Freebie apple background

So after playing around with the apple graphic we created I have put it up as a background and I am offering it here as a freebie!  Just click on the pic and save as picture.

This has inspired me to use an apple theme in my classroom!  Before I left for the holidays I had put up a tree on my board above my flower stalks from my garden of Good Manners.  I was going to create a jungle theme for my reading board with a "Swing into Reading" theme with a monkey.  But I have decided to go with "Bite into a book!" and I will turn my tree into an apple tree!  My flower stalks will become flowery book recommendations with students writing their book recommendations and sticking them onto the flowers.  Book reviews and other work related to comprehension will be stuck on the board with apple frames and this apple background as well.
I can't wait to get started but have a few more bits and pieces to get together before I go in to school to set up.  My school is about a 35 minute drive from my place so I like to go in with a huge amount things to do and to take.  Let me know what you think about the apple theme....pics to come.

Multiplication Mega Pack!!!

I have just put my Multiplication Mega Pack up on TpT!  

This is one of those areas that I find students need constant revision and consolidation to develop automatism.  This pack offers a variety of ways for students to practice this skill and is great for Maths centers, I use these activities in my Maths Tubs.

Check it out and I have made it 20% off for the next week.

Give Away

Check out this fabulous give away at Mrs Stanford's blog. She has reached a whopping 500 followers!

Swap!

For information on how to join this fantastic Product Swap from Jessica at Mrs Stanford's Class click on the button above. What a great idea, I know I will be joining up! Tania

How to handle behaviour problems with love Linky!

This is a subject close to my heart. I absolutely believe that teaching and behaviour management go hand in hand. I have taught mostly in the "tough" schools, you know those schools that when you say where you are teaching people say, "Oh, really, hmmmm, well good luck with that."

At my previous school I was privileged to be part of the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) team. This really cemented with me the idea that we need to explicitly teach the desired behaviours that we want our students to display, through lessons delivered and modelling appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. The success we saw at our school was amazing, the key is in being persistent and consistent. Students knew that if they went to another classroom the rules, consequences and rewards would be the same, there was no way they could get away with "Mrs ...... lets us do this." Even though I am not at a school that uses the SWPBS philosophy anymore I use what I have learnt in my current classroom, here are just a few things

• Explicitly teach behaviour with planned lessons
• Follow through on consequences and rewards
• Make sure that on your behaviour charts children move DOWN the chart rather than up when they have warnings.  I know this seems petty but I had a revelation when I heard my kinder children talk about moving up the chart to get to the top.  All my students started at the bottom of a triangle on Cool Dudes and then moved up the triangle through, Warning,  Cool Down (which was a reflection time), Time Out, then Exit.  We had a 3 step procedure but I put in an extra step for my kinders.  After I heard children talking about getting to the top being red I inverted my triangle so that they moved DOWN the chart they got the idea.
• Make sure that children always start on a clean slate when they have worked through the consequence.
• Inform parents of your Responsible Behaviour Plan, get them to sign it and retain it, so that when you have THOSE conversations with parents you can remind them that they were informed of the policies.
• Finally remind students daily of expectations, set the boundaries and stick to them.  

I found that my students were happier when I put firm boundaries in place and reminded them that being polite, courteous and kind to each other was an expectation and as such was not rewarded.  I also made sure they would know that they would be treated in this way from me.  I like to use this analogy; if I am driving my car and the speed limit is 60 km and I am doing 60 km, the police do not pull me over and tell me what a wonderful job I am doing by doing the correct speed limit.  Why?  Because it is an expectation.

My classroom is always calm, quiet and happy because I am up front with my students about behaviour expectations, rarely do my students end up at the Exit point.  If they do I investigate and usually it hinges on something external to the classroom. The other thing I try to remember is "Is this the classroom I would like my own children to be in?  Is this how I would like my own children to be treated and managed?"  These questions are key to me and my students. 

Check Out my Shoes

I just realised I missed the linky party Check Out my Shoes....devestated.  I have spent the day at the hospital with my son (7yrs) while he had his adenoids removed so haven't had a chance to check on the blog world.  He came through just fine and I was so proud of how he handled the whole thing without any dramas.
Anyway this means I missed sharing my favourite shoes and anybody that knows me, knows how I feel about shoes.  I have 32 pairs of shoes and I categorise them into:

•  top shelf shoes ( special occasions)
• memorable shoes ( shoes I keep from special events)
• strappy shoes (self explanatory)
• boots ( 5 pairs)
• winter
• summer
• thongs (that's flip flops for those in the U.S.) and 
• everyday shoes.

Anyway I wanted to share a pic of my most favourite shoes at the moment.  Actually they are a pair of boots that I bought on my holiday to Italy.  I bought these in this tiny shoe shop in Sorrento, Italy.  I met up with  my husband in Rome and we shared 2 weeks travelling from Rome to Paris without children!!!!  Buying these boots was just one of the highlights of our very romantic holiday.
Anyway I know this post is not education related at all but I really had to share these pics.  These boots are completely leather with wooden soles, they are so soft they feel like you are not wearing them at all.  I love the colour, I have not got any other shoes this colour.  Well as you can tell by now I am very passionate about shoes and have to say that this rivals my passion for teaching.

 And this is me proudly wearing them on our last day in Sorrento.

Well I am sad I missed the linky party but could not resist sharing these pics.  Now all you shoe lovers out there wipe that drool off and tell me if you too wear your favourite shoes when you are vacuuming, just because you can!

Freebie Frame

What a productive day I have had today!  I walked the dogs a looonnngg way, tidied up my vege garden which has been sadly neglected over the last 2 months, went to Spotlight to pick up some bits and pieces for making 23 sets of parrot wings for my class (our school has dance during term 2 and the whole school puts on a Dance Spectacular concert in term 3- don't worry there will be pics!) and planted some new flowers in my front garden!
I was feeling so productive that I started making some frames from the fruit clipart my daughter and I made the other day.  Here it is for you for FREE, just click on the image to copy.  If you remember to credit me well that's great.  Please do not resell it as is.

I think it is so cute!  It has inspired me to make a series of fruit frames, keep an eye out for them at my TpT store!