Checking For Understanding Freebie

We use these hand symbols (thumbs up & sideways thumb) for Daily Five to check behavior but I thought I would incorporate them to also give me a super quick way to check for understanding.  If you have any quick ideas, Marzano strategies or other ways to check for understanding I would LOVE to hear them.   If you'd like a copy, click on the picture below to download.

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Happy Halloween!

Buzzz - Mosquito Math and Cookie Math Freebies :)

Right now in math we are counting/sorting objects up to 20.  I saw this adorable clothes pin math game on The First Grade Parade.  I thought this would be perfect practice for my kids - I have some that need a LOT of practice with this.  I took her idea, went up to 20 and gave it a little facelift - I thought I would make it more of a "game" to catch the mosquitoes to entice them :)  Here's what I came up with:

(Click on the picture to download)

 I drew little mosquitoes on the clothespins - nothing fancy, did it super quick and it only took a few minutes to draw it on all 100 clothespins!

This Friday we are having a visit from the mouse from "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie"!!!  How exciting!  I made a Cookie Math activity for counting objects to 20 too.

(Click on the picture to download)

Have a SUPER week! 

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar??? Freebie and a Peek at my Classroom :)

It was probably me :)  I love a good cookie! :) 

Really quick, because we start school tomorrow and you all know how busy this weekend is, I have a little freebie for you.  I made this for one of my "get to know you" activities the first week of school.

I did not know of an easy way to upload the cookies so that you could type right onto them to put the students' names. You may be able to open the file in publisher or a graphics editing program and add a text box to type into OR you can go old school and actually WRITE the names :)

Anyway, click on the photos above to download.  I put the names on the cookies and then laminated and cut them out.  I have a jar that I will put them in and at the end of the poem the last person that "stole the cookie" will draw a new cookie out of the jar and we will start over.  *IF* there weren't any rules about healthy snacks in our county, I'd probably give them all a REAL cookie at the end of the activity....but I can't :(

Got a few several pics of my classroom that I took before Open House last week.  I always like to see other classrooms so thought I'd post mine too: 

If you've already started back - I hope it is going GREAT!  If you are just starting back like me, GOOD LUCK!  Hope its a great year for all of us!!!!  Now, if I could only get some sleep tonight!

First Day of School Deskmat and "Stamp an Equation" Freebie

I used to buy deskmats similiar to this, but this year I decided to make them myself.  I give this to my students on the first day of school to keep them busy while I sort out the school supplies they've brought in.  This is to be printed on LEGAL-SIZED PAPER (8.5 x 14).  I have these for First and Second Grade up on my Teacher's Pay Teachers sight for only $1.00.

*Print on LEGAL size paper!

Also,
Did you get any of these stamps from the Target Dollar Spot?

I made a quick sheet to go with them.  You can click on it if you'd like to download it.

  Have a SUPER weekend!!!  This is my last week of vacation (even though I worked all week).  This, by far, was the shortest summer EVER!