Math Tool Kit Freebie

Hey my peeps! I hope your summer has been fantastic!! I have two more weeks, then it’s back to the grind for me.

Hop on over to Blog Hoppin’  to grab a cool math freebie!!!!!

I will be back when school starts to share the haps in my classroom.  Have a great week!

Christmas In July Day 2

It’s on to day two of Blog Hoppin’s Christmas in July Sale. For the next three days (July 16-18th, Days 2, 3, and 4 ) you can grab up any math related products in my store for 20% off.

 

Click on the picture below to grab your math goodies!

Christmas In July

Happy July!!!! Are you counting down the days till the end of summer? Not me, I’m soaking up every last minute of my summer vacation. I can't lie I am taking a minute here and there to get ready for the up coming year.
Have you heard about Blog Hoppin’s Christmas in July Sale???



Twelve days to be exact! If you’re anything like me you’re already planning for the new school year. For each of the 12 days you’ll have the chance to grab up some lovely products.  I know my shopping cart is filled! For today only all of my spelling and phonics activities are on sale for 20% off. Click on the picture below and it will take you to the goodies! I’ll be back tomorrow with some more fun stuff! Happy shopping!!!!!!!

Fraction Kites and Math Morning Meeting

Happy Tuesday!
For the last two weeks or so we’ve been hard at work on Fractions! My students are really getting into it. I had one student to tell me today that our classroom lights were fractions. We have three rows of lights and two of the rows were out at the end of the day while we had snack time. He replied “Ms. Arnold one-third of the lights are on.” Don’t you just love moments like this!
On Monday we completed Fraction Kites! They turned out great. I got the idea from Pinterest of course via Step Into Second Grade, who got the idea from Mrs. Bainbridge’s Class.

  Source 1            Source 2

                                 
                          

If you’d like a copy click here or here to download.

Changing up my Math Morning Meeting has been one of the best things I’ve done all year! If you’d like to read about that you can click here.

I’ve recently added a Math Chat slide. I first read about this idea on Mrs. Jump’s blog.  I really get to see my student’s thinking. Here’s a snapshot from today. The answer was twenty three and here are some of the problems.

This first student started with 600 and worked her way from there.

Here’s where she ended up.

600-200-200-100-50-20-10+3=23

I tell them they can use any combination of addition and subtraction as long as they can explain their strategy.

The next student offered  20+3 =23, and that was perfectly fine too.

I didn’t take pictures of the rest.

But one student offered: 50-10-10-3-4=23.

I’ve uploaded April’s Math Hunts to my TpT store. This set covers two digit subtraction, counting back by tens, counting back by ones and place value.

Also, everything in my store is 20% off today and tomorrow! Happy Tax Day!!! Thanks to Mrs. Mullins over at The Inspired Apple for the lovely sign!

Tomorrow is Hump Day! Now I’m off to watch my DVR’d episode of The Originals!

Who loves this show!? I miss Rebekah sooooo much! Maybe she’ll show up on The Vampire Diaries again???????

Lightbulb!!!!

“Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof. Clap along along if you feel like happiness is the truth…”
Happy Monday!!! I’m EXTRA happy because I’m on Spring Break! But like probably every other teacher out there I’m already batting around ideas about next school year…come on I know I’m not the only one.
I must confess that this school year my blogging has been…well....blah.
                                          

 I’ve been waiting and waiting for inspiration to kick in and  it’s still MIA. So I figured maybe next year a change was in order, which lead me to the decision to give my classroom a total makeover, maybe that will kick the inspiration up a notch. So I’ve been doing a bit of pre-planning.

Disclosure: If you are one of those people who doesn’t like preparing your space before the kids arrive, if you think it's not good pedagogy, blasphemous, sacrilegious, or if you have some aversion to the dreaded "cute" word, then please stop reading. I'm totally okay with that.

But if you’re like me and want just a touch of inspiration then please read on. Let me just say I prepare the space and my student's work is like the icing on the cake. I have to live in my classroom for nine months, five days a week for 7-10 hours daily so I’m just saying.

Step 1: Scour the blogisphere for ideas that speak to you, tickle your  fancy, get the creative ball rolling and all that jazz. I must say that First Grade Blue Skies is my current favorite for tons of ideas for my classroom space. I’ve also just discovered The Pink Pineapple, love her Instagram pictures and I love how her student’s work is everywhere! If you’d like to check these ladies out then click on their buttons below.
                   

Step 2: Decide on a color scheme. I’m going with a sort of light teal, lavender, a touch of hot pink and black as an accent. I created the slides I’m about to show you in PowerPoint. I found some backgrounds in my clipart collection and started from there. I’m thinking Chevron and/or polkadots?????



Step 3: Copy and paste ideas against the backdrop of your color scheme and type notes as needed. If I copy and paste an idea I’m more likely to remember it, and I may not do it exactly like the picture, but it’s the idea of it that I’m interested in. I also copy and paste things I’d like to order from places like Really Good Stuff or Lakeshore. Also, having my color scheme in mind helps when I go into Target, Walmart and The Dollar Tree.


Step 4: Keep adding ideas until I’m satisfied! I know lots of people probably do this same thing, but I just wanted to share my little ole process. Now fingers crossed that it turns like like the picture I have in my head of my classroom space for next year!

The pictures from this post came from: First Grade Blue Skies and Ladybug Teacher Files. If you see a picture from a blog I didn’t mention, please let me know so I can credit the proper person. Thanks a bunch! Now I’m off to read, relax and enjoy this beautiful day!

Math Hunts Done

 

After many e-mail requests I have uploaded my first set of math hunts to my TpT store. My students are enjoying these! On Friday I gave them a cumulative unit test on all things Common Core: Operations in  Base Tens and they all rocked it! It didn’t record a grade below a B plus! I’m so proud of them! They are getting a special treat from me on tomorrow…shhhhh don’t tell them!

If you would like to check out the March Edition of my math hunts you can click here.

 

I am also diligently working on my April edition. Have a great Sunday and a marvelous Monday!

 

Back on the Blogging Block

Okay…..so I know It’s been a while since I actually did some blogging. Sorry about that. But I’m back now to share a little of what we’ve been doing.

This year I have some really great mathematicians, and they are surprising me everyday with their thinking!!! Some days I end Math Morning Meeting literally blown away by some of their problem solving abilities.

I was trying to come up with a way to keep math problem solving abilities front and center, sort of like a spiral review without all the worksheets. I wanted something I could leave up all month long and something that covered lots of skills within a domain. So here’s what I came up with.

I am currently testing it out in my classroom, and my students are having fun completing one activity each day. I made 26 cards, a-z. This allows me to keep them up for the entire month. After they complete their daily story problem they can complete one card of their choice. Here are some examples.  

        

In order to help them keep up with which cards they’ve completed I simply stapled a cover to half sheets of white copy paper. After I gave each student their books I instructed them to fold the white pages in half, that way they could complete two cards per page, front and back. I also made them an insert so they could color in the letter of each card they completed.

       

So far they are loving it, and I get to see each of their individual thinking on paper. On all of the cards they have to show their thinking. I am working on an April one that I hope to upload to TpT.

So there you have it. How do you structure spiral reviews in your classroom?

Have a great  rest of the weekend!

3 Million Strong

Hey! It's time to get your shop on! Everything in my store is 20% off. Don't forget to use the code TPT3 to get up to 28% off your purchases today and tomorrow! My cart is full!

Daily 5 Second Edition

Just purchased the e-book version of the second edition of The Daily 5! Can't wait to dive in! They have even added a section on Daily 5 Math.

Really??

Really indeed! I can't believe I haven't posted in four weeks!

See....what had happened was.....truthfully haven't been in a blogging mood lately. Does anyone else ever feel that way??

 I am also having computer issues, this time it's my internal hard drive that needs replacing. I have been ignoring the inevitable, but alas it's time, but I backed up all of my files!

I'm sure by now you know we had a bit of a snow event in AL. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know my story. The weather people said it would be just a dusting in the central part of the state, but that dusting turned into 2 inches. I know you're saying two inches...pishaw!! 

But people this is Alabama. Snow, ice and Alabama drivers do not mix!  Around 10am the principal came over the intercom and told teachers to start calling parents, because we were getting out at 11:00. I stayed until my last child left, then looked out of the back door of my classroom and this is what I saw!

My school is surrounded by hills, so there was no way I was getting home on Tuesday! I ended up staying overnight along with about 13 other teachers and school staff and about 20 students. We all made the best of it and the students were real troopers!

Two awesome teachers from my school!

On Wednesday around 2pm most of the teachers made their way home. I walked with one of my co-workers through the neighborhood to meet our rides. She slipped once...I slipped once, and we laughed about it. I told her she'd make a good wilderness guide because she kept checking on me, making sure we stayed in the grass and avoided ice patches. I think she has a second career in the bag. 

Most importantly all the teachers and students got home safely. That was an adventure I would never like to experience again! I am glad I can laugh about it..now. We were out of school for the rest of the week, our 100th was on Tuesday, and we didn't get a chance to celebrate, so we have some catching up to do.

So there is my little adventure. How about you...what have you been up to?

In honor of the Superbowl myself along with the other wonderfully talented teachers at Blog Hoppin' are throwing a sale! Hop on over and check it out! I'm posting in my Blogger app and it's not letting me link back to Blog Hoppin...but click on the Blog Hoppin button to the left and you can check out the other ladies who are participating in the sale.

Happy Superbowl Sunday!! I hope to be back in the blogging spirit really soon and share some of what's been going on in our classroom! Have a blessed Sunday and a wonderful week ahead!

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Winter Way Back and a Sale

Hey to all!!! Happy New Year’s Eve Eve! Ha! I always get a little nervous and excited at the start of  a new year!!! I love that I can start fresh but it always feels like I’m leaving something behind. Crazy huh??
Anyway I decided to go through my blog and link all of my winter posts. I know we are all planning like mad for our student’s return…so I thought I’d make it a little easier for you…if you happen to be stalking my blog, looking for ideas! Just click on each picture below and it should take you right to the blog post. There’s lots of freebies!! And Do. Not. Worry. There are no Docstoc files! Praise the Lord!
Jan 2011



Jan 2012

Jan 2013

Calendar Info

The ladies over at Blog Hoppin’ (including myself) are throwing a little New Year’s Sale. Starting at Midnight everything in my store will be 20% off until the end of New Years Day! So you can get your new year’s shop on. Click on the picture below to go directly to my store. Click here to head on over to Blog Hoppin’ and check out all the wonderful ladies who are also participating!

Christmas Wishes

 

 

Last Minute Christmas Math Station Freebie

Head on over to Blog Hoppin for a little last minute Christmas math station freebie! Enjoy! We are in countdown mode people!!!!

Get Cha Cyber Monday On, Ramblings and a Freebie

To say that I have enjoyed my break would be an understatement! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with the love of family, friends, good food and shopping too!  Today I’m singing the Sunday Night Blues. So I’ll be counting down the next fifteen days until Christmas break!

If you follow me on Instragram then you know I bought myself a late birthday early Christmas present! Needless to say I’ve been tinkering with it. Now I’m just waiting on my 50mm lens..shout out to Jennifer from First Grade Blue Skies for hipping me to this wonderful camera! By the way have you snapped up her CAUUUUUUUUTE Christmas Ornament bulletin board freebie??? I love it!!!!!!

Here are a few pics I snapped.

Can you tell I love books???????

 

Recently I started using differentiated story problems with my students and they are really enjoying them! I made up a batch for next week since we will be knee deep in all things gingerbread related.  So here’s a little freebie for you. Click on the picture to download your copy of this week’s problems. You’re welcome!

I’ve also been busy trying to get all of my plans for the next three weeks done. I’m currently working on a math station pack that I hope will be ready soon.

Like I’ve stated before here on this ole blog I’m always a day late and a dollar short on all things that are hip, but I’m just loving Pharrell’s “Happy” song from Despicable Me2!!!!! I played it on a continuous loop all day yesterday while I laminated and watched the Ironbowl.  Did you see that game!!!????? War Eagle!!!!!!

 

 

 

Speaking of shopping I’m participating in the Cyber Monday and Tuesday Sale over at TpT. My shopping cart is filled with goodies I hope to share with you on Monday. I’m linking up with Blog Hoppin to show you some things I bought. You should too!

 

My entire store is on sale! Here are a few goodies you can snag!

    

   

 

 

Have a wonderful week and enjoy the freebie!! I hope your student’s love them as much as my first graders!