Taking A Walk on the Teaching Side

I'm in the spotlight!

2013-02-24T07:40:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Mr. Hughes and his wonderful blog, Educator's Life, I am the featured teacher-author. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be featured on his wonderful blog full of resources. In addition, he is a fellow TPT seller, and makes some great stuff to check out! Please check out my feature by clicking the button below.

His TPT store link is: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Mrhughes

Thank you again!

New Goodies!

2013-02-19T18:28:00.001-08:00

I have been extremely busy since getting my job as a 5th grade teacher at a very rigorous IB school. Unfortunately, I have neglected my blog a bit, but plan on revamping it and making it more informative and useful very soon. In the meantime, I have created sooo many various new items, most specifically targeted for the common core. I have added lots of task cards, board games, prefix and suffix work, 3-5th grade math items, comma activities, graphic organizers, and much more. Be sure to check all of them out at my TPT Store!

Teacher Feature and Product Swap!

2013-01-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

Happy 2013 everyone. It has been a while since I posted, but I am a part of a product swap and wanted to feature a fellow blogger's awesome product!

When I first found out who my product swap partner was,I was super excited. Her names is Jennifer Findley at Teaching to Inspire. I have been a follower of Jennifer's on TPT since I began my 5th grade teaching position in October. Teaching the new 5th grade Common Core math has been tricky, and her products have really helped. So when I found out she was my partner for the swap, I thought "Awesome! I get another great product of hers, as well as the benefits of swapping". We both swapped our 5th grade Common Core math items. I swapped my new winter 5th grade fractions and decimals board task cards and board game, and she swapped her new Patterns and Coordinate Grids Unit Pack. I already owned some of her fractions dice games, and her Common Core math review pack, so I was excited for this product, which would be the upcoming unit for my class. This resource is jam packed with Common Core resources, and is organized very nicely for each standard of 5th grade dealing with this unit ((5.OA.3, 5.G.1, 5.G.2). There are performance tasks, assessments, task cards, practice work, posters, and more! Plus, each item comes with an answer key.

There are over 50 pages in this unit!
Included are: 1. Label the Coordinate Grid Printable 2. Create a Coordinate Grid (Similar to a Craftivity) 3. Complete Patterns Printable 4. What's the Rule? Printable 5. Completing Patterns; Word Problems Printable 6. Graph the Data Printable 7. Pattern Grid Match Up Printable 8. Using Grids to Complete Tables Printable 9. 6 Printables for you to use to design your own Plot the Point handouts (whole numbers and decimals) 10. Where Am I? Printable 11. Plot the Town Printable 12. Real World Problems: Shrek and Toy Story Printable 13. Real World Problems: Candy Bar Sales Printable (2 pages) 14.Task Cards for Coordinate Grids (18 Questions) 15. 8 Word Wall Cards 16. Extra Grids
I found this unit extremely thorough, and I can not wait to use it with my 5th graders beginning next week. It has made my lesson planning a breeze. I like to do mini lessons and then learning stations in math (plus this is required at my school). I plan on incorporating the task cards at one station, and then rotation the other included items through other stations. Be sure to Check out Jennifer's blog with great teaching ideas here.

Also, check out this great product of hers that I featured here: Patterns and Coordinate Grids

Be sure to check out my new Common Core products at my TPT store, including my 5th grade fractions and decimals task cards and board game (covering most standards of decimals and fractions) as well.

28% off sale (two days only!)

2012-11-25T15:22:00.003-08:00

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

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

I got a job!

2012-10-09T11:52:00.003-07:00

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

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

Fall is in the Air!

2012-09-29T14:36:00.003-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you :)
-Kristin

Differentiation and a Linky Party to go along with it!

2012-09-28T09:26:00.001-07:00

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

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

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

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

Thank you!

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

2012-09-26T09:43:00.001-07:00

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

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

Thank you! Happy Teaching :)

Fall 2-day Sale Linky Party!

2012-09-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

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

My Big 100 Followers Giveaway!

2012-09-18T16:43:00.001-07:00

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

The following 12 items will be given to the winners:

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

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

Johnny Appleseed Day (Apples Unit) from Liv to Teach

Newspaper Task Cards from Third Grade Troops

Write the Room Centers Packet from Flying into First Grade

English Alphabet Letter Writing Cards from Teaching Spanish Beginning Sounds

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

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

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

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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

Pictures of Some items you may win:

Behavior Management Packet , Clip Chart, and Basics

2012-09-18T00:31:00.000-07:00

Behavior Clip Chart and signs from the Behavior Bundle Packet

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

This is an updated repost and a blog link up!

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

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

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

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

Behavior Management Bundle

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

What The Teacher Wants Behavior Linky Party

10 Weekly Teacher Finds

2012-09-17T16:16:00.000-07:00

common core vocab cards with science and social studies vocab too!

It's time again for another dose of Taking a Walk on the Teaching Side's 10 Weekly Teacher Finds. As a reminder, this is not a top 10 list..but just a list of items I have found and think readers may find useful from fellow bloggers and TPT sellers. Some of these items are from my followers, and some are not, and I always post one by me. Browse this week's 10 finds, follow, link, pin, buy, and enjoy! Come back Wednesday for my BIG 100 followers giveaway! Continue below!

1.) Skip Counting Dino Puzzles by Casey at 2nd Grade Math Maniac- This is a set of adorable dinosaur themed pizzles that students put together using their knowledge of skip counting. There are lots of puzzles included, and it's cheap!

2.) Our Class is not Complete without You Craftivity freebie by Special Teacher for Special Kids - This would have been especially nice during the back to school time, but it is a free cut-out activity that students to express who they are.

3.) Editable Owl Themed Book Bin Labels by Teaching Fourth - This seller's blog asks the question, "Do you love owls? If so check out my TPT store." The answer to that question is , "Why yes I do love owls and will check out your store." This is what I did and stumbled upon a very cute store with these editable owl themed book bin labels. I like that there is an editable option, and there are 36 in all!

4.)Sight Word Safari by A Day in First Grade - This set includes seven fun games and flash cards with various Dolch site words all in a really fun safari theme!

5.) Moovelous Farm Math Activities from Teach with Laughter - This set of math activities is soooo cute. I just love the cow theme and it is full of practice, and games that would be great for math centers.

6.) Common Core Word Wall flash cards by Taking a Walk on the Teaching Side (me!) - This link is for the 4th grade set, but if you browse my store you will find individual sets for grades second-fifth, and in the next week..I will have cards for first and sixth available as well! Each set has at least 150 cards, each subject having a different cute colorful striped border. The words are common core-aligned ELA and Math, as well as science and social studies vocabulary! They are great for word walls or just using as flash cards and review! There are blank cards too!

7.) Halloween Literacy Pack by Adventures in Room 5 - 20 pages of Halloween-themed literacy activities including writing prompts, papers, abc order ghost sort, recipe posters, acrostic poetry, and more! Perfect for the upcoming holiday!

8.)Monkey Themed Classroom Attention-Getters by Sub Hub- I relate to this teacher because I was a 4th grade teacher with a teaching job, and am now a sub (I live too far from previous job, and now can't get a teaching job in this market). This blogger was a sub, and recently got a teaching job in 4th. I like her ideas for subs, and these posters would be great for teachers as well. This is a set of posters you can post or hold up to teach students fun ways to focus their attention on you.

9.) Common Core Kindergarten Math Assessments Freebie by Color Me Kinder - This Freebie includes 14 quick data collection assessment activities that align with about 5 or so of the kindergarten math standards.

10.) Short A Flashcard Game Freebie by Doodle Bugs Teaching - A free short- a flash card game or review that has a cute apple theme and is 7 pages long!

That is this week's 10 Weekly Teacher Finds..pin, link, share, and browse away!

Stay tuned for my BIG 100 followers giveaway that is going LIVE This Wednesday at 5:00 pm EST!

HUGE FALL GIVEAWAY!

2012-09-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

Update! I just hit 100 followers, so my own big giveaway will go live Wendesday. Thanks for your support! Until then, check out this awesome giveaway.

Diving into Learning is having a huge rafflecopter giveaway! There are 12 different chances to win..and my fall borders are part of one of the raffles! Check out her blog and the rules there to be a part of the free fall themed giveaway!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Check out my 40 affordable common core-aligned fall themed (Halloween, fall, and Thanksgiving) writing prompts. You will love them! I also have writing prompts for all throughout the year in my TPT store :) I have a new freebie that you should check out in my store too. I will feature it in my blog next week.

40 fall writing prompts

Stay tuned tomorrow for 10 weekly Teacher Finds...and I will have my own huge 100 followers giveaway posted hopefully by the end of next week (so long as I have 100 followers by then!).

Thanks!
-Kristin

Flash Sale! My Entire store is 10% off!!!

2012-09-10T15:34:00.003-07:00

SALE SALE SALE! 10 % off everything
It must be the yoga I just did, because I am in a really good mood today...and for that reason, I am throwing a flash sale for the rest of today and all of tomorrow only! That's right..my store is 10% off everything (over 59 items!) Stock up now on products, and be sure to follow and leave feedback if you love it, which I truly hope and think you will :)

Some of my items on sale?
Common Core Writing Prompts , Common Core Posters, Common Core vocab cards, Behavior Management Clip Chart, Substitute Binder Borders, Mouse Math pack, Guided Reading Binder, Behavior Management Posters and Forms, and much more! Tweet, pin, blog, share..spread the words, because after tomorrow everything is back to normal price :)

My Teachers Pay Teachers Store

-Kristin

10 weekly Teacher Finds

2012-09-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

It's that time again...time for another weekly roundup of 10 items I've found on Teachers Pay Teachers, Pinterest, and other teachers' blogs. As a reminder, this is not a top 10 list; there are too many amazing items to rank them in a particular order. This is just a list of 10 items that I love and want to share with you! Some are items that you pay for (but are well worth it) and some are free. Remember, about 1/4 to 1/2 of my finds come from people who are followers or pinners of my blog, so be sure to follow my blog if you are not already, so that I become aware of your blog and your items! You will also be the first to find out about my newest freebies and products for various grade levels and subjects! Feel free to pin as well! Lastly, I am 20 followers away from a big giveaway..so stay tuned! :) Thanks for your support. Here are the 10 items:

1.) Happy Homophones by Cynthia at 2nd Grade Pad- This pack has 30 pages to teach a homophones unit in a fun and engaging way! There are lots of activities and games that can be used with various instructional models.

2.) My First Writing Journal by Mechelle at Ms. G's Kindergarten in Heels- This Journal is 27 pages and is for beginning writers. It has a topic sentence that the students finish by using 4 picture prompts on the same page. They trace the rest of the sentence, and color a picture too. It is really cute, clever, and a good price.

3.) Respect Classroom Posters Freebie by Leah at Learning 4 Keeps- I featured this bloggers Autumn Pack (check it out here) a few days ago in a teacher swap blog post (here), but wanted to feature these adorable FREE classroom posters today. There are 6 free posters that help teach your students respect using statements and cute visual cues.

4.) Editable Teacher Plan Book Freebie from Leanne Baurs Creative Classroom - 7 powerpoint pages for you to type your plans in and print, all wrapped up in a cute and useful template!

5.) Reading Response Questions Freebie from Fourth and Ten - This is a reading response questions freebie that students can use with the majority of books. There are a lot of response questions for students to choose from on this 4-page free product!

6.) Substitute Binder Kit from Kristin at Taking a Walk on the Teaching Side (me) - Yes, I usually throw in one of my products in this list. Well, hopefully some of you will find it useful! This editable, cute, polka-dot themed 28-page substitute binder kit has all of the forms, templates, organizers, behavior tools and more that you will need to have a stress free day away from the class, and for your sub to have a successful day as well! In addition to the above, there are activities, worksheets, a certificate for good students, a poster for the sub and lots of extra neat goodies!

7.) Common Core grammar practice (2nd grade) by Second Grade Smartypants - The is a set of 30 grammar practice sheets that would be great for morning work, assessments, homework, review, you name it! It's only $1.50 too!

8.) Word Endings Unit (-ed, -ing) by The Teacher Wife - This 33 page pack includes 2 posters, 2 art activities, and 4 games to help students learn word endings. It was also a best seller!

9.) Everyday Heroes Craftivity ( A September 11, Memorial Day, Veteran's Craftivity) from Michaela at I heart Edu. Create adorable military people, firefighters, or police officers with this set of hero craft templates. The firefighter craftivity will make a neat supplementary activity to do with students to teach about September 11, which is tomorrow, but maybe you will see this last minute. There are also writing prompt to go with each.

10.) Water Cycle Book Graphic Organizer by Cutesy Clickables - Just another reason I knew about Teachers Pay Teachers last year when I was teaching 4th grade and the water cycle. This cute little book has useful graphic organizers and makes a neat study guide/water cycle book. Plus it's very affordable!

I hope you found some of these useful. Pin and share away!

Stay tuned for next week's weekly 10 !
-Kristin

Featured Find! Letter School Handwriting APP!

2012-09-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

check back tomorrow for my 10 weekly teacher finds!

Letter School Handwriting APP!

While on Pinterest, I came across an amazing app available for Iphones and Ipads. If your school has Ipads, then this would be a great app to add to your Ipad. If not, then maybe you have kids that could benefit from this app. It is $2.99 and from LetterSchool . They have a free version that has a portion of the full app for you to test. What exactly is this app and what does it do?

Letter school describes their app as:

"An amazing, intuitive game to learn all about letters and numbers: writing, counting, phonics and more"

For each letter and number, children can tap, trace, and eventually write the letters and numbers as they fade. It also tells the letter's name, the sound and words it goes with. How cool, huh?

The letters and numbers are in really cute graphics, and come in upper and lower case letters, and numbers 1-10.

For more information or to purchase the app or download the lite free app, click here for the letter school web site.

Don't forget to follow my blog for 10 weekly teacher finds, freebies, and more featured products and tips! I am 25 followers away from a big giveaway!

Follow my Teachers Pay Teachers Store for freebies, lessons, units, common core resources, clip art, decor, and more! See products you like there or on this blog? PIN THEM, and spread the love! :)

A little late for this..but, who am I?

2012-09-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

As I was looking around the blogs of others, I noticed something that most of the blogs had that mine did not; an "about me". The more I thought about it, the more I realized that readers who "follow" a blog probably are a little curious as to who they are following. I decided to leave that a mystery no longer, and give you a glimpse as to who I am!

I am Kristin. I am an almost-27 year old teacher. However, I chose to not renew my contract last May, because the drive was killing me (an hour each way). I taught at a Title-1 urban elementary school in southwest Atlanta, and although there were challenges, it was a great learning and growing experience. Unfortunately, I have not been able to secure a job since (due to the economy..getting a job is like auditioning for American Idol), so I am substitute teaching for two counties and working on my TPT store, while actively pursuing interviews/jobs. I still keep up with the latest innovations and techniques, and common-core related things going on though, because I am very antsy to get back into my own classroom.

my nephew , Trent

Anywho, I am very close to my family. I love them, and we all live within an hour of each other. I have three siblings, and my brother and his wife just blessed everyone with a precious baby boy, so now I am an aunt!
I love my friends, although I just have a few...they are friends I've had through thick and thin. My best friend and I have been friends for 14 years!

my best friend, Erin, and I on a rare snow day in GA

I have an amazing husband who is so supportive and sweet, and I love so much. We have been together 6 years, and married almost 2. He is an elementary school p.e. teacher, and coaches highschool football and soccer.

We do not have kids (yet), but we do have the most precious rescue dog in the world, Pawley, who we adopted last September. I love him. He is adorable.

Aside from creating teaching materials and resources, and blogging, I love:

traveling! I want to visit everywhere :)

Board games!

coffee!!

cupcakes!

cupcakes and toppers I made for my husband's 30th bday!

all food basically!

working out to my fitness dvds (I am a big Jillian Michaels fan).

Spending time with those that I love!

So, that is me in a nutshell ! I hope I did not bore you too much !
Thanks for reading-
Kristin

Teacher-Blogger Product Spotlight: Autumn-Themed Unit with a Freebie!

2012-09-07T20:02:00.002-07:00

Alright everyone, Autumn is just around the corner, and to celebrate the season that is creeping up on us, I wanted to feature a fellow blogger and teacher’s unit pack that I think you will “fall” for (cheesy pun intended)!

Featured in my first teacher/blogger product swap post is Leah, from Learning-4-Keeps and her wonderful comprehensive Autumn Unit available at her TPT store. This jam-packed unit includes 39 pages of fun fall-themed ELA and Math activities for first and second graders. Inside the unit you will find supplements and resources that you can use as morning work, center work, independent work, sub-day work, assessments and more! I find this unit an excellent value, because it is so full of resources for both math and ELA, which is not the case with many unit packs.

The math sheets cover everything from place value to measurement to odd and even numbers, all with adorable autumn themed clip art.

The ELA sheets include the topics of contractions, homophones, sentences, alphabetical order, and more. The ELA section also includes Literacy Integration sheets for the books The Lonely Scarecrow by Tim Preston, I Know It’s Autumn by Eileen Spinelli, and Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur.

I can definitely see myself using the included reading and writing graphic organizers (such as the prediction worksheet) in my guided reading groups, but of course they’d work in various instructional models. There are also worksheets for the steps of the writing process, using descriptive words, and so on, all of which are integrated with The Lonely Scarecrow. There is also an art project template for this book.

The I know It’s Autumn unit includes a "think, pair, share," activity, a brainstorming graphic organizer, and a few other writing sheets…perfect for writing centers and workshops!

The Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic literacy integration section includes a class project: "Make an Acrostic Book", word web sheet, drafting sheet, and other writing organizers and sheets.

I know I covered a lot, but it feels like I barely put a dent in describing all the useful worksheets you will get.

The complete list of items included in this Autumn Unit are: (continue reading)

Math -
~Place Value
~(2) Measurement
~Symmetry
~Odd and Even Numbers
~1 more, 1 less, 10 more, 10 less
~100 chart

Language -
~Alphabetical Order
~Contractions
~Homophones
~Editing Sentences

Literacy Unit on the book: "The Lonely Scarecrow"
~Lesson Plan
~Making Predictions worksheet
~Writing about the Story printable (to measure comprehension and the student's ability to summarize)
~Drawing about the story printable for those students who struggle with writing
~Letter to the Lonely Scarecrow template
~Finding and using descriptive words worksheet
~The Writing Process poster
The Writing Process worksheets for the writing project
~Brainstorm
~Rough Draft
~Revise/Edit
~Publish
~Scarecrow Template for Art project

Literacy Unit for "I Know It's Autumn"
~Lesson Plan
~Think, Pair, Share activity
~Autumn Brainstorming word web
~Autumn rough draft template
~Revision checklist
~Acorn template for final draft

Literacy Unit for "Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic"
~Lesson Plan
~Class Book Activity
~Illustration Venn Diagram worksheet
~ABC Brainstorming printable
~Word Web for Acrostic Planning
~Acrostic Rough Draft template
~Acrostic publishing template

Lots and lots and lots of stuff, huh? Did I mention it is only $6? Still unsure? Check out this downloadable preview freebie with 4 pages from the big pack, by clicking HERE. Be sure to go and grab your Autumn Unit here at Learning-4-Keep’s store here, and check out her blog here (or click her blog badge below).

If you are interested in doing a product feature swap, email me and let me know! Perhaps one of your products could be featured soonJ

Happy blogging and teaching!

-Kristin

Fabulous Freebie Friday !

2012-09-07T10:12:00.004-07:00

I love the site Teaching Blog Addict. They have excellent posts, and lots of linky parties. Today I stumbled upon their Fab Freebie Fridays, where teacher-bloggers share a freebie every Friday. I will be participating most Fridays, as I love to share freebies. In fact, if you follow my TPT store you will be updated when I post a freebie or a product. Right now I have 15 freebies (more to come) in my store. Please leave some feedback if you like the freebie and become a follower :)

Anywho, I wanted to feature my Friday freebie right here for my blog followers as well. You can download it at my TPT store here. Please take the time to browse the rest of the store as well !

My freebie this week is one that nearly ALL teachers will benefit from. It is my blue polka dot classroom labels set (click on this link for a direct link). There are 30 pre-written labels for everything from various centers, to student desk labels, to essential question header labels, and more! Even if you find you can only use some of the labels, it is still worth checking out. They will work in just about any classroom theme.

You can also share this freebie on Pinterest!

Enjoy, and thank you for your support! I am about 30 followers away from a BIG giveaway! yay!

-Kristin

Writing prompt sticks for Common Core Writing and a freebie!

2012-09-05T17:48:00.002-07:00

The Common Core writing standards require students to be able to write opinion (persuasive), informational, and narrative writing. Although I loved writing as a student, it is just not something everyone enjoys or excels at. Plus, when it comes to writing tests, they usually do not give students the option to write whatever is on their mind. The students are given prompts, and then must write from there. That is why I think having writing prompts available to your students for writing centers, free time, writer's workshop, writing test practice,morning work, and even days when you have a substitute, is a crucial tool for teachers to have. I have had prompts in my classroom before, but they were just on plain cards or paper. The introduction of Pinterest and Teachers Pay Teachers, has really inspired me to up my game though. Earlier this year I began creating cupcake toppers, and using that inspiration I began designing writing prompt cards similar in style to my cupcake toppers, and then gluing them on popsicle sticks. This made my prompts much more exciting for the students, and they never knew which prompt they might draw! Giving some choices and some excitement in a lesson is greatly appreciated by the students (and the administration). It makes their learning more personal and more memorable.

Coming up with writing prompts can be tricky, and while you can make your own prompt cards, I have also created some that you can buy! I have a 4 prompt freebie so you can preview what the prompts look like, and you can use the freebie for a center rotation or a day of writing. I designed 3 different sets, and each set has 10 informational prompts, 10 narrative prompts, 10 opinion prompts, and 10 creative free write prompts for a total of 40 prompts per set. If you buy them, you can easily print, laminate, superglue or hot glue them on popsicle sticks, and place in a cute jar or cup for your students to use. Another option, is to put them on a hook, in a photo album, or on a bulletin board. They are versatile in that respect. Each set is affordably priced, but if you want the best deal buy the bundle of all three sets (120 prompts) and save yourself some money. I find these are geared more towards third-fifth grade students, but would likely work for second and sixth as well. I have also created a set of early finisher task cards, and I use them on popsicle sticks as well.

Grab your bundled set of my common core writing prompts HERE!! You can find the individual sets at my store as well.

Become a follower of my Teachers Pay Teachers Store for weekly products, updates, and best of all...freebies! Follow my blog for my weekly 10 teacher finds, freebie finds, and lots of useful links! Finally, follow me on Pinterest to see amazing collaborative teacher pinterest boards! All of the links are available on my main page and here!

p.s I am about 30 followers away from a 100 follower giveway, and I am planning on doing a big collaborative giveaway, so it's going to be good :) Spread the word, send followers, and stay tuned! Thank you for your support.

-Kristin
This item is also linked up on: and the freebie is linked up on :

free starbucks LivingSocial offer!

2012-09-05T12:44:00.003-07:00

Well kinda..today (8/05/2012) only, Living Social is offering a $10 Starbucks e-card for $5. It is good for six months, and you print it from home. Fall is right around the corner, which means pumpkin lattes. Since the majority of teachers I know enjoy (and need!) coffee, I thought I'd share this sweet deal :)

Click the link below to hurry and buy!

http://www.livingsocial.com/deals/448600

Weekly 10 Teacher Finds

2012-09-02T15:18:00.001-07:00

Yay..my internet is fixed, so I can now post my 10 teacher finds! Become a follower of my blog so that you have a better chance to get a shout out in the weekly 10. Reason being, I become aware of your blogs and stores and browse them. Therefore, spread the word, and follow so you will never miss a weekly find, a freebie post, or a common core post! I also now have nearly 50 items in my TPT store, including over 10 FREEBIES, and various items for various grade levels. Since I am updating so often, you will definitely want to follow my store so you never miss a new product, clip art, decoration, lesson, poster, or freebie.
You can follow here: My TPT Store .

TIP: Many of your profiles do not have your blog links; and therefore it is hard to find your blogs for products :(

Update: As I mentioned yesterday, I became a first-time aunt a few days ago. Our entire family is so excited! Although not teacher related, who doesn't love a couple of cute baby pics? Without further ado, here is my perfect nephew, Trent Cole. I love him so much already!

Okay, back to the reason you are all here; my weekly 10 teacher finds from blogs and TPT! In no particular order they are:

1. ) Writing Center Starter Kit from A Cupcake for the Teacher: Okay, I love cupcakes, but I really love this writing starter kit with labels and posters to post on a trifold board for a perfect writing center. Pair it with my writing prompt sticks and you got yourself one amazing writing center!

2.) Common Core ELA questioning jar from Little Minds at Work- Daily common core aligned questions with cute graphics. Love it!

3.) Types of Sentences Game by Classroom Confections- A fellow Georgia teacher and blogger with great products is selling this game for helping students understand the different types of sentences. She also has many other games to help your students learn!

4.) It all Started with a Pig (Charlottes Web) unit activities by The Inspired Apple (Babbling Abby) - This has lots of unit activities based on my favorite book as a kid (Charlottes Web) ! This set includes journal prompts, craftivities, and more!

5.) Division Board Games from Fun Games for Learning - Love anything that makes division fun! There are 12 printable division games total in this set, and they would make great math center activities. They are well-priced too!

6.) Common Core Writing Prompt Cards from Taking a Walk on the Teaching Side (me!)- Okay, so maybe it is self-promotion, but I love my new set of affordably priced writing prompt cards. These are geared for 3-5 grade writers (but would likely work for 2-6). I print out these cute prompts, glue on popsicle sticks, and make writing prompt sticks perfect for workshops, centers, and more! I have 3 sets. Each set has 10 narrative prompts, 10 informational, 10 opinion, and 10 creative free write. Buy the bundle to get all 120 prompts and save money!

7.) Free Reading Responses Set by Rachelle Smith (What the Teacher Wants) - A freebie of lots of reading comprehension sheets to help your students with various types of literature. Love this freebie :)

8.)Scavenger Hunt Task Cards by Rachel Lynette- 15 fun scavenger hunts for libraries, dictionaries, classmates, internet, and more. I find these great for a center idea or free time! This seller has lots of other task cards also.

9.) Superhero Word Collectors: Word Activities by Jen Bengal - lots of word activities for centers or independent work in a cute superhero theme!

10.) Cupcake Multiplication Cards (additional available too) by Teaching My 3 - I just found this seller's blog and store and love the products, but this adorable cupcake multiplication freebie is great for helping students practice multiplying.

Those are the 10 weekly finds; I hope you enjoy: follow my blog for your possible chance to to be featured, and follow my store for additional freebies and products frequently added.

My newest products are:

Common Core Writing Prompt Cards or Sticks - These address primary common core types of writing. There are 3 sets, or you can save money with this bundled set. Each set has 40 cute prompts (10 informational, 10 narrative, 10 opinion, 10 creative free write). I cut and glue them on popsicle sticks for prompt sticks for workshops and centers!

Second Grade Common Core posters- My best sellers are my Common Core posters, because they are cute and reasonably priced. Plus, you have the option of buying just ELA, just math, or bundling to save money ELA and math. I previously only had third-seventh, but have added second! Look out for first grade soon !

Behavior Clip chart- Let your students see their progress through the day. This colorful polka dot clip chart includes different levels of behavior and student name labels!

Common Core Vocabulary Word Wall sets - While this link is for 4th grade words, I also have third- fifth. Each set has Common Core aligned ELA and math words as well as science and social studies words and blank cards. Each set has at least 150 cards. Great deal, and cute!

Classroom Labels and Signs Freebies: 30 cute polka dot labels and tags you can use in your class for free!

-Kristin

My Favorite Teacher- created Freebies

2012-08-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

While I love all of the teacher-created products and resources, and find most of them worth every penny that the seller asks, it is always nice to stumble upon a truly useful freebie; and there are many! In this post, I am going to share with you some teacher-created freebies that I have found useful. There are hundreds, thousands, possibly hundred of thousands of great freebies, so this is just a miniscule dose for you to browse! Feel free to pin , save, and link to this site.

I am also part of a Teaching Freebie Link-up From Blog Hopper..so check out the blogs in this linky link for freebies.

comprehension graphic organizer free

Also, be sure to check out Manic Mondays at Classroom Freebies to link up your freebies and see other links on Monday. I am linking up my Classroom Labels set, so check it out this coming Monday!

In addition, I have been adding many new FREE products to my store. I have added 30 items to my store in just 3 weeks, so you know it will really be growing, and I have added a lot of freebies as well! My goal is to offer one freebie every week or two at my store, so please take the time to follow the store so you will be posted on all new and free products. Please leave feedback if you can on the freebies also. While you are there, check out my other items, including lesson plans, units, unit supplements, activities, Guided Reading sets, Behavior Management sets, borders, clip art, decorations, word wall cards and flash cards, and much more for various grade levels (k-12, but mostly primary and middle grades).

Without further ado, here are the freebies!:

Our Classroom Schedule Routine Cards by Clever Classroom - This resource has been downloaded over 9,000 times so apparently I am not the only one who sees the usefulness of this freebie. It has cute clip art cards with labels for routines; 96 cards- free!

Descriptive Paragraph Starters by Shari Bithell- 9 sheets to help your students come up with great descriptive writing papers.

Cute Classroom Signs Set - by me(Dannerk)- 3 blue themed signs to use in your classroom, including a class schedule sign, a "welcome to our class" sign, and a "who is in our class?" sign- coordinates with other products , like the Behavior Management Resource packet, in the store.

Parts of Speech Primary Flip Book by Nicole Rios- This is a 13-page primary flip book for supplementing a parts of speech unit. The template is adorable, and it makes a great organizer for students.

Missing Addend Flip Card Freebie- by K Almaraz- Help your students practice addition with these flip cards!

Do you have a writer's eye? Bulletin Board Set by Cara Carroll . By far one of my favorite freebies, this is a complete writing bulletin set with adorable graphics and posters for FREE!

Guided Reading Activities, Strategies, and More Pack by Wise Guys: This is a popular 14-page packet to help you with your guided reading program!

Classroom Labels Set- by Dannerk(me) a set of 30 adorable classroom labels/tags with a blue polka dot border for you to use to labels items and centers in your room.

Word Work Task Cards and recording sheet by Mrs.Mabe- 44 word work activities and 4 blanks cards; great for centers and extra time!

Free Frames and Borders by the 3am teacher: a set of frames and borders to use in your creations for free!

10 Weekly TPT and Teacher Blog Finds

2012-08-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

It's another week, and time for another list of finds from Teachers Pay Teachers or teaching blogs. As I have mentioned before, some of the finds come from my followers, because typically it makes it easier to see your products and possible items I want to feature here. However, not all items are from followers. Also, I noticed as I click on my followers profiles to view their blogs for possible items, many do not have an easily visible link to their blog or store. I just wanted to give ya'll a heads up, because you may want to fix this for easier access to your blogs. Anyways, here are my 10 weekly finds (remember, this is not a top 10 list..so they are in no particular order): ENJOY!

1.) Economy 101 Lapbook from Adventures of a Third Grade Teacher - This seller/blogger has a lot of freebies, but I wanted to showcase this handy, affordably-priced kit. It covers various economic principals and has supplements for your students to use to create an adorable lapbook with foldables. There are some picture examples you should check out!

2.) Go Monkey! Division Go Fish Game by Fern Smith - A cute monkey-themed go fish game for practicing division. This would be a good center activity.

3.) Tommie dePaola author study pack by Around the Kampfire - Approximately 1 month of activities and supplements for teaching activities and skills involving this wonderful author's books. The 76-page unit includes anchor charts, graphic organizers, writing activities, comprension work, crafts, and more.

4.)Owl-Themed sub plan kit from Peacocks and Penguins- You probably can tell I like owls, and this pack also comes in a mustache theme if you prefer(cute!)..It's affordable, editable, and lets your organize the things you will need to plan for when you have a sub.

5.) Going Fishing for Good Hooks from A Series of Third Grade Events- A cute kit that will help your students come up with good hooks. It has a poster, activities, a spinner, and more.

6.) Zebra Themed Calendar Pack from Grella Monsters- I love animal prints (can you tell?), so this is a very cute calendar pack and it is at a great price!

7.) Reading Response Flip Book Freebie from More Time2 Teach An awesomely free 5-page flip book set that helps students focus on reading responses for story elements, text connections, characters, etc...

8.) Back to School Organizational Kit from Erica Bohrer- One of the top-selling TPT sellers has created a comprehensive kit that includes : a parent communication log, parent questionnaire, lunch slip letter, lunch slips, class directory letter and directory form, project bag and folder letters, dismissal form, reproducible absent note, student information sheet, month by month important dates organizer, student computer id cards, wish list letters for amazon.com and teacherswishlist.com, desk fairy certificates, "What to do when I'm done" poster, Classroom Plan and star chart letters and information, Warning Board Labels, Student number labels, and it there is an editable version.

9.)Common Core Assessment Pack for Kindergarten from Mrs. Wills Kindergarten- This set has assessments for all of the common core standards for kindergarten math, and they are marked so they know which standard you are testing.

10.)American Revolution Time Travelers Passport from Fourth Grade Garden - Oh how I wish I had seen this freebie last year when teaching the American Revolution. It is a neat idea, and comes with the cover page and a few other pages for your 4th graders to come up with their own passport book.

And Finally, because a little self-promotion never hurt anyone: let me share with you some new items in my store! Follow my store HERE as it is constantly growing ( I went from 7 products to over 40 in three weeks with more to come..and yes, there are some FREEBIES!)

Guided Reading Bundle- A competitively priced, original bundle with tips, decor, organization tools, forms, "whisper wands", activities, questions prompt cards, graphic organizers, bookmarks, logs, rewards and much more!

Community Helpers Multiple Intelligence Unit with Supplements: This multiple intelligence-differentiated kindergarden Community Helper's unit has 11 lessons, and most of the resources and supplements to go along with it (or links to resources). Includes all lessons, materials needed, essential questions and enduring understandings, community helper's book for students to complete, coloring pages, activity pages, flash cards, signs, and more! Great price for a 39-page set.

Common Core Posters Set (all Standards) third-sixth grade: My cute and colorful common core sets are competitively priced and there are sets for third-sixth grade . You can buy the standards seperately ( just math, just ELA) or a discount combined set of both math and ELA standards). The link here is for the sixth grade set, but just go to my store for the other sets.

Behavior Management Bundle

Common Core Resources and Links to Ease the Transition :

2012-08-24T11:46:00.001-07:00

Oh Common Core.....I have a love/not-so-much-love relationship with you. I love the concept of common core, but revamping can be tough, and changes are never easy. I love that educators around the nation now have the same standards, and I love how they are aligned through the grade levels. I truly do like the concept of common core..but navigating them can be tricky. I, like many of you, have been actively browsing for common core resources on the web to help ease the transition. As I find more resources I will post them to my blog...but please save this post and repin it if you find it useful..because this will be my main blog post about common core resources. I wanted to showcase as many online resources as possible to you in one concise location. Let me know if you have any additional links or resources that teachers will find useful for their transition to common core. Thanks a bunch, and happy teaching! :)

Before I begin, I do want to link to my colorful common core posters, so that you can easily (and stylishly) post the standards whenever you need to, and print them out whenever also. They are currently available for third-sixth grades, but hopefully more grades soon. The link is for the ELA/Math third grade combo pack..but from there just check out my store for the other grade levels. If you only need ELA or only need Math, they are available as seperates as well...however the best deal is the combo pack :) They are all the same style with original styles, and have different color themes depending on the strand of standards.

common core posters

Now, onto the links and resources for Common Core (click this highlighted link for the official CC homepage). Enjoy ! :)

1.Pinterest: Pinterest is an amazing place for teachers, but more specifically, common core resources! Here is a specific Pinterest Board aptly titled "Common Core Resources":http://pinterest.com/lianec/common-core-resources/

2.Read Works: For Reading strategies, comprehension, resources, and lessons that are aligned with Common Core.

3. Core Planner- This site looks AMAZING! I have not had a chance to really look into it as much as I'd like; but it is free. It is a site created for you to plan, track, record and integrate your Common Core lessons. It looks like a very useful organizing and planning tool for CC.

click the read more for more resource links below:

4. Common Core Standards Android App- I have mentioned this wonderful app in a previous post. It is designed by Mastery Connect. It has all of the standards for you to easily pull up at any time. It is organized and streamlined nicely for you to quickly zone in on the standards for your grade level and the standard stand you need; and it's free!

5.) Pennsylvania Common Core Frameworks: I like that this site allows you to pull up a standards concept and grade level. It then has each subject or strand broken down by "big idea" with essential questions, concepts, competencies, and all of the CC standards that align with them. When you finish checking out that page, go to this section of their website for lessons and activities by grade level that you can use in your classroom!

6.)NC Public Schools Unpacking CC Standards: I love this site! Search by your grade level, and then it has a HUGE resource packet for all the standards of that grade level. Since cc standard wording is tricky, it has a wonderful example and explanation fo each standard for teachers to better understand what it is exactly they are to teach and their students are expected to learn. This is a must-visit site!

7.) Sample Scope and Sequence download -for each grade level's math standards. This is truly a valuable resource for planning units throughout the year. I just wish they had ELA too :)

8.) k-5 math teaching resources - A wonderful website full of resources, activities, and printables that you can use in your math instruction; and they are aligned to the CC standards! LOVE IT!

9.) GOORU Learning for Secondary- Excellent resource for secondary teachers. This site has a search tool for 5th-12 grade teachers to find digitexts, animation, videos, and other resources. There are quizzes too, and students can join to take quizzes and track their progress and get recommended sites. Standards aligned.

10.)Common Core Lesson Planning Template- If your school does not have a specific template, here is one that you can use that will ensure you address everything you need to have lessons that address the CC standard, the critical thinking, and the rigor that is neccessary.

11.) Teacherspayteachers- Teachers create and upload TONS of resources (lessons, units, posters, forms, activities, games, and much much more!) for either a reasonable fee or for free. Excellent resource for all teachers...the items are created by people who know what is needed in the classroom (teachers themselves). Here is my TPT store with over 40 items.

12.)lessonplanet - This is a site you pay for (membership), but it's got tons of lessons that you can easily search for and use, and most are aligned with the CC standards.

I hope this list helps, and as I have previously mentioned....I will update this post as I find more links, so follow the blog to keep up to date. Please feel free to repin or post this post so that others can see the resources available to teachers to help them transition to Common Core.

Thank you!

-Kristin
Taking a Walk on the Teaching Side