28% off sale (two days only!)

Quick update promise I'll get this blog up and running again soon...it's really hard to start teaching middle of the year. However, I wanted to let everyone know I have a ton of new products, including seasonal and more writing prompts, in my TPT store, and Monday and Tuesday everything is 20% off plus another 8% off using the promo code on the TPT banner on the site. Now is the time to buy those items you have in your shopping cart! Happy teaching everyone :)

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Dannerk

I got a job!

I know, I know..it's been a while since I have posted, but it has been with good reason. Last Friday I was offered a 5th grade teaching job at a Title-1  international baccalaureate elementary school 5 minutes from where I live. As some of you may know, I was teaching 4th grade at a Title-1 school about an hour from where I live. I took the chance on not renewing my contract last year with the hopes of finding a more ideally located teaching position. At first, I did not get a job and was subbing, but last Friday my risk was rewarded with a new job! I am very excited, and also kinda nervous (I start next Monday and it's already second nine weeks). I have also never taught at an international baccalaureate school, but I don't think it will be a problem. Luckily, I am feeling pretty prepared thanks to the fact that I was keeping up to date with Common Core, and designing lessons and products for classrooms. Anyways, because of this great news, I have been very busy and will probably remain so the rest of the year. I will begin reposting with more frequency after next week though. Plus, now I can make more posts that have pictures of my classroom and the activities, so  the blog will only get better! In addition, I got a new camera, so I will have better quality pictures to add to my blog to. I am very excited. Be prepared for a revamped and better blog in a couple weeks.

My new door sign I created using my new borders clip art Here!

Fall is in the Air!

Despite having a wonderful time of relaxing a bit in the Summer, and despite Spring blooming with flowers, Autumn is absolutely my favorite time of the year (the only thing I like about winter is the holidays). There is just something about the crisp, fresh-smelling air, the beautiful changing leaves, and the perfect temperatures that make me so happy. I also have an affinity for fall boots, scarves, jeans, festivals, races, football games, and pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin!!! This season also brings some fun holidays such as Halloween and Thanksgiving that you may or may not teach/celebrate in your class. In honor of this wonderful holiday, I want to showcase my fall items (I only have a few), and the many more items available with links to my store and a Fall blog link party! Check out the badge below to see lots more fall goodies in addition to my own. Enjoy this wonderful season :)

Fabulous Fall Writing Prompts- These 40  Common Core writing prompts include 10 informational, 10 narrative, 10 opinion, and 10 creative writing prompt cards, that when glued on popsicle sticks make adorable writing prompt cards. There are a mixture of fall, Thanksgiving, and Halloween prompts in this set with fall clip art too.



Fall Borders Clip Art- This set of basic .png fall borders is perfect for creating your own items for your class, and are perfect for the season.

 
Trick or Treating for Syllables (also available as "Shopping for Syllables")- This fun, engaging sorting activity connects syllables to trick or treating, and has students sort picture word cards based on their syllables. There are also blank cards and two assessments.


Pumpkin uppercase/lowercase alphabet cards- great for use as flash cards or word walls or bulletin boards! Cute!

Finally, click these links (the actual image badges) to go to their Fall linky parties for more great fall finds! Don't forget to link up your differentation posts in my Differentiation Blog Linky Party too!

Thank you :)
-Kristin

Differentiation and a Linky Party to go along with it!

Hello teachers and bloggers! We all know that differentiation is a key component that needs to be incorporated in lessons and that principals look for when making observations. Therefore, it is important to understand how to differentiate for the needs of various students. Methods of differentiation may include graphic organizers, visual and verbal cues, leveled texts, scaffolding instruction, incorporating the multiple intelligences,  giving students smaller tasks or chunking the assignment, giving them extended time, and much more. Although differentiation can be a challenge, luckily the internet provides us with some assistance and useful resources. I wanted to give you a link to my college professor's blog "Teaching with Purpose". This site has so many great links, resources, templates, tips, and so much more for differentiation, lesson planning, assessments, and so on. It is not a blog, and Dr. Carr created this site purely because she is passionate about education and wanted to give teachers some great resources.

<div align="center"><a href="http://teachingside.blogspot.com/2012/09/differentiation-and-linky-party-to-go.html" title="Taking a Walk on the Teaching Side- Differentiation Link-up"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6Yl2RjvjgyCr3Z_y_HY5pIkKd4GG9ctzIatBbNAcLCcWS0Oy2J6RlC877xeWaYLcq9aBVSiKUQ54x334waiPooIxmRbu1TX04oytlqACBpgWCGzFXGHiI5yy9yz7FNIxL7RhMRp3zj0/s192/diff3.png" alt="Taking a Walk on the Teaching Side- Differentiation Link-up" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

 In addition, this post also has a linky party below so that you can link up your blog posts with your tips or products for differentiation in the classroom. Simply click the add link below, and follow the prompts. Be sure to link up the specific post on differentiation, or an item that would be good for differentiation, not just your general blog site.  When you are finished, please mention and link this post by sharing the badge above! and linking to the specific post with this badge and with your differentiation info.
Remember, please copy and paste the code above in your blog post to link back to this linky party. Thanks!
Please follow my blog for 10 Weekly Teacher Finds, links, resources, and other goodies!

Some of my products great for all students but that can also be incorporated into differentiated aspects of a lesson are: My new Dolch site words, sold individually or as a set of 220; Writing Prompt cards, now sold as a bundle of 120 informational, narrative, opinion, and creative, or just narrative, just opinion, just informational, or sets of 40 mixed cards; my Guided Reading Binder with prompt cards, graphic organizers, organization for grouping, running records and more; my Community Helpers Multiple Intelligence Unit with 10 complete lesson and many supplements; and my Early Finishers Task Cards with lots of ideas for early finishers! Plus many more items and some freebies available in my TPT store: Click Here or any of the links above for the individual products. Be sure to follow the store for updates!

  

Thank you!

Attention: We have a winner (and a freebie!)

Congratulations to Beverly M., who won my 100 Followers Giveaway! Congratulation. Thank you to everyone who supported the giveaway by donating, entering, following, and sharing. I really do appreciate it! I have not been blogging as much this week, because I have been really busy, but I will become more active at again on Sunday. It is my birthday tomorrow (27th!), and for my birthday I get to go get an emissions test,  get my license renewed, and get my tag renewed. Gotta love it :) Until I start back up to blogging again on Sunday, I want to leave you guys with a little freebie!  My math bookmarks freebie that are available in my store. These two bookmarks cover basic angles and fractions, and make a great study tool for your students. Click here to get them! 

I have new Halloween goodies, including writing prompts, borders, and a syllable activity in my store..so check them out! I also have new colorful reading comprehension prompt cards :)

Thank you! Happy Teaching :)

Fall 2-day Sale Linky Party!

Over at Second Grade Math Maniac, a Fall TPT Sale link-up is being hosted, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. It is a great chance to pick up discounted products from over 50 sellers and to celebrate the best season of the year (my opinion of course)! Many items in  my store will be 20% off beginning tonight at midnight and ending Sunday. Check out the link to see the other bloggers and sellers who are a part of the sale (remember it begins at Midnight and ends Sunday)! Here is my store where you will find my sale at midnight! http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Dannerk

My Big 100 Followers Giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who has supported, commented, shared, and followed my blog. I am excited to have reached my first 100 followers, and excited to have a BIG Giveaway for one lucky reader. The giveaway is extra awesome thanks to contributions from other bloggers and sellers..to get a better chance at winning the wonderful items below, be sure to follow the directions on the Rafflecopter. The winner will be announced on either Wednesday or Thursday of next week (Sept. 26 or 27).  Click on the links to see the items and the corresponding blogger or seller's TPT store, and click the bloggers' badges to go to their blogs.

The following 12 items will be given to the winners:

40 Common Core Writing Prompts Cards and 40 Early Finishers Task Cards from Dannerk at Taking a Walk on the Teaching Side (me!)

 

 

 "B is for Bright" Alphabet Posters from Teacher's Tool Kit

 

Johnny Appleseed Day (Apples Unit) from Liv to Teach

Newspaper Task Cards from Third Grade Troops 


Write the Room Centers Packet from Flying into First Grade

 

English Alphabet Letter Writing Cards from Teaching Spanish Beginning Sounds

Number 1- 120 Charts and Fill in the Missing Numbers Diving into Learning

  
Fry's 1000 Word Pack with Flashcards/Word Wall Assessments from  Second Grade Nest

 Autumn Skip Counting Bonanza Math Centers and Printables from The Wise Owl

 

Any Product from The Tpt Store of   and finally, Word Work Choice for use with Any words from Mrs. Kelly's Class    

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to those those who were not listed, but offered to contribute..I do appreciate it! Click the links above for bigger pictures, previews, and details...

Pin and share this giveaway so other teachers can get in on the fun too!

Pictures of Some items you may win:
 

Behavior Management Packet , Clip Chart, and Basics

 

Behavior Clip Chart and signs from the Behavior Bundle Packet

Behavior Management Basics:  NEW BEHAVIOR BUNDLE DESIGN(see pic above)!

This is an updated repost and a blog link up!

My first year teaching, I taught in a Title-1 4th grade departmentalized urban elementary school, where the students had to transition every hour, and there were 25-30 students in a class. Plus the school was in a location with lots of gangs. The behavior in general at this school was especially challenging, yet it was a great experience for many reasons, but one of the reasons was because I became skilled in behavior management.  My system includes  a ticket incentive system, clear expectations and rules with lots of practice, routines for everything, talking to my students, positive reinforcement, a behavior clip chart, and hand signals and motions to get students attention,  behavior logs, and communication with parents. I found the combination worked well for the most part. Here are some more basic tips:

1.Explain all parts of your behavior management system to your students from day one. 
2.Set clear expectations and then, practice, practice, practice.
3. You should have your students act out how to act. For example, let them practice what different voice levels sound like, etc.
4. Create a class list of rules, keep them short, somewhat general, and easy to remember. Also, make sure you do not have too few or too many. I usually have 5 class rules posted (of course there are other class rules and expectations but these are the 5 most important to you that students must know and should be posted).
5. Don't make threats. 
6. Be consistent, and if you tell a student you are going to do something..do it. 
7. Reward good behavior.
8. Think about every procedure and have a plan and expectations for students to remember for every procedure.
9.  Once the students get the hang of it, you should still remind students of your expectations, rules, and procedures throughout the year. 
10.Adjust your plan as needed. 


Below is a  behavior management packet I created to give you that behavior management boost you may need. It is available at my TPT store (the owl at the top of my blog is my main link to this). It has various posters, forms, rewards, and much more that you may need!  It includes a give me 5 sign to help with transitions, a hand signals sign to help with distractions, rewards for positive reinforcement, signs for behavior reminders, rules, behavior logs, etc.. I also now have a behavior management clip chart , where students can move up and down the chart throughout the day, and see how they are doing. It come with name tags to place on clothespins. It is great, because students can move up and down the chart, and turn their day around. Enjoy!

UPDATE- I have a new colorful polka dot behavior management packet in my store; it's the same as the original just in a different color combo: it's more colorful and available HERE! It is the black and yellow and pink one at the top of this post. 



Behavior Management Bundle

Please check out the link up below for lots of amazing behavior management products ! Tomorrow the 100 followers giveaway begins, so check back!

 What The Teacher Wants Behavior Linky Party