Best workshop ever and a million anchor charts!

Happy Wednesday! I just finished up a 3 day inservice called "Growing Healthy!" It's put on by the Mountain States Foundation which is a foundation in our area that works to raise support for the growing health care needs. The MSF sponsors this inservice every year and works to educate teachers on health and how to implement nutrition/healthy living/science in the classroom. There are multiple reasons why I love this workshop...are you ready?

1. You get paid $50 per day to attend. That's right people...check made out in YOUR name for $150 when you leave the 3 day session. Spend it how you wish. 

2. They speak for a few hours and then turn you loose for the rest of the time to MAKE the products you are going to be teaching with. WHAT?! Is this not every teachers dream? It's a stinking make and take workshop. YES!!

3. They bring in a laminator and have someone who laminates ALL the stuff you make plus cuts it out. 

4. If you finish making your health materials, you can make anything else you'd like. Whoo hoo!

Seriously people! Do I have you convinced? This is the best workshop EVER!!!

The coordinator for this program started out by having everyone introduce themselves and then decorate a paper bag. These were placed in the back of the library and she encouraged everyone to write notes, positive words, etc on paper and stick them in the bags. By the end of the conference...we had so many sweet little comments. A few teachers even placed candy in the bags. I thought this would be a great "back to school" activity for older grades. As students get to know each other the first week, they can write fun notes to each other or words of encouragement for the upcoming year. Students can take their bags home on Friday and read what their peers wrote about them. 

Here is a picture of everyone working away. 

This is the plethora of supplies we had to work with. Glue, markers, book rings, construction paper, every colored poster board you can imagine - oh my! 

This is some of the sample items they encouraged us to make and implement. The Little Red Hen, There was an Old Lady who swallowed...., and the "feeling" clowns. She had all the patterns ready for us to trace and make. 

After I finished making my health curriculum, I worked on other projects. I had pinned a ton of anchor charts and decided to get busy. *Please note that none of the ideas are original. All of the charts were found online and reproduced.*

I plan on using this for a multitude of things. Main idea, predictions, new learning, etc!!

Cannot wait to refer to these during math!

Can you tell I worked my fingers to the bone? I hadn't colored that long in - well....I guess since I was in kindergarten. ha ha 

They also laminated a few things I had printed at home. This is the new clip chart system I'm going to use this year.

And I finished this!

Made all these, too! Just hadn't had a chance to run them by my classroom. From left to right: prediction chart, chart to accompany my calendar journals (see post {here}), "My Star Work" rubric, and last -  a circle map. 

There are a few more but I thought I was getting a little overboard. ha Have you attended any cool workshops this summer or made anything fun? Please share!