Just call me Alex Trebek!!

I love Alex Trebek...how about you?  I love playing review games with my class and Jeopardy is probably their favorite (and mine!)!!  It's become a staple after a math unit before our tests.  What I really love about it is that I give everyone a whiteboard and they are all answering the question as a review.  I can also see if there are a few kids who need a quick little review on a certain topic.  It is even more fun having an interactive whiteboard in my classroom.

I know this isn't a new idea.  Before I had the technology, I made my own board with a poster board, library pockets, and index cards.  HAHA! :)  Oh the horror... ;)  Well, even though it's not a new idea, I thought it'd be fun to blog about because maybe it's something you've been debating trying or something you knew about but forgot about.  Well, I say...GO FOR IT! :)

What can be even more fun?  Adding a little jeopardy music! :)

Do, do do do do do do, do do do do do-do do do do .... {Insert my best singing voice!}

Find it here or Find it here

It really amps the kids up!  They were beyond excited when I told them we were playing it the other day to review for our math test.  You would have thought I told them we were canceling school for the day! ;)

Here is a pic...sorry it's not a very good one!  The kids are all up front answering the question on their whiteboard and then the team will give me their answer.   They do get very competitive.  {Funny Story} One girl on a team chose a question for 10 points when there was still a 20 left...oh did her team get upset.  It was kinda funny/cute, but we had to talk about working as a team and being nice to our classmates!

Here are a few links where you can find templates for game shows.  I just can't say enough great things about them!

Powerpoint Games  (a variety of game show games!!)

Classroom Jeopardy

Internet 4 Classroom Game Templates

I hope you can find something that works for your classroom!!  Have a great week!

Are you ready for some football??

I'm pretty pumped for the Super Bowl!  Too bad my Bears aren't in it...but it's still great fun nonetheless... :)  I've been poking around all the Super Bowl units on tpt and there is a great giveaway going on!  Check out Katie's blog and enter for a chance to win!! :)

How awesome is this!?  Check it out here!  

We're having a few friends over for the big game.  I think we're going to do pizza, wings, chips and a variety of awesome dips, and meatballs.  What are your plans for the big game?! :)

Five for Friday and a Freebie!

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday  I've been wanting to do this for a few weeks, but I've been so bad at taking pictures and have just been wiped!  Friday night comes and I'm ready for bed! :)  Please tell me I'm not alone!  Without further ado...

1.  Arrays!  We had so much fun finishing up our multiplication readiness and creating all different kinds of arrays.  Here my students are playing "Spin an Array" and they just loved it!  You can purchase my All About Arrays {Getting Ready for Multiplication Unit} here!  

Click here for some Array Freebies that are part of the unit!  I hope you enjoy them!


2.  Today was our 100th Day!  WOO HOO!  It was a blast and we did all sorts of fun activities!  I will post more about that this weekend, but I think they're favorite was singing our two 100 Days songs and making a picture with 100 stickers.  They didn't like the 100 exercises for much (100 jumping jacks, running in place for 100 seconds...) :) 

3.  Super Synonyms- This week we focused on synonyms.  The students used the fly swatters to swat the synonym for the word I gave!  They had a blast!

4.  Snow!! We finally got some measurable snow here!  Living in Chicago suburbs- it is absurd that we've had no snow this year!  We didn't get this much snow, only like an inch, but I thought this picture was pretty!

5.  Sometimes I just want to walk around with this sign taped to my forehead.  This week especially for some reason.

Go link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching and Friday Freebie.  There are some great freebies to link up!  I hope you enjoy the array freebie!!  Have a great weekend!!!!

Giveaway Central!

There are lots of giveaways out there right now!  Here are two amazing ones!  Go check them out if you haven't already!

Ms. Fultz's Corner

Happy Bloggy Birthday to Her!!

Learning with Mrs. Leeby

Congrats on 200 Followers!!

Good luck!  Don't delay- enter today! :)  Hope you had a wonderful Wednesday!

Fly Swatter...What?!

One of my favorite household supplies turned teaching tools are FLY SWATTERS!  Yup- regular, old, cheapy flyswatters!  They are the best and my kids get beyond excited to use them!  They automatically sit still, wait patiently, and pay close attention...they are magic! :)

You can get these anywhere.  Most local stores including I bet Dollar Tree have some flyswatters! :)  Mine are old..I have no clue where I got them.  Here are some ways that I use them in my classroom.

1.  Review vocabulary- I put all the vocab words from the week (sometimes the last few weeks) on the interactive white board.  We give glues and the students need to swat the words.  I make a very simple powerpoint and use word art!

2.  Grammar skills-  Be creative- you can use them for almost anything.  I put up a bunch of words on the board, and then I gave a synonym.  Students had to swat the synonym.  They just giggle like crazy and have a blast!

3.  Math facts-   Put answers on the board.  Call out different math problems and students swat the answer.

If you have enough flyswatters (I am in the process of getting more)  students can do this at their desk for the same practice or even review for a test.  You can have each student cut out squares with vocab words or math answers on their desks and then as you call something out, they swat the answer on their desks!  FANTASTIC!

Do you use flyswatters in your classroom?  Do you have any other ideas?  I'd love to try some new activities!  Hope you had a great Monday Tuesday!  (It felt like Monday all day today... at least that means tomorrow is already Wednesday! )

Multiplication Frenzy with a Freebie!

I hope you are enjoying the day off if you have one!  I thought everyone was off, but I've been reading in "blogworld" that some people have school or even a teacher work day today!  If I was in charge of the world- I'd have every Monday off.  I really needed an extra day to sleep and catch up!

Alright, back to the past week in my classroom.  Despite the fact that my students are still working on mastering addition and subtraction facts until twenty, they are obsessed with multiplication.  We are just finishing up some time with arrays and making equal groups to help prep them for multiplication.  We will do some more multiplication at the end of the year...the arrays were fun while they lasted.  My students were fascinated to see how multiplication is the same as repeated addition!  *Enter the oohs and ahhs here* 

In order to help reinforce the idea of arrays I created a array unit that focuses on multiplication readiness.  Check it out here!!

This unit includes..

-3 array posters
-4 interactive Make An Array Activities (differentiated recording sheets) using math materials you have in your classroom!
-Memory Match-Up
-Scavenger Hunt
-Scoot
-Yummy Arrays (3 recording sheets and ideas for using snacks to make arrays)
-9 varied practice sheets
-3 practice sheets focusing on making equal groups

My students absolute favorites were creating their own arrays with stickers, Roll an Array with dice, and SCOOT.  Here is a little freebie from the pack for you!

Click here for an Array Freebie!

All I ask is that you become a follower and leave some feedback!  THANK YOU!!

I'm so glad to be off today and glad I finally put the finishing touches on my array packet.  So...my entire store is 20% off today and tomorrow!  Go check it out HERE!

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Inauguration today, I will leave you with this thought...

Sparkle!

Love it!!  I'll leave you with this for tonight...SPARKLE!