Iphone Buddies!

Oh my word!  Is fall flying by or what?  I can't believe that October has come and gone, and now November is in full swing, with Thanksgiving just around the corner!  I have to share with you a fabulous idea that I tried in my class this week. Our school is really focusing on cooperative learning techniques, especially Kagan strategies, so when I saw this idea on Pinterest, I instantly loved it.  Like I said, I first saw it on Pinterest, then I heard about another teacher in my district trying it, so I decided to try it too.  Here's how I did it.  I got a template for an "iphone" from another teacher who googled the image to get it. Then I copied 9 sets of my students faces.  The pics are tiny because the iphones are close to actual size, so I got 4 class sets of pics on a single page.  Then, the hardest part was grouping my students into partners.  Since the iphone has 9 "apps" or "buttons" on it, the students will have 9 different partners on their iphones.  I just made sure that the students were paired accordingly, and I watched out for those little ones who perhaps didn't need to be together, if you know what I mean!  It took me about an hour and a half to get all the little pictures glued on--I did it while watching the election returns! 

Once I had them made, I laminated them and cut them out.  This week, I explained to the students how the iphone buddies works.  When it's time to do partner work, I'll choose an "app" and the students will go to the partner whose picture corresponds with that app.  I was totally shocked at how easily they figured out who their partners were!  And, not only did they find their first partner, which happened to be their "facebook" partner, they also quickly were looking to see who their "google" partner, "yahoo" partner, "angry birds" partner, etc. would be.  I even heard one student say that it was the best day ever!  The next couple of days went just as well.  So, I really loved using this technique, and I think you would love it too!  The kids looked so cute carrying around their little iphones and working with their partners on their math problem solving journals.  They store them in their seat sacks for easy access.  (I also made a copy of each student's iphone--just in case one gets lost!)

Here are a couple of pics of our little iphones.  Enjoy!  If you would like the template, just email me and I can send it to you.  One day soon I hope to learn how to add a link to my google docs! (lynnebrhodes@gmail.com)

Go Fish!

Kids love to go fishing, and this cute little game will let them practice naming their shapes (otherwise referred to as two-dimensional geometric figures in my school district!), numbers to 35, and also subitizing sets of numbers to 10.  I love this game because my little ones love to use my magnetic fishing pole. It's like practicing with flash cards, only more fun!  Here are a couple of pics from the free game I created.

 

If you'd like to download this game, just click on the link below:

 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Go-Fish-Workstation-FREEBIE

 

The Biggest Pumpkin Ever

Last week, we did a super fun literacy activity.  First, we read the book, The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll.  I love this book!  After we read it, we made a Venn diagram.  This book is great for compare/contrast, so it really lends itself well to a Venn diagram.  We have really been focusing a lot on vocabulary at our school this year, and I was amazed at how many of our vocabulary words we used just in this one activity (infer, evaluate, analyze, character, plot, and summarize--just to name a few!) 

 

In this book, there are two characters, Clayton and Desmond.  One is a house mouse and one is a field mouse.  They both "fall in love" with the same pumpkin, but because one cares for it by day, and one cares for it by night, it takes a while for them to discover what's been going on.  My students really did well at comparing and contrasting the characters and events in this story. 

 

Below are a couple of pictures of the completed Venn diagram.

 

 

 

 

Happy Fall Y'all!

Happy fall everyone!  I just love this season--the weather is getting cooler but not too cold, it's football season, the colors are beautiful, and in kindergarten, all my little kinder friends are adjusting nicely to life in "big school." 

 I am so blessed to have the best parents in the world to help me.  I asked for some moms to help me decorate my door and wall, and several moms came and spent the entire day working on it!  I just LOVE my Rock Star Scarecrow!
Check out the pics:

 

On my team, we also decorate our wall going down the kinder hallway.  We sent home an "at-home parent child project" for our friends to work on.  They got a shape of a person on cardstock, and they were asked to use various materials to turn their person into a scarecrow.  We got back some of the cutest scarecrows--a Ninja scarecrow, a princess scarecrow, even a scarecrow with real lights that light up!  I was so impressed with each and every one we got back this year!  Check out our wall:

 

 

I can't believe that next week is the end of the first nine weeks.  The year is just zooming by!  Until next time...

Wiggle's Apple Book!

One of my favorite things about fall is learning about apples.  This is always a fun little mini unit.  We learn all about the properties of apples, use our 5 senses to explore and describe apples, we taste and graph apples, and we even make our own applesauce!  One of the things I also like to do since it's fairly early in the year is to review positional words.  I created this little reader entitled, Wiggle's Apple Book, to help reinforce and check for understanding of positional words.  After I copy the book for everyone and we discuss/review positional words, I give each student 5 little "worms".  (They are really just pipe cleaners).  Then I have the students bend them to resemble little worms, which is great fine motor practice too.  As they place the worms onto their pages in the correct position, I let them tape the worms in place using scotch tape.  It's super simple, but it's a great formative assessment for me, and the kiddies enjoy making and reading their books. 

Check out one of my students' books below:

 

I sure hope you can read sideways, because I can't figure out how to rotate these pictures!  When I uploaded them the first time, they were facing the right way.  Sorry about that!  Hopefully you'll get the idea!  By the way, if you visit my TPT store, you can download this book for FREE!  You can click the link below to take you there!  Enjoy!

 

Wiggles Apple Book

Monster Math!

Last Friday we did a really fun math activity.  I got this from Deanna Jump's back to school unit.  We started by reading two monster books, Go Away Big Green Monster and Leonardo the Terrible Monster.  Then we made a glyph (this comes from the term heiroglyphics where pictures are used to tell a story or give information).  The kids chose a monster shape of their favorite color, added spots for their age (5 spots for 5 years old, 6 spots for 6 years old), and gave the monster a mouth based on which book they liked best.  I think they turned out super cute!

 

 

 

Here is our data:

 

 

 

 

Here is a little monster close-up:

 

 

Hi all!

Whew!  I know it's been a while since my last post, but boy have I been busy.  It's hard to believe that we have already completed 3 weeks of school!  The time has flown by for me.  I also had a really big birthday, and my sweet husband surprised me by taking me on a quick trip to NY, one of my favorite places!  We had a blast, but now it's time to really get in the swing of things at school and get things rolling. 

The first week of school was super busy with learning procedures, procedures, and more procedures!  The Rhodes Rock Stars are doing a great job so far I must say.  One of my favorite activities of the first week was reading David Shannon's No David and coming up with some do's and don'ts of our classroom.  I had the students dictate to me something we should or shouldn't do.  Then they each made a David of their own.  They turned out so cute!  I just love them.  It was also a great following directions activity.  (**By the way, I found this idea on Pinterest!)

Here are a couple more pictures of our David projects.

Is this priceless, or what??!!  It says, "No being naked!"

Reese B. said "No stealing." 

Madison remembered our rule about glue--"Dot, dot, not a lot!"

And, how about Nick's--"Don't throw things at people!"

I can't wait to post more fun and exciting things that are happening in the Rhodes Rock Stars classroom!

How cool is this?

Hi y'all!

I did something this past week, and I just thought it was so cool that I had to share it with you!  Now I know most of you young things out there are way more techno savvy than me, but nonetheless, I thought it was cool, so I want you to know about it.  Take a look at the picture below:

The front side is my business card.  It's actually the same one I used last year.  But on the back, I have a QR code.  Lots of people out there have a QR reader on their smart phones, right?  Well, all you have to do is go to a QR making site, such as qrstuff.com and input your contact information.  I chose the vcard type on the options.  Then it generates these little QR codes for you and you can print them out right on the back of your business card.  So, the parents who have the QR reader just simply scan the code on the back of your business card, and VOILA!  All your contact information is synched right into their phone without them having to type in a thing!  Don't you just love that? 

Welcome to my blog!

Well, it looks like I finally did it. I created a blog. I have been thinking about it and dreaming about it for a long time, and I finally got up the nerve to just do it! So, now that it's the middle of summer, I don't even know where to begin. I guess I'll start by telling you just a little bit about myself. I have been a teacher for a really long time--about 27 years to be exact. I started out teaching first grade in Summerville, SC in 1984, and I've been teaching ever since, except for the one year I took off when my son was born. Since then, I have taught in Greenville, SC, Appleton, WI--two different times-- Atlanta, and now Frisco, TX. When my husband asked me to marry him, he literally said, "Will you marry me, and do you mind moving?" It seems as though he meant what he said, as we have been married for nearly 24 years, and we have moved about 8 times. I count it a privilege and a blessing to have been able to find a teaching job every single time, and I feel like all these moves have made me into the teacher that I am today. I am truly passionate about my job, and I don't just feel like it's an occupation--I feel that it's a God-given talent that God has called me to do. I hope that doesn't sound lame to you because that's the honest truth!
I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful children, and I can't forget Georgette. She's our animal print kitty who has been part of our family for the past 13 years. (We were the kind of people who loved pets, as long as they belonged to someone else, and now look at us!) I love going to the beach, reading, decorating, cooking, singing in our church choir, and as of late, browsing around on Pinterest. Other than that, I'm just teaching or working on school stuff at home.

I feel very blessed and fortunate to be teaching in Friso, TX now. I feel it's one of the best school districts in the country. I have to work harder than I've ever worked before, but I do love it and hope to be at it for many more years.
I'll be leaving to go to NY on a mission trip in a couple of days, but after that, I'll be presenting at the Frog Street Press "Summer Splash" in downtown Dallas on July 13. Come see me if you're in the area!