tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32194507161204605222024-03-13T01:12:55.955-07:00Miss Clark's SpoonfulErin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-20999022341961384692023-08-07T13:50:00.025-07:002023-08-08T06:08:39.239-07:003 Fun Name Activities to Build a Classroom Community<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJT4wUIwtOWy3cVy9Aihbhsx4kzz4TFGZpVemuhMzDD2GvkKr1LE0gQB3Bc8D0CYZWw4tkJlopHfvUeKDFAMNxoVaAlzWwh4CaO5Ne34dwy_oTEkg0xysBf2BHGqBM4KFF0vi0WhvXQxOoGb0Fc2LN8w72Krj3yMq3IHj8IAy3Y2ROxCP-k8xu7tPk2Ao/s2000/7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJT4wUIwtOWy3cVy9Aihbhsx4kzz4TFGZpVemuhMzDD2GvkKr1LE0gQB3Bc8D0CYZWw4tkJlopHfvUeKDFAMNxoVaAlzWwh4CaO5Ne34dwy_oTEkg0xysBf2BHGqBM4KFF0vi0WhvXQxOoGb0Fc2LN8w72Krj3yMq3IHj8IAy3Y2ROxCP-k8xu7tPk2Ao/s16000/7.png" /></a></div><br />If it's back-to-school time for you, or if you're at least THINKING about being back to school, you're probably busy planning ways to build up your classroom community!<div><br />These fun interactive activities are perfect to practice names and integrate skills across the curriculum. <div><br /></div><div>Your students will have fun as they get to know one another, and you will begin creating a positive classroom environment from Day 1. It's a win-win!<br /><br />Here are 3 of my favorite Name Activities to use with your class:</div><div><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">1. "EVERYBODY HAS A NAME" (LITERACY)</h4><div>We love to sing "Everybody Has a Name!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Adding this activity into your daily routine at the beginning of the school year will make all the difference when it comes to giving each one of your students a sense of belonging.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.subscribepage.com/missclarksspoonfulwebsitefreeresourcelibrary" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40zmrdK05eTirg4GQky_bijV0esI280IxO7jhifhNNbYKq6Uo-zXuqhjL0eBRfAJpJ4hTz3vQ-kUJEchYDaMrQjOC9bEvjfni00wqbGZiFyX6auh73LggndXUplLS8mmmUnPx-9zrYJHyEpeacjuj-hV_-MvxzIETd2jWv1GfeMXC_zgVfQWCwO1zL2I/w480-h640/Slide1.png" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.subscribepage.com/missclarksspoonfulwebsitefreeresourcelibrary" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVMOFykj6uCUIJL-72-WqBh65mohufYVN2dPAqgyluFoki-s2P0gNUGpd7CTVJd-iCAXJGnGnOjHyQ2SBsVFt_niz-ftP4SggiEeALHFGEkwwcwKLH68ZqDoj4tJOC3ZXCA6mYaRIH6iP0TH5XL0P_Q1jjqrPk5CCWIoBDdMiPofa3xHCVKGplu5JJm8/w480-h640/Slide2.png" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.subscribepage.com/missclarksspoonfulwebsitefreeresourcelibrary" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1va21FN1LFWrtbGmKTH0hRDyV8k6JHAFjuZtMdcj4uH4Kqw-0kjca1_Q0yf-N3w1GNT99QjcRUcF2T_bx9FDdt8KTAJpN34QBQV8ooiStyNssqAouPw5sUUXdr8bGHuj1fIH5q4nFFYQvQQa08bI1Kn40Ii2cD7Yp1KXl0oy5oShv41bZhHUayL77DzE/w640-h640/Slide1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.subscribepage.com/missclarksspoonfulwebsitefreeresourcelibrary" target="_blank">You can download this activity in my Free Resource Library HERE!</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><h4>2. <i>A MY NAME IS ALICE </i>MORNING MEETING GREETING (SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL LEARNING)</h4>This fun Morning Meeting activity integrates SEL with Language Arts. Students will be having so much fun, that they won't even realize you snuck in a mini-lesson about verbs and alliteration!<div><br /></div><div>As students are greeted around the circle (or with a partner - however you want to set it up!) they would say:</div><div><br /></div><div>"A my name is _____. I like to _____."</div><div><br /></div><div>Using the first letter of their names, students should name an activity they like to do that matches that letter. </div><div><br /></div><div>For example:</div><div><br /></div><div>"B my name is Brooke and I like to bake."</div><div><br /></div><div>"C my name is Charlie and I like to collect."</div><div><br /></div><div>The best part is, that students will have follow-up questions that will further allow them to make connections. ("What do you like to bake?" Brownies! "What do you like to collect?" Seashells!).</div><div><br /></div><div>There are many variations you can do with this activity.</div><div><br /></div><div>For example, instead of using verbs, you can encourage students to think of an adjective that describes them! The possibilities are endless as students celebrate their names in a fun, interactive way.</div></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">3. NUMBERS IN OUR NAMES (MATH)</h4>This interactive activity is meant to be used with the mentor text <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062983377?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzerincl0a-20&creativeASIN=0062983377&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.1EXDLC5D0ST3V&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin"><i>Chrysanthemum</i> by Kevin Henkes</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062983377?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzerincl0a-20&creativeASIN=0062983377&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.1EXDLC5D0ST3V&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="220" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6fsN_yFiFEgfVyty5QH-6E9dT44kZOgw4nzVKQFvAJgMxkr_G7PS7CDoPsblX3BYSzpSsS7fL9cpO30HAMf3w1OhhhIMoH0kGt0ZcqVRQrC09VbWqcs7WTc_XoR3Y9TXPYufnP92PFeDiQ3uW3M5aVMpUP4VPW6UlOtJJzSnPIIBTTN_kNCEzN0BYgI/s1600/51E5ANM5pjL._SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_FMwebp_.webp" width="220" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In this activity, students collect data and count the letters in each of their classmates' names! Then, students tally, graph, and interpret the data.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chrysanthemum-Story-Unit-Math-Literacy-Center-Activities-1970810?st=338d896f38fd4b417d8a71111a82a6e7" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ynrVy1mzUajWGT0IAn0LX2KFSKQrRt4RzN-yutztdXqtV3xZSA2UdLNnROVdYa9POMp_l-Zi-jXH3heLhUb5_pEF0MXylzXgMJYQl-Kgo7f457yqZve1IGI1QLck3_3mvnm4gV9Zf9kqEm7hrndRTWZ8SI9nLqbaM8ML-fwvcyzkDFkx6MdKBXR2q_c/w640-h640/IMG_5186.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheOCe6CKJXVHk522-c47mka-0hHxV6iYKYmW5-ssyw-UV4rVI-Z-tLaE519I0G6e3PFDTnISsr4S-IYp76RYkK73NAyzZBJkT7WBs-aIMwXufnVHnBKM6G8y-YasyWkGb3dGEBhzk6ROfWn1sROPzWwfqYVtNODxzR4IAHWgY_a54Et37TBdl1eoLsSEE/w640-h640/Slide1.jpeg" /></div></div></h4></div><div><br /></div>This activity is part of my complete <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chrysanthemum-Story-Unit-Math-Literacy-Center-Activities-1970810?st=338d896f38fd4b417d8a71111a82a6e7">Chrysanthemum Literacy & Math Activities collection</a>. Fun!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>What are some of your favorite ways to have fun with names as you build a classroom community? I'd love to know!</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy teaching,</div><div><br /></div></div></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-36119722153466392912023-06-26T08:31:00.008-07:002023-08-07T12:04:35.516-07:00The 4 Best Ways to Make Introverted Students Feel Welcome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9rAkDLT6iFtLmrtlJRSgRiuudhDraZGtFminUaGHWLjsLk_v2nb8ILmsGsKDPIBkojWD-pvTfhtALwfn7P52mQuGD0AvhCo0H1l5f4RTM7HE_eu3AhjsH96D_5LWoPTBJMtSmTvOgVMvv0Iin98oeE0SxWb8Ok5PzWNnMHxI_LO4mruhuywQTtAEbmw/s2000/Blog%20Post%20Headers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic9rAkDLT6iFtLmrtlJRSgRiuudhDraZGtFminUaGHWLjsLk_v2nb8ILmsGsKDPIBkojWD-pvTfhtALwfn7P52mQuGD0AvhCo0H1l5f4RTM7HE_eu3AhjsH96D_5LWoPTBJMtSmTvOgVMvv0Iin98oeE0SxWb8Ok5PzWNnMHxI_LO4mruhuywQTtAEbmw/s16000/Blog%20Post%20Headers.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div>I'm an introvert, through and through.<br /><br /><p>As a kid, I was always the one who was more comfortable listening to my teacher during whole group instruction rather than breaking out into small group work.</p><p><br /></p><p>I always dreaded the "share a fun fact about yourself!" on the first day of school.</p><p><br /></p><p>This got me thinking:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>First day of school icebreaker activities aren't fun for everybody.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>So, how can you support your introverts during the first week of school & simultaneously help them build connections?</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are my Top Four Tips!</p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">1. REMEMBER THAT BEING INTROVERTED AND BEING SHY AREN'T THE SAME.</h4><div><div><div>An introvert can be emotionally fatigued after spending a lot of time with other people, and enjoys time alone. A shy person may avoid interacting with people altogether due to social anxiety.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF WAIT TIME WHEN IT COMES TO PARTICIPATION.</h4><p style="clear: both;">In my high school English class, we used to have book discussions. We'd all sit in a circle, and talk about the latest chapter of the book we were reading. My teacher had a clipboard and literally "checked" our name off each time we participated in the discussion. What a nightmare!</p><p style="clear: both;"><br /></p><p style="clear: both;">Needless to say, I contributed pretty meaningless comments during these discussions, just because I wanted to make sure my name was "checked off" for speaking.</p><p style="clear: both;"><br /></p><p style="clear: both;">Value wait time when it comes to participation. After posing a question, don't necessarily call on the first student that raises their hand. In fact, give it a good ten seconds or so before you call on anyone.</p><p style="clear: both;"><br /></p><p style="clear: both;">This can feel like a LONG. TIME. So, why do it?</p><p style="clear: both;"><br /></p><p style="clear: both;">Not only will your students be able to put some thought into their answers, but introverted students will be given the much needed time to gather their thoughts, not feel pressured to just blurt out anything, and be proud of taking a risk to participate.</p><p style="clear: both;"><br /></p><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. PROMOTE A CULTURE OF MINDFULNESS.</h4><p style="clear: both;">Classrooms are naturally busy spaces. Within the hustle and bustle, try incorporating some quieter spaces that can help minimize sensory overload. A calm down corner, or reading nook is a great idea to provide an alternative space for learning!</p><p style="clear: both;"><br /></p><p style="clear: both;">Along with alternate spaces, you can sneak mindfulness and calming breathing exercises into your day. Morning Meeting and Closing Circle are ideal times to do this! Try reading books with your students that encourage mindfulness. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1481477544?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzerincl0a-20&creativeASIN=1481477544&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.1EXDLC5D0ST3V&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_mixed_d_asin" target="_blank"><i>Quiet</i> by Tomie DePaola</a> is a beautiful story that reminds us that being quiet, still, and present with one another is a very special thing.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1481477544?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzerincl0a-20&creativeASIN=1481477544&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.1EXDLC5D0ST3V&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_mixed_d_asin" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="quiet by tomie depaola book cover" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLbbGfRD5pknWz1cZ5pkrL2dF5E2p-lzCCCXzrbgti-tWR3Ku2fcibQmXVoCA4xSRQ431GmuLcOpD8BZbPTDZCYOVEPAgOOzENDEnVgst9o-sM9oSJM9763lcSaDXpEKjN-rfqhxvbUL_qwVPXFdAutOI5dMLttuGa5gR6VCRlLZw1fpOZ7MJy_ZEuN4/w400-h400/9781481477543-us.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. OFFER MULTIPLE WAYS TO SHARE.</h4><p style="clear: both;">Going with the flow of whole group or small group discussions and seamlessly adding to conversations on a whim doesn't work for all students. Writing can be a creative and calming outlet for introverted students in the classroom. Giving time for introverts to write out a response before sharing can lessen anxiety, and boost confidence + engagement.</p><p style="clear: both;"><br /></p><p style="clear: both;">We have so many 21st century ways of teaching and learning right at our fingertips. Here is one of my favorite ways to incorporate "Getting to Know You" at the beginning of the school year that reaches all students!</p><p style="clear: both;"><br /></p></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Google-Slides-Back-to-School-All-About-Me-EDITABLE-Digital-Activity-5708624?st=858ab4ad893d97aba9dee7260f4c2180" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="getting to know you google slides activity" border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMsHt64tKKPMCPIyfJqgeZcopeCB8XKwYFbPmmkqgdhE9jI3Xj36s4_IECDjVlemGmat8SxPsNlgIfbuZpJ3eOeQoBMNEcG3C69zi52ay3f-5ST3ML9ZTLOGt1Dz0D56MR8680CN5CCfxWlhgtcTdunkUFUs7-IJCjQ3F4eNaS08EaESjjey0gzx0eUk/w426-h640/Slide1.png" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div>You can start the year off right by fostering a strong classroom community! Celebrate each student's unique identity, and honor both introverted and extroverted personalities.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Download your Getting to Know You Digital Activity <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Google-Slides-Back-to-School-All-About-Me-EDITABLE-Digital-Activity-5708624?st=858ab4ad893d97aba9dee7260f4c2180" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Google-Slides-Back-to-School-All-About-Me-EDITABLE-Digital-Activity-5708624?st=858ab4ad893d97aba9dee7260f4c2180" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1jlQHFSF7FbvNakGVqTvbHyq5aGZrhkwF5XS40I9LVogvKsFhbcgkED2QCbEUC4CWSAqP5cb9DAPUlEDjMzde-UqwZa3pYI98ddB21YSb-pINqKtAR5TJIKCuH5NY46xHs61_q_6LfVW6l1LL1UHXMLuXnk1NAAsPKkPuhopMC8mmlnPwNSUiEUI7UY/w640-h640/Slide1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Happy community-building!<br /></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-7897882118506939372023-06-12T13:06:00.014-07:002023-08-08T06:00:08.316-07:00Fun Ways to Make Your Teacher Summer All About Self Care!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJpQlkB8nWs1t8cShPI2b2nVAiqwp9jyi2BG9ddK7pOM87x0yd68fE-AiUA5fVe2rC5dle5sxUbz-3JnxQzMN7rbA2DFcn3Z8TDxo27uCB3_6DajsXtfExvwGfa4HUhLwvRZBrj0EWJ3pgwdCkGbSuaJAlxbrq42HqaLhYoZQgxjlsDk_zIOSZYaDZCM/s2000/7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJpQlkB8nWs1t8cShPI2b2nVAiqwp9jyi2BG9ddK7pOM87x0yd68fE-AiUA5fVe2rC5dle5sxUbz-3JnxQzMN7rbA2DFcn3Z8TDxo27uCB3_6DajsXtfExvwGfa4HUhLwvRZBrj0EWJ3pgwdCkGbSuaJAlxbrq42HqaLhYoZQgxjlsDk_zIOSZYaDZCM/s16000/7.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">What does summer mean to you?<br /><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="text-align: left;">Time to relax, rejuvenate, and renew should be three things that immediately come to mind.</span></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes, this is harder than it sounds!</div><div><br /></div><div><div>If you're anything like me, I'm on a journey this summer to truly practice self-care. I'm not just talking about, "take one day at the spa!" Self-care is actually harder to practice than it sounds.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>In case you were wondering, the definition of self-care is: <i>"the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health." </i>(Thank you, dictionary!)</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the tricky part. How can we as teachers do this?</div><div><br /></div><div><div>I've been thinking a lot lately about how to spend time this summer. On my list so far is:</div><div><br /></div><div>☀️ Changing up habits for healthier choices</div><div><br /></div><div><div>☀️ Adapting to a new routine</div><div><br /></div><div>☀️ Taking time to be my best self</div></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">CHANGING UP HABITS FOR HEALTHIER CHOICES</h4><div>I'm listening to the audiobook <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RFSSYBH?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzerincl0a-20&creativeASIN=B07RFSSYBH&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.22Q08ZYAHCD2B&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin" target="_blank"><i>Atomic Habits</i> by James Clear</a>, and it's fabulous! If you're looking for a way to ditch some bad habits, form good ones, and learn how to create tiny behaviors that create long-term results, this is for you!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RFSSYBH?linkCode=ssc&tag=onamzerincl0a-20&creativeASIN=B07RFSSYBH&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.22Q08ZYAHCD2B&ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ofs_mixed_d_asin" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-0QWzzVoDMYk-vL0B9s9nn3SRs3HNPmuI3ottYomeZbLieBEzOUB2xGmGBuLJ3iF4vBx5XKpgOWOp_R8SBpamk6no7LeSzZz5teu3BD4wNHHIrkk54Al4EKJTSVCUTk6CtVqgbM4soI1FUeInks3qaL6mhs1_ttAbt-M1S62eycnvbleAse-m4cL/w400-h400/513Y5o-DYtL._SL500_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both;">ADAPTING TO A NEW ROUTINE</h4><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Embracing the idea of not having a schedule can be tricky! Sometimes, it can be helpful to keep a sense of routine (eat breakfast at a consistent time, take an afternoon walk at the same time, etc).</p><p style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">TAKING TIME TO BE MY BEST SELF</h4><div>To do this, I'm focusing on putting myself first! I know, I know. that can sound pretentious and potentially selfish. Before you jump to conclusions about doing this for yourself, think about that phrase "you can't pour from an empty cup." It's a cliche for a reason! The more you care for yourself, the more available you'll be (as the best version of yourself) to others.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So, how can you make this fun?</div><div><br /></div><div>Make it a game that you can play all summer long!</div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KwjLyqh0ICTgrkkbRQdhh87bLt3jz1BK/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGSsr2_VAcIQf9idlljiw9BDqR7a2-emOMk6YeUJBTXULrx8HEl0Ie2HU1u9Mj1xLS_g0H7LblOFBVFgxpV5h_nX5umCRkpHa0Y1jd-TTye3UTfLbvkHpIjRBFy-u9kUk7VJxugRYEnJ7zEEraD1ch2k4IenZ81vHCIcQgdyeeWaxlcis8jbmETEB/w480-h640/Teacher%20Summer%20Bingo.png" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Again, true self care doesn't look like doing one or two of these tasks and simply checking them off your list.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>However, completing one or two of these tasks as part of the bigger picture of truly caring for yourself can do wonders!</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Is Teacher Summer Self-Care Bingo something you'd like to play along with?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Download your free printable <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KwjLyqh0ICTgrkkbRQdhh87bLt3jz1BK/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</b></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KwjLyqh0ICTgrkkbRQdhh87bLt3jz1BK/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ong5NMaQYb_L96oSgiDJGyaU1ib7_oe1Qa7LqqykSpeAdEZNy6F2iXajhRcco9WDmkbKzUZ2Tdul7ZKPik9XTaU-pKcxIRxrsjcgoXZ96wGLnOUQ-e7zxs6YV_iGmTzE5ugHAJSbQbUqncogGqWCm0QiCaZJZO_PytYztBGj2LBT0-0IaBB12KSc/w480-h640/Teacher%20Summer%20Bingo.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div>If you're playing along, I'd love to see how it's going.</div><div><br /></div><div>Feel free to <b>share</b> <b>your summer self-care adventures</b> by tagging me @missclarksspoonful on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/missclarksspoonful" target="_blank">Instagram</a>!</div><div><br /></div><div>Seeing people do what brings them joy brings me a ton of joy too. ☀️</div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Summer!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-59328977841282502222023-04-06T08:24:00.006-07:002023-05-21T06:32:56.609-07:00Rainbow Similes: The Best and Most Creative Poetry Lesson for Spring!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrXK78eBUEZ43uDanl4dFANn8WQPw3uUEWb5Vl8HUTPsxjW6TrgPJNZpE-1BZGW4bz7S0BQlxcVFlr7L14kt50vsJYR-DJf6IP88ceP6gl4NjGhEkLSaZf-w5JaDCJPhXgbKwNxtySTzTNizUNS67wH73GawuXbCmiBEMJ3MLwNMI6QLFvUM3gI0j/s2000/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="rainbow simile activity for the elementary classroom" border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrXK78eBUEZ43uDanl4dFANn8WQPw3uUEWb5Vl8HUTPsxjW6TrgPJNZpE-1BZGW4bz7S0BQlxcVFlr7L14kt50vsJYR-DJf6IP88ceP6gl4NjGhEkLSaZf-w5JaDCJPhXgbKwNxtySTzTNizUNS67wH73GawuXbCmiBEMJ3MLwNMI6QLFvUM3gI0j/s16000/1.jpg" /></a></div><br />What is my favorite month to teach writing? April wins!<div><br />It's National Poetry Month, and there are so many ways to incorporate some extra creativity.<div><br /></div><div>One of my favorite poetry lessons is teaching about SIMILES.</div><div><br /></div><div>We start out by talking about what a simile actually is, and look at examples of them. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/shop/missclarksspoonful/list/2C6NMQ111NRXW?ref_=aipsflist_aipsfmissclarksspoonful">These mentor texts</a> are wonderful for introducing similes, and seeing some in action!<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/shop/missclarksspoonful/list/2C6NMQ111NRXW?ref_=aipsflist_aipsfmissclarksspoonful" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="mentor texts for teaching similes" border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1040" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xMrKYhH5Mmt0k2Fn4TKUpWKHauEs01Z4J-RGWYUX3H5PzNvquOfe0b23yfCwr8gRHOWXz8xTTMeqMgKTSIPKv8dmWfXuBiMntZHkMcpaAPdy2e2Zp7zQ3EuboNcuckDWY6f94JgxCQQBKs80DFBpq_uJg0ChyB8Of4I2CQYVl-obzFiz2XuWwY0J/w640-h640/Slide1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In the spirit of April Showers and all things spring...</div><div><br /></div><div>we incorporate <b>rainbows</b> and <b>colors</b> into simile writing!</div><div><br /><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">RAINBOW SIMILES ACTIVITY</h3><div><div><br /></div><div>All you'll need is: large pieces of white paper, sets of <a href="https://capitaloneshopping.com/p/16-colors-watercolor-paint-set-b/DR5MMSCPMK" target="_blank">watercolor paints</a>, and a planning sheet.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmDQxksDqrFm1A4rCjfChNAvPO3VEYs7gQm5-s6GqyyHqUDq65nWOoSlPZ5xMLhqH3OY3nTAuskYAp7MteROUErroiWJ59H2gIiYEmPdrIu6ykoIpNrsosB4NaJK4lTVFNGaWFStPiT6eBoF6U4t4Ws3Cew3DepFyazqJAwlr30NpD5MkHMFSQPwX/s1080/5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="rainbow similes written down and a watercolor rainbow" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmDQxksDqrFm1A4rCjfChNAvPO3VEYs7gQm5-s6GqyyHqUDq65nWOoSlPZ5xMLhqH3OY3nTAuskYAp7MteROUErroiWJ59H2gIiYEmPdrIu6ykoIpNrsosB4NaJK4lTVFNGaWFStPiT6eBoF6U4t4Ws3Cew3DepFyazqJAwlr30NpD5MkHMFSQPwX/w640-h640/5.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>First, students can plan out their color similes on paper. Then, they can get to work on their rainbows!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4giZ7zs3-QE7PG2ncyx3klNkrjFqblYaLzzvOLjEQS17I3qkifKwNQ4ZGaoCNGoBLDizQ-Vh8hMfR9hc7cPniGr-RA9rcXHgH2GdMq98w8hKB2rM7chH8IJX7YBKb9LGZgxWouaQIr4OXyt9URaPacQFOUDNBG3qfBaWdmmrZ-dA6Ji9F0qLAbIu/s1080/4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="a child's watercolor painting of a rainbow" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4giZ7zs3-QE7PG2ncyx3klNkrjFqblYaLzzvOLjEQS17I3qkifKwNQ4ZGaoCNGoBLDizQ-Vh8hMfR9hc7cPniGr-RA9rcXHgH2GdMq98w8hKB2rM7chH8IJX7YBKb9LGZgxWouaQIr4OXyt9URaPacQFOUDNBG3qfBaWdmmrZ-dA6Ji9F0qLAbIu/w640-h640/4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />Once the watercolor paint is dry (it doesn't take very long), students can copy their similes from their planning sheets onto their rainbows.</div><div><br /></div><div>It helps to use pencil first, and then go over the writing using a skinny permanent marker!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3E6KUybJ_ZtjRe4H_vKgQC8pjNpBjxgRCzFn2ru2O0HvZn6UAHCVAXgv-NbYlH5ovHcRJGIcd7Hz87oLfV_2W6Pt5RTO_M5iAZgSCML1U5BMZugX9KrwMQty3mayiC2velUYolfXUxQDspXoXsiZpSMy3sRgWaytesshgrx1uCpjclRKpcvchQMUa/s1080/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="a child's watercolor painting of a rainbow" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3E6KUybJ_ZtjRe4H_vKgQC8pjNpBjxgRCzFn2ru2O0HvZn6UAHCVAXgv-NbYlH5ovHcRJGIcd7Hz87oLfV_2W6Pt5RTO_M5iAZgSCML1U5BMZugX9KrwMQty3mayiC2velUYolfXUxQDspXoXsiZpSMy3sRgWaytesshgrx1uCpjclRKpcvchQMUa/w640-h640/3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />These projects make a beautiful display of student work all spring long.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="a display of children's artwork, watercolor rainbows" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmnYfoGsoHiFOFJJd03Ca6UEVYVCo-anKmSRV8ri2iM_fyoOe_EnMmyxS5C5Cu2aIe3754nacQ3nlAd_EEGqpv_MqvF5ou0qBZ9odTQWL6n17qNbF_K8XCi9JJwjAuVJjNV4E37oYmZOrWHzlaF9BcPzwuuishdGvTkpGUetj30Bvy6pfzYsBnnL-/w400-h400/2.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LZmim1Sde28QYJjAMqw7dDl2duQxVML_mprYiC-qwUNfn_oUXXawmBLMXYf52MCaNhRTus7U5_JnQS53_j1FIOmaQ9o96IL_0KIX2mp5UDe5Y36QP9tlnFZgGJglUc3IdQ05418qYM8D61C8FClPaB88da6RQybc87bBQn-9J2Doxddo5UI2jehi/s1080/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="a display of children's artwork, watercolor rainbows" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LZmim1Sde28QYJjAMqw7dDl2duQxVML_mprYiC-qwUNfn_oUXXawmBLMXYf52MCaNhRTus7U5_JnQS53_j1FIOmaQ9o96IL_0KIX2mp5UDe5Y36QP9tlnFZgGJglUc3IdQ05418qYM8D61C8FClPaB88da6RQybc87bBQn-9J2Doxddo5UI2jehi/w400-h400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Are Rainbow Similes something you'd like to incorporate in your classroom?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: center;"><b>You can download these free printables <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lVA0I3YTXmKzK_A8LyOO2Jj6OU0eCGvV/view?usp=sharing">HERE!</a></b></h4><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lVA0I3YTXmKzK_A8LyOO2Jj6OU0eCGvV/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="rainbow similes activity" border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1040" height="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHn6LiVKDMk75aeSXkvhzPkbVXW4rZ8CtOFfB1qY0eI8VM7CHPOFKDc-zkVK3tgt8ds3CBrMLnIA8VB2Mf0kuT1hFwcrwCGgmPS9g1f60e5WQZdk3y7EcEF896yKepuaKn_iWa0EaYBgNAA1Q51HX54vXjsZzcYQpTHlPAKfpBckYpwQO7d2mkUTt8/w640-h465/Slide1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNbkqWesJ4UottT4UOCysw9ctuqVS2gpdJNIoy7KU78yIXpPyoozJ-PY_86V7txznlj5CovRaUxLFFq4osGUXzlmqYnIzK8JWLhZRIII4O-dFFg7LGP1C8XktwFHTr5zCtV598uc9htiF3Ya7ey7JhTCMrnV_rc5oENKTkUFEO05Q1aIsY-N--aHy/s1040/Slide2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="rainbow similes activity" border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1040" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNbkqWesJ4UottT4UOCysw9ctuqVS2gpdJNIoy7KU78yIXpPyoozJ-PY_86V7txznlj5CovRaUxLFFq4osGUXzlmqYnIzK8JWLhZRIII4O-dFFg7LGP1C8XktwFHTr5zCtV598uc9htiF3Ya7ey7JhTCMrnV_rc5oENKTkUFEO05Q1aIsY-N--aHy/w640-h466/Slide2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div></div><br />Happy Writing!<br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-31158324305254539772022-08-31T13:57:00.007-07:002023-04-08T12:01:48.610-07:00Work on Writing Choices in the Elementary Classroom... A Must Have Center!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wIM01zhJAwHMwQf_sdTpp9ppewM0Mm93t1naa5tYnqcZ1AYvW77UcFDgIIOECa2j04jfJBKAHzS54PEZUx-CuOQGIA7rmGN1kh_RXJywKYzcri-oLamrrtDB53RxfmDWfKhu6YefRM0szDpCPqIVgYXNezD_zNT3egClqJ0K3_d4QVJ_2JOU8YK8/s2000/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="work on writing center in the elementary classroom" border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wIM01zhJAwHMwQf_sdTpp9ppewM0Mm93t1naa5tYnqcZ1AYvW77UcFDgIIOECa2j04jfJBKAHzS54PEZUx-CuOQGIA7rmGN1kh_RXJywKYzcri-oLamrrtDB53RxfmDWfKhu6YefRM0szDpCPqIVgYXNezD_zNT3egClqJ0K3_d4QVJ_2JOU8YK8/s16000/2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>The Writing Center is my favorite place in our classroom.</p><p><br /></p><p>Why? "Work on Writing" is a place where students can practice writing every single day!</p><p><br /></p><p>I'd love to take you through my Work on Writing center, and explain a little bit about the choices students have. PS - If you're wondering about the structure of when and how students visit Work on Writing, <a href="http://www.missclarksspoonful.com/2019/02/lets-talk-literacy-blocks.html" target="_blank">visit this blog post</a> to learn more.</p><p><br /></p><p>For now, let's dive into Work on Writing!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Daily-Five-Work-on-Writing-Literacy-Center-Choices-1727144?st=a34f77dd46fdbe6a276c233162575dff" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGgdbMsas_QHwq1ZvIIIzLSAiPp9enGBbJHsnz3lIqk7tB2msT0D0bQqk4__jM8vfNfgJB0eDvZWopQ5yIZCcCBwMI62OQOfywXiIxjGwrHHzR3IIteeG1Rv60B3LS12szNECOMTWfFc6uWkFQU3Ds47PnoJEUeB5fvVmV1gi3mcknIHKhAgkpJyS/w640-h640/Slide5.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Here is what my Work on Writing center looks like:</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASC6wZER0LV7Q0GZzE6r8e0G6hx7gDCJl38OfB4fkofeYoOWNSthG3mSarTUV1ffrMyVU7qaC-W4VI7V_zjVgZsroEOJHvIN3i8KAnlGW8MQPKM1iHYxmKU0BNZvJNQT7-jA1rzZ2HyAt0ZG1sUNuCCn9ZF1t2NAXD4eM688-nIsyGhAUtO9FRI71/s540/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="colorful drawers with writing center labels on them: list, friendly letter, lined paper, how to, pick and write, and draw and label." border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASC6wZER0LV7Q0GZzE6r8e0G6hx7gDCJl38OfB4fkofeYoOWNSthG3mSarTUV1ffrMyVU7qaC-W4VI7V_zjVgZsroEOJHvIN3i8KAnlGW8MQPKM1iHYxmKU0BNZvJNQT7-jA1rzZ2HyAt0ZG1sUNuCCn9ZF1t2NAXD4eM688-nIsyGhAUtO9FRI71/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">THE SETUP</h3><p>- The <a href="https://www.michaels.com/10-drawer-rolling-cart-by-simply-tidy/10468254.html?r=g&cm_mmc=PLASearch-_-google-_-x_-&kpid=go_cmp-17940948446_adg-_ad-__dev-c_ext-_prd-10468254&cm_mmc=PLASearch-_-google-_-MICH_Shopping_US_N_Fall_N_PMax-_-&Kenshoo_ida=&kpid=go_cmp-17940948446_adg-_ad-__dev-c_ext-_prd-10468254&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjbyYBhCdARIsAArC6LKebPRQ30G_TlD1tdVjD8awOzEiaVUDUynJs-vh2YheDKor-U6JdIsaAhDWEALw_wcB" target="_blank">drawer set is from Michaels</a>. Teacher tip: remove the knobs for easy labeling!</p><p><br /></p><p>- Speaking of labeling, the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Editable-Rolling-Cart-Labels-Teacher-Trolley-Classroom-Freebie-4786949" target="_blank">drawer labels are from The Organised Teacher</a> over on TPT. They are editable, and F-R-E-E!</p><p><br /></p><p>- <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Thematic-Vocabulary-Cards-For-the-Year-Writing-1961839?st=adbbb43fe51e980fe2d53315a729e1d9" target="_blank">Thematic Vocabulary Cards are from Cara Carroll</a> over on TPT.</p><p><br /></p><p>- I used <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099PJJR8X?tag=onamzerincl0a-20&linkCode=ssc&creativeASIN=B099PJJR8X&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.182OTIR0K7MUG" target="_blank">clear frames from Amazon</a> to display my "Work on Writing" center sign. This helps provide a clear visual of what and where the Work on Writing center is throughout the year.</p><p><br /></p><p>You can download your free sign <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u1_i9_nv2PNVKRL6mfIBzzWNmMOkWxBt/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">HERE</a> if you'd like!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u1_i9_nv2PNVKRL6mfIBzzWNmMOkWxBt/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="540" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-TPr3cZZZvXqll5L6tmguWF0b02eQ-QmKXU1Ksey0fPtTFKbZSmUiunZiBzwyyFdDoQuxftZIDFXZIobNjgaz07dNovQ14lfgTucZcQLtorP_YYP_81G7XYwHLFs1B2TIRdPXsK8HSf69PUvICGg0TLm5O85QL4e7zB-9FhBbxQsaUsHkRfrqdxZ/w300-h400/Slide1.png" width="300" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>In my Work on Writing Center, I include seven choices: Let's go through them together!</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">PICK AND WRITE</h3><p>This activity comes along with Cara's Thematic Vocabulary Cards. The students practice writing sentences featuring any of the vocabulary words displayed in the writing center! This option is great for working on sentence structure, capitalization, and punctuation.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>DRAW AND LABEL</b></h3><p>More suited for beginning writers, this writing choice ALSO comes along with the Thematic Vocabulary Cards! </p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">FREE WRITE</h3><p>This is exactly what it sounds like! Students are free to write about whatever interests them. For those students who may have writers block (I was this kid!), I LOVE <a href="https://www.secondstorywindow.net/daily-5-work-on-writing-monthly-resources/" target="_blank">the monthly prompts</a> from Heidi and Emily over at Second Story Window.</p><p><br /></p><p>I typed out the prompts, and stuck them on fun cutouts that you can find at Dollar Tree, or any other teaching store! These prompts are switched out every month.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUw2NoAQuQx_biURaszeHDE-apkJgWERaa7HDOWLMLtVk6P9T3x198HcfTSurI4lOBM3fnZjSBcs7QdRnJEACV1-_DYoSOicjBtcF8IPOQwl6gUBnqy1DrKRbj3k8MEATG1ZBXU8BHX-lFwQ7kbzWHgNaKavB08Zr8TafTkC-e-MpnMA5SayF2eQ7/s540/Slide3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUw2NoAQuQx_biURaszeHDE-apkJgWERaa7HDOWLMLtVk6P9T3x198HcfTSurI4lOBM3fnZjSBcs7QdRnJEACV1-_DYoSOicjBtcF8IPOQwl6gUBnqy1DrKRbj3k8MEATG1ZBXU8BHX-lFwQ7kbzWHgNaKavB08Zr8TafTkC-e-MpnMA5SayF2eQ7/w640-h640/Slide3.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWITPmPzlhQsnJSKyyYoaIUf6WFu3VtRSAuxTjuiCKTgCb-ODGDR1skooqrvkGj-QeIewXu-aq27U7LiB9RuYvTm1V_AwiFuQzzqMMHsg48AGh6NGWMped2tx6GthPgumwOIjcE03mmwb01gB58tJWfJ79QhgytCJhgkBFzr4p8tzyRZCNiceSAVsH/s540/Slide4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWITPmPzlhQsnJSKyyYoaIUf6WFu3VtRSAuxTjuiCKTgCb-ODGDR1skooqrvkGj-QeIewXu-aq27U7LiB9RuYvTm1V_AwiFuQzzqMMHsg48AGh6NGWMped2tx6GthPgumwOIjcE03mmwb01gB58tJWfJ79QhgytCJhgkBFzr4p8tzyRZCNiceSAVsH/w640-h640/Slide4.png" width="640" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">HOW TO</h3><div><p>How To Writing is so much fun for students, because they get to be the expert on writing out steps for how to do something they're great at. Students also practice important learning concepts of using temporal words (first, next, then...), and being descriptive while using short, sequential steps!</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">RECIPE</h3><div><p>Writing recipes allow for students to be both creative and organized! They need to provide a list of ingredients, as well as step-by-step directions for how to make their delicious dish. Yum!</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">LETTER</h3><div><p>The parts and purpose of a Friendly Letter is a must-do lesson to introduce this center! One of the most important teaching points is <b>why</b> we write friendly letters, and <b>who</b> we write letters to (Family members, relatives, people we don't see that often...). This helps from friendly letters turning the corner and becoming "notes" that students just write to one another. 😉</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">LIST</h3><div><p>We all make lists! This writing center is my very favorite. To introduce this center, we talk about <b>when</b> and <b>why</b> people might make lists. Grocery lists! Lists to remember tasks! You name it. Much like the thematic vocabulary cards, I display a seasonal collection of List Writing Options in our Writing Center.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_E3KrpvrVnwr78UqD8BHwfFdXPdevW7Gz9xmzZA3eRwKK7OnDNhal1_UQeMJ144BG2sl_hrxoEUKRVcUflQdIU8D6PI83kFPCjdGdra3fBdODDXYDKcDjvC_lpw1bK31NN2hMRsB2LJ7FAj_9IFrZnwc8WKFcJGvF3pCsKktmpo_WgESSjzV4j54/s540/Slide2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_E3KrpvrVnwr78UqD8BHwfFdXPdevW7Gz9xmzZA3eRwKK7OnDNhal1_UQeMJ144BG2sl_hrxoEUKRVcUflQdIU8D6PI83kFPCjdGdra3fBdODDXYDKcDjvC_lpw1bK31NN2hMRsB2LJ7FAj_9IFrZnwc8WKFcJGvF3pCsKktmpo_WgESSjzV4j54/w640-h640/Slide2.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>List writing is SO beneficial for students. It helps them develop an awareness of spelling patterns, expand vocabulary, and connect concepts across the curriculum!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>If these Work on Writing ideas are something you'd like to incorporate in your classroom, you check out this collection of centers in my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/miss-clarks-spoonful" target="_blank">TpT store!</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Daily-Five-Work-on-Writing-Literacy-Center-Choices-1727144?st=a34f77dd46fdbe6a276c233162575dff" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LoAszdrKqqUw4DQWHW-oAeXVmPdD39n5cZq8IrSimLOyqN02hXBCmHrNwhcoAbFOOzzNa_uDxXbsXHKHFdGfqmX8tAh2_vTQ4MHJzmvnYALfnvOC-BHgjSiV5rQMIiY68bLc86w_CjRPPkgOCUTofPR3ka3s_7NSAYEhQ7by42NHuT8xt61WpwJh/w640-h640/Slide5.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The List Writing part of this collection just got a HUGE update! You can now have access to <b>120 List Writing Prompts</b> that can be used all year long.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/14dxH3qAqeurRBk8acbHAQ3HIvE2ui33L/view" target="_blank">Try September and October for FREE!</a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/14dxH3qAqeurRBk8acbHAQ3HIvE2ui33L/view" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Ydj4Qmq41Tcaf5dpig0SSvju1YJvvCfvFChkACiFwdV2bpadwOt-JlU5BpKqzy0uQZJPB9LEiqAkeqglbIkwsydZ4cX4r8aIHYyxqmXjtoYebIxe4A0zDQPEQ2T7MMOyHfqi5a_oRJMrQO9fA3au8uGuA2af2tdWSD6O7C8KioDAY6Kc724JkZha/w480-h640/Slide1.png" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/14dxH3qAqeurRBk8acbHAQ3HIvE2ui33L/view" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-Zi6TZWneGDLdFF-0olcWI8OZ7yZDg3KRcHoTUIkWTgZi6fClOs7ZT97Na9RcTWApvRirVTResuQF85lL_0OiokVYZfCdYmiQdL0lyunMuYvrpW0Z3isDah6nYW8WhFUpgpR0NRBvb16NRUjT8ZdQeZJVbo83_7-8jkNOIhFaLoqvoMQMm_HbObI/w480-h640/Slide5.png" width="480" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/14dxH3qAqeurRBk8acbHAQ3HIvE2ui33L/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">HERE</a> to download your free <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/14dxH3qAqeurRBk8acbHAQ3HIvE2ui33L/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">September and October List Writing Prompts</a>.</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Wishing you happy writing moments to come!</div></div><p><br /></p></div></div></div></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-31724231128889938712022-04-10T04:27:00.005-07:002023-04-08T12:25:24.917-07:00How to Calmly Transition Back to the Classroom after Lunch and Recess<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhn3ofUNSAl4YQ_j1FnmKoWj_75RrcZtw8q7jAcBAT816pNNYtuxqAsyfTcnEgCpiASZI4vk1HZITMRJKNCTSv-bb-F8R-PE15iu94gg7r3clYgSpCq9mQOQu0guFmDnhbTZVJipUpvj2NKR18opeNQXfmb9xeYSj2oxgRtAySvPXXP67cFCknKJy/s2000/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="calm down strategies for rest time after lunch in the classroom, called rest and digest" border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhn3ofUNSAl4YQ_j1FnmKoWj_75RrcZtw8q7jAcBAT816pNNYtuxqAsyfTcnEgCpiASZI4vk1HZITMRJKNCTSv-bb-F8R-PE15iu94gg7r3clYgSpCq9mQOQu0guFmDnhbTZVJipUpvj2NKR18opeNQXfmb9xeYSj2oxgRtAySvPXXP67cFCknKJy/s16000/3.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>What is one of the trickiest times to transition back to instruction during the school day?<div><br /></div><div>After Lunch or Recess.<p><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>LET'S START WITH LUNCH.</b></p><p>Research has shown that our bodies digest far better when they are relaxed, and when we can actually set aside enough time to simply eat (rather than cramming finding a spot to eat, having a conversation with a friend, eating lunch, and cleaning up in the span of what many students have to be 20-30 minutes). What should be a leisurely activity is often so rushed, for teachers and students both.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>THEN, THERE'S RECESS.</b></p><div><p>Oftentimes, it can feel like herding cats when your students get off of the playground, and back into the classroom. Somebody left their jacket outside. Somebody else needs a drink of water. Somebody else needs to use the restroom. All the while, the energy is at an all-time high, and it takes 10 minutes (or more!) to have everyone back in learning mode.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Is there a solution for this?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">YES. The answer?</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>REST!</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: left;">In my classroom, we happen to transition from lunch right back to the classroom.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Before moving onto grabbing our math workbooks, we <b>"Rest and Digest."</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">During this time, students are still and quiet. The lights are off as they grab a drink of water, make their way back to their seats, and settle in.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">WHAT DO STUDENTS DO DURING REST AND DIGEST?</h4><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b>LISTEN TO CALMING MUSIC</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">I usually play soothing music or nature sounds from a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX8xTvjlgZI&t=5698s" target="_blank">YouTube video</a> while students are making their way in, and all the while as their sitting at their seats.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">We listen to the similar music/sounds during Writers Workshop, too. We call it our "brain music!"</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>COLOR OR DRAW</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Using whatever materials students have easy access to (either in their desks, or readily accessible in the classroom), they can simply doodle.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>READ A BOOK</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">This is literally no prep on your part! Reading while resting is an effective way for many students to calm down.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>BREATHE</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Teaching children to control their breathing gives them the ability to focus. It also helps instill self-control. Many deep breathing exercises can be explicitly taught. <a href="https://www.socialemotionalworkshop.com/simple-breathing-exercises/" target="_blank">Deep "belly breathing"</a> is a great place to start.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">You can download my FREE "How To" Belly Breathing Poster <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ET5yV9QkzVwLC6jlkJRsz6KAKyK7CuJ3/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ET5yV9QkzVwLC6jlkJRsz6KAKyK7CuJ3/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="How To Steps for Deep Belly Breathing" border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="540" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49gcW38OYDCZ6k9bNtC6FJRU7CzcGNjbjBMxwMrB7hx7IkioG7U7T8rwRibzbAaSmghr6XnQsPBjtMXAQtGZG2Um3oz45zeBQo_przML_UGhxDp7Z3qldqbZjvecrCO98fvVJauO47-RG7gDgQex-RWtU1rhTX3HK9L88Nz_8h-u8Ji1n8Zor1Uo_/w640-h480/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />----------</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>If Rest and Digest time is something you'd like to incorporate into your classroom, you check out these mini books in my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/miss-clarks-spoonful" target="_blank">TpT store!</a> They will guide your students through the above strategies with explanations to make for a calm transition time.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rest-and-Digest-Mini-Book-Transitioning-from-Lunch-with-Calm-Rest-Time-7966893" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Rest and Digest - A Tool for a Smooth Transition from Lunch to the Classroom" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTd-d3uYdsdj6PYTFA4FZ2bx4xsatVy6Uoyt9_NLt0dDr9TZr15dB5qvaC0BcXRQ3WNUItnjBDWo0vdnwXQQYo2kVOLKR3gf9jn-kfnH-BqDy3YTo9MAERNxW6e0c6APmWseM2ZZjTa01BF8vte1tB0R5C5gL792d5p5us4MIT4woJas2oMjZ_YNT/w400-h400/Slide1.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rest-and-Digest-Mini-Book-Transitioning-from-Lunch-with-Calm-Rest-Time-7966893" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Rest and Digest - A Tool for a Calm Transition from Lunch to the Classroom" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJoV2e0UsYbRYBeNw05wCfsh8GvEyKIr1tMwbVx4kmxieKw5FpD7GvxxwR4K1U7aL-Lol67XmqD3zUUkd3GValVwjzz4IeJX90y9CeT2DpVBIxy1o0hWyr0G822WO6Iz-Tf2rznrzCxyWlepPUUWG5y9Gqxc0nKBaZXVnIs0iv4Z9idZCpeYGtTyR/w400-h400/Slide3.png" width="400" /></a></div>If transitioning from RECESS back to the classroom is what you want to focus on, you can check out the companion to Rest and Digest, Rest and Reflect!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rest-and-Reflect-Mini-Book-Transitioning-from-Recess-with-Calm-Rest-Time-7966902" target="_blank"><img alt="Rest and Reflect - A Tool for a Calm Transition from Recess to the Classroom" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aSaktINTP0n5lwSIQE8jvytLKQpqJ9LpuGBTo_Z5ASuOBQj6GeHe4suyK0x8B-OYD0dZQ-o8G9GCmFD4XXij9Fb2NLoXfB81ZnDT0n1ohPTjcVkS9WH26QJoyclal2RA2d9_zVdshZeIrNySlOdXWeFHqrEEWKBDyZ9oy78ilhMVTpVjnmtXcPWo/w400-h400/Slide1.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wishing you calming lunch & recess transition times to come!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-59624557112738856452021-09-18T11:00:00.003-07:002023-04-09T04:27:07.969-07:00Favorite September Read Alouds for the Primary Classroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KYo1-G95Fb75_SrRk8Y0qHtXYAHTX2OrBOei7Bme0sUfplbZiwFEiC6ccHtw3vXdtDKidlyRX1dzE6LhmSpf7cOChsYx0QwRrvBacbRx556BTXkROLOlNSUpIkjD0CQ0kvVte-wEpB70sH_3M-G0RcClunB_clnaCv7u9pcPLDTR5Dod6PvFyEqX/s2000/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="favorite read alouds for september in the elementary classroom" border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KYo1-G95Fb75_SrRk8Y0qHtXYAHTX2OrBOei7Bme0sUfplbZiwFEiC6ccHtw3vXdtDKidlyRX1dzE6LhmSpf7cOChsYx0QwRrvBacbRx556BTXkROLOlNSUpIkjD0CQ0kvVte-wEpB70sH_3M-G0RcClunB_clnaCv7u9pcPLDTR5Dod6PvFyEqX/s16000/4.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I absolutely love September in the classroom. The beginning of the school year brings a month of community building, fall, and all things apples!<br /><br />Here are some of my favorite read alouds to enjoy all month long, and some ways I incorporate them into different lessons.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEFp8qm9e5pDfbgGeJWoJV-y316ecyTURqdpx9HQG0yE5DICZRoMVWCNTm4esv7RqrNV13L3lC0vseyNfK9DdYvSojVkHn7qb2xnH_EPpNFZhy6A14zRm1PHtb60iqMKkB-0EvKG5cJ0/s540/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEFp8qm9e5pDfbgGeJWoJV-y316ecyTURqdpx9HQG0yE5DICZRoMVWCNTm4esv7RqrNV13L3lC0vseyNfK9DdYvSojVkHn7qb2xnH_EPpNFZhy6A14zRm1PHtb60iqMKkB-0EvKG5cJ0/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0061544574?ref=exp_missclarksspoonful_dp_vv_d" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDh3T3jYTBkodJq-09GJKyGqZ8EUcPsPfV5nCaTZGCfh_6PI_Bn3xhryold3KoPh3kjTpybi4DHGGgeaosNhhTbOP_1WCNdh2yLWpLdS2ZWM8LBiGugNP10dStpSsl1rRWFD_8jCDVbi8/w640-h229/s1.png" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>This book is fun to read during the first weeks of school. Amelia Bedelia is a character that your students will love visiting again and again!</div><div><br />Whether she's hopping off the bus, or gluing herself to her seat, Amelia finds herself on the first day of school with feelings of anticipation and excitement.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's relatable for any student or teacher during the first few days back to school.</div><div><br />If you're using this as a Mentor Text for a poetry lesson, I have a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Idioms-Activity-2371653?st=21964ef31148d5326667e9a8a31b7c77" target="_blank">great activity in my TpT shop</a> to go with it! Your students will love creating a class book of idioms.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Idioms-Activity-2371653?st=21964ef31148d5326667e9a8a31b7c77" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Idioms Activity by Miss Clark's Spoonful on Teachers Pay Teachers" border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxKN1g3-rgCIwtL7WL4opKxHt1ruH2OXOrCfpxTP5Pp4v8wQLDRt_5zsGQ8_iX9wo621itQGePUcdpn70OrmMDjKoldxy28ZfC-WhBLtafSrUTAs9-aIiMywxTCWMwk0Yk6PfXvp4nv0/w400-h400/original-2371653-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0803712103?ref=exp_missclarksspoonful_dp_vv_d" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_k9zUIdSzyD6HtxlnqngVudc_rh0VsZqlIdKt84OxGzdJXx1EPwZG6PFe7deubu3r86F_d31oXRHHNFCeQ8eNR0DWm4KuwM3WDwADJp93ThxKVqBettwrywWnRYCu77ytzd7_eDeoJA/w640-h228/s2.png" /></a><div><i><br />"There's something peculiar about that plant!" </i>is a phrase your students will love reading throughout this story.</div><div><br /></div><div>As Cassandra (the main character) starts school, her mother wishes she could go back to second grade again! So naturally, she disguises herself as a plant... a perfect tie in to Miss Gardner's lesson on plant facts! Overall, this is a funny and super lovely story about the relationship between how plants need love and care, and the love any parent has for their child.<br /><br />This is a very fun Mentor Text to use for lessons on expanding vocabulary! With words like <i>peculiar</i> and <i>ridiculous </i>being repeated throughout the story, students can use context clues to determine definitions. I also love to encourage my students to use them in their <a href="https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/balancedliteracydiet/Recipe/50514/" target="_blank">Word Collectors</a> so they can use them in the future!<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0590273639/?ref=idea_lv_dp_ov_d&tag=onamzerincl0a-20&linkCode=ic6&ascsubtag=amzn1.ideas.23LX3E2V2HRYC" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9KxbtQZhYsISyAjxgFeY61Ky_a8dfNJbXQeXv43DRppzQveXY-vAYcWTl6X4XDDFKmGS2d2AwmPex0xRBP6ZpEL96bsz2Dmvbym8A_EnIwZYjLhEWV7arS1uNExaYxiQ7332wX0CBLA/w640-h228/s3.png" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>This book is actually a realistic fiction text from the <i>Scholastic</i> Guided Reading Program, level E... but it can be used as so much more!</div><div><br /></div><div>The story beautifully and simply follows two friends as they demonstrate activities that can be done in the Fresh Fall Leaves. In addition to building foundational skills like retelling the order of activities (jumping in the leaves, raking the leaves, etc.), it's a fabulous opportunity to build in visualizing by describing how leaves can look, sound, and feel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Your students will most likely love to tell you all about their fall adventures, as well. Hooray for text-to-self connections!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1627794158/?ref=idea_lv_dp_ov_d&tag=onamzerincl0a-20&linkCode=ic6&ascsubtag=amzn1.ideas.23LX3E2V2HRYC" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrCejFRQR1zwHbudkiGJUFLD2i3tes3iRTKfWx36QI6SOjxYSaKgaHfdwPjZhvdX69f5JamtFuLhzEC3Ezr49FYpboKS25u-ltWBXd9-uHO6tl99d6aW8i4AHk80UidhOlNxzQIZ90tA/w640-h228/s4.png" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div><div><div>In this story, a child takes a walk greeting the trees, birds, animals, insects, and even weather as he goes. Along the way, each one tells him how it is preparing for autumn! With beautiful illustrations that students will marvel at, this book is an awesome opportunity to discuss Author’s Purpose. I love to discuss with my students that even though the story has illustrations, it still gives us real information about the changing seasons.</div><div><br /></div><div>In another nonfiction connection, this text is filled with ways for students to dive in and identify how Summer and Autumn are alike & different.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0823416690/?ref=idea_lv_dp_ov_d&tag=onamzerincl0a-20&linkCode=ic6&ascsubtag=amzn1.ideas.23LX3E2V2HRYC" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnzgMeDZ24xhxbWm_-Qf3xe5C8wWuzVmKGmOFdlB7ZDrxhyphenhyphen2j5PH44EHWeg7WVoEqSAZNl0wy0cHtWnDmuePZ0r1bpvAx4YhgAPR4BSBvGVxkiaO30G0pd-TGziaE56sz6igAENZKK00/w640-h228/s5.png" /></a><br /><br />As you know, I'm a huge Gail Gibbons fan!<br /><br />In this book all about, you guessed it, APPLES, your students can explore a simple concept in such rich, diverse ways! One of my favorite things that I've done over the years with this unit is Cara Carroll's <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Great-Apple-Investigation-Student-Journal-901155?st=1838ed9a8457680e0298fdc3eb990dca" target="_blank">Apple Investigation</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>The students always have so much fun, and learn a ton about the different types of apples, and uses for them.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Great-Apple-Investigation-Student-Journal-901155?st=1838ed9a8457680e0298fdc3eb990dca" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5FDlwdZQbvYZAyh_M6ebyKz-b5g0VonRk0SfcrQleSopSV0dOsM957GBlKpJT6C1Q9sypqmKPNmjRVaY6aKNLkiQLiotyksXlMfxhZAd4osHkKDwQeVSQyR5mm2Q_7kMQpFM2BjeDB4/w400-h400/original-901155-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250062667?ref=exp_missclarksspoonful_dp_vv_d" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30HYWcrn4wjhCBmGz6H0EpZx-FtMnXpfFv67cuHhGGYhlrMdngxjuwRYu4GiJd3PqG2cYMHdqxIh859rwzE3vqPSRs_DHkuFjnztDeciK4pXaIc7hjcuNNRX0a0EjOlYoPD7lStAgdu0/w640-h228/S6.png" width="640" /></a><br /><br />This book is always a favorite among my students each and every year. <br /><br />Bruce Goldstone takes us on a journey through all of the amazing phenomenons of Autumn. We use this in our classroom to focus on questioning of nonfiction concepts (Why do leaves change color? How does frost form?) and of more figurative, creative concepts (How does autumn taste? What is autumn shaped like?). Throughout the book, all of these questions are answered!</div><div><br /></div><div>Another great way to enjoy this story is through the lens of nonfiction features, and author's purpose. The visuals allow students to truly immerse themselves in the beauty of the fall season!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">----------</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">You can encourage your readers to enjoy books all month long with this <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SvBGkjv0AasEWLGowE6KBBYXF2Zfxlq_/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">FREE September Reading Log</a>.</div><br /><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SvBGkjv0AasEWLGowE6KBBYXF2Zfxlq_/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRuUIBJ2b7Zey7FvxBVW5ku83sjPwj0qFu3ywYQd4-7c27syd_kYz58w4sXBTbbuoSg0529Y35KSOiIpvNUGTu7KHO1e8w9LcREV5bFY2Efj9-eGTpCExOOdiUzZ-YomwCdN704g92x0/w480-h640/Slide1.png" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Did I miss any of your September favorites? I'd love to hear about the books you enjoy reading in your classroom this month.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Happy reading!</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br />Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-3898486869349857172021-08-26T11:43:00.009-07:002023-06-29T06:08:53.320-07:00Classroom Management for Your Best Morning Meeting Share Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-Typ3tOy46iOPo2MuNZoLCn-9nqVhH7HqaUpTkNbUxC4YfCnn0fekLLFJS5KGufHYW7NCYF0HlLjcLNZP4T13UkG_1yjyx5wTuUgY5YR_hrlqCd7EiA4Q3OPZJ579RTxzg72mnVly_Zz2BZlyJ1-H8dezi9nkvDtsQOthfjFoHBks7gKaHu6tdg2/s2000/5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="morning meeting, making share time manageable with picture of share schedule and morning meeting boo" border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-Typ3tOy46iOPo2MuNZoLCn-9nqVhH7HqaUpTkNbUxC4YfCnn0fekLLFJS5KGufHYW7NCYF0HlLjcLNZP4T13UkG_1yjyx5wTuUgY5YR_hrlqCd7EiA4Q3OPZJ579RTxzg72mnVly_Zz2BZlyJ1-H8dezi9nkvDtsQOthfjFoHBks7gKaHu6tdg2/s16000/5.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>I know they say never say never.</div><div><br /></div><div>BUT.... Morning Meeting is one component of our day in the classroom that I will never, ever skip.</div><p><br /></p><p>Why? It truly is (one of the) ways to build a strong classroom community.</p><p><br /></p><p>Beginning each day with a purposeful time to practice important listening & communication skills is so very important.</p><p><br /></p><p>The four components of Morning Meeting I include are:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><ul><li>Greeting</li><li>Share</li><li>Activity</li><li>Morning Message</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Morning-Meeting-Rules-FREE-2762485" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2559" data-original-width="3069" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8-HQDSe8uKbRXt9JAGdPuwod2Mon1puJ7_4Dd1di3S4r7-2Iyc8F_ew5M5fafwj8Co_YKusuWTYiBLTigNckLFasJcFrd0wHA4XQ-CjStHR3d-wUXlQkHMYeD6hkUg9_gOYz3FP6mjCrO1oVJOfKNaFBnagjVCtmHvlCA_xtRLnBnyskTs5W12VKnhA/w640-h534/MorningMeetingRulesFREE_Page_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>All of these parts cohesively work together in order to create a classroom environment that is inclusive, safe, and welcoming.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">When we <b>Greet</b> one another, we practice eye contact and kind ways to say "good morning." When we have our <b>Activity</b>, our bodies are up and moving as we develop sportsmanship and teamwork. We conclude with a <b>Morning Message</b> that incorporates shared reading, fluency, and a sense of building classroom routines.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Smack dab in the middle is our <b>Share.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">With one topic to focus on, Share time is for exactly what it sounds like: Sharing ideas about the particular focus for that day. It's another fabulous opportunity to develop whole body listening skills, and for your students to get to know one another.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here's the thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is where if you're not too careful, things can get really long really fast.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I have 21 students in my class. Every student sharing every day, especially with a more involved question that requires attentive listening, like "what does being a good friend look like?" will start off GREAT, but then lend itself to moments like...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><ul><li>"I'm hungry!"</li><li>"Hey, there's a squirrel outside the window!"</li><li>Along with a case of the wiggles SO severe that in a blink, the attention span of your students is officially over.</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Has this ever happened to me?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">YOU BET.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So, if you're anything like me, and looking for a way to make sure that your Morning Meeting Share time stays manageable, purposeful, and FUN, I've got a solution for you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Use a Share Sign Up!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvairNo9Uvosz2b4bW3hRBMcNx0AJ3uJgYfVtP125uwnFL-bGfakHP2qfG6LaQsmUSTpG4H618N18yW66NSVCRDOLHkj7PCBJqD4m88ke8rBOr9dFlWvL8lIHsa4CINl7oqQC56e6bZA/s540/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="540" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvairNo9Uvosz2b4bW3hRBMcNx0AJ3uJgYfVtP125uwnFL-bGfakHP2qfG6LaQsmUSTpG4H618N18yW66NSVCRDOLHkj7PCBJqD4m88ke8rBOr9dFlWvL8lIHsa4CINl7oqQC56e6bZA/w640-h480/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><h3>INTRODUCE THE TOPIC</h3><div>Depending on how your week is going, you can end the week by introducing the share topic for the following week! Or, you can introduce the share topic for the current week at the very beginning of that same week. You can encourage your students to think about the question as it pertains to their lives!</div><div><br /></div><div><h3>SIGN UP FOR A DAY TO SHARE</h3><div>You can do this however works best for your classroom! Perhaps you call students by tables, rows, or individual desks. To ensure that the same students to not always sign up for the very beginning of the week, switch up the order in which they sign up.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><h3>EVERYONE GETS A TURN</h3><div>Reassure your students that no matter which day they sign up for, everyone will get a turn to share. Let them know how excited you are to hear your thoughts!</div></div><div><br /></div><h3>ULTIMATELY...</h3><div style="text-align: left;">A Share Sign Up allows for your students to share their ideas while also doing their best active listening. Since you're sharing on the same topic all week, it'll cut down a bit on your Morning Meeting prep, too. It's a win-win!</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">. </div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>If a Share Sign Up is something you'd like to use in your classroom, you can download it <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EDITABLE-Morning-Meeting-Weekly-Share-Sign-Up-Schedule-7181584">HERE</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EDITABLE-Morning-Meeting-Weekly-Share-Sign-Up-Schedule-7181584" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Morning Meeting Share Sign Up by Miss Clark's Spoonful on Teachers Pay Teachers" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vZ_hwnyDkIm3YcwHI6krNYvM-DRYWlzJsNzoaPea1cjTiyssXZ2Xt3IHxtizGIUXmQWHkgYFRYyXYHjku91w9lMUBR5kqIpyzunjseiy5Vac6TQFmHH6LlxdiJ5brUhbCSQFeQ4eeNk/w400-h400/Slide1.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>Oh! and, if you're looking for Morning Meeting 101, I highly recommend taking a look at Responsive Classroom and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1892989603?ref=exp_missclarksspoonful_dp_vv_d" target="_blank">The Morning Meeting Book</a>. It's one I pull out year after year.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1892989603?ref=exp_missclarksspoonful_dp_vv_d" target="_blank"><img alt="Responsive Classroom The Morning Meeting Book" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4no_kdAG0pAV0KPtxKPlLJtK0Zm1F9yytV88hEGi2huV2y_4ueIVzL-NIq3p_xW5hyQOn_IO9p6LiMP3Fd6iOXsyS6yuzzS3Z7xgpIKRYBGBrJCrElmlZkNpIh5q1O10ug9iIPhx6R8/w343-h400/9781892989604_l.jpeg" width="343" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Wishing you joyful Morning Meetings and super share times to come!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-58241716127517646472021-07-12T09:22:00.003-07:002023-08-08T06:02:31.172-07:00Easy to Follow Steps for Setting Up Classroom Rules and Expectations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylLdaph8HUWP0SaoJVvhhZwif32ZTZopx6hK6_tG6WJQrGZkrBNX_nCd2NTQdl-_HkGeIkEMBzII_Kw0mxJhvrUMMXf6OjJ4omF1piiArSK5UHZDEsK5SVZBoXQh1jtgfjsYZrn0k8VCAyhLYb2SwQa0XSF6Q7m2zpBI68cH4PVQSzbdbK7AXNvsXqs4/s2000/6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylLdaph8HUWP0SaoJVvhhZwif32ZTZopx6hK6_tG6WJQrGZkrBNX_nCd2NTQdl-_HkGeIkEMBzII_Kw0mxJhvrUMMXf6OjJ4omF1piiArSK5UHZDEsK5SVZBoXQh1jtgfjsYZrn0k8VCAyhLYb2SwQa0XSF6Q7m2zpBI68cH4PVQSzbdbK7AXNvsXqs4/s16000/6.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>My top tip for heading back to school is to spend the first six weeks of school building your classroom community.</div><p>During these six weeks, usually on the second or third day of school, is the day when classroom rules and expectations are created.</p><p><br /></p><p>In order for this to be successful, make it a <b>COLLABORATIVE PROCESS!</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Here's what this looks like in my classroom:</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">FIRST:</h2><p>I gather my students in our meeting area. I open the discussion by explaining that we'll work together to create rules for our classroom.</p><p><br /></p><p>We have a brief chat about what rules are, and why they are important.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwD-fwhtdKpF1oOF_mRqmFkTCSkIK8SyJ-kmzQwJQ22VCbaE5GCsW60nI1ddRc4WoLk3XLHw-OUZlI6ze0ATxmeOccBzOO1fd6s7wXJfUjBtK-kXLIlcWoCvQ0ktZfVbeWvOUrwdEhLS0/s540/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="creating classroom rules accessing prior knowledge discussion questions" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwD-fwhtdKpF1oOF_mRqmFkTCSkIK8SyJ-kmzQwJQ22VCbaE5GCsW60nI1ddRc4WoLk3XLHw-OUZlI6ze0ATxmeOccBzOO1fd6s7wXJfUjBtK-kXLIlcWoCvQ0ktZfVbeWvOUrwdEhLS0/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>These questions allow me to tap into your students prior knowledge and lead into the rule creation process.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">NEXT:</h2><p>I have my students simply brainstorm rules they think are important to follow in their classroom. I'll record every. single. one. down.</p><p><br /></p><p>We end up with quite a list, but that's okay! The important thing is that all students are feeling heard, and their ideas are being recorded.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">THEN:</h2><p>After we have our mega list and the ideas start to slow down, here's where the true facilitation comes in on my end.</p><p><br /></p><p>I begin grouping similar ideas together with the end goal of creating <b>five</b> simply worded classroom rules in mind.</p><p><br /></p><p>The conversation goes something like this:</p><p><br /></p><p>Me: "Wow, these are a lot of really important expectations! We have such a great list here that it could be hard to remember all of them. I notice that we have <i>no running</i>, <i>use scissors the right way</i>, and <i>no jumping</i> in the classroom. Those all sound like being... oh, what's that really important word that starts with an 's'..."</p><p><br /></p><p>The students readily jump in to help me "remember" this word. 😉 Excitedly, I get exclaims of "Be SAFE!"</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">FINALLY:</h2><p>The process of grouping similar ideas together continues, until our list looks something like this.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7usKHC37rqEUX1nQWxcEDEpvIcqyEqsSaIuMRNaEpOYdl5fGK3FcnVj3SBcyhzpxim8E0gtyo9etSxx3I5JXjLHl7YL3epZLXdHdiC7eUWJGZPgcXR-S2Rz-H9N8ZzBGgn4QVuCQV8c/s540/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="A list of classroom rules" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7usKHC37rqEUX1nQWxcEDEpvIcqyEqsSaIuMRNaEpOYdl5fGK3FcnVj3SBcyhzpxim8E0gtyo9etSxx3I5JXjLHl7YL3epZLXdHdiC7eUWJGZPgcXR-S2Rz-H9N8ZzBGgn4QVuCQV8c/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>The important thing to note is that the simply worded expectations are framed with positive language. Beginning each rule with "Be..." is a great way to do this.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Be Safe.</li><li>Be Respectful.</li><li>Be Responsible.</li><li>Be Kind.</li><li>Be Positive.</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Ultimately, am I deciding on the five classroom rules? Yes. Do my students have a role in creating them? Yes.</p><p><br /></p><p>By making the creation of rules a collaborative process, students will have a deeper understanding of what "being safe" looks like, or what "being respectful" sounds like.</p><p><br /></p><p>The year kicks off with my students taking ownership of their space and caring for their community!</p><br /><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">You'll find these five rules, plus <b>EDITABLE</b> options in my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EDITABLE-Classroom-Rules-Posters-1992058" target="_blank">TpT store!</a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EDITABLE-Classroom-Rules-Posters-1992058" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Classroom rules posters" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0rSCJWjUWgm8ni17gsyxphBJ-aRXscmCla3Lva4w7_BC46c1-db7E4WR_x11zscWC85JxCW2kX2Bq0czWIGtX5yzLVVKNZGF9Zv7NmRmY8K9KrJ76GJrGukWH_ULD_BX9g55V19XCo4/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EDITABLE-Classroom-Rules-Posters-1992058" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="classroom rules posters" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqQA5T0HH-hTOB0pAX3PC2Wptf1kQqWoFkBmXXPSGEk1wzjauaut51TX9vQTZcFmkuYQnZ9eYGmiv6ZOJ8hkd-brcKuploYHlTbI5VMOLcDgPAblKLcV5LiXcqPwIZdlu4hOOuXW3AKo/w640-h640/Slide2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EDITABLE-Classroom-Rules-Posters-1992058" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="classroom rules editable posters" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsmJJbAYjCWiJ7WS5JhhETZVP1NMLIq_gpbI7V74NWoS6WD72jUT1O5Ru3vCUU2MOfK1ryOw2XptT3TDMS64cMfbXbIC6e6cq5-jTo0AnOw6GX57w1rk_XAlk5ZSM6olDSjyGk9l8ZMo/w640-h640/Slide3.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After your list of classroom rules is created and finalized, you can use these brightly colored posters to display them in your classroom!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With editable options, you'll be able to best meet the needs of your students.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Happy community building!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-63644116128110300742021-06-13T08:20:00.005-07:002023-08-08T06:06:11.647-07:00End of Year Gifts for Your Students<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6B0PY1rVm-ssknQJUb1m2RxzYh-yOZPhc7Nlenb2VRexpSRJW8GN1T50qB4FTZqBBHd3MJxS5cPH7xv_DtNWn7vdVkTzUHG2C7C_5gsmVIDSc5uApGYMbXMg1Hyc0-0jrlJFrUB9ZvczNvGUOXHaZykngEWtZnuCWbqlYfi-AuNSfCu1s1Y_iG_m9fk/s2000/9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6B0PY1rVm-ssknQJUb1m2RxzYh-yOZPhc7Nlenb2VRexpSRJW8GN1T50qB4FTZqBBHd3MJxS5cPH7xv_DtNWn7vdVkTzUHG2C7C_5gsmVIDSc5uApGYMbXMg1Hyc0-0jrlJFrUB9ZvczNvGUOXHaZykngEWtZnuCWbqlYfi-AuNSfCu1s1Y_iG_m9fk/s16000/9.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Happy SUMMER!</p><p><br /></p><p>What a school year it's been. Whether you're officially on summer vacation, or finishing up your last few days/weeks of school, I am sending you all of the virtual high fives!</p><p><br /></p><p>I have a serious hot/cold relationship with student gifts. Each year as the last few days of school roll around, I ask myself the same question:</p><p><br /></p><p>"Should I get my kids gifts this year?"</p><p><br /></p><p>On one hand, it's a super nice thing to do for your students. It checks off that last box that can make the year feel complete.</p><p><br /></p><p>On the other hand, the end of the school year is SO busy. Between all of the end-of-year events happening and all that you have on your plate, the energy level of the kids is off the charts.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you're anything like me, you feel bombarded on social media at this time of the year with pictures of adorable, hand-made, personalized gifts that teachers have made for their students. This can definitely put the pressure on, even though it shouldn't.</p><p><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINE:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Gifts come in the form of the love and appreciation we have for our students.</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">- spending countless hours working to make our classrooms welcoming spaces.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">- designing engaging lessons to reach every child.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">- taking care of the academic, social, and emotional needs of our students.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">THESE are the gifts that begin on day one, and keep giving throughout the year.</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div><br /></div><div>There are years when I get my students gifts, and years when I don't. It took me a few years to realize that THAT'S OKAY.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are a teacher who buys your students gifts each year, some years, at the beginning of the year, at the end of the year, or anywhere in between, that's awesome too!</div><div><br /></div><div>You should always feel great about how you express your appreciation for your students in a way that feels genuinely good.</div><div><br /></div><div>Gift-giving teachers, I have three tips for you that have helped me keep me grounded in my own journey:<p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">1. KEEP IT SIMPLE</h2><div><br /></div>You're not putting together gifts for a wedding shower. Don't feel like you need to stop at two or three places to put together an elaborate, themed gift. For example, if you're going for a beachy theme, a sand pail or a sand shovel are just fine on their own.<div><br /></div><div><h2>2. USEFUL OVER CUTESY</h2><div><br /></div>My friends, at one time, I was the Queen of Cute. I still like to think I have a little bit of this title in me, but over the years, I've definitely evolved as an educator. If you're buying gifts for your students, ask yourself first, "will they use this, or will it end up being thrown away?" If you can't see your students finding a use for your gift, reframe your thinking.</div><div><br /></div><div><h2>3. BE RESOURCEFUL</h2><div><br /></div>Have a few extra boxes of crayons sitting in the back of your classroom closet? How about those Scholastic points you haven't used that can get you some free books? Sometimes, you may able to tap into the classroom resources you already have without breaking the bank.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Keeping these tips in mind, I have a FREE download for you to use during these last few days of school. What kid doesn't love <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Play-Doh-Party-Dough-assorted-colors/dp/B01J7WB866/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=mini+play+doh&qid=1623595245&sr=8-9">Play Doh?</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">Download your gift tags</span><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"> </span><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rv7B61C4eOXyXZF-PQVm5-LeXMZXilfC/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">for FREE!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rv7B61C4eOXyXZF-PQVm5-LeXMZXilfC/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Play Doh End of Year Gift Tag for Students" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJX9ugDeUQeH8KsKfzQQsEETjfmYEKkrTNwNkyJTLMdJN4B89DDpGkmIOZihD-yKEA2Y219dV8w6CMdB2SSoLjzd2K1SvP6Kw3LahPTTy_AbHMaJizh7nbXGbENKaLlaVXUfJZYK2AjfE/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Rv7B61C4eOXyXZF-PQVm5-LeXMZXilfC/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Play Doh End of Year Gift Tags for Students" border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="845" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjGvSZlYjdY5qKOoxVV67W2PYzv_SSQnlv1akQQ-gX4p6Vk5D4xa-tcXzKN2OCWnGwXhA2cMI0qp4QfbIMZURAP2yzHbb9c4ortQuiDyM6blKCjIkzwIhNRU3JTZZvVvI6sLiQlaUC9c/w522-h640/Picture1.png" width="522" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>You are a treasure and a gift to your students. Happy Summer!<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-41032660742832125272021-05-07T08:42:00.004-07:002023-06-21T13:46:45.854-07:00Favorite May Read Alouds for the Primary Classroom<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXdG5LMpQx9wYhPynGeVjeJ4L85MsJYTESNckVc2z3di1CJleEoqm0LqQaql7oX4GyTBrBQRsZmhmAMgHF4RlIjCfpJyXGdOwRXNDNlmXuwMp2xN0Jm3DLVcgGMJk1gNMCYkklVEEE24/s720/Slide1.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXdG5LMpQx9wYhPynGeVjeJ4L85MsJYTESNckVc2z3di1CJleEoqm0LqQaql7oX4GyTBrBQRsZmhmAMgHF4RlIjCfpJyXGdOwRXNDNlmXuwMp2xN0Jm3DLVcgGMJk1gNMCYkklVEEE24/w640-h640/Slide1.png" /></a></div><br />When I think about May in the classroom, it brings along warm feelings of sunshine and the HOME STRETCH to Summer Vacation!<br /><br /><div>Here are some of my favorite read alouds to enjoy all month long, and some ways I incorporate them into different lessons.</div><div><br /></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TTinQm_7DwNLAG6mGyIXPT4Ihp-M1SBE_VbMmn_nkWspOA8nUyIEKy9nZ3orzrkhFHAjasRQxR3d3GA_Wh7JUP-x1HBsG5eGroq0hrsLvn5E9gxw37OmVrpcQMZSwtV_PuFpFYy-SHc/w640-h227/MAY1.png" /><br /><br />I bow down to Gail Gibbons as the expert of all things nonfiction.<br /><br />We utilize her books a lot for examining nonfiction text features. Quite often, the texts are lengthy and full of amazing information. This one is no exception! It's perfect for breaking up over the course of a few days.<br /><br />Students always love examining the diagrams, charts, and detailed illustrations to learn more about monarch butterflies grow throughout their life cycle.<br /><br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP05v8u-tNHbkL8NvL0vhd05H5f1jJtBgwpwhpFEjTG13rXIOdcDxUsBzYE6H2Rz1LjU5WyQhg1nVYKIKPcYGy8HqAfqStL_Ym2rhgbih84m-cWHWdIcMkeKXnRE00AtpQSCZx0fJ_ans/w640-h227/MAY2.png" /><br /><br />This beautiful story takes the reader on a journey through the Spring season. All the while, we're encouraged to observe how new life begins in the Spring. The illustrations are gorgeous, and perfect for tapping into the five senses to create mental images.<br /><br />We're usually wrapping up our comprehensive poetry unit of study around May, and this story is great for writing poems using descriptive language. Acrostic Poems (Write a poem based on the letters in SPRING!) or Spring-based Color Poems (Think, "Yellow is a buzzing bee." or "Blue is the clear, cloudless sky.") are some of my favorites!<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXX9POjuM3M-_uRT828p-5y43rmBgjOYf7iwyuIfMMePMKpxMeVJorDcjNvdydIHv9oML9SKdzGsgedzkQqVRdZb02Gj5fx-ifyQL5j4pCsozd4abV9dyWCt7pbFdTtllY05PBBno0Ys/w640-h227/MAY3.png" /><br /><br />I like to revisit how to build a strong classroom community and cultivate a sense of belonging as the year begins to wind down. <br /><br />If you're familiar with <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">bucket filling</a>, you'll love The Big Umbrella. Just like we can fill each other's buckets with kind words and thoughtful actions, we can use an infinitely big enough umbrella to shelter each other from the rain.<br /><br />This story can lend itself to amazing discussions about the importance of kindness, empathy, inclusion, and community.<br /><br />Warm and fuzzy feelings guaranteed.<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-UYYLFbQEgBZSFb8wc8_XByP8q_92EBv5UETFL0wDNkQpPiiZsZ65ZgrEQTxBqqAQi5KpEjRjNz4ESR0irk3mf2WqK7aacbjMpWdVL7jRxhfApNb3D9_adTulUHwyXoFQeyWRJYocIY/w640-h227/MAY4.png" /><br /><div><br /></div><div><div>One of my very favorite things to do is integrate math and literacy! We explore our unit on measurement in the Spring, and this book is a perfect companion.</div><div><br /></div><div>The main character, a small green inchworm, is the perfect representation for just what an inch looks like in real life. He also knows just how long other things (a toucan's beak, a robin's tail, etc.) are, because he is one inch long!</div><div><br /></div><div>This story is the perfect partner for introducing how to use different units and objects to measure the length of other objects. Your students will also love the Caldecott Award Winning illustrations, and following the inchworm's story as he uses measurement to problem solve!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY0I9QSmDHhT6bXAZ7IqD6g5MSCyrvv_tMJrNljU688aPfW5tp651NE85TTWkEOIKAIEo3juUo1ra3Z7QdzZrj2TE1bspFfcUa5oo1Ya2KOq39F_VHeUdwwuKPNJ-vJUmvjeleEWgbyw0/w640-h227/MAY5.png" /><br /><br />This one is so fun.<br /><br />We dive into opinion writing during the Spring, and this story serves as a perfect springboard.<br /><br />Is it a duck? Is it a rabbit? The world may never know for sure. That being said, your students will develop some pretty strong opinions and back them up with reasoning based on the observations they make from the story's illustrations and setting. I also love the embedded message that there's no one "right" answer, and that it all depends on our diverse points of view.<br /><br />Are you team duck or team rabbit?</div><div><br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrWs3CQLEJKnAM9Iy3NA4ifPBU43GEIkS6qH4fH0eKz6gd5Nf08wet8ubQPzZ4QB80FxgF_NGNU8XqR3LS-w-3yf_fuLfslMTWUQlMOlmIA0ppMeWaQnDWlWCLAMu_YRqrNf2UgW2u-M/w640-h228/MAY6.png" /><br /><br />In the spirit of Spring and new life, this story is a must-read.<br /><br />Eric Carle takes us on the journey of a seed with dazzling illustrations, simple text, and the perfect child-friendly explanation of a flower's life cycle.</div><div><br /></div><div>I love to use this book as a mentor text to refer back to as we label parts of a flower, think about 5W questions (<b>Where</b> should we plant seeds?<b> What</b> do seeds need to grow?), and plant seeds of our own!</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">----------</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">You can encourage your readers to enjoy books all month long with this <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D51cGts7ap6oGRJO04Ply3CLTPj8Arwc/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">FREE May Reading Log</a>.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D51cGts7ap6oGRJO04Ply3CLTPj8Arwc/view?usp=sharing" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWhMoEv04h4MHe7H71fk1hyX4qC1HjEVe3FwKRRoPLs-91u67oOKaFU0Rn2Q0TXOuAXK-USqsNmL2QcxO-NBjo0JvRAzWxwBXjPxzJMLKb3gK0l5nzKdAweVUiXZNYNOqRmZRy8vBXM4/w480-h640/Slide1.png" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Did I miss any of your May favorites? I'd love to hear about the books you enjoy reading in your classroom this month.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Happy reading!</div></div></div><br /><br />Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-74739045897748761882021-04-28T14:11:00.004-07:002023-06-21T13:45:32.565-07:00Make Graphing FUN with This Activity!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu37um4tyoNUUfJmHftmBXkhXt8hfgDt2q6xbgN5rLtkBRNjq4xATO90CXmLRf_2aRZZISmbrut7Uzz8WbM6PMDHWJHsWdvlJICwMw9e0HODUIiMnJopLsL-jRe0IMdVYUDGiNcMANln_zxstog40cP0ntZvuF5QMcVNoRGJi6DleCkMP1cXl-2YrA0x4/s2000/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1545" data-original-width="2000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu37um4tyoNUUfJmHftmBXkhXt8hfgDt2q6xbgN5rLtkBRNjq4xATO90CXmLRf_2aRZZISmbrut7Uzz8WbM6PMDHWJHsWdvlJICwMw9e0HODUIiMnJopLsL-jRe0IMdVYUDGiNcMANln_zxstog40cP0ntZvuF5QMcVNoRGJi6DleCkMP1cXl-2YrA0x4/s16000/10.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>You know those units that just scream "end of year?"</p><p><br /></p><p>Even though we practice graphing <a href="http://www.missclarksspoonful.com/2019/08/3-must-have-read-alouds-for-first-week.html">in some shape and form</a> throughout the school year, our full unit study of graphing & data always accompanies the warmer weather of spring, without fail.</p><p><br /></p><p>In second grade, we focus on line plots, bar graphs, picture graphs... and more!</p><p><br /></p><p>I'd love to share with you a lesson that makes graphing relatable, engaging, and FUN.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEe-MavREgnldQZ-TXes3N4bqLcPbyPZUW6e06INr4-xasvV5sVEJWBqiexYHfuJE21snG2jD2H7voH96Ql3425JslMSKWH_x6UEo14zHkkupr8fVMzTfJOZz-A6x5akCJl3jz7cmbXcQ/s960/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="line plots, bar graphs, and picture graphs activity" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEe-MavREgnldQZ-TXes3N4bqLcPbyPZUW6e06INr4-xasvV5sVEJWBqiexYHfuJE21snG2jD2H7voH96Ql3425JslMSKWH_x6UEo14zHkkupr8fVMzTfJOZz-A6x5akCJl3jz7cmbXcQ/w480-h640/Slide1.png" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Giving students the power of choice can make all the difference in how deeply they develop an understanding of a concept. Math is one of those areas that's super fun to bring an element of choice to!<div><br /></div><div>We've been through our math program's units about collecting data in different ways. For a culminating activity (also a sneakily great formative assessment for you!), the kids REALLY enjoyed collecting data and representing it in different ways.</div><div><br /></div><div>Why?</div><div><br /></div><div>They got to choose their own topic and survey their classmates!</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's how it went down:</div><div><br /></div><div>First, each child (and me!) came up with their own topic to survey their friends about.</div><div><br /></div><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0MADxg_Y8jZ_rfKOBQNwieLLbXrs96IGTC-AfFoa5tcOb6gY6PyAj3NfTSPlxSzjSOlpZm7DOSGmJmmOorFzqYr_3R-DZVxJjqGQwXjwoHacliUJiNaneigZxV8uBoAHbK-6Yru2cSE/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bar graphs, picture graphs, and tally chart activity" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0MADxg_Y8jZ_rfKOBQNwieLLbXrs96IGTC-AfFoa5tcOb6gY6PyAj3NfTSPlxSzjSOlpZm7DOSGmJmmOorFzqYr_3R-DZVxJjqGQwXjwoHacliUJiNaneigZxV8uBoAHbK-6Yru2cSE/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We collected this information on a table, then transferred it to a tally chart.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJmxQnGvzRf4gzEJNxiUXap9JVq3qdQuIKICGAUpNwdQlE7aasbbWsC4VWGIs5hOooKhVZlhhxdPie4s4TAqAtKIAQ0tHLEnSHzUyuLogpGKVUfQO5YCdUyrixMyiAOx-GPLZSC4z7WA/s720/Slide2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="data and graphing second grade activity" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJmxQnGvzRf4gzEJNxiUXap9JVq3qdQuIKICGAUpNwdQlE7aasbbWsC4VWGIs5hOooKhVZlhhxdPie4s4TAqAtKIAQ0tHLEnSHzUyuLogpGKVUfQO5YCdUyrixMyiAOx-GPLZSC4z7WA/w640-h640/Slide2.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5JCRbBkG9cZijfkkMRI13O5bADeMjoCJ_bCPOnJZ5JqWFV9SWHITP9-ioBvn5yt_mQ2652Ib0o4M77u92Cz8WWnF9vf81GNgMtSk4z0gNOJQfl2Xlj9sdrUVciWqg-ecZtinPHG8ll8/s720/Slide4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="data and graphing second grade activity" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5JCRbBkG9cZijfkkMRI13O5bADeMjoCJ_bCPOnJZ5JqWFV9SWHITP9-ioBvn5yt_mQ2652Ib0o4M77u92Cz8WWnF9vf81GNgMtSk4z0gNOJQfl2Xlj9sdrUVciWqg-ecZtinPHG8ll8/w640-h640/Slide4.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzI5wl2hYUaKkg3iDV8ABzQ6cFYQGtYoHpUBf5Mbwtc1moYV6po3BvzfTriZyFhBYe5__jyUqlyGwNJ-warfnukWPcyv0IXVhcUhOiImY3vMZH1OOHiWO-xtD0BYZSZ9rntciy95FI3Hw/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="data and graphing second grade activity" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzI5wl2hYUaKkg3iDV8ABzQ6cFYQGtYoHpUBf5Mbwtc1moYV6po3BvzfTriZyFhBYe5__jyUqlyGwNJ-warfnukWPcyv0IXVhcUhOiImY3vMZH1OOHiWO-xtD0BYZSZ9rntciy95FI3Hw/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLFpDtVwgPNLwaKTaYiWb2R7jrKiTowzqIqlD5E3ZWejmU8nXqoqAiPNhx3Ln2vRhfTppb-OcZ5lR5gKenUPedw3ZFYGgltqUwTIrOlOjm7FsWem3PVMCB9pSvGZ_GS_tSXZ2OiVKv1s/s720/Slide3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="data and graphing second grade activity" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHLFpDtVwgPNLwaKTaYiWb2R7jrKiTowzqIqlD5E3ZWejmU8nXqoqAiPNhx3Ln2vRhfTppb-OcZ5lR5gKenUPedw3ZFYGgltqUwTIrOlOjm7FsWem3PVMCB9pSvGZ_GS_tSXZ2OiVKv1s/w640-h640/Slide3.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After collecting initial data in their table, the students then took this information and displayed it on different types of graphs that we learned about throughout this unit: a line plot, a bar graph, and a picture graph.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second graders chosen topics were so much fun!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDb-Uix0u4KxlfoxxVvhi-b7_Q0StdqEoBSbyQhJFeydC94aAdx5sf9r5eZO2MmRk1iaKGBbf3CKRewjbpvdmbwbOrPu6xynmOLjJ_19WCI_wysySvCa-XRy450PJH_Tec5vUpxadArA/s720/Slide5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="data and graphing activity" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmDb-Uix0u4KxlfoxxVvhi-b7_Q0StdqEoBSbyQhJFeydC94aAdx5sf9r5eZO2MmRk1iaKGBbf3CKRewjbpvdmbwbOrPu6xynmOLjJ_19WCI_wysySvCa-XRy450PJH_Tec5vUpxadArA/w640-h640/Slide5.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DMvHfH8jmkQVjEFkM4WZsWVyd3MEmkHGM9B672YaP8kacZ7yeuqzvTATcMJ5mMVAJPkPuSRYcC7xB4KJB6B1Gg7gloIfYN2DqE7C7qBVaRiL6SfCs_H3D8I_kD_QsSGt0gN9XIAAOeI/s720/Slide6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="data and graphing activity" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DMvHfH8jmkQVjEFkM4WZsWVyd3MEmkHGM9B672YaP8kacZ7yeuqzvTATcMJ5mMVAJPkPuSRYcC7xB4KJB6B1Gg7gloIfYN2DqE7C7qBVaRiL6SfCs_H3D8I_kD_QsSGt0gN9XIAAOeI/w640-h640/Slide6.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqamXQyTB_4VfhyOiVsaQlQ8y3fr4NxY1902xSH6uvEh6Xd9SMpuZTtawy9GtwCO3nt1P7S52HGEKDIaLovOK2hiuderGXXAF2fq5dlvRZk2rE0WSz-ydH8MpEX491DvGfwGt_b949-5g/s720/Slide7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="picture graph activity" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqamXQyTB_4VfhyOiVsaQlQ8y3fr4NxY1902xSH6uvEh6Xd9SMpuZTtawy9GtwCO3nt1P7S52HGEKDIaLovOK2hiuderGXXAF2fq5dlvRZk2rE0WSz-ydH8MpEX491DvGfwGt_b949-5g/w640-h640/Slide7.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After collecting the data and representing it on different types of graphs, the students analyzed their data by writing and solving different questions.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"How many more friends said their favorite character was Hermione than Harry?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"How many people liked Gymnastics and Basketball?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"How many fewer people liked Spring than Winter?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The creativity in questioning went on and on!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Choice can make all the difference in bringing any learning concept home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">----------</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If this lesson is something you'd like to use with your great graphers in your classroom, I'd be so thrilled.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Download your complete activity pages <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qBp3GMRxf9QoNHymWJM6LJgpk9Z8l1cy/view?usp=sharing">HERE</a> for FREE!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qBp3GMRxf9QoNHymWJM6LJgpk9Z8l1cy/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="second grade graphing activity" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hpgCZ0XRC9eNyUFwUh-R5HyEeLharc1b7RCBy_4VeIgINRZzCd2lh8X1T9gy4MRBa3z52UJWJa8TZawCgW9usa7stk9TTh6iBa9nArnGHnvlAYj8cL8vsWMIBVkWxvLrakDTQpL4DWg/w480-h640/Slide1.png" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>Happy graphing!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-89182469586613598552021-04-02T11:54:00.003-07:002021-09-18T11:01:35.945-07:00Favorite April Read Alouds for the Primary Classroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3lvtZe_BUWWNf4_8EbkhkbADoUdxjjd4GCyOEV7EBwSWtqCdswxN4lTUjHBMRNngDeOdnntzBAdbEqpv-F33t3J7ZkpCvcM6Ceb2RYcfUTTLvCq1rJeKXdqAqLoAPY6mGLduEXk1hqQ/s720/Slide1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Favorite April Read Alouds" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk3lvtZe_BUWWNf4_8EbkhkbADoUdxjjd4GCyOEV7EBwSWtqCdswxN4lTUjHBMRNngDeOdnntzBAdbEqpv-F33t3J7ZkpCvcM6Ceb2RYcfUTTLvCq1rJeKXdqAqLoAPY6mGLduEXk1hqQ/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Rain or shine, April is such a fun month to read about all things springy!<br /><div><br /></div><div>Here are some of my favorite read alouds to enjoy all month long, and some ways I incorporate them into different lessons.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM84bQvCQN-9FfKj90dfznaR48Agjl-w2mS_5odOcBJgZW-f6CPO_VaPm-ADMFbJgZAoGsvKG1Zd8Io3C0lUA4z2IVAbPw5OfIdFseqe2nRZbtFwHa5XHmGBMIhLTrBOkUkTcrSbVbr2E/w640-h228/april+1.png" /><div><br /></div><div><div>This story captures the joy of spring weather through the eyes of one little boy and his kite.</div><div><br /></div><div>When the wind picks up, the boy and his grandma chase the runaway kite into town. With descriptive language like "swirling leaves," "bobbing boats," and "flapping scarves," this book is perfect for taking notice of how quickly the weather can change during Spring.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>This story is perfect for making mental images. In my classroom, I also like to attach it to the writing prompt, "If I were a kite, I'd fly to...".</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPyRQ6FXtKNlVL_ZjJJYN1TolWB64rqUT33LaQ0BT2fkcBz1Fc6pDj6ZsqW0Bq10gi9CJPMgmTiHOC4fU9PTvmPMkZa5HsgzJ0LW2SY07b8zsms_vIMGsyfjiwvZv7H5qDhhoJpvQ1pk/w640-h228/april+2.png" /><div><br /></div><div><div>If you've ever read <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Click-Clack-Cows-That-Type/dp/0689832133/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=click+clack+moo&qid=1617378932&s=books&sr=1-1">Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type</a> (and other books in this series!), you're familiar with the engaging, funny "daily diary entry" format!</div><div><br /></div><div>In this story, we read the worm's diary entries and follow along on his adventures.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a fun story to compare and contrast fiction and non-fiction. It's also perfect for taking things in a more informational route, and studying characteristics of worms in real life.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Berenstain-Bears-Real-Easter-Eggs/dp/0375811338/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=berenstain+bears+real+life+easter+eggs&qid=1617379279&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><img alt="The Berenstain Bears and the Real Easter Eggs" border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmIKNwQFgLm2k-f-qi9r70sYZFpgCG9H0ZzH-YdK0iOr0AUBf9n0Dap4S0jYtXm8OWaesrh-GTOqNFjXR-KMd44IkZoPl6bL_DAN8e22vSE3PSZpzFdoETksM4SF2ZwhyphenhyphenHw6_u1zl-Rw/w640-h227/april+3.png" width="640" /></a><div><br /></div><div>The Berenstain Bears are a classic! In this story, Brother and Sister Bear enjoy the fun traditions of an Easter Egg Hunt. Things get a little bit competitive when the cubs are trying to collect the most eggs. Suddenly, they discover a mama bird's nest about to hatch, and they discover the true meaning of the season.</div><div><br /></div><div>This story is perfect for focusing on the beauty of nature, and the wonders of Spring!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Click-Clack-Peep-Book/dp/1534413855/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=click+clack+peep&qid=1617384890&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXq6bHrXIlRcLeRsLCDFXPO40oTQrxTyDtGsYxGToGbNQZDwUCH_F_ahwaU9P71RyVUiZKd10FeaWMaRrVdvthhxc-uGH0c1gIKG8zneARmq6j8Wv-i1Y6FPME4uCs9Y_O3eEeli0M1kQ/w640-h228/april+4.png" /></a><div><br /><div>Doreen Cronin for the win! This is another one of her fabulous stories with the "daily diary entry" format. What can I say, they're super fun to read!</div><div><br /></div><div>In this story, Farmer Brown's not bothered by the usual farm animals... but he is by a super cute baby duck who won't go to sleep.</div><div><br /></div><div>This is the perfectly springy version of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Click-Clack-Cows-That-Type/dp/0689832133/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=click+clack+moo&qid=1617378932&s=books&sr=1-1">Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type</a>. Delightful for an author study!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-If-Everybody-Did-That/dp/0761456864/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3F6BDT1MORJGZ&dchild=1&keywords=what+if+everybody+did+that+book&qid=1617387910&sprefix=what+if+everybody+did+that%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IPNXZgPPvxLY7a0CF_Ibfp6_ouHrwUotmEIBMs8U3PQHJrWc4llTeagl9B25z5V6ztvyvvoE1h61CIWDKelgKwy2r5rdp8XTWAiNNznzQmo6IELhdjIrZg-AqOZhSriOf4NzuJX52gE/w640-h226/april+5.png" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>This lovely story examines the concept of why rules are important. <i>Throwing one soda can out the window? No big deal, right? Calling out during school? I had something important to say! </i>....But, what if everybody did that? As they read, students begin to realize the importance of following the rules in order to make our world a better place. The story perfectly illustrates what responsibility looks like and sounds like. </div><div><br /></div><div>I love to tie this story into our Social Studies unit on Citizenship. The bit about the importance of taking care of our earth by not littering is very timely for Earth Day, too!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-Spring-Comes-Kevin-Henkes/dp/0062331396" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHpKecrBNjUzadI5XL-39kg_0msqE-vKL4_YyZIFpKG3LYJPHLrnj8cUgcAzzByat9-7xrG3_1zUKVDVM6meFnlR5Nc248rcSiyHtth8L6BoY9tmhRHmQC3e0kinvp8hxtT10QoTIcxk/w640-h228/april+6.png" /></a><div><br /></div><div>Kevin Henkes is perhaps my very favorite children's author!</div><div><br /></div><div>While Lily and her Purple Plastic Purse, Owen and his fuzzy blanket, or Chrysanthemum with her sweet doll Petal do not make appearances, the season of Spring sure does!</div><div><br /></div><div>This is a truly beautiful book. Henkes uses poetic techniques like repetition and alliteration to draw readers into the true beauty of the season. I also love to point out his use of ellipses (...) to my students. This story is a gem for integrating descriptive language and the five senses when it comes to recognizing Spring!</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">----------</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">You can encourage your readers to enjoy books all month long with this <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/17WSbZCmxcq0uCta2ZcAEDt61Owm_YoJW/view?usp=sharing">FREE April Reading Log</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/17WSbZCmxcq0uCta2ZcAEDt61Owm_YoJW/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNy9c9D4OyGWtd5KA3a0MciD9UT9V4uUmOlc8VLOVsFwrL4B_StoK28LBaNUwNoefs01ICTGtfYuQwP7fpwBmEIA6gT7M_4-hiUtG4Qt62bArSEtCyt8JKUJdXP_YCRK1Kg_JFv0rxcg/w480-h640/Slide1.png" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Did I miss any of your April favorites? I'd love to hear about the books you enjoy reading in your classroom this month.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Happy reading!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-49169086393198339822021-03-16T15:42:00.003-07:002021-03-17T05:53:39.722-07:00My Grammy's Irish Soda Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy St. Patty's Day!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a day that makes me think about my grandmother, an absolute angel of an Irish matriarch. She was the most joyful person I will ever know, and always saw the goodness and light in every single situation. She loved St. Patrick's Day, and everything Irish.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In her <b>100 years </b>on this earth, she touched so many with her grace, light, laughter, and love.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONwEEI0Br0n-LD9jdE0W6ZTQ-60jqEJrsh1t07r-yuUNl8Lv-z4VkV3ufczQx3CeThC6WfufjNgu5IDnCWVRF6NFJnptBpTWsINd0S5b6expztBwWBc7F7N3wqpr3bRPmAuVUdBdUdhA/s720/Slide9.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvR8IotueJ0iKIeTWqDww1gyg2d5NlV9vlEWTe-cTe51LIgGNID3lhjeiQ8Q69E67Xsof6U75ulrlqfMRKY2jZiIyRK6Ovwtsia33_dWcDQolmc1EJE1BAl7eptREqbY5xCtSA5t3PeNk/s720/Slide8.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvR8IotueJ0iKIeTWqDww1gyg2d5NlV9vlEWTe-cTe51LIgGNID3lhjeiQ8Q69E67Xsof6U75ulrlqfMRKY2jZiIyRK6Ovwtsia33_dWcDQolmc1EJE1BAl7eptREqbY5xCtSA5t3PeNk/w320-h320/Slide8.png" width="320" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONwEEI0Br0n-LD9jdE0W6ZTQ-60jqEJrsh1t07r-yuUNl8Lv-z4VkV3ufczQx3CeThC6WfufjNgu5IDnCWVRF6NFJnptBpTWsINd0S5b6expztBwWBc7F7N3wqpr3bRPmAuVUdBdUdhA/w320-h320/Slide9.png" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While she's no longer with us, this is a recipe that has been in our family for ages. My grandmother had it passed down to from her mother, and then she passed it down to my mother, who passed it down to my sister and I. It's a family favorite and is filled with love.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let's get started!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJ6IE0hryfmPhzS8yAxnfbRTw1SDDuqLSHC__AB8CHnaFoNyXp_GjbwUSI1AQOtfFQXrJe4u0A6Ug5A6Tca0dlVikinPnXQXzDGKCz8xjJKOPo6H7IjqCXagtdFSwu-eO-FCorFgkBeI/s720/Slide1.png" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJ6IE0hryfmPhzS8yAxnfbRTw1SDDuqLSHC__AB8CHnaFoNyXp_GjbwUSI1AQOtfFQXrJe4u0A6Ug5A6Tca0dlVikinPnXQXzDGKCz8xjJKOPo6H7IjqCXagtdFSwu-eO-FCorFgkBeI/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">INGREDIENTS</h3><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>4 cups Flour</li><li>2 teaspoons Salt</li><li>3 heaping teaspoons Baking Powder</li><li>¼ teaspoon Baking Soda</li><li>1 cup Raisins (rinsed)</li><li>¾ cup Sugar</li><li>3 teaspoons Caraway Seeds</li><li>2 Eggs</li><li>1 cup Sour Cream</li><li>1 cup Sour Milk (1 cup Milk + 1 TBSP White Vinegar or Lemon Juice)</li></ul><div><h3><br /></h3><h3>DIRECTIONS</h3><div>Preheat oven to 400º F.</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Sour milk by combining 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and enough milk to equal 1 cup. Stir and let stand for at least five minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyeZC48MHuaTg0kzyd4CgBKLg0FZByYxLcKS27HIBSv3DFYnxx6oQG3gjd2pP-blEFvBY2QJkJma0nMf_yUJMuwBu7MEwOOcPxpnwGVBTWxGXZI5xZdpfTOjQE62fAyLLzmZmW7O192C4/s720/Slide2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Ingredients to sour milk" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyeZC48MHuaTg0kzyd4CgBKLg0FZByYxLcKS27HIBSv3DFYnxx6oQG3gjd2pP-blEFvBY2QJkJma0nMf_yUJMuwBu7MEwOOcPxpnwGVBTWxGXZI5xZdpfTOjQE62fAyLLzmZmW7O192C4/w640-h640/Slide2.png" width="640" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>2. Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. Add raisins, sugar, and caraway seeds. Set aside.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFirzExfzeP627rtQpz6rT4MHGc2cLTd9y-ULqFRS9fy2S-Y5agW9Cbkjm9cTrgZKrZfj3T1XLZSfOQvAvBDhetQVnqDW8iBAWWPV05LQYVTQQXli1MAjgcjaAxnISdjk4Pv8nfyxoH8/s720/Slide3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Irish Soda Bread Dry Ingredients" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKFirzExfzeP627rtQpz6rT4MHGc2cLTd9y-ULqFRS9fy2S-Y5agW9Cbkjm9cTrgZKrZfj3T1XLZSfOQvAvBDhetQVnqDW8iBAWWPV05LQYVTQQXli1MAjgcjaAxnISdjk4Pv8nfyxoH8/w640-h640/Slide3.png" width="640" /></a></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>4. Mix eggs, sour cream, and sour milk. Beat well.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBpstDQW3fFjVzA0KAlgQGRC6urkVUBQ16u3khO04sOmc4SA4KCXHoGrX3U7-ZtKp7ctC5_Na3VSxgl4_8pQRprYYJx0C3R99_bp6hPv28pPy-O5llTIcaRo8Znss3eLOInr4U5EJ_8M/s720/Slide7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Irish Soda Bread Wet Ingredients" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBpstDQW3fFjVzA0KAlgQGRC6urkVUBQ16u3khO04sOmc4SA4KCXHoGrX3U7-ZtKp7ctC5_Na3VSxgl4_8pQRprYYJx0C3R99_bp6hPv28pPy-O5llTIcaRo8Znss3eLOInr4U5EJ_8M/w640-h640/Slide7.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients, and fold together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXY_EMh2XX2m58BF0-z3e1WnVb24Cc8msAhx3wGToxb35lef55Sx73eMzjkfeIWwW4S47JdNqPzJ1huux2s2wTngbeXJzBNGzruBsR1EDziiK-owArUdITT5posJrJdyXIVq8-dvUMuo/s720/Slide5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Irish Soda Bread Dough" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXY_EMh2XX2m58BF0-z3e1WnVb24Cc8msAhx3wGToxb35lef55Sx73eMzjkfeIWwW4S47JdNqPzJ1huux2s2wTngbeXJzBNGzruBsR1EDziiK-owArUdITT5posJrJdyXIVq8-dvUMuo/w640-h640/Slide5.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>6. Place baking dish in the oven to warm. Take out, grease, and add dough.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1FbvbP-H6QWSGSqmGLDxWLcoG-VJrNLGwgWPrHL77X4okrUfMUQqT4QvG3hp6q07g9G0xj5ChDTe3AyPXwWZCFDnX6qimlG-DCUhdKfQXcyzqi7ShKfjgKwqzIn9sfZuBY2mBTJcxLM/s720/Slide4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Irish Soda Bread Dough" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1FbvbP-H6QWSGSqmGLDxWLcoG-VJrNLGwgWPrHL77X4okrUfMUQqT4QvG3hp6q07g9G0xj5ChDTe3AyPXwWZCFDnX6qimlG-DCUhdKfQXcyzqi7ShKfjgKwqzIn9sfZuBY2mBTJcxLM/w640-h640/Slide4.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div><div>7. Bake at 400º for 20 minutes. Then, decrease temperature to 350º and bake for 40 minutes. Bake until it's juuuuust the right shade of golden brown (you'll know!).</div><div><br /></div><div>To test if it's truly done, insert a small knife into the center right to the base. If it comes out clean, you're good to go!</div><div><br /></div><div>What a beaut!</div><div><br /></div><div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqzliSN83dOyrRR8xt4uUYm6YDPhUWYlIU9-pgKD628z4QxYGKwwpWTtJw43fFqKKxf-5J1N9SNVFS6ppwz8upiewNJgLtcd7hkqqPWtvyaSVnofkj5i1YVL8dObOyiwvUgsK_8KP_aM/s720/Slide6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Irish Soda Bread" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqzliSN83dOyrRR8xt4uUYm6YDPhUWYlIU9-pgKD628z4QxYGKwwpWTtJw43fFqKKxf-5J1N9SNVFS6ppwz8upiewNJgLtcd7hkqqPWtvyaSVnofkj5i1YVL8dObOyiwvUgsK_8KP_aM/w640-h640/Slide6.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Get your Irish on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDPoOdJ-Lr-vecXzR7pY7Nzjn3zTGMNnn1bw90ZCjTx8CTSPpbIjA1nK7E2jtOTwYmWgK7UPRsdSZf7ZXkGzInZWyRebyTksXrB1bdyyBgmP59oLGP-srEVbdvLyYqCfzNcSmg7p4tP0/s730/a39c23b7-e55b-4112-832d-d2fdad6cf850.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="May the luck of the Irish be with you all year long!" border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="730" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDPoOdJ-Lr-vecXzR7pY7Nzjn3zTGMNnn1bw90ZCjTx8CTSPpbIjA1nK7E2jtOTwYmWgK7UPRsdSZf7ZXkGzInZWyRebyTksXrB1bdyyBgmP59oLGP-srEVbdvLyYqCfzNcSmg7p4tP0/w640-h482/a39c23b7-e55b-4112-832d-d2fdad6cf850.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-2881707607049922792021-03-07T06:06:00.004-08:002023-06-21T13:47:00.826-07:00Favorite March Read Alouds for the Primary Classroom<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSslKL2Nd9F2MNVb7XHDrzS4j14xe1gp-49vDuSYNab7JsqnN4wEt0ojw2o7TpwvOaUWatUp47W1FpBpw32jklPz7QiZw8Not6xpnz6SJGOrEHeunDQS74NnT47I3O0ypxxsEw1cITNw/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSslKL2Nd9F2MNVb7XHDrzS4j14xe1gp-49vDuSYNab7JsqnN4wEt0ojw2o7TpwvOaUWatUp47W1FpBpw32jklPz7QiZw8Not6xpnz6SJGOrEHeunDQS74NnT47I3O0ypxxsEw1cITNw/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Between Women's History Month and all things leprechaun-y, March is a time for celebration!<div><br /></div><div>Here are some of my favorite read alouds to enjoy all month long, and some ways I incorporate them into different lessons.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Salt-His-Shoes-Michael-Pursuit/dp/0689834195/ref=sr_1_1?crid=13XXO7MBXRCTY&dchild=1&keywords=salt+in+his+shoes&qid=1615115757&s=books&sprefix=salt+in+his%2Caps%2C188&sr=1-1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1383" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvz67Ktc1JPfM7UAVZxDJSsk7ipbckYOkQiLaqj1ZXd20HApIhsDJTwPBKZBpUR2rwrk3PpwVb8V-K6jf0QOFDibiLQzKRGWKAAiFF9U5T5747K_W_HKl_CAqFcGNUaicP9gyxFcNOTQ/w640-h227/marchra1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">An inspiring story to kick off March madness (I should mention that my love for this story and my next-to-nothing knowledge of sports is completely unrelated)! In second grade, we spend March diving into a comprehensive biographies unit. We always begin by exploring the difference between informational biographies and narrative biographies.<br /><div><br />This is a perfect example of a narrative biography. As a little boy, Michael wants to to his best playing basketball, and dreams of growing taller. With the love and support from his parents, Michael learns that having heart and determination lead to amazing things.</div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://shop.scholastic.com/teachers-ecommerce/teacher/books/the-luckiest-leprechaun-9780439740814.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Luckiest Leprechaun by Justine H. Korman" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1383" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMKrRT2Q8b6vCmbrng_oeH8DiQQEvGsqfYZ4d6PaZFpBGvBVq93CTuluzlzp4Eb0Vyo6CsoXWISNSSafjAxh9fVn9mOB24CfawpnWjyk42ZbgedP7f5JJFJ6s1fjIfdHev-FJm99U_eo/w640-h227/marchra2.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found this absolute gem at a thrift store for .25 cents (don't you love when that happens??). It is now one of my very favorite March stories to share with my students. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">MacKenzie O'Shamrock is the main character of this story. He's a snarky, uptight leprechaun who cares about protecting his precious gold from treasure hunters. When a playful, lovable pup named Lucky crashes through his roof one day, everything changes! Lucky won't leave MacKenzie's side. Throughout the story, MacKenzie's feelings change, and he realizes that friendship is worth much more than gold. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Super heartwarming!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/She-Persisted-American-Women-Changed/dp/1524741728" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1383" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GsVAjbXdT2L-qzH9Tap02cyN-KNC_lDPIXL5JoDL-Bw5aKTTzxeDRduuh6gA9t_bfEocSoaZNN2XeQ_uSToTPUMOqFqSXzu8Tm21gSMZhdyvDYTktupDaD7kJPia76kYervgRw3YYgA/w640-h227/marchra3.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Hooray for strong women! This book features an exceptionally curated list of 13 women throughout history who have spoken out for what is right: Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Clara Lemlich, Nellie Bly, Virginia Apgar, Maria Tallchief, Claudette Colvin, Ruby Bridges, Margaret Chase Smith, Sally Ride, Florence Griffith Joyner, Oprah Winfrey, Sonia Sotomayor, and the author herself.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Combined with the beautiful illustrations, this is a wonderful way for readers of all ages to learn the power of persistence.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Catch-Leprechaun-Adam-Wallace/dp/1492632910/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=how+to+catch+a+leprechaun&qid=1615118598&s=books&sr=1-1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1383" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrq4Mkp6j8kQvTOTRt2f71sC3noTjwjJ4fLy0S4Iqtqyf7yUZaTcxBXrhQLmwK_KFlNZWSiQZPdvwgN1gtVgFAbTNURMiLsisQV7twzYfu4gyHfkvQSACkN_rbXX5G_AOVWMqv323R2-Q/w640-h227/marchra4.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This one is just plain FUN. I love the idea of bringing in a little bit of St. Patrick's Day mischief with a story full of rhymes and fabulous illustrations.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Along with a lot of great opportunities for connecting reading with how-to writing, this story serves as an amazing mentor text for a STEAM connection. Students can have fun building their own leprechaun traps!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Superheroes-Are-Everywhere-Kamala-Harris/dp/1984837494/ref=sr_1_1?crid=160URJ4ST082N&dchild=1&keywords=superheroes+are+everywhere+kamala+harris&qid=1615111045&s=books&sprefix=superheroes%2Cstripbooks%2C176&sr=1-1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Superheroes are Everywhere by Kamala Harris" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1383" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsU72JxG30xclsd57sXAg0HzcXnPPjrARv_ReitWeGxXumICiYVUiyQm5RxI7ZqmN7Gk5KOZxOXdClQJQolH3xWklhsW8UdC4o76KypAcAkVOxsltP_A4RkE7rBD1GFl3ka5G8MoTSLV4/w640-h227/marchra5.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is another fabulous biography mentor text, and aligns so nicely with Women's History Month. During our biography unit, I like to take a lesson or two to examine the timeline of a subject's life. This story takes us back to Vice President Harris's childhood, and how she was inspired by all of the unsung heroes around her. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's empowering, joyful, and inspires readers everywhere to make the world a better place. Did I mention that there's even a kid's guide to being a superhero at the end? A. mazing.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jamie-ORourke-Potato-Tomie-dePaola/dp/0698116038/ref=sr_1_1?crid=C85QK5HL1G3B&dchild=1&keywords=jamie+o%27rourke+and+the+big+potato&qid=1615120587&s=books&sprefix=jamie+o%27rourke%2Cstripbooks%2C173&sr=1-1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1383" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaXmJI7LKrnltoySZdpKDANYriNfGqvgmafMCO_GcA7wEzi-yjZg50B3WWn4aNZafYv4X_26GToNHPMZxEwdCFoUB9bSrEKFCBaaEZY90XtBhS0nN9GHVYxa6UuyOP1AeQIAQsPupcQe8/w640-h227/marchra6.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One of my most fond memories from my very first year of teaching is doing an author study on Tomie dePaola. I loved learning about his collection of books, and they have a special place in my heart!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Folktales are a great way to introduce students to different cultures and traditions. In this tale, we travel to Ireland! The main character, Jamie O'Rourke, is the laziest man in all of Ireland. His wife, Eileen, does all of the work. One day, she hurts her back and cannot do the gardening. Jamie is worried that they will not have enough food for the winter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In a magical encounter with a leprechaun, Jamie is tricked into wishing for the biggest potato ever (instead of taking the leprechaun's gold). The seed grows into a huge potato that rolls away and blocks the road! The villagers end up taking pieces of potato home to eat all winter. When spring finally comes, everyone is tired of eating potatoes. The villagers make sure that Jamie has enough food so he will never plant another potato seed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Along with story elements, this is a great mentor text to discuss character traits, and the importance of hard work & honesty.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">----------</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can encourage your readers to enjoy books all month long with this <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LyONhsc0AcRI0iPD5GbtLpJzrFxdoG6z/view?usp=sharing">FREE March Reading Log</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LyONhsc0AcRI0iPD5GbtLpJzrFxdoG6z/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_ts4h06g0upmQ5-QOQh1IFvBWoGBYRs3WXF3Zi_2aWhyphenhyphenZSrdjEjcpcp3v6DEFGegK81raz_2y8Eda15UnJ8mYsRNh-5cKrzDSaya_zjIjRz2EFx2qzAoUGxneEqqaLkgexJIoQxIT2U/w480-h640/Slide1.png" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Did I miss any of your March favorites? I'd love to hear about the books you enjoy reading in your classroom this month.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Happy reading!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-76532853911998839032021-02-19T08:31:00.001-08:002021-02-19T08:31:16.692-08:00"I Notice That You..." The Easy Trick to Positive Reinforcement!<p>Happy Fri-YAY.</p><p><br /></p><p>I'm not going to lie, using "correct" teacher language all the time isn't easy.</p><p><br /></p><p>The thing is, there is no such thing as ONE perfect way to communicate with all of our students (wouldn't it be amazing if there was???).</p><p><br /></p><p>I've had the classic chatty, wiggly, impulsive classes. Whole group lesson times were especially hard parts of the day.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">If you've ever experienced lessons with:</p><p style="text-align: center;">- lots of calling out</p><p style="text-align: center;">- students not staying in one spot</p><p style="text-align: center;">- side conversations happening between friends</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>YOU ARE NOT ALONE.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>In these scenarios, it's easy to feel like a broken record discussing behavior expectations over and over again.</p><p><br /></p><p>It is frustrating and defeating to feel "tuned out," and to see your students making little progress.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>I have one simple shift you can make IMMEDIATELY that will help your students tune back in.</b></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KeD7wF6qpG3ekZDvFKCvKwIYm0u78nyfYp_oq_TCu5xsnedB48y8Mt5P6Bn28nW6vL0Gx4S5jUnuTPGsFrjUQt2nwdiEcBr-eHOxQ_VHxjjxlSMv2e8PSvQiENM_2vF_RKMSOW7E9f4/s720/Slide1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Responsive Classroom Language "I Notice..."" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3KeD7wF6qpG3ekZDvFKCvKwIYm0u78nyfYp_oq_TCu5xsnedB48y8Mt5P6Bn28nW6vL0Gx4S5jUnuTPGsFrjUQt2nwdiEcBr-eHOxQ_VHxjjxlSMv2e8PSvQiENM_2vF_RKMSOW7E9f4/w640-h640/Slide1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>There is nothing wrong with telling a student you love something they're doing. It's always meant with the best intentions! The thing is, it can easily lose steam when it comes to positively reinforcing behavior.</p><p><br /></p><p>By changing "I love..." to "I notice..." you're explicitly recognizing and naming positive actions children are doing.</p><p><br /></p><p>Students go from doing "the right thing" in order to please, to taking control of their actions & developing an awareness of how to do their personal best.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1eBxUuEDPplh3xOBGXGRpALn3iMpDaZGUvLXAHQeGThRw5OibxRxKJwsF62Oox8gbH25LeeomHlbgcVCw4hXtjzphgD_s3MVzwHtcC0LBGRkkr5SgCeddQgRyLGef_P_M6j3ttqbNAA/s720/Slide2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Responsive Classroom Language "I Notice"" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1eBxUuEDPplh3xOBGXGRpALn3iMpDaZGUvLXAHQeGThRw5OibxRxKJwsF62Oox8gbH25LeeomHlbgcVCw4hXtjzphgD_s3MVzwHtcC0LBGRkkr5SgCeddQgRyLGef_P_M6j3ttqbNAA/w640-h640/Slide2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>The subtleness of you simply acknowledging that you SEE the great choices your students are making can be a total game changer.</p><p><br /></p><p>Whether you have that wiggly, chatty class you're trying to get through to, or you're looking to empower your students to build more independence, give it a try!</p><p><br /></p><p>Happy weekend!</p><p><br /></p>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-63893448421268049272021-02-09T13:31:00.003-08:002021-02-09T13:34:34.432-08:00Easy Homemade Valentines from the Teacher<p>Happy, happy February!</p><p><br /></p><p>Valentine's Day is one of my favorite days to celebrate in school. The colors, the fun themed activities, and focus on being a good friend makes this holiday close to my teacher heart.</p><p><br /></p><p>What kind of cards without candy will you give to your students that they'll actually acknowledge? I've got your answer!</p><p><br /></p><p>I'm all about cutesy and fun, and I also believe in constantly taking opportunities to build authentic connections with my students.</p><p><br /></p><p>This is an idea I saw many moons ago from Cara over at <a href="http://justcaracarroll.com">The First Grade Parade</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p>Using American Sign Language to communicate "I love you" is a way incorporate teachable moments, and a way to build positive student relationships.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5dq5UmTpLWyYhaCdpYNN6e88rM6gGhpyvNMd4ZDIJSwrniTd22_Wb8EsI8Ha_MikyeW4ARFgVAhMThsktoMWTfLBUrAD2BIEox8q6l3s4Snp2omgJ7Fj11bsnH6jjZiKLmkC0QNSpYc/s720/Slide1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5dq5UmTpLWyYhaCdpYNN6e88rM6gGhpyvNMd4ZDIJSwrniTd22_Wb8EsI8Ha_MikyeW4ARFgVAhMThsktoMWTfLBUrAD2BIEox8q6l3s4Snp2omgJ7Fj11bsnH6jjZiKLmkC0QNSpYc/w640-h480/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>With that in mind, here are the valentines I make for my students year after year! They're meaningful, personal, and because you can make them using supplies in your classroom, they won't cost you a dime!</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6YMD-Wx_kL99rHgtwVh7u2EvCDBIPAv17uPHEX6UHjRKA8b3a_UuqknEO4w_XxTnhA1RRB55PsF1kRAFjSF9xQ404HOcOR8zdsHtoYMFM0b_6KYhvOD062kzaGnHo_IMF4CwBeDy07U/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="ASL I love you hand valentine" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6YMD-Wx_kL99rHgtwVh7u2EvCDBIPAv17uPHEX6UHjRKA8b3a_UuqknEO4w_XxTnhA1RRB55PsF1kRAFjSF9xQ404HOcOR8zdsHtoYMFM0b_6KYhvOD062kzaGnHo_IMF4CwBeDy07U/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>They're super easy to make, and your students will cherish them.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here's what you do!</p><p><br /></p><p>Create a tracer for yourself by tracing your handprint. I like to use cardstock paper because it's a bit heavier, and will be more sturdy as a tracer!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtw2SjdnSaAAl3w8PTe2VDdfVVPx6fmwNgibmoVS6qIuy2SeHVH2__MXjzjI9n-CZpwOGTPtQBzo8pvdglnpI-SGA5T08is5AN6EiNcE1ii8bxfd3aRwEcgOr5du-wqmjRfA3WG-oZWs/s720/Slide5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="homemade teacher valentines" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtw2SjdnSaAAl3w8PTe2VDdfVVPx6fmwNgibmoVS6qIuy2SeHVH2__MXjzjI9n-CZpwOGTPtQBzo8pvdglnpI-SGA5T08is5AN6EiNcE1ii8bxfd3aRwEcgOr5du-wqmjRfA3WG-oZWs/w640-h640/Slide5.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Use your tracer to create however many valentines you'll need. Cut them out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNna5TBzn15ZQ16AyEW5bnpDaHxWPN2HAQ7io-4hqWls-f4XL6lbiKvRy3a_vXuv7DLFvwKp68jQYNj5dyoBPfV0NQRq-6JkSDgeMc6-JxxSJqdJvPHJpakpSaOZKes5dZP3kb1vXzno/s720/Slide3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="homemade teacher valentines" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNna5TBzn15ZQ16AyEW5bnpDaHxWPN2HAQ7io-4hqWls-f4XL6lbiKvRy3a_vXuv7DLFvwKp68jQYNj5dyoBPfV0NQRq-6JkSDgeMc6-JxxSJqdJvPHJpakpSaOZKes5dZP3kb1vXzno/w640-h640/Slide3.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Curl the two middle fingers down (I like to use a pencil to do this!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIxrLcJHSLufDPVCUuzlVL0uEWbxK2biutaAC1N-kUhcuf-MtqdnsZmNQtDXG0EaSHWlpFrJxkMQ_znf8fUgCwKb6dXr1ViH3z8-3wzV8po8UZPSCLu05vaCoKDuMmynJxpLXuhVNBkE/s720/Slide2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="homemade teacher valentines" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIxrLcJHSLufDPVCUuzlVL0uEWbxK2biutaAC1N-kUhcuf-MtqdnsZmNQtDXG0EaSHWlpFrJxkMQ_znf8fUgCwKb6dXr1ViH3z8-3wzV8po8UZPSCLu05vaCoKDuMmynJxpLXuhVNBkE/w640-h640/Slide2.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Glue a heart with a "Happy Valentine's Day!" message in the center of your handprint, and add a little love note with your name.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6YMD-Wx_kL99rHgtwVh7u2EvCDBIPAv17uPHEX6UHjRKA8b3a_UuqknEO4w_XxTnhA1RRB55PsF1kRAFjSF9xQ404HOcOR8zdsHtoYMFM0b_6KYhvOD062kzaGnHo_IMF4CwBeDy07U/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="ASL I love you hand valentine" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv6YMD-Wx_kL99rHgtwVh7u2EvCDBIPAv17uPHEX6UHjRKA8b3a_UuqknEO4w_XxTnhA1RRB55PsF1kRAFjSF9xQ404HOcOR8zdsHtoYMFM0b_6KYhvOD062kzaGnHo_IMF4CwBeDy07U/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">----------</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If these valentines are something you'd like to use too, <b>save yourself an extra step!</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Download the heart to add in the center of your handprint <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vv56TJWHeOMmuYrgkr5Y3BO1SzOCv_0M/view?usp=sharing">HERE</a> for FREE!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vv56TJWHeOMmuYrgkr5Y3BO1SzOCv_0M/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh97GdvKvVT40ULSprSs3RCsMSiAjtTSldMspL-LuWDw_n9PxFkKtA89yKB_Skd9x8v1waQlFlUBHq-bi6UHJ0WU7Cajnd6E84wWhrA6I4ZT5ge94kG0kcxB-7aEdDoZtAGhplmXoHD2Cc/w400-h400/Slide4.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vv56TJWHeOMmuYrgkr5Y3BO1SzOCv_0M/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="495" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-QFCn6RGT2xu7sNgfceq5NiRmCR7lgy3o3Be0O5uoturqaAN6t_fV_s20wI1fTXr0AiTdRLhIPTe6WhZ4KkBLrkRdqf3LoCxMygLEqVDC2FQAj84tZEuAftELeoiURj1e3eK_vcqY7g/w640-h495/Slide3.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I hope you have an absolutely lovely Valentine's Day celebration in your classroom.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'd love to hear about some of your favorite ways to celebrate this fun day with your students!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div></div><p></p>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-59508835917392589682020-12-27T08:28:00.005-08:002021-03-17T05:54:07.947-07:00Soup Sunday #4 - Holiday Chili Edition!<p>Happy last Sunday of 2020! I hope everyone enjoyed a joyous holiday.</p><p><br /></p><p>I love to learn about different holiday traditions, and it warms my heart to hear about what brings people joy during this time of year.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">That being said, I'm cheating a little bit on this final Soup Sunday. I'm also a little late with timing, as this recipe is called <b>Christmas Eve Chili</b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">For as long as I can remember, my family celebrated Christmas Eve by enjoying dinner with long-time friends in the form of Chili! Even though we couldn't see these dear friends in person this year due to COVID, we still celebrated by having Chili at home. It wouldn't be Christmas Eve without it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Even though Christmas has come and gone, this recipe would be deliciously perfect for any holiday-eve.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>CHRISTMAS EVE CHILI</b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaDAb9wAhDq27q3nFiHRgLCHGhBReoK9IYIPQ6S1iBw1IaAYZM0uScr9gHNdT5Tsaie62nbByECYWMj5oQAa8PjfvPyyAFN1AFjSvCuNiC56jPPDqRuYNfSqyVXObPXD24J1vA1L_mLw/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chili ingredients" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaDAb9wAhDq27q3nFiHRgLCHGhBReoK9IYIPQ6S1iBw1IaAYZM0uScr9gHNdT5Tsaie62nbByECYWMj5oQAa8PjfvPyyAFN1AFjSvCuNiC56jPPDqRuYNfSqyVXObPXD24J1vA1L_mLw/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/ground%2520beef?searchRef=">1 lb Ground Beef</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/onion?searchRef=" target="_blank">1 Small Yellow Onion</a> - diced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">3. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/salt?searchRef=">1 Teaspoon Salt</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">4. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/chili%2520powder?searchRef=">1-2 tsps Chili Powder</a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">5. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/bay%2520leaf?searchRef=">1 Bay Leaf </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">6. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/worcestershire%2520sauce?searchRef=">1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">7. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/tomato%2520sauce?searchRef=">2 32 oz. cans Tomato Sauce</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">8. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/kidney%2520beans?searchRef=">2 16 oz. cans Kidney Beans</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both;"><b>DIRECTIONS</b></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1. In a slow cooker, add ground beef, onion, salt, chili powder, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce. Bonus points if you can say "Worcestershire sauce 3 times fast, or at all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2. Add in tomato sauce and kidney beans. Gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or overnight. Discard bay leaf.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Serve garnished with shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, and enjoy the coziness!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvn8rhUOjyIpXuQdlA6rG_hUHfDm8RShSK0ZtLu2R8VYIZzxoBK6sSUryH_c9z_GRMKOvh11l23XvqikY-H7snGtaxnk5a-8isOKbyzDvhXDKkoFr-Z2q13yAH72B8FxyT0aHV3PQA8c/s720/Slide3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chili with shredded cheese" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvn8rhUOjyIpXuQdlA6rG_hUHfDm8RShSK0ZtLu2R8VYIZzxoBK6sSUryH_c9z_GRMKOvh11l23XvqikY-H7snGtaxnk5a-8isOKbyzDvhXDKkoFr-Z2q13yAH72B8FxyT0aHV3PQA8c/w640-h640/Slide3.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Wishing you all the best for what's ahead in 2021!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-31243128476277392592020-12-20T05:48:00.006-08:002021-03-17T05:54:27.394-07:00Soup Sunday #3 - The Easiest Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Hi again, friends!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I hope this finds you gearing up for the holidays, and enjoying a little bit of rest & relaxation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We can dream, right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This week's Soup Sunday brings you good old fashioned comfort food. It's just what we all need this time of year!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There's something souper (see what I did there?) magical about letting your slow cooker do it's thing, and having a delicious result.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>CROCKPOT CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP<br /></b></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Recipe adapted from Spend with Pennies</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAV4baQjYi6x7z4kGjR-1nSe3E87NqE7Pi5NiiOITkeTthHmltSSEjVIHeEy4lYxCnKd2fevw3NbB0jnKVvoTo0dzWJwPVvVgK6onlEAXV3G3OJXVDnrqQStztZ9TSiIdCdePO47Rf5K8/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chicken noodle soup ingredients" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAV4baQjYi6x7z4kGjR-1nSe3E87NqE7Pi5NiiOITkeTthHmltSSEjVIHeEy4lYxCnKd2fevw3NbB0jnKVvoTo0dzWJwPVvVgK6onlEAXV3G3OJXVDnrqQStztZ9TSiIdCdePO47Rf5K8/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/boneless%2520chicken%2520breasts?searchRef=">1½ lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts</a> - trimmed of excess fat</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/onion?searchRef=" target="_blank">1 Yellow Onion</a> - diced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">3. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/carrot?searchRef=">3 Large Carrots</a> - peeled and chopped into "coins"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">4. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/celery?searchRef=">2 Stalks Celery</a> - chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">5. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/garlic?searchRef=" target="_blank">4 Cloves Garlic</a> - roughly chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">6. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/chicken%2520broth?searchRef=">8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">7. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/salt?searchRef=">1/2 Teaspoon Salt</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">8. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/black%2520pepper?searchRef=">1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper</a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">9. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/dried%2520thyme?searchRef=">1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">10. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/dried%2520rosemary?searchRef=">1/2 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">11. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/bay%2520leaf?searchRef=">1 Bay Leaf </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">12. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/egg%2520noodles?searchRef=">8 oz. Package Egg Noodles</a> - wide or extra wide</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">13. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/fresh%2520parsley?searchRef=">Fresh Parsley</a> - minced (for garnish)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both;"><b>DIRECTIONS</b></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1. To the bottom of a large slow cooker, add trimmed chicken breasts. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt & pepper, and bay leaf.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2. Add chicken broth. Gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">3. Remove chicken from slow cooker and place in a large mixing bowl. Shred chicken. Discard bay leaf, and return shredded chicken back to slow cooker.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">4. Cook egg noodles al dente according to package directions.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">5. Add egg noodles to soup. Cook on LOW for 3-5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Serve garnished with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of black pepper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayCoYP_VFgJWVW_jXJkYAJJT2BrgcfJJgiLpclC3xW-VaTEbQdQLewyJBbYu9GXG4jXZPybP3KodGwTzoHRCZ6mwFkDlxrABPZmUW1P2gGuidHX_8mTNhoWSbudT5wxXC4K7Akc50cbs/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="homemade chicken noodle soup" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayCoYP_VFgJWVW_jXJkYAJJT2BrgcfJJgiLpclC3xW-VaTEbQdQLewyJBbYu9GXG4jXZPybP3KodGwTzoHRCZ6mwFkDlxrABPZmUW1P2gGuidHX_8mTNhoWSbudT5wxXC4K7Akc50cbs/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This one's a classic. Enjoy!</div><div><div><br /></div></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-49074752869464805232020-12-13T05:44:00.005-08:002021-03-17T05:54:49.216-07:00Soup Sunday #2 - Chicken Tortilla Soup<div style="text-align: left;">Happy Sunday!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Today's soup is brought to you by one half of two of my very favorite people ever (that's enough math for today).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Chip & Joanna Gaines!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm just discovering what TikTok is about (I know, go ahead and laugh) but this opinion of them is pretty in line with mine! Wait for it...<br /> <blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@zzzachariah/video/6904742329282841862" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="6904742329282841862" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@zzzachariah" target="_blank" title="@zzzachariah">@zzzachariah</a></div> <p style="text-align: left;">Every mom at <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/target" target="_blank" title="target">#target</a> CHRISTMAS EDITION! 🎄☃️✨ <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/momlife" target="_blank" title="momlife">#momlife</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/momsoftiktok" target="_blank" title="momsoftiktok">#momsoftiktok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp" target="_blank" title="fyp">#fyp</a></p> <div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6904742466012875526" target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Zachariah"></a><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6904742466012875526" target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Zachariah">♬ original sound - Zachariah</a></div></section> </blockquote> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway, let's get back to the soup before we all start mindlessly scrolling.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Joanna is the one who developed this recipe, and it's so deliciously easy that it'll knock your socks off. It's perfect for any winter weeknight dinner.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Enjoy!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP<br /></b></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Recipe by Joanna Gaines</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNU_dLDOdP03jzlufU9BSxGSihWm0YxLmi48ahyphenhyphenoRnbvXSalIiNo6U5-a7SMtu0x6MyNB9L7PzgFWDhL4UsysTwATxEH5MGnCnPRMicghr_j8TAlUm-qFwS-hvNUw3pIWMz8_TJ_PPNBE/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chicken tortilla soup ingredients" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNU_dLDOdP03jzlufU9BSxGSihWm0YxLmi48ahyphenhyphenoRnbvXSalIiNo6U5-a7SMtu0x6MyNB9L7PzgFWDhL4UsysTwATxEH5MGnCnPRMicghr_j8TAlUm-qFwS-hvNUw3pIWMz8_TJ_PPNBE/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/chicken%2520broth?searchRef=" target="_blank">12 cups Chicken Broth</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/vine%2520ripe%2520tomato?searchRef=" target="_blank">1 Vine-Ripened Tomato</a> - diced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">3. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/can%2520corn%2520kernels?searchRef=" target="_blank">1 15 oz. can Corn Kernels</a> - drained</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">4. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/red%2520onion?searchRef=" target="_blank">¼ Red Onion</a> - finely chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">5. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/jalepeno?searchRef=">1½ Jalapeño</a> - finely minced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">6. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/salt?searchRef=" target="_blank">½ tsp Salt</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">7. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/ground%2520pepper?searchRef=" target="_blank">½ tsp Ground Black Pepper</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">8. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/mexican%2520rice%2520mix?searchRef=">1 5.4 oz package Mexican Rice Mix</a> (or similar mix)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">9. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/rotisserie%2520chicken?searchRef=" target="_blank">1 store-bought Rotisserie Chicken</a> - shredded</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">10. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/cumin?searchRef=" target="_blank">1 tsp Cumin</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">11. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/avocado?searchRef=" target="_blank">1 Avocado</a> - pitted, halved, and diced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">12. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/tortilla%2520chips?searchRef=" target="_blank">1 13 oz. bag Tortilla Chips</a> - crushed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both;"><b>DIRECTIONS</b></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, combine the broth, tomato, corn, onion, jalapeño, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and add in the shredded chicken. Simmer until heated through.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2. Stir the rice mix into the soup. Add cumin and simmer for 15 minutes until rice is cooked through.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">3. Place avocado and crushed tortilla chips in serving bowls. Ladle in the soup.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Serve immediately.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtN1laww5cuDwExa1Hjm6lEhZb5uZPoQ7ac_tFU0u3DsqG01jwX86bxCsTBmgDwleG-TzBtFQboQIdERkaWBFAHWW649Je5GMIap2aRBT84xg4M2nJow-zaJzLph9z5NZn6K69tU3NrYU/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chicken tortilla soup" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtN1laww5cuDwExa1Hjm6lEhZb5uZPoQ7ac_tFU0u3DsqG01jwX86bxCsTBmgDwleG-TzBtFQboQIdERkaWBFAHWW649Je5GMIap2aRBT84xg4M2nJow-zaJzLph9z5NZn6K69tU3NrYU/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope you have a great rest of your weekend!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-44251640920281001152020-12-06T06:44:00.001-08:002021-03-17T05:55:02.307-07:00Soup Sunday #1 - Cauliflower Soup<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy December!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kids have the best lunch conversations.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">True story: while I was eating lunch with my second graders this week, one student said to me, "Hey, Miss Clark! Do you think it would be interesting to hear what I have for dinner every night of the week?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Naturally, I was intrigued.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He went through the entire week of themed dinners he has with his family: Sauce Sunday, Meat Monday, Taco Tuesday, Wings Wednesday, Tingly Thursday (wings again, but spicy?), Friday is pizza night, and for the life of me, I can't remember what Saturday was. I'll ask him and update you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. This was a hilarious story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. It got me thinking, December means that it's soup weather.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I thought... SOUP SUNDAY just makes sense!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I love to make soup all winter. It's cozy, comforting, and just brings out all of the warm, fuzzy feelings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">----------</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Each Sunday this December, I'm happy to bring you some of my very favorite soup recipes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First up this week, <b>Cauliflower Soup!</b> It's creamy, savory, and super comforting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>CAULIFLOWER SOUP<br /></b></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Recipe by The Pioneer Woman</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN46azjhmVUCYzLZw5rxeRLIQoIy_qR9UDrof7SkK0VWbeHT9TxZExEQxS8netqPj0-9H7DshRgwBp9g32-NviJgkoSOT_gUN6jwG8R2i0XL6OnVzLd5yHdadw1ALGjAKkhyTMpsd_D6k/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cauliflower soup ingredients" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN46azjhmVUCYzLZw5rxeRLIQoIy_qR9UDrof7SkK0VWbeHT9TxZExEQxS8netqPj0-9H7DshRgwBp9g32-NviJgkoSOT_gUN6jwG8R2i0XL6OnVzLd5yHdadw1ALGjAKkhyTMpsd_D6k/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/butter?searchRef=" target="_blank">1 Stick Butter</a> - divided</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/onion?searchRef=" target="_blank">1/2 Yellow Onion</a> - finely diced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/carrot?searchRef=" target="_blank">1 Whole Carrot</a> - finely diced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/celery?searchRef=">1 Stalk Celery</a> - finely diced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/cauliflower?searchRef=" target="_blank">1 Whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads</a> - roughly chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/parsley?searchRef=" target="_blank">2 TBSP Fresh or Dried Parsley</a> - chopped</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">7. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/chicken%2520broth?searchRef=">8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">8. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/flour?searchRef=">6 TBSP All Purpose Flour</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">9. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/whole%2520milk?searchRef=">2 cups Whole Milk</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">10. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/half%2520and%2520half?searchRef=">1 cup Half & Half</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">11. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/salt?searchRef=">3 tsp Salt</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">12. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/sour%2520cream?searchRef=">1 cup Sour Cream</a> - room temperature</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>DIRECTIONS</b></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and sauté for a 2-3 minutes, until it softens and starts to turn brown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional 2 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. Add cauliflower and parsley. Stir to combine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">5. In a small bowl, mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">6. In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">7. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">8. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add more salt & pepper as needed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">9. Just before serving, place the sour cream in a small serving bowl (or soup tureen if you're feeling fancy!). Add 2 to 3 three ladle-fulls of hot soup into the tureen, and stir to combine with the sour cream. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is magical, I swear.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">10. Pour in remaining soup and stir.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Serve immediately.</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BZwCFAnUB7nmObrgtciOz-Uu0kr5wc4ouVOVkJGjRbY37p7YoNqe-OX-WFDD1V0XahemJD90aW0xXQ-itlRdJ_AVVz7MZ5H2N7_uxOQ3tC1UTaMYHIvjQNVmk4Zp0EsWm8YQXQZbJoU/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cauliflower soup" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BZwCFAnUB7nmObrgtciOz-Uu0kr5wc4ouVOVkJGjRbY37p7YoNqe-OX-WFDD1V0XahemJD90aW0xXQ-itlRdJ_AVVz7MZ5H2N7_uxOQ3tC1UTaMYHIvjQNVmk4Zp0EsWm8YQXQZbJoU/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Yum.<div><br /><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 15px; font-variant-ligatures: none; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">----------</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div>While this soup is a delicious meal all on it's own, one of my favorite ways to enjoy it is with <a href="http://www.missclarksspoonful.com/2020/12/cozy-popovers-and-fig-jam.html">Popovers and Fig Jam along the side</a>. It adds a touch of sweetness to the soup's savoriness.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Have a SOUPER Sunday! Do you have any favorite soup recipes? I'd love to hear about them!</div><div><br /></div></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-61050466215613423992020-12-06T06:39:00.003-08:002021-03-17T05:55:24.295-07:00Cozy Popovers and Fig Jam<p>You know those recipes that just fill your heart with joy?</p><p><br /></p><p>One of those for me is my Aunt Laurie's Popovers. This recipe conjures up memories of cozy winter visits, warmth from the oven, catching up with conversation, and fuzzy socks.</p><p><br /></p><p>Delightful.</p><p><br /></p><p>I digress! Popovers... They're cozy, delicious, and savory. Best served warm, these little guys are the perfect partner for any soup, or simply dressed with a dash of butter or jam.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>POPOVERS<br /></b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8au82TiWOaEs5FKsi6A94HkAv3Dnu3_q8XeG6P10Pz3GPRmuL-X1jEGHiMuVgEQCzGuEIAyo7pvZZM1OpjC7ruyQ18sG0xvgbOyXHq-vuR_kHQUWk3xouFblj0cjJvYOdwA1cShtM1WU/s720/Slide2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8au82TiWOaEs5FKsi6A94HkAv3Dnu3_q8XeG6P10Pz3GPRmuL-X1jEGHiMuVgEQCzGuEIAyo7pvZZM1OpjC7ruyQ18sG0xvgbOyXHq-vuR_kHQUWk3xouFblj0cjJvYOdwA1cShtM1WU/w640-h640/Slide2.png" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/eggs?searchRef=">4 eggs</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/whole%2520milk?searchRef=">2 cups Whole Milk</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">3. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/flour?searchRef=">2 cups All Purpose Flour</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">4. <a href="https://stopandshop.com/product-search/salt?searchRef=">1 tsp Salt</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><h4 style="clear: both;"><b>DIRECTIONS</b></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">*Do NOT preheat the oven.*</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">1. Grease 12 large muffin tin cups or 12 custard cups.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">2. In a small bowl, beat the eggs well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">3. Add milk, flour and salt. Lightly beat until just combined.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">4. Fill the muffin tin cups or custard cups three-quarters full with the batter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">5. Place the pan on the center rack in the oven.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">6. Set the oven at 450° F and turn it on. Bake for 30 minutes without opening the oven door.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Serve warm with butter, jam, syrup, or honey.</div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eo0wkHG6BnJFDHdFJ0Bo9DrfXVdO4-Mw0VgZaozqPRJfvugqzhoDnPD9qi-XgnMTuZk-B-wlJvprSmN_R9W2XYYOkThTh7I2Zt0aZwO9junc8iKo9mpBHqARvOmu2QrmrV1yZfz6n0I/s826/1382539168289.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="popovers" border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="826" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eo0wkHG6BnJFDHdFJ0Bo9DrfXVdO4-Mw0VgZaozqPRJfvugqzhoDnPD9qi-XgnMTuZk-B-wlJvprSmN_R9W2XYYOkThTh7I2Zt0aZwO9junc8iKo9mpBHqARvOmu2QrmrV1yZfz6n0I/w320-h240/1382539168289.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo (c) Food Network</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>One of my favorite ways to enjoy popovers is with fig jam and alongside <a href="http://www.missclarksspoonful.com/2020/12/soup-sunday-1-cauliflower-soup.html">Cauliflower Soup</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BZwCFAnUB7nmObrgtciOz-Uu0kr5wc4ouVOVkJGjRbY37p7YoNqe-OX-WFDD1V0XahemJD90aW0xXQ-itlRdJ_AVVz7MZ5H2N7_uxOQ3tC1UTaMYHIvjQNVmk4Zp0EsWm8YQXQZbJoU/s720/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cauliflower soup" border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BZwCFAnUB7nmObrgtciOz-Uu0kr5wc4ouVOVkJGjRbY37p7YoNqe-OX-WFDD1V0XahemJD90aW0xXQ-itlRdJ_AVVz7MZ5H2N7_uxOQ3tC1UTaMYHIvjQNVmk4Zp0EsWm8YQXQZbJoU/w640-h640/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Stay warm!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-15951705490607804332020-09-14T14:59:00.001-07:002020-09-14T15:00:36.769-07:00Managing Your Classroom Library... In the Age of COVID!<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">Happy September, friends!</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">I hope all is well and that you're easing into somewhat of a school-year routine.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none;">We've finished our first two "weeks" of school here in Connecticut (one 3-day week and one 4-day week), and today, we dove into our first 5-day week. Copious amount of prayers, chocolate, wine, good thoughts, or any combination of the above are accepted! I'm right there with you, teachers. You're all superstars.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none;">We are in-person teaching 5 days a week. At the same time, we're posting lessons online for our remote learners and for the event that we have to go fully online. It's A LOT. Seeing the kids every day is what's getting us through!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;">One aspect of our "new normal" in the classroom that has made me put my thinking cap on is discovering how to run a fully functional classroom library with little to no shared supplies.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;">After learning an important foundation lesson, how to choose a "good fit book," we had the grand opening of our classroom library as per usual! The students got to choose eight books to keep in their book boxes for the week. These books will be used during our <a href="http://www.missclarksspoonful.com/2019/02/lets-talk-literacy-blocks.html" target="_blank">dedicated "Read to Self" time</a> every day.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97iUYrcBTrpimr_EeEcn6tGTAOWq4UGtDDXqZlU6IqZ3N8QfTCW4f7YobDz3tRGPv1CV6FweKp4EZ7XAL6ZjWYBik6JPmtJvB4vUUAn-Fx2aujZxAnnKKtTKS39sHrlMsXHLTJKDP2zM/s1497/Picture1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1497" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97iUYrcBTrpimr_EeEcn6tGTAOWq4UGtDDXqZlU6IqZ3N8QfTCW4f7YobDz3tRGPv1CV6FweKp4EZ7XAL6ZjWYBik6JPmtJvB4vUUAn-Fx2aujZxAnnKKtTKS39sHrlMsXHLTJKDP2zM/w640-h480/Picture1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-w_PSevq4uK2swYVErccT0cZBvv3eoiNo2iPHVt7Jc3k9k93GJsh0tJ7dDExw-tCfhOrPjohNA98p9x7o5UMOLSKl__AEDra3t6OexhBuVj9mPmjOmLio9wZarS8fcwmhXM6jIGSs1g/s1500/Picture2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-w_PSevq4uK2swYVErccT0cZBvv3eoiNo2iPHVt7Jc3k9k93GJsh0tJ7dDExw-tCfhOrPjohNA98p9x7o5UMOLSKl__AEDra3t6OexhBuVj9mPmjOmLio9wZarS8fcwmhXM6jIGSs1g/w480-h640/Picture2.png" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;">These student look-a-like book box labels from <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Book-Bin-Labels-Editable-Name-Tags-Classroom-Jobs-2646013" target="_blank">Learning in Wonderland</a> are the cutest, right?!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;">Our classes have been split into two cohorts that alternate the second grade classrooms each week. So, we only have 9 kids in our classrooms each week. In coordination to what our school health officials have advised, my co-teacher and I are keeping a selection of books with specific cohorts.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;">Back to book shopping, and running a classroom library in the age of COVID!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;">For morning work each Monday, the students shop for eight new books. These books stay in their book boxes for Read to Self all week, until the end of the week.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;">This is where the new classroom library star comes in... o</span><span style="text-align: center;">ur Book Quarantine bin!</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: none; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzTl4f-GOsUzwJ_rXPP8xI5eURxgVok8MxTszg2vuzr_K81d_xOKjz4DB-ANuIW5okgiLhDTtEAHjkSLerbK36AGkfwR35dxi3v15M6UrfsSVtvR8mMSG2GL92U9R653XJQPLY5W6TVQ/s2048/phonto+15.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzTl4f-GOsUzwJ_rXPP8xI5eURxgVok8MxTszg2vuzr_K81d_xOKjz4DB-ANuIW5okgiLhDTtEAHjkSLerbK36AGkfwR35dxi3v15M6UrfsSVtvR8mMSG2GL92U9R653XJQPLY5W6TVQ/w640-h640/phonto+15.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the last day of the week, the second graders place their books in the Book Quarantine bin. Here, these well-loved books will sit for one week before they're placed back in our classroom library.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before you know it, these well-rested books will be germ-free and ready to go back into the rotation for book shopping.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">----------</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If this is something you think would work in your classroom, I'd be so thrilled! You can download your very own labels for free <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mMb2O3KSbkwIRM6yl3iBr3i0ZwozpbMa/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">HERE</a> (choose between two different styles, each with three different sizes)!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mMb2O3KSbkwIRM6yl3iBr3i0ZwozpbMa/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="728" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqOAE1XD0J9XRTVYw0RyIw5CchcVZH-kd9Jg2xV-KG1nY2pQN5rGL-Fep54AzuGQQsJK3fb9PxLFP4MVMAj6Las7LRTlS13Obtb-qWNgWqdf1NLfqgDHI1ZAyY9RWMLYpJQF8jiWZW7A/w640-h480/Slide1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">----------</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'd love to hear all about how you're doing! Are you teaching in-person, online, or hybrid?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're all in this together!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></span><p></p>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-6451573559961673692020-07-29T09:39:00.006-07:002020-08-19T12:00:23.343-07:00An Easy Guide to DIGITAL Classroom Newsletters & CLICKABLE PDFs!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm going to be honest...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am much more of a paper person than a digital person. There. I said it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Colored ink, bright card stock, it's all so much fun!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">However, I have an exception to my "paper over digital" preference... and that exception is CLASS NEWSLETTERS.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.missclarksspoonful.com/2020/07/how-to-create-ultimate-classroom.html">Sending home newsletters</a> is so important! Your class families get to read all about what is going on in your classroom, and they're informed about upcoming events. All great stuff!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's the thing. More often than not, paper newsletters and related forms end up buried on the bottom of backpacks, stuffed in the back of desks, or crumpled under the seat on the bus... never to be seen again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have the perfect solution for you! <b>Send your newsletters home DIGITALLY using clickable PDFs.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_HWhgfdgBYYHMWQ-Pjw8k0YtpSUeHmMwCoONKiYNTo0O1LiiKs44hya3GxhtCcEoGqKZoAo9JGZInykcvfUOpjpptAWuUz8GteMZgJ8aNmwISmT6QQF0EyVYU4-1OvyGZViZtC8jVK4/s971/Slide1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="971" data-original-width="728" height="971" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_HWhgfdgBYYHMWQ-Pjw8k0YtpSUeHmMwCoONKiYNTo0O1LiiKs44hya3GxhtCcEoGqKZoAo9JGZInykcvfUOpjpptAWuUz8GteMZgJ8aNmwISmT6QQF0EyVYU4-1OvyGZViZtC8jVK4/w728-h971/Slide1.png" width="728" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Along with the information actually getting to your class families, here are a few of the reasons why I LOVE clickable PDFs!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>They're super user-friendly, and easy to create.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>You can email them as an attachment, upload to Google Classroom, and a bunch of other platforms!</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>You can include many different resources in ONE spot.</li></ul><div><br /></div><div>Let's dive into it! Here is how you can create PDFs that have "clickable" links.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">----------</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I use PowerPoint to create most of my resources, including my newsletters!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First, find the text that you want to link to the other website or document.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tip: It's helpful to change the color in order to make it more noticeable. Simply highlight the text, and change to whichever bright color you like! Then, click <i>OK</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBInEqNf8DqZavjMgUMIFAESSEB6wmHqslwPKjc1UKE3WQBzmswWJew3WX-P1mQMq0D_DPwAWFUPVis1V1iqDiUkSeIvuRyMRWs386jIBpCw8rC5Wav8F9CTIF0_5rZOV4NH-zYMy9wIA/s1533/Hyperlink+Post+5.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Digital Classroom Newsletter" border="0" data-original-height="1347" data-original-width="1533" height="549" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBInEqNf8DqZavjMgUMIFAESSEB6wmHqslwPKjc1UKE3WQBzmswWJew3WX-P1mQMq0D_DPwAWFUPVis1V1iqDiUkSeIvuRyMRWs386jIBpCw8rC5Wav8F9CTIF0_5rZOV4NH-zYMy9wIA/w625-h549/Hyperlink+Post+5.png" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After you've changed the color of your text, you'll want to save your document as a PDF. Click <i>File</i>, and drop down to <i>Save As</i>.</div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBriKk_m_KzF5xUhMxf9VXIJTryDkkUxMvy5Eeb9MCG3llfuc31Wdqg7O2ZDOC5SgvVpD9T8z2wT8KtrWLEoZYtgFfQDeA6TSAJfFPOPp_4rRem695rP7YVHR8BUykE-DQx6er4WfgYc/s1500/Hyperlink+Post+6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Digital Classroom Newsletter" border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="1500" height="493" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdBriKk_m_KzF5xUhMxf9VXIJTryDkkUxMvy5Eeb9MCG3llfuc31Wdqg7O2ZDOC5SgvVpD9T8z2wT8KtrWLEoZYtgFfQDeA6TSAJfFPOPp_4rRem695rP7YVHR8BUykE-DQx6er4WfgYc/w625-h493/Hyperlink+Post+6.png" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Name the document whatever you would like, and save it to a place on your computer where it will be easy to find! Then, next to <i>File Format</i>, choose <i>PDF</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-R4oqb7zrXMrxmt7lGWTo-32wEKfihFFX6fqih6f9uzNI7Y4dPfn5drenI7o1Dp_srv-qIuB6awFDRKpkXy6l2BovqQrhkSRHZrAWP8GyI_jUdkpyZedBUFdE7-WWrwCWFSYnWmXHY9A/s1500/Hyperlink+Post+7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Saving PowerPoint as PDF" border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1500" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-R4oqb7zrXMrxmt7lGWTo-32wEKfihFFX6fqih6f9uzNI7Y4dPfn5drenI7o1Dp_srv-qIuB6awFDRKpkXy6l2BovqQrhkSRHZrAWP8GyI_jUdkpyZedBUFdE7-WWrwCWFSYnWmXHY9A/w625-h486/Hyperlink+Post+7.png" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: left;">Now, you're ready to open your document as a PDF and embed your link!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Head over to your Google Drive, and find the document you want to link to from your PDF. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>In this case, I want to attach a link to a <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">"Getting to Know Your Child" Back to School form</a> that's located in my Google Drive.<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the upper right-hand corner, click on the three vertical dots. Then, drop down to <i>Share</i>.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToJ6POi_sZo6ZB5_UowijXzbhfHG_BtneXW7bwAcKDwbAeMD98ev4RbvnRUEoShjroaVPpAsfPnkxlw2lUST3ssrya-QdsCacTfubVveDi5JdORzFdpVTYjNnDPVTl2SW8LsWLix8Kxc/s1539/Hyperlink+Post+1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Getting to Know Your Child Form" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1539" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToJ6POi_sZo6ZB5_UowijXzbhfHG_BtneXW7bwAcKDwbAeMD98ev4RbvnRUEoShjroaVPpAsfPnkxlw2lUST3ssrya-QdsCacTfubVveDi5JdORzFdpVTYjNnDPVTl2SW8LsWLix8Kxc/w625-h391/Hyperlink+Post+1.png" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In order to be able to add the link to your PDF, you'll need to look under Get Link. So anyone you send the PDF is able to open the link, you'll want to change the sharing permissions from "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In order to do this, click "Change to anyone with the link."</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioX7ZcH0yEyMyJtG2fKt2FW64KfK9IUGbwEyKeuyY9cmprqCnMslq6xzBPh9WPFoW62dssN8ggkcO6WfciktjXJH23iTEink76oZeDp83wWmOzlQFPfDhK7iwSmqtfQi4Hm7FSEi-G3U/s1533/Hyperlink+Post+2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Google Drive Sharable Link" border="0" data-original-height="1285" data-original-width="1533" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioX7ZcH0yEyMyJtG2fKt2FW64KfK9IUGbwEyKeuyY9cmprqCnMslq6xzBPh9WPFoW62dssN8ggkcO6WfciktjXJH23iTEink76oZeDp83wWmOzlQFPfDhK7iwSmqtfQi4Hm7FSEi-G3U/w625-h524/Hyperlink+Post+2.png" width="625" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now's the time to copy and paste it into your PDF!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">Click <i>Copy link </i>from the document in your Google Drive.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYX2UDZ0_Lf5LJxCuqrnTFLbLBL-kUims5s1y-3umvt42bF7mW1qEX4v4fJMsHYd6lWe0d6GEvPtfrrbep9CbOY-M3GAEQjEnxkZWnK8c7WVohFleM3oaE2cyW_dCGTakkBWqSh6Zl5XA/s1533/Hyperlink+Post+4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Google Drive Shareable Link" border="0" data-original-height="1381" data-original-width="1533" height="563" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYX2UDZ0_Lf5LJxCuqrnTFLbLBL-kUims5s1y-3umvt42bF7mW1qEX4v4fJMsHYd6lWe0d6GEvPtfrrbep9CbOY-M3GAEQjEnxkZWnK8c7WVohFleM3oaE2cyW_dCGTakkBWqSh6Zl5XA/w625-h563/Hyperlink+Post+4.png" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I use Adobe Acrobat in order to edit PDFs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Open your saved PDF from your computer, and it will look something like this. Find the text that you want to add a link to, and highlight it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The text that you've highlighted will be where the link is embedded into.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSJMP0DK7VJidIKCjQA4o42h_B4KM67b48QMeWGotiox8PwKaF1FDRYmutz33ug-psREdBz3RnqORrPnNHV_FbHJXO2z8SHpeYe1LnasrQFWvg5Eii1TWeU-XupjD7lHWQW5JXG2NHf8/s1535/Hyperlink+Post+8.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Editable PDF" border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="1535" height="555" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSJMP0DK7VJidIKCjQA4o42h_B4KM67b48QMeWGotiox8PwKaF1FDRYmutz33ug-psREdBz3RnqORrPnNHV_FbHJXO2z8SHpeYe1LnasrQFWvg5Eii1TWeU-XupjD7lHWQW5JXG2NHf8/w625-h555/Hyperlink+Post+8.png" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">RIGHT CLICK, and choose <i>Create Link...</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjin8BICdVf2zuuHORpX0Gse-6Xx1URPEswtMIMUgRg8gUe38DWOit8tgZKwFYI0mxjHYaIw0iHrwU4IOxQdZuv1YHLre4nToCQLrt-Tom22uuAzbe3-6JdXGrvnfQKdXGSc33JzsARsAo/s1535/Hyperlink+Post+9.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Insert Hyperlink into PDF" border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="1535" height="533" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjin8BICdVf2zuuHORpX0Gse-6Xx1URPEswtMIMUgRg8gUe38DWOit8tgZKwFYI0mxjHYaIw0iHrwU4IOxQdZuv1YHLre4nToCQLrt-Tom22uuAzbe3-6JdXGrvnfQKdXGSc33JzsARsAo/w625-h533/Hyperlink+Post+9.png" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before you paste in your link to the document from your Google Drive, you can choose how the text will look on the PDF.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you'd like to leave it how it looks (no border around your text), make sure that <i>Invisible Rectangle</i> is selected next to <i>Link Type</i>. I recommend this!</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then, click <i>Next</i>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5J_EPxWafxnj_WbpSvm2rp7C-35ZIiYbNb8il30wUowNSxsah7dftGs0IZfvIfv73TBMmo37Ej4zi9qujtCN4SWnusglU8fbUrJ4RenrsXP3IX7R6PUeWlQxWK6TrNBeHhTF4HO_CD4/s1535/Hyperlink+Post+10.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Insert Hyperlink into PDF" border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="1535" height="555" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5J_EPxWafxnj_WbpSvm2rp7C-35ZIiYbNb8il30wUowNSxsah7dftGs0IZfvIfv73TBMmo37Ej4zi9qujtCN4SWnusglU8fbUrJ4RenrsXP3IX7R6PUeWlQxWK6TrNBeHhTF4HO_CD4/w625-h555/Hyperlink+Post+10.png" width="625" /></a></div><div><br /><div>Now, paste the link from your Google Drive!</div><div><br /></div><div>Click <i>OK</i>.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwlJMLwKRm15OVYJN2K_JN49TsMhNbqgDB43kScqva5hqALP5ErSecIQaA9AjfZJlpu79pIarr-nzbmfYRbYjcAkv4yvAnEpsITFjj8iMhMik5YePCr-zRkbeb_OhMZB7fIaygEVbON8/s1535/Hyperlink+Post+11.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Insert Hyperlink into PDF" border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="1535" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwlJMLwKRm15OVYJN2K_JN49TsMhNbqgDB43kScqva5hqALP5ErSecIQaA9AjfZJlpu79pIarr-nzbmfYRbYjcAkv4yvAnEpsITFjj8iMhMik5YePCr-zRkbeb_OhMZB7fIaygEVbON8/w625-h538/Hyperlink+Post+11.png" width="625" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You've embedded the link right into your PDF. Now, when you hover over the text you want to link to your Google Drive, you'll be able to click on it, and it'll lead you right there!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdv_U160CHznxvoMJdQIqizhD7vjUU8MQz-87yhX3MyckyzR7aiGfcl3AhOifxlIIgN0AhrXPcoqBiK_380T7rw3hG8GPyYx2pfyXR7BVSlCde1vN0onupdUBzmGNo-Bx3qRW1Uz5sByA/s1564/Hyperlink+Post+12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Insert Hyperlink into PDF" border="0" data-original-height="1252" data-original-width="1564" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdv_U160CHznxvoMJdQIqizhD7vjUU8MQz-87yhX3MyckyzR7aiGfcl3AhOifxlIIgN0AhrXPcoqBiK_380T7rw3hG8GPyYx2pfyXR7BVSlCde1vN0onupdUBzmGNo-Bx3qRW1Uz5sByA/w625-h500/Hyperlink+Post+12.png" width="625" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Presto! You're ready to SAVE your PDF, and send it out. The best part is, you can send it as an email attachment, upload it to Google Classroom, your Google Drive, or whichever platform works best for you, your students, and their families!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">----------</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you're interested, <a href="http://www.missclarksspoonful.com/2020/07/how-to-create-ultimate-classroom.html">check out my last blog post</a> about things I include in each & every newsletter to efficiently maximize home/school communication.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can download these <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EDITABLE-Weekly-Monthly-Newsletters-for-the-ENTIRE-YEAR-summersensations-5749664">EDITABLE Weekly & Monthly Classroom Newsletters here</a>!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbW6DdN7l4djX-g-iv1vmA8T4Z_ESVLspbTavSK11AuleTPTtgqxgog_yDs07kGakYDiRvRLfKg3wBsurdx5R5BX2Up02imUklYwWTCCfWxN25YOO6hQaYw7kUMhIAfaiWCQub_E4nhU/s728/Slide1+%25283%2529.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Editable Classroom Newsletter" border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="728" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzbW6DdN7l4djX-g-iv1vmA8T4Z_ESVLspbTavSK11AuleTPTtgqxgog_yDs07kGakYDiRvRLfKg3wBsurdx5R5BX2Up02imUklYwWTCCfWxN25YOO6hQaYw7kUMhIAfaiWCQub_E4nhU/w400-h400/Slide1+%25283%2529.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #7f7f7f; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Do you have any awesome digital teaching tips? I'd love to hear about them!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div>Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3219450716120460522.post-24242242802509456572020-07-13T21:26:00.000-07:002020-07-18T09:44:10.596-07:00How To Create The Ultimate Classroom NewsletterThe start of a new school year is exciting for so many reasons. Above all, your classroom is refreshed and ready to welcome a new bunch of eager learners. You have incredible lessons planned, and before you know it, things will be up and running. There will be so much to share with your class families at home!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOciHAfMiQPUcJN_KCwvQEsk0_snFfJpaGwsxzyHQ9InW6zssG3JeYYiWMEbF-tCUk2l6v3c4Ne6Xwfx0nW8rLkF_N0MKiTgRzZ1R_kAViNfmTOc0Zum9CIT8zxzCu9lcTkVjNRHEcbl4/s1600/Slide1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="kindergarten newsletter" border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="718" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOciHAfMiQPUcJN_KCwvQEsk0_snFfJpaGwsxzyHQ9InW6zssG3JeYYiWMEbF-tCUk2l6v3c4Ne6Xwfx0nW8rLkF_N0MKiTgRzZ1R_kAViNfmTOc0Zum9CIT8zxzCu9lcTkVjNRHEcbl4/s1600/Slide1.jpeg" title="" /></a></div>
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<b>Why Classroom Newsletters?</b><br />
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Communicating with class families is essential when it comes to building a strong home/school connection. Newsletters are a way to give parents a peek at all of the wonderful things that are going on in your classroom. Families love to know what's happening in their child's classroom, and how they can support at home.<br />
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The nuts and bolts of class newsletters:</div>
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Content that makes families feel connected to their child's learning and the larger school community.</div>
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Not sure where to start? <b>Find your answers here by including THESE 5 THINGS!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVNM_kUJEnCkVOUxzmf-x83VspXvR4XnXazaBHor1-SPJb7Ocrn13vFESsZILS3Ld2lTVOsBF0T_-jj9E35DECYzQnwPdRn5xAqcwT5z4YKQo-ZToxulL69C9oXmsiEoXFzbquhzvBTw/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="editable classroom newsletter template" border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="718" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVNM_kUJEnCkVOUxzmf-x83VspXvR4XnXazaBHor1-SPJb7Ocrn13vFESsZILS3Ld2lTVOsBF0T_-jj9E35DECYzQnwPdRn5xAqcwT5z4YKQo-ZToxulL69C9oXmsiEoXFzbquhzvBTw/s640/Slide1.jpg" title="" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b>1. HOW OFTEN AND WHEN?</b></div>
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Before you put together all of your amazing information, decide on how often you'll send your newsletter out (weekly? every two weeks? monthly?) and when you'll send them out. The best you can, make it <b>consistent</b>!</div>
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I send out a weekly newsletter to my class families, via email. I send the newsletter on the Friday morning before the week ahead. For example, I'd send my newsletter for the week of September 21st - 25th on Friday, September 18th.</div>
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Now, real talk friends... are there some weeks where I get the newsletter for the week ahead emailed on Saturday or Sunday? Of course, YES! Life happens. For the most part though, I really try to hold myself accountable to that Friday morning.</div>
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I've found that this is a perfect balance between families having enough time to review what's coming in the week ahead, and for me to have enough foresight to relay accurate information about what I'm actually going to be teaching.</div>
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Decide what works best for you and your class!</div>
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<b>2. YOUR INFORMATION</b></div>
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It's super helpful for your name, grade level/room number, and contact info to be smack dab at the top of your newsletter! This is especially helpful for families who have more than one child at school. </div>
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You can never be too clear about who you are, what expectations you have for your class, and how families can be in touch with you.</div>
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<b>3. CURRICULUM INFORMATION</b></div>
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When I first started teaching, I was SO eager to let families know what their children were learning in school. I still am, but I've changed the way I present this information. Way back when, I'd write PARAGRAPHS about what was going on in the classroom. These paragraphs often included teacher jargon like <i>balanced literacy</i>, <i>scope & sequence</i>... yada yada. You get the idea.</div>
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Here's the thing. Parents have super busy lives and oftentimes, they <strike>weren't interested in</strike> didn't have time for reading my long-winded, thesis-quality paragraphs.</div>
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Things to remember when highlighting what your students are learning:</div>
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<li>Big ideas in each subject area</li>
<li>Simplicity</li>
<li>Less is more</li>
<li>Avoid teacher lingo </li>
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Reading these <b>efficient</b> highlights about the magical things that are going on in your classroom will keep families on track, and give some background info for the awesome work their children are bringing home.<br />
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<b>4. REMINDERS</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKMZpPa0ZIVU6VlbcXXssIa09IxU2ypk6j9QQNyIskMg47rXbK0RmXsUxfjCwtbp0H1sr7NHtapqoksDmhUcFsV0A9mf29YIOZxLcAhx0qClnhpWnunQLRuyZ79gQw2VwcnEzXAIFwMs/s1600/f7c98fcb85fce9acca233ea07c7955b1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="teacher memes" border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="440" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKMZpPa0ZIVU6VlbcXXssIa09IxU2ypk6j9QQNyIskMg47rXbK0RmXsUxfjCwtbp0H1sr7NHtapqoksDmhUcFsV0A9mf29YIOZxLcAhx0qClnhpWnunQLRuyZ79gQw2VwcnEzXAIFwMs/s400/f7c98fcb85fce9acca233ea07c7955b1.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you're anything like me, your life is filled with strategically-placed sticky notes with "don't forget's" and "remember to's." Having a dedicated place in your class newsletter for reminders about daily classroom life, school policies, special classes... you name it, is a must.<br />
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As the classroom teacher, you're covering your bases and making expectations clear. You stay on track, class families stay on track... everybody wins!<br />
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<b>5. UPCOMING IMPORTANT DAYS</b><br />
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Including a place in your newsletter for future events allows you to give your class families a peek at what's ahead.<br />
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Parents will be thankful for this addition, so they can add these dates to their own calendars, request time off work for to chaperone that field trip, or book the babysitter for that mid-week day off school.<br />
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In my newsletters, I try to highlight upcoming events or special dates from the next month or two. This way, I know that I'm giving plenty of notice without looking too far ahead.<br />
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You can download these <a href="https://www.subscribepage.com/missclarksspoonfulwebsitefreeresourcelibrary">FREE Editable August and September Newsletters</a> if you're interested.</div>
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(They're part of the Free Resource Library!)<br />
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You can grab the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EDITABLE-Weekly-Monthly-Newsletters-for-the-ENTIRE-YEAR-5749664">editable newsletters for the ENTIRE YEAR right here</a>.</div>
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Weekly/Monthly & Color/Black & White formats are included! Just type in your classroom happenings, and send 'em home to your families! Be sure to install the fonts <a href="https://www.dafont.com/search.php?q=kg+miss+kindergarten">KG Miss Kindergarten</a> and <a href="https://www.dafont.com/search.php?q=kg+red+hands">KG Red Hands</a> to edit the text.<br />
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<a href="https://www.subscribepage.com/missclarksspoonfulwebsitefreeresourcelibrary"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1279" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiflOi-thhFzzmFupIAJBr4qFsUIfARR3ocv2fqmNOUEXA8Wkz6_QSFcKTjbfY5m8n13E9Ez-tCBipzJAT8o_xnm0HqSt9boFGBxHF2h7SueitJPxNVPeB4NOBpfQvUyFjG4cQNsb7kO1I/s640/Blog+Freebie+Newsletters.jpg" width="510" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Hopefully these newsletter templates help you kick off the year on a strong note with parent communication.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">If you'd like to learn a little bit more about how I love to build a strong home/school connection from the get-go, head on over to <a href="http://www.missclarksspoonful.com/2019/07/pre-first-day-of-school-ways-to-welcome.html">this blog post</a> to read about how I begin establish these positive connections before the school year even starts!</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.missclarksspoonful.com/2019/07/pre-first-day-of-school-ways-to-welcome.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="meet the teacher letter" border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="718" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6gussvIQ4S1yJ8NlZuwq_K54Qw-9yJuX-EIwIV2GfyJT7JnIgJd7paWZFNQVEih_2hV_4ORDRkgPSHhcCu4Zw4gt33cJbRRoIt_Kev8oIlxcQBTF4flTbI34SN3XtGl1oo_R8hyphenhyphencUf4/s400/Slide1.png" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">What are your best tips for effectively communicating class news? Would you add anything to the newsletter must-haves? I'd love for you to comment and let me know what's worked best for you and your class!</span></div>
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Erin Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10786137986611327113noreply@blogger.com2