Did someone say SALE?

I don’t usually post twice in one day, but I just had to let you know about the FABULOUS SALE going on tomorrow and Wednesday! In case you haven’t heard, Teachers Pay Teachers is having a huge teacher appreciation sale May 7-8 and everything in my store as well as many other stores are going to be at fabulously reduced prices. So if you’re like me and like to take your time shopping then get a head start by taking a look tonight and loading all your goodies onto your wish list. Then swing on by tomorrow, switch your items to your cart, enter PROMO code TAD13 when you go to check out, and BAM watch the savings roll in. It’s that easy… So don’t waste a second more and click on the picture above to take you to TPT!!!! Woo Hoo…

XOXO,

Summer’s almost here!

Can you smell it? The summer is only 21 days away… Unbelievable how ANOTHER year has gone by. Is it just me, or does it seem that every year goes by faster than the one before it?

At the end of every year, I like to reflect on what worked and didn’t work and then begin planning for the upcoming year. So I’ve decided to dedicate the next few posts to sharing what has worked for me and my 3rd graders. Feel free to jump in at anytime with a comment or to share an idea of what has worked in your class.

What has been an absolute time saver for me on numerous occasions this year has been my Parent Letters packet.

At the beginning of the school year, I print out a few copies of each letter (usually 10) and keep them inside of clear page protectors in my Parent Contact binder. Then whenever I need to let a parent know that their child is not prepared for class, has excessive tardies, has had behavior issues, etc… I simply take out the corresponding letter, sign it, and hand it to the student. It’s as easy as 1,2,3…

 

I can’t tell you how many times I have been thankful to have these letters on hand. With the hustle and bustle of our day, I usually don’t  have time to stop and write a letter to parents or even worse… I end up forgetting and remember on my way home. I can’t tell you how many times that has happened to me before I decided to create a set of ready made letters.

I also just finished revamping this packet to make it printer friendly and changed some of the graphics as well. So you now have the option of colored or black/white letters. It’s up to you and your printer :0)  In addition, I’ve decided that I will continue to add letters to this packet throughout the year at NO additional cost. The best part is that I would like your input.

So PLEASE take a sec. to look at what’s already included in this resource and let me know what else you need or would like to see. I’d love to hear from you…

Thanks so much and come back soon because I have a FREEBIE in the works!

XOXO,

Calming the Chaos

Welcome to the Calming the Chaos Blog Hop hosted by 2peasandadog.
All of us bloggers have come together to share our top tips for making the last month of school run smoothly. Visit each of our blogs to learn something new and catch a freebie or two!
Happy Hopping

I don't know about your students, but my kiddos have been a bit RAMBUNCIOUS (AKA-wild) to say the least! It's as if right after testing finished all of the rules we learned at the beginning of the year just flew out the door right along with our testing books.

So in an attempt to Calm the Chaos, I have decided to introduce a Critics Corner in my classroom. Since my students absolutely LOVE listening to read alouds, that is what we will be doing with the books above. (To grab yourself a printable copy of the list above simply click on the picture.)

Their is a twist though... because my group is quite opinionated, they will be critiquing the stories. They will write out their reviews on the sheet you see above and give each story a 1-5 star rating. (Grab your free copy by clicking the picture.) Of course they will need to explain their ratings. At the end of the day they will also have an opportunity to share their book reviews in our Critics Corner.

If you'd like more ideas on how to Calm the Chaos in YOUR classroom, then simply join 2 Peas and a Dog for her Calming the Chaos Blog Hop.

XOXO,

Calming the Chaos Participants

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Fun MOOD lessons Guest Post: Come see…

I am over the moon today because I’m guest blogging over at All Things Upper Elementary. If you’ve yet to discover this collaborative blog head on over and check them out. My post today is all about teaching students about mood using MUSIC, CARICATURES, and WRITING! Head on over right now to snag yourself 3 FREEBIE lessons on mood that are sure to keep your kiddos engaged and motivated. Take a look at my sneak peek…

Click on the image below to see the post!

XOXO,

It’s the FINAL ROUND…day 4

Close your eyes…and listen… do you hear what I hear? Can you hear the choir of angels singing

Halleluiah!

Halleluiah!

Halleluiah!

I’m definitely hearing and feeling them. Especially since today is our LAST day of testing!!!!!!! My kiddos have been doing their best and trying their hardest, but you know what…these past 3 days are starting to take it’s toll on them. So needless to say, I am over the moon that today is finally here.

And with the arrival of our final day of testing comes our last day of motivational notes. (Insert sad face here) I’m going to miss seeing 21 brightly colored positive messages on my student’s desk every morning. As you can tell from the colors on my blog, bright colors make me happy. Seeing all these brightly colored notes, with such wonderful messages written on them has brought a smile on my face for the past 4 days. The thought of knowing that today is going to be the last day of notes brings tears to my eyes. I know that my children are going to be sad to see them go as well…

Well, before I get too emotional let me show you what today’s messages look like…

XOXO,

MELISSA

Testing: Round 3

Today is day 3 of testing and we are moving on to the Math portion of the test. Here is this mornings sneak peek… (Once again, thank you to  Ginger Snaps for the small red notes!)

Good Luck!!!

XOXO,

Melissa