Breakout EDU: The Good, The Bad, The INTERACTIVE!! :)

Have you heard of Breakout EDU? If you haven't, it's definitely worth checking out! Our local education coop bought a kit for each school in the area, so I had to see what it was all about. For starters, you need to go to www.breakoutedu.com to get a login to access the games. This program is just getting started, so it seems to me like there a lot of kinks to get worked out. However, there are six games on the website for you to try out once you have a kit. If your school doesn't have a kit, you can purchase one for $99 or you can make your own.

Breakout EDU follows the same idea as an "escape room" or something of that nature. However, instead of students trying to escape the room, they are trying to break into a box. At first I saw this as a team-building exercise or something to help students think creatively and critically. As I've done more research, joined the Facebook community, and so on, I've found that there are ways to tie Breakout EDU into any curriculum. I'm looking forward to making my own Breakouts, and I will DEFINITELY be sharing them on this blog.

Today, I had my students try out the "Candy Caper" Breakout from the website. I found it somewhat difficult to set up, even though there was a video. The written directions and the video didn't really mesh for me. So, as I was setting it up, I was thinking about how I would do my own and the differences I would have in my Breakout. Anyway, my students had a complete blast on this Breakout and solved it a lot quicker than I was expecting. It was fun to see them work together and see the gears turning in their little heads as they were trying to solve the clues.

I took some pictures to go along with our Breakout today.

This is what I found when I opened my box: lots of different locks, a smaller lock box, an invisible ink pen, and a UV flashlight. My brain instantly started thinking about what I could do!

 Here are some pics of my students solving the clues. Of course, they found themselves surrounding my desk, hoping I'd offer some help!

If you've tried Breakout EDU before, have created any of your own games, or have any ideas, please share them in the comments! I'd love to collaborate on this and learn more about it. It's totally right up my alley as it's so interactive, and I saw how much fun my kiddos had today! 

Lastly, there are sales going on at both of my shops: Teacher's Notebook and Teachers Pay Teachers. They are site-wide and store-wide. So, you can save an additional 20% in my store this week!! Check it out, if there's anything you've been looking for or waiting to purchase!

                            

Thanks for all your do for your students each and every day! 

Find something INTERACTIVE and engage them each day!! :)

Encyclopedia Brown - New Product and a SALE!!

Hello Everyone! I've finally added a new product to my store: "Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret UFOs" Novel Unit!

This is another of my complete novel units, loaded with comprehension questions, vocabulary, and chapter activities. Your students will be sure to love it! With the addition of this new product, I've decided to throw a sale on all of my Encyclopedia Brown novel units. So, if you've been looking for the perfect time to add one of these novel units to your collection, now's that time! The units will be on sale for $4.00 instead of $5.00.

I've been making my own novel units for many years. I enjoy the simplicity of my novel units because the students are still getting comprehension and vocabulary practice, but it does not take up too much time in your day. Also, the chapter activities are completely optional, so you can choose to do them, if time allows, or not. They just add a bit more understanding to the overall story, and students get to do some cross-curricular work as well. I use these novel units frequently in my classroom, and my students always enjoy them. I hope yours will too! Take look around, and I hope you find something that interests you!

Thanks for checking in!! Have a great rest of your week!!

Back to Blogging in 2016!

Hey strangers! I know I've been quite MIA for...hmm...about half a year. There's a reason for that, I promise!

Yep...I've been on this roller coaster of life with one more little guy to enjoy it with. Meet Winten Bernard Gunderson! Isn't he a cutie?! He was born in August, and I was able to stay home with him until the beginning of October. He's a little honey, and we love our little addition SO much!

But, that's only part of the story. I came off of maternity leave to a new teaching position. I am now teaching a 5th & 6th grade combination class in the town I grew up in and currently reside. So, the sweet thing is that I get to walk across the street to work with my three big boys, which is totally awesome. I also only have 5 students, which is pretty amazing. Oh the wonderful hands-on learning that can be done in a small classroom! I'm LOVING it! The only thing I'm not loving is that I don't teach math to my wonderful kiddos, but I get them for every other subject. It's a juggling game and a lot of work, so that's why I've been so MIA lately. I'm hoping to be better in the new year, now that I've finally settled in to my new position as teacher and mommy. Thanks for checking in! I'll be back online soon with some teaching tips and tricks, as well as some new novel units I've been working on. Check back soon!! :)

TPT Back to School Sitewide SALE!

Hello fellow teachers! For those of you who follow my blog, I'm sorry I've been MIA for the entire summer, but this is what I've been up to:

Yep, that's right...I've been cooking up a baby! My fourth boy, to be exact, so I've been rather busy either taking care of my other three or myself. Looking forward to 2 1/2 weeks from now when my little man will enter this world. So, I will be taking my maternity leave at the beginning of the school year, right when I'm supposed to start a new position at a new school. No stress....right!?!?!?! 

With that said, I will attempt to continue to get some blog posts out to you, as well as new products as much as I can. I'm currently working another Encyclopedia Brown novel unit, and you just can't miss the Teachers Pay Teachers Back to School Sitewide Sale! You can get up to 28% savings if you use BTS15 at the checkout. My entire store is on sale, so now's the time to get ready for the upcoming year! Here are a few items you might be interested in:

Reader's Notebook Starter Pack

Classroom Scrabble Bulletin Board

Star Cards - A Behavior Management System

Wishing you all a wonderful beginning to the school year! I hope you find lots of joy in your new students, your new roles, or whatever you may have going on in the coming months! Hopefully, you will be making a difference! :)

I'm a Featured Shop of the Week?? WHAT!?!?!

Well, I am SO excited, if you can't tell! I received word that I'm a Featured Shop of the Week on Teacher's Notebooks Facebook page. How cool is that?!?! They are also featuring a product of mine: Star Cards - A Behavior Management System. (Click on the logo above to take you to the Facebook post!) I'm totally stoked to be honored this way. I put a lot of work into each and every one of my products. I actually use them in my own classroom, and I really want to share my ideas and save other teachers time as well. I thank all of you for following me, making purchases, and just supporting me in general in this endeavor. You rock!

Don't forget, that I'm still running sales in both of my shops: Teacher's Notebook and Teacher's Pay Teachers. The Teacher's Notebook site-wide sale is all week and the TPT sale ends today.

I'll let you in on a little secret...I'm just finishing up a novel unit for "Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective," the first book in the series. I should have it in both of my stores by the end of the day. So, if you're looking for a novel to end your year, or you're looking forward to next year, you might want to check out this product!!

Thanks again for all of your support! Putting in the effort in my shops and on this blog wouldn't be worth it without you!
Have a great Teacher Appreciation Week! I hope you're getting spoiled by all of your cherubs. :)

Teacher Appreciation SALE!!

It's May, everyone! Can you believe it?!?!?! When we think about May, we think about flowers blooming...

sun shining...

and beautiful spring days...

UNLESS...you're a teacher! Then it's all...

AND...

Am I Right?!?! This time of year is probably stressful for all teachers. Everyone, including the teacher, wants to be outside, enjoying the blooming flowers, the shining sun, and the beautiful spring days. BUT THERE'S STILL SO MUCH TO DO!! I won't continue to post about things you already know, but I AM going to let you in a little secret....You. Are. Amazing. You Rock! You Bring Joy to Kids! YOU Make a Difference! So, as you're stressing and trying to keep your kiddos engaged, Teacher's Pay Teachers and Teacher's Notebook are both running sales to show how much YOU are appreciated. Head on over to my store for extra 20% savings. And, don't forget to use the coupon code for the website savings too! Hopefully you will find some products to save your sanity! Enjoy! And, remember, you WILL survive. You've done it before, and you'll do it again! :)

Click the banners to take you to my stores:

             

Thanks for EVERYTHING you do!

FLASH FREEBIE!! "Encyclopedia Brown Cracks the Case" Can Be Yours For FREE!

Happy Spring All! What a crazy time of year! Testing, testing, and more testing...that's what I'VE been up to, and I'm sure many of you can relate. With the adjustment to computer assessments and the Smarter Balanced test in itself, it's been quite an interesting time of year. I'm not going to say more, as I know everyone has their own opinions about Common Core standards, computerized testing, and standardized testing in general.

Since the end of the school year is nearing...it's almost May?? WHAT!?!? I thought I'd have a little fun and offer up a FLASH FREEBIE of one of my newest additions to my online stores: "Encyclopedia Brown Cracks the Case." This entire novel unit will be available in my Teacher's Notebook shop, Gunderson's Goodies, for a limited time. Beginning today through the end of the month, you can download this novel unit for free.

Been wondering what my novel units are like? Well, here's your chance to check it out! My best selling products in both of my stores have always been my Encyclopedia Brown and Jigsaw Jones packets, so I've been spending some time working on additional books in each of these series. I hope you enjoy this novel unit and come back for more. This novel unit also requires no work on your part, so if you're looking for something fun and engaging to end your year that still focuses on Common Core standards and reading skills, then this product will be a great addition to your reading collection. Hurry and grab it before April 30th!

Keep those chins up! The end of the year is approaching rapidly, and you will soon be on to the next adventure.