Spelling and other ideas

So, I totally write posts in my head and by the time I sit down to actually finish the post, it eludes me. Then, my dog starts barking like crazy and my brain becomes more addled.

Lack of sleep is not helping.  I should be asleep, but blogging is where I sit.  We worked on our 9/11 activities today.  We started our Spelling list today.  We did a pretest and some games on Spelling City. I am creating my own Spelling lists this year.  I am doing about 10 words of a Spelling rule, five words of a root word, and five words of a prefix/suffix.  I figured this was an easy way to squeeze in some vocabulary study with spelling. As opposed to a typical Spelling test, we are going to apply our Spelling words in writing assignments throughout the week. I have a small class, so I would also like to create a running list for each student of words they misspell in their writing and have them either have a personal spelling list or use these words to make a personal dictionary/word wall. I am working on putting together a Spelling menu of activities for my students that I will share with you tomorrow.  I got some great inspiration again from Kristin at iTeach1:1.

I just purchased Jen Runde's comprehension question fans and math journal activities.   I decided I needed the fans when I read her post on using Daily 5 and her version of Cafe.  I would like to incorporate more lessons from CAFE, but I need time to sit down and skim through it again.  I am looking forward to incoporating Runde's activities.  I think I may use Kidblog and post questions from the question fans for students to respond to with blog entries or even write some questions down in a Reading journal and then respond to them. I may have separate posts for different groups or my different grade levels since I have a grade 4/5 class.  They can read the posts and questions that pertain to them.

I know I need to share some pictures or something with you, but my battery is getting low...on the PC...and me, too.

Night night.  Don't forget the Technology tips linky and giveaway.

Some great blogging world resources for 9/11

I am beyond sleep deprived.  I finally got a class website started so that I would have a place to share links with my students to websites and videos.  I am trying to figure out the best way to utilize technology.  This to me will be the easiest way to get started is to have one place I can send my students for links.  I created a site with Weebly.  It was free and actually super easy to use.  Eventually, I want to add Kidblog and Edmodo, but for now this works for this week.

I found some really great resources for 9/11 through other blog posts.  If you still are looking for some activities to use, check out these posts as well as my freebies from yesterday on heroes and making a quilt square to remember 9/11.

Young Teacher Love gave a link to the video version of the book The Man Who Walked Between the Towers.  This was perfect because I have been searching for 9/11 related picture books at the library and the bookstore for over a week.  I haven't been able to locate anything.

As I scrolled further through my Google Reader, I saw Laura Candler had some great activities/suggestions with the book.  This worked out perfect.

I am going to use Tagxedo per Kristin's recommendation at iTeach1:1 for my student's to create a word cloud in the shape of the U.S.  I think I will have them write a paragraph or poem in honor of remembering 9/11 and then put the text in.  Either that, or make a list of words/traits for heroes to include. (Side note: This might be my new favorite blog to stalk as I try to make the best of using technology and understanding the Mac, along with Technology Tailgate.)

Don't forget about my Technology Tips linky and giveaway.  The winner wins $25 to Amazon, Target, or TpT. 

Happy note: I am now at over 400 followers.  I'm so excited.  I plan on getting that giveaway going this weekend.  Some great people have already agreed to contribute!

Activities for Remembering 9/11

So I have spent a lot of the weekend resting.  I still have a lot to do to get ready for the week.  I spent the morning blogstalking and researching ideas for 9/11 and discussing heroes.  I am linking up with Erica Bohrer to let you know my plans for this week to get my students thinking about heroes. I am supposed to teach somewhat thematically, so I chose the Olympics for my first theme and the Election and Government will be my second theme.  I wanted to take time this week though to discuss 9/11.

We are going to start talking about the Olympics next week or possibly later this week, so thinking about ways to be heroic seems like a good transition to me from 9/11 to talking about the history of the Olympics. (On a side note, I have found a lot of great activities on TpT on the Olympics that I look forward to sharing with you.)  We may also segway into discussing heroes in literature and mythology.

I know there are some great books for kids on 9/11, but I could not get any of them at the library or bookstore.  We are going to watch the brainpop video and maybe read some articles.

I decided to do my quilt square activity from last year again where the students design a quilt square in honor of 9/11.  I added some other activities to this and you can download it below at Scribd or at my TpT store.  You can see pictures of my quilt squares at the post I did for Memorial Day.  I will show my students the examples.  We also will think about traits of a hero, examples of everyday heroes, and do an acrostic for what it means to be heroic.


This week we will also read the poem "The Heroes We Never Name" and answer questions about the poem.  Students will brainstorm and write about their hero. We will look at some quotes about heroes and analyze them as well.  These activities are on sale at my TpT store this week for $1.50.

Here are some activities I found on 9/11 last year from Denise's linky party:
http://sunnydaysinsecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/09/american-pride-linky-party.html

One of the activities I used from that linky past year and may use again is the homework to interview someone about where they were on 9/11. This activity was at What the Teacher Wants last year.  Here is a link.

Here is a cute activity from Read/Write/Think for the students to write a letter to their hero:
http://www.readwritethink.org/parent-afterschool-resources/activities-projects/celebrate-heroes-30154.html?main-tab=2#tabs

Here are some activities from Scholastic for thinking about heroes:
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=5288

The great thing about discussing what it means to be a hero is that these activities are great for most of the Patriotic holidays.

P.S.  Don't forget about Technology Tips linky and giveaway.  Help me figure out the best way to utilize technology in my room.  I know you have lots of great ideas!
Quilt Squares& Hero activities for Memorial Day and September 11th

Technology Tips Giveaway

So I am feeling a little technology overwhelmed, I think.  I am excited to have access to technology with my students.  I feel like blogging has introduced me to some great sites I want to try, but I am not sure how often to introduce a new site to my students.  I really want to try Class Dojo, Booksource, Kidblog, Edmodo...the list goes on.  Anyone else have a strategy for introducing technology?  I have seen great posts on iPad apps.  We don't have iPads, but we are using Macs (which by the way are out of my comfort zone).  If you have followed me awhile, you know I am married to a gamer who is also a programmer. I am not afraid of technology.  We have 4 PC's at our house for two people (two are old though and not used much).  Macs are new to me as Apple products are forbidden at our house with the exception of my iPhone.  (It's a gamer thing for some gamers to hate Apple).

I know I need to sit down and play with Garage Band.  What other Mac programs are great for classroom use?   Any great apps (that are free or inexpensive we could use on Macs and not iPads?)  I am getting ready for my 400 follower giveaway, which I think I have decided to structure like lots of other giveaways recently with a giveaway each day over several days. In the meantime, help me out by entering my Technology Tips Giveaway.  You also can link up below with helpful posts you write or have written on Technology. 

A couple of posts I read today that got me thinking and inspired this giveaway:

http://peacocksandpenguins.blogspot.com/2012/09/using-technology-in-classroom-edmodo.html

http://mrslambsclass.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-my-dojo-tutorial.html

As I try out some things myself, I will try and share ideas/posts about how I try to incorporate more technology in my classroom. I would especially love ideas on how you use your Mac.  The prize for this giveaway will be $25 to either Target, Amazon, or Tpt.  It will be the winner's choice.

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Day two done

It's done.  I committed.

My Erin Condren planner is ordered.  I have been contemplating and intending to order it for far too long.  I took the plunge. I'll let you know what I think.

I made it through the first two days of school.  My students are very sweet, and I have a small class (about 10 students).  The dynamics at a small school with older and younger students both are very different.  Usually 4/5 graders would be the oldest in the school where at my school my students are the youngest.  I feel like this is going to be a fun year with lots of growth potential for me as a teacher.  Some of the emotional maturity of my students is younger than I have typically dealt with, so it is different and slightly out of my comfort zone at times but refreshing at the same time.

Here are some pictures of my classroom.  I spent 6 hours on Monday doing some more decorating and organizing.

This is my bulletin board with a space to display each students work.  Their work will be attached with paperclips.  I also made little labels for each page with their names with my paisley and Harry Potter clipart.  I show an example with my own name. I will probably add words at the bottom but this also gave me room for more kids. (That's why it isn't centered).

This is my space to display anchor charts.  I labeled it "Thinking charts" with more owls and paisley.

The labels also got put on their book boxes.

The pink chair is my flea market find last weekend for $25. It is my reading chair.

This was me laying out my genre posters from Ginger.  I forgot to take a picture once they got on the wall.  I love them.  They are super cute!

These were my student journal/notebook labels.  I realized the margins were off some once printed on the Avery labels.  So all of them have been corrected.  I have them in safari, frog, owl, and Smarty kid theme.  I printed them in Smarty kids.  I almost wish I had more things to label because they all are super cute.  If you purchased them previously, you can download the corrected file. If you have issues, please email me.  I would love to make it right.

Tori from Tori's Teacher Tips is having a 400 Follower giveaway. 

I am giving away $10 to my TpT store. Please check it out.  I also am getting ready for my 400 follower giveaway.  I am ten away.  I probably going to set it up this weekend even if a few shy of 400.  Let me know if you would like to contribute something.  I have already had some fabulous people show interest in contributing.  I plan on giving away an Erin Condren gift certificate for the slackers like me who waited forever to order one.  Happy Wednesday!  Off to dinner at a Greek restaurant with a former-teacher buddy.

Currently no meltdown no more

With the meltdown subsided (see my post from an hour ago), I am linking up for Currently with Farley.

I feel an overflow of peace and the joy seeping slowly in.  The meltdown is melting away. 

I love listening to Praise and Worship.  It uplifts me and helps me focus on the important things.

I have been listening to lots of audio books from the library lately for juvenile and young adult fiction.  I seem to have developed a soft spot for some of the books that are read in a British accent.  I will share some of the books with you in the next couple days.

I had a meltdown of stress earlier.  I am better now.

I am hoping to get some stuff done tomorrow today for my classroom.

I love sleep in my sleep number bed.  Especially after a hot shower.

Green purses make me happy.  I have many of them. Too many...

I have decided to have a sale for the next couple days. 

Happy Labor Day!

Meltdown commenced

I thought I would share that I am in the middle of a meltdown.  I went to visit a friend in Austin Friday night to this morning.  We had a great day yesterday, filled with a couple wine tastings and some shopping.  I hoped this would help distract me and make me feel better.  It did and then I came home.  My throat started hurting, and I got a massive headache.  School starts Tuesday.  I feel like I have so much still to do.  I have done a lot, but it feels like there so much still to organize and wrap my head around.  I am completely aware that I need to relax, breathe deep, and let go.  I periodically do this.  I let the stress and worry overwhelm me and bury me.  Then I start stomping, grunting, slamming doors, and yelling at cats. 

Luckily, even the loud, obnoxious cat knows when to shut up and avoid me.  If you knew this cat, you would know he never shuts up.  He meows 24/7.  He meows himself to sleep.

I went to McDonald's and got a Sprite for some sugar and some french fries for some salt.  The emotional eating commenced. 

I came home and took some Benadryl.  Stress seems to escalate my allergies tenfold.  I contemplate crying because sometimes that makes me feel better.  It is a release - a way of letting go.  But emotions don't come that easy for me.  I don't cry unless I think to myself "okay, you can cry now."  So I grunt and moan and slam doors instead. 

Now, I thought I would blog.  I need to release the stress somehow.  So, I thought I would share.  I am human.  I try so hard to be balanced and not try to always be in control.  But old habits die hard.  I have allowed myself to be busy and not taken the time to stop and breathe and be grateful. 

With meltdown commencing, I slammed the door, shut out the world, turned on some Praise and Worship, and here I sit. 

When I need deep breathing and reminders to slow down, I turn to www.aholyexperience.com.  Ann Voskamp always has the words I need to hear (or read).  Here are a couple posts I read:

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/08/when-you-are-finding-it-hard-to-keep-up-chased-by-grace/

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/08/best-bucket-list/

Blogging gives me an outlet and also accountability.  This year will be different.  I do not have to repeat my past mistakes of getting to focused on all of the to-do's.  The to-do's are not why I became a teacher.  I became a teacher to have opportunities to learn, to give my life meaning, and make a difference in the lives of others.  I don't have to accomplish eveything this week or even this year. My goal - my job - is to get to know my students as students and people - to help them grow and have fun and learn and find joy in the process.  That is what I need to remember. 

I want my classroom to be a place of joy and learning and joy of learning.  And as Ann Voskamp has shown me again and again, joy begins with gratitude.  So, tonight I am thankful for:

• a new year
• my new students
• a good time with friends
• praise and worship
• a patient husband
• a puppy who makes me smile
• my Sprite
• this little blog
• the release of stress
• my readers/followers
• my discovery of the teacher blogging community
• new opportunities
• 1 more day to get some things done
• a good night's sleep
• hot showers
• a door to shut out the cat when I need to
• my savior who again and again saves me from my own failures and expectations

Good night and many blessings.  With teary eyes and sincere thanks,  I absolutely love this community of bloggers.  You make me feel understood and a part of something of amazing and special.  God bless.

Meltdown done (for now).