Creative Writing for Monday Made It

It's my favorite Monday of the month...Monday Made It that is!  Oh, I just love Tara's crafty linky party!  Her blog, 4th Grade Frolics, is where I found the inspiration for my first project.

I've been looking high and low to find creative and fun ideas to motivate my 4th graders to write this year.  I'm hoping to inspire their creativity and help them to develop their inner author.

In order to motivate students to write at home I decided to make 2 creative writing take home journals.  To kick off these journals I introduced our 2 new class pets!

Aren't they cute?  They are FurReal Friends and move when you push their backs.  Their little tail wiggles and their head pops up and down.  Adorable!

During writing, I have been passing out good behavior tickets to students who have been working hard and putting their best effort into their writing.  Students simply write their name on the ticket and it goes into our weekly drawing.  On Friday, I draw 2 names and these students win the opportunity to bring one of our class pets, and journal, home for the weekend.

Their task is to write about our class pet's Hip Hoppin' Adventures while they are home.

I created a journal cover, direction page, and good behavior tickets that you can snag at my Teachers Pay Teachers store for free.

I've also been busy creating a lot of writing prompts for students to use if they finish their work early throughout the day.  To start out with, I created Gingerbread on a Stick prompts as part of my Gingerbread Writing Centers pack.

They are quick and easy to put together.  Students just grab one during their free time and start writing!

I also created some Christmas Cookie Writing Prompts.  You can download them for free!  I picked up a cheap plate from Dollar Tree and Glued on this sign.

I printed, laminated, and cut out the Christmas Cookie Writing Prompts, and placed them on the plate.  When students finish their work early they can grab a cookie from the plate.

How do you motivate students to write?

For more fun December ideas check out Monday Made it!

December Currently

Jingle bells

Jingle bells

Jingle all the way.

Oh what fun Farley's currently has become

It brightens up my day!

Link up with Farley from Oh' Boy 4th Grade for her December Currently!

Cyber Monday/Tuesday Sale and Freebie!

I'm linking up with the lovely Mrs. Stanford to let you know about a huge sale on our Teachers Pay Teachers Stores!  This Monday and Tuesday you can get up to 28% off all of our great products.  Everything in my store will be on sale!  Check it out!

This beautiful button was created by Ashley from the School Supply Addict.

Also, I made a little freebie for you.  It's just like the You've Been BOO'ed product that I posted in October.  Except, this one is for Christmas! Download You've Been Elf'ed for free here at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store.  Enjoy!

Giveaway Winner

Congrats to Beth for winning my Favorite Author Giveaway.  Check your email!  I will be sending you a message soon.  As soon as I get your address I will send out your books in the mail!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to everyone who entered.  I'll host more giveaways in the near future!

Turkey or Ham - Persuasive Writing, Good News, and Giveaway Reminder

This week, in preparation for Thanksgiving, students practiced writing persuasive pieces from a turkey or pigs point of view.  Students selected one, and then tried to convince their audience to eat the other.  These came out really cute so we displayed them in the hallway!

Sorry for the glare.  I'm hoping to get a better digital camera for Christmas.  Any suggestions?  I'm pretty clueless when it comes to photography but my goal over Christmas break is to learn a little about picture taking.  Blog posts are very visual.  The first thing I notice when I visit someone's blog are their pictures.  I want to improve on my photography skills so that I can provide you with the best blog posts possible. 

Want to snag my Turkey or Ham Persuasive Writing pack for free?  Just be one of the first 3 people to comment and tell me what you are doing next week (in regards to Thanksgiving) with your class!

Now...on to some good news!  Today was a day of celebration!  I found out my scores for National Board Certification and .......

I PASSED!!!!

I am now a National Board Certified Teacher!  I am absolutely elated.  I spent most of last school year ( and the summer before ) teaching, analyzing, writing, video taping, reflecting, and revising in preparation for this.  I worked my little tail off.  Thankfully, my hard work paid off.  Jeff (my husband) bought me some flowers as a congratulations!

 If your considering National Board Certification I can tell you first hand that it was the best professional development that I've ever had.  I truly think the process strengthened my teaching and I am a better teacher because of it.  I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have about the process.

Lastly...don't forget about my giveaway!  Check out my previous post to enter before it's too late!

Don't Forget to Enter my Giveaway!

There are still a few more days left to enter my giveaway.  You can win 3 books autographed by Bruce Coville!

Check it out, enter, and spread the word!

Favorite Author Giveaway - Bruce Coville

On Saturday, I attended the Rochester Children's Book Festival and had the chance to meet some of my favorite authors, purchase some new books, ask for some autographs, and take a picture with one of my favorite author's of all time:  Bruce Coville!

Bruce coville is the author of 101 books for children and young adults and has won many children's choice awards, including one of the most recent...an award for "Excellence in Literature for Young People."  Bruce lives in Syracuse, New York (not too far from where I live).

I was first introduced to Bruce Coville's stories when I was in fourth grade.  I read Jennifer Murdley's Toad and was thrilled that my name (Jennifer) appeared in the book.  The second I started reading I was immediately hooked.  Bruce has a way with words that captures the reader and locks them into the story.  Once you start reading, you can't seem to put the book down until you've finished.  Each page leaves you desperately searching for more.  It's a good thing that there are more than one Magic Shop book in the collection because one was simply not enough.

Now, I use Bruce Coville's stories in my own fourth grade classroom.  I find that my fourth graders love his stories just as much as I did and still do.

My favorite story is Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher.  This book is about a boy who stumbles across a magic shop and purchases a mysterious egg.  After finishing the book my students always race to the library in search of other magic shop books to read as well.  At the end, I have students write a story about purchasing a different item from the magic shop.  I also have students create a Guide to Raising a Dragon.

My reluctant readers are always thrilled to read My Teacher is an Alien.  They love the concept of their teacher being a creature from out of this world.  I think by the end of the book they wind up secretly hoping that I am an alien as well.

If your looking for a great picture book, check out The Prince of Butterflies.  I've read this to my class during our monarch butterfly unit.  It is a story about a boy and a migration of monarch butterflies.  The message behind the story is to stay true to one's heart.

While I was at the festival I snagged a few extra books just for YOU!  You can win all 3 books and guess what, they are ALL autographed by Bruce himself!  Simply enter below with rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Looking for something new to read?  Check out Bruce Coville's latest story:  Always October.  This is next on my to read list!  I can't wait!