Two Stars and a Wish! BLOG HOP

 I excited to participate in the "Two Stars and a Wish" Bog Hop!  The mission of the hop is for each participant to present two "star" ideas to help you get ready to go back to school.  The "wish" is an area that we want to work on or improve.  

I teach math and absolutely dislike Math Logs that busy parents sign, whether their children have practiced their math facts or not.  Then, I discovered Xtra Math.  I LOVE this program.  If you are looking for a way to add accountability to your students' math fact practice, you have to check it out.  To read more about how I use it in my classroom, click HERE.  The best part is it's free!

Do you need curtains for your classroom, but don't know how to sew?  Check this out!  I made these curtains in about 5 minutes.  I kid you not!  

Here is how I did it. 

You will need:   

• Bath towels in a cute pattern that will match your classroom.  (I got mine at Target for $5.99 each.)  Towels are washable and the edges are already finished so no additional sewing is necessary.

• Liquid Stitch (available at any craft store like Michael's, Jo-Ann Fabrics, etc.)

• Tension rods to fit the space where you plan to hang the curtains.  

Instructions:

Predetermine how large the rod pocket will be by folding long edge of the towel over the rod.  I made my rod pocket about 2 inches.  Squeeze a line of Liquid Stitch along the outside edge of the towel, then fold and press together to make the pocket.  

After allowing it to dry according to the Liquid Stitch instructions, you are ready to hang them up! I have had mine for 3 years and they wash beautifully! 

This is my second year teaching a self-contained classroom and they language arts routine was very new to me last year.   This summer, I have been searching for ways to help me be a better teacher without spending an enormous amount of time creating.  

One of the areas I needed help with was Mentor Sentences.  Lucky for me, I found an awesome source for Mentor Sentences at Ideas by Jivey's TPT Store.  Not only has she created Mentor Sentences units for every week of the school year, she has also paired each lesson with a supporting grammar lesson for an Interactive Language Arts Notebook.  Heaven!!!  

Below is a free example of Jivey's "If You Find a Rock" Unit.  I hope it helps make your life easier, too!

For more Star ideas from more than 40 different bloggers, please browse through the link-up below and choose a topic that interests you. 

Thank you for visiting!

An InLinkzLink-up