Silhouette Help, WBT, & Writing Upgrade!

Happy Wednesday!

 

Warning: this post is going to be EVERYWHERE ...I have so many different projects I'm working on!

 

1. Silhouette HELP!!

 

The good news...my Silhouette arrived and I was able to set it up (by myself!) with only a glance at the directions. I had to do a few test runs to realize I had inserted the blade upside down :) 

 

 

3rd try's a charm!

 

I also ordered the "starter kit" that has a few samples of fabric (felt?) and other heat-page-things. This is where I need some help! My number one project is adding text and designs to my storage bins (mostly plastic). Do I need to order adhesive vinyl? And where do I get it from (both in store and online)? Thanks in advance for any assistance!!

 

2. WBT (Whole Brain Teaching)

 

I'm so intrigued by WBT! I read a lot online about it last school year and tried out a few things with my small groups. They really took to it! I'm so very happy that my mentor-from-a-distance (she remains unaware of this, btw) Amanda Madden attended the WBT conference and is rolling out new blogposts about this subject! She's even offering freebies that look FANTASTIC. I've blogged about Ms. Madden and Teachers Clubhouse a few times and I plan to continue...she is that fabulous!

 

Do you use WBT? What do you think of it?

 

3. Upgrades!

 

I'm sure every TPT teacher is doing the same thing this summer...upgrading older units! I've been working on a writing unit that fits my students' needs. This is a pretty tough area to grow for my little guys! They definitely need word banks, multiple experiences (i.e.: every.single.day.) and a heavy dose of motivation! The first grade writing curriculum at my school is really wonderful, yet blows past my groups' present levels pretty quickly. I'm determined to provide as many appropriate writing experiences as I can...so I revisited my 12 writing picture-prompts in my Write Me a Story product. This week I added 72 MORE prompts featuring high-interest topics and vocabulary that will make my students "reach." :)

 

In the past, I've used the smaller cards most often:

 

Laminating. Always laminating!

 

I keep the small cards on a book ring. With 84 total cards now, I may have a few book rings! The same picture writing prompts are also featured on a whole page:

 

 

This page can either stay together or be printed and cut into sentence starters. I  use these in small groups with the majority of my students, but also keep them in a literacy work station for my Power Hour reading intervention. There's four types of writing paper included, but I usually have my students use their writing journals like the rest of their class.

 

I'm so relieved to have finished this product and only wish I could show last year's students all the new cards! Many were their requests ♥. I added almost 100 pages to the existing unit, but kept it the same price of $4.00. If you've already purchased it (thank you very much!), please redownload!!

 

 

Write Me a Story

 

Thanks for reading! Enjoy your day!