Just Keep Swimming

Hey guys! 

I know it's been a few weeks since I posted last, and I really wanted to post about some things we have been up to in the classroom, but I feel more compelled to share my story of what’s been going on the last few weeks and why my blog has been so neglected.  I hope you don’t mind that this will be more of a personal post...

First thing, this year has been an emotional roller coaster for me. Our team started the year with four teachers and even from the first day we could see that we were going to have more kids enrolled this year than ever before, and our classrooms were filling up.  New kids kept arriving and new desks were brought in. The way our classrooms are designed does not allow for many students, so the space was tight. While we waited patiently for a new teacher to be hired to relieve us from our large class sizes, our team was on stress overload.

Then the magical day came. We hired an amazing new teacher- new to the profession and willing to take on the challenge that our students present. But along with that, came the dreaded day that I had to tell five of my students that I would no longer be their teacher and that they were being moved to the new teacher’s class. Heart breaking.

After the new teacher was hired, he had a few days to observe the kids, get his room together, and learn the ropes. He would start with his new class the following Monday. I had until Friday to give the news to the kids. They would be meeting with their new teacher then to see their new classroom, their new classmates, and get situated before the real switch came.

I put it off all week. I waited until literally the very last second I had to tell them the news. I told myself that I wouldn’t cry. I had gotten to know these sweet students and they were mine.  I didn’t want them to think they had done anything wrong or had been chosen for any specific reason. I told myself that it would be better for them. I knew it would. I wasn’t going to cry in front of them. The teacher can’t cry in front of her students!

But the moment came. I pulled them to the back of the room and sat them on the carpet and pulled them close. I smiled and said, “Ok guys, I have some great news for you! As you know, we have a lot of children in our classroom and we are running out of space. Well, we have hired a new teacher and you guys are the lucky ones that will be in his class!” I forced a smile. I tried to sound excited- I really did. But instead, I cried. As much as I fought the tears and tried to hold them back, they came anyway. Then they cried. We hugged and cried together. Then I pulled them closer and gave them a speech about how even though they wouldn’t be sitting in my classroom every day, I will always be one of their teachers and that they better come tell me good morning every single day. I told them I would still be checking in on them. I smiled and told them how lucky they were to have a new teacher and how much he already cared about them. We sat there together for a few minutes with tear-soaked smiles. And then I sent them out the door.  

I had to go to the restroom and pull myself together before I could go on with the rest of the day.

You know, it amazes me how every year I become so attached to my students so early on. Every child has a piece of my heart from the moment they introduce themselves. Just having to send them one door away to a new classroom was heart wrenching. I expected the process to be difficult, but it has been more emotional than I had imagined.

That was two weeks ago. The dust has settled and the kids are adjusting well. We are training our newbie like crazy and he’s doing a great job. We couldn’t have asked for a better teammate. But I can’t say it’s been easy.

Teaching is such a dynamic profession. No two days are ever alike, and that’s what I love about it. This year I’m learning to “go with the flow” more than I ever have before.  Some things have taken a back seat- my blog being one of them. But even at the end of each day, I know I wouldn’t be happy doing any other job. And as my favorite character says, “Just keep swimming!”

Playing Catch Up: What We've Been Up To PLUS Place Value, States of Matter, and Language Arts Products I LOVE!

Hi! I bet you're surprised to me pop up on your blog roll! 

I swear I am still alive and still teaching!  Life has just been crazy! After three years of only teaching language arts, diving back into math and science has been so much fun, but a lot of work! I’m enjoying every minute of it, but this little ol’ blog of mine has had to take a backseat.

I miss blogging and having the opportunity to look back over what we’ve done and share the things I’ve really enjoyed. So, because I have so much lost time to make up for, I’m going to attempt to hit the highlights over the last month. To make it a bit easier to navigate, I’ll divide up the sections into math, science, and language arts so you can jump right to a section that interests you and you can skip all the rest!

Math

I am absolutely in LOVE with teaching math! It’s a nice break from the world of language arts and my kiddos love it.

Several weeks ago we began our place value unit. We are now on to addition and subtraction, but I want to share a few things that I loved.

First up, to wrap up what we learned about place value, the kids went car shopping! I gave them newspaper ads for cars and they chose the car they wanted. Then they filled out this sheet to hit all those place value skills. The kids learned just how expensive cars are and some kids even expressed how surprised they were. This activity was a hit and one that we could repeat again. Click  HERE to get the recording sheet!

I also created a little place value review that we worked on before our unit test. I printed out the slides, hung them around the room, and the kids went on a scavenger hunt around the room to complete all the problems. If you are interested in this, send me an e-mail and I will send it to you! My internet is not letting me upload this and it's driving me nuts! 

I have some kiddos who were in need of a challenge. This Place Value Detectives Activity 

from Teaching With a Mountain View kept my kids challenged for several days. It was one of my favorite activities!

We have also been getting LOTS of use out of my Place Value Quiz Quiz Trade Cards  to review word form, standard form, and expanded form.

Science

Oh how I love teaching science!! I have been jealously observing the other teachers on my team for the last three years and anxiously awaited the day I would be able to teach it again! It has been so much fun!

We started out with a review of the states of matter. We used Hope King's As a Matter of Fact bundle and the kids ate it up!

We also did viscosity races one day to explore the property of viscosity. This wasn’t in Hope’s unit, but was great to add to our exploration!

 

And the highlight to wrap up the unit was the gas fireworks from Hope’s unit. I was shocked to see just how high that soda shot up in the air!!

Language Arts

I have been blessed with a class full of thinkers this year who just devour books. I have yet to have a class who loves reading the way that they do. It’s so refreshing, but challenging to find activities that will keep them engaged and thinking critically. Thankfully, I have my trusty Amanda Nickerson from One Extra Degree to help with this!

We have been using her Just Glue It!  journal prompts to respond to our reading and the kids have been doing a fabulous job. I love how the prompts are multi-question and use all of those higher-level thinking skills most products and activities lack. If you’re looking for a way to get some juicy responses from your kids, this is what you need!

I wish I would have taken pictures of some of the kids’ entries. They just made me smile! They especially enjoyed writing a letter to Prudy from Prudy’s Problem and How She Solved It (it’s in our Reading Street series) and giving her some “friendly advice.” She collected everything and eventually her room exploded from all the clutter! She solved her problem by creating a museum to showcase her collections, but to hear what the kids had to say to her about her choices to collect dog hair and gum wrappers just cracked me right up! I loved that the prompt also made them give Prudy credit for her good decisions, too. J

We have been knee-deep in our fiction unit and we've been using pieces from Nicole Shelby’s Interactive Reading Notebook and Interactive Language Notebook. The added element of cutting, gluing and coloring has done wonders for engagement! The kids actually look forward to taking notes when there's a little somethin' to glue in first!! 

 I didn’t even touch writing or social studies, but those things will have to wait for another day! My internet is really testing my patience! I have so much more things to share with you!!! 

I’m going to try to be better about blogging more often. I really do miss it, but my kiddos and my classroom have to come first! Hopefully I can find a way to better organize my time so that I actually have some time to blog! Suggestions anyone??! Any advice would be much appreciated!

I hope you all have had an amazing first of the year! I’ll be back soon (fingers crossed)!! 

Molly Lou Melon: Character Traits and Theme

I'm popping in real quick tonight to share some good things- well I think they're good things, and I hope you do, too!  

First Thing:

My very first Donor's Choose project is fully funded and lots of great books are headed my way!! I feel so blessed and grateful! I just had to get that out! I'm psyched! 

Now on to the main point of this post- one of my most favorite beginning of year books- Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell.

I adore this book for several reasons. First, just look at those amazing cheeks- she is adorable! Second, the characters in the book are great for analyzing character traits, and third, the book sends a wonderful message of acceptance and confidence. It's just so great!

Here's the book in a nutshell:

Molly Lou is the shortest girl in first grade, but she listens to the advice of her grandmother and doesn't let anything get her down- not her buck teeth and surely not her voice that sounds like a bullfrog. She is proud of who she is!

I mean, seriously! How can you not love this face?!! I love seeing the kids' reactions to this picture. Priceless.

Everything is great with Molly Lou until she moves to a new town. Ronald Durkin, the class bully, does everything in his power to bring her down. But Molly Lou will have NONE of it! She stays true to herself, wins the affection of all the other children, and eventually, Ronald decides to give being nice a try. He even brings her a penny to stack on her tooth!  I'm telling you, this book is just too much!

This book provides the springboard for some fabulous discussion on staying true to yourself, embracing who you are, accepting others, and not letting the negativity of others steal your joy. All of these are great messages for our kiddos and it's an easy and relatable way to introduce theme.

After we read the book, we filled in this trait web about Molly Lou. Click on the link above the picture to get a copy for yourself if you want it!

Molly Lou Traits 

Have a great night!

September Currently

It is so strange to think that only a month ago I was still enjoying the slowness of summer... now we're back in the full swing of things and September is here! Crazy town!

I'm linking up with Farley for Currently! Short and sweet, folks!

I never really like to do much explaining- everything is pretty self-explanatory! I've had a wonderful weekend hangin' with some great buds that we haven't seen in YEARS! I am so thankful to have had this weekend to slow down and relax after a jam-packed first week of school. My 'spend less time online' goal is going to be a big challenge... but it's necessary. It's shocking how many hours I can log sitting in front of a screen! One day at a time.... one day at a time....

I hope you had a wonderful weekend as well that that your week ahead with your kiddos is fabulous!! Link up and tell us about what's goin' on in your neck of the woods!

Place Value Quiz-Quiz-Trade... and a Bit of Blog Sickness

Hiiiii!!!!

I'm sure you are super surprised to see my blog name pop up on your blog reel- it's been weeks- WEEKS- since I have blogged and I miss it terribly!! My living situation at the moment is less than ideal, and the internet connection is spotty, which means most nights I can't read my blogs and I especially can't blog myself. I'm learning to cope with my blog sickness, but of course I had an all-out meltdown first! 

This weekend I'm hangin' with some awesome friends who totally understand my addiction and I'm bumming their internet for a few minutes to quickly post about something I whipped up for my kiddos to practice place value for the next three weeks. 

If you've read my blog for any amount of time, you probably know that I LOVE quiz-quiz-trade. It's just about the BEST thing ever and I use it daily.  It’s one of the very first things I teach my kids the first week of school and we use it at least twice a day, every day after. It’s perfect for getting kids up and out of their seat, reviewing whatever skills you want them to, AND as an added bonus, it’s a great way for them to practice social skills. If you have never heard of quiz-quiz-trade, check out my post about it here. 

Because I am self-contained this year (YAAAYYY!!!!) after only teaching language arts for the last three years, my supply of math-related QQT cards is limited. Enter: Place Value Quiz-Quiz-Trade Cards!

Normally, I don’t like to advertise products with the risk of my posts sounding commercial-like, but seeing as I’ve already missed out on blogging about my classroom set-up, meet-the-teacher night, and all of our first week goodness (and how long it would take me to cover all of that in a post), I’m skipping right to this!

I made five different sets of cards so we can start with the first set, which is just two-digit numbers, and work our way through the sets and up to the last set, which uses six-digit numbers. Then I'll mix up all the cards from the different sets so students get practice with small and large numbers. The cards could also be used as task cards and students could self-check or the cards could be used in a scoot-like activity with the answers cut off or folded out of sight. I love the versatility! 

The cards provide practice with determining the value of an underlined digit in a number,

naming the place of an underlined digit, 

and also converting a number from expanded form into standard form. 

I’m sure I’ll make more cards that cover other skills later in the year.

If your students could benefit from this product, leave me a comment below! The first two who comment will get this for free!! Make sure you include your e-mail address.  

If you miss out on getting it free, it will be on sale in my store for the next few days! 

I hope everyone is having a fabulous Labor Day weekend. Hopefully I'll be back soon! 

August Currently... Already?!?

Well, it happened. My first first day of school nightmare. That can only mean one thing- it's time to get my rear in gear!

Every year I have a different version of the same nightmare. It's the first day of school, I show up late, nothing is prepared, I'm stressed and crying and rushing around... it's, well, a nightmare!!!

So I thought, what can I do to ease my mind? Link up with Farley for this month's Currently! What else?! :)

So, my husband and I were supposed to move into a new house in July. It fell through. We found another house and are now in the middle of what seems to be never-ending negotiations. Meanwhile, we are renting our house out to tenants and becoming landlords for the very first time. Our things are in storage and we have no certain closing date. I'm trying hard not to lose it. All of this is happening as I'm trying to get myself ready for school! To say I'm about to pull my hair out is a massive understatement. But, I've got my big girl panties on and a forced smile on my face!

To get myself prepared for the first week of school, I always update my classroom management plan and script out my first three days (at least). I brew some fresh coffee, get cozy in front of the computer, and think and type away. I list out E.V.E.R.Y. procedure, routine, and material we will be using in the classroom and think about how best to spread those introductions out over the first week. I type up a classroom management plan that explains everything in detail for myself and a condensed version for my students and their parents. I plan out every single minute in great detail for the first week of school. A separate post on my management plan and first week scripts will be coming soon! Once those things are complete and my room is in order, my nightmares will subside! *hopefully*

I'm off to a family reunion this weekend and I'm going to try to relax and enjoy these last sweet days of summer!

Head on over, link up with Farley, and tell us what's going on with YOU!

SLANT Boxes from Lessons With Coffee! What a Great Idea!

I'm popping in quickly because I'm super excited to share this idea presented by Jameson at Lessons With Coffee!!

It's called the SLANT Box!

SLANT stands for Sending Love Across the Nation to Teachers. It's a monthly gift exchange for teachers!!

Each month you participate you will be paired up with partners. One teacher will be sending a gift box to YOU and you will send a box to the other partner. Who doesn't love getting presents?! And even better, who doesn't love giving presents!!

Each month will have a different theme and you'll be paired with different partners. It's not a year-long commitment- which is awesome. You can sign up one month and not the next. Then when you feel up for it again, you can sign up again- no questions asked! I love the flexibility of it. You'll fill your boxes with at least five items with a total value of at least $10. You'll write a hand-written note to your partner, send it off, and experience for the joy that comes with gift giving! By the end of the month you will have received your own box of goodies, too!

I absolutely love this idea! It's a great way to get to know other teachers around the country and share some love and support. Let's face it- we all could use some extra encouragement during the year!

If you'd like to sign up, head over to Lessons With Coffee. You don't have to be a blogger to participate! If you have an e-mail address and Facebook or some other form of social media, you are good to go! I hope you'll join me and sign up!!  This month's theme is "A Few of My Favorite Things." Yay!!