My New Laminator - Swedex Smart Laminator

Like most teachers, I have a serious addiction to laminating!  Let's laminate ALL the things! I love that it makes my teaching tools last so much longer.  So, when I was given the opportunity to try out the Swedex Smart Laminator of course I jumped at the chance!

Disclosure: I was given a free laminator to facilitate my review, but all opinions are my own.

Isn't it beautiful?!?  

Just in case you can't see from the first picture, there are several size options that you can use with this laminator. The machine takes 5 different thickness pouches in sizes varying from a small luggage tag to a 12 X 18 pouch.  There are also pouches that have adhesive backing!

I was super excited to see that I could laminate larger things because I had an "incident" during the school year when I attempted to Jerry-Rig two laminating pouches to laminate signs for my Compassionate Confrontation Board.  Luckily my hubby is good at fixing my mistakes and he was able to un-jam my little laminator, but my signs were not laminated.

So, when my Swedex Smart Laminator arrived, I knew I had to fix that!

Not only was I impressed with the various sizes that could be laminated, but I was also impressed with how fast it warmed up - it was mere seconds!

Watch how fast this thing goes!

You can also check out a video from the company here.

I am going to absolutely LOVE having this in my own classroom, but I think it would make a great alternative for your employee work room - you might want to let your Principal know about this one!

Some info from the manufacturer:

* The machine comes with a 5 Year Warranty - so if it breaks, they simply swap it out - so essentially you will have this machine for life.

* They have 2 special promos going for An Apple for the Teacher reader: You can use the Promo Code: LOVE2TEACH to get a 30% discount on both the machine and pouches!

* They offer payment plans for those who need them, you can email info@arctec.us for more info about setting up a payment plan.

* They have a special deal right now where you can essentially get the laminator for free!  You pay $50 per month for the laminator, but you also get $50 worth of pouches for free, so, you essentially only pay for the pouches and the laminator is FREE! Click here to find out more.

How I Assess My Students at the Beginning of the Year - Math Reasoning Inventory

Do you ever do something in your classroom that works REALLY well, and then somehow forget about it completely?  Well, that is something that happened to me with the Math Reasoning Inventory.  I used it with my 7th grade math students and was highly successful, but never thought about using it with my elementary students until last year.  

This year I will be starting the year with the assessments right away, and I think you should too!

This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase using one of my links, which helps to support the blog.  All opinions are my own and I only promote brands and products that I have used myself and truly love.   

What is the Math Reasoning Inventory?

The Math Reasoning Inventory is a free on-line assessment tool that helps you learn about your students' numerical reasoning. It was developed by math expert Marilyn Burns. The site says that it is appropriate for grades 5 and up, but I have used it with my 4th graders, and I think you could successfully use the whole numbers inventory in 3rd grade.  

Unfortunately, the inventory was removed from the website.  But, if you email me, I will send you a pdf version.

If you teach a lower grade, I would still give it a look, because I think you could implement a similar process that would be so powerful for understanding what your students are thinking in math.

There are three assessments: whole numbers, fractions, and decimals.  Each section contains a 4 question written test and an individual face to face interview where students are asked to explain how they came up with the answer.

I printed each of these from the website on card stock and laminated them for durability.  I used colored card stock to print out the covers so I can find them easily. I placed the cards on a binder ring for storage and ease of use.

I have the students take the written assessment as a whole group assignment.  I break down the interview process similarly to reading assessments with about 4 students per day.

Most of the questions are asked as mental math problems, but one or two have the students use pen and pencil (or in my case dry erase markers) to solve.

The program has a section to keep track of what types of errors students make and a place to make notes about what you observe.

Once you have assessed your students, reports are generated for both individuals and whole group.

Aside from the data provided from the computer, I was able to observe things about my students' thinking that I might not have otherwise observed. 

 I saw some great results this Spring after using for just a few short months, I can't wait to see the results next Spring after using the assessments (and lessons developed from the results) from the beginning of the year.

If you decide to try out the math inventory, I would love to hear how it goes!  Leave a comment below or tag me on Twitter or Instagram!

And while you're here, enter to win one of our fabulous giveaways!

I will also be sharing some other assessments I use in my classroom in the next few weeks, so make sure to check them out!

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Weekly $25 Teachers pay Teachers Gift Card Giveaway July 31, 2017

Can you believe it is almost August already?!?  August typically means back to school for most of us in the United States, and I bet a $25 Teachers pay Teachers gift card would help you get ready!

Luckily for you, it is time for our weekly giveaway!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:  

Prize: $25 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card

Giveaway Organized by: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher)

Co-hosts:   An Apple for the Teacher, It's a Teacher Thing, LIVIN' IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER, Kathryn Watts, Dee Bibb - Teaching at the Beach, Globe Trottin' Kids, Pitner's Potpourri, It's Kinder Time, Growing Grade by Grade, and The Dennis Crew.

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter.  Giveaway ends 8/7/17 and is open worldwide.

Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media?  Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome group of bloggers! 

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Weekly $25 Teachers pay Teachers Gift Card Giveaway July 24, 2017

I have just returned from the TpT conference, and I had an AMAZING time with my TpT buddies! 

Kathleen from A Plus Kids, Julie from Teacher Ms. H, ME, Mercedes from Surfin' to Success, and Shelby from Wiggling Scholars.  Not pictured is Nichole from The Craft of Teaching who was getting her groove on on the dance floor.

 Everything is better with friends, including our weekly giveaways which I could not do without the help from my amazing friends!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:  

Prize: $25 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card

Giveaway Organized by: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher)

Co-hosts:   An Apple for the Teacher, LIVIN' IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER, Kathryn Watts, It's Kinder Time, "Dee Bibb - Teaching at the Beach",Globe Trottin' Kids, Teaching Second Grade, Jackie Crews, and Brynn's Teacher Bag.

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter. Giveaway ends 7/31/17 and is open worldwide.

Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media?  Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome group of bloggers!

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Personalize Your Math Problems

My students have always LOVED when I use their names in math problems.  They always get excited, and the engagement really increases.  This summer I have been teaching summer school.  I decided to take the personalization one step further with pictures.

My littles had an obsession with pine cones  (although they called them acorns for some reason - LOL!).  So, I took them outside to play with the pine cones (and to practice some math skills).

I took pictures of them while we were outside and created math prompts with them.

Instant engagement!  They were so excited to see their faces in their math journals!

Have you ever personalized your math problems?

Weekly $25 Teachers pay Teachers Gift Card Giveaway July 17, 2017

I am at the Teachers pay Teachers conference this week, and I am so excited to see many of my friends that I only get to see once a year!

But... I don't want to be the only one having fun, so be sure to enter to win a Teachers pay Teachers gift card so you can have some TpT fun too!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:  

Prize: $25 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card

Giveaway Organized by: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher)

Co-hosts:   An Apple for the Teacher, LIVIN' IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER, Growing Grade by Grade, "Dee Bibb - Teaching at the Beach", It Happened in 3rd, and Lockwood's Little Learners.

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter.  Giveaway ends 7/24/17 and is open worldwide.

Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media?  Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome group of bloggers! 

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Weekly $25 Teachers pay Teachers Gift Card Giveaway July 10, 2017

July is already one third of the way over - this summer is just flying by!  I know that means that many of you are headed back to school soon.  We go back late this year - August 31st. 

No matter when you go back to school, a Teachers pay Teachers gift card is bound to help you out!  Enter below!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:  

Prize: $25 Teachers Pay Teachers Gift Card

Giveaway Organized by: Kelly Malloy (An Apple for the Teacher)

Co-hosts:   An Apple for the Teacher, LIVIN' IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER, "Dee Bibb - Teaching at the Beach", Jackie Crews, Globe Trottin' Kids, That's Appsolutely Genius, and Brittani Black.

Rules: Use the Rafflecopter to enter. Giveaway ends 7/17/17 and is open worldwide.

Are you a Teacher Blogger or Teachers pay Teachers seller who wants to participate in giveaways like these to grow your store and social media?  Click here to find out how you can join our totally awesome group of bloggers!

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