I was having so much trouble with finding some pattern block task cards to help students who are struggling with geometry skills that I decided to make my own! Attached you will find 16 task cards and all you need is some pattern blocks! What other activities do you do with student to help understand geometry standards?

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I have some third grade students who are starting elapsed time but are struggling with telling time. What amazing resources do you use when teaching time? We have been using clocks of course but would love any resources you may have!

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How do you welcome students back after a long vacation/break?

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The new year is a great time to review classroom rules and procedures. What creative ways do you use to review the rules?

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Another favorite family literacy activity that we encourage is a New Year New You - Vision Board! Together as a family - members can create a vision board using magazines, books, or printed words. Each of these represent hopes and goals for the year ahead.
What family literacy activities do you share with your families?

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One of my own personal family activities for the new year is a Family Book Club. Together as a family we select a book to read together during the month of January. We try to pre-schedule weekly discussions where we talk about the book and relate its themes to the new year.
What family literacy activities do you do at the start of the new year?

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One of my favorite things to do as a family - to promote family literacy - has been to create a Holiday Family Story. Together, all 5 of us write a silly story that summarizes our experiences throughout the year. We begin with the same starting sentence each year and then each family member adds a sentence or paragraph. How do you incorporate family literacy fun into holiday celebrations?

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Have you ever created a Holiday Book Advent Calendar as a family literacy incentive or initiative? (ie. Wrap 24 books and open one each day leading up to the holidays.)

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How do you help your students engage with not so exciting content?

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One of the things that do to help keep a positive mindset in the class is telling the students that Monday is actually the best day of the week. It is the day we get to start off fresh and work on fixing all the mistakes we made the previous week. Most of the time, helping students see the school day in a different light helps their success. What are ways you help students with positive thinking?

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To find ways to make learning history more appealing to the students, I try to find things that they find familiar and learn the history behind it. Whether it is a celebration, observance, sport, word, or food. This one was particularly interesting because of the fable and the movie Shrek. The history of the Gingerbread Man is a fun way to guide students in asking the question, "Why?".

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How can families incorporate literacy development into holiday traditions and activities?

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Hi Everyone! I work with students with disabilities in an accelerated college and career program. Do you have any ideas about the best way to choose prefixes weekly for students in a high school dental science class?

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During state testing there is not much I can do to help the students. So, I give them each an elephant figurine. Since elephants are my favorite animal, I tell them that they are part of the “herd”. I use this to help relieve stress that the students might have with test anxiety.

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As we continue to build relationships with the parents, here is an example of an email I sent to everyone because, well, I made a mistake.

Good Tuesday afternoon everyone-

Remember that time you thought it was a Tuesday because the teacher said it was a Tuesday and you were expecting a Tuesday folder to come home on Tuesday because Tuesday is when the Tuesday folder comes home?

Well, the teacher knew it was a Tuesday and did not send the Tuesday folder home on Tuesday because there was a FAST test on Tuesday and the teacher who even sent an email home saying it was a Tuesday in the subject now has to apologize on a Tuesday for not sending the Tuesday folder home today which is a Tuesday because he forgot it was a Tuesday.

Tuesday word count: 18

Being able to joke during your mistakes helps ease the tension with the parents. It also opens up a closeness when there is effort to be vulnerable with your mistakes. In the grand scheme of things, it is not that big of a deal but it brings people together.

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Tis the season...for progress monitoring! We use MAP testing in our district for elementary students and one of my favorite ways to encourage them to meet their goals is to first meet with them before the test and discuss what they feel their strengths are and what is something that they'd like more help in. For MAP, they receive their score at the end so I love to write a sticky note (or put it at the top of their scratch paper) what their goal score is so they know immediately if they met it or not. I will also put an encouraging note beside it to remind them how awesome they are.

What are some ways you encourage your students to meet their goals when taking tests?

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What are your favorite ways to engage with families around the holidays?

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What are fun and inclusive activities you do in lower elementary before winter break to learn about different holidays around the world?

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What are strategies you use to keep advanced 1st graders challenged that don’t require another teacher or teaching assistant?

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Big win for the Thanksgiving celebration! All the families were represented and we had a great time! I highly recommend these events!

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