Nonsense Word Freebie

I read this quote on Pinterest the other day and it has been stuck in my head.  

Source: spirituallythinking.blogspot.com via Melissa on Pinterest

These words just ring so true for me.  They have reminded me to stop and give a few extra minutes of my time to really listen.  To them, it is a big deal.  

Yeah, I know, I'm really digging deep over here as I stay up on Pinterest at all hours of the night.   Maybe it's time to get back on a schedule.  

Now for the freebie... 

 I fell in love with the scallop frames and just had to make something.  Click on any picture for your free download. 

Thank You & a little randomness...

This post is going to be some randomness! My brain is in a million places so you're probably in for a treat :)

First, I want to say that tonight is the North Carolina Blogger/Teacher meet up and I'm super excited.  I never thought I would be so excited to go sit with a room full of strangers and eat.  Yet, I can't wait :) Funny little story...

Last night, I called to verify our reservations at the restaurant.  Well, the number was disconnected!!!  I chose a Mexican restaurant a little ways from my house and began to realize this could really be happening.  I went into panic mode wondering what I was going to do if the restaurant had closed down?!? Then, I calmed down and realized that I had just dialed the number wrong! All is well and the restaurant is sill in business. No worries. I have everything under control :)

 I will update you and hopefully post pictures of all the fun tomorrow.

Second, I am having a sale in my TPT store all weekend.  The sale is just to say THANK YOU! Thank you to my followers, thank you to everyone who leaves sweet comments on my blog, and thank you for all the positive feedback on TPT! It really warms my heart each and every day.

Third, and totally unrelated to teaching, I got a Brazilian Blowout for my hair.  This is the first time that I've done this so I monitored the results like a hawk.  It's been about 2 weeks and I'm happy to say that I love the results.  In a nutshell, it makes my hair easier to manage.  When I straighten my hair it stays straight.  Normally, when it rains, I could walk outside and begin to feel my hair growing bigger and bigger....well,  not anymore! The Blowout seems to have made my hair resistant to moisture in the air.  For those of you with hair that you struggle to  make straight each day, I know you can appreciate this! For the busy life of a teacher...it's one less thing to have to worry about. 

Last, I have a random idea for a giveaway where everyone is a winner! I am going to add the details to that post today and let you in on it tomorrow! 

Oh and as I finish this post, I would like to say that every day this week has been sunny and beautiful...well, it's Saturday morning, I actually have some time to myself and wouldn't you know it ~ it's gloomy and raining!

(KPM Doodles)

Have a wonderful Saturday! 

 

Penny for your thoughts...

 Does anyone ever ask you why you have to do so much work for your class since you “just do the same things every year”?  I get this question from time to time and it’s almost impossible to explain. I hope I’m not alone in this. 

     The best explanation I can give to myself and others is that every year is different.  If not for the changes in state and county requirements (***insert big sigh here***) then it’s the children. Every year brings with it a new unique bunch with their own quirks and skills.

  

     I wasn't always a teacher, at one time I did the Monday – Friday 9-5 thing and I was miserable. I knew in the pit of my stomach I wasn’t doing what I was meant to do and I wasn’t where I was meant to be. Thankfully, I figured it out and I’m now proud to call myself a first grade teacher.  

You would think now that I’m 4 years into this that I would just pull out what I did last year and be done Ha! Yeah right!

     

It’s just not that simple.  Each class brings new challenges and new joys. Right now the challenge I’m facing with my current class is honesty issues.  I have a handful that consistently lie to me about mostly meaningless things.  I’m not sure why this is happening and this is a new problem for me.  My classroom atmosphere is based on the feeling that we are a family and we are to respect and take care of one another. This break in trust is taking its toll on the entire class...I continue to wonder what I have done differently this year that may have caused this.

     This is what has me reflecting on why each year is different and why what worked last year doesn’t always work this year.

What I think it comes down to, is my students are real people with real emotions, feelings, strengths, and weaknesses.  They will face challenges this year that they will need my help to overcome.  It is my job as their teacher to figure out how to meet them where they are.  If I rely on what worked once without stopping to ask myself if it’s still working, then I’m no longer teaching and my students are no longer learning.    

North Carolina Get Together!

Thank you for your response to my post about getting together.  I would love to meet all of you wonderful inspiring teachers, bloggers and educators. Everyone is welcome. You do not need to have a blog to attend.  

Please e-mail me at  teachitwithclass@gmail.com saying that you would like the details of the event and I will send you an electronic invite.  This will be an easier way for  me to keep up with everyone.  I am thinking of doing an early dinner instead of lunch.  Let me know if that's a huge problem for you.  

I want to give a big thanks to Ms. T at  Second Grade Math Maniacs for helping me with this! 

No Snow? No Problem.

No snow? No problem.

I’m just sitting here in North Carolina while my students stare at me like I have 3 heads.  I keep teaching and talking about snow…but do we have any snow? Nope.  Nada.

Of course, that means it’s time to get creative.  What better way to get into a snowy mood than with a SNOWBALL FIGHT!? 

It’s super easy and is a perfect activity when you have that awkward 5 minutes in your day that you need to fill.  You know those few minutes in between which really are not enough time for anything.

You will need a small scrap piece of paper for each student and each student will need a textbook.  I usually use the basal so everyone is familiar with the story/words. 

Tell students to look in their story/book and to write 1 word on their paper that they don’t know.  When they’re done and staring at you for their next direction, have them hold their paper up then crumple it up into a SNOWBALL! After the initial shock and excitement, let them throw it at YOU.

I know you’re wondering where the educational aspect is in all of this…well, after all the snowballs have been thrown, each student finds one,  opens it and reads it out loud.  You can repeat this for as many times as you have time for.  Depending on how much time we have, I will have students write one sentence instead of one word. 

Here’s the tricky part J No matter what, you will always be 1 snowball short.  Somehow, someway one snowball will be thrown never to be found again L I try to make 1 or 2 of my own and throw them in to limit the devastation for that one child who is snowball-less  when it’s time to collect them (look at me making  up my own word -give me a blog and watch out!). 

You can check out this mess in action below-

Disclaimer: this picture is blurry and will ALWAYS be blurry when taken by a 6 year old J

This is me protecting myself  as snowballs are thrown with all their might tossed at me.

Do you play the teacher card?

Do you play the teacher card? 

You know what I'm talking about, it's the one that gets people talking and often gets us FREEBIES! When I first started teaching, I didn't realize how powerful this card could be. Quickly, this began to change.  

At first, I would happen to mention at retail places that I was a teacher that's why I buy things in quantities of 25.  What I noticed was many people would immediately loosen up and start talking to me.  Let me stop here and explain something...

I am from up north (Ohio).  I have lived in NC now for almost 8 years.  Let me just say, my personality, can be somewhat too much for people.   I move fast, I talk fast and I'm always in a rush to move on to my next task.  This I feel is an admirable trait.  I also happen to get through life on sarcasm which may or may not be an admirable trait...moving on...

I've found though, that sometimes I just end up confusing people.  So, after 8 years, I think I've found a small talk happy medium.  The teacher card though can get anyone talking.  There are a few things that people say that come up again and again

• People tell me they could never do what I do  
• People tell me horror stories about current teachers of their children and how wrong that teacher is and what do I think? Um...awkward 
• Of course I get the "you have 3 months off so whatever your worried about now doesn't matter" ~ that usually ends that conversation  :) 
• The best reaction though is people who will go out of their way to help simply because I teach

I have received free carpets, limitless paint stir sticks from paint counters, free recyclable bags, free glue, free paper, crayons, countless "extra" discounts, free painting services and so much more over the years.  

It always warms my heart to see how my profession touches not only children, but adults as well.  To me, it means that at some time, somewhere a teacher made a difference to them.  I hope I can be that teacher to some of my students.  

So, thank you for all of you who go out of your way to help a teacher out!  

Now teachers, when and where do you play the teacher card? 

Pigeon Reaches Celebrity Status

I have a quick story I wanted to share about my day...

I was walking my class to Art.  Everything was going as planned and we were even on time for once! Then all of a sudden almost all 24 of my students seemed to begin talking and shouting at once.  There was jumping and pointing and overall chaos! 

Would you like to know what caused this hallway  celebration? 

The Pigeon....you know him...little blue guy...wants to drive the bus...yep that one! 

Our media center is surrounded by windows and at some point over the break the media coordinator put a plush pigeon on the bookshelf.  This is what my students saw! Apparently, he's like a celebrity in my room! 

If anyone knows how I can get an adult Pigeon costume..I'm in! I can't seem to find one.

I first introduced the Pigeon this year using my Needs & Wants unit. 

Harrison Ford wants you to read...

Does your school library ever clean and giveaway goodies???

Well...mine does.  

A fellow teacher of mine snatched this enormous framed poster  goody up when that clean out time came.  Myself and another coworker teased her about  this.  We both left her room laughing about her treasure.    Well, low and  behold a few months later this teacher has retired from our school. I go into her old room today and there he is....Harrison Ford...loud and proud hanging on the wall in the classroom!

The copyright on the poster reads 1990 (yes, I had to get up close and check).  

I have  nothing  against celebrities promoting reading, it just strikes me as funny since (21 years later) Harrison Ford does NOT look like this anymore! 

There you have my randomness for the day! 

Fancy Nancy Poster

I first saw this fabulous (a fancy word for great) idea from  Fun in First Grade.  

I made a "Fancy Words" poster that I plan to use to make our writing more exciting and hopefully our vocabulary too!  Each week we will read a Fancy Nancy book and pick a word  to add to the outside of a library pocket (example: good) then we will come up with words that are better to use than "good" (fabulous, wonderful, amazing, fantastic...). The boring word will be written on the outside and the new words will be placed on paper strips inside the pockets.  When students are writing and want to use the word "good" they will (I hope anyway) go to the pocket and pick a "fancier" word.  I think it will also help them that the new word will be spelled for them and they won't hesitate to use it.  I would love to hear any feedback on anyone who has tried this before.

Why I teach...

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education.  He argued, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”  He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers:  “Those who can, do.  Those who can’t, teach.”

To stress his point he said to another guest; “You’re a teacher, Bonnie.  Be honest.  What do you make?”

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honest and frankness replied, “You want to know what I make?  (She paused for a second, and then began…)  “Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.  I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor.  I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can’t make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental…

“You want to know what I make?”  (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)

I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them criticize.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my student feel safe.

I make my students stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, because we live in the United States of America.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.

(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)  “Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant…You want to know what I make?”

“I MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  What do you make?”
Taylor Mali

Watch This Video

I went to an awesome training about 2 weeks ago.  They played this video from YouTube.  It really got me thinking about my role as a teacher.   Teachers are no longer the main source of knowledge...we are the filter.  Watch this video I promise you'll enjoy it! I would love to hear your thoughts too! Happy 4th!

Blog Nomination

I received an e-mail today saying that my blog was nominated for Really Good Stuff's Classroom Blog Contest.  This is super exciting!  I am very surprised and honored! Thank you! There are some amazing blogs up for nomination, and there are many on the list who deserve to win.  Voting begins July 1st!

Vote - RtI Training

I've spent the last two days in a training learning how to implement RtI in my school. This is new to our county and I am wondering if any of my blogger friends are required to use RtI in their school. I would also love to hear any feedback you have!  Just leave a comment.  Now, help a girl out and vote!

Does your school use RtI?
	Yes
	NO
pollcode.com free polls

Candy Rewards

I went to a graduation party this weekend and they had a "candy bar"!  How cute is that?  I wasn't able to snap a picture before the kids and adults attacked the table (literally), but I did find this one online...

(source)

So it got me thinking...in my classroom I use Tootsie Rolls and Skittles for small rewards.  I call Skittles "Smart Skittles" and Tootsie Rolls "Thankful Tootsies".  I give one Smart Skittle out randomly during the day for answers to tough questions and just generally smart observations.  I give "Thankful Tootsies" out for students who do thoughtful things for other students when they think nobody is looking (if someone picks up another student's pencil,  helps them tie their shoe, says excuse me etc).  

After seeing all the fun colorful candy at the candy bar I started thinking about what other catchy reward phrases similar to the above that I could use.  Other candies that I thought would work well would be M&M's, Dots, Mike & Ike's, and Lemon Heads.
So, do any of my fabulous blogger friends have any ideas?  What are you using in your classroom?

Writing...help

My summer has officially begun! Woohoooo!  Today is the first full day!  On another exciting note, I see that I now have 98 followers!  Of course this is cause for celebration and what better way to celebrate than with a giveaway! Stay tuned for giveaway details!

For now though, I need some advice.   As I sprung out of bed this morning, I started thinking about writing for next year.  This is where you come in...

I would love hear what you use in your classroom for writing instruction.  The program/structure to follow has always been a challenge at my school and I would love to know what other first grade classrooms are using!  Thank you!

Mike Rowe

As teachers, we make all other professions possible...AND who doesn't love some Mike Rowe!!!

His perspective on jobs and the way the world views "dirty jobs" is interesting.  

If I had a dollar for every time...

Do you every feel like you repeat yourself ALL DAY LONG? We're teachers so of course we do.  Have you ever heard your students "playing teacher"?  This is when they pretend they're you and they tell their other friends what to do...you guessed it...saying all the things YOU say to them all day long.  Thankfully, I approve of all that I have heard repeated :)  

I'm using this post to share with you some of my favorite phrases that get the job done!  What are some of yours?

When students forget to raise their hand I say "When I raise my hand..." and they finish with "I show respect"

When I hear students saying not so nice things I say "If you don’t have anything nice to say..." and they finish with "don't say anything at all."  This is of course thanks to Thumper from the movie Bambi ~ I show them a clip from the movie when I teach this.

I teach my students to be "problem solvers".  So, when they come up to me over and over throughout the day with simple problems about pencils, tissues, paper etc...I look at them and say "Be a problem solver!”  I also do a lesson when I teach this where we make a chart of common problems and simple solutions that go with them.  

If only I had a dollar for every time I have said this! I would go to the Dollar Tree ~ LOL~ or maybe TPT!!!!

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

Today I went to a presentation from textbook publishers for new Reading/ELA books.  These series are all based on NC Core Standards so I am not sure if there will be too many of you who have information  on  them.  If you do though, I would love to hear your thoughts!  I have to give the information to each grade level at  my school.  Thanks in advance for any advice.  The choices are...

Journeys from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Reading Street from Pearson Scott Foresman

Treasures from Macmillan McGraw-Hill