No tricks; just treats. :)

We are just a few days away from every teacher's favorite day of the year....Halloween!  (insert collective snicker and eye roll). 

                                             

Really though.....I have a pretty good time celebrating with the kiddos on Halloween.  We get to dress up.  We get to eat candy.  What is not to love? 


Okay....maybe the day after Halloween is not to love.....

                                  

This year my school district made the day after Halloween a PD/PLC day. Smart.  Soooo......the kids can stay out as late as they want tricking and treating and won't be sluggish the next day at school!  I call that a win!

Anyway....if you are looking for some fun, festive and cheap treats to handout to your students, or to make for your kiddos at home...check out these ideas I whipped up over the weekend! :)

Cheese Ghosts-- get a pack of cheese sticks and sharpie on eyes and mouth!  Cheap, healthy and oh so spooooooky! :)

Mandarin Orange Jack O' Lanterns-- A cup of mandarin oranges (or peaches) with a Jack O' Lantern face drawn on in sharpie. Again--healthy and cheap! :)

Witch's Broom-- Reese's peanut butter cups, with a pretzel rod pushed into the center.  Be careful when you push in the pretzel rod---those peanut butter cups can break easily! 

Spider cookies-- Simply bake any type of cookie according to package directions and place a Reese's peanut butter cup on top shortly after the cookies come out of the oven.  I let my cookies cool for about 5 minutes before placing the peanut butter cup on top.  Use chocolate frosting to pipe on the spider legs. I didn't have a lot of time, so I used pre-made peanut butter cookie dough and pre-made bagged frosting. :) Still tasted good! :)  The last step is to attach the eyes--I did this while the Reese's were a little bit melty, but you could easily use some frosting as "glue" and place on the backs of the eyes after the cookies have completely cooled.   

Hope you enjoy these fa-BOO-lous Halloween ideas!  Drop me a message and let me know what treats you make for your students or kids at home. 

Happy Halloween!

Workshop Wednesday: Preparing for the BIG test!

Yep....it's that time of year (insert teacher's all across America pulling their hair out and rolling their eyes)!

State testing....yikes!

For today....I am linking up with Jivey for her Workshop Wednesday.  Her theme just happens to be how to prepare kids for the BIG test....

Now.....I must admit I don't have the same stress that classroom teachers have in terms of assessments, as I don't teach students core content (reading, math, science, social studies, etc).

With that being said--I do feel a sense of responsibility to the students in my building, because these students are EVERYONE's kids.  We (PE teachers, music teachers, school counselors, interventionists, principals, secretaries and classroom teachers) are collectively invested in the students and their progress.  So, I may not have a DIRECT influence on the student's assessment....but I do care!!!!

Okay.....off my soapbox......and back to the theme.

I prepare my kiddos for any BIG test by informing them of the target and having them set realistic and attainable goals.  There is something to be said for goal setting....it is a POWERFUL tool...and motivator! If my kids reach their goal.....they get a prize.  This is a student selected prize.....for more buy in.

Pictured above is how the students display their prizes.  Its a nice visual reminder of what they are working for. :)  Most of the prizes I let students pick from are free or little cost.....which makes it nice on the ol' pocketbook. :)

I have a free set of reward cards in my TPT store....check them out if you are interested!!

Best of luck to all the test takers----and the stressed teachers!

Katie

Sparking Student Motivation---Reward Cards!

Student motivation is always a hot educational interest for teachers.  In my personal experience, discovering ways to motivate students is especially intriguing for educators who work with older students.  Let's face it---getting middle schoolers excited about learning can sometimes take a miracle.  Ha!

The students I work with can be even harder to motivate.....as they are the "strugglers," and don't always experience success right away.  They face disappointment and (although it breaks my heart) start to develop a low self esteem in terms of academics.  My students---well---they need the most love, encouragement, positive reinforcement and motivation that a teacher can give!!

So....as a teacher of motivationally challenged students...I am forever on the lookout for ways to encourage and inspire my students. I think half of the battle is getting students motivated....and then the rest is easy peasy, mac and cheesy.

Now....I am not one of those people who strictly believe in intrinsic motivation.  Frankly I don't care what it takes to motivate a kid---I am just glad they are excited and willing to learn.  If it takes eating lunch with the teacher, 5 minutes of free time or a prize form the prize box---I will take it!

And in all seriousness---most students are extrinsically motivated these days and my students are no exception.  So I created these cute little reward motivators I use with my students.

I use these reward cards in several ways in my class.  One of the ways is for my student's spelling tests (see how I teach spelling by clicking here.)  I allow students to select their reward--student choice is a big deal!  If they score over an 80% on their spelling test--they get to fill in a circle.  Once all of the circles are filled---they have earned their reward!

I also use these reward cards for comprehension tests, fluency checks, and even completion of various tasks via online learning websites (Raz Kids, Lexia, Moby Max etc.).

Want to see if these cards can motivate your students?  Well you can---go download them for free at my TPT store!!

Included in the download are three cards that I use---Soda Pop, Candies and Popcorn. I also included a blank template--in case you want to make your own.

Honestly my kids love these---they like to know they are working towards something, and they enjoy the flexibility in selecting their prize!  If you are interested---check them out! :)

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday!