THIS BLOG IS CLOSING Soon

Hello bloggy friends!

Please head over to my NEW blog and follow me over there.  This blog will no longer be updated or checked for comments!

New Year, New Blog!

Good news, and bad news:

Bad News-Doesn't it always seem like they start with the bad news?  Teehee!  This blog will no longer be updated.  I am moving to third grade next year, so I started a new blog.  I have now learned that I really went about it the hard way, but I wouldn't have gotten to my good news if I would have taken the easy route ;o)  The bad news for me is that I lost all of my followers when I created my new blog :o(  So, please come visit my new blog and follow me there for updates this coming year.  I did transfer over all of my posts to the new blog, so you can still see your favorites there!


Good news-OMG, I am completely doing a happy dance right now!  I finally found a tutorial that showed me how to make my own blog from scratch!  I couldn't be happier!  You can do it, too.  Here is the link to the tutorial that I followed (I did do a little tweaking to make things work for me, and I DO have Photoshop, so that made it a little easier!)

Sooooo...you are all wondering about my new blog, right???  Well, I am excited to reveal my NEW BLOG, created completely from SCRATCH by mmmmmwwwwaaaaahhhhh!!!!  I LOVE technology.  Please choose to follow me at my new blog:

Box Office Behavior Clip Chart

Hello bloggy friends!

Please head over to my NEW blog and follow me over there.  This blog will no longer be updated or checked for comments!


Ta-da!  I finished my Clip Chart to match my Hollywood theme this year.  I even made cute little clips to match.  When you look at these, you are going to see different colored clips.  The yellow, black, and red clips with popcorn pictures at the end are the clips that my kiddos will start with.  They will progress to silver, and then to gold.

***Please note...I am a FIRM believer about NOT embarrassing my students, so they will NOT have their names on their clips.  I put my student's numbers on their clip so guests, administration, etc. will not know who has had a rough day.

If they get "Off the Chart", then they receive a jewel.  After 5 jewels, then they get a silver clip.  These are the ones with "You're a Star" on them.  They then start over with getting 5 more jewels.  If they receive 5 more jewels, then they get a gold clip with an Oscar at the end of it.

YES, I did have 3 students this year earn a gold clip!!!  Many in my class earned a silver clip.  This is VERY achievable, but it is because of my expectations and allowing them the opportunity to WANT TO earn it!  I am telling you, this is a HUGE motivator in my classroom, but it is only because I make it a motivator!

Hollywood...Here I Come!!!

Hello bloggy friends!

Please head over to my NEW blog and follow me over there.  This blog will no longer be updated or checked for comments!

In preparation for my new theme for next year, I have created a few documents that I am getting ready to print at school.  I know, I know...I should be enjoying the summer days instead of wasting away at my computer.  I just can't help myself.  I am moving to a new room next year and I can't completely wrap my head around where everything is going to go.  Sooooo...I thought that I could use this time to get things done that I KNOW I am going to use!

Here is a sneak peek to coming up goodies!

Lead Actor/Supporting Actor (Helper of the Day)
Those of you that follow me know that I like to have ONE helper-of-the-day instead of classroom jobs.  This person helps me with EVERYTHING!  They LOVE LOVE LOVE it!  After they become the helper of the day, then they move to the bottom two slots before they get put on "vacation."  This year, with my Hollywood theme, I am having a Lead Actor and the two bottom helpers will be called Supporting Actors!  This is what their name plate will look like when I pull them out of the envelope!  More coming soon...

Box-Office Behavior:
As you know, I LOVE the Clip Chart by Rick Morrisson.  I have used it for two years and won't look back!  It is amazing.  I wanted to spice it up, so I made it match my Hollywood Theme this year.  I got the original idea from a fellow blogger-please let me know if it is you so I can give you proper credit...I just saved your picture.  I adjusted it to fit my needs.  I only have the headings done, but can't wait to show you the finished product when I have it!  For now, this is what you get:

Please click on the picture to download them if you would like.  I don't know if I like the "Think about it" choice yet.  I wanted to do "Take 5" but then the clip art would have been the same for Parent Contact.  OCD coming out in me wouldn't allow it.  Please help with suggestions!

Box-Office Report
The component that I think helps the MOST with our clip chart is our parent communication.  They get to see where our students end up at the end of a day and they really do back it up!  THAT is why it works so well-THANKS PARENTS!!!
Here is the report that goes in their STAR Binders:

Star Binder:
Of course, many of you use these binders as communication with parents.  Here is what I will be putting in the front Binder!

And Last, but not least...another great idea by a fellow blogger...Homeworkopoly.  This is my first time using this and I am still reading up on how to make it operate, but I am getting into the swing of things and at least getting my document ready to print so I can laminate.  My inspiration came from Ladybug's Teacher Files.  Please see her original document.  She was sooooo sweet and even told me what fonts she used.  They are now my favorite fonts to use!!!  LOVE them!  If you haven't used smiley monster and Elephants in Cherry Trees together, they are a MUST!  I pretty much kept everything the same, just tweaked a few things!

Mentor Texts for Writing

Hello bloggy friends!

Please head over to my NEW blog and follow me over there.  This blog will no longer be updated or checked for comments!


I am currently taking the most wonderful Masters Class-Writing in the Primary Grades.  This class focuses on The Writers Workshop and really utilizes a lot of Lucy Calkins Units of Study.  It has been powerful so far, to say the least.  As many of you know, I have been using Writers Workshop for the last two years in my classroom, but I had never been “officially” trained in it.  I read multiple books, took a balanced literature class that touched on it, but never an official training…until now!

One of our assignments this summer was to read a professional book and present to the class one of the chapters.  One area that I wanted to just know more about was beginnings and endings.  I read the book, “Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-6” by Lynne R. Dorfman and Rose Cappelli.   

This book really explores the importance of using literature and mentor texts to show students the experts using the craft you are teaching.  Chapter 5 focuses on Beginnings and Endings.  This is a MUST-HAVE book!!!

Here are a few of my “notes” for my presentation with some of the mentor texts mentioned for you to use.  Click on the notes page to get to my Google Document.  I am planning on updating my “Good Hooks” documents later!