Christmas in JULY! #dollarsale


I am teaming up with some of my Indiana blogging friends to have a DOLLAR SALE! whoohoo!  Here is what I have on sale for $1 in my store...
                      

                       



I hope you get the chance to check out everything that is on sale!



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Daily 5: Chapter 3

First things first, a HUGE shout out to Brenda from Primary Inspired for hosting this amazing book study.  I love daily 5.  Not a little crush...we are talking real Bachelorette style love, people.  *I also love trashy reality TV like The Bachelorette, but that is for another day. * :)

When I started daily 5 in my classroom it changed the way I taught.  I was a new teacher struggling to manage my reading block.  I'm sure you know the battle...reading workshop, Debbie Diller stations, seat work, oh my!  Which one do I choose?  What is BEST for my students?  I hated the feeling of being constantly behind in creating centers for my kiddos to complete.  Centers, lets be honest...are they really fostering a love of reading?  I was having this internal battle on a daily basis until I discovered daily 5.  It changed me.  I was less concerned about occupying my kids with busywork while I worked with small groups and MORE concerned with developing engaging small group lessons.  My friends, that is the way it should be.  No more lamenting stations every weekend...Hallelujah! 

Fast Forward to Chapter 3...The 10 Steps to Teaching and Learning Independence.  Independence.  How can elementary students be independent.  It happens and let me tell you it is a beautiful, beautiful thing!  In their new book, The Sisters have layer it out into 10 easy steps.  Each step is unique and important to the process.  With that said, one thing I've learned thru the "daily 5 journey" is that I KNOW my kids better than The Sisters do.  Although I absolutely LOVE daily 5, I'm going to do what I feel is right for MY kids.  With that said, work on each step as they have outlined for us.  But at any point if you think..."you know, I really think my kids would benefit from xyz." DO IT...you are an educated professional.  TRUST your INSTINCTS! 

Here is the breakdown of The 10 Steps to Teaching and Learning Independence.


One of the most important steps is Step 3, creating an I-Chart with your class.  You may think it seem redundant and completely ridiculous to go over these behaviors over and over again, but I promise you...it is not.  Create an I-Chart and find a prominent place in the classroom to display it.  It is a great reminder for your kids to see throughout the school year.

Coming together as a group to "check-in" is a great way to have a group discussion and build community among your students.  It is never too early to teach your kiddos how to self-reflect!  Here is a visual to help your kiddos reflect.




If you have not already, I would highly recommend purchasing the Daily 5 book.  This is just my OPINION about Daily 5.  Buy the book, read it, and let me know what YOU think!
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Summer Fun GIVEAWAY!

Hi, friends!  Today I am happy to share an awesome giveaway with you that my friends and I over at A Spark of Inspiration put together!  It's a summer fun prize pack and it is FULL of lots of goodies!  When I saw the Mary Kay Andrews book, that sealed the deal for me.  BEST.GIVEAWAY.EVER!  To enter, complete the Rafflecopter below.  Good luck!  *U.S. residents only.*





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Bulletin Board Solutions #idon'tliketowastetime

What do you do with all of the cute projects or fantastic stories your kiddos write?  Does it go something like this?  Staple, try to remove without completely destroying the project(which consequently causes tears...lots of tears) or cutting yourself in the mean time, staple and repeat.


Well friends, if that is you I am about to make your life a lot easier.  Closes pins.  Yep, using clothes pins to hang student work verses staples has saved me a lot of time and headache!  Go ahead, add up how much time you spend stapling, un-stapling, then stapling again...it adds up!  And well, ain't nobody got time for that!  

Here is what I do...


Until next time!

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Daily 5 GIVEAWAY!


CALLING ALL TEACHERS!!  


If you have already implemented daily 5 like me, but haven’t read the 2nd edition or have never read the book, NOW is the time!  An online book study begins June 20th.  The BEST news is that we are giving away FIVE copies of the book before it begins!

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Find the Gold FREEBIE Hop!

Thanks Abby for that awesome freebie!

I’m sure you have heard by now, but we caught the leprechaun and grabbed his pot of gold!  I was hoping for a million dollars, but we got the next best thing…FREEBIES!

Those of us here at Spark love YOU so much that we are sharing.  All you have to do is click that pot of gold down at the bottom of each blog post to follow the circuit.  When you get back here, you’ve gotten them all!

I’m sharing my Listen to Reading Response Sheets {Spring Sampler}.  This is a quick and easy way to hold your kiddos accountable during listen to reading.  The best part?  The kids LOVE it!


It’s time to hop on over to your next stop!


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My Teacher, My Hero, My Mamaw



Hero…wow, that’s a big word.  

Those are big shoes to fill…hero.  

My teacher hero was one of the most loved teachers I have ever met.  She was the perfect mixture of kind, stern, loving, empathetic and the list goes on.  She was loved by many.  Many teacher awards were given in her name.  Learning was FUN in her classroom.  

Yes, she dealt with parents, unruly children, work place drama and standardized tests.  But she loved her kids.  After all, they were HER kids.  Not only did she love them, but she cared for them, fought for them and had high expectations of them.  She was a great teacher.  No, she was the BEST teacher.  The type of teacher that I strive to be.  

I was never in her class, but she taught me many things.  She taught me how to play, read and write.  She taught me how to be a lover, warrior and fighter.  She taught me how to be a Godly women and a wonderful wife, mother, daughter, friend and teacher.  She is my hero. 

Today, as we are reflecting on our heros…I’m thinking about the best woman I’ve ever known.  

My teacher. My hero. My Mamaw.


Who is your teacher hero?

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A Spark of Inspiration Blog Hop

A BIG thank you to Abby from Third Grade Bookworm for sending people this way!


All of us from A Spark of Inspiration are so excited to debut our fresh new look and name that we are having a fun blog hop.  Make sure to hop through each stop, grabbing a FREEBIE at each blog, until you get all the way through and follow us along the way.  Check out the rafflecopter below for a change to win one of our fabulous prizes!


And now, what you have been waiting for…your next freebie!  Click below to grab my Let’s Write {WinterSampler} from my tpt store!


Click below to hop on over to see Matt from Digital: Divide & Conquer!


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