Post-It Notes: For quick assessment

I love Post-It notes. I use them all the time. One of my favorite ways to utilized post-it notes is to use them as exit tickets. It's a quick and easy formative assessment. I prefer using post-it notes over creating specific exit slips for two reasons. The first is that I hate photocopying. I will do anything to avoid it. Second, there have been too many times where I have prepared an exit ticket and not made it through the entire lesson leaving the exit ticket useless. When you use post-it notes you can quickly create and update what is asked at the end of the lesson.

I used this problem at the end of our lesson on multiplying decimals. The students could use the strategy that they preferred. This student used repeat addition

This student drew a picture to prove his answer.

This quick assessment shows me who "gets it" and who doesn't. I put a star on the paper if the problem is correct. If there are mistakes, I make the corrections. This does not take much of my time and it gives the students personal feedback that they love. 

Do you use exit tickets at the end of your lessons?

Pick 3 - January Pinterest Favorites

January is the time of year for new beginnings. A time to reevaluate and make changes. A time to get rid of what is not working and try something new. January's Pick 3 Pinterest Favorites is the great resource to help you find some great new ideas to use in your classroom. I am linking up once again with PAWSitively Teaching  and Inspired Owl's Corner to give you some inspiration. My picks are below.

I discovered this idea months ago and wish I had started using it right away. I can't tell you how many times I collect an assignment and then end up calling out names to figure out which students still have not passed it in. This will be particularly helpful when collecting permission forms that trickle in over several days.

Click here to connect with original pin

I don't know about you but no matter how many times or how much I purge my classroom I always appear to be busting at the seems. These ideas will help you get organized in the new year. I so need to make the bookshelf curtains to hid all my stuff.

Click here to connect to original pin

I have wanted to do this writing assignment for some time now. My plan after the holiday break is to first read The Snow Globe Family by Jane O'Connor to my class. Then my students will write about what it would be like to live in a snow globe. Finally they will complete these fun displays to highlight their creative writing assignment.

Click here to connect to the original pin.

Do you have pins that would be great to use in January? Link up below.

Be sure to check out all the other great pinterest ideas below.

An InLinkz Link-up

Spark Student Motivation: Post It Notes and Spelling!

I am linking up with Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching for her Spark Student Motivation Saturday!

My son has always struggled with learning his spelling words. We have tried all different "tricks" over the years to help him. This year he has two weeks to study his words and his test are on Mondays. Ugh! There always seems to be so much time to master the words and then before we know it, it's Sunday night and he has barely mastered a third of the list.

So when my son came home with a few study suggestions from his teacher, I knew I just had to share.

My doorways and cabinets now look like this.........

The idea is to put the spelling words in high traffic areas. Each time your child passes the word, they stop and spell it. This way they are constantly reviewing their words.

My son's teacher also taught him to use an aerobic component. When he stops at a word, he spells it aloud and does hand signals based on how the letters fall on the line.

He raises his hands up for letters that touch the top line (b, d, f, h, etc).

Hands on hips for letters that only reach the middle line (a, c, e, m, etc.).

Hands touch toes for letters that go below the line (g, j, p, q, etc).

I can't recommend these two methods enough. Even before he arrived home with the scored spelling test, I knew it had been successful. Monday afternoon after his first spelling test using this method I arrived home to find new post-it notes replacing the old ones. He felt so confident after his test, he wanted to get started on his new list immediately.

Days later he arrived home with his spelling test - 100%!

How do you spark motivation when it comes to studying vocabulary words?

My Favorite Things Blog Hop!

I am so excited to be involved in this amazing blog hop that Laura from Where the Magic Happens has put together. 

First, let me start by telling you about some of my favorite things.

I love coffee but I try not to drink it every day. So when I do have a cup, I want it to be good, really good. Dunkin Donuts is my favorite coffee shop. I drink decaf coffee and many other places have such a limited selection of flavors in decaf. DD never disappoints. I love treating myself to one of their many seasonal flavors. Pumpkin Mocha is my current favorite! Since I love DD so much I will be donating a DD gift card to the prize package below so one lucky winner can enjoy DD too!

My all time favorite treat to make over the holidays is sugar cookies. This tradition has become even more fun now that I have children of my own to share it with. We then deliver the cookies to our neighbors and friends. We, of course, make sure we save some for us too!

Here is the link to my all time favorite sugar cookie recipe. 

I am sure I have said this before but my all time favorite school supply is Post-It Notes.

I use these for everything. I use them for exit tickets, summarizing, my shout out board, book discussions, the possibilities are endless.

Lastly, I would like to share my four favorite items from my TpT store. They will be 50% off from December 7th - 14th. They are currently my featured items at my TpT store. I use these products all the time in my 5th grade classroom. My students love them.  You can also use #myfavoritethings2014 to search on TpT for all the 50% off items available in this blog hop.

If you click on the picture it will take you directly to the product and you can see a full description as to what it includes.

If you click on the picture it will take you directly to the product and you can see a full description as to what it includes.

If you click on the picture it will take you directly to the product and you can see a full description as to what it includes.

If you click on the picture it will take you directly to the product and you can see a full description as to what it includes.

Enter the contest below and then hop on over to the other great blogs participating in this fabulous event!

Because we value our followers and wanted to treat you to our favorite things Oprah style, we have put together the best giveaway of the season! My bloggy friends and I welcome you to the best, biggest, most cheerful event of the season:

7 winners for 7 prize packs!

Come and enter the giveaway and check out my bloggy friends' favorite things:



a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

Pick 3 - December Pinterest Favorites.

If you're looking for great holiday ideas for your classroom you have come to the right place/linky. PAWSitively Teaching  and Inspired Owl's Corner have set up this great linky to help you find what you are looking for. My three favorites are below.

Last year I made these adorable penguins with my class. They are an easy holiday project that my students loved. See the step by step directions here.

Click on image to view original Pinterest link.

I plan on making these cute Rudolphs for my students. I can't wait to see their faces when they find them on their desks. You can find the directions here.

Click on image to view original Pinterest link.

I think this would make a charming classroom door. The snowman can be left up all through the winter. Go here to find the details.

Click on the image above to view original Pinterest link.

Now hop on over to the other blogs and check out their great Pinterest finds. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Cyber Monday Sale!

It's that time of year again. TpT is having their annual Cyber Monday Sale!

My entire store is 20% off today and tomorrow. Add the promo code TPTCYBER at checkout and get an additional 10% off your purchases. It's a great time to get all those items still on your wishlist. Happy Shopping!

The 14th Goldfish and Kidblog (Update)

On October 6th my students and I helped kick off Global Read Aloud by starting The 14th Goldfish  by Jennifer Holm. You can check out my first post here. My students loved this story and enjoyed connecting with another classroom in New England.

We used Kidblog to connect to our blog buddies and it was an amazing experience for my students. Reluctant writers posted and commented from home at night. My students that excel in ELA have a venue to expand their thoughts and share ideas they wouldn't normally do in the classroom. Shy students who normally don't share in class commented on classmates blog posts.

I wish I could share our classroom blog but my school requires that only our two classes have access to the blog posts.

The 14th Goldfish is a great read aloud. If you decide to use it in your classroom, here is the link to Jennifer Holm reading the finally chapter of her book. There is also a Q&A with Jennifer here.

What are your favorite read aloud books?