Archives for 2012

Send Out Search Party!

August 5, 2012 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 4 Comments

Just kidding! Here I am!

With less than three weeks to go until we report for new teacher induction, the mister and I decided that we needed a break. A change of scenery, a change of pace, and most importantly… some time to really have fun with our family on Long Island since we haven’t seen many of them since Christmas, and likely won’t be making a holiday trip up this year.

So we packed in under 90 minutes, hopped in the car, and made the six hour trip from Virginia! I’m so glad we did because I feel recharged already! This was a great move for us, as we’re going to come home refreshed and ready to really kick our preparations into high gear.

I brought a few things to work on — mainly things to cut out while we’re all sitting around laughing and watching TV — and a few professional development books to finish up… and of course, my famous “to do” book. I’m going to sketch out a master plan and schedule for the rest of the time before we report so that I make the most of it!

I’ll be back Monday for Monday Made It! (yes, even while on vacation) tomorrow! In honor of the amazing time I’m already having on Long Island (wish you all were here enjoying the Italian food, beaches, and laughs with me), I’m throwing a 20% off “Hooray for Vacations!” sale on my TPT store.

I had too much fun with this!

August 2, 2012 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 16 Comments

Really, I did.

I had a lightbulb moment for my lightbulb moments.

I was work on first week activities, and was working on craftivities related to my “rules to live by” — one of which is “use your brain: be a learner” and represented by a lightbulb.

I was almost finished and then I realized, ohmyword, this is the perfect companion to the stress relievers.

So then I decided to make a sample and see if it made sense in action.

Then I thought… well, what if I laminate these and students keep them to refer to? But I wanted something to display, too… so…

When students have a breakthrough or a “lightbulb moment,” we celebrate it. And one way to celebrate it, is to commemorate it and display that accomplishment (because it is an accomplishment).

(It’s totally like one of those perpetual mirrors. I had a lightbulb moment in Target about lightbulb moments and then had a lightbulb moment about my lightbulb moments.)

I’m going to have a focus area in the classroom to display all of the moments that allowed kiddos to join the “Thomas Edison Club” — where hardwork and determination yields successful “lightbulb moments”! Of course I’ll have to explain who Thomas Edison was and what he invented first… but that’s part of the fun!

So there you have it! Two lightbulb craftivities to use with your kiddos! I’m working on a “world of possibilities” version for my husband’s classroom (since their social studies focus is geography, and well, I took all of the lightbulb stress relievers for myself!).

If you’d like to pick up this craftivity for yourself, I’ve listed it in my TPT store for $1.50! There are multiple options included, as seen below:

A big congratulations to posters #16, #23, and #41 on my Monday Made It post — Amber, Laura, and Cristy, I will be e-mailing you your word wall packs shortly! For everyone else, I’m putting it on a flash sale for $2.50, so head on over and pick it up!

I can never resist a giveaway, so the first three people to comment below will receive the lightbulb moment craftivity in their inbox — make sure you leave your e-mail!

What day is it? (Mondayyyyyyyy!)

July 30, 2012 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 48 Comments

Another Monday! On the upside, I get to spend a good chunk of my Internet time today looking at all of the amazing things bloggy friends have come up with. On the downside, this means I’m running out of time. Eeeeeeek! I know some of you are heading back into the classroom much sooner than I am, so I don’t feel too bad, but I’m starting to get a bit nervous. I even had my first school-related nightmare! (I showed up at the wrong school and wrong classroom on the first day and it. was. a. trainwreck!)

So: word walls. Let’s talk about them.

In some of my practicum experiences, they were just kind of there. They weren’t talked about or used, they just kind of took up space. In some of my practicum experiences, they weren’t there at all. There wasn’t really an alternative, either, so it was a constant struggle of students not being able to have the independence they craved during writing.

There were some awesome word walls I saw, however, and the ones that were awesome were used. Frequently. They weren’t just an “if you don’t know it” reference, either, they were a centerpiece of learning and kind of the pulse of the room. So that’s what I had in my head when I started on this project: something that is, above all, going to be supportive for my kiddos (especially my ELL’s), and something that made sense with what my goals are this year (see the trusty sidebar).

I need a dynamic word wall.

First, I made these:

*sigh* These colors make me happy.

These are my headers for my word wall, which is going to be placed above the windows, here:

I still can’t believe I have a classroom.

While that’s a readily accessible place from anywhere in the room and has plenty of space for lots of words, it doesn’t quite hit the mark for what I want to do alone. Enter this:

You knew it was going to be Oz-related, right?

The idea is this: my students need to experience independent success in their writing, and I want to remove as many obstacles to that as possible. At the same time, I want to support my ELL’s that may need some visual cues, while also encouraging my wordsmiths to expand their vocabulary. This is where my mobile word wall fits in!

Clear plastic pencil pouch, blank color-coded cards, A-Z dividers, and trading card protectors.

Smaller versions of the word wall headers are on each divider to create a visual link.

Students can have the independence they need and can contribute at their own pace, on their own time using this resource. They can encounter a word that they think should be added — perhaps a content area word or fabulous vocabulary word — and select the correct colored card, write the word, and then add a visual or other thought to make a more concrete connection.

Front of the cards; note the color-coding for content areas.

Back of the cards, with a visual or example.
This can be expanded to include a definition, a sentence, etc.

The color-coded cards open up a lot of possibilities; they can be used to denote spelling patterns, level of difficulty, or as I’ve used them — for content areas. I’ll be taking the lead from my content-area binders and using purple for science, green for math, blue for social studies, and then using red, orange, yellow, and black for the various parts of speech.

These are the blank mobile word wall cards for student use.
There are matching larger cards for the full-sized word wall.

I got through all of the words on my district’s list for second grade, and am now working on expanding it to include words that I know will come up during the year for the various units. The full-size words are more of an undertaking since I’m laminating them for durability.

The mobile word wall will not start out the year with us, but will slowly be introduced as we begin to use our word wall and I model a lot about how to use it to my students’ advantage. This will work well with my implementation of Daily 5 and CAFE, as I can see this hanging out in our word work or writing center!

Whew! That was a lot of post. If you’ve made it this far, thank you! I’ve packaged all of my materials and listed this Dynamic Word Wall pack (including editable PPTs for you to customize with your word lists) on my TPT store. Here’s what is included:

I would love to give this word wall set away to three people! Leave me a comment with your e-mail, and I’ll choose three random winners on Wednesday night!

(Speaking of winners, a big congrats to The Meek Moose for winning the Discovery poster — I look forward to seeing it in action in your school!)

My Favorite Olympic Moment

July 28, 2012 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 2 Comments

Who watched the Opening Ceremonies last night? Oh my word. I know it was a bit quirky (which is why I loved it so much) so it might not have been everyone’s cup of tea — but the lighting of the Olympic flame took my breath away. It also might have caused a minor rainstorm on my face, but we’ve covered my propensity to cry at such things previously!

Every two years the Olympics rolls around and for two weeks I am on cloud nine. Really, it’s true! There is something about the coming together of hundreds of nations for a common event — largely without any negativity — that moves me in ways I’m ill-equipped to express. While I know not everyone is as dedicated as I am to the Olympics, I know that we all very likely have one (or two or five) Olympic moments that stand out in our minds and truly touch us!

For me, this is it.

I was ten years old during the 1996 games, and believe it or not, I had Olympic aspirations of my own. I was a competitive swimmer, and the early morning workouts in the pool often had me day-dreaming about my own gold medal moment during those tedious laps. I didn’t have the “swimmer body” and I had an ankle injury that plagued me (and even still does), but I had the heart.

I watched the Magnificent Seven in complete awe of their grace and composure. In many ways, they were the first peer role models that I had. They represented the best of us, and Kerri Strug did so especially. I’ll never forget how my heart sank when she injured herself on vault, and then the rapid beat of my heart as she did another one — only to land on one foot and secure the gold.

That moment has always stuck with me, and honestly, when I feel like I’m “down for the count” in any aspect of my life, the image of Kerri sticking that landing against all odds pops into my head. I definitely thought of it as I was limping along mile 12 of my half-marathon, wondering if I could possibly make it another mile and a tenth to the finish — and finish I did!

I plan on sharing this and other inspiring Olympic moments with my students, as they are powerful real-world reminders of what happens when you believe in yourself and your ability to succeed and never, ever give up!

With the London Olympics upon us, I thought it would be awesome to reflect on our favorite Olympic moments! Grab the button below and link up! I look forward to reading (and hopefully seeing) your favorite Olympic moments!

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Check!

July 26, 2012 by Sarah Plum(itallo) 17 Comments

Another project off my “to-do” list! I’m steadily making some progress, which is good, because I have less than a month to go!

I had pinned this a million years ago from Mel D. at Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations and kept coming back to it. As I would go on my “errands” and see things that would be perfect for a traditional treasure box in the Dollar Spot or bargain aisle, I kept trying to decide what I wanted to do in terms of rewards in my classroom.

During my student teaching, I tried both approaches. I used a treasure box in one placement, and rewards like these in the other. The kids responded the most positively to the rewards that, I felt, meant something. That’s not to say treasure boxes aren’t valuable or important if that’s what works for your classroom — I think it’s important to do what works for you and your students! These kiddos, however, really liked the additional classroom privileges and duties that they could earn.

I’ve been brainstorming for a few weeks now — off and on — what rewards I could possibly implement. I came up with 12 to start with, knowing that I’ll likely tweak them once I get to know my kiddos and what they value the most:

The reward I’m most excited about my students earning and redeeming is definitely the “be an expert” reward. I look forward to collaborating with students on a mini-lesson that they’ll teach to their peers… I definitely think that will be a big hit and something valued by all my kiddos!

This system is within my “Be Oz-Some” behavior plan, so of course I had to make a label to that effect! I’m planning on creating a quick log for me to check off what reward a student chooses, and then write when they redeem it — that way I have some data about what’s working and what isn’t.

I would love for you to head on over and pick these up for FREE in my TPT store if you think they would be useful in your classroom! Not every reward will fit your style or classroom system, but I hope that a few will — and of course, there’s two labels to choose from too. (When I create my reward log, I’ll post that as a Google Doc freebie as well.)