A New Journey... Where I Have Been and Where I Am Going

Two years have flown by for me. As most of you know I love my kindergarten classroom and took on a new challenge as a Common Core coach. What a huge learning experience for me. It was filled with new learning and many challenges. 

I was sent to a small, inner city school under the leadership of a well loved principal. I had no idea of what to expect and was filled with excitement mixed with a little  massive amount of anxiety. The only familiar faces were my kinder teaching friends that I have trained many times over the years.

It was an amazing experience for me. Teaching at a small school is very different. They are like a big family and most of these teachers worked here for their entire career! They are best friends and even travel together in the summer. The principal and office manager eat lunch with the staff every day. There is no drama. Yup, I said there is no drama. Teachers support each other, raise their kids together, and look out for each other.

I will never forget these two years. Teachers welcomed me into their classrooms. They shared their triumphs and challenges with me. Often we talked about helping the kids socially and emotionally. They supported me and cheered me through all the Common Core PD. We laughed together and cried together. I am filled with so many memories but leaving is bittersweet for me. 

I was showered with beautiful gifts at the staff breakfast where we shared a meal together for the last time. At the end of the meal the principal stood up and talked about me. The words almost washed over me because I wanted to hold it together. He was the best part of this experience for me. He is the most talented administrator I have ever worked with and is passionate about children and meeting their academic needs. He was patient with me and guided me as we explored this massive CCSS learning curve. I tripped and fell many times but he learned with me and guided my thinking.  We talked about each topic and went through the PowerPoint together. He asked hard questions and I worked hard to find the answers. 

The staff reminded me to come back often. My school is nearby. Will it be the same? No. I will have to adjust to another big change. I will go back for the celebrations and support when they need me. 

What was the best part of this ride? I was given a surprise luncheon and voted their support teacher of the year. I was shocked and overwhelmed by the love of this staff. Follow me on the road back to kindergarten. In the end, that's where I belong.

Camp Common Core: The Next Chapter

This is a new packet I created for the summer months ahead. It does not use any colored ink and can be run off quickly and easily. This version of Camp Common Core: Part 2 focuses on Language Arts with lots of engaging activities. The prep is simple. Grab a binder to store the pages, a baggie to hold the necessary supplies and you are ready to hit the road and head for the beach.  

This can also be used for summer school instructors or tutors doing intervention work. 

I hope this is something you have use for. The Table of Contents gives you the Common Core standard that is being addressed and includes an answer key. This is chock full of interactive activities that students can review and practice to prevent "summer slide." Click on any picture or here to find this in my TpT store. The theme is camping which makes it just a little more fun!

I only have a week to go and then I pack it up to go back to the classroom! Woohoo!

Happy summer friends,

Fran

Remember This? Father's Day Throwback Freebie

I work in an elementary school where I am rolling out the Common Core K-5. This has been a real challenge for me this year but I have been told by my upper grade teachers that older kids are just bigger and they still love cute worksheets and anything that allows them to draw. Who knew? I decided that they needed a "pick-me-up" after the state testing and made them a special newspaper for Mother's Day. This was such a huge hit across the grades that I am bringing in a similar activity for Father's Day. I wish I had taken pictures of their completed work because they were spectacular. I forced my principal to stop working ( he was crazy busy) to look at them and he started reading them. Kids really expressed their feelings and gave you a window into their lives that was so touching. One child wrote that he loved his mom because she kept him safe and another child talked about his mom always telling him to do his best on the hard tests he had to take at school. Another child wrote that her mom loves to spend time with her and they dance together while she gets dinner ready. Students often have lives where they are faced with poverty and poor living conditions but they can always write about their love for their parents. It made me stop and realize that we offer them a safe haven and bring stability to their lives. If you would like this feel free to click here to download. Leave a comment and tell me any great ideas you have for this holiday. Thanks for stopping by.

Summer Reading: Fran's Picks!

I admit it. I am a reading junkie. I love books of all kinds and I would never admit how many I have purchased on my Kindle. Don't judge me. I love books of all kinds and crazy as it sounds I love professional ones too. Here are my top five suggestions that I have already purchased:

So now I have my hot little hands on these and I can barely contain myself. I know-crazy. I have really searched out the best reads for primary grades since I am a kindergarten teacher. I have been a Common Core coach for the last two years (k-5) but the grant is over and I am returning to kindergarten.  I am so excited to have a class again! This has been a long and valuable journey but my heart is still with students and their families. So now I need to get on top of my game! What are you reading this summer? Other suggestions?

I hope this has been a good year for you with implementation of the Common Core. Remember to forgive yourself if you didn't always get it right. This is hard and will be an ongoing process. We can help each other as we travel down this road. Look out for road blocks!

Summer Fun... On the Run With

Summer is almost here and parents, summer program leaders, and tutors will need materials to help maintain the skills of kindergarten students who are getting ready for first grade. This is a packet of Common Core activities that should keep your little ones engaged and still make learning fun! If you are on the road this summer just pack a few supplies and toss them in a bag. You are good to go! Literacy and math activities that your students need to review have been provided. The work has been done for you!

Not sure what all this Common Core hoopla is all about. This little packet will show you what it looks like.

Flashcards can go on your key chain to practice when you are hanging out in a grocery line or Starbucks. All of these activities can be run off on a copier, put into a binder, and used throughout the summer so your students or children maintain all the skills they acquired over the school year. Prepare this ahead of time and your days will be sunny! Grab this in my TpT store by clicking each picture or right here!

Are you interested in joining my club? 

Help! I Need Some Common Core Fun On the Run!

For most schools kindergarten is coming to a close for the year. It is really hard to keep the kids engaged in learning with the summer months looming. Everyone has their version of a memory book but I love this one because it builds on their Common Core learning and is a student reader! It can be done fairly independently based on the skills of your class. You might find certain pages require more explanation.

Run off a copy of this for each child in your class. I like to use a strip on the left side (folded over) or a fancy piece of scrapbooking paper. This makes it look a little fancier. You do not need any colored ink for this little number and it takes very little time to put together.
What else can you use this for?
1. This is an excellent assessment tool to take into your Board of Review for a student who is struggling.
It provides many work samples that are well aligned to the standards.
2. It is perfect for Open House and parents really enjoy seeing all the work students are capable of by the end of the school year.
3. It is an emergent reader that students will feel successful using.
This is one of my most popular products and it's my favorite. Why? It celebrates the growth and learning of a kindergarten student over an entire year. A certificate is provided in the back (in color) if you choose to use it.
Teachers can write a special note to each child about their year together. I have done this for years and parents often come back to tell me how much they have treasured that note. Interested? I hope so. Grab it here for just five dollars!
Stay cool and enjoy your last days with your class.
Happy Summer!

Grab Your Shopping Carts and Head for TpT

I love and appreciate all the teachers I have as friends,colleagues, and mentors. You have changed who I am and greatly influenced my teaching skills. I am so grateful for those that educated me and most of all, those that gave my daughters their passion for learning. I deeply love and respect teachers and want to show my appreciation for you. Please check out my TpT store for sales on many of my products. Be sure to enter the code at checkout TPTXO to get an even better discount! 

OMG my daughter came to town as a surprise and I forgot to put my products up for sale in my TpT store. I almost flipped out when I realized this but I went over to my store and took care of business. I hope you find a few things that will help you finish out the year. Here are a few ideas to get you started. They are perfect for sliding into the summer.

1. Dots of Fun...collaboration on the run! (Review of all the sight words for the year)
2.Making Sense of Numbers...Student Book and Collaborative Model
3. Camp Common Core: Literacy and Math Printables
4. My Common Core KindergartenYear: An Emergent Memory Journal
5. Sparkle Readers (#1-7)
6. What Can I Do At The Beach? (emergent reader for the summer)
7. Growing A Word Garden (CVCWords) :Part 1 
8. Growing A Word Garden (CVCWords): Part 2

My Common Core Kindergarten Year is ideal for kindergarten teachers who have implemented the CCSS to show the growth and progress of their students. It is wonderful for Open House or as a memory to send home that reflects your year together and shows samples of each student's work instead of using a portfolio. Check it out here. It is on sale so grab it today!

If you are interested in teaching your kinder students how to work collaboratively with a partner or group be sure to purchase Dots of Fun or Making Sense of Numbers. I promise your class will love these. They use bingo daubers as part of their collaborative work and both products provide a review of sight words and number sense.

What Can I Do At the Beach? is a great little, emergent reader that students love to read since it is interactive and allows them to sponge paint for additional learning fun. Check it out!

Do your students need additional practice with CVC words. I think Growing A Word Garden Part 1 and 2 are ideal for this. They have been carefully designed for young children and are sequential in design.

Camp Common Core is a collection of activities for the end of the year or during the summer. It is a review of a student's kindergarten year and requires no prep at all. You can print it and head for that vacation or use it as part of your summer school program.

Thank you for all that you do every day in the classroom. Your job is demanding and requires long hours of work. I appreciate you so much. I hope you find something in my store to get you through the next few weeks. Go shopping!

A Free Interactive Card for Your Kinders to Make for Mother's Day

Are you behind right now and just realizing that Mother's Day is Sunday? Do not freak out. I have found out (the hard way) that parents do not need an expensive, time consuming gift from their little doodle but love any project that they do. This is simple and takes just a short amount of time so check it out. It is academic enough to keep all the administrators in your life happy! If I am too late to the party you can put it away for next year. I hope it is something you can use. My staff loves this card so maybe it will work for you.

It is time to take a break from the race to the end of the year and have your students make a special card for their moms. I think this is a keeper because the kids get to make a special cut and paste card, a little strip book goes under the cupcake honoring all the things their mom does for them, and they get to write the word "me" on each one. Quick and easy-peasy. I bet it gets them a hug and a kiss from a happy parent! Mission accomplished. You can grab it right here but please leave a comment and share any projects you love for this special holiday. 

Help! They Need to Learn Those Sight Words!

Am I the only person who feels like I am in a race to the finish line? Some of my kindergarten friends still do not know those sight words and are not all that interested in learning them. Out of fear I have been racking my brains for "brilliant and motivating ideas" to get them to interact with these words. I think I "fell" into something big... dot markers! Kinders love pounding on these to mark an answer so I am taking advantage of this with a new packet created just so students can review all the sight words for the year, in context with a related picture they draw together (imprinting). 50 words with 50 sentences to build and practice for fluency.

Easy. I love easy.

What is unique about this? Students work using a collaborative model to complete two pages together. Pair your students strategically so that they can help each other. It allows for oral language practice and the need to communicate and plan out their course of action! Our students need to learn to work together and build on each other's ideas. Yup, it starts in kindergarten so we need an easy way to implement that. 

My kindergarten teachers love this product and the primary special education teacher. However, the first grade intervention teachers saw it as another great tool to keep their students interested in interacting with these words. Who knew? 

These words are contextualized and must be put in order in a sentence with a related picture. At the end students can present their work (performance task) to others in their group. Finally, I have included a refection which is perfect for young children and easy for them to do. It gives you important feedback about the activity and how they interacted with their partner. 

So you model this, guide students through this, and finally allow them to work independently with a partner . Now you can get your assessments completed for report cards. 

Two students said to me yesterday, "When can we play that game again teacher?" That says it all.

Click on a picture to get to my TpT store to grab this one right here.

What sight word activities do your kids love?

Little Red Hens In Kindergarten

My kindergarten teachers are working on a unit of study about teamwork and we are using the story of the Little Red Hen to do this. The teachers have been growing corn (see the previous post) and are reading a variety of versions of this story. This allows you to compare and contrast stories, focus on different characters that appear and talk about the sequence of the story.

They also love doing art with this unit and I had to post some of the hens the children created. We kept the shapes simple but so much learning went on during this activity. Students had to listen carefully to each step and the results are hilarious... 

This leads to writing for a purpose. Students can make a bubble map describing the little red hen and then write about her. Common Core does not need to be complicated!
This can easily be integrated into a farm unit and a study of chicks and their life cycle. We like to use it to teach character traits and the message it clearly has about working hard to reach a goal.