Poem Building

Freebie Alert!

Okay, I want to share something awesome that I have been doing in my class for word work.  In poem building, you take a poem and write it large on sentence strips, then cut out each word and laminate them.  Then you mix them all up and the kids have to build the poem.  I have found that the kids feel a huge sense of accomplishment when they complete a poem!  It is a good idea to have poems for all skill levels.  I usually have 1 that has all the words cut apart and 1 that has each line separated.  This is a great activity for sight word practice, sorting words, finding compound words, etc.  The sky is the limit! So much fun!

One of my sweet students with a completed poem:

This is how I store the poems:

And now for the freebie.  I thought a Thanksgiving poem would be perfect for this time of year.  I typed the poem Five Little Turkeys so your kiddos can build it too!  Just click on the picture below to get it for FREE!

Follow this blog to be updated when I put out more free stuff! :)

Happy Poem Building!

Mandy L.

Upload Pictures From Your Cell Phone to Your Blog in 1 Minute!

A few weeks ago I uploaded a lot of pictures from our field trip to my classroom blog in just a minute!  If you still need to start a classroom blog please see my post How to Start a Classroom Blog to get started!  This tip has saved me tons of time in posting to my classroom blog (this blog too, but especially my class blog!)

Step 1: Download the Wordpress App or Blogger App depending on your hosting site.  I have both because I have a Wordpress class blog and a Blogger teaching blog.

Step 2: Once the app is installed you are ready to get started!

I LOVE this app because it makes it so easy for me to upload pictures to the blog. It is so simple for me to grab my cell phone, take pictures of a classroom project, the students working together, a field trip or special party, etc. and then upload them directly to my class blog.  TIP: Don't type out your whole post on your phone (it takes forever, believe me, I know!) Just title the post and insert the pictures into the post using the app. Next, publish the post.  Okay, it may take a little longer than 1 minute the first time, but after you get the hang of it, it will be speedy quick!  Then go online and edit the post with all of the fabulous things you would like to say!

Happy Posting!

Mandy L.

P.S. Check out my classroom blog here for inspiration!

How to Start a Classroom Blog

Have you been thinking about starting a classroom blog, but you aren't sure where to start?  I would love to give you some tips from my own class blog experience and start you on your blogging journey!

Step by Step:

1. Pick your host site.  Blogger and Wordpress are the most popular.  My class blog is hosted by Wordpress.  The dashboards are similar.  Con: Wordpress is less user friendly.  Pro: The app for Wordpress is WAY better than the Blogger app.  I downloaded the Blogger app to use on this blog and have had some issues.  (if anyone has any tips for me about the Blogger app...let me know!)  I love the Wordpress app because I can easily take photos on my phone and then post them very quickly to my class blog.

2. Set up your account (both Blogger and Wordpress are free).  I used my school email for my classroom blog.  After you confirm with your email, you can start setting up.  You will be prompted to pick a theme (mine is Twenty Ten, but pick what you like).  Go to your dashboard.  On Wordpress, you go to the title of your blog in the upper left corner, then choose dashboard from the drop down menu.  This is where you will do all of your customizing and adding of content.

3. I started by adding static pages to my blog so I can send it to parents before school even starts to give them an overview of our class and routines.  It is also a great reference if they forget a homework routine, they can go to the site and read about it.  If you are a visual person (like me!) and you want to see what I have done on my class blog you can click this link: http://mrslomaxsclass.wordpress.com/ The pages I chose are: About Mrs. Lomax, Curriculum, Favorite Websites, Homework, and New Posts.  To add a page to yours click on pages on the left hand side and then click add new.

4. Title your page and add the content, publish and...voila!  Classroom blog, check!

5. Adding a sub page.  If you want to add a sub page (like on mine where I have curriculum, if you go to that I have 4 sub pages--math, reading, writing, and science) go to pages and click add new.  Title the page (Science) add content like you are adding it to a normal page, then on the right hand side where it says "Page attributes" go to where it says "no parent" click on the drop down arrow and choose a parent page (for my science page, curriculum is my parent page).

Once you get your page set up then you are ready to start posting.  At the beginning of the year I sent the link to my parents and I asked them to sign up to follow me so that they will receive updates every time I post. 

Start thinking about how you could make this work for you (post newsletters, pictures, updates, schedules, etc.)

I know this is a long post, but one more thing.  I believe in sharing with other teachers as much as possible--we all work SO hard!  If you see something you like on my classroom blog, feel free to use it on yours, I promise, I don't mind!  I am looking forward to seeing your classroom blogs!  I think you are probably on information overload, so I'll stop here for now, but more tips and tricks to come in the following weeks.

Happy  Blogging!
Mandy L.

The Dot

If you haven't read the story, "The Dot," by Peter H. Reynolds, you should!  My first graders just loved it.  It is about a little girl who doesn't think she can draw.  Her art teacher tells her to just try and to make a mark on the paper. She puts one tiny dot and that is it.  The teacher examines her paper and says, "Now sign it."  Then the next day the teacher has her dot up and framed on her wall.  This inspires the girl to make LOTS more dots.  So cute and so inspirational!

In my class I gave the kids some square pieces of paper and they drew dots with marker (ooh la la--they love markers).  I told them they could create whatever they would like!  I also gave them some small squares to create when they were finished and they got to take those gems home.  So much fun!

Happy Teaching!

Mandy L.

Online Parent Conference Sign Ups---Making My Life Easier

In years past parent conference sign ups have always been problematic.  I usually have parents sign up at Curriculum Night because I generally have a pretty large group and can get a lot signed up at once.  This has worked fairly well, but I always had some parents who needed to reschedule because things come up and they were signing up so far in advance.   This year my team and I thought..."There has to be a better way!"

TA DA---ONLINE CONFERENCE SIGN UPS!

Maybe you have been doing these for years, but this was an epiphany for us!  I did some research and decided that Google Drive (Making a Spreadsheet) would be the best avenue for me.  Once my spreadsheet was created, I emailed the link to all of families.  They clicked on the link, entered their name in a time slot and they were done!  It took me about a week and half to get everyone signed up.  I only had to send one reminder email to a few families.  Some of the biggest pluses that I have heard from families are: being able to sign up at home where they have their calendar right in front of them, quick and easy, they don't even have to press save because Google Drive saves automatically, and not feeling pressured to sign up when 25 other families are there. Check out a picture of online sign ups below and you can decide if you want to make your own by following my step by step instructions.

To make your own spreadsheet:

1. Sign in to your Google account (if you have Gmail, then you have one)
2. Click on Drive at the top of your screen
3. Click the red "Create" button, then click spreadsheet
4. Google Spreadsheets are essentially  like Microsoft Excel, so you will need to create your spreadsheet how you would like it.  You are welcome to use my template if you would like.
5. When you are ready to email your link to parents you will have to click share in the top right corner and change the settings.
6. Where it says "Who has access" change it to "Anyone with the Link"-Once you click anyone with the link another section will pop up that says "Access: (Anyone No Sign In Required)  Can View"  Make sure you change the can view part to "can edit" or parents will not be able to edit the document.
7. Next click save
8. Now you just copy and paste the link into an email to families.
9.  Watch the sign ups begin! :)

I love that I will have this already for next year and I will just have to edit the dates and times.  What a quick and easy way to do conference sign ups.  It has sure saved me a lot of hassle!

Here is the link to a copy of my conference sign up sheet-I have it set up so you can just view it, not edit it.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgLqq-SInmwVdFl4THJhMDlkWmRKeC1TUkJOQm9ORFE 

Also, here is the initial email that I sent home to parents:

Hi Families! 

We are already in the midst of our 5^th week of school and I am enjoying getting to know your kiddos.  This is a fun group and I can tell we are going to have a great year.  It is time to schedule a parent conference so we can meet and talk specifically about how your child is doing in first grade and how we can support them in their education this year.  Our parent conferences will be during the last week of October and the first week of November.  Please click on the link to sign up online.  Any changes that you make to this document will save automatically!  This is my first time using an online sign up, so hopefully all will go smoothly.

Have a great day!

Mandy Lomax

---Insert Link Here---

I would encourage you to try online sign ups if you are thinking about it!  I hope this helps.

Happy Conferencing!

Mandy L.

Math Vocabulary Cards (Plus 1 and Plus 0)

At the beginning of the year in first grade we work very hard on adding one and adding zero to a number. It is always so interesting to see where students fall in their understanding of these. I looked for some vocabulary cards to show these concepts (because I am trying to keep up with the vocabulary section of my calendar binder!) and I couldn't find any. So made these simple vocabulary cards for my class.  I think it is important to give a good foundation of basic concepts to my students and these cards worked great when I introduced them.  I think that starting with something small has helped them to feel successful as well!

Click on the picture to get this freebie for your classroom too!

Tissue Paper Owls

Have you ever had so much to do during the last few weeks before school starts, but all you want to do is make cute decorations for your room?  No? Yes?  Maybe?  I will admit it.  This year, while I should have been getting my CAFE binder ready, I was crafting!  Silly!  My project did turn out cute though.  My philosophy is--if my classroom feels happy and beautiful, then my students and I will enjoy the atmosphere and we will feel even happier being there all day long.

 

I did a major classroom overhaul this year (thank you Pinterest!)  It was so much fun searching for the perfect additions to my room.  I did not pick a specific theme, but I did all my bulletin boards matching in a bright yellow and all of my borders are black with bright multi colored polka dots.   I made some tissue paper pom poms for my table group signs, which turned out very cute.  But, when I looked around my room there was still one sad corner that needed something special.  When I came across this adorable tissue paper owl tutorial from Little Sprout Creations   http://www.littlesproutcreations.com/2011/09/diy-tissue-pom-owls/Owls  I knew that I had found the perfect solution.  Check out my cute owls below. 

This is my favorite one...the spotted owl!

Happy Decorating!

Mandy Lomax

Neat Poetry Website

I am always trying to find interesting things for my students to do during computer lab.  Poetry is a really fun thing for first graders to practice and it always helps when they have a form or a guide.  I found a cool website where you can input the information for your poem and it will generate it for you.  This is great for younger students because it cuts down on the amount of typing they have to do, but still lets them have ownership over the poem. Note:  The difficulty level varies depending on which form you choose, so I think that you could tweak this to fit your needs in any elementary age classroom. 

Go to the site to check it out: http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htm

All of the different poetry forms are on the left hand side of the screen.  There are a lot, so you have to search to find what you would like your students to work on.  There are several good options.  I think the best ones are: All about me, biography, 5W, Cinquain (if you read Junie B., First Grader, Cheater Pants :-)), Holiday poem, I can't write a poem, list poem, name, septet (for older students), who am I, and Yes that's me. With my first graders I picked the Yes, That's Me poem.  I made a draft for students to complete before working on the computers.  Click the picture below to get the draft.

Online, the boxes you fill in look like this:

Then you just click the create my instant poem button and viola!  If your students highlight the poem and copy it, then then can paste it in Microsoft word to save, or you can just print it straight from that screen by right clicking and pressing print.

I did my own for fun.  :) Check it out:

 

Yes, that’s me
Look and you’ll see
My hair in a ponytail
My eyes with laugh lines in the corners
My arms doing the chicken dance
My hands giving a thumbs up
My heart full of love
I’m a mom, wife, daughter, and friend
I never give up
My friends are like my family
I live with my heart on my sleeve
I hope to live my life to the fullest
I dream of making a difference
It’s all clear as can be.
That’s positively, absolutely me

 

I hope you find this useful for spicing up computer lab.

 

Happy poetry writing!

Mandy L.