Thanksgiving our way!

After reading this cute story, we got HUNGRY! I told my students to think of what they would want if they could make their own Thanksgiving dinner. We made a class list of what we would have to buy at the grocery store (the kiddos came up with: cake, pepsi, Kit-Kats, strawberries). Then, they made their own list.  Click here for a  download of the shopping list.

Management Monday!

Do you have a student/child who just can't seem to get motivated to finish his/her work?  I do a "work chart" with my students who need a little extra push. I first meet with the student and their parents to introduce the work chart and explain how to do it (I invite the parents because they are always a huge part of the child's goal setting).  I tell the student that anytime they finish a task on time they can color in one square. When they fill in 10 they will get a special prize (I always find out what they love...Spiderman, Spongebob, Barbie's etc.) and I buy them something special.  Then we start over again...they get a new chart and they try to color in 10 more squares. After the 3rd chart, I add double the squares (so they have to get 20 tasks finished before a prize).  I notice that after the 3rd chart, they actually forget about the chart and just start finishing their work on their own. :)

Patterns!

Next week we will be learning about GROWING patterns and review REPEATING patterns.  We will make a venn diagram to compare and contrast the two types.  Then, we are going to go on a pattern hunt around the classroom.  I have 10 items around the classroom (which are numbered 1-10) and each student will walk around the classroom with their clipboard and decide if each pattern is a growing or repeating pattern.  :)

Click here to download the Growing or Repeating activity.

Books I love about Growing patterns:

 Books I love about repeating patterns:

Care Bear Card

Like most teachers, I worry about my students all the time. Especially lately. I have had some pretty sad things going on with my students at school. Some kids just have rough home lives, and various other problems/illnesses/stresses, that make me want to cry most of the time.

Today, I came up with a cute way to help these students feel cared for. It's the Care Bear Card!

The bottom says:

Keep this card as long as you need.

When you feel better, return it to your teacher;

or give it to someone else who needs to know they’re cared for.

I laminated mine and wrote on it with a Vis-A-Vis; so they can be reusable. I have included my blank template below that you are free to use!

Please leave a comment to let us know what you do to cheer up your students when they're feeling sad!

(I do not believe the care bear image is copyright, but here's the link.)