Teacher Fun

The teachers wore 'ugly' sweaters to school last week.  We had a full week of class.  Glad we don't have two wasted days next week.

Merry Christmas

Christmas...

My fellow upper elementary teachers will be getting coffee mugs and coffee from me this year.  I originally bought these for my two grandsons who are discipline-challenged :)   Do you exchange with fellow teachers?  Any creative ideas to share?

Merry Christmas

Kidblog

My school is not a google school.
My school does not have email addresses for the upper grades.
My classes have computer class every day (with me) and I have them create projects...and I have no way to send them to me.
My school does not let the computer lab print...anything!

Solution...

With kidblog,  students can upload a project...and if they want to, share it at home.  It is also giving us a chance to practice writing comments that are constructive and written with correct grammar.  We also get a chance to practice writing 7-up sentences.  

Character Sketch

My class is preparing to for the state writing (narrative) test in February.  After attending a workshop by Ron Coniglio we've been making our writing more descriptive by adding adjectives, appositives, better verbs, and adverbs.

This week we're describing characters...
1.  age
2.  facial features
3.  clothes
4. happy/sad

I made a powerpoint...hope this goes well.

Math Time

What math internet sites do you use and like?

Crazy Hair/Socks Day

 Really was a rather crazy day...hoping backwards day tomorrow is a little more normal

Homecoming Week

Yes it's homecoming week and the elementary is doing their part...yesterday was color day...and here we are:
(Looks like I need to crop the photo!)

Book Project #1

First genre...realistic fiction

short video   using flipagram...really quick and easy

Conferences...this week

My district has finally scheduled conferences before the 1st quarter is over.   I have been busy...getting fluency passages, MAP scores, state assessments from last year, and running off grades.  Tuesday and Wednesday will be hectic because the staff will teach all day and conference for 4 hours each,  in the evenings.

Does your district conference midterm or at the quarter?

What do you add to the conference?

Do you get comp time for extra hours worked?

Word Work

Last week we talked about synonyms and antonyms in our writing...this is more fun (making a mini poster) than completing a worksheet.

Welcome Bags

Welcome bags are ready for students on Tuesday.  What's in the bag?

• homework pass for September
• highlighter
• post-it-notes
• candy
• small note pad
• pencil

Our first day is until 1:10...I'm sure the students will be tired...I will!

Do you have any special activities for the first day?  I always plan too much, but I think this is better than not enough.

Happy 2014-2015 School Year to everyone!

Birthday Gift

I have a teacher friend that is getting a portfolio from http://www.doodlebugspaper.com , as soon as she can decide on the design and name for the front.  I bought one a few years back and I love tucking it my purse when attending a meeting where I need to take notes.

weekly writing journals

School begins on August 12 for students...YIKES!! less than a month away...
 Today I have worked on tips and suggestions for students' weekly writing journal.  The calendar is from Busy Teacher's Cafe and the work on writing is from Rome's Readers.

Almost Made-it Monday

Was looking for a focus wall material for Reading Street CC and found a cute 'refrigerator copy' for another basal.  SO...I am adapting the idea for the basal we use.  The reason it is call 'almost' is because I have only done the first two stories...something to keep me busy and an excuse to be on the computer this summer instead of cleaning and gardening.

Summer Checklist

Trip to the eastern Europe is checked off my list...  I am using the book feature in iPhoto to make a book of my pictures.  Has anyone else used this, or is there another format that works well?

It's a little too soon to start thinking about school this fall...but don't most teachers?

Hope your summer is going well...plan on working on vocabulary cards tonight.  Read "Word Nerds" on those long plane flights.

Last Day...

The PBiS team provided a DJ for us to enjoy--2 hours--on our last school day.

Pep Rally

Summer Reading

Does anyone encourage their students to take reading tests in the summer?  I will be getting a student next fall that is struggling with comprehension.  I'm thinking about encouraging him to read easy books... then go to book adventure.com...it's provided by Sylvan.

Any other suggestions?  Reading logs were passed out today since school is at the countdown of 1.5 days!!

Summer Checklist

My summer break will start May 23...and I plan to:

• take a 10 day trip to eastern Europe the first of June
• spend only one day a week thinking about next fall
• spend 1-2 days on yard work
• exercise more...eat less

Guess I'll stop here...some of those goals look pretty lofty!!

May Baskets

Looking for ideas for May Baskets on pintrest...but since there aren't that many days...I may just go with small cups, pipe cleaners, & bulk candy.  This year the 4th grade has been buddies with the kindergarten class, so this would be a fun activity...


May first will find me attending, with the 'girls'...

Should be fun.

Have a good week.

XXII

   (I have a few students who love Roman numerals)

School Days left...but also include:

one more state testing day (math)

a personal day (me!)

track day

PBiS field trip

What are your summer plans?  I will be taking a pilgrimage to Poland, my oldest granddaughter wants to venture to Mall of America, and who knows what else...

Hurray!

State testing in reading is over...
What will I practice more on next year?

• plurals
• synonyms
• simile
• multiple meaning words
• homophones
• prefix & root word for a double suffix word

for the vocabulary part..

Comprehension

• summarize every story we read
• setting
• sequence a story

Not one point of view question :(

continue to stress the difference between genres

read more poems and this can not be any funny poets...only serious ones!

all in all a good testing day...does that mean I'm done testing?--HA HA  I do have 38.5 sick days to use.

Two Days

Two days and it's testing day...We're ready.

I enjoy hearing all the 'comments' on tv and radio about the good and bad of common core (we have our own state assessments)...charter schools, choice...In my rural area the two choices are public school or homeschooling.

Have a good week...I'll be back to teaching on Wednesday (BIG SMILE). ( Wish I was this skinny, but glad I have a smart board and not a chalkboard!)

Two weeks and counting to TEST TIME

Wonderful set of test taking posters from one extra degree  that I turned into a ppt.  I took a screenshot of each poster and then made each a slide.  this way we can discuss and cuss each strategy.  Looking forward to April 9th :)

Thought for the Week..or each day this week

2014-2015 book nominees

2014-2015 Nominees for Nebraska's Golden Sower (intermediate) award...these are the ones I've ordered that look interesting. 

• Malcolm at Midnight.
• Tuesdays at the Castle
•  Adventures of Beanboy
• Jake and Lily

Spring Break

Shouldn't spring break be at least a week long??  I guess I should't complain...Thursday, Friday, and then the weekend.

Shouldn't spring break mean traveling somewhere?

So what does my spring break look like???

• cleaning out some 'old'  clothes, shoes, and school 'stuff'
• organizing the toy room--mostly getting all the legos off the floor and into containers
• working on 'I Can' objectives.  Lucky for me, there are only 12 tested standards for Nebraska 4th graders in reading.  The state test is quickly approaching!

Happy Spring Break to anyone out there enjoying this time.

PBiS Rally

The last Friday of every month finds our school having a PBiS rally to acknowledge all the zero heroes, readers, and any other academic achievements...  This month the 3rd graders started dancing and the affect was a flash mob dancing.  Video of the fun event.

Social Studies Site

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/

Love this site for my 5th graders when we're studying the constitution, branches of government, and other related facts.  It's real easy to make a webquest for a 2 day computer class.

Valentine's Party

This not what the party in my room looks like...candy, sugar, and lively games!  Let your imagination paint the real picture.... one more hour!

What a Week...

We had an early out last week because of snow...a late start the next day because of cold temperatures...and then I had a sick day---darn flu bug. 

This week finds my school hosting the spelling bee.  It's always fun to see such a lively group of smart, young spellers!

Book Project

It's that time again for the biography book project.  Students read a biography, make a timeline, and give a short 1-2 minute speech, where they are that person.  I always love this project.

Here's the YouTube link if you like to see who visited the 4th grade room this past week.

My only regret is that I would have liked to record the speeches, but my skills weren't very good and so the iMovie is just a slideshow.

ENJOY!