I have a total of 27 years teaching experience . After I received my M.Ed. from the University of Florida (hence the name "HappyEdugator"), I began teaching in elementary school, where I taught pull-out remedial classes for grades 2-5 and a section of K-1. Then I taught Pre-K for 5 years, before I went up to Middle School, where I have been in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Last year, I went back to 1st grade in a private setting. I have traveled worldwide and am also fluent in Spanish.
I have a total of 27 years teaching experience . After I received my M.Ed. from the University of Florida (hence the name "HappyEdugator"), I began teaching in elementary school, where I taught pull-out remedial classes for grades 2-5 and a section of K-1. Then I taught Pre-K for 5 years, before I went up to Middle School, where I have been in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Last year, I went back to 1st grade in a private setting. I have traveled worldwide and am also fluent in Spanish.
Christmas Activities. Fun Christmas activities for the last week of school before the Christmas break. Six different sheets that are fun and require critical thinking! Three writing prompts, a math square, a wordsearch, and a scrambled story included, with answer keys. Print and go. No prep. Enjoy and merry Christmas! - HappyEdugator
Halloween Word Search. Your students will have fun finding the spooky Halloween words hidden in this word search puzzle. They can search up, down, backwards, and diagonally to find them. Includes answer key. - HappyEdugator
Barbara Frietchie by John Greenleaf Whittier Close Read and Study Guide. The poem is about the Confederate invasion of Frederick, Maryland during the Civil War. Includes background information sheet, vocabulary, close reading sheet, study guide, a copy of the poem, and answer key.
Use these superhero themed back to school classroom rules for your super classroom! Rules are simple: Respect Others, Work Quietly, Follow Directions, Raise Your Hand, Hands to Yourself, Be Safe - Walk, Don't Run, and Keep Toys and Gum at Home. Enjoy! - HappyEdugator
Try this fun Getting-to-Know-You activity for Back to School All. It's an All About Me Graphic Organizer. This is a great way to learn your students’ names at the beginning of the year, and your students will love making their special graphic organizer about themselves. Make enough copies for everyone in your class. Card Stock is best. Take photos of your students and attach them to the center of the graphic organizer. Your students can then fill it out with their best attributes, family, friends, interests, etc. There is a Character Traits list included so students can have a reference for their writing.
These make a great display, but don’t stop there. You can have students present them to the class, create a writing assignment based on their graphic organizer, use them to create lessons based on their interests.
You can do this activity as a whole group, giving an example to the class of your own personal graphic organizer to introduce your students to who you are. You can also have them complete them in groups or use them in centers.
- HappyEdugator
Halloween Imagery - Sensory word lists for Halloween writing. Students can use these lists to help them write spooky stories with imagery and more description. Great packet to put in a writing center or print them out for writing folders. First page explains how when a writer uses imagery, the reader is able to create a set of mental pictures produced by the memory or imagination. The images come from sensory and figurative language that the author uses to stimulate the mind of the reader. Words that wake up the senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste help readers visualize. Includes
What is Imagery?
Halloween Sights
Halloween Sounds
Halloween Smells
Halloween Tastes
Halloween Touches
Halloween Color Words
Halloween Action Words
Christmas Similes Activity. A fun printable Christmas activity handout to help your students create some simple Christmas similes. Your students, after reading the example, should be able to fill in the blanks with their own Christmas similes, and even make up a few of their own. Great winter fun. Also fun to do after watching the scene in the movie "A Christmas Carol" when the party-goers play the game "Similes." Also includes simile cards. Print out on cardstock, and cut out. Give to students to fill out and draw a representation of their simile. Punch a hole in the corner of each, tie with a ribbon, and hang on your "Simile Tree." - HappyEdugator
Spider Webquest. Fun at Halloween or anytime. Explore the world of spiders. In this webquest, students will learn about a variety of different spiders, their habits and habitats, toxicity of venom, first aid, and interesting facts. Students will visit 3 websites and complete two different tables and answer the questions. Key included.
Biography Project Rubric. This rubric is for a student written biography project.
Includes assessment of:
Focus on Assigned Topic
Organization
Spelling and Punctuation
Accuracy of Facts
Creativity
Neatness
Illustrations
Room for comments/grade information at the bottom.
- HappyEdugator
Veterans Day Reading Comprehension Sheet. Students can read about the history of Veterans Day and why it is observed in the United States. Includes a short nonfiction reading and reading comprehension sheet. - HappyEdugator
Beginning of the Year School Bus Safety PowerPoint. Back to school safety! 15 slide PowerPoint with animation on school bus safety. Use for back to school or anytime for review. Basic safety tips about how to get on and off a bus, cross in front of a bus, and behave on a bus in motion. - HappyEdugator
The Christmas Coin Reader's Theater - Script based on a Swedish folk tale. Fun part of a Christmas Around the World unit. Five character reading parts. It can be produced as a skit or a play for a Christmas presentation. Story is about two little Swedish children who try to make an old woman happy by bringing her Yule cakes. The old woman tells them how much she misses her son, who left ten years before. When the children try to help a stranger, they get a big surprise when they find out he is her son! Because of their gift of love and kindness, the children end up with a special unexpected blessing... a magical Christmas coin. Revised and edited for typos in the first version. - HappyEdugator
ICE The Freezing Water Experiment. Does hot water freeze faster than cold water? Does temperature affect how quickly water freezes? Includes What Do I Know About Ice sheet, Problem/Hypothesis sheet, Temperature Recording Sheet, Experiment Procudure and Materials Handout, Results discussion sheet with informaton on the Mpemba Effect. Experiment can be done as a whole class activity, or sent home as a homework assignment. Fun homeschool activity! - HappyEdugator
ELF Writing Paper - Lined Paper - Elf Theme. Eight different Elf designs, two different sizes of lines for writing at different ability levels. Students will have fun writing with cute little elves to inspire them. - Enjoy! HappyEdugator
Welcome students back to school with this WELCOME banner in black and white chevron. Includes the letters W-E-L-C-O-M-E-! and an editable one so you can write your own messages in your own fonts. - HappyEdugator
Back to school Editable labels will help you get organized! Three different sizes. Just insert a text box and write what you want. Great for name tags, desk plates, signs, posters, supply labels, and more. - HappyEdugator
Vietnam Memorial Reading Comprehension Sheet. Students can read about the history of the Vietnam Memorial and where it is located in the United States. Includes a short nonfiction reading and reading comprehension questions sheet. Good activity for Veteran's Day.
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen Vocabulary and Word Search. Engaging study guide vocabulary sheet and fun word search activity. 16 words in the wordsearch. Enjoy! -
