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December 30, 2015

Using a Hundreds Chart to Promote Mental Math

I don't know about you, but I LOVE hundreds chart activities. I, of course, balance my Math block with more than just using that strategy, but I have found that with my class this year, they are the most engaged with the activities I've given them that encourage the use of a hundreds chart.

That being said, I wasn't happy with always giving them hundreds chart mystery pictures which are very easy to find and easy to prep and I wasn't always happy with just giving them equations to solve and having a hundreds chart there. So, I created some new ones and we LOVED them!! Just like my Human Body Unit I posted a few months ago, these activities were created as I taught the unit, noticing what my students liked, what they didn't like, what needed differentiation, what their notebooks lacked, and what met the standards the best. It was a labor of love and I am so excited to finally share it with you all.




I have found that while Math is and should be very hands on at this age, it is easy to provide manipulatives and it is easy for students to get overwhelmed with too much fluff. So the contents included are primarily no prep or little prep materials that are challenging and engaging.

I am giving one of these beauties away over at my Facebook page so if you don't follow me there, you might want to jump on in! I'll be giving one away on December 31st! Let's end the year with a little fun and get back in the swing of things!! Click below to head there now and click the images above to head to the product to check it out. Happy New Year!!



GIVEAWAY! My newest unit is posted and I am SO excited about it. This one was a labor of love. Everything in this pack...
Posted by Daisy Designs on Tuesday, December 29, 2015

December 29, 2015

Winter Celebration DAISY DOLLAR DAYS!

I am celebrating some HUGE personal family events this week and want to celebrate with YOU, too! Let's do a Daisy Dollar Day! Get ready for your January math centers with my Snowball Subtraction pack for only $1 through the rest of the week. Click the images below to check it out now!




December 28, 2015

Using the Break to Get Organized

Oh teachers... I'm sitting here in my little home office and thinking about the upcoming year. The break is half over and its time for me to start gearing myself up (yes... it takes me this long to gear up...). Every year one of my New Year's Resolutions is to get more organized. Every year, I do in fact, become more organized... but I struggle staying that way. I always fall short of my goal. This year, I will of course do my best and hopefully will do better than the last.

I've been pinning some other great blog posts and organization tips on getting (and hopefully staying) organized throughout the next year. Maybe they will help you, too! Even if they don't work for me this year, at least these posts and ideas are helping me get my mind wrapped around the idea of going back to work next week.

So without much further ado, here are my Pinspirations and current projects to get this year started off on the right foot!


I know, I know. I've seen a thousand of these pins everywhere and I have always thought... nah... that won't work for me. But my current system is definitely not working so I'm going to try it out. Simple enough for someone like me and doesn't require a lot of upkeep, so I'm going to try it out. Anyone else use this little organization trick? Let me know how it is going for you in the comments!


I absolutely love this idea to help with anchor charts. I have a great classroom with tons of storage but I don't have any wall space to speak of (they are all covered with cabinets), so storing anchor charts is a struggle. I have to tell you I have ordered a magnetic curtain rod TWICE from Amazon in the last few months and have had nothing but trouble receiving it. I guess I'll try actually leaving my computer chair for this one.


What would I do without Charity Preston in my life? Her Organized Classroom blog is a life-saver! This is actually a dish drying rack and I am going to snag one up (definitely decorate it with washi tape) and organize my files better. My current system of hanging file folders in my desk drawer for my frequently accessed stuff is just not working.



This year my schedule is amazing. My students have specials at the END of the day... meaning, I have my students non-stop from morning to afternoon and my planning period is at the end of the day. It's good and bad. The good thing is that after my students leave for specials, I have my 45 minutes of planning time, but then there's another hour after school till my contract time ends at 3. An hour and 45 minutes of time to myself?! It's a dream come true, right? Not really. Sometimes that 45 minutes is packed with meetings. If not, yes, it's great! Except I have a hard time focusing on getting things ready for the week/next day. I'm tired and ready to go home. So one of my favorite bloggers is going to help me. Miss DeCarbo rocks! I'm busy working on an after-school checklist similar to hers that will hopefully get me into some good habits this year.

Phew! I've got some work to do!

December 14, 2015

Survive the Last Week FREEBIE

Oh, teachers... we are almost there. To help you out on the last handful of days... here's a forever freebie. I know I'll be using it. Easy, low-prep, and a fun review game for compound words. ENJOY!


December 13, 2015

December Got Me Like...

I have been a crazy mess this December 2015. On top of that, I am SICK for the first time this school year on the very last week of school before the break. UGH! I just gotta make it 4 and a half more days!!!!!

This is just a fun post. December got me like:




Make sure you stop by the IG later tonight for a fun FREEBIE LOOP! Tons of great freebies available to snag up for your last week. <3



Stop by later tonight for some major freebie action!! Woo-hoo!!! #tpt #teachersfollowteachers #teachersofinstagram #teacherfreebies #freebieloop

A photo posted by Amanda Smith - Daisy Designs (@daisydesignstpt) on