Place Value Boot Camp!

Attention soldiers.. we are about to begin place value boot camp.  This camp will teach you the foundation for almost everything you will learn in Math.  You will refer to me as Sergeant G.  There will be no laughing, no giggling, no goofing off, NO HAVING FUN, and most importantly a whole lotta learnin' so put your place value game face on and salute your sergeant.. Can I get a YES MA'AM?!

OK,OK I didn't really look (or sound) like that.  I tried to pull off the whole ARMY thing but I couldn't do it.. I just laughed.  The kids sure did get a kick out of it though!

So I'm sure you've figure out by now that to start off the year I have been taking my kids through place value boot camp!  (Actually I started off using our textbook before I gained my senses and decided that it was just too awful to use- Switching 5 weeks in? NBD)

I got the idea from a Teacher Tipster video.  Have you seen his videos?  Love them!  Here was my inspiration...

I pulled the whole "I don't like candy" except mine was "I HATE ICECREAM!"  ooh, you do? I'll remember that! To which they replied "HEY you tricked us!!" OH yes, you never know when Ms. G might getcha! muahahaha

We have been learning all about Hundreds, Tens, Ones and what they mean.  They are becoming experts.  Today one of my teammates came in at dismissal and told me about a game that her kids LOVED today (for comparing numbers).  I decided to make cute little recording sheet for it to share with you! (Note: I have NO idea where/who she got this idea from or if she made it up.  This idea is not mine, I just created the cute little sheet to go along with it!)

The game: Throw it in the Trash!

Rules: Roll a die 4 times.  Try to make the largest number you possibly can by placing the digits each time you roll.  You can throw only 1 number in the trash so choose wisely!  Once you've finished, compare it to the number of the day.  Is it Greater than, Less than, or equal to the number of the day? (Choose a number like 300 and have them compare each of their numbers to it!) We're going to make a fun little alligator to remember "Greater Than" and "Less Than"!

Click {here} to head on over to google docs get the game board! (Hint: Laminate for days and days of use without wasted paper!)

 

 

...Said No Teacher Ever

Have you seen this video that has been circulating around the little old world of the wide web?  It cracks me up so thought you might enjoy it too! :) Head {here} to watch it.  What else can you think of .. "Said no teacher ever?"

I love it when you come in late and interrupt my lesson! -Said No Teacher Ever

I really enjoy all the free time I get to spend to do whatever I want... Yea, said no teacher ever.

Smile!

Waay back in January I blogged about some Smile moments that I showed to my kids every Friday during Morning Meeting.  You can read about those smile moments {here}.

Basically what our "Smile Moments" are is a video/comic/picture that is meant to make the kids laugh or smile.  It's a great way to de-stress from the week and just have some good ole plain fun. Last year, this was one of my kids favorites things of the week and they looked forward to every Friday.  It is quickly becoming this year babies favorite thing, too!  In fact, one Friday we didn't do it and all I heard all morning was, "HEY Ms. G!! Where was our smile moment??"  Awe dang, forgot to find one. 

Well, I want to save you the stress of finding videos/comics that are kid appropriate! Here are some of my favorites...

Love, love, LOVE this one!! Kids loved it too.

I don't know what is about Annoying Orange. I think he is just annoying, but the kids love him so I throw him in every once in a while.

These babies make me laugh..

This one never gets old...

This laugh is contagious and will put a smile on anyone's face!

And who can resist Mishka?

If you have never showed a "smile moment" you should definitely consider.  Just once a week is enough.  The kids look forward to it & you will get a good laugh too! 

Back to School Sale!

Thanks for Beth @ Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs for the adorable graphic!

It's that time of year y'all!  Everyone is gearing up for Back to school (unless you are like me and will be going into week 6! Yes, Week 6! I can hardly believe it.) and with the Back to School season comes TPT's amazing back to school sale!  Mine and Justin's store will be on Sale, 20% off today through Tuesday.  Sunday and Monday 8/18-8/19 you can put in the promo code "BTS13" to get an extra 10% off.  That's a whole 28% off!  Stock up now while you can get these amazing deals.  

Here are a few items in our store that might help you this year (Both k-2 and 3-5 products- Click on the picture to head on over to the product)...

**Best Sellers**

         

Organizational/Goal Setting

Conferring Forms                                    Weekly planning

for Math and                                    For Reader's Writers,

Reading Workshop                           and Math Workshop

        

Homework Goal Sheets

Newly Added

Maximize your morning meeting time by incorporating vocabulary and language instruction. This product includes printable to create a morning meeting interactive bulletin board for Word of the Day, Idiom of the Day, and Expression of Feelings Word Wall

Reader's and Writer's Workshops

Use this product to introduce the writing process with your K-3 kiddos

Use these products to launch Reader's and Writer's Workshop with these popular products for your 3-5 kiddos!

    

And use this best sellers to help your 3-5 students write amazing Personal Narratives

Math

Establish your "Norms" in math with these posters for grades 3-5.
 They'll help students to attend to the Common Core Mathematical Practices all year long.

 Help your kids learn to make sense of Math Problems (Common Core Math Practices #1) with this product for grades 3-5

Here are a few more Math products to help you implement the Common Core in your classroom...

3-5

     

K-2

CC Math Practice Task Cards

Phew.. That's quite a bit but didn't want to miss anything that might help you have a successful year!  Wishing everyone a great start (or continuation) of the 2013-2014 school year.  

Giveaway..Ends tonight!

I can't even explain the exhaustion I am feeling right now (if I could it would be a great example of "Show Not Tell" that we are working on in writing!)  Exhaustion is why this blog of mine has been Teacher-less.. but hopefully I will be back soon.  For now I wanted to let you know...

Casey over at Second Grade Math Maniac is having a killer 10 days of giveaways to celebrate 1,000 followers! Insane.  I can't even imagine how long it look her to put it together.  Anywho, I am part of Day 2's bundle and it ends tonight at midnight.  Head on over to enter & don't forget to drop by each day for 7 more days to enter for all of the goodies you could win!

Blogger Meet Up.. SO MUCH FUN!

I had SO much fun this past weekend at the Carolina/Georgia Blogger meet up in Greenville, S.C.  I was so excited to get away from my little town and see more of the Carolina's and I must admit that Greenville is beautiful! I can totally imagine myself living there.  So much to do, see, and enjoy! :) Unfortunately I don't have many pictures- but I'm sure Ginger over at GingerSnaps will have some up soon! We ate, we danced, we laughed, we shopped... you know, we did what girls do!

Friday night we met at The Lazy Goat which is a delish little Mediterranean place downtown.  It was so much fun sitting with and meeting Kerry, Emily, and Lauren.. who are just as awesome as I had imagined! Or maybe just a little more awesome...

After dinner we headed over to Jack and Diane's Dueling Piano Bar.. If you ask me there wasn't much "dueling" going on.. but that didn't bother me.  It was a super neat place and the musicians were fab!  Anything with music is OK with me!

Then Saturday early afternoon Tammy (Life, Love, Literacy) and I headed downtown to do some exploring before we met one last time for lunch at Chicora Alley.  Another delicious meal with some wonderful ladies.  Then a few of us stayed for a little fun Scavenger Hunt put together by the lovely Ginger along with some shopping (of course!)  I was sad to to leave.. but now I have something to look forward to next year!

Here are all of the lovely ladies that I had the pleasure of getting to know!

Brooke from Whooo's in Second?

Sarah at Education Electrification

Diane at Fun in Second Grade

Heather at Room 4 Imagination

Elisabeth at Twins, Teaching, and Tacos

Amber at Adventures of a Third Grade Teacher

Natalie at Teachery Tidbits

Kim at Thanks to a Teacher

Kris at The Poole Pages

Brandee at Creating Lifelong Learners

Courtney at Second Grade Snapshots

Ginger at GingerSnaps

Rachel at The Tattooed Teacher

Elizabeth at Fun in Room 4B

Ashley from Primary Teacherhood

Tammy at Life, Love, Literacy

Emily AND Kerry at Third and Goal

The Charleston girls - so jealous of your location and loved talking with you at lunch.  I say we have next year's meet-up in your zip code! :)

Lauren at The Sweetest Thing

Jeannie at The Second Grade Surprise

Lana at 4 The Love of Teaching

Amanda at Teaching Maddeness
A HUGE thanks to Amanda for hosting and putting this whole thing together!  I had a blast and I know everyone else did.  We all really appreciated the work you put into it!
Until next year ladies...
(OK I'll still be blog stalking you... but that's no different than before!)