Sunday, May 26, 2013

Almost done....

My goals for this summer are to:
A.  Blog more frequently
B.  Create more products
C.  Relax!

I have started a new Pinterest board that a number of different teachers are posting to for Word Study.  If you are interested in following that board, please click Word Study.  There are a ton of great ideas on there so far.

We have a little less than 2 weeks left of school.  I'm so excited.  I could never imagine my teachers as I was growing up feeling this way about school being out.  LOL!  Anyway, I have a few projects that I'm hoping to blog about over this summer.  As for now, I'm participating in a giveaway for My Kinder-Garden.  Here is the giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm giving away my reading incentive program (posted previously April).

Good luck!

Andrea

Sunday, May 5, 2013

May Currently

I linked up with Oh Boy 4th grade  on my May Currently.

Listening:  My son was not feeling well, so he's laying on the couch watching Spongebob Squarepants.  I have to admit, I do enjoy some of the episodes...others can be disgusting!

Loving:  With the weather getting warmer, I have been able to run outside.  I have decided that I do enjoy running outside much better than on a treadmill.  I'm hoping to get a lot of runs in this summer.

Thinking:  Time is running out this school year.  I have so much to do...2nd grade visit on Tuesday, getting ready to go back in time to the 1800's on Friday, so I have to demodernize my classroom.  Field trip to a one room school house and Celebration of the Learning and Arts next week  Celebration is when our students share their portfolios and artwork with their families...portfolios that I need to get started on.  DRA's, class placements, all of my end of the year paperwork...ARGH!  My eye is twitching as I type!

Wanting:  We purchased a Mac!  It should arrive on Friday.  I don't want to use my school computer for personal stuff or my husbands work computer...and our desktop is TOOO BIG to sit on my lap in the living room while I watch TV and do my work.  LOL!  I can't tell you all how excited I am.  I've wanted a new computer for a very long time.

Needing:  I NEED the nice weather.  I NEED my windows open.  I NEED to hear the birds chirping.  I NEED to smell grills.  I HATE being cold! 
 
Summer Bucket List:  My kids.  I want to spend time enjoying the summer with them.  Going to the park, having picnics, going swimming...etc...  Creating and adding to TpT.  My store is still in the beginning stages.  I can't wait to be planning for next year and add to my store.  Lastly...relaxing!  Our summer is super short!  We end on June 6th and go back August 5th.  I want to relax!

I've been trying very hard to post new items to my store at least once a week.  I created a book study for the Whipping Boy.  I have a group reading this book and I'm so excited to have them work through the different pieces. 

This is all I have for tonight.  Thanks for reading!  Enjoy your night!
Andrea

Friday, May 3, 2013

Calming the chaos

Welcome to the Calming the Chaos Blog Hop hosted by 2peasandadog.

All of us bloggers have come together to share our top tips for making the last month of school run smoothly. Visit each of our blogs to learn something new and catch a freebie or two!

Happy Hopping

The end of the year can be very difficult.  Kids are done...teachers want to be done.  But, we aren't done!  How do we keep our kids activly learning during this time?  Here are a few things that I do to help my students.  Every year, our school has a Celebration of the Learning and the Arts a few weeks before school is out.  Students put together a portfolio of a years worth of learning.  They spend some time looking through their work and reflecting on it.  Some of the reflections that they do are:  I enjoyed this activity because....  This activity was difficult for me but....  I'm most proud of this piece because...  I LOVE hearing my students saying "I forgot about that!  It was so much fun.  Do you remember when we did this?"  It's a great way to bring in the year and remind them of where they were and how far they have come. 

Something new that I'm doing this year is in addition to the portfolios, I'm having the students work in groups and create posters for each subject area, highlighting all the things that we have done.  Again, the students work together and go through their books and journals and remember the activities that they had done.  We are just in the process of doing this.  I can't wait to post pictures of how they turn out!

Lastly, I always do a compliment quilt with my students.  Every year, I get about 6 stickers that have my students school picture on it.  I rarely use them all, so each student puts a sticker in the middle of their compliment quilt and then everyone in the class writes a compliment to that student and then colors it in.  The kids love seeing this.

My sample of the compliment quilt.
You can download this at my TPT store for free here. 

Primary Grades
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