SCOOTS and Math

After my adventure with starting my TPT store, I quickly finished up my first product that I have for sale. I love using scoots in my classroom, and I think they are fantastic ways to get kids up and moving. I know people like for their kids to sit and do practice problems, but why not add to the craziness that is our classrooms and get the kids up and moving, talking academic talk, and possibly listening to "word music"? All through last year, I used scoots mainly in math, and it was a huge success. Back to more of the "word music", I play music constantly in my classroom, mostly classical/instrumental covers of popular songs. I always tell me kids we will never listen to word music during reading because its hard to comprehend, but for math they love it. I was told by another teacher one time when she walked passed my room when we were doing a scoot that my class looked like fun, controlled chaos. Thats exactly the way I like it.

My goal for my first couple of products in my TPT store will be scoots to match fifth grade standards, but will work your higher students in fourth and lower in sixth. 

My product below is for practicing multi-digit multiplication. I laminate the cards, cut them out, and then tape them all around my room so my kids are spread out when doing the scoot. In fifth grade, I give them a little more freedom than I would for a younger group of students. We have to talk about my expectations before I let them loose. I love this activity, and so do my kids!

Click here to get this product!

I hope people find this product helpful in their classroom!

-Meredith

Adding TPT Author to my resume!

I took the plunge tonight, and started my TeachersPayTeachers store! This is so crazy to me, but I cannot wait to take on this journey. I already have my first couple of products ideas swirling around in my head, and cannot wait to get to creating and making them come to life! I cannot wait to keep y'all updated and share my ideas! Not only did I start a TPT store tonight, I also talked with my all time favorite bloggers, Ashley (Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd) and it made me that much more excited to get involved in this fantastic community of teachers!

Feel free to come and follow me on this journey! With the link below! 

My TPT Store

-Meredith 

Math + Music = Student Engagement

I love music. I have music playing all the time, at home, in the classroom, in the car, on a run, you get the point! I loved when I was a student, learning songs that went with concepts, I always remembered them! Let's be honest, I STILL remember them! I am taking some advice form the wonderful Hope King. (from http://www.elementaryshenanigans.com ). She recently posted about how she uses songs to help students remember concepts here. So I decided to give it a try!

In fifth grade, there are a ton of math concepts students are expected to understand and be able to do. These concepts have many different steps that I watched students last year get confused and not know which steps went with what concepts. Insert Hope's great idea. I decided to start with adding and subtracting decimals. It is one of the easier concepts, but I wanted to engage them with a song to help them remember the steps. Almost every kid (even though boys who won't admit it) like Taylor Swift and they know her music. I went with her most recent hit, "Bad Blood." Below are the lyrics, and before you start calling me Kendrick Lamar, I went with the original version because I am not great at rapping. Not saying I'll never attempt it, but I played it safe this time around. Something I didn't do was use the entire song. I start at the beginning and end after the chorus. I hope this helps some fifth grade teachers out there.

I really want to put a video up of me singing/saying it for you all, but I cannot get this program to work. If I do, it will be below. :)

The lyrics are below, if you have any questions, comment below!

CC Fonts & Ashley Hughes ClipArt

#setthestagesongchallenge accepted!

-Meredith

My wheels have been a turnin'

Hi all! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Mine was fantastic, my mom and sister were both in Indy for a girl's weekend and it was much needed!! I wanted to drop in and tell you that I have finally been inspired for what products I could make for TPT/what I am going to blog about. I have been struggling the past couple of days wondering if this blogging/TPT things is for me, and today justified that it is for me (I hope). I am going to be busy this week seeing if I can make these ideas come to life! There is a quote I took away from one of Ashley (from Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd) and Angie's (from Lucky Little Learners) periscopes while they were in Vegas. Of course I had to make it cute! 

CC Font & Personal font

 This has kind of been my go-to when I think about this journey I have started! It has forced me to not give up, and know that this whole process takes time. If we are going to do some real talk here, it is hard starting now when you see so many fantastic people already up and running and successful and you're pretty sure you are talking to no one, but I have to tell myself it will not happen over night! So here is to patience and hard work!

Have a great week y'all,

-Meredith

Feeling Inspired

Hi all! I hope everyone is going well! I wanted to write a little post about how inspired I am feeling recently. With all of the social media that was buzzing from TPT Vegas 2015, Instagram and Periscope, has left me in awe. I am in awe of how fantastic teachers are. I feel like I can take on this blog thing because I feel like I have things to share and I know I will have people backing me up and who will be there for me! I also am excited to begin making connections with other teachers and others just starting on the blogging/TPTing journey! I just heard back from my blog designer and cannot wait to get that process going so I can have a beautiful blog I want to show off. I'm taking my inspired self and going to get started on my to-do list! :)

Until next time,
Meredith