New look for Teachable Moments

Hi All Long time, no blog.
I have had a bloggy overhaul by Gabby (Gabbysclassrooms.com) and have also changed my TPT store name to reflect the connection with the blog.
Click the pic to go and visit :)
In 2016, I aim to get back to blogging and share some ideas you can use in your classroom. And I am looking forward to it!

Go Noodle!! and a Giveaway

Every now and then, along comes something that changes your classroom. For me last year, this was Go Noodle. I am extremely excited to be sharing the ways I love using Go Noodle in my classroom....and there may even be a swag of Go Noodle goodies you can win!

Why do I think Go Noodle is so great?

Its the perfect way to get little (and not so little) bodies moving and ready for the day! In my Kindergarten classes, I would put this on first thing in the morning to Get Your Body Moving (one of our favourite Koo Koo Kangaroo tracks)

It's the perfect Brain Break!

When your students are transitioning from lesson to lesson, why not give them a break with a Go Noodle song? It might be a great opportunity for a KidzBop song, or time for some Zumba. Go Noodle gives kids a chance to recoup and refocus while having heaps of fun!

There is more to Go Noodle!

Another favourite of mine are the quiet, calming videos that can help your students calm down after break times. One of my fail safe Go Noodle clips for this purpose is titled Flow. It incorporates breathing with positive messages and is a perfect time for students (and teachers) to reflect. 

Add your own clips!

With the YouTube feature, you can add your favourite clips to your Go Noodle account so you can continue to help your champ grow. The kids love what happens to their champs as it goes up levels!

So those are a few reasons I love Go Noodle in my classroom! How about you?

Now how about that swag? I have 25 Go Noodle pencils to give away - and everyone can enter! Go Noodle will ship anywhere in the world!!!!

Enter using the Rafflecopter below!! Entries close on the 11th September. Please leave me your email!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And one more Go Noodle goody for you! Grab your own Go Noodle swag in the Go Noodle shop and use the discount code BTSwithGoNoodle for 15% off!

Win a TPT $10 voucher!

Hi all
To help you get BTS with the best that TPT has to offer, I am giving you the chance to win a $10 TPT gift card.
No fancy entry procedure. Come back and enter every day! Winner drawn Thursday 12am (Sydney time)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free Learning Websites

Hi All

Tomorrow I will be running a parent workshop at school. It is focusing on kids tech time at home and what types of websites would be educational, but fun at the same time!! I pulled some of my favourites together in one handout and thought you might like it too!

Click the image to go and grab it from Google Drive.

Credits - Krista Wallden and Kimberley Geswein Fonts

Writing Folder - A helpful tool for building independence

Hi All!

I have been working on this one for soooo long. It's one of those ones that has sat and marinated, if you get my meaning. When I look up the details of the file, it tells me it was created in September 2014. Hmmmmm....

Introducing Writers Folder - A Student Writing Companion

I'll give you a peek at one I put together!

Print out all the pieces. To make it fit in one manila folder, I printed the inside pages 2 to a page.

Choose the cover you would like to use! I have included vertical and horizontal, color and B&W and girl and boy options which should cover you completely!!

Glue the chosen cover onto the front of your manila folder.

Glue the pages you would like inside. I have chosen to go in order that they are in the pack

Done! A easy-to-use student tool to help during writing time. You could make one for each student to store in their desk or tray, or make a few to place on tables or around the room.

Click any picture to find it on TPT.

Some updates

The nicest thing about reflection is that it allows us to look back and question. I have been working on TPT for a few years now and have been reflecting on some earlier creations of mine - and decided they needed to be freshened up!

Here is a look at a few of my recent updates

Ninja Verbs

From this

To this!!

 Place Value Pack

From this

To this - and over 20 pages added

 Ordinal Numbers

From this...

To this!!!

 and Independent Reading Contracts - 

with another new contract added to the pack

I'm happy with the updates and I hope you enjoy them too. If you own any of the packs, you can grab all the updates for free in My Purchases.

Scrappy Quote Posters

Hi again.

Yep. I know. Twice in one week.

I can't promise it all the time but just enjoy for now.

Just wanted to share some fun scrappy quote posters that I made with graphics from my girl Mel (Graphics from the Pond). I can't pick my fave!

They are $1 for this weekend only!!!

Click the image to grab them from TPT.

Five For Friday - July 3

Hi. Its me again. I know its been a while and I am sorry. But there has been a lot going on in my life (moved in with in-laws, building house, changing jobs).....you know. The usual.
But I wanted to blog!!!

1. It is winter break here in Australia! This means lots of lazy mornings

2. I bought some of these gorgeous book boxes from Elizabeth Richards which I have been drooling over. I found it very hard to pick which colour, so I picked all but one (and this is not the whole amount I bought)

3. I took the kids for a swim at Sydney Olympic Park this week - cold outside but warm in the water - they had a fabulous time!

4. In the previous pic was my first-ever-pair of Converse! My kids both have fun Cons boots too. My Instagram comment was "The family who wears Cons together, stays together".

5. On Thursday I spent some time with my girl Mel (From the Pond). She was lovely enough to have me and my kids spend the WHOLE day at her place, including lunch and the beach and dinner. It was such a lovely day and our kids got on like a house on fire. Thanks so much sweet friend.

#teachforstephanie

Learning with Music - Part 2!!

I talked in my last post about learning through music and shared some of my favourite videos with you - which all happened to be Maths related! So I wanted to go back and add my fave ELA based songs too :)

Super E

I love this catchy song - it definitely helps the kids remember this concept.

Vowel Bat

Guru Parents

GuruParents have a great range of videos - we would watch these weekly when trying to brainstorm words for our sound of the week board. 

When Two Vowels Go Walking

Between the Lions have lots of great ideas in their videos - I really like this one for illustrating what happens when there are two vowels together.

Electric Company

Again, another range of videos which have lots of ideas for ways to show your kids different concepts.

Learning with Music!

Music is just one of those things.....It has the power to evoke emotions, the power to uplift, the power to motivate or even the power to make you sad and remember better days.

But the thing I love most about music is that it has the power to teach.

If you have ever taught in a K-2 classroom, you probably hear what I am saying right? I wanted to share my favourite songs, all related to Maths that helped my Kinder class last year.

1-20

Perfect for beginning counters!

Count back from 20

Counting backwards can be energetic and motivating!

Big Numbers Song

This covers numbers to 100 - I was amazed at how much this helped my kids!

Count by 2's, 5's and 10's

Skip counting galore!

Days of the Week

Months of the Year

Days and months songs by Mat of Dream English. Super catchy songs.

Do you have any favourite songs to help in the classroom?

Currently April!!!

Forgive me bloggers for I have not blogged.

Life has been somewhat hectic.

It started with me moving from Kindergarten up to Year 5/6 at the beginning of the year - which was a massive mind adjustment.

Then we moved out of our house and knocked it down - very emotional.

Then I applied for a new job - at a different school - and was successful!!!!! - which was awesome.

But then I got extremely unwell and ended up in the hospital on an antibiotic drip, to which I had an allergic reaction, which resulted in 6 doctor visits and 1 hospital visit in under 2 weeks.

I couldnt even start my new job on the agreed date - I had 3 days off school which has NEVER happened.

But now I am there and learning the ropes - will blog about this another time.

Anyway, on to CURRENTLY with Farley

Listening - we are having some family to hang out today on Good Friday. I might get a jump on eating Easter Eggs too

Loving- after what has been going on with me, I am so thankful for 2 weeks break! I am planning some things with my kids and some R&R time for myself.

Thinking - my new school and new job are very very different to my old school. My teaching is one of a mentor to the Year One and Two teachers and is not a teaching position. I have brought home a lot of stuff to read through so I can hit the ground running for Term 2.

Wanting - My poor pup had to have exploratory surgery on her paw this week and she looks a little sad. It seems to have done the trick thought as she is beginning to walk normally. But vets are SOOOOO expensive! I dont even want to think about how many hundreds of dollars it has cost.

Needing - holidays for me usually means haircut, mani and pedi etc. Its the only time I am not rushing and get to enjoy it. Who doesnt love someone else washing your hair (its totally my favourite part of a haircut)

My blog name - no hidden meanings but considering a bit of a blog makeover - what do you think?

Our week in 5/6B

WOW
What a huge week we had!
But what a great start to my new class and a new school year.

We did a lot of work on our class, and how we need to be working together for us all to reach our goals. I took it pretty easy and tried to get an indication of where I am starting from with each child. Here are a few other things we did throughout the week.

We talked about what we would like our class to be like this year and I had everyone write 5 words to describe it. I compiled all of their words into this cute Tagzedo and it is stuck next to our classroom door for us all to read each day.

We completed a class scavenger hunt. Grab this freebie HERE

They received some "Tools for Learning" from me.

And created some learning spaces they would like in their classroom using a variety of things including playdoh, kinetic sand, whiteboards and paint.

We began planning our Minecraft themed self portraits and then....

began creating them with paper! I cut out the strips and it was up to the kids to cut the squares. I can't wait to share the finished product!

It was a great week :) How was yours?