Wisdom for Wednesday-Worry

Welcome to:

I don't know about you but I tend to worry about a lot of things.  Things that are not very important in the long run.  I saw this quote the other day and thought it was so fitting for me.  Since I do worry about things all the time, when I saw this I thought this is something that I need to be asking myself whenever I start to worry about something.  If it isn't going to be a big deal and matter in five years, then I just need to let it go!  

Mathew 6:31-32 

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Have a great day!

Whole Brain Writing

I started incorporating parts of whole brain teaching into my classroom last year.  I began again using it again this year and saw that there was a whole brain writing.  In the past I used writer's workshop to teach writing and liked it, but my schedule unfortunately doesn't give me the amount of time that I really need to do writer's workshop.  So, I was really curious when I found this really neat video on Whole Brain Writing:

 

 

 http://www.pinterest.com/pin/244320348510317290/

 

  

She does a great job explaining it and it has a ton of examples.

 

I am wondering if anyone has tried using it in the classroom and how did you like it?  If not, what are you using?  Is there something that you like a lot? 

 

I look forward to hearing about if you use it or what you are using to teach writing in your classroom. 

 

Have a great day!

Daily 5 Progress and Math Rotations - Five for Friday!

Happy Friday! 

I tell you with Labor Day off this week, I had my days all messed up and strangely it seemed like a longer week than normal. Short weeks are always like that for me though!

So here's what we've been up to in 2nd grade:

We went over Check for Understanding again before we started practicing Read to Someone. We only have one thing left for next week - Listen to Reading. 

These kids are rocking out the Daily 5! Don't hate me, but we were doing 15 minutes of Read to Self the 2nd day!!! Thank you, dear first grade teacher! :-)

Today I even tried some math rotations...

This is group is playing our I Have...Who Has...? Time to the Hour and Half-Hour game. It is our all-time best seller and I can understand why--great for 1st grade and the beginning of 2nd grade! :-) Also available in our Telling Time Mega Pack. 

This group is working in their Interactive Notebooks. They are loving these things and so am I! The students are so engaged--all of them and all the time. These pages come from the math INB pack I'm working on, but I'm kid-testing (and teacher-testing) it before I list it. :-)

This group is working with pattern blocks. First they had to cover some shapes on a paper from Saxon and then I let them explore (play) the rest of the time.

These two are practicing one of the card games from Dealing with Math Homework. I have had a great response on what I'm calling STAR Homework (idea from Amanda Madden). I've adapted it a bit for me, but the kids and their parents are loving playing these math games and the new style of homework in general.

Don't forget to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching!

Have a restful weekend!

Wisdom for Wednesday - Moods

Thanks for stopping by today! I absolutely love this quote (and the explanation for it). Take a look:

How many of you know a moody person? 

You know what I mean...the kind of person you "hope" to catch on a good day. The kind of person that one day greets you warmly as you pass in the hall and the very next day ignores you completely (even if you said hello) and leaves you wondering what you did wrong.

I could, of course, spend this entire post directing this quote to those people, but instead I decided to take a look at myself (and my own moods).

I do not consider myself a moody person, but I know that there are times when I let tiredness and stress take over and dampen my normal cheery self. 

Here's what else Oswald Chambers has to say about moods and why we must not pray about them (my thoughts in parenthesis):

"Moods never go by praying, moods go by kicking (can't you just see kicking that bad mood to the curb?). A mood nearly always has its seat in the physical condition (for me being tired and stressed), not in the moral. We have to take ourselves by the scruff of the neck and shake ourselves (oh, I love the way they spoke and wrote back then)..."

That really is what it takes to straighten out our moods. We have to make a choice--to kick that bad mood, shake ourselves, and get over it. 

Why? 

Because our moods should never determine how we treat others. 

Too often we make all kinds of excuses for our mistreatment of others stemming from our bad moods. 

"It's my time of the month."

"I'm not a morning person (or night owl)."

"I didn't sleep well."

"I'm under a lot of stress."

I even recently read a post on Facebook about how we need to let our kids have these bad moods, bad days, and resulting tantrums or disrespectful attitudes because it is normal and acceptable for us as adults to behave this way. Why should we expect more from our kids?

Um...NO! 

It may be natural to behave badly when in a "bad mood," but it is most certainly not right!

We all need to set a better example for the children in our lives by choosing not to let our moods determine our behavior and treatment of others. 

We need to kick those bad moods to the curb and maybe even give ourselves a shake to snap out of it! 

Who's with me?

September Currently

I have linked up with Oh Boy Fourth Grade September linky:

Listening-we have been getting a lot of rain.  I love listening to the rain and thunder.

Loving-I feel like I've been so behind in both school and home projects.  I was glad to have an extra day to try and get caught up on those things.

Thinking-I am one that likes to have a routine established at school.....unfortunately we are not quite there yet.  So, I'm really wanting that schedule and routine to be established and running smooth.

Needing-I just need to get caught up!

3 trips:  I would love to go to Arizona (love the warm weather), Alaska (would love to see the light show), Paris (just seems like it would be very pretty).  

I hope you are enjoying your extra day off.  Don't forget to link up for your September Currently.

Have a great day!

Goodbye Job Chart and Hello Music Room!

Happy Friday!

I am sooooo exhausted. I have made it through the first full week of school--or I will if I make it until 3:00 this afternoon. Ha!

I'm popping in to share pictures of my music room (as promised). 

These cabinets used to be bright red, green, and blue. I knew I wanted to paint them black, but I was afraid it would be too much black. Then I had the idea of using black chalkboard paint. I *love* how they turned out. The kids were so excited to make their mark on the music room by writing their names. :-)

This is the view from the door. Notice the red arrow pointing to my stuffed dog, Duke. He happens to be the best classroom management tip I have for teaching music (not that I claim to be an expert at all). 

Last year with my first year teaching music, the management part of it was definitely the biggest challenge for me. It is just so different than how I handle my second grade classroom. Kids are in and out in 20 minutes and I just didn't feel like I had the time needed to really bond with students to promote good behavior (other than my 2nd graders). 

Duke watches every day for a student making good choices who he can sit with during each music class. The kids also enjoy the stories I tell them about how ornery Duke is when they aren't around...swinging from the ceiling fan, dumping out my markers, etc. The idea is he has to sit with someone who can help him be good. :-) I wasn't sure using Duke like this (similar to how I used him when I taught 1st grade) for music would work, but for now he is definitely a keeper! 

This is the view from the other side of the room.

I only use the music room for 1 hour each day (20 minutes each for K, 1, and 2), so in the mornings it will be used for reading groups. I set up this little area for the teacher who will be working in here.

And finally...goodbye job chart!

Last year I got tired of swapping jobs and trying to remember who had which jobs. I knew I was going to one special helper a week, but I hadn't figured out how exactly I would make that work.

I was talking it over with another teacher and she gave me the BEST idea!

I use an assigned line (I know Kristi talked about this before...of course, I learned it from her) and in the past I have left it exactly the same all year long (except for the line leader). Sometimes I would feel bad that those in the back were always the last to lunch...and everywhere really. 

So my teacher friend's suggestion solved both my problems. Rotate my assigned line and have the first person in line do all the jobs. The next week, that person goes to the back and I have a new special helper. The line is really the same (so no getting confused on the order)--just rotating it. LOVE IT!

My first special helper has done an amazing job. I posted these pictures by the door to help him remember all the things he is in charge of doing.

This system, along with the colored dots on the desks being used to help out with team jobs, is working wonderfully for our class.

Have a wonderful long weekend! 

I know I have big plans to rest up on Monday. :-)

Wisdom for Wednesday-Words Spoken

Welcome to another week of:

Research has shown that we speak around 17,000 words a day!  They say that some days it is around 60,000 words a day!  Wow that is a lot of words.  Our words can either tear down or build up.  It really made me think that every single word that I say can make a difference and with just a word, I can please and glorify the Lord.

 As teachers, I think it is important to remember this research as well because as we speak to the students, I believe it is important to remember that our words can build them up or tear them down.  I need to remember to always think before I speak and make sure that my words will glorify the lord.  

Luke 6:45

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Have a great day!