A Halloween-free October

Happy Fall Y'all! It's Rachel from the tattooed teacher and I have something very serious to talk to you about today...students who cannot celebrate Halloween...I know! Sad right! Well, for those of us who love a little haunting it is!

With more and more students coming to us whose families chose not to celebrate Halloween (or most holidays-I have 3 families this year) we've had to change a few things. I wanted to take a quick minute to share some Halloween-Free freebies from The Owl Girls you can use this month!

Linda shares lots of fall ideas in this post!

 Here's 2 freebies from my blog!
A pumpkin pre-assessment and fall word problems with missing addends.

 Michelle has an entire post on ideas for non-Halloween parties at school, plus this bats and spiders freebie.

Fern also has a post loaded with ideas for having an Owl themed party! There's several freebie including these coloring pages. 

Do you have some non-Halloween freebies to share? We'd love for you to link them up below! 

Please link either directly to the post that contains the freebie or directly to the product on TpT. Links to blogs and stores will be removed. Thank you for understanding.

An InLinkz Link-up

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The BIG ONE!

That's the BIG SALE of course! It's quite possibly my favorite time of year (right behind Christmas!) I love back to school! I love the shopping and decorating mostly, but don't we have the only job where we get a do over every single year! (and sometimes every single day!)

So it's stock up time for BTS!

Thank you Courtney from Swimming into Second for the adorable signage!

And don't forget to use the CODE! BTS15 for an extra 10% off! 

here's quick links to all our shops!

Happy Saturday!

An InLinkz Link-up

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Let's Write! Springtime Writing Resources

Springtime, summertime...whatever you'd like to tell yourself!
I know many of you are beginning to count down the days, but meanwhile I am over here with more than 7 weeks to go! wah!!!

However, the end of the year brings, in most cases, more maturity and than means more fun stuff. I know I do a lot more crafts with our lessons because at this point they are a tad more independent so they can do a craft on their own while I am conducting reading groups.
In fact, just yesterday we watched The Lorax (unfortunately it was only the 30 minute version) and afterwards I showed them a craft from Pinterest and they just made it! All I had to do was copy the stache because they would've made handlebar mustaches on the poor little orange guy! (and I forgot to take a picture, but it'll be on my IG soon enough!

I wanted to show you some perfectly adorable springy writing ideas I've rounded up from my Owl girls!

Here's a real cutie! a Tutti Frutti Summer Cutie to be exact!

Includes the template to make the pineapple cutie-boy and girl version of course
and tons of extra printables!
Sunglasses brainstorming sheet and writing papers
Possible Prompts-my favorite sunglasses, when I wear sunglasses I feel. Students could use the black/white sunglasses from template and design their own to display
Summer is... brainstorming and writing papers
Summer is Seed-sational brainstorming sheet and writing papers
Fruits bubble map 
What is your favorite fruit write and draw
Writing center fruits word wall
survey-what is your favorite fruit? with survey pieces
ABC Order
Fruit Salad word scramble
Fruit and Veggie Venn

And here's some of our favorite spring and summer time writing crafts!

/1/ Linda Kamp's Life Cycles on a string. I used both last year...yes, they will be writing//

/2/ Teacher's Clubhouse Wonderful worms unit has an adorable craft and writing pieces//

/3/ Stephanie Stewart has an adorable chicky unit with this craft that I'm hoping to use soon//

/1/ Bubbly Blondes Steppin' into (anything) is a great way to end the end! Her We had a Ball craft is perfect for displaying student memories from the year// 

/2/ Primary Graffiti has just posted an amazing Shark unit! It's to die for hahaha//

/3/ I have the cutest little fruities you ever did see! We added sunglasses to really bring the look together too! It includes tons of end of year busy work learning activities too!//

/4/ I also posted a quick and easy bug jar craft to get something up in my classroom before awards days and all that jazz. We used leftover Scholastic magazines and captured whatever part of speech we happened to be focusing on! You could use it for insect facts too!

So let's get writing!

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Making Art with Air

Hey y'all! It's Rachel from the tattooed teacher and I wanted to share a little art activity we do each year during our weather and air unit!

Sort of by accident I discovered bubbles make great weather art! We were blowing bubbles at recess one time and just seeing all the little spots on the concrete were they'd popped gave me an idea. So the next day we tried it...outside. Nope. Bubbles everywhere but the paper! So we ended up inside!

I had luck with mixing dish detergent, paint, and water to make the perfect blend to blow bubbles and have the pop onto our paper for a little art. This year for the life of me I could not get the mixture right, but we worked with what we had! Each student came over to the sink and blew as many bubbles onto their paper as they wanted. I tried to keep them from smearing and dripping, but they make for interesting pictures regardless. Sometimes I just gotta let go!
So here's my recipe for success...ok, here's my materials list!

After they dried all morning and we watched a little weather clip, I guided them through writing what type of weather their picture reminded them of. You can’t see my bubble picture in the shot, but it just had 2 perfectly popped bubbles with a little bit of “shrapnel” all over. I asked them to tell their reader about the “what”{the weather} and the “why” {they chose it}. I really love how different and unique they are, too!

Here's a little freebie to write their descriptions on! It doesn't have to be about weather either!

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1 More Day to Enter! This is YOUR year!

Rachel here to remind you that you have until MIDNIGHT SAturday to enter all of these amazing giveaways! Honestly, I'd like to enter a few myself! I know I could use an Amazon gift card anytime!

Click this image to go to the original post and enter to win the $100 Amazon gift card!

This will also take you to the page to enter all our individual giveaways, too!

and fyi-I have a freebie for the day you have to get to return to your kiddos on my blog! It's will only be there through the giveaway!

Happy New Year!

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Movember!

Hey! It's Rachel here, from the tattooed teacher.  I'm posting today on behalf of all the "Mo Sistas" here on Owls who love our guys... and want to promote the importance of men's health!

I love that motto! 

And this month, I found some ‘stache fun with a definite purpose!

Introducing MOVEMBER!

What is Movember, you ask?!

The Movember campaign is a movement which was created to promote men's health.  It’s no secret that in this busy day and age that finding time to get regular check-ups and take care of yourself is difficult, and perhaps just plain intimidating… especially if you are a man. I mean, what man do you know that actually GOES to the doc?! Right!

Thus the creation of MOVEMBER!

Movember is about bringing back the moustache (Mo), having fun, creating conversations and awareness, and raising funds for men's health, specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems.

Check out this little video to be inspired "MO STYLE"...

Here is how it works…

Men are encouraged to “Shave the Date” on November 1^st and start with a clean face.  Then, for the rest of November, they are encouraged to grow moustaches!   When other people inquire about them growing a “MO”… men use the opportunity to share about their participation in MOVEMBER and also encourage other men to go and get a health check up!

Sound fun?  You can become an official 
“MO BRO” or “MO SISTA” MOVEMBER supporter  by visiting  http://us.movember.com/ or by clicking on the image below.

Don’t you just LOVE these MOVEMEBERish Mustache Mania themed materials?!

Of course, they are from CreativeTeaching Press!  {I’m sure ya’ll already know how obsessed I am with all of CTPs stylish teacher resources!!!  LOVE. THEIR. STUFF.}   And in typical CTP fashion, they are 100% “in” to helping a few bloggers promote this awesome cause!  

So… I’m doing a RAFFLECOPTER giveaway of a 

Creative Teaching Press MOVEMBER Mustache Mania product bundle! 

You could win a bundle of some of these epic goodies!

I “mustache” you to spread the word about MOVEMBER

and sign up to win this awesome prize bundle too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Well, that's just FANGtastic! a freebie

Hey y'all! It's Rachel from the tattooed teacher.
I know, I know, it's just October 2, but it IS October!
I wanted to share this little freebie with you and perhaps you could get a head start on your students' candyless Halloween treat!

source:http://www.lovestitched.com/my-tutorial/halloween-in-the-classroom/

Aren't these precious!? 

I found the neon fangs at Target last year, so I am hoping they carry them again!

here's a little tag to attach, too!

fangtastic by Rachel Greene Lamb

Check it out and loads more on my Boo. Pinterest board!
Happy Fall!

Follow Rachel's board boo. on Pinterest.

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Introducing Science (freebie)

Hey y'all! It's Rachel from the tattooed teacher! and this week we are focusing on PRE-science class!
It may sound strange, but I spend a week "introducing" science class to my second graders! Yes, science is one of their favorite subjects (my favorite to teach), however, do they communicate about it effectively? No!
At my school we are SO LUCKY to have a science kit for most units. But before we delve into our first unit this year, we learn all about Process Skills!
There are tons of great ways to teach and practice these essential skills!
I wanted to share one of my favorite lessons that I actually found in an ancient science workbook my first year teaching!
I still use it every year!
I call it Stinky Feet Science!
I love this lesson because 1.I do not have to buy a thing-we all have shoes on
and 2. shoes stink and that makes kids laugh and enjoy this activity even more!

So here is how I introduce classifying to my students using their shoes...

aren't they funny!

you can download this freebie here!

and if you're interested in what else we do...check out Teaching Process Skills to Wee Scientists! 

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Duct tape desks!

Hey y'all! It's Rachel from the tattooed teacher!
It's duct tape week!
I LOVE Duct tape! Really!
More specifically DUCK brand duct tape!
Have you seen their pinterest boards! oh my!

Today I'm here showing off my [former] teacher desk that now belongs to another teacher! Ignore the mess on top-it was summer!

Now, are your school supplied teacher desks from the 70s?
Mine are!
dented, metal, sad desk
I got this idea while covering the exposed part of my bookshelves in duct tape
I am a hoarder of the stuff...no lie...and started whipping it out finding a good pattern.
All I did was literally put strips of duct tape on the front and sides of my desk!
but boy did it make a difference! The pink zebra and green paint splats I borrowed from my neighbor to break it up a little. and I had to get one strip of my hello kitty in there, too!
Last year I got rid of my desk, but another teacher picked mine up and uses it!
simple, pretty cheap, and a big difference!
here are the different patterns I used-all are duck brand! (minus the neons which I purchased at Big Lots!-but are still Duck brand)

and here are a few other teacher desks I found on Pinterest! Most don't lead to anywhere...sad face

 

and for whatever reason, this picture is upside down!

this is my fav! she used wrapping paper and white duct tape!

here's a little sideways action for ya! but it's a great looking desk!

so there you have it!

What have you made with duct tape?

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Supply labels and a cart giveaway!

Hey y'all! It's rachel from the tattooed teacher!

Last week on my Facebook page I asked what people kept in their 10 drawer carts. Well, I got A LOT if reponses! I was working in math supply labels for my own but the ideas were great, so I added as many as I could! 

I love them and their scrappiness!! 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Customizable-Supply-Labels-for-10-drawer-carts-1307440

Here's how they look! 

I used a nice bold font because their purpose is for the kiddos to read them! I also added pictures of every.little.thing! With the help of some amazing artists on tpt! So you get over 130 labels!

I also added numbers 1-36 for upper grade teachers or teachers who may use these as student work station or student drawers. These labels are smaller (just the scrappy kid holding a sign with the number on it!)

Aren't they precious!?

So here's the deal for the giveaway!

This giveaway ENDS TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT! So run!

And click the link below to enter!!!

http://mrslambsclass.blogspot.com/2014/07/monday-made-it-and-drawer-cart-giveaway.html

I'm on my phone posting so there's no pretty hyper linking going on!!  Good Luck Owl friends!

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Mother's Day cards: made with love and celery!

Hey y'all! It's Rachel from the tattooed teacher, and I am loving the ideas this week on Owls!

I love a good craft! Especially one that I know parents will actually look at and not toss. I mean I never do that! ;) I wanted to share two super fun and creative ideas I do every year for Mother's Day in my classroom!

My favorite craft, by far...is celery painting! I found it on this little blog and it took some trial and error with so many kids, but I do it each year, so it can't be that bad!
The tutorial is super specific, so I didn't recreate it!
and here's what you get!

another yearly favorite is bath salts! Now, oil of essence is a little tougher to find, but luckily we have a health food store nearby. But you can also order it on Amazon! This idea would go great with Katie Mense's newMommy Spa product!

I literally have them sit in the floor in a circle. Each kid gets a snack size zippy bag, and we pass the Epsom salts around. They put in 2 or 3 scoops. Then we pass the oil around. They put in 2 DROPS! Zip-shake-done! As you can see, we have added food coloring before...let's just say I am pretty sure it comes out in the tub! So now we do au naturale! 

The kids decorate the front anyway they think their mom would like, then record the directions for use on the back! It's simply a large index card stapled over the zippy part! You could also make a sugar scrub! yum!

And last, but not least! We host a Garden Tea Party!

You can read more about it here (and why we have it), but here's the scoop all in one nifty product! I just rehauled this thing! This file includes a Happy Mother's Day banner, cards for invitations (also editable), food and drink table tent signs, place cards for mom, and more! and it doesn't have to be a tea party either! I also included just a plain ol' we love love our momma party! as well as a Special Ladies sign in case your kiddos need that option! I am smitten with these colors right now!

I adore inviting these amazing mommies to spend some time with us. I work in an area where our parents have to work. We do not have many stay at home moms. So this day is super special for my kiddos!

I even invite my own mommy!

You can see there in the background that we just have our moms sit at the kids' desks and we serve them tea and cookies. We also deliver their gifts (bath salts, card, and our mother's day magazines!) I set out poetry books and other sweet things, but trust me, the moms and grandmas are super entertained by the gifts alone! 

If you are interested in hosting a little mommy day of your own, click below to check out my printable pack! It's half off this week!

We are linking up some extra special ideas all week!

you can see my past projects and mother's day posts here

Join us again tomorrow!

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