One Little Word

New Year... One Little Word

I know, I have posted all kinds of New Year's activities here on Classroom Confections, but I have one more to share. (Imagine that!) This is an activity I did with my kids today, which was their first day back from the Christmas holiday.  Instead of doing the typical resolution, I took an idea shared on the blog Ali Edwards and turned it into a full blown lesson. Ali encourages you to choose a word for yourself and embrace it for the year. Head over to her site and read all the details.

Here is what I did for my lesson.  First we talked about what a resolution is.  Remember, I teach 4th graders, so they have heard the word many times.  They then shared some typical resolutions, such as, "I plan to make good grades."  After many common resolutions had been shared, I put up a list of character traits, such as this one HERE, and I said something like, "If your resolution was to make good grades, what kind of word would you use to describe that?"  They said something like, "hardworking".  We then went through the character trait list and circled all of the words that we thought were positive words.  I then explained to them that sometimes it might be best to have one little word that helps us remember what we strive to be like. 

After students had chosen their own one little word, they wrote a paragraph that started something like, "For 2012, the word I will focus on is lovable."  They then wrote details depicting some of the things they will try to focus on related to their one little word.  And of course, kids always like to add their own artistic touch, so I gave them a number one to decorate however they wanted.They included their one little word along the bottom of the number.  I then stapled the number to the writing.  Here is what they look like.....

If you would like to do this One Little Word activity with your students, here are the Freebies.

Posters for The One Little Word Activity

Number One for Students to Color

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Christmas Gift Thank You Notes

Thank You Notes with a New Year's Theme

Call me a slacker! 

 Over this Christmas break, I had every intention of mailing thank you cards to my students and their parents for all of the wonderful gifts I received.  But, it simply didn't work out. Oh well!  I know some teachers get the thank you notes written on the last day of school before the holiday break, but I just don't ever seem to be able to sit down long enough to get it done. I don't know what was going on in your classroom, but we had benchmark tests the last day, and we had our Chirstmas party. It was a crazy day!  So, what is the plan at this point?  I shall fill out a small Happy New Year card that is really a Christmas thank-you note......kill two birds with one stone.... Wish them a Happy New Year and say thank you, too.  I will staple the note inside their agenda/homework notebook so their parents will see it. 

Are you a slacker too? 

 (I know we aren't really slackers!)

But if you are running behind on your holiday thank you cards, feel free to print my card out and use it.

New Year's Themed Christmas Thank You Note

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I appreciate you helping to spread the word about Classroom Confections!

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FREE New Year's Resolution Writing Activity

It's a New Year's Napkin Resolution Activity

I know, call me CrAzY!  I was shopping in Target when I came across one of their sale racks.  You know the ones I am talking about on the end of the isles.  Well, they had some of the cutest napkins marked down to .65 a pack.  Can you say "BARGAIN"?  Of course I had to buy some!

So, what to do with the napkins????? Hmmm.....

Actually, I was supposed to be cleaning the bathroom, but instead I put together this little paper napkin booklet that I am going to make with my kids the first day back from school.  The napkin works perfectly as the cover to the mini booklet, which I cleverly titled "Coming Clean" with my New Year's Napkin Resolution.  We will talk about 'coming clean' being a figure of speech, and then come clean about some improvements or goals, AKA resolutions, that they need to make. They will then do a short writing about their resolution and expand on their ideas. 

If you would like to try this activity with your kids, start searching for some cute napkins. I am including the file for FREE if you would like to download it here : printable New Year's Activity.

Here is a sample:

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New Year's Classroom Activities

New Year's Printable Game and More

In order to celebrate the New Year, I have put together a few activities for the classroom. I have already mentioned two other activities in previous blog posts, so I will put links at the bottom of this post to those.  This newest one is a New Year's game board.  This is a generic game board and can be used with cards you already have in the classroom, or you can make your own game cards using the blank New Year's themed cards I have included.   Make some addition cards or review math vocabulary. Practice some test review questions. Be creative!

Click HERE to purchase this New Year's Game.

Click on the below links to see other New Year's related activities:

•  New Year's morning work packet
• New Year's ABC Order Center
• FREE New Year's Bookmarks
• FREE New Year's Parent Signature Labels
• FREE New Year's Resolution Writing Paper

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Top Ten Teacher Tips for 2012

1.   Prioritize what needs to get done.  Look at the whole picture, but also keep in mind what needs to get done TODAY!  It’s okay to put some things off until tomorrow.   
2.  Don’t let your grading get the best of you.  Grade a little each day and it won’t pile up.
3.  Make the day fun for you and your students. Get creative!  Search for fun lessons on the Internet by visiting websites like Teachers Pay Teachers.
4.    Collaborate with your coworkers.  The best ideas might be hiding out in the room next door. Participate in a ‘get on, give one’ lesson exchange.  You take a lesson and then you get a lesson in return.
5.   Make a student feel special. Pick a child each day and tell them something positive.   Put a smile on their face by leaving them an award on their desk or even just a sticker to display. Sometimes we get so caught up in the negative, we forget to focus on the positive.
6.   Don’t stay late every day!  Remember, you either have a family to get home to, or you need to have some ‘me’ time.  I used to be a stay-later and then I got my priorities straight.  I am a 100% teacher from 7:30-4:00 and then I have one stay-late day per week.  It can make you a better teacher if you leave!!  J
7.  Don’t get caught up in what I call teacher-gripe!  Some things that we teachers want to gripe about will simply not change, no matter how much we dislike it and no matter how much time goes by.  
8.  Get that room clean. As the kids come back after the start of the New Year, have them clean their desks out.  I mean really clean them.  I have students take the Lysol wipes to the inside of the desk.  A clean desk can help clear the mind.  Kids will be ready to perform in 2012.
9. Change something up in the classroom for the second half of the year.  Whether it’s your discipline program, your bulletin board, or something else.  It will add excitement to the remainder of the year.  My teaching neighbor and I are going to start doing a fun Friday the last Friday of the month for good behavior. 
10.  Teach!……oh yeah, that’s the number one tip, right?  Teach with your heart and everything else will fall in place.

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New Year's Resolution Writing Paper

Looking for New Year's Writing Paper?  How about trying this one!  It's a freebie download compliments of ME. Students will fill in their name at the top.  They can then write a few things they would like to improve upon on the outside of the light bulb, sort of spidering out from the shine lines, or they could write words to describe themselves on the outside of the bulb (turn it into an adjective lesson). They would then focus on one resolution/improvement for the inside of the bulb.  For example, "I will shine in 2012 by studying for all of my tests. I will remember to take home all my study material."  Be creative and use it however you would like. Mount on some colored paper and hang with a cute title card outside your classroom for a creative New Year's display.

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Click HERE to download this FREE New Year's Resolution Writing Paper.

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Happy New Year Parent Signature Labels

 

Need tests or other papers returned when kids have a low score?  Looking for a parent signature? .... I always ask my parents to sign and return papers with a low score after they have reviewed them with their child.  Stickers are an easy way to do this. Just peel and stick!  You can get these parent signature labels as a freebie by clicking HERE.  These should print perfectly on Avery 8162 labels.

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New Year's Morning Work Activity

Start saying "Happy New Year!" from the moment your students return from the Christmas break. My students will walk in to find this New Year's morning work packet on their desk.  It has easy to read directions, to they will know exactly what to do.  There is a different activity for each day of the week.  I use this same formatted morning work packet for most holidays, so my kids pretty much know the routine.  The packet includes:

Monday:  New Year related pictures and students will use each one in a sentence with correct capitalization and punctuation.

Tuesday:  finding words within the words Happy New Year and then also finding the value of New Years related words.

Wednesday: writing a short paragraph telling about their favorite Christmas gift. Students always LOVE sharing this. You can have them read this aloud later in the day.

Thursday: writing a paragraph about their New Year's resolution.

Friday: putting 20 New Year's related words into alphabetical order.

Click HERE to get all the information about this New Year's morning work packet.

 

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New Year's ABC Order Activity

Looking for a literacy center activity revolving around alphabetical order....AKA.... ABC order? This is a New Year's themed activity suitable for a file folder.  Laminate and baggie up the pieces. Put everything neatly in the folder and staple the matching themed cover to the front. Students can work with a partner or individually to put the images in order. They will then write them on the skill sheet.  Great activity to have a group do while you are meeting with a guided reading group.  Click HERE to get all the details on this ABC order activity.

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