Positively Learning: TBT: I Can't Leave This One Alone!

Happy Throwback Thursday!

My summer break just started last week and it's been a blur of appointments! Today is the first day I've been ~~sequestered~~ spending at home with the sole purpose of practicing for my presentation. Which I have been doing, but desperately need a break from!

I'm at this stage of my practicing:

I've been videotaping myself practicing my pitch. I don't really recommend it...it's excruciating to watch yourself! I appear to be INSANELY happy about Grit Tracking.

Which is probably true, but still...

While I'm taking a break, I did want to share an update from one of my favorite products that I can't seem to leave alone.

I keep updating it!

I also updated the practice page that is both included in the product and offered as a freebie:

Are there any products you've created that you just can't leave alone?

Here's my TBT post about this unit...see if you can spot the updates! (P.S.: both versions of the practice sculpting page are available, so you can download your favorite!)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013

Playdough Party: Sculpt It (& a Freebie!)

Today's post is a little bit of new and a little of TBT mixed together!

It may also be brief because I. am. TIRED!

It's formal observation time (2x per year) and today was mine!

I haven't had my post-observation conference yet, so I can't really say how it went. Somewhere between good and UGH! We'll see...

Today was also an extra special day because my Power Hour students earned their playdough party! Here's the evidence (does anyone else speak Common Core in their daily life now?):

That's our jar of happiness full of gems. It's our ticket out the door of the intervention room and back to class. Hopefully every student has earned one gem to drop in the jar. I placed a line of tape we had to reach to have the party. We just happened to reach it the last Power Hour before Thanksgiving break (coincidence?).

The party consisted of a shared reading while munching on chocolate chip mini-muffins and fruit snacks (we meet from 8:30-9:15, so food choices are limited). Next we moved in groups of 2 or 3 to the playdough stations:

Every box had similar items:

The colorful pages are from my Sculpt It! Center. I just reloaded it and added more CVC words (there's over 85 pages!), updated many graphics/fonts, and now the entire set is offered with the option of printing in black & white. For my stations, I printed the pages on colorful cardstock and slipped them double-sided into sheet protectors. It worked out very well! If you have purchased the set already (thank you!), please redownload to get all the extras!

Here's the throwback & freebie part!