I love shopping and I love a bargain.  This Thanksgiving, we were iced in and I took advantage of online shopping!!  That's why I love Teachers Pay Teachers...instant downloads and you can start using products immediately!! I cannot tell you how many times I've made purchases over my plan time, and then started using them the same day :)
This year, the Teacher's Pay Teacher's Cyber Monday sale is November 30th and December 1st.

My top wishlish item is my Guided Reading Organizational Binder.  It has everything you need to plan, organize, and implement guided reading in your classroom.  There are planning templates, data collection forms, rubrics, binder covers, workstation rotation schedules, and more!  

Next is my First Grade Sight Word and Word Work Bundle.  It is full of literacy workstations to practice phonics, fluency, and sight words.  Great for ELL students and students in RTI!

Finally, my First Grade MEGA Bundle for Phonics and Phonemic Awareness is #3 on my wishlist.  It is also great for guided reading activities, workstations, and great for RTI.  I've received lots of feedback from teachers that are using it with 2nd or 3rd grade students that are needing additional practice with phonics and phonemic awareness.  It is a great value, and includes my phonics assessment bundle and a number of interactive notebooks!  

To see more fantastic wish lists, Teaching in the Tongass is hosting a great link-up with lots of amazing teachers!

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Literacy Without Worksheets

We've been working on teaching social skills.  We use Kagan Cooperative Learning at my school and I was finding that even just for simple greetings, my students needed help.  This poster gives them ideas of polite greetings, good-bye's, and praise.

This is from an earlier post, but for one more week these mats are FREE!!! One tiny aspect of implementing Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures involves setting students up in teams of four.  For the month of November my Team Mats will be free!!!  These are a great way to help manage the classroom and implement Kagan structures.   I say things like:

"Partner A, tell your partner one new thing you learned when you read this section."  

"Partner B, ask your partner one question that can be answered on page 72."

In addition, you can use a student's number to help you.  For example, "All the 4s, come pick up your team's papers."  

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Literacy Without Worksheets

I have not blogged in forever.  I'm getting ready to take my school leadership license exam and am wrapping up 12 hours of grad school!

Here are some of my favorite freebies that I have found!  From literacy to math to organization, these freebies will make you smile :)

If you are looking for a last minute language art workstation for Thanksgiving, here is a great one!

For Winter, here are some great freebies for language arts!  

Here are some fun math activities for winter!

Here is a great freebie to keep you organized in 2016!

Another great idea from Rebbeca B...coloring for adults.  I just read an article that said that coloring has similar benefits to meditation! 

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Literacy Without Worksheets

I'm so glad to link up with More than a Worksheet and discuss student engagement.  My school has implemented Kagan Cooperative Learning for the past five years.  It is all about engaging students and making them accountable to one another.  Students are equally participating in learning structures.  I find that they are a great way for students to process and practice what they are learning. Here is a brief article that outlines some structures.  If there is ever a class in your area, I highly recommend it.  The structures lend themselves to improving classroom management and student learning!  

One tiny aspect of implementing Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures involves setting students up in teams of four.  For the month of November my Team Mats will be free!!!  These are a great way to help manage the classroom and implement Kagan structures.   I say things like:

"Partner A, tell your partner one new thing you learned when you read this section."  

"Partner B, ask your partner one question that can be answered on page 72."

In addition, you can use a student's number to help you.  For example, "All the 4s, come pick up your team's papers."  

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Literacy Without Worksheets

I cannot believe it is November!!!  Tonight is a big night!!! I'm hoping the Kansas City Royals can pull out a win tonight!!  We are having beautiful weather this week...80 degrees!! Typically it is about 50 degrees!

My favorite recipe is a cheesecake recipe!

Ingredients for base

2 graham cracker crusts

2 8oz of cream cheese (softened)

3/4 cup of sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients until smooth.  Pour in crust and bake 20 min at 375 degrees.  Cool 30 minutes

Then mix 2 cups (16 oz) of sour cream, 1/2 cup of sugar (I always add a little extra sugar) and 2 tsp vanilla.  Pour over cheese cake and bake 10 min more at 400 degrees.

Refridgerate when cool.  

**I use light cream cheese and  light sour cream.

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Literacy Without Worksheets