OWLS, DAILY 5, WHOLE BRAIN TEACHING.........VACATION BREAK!

As I mentioned before, our school is changing its theme to owls, so it seems like all summer long, I've had owls on my brain and have been working on a lot of things for it........I'm almost done....I think.  :-)

My last post was about Daily 5 and my concerns because my schedule just doesn't allow me to do all the rounds that I had thought I needed to do.  But I was so glad to get responses about it and now I think I have a plan on how to do it next year. 

I started doing some whole brain teaching in my classroom last year and implemented some of the things but would like to integrate some more of it this coming year so I have been thinking of what and how I could do it.  

So, my summer seems to have been filled up with a lot of school stuff and many many many house projects.  Now, I believe it is time to get away for a few days and let my brain rest.  I am heading to see one of my good friends from college.  Her parents own a house by the Lake in Nebraska.  I'm ready to have some down time and just relax.  Hope all of you have taken time to do that as well, because you know the new school year will be here very soon! 

Have a great week!

Hooray! It's Starting! A Guided Math in Action Book Study

I just love a good book study. In fact, some of you may have been following us when we got involved in the Daily 5 book study a couple of summers ago. That study transformed the way I teach reading, and I'm hoping I'll be able to say the same about this next book study (only about my teaching of math).

I've joined Courtney and Sarah over at Guided Math Adventures for their book study. We're going to take a close look at Guided Math in Action by Nicki Newton over the next few weeks.

I'll admit I cheated...I've been reading ahead.

Shhh! Don't tell!

I ordered my book on Amazon and had it in less than a week (even with the free shipping option). I just had to start reading and I can't wait to get in on the great discussion that I know is going to surround this book on some fantastic blogs. You can see who all it participating down below.

Here's a peek at the schedule:

You'll notice the schedule is set to post on Sundays and Wednesdays. Since we do Wisdom for Wednesday on our blog, my posting days will be Sundays and Thursdays.

It is not too late for you to get your copy and participate along with me! A book study is only good when there is lots of discussion and opportunities to really challenge our thinking. 

I hope you'll follow along with me and comment, comment, comment to make the most of it!

An InLinkz Link-up

Wisdom for Wednesday - Do it Well

Hi there! Coming to you from my PTR training today...lunch break. :-)

I thought it would be great to give you a quote from the training, which in my mind applies to teaching and life in general.

Take a look:

Yesterday, the trainer, Jane Seward shared this quote from Linda Darling-Hammond as she discussed the former structure of Kansas state standards being a mile wide and an inch deep. She talked about how we would teach a little bit of something in K, then a little bit of it in 1st, and so on and so forth. Then she discussed that quote and how we need teach something well and deeply at one time... 

I spent the remainder of the day chewing on that and I just love it! For teaching and life! It is so much like something I constantly tell my own kids.

"No half-jobs."

Meaning when you clean your room, you do it right. When you fold laundry, you don't wad up the clothes so you can be finished quickly. When you do your homework, you don't rush through to get finished. Take your time and do it right!

For me, the half-jobs came from a study of Colossians 3 years ago. I believe that everything I do should be for the Lord, and I should do it to the best of my ability. 

But this idea of "do it well and deeply" in my teaching has started me thinking...

What concepts in my teaching do I need to teach better? 

Or maybe spend more time teaching it? 

Do my students have a deep understanding of the concept taught? 

If not, what can I do differently? 

Hmmm... I've got some more thinking to do (and hopefully now you do too)! 

Thanks for joining us for:

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men...

Colossians 3:23

I've got to get back to training. Have a blessed day!

Monday Made-It - Fact Fluency Sticker Charts and Calendar (Freebies)

Happy Monday! 

I'm at a Pathways to Reading (PTR) training today through Wednesday. I absolutely love PTR! I was first introduced to it when student teaching with Kristi, and then of course, I had to be trained in it when I was hired on in that district/school. To be honest, I felt like that training taught me more about teaching kids to read than any college course that I had taken. 

My new school is going to be implementing PTR this school year. The other teachers went to a Year 1 training, but since I had already been I'll be at the Year 2 training. I'm a little nervous...I will actually be working with kiddos (that's the fun part) but since I didn't really do PTR last year, I'm feeling a little rusty...and I think other teachers and the trainer will be watching me. Ack! Hope it all comes back to me and quick!

Okay...enough about that. 

I'm linking up with Tara for Monday Made-It. I still haven't gotten crafty this summer (except for the Pinterest party wreaths), but I did manage to get some fact fluency sticker charts finished.

Last year, I started using the ones from The Curriculum Corner (great site w/ lots of free resources). The kids loved having a sticker chart on their desk, but they were all the same. I wanted to be able to see at a glance who was working on which set of facts so I decided to make up ones for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

 Let me explain a bit. I do math timed tests in my room two or three times a week, and no it is not the kind that gets my kiddos all stressed out and worried. I keep it very low-key and fun...joking about when to start, etc. In fact, my kiddos are always begging me to take timed tests. I'm also a bit of a softie and if I can tell someone has been working really hard to pass, I will make up a reason to give the class a few extra seconds to work that day.

Each time they pass (all facts finished and score better than 95%), they get to put a sticker on their chart. When they pass a mixed facts page and move to the next level, I buy them a pop. I had a handful of second graders that made it to division facts last year, and one that was soooo close to passing her mixed division. Through the year, I buy 12 packs of pop at a time depending on what they request. Then at the end of the year, I use the leftovers to have a float party...works out pretty well.

So...if you're interested, click here to grab your free sticker charts.

I also managed to upload my second how-to video. Click here if you missed the first one. Check it out if you want to see how I change up a PowerPoint file quickly by swapping out graphics (remember I don't claim to be an expert :-)). In the video, I changed our free robot calendar to a kids calendar (so it could be used with almost any theme).

Yours free if you'd like to have it. Just click here (TPT) or here (TN).

Looking forward to checking out the Monday Made-Its! Here's hoping I haven't embarrassed myself at the training...yet. :-)

Daily 5 Help!

I started doing Daily 5 two years ago and loved it!  I was a little nervous to try it because I'm one that has a hard time with change, but I was really glad that I did it.  Last year, I decided that I was going to continue to do it, only there was a problem this time.  My schedule was different from the year before and I didn't have all that time together uninterrupted or all the time that I really needed.  HMMMMM......well I decided to go for it and make the best out of it. By the end of the year, when looking back and reflecting I was not as happy with the way Daily 5 went because I wasn't able to incorporate it the way that I would have wanted.  This coming year, my schedule will remain the same so I'm trying to figure out how I can do Daily 5 and make it as successful as possible.  

I would love to hear from anyone who may have the same schedule issues as myself and how you have managed Daily 5.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.  

Here is what I have to work with for my schedule and time allowed for Daily 5.

8:30-9:00-Daily 5

9:40-10:10-Daily 5

I look forward to hearing about what you may have done to adapt Daily 5 or any suggestions you may have for me.  (Like Crystal has been saying.....summer break-what is that-my mind seems to always be on school  :-))

Wisdom for Wednesday-Life

Thanks for joining us for another week of:

Isn't that so true?  We have just one life to live and we have the choice of how we will live every second, minute, hour, day, month, and year.  We get to choose how every single day of our life will be.  We get to either make it a great day or a bad day.  Wow-when I think of that, I wonder why I ever have bad days because I have the ability to change it and make the best out of it.  

Hope you have a great day today and make the best out of it because remember you only get to have this day one time.    

Show & Tell Linky - What's in the box?

Good morning! I'm linking up with Barb and her new Show & Tell linky. What a fun idea!

I'm one of those lucky teachers who gets a classroom budget. Usually they order everything right after spring break so we get everything before school is out, but this year they made us wait. :-( 

I have sort of been stalking the school (remember it is only a couple blocks away) to see if my boxes have come in. 

Why would I care, you ask? I'm supposed to be on summer vacation!

Well, I was really excited to get CHAIRS for the music room (I had benches and the little K's would slide around on them and had a hard time maintaining personal space, not to mention they were like 50 years old and the nails would snag their pants and when you tried to fix them all kinds of nasty would come flying out...) and STOOLS for my small group table. I'll show pictures of those another time. They had to inspected for damage right away in case we needed to make returns. Happy to report they were fine.

I did have one exciting box waiting for me from Really Good Stuff. Mostly this was just my Seuss stuff...that is our school theme. Yes, I'm a little sad I won't be using my robots this year. LOVE them! But how can you not get excited about Dr. Seuss?

I also got these sight word phrase cards:

I was supposed to get Set 1 also, but since they waited so long to order Really Good Stuff was out.  

As in discontinued. :-(

Not back ordered. :-(

So I may be a little bitter... They were on clearance--super cheap! Two-sided. Pre-cut and laminated. You just can't beat that. 

Now there is another box I'm waiting for...wonder if it is at the school...

Teachers on summer break...right!