Random Acts of Kindness for Sandy Hook

I will remember this day forever and always.  There isn't a teacher out there who doesn't close their eyes and imagine what it must have been like. My hugs, tears, prayers and love go out to all of those who were affected by the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary on December 14, 2012.  Teachers everywhere are remembering those sweet angels, their families and their teachers.   We love you and want to wrap you in warm, sweet support today and everyday.

Those in Newtown are asking us to perform random acts of service and kindness to honor the victims.  Please join the teaching community in remembering. Prayer in numbers is so very powerful. Please post the above button on any and all social media using the hashtag:  #loveforSH

We love you, Newtown!

 

Read-to-Someone Fridays and a Freebie!

I sure am happy that it's Friday!  I swear, I really, really do - that there was one of these...

...this week.  My first grade sweeties were barkin' at the moon this week.   One little guy said "We're really wild today, aren't we?" Uh, yup.

I wanted to share with you how I do Read-to-Someone {Partner Reading} in my classroom.  We do a modified version of Daily 5.  I've blogged about it a few times. Just search "Daily 5" on my blog to read about that.  

Monday through Thursday we do Daily 4 and save the 5th component, Read-to-Someone, for Friday. Something you might not know about me - I'm a recovering micro-manager.  Over the years, I've been letting certain things go that I wasn't always able to.  {It's OK if your water bottle isn't on the upper right corner of your desk}

Read-to-Someone when I'm trying to do guided reading groups?

Just can't do it.

I change everything up on Friday's and I love it!  I look forward to those days where the whole day just has a different flow to it. The kids love it too.

We start Read-to-Someone by me sharing my observations with the class from last week.  I write on two sides of the paper.  On one side I record what they've done well and on the other side I record what they might need to work on {I record those generically - I don't mention names}.  Really, I'm keeping notes because it keeps them focused and doing what they should.  My notes are mostly complimentary and are written knowing that I will be sharing them out loud and want to focus on behaviors {both reading behaviors and behavioral} that I want to see from everyone.  I do note other things that are more for me - I just don't share those with the kiddos.

Once I do that, I do a quick mini-lesson.  Mostly, these mini-lessons focus on comprehension, fluency & expression. One day we worked on how our voices should sound when we come to periods, question marks or exclamation marks.  Another day we talked about using a teaching voice when reading nonfiction. Today, our focus was retelling a nonfiction text.  They all go to their partnerships with a specific goal or task in mind.

I can't stand it, I have to come clean.  I told you I'm a recovering micro-manager.  I always pick my kids partners. I just can't bear the thought that somebody might not get picked or always be "the one" leftover. Oh that just tugs at my heartstrings.  I pick partnerships either with Stick Pick...

Or using my "old fashioned" {according to one of my kids} sticks.  Have you seen this trick?

That's a toilet paper roll!

Once they have their partners, they get their personal bookshelves - this is where they keep the books they've read all week during Read-to-Self...

...find a cozy place to read...

...and I walk around with my handy dandy clipboard, coffee in hand, taking notes.  You should hear my classroom - each. and. every. time.  Without fail, I can almost promise you, 100 percent of my students are on task and uber engaged.  It's magical.

I tried doing Read-to-Someone the other four days during the week - but I just couldn't manage it. Inevitably, they were too loud, too silly, or too whatever...but not too into what they were supposed to be doing.  I don't know - it might work for you, but this REALLY works for me.

We end each partner reading session with a compliment.  My first graders are really good at giving great, specific compliments.  We've practiced and practiced not just saying "I liked your reading" or "you did good".  We started off using prompts - but now they are great at coming up with their own.  Here are the prompts we used at the beginning.  If you grab it - leave a comment letting me know what you think.

Mini Anchor Chart 

Mini Anchor Cards - Pick both up by clicking on the picture

Once we've finished making each other's hearts sing - we get ready to "go shopping".  

I assign each student a "magic letter".  This ensures that they will fill {6 books} their personal bookshelves with books that are at their just right level.  Typically, their magic letter is a level or two below their instructional reading level.  I want these books to really fit them so that they can practice fluency, expression and comprehension throughout the week.  

I do, however, want my firsties to practice knowing how to choose a good fit book on their own.  After all, library books and bookstore books don't have your magic letters on them.  So, we talk about IPICK a lot and each student is able to pick two "dessert books".  These books are from anywhere in our classroom library.  

Chart from Cara Carroll @ The First Grade Parade

And there you have it!  If you're doing Daily 5 what do you do differently from The Sisters that just works for you?  

Happy weekend everybody!

Deck the Halls with TpT ~ Linky Party

I love to shop!  How about you?  I'm not much of a "go to the store" kinda shopper.  More like an online shopper.  I don't like lines.  I don't like squeezing through packed aisles.  Truth be told, I just really like my couch, my comfies and my dog nestled just so with me in "my spot".  Just call me Sheldon. {Big Bang Theory reference}

So, if you're like me, and you're in the shopping spirit {Am I the only one that ends up buying myself stuff when I should be shopping for others?!?!} the Cyber Monday {and Tuesday} sale at TpT will hit the spot!

I'm linking up with Christina over at Bunting, Books and Bainbridge along with lots of other blogger friends to give you that one stop shopping experience.  Click away at the linky party to find something for everyone! Now that's MUSIC to my ears!!!!

So, let's see what's playing...

What's rockin' at my store right now!

We're also jammin' to...

And you can't forget this oldie but goody...

Here's a closer look at my newest product...we're smack dab in the middle of our how-to writing unit and this makes it soooooo much easier to teach and for my kiddos to learn this sometimes tricky genre of writing!!!

Click the picture to find it at my store!

Have fun shopping...I know I will! I had to take the day off tomorrow because my boys don't have school.  Oh the horror, right?  HA!  I'll be working on report cards and of course SHOPPING!

Toodles!

Third Annual Pay it Forward Giveaway

Hi All!

It's so hard to believe the holidays are upon us.  How did that happen?  No, really - HOW did that happen? I feel like we were just setting up our classrooms.

I have so many blessings in my life.  I bet you do too.  I try to remember them as often as I can.  Sometimes life just gets the best of me and I forget to really be thankful for what I have.

For the past two years I've hosted the "Pay it Forward Giveaway" {$50 dollars to one charity of your choice}.  One of the entries is to leave a blog comment telling what organization you'd like for the donation to be made.  I love having you do this because, in the spirit of giving, someone might have their interest piqued and choose to give an additional donation.  I remember this organization from last year...

And this one from two years ago...

I'm so moved and inspired by those wanting to honor others or make the world a sweeter place to be.

So please, go enter.  Each entry to "win" is in the spirit of paying it forward.  I hope this giveaway makes your heart smile as much as it does mine.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Five for Friday {on Sunday}...Freebie too!

Thank goodness Miss Doodle Bugs isn't a stickler for rules...because I can't get this post up on a Friday!!!  For the record, I did start this on Saturday but a little thing called "family" happily got in the way.

I was a picture taking fool this week. I'm hit or miss with that.  Sometimes I get so caught up in my teaching, I forget to stop for a picture {or even go to lunch for that matter}.  I can't tell you how many times we get to specials or lunch late.  Who heard of such a thing?  Are you with me here?  Or am I the only oddball that can't seem to fit it all in?

Here's our week in a nutshell...

Thanks Third Grade Doodles for the freebie!

Are you wondering what that thing is below the poster?  That's a baseball bat {what did you think it was?!?}.  I love to give my first graders time to relax, chat with a friend, just eat and chill for 10 minutes each day.  Lately, you'd think it has been a full moon EVERY day.  They've just been hitting that level 4 way too much!  So we started playing baseball.  Three strikes and the volume goes to a level 2 and if coach has reached her limit - a level 1.  It works well...for the time being.  Does that make me a grouchy teacher?

My principal is such a nice guy. In his travels he picks things up for our staff and then picks sticks for winners at our staff meetings.  I'm pretty sure my name isn't on one of those sticks, because I never win ANYTHING. ever.  So, I took matters into my own hands and stole my dearest teacher friend's winnings. Another teacher pal ratted me out.  As you can see, I didn't feel too guilty about it - I sent them this early morning text of me getting ready to enjoy a scrumptious cup of pumpkin pie coffee. Does that make me a bad person?

Somebody in our family has the Christmas Spirit...

Loving our Heidi Songs!  I tell you, there is something to learning phonics rules put to music.  Another song that my kids LOVED singing...and stuck in our heads all day long...

I don't know how things roll in your district - but I sometimes feel like we're being the Stepford Wives.  We have these great resources at our fingertips.  Our district/county has done a great job suiting us up for the Common Core.  With that, I feel like some of my creative mojo has been taken away.

I knew what lesson I was going to teach - it was straight out of our writing units and it was a good one.  In the middle of the lesson, for some reason I uttered the words "Remember boys and girls - punctuation saves lives".  My 18 boys looked up at me with wide eyes, smirks and a few giggles.  I leaned down for effect and said it again - a little more emphatically and breathy.

I went on to say "Really, my friends - it does. Wanna see?"

I proceeded to read one of my stories that didn't have a lick of punctuation in it.  Of course, I couldn't take one breath...got to the end and was ready to collapse.  Thankfully, my class was more than willing to save a life and help add some much needed punctuation.

After that, we went on with the lesson as planned...my kiddos did a nice job of peer editing and helped save more lives by adding forgotten punctuation.

It was a hit!

On a totally different topic.  Something I noticed last week was that my kids are forgetting to use those magic words "please" and "thank you" way too often.  And can you believe, after I gave a little one some of my snack - they didn't know what I meant when I said "What are the magic words".  I think I might be old...well, I know I am - but don't people still refer to those words as "magic words"?

Click the picture to pick one up for your classroom!

Have a super week!!!!!!

Currently November

Happy November!!!!! Made it through conferences, Halloween and now we're moving on to the busy-ness of the holidays.  I love it though!  I'm DETERMINED to focus on being in the moment and really enjoying the holidays instead of getting caught up in the whirlwind of it all.  Let's keep each other grounded, okay? Deal? 

Thanks, Farley, for being the hostess with the mostess!

I love listening to my boys play with their friends.  Especially when they are getting along! HA!

I swear, you guys, I thought I had fallen off the wagon...I blame it on the Milk Duds!

We're celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary when the kids go to Granny Camp. Ahhhh....

I'm always late to the party - but seriously...

I'm having a hard time finishing this post - I just want to go watch Damon!!

SWOON!

Now that I have a middle schooler - I have to wait for him to catch the bus in the morning before I head off to work.  I cut getting to school on time pretty close - so my Friday chai tea lattes are a thing of the past.  TOMORROW for sure!!!!

I'm notorious for pinning and not doing.  I haven't actually tried these but don't they look scrumpdilicious!?!?! Healthy too!! 

Zucchini Chips {Pin Here}

Alrighty - you know where I'm headed...

toodles!

Conferences, etc. {and some freebies!}

We made it through the first round of conferences.  It was a long, long week - but we made it!  We had conferences two nights this week and then again on Friday afternoon.  Yes, Friday afternoon!  I don't know who thought up that nonsense - but I was one sad, sad teacher who didn't get to wake up a wee bit later {because of course Fridays aren't hair washin' days}and sport her jeans and tennies.

Aside from that, conferences went really, really well!  I have such a nice group of kiddos this year and their parents are just as nice. I don't mind one bit that the apples didn't fall far from those trees.  It was nice to have a number of conferences where I could say "Yup, your kiddo is awesome...and I could end this conference here and now".  

I always open up my conferences with asking the parents if they have any burning questions or something they'd like me to address before I go into my spiel.  Sometimes they do and sometimes their questions require me to do a little "research". I don't want to forget - so I jot them down {because Lord knows, I can forget something mere seconds after you've asked}.  

I also have my parents write a love note to their kiddos and then I do a "special delivery" the next day.  

You can pick these up {here}...

Feels good to have those under my belt...

I'm tired, though.  All that smilin', thinkin' and talkin' just plain tires me out.  My laundry is ALL out of control and my house...let's just say it's Halloween Ready with all the dang cobwebs.  Who wants to spend their weekend taking care of that business?  Not me!  It's times like this that I REALLY wish I had a cleaning lady.  

I am so happy for bloggy friends who have my back...I already know what I'm going to do next week thanks to Leigh over at The Applicious Teacher...have you seen her new "Not So Spooky" Halloween pack?  

I am just in love with the how-to's and the adorable pumpkin craft!!!!  If you are looking for some fun learning next week...you should go check it out!

Alrighty...time to watch some Vampire Diaries...my guilty pleasure!

Happy weekend!!!!