Bat Lesson Plans & Resources (freebie)

Well, I can tell you guys that this year has been pretty stressful for me.  I spent the best part of the school year feeling really overwhelmed with many of my students being very low and having a lot of individual needs.  Honestly, I felt like I was differentiating so much that I wasn't doing anything effectively.  I had basically differentiated myself into so much work that I couldn't keep up and was just overwhelmed.  Last week, I decided that I needed to change things up to give myself a break.  So I gave myself permission to change up what I was doing and teach something I knew I would enjoy and my kids would enjoy.

Since it's almost Halloween and I haven't spent much time on nonfiction texts, I decided that we would do a unit on bats.  I spent the weekend scouring the web for stuff about bats and MAN are there some FABULOUS units about bats.  I did end up purchasing one unit from Teachers Pay Teachers but I found TONS of free stuff. 

We started yesterday and some of the students from the other self-contained class have joined my class. I'm really excited about it, and the kids seem to be really excited about the bat stuff.  It's been a nice change of pace!  :)

I thought I would share with you guys the lesson plans I came up with and links to stuff we're using.  Maybe some of you can use the same links.  I'll definitely be posting pics as we get further into the unit.  I'm having problems with getting clickable links on my PDF (errr......Mountain Lion update for Mac) so you'll have to copy and paste the links from the last page.  Click on the lesson plans to download yours.

 I made this cute freebie graph using graphics from Scrappin Doodles.  Click on the picture to download your free copy.

Have you seen this AWESOME free sign made by The Teacher Wife?  Click on the picture to go to her blog and download your own.

Unfortunately, this has been a problem in my class this year and this sign came at the perfect time!  So as of yesterday, my classroom was a no nose-picking zone!  Surprisingly, I've only seen one student doing it since then.  But then....today I realized my lesson about germs and getting a tissue has only gone so far.

As we were walking out to the bus, one of my students said to me that when she gets home she could pick her nose.  I didn't catch the whole sentence, so I reminded here that school was a no-nose picking zone.  Then she clarified that it was ok for her to pick her nose once she's at home which is apparently NOT a no nose-picking zone.  Sighhh.......I guess I just have to be glad she's got the hint in my classroom.

I'm thinking next up will be teach a unit on the presidential election that is coming up.  Has anyone came across any great units that would work well for primary students?  Several of my students are basically nonreaders and have trouble with comprehension, memory, and abstract thinking so I need something that will be fairly easy for them to understand.

I've also made some 1st and 2nd grade level literacy centers and activities for Halloween that you might want to check out on TPT.  Click on the picture to see more!

Once I saw these cute turkey graphics, I couldn't help but make a new CVC game.

Magical Product Swap

I'm so excited to participate in Mrs. Stanford's Product Swap.

I got to the lucky blogger who was paired up with Mrs. Lirette's Learning Detectives.  She teaches Kindergarten and has such a cute blog with some awesome freebies on it.  You'll definitely want to check out her Decomposing Numbers and her I Moustache You a Question freebies.

I had the opportunity to browse through her TPT store and check out some of her great products.  I picked out her Ring Masters Sight Word Practice.

The majority of my students need A LOT  of sight word practice.  This is perfect to not only assess sight word mastery but provide a home/school connection.  There's a lot of reasons why I love this pack.

1.  There are 10 sets of words with 12 words each (120 words in all).

2.  The font isn't confusing and can be easily read by students.

3.  It's the cards are black and white so they look great printed on colored cardstock (cheaper for me!).

4.  There are assessment tracking forms.

5.  There are cute little certificates for when students pass a set of cards or need extra practice on certain words.

6.  She also has a Level 2 set of Ring Masters for when your students pass all of Level 1.  You can check that out {here}.  Even better you can get both in a combo pack {here}.

7.  Right now, she has all of her Ring Masters on sale in her TPT store {here}.

It was super easy to assemble, too.  I printed off the cards on colored card stock, cut out, hole punched the corner and put on a book ring.  Viola!  10 sets of sight word flash cards in no time.

I can't take pictures of my students at school, but luckily I have eager helpers at home that like to model for me!  

Remember to stop by Mrs. Lirette's blog today.  She's going to be reviewing some of my fall products!  In honor of the product swap, I'm putting all of my fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving items on sale for  15% off today and Sunday!

Click on the pictures to check them out.    

October Currently, Made it {some}day, & Other Stuff!

Well, that's one heck of a title, huh?  Since school started, the blogging has obviously dropped!  Just too much to do and not enough time.  That's why I'm loving October's Currently from Oh' Boy 4th Grade.  She's gotten me motivated to make a post!

So I'm super excited about the changes in my body since I started going to boot camp in July.  It's a GOOD problem that I need new clothes.  It's not good that I feel kinda dumpy and like I have a saggy rear end all day.  I think a shopping trip needs to happen ASAP!

Can you believe our district doesn't give us Columbus Day off?  Ughhh!  My husband (a Marine) even has the day off.  I'm going to try and see if I can find a sub and maybe take Monday off, too.  Anyone else have to work on federal holidays?  Double ugh!

I know I'm breaking the rules with my book......but it was just released at the end of September.  So that sorta makes it almost an Octoberish book, right?  I LOVE J.R. Ward and this is her latest in the Fallen Angels series.  I've just started reading it and so far so good!

I've also been meaning to do a Made it Monday post hosted by 4th Grade Frolics.  But I can never seem to get it together to actually make the post.  So today, I'm having a Made it {some}day post!

At the beginning of the school year, the art teacher sent out a school-wide email saying she had some free easels to give out.  I was ALL over that.  I've been needing an easel to use during whole group and to put my chart paper on.  Well, this is what she had to give away for free!

 Well, I knew I could make it into something great!  I took the paint covered chalkboard and white boards off.  I went to Home Depot and bought some new whiteboard (it was like $13 for a sheet).  They'll even cut it for you for free!  I then sanded the frame down, primed it, and painted it white.  I bought the cute polka dot duct tape from Wal-Mart and put it around the edges.  Then my husband helped me screw the new whiteboard onto the frame.  And now VIOLA!  I have an awesome chart that I can write on as a white board or use for my chart paper.  Which is great because I use the heck out of some chart paper everyday!  This is the new and improved easel!

 Another thing on my to-do list FOREVER was to make these Making Words folders, which I saw on Pinterest.  Teacher Bits and Bobs has the template for the letters for FREE!  I used these today in one of my small groups and it was so much easier than finding/counting out the letters that everyone needed.

I know it's sideways, but you get the idea.  I made the front cover and you can download it for free by clicking on the picture.

I've also been working on some Halloween and Thanksgiving stuff for my classroom.

I made this super cute Hocus Pocus sight word game.  It has words that are typically taught in 1st grade.  One of my dear followers requested I made some games with harder sight words.

I also used the same words to make this Gobble, Gobble sight word game that I just finished today.

And I'm really excited about these Common Core aligned Candy, Candy, Candy math centers.

And wow, I should really post more often!  That was a WHOLE lot in one post!  I hope everyone is hanging in there this school year!

I'm Thankful for......my poor neglected blog!

I have been in a blogging funk lately.  I've just been overwhelmed with the usual goings on of life.  I've made a lot of changes in my classroom the last month, and it's been a lot of experimenting and trying to find the best set-up for my class.  I started a really modified Daily 5 approach.  We really only do Read to Self and some sort of Word Work.  The only choice I let them have is where they sit for Read to Self.  It's working out good so far, but I have 2 students with autism that just can't focus to read independently.  I'm not sure what the solution is for that.  I recently read Jan Richardson's Next Step in Guided Reading book and fell in love with her ideas.  So I have started Guided Reading using her lesson plans.  And I redid my schedule.  It looks like this:

8:00 - 8:40     Corrective Reading/Reading Mastery
8:40 - 8:55     Group A Guided Reading (others do Read to Self/computer/word work)
8:55 - 9:10     Group B Guided Reading (others do Read to Self/computer/word work)
9:10 - 9:25     Group C Guided Reading (others do Read to Self/computer/word work)
9:25 - 9:30     Read Aloud

The major downfall is that the 15 minute blocks are just not enough time to do a good Guided Reading lesson or Read to Self.  I just don't really know how to get by that part though.  I think it's working ok, but I do feel stressed that I can't accomplish very much in the short time.  I do struggle with keeping some of my kids on task and not interrupting my reading group.  Keeping them independently working is a challenge.  I do feel better that I'm giving each student some instruction at their level each day.  Are any other SPED teachers doing Guided Reading or Daily 5 with their kids?  How are you keeping them independently working?

Now onto the best part.....the freebie (Sorry this is no longer a freebie)!  Click on the picture to check it out at my TPT store for $2.

Stay tuned this week!  I have other freebies that I've made and not shared.  So in the spirit of being thankful for all you guys, I'll post a freebie a day until Thanksgiving (plus, it'll get me back in the swing of blogging)!