Top Secret Word Study Center

Hi everyone!!
It has sure been a while my friends!
Going back to teaching and having two kids at home is a whole different ball game y'all!
I have been creating here and there, but nothing is complete neither ready to put on my store. So hang in  there with me! I have been posting some on my instagram page, so if there is something you are interested, send me a message and I will try my best to post the product!

Today, I am super excited to show you what I have been doing since we started centers. The kids really enjoying using the blacklight flashlights!

The product includes English and Spanish instructions for students and a recording sheet. The cards are blank, so you can write your own words with the special markers.
I included the same links on one of the slides of the product, to be more handy.

In order for this center to work, you will need the following items:

Ultraviolet blacklight Flashlights

Invisible UV Blacklight Ink

How it works

I personally love that my students get to walk around the classroom during centers. During this time, they have more freedom and I let them walk around the classroom. Therefore, I place all my cards around my room. The center contains the blank cards, the instructions, and a report sheet where my students write the words they found, on the correct number.

I need to write the words with those special markers, so I write them first and then I laminate the cards. The ink will stay, so no worries about it fading away. Then, let the magic happen!

The kids really do enjoy this center!
I have up to four students in that center. Each student has a flashlight and they walk around my classroom with the report sheet on a clipboard. I asked them not to tell their group partners where the cards are placed. It is not that much fun when you find the words in 5 minutes because your friend already told you where all of them are placed. However, I have witnessed that most of them help each other when some are getting frustrated they can't find the cards (I promise I really don't hide them, but some have a hard time finding them all), so in that case, I let them... just because I see team work and not students who just don't feel like looking for cards around the classroom.

I have created 20 blank cards, but I honestly only use 16 of them. 15 words are part of our weekly word sudy list, and I leave one for a funny phrase for the kids to read. They always look forward for that funny card!

I hope this preview has helped you otday and it has also encourage you to do something similar in your class! I think it is very simple preparation and the kids really enjoy it! 

If you would like to check out the product, please click HERE to take you to my store.

Thank you for visiting me today! have an amazing week! :)

Classroom Management Part 2: Reward System

Hello again!
Today we continue to talk about Classroom Management, but this time we will focus on the reward system. What ways have you used before to reward your students in school?

In the past years I have used conduct calendars to go along with popsicles, treasure box, and even collecting "money." Truth to be told, I was never able to keep up with some of them! There was always so much to do in the classroom, which lead to say "tomorrow will do the shopping day" more often every school year period.

I really loved buying the cute stuff at Oriental Trading and at Target for my kiddos, but honestly, there were so many things that I thought they were so cool and they did not care much about them! Of course, the happy meal prices were always a hit, but there was so much happy meals I could eat in order to keep up!

This year I would really like to change it up and challenge myself on doing different things! I want a system that 1. I can keep up throughout the school year and 2. something that is not gonna break my bank account! and most importantly 3. Something that my kids are motivated to keep working hard!

REWARD COUPONS

The first thing I am planning on using are the classroom reward coupons.
These are fulfilling my three requirements from above!
1.something I could keep up
2.No cost and
3.Something my kids will enjoy working for.
It is important to point out that these will only be the ones I will be using for the first half of the school year. I am working on the other half with a list of different rewards. In addition, I want to interview my kids throughout the first half of the school year and find out what they like about the reward couopns and what other coupons they would like to see!

The coupons are perfect if you want to use a bead container or something similar to that. I got mine at Hobby Lobby because I wanted to use my coupon. However, you can find these at Walmart or any other craft store :)

The coupons are available in English and Spanish, as usual. They come in color and black/white version to save some ink!

How would I use them in my classroom?
I used a behavior calendar at a previous district and I found it to work great in order to inform my parents about their kids. We have a calendar for every 6 weeks and a list of marks students might have. They get a sticker daily if their behavior has been great, but if they have misbehave in class, they get a number (they get chances before they get a number on their calendar).
I am planning to use these coupons after the student has gotten 15 consecutive stickers.at a previous district I was replacing these coupons instead of getting them a popsicle (I used to do this in my previous years.) The student will be able to pick a reward coupon to use at any time. They need to write their name on the back of the coupon in order to be able to "cash it out" whenever they are ready.

I would need to make a clear point that if they loose their coupon or they never wrote their name on it, then I am not responsible to replace that coupon. This is the part when I have a change to teach them about being on second grade and being responsible with our things. I am not planning on trying to keep up with whom gets what coupon and how many times the student picked the same coupon. I know I will have a million more things to worry and focus. Students will be entitled to choose whatever coupon they would like and be free to use it at any time!

Students keep these calendar on their binder. I provide the binder as a beggining of the school gift from me to them. If you would like to know more about this binder, please click HERE.

The alternative use from the Behavior Calendar:
If the calendar behavior is not an option for you, then you might want to see this alternative option. I added a punch card into to the reward coupons product. After 20 hole punches, the student gets to pick a reward card. On my example above, my students have to have 15 consecutive stickers. On this punch card, students can collect the hole punches no matter how many days pass by or maybe you have your own rules, so go for it! These are only suggestions :) Remember, YOU DO YOU!

I hope these tips have been helpful to you! I realized my link has been broken for several months now, so I am sorry if you tried to refer to this previously and it didn't work!

As always, I am only a message away, FOLLOW me on IG @brincaintobilingual 

Classroom Management Part 1: Classroom Expectations

Welcome back!
I am planning on sharing with some of my Classroom Management tips and products I use in my classroom!!
I am sure most of you already have a system or your school lets you know what procedures are needed to take for classroom management. In my case, I have been trained and I was required to use CHAMPS. I honestly did not really know what to do with it, except using the things my school already provided for me to use. However, one day I had a teacher asking me if I could make some posters for her in the Dual Program. So I thought "Duh! of course I could use these and place them all around my classroom!"
So I created 5 CHAMPS POSTERS in both English and Spanish. Then, I had a request on my TPT to add one for writing and/or independent practice, but leaving it blank, so I added that!
So the final product comes with 7 CHAMPS posters (Centers, Group Work, Line, Class, Carpet Time, and 2 blank posters with students are their desk working). About the Blank Posters: Google docs do not have a portrait option, so be aware that the editable document is in a landscape position. Please see the instructions in the beginning of the document to edit the document. One poster contains a student at a desk (can be used for tests or independent work) and the second poster contains two students working at their desk (can be used for reading/writing time). PLEASE know that you cannot edit the fancy/big font or the clip art due to copyrights.
Click HERE if you would like to check it out :)

 

This same school district was very strong about implementing CHAMPS, so after a year of using it, I came up with an interactive bulletin board in my classroom. I created this for a foam board, but you can honestly just put some magnets on the back and have it up on your dry-erase board.

At the beginning of the school year (maybe the first 3/4 months), I was mainly the one who used this board. We would use this board ALL THE TIME. For every activity, including: independent practice (I would just say independent practice and clarify with my students what kind of independent practice we are working on. In that way, we are not having illustrations for every specific activity), cooperative groups, carpet time, centers, and tests. However, after those months I would start choosing students to do it and the rest of the class would participate on answering what was expected. When they realized I started asking students, they all wanted to be "the teacher." I didn't expect them to want that since they were in third grade, but they just loved it!! 

     

Alright, this board works like this:

I would go letter by letter "C is for conversation (I would expect the students to answer after months of doing this)" Then I would say "What voice level are we on? Level 1 (Expect students to answer). Then I would say, show me what level 1 sound like (this level is whispering so students would start whispering to me). Then I would go letter by letter until we finish the word CHAMPS.

If you would like a copy of this, please click HERE to take you to my store. The only items that this product doesn't contained is the border that I used to decorate the foam board and the foam board. On the product, I included more pictures of how the board looks like and the illustrations come with labels so you know what they are used for. I also included a video on how to use the board, if  you are more of a visual person like I am :)

Thank you for stopping by my blog today! Feel free to coment or to send me an email if you have questions! :)

Organization Part 2: How to Organize Data and Important papers

Welcome back friends! I hope you are having a fantastic week so far! I know most of you must be very busy trying to get your classroom organized and decorated for this upcoming school year. I also know most of you are finding new stuff to add as you keep scrolling down on Instagram or Facebook!! lol I know! I am one of you, too!

This post will be short, but I wanted to share with you the last part of my Organization Blog posts! This time I would like to talk to you about Organizing Data and important papers. Very important post so you can stay organized and keep your sanity! (Whooppp!!)

Reading Groups Binder

I know there are hundreds of different TPT products you can find that has to do with small reading groups. I have seen them and most of them have so many sheets and so much information you can keep on your binder, and I LOVE IT! However, I will be honest with you. I know I would never been able to keep up with the forms. They are all so helpful, but the more overwhelmed I felt. So I decided to simplify my life! Something simple and yet highly important that I will be able to keep doing throughout the school year.

So I created my own simple Reading Groups Binder!

Inside this product you will find:
1. the Guided Reading Groups Sheet - This will be helpful for you to keep organize your groups. It is designed to use with post-its so you can keep writing and changing students to different groups. Note on the picture, I use tabs to separate my groups. This is just a suggestion to keep your papers organize, but if you have a different method, go for it! :)

2. Guided Reading and Running Records Schedule Chart - On this sheet you can plan what groups you'll see for the week and how many running records you need to schedule for the week as well.
3. Guided Reading Group Books - On this sheet you will write down the book you'll be reading with a specific group and other information about the book. You can keep track of how many fiction or Non-fiction books you are reading to mix up the genre in the group. It is also helpful so you don't bring a book that you have already given them.
*After the Group Tabs, I have an Avery Index Table of Contents dividers. I use the following sheets and place them under the first letter of my student's last name.*
4. Student's Personal Note sheet - On this sheet I keep all my notes about my student. All my students have one or more throughout the school year. Things my students need to improve and things they are successfull.
5. Reading level progress sheet - This sheet contains the levels of beginning, Middle, and End of the Year. This are great to see the student as a whole. To remember how they came, how much they have improved, and how much they have accomplished by the end of the school year. This sheet is great to use during Parent-Teacher Conferences!
6. Running Records Progress - All the running records results I have given to my student.

I think this is a great binder that will help you and will help ME for this upcoming school year! I have included the link above (above of th first picture shows), but if you missed it, please click HERE to take you to my store!

Parent Conversation Log

This is another important thing to do in order to stay organized! Create a Parent Conversation Log binder! Mine is very simple! I bought some Avery Index Table of Contents dividers and put some blank writing paper inside of each divider. Every time I had a conversation over the phone with a parent, I would write down the important things we said or agreed during our conversation! Maybe you are wondering why I do this. Well maybe, just maybe, one day there is a missunderstanding and misscommunication with a parent. You will have your log to remember and show what was said and what was agreed. I have learned the hard way, that we can't remember it all and that you need to have a proof of something. This log is a life saver to keep information! I would also use this for important information during Parent-Teacher conferences. My parents used to like it when I wrote important things they were saying about their child. We all need to establish good communication with parents from the beginning!

File Hanging Folders

Last, but not least! Where do you keep important tests, forms, letters, etc.? I have a simple way to do this! Many teachers loveee binders and I do too! But I have so many binders for other things that I really want to make this as simple as possible. The answer is "Manila folders in hanging folders!!." My school kind of makes you have a teacher desk (like the old ones), so I take advantage of my heavy-old friend by using its drawers. In there I keep a hanging folder for each of my students. I keep al important information there. Something that I can just pull when having a Parent-Teacher conference or having to meet with someone regarding that student.
Maybe you don't have a file cabinet. Crates are perfect for hanging folders as well! Remember these folder contain personal information for each of your students. So if I had a crate, then I would keep it under my desk so my students or any other person would not get the attention of the folders.

My friends this is all for today! I hope you have learned something new and something important! Hope you are very motivated to try new things so you can be more organized! Stay tuned become up next will be all about classroom management and rewards!!!

Happy Planner: Peek inside and a Freebie

Happy Planner Teacher Edition 2018-2019

Hello my friends and welcome back!
I know most of you, if not all, are enjoying your Summer and have probably shut down your "Teacher Mode." However, I wanted this to be my first blog post before I start my series of Back to School posts!
Today I would like to share with you the planner I have chosen for this school year, The Happy Planner - Teacher Edition. After asking (don't you love your reliable Social Media teaching groups?) and researching on Google, I decided to go with this planner. I had previously shared this information over my IG account a few months back when I had just purchased it. If you are not following me over my Instagram @brincaintobilingual, I hope this blog post helps for you to do so! :) I wanted to make a blog post in case you missed it or in case you would like to see what others things I have added to it after I purchased the planner.

How it Looks in the Inside

I have not bought any other planner like this one previously. I had always used the regular month to month planner. I always found myself carrying a thousand binders and notebooks with me and I hated.every.single.time.of.it. Sometimes I would forget one or another and I just got frustrated!

This is one of the first reasons I decided to get the Happy Planner-Teacher Edition. It contains a space in each month for you to map out your plans of the week. At my old school, they required us to write detailed lessons, so I was always mapping out and making small notes of my lessons to use before writing an actual lesson. I am not sure what the requirements will be for my new school, but either way, this planner would be very helpful for me to be carrying a million of notepads :)
What I really liked about this section is that the planning sheets are right after the month section. There is no flipping pages from back to front! Everything is together in each month and I really liked that small, but very important detail.

In each month, before the month cover sheet, it contains a sheet where you can write top 5 things, your goals, and student birthdays. I love this because I can write important notes and dates in there!

It also contains a checklist in the very end of the binder. I am not completely sure what I would use this (definitely for something that I cannot have to do constantly); such as Fieldtrips, party snacks, money for fieldtrips, etc.

The Accessories

The Happy Planer is very special because you get to add, remove, and put back pages! I love that there are so many options and accessories to this planner. Check out their page to see the rings, the stickers, the sheets, and much more! I personally will only be adding stickers (because who can live without them?!) and I am adding the half sheet weekly plan.

I was not going to get stickers, but then I saw how cute they were and I couldn't resist! I know I might not be able to use them all, but I am already planning some other cool stuff whenever I use them all. I am thinking about using my Cricut or maybe purchasing a washi tape label machine. I have a label machine, but it does not print on cute washi tape!

P.S. This is the extra set I purchased. However, the planner that I purchased (in a box) comes witha  few sheets of stickers and washi tape.

The second item I purchased was the weekly plan. Yes, it says MEAL PLAN, but I am not using it necessary just for meals. I know I need more space to write because I am a HUGE planner and I love to check things off a list (it makes me feel like I have actually accomplished something). They had one, but honestly, it was not cute at all. I am a big fan of having cute stuff, so this is the only one I really liked and it works magic for me, regardless of the title :)

FREEBIE CHECKLIST 

Last, but not least my friends! 

Honestly, my original idea was to create print outs on sticky notes with a checklist and have them on every week. Cute, right?! Well, I realized that it would be more work for me and one more thing I had to worry about doing because I would have to print on sticky notes every month or so. I am not really willing to do that! #sorrynotsorry

So I decided to create a checklist or a to do list. Something I laminate and use Vis-a-Vis pens so I can write over and over again . I only need to print ONCE, laminate ONCE, whole punch ONCE, and use for the entire school year! Better, don't you think?!

If I caught your attention so far, please don't forget to get the paper punch! Funny story: I was going to do the holes manually, then I was reminded of how amazing Instagram community is for me! While I was chatting with a teacher friend, she mentioned that I needed to get a paper punch (I am new to this planner, remember?) so I did! I am so blessed to have virtual teacher friends! Can you imagine how much time and frustration it would have been if I tried making these holes myself?! Ugh, I don't even want to think about it anymore! LOL

Anyways, I bought the paper punch with a coupon so it didn't hurt my wallet so much. I purchased the classic size paper punch because that is the size of my planner. I honestly don't think it makes a difference which one you use, I think it would still do the work. But don't quote me on that statement, I would have to buy a big size and try it to make it official.

I created this sheet based on what I do every week before I go home for the weekend. I have created the same list with 5 different backgrounds for your own taste and because I couldn't make up my mind ;) 

Of course, I realized not all of you do the same as I do. Therefore, I added the editable sheets for you to use if you would like! Maybe you do some of my weekly copies or maybe you do the centers, but would like to add or change it a little bit to fit your own to do list, be my guess!

Click HERE if you would like to download this for FREE :)

How to Assemble this Free Checklist:

Like I mentioned above, please print and laminate. The cutting is the important key! When cutting please just cut the top, bottom, and right edges of the frame. I have included a picture for my visual learners (as myself).

PIC

After you are done cutting, simply, hole punch the sheet with the 365 Paper Punch.

Use your Vis-a-Vis markers, wipe, and use over an over again!

Well this is all for today my friends! If you were not sure what planner to get,  hope this post has helped you to decide that! I also hope you have found my freebie to be helpful and cute for you to use! Stay tuned because once July comes around, I will be constantly posting! Remember you can always follow me by email so you get my new posts on an email and you never miss the fun!

"Let's Find Out" in Spanish Magazine Review and Giveaway

Hello everyone!!!

I am soooo excited to be back with an AWESOME GIVEAWAY from Scholastic!! They have asked me to test their magazine for the month of March and do a review as an educator. I really enjoy looking at these magazines because it gives me a chance to see what other resources can be helpful for my kiddos. So let's get started!!

Magazine Set

The monthly magazine set comes with Teacher's Big Issues and student matching small issues (one per student). This monthly set is pretty amazing because it contains very good topics that would work perfectly for this time of the school year. The information given is great for students to read independently and very enganging.
The teacher's big Issue  is perfect to be placed on a board for a visual to engage students. If you use this in small groups, you can also place it on a easel and use it during an intro discussion before students use their own magazine. This magazine is perfect for Prek, K, and 1st grades. However, I can see a second grade teacher using them for students who might be below reading level or even during a whole group activity (for this especific issue).

I really liked the content because it contained enganging reading and interactive questions to go along with it. On the back of the magazine, it comes with an activity that students can either solve on their own or in a small group. These questions go along with the information given inside, so students are working on comprehension skills!

The monthly set also includes a small reading issue. This is perfect to use in small groups. The pictures are great and the sentences are mixed with pictures, which makes it a great fit for early literacy. 

You also get a Teacher's Guide. In there, you can find a snapshot of what you can find online for that monthly set (issue sample, videos, games, and activities) and lesson ideas for each issue included in the monthly set.

The Online Access

Besides getting the print resources, you also get online access to the magazine! In there, you can find the reading issue, and it has a feature where it reads out loud! How great is that feature for your kiddos?! In addition, there are enganging videos (related to the reading), games, and even printables!

The printables are easy to find and print! They include a variety of skills. You can find activities for vocabulary, personal connections, predictions (a big halleluyah!), bar graphs, and text evidence.

If you would like to taste the water before subscribing, try the 30-day free trial and find out more about the subcription HERE :)

Drums pleaseee!!!! Let's Find Out in Spanish and I have come together to giveaway a classroom set for the March issue (max 35 students copies) to ONE LUCKY WINNER! If you win a set, please know you must provide your full name and address in order to receive it. It is very simple to participate! All you need to do to enter is leave me a comment below telling me how you would use the magazine in your classroom and leave me your email.
The winner will be chosen and contacted on March 1st, 2018.

Thank you everyone for stopping by on my blog and good luck to everyone! :)

All you need is LOVE!

Whoaaaaa!!!
I have not posted anything since November my friends! I am so sorry about that! Truth be told, I have been out of the country for a whole month! We decided to spend Christmas in Peru with my family (I am originally from there, in case you didn't know). My husband stayed with us for two and a half weeks, and I stayed for a month with the kids. My Grandma's 78th birthday was on January 11th so many relatives came from overseas and from other parts of Peru to celebrate HER. I was so blessed that my mom offered me to fly over to Texas with the kids and me; otherwise, I don't think I could have been able to come back on my own with two little kids (cheers for all those brave and strong moms who do that!).

Anyways! After giving my whole reason of why I have been absent for so long, I would like to do a little reminder of things I have for FREE and paid products for Valentine's!!!

First, I wanted to share one of my favorite Valentine's freebies. I think Mr. Heart came out really cute! Your students could write a letter to another friend in the classroom, or write about what they like about Valentine's or write about a favorite part of a valentine's story! Your options are endless!!! PLUS, I think they would look so cute on a bulletin board, don't you think?? Click HERE to download it :)

So after Mr. Heart, I felt pretty cool, but then I found these AMAZING pattern paper that I HAD to buy!!!! Don't you agree with me???

So after a few hours thinking what cute things I could do with these papers, I thought about a real envelope that kids can do! I'm HORRIBLE with origami, so I hope you are not expecting that awesome and complicated method level of origami! HA!

I looked on Google for EASY ways to make an envelope, and I found soooo many options! Most of them were too hard for this teacher :| 

I found this great website where there are many different templates, but I didn't want to go that far at this time, I just wanted simple steps and not having to make copies of the pattern and cut and so on... HOWEVER, if you would like to check it out, please DO! She really has great ideas different websites for different types of envelopes! Click HERE to take you there :)

I also found this picture with steps on how to do an envelope from a heart shape. So I thought it would be cute for students to write a short note on the back of the heart (the blank side), make the envelope, and just glue it with a foam sticker or something that when you open it, you would open the whole letter at once!

I got this picture from The Crafty Blog Stalker

Here are my pictures and how my envelope came up :) Not so perfect, but I think it would do the trick...

Then, I found this picture, I thought it was pretty simple and the steps were pretty clear, so I gave it a try.. I am NOT good at any of these things, so believe me when I tell you: "If I can do it, so can you!" I got this picture from Making Friends

I personally skipped the pattern and I tried to skip steps that I saw they were not a big deal. Mine didn't come up as perfect as it shows on the picture (of course, that happens when you skip steps on the instructions! Lol). However, I think for students and the purpose of it, it was pretty good! :)

These are my pictures on how my envelope came up :)

So along with this cute envelope, I created a Free letter pattern for kids to write a letter to a friend.... I think the best way to do this (so everyone gets a letter and no one gets more than anyone else), might be for them to choose a partner or you can even choose partners randomly!

This freebie comes in both English and Spanish with two different styles! Hope you like it as much as I do :) Click HERE to download this letter for FREE :)

Now I would like to show you what I have in my store!

My Reading Response goes along with the book "Love Monster." It is the lovely story about this funny-looking Monster who looks for someone to love him just the way he is... I love this story because it shows how important it is not to love people for their looks! There are more books of this cute and funny-looking character, so I'm planning on adding more in the future!

Here is what it's included in the booklet:

1.Favorite part of the story

2.B, M, E foldable

3.B, M, E graphic organizer

4.Predictions

5.Monster Character traits

6.Monster Flyer Character Traits

7. Change Solution 

8.Making connections

9.If you were Monster

10.Defend your opinion

11.Author’s Purpose

12.Persuade Monster

13.Characters Change

14.Monster Booklet Craft

If you would like to purchase this Rdng Response Booklet, click ENGLISH or SPANISH.

These are Math Centers for 3rd grade: it includes multiplication, measurement, word problems, comparing fractions, and a foldable to create bar graphs and pictographs. Come over my Store to have more details!!

These are Language Art centers for 2nd grade: they include sequence for the story "Froggy's First Kiss", antonyms, and long a vs short a (English only), and suffixes vs prefixes (Spanish only). Come over my Store to have more details!!

Thank you for stoping by my friends!! See ya next time!! :)