FREE 2013-2014 School Calendars

Sorry everyone,
Not very wordy today.  Busy working on school stuff while the girls are in dance camp.  I'm getting sooooooo much accomplished. Here's my alternative to buying a desk calendar.  So essentially, I am saving myself five dollars and YOU!   So here's your freebie!  I hope you enjoy.  Please leave a positive feedback after you have downloaded.  I appreciate it.  Thanks- Tara

 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/2013-2014-Blank-School-Calendars-788647

This is what you need!!!! Zap that Tattle Telling right away!!!

Are you getting your procedures ready for the next school year? 

Have you seen that LONG tattle telling form and thought... That's a lot of paper?  or My students are not going to fill that out?

Here is the solution for you.  I have used this in my classroom for 11 years and now I have fancied it up just for YOU... My special blog followers... because I have no linky for late Tuesday night :)

I have a index card box I continue to file these in throughout the year for documentation.  However, I am not allowed to work in my classroom at all this summer... so I can't show you a real picture.  Here's what I made for you and for me. 

I used scrapbook paper to make a larger pocket card, I'm sure you all have seen this on pinterest.  I also will laminate and locate nearest the door.  You will be surprised how many students drop off notes at the beginning or end of the day.  They just slide them in while no one is looking. 

Students can write their notes on any scrap paper, I have never used this form before, but these were the requirements for the notes.  Make sure you envelope dips down a little in the front so you can see when notes are in there.  Students will normally fold or hide their note away from other kids reading it. 

So if you want to eliminate tattling in your class, what are you waiting for????  (those are my daughter's cute little owl stickers :P

Here's the link to this freebie:

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Alternate-to-Tattle-Telling-form-For-good-and-bad-764267

This form is great for students to relay a multitude of different messages to you from great/private/announcement news to personal problems in class, or other areas of their life. It also serves as a wonderful form of documentation if you file them all in one area. Students put the form or a blank paper in the envelope when they have a chance, teachers read as soon as possible and handle it according. ZERO tattle telling in class. This has been the most wonderful thing in my classroom, so I thought I would share. Other teachers talk about students blurting out, shouting, just plain tattle telling at recess in the hall, etc.... NOPE, not me, students know to fill out a short form. Waaa lah! I hope you enjoy. 

And I have a new grant on DONORS CHOOSE if you could consider donating to an IPAD for my class.  Thanks everyone:)
http://www.donorschoose.org/project/wed-love-two-ipads-for-interactive-lear/1012989/

I would love your feed back and anyone who wants to follow for more great freebies!!!!  Nighty night wonderful blog friends.

~ Tara

American Revolution Common Core Lesson Freebie, Maniac Monday Linky

I'm so happy! Another Manic Monday Classroom Freebie with Charity Preston!  I'm so thankful for everyone that has time to host these parties!!

I am also happy that these Linky Parties keep me working on making free things for my classroom for me and for YOU!  I would love to hear your feedback on what you like or what I can improve.  I love to make things better.  ALSO, thanks to everyone who links up awesome things, I really appreciate it!

So here is my AMERICAN REVOLUTION COMMON CORE LESSON!!!! 
I love it and can't wait to use it!  I also can't wait to see what you think!!

So here's my freebie.  If you need a more clear copy, you can download it at my TPT store for free!
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/American-Revolution-Common-Core-Report-with-Rubric-750804


Remember, I would love if you follow my blog or TPT store, I make freebies all the time for my awesome followers!!!! Muah! Have a great night!!!

~ Tara

Bio Poem Must Have- Freebie Till August!!!

 

I hope you LOVE< LOVE< LOVE this FREEBIE and I HOPE you FOLLOW< FOLLOW< FOLLOW ME!

Well, I don't have a linky to post this ... yet.  Until then, only my amazing followers will have the chance to snatch this freebie up! 

I love doing bio poems each year.  They are so much fun and easy once they get the formula down.  But, don't let that word formula think it's not creative writing.  They have to think of plenty of adjectives, places, spaces, infer character wishes and desires before writing a bio poem.

Here's what the unit includes and I'll make it a freebie until August. 

(I have to say honestly, I thought I would always post free stuff on my blog, however, North Carolina is not a fan of Public School Teachers and it continues to get worse each year.  Now they are discussing taking master pay off FOREVER!  Of course if you have it you will be grandfathered in.  Me- well...
I decided to take a load of Environmental Education Courses (no pay raise)
and.... wait for it....

Yes, worked on my National Boards for three years (maximum time allowed before starting over)
And I will tell the world, came within 5... FIVE POINTs of pass, which is all you need for a 12% pay raise.  Hind sight is 20/20, I should have worked on my masters first... oh well.  But I have let all that go... I love what I do and have a blast doing it.  I can't understand why our state cannot invest more in children.  The result is seeing amazing teachers leave the classroom for higher paying jobs or leave the profession altogether.  Frown face :( I have confidence things will turn around for NC! I just hope it doesn't come at a greater cost of seeing it hit rock bottom first.  )  I say all that, to say this.  I try to sell my stuff super cheap so teachers can have what they want.  I know personally, as much as I love those $20 packets, I can't afford to buy them all the time.  Yes, this is my late night ramblings.

I'm sorry you had to read all that..... BACK TO THE FREEBIE!!!!

Here is an all inclusive unit for creating those amazing bio poems.  It includes lesson cards where you can guide your students through a lesson on the prefix bio and other prefixes and suffixes. 
Also includes three different form styles you can choose from. 
A sheet to guide your students through making a bio poem
Activities for how to incorporate bio poems in reading, writing, or social studies stations.
And YES a rubric for those difficult writing grades, it also helps students see what they are accountable for.
15 Great pages to use with your class
Four form choices
Lesson cards
Activity Cards
Examples from the NOVEL: Number the Stars (a protagonist and antagonist perspective)
I hope you enjoy and if you need any forms created to go with this set, please let me know and I will create them and add them to the bundle for YOU! 


Here's the link again: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bio-Poem-Unit-Must-have-for-reading-and-writing-745669

I really hope you love this as much as I love teaching this unit.  Students can also use it all year with book projects or history figures. 
Nighty Night!
~ Tara

Writer's Workshop Phase 1

Create New Writer's Offices

Check AND here's a freebie for you!  (PS... Please-oh-please-oh-please follow me!  I have great stuff to share all the time!) 

I love MONDAY LINKY party with 4th Grade Frolics!!!!!

The first page has three options: Two different background colors and a blank...
WHY blank you ask...
I will tell you!
Because I like to buy beautiful stationary paper for a dollar or two and not burn up my color printer. 

But YOU might have a color ink cartridge to burn up,
so print on baby,
print on!!!

Here's what they look like and the plan that ultimately goes on the back of the folder.  I laminate the writer's offices and allow the students to work their plans with a wipe off marker.  Also, I will include a picture of how they can work this plan into a regular sheet of notebook paper.  And wah-lah!  An instant writing plan for any paper!

Oh, and how could I forget.... Common core goals at the bottom of the page!!  Yah-baby, you know you like that!!!! 

So here's the link and don't forget to follow my TPT store as well for freebies!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writers-Workshop-Freebie-742967

Nighty- night!!!

~ Tara

Monday Made it with Tara

Happy Monday,


The final countdown.  4 days for the kids... 9 days for me!!!!!  I have so much organizing to do!!!!

I haven't been able to quite locate a topical thinking chart I can use in my reader's notebook.  So, here's a freebie.  I hope you like!

I'm linking up with Tara at

 

For a Monday Made it LINKY!

My oh my, these linkys are so much fun!! 

To save paper I print two to one sheet of paper so they can glue them in their reader's notebook.

~ Tara

Frustrations = Free stuff for YOU!!!

Happy Friday to YOU!!!!!

I'm easily frustrated with people that choose to be NOT NICE!  I really don't know how people decide to be mean and unhappy all the time?????? 

I want to change them and make them see how fun it is to be NICE and look on the bright side... etc, etc, etc. (I'm pretty sure you only use one etc) HA.

So in an attempt to turn this topsy-turvy world into a better place...Here is a free character sketch!  Made by me :)

At UNCW a student presented a really cool character analysis from a novel with a stickman note taking.... needless to say.  Over eleven years, I have tweaked it to be my own baby.  I have added and taken away so many times.  I think this is the poster I currently have up.  It is my goal as a novel evidence task they would draw their own character and add the elements they want and use this as a guide.

Success.... My students have absolutely loved this and their artwork is so unique.  They add so many different descriptions, details, and illustrations/symbols from the story.  I love this activity and I hope you do too!  You can download it on TPT @  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Character-Sketch-Notetaking-Final-Book-Evidence-711280

Please leave a positive rating if you love it!!!!  I really appreciate it!! Or if you have suggestions on how to make it better just comment below and I can reload the document or email it to you. 


Have a great weekend. 

I would love to hear how you use any character sketches in reading/writing/ social studies...

Cheers~ Tara

Genetics FREEBIE

Hi Everyone,
 
Are you so excited it's approaching summer? I am!!!!  I'm working on getting a bunch of teaching activities out there I have been working on this past year.  It has been a busy but wonderful year in fifth grade.  I have had the best-est teachers to work with!  They have embraced my mild ADHD (LOL, extreme), grammatically challenged, and hyper, laughing, nonsensical self. 
 
Here is a hereditary sort that you could use before teaching genetics or after to help them explain what they know. 

 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Human-Body-Heredity-Sort

First, we viewed  http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/human-body/heredity.htm, science, human body, then genetics or heredity.  Then the students had to discuss each of the cards and decide if they were learned behaviors or inherited traits.  Enjoy and have fun.  Just a few more weeks and all teachers will be working on rejuvenating themselves for the next year. 

I would love to hear you comments on what you like or think I should change. 

Everyone who leaves a comment and or is a new follower in the next week (before 5/11), I will give you this unit for free when I post it on teachers pay teachers.  It includes experiments, probes for introductory thinking, six human body systems, cell unit, and genetics.  Each unit also comes with a multiple choice tests with answer keys that help prepare students for Common Core assessments in fifth grade science.  Hope to hear from youz guyz soon!

Chow ~ Tara