Elf-tacular Giveaway

Hello friends and welcome back to my blog! Can you believe December is here?? This is my favorite time of the year! Today I have a few ideas to share with you and an Elf-tacular Giveaway you won't want to miss!

Recipe
A nice cool front just came in here in South Texas so it's time for hot chocolate and these delicious hot cocoa cookies I came across on Pinterest! Check them out, they are easy to make and look so tasty.

Craft
This time of the year is so busy that I want to share a quick craft I will be trying with my kids this year. Nothing too fancy or difficult, you just need popsicle sticks, paint, sequins, glue, scissors and twine.

Freebie
In the spirit of Christmas....here is a fun SPANISH FREEBIE for you - Christmas tree organizers. They can be used with any story and cover story elements, main idea, and vocabulary. Share the link with any bilingual teachers you know :)

Here is my Elf-tacular letter!!!

Now keep on blog hopping over to The Science School Yard to grab your elf letter

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TpT Cyber Giveaway!

Hello friends and welcome back to my blog! Today I have exciting news to share with you....TpT is having a Cyber Sale tomorrow so I hope you are ready to go shopping.

I am highlighting a few products to help you plan over the next few weeks. These will be 20% OFF during the TpT Cyber Sale and you can use the discount code CYBER2016 to save even more!!! Keep reading for ideas and to enter for your chance to win a $10 TpT gift card!!!! Wooohoo!

December Word Work

These activities are great for centers or early finishers. From grammar to sentences, to word building, shapeboxes, etc. this pack is a must have!

Finish the Story December Edition

What better way to engage kids than with holiday themed prompts. Check these out for a quick, just print and go activity. 

Here's a holiday gift for you! Christmas Tree Graphic Organizers in Spanish...

Enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to win a $10 TpT gift card, then hop on over to Susan from Lopez Land Learners for another great giveaway going on! Good luck and happy shopping!

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An InLinkz Link-up

Gobble the Goodies - Fall Linky

Gobble Gobble! Welcome back to my blog friends! It's been a while since my last blog post, but I'm happy to be back along with my K-2 teacher friends to bring you awesome Thanksgiving goodies, freebies, and giveaways! Keep reading .... 

Videos

I like to begin my Thanksgiving/fall units with videos. Videos are always engaging and give students the background information needed for lessons. Here are links to a few of my favorite:

Education World

Brain Pop Jr.

YouTube

Resources

As a bilingual teacher, I have SPANISH resources available including my brand new Harvest of Verbs perfect for this fall weather. I have them all at 50% off during this linky (November 5th - 8th). ENJOY!

FREEBIE

Here's a freebie for both English and Spanish teachers. My students love writing acrostics and then decorating them for the season.

          

Be sure to enter the rafflecopter for your chance to win TpT gift cards!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to visit the entire linky for great ideas and freebies just for you!!! Happy Thanksgiving and see you next month!

An InLinkz Link-up

Using GradeCam in the Classroom

Welcome to our September Linky!! Thank you for stopping by my blog, make sure to read all the way to the end for EXCLUSIVE FREEBIES and an AMAZING GIVEAWAY!!!

Today I am here to share about an awesome app I discovered and used all of last year: GradeCam. Grading papers, tests, and assignments... oh what joy!! Before GradeCam I used to stay late to grade and even then I'd take home manila folders full of my student's weekly assignments and Friday tests to grade over the weekend (which translated to Sunday night grading parties) :/

Since using GradeCam, my 2nd graders started to take their assignments and tests home that SAME Friday afternoon... already graded and recorded in my gradebook. Yayyy!!! Happy teacher and happy parents that knew their child's test score that same day.

I LOVE that all this data is instant. I can download reports and easily access during 504's or parent/teacher conferences! Honestly, this app helped me immensely throughout the year, and I am definitely going to continue using it. 

Keep reading to learn how to set up your own account. 

First of all, click this link to create your account: 

www.gradecam.com/signup?referrer=qpj2by

By using this link, you will get access to a FREE 2 month TRIAL and it will allot me 2 free months! Thanks in advance!

1) Create an account here: www.gradecam.com/signup?referrer=qpj2by  

2) Create a class to add students and ID numbers for each

3) Print out blank forms OR forms that already have students names and ID's

4) Create an assignment and answer key

5) Scan students responses for immediate feedback

You can also: generate reports, attach standards to your answer keys, create rubrics, and even sync to your gradebook.

Check out the GradeCam blog for more ideas and 50 Ways to be a SuperHero Teacher with GradeCam. 

Please try it out, I promise it's a definite time saving app!

Last but certainly not least, here is a resource that will ALSO save you time. My Comprehension Skills Flipbooks available in SPANISH. Read about them here, download a FREE SAMPLE, and please SHARE with your bilingual colleagues. XOXO until next time friends!

Thank you for joining our September Linky and good luck with the giveaway :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

 

Oriental Trading Gift Card Giveaway!

Hello friends! I am here today to share about a wonderful giveaway going on right now! Would you like to win a $25 gift card to Oriental Trading? Keep reading and enter the giveaway for your chance to win :)

Have you visited Oriental Trading lately? They have so many supplies, manipulatives, decorations, and more. This year, our school theme is Superhero and I am keeping my eye on these must haves. Check them out here.

Picture from Oriental Trading

Furthermore, did you know Oriental Trading has a blog with Education Archives? I am loving this motivational bulletin board and how easy it is to set up. Check it out here.

NOW for our giveaway!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:  

Prize: $25 Oriental Trading Gift Card

Giveaway Organized by:  Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher), 

Co-hosts:  An Apple for the Teacher, Kovescence of the Mind, MM Bilingual, Exceptional Thinkers, Lindsey's Classroom Creations, It's a Teacher Thing,

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter. Giveaway ends 9/8/16 and is open worldwide.

Good luck friends and until next time :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back to School K-2 Linky!

Hello friends! Welcome back to our monthly I Teach K-2 Linky! Today I am joining my wonderful blogger friends to talk about back to school inspiration and some resources that will definitely SAVE you some time and money!! Make sure to read all the way to the END for an amazing giveaway!!! 

To start off, I'm going to share two of my favorite inspirational quotes for back to school. Feel free to download these, print them, and share them. 

Now on to a FREEBIE just for you! I usually struggle heading back to school trying to find the perfect reading logs for my students. I know there are many free ones, but I wanted one that would meet the needs of my bilingual kiddos. I have two versions for you both in English and Spanish. One is a general reading log with space for date, title, minutes, and signature. Then there's a different version labeled Monday-Thursday where I added the option for students to write a summary of what they read. It helps keep them accountable for their reading and practice their summarizing skills. Click HERE to download these or click the picture below to be redirected to my TpT store for your FREE download.

I also wanted to add a website you will definitely want to visit during back to school season: MPM School Supplies! I am loving their classroom rugs (which are also in English or Spanish if you're looking for bilingual resources) and will be a great addition to any classroom!

Enjoy and hope these help you as we head back to school for an AMAZING 2016-17 school year! 

XOXO Until next time friends! Don't forget to enter below to WIN one of three amazing prizes :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

Do Not Disturb Folders - Spanish

Hello friends and welcome back to my blog! Today I will be sharing a wonderful organization/management tip that has worked with my kiddos: Do Not Disturb Folders! My team teacher introduced me to these my very first year teaching, and I haven't looked back since then. Of course, now they look much cuter. 

Basically, these create a little office for students when they need to really, really focus on their work (also during state testing)! You've probably seen these at teacher stores or online. Here's a picture of some type of offices teachers use.

Find these at Really Good Stuff

Back in 2010, my team teacher helped me create these with recycled manila folders and tape. Those were great and lasted several years. I think some are still around. However, I worked on some new ones for my kiddos that have this "Do Not Disturb" sign in SPANISH! Want to create these for your students? It's fairly simple and will definitely help lessen distractions during independent work time. 

First, you will need two manila folders, a glue stick, and this FREE download from my TpT store. Print it out in color or in black and white as needed.

Next, overlap the two manila folders and glue them together to make a trifold. See below.

Then, glue the printable on the outside middle cover. Finally, you can laminate them to guarantee they'll last for years to come!

Easy peasy huh! Now, create as many as you need for your class. I team teach, BUT only create one class set.  I keep them in a skills box so that students can use them as needed. 

Enjoy your free download, friends, and until next time! XOXO

Back to School TpT SALE!!!

Hello friends! Are you ready to go back to school for the BEST YEAR EVER??? I am excited and anxious to meet my new group of 2nd graders and for all the surprises that 2016-17 await for us!

To celebrate back to school, TpT is having a huge SALE where you can save up to 28% on most resources (including my already reduced BUNDLES)!!! Say what?!? Yup, head on over to save money, shop, save money, and shop some more! Don't forget to use the code BESTYEAR and to redeem your TpT credits to get the best deals!

On a similar note, my Spanish Teacher colleagues and I have worked hard this summer to bring you an eBook full of:

*Back to School Tips

*Freebies and

*Products

 that will  make back to school easier and stress free for you! Go download and find 20 PK-5th sellers sharing their best ideas and products with you! Enjoy friends and don't forget to go shop this amazing SALE!

XOXO Until next time friends!

Back to School Giveaway!

Hello friends and welcome back to my blog! Today I have exciting news to share...I am officially 39 weeks pregnant and anxiously awaiting the arrival of our precious baby girl!!! Lately, I've been blogging a lot and posting new units before baby girl's debut! I am a first time mom so I am excited about this new journey and the surprises in store for me. Any and all advice welcome :)

Here are a few new blog posts to recap my summer, in case you've missed them. All to help you in the new school year. Click on any of the blog posts below to read great ideas and tips (lots of freebies in there, as well!) 

*Teaching Prefixes/Suffixes in the Bilingual Classroom

*Teaching Grammar in the Bilingual Classroom

*Teaching Guide Words in the Bilingual Classroom

*Comprehension Flipbooks

*FREE Classroom Posters, ideas and tricks

*FREE Game Boards 

Woooo I've been busy! But not too busy to forget about you! I am having a quick GIVEAWAY for a $10 TpT giftcard that will surely help you SAVE money on a TpT SALE 

coming .... 

(very soon)......

(very, very soon)......

Enter in the rafflecopter below and good luck! Enjoy the rest of summer :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Comprehension Flipbooks in SPANISH

New resource alert! Comprehension Flipbooks in SPANISH! I am so excited to have completed this project just in time for back to school! I've been creating these flipbooks with my students since my first year teaching! We'd use different colored paper and have all our skills in a handy flipbook they could refer to during independent reading. We'd just write out everything and draw the graphic organizers, stem questions, etc. Let me tell you, it would take TIME oh precious TIME!!! I finally decided I needed an electronic version to make my life easier. 

Keep reading, for an explanation of these gems and a FREE sample just for my blog readers! 

These comprehension flipbooks have four parts:

1. Skill name

2. Skill definition/example

3. Stem questions

4. Graphic organizer

1. Skill cover page

I like to use these to introduce a lesson. We go over the name of the skill, any background knowledge they have about it, have they heard this before, when, what do they think this means? My students LOVE technology, so when I introduce the skill, I'll usually look for a Brain Pop video that explains a bit about it or a YouTube song that will be catchy to help remember the skill we are covering.

2. Guided definition

On this page, I provide the definition and an example or exercise for the students to read and/or take notes. This definition anchors the lesson and can be referred to throughout the week we practice that skill. 

3. Question Stems

During small groups, we use the stem questions during the reading to practice ways the skill can be assessed. Students can also use these in a center to ask each other questions pertaining to the skill being covered. This is a great way to build and practice academic language since students need the repetition and exposure to the questions. 

4. Graphic Organizer

The graphic organizer can be done with a read-aloud you’ve already covered and can be filled out together so that students have an accurate example in their flipbook of how to fill out graphic organizers with this skill.

I have two sets posted in my store: 

From SET 1
Cause/Effect - Causa y Efecto
Main Idea - Idea Principal
Making Inferences - Hacer Inferencias
Character/Setting/Plot - Personaje, Ambiente y Argumento
Summary - Resumen
Context Clues - Claves de Contexto

From SET 2
Compare/Contrast - Comparar y Contrastar
Sequence of Events - Orden de Sucesos
Drawing Conclusions - Sacar Conclusiones
Theme - Tema
Author's Purpose - Propósito del autor
Problem/Solution - Problema y Solución

I also have the BUNDLE posted which will save you 20% 

Hope you've made it this far, because you are in for a treat! Click on THIS LINK to download a FREE SAMPLE of my flipbooks. Try it out today with your students and come back to let me know what you think! This is an EXCLUSIVE SAMPLE just for my blog readers, enjoy!

Until next time friends, XOXO

Game Boards in SPANISH

Welcome back to my blog friends! Today I am writing all about using game boards in the bilingual classroom. Teachers are creative and inventive when it comes to engaging students in the lessons. Since we are always creating these fun new ways to engage students with content, today I am here to share my top three reasons for using game boards. I will also be sharing FREE game boards in SPANISH to use as you head back to school.

Keep reading for ideas and a FREEBIE!

Top three reasons to use game boards in the classroom:

1) Learn skills

Through games, students are learning much more than just content. They are applying critical thinking skills, team work, good sportsmanship, and creativity. Games allow students to learn and practice rules. They also learn from experience to think ahead and plan their "winning strategy."

2) Engagement

Using game boards ensures the students are participating. Students take turns and hold each other accountable to answer the questions. Since there is an element of competition, they are energized and motivated to pay attention to what is going on in the game. 

3) Retention of material

Students will recall much more information when they are actively participating in their learning. So what's better than practice book pages, worksheets, and writing definitions? A game that will provide the repetition they need to retain the material. However, be certain to make this connection noticeable for students. They need to be able to apply what they learned at the game during their academic tasks.

I have created this FREEBIE just for you to use when playing games in the classroom. Simply print out the pages and laminate for durability. Just add dice, game pieces, and you're set! This is a must have when getting centers or stations prepared :) Enjoy! Click on the picture for your free download!

So how will you use games this coming school year? What kind of games do your students play? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. 

Until next time friends, XOXO

Classroom Posters in Spanish

Welcome back to my blog! Today I will be sharing some free SPANISH posters with you and ideas on how to print and use them in your classroom. Make sure to subscribe to my email newsletter HERE. You will receive a FREE SPANISH prefixes unit just for signing up and joining my email club!

Have you seen the “When you enter this room you are….” posters? These posters are super cute but I always find them in English. This morning I decided to create a few similar ones but in Spanish to decorate our bilingual classrooms. These are super cute to introduce and display on meet the teacher nights, back to school, and year round reminders of how important our students are to us.

Click the pictures to get your FREE download.

Here are some tips on printing these out.

5X7 Frame

These black frames are from Dollar Tree. I like to place these next to my computer centers or on my library shelf. Simply print the 5X7 option in the download, cut, and you’re set to display these.

8X11

This is your regular size paper. Print these out and laminate to display around the room.

Poster Size

Want to print these posters bigger to display on a bulletin board or hallway? Follow the steps in the screenshot to print poster size. You can always print even bigger just play with the tile scale percentage on step 3. After you print these out, cut and assemble your poster with a glue stick or double sided tape. Then laminate for durability!!

Enjoy your cute posters!!! Until next time friends! XOXO

Looking for Motivational Posters in Spanish to decorate for BTS? Check these out!

 

Also, see MPM School Supplies for more posters and even Spanish posters! They have such cute posters at great prices. Don't forget: Subscribe to my email newsletter HERE. You will receive a FREE SPANISH prefixes unit just for signing up and joining my email club!