Classroom Callouts

Where Education Meets Fun!

10 Ways to Make Learning Fun

10 Ways to Make Learning Fun - When I first started creating products for Teacher Pay Teachers, my number one goal was to make learning fun for my first graders. I wanted to help teachers create enthusiasm for learning in their classroom. Making resources fun and engaging was top priority. I was noticing that teachers and students were overwhelmed by some of the objectives, making it almost impossible to create enthusiasm for learning. As you can probably guess, making resources fun is not always an easy task! I do realize that not everything will be fun, but if I can help motivate students and increase engagement by making learning fun, I will! #1: Removing Stress Can Help Make Learning Fun When kids are stressed out because a skill is too difficult, in interferes with learning in a big way. I saw this happening as I was trying to teach 1st Graders Making Inferences. I realized that this skill was so difficult for kids, that I had to somehow remove the stress. Some kids weren't ready to read between the lines and determine what an author was trying to slip into their brains. The difficulty of this skill was causing stress and reducing enthusiasm for learning. I was having a difficult making … [Read more...]

First Grade Math Activities – Partitioning Fractions

  Welcome to the second post in the Breaking Down the Standards Series. In this post we're diving into Fractions. When it's time to teach first grade fractions, your students will be in new territory. Knowing the standards will be helpful to effectively plan and teach them to partition shapes into equal parts.  To see the First Grade Fractions Standards for the Common Core and the TEKS, click the image above.   Vertical Alignment is so important when planning your lessons.  You need to know what your students should already know and what they should know when their first grade years is over.  Vertical alignment looks at the Kindergarten Standards as well as the Second Grade Standards.  It sets you and your students up for SUCCESS! Click the image above to see the Vertical Alignment.     3. The Breakdown: First Grade Fractions - Partitioning Shapes into Equal Parts Although the TEKS and Common Core Standards differ slightly, it is clear that partitioning into equal parts is the first step in the developmental process to learning fractions. Note that the term FRACTIONS is never mentioned in either of the standards in first grade.   While the Common Core Standard is specific … [Read more...]

First Grade Math Practice – Telling Time to the Hour and Half Hour

  Welcome to the first post in the Breaking Down the Standards Series - Telling Time Hour and Half Hour. In this post we are focusing on telling time to the hour and half hour. When your first graders are learning to tell time, knowing the standards will be helpful to effectively plan and teach your students. To see the First Grade Telling Time Standards for the Common Core and the TEKS, click the image above.   Vertical Alignment is so important when planning your lessons. You need to know what your students should already know and what they should know when their first grade years is over. Vertical alignment looks at the Kindergarten Standards as well as the Second Grade Standards. It sets you and your students up for SUCCESS! Click the image above to see the Vertical Alignment. 3. The Breakdown: Time to the Hour and Half Hour The standard for the TEKS and Common Core are the same, with a slight difference in syntax. First grade students should leave first grade with the ability to tell time to the hour and half hour on a digital and analog clock. The CC mentions "Write Time," but I'm thinking that is implied in the TEKS. They probably should have added it. What else do you think … [Read more...]

Free Winter Teaching Resources

The winter holiday season is fast approaching - it always seems to sneak up on us so quickly! It's such a busy and bustling time of year and in a blink of the eye, January will be here. Will you be ready with engaging resources when you come back to work after the holidays? Whether you are teaching in the classroom or online, I have put together a great collection of free winter resources that will be helpful as you plan your lessons for the coming new year! This collection features a wide variety of subjects and grade levels that can enhance your teaching for FREE! Activities and worksheets that are both fun and challenging for your students. Let's get going! Jump into the New Year with these free winter themed Math, Spanish and Writing resources! Busy time worksheets and winter bundles galore! And who doesn't love Boom Cards! Self-checking, interactive and paperless, Boom Cards are a teacher's best friend.   I hope you found some fun free winter resources in this post. I had a blast putting this collection together. If you've used any of these activities in your classroom, I'd love to hear how it went. Drop me a note in the … [Read more...]

Have Fun Teaching This Fall

What Makes Fall Fun? As the weather cools off and hints at the upcoming holiday season; excitement begins to grow. The sounds of crunchy leaves underfoot, spooky jack-o-lanters and scrumptious feasts; it's no doubt that autumn is a wonderful time of the year. Having fun with fall is easy with this collection of fall-themed teaching resources. From Halloween coloring sheets, Thanksgiving-themed word searches and fall-inspired crossword puzzles, create enthusiasm in the classroom that the kids will be excited about.   Bingo Dabber Games for Fall Fun I have never found ANYTHING that gets kids excited more than Bingo Dabber games. Since discovering this fun fact, I have created a bunch of fun bingo dabber games that I think you and your students will really enjoy. Besides being fun, they are a great tool for practicing tough skills.   All Bingo Dabber Games Fall Themed Word Search Fun I have found that Word Search activities are more than just busy work; they expose kids to pertinent vocabulary and use pictures to help with understanding and remembering the content. Once kids are introduced to these fun, educational activities, they'll be wanting more. You'll also love how … [Read more...]

First Grade Writing Lessons: Fixer Upper Activity

There are so many "Fixer Upper" type shows focusing on taking something in poor condition and making it look a million times better. We love to compare the before and after and watch the changes happen right before our eyes.  Fix up a House - Fix up Kid's Writing    Chances are, you’ve discussed some of these shows with your young learners and may have been surprised to find out that they actually watch shows like: Fixer Upper Home Town Love It or List It Good Bones House Hunters Flip or Flop Property Brothers Renovation Island One evening while I watched one of my favorite house flipping shows, I thought about how kids’ writing could be a “fixer upper” and that they could relate to fixing up their writing, like the pros fix up the houses. So I got busy and created this First Grade Writing Fix It Up packet with ideas for editing Punctuation, Capitalization, Spelling, Sentence Structure and Penmanship. Fixer Upper Writing - Getting Started Discuss it: Start by having a discussion with your students about fixer upper type shows on TV. Get them to raise their hands if they have seen a show like, Fixer Upper, Home Town, or Property Brothers, etc. Take a quick … [Read more...]