IB PYP Student Unit Planner

A few years ago I started teaching in an International Baccalaureate school.  I was thrilled to be jumping into a new adventure.  Teaching in a PYP programme for the first time was both exciting and terrifying. I wasn't unfamiliar with the IB, but I was by no means an expert!

I immediately began to see a need for some IB supports in my classroom, not just for my students, but for me as well.  After teaching the first couple of units I felt like I wanted my students to have some organizational tools to help structure their understanding.  Being a bit of a Type A control freak I also wanted a wanted a place for students record, store, track and reflect all in one place throughout our Unit of Inquiry.

Fun With Place Value

We are having so much fun with our giant magnetic foam place value blocks this year! I have to give a shout out to my teaching partner's son for having started making these on his mom's board after school, and giving us the inspiration for this great place value idea! This simple activity has my students so excited each morning.

Make Global Connections With The Dot!

Make a mark! Isn't that a simple, but fabulous message? In Peter H. Reynolds' book, The Dot, he tells a fabulous story of an encouraging teacher who helps a young student to find the confidence to express her creativity and to make a mark on the world.

I fell in love with this book, and used it as jumping off point for our How We Express Ourselves unit. It could not have been more perfect.  Did you know there is even a super catchy song to go with it?

Parent Volunteer Thank You Gift From The Heart

This year I found the perfect idea for my parent volunteer thank you gifts and I am so pleased with how they turned out!  I am always looking for ideas that aren't too expensive, or impractical, and that really show our appreciation.  

Ideas for Inquiry With Artifacts

I am pretty excited to share my new post over on Classroom Tested Resources this month.  With a few days to go we are just finishing our Where We Are In Place And Time unit. This guided inquiry with artifacts was how we kicked off our exploration into the different ways people tell their personal histories.  Hop on over and check it out and be sure to download this freebie if you decide it's a lesson you'd like to try!

Teacher Appreciation Giveaway and Sale

Teacher appreciation giveaway going on right now!  Have your heard?  Teachers Pay Teachers is having a teacher appreciation sale starting tomorrow?  Guess what? To appreciate you even more I am giving away two $10 TPT gift cards!  Enter my giveaway today.  A winner will  be randomly chosen and notified tomorrow morning.  Be sure to remember to use the coupon code: celebrate when making your purchases!

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Show and Tell Tuesday: Fun Favorites

It's time for Show & Tell Tuesday with Stephanie from Forever in 5th Grade again! Check out my favorite bulletin board along with a few other of my current favorites. 

This is one of my favorite boards in my classroom.  I need to take a better picture for a more detailed post in the future, but I'll give you the basics now.  Each petal of the flower lists student names. Each square icon indicates which center station the students need to go to.  I rotate the flower with every rotation. Icons are attached with Velcro and there is simply a push pin in the middle of the flower!

Show and Tell Tuesday: The Little Things

On the blog today erasers, pencils and comfy shoes! I am linking up again with Stephanie from Forever in 5th Grade  for a little Show & Tell Tuesday to share some little things that bring me great joy!

Recycled CD Spinners

These recycled CD spinners are so easy to make and super fun! They are great way to creatively reuse old CDs and marbles.

You Need:

• One old CD
• One marble
• One bottle cap
• Assorted Sharpies
• A glue gun 

Show and Tell Tuesday

On the blog today we've got shaving cream, laminating, doodling and pancakes!  Sounds like fun doesn't it? I am linking up with Stephanie from Forever in 5th Grade for a little Show & Tell Tuesday. 

I've been using shaving cream to clean desks forever! It never fails to be a fun filled afternoon that leaves the classroom not only looking, but also smelling clean.  My students had tons of fun expressing their creativity for awhile before we had to wipe it all away.  Tip: Get your shaving cream at the dollar store.

Creative Reuse: Snowflakes

Howdy y'all! So as you can see going back into the classroom after 16 years has seriously cut into my time to blog and create product.  The good news is I've got lots of things to share if I can ever find the time post about it.

Here quick fun project I did with my students before the break that would be a fun one to do in January also.  You can make some great use of of Christmas catalogs and wrapping paper too!

One of our units this fall focused on sharing the planet and we spent a lot of time discussing how our actions can shape the future.  For 2nd graders much of the conversation revolved around recycling and reusing. Our current unit focused on creativity as a tool of expression and thus this project beautifully tied both units together!

All you need for this is a pile of old catalogs, some colorful junk mail or even used wrapping paper. I opted to use my gazillions of Christmas catalogs.  I tore out the most colorful pages and then used my paper cutter to trim them square.

My inspiration for the idea came from this fantastic pin from the blog Michele Made Me.

I also used the printable from this pin to teach  my students how to fold and cut properly.  We did a practice round on white paper and I used these decorate my classroom door.  Then, students went to town with my stack of catalog squares.  Everyone made at least two.  We glued them to white construction paper to make curtains for our cubbies for our Creativity Cafe....which I will hopefully find time to blog about soon!

Holiday Cookie Hop: Mexican Wedding Cookies

I've always known these to be called Mexican Wedding Cookies, but I've discovered after a few years on Pinterest that they go by many other names. Italian Wedding Cookies, Snowballs, Southern Pecan Butterballs, and Russian Tea Cakes are just a few of the names I have heard them called.

No matter what you call them, they are truly simple and crazy delicious!  My kind of cookie!  I am not an elaborate baker.  As a matter of fact, the kitchen and I are not great friends.  I do however have a few things I love to make and these have become a holiday tradition in our house.

Carving Out Our Futures- Red Ribbon Week Door Decoration

We needed a simple quick idea for our Red Ribbon Week Door Decorations.  We went with the theme "Carving Out Our Futures". I gave each student a half sheet of orange construction paper and had them tear out a pumpkin shape. You should have seen their eyes go wide when I said no sketching and no scissors!

My monthly post is up on Classroom Tested Resources today.  Be sure to check it out for some fun pumpkin ideas for art and literature that can be used in both October and November!

My New Favorite Time Saver - Symbaloo

Have y'all tried Symbaloo yet?  I am loving it! It's a great time saver and super handy too. To find out more about it be sure to check out my post today over at Classroom Tested Resources!

Back in the Classroom Again!

Yipes! While I never completely left the education world, I have not taught in my own classroom for 16 years! That is a crazy long time.

So here I am about to wrap week #4, and as you all know the exhaustion level is high. To complicate matters, my father passed away the first week of school. I waited to travel to be with my family until after curriculum night. So I wrote 3 days of sub plans and my back to school night presentation simultaneously!

Getting To Know The Teacher

Howdy y'all!  Sorry I've been MIA.  In case you haven't heard I returned to the classroom for the first time in 16 years!  I had 2 weeks to set up my room before school started and much of that time was filled with PD.  As you can imagine it's been a bit crazy around here.

I do have a short post up today over on Classroom Tested Resources about a new first week of school activity I tried this week.  Be sure to pop on over there and check it out.

I do hope to find time to post more soon!  Good luck all on the start of a brand new year!

Do Pirates Teach?

My post on Preparing to Teach Like a Pirate is up on Classroom Tested Resources today.  Be sure sail on over and check it out matey! 

Summer Vacation: New Orleans

When my girlfriend from California told me her girls were playing in the USA Volleyball Jr. Nationals in New Orleans this summer I knew we had to make the trip. We are in Texas and it's a lot closer to NOLA than it is to CA. Besides, we'd never been to New Orleans and neither had they, so we could explore it together. Plans were made.  We would meet them in NOLA for some sight seeing, memory making and volleyball!

You should note that that was the extent of our plan. You should also know that going anywhere or doing much of anything without a plan is generally unheard for me.  I deserve points.  Lots of them.

I lugged my camera everywhere and I did get a few opportunities for good shots, but we were on the go. I did the best I could and ended up using my phone when there just wasn't time for the "real' camera.

Balconies:

I could have snapped photos of the balconies all day long. Here are a few of my favorites.

Classroom Wish List

Be sure to stop by Classroom Tested Resources today to find out what I've got on my summer wishlist!  My list is growing by the minute! 

Be sure to follow my Pinterest Boards for more classroom set up finds!

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