Lomasney Gifted and Talented Plus Bell Ringers

Hi Everyone, With all of the Winter Holidays and sharing Christmas around the world, I thought I would share a few ideas I have for the season. Because I currently teach music, I have several songs posted from our textbook about the Winter Holidays. For example, I have some secular songs like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Jingle Bells." I also have a Chanukah song, a Christmas carol from Germany, a Pinata Christmas song from Mexico, "Feliz Navidad," and a Kwanzaa song. This time of year is so much fun to share various cultures!

Today, I'm sharing some photos of my November bulletin board. I have included some Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving Day visuals on the bulletin board. Hope it gives you some inspiration for your own bulletin board!

I have a math printable that I think you and your students will enjoy. It is a picture of the Mayflower with math problems. After your students have solved the problems, they may color the picture. This is a great project to hang in the hall, for Thanksgiving, when they are complete! Click Here for the Free Printable!

Hi Everyone, I want to share a game that my students love to play. It is the Jack-O-Lantern Bean Bag Toss Review Game. First, I make flashcards with the review concepts that I want to teach. Then I purchase an inexpensive Jack-O-Lantern candy bucket and a bean bag. I actually made my bean bag with a little material and beans. Next,I review the flashcards I made with the students. I encourage students to speak in complete sentences. Of course, I strive to ask rigorous questions, too. The next step is to divide the students into two teams. I allow them to work cooperatively together to get points for their team. I write, "Bats" and "Cats", on the board for the team names and make a T-Chart. I remind students of how we keep tally marks in order to keep score. I have an ending time set, and the team that has the most points at that time wins. I ask a question from a member of the Bat team first. If the student answers correctly, then he/she gets a ch

Halloween is such a great time to decorate! The Dollar Tree has so many great decorations for only ONE DOLLAR each! That's wonderful, when you are on a teaching budget. This is my Halloween Bulletin Board. I have several items that only cost one dollar displayed. I also copied a few pages out of their textbooks to get them reading in the hallway. The students are fascinated with the bulletin board and are ready to learn, when they come to class. Here are a few more decorations in the classroom. The students and I are having a great time this month! Happy Decorating!

Gifted students have big ideas, so why not let them think critically and share their ideas. I personally like to be a facilitator in the gifted classroom. This allows students to question ideas and find answers. According to Professor Rob Reich of Stanford University, by using the Socratic method, the classroom experience is a shared dialogue between teacher and students in which both are responsible for pushing the dialogue forward through questioning. The teacher, or facilitator, asks probing questions. The students ask questions as well, both of the teacher and each other. A great way to start and end a research project is to use the Socratic Method. Present a topic, such as cell phone use. Next, allow students to gather in small circles to present questions and ideas they have about the subject. After discussion, students begin researching the subject and applying their ideas and questions. Upon completion of the research, students gather again to discuss findings and cri

Are Parent/Teacher Conferences taking place in your school soon? Don't sweat it! Make sure your classroom is prepared and bulletin boards are displaying student work. Perhaps, you can even prepare a Power Point slide show of students participating in daily activities. Parents enjoy watching their child take part in learning experiences. Next, have a compliment prepared about the children in your class. Start the conference with this positive comment. Use positive language. Instead of saying a child is lazy, say he or she seems to be unmotivated. Find synonyms that don't pierce the parents' hearts. After all, we are talking about their precious children. After the conferences are over, treat yourself to something special...because you deserve it!

Remember when students had to be able to count to 100? Now, they have to count to 120. Are you ready for that change? I have created some products that can help students count to 120 and still have fun! If you need some practice sheets to help with this change, then try this: Click Here Here is a free product to get you started! Click Here

Hi Everyone, I'm so excited to show you some "Dollar Tree Finds" used in the classroom. I found this great plastic table cloth that I created a theme around. I call it, "Music Under the Sea." There are lots of wonderful songs about the sea in our music books. Actually, "Under the Sea," from the Little Mermaid is in the 5th grade textbook. I copied a few pages from our textbooks, for educational purposes, to place on the bulletin board. I used these songs for examples of what the students will find, when they come to music class. There are a couple of sea shanties, environmental songs, and songs about seal life. I hoped this would cause excitement...like a movie theater poster does in advertising for a new movie! And it did! Students are excited about music and are learning more about sea shanties, etc. The best part is the table cloth with the bulletin board boarder only cost 2 dollars! I even had some left over, so I used it in another

Hi Everyone, I'm so happy to share that Teachers Pay Teachers is in the news, again. If you need teaching resources, then Teachers Pay Teachers is the place to get them. I have a store, in which I create and share many resources for minimal cost. Check out the NY Times article: Click Here, but please come back!

I have to admit, I admire Dr. Marzano, author of, Using Common Core Standards to Enhance Classroom Instruction & Assessment. I have used many of his works in my own teaching career. This book is very well written...as expected. It will not, however, help you with Social Studies, Science, or Health instruction. The Common Core State Standards, currently, only cover English Language Arts and Math. Therefore, this book does a great job of breaking down the ELA and Math standards and explains clearly how to assess student learning of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). It will be beneficial for those who need a little extra help with standards based grading.

I don't know about you, but I really appreciate having an organized classroom. It just seems to help my teaching. Here are pictures of my classroom: Baskets and plastic containers are a great way to keep classroom instruments organized. I definitely have to have lesson plans prepared a week in advance, and my curriculum pacing guide handy. I like to be well prepared. If you need some fresh ideas for curriculum planning or lesson plans, then check this out: Click Here Here for the Interactive Notebook. Click Here for the Pacing Guide.

Do some days seem overwhelming with the amount of work you have along with the behavior that is taking place in the classroom? Sit back...count backwards from 10, and be thankful you have a job! Does that seem tough? Maybe. But we sometimes think that because we are teachers, that the work is not supposed to be difficult. I'm not sure where we came up with that idea. Work is work. Just because it is not manual labor, doesn't mean it is going to be easy. Your feet and back probably still hurt. The stress will most likely still be larger than life. But we can deal with it. Remember this...stress is normal. We just have to learn to deal with it. If you find that you are overworked, then perhaps you can stop by the deli, on the way home, to get dinner instead of cooking after a long day of work. Sit in the hot tub, if you have one. Get help in the classroom from parent volunteers...they might be able to copy papers for you. Buy teaching resources that can help you,

Save Time and Money on Teaching Resources! Click Here to Shop!

I think it is important to teach math, science, social studies, reading and writing using real-world concepts. How many times have you heard, "Why is this important?" Students often want to know, when they will ever use that important concept you just taught. How do you make things "real" in the classroom? Well, I like to use games, webquests, and simulations. The following are some ways I make it "real:" Click Here to Find Out More Click Here for the Economics Package

When a teacher begins a position as a gifted and talented pull-out teacher, it can be overwhelming. That's why I decided to create products based on lessons I used, when I taught gifted education. I love teaching gifted students! They really keep us on our toes! It is not always easy to stay one step ahead. But with great planning, it is possible! Click Here for the Toothpick Bridge Unit Click Here for More Gifted Products!

Click Here for Back-To-School Savings!

Teachers, have you ever had a student in your classroom who seems to raise his hand to answer every question, or ask very difficult to answer questions? Perhaps that student shows signs of having an incredible memory. But maybe, just maybe, he is the only student in your class that can't tie his own shoes. What is wrong with this student you may ask? Well, maybe there is nothing wrong. Perhaps he is gifted. Giftedness can be many things, but often the student has asynchronous development. Shoe tying may not be as important to him as a mathematical concept. Therefore, he is not interested in learning to tie his shoes. At some point, however, he will see the need to learn how to tie shoes, and he will learn it with ease. From my experience, the students who are gifted underachievers are often overlooked by the school system. They are not "teacher- pleasers", but have skyrocket test scores. It is very crucial these students get encouragement to perform their best

I think every teacher can use a free printable. So here is one for you! It is great to use as a review for students counting to 120. Students can follow directions, find the mystery picture, and then write about it. Click here for this free product!

Do you desire to stay home with your children, while they are small? I did. But I had no idea how I could accomplish such an impossibility. I had bills...house payment, school loans, etc. I had worked to become a professional...I am a teacher. Although teachers don't make nearly as much money as others in the corporate world, I just didn't know how I could give up the job to stay with my little ones. I desired, so much, to see each and every step they took. Sure they were getting great childcare, but it wasn't me giving it to them. I wanted to be the one who experienced magic moments with them! In this product, I explain how I went from being a teacher at a public school to owning my own home daycare. If you like caring for children, along with your own, then this product may give you guidance. I am not claiming or promising that it will miraculously allow you to change careers, but it may help guide you in a new direction. I was able to do it, and I believe ot

I love children's literature, and teaching with novels is a wonderful experience for everyone involved! That's why I still enjoy teaching by using the vocabulary that students find in novels. What better way to learn words than by actually using them! That's why I created a Number the Stars Word Find. I can use it as a "bell ringer," center activity, or for teacher directed/group instruction. I hope you and your students will enjoy as well! Click Here

Last time, I talked about how I think sponsoring Chess Club was very interesting to students, as well as, educational. It has an element of intrigue. It encourages the mind to think through difficult problems. Students really like it, and many of my students became very successful. I would like to take time to encourage you to use educational games in the classroom. A math learning center with some dominoes, dice, and playing cards could be very educational. You have to train students to use the center. Have written directions to achieve the outcomes of learning. Perhaps students will add, subtract, or multiply the numbers on the dominoes, dice, and playing cards. Students may even develop their own learning games! This is my Chess Club Calendar Template: Get it free at my Teachers Pay Teachers Store: Click Here

As a teacher, I enjoy many areas of education. I guess that's why I became certified to teach so many different subjects. I love novel studies, music, and math! But of course, I enjoy science and social studies, too! I like to use games and centers to help students learn and manage their own learning. That's why I like the game of Chess. It is an ancient game, and I can understand why it has been around so long. It is fascinating and challenging. When students play chess, they gain a sense of problem solving and strategy. But how can it help students with math skills? Being able to work within quadrants and coordinates,and seeing angles is very important in math. According to (Smith and Cage, 2000) there is a strong correlation between learning to play chess and academic achievement. Having been a chess club sponsor, I have seen great achievement from my former students. Is it because of chess club? I don't know. But I do know those students thoroughly enjoy

Summer is on the way, so don't let students fall behind in their skills! Send home some fun activities that will keep them learning! While students are sipping lemonade and eating watermelon, they can continue learning by doing some simple math and then color their work page for fun. The following is a suggested activity to send home with students for the summer: Click Here

Spring is here, and it is time to get ready for testing and end-of-school-year activities. I have some products that may help with your busy time. This product is great for getting students ready for those verbs used in tests: Click Here The next product is great to use as a "Bell Ringer." Click Here Best Wishes for a Happy Spring!

I like being creative. How about you? In this blog I want to discuss ways to be creative in the classroom with St. Patrick's Day. Okay...at your school, you may have a die cutter. That's great! You can cut lots of shamrocks if they have that pattern. But what if the pattern is too small. Well, if you have an overhead projector, Elmo, or Power Point projector, then you can shine the image up on the chalk board, enlarge and trace around it on a large paper you have stuck to the board. You can even use this large paper to cover your classroom door and have all the students in your class sign it. It makes a great decoration! How about using a shamrock as a writing prompt? If you don't want to make it, then you may purchase one from my Teachers Pay Teachers store. You can, however, draw a shamrock and have students write about it. They can write about the color, where they might find one, anything about St. Patrick's Day. Students will have fun and learn at the

How can I be creative in the classroom, since I have to teach the Common Core State Standards?  Well, it may not be as easy as it used to be.  But it can still be accomplished.  Think about what you would like to teach, and match it with what you have to teach.  Voila!  You've done it!  Can you still make artwork in the classroom.  Yes.  Just add some concepts from Math, Reading, or Writing.  Who can complain, when students are having fun and learning the concepts required?

What does Common Core State Standards mean?  It just means that educators are attempting to get on the same page with education.  We are trying to teach the same concepts to the same grade level.  Is it bad or good?  Well...I can say it is very controversial.  Common Core State Standards are research based standards that help make educating children more consistent throughout the United States.  Furthermore, it opens opportunities for federal grants and entitlements for the schools that participate. With that being said, there are still cultural differences within the United States that don't make all things equal.  For example what a group of people in New York think is important on a standardized test may not be important for a group of people in Texas.  In addition, some people do not like that much government control over their children. As a teacher, it is difficult to constantly jump through new hoops.  We are, however, trained to be open to new ideas and continually rece

Teachers in every discipline are being asked to teach across the curriculum.  What does that mean?  It means that even if you teach Art, Music, Gym, Social Studies, or Science, you are being asked to teach Reading and Language Arts and Math.  Wow!  That seems like a lot to ask.  Well, maybe not.  Perhaps you already teach many concepts in those subject areas and don't even realize it. Take a look at Reading and Language Arts and Math standards, and see if you already teach some of those items.  Most likely...you do.  Next, just write those standards down in your lesson plans.  That's it.  Now, there may be times that you can make a point to teach RLA and Math standards within your subject area, and that's great, too! Here's a product I made to help with teaching across the curriculum, while teaching music: Click here to find out more about the Interactive Music Notebook.

Children need some self-directed instructional time.  I know...I am always saying have centers available for early finishers, but all children need some self-directed instructional time.  Centers allow children time to develop their own sense of learning.  Students can learn at their own pace, find items in which they are truly interested, and have some time to work with their peers. Learning centers should include:       * Various items per subject area,       * Self-checking materials, and       * Checklists to make sure students are covering the necessary material. Learning Centers will allow students to choose from a variety of items within a subject.  Your students will thank you with their enthusiasm! Owl Center Signs Pennant Center Signs