Creative Uses Of Hula Hoops

Saturday, January 24, 2015
I am always on the lookout for fun ways to reach my students...unfortunately too often these creative ideas mean spending more money! How exciting is it, however, when you find a great idea that utilizes items that you already have!  One go-to item that seems to get a lot of use in my classroom is a hula hoop.  I did not realize it until I pulled out this versatile little piece of play ground equipment for the second time this week, how many uses it can have.  Of course it is a favorite for recess time and gym time, but it can also be very handy during classroom instruction.  One of my first alternative uses for a hula hoop came a few years ago when I started using hula hoops for venn diagrams.  It is funny how simply turning this graphic organizer into a larger scale,  hands-on activity increases engagement of your class.  I have had students write their own ideas to compare/contrast with the hoop venn diagrams onto sentence strips or given them various pre-written cards to sort onto the hoops.  A great learning tool for so many age levels.

This week I used the hoops for two different purposes.  The first was to practice telling time.  With just a simple clock label printable and a hoop your students can practice telling time on a white board or outside on the concrete!  My students love to play a game where one student must draw a time card and reads the time to a partner, while the partner creates that time on the large hula hoop clock.  This simple activity is a great time filler or independent center.  I have included a free printable of clock labels and matching cards to enable you to create this game!  Simply click the link below:

Finally, I used hula hoops this week to give students a concrete example of division.  I have been introducing division to a group of special needs students and have already read and practiced sharing cookies along with the book The Doorbell Rang.  It was evident that my students still needed some time with real, tangible examples of division to go along with the "deal it out" strategy of division.  To do this I brought out the good old hula hoops again and had them create large examples of various division problems.  For example, if a student drew a card that asked them to solve 15 divided by 3 they would grab 3 hula hoops and 15 sharing items (we used erasers only because I had so many of these).  They would then begin dealing out the items equally into the 3 hoops to see how many each hoop would get.  Students finally copied the problem and answer onto a separate sheet of paper to use as a formative assessment.


I would love to hear more of your ideas on using hula hoops, or any other objects commonly found in classrooms for unique learning opportunities!   



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Finding New Ways To Excite Readers - The Tiger Rising

Monday, January 19, 2015
Nothing excites me more than finding a  book.  This summer, while in a quest to find engaging chapter books for my students I came upon the book The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo.  From cover to cover this book is a great story with so many teachable moments - with lessons on perseverance, friendship and family just to name a few.  I read it with my third grade daughter and she loved it!  Even in the summer months she was asking me if she could continue reading.  This is what I love...watching kids truly LOVE reading.  For this reason, I have made it a point to not end any of my book units found on my Teachers Pay Teachers store with any big test.  Instead, each book unit ends with a variety of end of unit projects and activities that allow teachers to choose what they like best, or differentiate and let students choose how they would like to show their learning.  For this particular book unit there are 4 different options available for the end of the story - check out the preview to get an idea for what you will see!


In this story a boy, Rob, who has struggled with friendships and sadness after the loss of his mother is bullied and misunderstood everywhere he goes.  He keeps himself shut off from the world as he follows his fathers advice to not show any emotion and keep your emotional "suitcase shut."  A new student in school entices his curiosity and seems to understand him more than most as she is also struggling with family and friendships.  The story progresses and these characters forge a secret friendship before Rob finds a caged tiger.  Students will find many parallels between this caged animal and the main characters.  From this point the story truly blooms as the friends begin to learn much  more about each other and themselves as they decide what to do about the tiger.

I do not want to ruin too much of the story as it really is a great one (and the end definitely has a twist).  All I can say is that boys and girls alike will love this story.  I loved it so much I decided to create a book study for this.  This book study includes a pacing guide, comprehension questions and printables for all 30 chapters, weekly focus skill activities (cause/effect, sequencing and character traits), weekly vocabulary study and end of unit projects.  Everything needed to start this story with your class right away!

This product will be offered at a special sale price of $5.00 for the rest of this month!  

 Tiger Rising Unit



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Liebster Award

Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Who doesn't love an award?  I am so excited to be nominated for the "Liebster Award" by 21st Century Kindergarten.  This award is for those new to blogging with less than 200 followers...with only 2 followers I guess I fit the qualifications!  I know I am very new at this, but I have loved my time blogging and before that I have learned so much from other teacher-bloggers.




1. Why and how long ago did you start blogging?
I started this blog at the beginning of this school year (in August 2014). The reason I decided to start the blog is because I have followed, read, and learned so much from other bloggers that I wanted to join in the fun and network with these great people!
2. What one word sums up the heart of your blog and why? 
Practical - I am all about real ideas for busy teachers!
 3. Is there something you learned late in your blog journey you wished you knew before?
 I am still so new at this that I feel I learn something new each day!  I feel far from an "expert" at anything related to blogging and am constantly looking for ways to improve.
4. What is your favorite past time other than blogging?
 Other than blogging, my kids (by which I mean my own daughters as well as the many "children" I have in my classroom) are my past time.  I love to spend time with them, watch them play sports and plan for future activities to help them grow.
5. How many hours per week do you dedicate to your blog? 
In general I spend about one-two hours on my blog. I hope to increase this time, but I have also switched positions this year (from regular education to special education) so there has been a lot to learn in the last two months.
6. What category of blog posts do you enjoy the most?
I love any blog category that can get teachers practical ideas to use in their classroom!
7. Where does your blog inspiration come from? 
My inspiration comes from my classroom, past teaching experiences (I have taught for 12 years in grades k-3 before switching to an special education position, k-6), professional development trainings, and new products!
8. Of which post that you have written are you most proud?
I loved sharing the reveal of my new classroom.  The switch I made this summer was a lot of work and I was so happy to see it all come together.  
9.Is there any post you have been planning to do, but have been postponing it for a while now?
I have lots of ideas and things on my "to do" list.  Each week I plan to post at least one new practical idea plus participate in linky parties and give-aways!
10. What is your favorite aspect of blogging?
My favorite aspect of blogging is how much it helps me grow professionally and personally.  I get to learn from the real experts in the field and share some of my ideas along the way.  
11. Which recipe, project, or idea on my blog would you be most likely to try yourself?  
I LOVE 21st Century Kindergarten's blog and ideas regarding their "News" project.  What a fun, real life experience students are discovering!  Definitely a great common core activity!

My Nominees:
1. Lisa TeachR's Classroom
2. Shelly Rees - Appletastic
3. It's Elementary
4. Teaching Tykes 
5. Malibu Mutts
6. Little Lighthouse Learners
7. The Elementary Professor
8. Momma With A Teaching Mission
9. Anchored In Learning
10. Magischool
11. C is for Creative Classroom
To those who have been nominated, here are the "official" rules for accepting:
1. In your post, link back to the blogger who nominated you as a thank you and "shout out." (Follow their blog if you haven't already!)  
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you (the ones I answered above).
3. Nominate 11 blogs of your choice that each have less than 200 followers. Provide them with 11 questions to answer or have them answer the questions above.
4. Let your nominees know that they've been nominated and provide them with a link to your post so that they can accept.
5. Send your nominator a link to your post so that s/he can learn more about you as well! (You can just put your post link in the comments below!) 
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Igniting A Passion For Writing

Sunday, September 28, 2014
Writing...an important skill that often makes teachers and students cringe!  How many of us have felt that writing lessons seem neglected or pushed aside to make room for more time teaching math and reading?  Have you ever heard the groans or felt the tension in your classroom rise at the first mention of writing time?  You have seen other classrooms and teachers who seem to love writing...how does this happen?  

I have felt this way too and have spent hours in professional development and researching best practices for writing instruction.  Writing is not a one hit wonder.  It is a craft that needs daily practice and students need the opportunity to be explicitly taught many skills to continue to improve.  One of the first hurdles we face, however, is getting our students engaged in the act of writing.  How can we inspire our students to love writing?

While I do not claim to know all of the answers to this incredibly difficult question, I do know some tricks that have helped in my classroom.  I have used a "Writing Workshop" method of instruction for many years (often in conjunction with the Daily 5).  I teach daily mini-lessons to help reach my classroom of authors and help them with their writing craft.  One of the first lessons I teach each year, however, is a favorite of mine.  To introduce writing workshop and to get my students excited about writing I read one of my personal favorite books, The Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk, aloud to my classroom.


This book is full of fun pictures and contains a great story to inspire your authors (I have used this story with kindergarten-4th grade!).  As the story begins you meet a mouse, Sam, who lives in a library.  Sam decides to begin writing books of his own and offers tip/ideas to help with writing as he works on his own stories(of of his first tips, for example, is to "write what you know").  As Sam finishes his books he places them in the correct section of the library - a great introduction to a variety of genres is also found in this adorable story.   


Of course the children and librarians who find the stories left by Sam fall in love with them and desperately want to meet the author. Sam decides to surprise them.  He decorates a box and hangs a banner from it that reads "Meet the Author."  This is where my favorite part of the book comes along.  Before reading the book to my class I use a shoe box or tissue box to recreate the box Sam uses.

I have this box sitting somewhere out of the way in the classroom (usually on top of a higher bookshelf or cabinet).  Inevitably when I get to the page of the book where the library opens and kids see this box a student will remark how they saw this same box in our room.  In my most surprised voice I guess that Sam must have come to meet us too!  I tell them that they can each peek into the box, but they have to promise that they won't scream so they don't scare Sam.  I also ask that they keep the contents of the box a secret so everyone gets a chance to see.  As a walk around the room and let students peer into the box their eyes and reactions tell it all!  Inside the box is not a mouse, or a picture of a famous author.  Inside the box is a mirror.  Sam wanted the children to know that THEY are all authors.  After each student in the class has a chance to see inside the box I finish reading the book.  

As you can see from this picture, Sam also has left pencils and books (made by just stapling blank pages together) for the children.  Of course, I have the same materials waiting to go on this day.  We discuss why sam put a mirror in the box and the students are so excited to share that THEY are authors.  I pass out books and tell them to feel free to write a story about WHATEVER they want.  We talk about the genres Sam introduced and tell them they can choose whatever style they want to.  We also discuss Sam's helpful hint that they can write what they know.  You will never see students so motivated to write!  It is amazing what folding some paper into a book shape can do!  For this lesson, it is not about the content of their stories, or conventions of writing...for this moment it is just to get students to feel confident and know that they have the ability to be an author!  

I plan to share more lessons and ideas to teach writing monthly on my blog!  I would love to hear your ideas for teaching writing!  Please feel free to comment below...How do you inspire your students to write?
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Happy TpT Birthday Simone...Let's Celebrate With A Giveaway!

Monday, September 15, 2014
Everyone loves a birthday!  Simone's Math Resources is celebrating 5 years on Teachers Pay Teachers with a  giveaway!  I have donated a $10 shopping spree to my TpT store along with many other teachers.  This adds up to a great prize pack!  Please hop on over to the giveaway!  Become a follower of my blog for extra chances of winning!  I have also included a link to my TpT store to start planning your winnings!  Good luck!

Giveaway Link

My Life At The Pencil Sharpener


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Finding Some Fun In Teaching Non-Fiction

Saturday, September 6, 2014
Teaching non-fiction, informational text, is such an important part of a teacher's life! While my students always LOVE to read these stories (which one of my boys this year described as "the ones where the animals don't talk"), comprehension can be difficult. I am always looking for and creating new ways for my students to excel at this essential skill. This week I am going to begin this journey by introducing non-fiction text features. To help with this I have created a "Non-fiction Detectives" sheet for use with any informational text. Students will look through the non-fiction story and find these features as they read.
You can go to my Teacher's Pay Teachers store to find more products to help teach non-fiction! Please link your ideas or add comments below on how you plan to find some fun in teaching non-fiction!
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Wordless Wednesday....To DOL, or Not DOL...That is the Question

Wednesday, September 3, 2014
I am so excited to be linking up today with Miss DeCarbo for Wordless Wednesdays!
For this week I am inspired by something my daughter brought home on her first day of school:
The DOL. I can't be too much of a hater...I have used it in the past. Last year, however, when I was lucky enough to be a part of an Ohio Writing Project grant we discussed the topic of grammar a great deal. It was debated that having kids constantly look at the WRONG way to write a sentence (although they are correcting them) may leave them only remembering the errors. I was convinced that I need to start a new way of conducting daily grammar practice, but I cannot come up with a good, go to way. So I ask... What does life after the DOL look like? Are DOLs really that bad? What could an alternative be? I would LOVE to hear your comments and suggestions! Happy Wednesday!
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