IKEA Surprise

Hey guys! 

I wanted to pop in real quick and tell you about something that I found today while i was doing a little online shopping.

Did you know that you can order things from IKEA ONLINE?! Some of you may think I'm crazy for being excited about this because you have known about it for a long time, but I had no idea!!

See, we have an IKEA right here in Houston. Every summer I have always had to pep myself up to make the trek to the store, wind my way through that never-ending aisle and search (and sometimes dig) for these magazine files that I buy every year. The traffic, the parking, the crowds, the self-checkout... it's a LOT and I just have to be in the right mood for all of it. So far this summer, I have NOT been in the mood! But to my surprise, I realized I could by them online and have them shipped right to my door! Genius!

I guess this is what I get for my lack of research! The last time I tried to order these online was two years ago and I wasn't able to do it. Since then, I've just forced myself to go to the actual store and buy them. I cannot tell you how much it excites me that I can just order them from home! If you have ever been out and about in Houston in the summer, you understand, too!!

These little babies are irreplaceable for me. I don't know what I'd do without them! In my classroom, we call them our "book boxes" and they hold all of our language arts supplies. Because I have team taught for the past three years, they are the perfect solution for storing the students' materials without filling up the desks. I love them.

Last year I even added some simple ribbon and star cutouts to them last year. The students' names were written on the stars and surprisingly, most of the students still had an intact star at the end of the year!




Moral of the story: if you aren't lucky enough to have an IKEA store close by, just know that you may be able to order some products online!!!

And if you haven't checked out the Teacher Talk Forum yet, head on over and join in the conversation! Tell us all about yourself and your must-haves for back to school!

Have a great day!

Winner!! & Introducing the Teacher Talk Forum!!

Congratulations to Katie S! You have won the awesome prize package from my 100 follower giveaway!!! 

Thanks, again to all the amazing bloggers who contributed to this giveaway. I am so lucky to have such met such a wonderful and supportive group of people!

Now, on to something else exciting:

I cannot even contain my excitement right now! 

First of all, my husband is an absolute genius. Seriously. No sarcasm intended!

I was in bed reading, he was ironing- you read that right- HE was ironing- and he just came up with this idea right out of the blue- embedding a forum in my blog! I told you- he's a genius!

Introducing- The Teacher Talk Forum!!!

Now, I know that forums are nothing new. People use them all the time. But what makes this idea GENIUS is that now there is one embedded RIGHT HERE on this little ol' blog of mine! Did you notice the new page tab at the top of my blog that says 'Teacher Talk Forum?' Of course you didn't! But you will now!

When you click on that tab, it will take you to a new page and there it will be in all its glory- the Teacher Talk Forum!! It acts just like a traditional forum. You can read discussion threads, reply, and even create new topics.

What I am MOST excited about is that fact that this forum can basically serve the same purpose as a linky party! Instead of adding your link the traditional way in a linky party, you can embed your link in your forum post, along with an image! If you can't tell yet, I am SUPER PSYCHED about this!

If you have a question, you can ask it and someone can reply immediately- just like a comment on a regular blog post, but creates a continuing discussion in a much more organized format.

All you need to do is register an account with Nabble- and you can do that right from the forum! No need to go to another site!





Another bonus: You don't have to be a member of Blogger to join in. So those of you who enjoy reading blogs but don't have one of your own can still be a part of the ongoing conversation.

I was blown away by how easy this forum is to use. The graphics are user-friendly and if you can post on Facebook, you can post in this forum!

So, let's get this party started! The more people who join the discussion, the more fun it will be!

The first topic thread is just for introductions. If you are comfortable with a forum setting and you see yourself posting frequently, or even if you're unsure, introduce yourself and link up to your blog (if you have one)! This is a great chance to meet other bloggers and have the "directory" easily accessible. Tell us about yourself, your blog, your products- whatever!

Or, if you're ready to dive in on a more focused topic, you can join in the next topic which is "Back to School Must-Haves" Tell us about the things that are absolute necessities when it comes time to get ready to go back to school- room decor, welcome back letters, organizational tips- anything!! Are you a new teacher? Are you moving grade levels? Do you have questions? Ask them here!

OORRR- if YOU have a question or topic that you want to discuss, create a new topic!! I love the versatility of this forum- and I hope you will, too!

I'm hoping many of you who have advice to offer will help out those in need. I see this as being a unique place for teachers to collaborate.

This is the first time I will have ever tried this whole deal, so I apologize in advance if there are some growing pains or technical difficulties. We can learn this thing together!

So- if you're feeling adventurous, head over to the forum and let's get this party started!!!

***100 Follower Giveaway!!!***

 Woo hoo!!! Hooray!!!! 

I am so excited to have reached 100 followers! It's hard to believe that less than a year ago I was just reading blogs and felt too afraid to have one of my own. Taking the plunge and entering the world of blogging has been an absolute blessing and I am so glad I did it! I have met lots of amazing teachers and bettered myself and my teaching in the process! 

Now I can finally give a little something back to the community that has given so much to me! I am so excited to be throwing my very first giveaway! Several amazing bloggers have graciously donated prizes and goodies, and they can be yours!!!

Here is a look at what is up for grabs! I apologize for the pictures that are not centered! It drives me crazy, but I can't fix it!!


Nichole at The Craft of Teaching is donating a $10 TpT gift card AND her Quadrilateral Sorting!!

Jessica at Ideas by Jivey is donating any single math or reading unit from her TpT store! She has awesome mentor text units! 

Foreman Teaches is offering ANY single item from her TpT store! She has LOTS of great grammar stuff- plus math and reading things, too!

AMC from Looking from Third to Fourth is donating a WINNER'S CHOICE item from her TpT store! Lots of great stuff to choose from. She also has TONS of free stuff, so pick up some freebies too!

Lindsay from My Life as a Third Grade Teacher is donating her Conferring With Readers Kit and her

Parts of Speech Chalkboard and Brights Set!

Corinna from Allen's Teaching Files is donating a WINNER'S CHOICE item from her TpT store! I've got my eye on those adorable customizable binder covers!!

Sandy from Fearless in 5th is donating a $10 Target gift card!!! Who doesn't love a good Target trip! Dollar bins, anyone?!

                                                        

Erin from The Elementary Adventure is donating her Monkey Money Classroom Economy Pack! So cute and perfect for behavior management! 

                                                           

Kristin from Teach N Tex is donating one of her Birthday Tag Sets- winner's choice!! She has 4 different color combinations to choose from! Adorable!! 

                                                  

Mr. G from Teaching 3rd With Mr. G is donating his Classroom Reward Coupons! He includes 30- yes, 30!- different rewards to offer students. I love coupons and these are perfect! 

                                                 

Meg from Third Grade in the First State is donating ANY item from her TpT Store!  

And for the cherry on top, I will be throwing in a $30 TpT gift card!!! 

                            

I am oober jealous of whoever wins all of these awesome prizes!


I cannot thank y'all enough for all of the support and encouragement you guys have given me! And a HUGE thank you to all of the super amazing bloggers who donated items to this giveaway! This will be one lucky winner!

Enter below for your chance to win! You have lots of ways to earn entries!! A winner will be announced on Monday, July 15th!!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

A HUGE Favor- Help, Please!!!

I don't mean to double-post today, but I am so excited!!! I just hit 100 followers!!! I can hardly contain my excitement!

I have been fortunate to connect with so many of you through this wonderful world of blogging, and I hope some of you can help a girl out!

I want to throw a big giveaway- a ginormous one!  I've never done one before, so I want this first one to be big!!

If you have anything you are willing to donate- gift cards, products, advice- anything that I can offer in my giveaway I would be greatly appreciate it!! Leave a comment below, or click on the envelope to e-mail me.

Thank you so much!!!!!!!

July Currently and Dan Brown!!

Well, it's July 7 and I am just now linking up for Farley's July Currently! Better late than never, I say! :)

So, to be completely honest,  I have been avoiding anything relating to school, which unfortunately includes this little blog of mine. So much has been going on in my mind right now that I just couldn't let my mind get wrapped up in school stuff. We all know how that goes- "I'm just going to read one blog and then I'll finish the laundry...." Yeah right. It's amazing how many HOURS I spend pinning, reading blogs, etc. Totally worthwhile! Totally fun! But I just needed a break!

I realize I did post a few days about about Word Nerds- but honestly, I had to do some major self-talk to accomplish that :)

To continue my "thinking about school" hiatus- on to what I really want to talk about!! Do any of you read Dan Brown?! He is most known for writing The Da Vinci Code, which has since been made into a movie, but he has a number of other books as well. To self-medicate myself from the side effects of my high stress levels, I have prescribed myself with lots of reading time . I wanted to share two books with you that I read and LOVED. Both very fast-paced, hard to put down, and thought-provoking.

First - Inferno

And secondly,

If you have never read any of Dan Brown's books, be ready for an adventure!! He uses the same main character in several of his books (I haven't read them all, so I don't know if they ALL use the same character), Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist who gets mixed up in some very interesting situations. If you love history, treasure-hunting, symbols, puzzles, riddles, etc, you will LOVE these books! They have been a great escape from the stresses of life!

I'm not going to tell you much about the books other than Inferno is set in Europe and The Lost Symbol is set in the United States- Washington D.C. to be exact. I read both of these with the book in one hand and my phone in the other so I could look up various things Brown referenced- paintings, buildings, symbols, etc. I enjoyed every second and I learned a lot in the process.  Thanks to my wonderful parents for recommending them!

Have you read any Dan Brown books? Have you read either one of these?? If so, what did you think? I can't wait to hear!

Do you have any other great book recommendations? I am always on the lookout for great books!

Word Nerds Chapter 4: Squeezing the Juicy Words

Hi, guys! It’s Friday and that means it’s time to link up for Word Nerds! Thanks to Sabra at Teaching With a Touch of Twang for organizing this book study! I hope everyone had a fun and safe Independence Day celebration!

I have to be completely honest, right now I am enjoying the yummy smells of bacon and coffee, and I am at the BEACH!!! Because my brain is on island time, this post may be a little shorter and sweeter than normal. Nevertheless, here we go!

In chapter 4, the main focus was on exploring synonyms and antonyms of vocabulary words to deepen students’ understanding.

I think this paragraph from the end of the chapter sums it up best:

‘When we introduce synonyms and antonyms, we help our students build word relationships and vocabulary networks. Activities that require them to contemplate word meanings and engage in academic discussions about vocabulary enable them to construct deeper content knowledge, which in turn leads to higher achievement. Their success inspires them to learn more.“

The synonym and antonym step of the lesson comes on day two after students have had time to play with the vocabulary words on day one. Leslie and Margot preplan synonyms and antonyms for each word as part of their planning, but they let the students come up with words themselves during the lesson. This exploratory piece is vital to their engagement and understanding of the words. As they discover both examples and non-examples, students develop a richer understanding of the word meanings.

To do this, students use reference materials (dictionaries and thesauruses) to search for synonyms and antonyms. Using the reference materials began as sort of an accident one day when Leslie’s projector wouldn’t work! It’s funny how the best moments are often the ones that are unplanned. The teachers do mention that when they first started using the reference materials, they had to push students to use words outside of their comfort zones rather than sticking with words they already knew. They urged students to find “Velcro words, “ or words that tend to stick in your brain- love it!

It was during this small group exploration time when one student found a particularly interesting word and exclaimed, “Look at this word! It’s downright juicy!” From then on, the term “juicy” stuck and became the label for cool and interesting words.

After small groups each come up with a list of synonyms and antonyms for each word, the class comes together to discuss their findings. As a class, two synonyms and two antonyms for each word are voted on and added to the class anchor chart. Students also add the words to their vocabulary journals. Because only two words can be chosen, the teachers say this part gets lively as students fight to defend the words their group found. I’m sure this creates a magical atmosphere as the class tries to pick the best possible synonyms and antonyms for each word.

A side note: The teachers mention that they have discussions with students about the importance of code-switching. Because the students in the book resemble my students, this part was especially important to me. When students learn new “juicy” words, they need to know the appropriate contexts in which to use those words. I like how the teachers explain this to kids using the terms “Backyard Barbeque Talk” and “Professional Talk.” It’s understandable for kids and can help them avoid those awkward conversational moments when they could accidently offend someone by using words the person may not know.

Once students have learned the words and had time to explore with synonyms and antonyms, they still need additional practice and exposure to the words before they become cemented in their brains. The teachers provide a great idea that they use in their classrooms to provide opportunities for extra practice.

Vocabulary Lanyards

Students are assigned a vocabulary word each day and wear their word on a lanyard- the kind with the clear plastic sleeve- so the word is clearly visible. Throughout the day, students are asked to do various tasks using the word they are wearing. I created this little card with the prompts the teachers provided in the book to encourage vocabulary practice during the day. The card below just gives a basic idea of how you could use the lanyards. The possibilities are endless! My computer is acting up right now, so i can't offer this to you just yet. I'll be back later to see if I can fix it and you will be able to download it. Sorry for the technical difficulties!! 

Whew! That was longer than I anticipated and the beach is calling my name!!

It’s your turn to share your thoughts and ideas from this chapter. Link up below! I can’t wait to read what you guys have to share!

Now, I’m grabbin’ a cold drink, my Dan Brown book, and my chair. It’s five o’clock somewhere!!!

Follow Me on BlogLovin!

Hey guys!! Before Google Reader officially hits the dust, just wanted to put up a quick post to remind you that you can follow me on BlogLovin! Just click the handy little button to the top right! --------->

I'll be back later in the week for my chapter of Word Nerds! Be sure to check back then!

Hope you have a great week!!