Howdy, friends.

I am on Week 3 of the TpT Seller Challenge! Whew! I cannot believe three weeks of summer have already passed! I am very excited to finally (did I say "finally?" I meant "FINALLY!")  finish creating my masterpiece which I am sharing with you this week!

Before the unveiling I want to thank, Sassy Schoolhouse, from neighboring New Mexico, who edited this product. I love collaborating with other teachers, especially experienced teachers who are starting a TpT store! Check out her FREE calendars for the upcoming year!

The newest addition to Kindergarten Down River is the Financial Literacy for Young Mathematicians Bundle. Within, you will find exciting resources such as:

• essential questions to drive your instruction
• interactive lesson activities to build content knowledge on income, wants and needs, goods and services, saving and spending, and charitable giving
• graphic organizers to supplement instruction on subunits  
• writing prompts to extend the learning and formatively assess your students on how they are understanding the content vocabulary for this unit of instruction
• scenario cards for subunits to help students critically think about the financial choices they are making to build their decision-making skills, in color and black and white (sold separately too)

Financial Literacy Scenario Cards

Financial Literacy Scenario Cards

• assessments for subunits to be used for formative or summative information
• AND....my favorite: the folds and flaps component!
• FOLDS AND FLAPS allows students to build their knowledge of financial literacy in their interactive math notebooks or in a "lapbook" (created with a standard file folder as shown below- sold separately too)

Financial Literacy Folds & Flaps

If the bundle is just TOO much awesomeness for you...I decided to split up the specialized components (Scenario Cards and Folds & Flaps,) to meet the needs of more teachers!

I am excited to share this new bundle and all of its unique components with you!

What do you think?

  

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Laura Williams

Howdy, friends.

I am continuing to participate in the TpT Seller Challenge this week. Sellers are daring to dream and share their visions for their businesses with us all.

I am very goal-oriented and usually have many things I am working towards in my life. I recently had an experience that has centered my soul in so many ways, after achieving a long dreamed of goal. 

Professionally, it has been my desire to be an instructional specialist. This school year, that dream came true! I was given a promotion and served as a campus instructional specialist for a group of 35 amazing teachers and 600 beautiful students. Achieving that goal was certainly a blessing. I was so happy supporting teachers and working alongside them. I made a difficult decision to leave this special group of people and go back to my old school to work as a teacher, yet again.

 

I am overjoyed with my decision, though many people do not understand. In our society, we overall expect colleagues to go "up the ladder" not down it. With my new perspective on so many things, I have become more centered and feel a sense of peace with the "now" of my life. My three goals for "Kindergarten Down River" reflect this time in my life for sure. They are goals that I am meeting now, but want to continue meeting daily.

 

 

Goal 1: Live out my vocation. 

I want to do anything and everything that I am called to do. I feel called to teaching and sharing my gift with others.

Goal 2: Help other teachers implement standards by designing creative resources.

This corresponds with my first goal. I feel that part of my vocation is to help others in their mission field of teaching. The Internet, and especially TeachersPayTeachers, has made this a great platform for me to be able to meet this goal. Before, I could only help and support the teachers I would surround myself with; whether it be my three colleagues in kindergarten or the 150 teachers I would train for my school district. Now, my circle of influence has expanded dramatically because of this blog and my resource center on TpT.

Goal 3: Give my students hands-on experiences to my students that I would not otherwise be able to provide for them.

With the relationships I have built with other teachers, I am able to give my students a better education. I use a variety of instructional resources, including others' ideas from blogs and resources on TpT. My earnings as a seller supplements my instruction and allows me to give so many more opportunities to my students. I will continue to fund hands-on experiences that will enhance my students' learning.

Happy Dreaming!

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Laura Williams

 

Cupcake Comparisons Game

 

Howdy, Friends!

 

This summer, some TpT friends decided it would be fun to start a revolution...I do not know if they planned on how widely spread the participation would be...but it is blowing up the internet, Instagram, Pinterest, and all of the other things that I'm still learning! 

 

I am committed to completing the four weeks of challenges, which should be most beneficial to you, my dear friends. I will be enhancing current products and making Kindergarten Down River a comprehensive place to find the resources you need!

 

As part of Week One, I decided to give one of my favorite freebies a facelift! If you have not downloaded this great math center, do it! Right now!

 

Enhancements include:

-Colorful cover page

-Classy borders on pages

-Larger number cards better for cutting, laminating, and cutting again

-Easier to use recording sheets

 

Join over 700 other teachers are they implement this comparing number game in their classrooms. It is perfect for kindergarten and first grades throughout the year, or a great back-to-school center for second grade!

 

Enjoy the facelift! There's more to come...

 

P.S. Have you started following my NEW INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT? Click here to follow my journey as a teacher!

 

Happy Downloading and Following!

 

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Laura Williams