BEST NEWS!! & Rockin’ Resources, Part II

July 26, 2012

First and foremost,
I GOT MY JOB BACK!!!!!!!!
At my school, teaching first grade – THANK GOD (hardy, har, har).
But seriously…. I was so beyond excitement that I finally went out school shopping today and spent way too much money.. shh.. don’t tell Parker…
YAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAYAYYAYAY!!!
Phewf… now I am so excited to share with you my top 5 resources for the upcoming school year!
My dearest friend, Kelley, is doing part deux of this awesome linky AND she is even having a giveaway. Now, you can read our bloggy love story in her latest post… but this is how we “met” and I am so excited for someone else to get to win her rockin’ resources – they are seriously awesome and I can’t wait to use them in my class!

Onto mine:
{1}
FUN!
Is this a resource?
I don’t know, but I guess I mean FUN learning materials and activities!
Something like these funky witch-lady fingers for tracking your reading (these were from Kelley!)
http://distilleryimage11.instagram.com/9ef183fad6a511e1b0c912313b089111_7.jpg http://distilleryimage11.s3.amazonaws.com/f3811ceab3ec11e1a9f71231382044a1_7.jpg 
or like learning about bugs and making these fun bug eyeglasses:
http://distilleryimage6.s3.amazonaws.com/91c1d37ab8a911e1abb01231382049c1_7.jpg 
Whatever the tools, I like ’em FUN & engaging.
{2}
Kagan!
Our school is a *Kagan* school so I have been lucky enough to attend 2 national Kagan conferences and present the information learned during staff development days. The name of *Kagan* isn’t exactly what matters most, more the idea behind it all.
Kagan is all about getting your kids UP and moving and talking all.the.time.
This just happens to go perfectly with my teaching style because I am all about moving, talking, working together, blablabla you get it.
All us awesome teachers already do these things, but being a *Kagan* school we have names for all these structures. If you want to know more there is a powerpoint I found [here] – I did not make this, but I looked through it and the information is correct!

{3}
Singing & Dancing
Whether I am singing, having a spelling “dance” party(yeah, we dance out our words), or playing music on the computer, there is ALWAYS music on in my classroom. I actually wrote about one of my FAVORITE brain breaks using music during a guest post on Stephanie’s blog (here)!

P.S. – I won a bunch of CDs from Intelli-tunes created by Kelley’s dad, Ron Brown, that I cannot wait to use next year!!!
 

{4}
MAD LIBS!

proper noun + verb + adjective + color word = silly story & students who are giggling so much they don’t even know they’re reviewing important concepts?!?!?!?!
Teacher success!
This website has some kid friendly printable ones & I love this scholastic book for fun math mad libs!

<SPAN STYLE=
[It says for grades 2-3, but with Common Core I could use them towards the end of the year for great practice and extension]

{5}
((Fun)) Manipulatives!
I use manipulatives for EVERYTHING!
So instead of the sameeeeeee olddddd boringggggg counters, I love to switch it up!
I have buckets full of small, colorful manipulatives!
Thank goodness I don’t teach the real little youngin’s [choking hazard nightmare!]
I let my kids and their partners choose whatever manipulative their feelin’ that day… choices, choices, choices… it’s funny how something as silly as this gets the students excited before they even start their activity!
Here are few classroom favorites:
 

Yeah…. we use popcorn on special occasions!

That’s all for tonight!

Go do a happy dance, have a drink for me, or give me a high-5 through the computer screen because I got my job back!!

Oh, and obviously link up with Kelley so I can see YOUR rockin’ resources!

 

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  • GIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL . . . can you feel the vibrations over in NV?? I am seriously jumping up and down over here in Cali for you. That school of yours made a heck of a decision today . . . what a loss you would have been!!

    Thanks oh-so much for linking up with my sorry bum! Yours was an absolute delight to read. What I would give to team teach with you, buddy!

    Hugs, hugs, and MORE HUGS! Thanks again and congrats!!! I miss you 🙂

    Kelley Dolling
    Teacher Idea Factory

    Reply

    • It is so easy to catch onto and the kids really do love it! Again, its a little silly with all the different "names" of each structure… rally robin, round robin, timed-pair-share-robin…. ahhh! But once you get the hang of it you'll see a big difference in your classroom!

      Reply

  • What great news to wake up to!!!! Congratulations!!! What a great feelng!

    We are working on the button, so I will let you know when it's up and running!!! 🙂
    Maria

    Reply

  • I feel your relief, last term I nearly lost my job to a forced transfer (a permanent person being moved into my position which is a contract position). Here in Australia we are only half way through our school year, so I would have had to leave all my kids in the middle of their learning!!! Thankfully I have a Principal who was willing to go in to bat for me and I am able to keep my job for the rest of the year.
    Congrats!
    Tania
    Mrs Poultney's Ponderings

    Reply

  • I love everything on your list! I have those green (I call them creepy fingers), and the kids love to read with them! The boxes of manipulatives in my room are a favorite too! I have a container of seashells that the kids love, and it's great to see the different things they can do with them.

    Congrats on your job!

    Logan
    Coffee for the Teacher

    Reply

  • Well it's about dang time!!!!! Seriously, SOOOO very happy for you Susan!! You deserve to keep your job and I'm just sorry you had to wait this long for that call. And I'm *thrilled* that you're staying in 1st!!

    {HUGS}

    ❤ -Stephanie
    Falling Into First

    Reply

  • Did you go to Kagan in Disney??? I went 6 years ago and actually met some teachers from Vegas now that I think about it! Most likely not you but still fun!

    Reply