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  • Ideas by Jivey

    Jivey shares ideas and lessons to make literacy accessible for all.

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    Uncategorized

    Balloon Pop Countdown {FREEBIE}

    April 24, 2016

    How did the last week of April get here so fast?! For many of you (some with less than five weeks left of school), you are beginning to think about how to wind down the year with some fun activities. But if the majority of you are like I was… you want to plan fun things, but your to-do list is sooo long and you are just so worn out! There were lots of things I would have done if only it had already been pretty much created for me. And that doesn’t mean you are a bad teacher… it means you are a busy, tired teacher.

    You’ve probably seen the fun balloon pop countdowns before- perfect for ANY grade! But as mentioned above, sitting down to think of all the activities that could go in the balloons and typing them out might be one of those things that keeps getting moved to the bottom of the list… and then suddenly it’s the last day of school… so I’m here to help you cross that one off!! But sorry, I can’t come to your room and blow the balloons up for you.

    Ideas By Jivey helps you organize a balloon pop countdown for the end of the school year with free pre-made slips of activities for the inside of the balloons as well as several ideas on how to manage the countdown in your classroom.
    In this free download, I have provided MORE ideas than you could use to give you plenty to choose from. Most of what I’ve listed are “free” things to do. Some require students to wear or bring something from home. Don’t want to do any kind of food? Skip that page! Do as many as you want- you can make it a twenty-day-countdown or even a five-day-countdown! Make it work for you!
    Cut apart the slips you want to use and roll them up, then stick each rolled up slip into a balloon before blowing it up.
    One of the struggles you might have is actually managing the balloons. Here are a few suggestions of ways to have your countdown:
    1. Print off two copies of the activity slips. One will be used inside the balloons, but the other will be for your records- number this page with the “days” you are doing each one, and number the balloons to match. NO SURPRISES with this method – well, not for you anyway. 🙂 This one is especially important if you want to use the food slips, for example. You’ll want to know when you need the supplies for them, and can ask parents ahead of time to send in goodies, too. (No one wants a note home the afternoon before an ice cream party that they need to send in two quarts of chocolate syrup.)
    2. Maybe you DO like surprises! I suggest choosing activity slips that don’t require a lot of planning ahead, then stuff those balloons! You could let a student choose which one to pop in this case.

    3. Use it as a behavior incentive. At the end of the day, if everyone has had a “good day,” pop a balloon to see what special activity will be the next day.

    4. Hang the balloons from the board, a piece of string, or even from ribbons attached to the ceiling! Here are some ideas:

    http://firstwithfranklin.blogspot.com/2012/05/10-day-countdown-baby.html
    http://classroomcompulsion.blogspot.com/2012/05/making-end-of-year-pop.html
    http://kinderfriendly.blogspot.com/2013/05/catching-up.html

    5. The actual popping can be done with a pin or thumbtack, or by sitting on the balloon, or in the upper grades- (if you’re super daring) letting a student throw a dart! This could also be a great behavior incentive- let a student who had an AWESOME behavior day pop the balloon.

    This idea is just one of many from the bloggers of The Primary Peach!

     

    by Jessica Ivey 
    Uncategorized

    Merry and Bright: Fill Their “Stockings!”

    December 13, 2015

    Hey, my tired, worn-out, ready-for-Winter-Break teacher friends!

    Several of my bloggy buddies have teamed up to bring you some relief! We know you’re ready for the break, so we are bringing you some merry tips AND some presents to make the last few days bright and help you get to the end! 🙂

    Merry and Bright with Ideas By Jivey

    My Merry Tip is a fun way to help manage behavior. We all know the natives tend to get restless this time of year… the excitement of the holidays, the breaks in routines with programs, and FINALS (blech!) tend to make some students go, well… crazy!

    Merry Tips and Presents With Ideas by Jivey

    This is a cheap and easy way to reward students for their good behavior. You could do this the entire month of December, a couple of weeks, or just the last week- it’s up to you! Give each student a paper lunch bag to decorate. This becomes their “stocking.” Set these up on a table or shelf where they can see them (and be reminded of what they want to earn). Then, each day that students show appropriate behavior, add a treat to their stocking!

    add a treat for good behavior (Ideas By Jivey)

    Where do these treats come from? Depending on how many days you are doing it, you might just run to the dollar tree and stock up on a few things, or you can send home a letter to the parents to ask for donations! Here is a letter that you can use:

    free parent letter for behavior stockings (Ideas By Jivey)
    *This letter is not editable due to clip art and font copyright. Thank you for understanding.*

    Students will be so excited to take home their stocking full of goodies on the last day before break! And let me tell you, these bags saved my sanity the last few weeks before Christmas… if students started getting wild…

    Merry Tips and Presents With Ideas by Jivey

    …all I had to do was remind the class of their “treat bags” or “stockings” and their behavior would turn right around!

    Is it too late for the idea this year? Pin this post for next year:

    Fill their stockings for good behavior - great incentive (Ideas By Jivey)

    If you enjoyed this idea, please consider joining me on Facebook, Instagram, or my TPT Store for more great ideas.

    Go check out some more Merry Tips from these other fabulous bloggers!

    An InLinkz Link-up
    by Jessica Ivey 
    Uncategorized

    December Pick 3 on Pinterest: Classroom Management

    December 3, 2015

    This time of year gets tricky… kids are so excited, teachers are so tired (and excited, too!), and for most, it’s the end of the quarter… that means report cards and end of course tests. BLAH. ‘Tis the season?!?
    I’m here to share some fun ideas and tips that you can implement this time of year to save your sanity! These tips are all part of:
    With Ideas by Jivey

    Click on any of the images below to visit the pin. From there, you can click through to the source or repin for later.

    With Ideas by Jivey
    With Ideas by Jivey
    Although this teacher used the idea in January, this would be a great, wintery, non-denominational way to get students excited and remind them to behave! 
    With Ideas by Jivey
    With Ideas by Jivey

    This is a great way to motivate students to stay on task- and adorable too! 🙂

    With Ideas by Jivey
    Surviving The Week Before Holiday Break With Ideas by Jivey

    This is not for the kids… this is for YOU. :o)

    Have a FANTASTIC December!

    For more great classroom ideas, follow me on Pinterest!
    Follow Ideas By Jivey’s board Classroom Ideas on Pinterest.

    An InLinkz Link-up

    by Jessica Ivey 
    Uncategorized

    Back to School in a Flash: Student Engagement

    August 16, 2015

    I have been watching this awesome linky series, and have just run out of time to link up each week. I’m excited to finally be able to link up with these fabulous ladies (on the last week LOL) to share with you how I keep students engaged in the classroom!

    I do NOT believe in a quiet classroom. My students are constantly in discussion about what they are learning, either with a partner, a group, or with me. Here are four things I do to keep an engaged (but not obnoxiously loud) classroom.

    First, I teach them to stop talking. I think we can all agree, kids know how to talk, no problem. But when I want them to stop, I need them to stop right then! I don’t really use anything else from the Whole Brain Teaching Program except for the “Class-Yes” attention-getter. It is so easy to use, and works EVERY TIME. Definitely use the variations to keep them interested. Here is a video if you don’t know what I’m talking about:

    I let my students choose their partner a lot. I realized early-on in my teaching career that students who don’t want to work together often WON’T do their best with each other. Now, does that mean they don’t need to learn how to work together? Of course not. But, I’d rather my students work HARD with someone because they enjoy and work well with that person, especially when we only have a short time to get something done.

    Keep students engaged with Ideas by Jivey.

    To make sure students aren’t SCREAMING over each other to be heard at a table, I usually have mine spread out around the room- some may choose to stay at their seat with a partner, but most like to sit on the floor. If they are working with a partner on the floor, they should be sitting knee-to-knee. This helps with volume as well as respectful listening.

    Keep students engaged with Ideas by Jivey.

    Students can learn so much from each other. It also really implants the information into their brain when they can talk about what they have learned. My students complete a group project once a quarter about a science or social studies topic. I choose their groups for them so that there is a variety of learning styles in the group. I’d rather them do it at school than at home because, a.) I can help them if they aren’t understanding, b.) they are doing it, not their parents, and, c.) they don’t wait until the night before to get it done. 🙂

    Keep students engaged with Ideas by Jivey.
    I hope this post gives you some ideas for keeping students engaged in your classroom. Check out more ways to keep students engaged from some other fabulous bloggers:

    An InLinkz Link-up

    by Jessica Ivey 
    Uncategorized

    A Day In The Life of Jivey! :o)

    January 20, 2014

    I am FINALLY linking up with my BBB, Amelia, for her A Day Our Way Linky!

    I know, I know. Way late to the party… :o) But since I have the day off, and I’m TRYING to finish planning for this week, I thought I’d lay out my schedule for you to show you what a day in Jivey’s classroom is like! Since I have blogged about parts of my day before, I will link some parts to previous posts to give you more information about it.

    Morning Work: I don’t have a set “thing” for my morning work. Sometimes I just have them read, sometimes they work on finishing writing from the previous day, sometimes they work on a Science or Social Studies activity I’m taking for a grade. I really use that time as a “what I need from you” time.


    DBQ Time: Our entire school works on Document Based Questions during this time. It is a school initiative to improve writing. You can read more about how I use them in my DBQ post.


    Science/Social Studies: Yes, you read that right… we have an HOUR for Science and Social Studies! It’s the first time I’ve ever had that long. The first half of the year, I alternated between Science and Social Studies units, so for example, we would spend the entire hour on Science each day until I finished teaching about the Solar System, then we would switch to spending the entire hour on Social Studies to cover our Colonies Unit. Now, I am using the hour to teach both subjects. Some days, we need the whole hour for just one subject, depending on what we are doing, but most days I can do about half and half. Because my DBQs are usually Science or Social Studies based, it leads right into my first lesson for the day.


    Reading Workshop: I will give a quick overview of what this looks like, but you can visit my Workshop Wednesday page and look under the Reading heading to get LOTS of details about what I do during my Reading Workshop. During this time, I have nine students leave, either for ESOL services or Accelerated Reading. I generally start with a 15 minute mini-lesson on whatever skill we are working on, then the students practice the skill during their independent reading while I pull guided reading groups OR the students meet with their partners for Reading Partnerships (imagine book clubs, but with only two or three members). It’s nice because I have a smaller class size during this time and I can really focus on my kiddos that need that extra “push.”


    Mentor Sentence Time: All of my students return from their various places just in time for Mentor Sentences. If you have followed my blog at all, I think you are familiar with how I use Mentor Sentences, but just in case, here is the link to my Mentor Sentences page!


    Lunch/Recess: We have partner teachers for lunch and recess duty (we’re supposed to alternate days), but my partner and I enjoy having an adult to talk to, so we just eat lunch and go outside together. And yes- you saw the time correctly. We might as well be eating breakfast. It’s no wonder I’m starving for dinner everyday at 4:30!!


    Specials/Planning: Once a month, we have staff development on a Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of one week. It does make for a LONG week that week, but the rest of the month for the most part, our planning time is “sacred” to do what we need to do while the kids go to PE, Music, Art, Counseling, Computers, Math, or Writing.


    Writing Workshop: It’s very difficult to have my Writing Workshop during the 35 minutes I am given, so this is why my morning work is sometimes to work on writing. Just like in Reading Workshop, I start with a 15 minute mini-lesson, then the students practice this skill in their writing as I confer with students. You can read more about these things on the Workshop Wednesday page under the Writing heading.


    Math Workshop: I have seven students that leave during this time for Accelerated Math. Aaaaand, just like the other workshops, I follow the same model: 15 minute mini-lesson, then students practice the skills in stations as I work with groups or individual students. You can read more about these things on the Workshop Wednesday page under the Math heading.


    Word Study: Our county requires us to focus on Greek and Latin roots for word study. You can read how I teach these in my Word Work post.


    Read-Aloud: This is the time I read a chapter or two of a chapter book to my class. This year, I have read Island of the Blue Dolphins, Wonder, and now we are reading George Washington’s Socks. I am hoping to read The One and Only Ivan next. 


    I hope that this gave you some insight into my day!

    This week’s Workshop Wednesday is going to be for Math- How do you use food/candy to TEACH math? There are so many fun ways to have edible math, and I’m always on the lookout for more! I can’t wait to see what you share on Wednesday!

    by Jessica Ivey 
    Uncategorized

    Tried It Tuesday: Winter Treat Bags

    December 17, 2013

    Ack! I have been a horrible blogger! Goodness gracious. The holiday season has taken over, for sure!!

    I wanted to share something I’ve “tried” the last couple of years with my class, and of course link up to my BBB, Holly at Fourth Grade Flipper!

    We all know how FABULOUS {insert sarcasm} students’ behavior can be before Winter Break… filled with excitement and SUGAR, it seems self-control can be lacking those last couple weeks… so I give my students a little incentive. I send a letter home to parents right around Thanksgiving asking for contributions of SMALL items (think dollar store, Target Dollar Spot, etc). Then, the last 12 days before Winter Break (I call it the Twelve Days of Good Behavior LOL), if they have been “good” that day (meaning, they aren’t on anything below green for the day), they get a treat in their treat bag! I have done little stockings for each child before, but this year, I just had them decorate a paper lunch bag (which I think they liked better anyway!).

    (I shared this tip in the 2013 Winter Holidays Tips and Freebies E-Book!)

    The kids really get into it, and then they love being able to take home a bag full of treats on the last day, too! And I can tell you, I can see an improvement in behavior… it makes me want to do treat bags at other times of the year- like before Spring Break!! Maybe I’ll try it! 🙂

    Don’t forget to come link up tomorrow with your seasonal writing ideas for Workshop Wednesday!! 🙂

    by Jessica Ivey 
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    Ideas By Jivey

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    Ideas By Jivey
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    Ideas By Jivey

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    Ideas By Jivey
    I shared my TPT story with you back in April... (if you missed it, you can check it out here: ckarchive.com/b/4zuvheh5z24kp)As promised, the next big celebration update has happened!! FIVE brand new units have been added to the Yearlong Mentor Text Curriculum Bundle: Volume 2 for Grades 3-5! www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Yearlong-Mentor-Text-Curriculum-Bundle-Volume-2-for-Grades-3-... (This is the large $99 bundle that covers the entire year with mentor sentences, interactive activities, reading and writing, and vocabulary.)If you own the large bundle, whether it's through TPT, my website shop, or through a course purchase, you will get these FIVE NEW UNITS (valued at $18.75) FOR FREE!! Just re-download your purchase!📔School's First Day of School by Adam Rex📘Our Table by Peter H. Reynolds📗The Widow's Broom by Chris Van Allsburg📙Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty📕Vulture Verses by Diane LangI am creating these units to strategically align with the large bundles- you'll find the books chosen in volume 2 cover language skills that didn't have lessons previously, and can also be paired nicely with books included in the original bundle. For example, use Vulture Verses with Animals Nobody Loves!Just as a reminder, YES! I plan on doing the same thing for all of the other yearlong volumes, so don't be upset if you own another volume, or another grade! (And remember, Volume 1 already has its bonuses added!!) I am going in order of when I released them, and as you can imagine, it takes some time to create so many brand new units. 😉If you DON'T OWN the Volume 2 Yearlong Bundle and still want these five amazing book units, you can get them now ON SALE for just $3 each for the next 48 hours! www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Ideas-By-Jivey/Order:Most-Recent#seller_details_tabsThank you again for all your support and feedback over the last decade! Here's to at least ten more!! ... See MoreSee Less

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    Ideas By Jivey

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    Ideas By Jivey
    Every Tuesday in June and July, you'll be able to purchase one of the MANY individual mentor text units that I've created from my website shop!This is a great way to stock up on some new lessons for next school year. 🎉The first $2 Tuesday is TODAY, and is the unit I created for the WONDERFUL mentor text, Trombone Shorty!Don't own the book? Don't worry! It's on Storyline Online! In this pack, you will receive:★a mentor sentence lesson for the book★an interactive notebook activity to review/teach comparatives and superlatives★seven reading ideas suggested with three activities provided: identifying theme, describing illustrations, and analyzing author's language★one writing idea suggested with a writing prompt given★contextual vocabulary activities★ Activities are also provided as links to Google Slides for Digital Learning! ★ www.ideasbyjivey.com/coupon/TROMBONE2/ ... See MoreSee Less

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    Right?!! Don’t take away my #mentortexts! #pictu Right?!! Don’t take away my #mentortexts! #picturebooksaremyjam #picturebooksareforeveryone 

#ideasbyjivey #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #teachertribe #iteach345
    Every Tuesday in June and July, you'll be able to Every Tuesday in June and July, you'll be able to purchase one of the MANY individual #mentortext units that I've created from my website shop!

This is a great way to stock up on some new lessons for next school year. 🎉

The first $2 Tuesday is TODAY, and is the unit I created for the WONDERFUL mentor text, Trombone Shorty!

Don't own the book? Don't worry! It's on Storyline Online! 

In this pack, you will receive:

★a mentor sentence lesson for the book

★an interactive notebook activity to review/teach comparatives and superlatives

★seven reading ideas suggested with three activities provided: identifying theme, describing illustrations, and analyzing author's language

★one writing idea suggested with a writing prompt given

★contextual vocabulary activities

★ Activities are also provided as links to Google Slides for Digital Learning! ★ 

Link in profile! https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/coupon/TROMBONE2/ 

#ideasbyjivey #2dollartuesday #mentortext #mentorsentences #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteach4th #iteach5th #teachersfollowteachers #teachertribe #teacherdeals
    Enough is enough. I’m sick over this. I’m sick Enough is enough. I’m sick over this. I’m sick OF this. I’m tired of children’s and teachers’ lives being lower on the list than the right to bear arms. Sending love to all my Texas teachers and families. Comments are turned off and yes, removed, because this is NOT an argument. Go to someone else’s post to do that. This is the 30th school shooting this year. This doesn’t happen in other countries, yet there is still plenty of evil there. I’m done.
📸: @theteachingtexan
    When I began creating #mentorsentence resources to When I began creating #mentorsentence resources to list in my TpT store over ten years ago, it was because of the huge shift I’d seen in my own students implementing the game-changing routine. I LOVE to hear other teachers have the same results! 🥰 #fabulousfeedback #ideasbyjivey #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #teachertribe #iteach345 #mentorsentences
    Can students think critically about grammar!? YES Can students think critically about grammar!?

YES THEY CAN!

I know higher order thinking skills (HOTS) are generally not associated with grammar, but give it a chance… you’re going to see a HUGE shift in writing abilities and language understanding if you do!

Check out the blog post in my profile for a run-down and a free download to help you get started! https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/higher-order-thinking-questions-for-grammar-and-writing/ #ideasbyjivey #grammar #language #mentorsentences #effective #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteachupperelementary #iteach345
    My club units have been some of my favorite resour My club units have been some of my favorite resources to create because the planning and creation were guided by the teachers using them!

Because of the input from your fellow teacher community, I know these units will be such a benefit to you, too! Every unit in the bundle has: 

📕a week of plans that integrate multiple skills and subjects
📙detailed explicit lessons, including teacher samples
📒a week-at-a-glance plan
📗digitally converted activities in Google Slides and Forms, when applicable
📘mentor sentence lesson
📕reading and writing lessons
📙integration of other subjects (science, social studies, or social/emotional skills)
📒printables for skill practice
📗at least one other text (poem, article, paired passages)* to integrate with your lessons *this will vary each unit depending on skills covered!
📘short assessments

Check out the latest bundle at the link in my profile! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MENTOR-TEXT-CLUB-by-Jivey-2ND-EDITION-for-Grades-3-5-7058941 
#ideasbyjivey #mentortext #mentortexts #teachersfollowteachers #mentorsentences #effective #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig
    Did you know I have a total breakdown of how mento Did you know I have a total breakdown of how mentor sentences can look day by day in your classroom?
Head over to my blog! www.ideasbyjivey.com #ideasbyjivey #mentorsentences #teachersfollowteachers #iteach345 #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig
    Elizabeth Started All the Trouble by Doreen Rappap Elizabeth Started All the Trouble by Doreen Rappaport is the perfect #mentortext to incorporate in your studies of women's suffrage. With this unit, you'll be able to work with students on analyzing primary sources (specifically political cartoons, but also some written documents), identifying supporting reasons and details, writing opinion pieces, and using relative pronouns. This unit is the perfect way to integrate social studies with language arts! Grab it from the link in my profile! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elizabeth-Started-All-the-Trouble-Womens-Suffrage-Mentor-Text-Unit-8036259 #ideasbyjivey #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #socialstudiesintegration #iteach345 #teacherspayteachers
    This feedback means so much to me because as I’v This feedback means so much to me because as I’ve made my mentor sentence lessons over the last ten years, I’ve put so much thought into the way I craft my units and bundles! Thank you for trusting me! ❤️ #mentorsentences #ideasbyjivey #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teachersofig #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteach4th #iteach5th #iteachfourth #iteachfifth #iteachthird
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