Hashtags Sales: Time to Buy

 I Love a Good Sale

I am always on the lookout for a good sale and will stock up on items I find at a great price.  Hashtag sales are the perfect time to "stock up" on some great Teacher Pay Teacher products.  

What is a Hashtag Sale

Hashtag sales are sponsored by groups of TPT sellers.  Each seller chooses one or two products and reduce their price to $1. A hashtag is chosen and placed in the title of the product. There may hundreds of products listed in the sale depending on the number of sellers participating.

How to Shop a Hashtag Sale

In the search bar on Teachers Pay Teachers type in the title of the # sale. For example I am joining other sellers in the #ByeBye2020 sale.  You would simply type in #ByeBye2020 in the search bar and you will get pages and pages of resources that are reduced to $1. You can either scroll through the resources or filter by grade, subject or resource type.

Items I have Listed in the #ByeBye 2020 sale

Ruby Bridges is reduced to $1 for the #ByeBye2020 sale.  It's a perfect unit to purchase for Black History month. Buy now at a "stock up" price and have it ready to go in February. It comes complete with all patterns and instructions. Packets can easily be created to send home to remote students.

My Penguins Craft & Writing Activities has also been reduced to $1 for the #ByeBy2020 sale.  This Emperor Penguin Family Scrapbook is a first grade favorite!  January is the perfect time for a penguin unit.  It comes complete with all patterns and instructions. Packets can easily be created to send home to remote students.

Information on the #ByeBye2020 Sale:

 December 31 and January 1

#ByeBye2020 = Dollar Deals

Sponsored by the group, TPT Focused Success

One on One Data Meetings

A data meeting does not have to be something that is checked off of your to do list.  These meetings can be  a time to honestly look at student learning and instruction.  Using data to drive instruction works but we have to be willing to be honest about instruction - what works and what doesn't work.  As an administrator I met monthly with grade levels to discuss data and student progress. However, once a year I met one-on-one with my teachers to discuss data.  My time with the teachers allowed for a more in depth discussion about each student in their classroom.  It's easy to print a report from an assessment and place it in a notebook, but we need to do more so that we can help our students progress. We need to disaggregate, discuss and plan using that data. In other words, we need to know our data backwards and forwards. I created specific data review forms for my teachers to complete.  Those forms serve as guide for our discussion and also help teachers understand their data and how to use it.  I also made sure to print all reports and familiarize myself with the data before each meeting. Sometimes data can overwhelm teachers and they just don't know what to do with it.  As an administrator, it was my job to help guide them through how to use their data.  One-on-one data meetings were an excellent way to guide teachers in a positive way.  I always chose to focus on the positives first and then work together to determine next steps for helping those struggling students whose data did not reflect growth.  In my district we focused on STAR Reading & Math, DIBELS, and Accelerated Reader.  I've included the forms for those assessments. I know that each district focuses on different assessments so I have included documents that you can edit and make your own. You can grab the data review forms HERE. 

Ruby Bridges

 Ruby Bridges has always been a go to for me when introducing my firsties to civil rights. This unit was created 7 years ago out of a need for my own classroom. I have recently updated the craft and anchor chart and made a few minor updates to the lap book. You don't have to wait until February to teach your students about civil rights and compassion.  Grab the updated unit HERE.  

Weekly Dollar Deal - Pilgrim Children

 We continue on with holiday theme teaching!  This week's dollar deal is my Pilgrim Children Craftivitiy and Lapbook.  I always began this unit with a read aloud.  My two favorites are Sarah Morton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl and Samuel Eaton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy.  You can purchase the books HERE or HERE. Once the read aloud is complete I build an anchor chart with my students.  See the picture below.

Then I introduce them to the unit we will be working on for the week.  I start with the craftivity so that we can get them hung up in our classroom or hallway!  Then we move into the lapbook.  I always told my firsties that it was my job to make them independent learners and the lapbook does just that!  They always collaborated and researched to find the information needed.  With Covid it may be a little difficult to collaborate but breakout rooms work great for collaboration.  Once again those distant/virtual learners need to create so set up a time for parents to pick up materials and share away on Zoom, etc!!!! Grab this unit HERE. I promise you'll love it and so will your firsties!  Below are pictures of the unit:

Weekly Dollar Deal - Veterans Day

This month begins my most favorite time of the year... so many holidays and themes to celebrate in the classroom!  This week's dollar deal is a Veterans Day project. You can begin with a read aloud. Check out this LIST OF VETERANS DAY BOOKS. Then, you can "anchor" their learning with an anchor chart. Below is a picture of my firsties' thinking.  We brainstormed words that describe soldiers.  Anchor charts are such fun ways to display students' thinking.

  

You can extend their learning with THE VETERANS DAY PROJECT. This project comes complete with daily directions.  First graders need to create.  They need to use their scissors, glue sticks, crayons and markers!!!! Fine motor skills development at it's FINEST!! Even if you are remote, I implore you to print out this project and send it to your firsties.  Ask parents to do a curbside pick up of materials.  Students can display in their home and share during virtual class meetings.  I promise both traditional and virtual students will LOVE this project and they are so proud when it's complete!

Review: "These look SO cute outside! They were perfect with our current standards. I have been teaching about expository text as well as character traits/responses. I was able to use this for both and as a transitional lesson from one standard to the other. My principal even commented about how much she loved them outside in the hall!! Thanks :)" - Monica M.

Friday Featured Freebies - Veterans Day

 

This week's Friday Featured Freebies focuses on Veterans Day!

 Art with Jenny K. has a fun collaborative flag project.  Pair the flag with student writing for a beautiful hall or bulletin board display. 

Send a poster to a soldier currently serving or veteran! You can find this heart craft and 10 more Veterans Day crafts HERE.

Read alouds are such a fun way to teach students new information. The Poppy Lady explains why poppies are so important for remembering our veterans.   Crafty Morning has so many poppy crafts that your firsties can create.  Directed drawings are fantastic for firsties also.  Go HERE for a video on how to draw poppies.

Add these Military Branch Puzzles from Fantastic Fun and Learning to your Veterans Day stash! 

Let your firsties read about Veterans Day on their own with this Emergent Reader from A Dab of Glue Will Do. 

Create anchor charts with your firsties to help "anchor" their learning about Veterans Day!

Veterans Day Book and Video List

Sometimes understanding what Veterans Day is all about can be difficult for young ones.  Read alouds and videos are perfect in a virtual or traditional setting for introducing firsties to new information. I've compiled a list of some of my favorite  Veterans Day books and videos to help stock your classroom library.

Veterans Day Books

VETERANS HEROES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD 

What's it about?  Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhood is an engaging rhyming picture book for readers of all ages that fosters mindfulness of and appreciation for the brave service men and women who are also our family, friends, and neighbors.  These are the men and women who bravely served our great country and now humbly serve in our communities.

THE POPPY LADY

What's it about? When American soldiers entered World War I, Moina Belle Michael, a schoolteacher from Georgia, knew she had to act. Some of the soldiers were her students and friends. Almost single-handedly, Moina worked to establish the red poppy as the symbol to honor and remember soldiers. And she devoted the rest of her life to making sure the symbol would last forever. Thanks to her hard work, that symbol remains strong today. Author Barbara Elizabeth Walsh and artist Layne Johnson worked with experts, primary documents, and Moina's great-nieces to better understand Moina's determination to honor the war veterans.

****Pair this book with the directed drawing video below for a lesson on the meaning of poppies and our veterans. Huge confession:  I was never taught about poppies and didn't learn about this special symbol until I was an adult!  Let's teach our firsties and carry on the tradition early in life!

H IS FOR HONOR

What's it About? Written by the son of a career officer, this book explores the branches of the Armed Services and speaks from the heart about the honor, privileges and sacrifices of military families everywhere. Children will discover why drill sergeants have to be so tough, what it means to be patriotic and why we need Special Forces such as the Navy SEALS, the Green Berets and the Army Rangers. H is for Honor also explains why the annual Army/Navy football game is more than just a game, how much letters from home mean to soldiers, how often military families have to move and what life on base is like. With an underlying message of courage and commitment that every child can relate to, the book will be especially meaningful to those whose parents, siblings or other relatives serve in the Armed Forces.

GRANDDAD BUD

What's it about? When a young boy's great-grandfather comes to his school to talk about Veterans Day, the boy is unsure what to expect. Why exactly do we celebrate Veterans Day - and will his classmates be interested in what Granddad Bud has to say?

HERO MOM

What's it about?  The moms in the book are superheroes. They may not leap over tall buildings, and they may not have super-human speed. But these moms construct buildings, fly planes, and make tanks roll. They do all kinds of things to help create a safer world. These superheroes are moms. Military moms. Hero moms.

HERO DAD

What's it about?  A boy compares his father, a U.S. soldier, to a superhero. 

THE WALL

What's it about?  

A young boy and his father visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. 

Veterans Day Videos 

Veterans Day by Kid History

Sesame Street Veteran's Greeting

Veterans Day Poppy Song

How to Draw Poppies

Weekly Dollar Deal - Halloween Creative Writing Project

This week's dollar deal is perfect if you need a fun Halloween activity.  The creative writing project comes with a week long lesson plan or you can choose to just use the quick write activity.  Within the unit you will find a list of my favorite Halloween books, ideas for anchor charts and how to help students generate their own ideas for writing.   Here is a peek at the unit:

You can grab the unit HERE.

Friday Featured Freebies

 

This week's Friday Featured Freebies will focus on free digital activities.  

1.  Our first freebie is a GIVEAWAY.  You can enter for a chance to win a $60 TPT gift card!  You could find lots of digital resources with that gift card!!!

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Go HERE to enter!

2. I think this next freebie is my FAVE!  The Techie Teacher has compiled a collection of Virtual Math Manipulatives.  It so child friendly and easy to use.  Students choose the manipulative they want to use and click on the picture. 

 

3.  First Grade Buddies and Company take you through the steps of creating digital resources from your print resources. 

4. You can find lots of FREE Boom cards Boom Learning. Go to the top of the page and click on STORE.  Type in your subject matter in the search box and click enter.  All of the cards associated with that subject will pop up.  Click on the drop down box next to Sort by and select Price - Low to High.  The free decks will be listed first. You can also find Boom cards on TPT!!!  When you download the cards on TPT you will get a link to the cards on Boom Learning.  Below are sets of free Boom cards.

Counting Digital Task Cards

Sentence Sorting

Sight Words

Let me know in the comments if you want me to find freebies for a certain subject, theme, etc.  Happy Friday!!!

Boom Cards...What are They?

 

Have you tried Boom cards??? They are essentially digital task cards that can be used for both traditional and distance learning.

•  All cards are interactive.  The game-like feel of the cards keep students engaged and asking to work on Boom cards often. 
•  All cards are self-grading.  Teachers can access scores immediately and use the data to help drive instruction. This is a huge time saver and we all need more time in our lives.
• All cards are digital and completed individually.  During this time of Covid, Boom cards are an excellent center choice for the traditional classroom so that students are not in close proximity and they are an easily assigned activity for your virtual students.
• Easily differentiate instruction by assigning different decks of cards to students depending on their needs.

Check out the video below! Della Larsen will help you get started!

You can join Boom Learning for free. There are paid options available if you plan on utilizing more often in your classroom or you choose to use with all of your students.  See below.

To get started you can find lots of FREE Boom cards. Go to the top of the page and click on STORE.  Type in your subject matter in the search box and click enter.  All of the cards associated with that subject will pop up.  Click on the drop down box next to Sort by and select Price - Low to High.  The free decks will be listed first. You can also find Boom cards on TPT!!!  When you download the cards on TPT you will get a link to the cards on Boom Learning. 

Watch for my FRIDAY FEATURED FREEBIES  post this Friday.  I will be focusing on free digital resources and will include several Boom cards. In the meantime you can grab my Sentence Sense Boom Cards for FREE.

Include some play in your digital teaching!!! Your babies will love you and the cards!!!

Friday Featured Freebies

 

1. Mummy Writing Template:  Such a fun way to write about a book!

You can find this fun FREE activity HERE over on Primary Theme Park. If you want to keep the theme of mummies going, below are some books that would be fun to read aloud or have available for your students to read.

Mummies in the Morning

Mummies

Where's My Mummy?

The Missing Mummy

2.  Using Mentor texts to teach concepts: 

As a principal I always loved when I popped into the classroom and rich literature was being used to teach concepts!  Head over to Collaboration Cuties to find out how to teach cause and effect, sequencing, alliteration, adjectives, and verbs using The Runaway Pumpkin. Grab this FREEBIE. 

Go to First Grade Fairy Tales to grab a freebie using Where's My Mummy to teach sentence types.  You can purchase Where's My Mummy HERE.

Head over to The Applicious Teacher to see how she uses The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin to teach theme.  If you don't have a copy of the book, you can purchase it here.

The Primary Pack has a sequencing packet for Room on the Broom.  You can purchase the book here.

3. Some fun Halloween Story Starters:

Grab this FREEBIE.

4. Pumpkin Freebies:

First Grade Blue Skies has some fabulous ideas and freebies for a week full of pumpkin fun.  

My hope is that you can use these ideas in both traditional and virtual settings.  If you have a favorite Halloween freebie please share below in the comments!