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

Let me introduce myself...

HI! As I start this journey as a blogger, I thought I would introduce myself so you all could get to know me a little better! I thought what better way to get to know someone than a list of facts about them and what they love. So, without further a due...

1. I live in Indianapolis, IN and I love it! Originally from Evansville, IN (southern IN), but Indy is where I landed. There is so much to do, and there is constantly something new to do in the city with friends and I LOVE IT! I live with the 2 best roommates ever, and we love to go and experience Indy together. I always thought I would move away from Indy after college to experience something new, but nope that didn't happen, and here I am. 

4th of July fireworks from Downtown

2. I went to Butler University for my undergrad. If we are going to talk about something I love, this is where majority of my love lies! I was lucky and had a wonderfully awesome college experience! I met the best people, learned a whole lot, and experienced some fantastic college basketball! (Go Dawgs!) I think I could go on and on about Butler and my love for it. Hinkle Fieldhouse is a magical place. Indiana is basketball central. One of my favorite memories is from freshman year when Butler made it to the Final Four. My sister and some friends went to the Elite 8 game in New Orleans, then turned around and went to the Final Four in Houston. Long story short, we put 5,000 + miles on my dad's car in 7 days. Something I will never forget! I was also in a sorority where I met the best people ever.

Hinkle Fieldhouse

Some of my best friends ever!

I wouldn't have survived ed classes without them!

3. I love photography! It is a passion of mine, and every time I am able to be behind my camera, I am a very happy person! On an average vacation or trip I take 700+ pictures, can you say love?

4. My family. I am almost certain I have the best family in the world.  We are very close and I love when I get to spend time with them, it is never a dull moment! They have supported me through everything I've done, and I couldn't be more thankful! I have one older sister who is 3 years older than me, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. She is the greatest. Lindsay recently got engaged, and in October I will get a brother, Andy! SO EXCITED!

Selfies get the family photo done!

Me, Mom, Lindsay, Andy, Dad

5. If you didn't catch it in the blog title, I teach 5th grade! I always knew I wanted to teach upper elementary, and I think I've found my grade. Quick story on how I got to the school I am at. At Butler, we student teach for our whole senior year, 2 placements, one each semester. My first semester was the BEST because I was placed at a school I love (where I am now) and my cooperating teacher was a sorority sister. We couldn't have worked any better together. It was in fifth grade. Skip ahead a few months, and my cooperating teacher (who was engaged) announced she would be moving to Alabama. Insert me! I was lucky enough to fill her big shoes and join the 5th grade team. 
Last year was my first year teaching, and was it a crazy one. I don't think there is a teacher out there who wouldn't say that their first year wasn't crazy! I learned a lot and cannot wait to start this year with what I learned last year and the tools in my toolbox I gained.

So, there are five things about me, there is a lot more to me, but these are the five I thought of as I was writing this! I will share more about myself as the blog goes on. I hope this helped you learn a little more about me!

-Meredith

Leap of Fath

Well, here goes nothing! After about a year of blog stalking some wonderful blogs, I have decided to take the plunge and join these amazingly talented teachers who have inspired me and continue to inspire me! I am not sure I am to the caliber of all of you, but I am going to try! After reading some of your blogs from beginning to end, I feel like it is time to do this! Many of these fabulous teachers have helped me through my first year of teaching. A few blogs in particular saved me last year, and I have so much respect for them, so I hope I can be that someday for another new teacher! 

Stay tuned for upcoming posts and hopefully some useful ideas! 

Am I crazy? I think so! So buckle up and hold on! Here goes nothing!