ETA Hand2Mind

You Can Count on Rekenreks

Saturday, October 27, 2012

TpT Sale!


Halloween is almost here and we sure are having a lot of fun with the kids.  Our first grade finished our state study and ended with a NM Fiesta (yesterday) full of many activities!  My hard working room mom helped organize the event for the first grade.  We had NM bingo, ristra making, sand painting, pumpkin character displays with their matching books, pinata bag decorating with NM stickers, and of course the fun but exhausting Mexican Hat Dance!  To end the festivities we had a pinata for each class.  Phew, sure was a big day!  My amazing friends/coworkers were the ones to create all the ideas for the festivities years ago.  My first grade coworkers are such brilliant ladies.  I am so lucky to have amazing friends to work with on a daily basis.  They are a continuing inspiration for me. 

As we are all working hard on getting ready for the end of Oct and beginning of Nov, I am having a sale on the items in my TpT store to help out.  I hope you check it out!  Click the picture below to see what I have for you.  I will have Thanksgiving items coming out soon too.

The cute graphic below was a FREEBIE graphic from LetteringDelights.  Isn't it cute?  Click {HERE}if you want to check out thier cute fonts and graphics.


 
 

Monday, October 22, 2012

"My State is Beautiful" Study


I just posted a packet on TpT at my store.  It discusses a variety of questions/topics about anyone's home state.  I left it open ended so that each person may fill in the necessary information in regards to their state and state facts.  If you wish to check out the product, please click {HERE}.  I live in NM so I use NM facts with this packet.  I LOVE using the book E is for Enchantment: A New Mexico Alphabet by Helen Foster James.  It is part of an alphabet series that discusses each state.  There is a book for each state, discussing the many wonderful traits and aspects of all 50 states.  I found the one I use for NM on Amazon.  If you click the picture immediately below, it will take you to the Amazon website.
Below I have a few pictures from the packet posted on TpT. 



 


Friday, October 19, 2012

New Math Menu

I just completed a new math menu for my students.  It goes well with Everyday Math's Unit 3.  There are coin, time, pattern, odd/even, missing rule, graph, and skip counting pages.  As the menu spans the entire unit, I have the students put their menus in their math folders so it does not get squashed inside their desks.  If you wish to check out the menu, it is for sale in my TpT store.  Click {HERE} if you wish to check it out.  I loved using Scrappin Doodle graphics for the pages.  Those bats fun!  If you use the math menu, please let me know.  I'd love to hear how it worked for you and how you put the menu into place in your classroom.  Below are a couple of the pages in the packet.



Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Pictures

I had mentioned yesterday that I would get pictures of the cute styrofoam Fall items. 


The kids are doing a great job trying to earn a "visit" with them. 


I thought, while I was posting pictures, I would post my kids cute lunch boxes purchased from Thirty-One.  If you wish to check out their Fall catalog, they have a ton of adorable stuff.  Click {here} to see my friend Nina's webpage with the catalog.


From the same company, is my teacher bag and matching purse.  :)


Monday, October 15, 2012

Behavior Management Monday

The children are aware that it is getting closer to Halloween.  I came across a couple cute styrofoam Fall/Halloween themed items from the $1 section of Target.  I bought a large styrofoam spider and large styrofoam candy corn.  Anytime I felt a child was behaving well (sitting quietly, raising hand, working hard, helping others) I placed one of the items on their desk. They were allowed to have the item for about 5-10 minutes and then it had to leave for another student's desk.  It worked well, and the students were so excited to get one of the items on their desk.  This will be used until October is complete.  I found a very silly turkey hat for next month to use in the same way.  Although, I might not have them wear it- it might just sit on their desk.  I will post a picture of the candy corn and spider tomorrow.     

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Welcome!

I am a first grade teacher in the Albuquerque area.  I am happy to have my first post on a blog, ever!  I have been teaching in the Early Childhood ages for 9 years.  I love teaching.
 

I have been working hard in the area of math.  I am always looking for new and easy ways to differentiate for my students.  I recently created a math menu for the unit I was working on in Everyday Math.  I will try to place the unit below, but am not totally sure how to do that!
 
I have posted the math menu freebie on Teachers Pay Teachers in my store.  Click (here) if you wish to check it out.   
I use the menu for students to extend and practice the math skills covered in each unit.  This unit discusses time, money, sums of ten, and counting up and back on the number grid.  In my class, the children have math kit's that include many math related items.  The die needed for the number grid game, within the packet, is in their kit.
I hope you enjoy the menu and if you use it in your class please tell me about it.