MEGA Birthday Celebration!!!

This whole month my friend Beth from Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs (you might recognize her cute stuff from EVERYWHERE, including my products) is having a birthday celebration and giving away TONS of amazing prizes!  This week I am featured along with some other 3rd-6th bloggers in the prize bundles.  If you would like a chance to win one of these bundles check out all her details below!

 

Click on the image to take you to her Facebook page

 

"Up for grabs this week is almost $400 worth of goodies from 40 fabulous individuals! I'm trying my best to group grade levels in bundles and this week will be 3rd-6th. This giveaway will be held by Rafflecopter. There is be a total of FOUR WINNERS this ...week; 1 Winner Per Bundle. The winners will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter. All giveaways will end on Thursdays at 8:30PM. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!"

RAFFLECOPTER LINK HERE: https://www.facebook.com/ZipADeeDooDahDesign/app_228910107186452

WEEK 2 GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
WEEK 2 BUNDLE 1

1.) Classroom Compulsion ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Classroom-Compulsion

2.) The Teacher Studio ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Teacher-Studio

3.) Learning Lab ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Learning-Lab

4.) Joy of Teaching ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Joy-Of-Teaching

5.) Lessons with Laughter ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Molly-Maloy

6.) Create-Abilities ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Create-abilities

7.) Maneuvering the Middle ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Maneuvering-The-Middle

8.) Nicole Rios ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Nicole-Rios

9.) Confessions of a Teaching Junkie (Winner's Choice) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Confessions-Of-A-Teaching-Junkie

10.) Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Designs ($10 Amazon Gift Card) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Zip-a-dee-doo-dah-Designs

WEEK 2 BUNDLE 2

1.) Amy Alvis ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Amy-Alvis

2.) Teaching with a Touch of Twang ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Teaching-With-A-Touch-Of-Twang

3.) Horizons ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Horizons

4.) Mrs. O Knows ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mrs-O-9150

5.) 4th Grade Frolics ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/4th-Grade-Frolics

6.) Beach Sand and Lesson Plans ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Gina-Coniglio

7.) Education to the Core ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Education-To-The-Core

8.) The Extra Energetic Educator ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Extra-Energetic-Educator

9.) Primarily Au-Some ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Primarily-Au-some

10.) Kristen Smith ($10 Amazon Gift Card) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Kristen-Smith-48

WEEK 2 BUNDLE 3

1.) EduKate and Inspire ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Edukate-And-Inspire

2.) One Sassy Teacher ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/One-Sassy-Teacher

3.) Danielle Knight ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Danielle-Knight

4.) The Learning Center (Winner’s Choice) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Learning-Center

5.) Where the Wild Things Learn ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Where-The-Wild-Things-Learn

6.) Speechercize and Gluten Free ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Breana-Orland

7.) NC Teacher Chick ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Monica-Parsons

8.) Erica Butler ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Erica-Butler

9.) Teaching Momster ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Krista-Mahan-Teaching-Momster

10.) Fabulous 4th Grade Froggies ($10 Amazon Gift Card) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Fabulous-4th-Grade-Froggies

WEEK 2 BUNDLE 4

1.) Powerpoint Gaming ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Powerpoint-Gaming

2.) Figuratively Speeching SLP ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Figuratively-Speeching-Slp

3.) Brooke Beynon ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Brooke-Beynon

4.) Zanah McCauley ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Zanah-Mccauley

5.) Elyse Rycroft ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Proud-To-Be-Primary

6.) This Little Piggy Reads ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/This-Little-Piggy-Reads

7.) Mom2punkerdoo ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mom2punkerdoo

8.) Teresa Kwant ($10 TpT Store Credit) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Teresa-Kwant

9.) Jennifer Jones ($10 TpT Store Credit)
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Hello-Literacy

10.) Kate Wintuska ($10 Amazon Gift Card) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Catherine-Reed-The-Brown-Bag-Teacher

What are you waiting for?!  Click on the link above for the Rafflecopter and enter for one of these terrific bundles!  Good luck!!!

And the winner is...

Many have entered but there could only be one winner!

And the winner of the GeoModel Everday Folding Shapes is.....

Congratulations Rachel and thank you everyone for entering!

 

All week long my girl Leigh over at The Applicious Teacher has been doing an A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. teacher appreciation week giveaway.  And by amazing I mean TONS of new goodies each day.  Click on the button below to take you to her blog and work your way backwards all the way to the giveaways on Monday.  There is still time to enter all the different giveaways and keep your teacher appreciation week going a little bit longer!

 

 

I hope you all had an amazing week and a Happy Mother's Day tomorrow!



Teacher Appreciate Geometry GIVEAWAY!!!

Finally!  It is finally here!  I have been sitting on this little nugget for weeks... MONTHS!  Now, I finally get to blog all about it.  EAI contacted me and asked me to review one of their products earlier this year.  Well I jumped on that in a heart beat because I absolutely love all the EAI products I have ever bought and I am like a kid at Christmas time when I get their catalog in the mail!  One thing that caught my attention above all else was their GeoModel Everyday Folding Shapes.

As you might remember, this is the first year I am teaching math and I wanted to make sure this would work great for my kiddos this year AND next year when we transfer over to the Florida Standards (very similar to Common Core).  Well wouldn't you know it... IT DOES!

Point for EAI.

Here is the blurb that EAI Education has for their product:

Help students see that the 3D geometric shapes they study surround them in everyday life! This set of 8 jumbo, transparent 3D shapes (Hexagonal Prism, Cylinder, Cube, Triangular Prism, Rectangular Prism, Square Pyramid, Triangular Pyramid, and Cone) has removable bottoms that allow students to insert and remove any of the 26 durable folding nets to transform them from ordinary shapes to everyday objects like a can of dog food or a piece of cake. This 10cm set includes 25 full color Question & Answer Activity Cards. Cards measure 2"H x 3"W. Also includes an activity booklet with reproducible task sheets.

 

 

I started off by using the models as an introduction to 3-D shapes.  It was perfect for my kids to relate their background knowledge to what we were learning in math and my visual and kinesthetic learners were in heaven!  They knocked this concept out of the ball park and I know it was in part to being able to explore with these.

 

 

Inside each durable plastic shape is a net of a real life item with the same shape.  Even though there are only 8 plastic shapes, there are 26 everyday object folding nets included as well.  I am going to be honest and tell you that when I first saw these nets I was very skeptical.  I just knew that within minutes of my kiddos getting their hands on them, they would be ripped apart.  Well I was wrong and couldn't be happier about that!  They are not made out of regular paper like I assumed when I first saw them.  I don't really know what the material is but it is more like a durable smooth plastic meets paper but still flexible without breaking...  Any way, whatever it is, it holds up!

 

 

Point for EAI.

 

Along with the task cards, nets and shapes you get a handy dandy activity booklet that comes with four other stand alone activities and answer keys for everything!  You will have to scan the worksheets from the book and print them out, but it was easy!  I printed them out on cardstock and ended up laminating them for longer use.

 

 

 

All in all I am thoroughly pleased with this product!  So much so that I passed it around to my team and we even used it for FCAT math rotations.  It was perfect because it helped some of the students who needed a deeper understanding but it was also adaptable to our kids who needed the enrichment.  it was all there in one nice package!  I used all the different activities in class and then set it out in our math centers for rotations afterwards and this was always something the kids went back to.  Now usually I am one to say, "You've been to that station three times before, try something else!" but I don't have to because there is so much to do with this set that even by their fourth visit to this center, they might just be finishing up the task cards!

 

Okay, here is where I go rogue...!?

 

By no means did they ask me to do this but I have to tell you anyway!  I have two other geometry goodies from them that I use to introduce/review skills and keep them in my center stations.  I LOVE them and suggest you add them to your collection!

 

1. Exploragons - I have a teacher set that comes with LOTS of task cards with varying levels of difficulty and a couple student sets.  I cannot say enough good things about these!  They help with EVERY aspect of geometry!

 

 

2. GeoModel Folding Nets - I have a couple sets of these and they are very similar to the item I reviewed today.  The activities are a little different and there is no real life example but always nice to have on hand!

 



 

Since you read through ALL of that (and because it's teacher appreciation week!!!) I wanted to give you a little something.  I whole heartedly believed in this product so much that I emailed them to ask if it was okay if I bought a set and did a giveaway with this review.  Well she immediately emailed me back and said they would be happy to provide the giveaway for free!  So it is your lucky day y'all!  You have the chance to enter to win your own set of the GeoModel Everyday Folding Shapes!  All you have to do is enter in the Rafflecopter below and wait (patiently, which is not my forte, lol) until Saturday when I will reveal the winner!!!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you are having a fabulous teacher appreciation week and are enjoying all these wonderful sales, giveaways, freebies, and just all around good vibes about what we do and why we do it.  It might only have a fancy title for one week out of the year, but know that I really appreciate all of y'all the whole year through for everything you do for me.  Your ideas and support are what get me through the tough teaching times and I just wanted you to know that I appreciate it and you!
 

Spring Clean-Up Blog Hop

Welcome to the Spring Clean-Up Blog Hop!  When I think of spring cleaning I think of getting rid of all of the old junk I don't use anymore and cleaning up what I do still have.  The same applies to my classroom as it does my home (because let's face it, my classroom is my second home).  While going through closets and cupboards and binders and books at school I started to reflect on how the year went and things that I wanted to "clean-up" for next year. 

 

Today I will be sharing how I plan on "cleaning-up" a huge cluster of a mess in our class that I like to call technology.  It's not the equipment... it's all the websites and passwords and usernames galore that my kids and parents have to remember.  After the 15th website, they all start to look the same!  I already have myself organized and after what feels like the 100th time of, "I don't know my password." or "Where can I go to help Johnny study for his test?" I knew I had to do the same for my kiddos!

Here is my life saver!  This is my log-in folder.  It is just a plain old file folder and on the right I stapled in notebook paper (that's where I have all my county websites and log-ins) and on the left are address labels (my non-county but educational website log-ins).  I know some people are probably having a coronary right now that I put all these username and passwords in one place but there is nothing here that if someone got ahold of would get me in trouble or any damage could be done.  Without this though, I would forever be changing passwords!

I knew my students needed something similar but not as extensive.  I created a very simple log-in sheet that was easy for them to fill out and answered all of their parent's questions.  I put in "subject" because a lot of parents weren't sure what particular websites were for or how they helped their child.  Not only did my kids not have this information at home, they didn't have it at school either!  I knew I would have to have a copy as well for those forgetful days or new students who haven't quite mastered all the passwords yet.  I will make a copy for each student and put it under their tab in my data folder.  Click on the image below for your FREE COPY.

Let's take this one step further!  All that to be said, I have found the PERFECT website that will make my life, my student's and their parent's lives so much easier!  Have you heard of Symbaloo?  I stumbled upon this greatness a couple months ago and L.O.V.E. it!  Symbaloo is essentially like creating your own desktop full of the icons you want for your classroom and your students are able to access it from home!  So instead of my kids having to remember the 15 plus websites they have to log on to at school, they only need to remember ONE.  Once they are at our classroom Symbaloo page, they can access all the websites they love and they use to help them study from home.  Symbaloo also gives you the option to create "webmixes" which I like to refer to as category boards.  I have one for each subject and am in the process right now of making one for each unit in science!

Next year when we are learning about the environment, the kiddos will be able to pull up a plethora (fun word, right?!) of websites based on that unit to help them study and enrich their thinking.  It's perfect for research projects, web quests and so much more!  Watch this video below about Symbaloo, it does a much better job of explaining than I do!  And did I mention it's FREE!?!?!?

I hope you found this useful and are gathering a bunch of great cleaning tips! Don't forget to enroll in our giveaway for a TPT gift card (it's perfect for the upcoming sale)!  Check some other great ideas at your next stop with Kelsey from Aloha to Kindergarten!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by!