Surviving the Last 9 Weeks of School with GoNoodle

Hi Friends, so we just got back from Spring Break last week and the energy is boiling over in my classroom.  The kids can see the finish line, and so can I.  I know I am going to have to pull out my best tricks to get through the next 8 weeks!  Of course, I have my regular "go-to" type of motivators, like focusing on the positive, and incorporating more cooperative learning opportunities.  But, I want to mix it up, and add a real element of fun to our day.  Enter GoNoodle!

GoNoodle is new to me.  I heard about it through some of my blogger friends at Primary Chalkboard, and signed up for an account.  I had some trouble signing up because my school wasn't listed, so I emailed their support staff, and within an hour I had heard back from Emily, and she had me all set up!  Woohoo!  I love excellent Customer Support!

So the first thing I did was play around with the Demo Class for teachers so I could familiarize myself with the site.  The first thing it asks you to do is choose a classroom champ.  I chose Freckles Sinclair!

Then GoNoodle gives you activity choices to complete.  Each activity moves your class further along on your brain break journey.  This is the next couple of screens that I saw.

Now you can't tell from the screenshot above, but there were over 30 Brain Break themes to choose from.  I was only able to get a screen shot of the first six!  I really liked that each activity is clearly marked with how long it will take, so that I can plan accordingly.  I chose FLOW to start with.  Then, chose 2nd grade.  I like that is grade level specific, don't you?

Ok, then I really started getting interested, because it said this…

What?  Helping kids learn to cope with stress, and improve their attitude?  Yes, please!

I chose ATTITUDE!  Because attitude is everything, right?

We did the Chin Up activity on Monday morning.  It was calming and emphasized being positive.  What a great message for students. 

I loved this and can see starting our day with this before we settle in for Read to Self.  Many students come in feeling sleepy, tense from a difficult morning with mom or dad, worried about what will be expected of them for the day.  I love this calm and soothing way to release tension, and focus on the wonderful possibilities each new day brings.

At the end of my little exploration, Freckles Sinclair shows what my class has accomplished, and how much further we need to go.

I also loved that my parents can preview these activities at home, too.  GoNoodle provides a letter in English AND Spanish (Yes!) that includes a class specific code so that your parents have access to preview the site.

I can also have GoNoodle send me daily reminders to get our Brain Break going on!  This is a good thing, because once my day starts, I go into "Go, Go" mode, and would probably forget.

GoNoodle also sent me a link to some cute little printables:  Hall Passes, Bathroom Passes, and VIP Awards with our favorite champion on them. There was also a link to this cute little certificate. 

Check out what I have added to my sidebar.  Love it!  

Yes, I am a believer.  

You will be too.  Click on the link below to sign up for a FREE teacher's account today.

Need another reason to GoNoodle?  Head over to Primary Chalkboard to win a paid subscription!  Woohoo.  Just click below.

Interested in more technology posts? Click the image below!

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More Spring Cleaning, and a Freebie!

Hi Friends,

Well, I am settling into my new blog design, and feeling the need to clear out, declutter, and simplify my life.  Are you with me? 

How do you do all of this?  Well, you start by clearing out that 10 page long TPT Wishlist, of course!  So, to make that process a bit easier, over 140 great sellers are throwing a 3 day Spring Cleaning Sale!

Some people are starting their sales today!  Learn more about where you can find great sales at the end of this post!

My sale will be going from Saturday, the 29th, to Monday, the 31st! Everything in my store will be 20% off!  Here are some things you might want to check out! 

Click on the links below to learn more: 

1) Super Strategic Readers:  I just finished updating this super-sized file!  It has adorable kid graphics from Melonheadz, Reading Strategy posters, Thinking Stems, and Response Sheets that work with any book, and are differentiated for readers at various levels!  This pack is a must have to get your kids to think strategically when reading, so that they can be successful with the Common Core!

2) Space Themed Differentiated Cards:  End of the year behavior management blues?  Focus on the positive with these differentiated behavior cards. This is just the tool to get your students motivated again, and back on task.  This pack has 7 different card versions, 3 whole class behavior card posters, and all cards are now EDITABLE so you can customize the goals for each individual student, or your whole class!  These are a true lifesaver for me!  My students LOVE them!

3) Count Down to Summer Writing Journal:  I don't know about you, buy my mind is already turning to the End of the Year.  Plan ahead with this great journal that will have your kids happily writing for the whole last month of school.  It has a fillable table of contents, primary and intermediate lines, graphic organizers, a word bank, and fun writing prompts that your kids will love!

4) Counting Coins Made Easy:  Recently revised as well!  I have expanded the content of this popular pack.  This pack is the "ultimate" coin counting resource.  I have been using these materials for over 8 years, and my students are so successful with counting coins that it has become my favorite math unit to teach!  In this pack, I share with you my tips and tricks that make my students coin counting experts.  Also, the new update includes 20 CCSS aligned word problems!  Perfection!

5) Packing Up My Year Memory Books:  I told you I had end-of-the-year-itis!  This ultra-popular end of the year craftivity is available in Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade versions! You, your kids, and their parents will love this fun, sweet momento of their school year!

Here's a little Spring freebie (from something I am working on right now) for making it to the end of this post!

Have a great Friday!

As promised, a list of great stores on sale!

An InLinkz Link-up

Countdown to Summer! Writing Journal and a Freebie

My students and I are still in the middle of testing, but I can already feel the change in the air.  The End-of-the-Year siren is calling to all of us.  Beckoning.  Ooh, how I want to be there!

But, alas, it is not my time....yet.  In preparation for the long days after testing, I have put together an end-of-the-year writing journal.  This journal will give my kiddos a chance to reflect on this school year, anticipate the next school year, and look ahead to summer vacation.  It includes narrative writing, friendly letter writing, and poetry...AND  it has enough writing topics to see me through the last month of school (or 20 school days). 

Click on any of the images below to take you to my TPT Store, where if you download the preview, you can see most of the pages that are included and a list of writing topics.

UPDATE 5/23/12:  This item now includes a primary-lined version and an intermediate-lined version.  You will get both versions for the price of one!

Each writing topic has it's own graphic organizer.

Above is a sample of the intermediate-lined version.

The primary-lined version samples  are below.

This item also contains two poems.  The one below is available as a 2 page FREEBIE just for you!  Just click on image.

This item includes 5 letter-writing topics.

Here is another little freebie for Friday!  Ok, I know this is ridiculously simple.  But, I really needed it to review measurements of time with my kids.  They love to learn anything put to music.  I hope someone out there can use it, too.

Have a great weekend.

Don't Sit Down, Don't Sit Still!

Can you feel it in the air?  It is starting to happen all across America.  It turns once eager and attentive students into distracted, squirming, little lumps almost completely resistant to learning.  Of course, I am speaking of "Endoftheyear-itis".  At present, it is only a whisper at my school.  But, soon enough, we will begin to feel its full force.

This is the time of the year where teachers have to be more creative than ever.  Put on your tap shoes, people! Trying to gain and keep students' attention can be more challenging than ever.  So, I thought I would share a couple of things that I do in my classroom to keep students interested and moving.  A sort of "Survival Plan for Teachers".  I would love to hear what you do in your classroom, as well.  So please, leave your ideas in the comment section at the end of this post!

My absolute favorite go-to strategy, is taking any lesson and adding an opportunity for students to get up and move around the room.  I use Kagan's Cooperative Learning structure "Mix-Pair-Share" A  LOT!  If you are not familiar with this, here are the steps:

1)  Lay all the groundwork for this activity.  Mine are:  Walk at all times, don't stick with friends,  and you can only pair with the same person once.

2)  Tell students to "Mix":  This simply means that students begin walking around the room.  (You can also use music to indicate that it is mixing time.)

3)  Tell students to "Pair":  Students freeze and pair up with the person closest to them.

4)  Finally, have students "Share":  Students take turns as both a listener and speaker.

I use this simple structure to have students respond to questions or prompts about a lesson, share their writing pieces, and find fluency buddies.  

Here is a free graphic to take with you.

Also, we use it daily for something I call "5 Listeners".  This is where I type up a reading list of words that contain whatever spelling pattern we are working on, for example, the -th digraph.  Over the week, students add other words from their reading to their lists.  Everyday, we use Mix-Pair-Share to allow students to practice reading these words out loud with the support of a partner.  Their partner then signs their paper.  They may only have a person sign their paper once each week.  My students love doing this simple activity!

I love Mix-Pair-Share as a teacher, because all my students are busy and engaged at the same time.  That frees me up to listen in on the conversations that my students are having, and provide individual feedback. 

Another thing I like to do in my classroom is create Matching Games.  I just type up  cards where students must find their matching partner.  I've used this for vocabulary words and definitions, coin combinations that equal the same amount,  synonyms, antonyms, and compound words.  The possibilities are virtually endless. 

The activity, itself, is similar to to the one I described above, except that students must keep mixing until they find their partner.  Once again, big hit in my classroom.  You can find Coin Matching cards in my TPT unit, Counting Coins Made Easy with Differentiated Materials.   I have them with, and without,  the "Magic Money" system.  Click on the images below for more information on these cards, or the Magic Money system, that I have been using to teach coins for the last 9 years. 

My kids are also so completely engaged by poems, singing, and chanting at this time of the year.  I have several chants in this money unit.

I also have two other math units that allow students to practice what they've learned, but in a way that allows them to burn all of that energy.  If you have never used an "Around the Room" activity, you and your students will be hooked.  Click on the images to learn more.  You can read the entire post HERE.

Once again, I would love to hear what you do in your classroom, as well.  Please leave me a comment below.

If you are still looking for more ideas, Minds in Bloom has a "Kids Moving" link-up that you can check out HERE.

Have a great week,