Sunny Summer Days Linky...What I've been up to

I'm linking up today with the sweet ladies, Caitlin and Carrie, from Table Talk with C&C, for their summer linky, Sunny Summer Days, where you can let us know what you're doing this summer. Unfortunately, here in NJ it hasn't been so sunny. I'm tired of the rain.

Here are some things that I've been working on, doing, etc. so far (even though I'm not on summer break for another 5 days :( ) 

1.) I have been DRA testing for the last 2 weeks. I have a class of 2nd graders & a class of 4th graders to test by Thursday. Luckily I'm done 2nd grade & I'm half way through 4th grade. Yay me! The joys of being a basic skills teacher in my district, we get this job, at least for this year. 

2.) I am working on my final gift for my Secret Pal at work. We are having our Secret Pal reveal party Monday morning. So excited to find out who my secret pal is, they rock. I unfortunately haven't been as good of a pal as I'd like to have been. Stay tuned to see the finished work. I'll most likely end up posting the finished product on Monday Made It next week. 

3.) This is an ongoing summer project. I created addition and subtraction flashcards for facts to 20 & I am working on cutting them all out & attaching the non-answer side & answer side to each other with double sided tape, so I can laminate them. This picture is just the subtraction facts pile, the addition one is in my room. If you're in need of some flashcards check them out in my Tpt store; I have addition, subtraction, & a bundle of both.

4.) These 2 books are on my summer read list. I've been reading the Nicholas Spark's book for like a month. My sweet Secret Pal gave it to me, I don't usually read books like this, but so far it's good; however, I'm reading at a snail's pace, which is unusual for me, because I have this new addiction....BLOGGING! I feel like I spend all my time on the computer, creating & stalking, and before I know it, I'm like whoops I need to go to bed.

5.) I created my very first fonts this week. Check them out in my blog post here. So excited for this, another addiction obsession to add to the list.

6.) I freshened up my Voice Level chart. Grab your polka-dot, striped, and/or chevron styled freebie from my Manic Monday post.

7.) Last one...I'm getting ready for a demo lesson & in-person interview with the charter school that I had a phone interview with last week. I'd love to have good news for those of you that have been following this saga & sending positive thoughts & prayers my way, for Five for Friday, if not this week then hopefully next week.

Remember to link up with Table Talk with C&C for there on-going summer linky. Let us know what you're up to. You know we're all avid blog-stalkers & nosey interested in what your up to. Haha! :) 

8.) One last & final thing, so excited that HGTV's Design Star is back on. I'm currently watching Sunday's episode on On-Demand now. Yay!!!

Five for Friday (5/31)

It's Friday & I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for her Five for Friday linky party.
Here are my 5 randoms from this week:

I had my first sale on Tpt this week. Wahoo!!! I've had some of my free products downloaded, but I actually sold something this week. My addition and subtraction flashcards. I'm so excited that someone was able to use something that I made. 

Click on the pictures to check them out.

 

I'm going to Coach Bingo tonight. I'm super excited, 2 of my favorite things. Purses & playing Bingo. I really do love to play Bingo, but with my little guy I don't get to go as often as I'd like. Okay, I actually haven't gone since he was born (2 years ago).  

I had my interview yesterday & it was like something I've never experienced. It was like speed dating. I meet with the Supervisor of Special Services & she asked me a questions, then to the Assistant Principal and she asked me a question, then finally to the Principal & she asked me a question. And these were Teaching Interview 101 kinds of questions. Questions that I know how to answer, but I'm really beginning to think I don't interview well. I also had to respond in writing to how I would plan & conduct a guided reading lesson. I feel like the first question was fine, the second question was okay, but of course I thought of things to add after I left. By the time I talked to the Principal I feel like I was tripping over my words, making no sense. I was in tears before I even made it out of the town (I live in the next town over). I cried the whole way home & then cried again later in front of my husband. I'm just frustrated with myself, because if I could make it to the 2nd round, which is teaching a reading lesson to a group of 1st graders, I know I could do a great job. This is what I do everyday. Teaching reading to a small group of 1st graders. Then after that they choose some candidates to interview with elementary administration, then from their some people move on to meet with the Superintendent who makes his recommendation to the board. I've never experiences this type of process, I know it exist, but this is serious, whoever is offered this position completely deserves it after all of this. So now it's just a waiting game, they are suppose to let the candidates know the beginning of next week. Part of me is still hoping that I have a chance. I have amazing letters of recommendation from my Curriculum Supervisor, Principal, Mentor, & the classroom teacher that I do in-class support with. Sorry this part was so long. Moving along now.

12 more days of school & 5 are 1/2 days. Though I think all of next week I will be completing DRA's for 2nd graders. That's okay though, we're almost there. The end is near!!!

And finally, I'm loving these chevron numbers by Blair Turner over at One Lesson at a Time. These cute numbers are actually a freebie on her Facebook page. I found them when I went to download her cute chevron & striped borders from her Tpt store. If you haven't checked her out before, stop by her blog & check her out. Some great ideas happening over there!

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Addition & Subtraction Wars: Manic Monday @ Classroom Freebies

Today I'm linking up with Classroom Freebies for their Manic Monday Linky. 

Do remember playing the card game war? I use to play all the time with my Poppop. I thought an addition and subtraction version would be great practice for my 2nd graders to help them meet that Common Core Standard of adding and subtracting within 20 mentally. If you teach Kindergarten or 1st you could easily adapt this game to meet your corresponding standard of adding and subtracting within 5 (for Kindergarten) and within 10 (for first grade) by removing the appropriate number cards from the game. 

Here are a couple of pics of my kiddos playing Addition Wars.

The idea is pretty simple. Students flip over 2 cards & place them on the Card 1 & Card 2 spots. The partner with the highest sum gets to keep everyone's cards, just like in "War."

 With Subtraction I included a little reminder next to the card spot that the larger number card needs to go on the blue spot & the smaller number goes on the yellow spot. The partner with the lowest difference gets to keep everyone's cards.

If all players have the same sum or difference then I usually have my kiddos just keep their own cards. 

To help avoid confusion, I created a spot for the playing cards & make sure to remind my kiddos that they are to lay number side down, if not than they are fishing around in their pile for the highest cards. Then I created a spot for the cards that they win, either by having the highest sum or the lowest difference. When their playing card pile is empty, then they move their winning cards over to the playing cards pile. Remind them to give them a little shuffle before putting them into play.

When I made this game I didn't have any playing cards on hand, so I created my own cards, but that also allowed me to include numbers up to 20. For addition I only have my kids use numbers 0-10, then for subtractions I have them use all 0-20 cards. But use the cards as you see fit for your class. I make 4 copies of the cards, just like a deck of cards would have.

I also have my kiddos write down the number sentence that their 2 cards, plus the sum or difference would make, as well as their partners number sentence. Then they have to circle the highest sum/lowest difference. This is how I keep them accountable for their fact practice.

Here is an old copy of my record sheet. Yours is horizontal, but there are two sheets so it can be double sided, if they need more spaces.

Of course this little of mine forgot to circle the largest sum.

I really hope you find this game useful in your classroom & that your kiddos enjoy it as much as mine do.

Grab your Addition & Subtraction Wars Freebie here!!! or by clicking on the game board or record sheet pics.

Thanks so much for stopping by!!!