Formative Assessment Task Cards Freebie

My students and I both get bored with the same old think,pair,share or exit tickets for formative assessment, so I was excited to find this set of formative assessment task cards with a ton of ideas.There are over 80 different strategies and ideas to try!

Formative Assessment Task Cards

Classrooms by Wal-Mart Wish List

I have been lucky enough to always have a parent or two that would like to donate to my classroom.  They often ask for wish lists during the book fair or during back to school night.  Well, did you know that you could also set up a wish list with Wal-Mart? You can create a supply list for student supplies as well as a wish list for miscellaneous needs and wants.

You can add the link to an email to your parents or on your class website.  Who knows?  Your wish list just might magically appear at your classroom door one day. 

ENTER HERE

Researching - Learning About The Things We Are Interested In

Ever since one of my students brought in a tomato horn worm, my kiddos have been begging to do "Research" as one of their Daily 5 Choices.  I love the idea that they are self-directing their learning and that they are seeking out informational non-fiction text (you know, one of those biggies in the New Common Core Standards).

But... (and this is a big But) I am finding that a lot of my kiddos really love watching videos about their topic of choice.  I am really ok with this, but these are some of the same kiddos who really need to work on their comprehension and writing skills.

Luckily I stumbled across this 3-2-1 Reading Strategy Sheet from Teaching With Love and Laughter!


I printed a ton of these off and have placed them next to my computer station for them to complete when they conduct their research.  A win win for both teacher and student!

I will probably also use this for reading informational text later on in the year as well.

Self Grading Timed Fact Tests

As part of our daily homework  using WBT's Three Star Homework model, the students practice their math facts (currently multiplication) each night.  I just found these great self-grading timed quizzes from Fun4theBrain that I am going to let the parents know about for an extra way for them to practice their math facts.  They can fill in their name, take the test, then print out the results.

I might also have this as an activity during our weekly computer lab visit.  If they don't pass a particular level, they can take it home to correct or complete.

I found this site while blog stalking 4th and 5th grade happiness.  She has a lot of great resources, so be sure to visit her blog as well! :)

Birthday Celebrations in the Classroom

I love throwing Birthday Celebrations in my classroom! It doesn't take a lot to make your students feel special and goes a long way in growing relationships with your students!

Here are a few ways to celebrate classroom birthdays with your students:

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase using one of my links, which helps to support the blog.  All opinions are my own and I only promote brands and products that I have used myself and truly love.  

On each child's birthday I force ask them to wear this crazy birthday hat that I had picked up on one of our family vacations at Disneyland.  We then take their picture and sing to them. 

 I also give them a Smencil attached to a birthday balloon template that I got here from What the Teacher Wants.



 

1. Happy Birthday Wristbands

My students always love wearing bracelets and wristbands, so these birthday wristbands are a great gift that will let everyone know it is their birthday!

2. Birthday Pencils

If you are worried about your students having reactions to the  scented pencils, you could get these Happy Birthday pencils instead.

3. Birthday Crowns

These birthday crowns will help your student feel like royalty on their birthday!  They can wear them the whole day and then take them home to carry-on the celebration!

4. Birthday Color By Number Worksheets

I love using Birthday Color By Number Math Fact Activities during days when my students have birthdays to make them feel special while also having ALL of my students practice their math facts! I have them available for multiplication and addition.

There are 8 different sheets included, so you can use one at a time and re-use them throughout the year so your students don't get bored.

5. Homework Passes

You don't have to spend a lot of money to provide gifts to your students.  Consider printing out no homework passes for your students to receive on their birthday.

6. Decorated Desks

Celebrate your students' birthdays by decorating their desk with streamers, balloons, or butcher paper.

What do you do to celebrate birthdays in your classroom? Leave a comment below to let me know!  

And before you go, head on over to enter one of our giveaways!

The Most Important Thing About My Students

One of the projects we worked on this week was a combination art and writing project.  We used The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown as our mentor text.

We copied the predictable text with the first and last sentence being the same.  The students used this pattern to write about themselves.  We also did a tear art project which required the students tearing paper to make a picture of themselves.  It was very tricky to not use scissors!

Here are a few of our creations: (Some of them really made me laugh)

Loving My New Classroom Name Sign from Hadar!

This little beauty arrived in the mail the day of our Back to School Night and I couldn't have been more pleased!  Hadar (a.k.a Miss Kindergarten) did an amazing job, and it perfectly matches my room decor!
You will definitely want to stop by her Etsy store to see some of her other creations!