillers who work hard every day to be kind, respectful, considerate, compassionate people inside and outside the classroom. 

I introduced the "Acts of Kindness" to my class last week and they loved it! 

I believe in leading by example and that is where my newest Freebie comes into play!

Each day this week, I will post a Christmas-themed freebie for you to grab and enjoy! But grab it quick! It will only be free for 24 hours!

As the week goes on I will combine all of my Christmas-themed freebies into a bundle that will be available for purchase! Enjoy-- and pay it forward, friends!

Here is Day One (Christmas Noun Sort):

Christmas Magic

If you are anything like me, then you are searching for fun activities that will keep your student engaged from now until Christmas Vacation. YIPPEE!!! 9 school days left in 2014 for me!

I have found the perfect, easy to prepare activity that will not only A-MAZE your students, but this could be turned into a Christmas gift for your students to gift to someone they love.

Jenny K, from Art with Jenny shared her Shaving Cream Magic Trick Ornaments, and I am in love! 

Here is the video

I can NOT wait to do this with my students this week! 

I think I will make them earn it... art surprise for being on the Nice List all day long! :)

Black Friday Sale

I am trying to avoid Black Friday crowds, but still fill my Black Friday urges with online shopping. 

And I am so happy to see TONS of online Black Friday deals out there! WHOOP! 

So if you are like me and just can't wait for Cyber Monday, then head over to TPT for my Black Friday 20%off Sale! Everything in my store is 20% off all day Black Friday!

Happy Shopping!

Editing Tip!

Writing is THE most challenging subject for me to teach. I enjoy teaching the writing process, but when it comes to ideas and voice I struggle to find ways to help my students sound like themselves, and not like me. 

I am working on that. Being a part of a new grade level (currently 3rd grade...previously 2nd grade for 6 years) and thus a new team, yay!! I am being introduced to many new teaching strategies and tips!

If you struggle to teach your students the importance of editing, here is a tip for you!

Give your students a piece of paper and give them 5 minutes to draw/sketch anything--pencil only, no color. 

**I had my students draw living systems because we had just begun our Science systems unit. 

Allow students a minute or two to chat with the person next to them about their sketch. 

What is it?

Why did you choose to draw that?

Next, pass out a ball of clay or mini tub of play dough.

Now, tell students they have 10 minutes to make a 3-D model of their drawing.

After 10 minutes, ask them to compare their drawing and their 3-D model. 

What is the same? 

What is different?

What did you change?

Why did you change it?

 This student made her cat's tail shorter. 

She said it looks "cuter" that way :) 

 This student gave his panda a stick of bamboo.

Panda bears need bamboo of course!

(and he labeled all of the parts of his living system... teacher's dream!)

After this 20 minute activity your students will SEE (and understand) that when we write our first draft (the drawing) we do our very best and believe it is great! But then, when we have the chance to make it better (3-D model) we often realize we can make it better by adding this, or taking away that: editing. 

And now, for the rest of the year, when it is time for you students to edit, and they say "I don't need to" or "I like it the way it is".... all you have to say is "Play dough" and they will smile at you and realize you are right. Teachers are always right :)

A student happily editing with her red pen and 

CUPS (capitalization, usage, punctuation, spelling) paper

Happy editing!