Fun Winter Writing Prompts

Bring the fun of winter into the classroom with these fun and creative winter writing prompts. It's the time of the year when students can write about polar bears, penguins, snow, snowballs, sledding, ice skating and more. These winter story starters encourage students to be creative and come up with creative stories with their winter story starters. Plus, they are perfect for your winter writing centers.

 

 

Head on over to my blog, Sweet Tea Classroom, to find out more.

 

Thanks, 

Robin

 

Turkey Time and Math Stations

With Thanksgiving so early this year, I feel like Christmas is going to be sooner than I'd like.  I feel as if I've barely used my October math stations and now it is time to start pulling out everything turkey.  I use Debbie Dillar's Math Work Stations in my room.  We are going on year two.  I love the easiness of it all.  Once the stations are set up, I don't have to do a lot each week to prepare for math time.  During MWS I mill about the room interacting with each pair of students to make sure they are understanding the concepts of their particular station. 

For November I created math stations that are aligned with the common core and Thanksgiving themed of course.  Make sure you stop by my blog to get more ideas as to how I use math stations and grab some freebies to.  If you are n need of some new math centers for November stop by my TpT store.  While you are there, check out my turkey headband- you know you want one. 

Teacher Tip: Worth 1 Million

Bear with me until you get past my nostalgia...and then you'll see the good stuff!!  Blogging Friends....this is a tribute to you.  It is worth 1 millon of hugs, friendships, and counseling sessions!!

It has been one whole year since I started blogging and putting some effort into selling on Teachers Pay Teachers.  The blogging has been so much fun because I have 'met' so many other wonderful teachers from across the country and even across the world.  These teachers motivate me, teach me, help me, bring out the creative side of me, and make me want to become a better teacher.  I love working with these ladies < and a couple of gents!!> as we help support each other in our endeavors.  There is a true network of teachers working together to make teaching easier and education stronger....it is 'All for one, and one for all."

I learned that Facebook is a wonderful place to 'hang out' and meet other teachers.  I have had wonderful discussions with teachers in Australia, France, and Canada....and frankly, that would never have happened had I not discovered Teachers Pay Teachers.

I have learned that I love to create lessons and centers because I am no longer limited to colored index cards, a marker, and some pre-made teachery-something that I have to choose that really doesn't fit what I want to work with.  Throughout this year I learned how to work with graphics and even created the blog banner that you see up above!  I was not alone as I delved into the 2nd Grade Common Core, learned more about turning anchor charts into art, and some of my blogging friends gave me oodles of ideas for back to school classroom decorations!  It's almost like your local teachers union....only it is a teachers reunion every time we 'talk' on the computer!!

Pssstt....the good stuff starts about right here!!

The money I have earned has helped my family immensely.  I haven't earned all that much, but what has been earned has helped my immediate family, my mother, and my sister and her family.  It has been a true blessing and a gift not only from God, but from other teachers.  If you think that you would like to be a part of the same blessings, feel free to CLICK HERE and become a part of the network.  You will be amazed as to what you learn!  And, I would personally be happy to help you however I can, so you won't have to go it alone! 

Now, I haven't made $1 million like my friend, Deanna, but we've all seen that it can be done.  Deanna, you have been an awesome role model, but most importantly, you have been an awesome prayer warrior when times have been rough and CRAZY!  I could go on and on and name bloggers across the world that have made me a better teacher, but that would make this blog 10 pages long and nobody would read it at all!!  Just know that I am thankful!

I want you to celebrate with me, so I am setting up my latest packet of question posters and sort cards <all 63 pages of them> to be free this weekend.  You can find them by clicking Here.  It has a value of $15.75, but I was trying to sell it at somewhere near $11 because so many teachers receive no extra monies from their school and have to pay out of their pockets.  So, enjoy this freebie for a couple of days!

Also, because I know everyone's budget is tight, and frankly, just because I like cheap stuff, AND BECAUSE I AM CELEBRATING THE HECK OUT OF THIS THING, I am going to have a sale!  

So, go now, look at things, download the questions file, click on FOLLOW ME and take the day off, courtesy of me!!!  But most of all, tell your friends that you are thankful for them and that you love them!

Hugs to TpT'ers, TT, and the Pinning Pals!!

Writing Narratives: Plan, Practice, Write

We had an earthquake here in New Hampshire last night.  We don't typically get earthquakes in my neck of the woods, so I suspected the kids would be excited about it, and would want to talk about it.  I have to admit, I took full advantage of it!




I did manage to find a few informational texts in our school library.

I also took this opportunity to work on writing narratives, specifically, this Common Core Standard: W.2.3.  Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, including details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order and provide a sense of closure.

I thought the best way to get to this writing standard was through this Speaking and Language Standard:  SL2.4  Tell a story or a recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

I've always find that in order for children to write a narrative, they need to be able to tell a narrative.  Telling the story first helps the child get his/ her thought organized in order to sit down and write the story.  I've also found that graphic organizers help the children get their thoughts ready for telling the story.

This method works for any sort of experience, but my students were excited to talk about the earthquake, so I used that excitement to my advantage!  This is how we did it:

Click image to download graphic organizer.

1. After talking about their experiences, I modeled using the graphic organizer to record the main events of my own "earthquake" experience.
2. Then I modeled how to use the graphic organizer to guide the retelling of my experience in an organized fashion.  As I told my story, I made it clear how I was feeling during the experience, as I know the brain connects to feelings.
3. I had the children fill in a word or two (or a picture) for the graphic organizer, indicating the order of events for their experience.  
4. Children shared, using the organizer as a guide, with 2 or 3 different partners.

I always learn from my students.  Today I learned that we need to work on openers and closures.  

Tomorrow we will review, then the children will write their stories.  Of course, they'll have the option of retelling some other experience they had.  (I did have two children who didn't feel the earthquake, so they retold another experience.)  Something tells me most of them will stay with their earthquake stories!