Unlock the Magic Update & a FREEBIE! #studentmotivation

If you read my first Unlock the Magic post (FIND IT HERE), here is a little update and a freebie! Plus you get a little peek at my first Unlock the magic ceremony from this past Friday. 

Many of you may have already watched my Unlock the Magic Periscope that I posted several months ago to my blog. I am so excited about this little reward system that I created after years of watching The Price is Right. Here is a quick little video about how the reward system works: 

Last Friday, we had our very first Unlock the Magic ceremony for the month of September. The kids worked so hard to earn keys all month long. Here is a look at the celebration going down...

I will have 12 5th and 6th graders joining me on our first reward trip which I will announce on Monday. :) 

This is super easy to create and use. In short, the kids earn keys {paper keys} throughout the month for different behaviors and achievements. At the end of each month, we have a key ceremony where the students will receive their actual key and have a chance at unlocking their lock. If that lock opens, they get to attend that months reward trip. 

In the video, I gave tons of suggestions for how to recreate this project. The keys can be a little tricky...so pay close attention to that part. 

And remember...reward trips do not have to be super expensive, but it is a great way to build relationships with your students outside the four walls of your classroom. If you can make it work...I HIGHLY recommend it. Watch the video for some ideas of inexpensive reward trips! 

This is where I house all of my keys. It is simply a cute storage container from Hobby Lobby that I painted to match my locks. 

A little key update: I DO NOT give the students an actual key when they earn one in the classroom. I would be replacing keys every single month. Instead, I give them a paper key that they have to redeem at the ceremony for their actual key that could potentially unlock one of our locks. I have created a little freebie that I just uploaded to my TPT shop. It contains all of the keys that you will need. A few suggestions: 

a) I print the keys on cardstock paper. I have the students write their name on the back of their key in pen and hang tight until the ceremony. 

b) Each month, I print a set with a different colored background. No sneaky business here! Lol! You can download the freebie by clicking on the image below. 

That's it y'all! That's really it. How will you unlock the magic in your classroom this year? 

I will be back some more over the next few days to share ideas for these two things just in case you missed the periscopes! :)  

Hope y'all are having a great weekend! 

XOXO!

It's fall y'all! A little #throwback

No! No. It's not Thursday, but I wanted to do a little throwback post to some of my favorite fall activities. I am telling you...fall {mainly October} is my absolute favorite month in the classroom. I have a TON of brand new lessons in store for this month so stay tuned. Until then, here are a few things from the past. You can click on any of the links to read the original post for more details! 

The Dead Word Zone 

{MY FAVE!!!}

Just picture it: Your students arrive to school wearing all black. They are laying these "dead words" to rest one final time. After this, your students' writing will be filled with a variety of vivid vocabulary! I am telling you, the kids have an absolute blast with this activity. You can read more about it right {HERE}. All of the resources for this lesson is included in my Trick or Treat Halloween Writing Unit {HERE}. 

Pumpkin Book Reports

I think the pictures do all of the talking here! :) This is such a great project to engage your students and motivate them to read some really great books. I have done two different versions of pumpkins in my classroom: 1) Fiction - pumpkin BOOK reports 2) Nonfiction - pumpkin BIOGRAPHIES. They both were perfect opportunities to tie literature and nonfiction texts into the month of October. Here is a look. 

Pumpkin Book Reports: 

Original post {HERE}.

You can purchase the resources for this unit {HERE}.

Pumpkin Biographies:

Original Post {HERE}

Resources {HERE} 

The Wizard of Oz

October is the absolute perfect time for one of my favorite books, The Wizard of Oz! 

That's right...The Wizard of Oz! 

That October morning when they walked in, our classroom was decorated with witch everything... paired with a nice, bright...Yellow Brick Road! At the end of the road waiting patiently, was their new guided reading book for the next two weeks! I couldn't decide if I wanted to read the story whole group, or in guided reading groups. Then, I found the perfect version at Kohls! It was challenging for my low group, perfect for my middle, and a little easy for my high group. So, I simply modified the reading skills to make it perfect for all! AND...they couldn't have been more excited about our new book study! You can check out the original post {HERE}.

Halloween Riddle Review

When the sugar high sets in, keep them busy, busy, busy! I love this activity. Original post {HERE}. 

Halloween Homophones
Which or witch?!? Come on! Perfection. Original post {HERE}.



On Wednesday I will be back to share a fun lesson that I am doing with my 5th graders. I will give you one little hint. On Friday when they left school, I handed them this ticket. {Our kids are out on Monday and Tuesday}. As they left, I wished them luck on the adventure that they will encounter on Wednesday when they return! I. Can't. Wait! 

The Reading Bucket List: The Big Reveal!

If you would like to join us for a live Periscope reveal, it will all go down at 8:00 PM EST tonight! You can follow me @HopeKing on Periscope to join the conversation. 

Do you struggle to motivate your readers? Are you over reading logs, reading incentive programs, and having your students count minutes per night? Even though we know they aren't actually completing them! I can just see it now....it's Sunday night before school on Monday and little Johnny sits down to write out his "reading" for the week. Momma or daddy signs away not even knowing whether or not he actually spent five minutes reading the entire week. Well, we have a solution for you!  Adam Dovico, my very dear {and brilliant} friend, and I are beyond ecstatic to introduce the Reading Bucket List. Here is a little insight to the method behind the madness of the bucket list.

As adults, we read what we enjoy. Why then are we forcing kids to all read the same text, at the same time, with the same assessments? That’s why Adam and I came up with the Reading Bucket List—an innovative approach to self-selected texts, engaging projects, and meaningful discussions.

First and foremost, we wanted students to have choice in what they are reading! But we know as teachers that there needs to be some guidance in what we do, so that is why we created a list of 60 genres, both traditional and out-of-the-box, that students can select from. From historical fiction and autobiography to primary documents written before 1800 and comic books, there is a wide-range of texts that students can thumb through to reach their goal of 40 texts by the end of the year.

In addition to the reading, we wanted students to have the opportunity to creatively express what they have in their heads. As one fifth-grade student from North Carolina said, “I like reading, but I like being creative even more.” That is why students will create projects based on their reading from a “Project Menu.” The projects feature a wide-range of visual arts, music, performance, and writing.

In the end, we want students to love what they are reading and have a chance to talk and demonstrate what they are investing their time in. We are encouraging teachers to conference with the students once a week to talk about what they are reading. This also gives a chance for students to make text recommendations!  

The Reading Bucket List unit contains everything you need to introduce, establish, and perfect the bucket list in your room. Here is a look a few of the additional components of the unit. 

I have been holding daily groups with my students where we chat about their readings and share some of their favorite things about our text. We have also piloted this program in other schools, and the teachers have been raving about their students' level of motivation to read. Here is a picture of Adam holding a reading conference with a group in NC. 

And here is another snapshot of a student strategizing over which text she will read next. 

We've also created book suggestion cards to use when recommending texts for students. But this is just a starter! ;) 

The students will also be writing quotes from their favorite books in this journal. As other students are searching for the perfect titles, this journal might just serve as the inspiration they need. 

As students complete a text, they have recommendation cards in their hands and ready to go as they share their new found love of a book with their friends. 

Everything that you need to set-up and maintain student tracking and records is also included. 

I couldn't be any more pleased with how the bucket list has been working in my classroom. Many of my students have already completed 5, 6, 7, 8, & 9 texts. My parents are also a little in love with it as well. This text message the other night just made my teacher heart all kinds of happy. :) 

The Reviews Are In: 

Mrs. Nolan, "I love the reading genre list. Katy and I are both loving picking out different books to fit the genres."

Cindy Resendes: "I love being able to have real conversations about books with my students. They are bowing me away with the titles they are choosing. I thought it would be hard to get them to read and share their thoughts, but they are excited about the books they are choosing and diving into multiple genres that I know they would not have even known about, let alone actually read!! This is a great way to get my students reading and having conversations about their books."

If you are interested in purchasing the RBL for your classroom, you can grab it by clicking the picture below. It will be on sale for the next 24 hours! 

Get Your Teach On: March 7, 2016

Oh my goodness, y'all! I am giddy with excitement! Have y'all heard the news? On March 7, 2016, Deanna Jump has invited me to join her in Orlando for a brand new conference called Get Your Teach On! 

This is sure to be unlike any early childhood/elementary conference you've attended. Deanna and I will be spending the day sharing our ideas, techniques, and teacher secrets that have led to a successful classroom in grades K-3. We have tons of surprises in store along with some great breakout sessions. Here is everything you need to know: 

Classroom snapshots & a little about what you will learn: 

Need a teacher pick-me-up? Looking for some of the most current research based strategies that will light your classroom on fire? Join us in 2016 for Get Your Teach On - a one-of-a-kind experience for K-3 teachers.  You will spend a day with Deanna Jump and Hope King as they share their passion and enthusiasm for education and give you their tips, tricks, best practices, and teacher secrets to building a successful and engaging classroom. You will leave feeling empowered, motivated, and prepared to create dynamic lessons that will challenge your students and leave them hungry for more. Get Your Teach On is sure to be unlike any other educators’ conference that you will attend. Pack your favorite teacher bag, get ready for some educational magic, and join us in Orlando as you prepare to Get Your Teach On!

Ready to register? Please read the information below to ensure that you reserve a spot at this year's conference. 

If you are ready to complete your registration and payment, click the link below and follow these easy steps:

So mark your calendars and get ready for a weekend filled with excitement, inspiration, and motivation to get your classroom moving and grooving like never before. We can't wait to see you all! 

XOXO!!