New Year

This new school year hasn't been as stressful, but it's so many kids. We'll add a new teacher 4-5 weeks in to school... How's that going to work out? I'm going to miss the kids that leave! 

My year so far... 

2

Things About Teaching: I am both excited, and scared for the world. Be reflective. 

What are your 'things'? 

I want to come up with a class motto tomorrow with my class. That means I need a perfectly engaging book... I am in love with Bud, Not Buddy right now. I need to recommend it to all my 5th graders! I neglected them by now reading it aloud last year. 

Just a Couple of Friends Starting Blogs Together...

GrapevineTeaching: What's in the name?: The best teachers I know share all that they know with anyone who asks. Although I cannot claim to be the best teacher I know, I am one of t...

The Last Day of Summer

It is the last day of summer, and for me that meant waking up at 7 and heading to my school to organize... It just does not come naturally to me. I know I won't have enough time next week to deal with my room. At the end of the school year I crammed everything into my cabinets which is making it hard to move rooms :)

Did I mention that I am also moving homes? We failed to find our first house, so we're in lingo. Our apartment sucks too! Unfortunately moving is making me have mixed feelings about finding our house now. Can I take another move?

I'm going to try so hard to not talk about school at my bridal shower tomorrow :) 

Classroom is getting there...

Pointless post

Got a quote for wedding dress alterations today and all she has to do is a buh-SOUL. Yeah. Wedding wise I am so in over my head... 

I also got into the school today to move my classroom ( I chose to move to a window room). I do not know what happened... 

 

I did get free rugs though. Do you see them in the front? My teacher friend gave them to me AND the custodians washed them in the 'magical room' where teachers don't go, or see. 

Shout out to my mom for being awesome today (she was). 

Fabulous Lunch

I had the most fabulous lunch today with two of my favorite teacher ladies :) I was out apartment hunting today, so I almost cancelled (I have a love/hate relationship with moving).

Lunch was therapeutic and professionally delightful BECAUSE we came up with a book club idea... to take turns hosting a 'book club lunch' for the 4th grade. We are going to be placing a poster with a sign up sheet at the front of our hall. 10 KIDS ONLY exclusive.

I am grateful for some positive motivation about school :)

Ba-da-bing, I did it!

I love Gretchen Bernabei for writing instruction. Last year I used an idea out of her book Crunch Time that helps students get started writing!

Students think of a moment in time (personal narrative writing). They tell where they were, what they saw, and what they thought.

EX: I was in the parking lot when I saw a crate of puppies and I thought, "I cannot go home with one of those"!

In Gretchen's book, the activity is to enter the classroom doing/wearing something goofy. The students write using the ba-da-bing strategy :)

My students loved this activity. I eventually gave students the chance to come up and act out a scene so the class could write about it using our new strategy.

I developed this poster for the activity next year. I am hoping to have a parent night where parents can participate!

A link to the poster:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Jg_aaCbxZED8w-z_VnCuUC981Dm728cbsbSZKOZc5Rc/edit?usp=sharing

Hanging onto Summer

Summer is coming to an end and I am planning, planning, planning!
This is my second year teaching... and my second year teaching 4th grade :) Last year was rough, but I'm finally ready to get back to it.

This year I want to have a garden theme in my classroom.  I purchased some flower pots and bins from Hobby Lobby for desk organization :)

I also purchased some deck cushions from Garden Ridge for my library! I love them. My fiancé and I even watched TV on them last night.

 

Now I just need access to my classroom!