Fall Flash Sale!!!

Happy Fall ya'll!!!

(Thanks Jessica Benson for the cute button)

 

I'm trying to get into the Fall mood....even though it's pretty warm in Florida....So I decided to have a quick little flash sale for the rest of today and all day tomorrow...(p.s. tomorrow is my 24 year anniversary....WHAT?  Love my hubby:) )

 

I even made up some Fall planters for my garden hoping to bring in some cooler weather....

 

So in honor of Fall and my Anniversary....SALE at my TPT shop!

Have a wonderful week!!!

 



5

T.G.I. Five for Friday!!

Popping in with some pics and so thankful it's Friday!!!!  This girl needs some down time:) 

Linking up with Doodle Bugs

 

So in no certain order is my randomness for this week

Check this out!  This little one is my sunshine.....DAILY!  Today, I got a phone call in the middle of my guided reading groups.  Take a look and tell me what you see....

That's right.....this one didn't skip a beat!  Plopped in my chair and the instruction went on!!!  LOVE this kid!  Definitely a teacher in the making:)

Last year I discovered "The One and Only Ivan".....SO glad I did!  It's a wonderful story....it's great for descriptive writing and the kids just love it!  Well we have been reading it this year and I saw on my bloggy bud Jen's blog, Runde's Room,  that they are too and her class adopted a gorilla.  I thought that was a wonderful idea so we did too!!!

My kids about lost their minds when I opened the package!  They were/are so excited.

Now we have our own Ivan!

Some of my kiddos finally had enough points earned to start their behavior beads necklaces from Run Miss Nelson's Got the Camera.  They are so excited to have these and to add to them.  I'll be blogging soon about how I use these with a clip chart and tickets:)

My week started off great because I got to see this girl!!!!  Her baby (lol) brother and I went to see her play in a vball tourney:)  She hadn't see little bro in a few months.....makes my heart happy to see them together:))))  They're my world!!

This is my last random....I posted this on Instagram so figured I would bite the bullet and post here too....I hate pics of me!!!!  Anywho, I have been eating quite differently and have lost 30 pounds!!!  The during is because I'm not quite done yet...still a work in progress:)

 

Ok....I am off for some relaxation and some major football watching this weekend!!!!  Yeah for Friday!!!  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend too!!!

 

 

 

 



22

Guided Reading Goodies:)

I am linking up with my fellow Florida teaching bud Jen for her Guided Reading Toolbox Linky.

I just LOVE this linky!  I am getting all kinds of ideas for goodies I can add to my stash!!! 

 

Before I start with my sharing, I just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU for all the words of encouragement I got on my last post!  I was really feeling down (even more down about blogging about it) and your words of encouragement and support really helped me!!!  I appreciate each and every one of you who took the time to reach out with a comment or an email:)  We are all in this together and I had forgotten that and was feeling quite alone!  Thanks for the cyber hugs!!!!

 

Ok, on to my goodies!!!

Yes, I do guided reading in 4th grade and YES, I try to add little things here and there to make it fun and functional:)  Get ready for a ton of pics:) 

 

Here are a few of the items that are in my Guided Reading "Toolbox".

This little basket is always right next to me at my guided reading table.  It's full of lots of the things I use for guided reading groups (and some goodies for me....Bath and Body Pumpkin Lotion, Bath and Body Antibacterial Gel.....gotta have that stuff...lol)

I haven't broken these out yet this year but they were a huge hit last year!  I picked up these little finger lights at Dollar Tree.  The kids love them and LOVE to read with them:)  Anything like this makes reading so much fun:)

Lots and lots of post its:)  For me.....for my kids....for both!!!  We use them for everything!  You can NEVER have enough post its:)

I forgot where I got these.  They look like bookmarks but are clear, colored overlays that the kids can use as they are reading.  They love these too!!  I keep them in my basket.

We use the BIG Dollar Tree puddles (that's what I call them at least) for reading too!  This idea I got from one of my teammies and I have seen it in a couple of the other link ups at Jen's. 

 

I always have my dry erase board handy.  For pics or words or chunking....whatever:)  The kiddos each have their own too.  They usually don't bring them to guided reading BUT do bring them to guided math every day!!

I can never have enough timers.  These are from the Dollar Tree too (kitchen section).  Helps keep us on track each day.  My kids have gotten pretty good with transitioning between rotations.  As soon as they hear the timer go off they are up and moving;)

I found these fun, fruity drink stirrers a LONG time ago on clearance somewhere and they have been wonderful to use to track words while they are reading.

I made these pointer/trackers out of pencils and Dr. Seuss erasers.

I also have lots of highlighting tape.  Great for vocab or finding context clues:)

I wouldn't be able to function without my Multiple Choice Fans.  My husband and I made these 2 years ago and they have held up just great!  They are awesome to use with the passages we are doing that have multiple choice answers.  The kids can pick an answer and hide it until I say "show me"....then they all show me and I get a great, quick assessment of who gets it and who doesn't:)

You can read more about these HERE and HERE and HERE.

 

I hope you got some new, fun ideas from taking a peek into my guided reading toolbox!  Now I am off  to Jen's to get some more ideas:)  Have a great week everyone!

 

 

11

Small Groups and Cha...cha....Changes....

Hello all! I am sorry I have not blogged in a bit.....this year has started off with lots of busy and lots of changes and this girl has been feeling a little overwhelmed....

 

Change........NOT my favorite word......I don't roll easily with changes.......I need time to think things through and process.....seems like the theme of this year is change.   Changes in the form of new reading series, rolling out common core BUT still testing sunshine state standards, having an aide in my room a few days a week to help with my ELLS, new common core math books, lots of meetings, changes to our teacher evaluations.......just changes!!!

 

My mind seems to be going a thousand different places and I can't seem to get settled!!!  I can't tell you the last time I sat and was able to read blogs, let alone blog myself. 

 

This new reading series is gonna flip my Daily 5 all over the place!!!  Not sure how yet....we just got our books.....I'll be spending lots of time this weekend trying to make it all work.  One thing I know for sure is I have got to keep my small groups!!!  HAVE TO!!!  I connect with my kiddos so much better when I use small groups...in math and reading:) 

 

So being overwhelmed....lol....I have completely forgotten to take pics of what all we have been doing:/  I also haven't felt like blogging because I didn't want to be a Debbie Downer:/  So sorry if this is a downer.....I will perk up as soon as I process all these changes....right now my attitude is more in the way than the changes...lol:)

 

We have been successfully doing Daily 5 (my version).  My version is kinda different, but it's what works for me and now with more changes coming, I'm adjusting and changing it daily.  Here are some pics of our day and our different rotations.

I LOVE having a helper a few times a week:)  It's like 2 of me!!! (although 2 of me would be dangerous...lol)  Today the kiddos got to do making words with her:)

I HAVE to meet with my small groups everyday:)  I love that time!  I call that Teacher Time in my Daily 5 rotations.  Right now (BB......Before Basal) we have been using these I-Ready common core books.  I love them:) 

Of course we are constantly using my multiple choice fans:) (you can read more about those here)

Another change to our rotations is software that our school has (also I-Ready), so one of their rotations has to be that.  Gonna shoot for 3 days a week:)  We will see how that goes.

Today we did have time for Work on Writing....which was making a science foldable.  I know, I know......none of my names go with my activities.....maybe I need to rename everything and make a new rotation board......hmmmmmmmm?

Working on inherited traits, inherited behaviors, acquired traits, and learned traits.....that's a mouthful!

So there ya have it.....a look into my day today.  I am sorry if this post seems poopy.....:(  Teachers get overwhelmed at times and I guess my time is now.  Thanks for listening:)  I'm just trying to adjust to all the changes (I didn't tell you all of them), get my kiddos where they need to be and smile all at the same time.....I hope you all had a wonderful hump day and a super rest of your week!  I'll be back soon with smiles and sunshine....I promise:)



18

Monday Made It - Back to Monthly

Yes, yes....I know it's Sunday.....wanted to give ya a head start:)

So Friday night rolls around and all of the sudden I realize that MMI is Monday and I have nothing....nada....nope, not a thing:( 

 

That put me into a little bit of a panic mode......so I jumped on Pinterest and THANK YOU Charity Preston from The Organized Classroom.  She saved my me and my lack of focus and I have a super easy, cute made it to show you:)

The other day on Instagram I teased with this....

Well...after I saw Charity's adorable clipboard makeover, I knew this was the made it for me.  A few years ago I did the scrapbook paper and ribbon clipboard makeover....well those clipboards got grooooooosssssss!  I'll spare you the pics....just dirty and the ribbon wasn't pretty and ick! (like so ick I had to throw them out and start new)

 

Hello amazing duct tape:

Grabbed a set of these at Wally world:) 

Let the duct taping begin!

Had to do one to match my room but threw in some fun for the kiddos:)

 

I also was busy making this set.

I don't know about you all but I have several of my kiddos who are NOT fluent with their multiplication facts:(  They HAVE to have that.....it is such a critical foundation to build on.  I teach in a math workshop format and they do math facts EVERY day!!!!  So I made this to help them with their practice.....I may even make extra sets to send home with my strugglers.

I laminated them so they can be used over and over and hopefully it will start to stick!!

I thought I would throw in some fun for this Monday Made It.  I am also going to have a little giveaway:)  The winner will win my new "You Don't Scare Me Multiplication Facts" set and 3 other items of their choice from my TPT store:)

 

Don't forget to leave some love on the blogs you visit:)

 

 

 

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