Use It or Lose It

We do a lot of assessing...I mean A LOT of assessing in my district.  Sometimes I think we do so much assessing that we don't have time to teach the stuff we are assessing on.  I'm sure most...if not all...of you can relate.  Because a lot of 2nd grade assessments are done 1:1, I am always in need of something to keep the other 23 kiddos busy.  I made this little  worksheet "activity" to be done after 20 minutes of independent reading.  This buys me a good 30 minutes of quiet time to assess skills.

This is pretty basic and EASY to differentiate.  On my grade level I started using the term, "Use or Lose" whenever I share something.  I don't want anyone to feel that my feelings are hurt if they don't need it, want it,  or if it's just not their style.  (YES! I do belong to PPA--People Pleasers Anonymous.)  Anyway..."Use or Lose" has kinda stuck with us when anyone sees something cool they want to share.    

Find 5 Words

So, I hope you can use, but feel free to lose it if you can't.

Together for Our Kids,

Denise

Freebie--Back to School Fun!

I LOVE tying read-alouds into just about everything I can!  I really enjoy reading aloud to my class and if it covers a topic I'm trying to teach--even better because it makes my work  job a little easier.  ("If you love what you do, you'll never have to "work" a day in your life"---right)

I like to read Pictures From Our Vacation by Lynne Rae Perkins, the first week of school.  I love this story.  It reminds me of my own family vacations.  I also read this story again through out the year, because it is a great way to teach visualization AND I believe it is also a picture book recommended in the book No More, "I'm Done" by Jennifer Jacobson.

You may have seen this idea on a past post of mine.  This freebie isn't anything really big, but it is an activity my team and I like to do at the beginning of the year.  I've cutsied it up a bit.  So, here it is.  If you have any questions about it, please let me know.  If you have any suggestions on how to improve it--let me know.  

Click Here or on the picture to get this download.  :)

Together for Our Kids,

Denise

Freebie for 100!!

I’d like to be all casual and say something like…”I haven’t been on the computer in the past few days, and now I have 103 followers”, but I would be lying…You see I’m ALWAYS on the computer and ALWAYS checking my blog to see if I have a new follower.  {I'm my own blog stalker--is there such a thing?}  A big “Thank Ya!!”  goes out to Third in Hollywood who was my 100th follower.  Head on over to her Super Duper Blog and follow—You will not be disappointed. 

Along with having 100 followers comes with a bit of stress for me.  Now I’m going to have to have some sort of contest giveaway {to pay it forward to y’all wonderful, supportive new teacher friends who’ve shown me so much love}.  Here lies the “FREAK OUT”.  I am horrible for finding just the right thing.  What am going to give as a giveaway?  As my son use to say when he was a bout 3 and had the CUTEST speech, "Hmmm.  Let me tank."  I’m going to let the ideas simmer for a couple of days before I decide on something.  Until then, here’s a freebie to say "Thanks a Bunch!" 

This freebie isn’t anything really big, but it is an activity my team likes to do at the beginning of the year.  Thanks to Scrappin Doodles and DJ Inkers I’ve cutsied it up a bit.  So, here it is.  If you have any questions about it, please let me know.  If you have any suggestions on how to improve it—let me know. 

You teachers out there are just too darn inspiring and I need you to stop it—You’re making me look bad!  JUST KIDDING—Don’t stop!  You are so inspiring—Keep it up!  Teachers really are the best people.  Thank you all for sharing your wonderful creations and inspiring me to attempt to follow in your footsteps.  You’re opinions of my work really matter to me!

Summer Vacation Writing
Together for Our Kids,
Denise