Thanks Sandy for a day off!

This is the kind of Hurricane Sandy day off everyone should have...

My district was closed today.  Why, I'm not exactly sure, but definitely not arguing.  It was really windy last night, and a few counties over from me there is snow on the ground!  Our power was on and it's really cold today, so I'm very thankful!  

I'm using this day off to get some things done around the house and work on school work.  My friend and I are possibly going to have a facebook planning session to work on lesson plans for the upcoming few weeks.  

I did take a few minutes (okay an hour and a half!) to catch up on reading some wonderful blogs!  I found a few new ones and one huge giveaway!  Head on over to Miss V's Busy Bees and check out her 5 giveaways for her 500 followers!

I hope all of my east coast friends and blogging buddies are warm, safe, and dry!  I'm getting off here to play with a 3 year old who is enjoying having Momma home from work today!  I have some "cookies" to go eat with her!

Throwing a Sale!

Quick and short tonight... so excited!

I just looked at my stats on TPT and noticed something awesome...

I've sold 301 units from my store!!  So, to celebrate, now through Monday, I'm having a sale... 20% off everything!  Stop by and check it out!!

Thanks everyone!!!

Potpourri for $300, Alex

I'll take Potpourri for $300, Alex...

This is going to be a hodgepodge of this and that, a little bit of reading and I'm sure I'll think of something else by the end of this post.

In reading, we are integrating our pacing guide skills with our Making Meaning comprehension... yeah, it's been a fun process trying to merge the two.  Why doesn't your pacing guide match the new comprehension program, you ask... alas, every school in my district is not doing this program so with the help of our literacy coaches, we are making it fit.  Trying to... optimistic....

Sigh.

Right now, I'm introducing fiction and nonfiction in order to start nonfiction text features.  We made our anchor chart with a Venn diagram to compare and contrast features of fiction and nonfiction.  I found a lot of good characteristics from ReadWorks.org and they had everything that I needed!  If you've not checked out Read Works, please do.  It's free first of all, so why not?  Lots of good lesson plans and even lesson plans for whole and small group... sigh... a reading teacher's friend. 

Here is the anchor chart that we made.  Please excuse my lopsided circles...

So today, as a practice, I gave each of my kids a Scholastic book order that I had tucked away, I let them find examples of fiction and nonfiction books and sort them on a large piece of paper.  They LOVED it.  Not only did they talk about what books they wanted... and didn't want... and would buy if they had $300... or I have $400 at home... you see where this is going... but they turned out pretty well.  We still have some work to do but I thought they'd really like to sort.  Here's some examples:

For Making Meaning, we are working on visualizing.  It's been difficult because the skills and strategies we've been teaching haven't really meshed together.  But I love visualizing because I'm such a visual learner, so this is right up my alley.  In Making Meaning, we've done several read alouds for visualizing, like The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey, "Dry Skin" from Poppleton and Friends by Cynthia Rylant, and poems from A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry and "My Baby Brother" in Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers:  A Collection of Family Poems by Mary Ann Hoberman.  I've also made some rubrics that go along with two short poems that are from Jack Prelutsky's The Frog Wore Read Suspenders. 

The focus of our visualizing strategy is to see the characters, setting, and events in a story.  I tell my students to think of it as a movie in their mind as they read.  During their IDR time, they are supposed to mark a place where they saw a clear picture in their minds as they read, and then they get to share their visualizations with their partner.  

Freebie alert!

Visualizing rubrics for two poems from Jack Prelutsky's The Frog Wore Read Suspenders.  The font I used is Rowdy Writing from Rowdy in Room 300.  Her fonts are adorable!!  Clipart is from Melonheadz.

Visualizing Rubric

I've also been working really hard on some new units for TPT and TN.  Lots of good math stuff... including a big packet of two step word problems (which have been my best seller by far...!) and some addition and subtraction activities.  Hope to have those done by the end of the week.  ALSO trying to talk the hubs into getting one of these for Christmas so I can start doing clipart.  Many new opportunities around the corner, always exciting!!

Anchor Chart and Vistaprint Goodies!

Off to dance class for the little one in a few, but wanted to post a few pics to share :)

Got my first Vistaprint order today!  So you know I had to share!  The first one are I Pick rack cards that I'm going to use to help my kids find just right books.  They are supposed to shop in the mornings for them... but alas, they've strayed from the course... we had a come to <enter your religion here> meeting this afternoon about proper IDR/book shopping etiquette.  We'll see how it goes tomorrow...

I had this (see below) as a poster all ready to print and put on my book cart, but thought, why not make a small magnet from it?  So that's what I did!  The fonts are from GingerSnaps and the border from Ms. Fultz's Corner, and the clipart is KPM Doodles... hope I didn't go against any TOU!!

And finally, one more anchor chart!  Our phonics skill this marking period is r-controlled vowels... so we did a little brainstorming the other day....

Off to ballet!!!

Oh, and I've been boo'ed.... will get to that sometime this weekend!! 

Lots and lots of anchor charts... and rain!

I am on an anchor chart kick lately... last year I did some, especially toward the end of the year with reading... but now I'm branching out from reading into math and writing.  More on that in a minute...

Today was a typical Monday... rainy, Fall chill in the air.  I actually woke up early... that never happens.  I am not a morning person.  Not by a long shot.  I set my alarm for 6 am but hit the snooze button numerous times... it's usually after 7 when I finally jolt awake and run around like a mad person.  My husband hated it when he worked 2nd shift.  But today, I only hit the snooze button a few times and woke up in time to shower, do hair, put contacts in, iron my pants (miracle!!) and get my daughter up in time to get her ready without rushing.  Still clocked in on time!  Well, that was where all my luck ran out... the Keurig ate my K-cup and I had to get another one :(  Those things ain't cheap...and I get "reprimanded" by hubs about the impracticality of purchasing said K-cup and after the gazillionth time it's all Charlie Brown adult on me.... you know, wahhh wah wahhh wahh wahhhhhhh.... 

Shhh.... I do have a small coffee maker that was mine but who wants to clean up a coffee pot or worry about leaving it on and drive all the way back to school to check and see? (Does it sound like I've actually done that??  a few times....) so, I'm really saving gas money...right?

Anyways, day got sad... all I'll say is that a call was made to Social Services... all teachers know what that means :(  Just say a prayer for my little friend...

I was observed today, too.  I hate being observed... doesn't matter by who or how long or what, I just hate that feeling of being under a microscope.  I was actually prepared (yay!!) lesson plans done, papers graded, lesson plans actually pulled up on my computer... ducks in a 4 S line! (straight, still, silent, and smiling!)  Wahoo!!  

I was working on my subtraction anchor chart with the kiddos when the principal came in...  We were about midway through it.  Here it is!

And, we're starting letter writing... anchor chart??  Oh yeah!

I can't wait to get these kids writing some letters!  I always enjoy teaching writing a friendly letter, don't know why!  Downside to this is that the kiddos start writing notes to each other!

Well, I was planning on leaving before 4 this afternoon, but I was making all my anchor charts pretty and didn't notice the thunderstorm heading my way...

This is what it looked like just as I picked up my keys to leave... it was POURING!  But it did let up enough that I did get in my car and drove home, just in time to see this...

Happy Monday and a better Tuesday!!

Synonym Anchor Chart

Quick post today...

Wanted to share my synonym anchor chart that I made with my class this week.  

I've written about Making Meaning before, how my school is using this program for the first time this year, and my school was lucky enough to purchase Making Meaning vocabulary that coincides with Making Meaning comprehension...

With each weekly read aloud, we have a comprehension strategy that is used as we read.  Well, the following week, Making Meaning vocabulary pulls some tier two vocabulary words from the story, or words that relate to the story, and we talk about them.  We usually do about 4 words a week and add them to our "Strong Vocabulary" chart.  Well, last week, we introduced synonyms formally.  The words on the left side of our anchor chart are words we brainstormed... the words on the right are some of our Making Meaning vocabulary words and synonyms for them!  The kids loved trying to come up with synonyms for their vocabulary words... I just love that they are using those tier two words!  

We are also working on incorporating these words into our writing... that hasn't been as easy as using them in our day to day conversations (obviously!) but we'll get there!  Just wanted to share... :)

Happy Sunday!

Sick Days and Sub Plans

I wish I could say I was the one who was at home, sick... but it's my 3 year old who is sick.  I'm just at home...writing sub plans.

I hate writing sub plans.  I really dislike writing lesson plans, but at least I know what I mean.  Trying to explain my jumbled mind to another person, well, doesn't always flow the way I'd want it to.

I think I'm just overly detailed, but I'm from the school of thought that I'd rather leave too much (or explain too much) than not enough.

How do you leave your sub plans?  Do you have an emergency set of plans or do you leave plans that pick up whether you were teaching or not?  I tend to leave plans that continue where we were in class.  I don't like getting behind and I don't want my kids to think that a sub day is a play day or a learning free day.

I have a sub binder.  It's nice and pretty... even has an owl on the front of it!  (If you know me personally, you are saying yup or rolling your eyes!)

I did find this Substitute Teacher Binder packet on Teachers Pay Teachers last year and have used it ever since.  I modified it to match what I needed to leave to save my sanity and my sub's!

I leave lots of information for my substitute to follow, just so it is all at his or her fingertips.  Class rolls, bus lists, each has a tab.  When I get back to school, I'll take some photos to share.  These are the first two pages in my lesson plan tab...

So, share a little about your sub plans... 

Rainy Sunday Giveaway!

Don't forget to hop, run, speed over to my blog (again!) by clicking here....

You have a little more than a day to enter for your chance to win my two products that were reviewed in the Product Swap - my Scaffolded Reading Graphic Organizers or my Picking Place Value packet...

Hit up the Rafflecopter for your chance to win!! 

Good luck!

Product Swap #2

I'm so excited to post about my second product swap from Mrs. Stanford's Class.  It is such a great idea and a great way to see other blogger's products!

I had the privilege to be paired up with Storie at Stories by Storie.  Check out her blog and her store... lots of awesome things to pick!!  I had a hard time... :)

 

Well, I chose to preview Storie's Math Mania.

There were lots of cool games, from basic addition to subtraction, telling time, and money.  Here's the description from her TPT store:

Math Mania contains 5 math games/centers. The games/centers target addition and subtraction facts, telling time, counting coin combinations, and comparing coin totals. I will be using them with my second graders in the fall. The games/centers could also be used with first grade students or third graders who need to review these skills.

Sort it Out – This is an independent math center for students to practice addition facts with sums of 7-18. 

Take 10 – Students make sums of 10 in a game played like Go Fish.

Cover-Up – A dice game for students to practice addition and subtraction facts.

Coin Count & Compare – This is an independent math center for students to practice adding and comparing combinations of coins. 

Time Out – This includes an independent math center and a game. The independent math center allows students to practice telling time. Three sets have been included (telling time in 15 min. increments, 5 min. increments, and to the minute). The math game is played like Memory or Concentration. Students will match an analog clock with a digital clock.

My kiddos won't get to time and money until February, so these will be perrrrrfect for my math stations.  I did, however, let them use the first game, Sort it Out, which is a great independent game for them to have in their Math Stations.  One of mine said, hey, we are sorting just like we do in Word Study, only with numbers!  (YAY for making connections!!)

I printed them out at school (boo for no color ink), but I did think of a great way to keep the pieces from getting mixed up...

Directions for the game... very simple to follow and use!

Each game is printed on one sheet...

Game pieces laminated... and stickered!!!

I used the same color sticker for each game in case the pieces got lost or mixed up.  I stored each separate game in a ziploc baggie and then put in my math station game boxes.  

I would definitely recommend this as a great game for math stations, centers, or independent work.  I love that after the prep, it is a game that could be left in a math station rotation to be played over and over.  (And for a frazzled teacher... this has been wonderful!!!)

Storie did a review on two of my products:  

My Scaffolded Reading Graphic Organizers

and my NEW...

Picking Place Value Packet...

Check out her post here!

Since you read all the way to the end.... I'm going to do a Rafflecopter to pick two winners for my graphic organizers packet and Picking Place Value packet...  sign up below!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Just one of those days

I wanted to blog last night, but I decided not to.  I had a lot, and I mean a lot.... of negative energy in me last night.  Needless to say, I had a bad day yesterday.  It's been a bad week.  Why is it that everything seems to fall all at once?  Murphy must be laughing hysterically wherever he is, writing his fabulous law.  Report cards, professional developments, SMART goals, personal goals, faculty meetings, dance classes, dinner, bathroom breaks, you get the idea :)

Well, I won't get into the details of what happened yesterday, but to sum it up briefly so you can make your connection... my grade level and I were at a district wide professional development for our grade which we had sat through more or less previously and then were treated like children.  I've had a high school diploma for awhile, and two college degrees... ummm.... please don't insult my intelligence and professionalism.  And I'll leave it at that.  

I was in a foul mood.  I was job searching.  I have been all week.  Until today, that is :)  For some reason, when I came to school this morning, I felt relaxed.  I didn't have to drop my daughter off this morning, so it was just me.  I was able to go in, not freaking out about what my substitute did or didn't get done.  I was just happy to see my classroom still standing, in order, and no worse for the wear.  I wanted to enjoy teaching my kids today.  And that's what I was going to do.

And it was a great day...

We took our Social Studies test early.  We did a little math, did a follow up to a visualizing lesson I'd left the day before, reviewed our vocabulary words, did Word Study tests, and then, I pulled out some paint.  It was wonderful, wonderful, awesome.  I had my hands in paint and it felt energizing.  My kids were soooooo excited.  The chatter in the room had an electric hum to it...  While they were working, I was pulling kids over to the table to paint.  Here's some of the pictures they made....and I made :)

It was a LOT of fun... did forget for a little bit it was picture day... hope no one got any paint on their clothes!  I've already got them hanging up in the main hallway for conferences next week.  I'm so proud of their work!!  Let me know what you think... they'll be so excited that other teachers saw their art!