Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Random Acts of Kindness in the Classroom


Hello there!   I have teamed up with my Blogging friends at Elementary Grapevine to bring you this special Happy Holiday Blog Hop!   Thank you to all of the lovely ladies for putting this together!!

I'd like to share with you a little bit about Random Acts of Kindness in the Classroom.   With so much going on in the lives of the little people in your classrooms (and teachers too!), often the only time they hear something positive is at school.

R.A.K. in the Classroom can take the form of a kind word, a small gesture, or even a handwritten note from you to a student.   This year,  I came up with The Secret Elf.  A fun way to encourage students to be kind to one another.

This is an activity that I have actually done with my own little people.  It works a lot like a Secret Santa activity would be, only it's among the students.  There isn't a lot of prep work involved in setting it up.  It requires printing out a few pages for each student, and taking a few minutes to match the students up with their Secret Elf (The instructions are in The Secret Elf packet linked below).

The fun part of this activity is that the students need to keep the secret of who their "Secret Elf" is. With younger students this might be a little more challenging, but fun too!   At the end of the project, each Secret Elf will reveal themselves to their match.  It's a good idea to do this before the end of the term.

There are a lot of fun options how to implement this activity.  There aren't any rules for being kind. :)
 
I made you a set of "You've been R.A.K.'d Cards"  for this Blog Hop.  Only the sweet friends that hop through this hop will receive the printable cards.  They are provided in both full color and bw to give you printing options.  Print off onto cardstock or colored paper, cut, and pass out to students you see sharing, working well in groups, being a good leader, etc.   The students that receive them can pass them on to someone else in the classroom (or school) that they see being a good friend, leader, etc.  To download the cards, click on the image below!


 
The Secret Elf packet contains a printable card, and writing papers for The Secret Elf.  I have included some basic instructions too.  To download it, please click on the image below. 









I hope that you enjoy this activity.   The next stop in the holiday blog hop is ......






Sunday, December 7, 2014

Holiday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Welcome friends!    Several Blogging friends came together to share some of our Favorite Things, (A little Oprah Style)... This is an AMAZING giveaway with several prizes!  Be sure to scroll down all the way to the bottom to make sure you don't miss anything.  Are you ready to get started?



Here are a few of MY favorite things:


 Christmas Lights - A holiday tradition!




When I was a little girl, my parents (along with Aunt's, Uncle's, Cousins,) and my brother would all pile in our old station wagon and go out and look at all the Christmas lights.  Ours were strung up on our house the day after Thanksgiving and taken down just after the new year.  It has been a long standing tradition, and one that I continue with my own home.  As seen in the photographs above,  I hang lights around my deck.  



Favorite PENS!  Mr. Sketch, Crazy Faces, and SCENTOS!


One of my very favorite things school related are colored pens - pens of any kind.  I love the new Mr. Sketch, and SCENTOS markers.  I can't pass by the art isle without picking up another pack.  Do they have support groups for that?







 Favorite Beauty products - Bath and Body Works!


Living on a farm, it means that hands get chapped in the winter!~  My favorite go-to products are from Bath and Body Works.  I love these products because I am not allergic to them, they come in many different fragrances, and there is a store not far from here!  (For Arkansas, that isn't bad!)  My favorite fragrance is Blackberry Vanilla but I think they are discontinuing it, so my last trip I was experimenting with different scents.  Sweet Pea, Oahu (yum!), and Carribbean Escape.



  Hobby Lobby Gift Card - Love it!


I am giving away a $10.00 gift card to Hobby Lobby as part of the Favorite Things giveaway!  Hobby Lobby has a huge selection of art supplies, décor, and more!  Here in Arkansas, a brand new store opened up a few months ago!  I enjoy going there to just look around for ideas, and for some shopping too! :)   The Gift card can be used in store and online as well.



Stop by my TPT Store and receive 50% off of the featured items for the holidays.  





7 winners for 7 prize packs!






















Come and enter the giveaway and check out my bloggy friends' favorite things:


a Rafflecopter giveaway