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Monday, November 24, 2014

Monday, October 27, 2014

Hey Y'all !! and a Birthday link up!

Hello out there!!  I am still alive :)   This year has been VERY hard!!  Thanks to the certain powers that be who felt it would be great to implement TONS of changes it has been very stressful for the teachers in my district :(

I hope to start getting into blogging again..  This week I hope to have some more fun in my room due to class parties and Halloween this Friday we are taking a break from the basel (YEAH)!! We are going to do a compare and contrast of non fiction vs. fiction of bats and ending the week with Room on The Broom... I can not wait to share this book with my 2nd graders!!  One of the days I will actually remember to take pictures!

I am here to also wish Amanda at The Primary Gal a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  In honor of Amanda and her FAbuLOUsness TONS of talented teachers are linking up to offer 1.00 deals!!!
I am offering the following 4 products:


http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Shapes-All-Around-1511560

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cruisin-into-Cuisenaire-1264194

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Get-Into-the-Spin-of-It-1072185

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Winter-Play-dough-10-frame-Mats-1-20-942730


So stop by and wish Amanda a Happy Birthday!!






Sunday, September 7, 2014

A Great Resource

Well the school year has started and no matter how much I try to be prepped and not stressed I always feel about 3 days behind!  I am sure I am not alone ;)...  I am courious how others out there handle when their district throws them MAJOR curveballs just DAYS before school starts??  I would love your advice ;)

This year is going to be great!!  I just know it!  We are off to a great WBT start.  It is not perfect people but it is a start!  We are getting better each day with our gestures..this has been a harder group but I think the more we get into it and the SIW has really helped with getting them going and I have doe really cute gems :)   The Power Pix have been REALLY hard for me to keep up with!!  What tips do you all have that keeps you on track with them?  It just seems so hard with ALL the other little things...

But one thing I did want to share is what I do for making labels.  Lets face it this time of year we are LABEL MAKING MACHINES... labels for daily folders, writing journals, math journals, science journals, interactive notebooks, and the list goes on!  What I like to use is Avery.com.  Did you know you can design and print ONLINE!!  I did not..and you can save them just create an account for free!!

I discover this 2 years ago and I LOVE IT!!  Sure you can create and print using a word processing program but that always gives me fits.  You are limited on the fonts which -- not gonna lie--is a bummer but you can upload ANY of your cute clipart's and if you have words you want on all the labels you could always create it in an image.

I chose the blank labels because I wanted to use specific clipart.


You can edit ALL or just ONE label at a time.


These are the cutie labels I made for our Writing Folders :) .  I forgot to take pics of the other labels I have done so far :(


I hope this can help you to save a bit of time!

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Say WHAT?!?! Another BTS Sale? Yes Please!

Did you hear??  Did the TPT BTS sale sneak up on you??  Maybe you weren't completely ready... Today is your lucky day!!  You now have a second chance to get all my products as well as some other great items for 28% off!!  Use the Promo code:  BOOST when you check out!!


Here is something in my cart already!!

Happy Shopping and Good Luck on a New Year!!!!


Sunday, August 10, 2014

A Celebration and A Giveaway!!

I am here to hook up with some other great bloggers to give a BIG shout out and celebration to Marcy @ Saddle Up for 2nd Grade!!  She has hit some HUGE milestones and is celebrating 1000 followers at her TPT shop!!  WOO HOO!!!  She is just the sweetest girl around y'all ( I may or may not be a little biased as she is also from Texas :)  She has some really great wins!!  So you don't want to miss this!









Friday, August 8, 2014

Classroom Peek...Almost :)

Well I am VERY close to done in my room!  Yeah!  Thanks to my daughter who is working for some$$.  This is the "teacher area"  I got rid of my desk last year and this summer found the cutest table at IKEA!  You will have to excuse my pile of lamination that keeps grown on the lower right side.  And the lower left the containers that I am going to have out for BTS supplies.
Here is the front of the room.  My cutie math "Perfect Pocket" chart I made.  My WBT practice cards are to the right of that.
This ($15 score) old t.v. unit was my library last year but this year I wanted to spread my library out around the room so I had the thought great idea to make this my small group area.  I sewed the curtain which hide an old shoe organizer that has all my stuff (pens, paper clips, glue, markers, etc.....).  I really love how it came out.  I am not sure what I will do with the book covers yet..  It is not high on my list so there good for now!  I did take down the Daily 5 freebies from Lory's Page to move elsewhere.
This is the wall to the left when you walk in.  Here "Savannah White" (crazy kid!)  is my Power Pix and Super Improvers, and Genius Ladder wall.  I will take down the rest of my PP but I just have not decided how I want to put them back.  I don't want to keep stapling them year after year.....  Any suggestions welcome (there is fabric on the board).  Also my 2 student computers.  And the 2nd library shelf.

Like I said the room is almost done.  There are a few little things but I feel it is in a state that I can now concentrate on getting my schedule, 5 step lessons, and activities, Rise & Shine binders, math and reading interactive notebooks, and student communication binders (post to follow!)...  

Oh man I have a lot to do!!  Off to work!


Friday, August 1, 2014

Currently... UMM WHAT??

Oh man it is August already?!?!  I am linking up with The Fab Farley @ Oh boy 4th grade I have gone from relaxed it will be fine I will be so ready to feeling like my insides are spinning out of control and "I have what to do??"  "HOW will I get it all done!!

Listening:  well.... I won't go into detail anymore...  I am a bit stressed to say the least :)
Loving:  This Texas Summer!!  Never thought I would say that in August!!  This REALLY makes it hard to go back :)  We are usually feeling about 1 block South of the Sun right about now!  We have had several cold fronts (YEAH you read right!)  And today is cloudy in the 70s.. has been like that for 3 days now...  This is the second time this summer!
Thinking:  I need to "Just Say No" to anyone who offers me free stuff for my classroom; fab units posted on FB and blogs (yeah right!!  who am I kidding on #2)
Wanting & Needing: The same.... self explanitory this time of the year... Can I get an Amen!
 1st Day back:  Although I have had some workshops this Summer our Inservice starts Aug. 18-officailly report back to duty & the kids come the following Monday Aug. 25.

**  Well back to working out my Scope and Sequence and fee my dogs who are gonna die I am sure because they have not had dinner yet and it is 5:50 after all!!  Ha  :)




Wednesday, July 30, 2014

It's Coming!!

One of my favorite BTS things.... The BIG TPT sale!!  You don't want to miss it!  My store AND my cart are getting ready!!



Back to School is coming...

I have mixed feelings.  On one hand I am excited to get back in to the classroom and put into practice all the great things I have been reading up on and studying .....   On the other hand I sure like not hearing that alarm to get up!

Well to make BTS a little more fun hop on over to Educents and take advantage of some great deals brought back for a LIMITED time!!http://www.educents.com/#kickinitwholebrainintexas







Thursday, July 24, 2014

Ch. 9 ... Putting it Into Practice

Well we have come to the end of our little book study.  I am sad!  This has been such a blessing to me!  I have been forced to really reflect on my reading (to SLOW down... I am a fast reader!) as well as get the insight from some great teachers.  In case you did not get the comparison by now I hope you start to think of Math the same as Reading.  "Students need to be encouraged to use the same strategies as they construct mathematical meaning." pg. 247  I hope that you are able to have a community of other teachers that are just as passionate to transform their math block.  At the end of the day the point is our students.
I feel that I start the "process" last year and now I am going into this year with a clear system:  Mini lesson then math group; mini lesson math group.  I just finished reading Daily 5 the second edition and the outline they give for the Daily 5 structure will fit in with Guided Math also!  I will be able to "know where I am going" this year after having completed a year in 2nd so I know that will help.  I am going to go into each lesson with a specific lesson (know the answer to this question):  What is the student expected to do?

I am defiantly going to be in contact with our district math specialist and I hope that this great group will check back in from time to time.  And if you are a new reader PLEASE share your journey!!  I am making a commitment to do a blog post every month (or more if needed) on my journey.


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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Monday Made it... BTS

I am so excited to be able to team up with 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made it!  I have wanted to but have not had anything to make... Crazy I know!  Well now I do and I can not believe I never thought of this before!!  Ok so if I could get in my classroom I would take a pic of all the pocket charts I have due to my endless quest for THE perfect pocket chart.  They are too long, too short, too wide, not wide enough, the pockets were to short/tall....  You get the picture It's cra-cray y'all!!  The one day last week I can't even remember how/what I was reading some teacher was looking for a pocket chart and another chimed in that she makes them.  I though cool!!  I need to go find her Etsy store.  Then as I really started thinking I was like I CAN DO THAT!!!    I started thinking about it and sketching out what I have really been wanting and I DID IT!!  LOOK!
I mostly have done baby blankets and curtains in the past... Easy to hide my bad sewing skills.  I honestly ripped and redid more stitches on this than any other project in the past.  But I love how it turn out!  The Perfect Pocket!!   I tried to capture the steps as I went.

Not bad for a first try if I do say so myself!  I already have ideas to improve and I am thinking of making and selling them.  What do you think?  Would you have an intrest?

Also, right now I got spiral notebooks at Walmart for .17 cents!!  I create month long homework menus and have the students do the work in them.


Sunday, July 20, 2014

BTS Deals, ideas, and ....

I am going to be posting any back to school deals and great finds that I come across (sad I know ;)..  Have you seen this deal from Educents?  I would SO have to get this if I was still in Kinder.


Also, I have really been wanting one of these lamps for my classroom.  

However, I did not want to pay more than $10 dollars.  So imagine my happiness when Target has put them on sale this week for $13!!  Why is that great you say well because I have been saving some Target gift cards from my students and the drop/kid iPad proof cover I have been saving them for I got for $26 via nomorerack a 70% savings! So I was able to use my gift cards for the lamp!

I have lots of other items, find, tips to share so stay tuned!


Thursday, July 17, 2014

Guided Math... Ch 8 Assessments in Guided Math

Many times; according to Laney Sammons, assessment and evaluation have been synonymous.  However, in education they are really two separate things that are complementary to each other.  Assessment-large amounts of information from a small number of students.  This processes is for learning rather than of the learning. 
Evaluation- is reviewing the evidence to decide if the students learned the the knowledge/skill taught and how well they apply it.

We should have ongoing assessments for learning during G.M.  Not just at the end or beginning.
Something that really stood out:  "Students who most often struggle... also have trouble knowing the expectations."  I don't think I ever consciously thought about this but it is so true!  Do I post 'I Can.." statement?  Yes.  But I am not sure that I ALWAYS am very explicit in our goal.  That is something on my "To Do Better Next Year" list.

She also talks about the idea of using a rubric to establish a criteria for success.  I LOVE this!!  I am going to think more on this and probably do a post!  This goes right into my idea of having my students be more involved/accountable for their learning next year.  This will fit in great with their personal assessment/goal binders.  The rubric gives "precise" levels of quality for each criteria.  And if it is a uniform rubric not only will they be able to better assess their learning but also be able to give valuable feedback to each other!

Using a checklist:  these are to measure what the specific criteria in their work was met..  but they do not really measure how well the student met the criteria.  In the example checklist given there were 4 columns:  1-the criteria for _______. (this is the skill measured), 2-Met, 3-Not Met Yet; 4-Comments.
I like this because you can quickly see where the focus needs to be in the future as well as give both positive and constructive feedback for each in the comments section.

Laney Sammons also draws an analogy between feedback and coaching.  In the old days the feedback was given at the end of a unit.  You either got it or you didn't.   Times have changed (thankfully!!) and we really are Coaches.  A coach gives feedback during the training so athletes are able to make adjustments for improvement before a competition (test).

Some feedback guidelines:

  • should be "corrective" in nature
  • should be timely
  • should be specific to criterion
  • students can effectively provide feedback of their own
I will leave you with a couple of questions to reflect on.  I would love to hear your answers and thoughts :)




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