It's a Lottery!

Recently, I posted about making my lottery tickets for Monday-Made-It.  One of the commenters was curious how my students can earn a ticket and what is on them, and I thought I would share it with everyone!

In a frenzy of creation, I made tons of  business cards on Vistaprint a few years ago, then realized I had no plan to get them into the kids hands!  Last summer, when lottery tickets were the rage, I knew right away they were the perfect solution!

 Each day students who break one of the classroom rules get "warnings."  One warning is just a reminder to get back on task.  Two warnings equals loss of half of recess.  Three warnings: no recess.   And so on...

Each Monday, each student with no warnings the previous week is entered into a drawing.  To keep it quick and simple, I use raffle tickets like these.

The student who wins gets the candy bar of his choice.  (This is the only candy/food reward in my room.)  Then a student suggested that the students who do not win the weekly drawing be able to keep their tickets and after so many, get a special prize.  What a great idea!   So now, students who have earned (and kept track of) 5 tickets get a lottery ticket.


The rules are this:

• If I find a ticket on the floor after school, I toss it.  
• If someone finds a ticket with no name on the back, it goes in the trash.  
• You may not share or pool your tickets.

Since they are harder to earn than anything else in the room, the lottery tickets have really great prizes on them.

And, since I am super sneaky, out of the 50 or so cards I made this summer, only two of them were homework passes.

One note: Monitor the kids when they scratch these or you will have silver stuff everywhere.  And if you have carpet like I do, you will never get it off the carpet if they aren't careful!

I hope this is helpful!

P.S.  I'm linking up with The First Grade Derby's linky.  Check it out here or click this: 

Monday Made It

I'm excited to link up with Tara again this week and share what I've been doing!

First, I created new VistaPrint stuff and got a free 7 day shipping deal.  Opening up those boxes and looking at my creations 'live' never gets old!

The t-shirt is a reward for my version of Mrs. Renz's Mastery Club.  (The link to her club is broken, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.  If not, just let me know.  I'd be happy to share.)  The poster is for outside my door and has the same QR code as the brochure: my contact information.

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The other thing I've been working on is this year's lottery tickets.  These were a big deal on Pinterest last year, but I don't know who originated the idea.  My kids LOVED earning these and scratching off the ticket.  Many a 5th grader was late for recess as they watched a classmate reveal his prize!

Sorry it's hard to read.  "It's time to paint. Silver paint with a bit of dishwashing soap. Hint: lay all your cards facing the right way."

I have been completely distracted tonight by The Bachelorette.  But I know many of you understand because I read your Guilty Pleasures posts!   And now it's late, and I don't feel like fixing it.

So there you have it.  I am happy to be able to cross this off of my {very} long list of things to do this summer!  I can't wait to see what you all have created this week!  (Of course, I'll regret looking as I add more to my list!)

Yay!  She chose the right one!  And who doesn't love Peter Cetera circa 1987?

...but I have a good excuse! & a Blog Hop

I have been a very bad blogger this week, but I have a good excuse!  My aunt is visiting from Tennessee, and my sister brought my nieces up for the weekend.  It's been fun!  Yesterday, after a great P.E.O. meeting, my sister and I took the girls to Amish country where we went on a buggy ride through the woods.   The highlights for the girls were 1. the free ice cream after the ride and 2.  the horse poop.  'Nuff said.

This morning we are going to a friend's house to swim.  Meg has been taking swim lessons this summer and can't wait to show off her skills!

So.  As I don't really have time to blog this weekend, I am joining in on the Newbie Blog Hop hosted by Janis at Grade Three is the Place to Be.

All you have to do to enter this blog hop is answer the questions below:

    1.  what state you are in - Northeast Ohio

    2.  your current teaching position - 5th grade in a Catholic school

    3.  your teaching experience - I have been teaching for 12 years - all in the same position

    4.  when you started blogging - If you look at the sidebar, it says I've been blogging since 2010, but only in the last two months have I actually done anything with it!

    5.  share a blogging tip / blogging resource - Comment - share the love!  I know I love it when people comment on my blog.  I feel like it's important that we show our support to each other.  Collaboration is amazing.  Every day, I strive to be a better teacher because of the bloggers who I am inspired by - and I want them to know it!

There you have it!  I have so enjoyed blogging this summer, but I know I'm going to need to make blogging a priority when school starts.  So I created a planning sheet to keep me on track.  You can download it here from my TpT store.

New signature! What do you think?

Guilty Pleasures!

Yes, it's another linky party, and yes, I'm linking up!  But really, how could anyone resist when it's so fun and doesn't have anything to do with school?  It's nice to think about something else for a minute. Come on, you know you want to link up, too.

TV.  I love it.  I watch way too much.  My favorites are reality shows  - currently Real Housewives, Dance Moms, Big Brother, and The Bachelorette.  And to go along with that, I love, love, love my DVR!  The only thing I watch as it's happening anymore is the local news and the Today Show in the morning.

This one is going to be obvious!  Blogging.  I have been reading blogs and writing posts at the cost of almost everything else!  In fact, a few days ago I realized at like 8:30 at night that I hadn't eaten the dinner I made (in the microwave) nearly 3 hours before.  I seriously need to limit my time on the computer and DO some of the great things I read about.  Here's the wordle of my blog so far!

Linky Parties are obviously my favorite thing!  There are a ton out there right now that I am resisting. (And let me tell you, it's H-A-R-D!)

Iced coffee.  I make my own by brewing really strong coffee and then keeping a pitcher of it in the fridge.  My day just starts better when it begins with delicious, cold and creamy iced coffee.

Liebster Love

Thank you so much to Sailing Second Grade Seas for giving me this great award!  What a great surprise!

I have loved blogging this summer  and am so excited to be part of such a giving community of teachers.  I have been inspired, humbled and awed!

Below are the five new bloggers I am nominating for this award.  Check them out and share the bloggy love.  All of them are 5TH GRADE BLOGS!  When I started, I thought this was just a hobby/obsession for primary teachers, and I worked hard to find upper elementary blogs.  (For the longest time, I thought Farley and Jordon were it!)  But this summer there has been an explosion of 5th grade teacher blogs!  So I'm sharing so of the ones I've found recently.

Mrs. White's Fifth Grade Class

OK ladies, it's your turn!  Here are the rules:

1. Link back to the person who gave it to you.

2. Post the award to your blog.

3. Give the award to at least 5 bloggers with less than 200 followers.

4. Leave a comment on the 5 blogs to let them know that they have been offered this award.