FIVE for FRIDAY... the week from you-know-where...

This is going to be a quick post, just to share some happy things from the week. This week has been awful for me. The hubs was admitted to the hospital on Monday for an infection in his leg and he is still there... five days later. There is a chance he might be able to come home tomorrow, so we are praying for good news. Single parenting + 2nd to last week of school + 2 small kids (3.5 yrs and 19 months) + my son's gymnastics and hockey classes + my own physical therapy (3x a week) + going to see the hubs at the hospital, which is 35 miles from our house + dog responsibilities = one lady on the brink of snapping.  I just keep seeing this:

Anyway. The good stuff :)

1. NEW CHAIR POCKETS!
My chair pockets are 5 years old and have seen better days. My mom has been on the look out for new fabric, and she found this Sunbrella canvas fabric last weekend:

Beautimous, right?! Best news: it was $6/yard! This stuff normally sells for $30-$70/yard!!! I can't wait to get started making them!

2. LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! 
OK, it's not until next Thursday, but we busted out our frame so we could get the pictures taken so we can send home on the last day of school. My teammies and I were having a little too much fun with the frame...

3. END OF THE YEAR CELEBRATION!
On the last Friday of the year, we have a little celebration. I didn't take many pictures, but here's one of my faves:

It's one of my bunnies participating in a relay race. They had run across the gym and pop a balloon with their tushies, and then run back. ACTION SHOT!

4. PUSH POPS!
At our celebration, there is alway a special snack time. Normally it's a freeze pop, but this year our principal upped her game. WE ALL GOT PUSH POPS!!

My teammies! We were all VERY excited about the Push Pops!

OMGoodness I don't remember the last time I had a Push Pop, and it was SO tasty!!! Some of my kids didn't like theirs and threw them away. A little piece of my heart was thrown away with every unfinished Push Pop that ended up in the trash...

5. CLASSROOM QUICK TIPS LINKY!
Don't forget! Every Thursday! No rules... well OK, one rule. No paid products. But that's it!

Click on the image to check it out!

Thanks to Doodlebugs Teaching and Teaching Maddeness for hosting!

OK I'm off to bed. My mom is coming tomorrow to watch my kids so I can go into work. Yes, on a Saturday. Because I have a MOUNTAIN of things waiting for me... :(

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CLASSROOM QUICK TIP #3

Hello friends! Jean and I are back with our weekly par-tay...

Font: Jessica Stanford
Background: I Teach? What's Your Super Power?
Frame: Tonya's Treats for Teachers

Jean and I are having so much fun hosting this linky, and we L.O.V.E. reading everyone else's tips and tricks to make life in the classroom easier!

THE RULES

Link up with a quick tip that makes life in your classroom easier. There are no weekly themes or topics. The only real "rule" is that you may not link up with a paid product or unit. Our goal is to share the small nuggets of greatness that are happening every day in our classrooms! If you missed the backstory about how this party got started, click here! Jean and I would also appreciate it if you linked back to our blogs and included our button in your post :)

MY CLASSROOM QUICK TIP

This week I'm sharing how I organize my running records. I tried using a binder, but it just wasn't working for me organization-wise. I kept finding random running records all over my classroom. So instead I headed to Walmart during Back to School shopping season and bought 25-30 orange two-pocket folders. Each student has a folder where I store the running records and their progress form:

Each student has their own folder.

Inside the folder.

On the left side I keep their progress form. This form travels from grade to grade, and teachers record every running record done with the child.

On the right side I keep all the running records I've done with the child throughout the year. 

WHY THIS WORKS FOR ME:

• I can easily insert or take out running records. I don't have to worry about hole punching them or prying open a sheet protector to get them inside.
• If I was headed to an IEP, parent meeting, or another meeting about a specific student, all I have to do is grab their folder. No need to haul a binder. 
• During Running Record Season (for me that's 4 times a year), I can visually see who's done and who I still need to test. When I'm done testing a student, I move their folder to the back of my running record crate.

SOME GOOD NEWS!

I FINISHED MY RUNNING RECORDS FOR THE YEAR!!! WOOOO ME!!! It's not even June yet and I'm D.O.N.E! I think this is record time for me! :D

How do you organize your running records?

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FIVE for FRIDAY!

It's been a while since I linked up to Doodlebugs Teaching and Teaching Maddeness...

I'm linking up today because we went to Chocolate Fest last night (see #5). You know you'd do the same if you were in my position!

1. BRAGGING!
OK, so I have to brag. I had a little love come in to second grade at a reading level D. LEVEL D! O.M.G. Child didn't leave first grade that low. Experienced what we all know and love: Summer Loss :( We worked and worked and WORKED this year, and guess what?! Little Love is now reading at an M. YES PEOPLE!!! M!!!!! The bunny went from a beginning first grade reading level to end of second grade, meeting grade level expectations! YAY!!!! I am so proud!!!!

2. FOSSILS!
We made fossils yesterday. Probably my most favorite project in all of 2nd grade!

Put a golf-ball-sized piece of clay in a punch cup. MUST be a punch cup, as they're wider than regular Solo cups. Smooth it out with your thumbs.

Imprint a dino figure into the clay. Make sure you push in the head, legs, tail, spikes, plates, etc.

Take dino figure out.

Mix Plaster of Paris

Pour plaster into the cup, filling the imprint. Tap it on the table a few times to get rid of the air bubbles and get it into all the spaces and grooves.

Let them dry over a few days. A long weekend... say Memorial Day weekend would be ideal.

Try really hard not to let the plaster splash up onto your face...

....  or get it all over your clothes and hands.

I gotta work harder at that "don't get it all over you" part.

I actually did this with two classes today, as one of my teammies was home with a sick baby, and we thought it would be cruel to make the sub do it. LOL. It was stressful, but fun!

3. DIRT CAKE! 
My other teammie had two birthdays in her class yesterday! The birthday bunnies both brought in dirt cake... on purpose! Ha ha ha! I got both! I LOVE dirt cake :)

SO delish!

4. LINKY PARTY!
Don't forget about the Classroom Quick Tips linky that Jean and I are hosting on Thursdays!

You can still link up with a quick tip that makes life in your classroom easier :)

5. CHOCOLATE FEST!
There is a Nestle factory in my town, and every Memorial Day weekend, the city holds Chocolate Fest. Now now, don't get too excited. You get a fun-sized Crunch bar when you come in, but that's pretty much it. It's your typical small town carnie, but fun can still be had by all!

The kiddos LOVED this puppet show. It was quite possibly the most annoying thing EVER!

Train Ride! 

Putting out fires!

Bumper cars (that didn't work)

Met up with my brother in law and sister in law. They snapped a pic in front of this REALLY CREEPY  automated music show.

The dragon roller coaster.

We went home, got our jammies on, then came back to watch the fireworks. This is one way we entertained ourselves while we waited for them to start.

Ooooohhh! Ahhhhh!!!

Happy Memorial Day and 3 day weekend!!! :D

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CLASSROOM QUICK TIPS 2.0

Get ready!!! Jean and I are back with version 2.0 of...

Font: Jessica Stanford
Background: I Teach? What's Your Super Power?
Frame: Tonya's Treats for Teachers

THE RULES

Link up with a quick tip that makes life in your classroom easier. There are no weekly themes or topics. The only real "rule" is that you may not link up with a paid product or unit. Our goal is to share the small nuggets of greatness that are happening every day in our classrooms! If you missed the backstory about how this party got started, click here! Jean and I would also appreciate it if you linked back to our blogs and included our button in your post :)

MY CLASSROOM QUICK TIP

I actually stole this idea from my teammie, but I am SO doing this next year!

She put two long velcro strips (the fuzzy side) on on her whiteboard where she hangs her schedule.

Then she put the stiff, prickly velcro on the back of each of her schedule cards. 

Then she hangs up her schedule!

This is why I L.O.V.E. this idea:

• The cards are strongly secured to the board
• You don't have to be replacing the magnets that are always falling off (you know what I'm talking about!)
• You can overlap them without having to worry about them falling off the board! I can't tell you how many times I'm picking schedule cards up off the floor.

Don't you love these schedule cards?!?! All three second grade classes at my school snagged the amazing Cara Carroll's FREE schedule cards HERE!

Link up with your Classroom Quick Tip! And don't forget to check out our Pinterest Board with all the bloggers who've shared their tips so far!

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How to Create a Google Form

I posted a week ago about how I use Google Forms in the classroom, and I had several requests to show how to create a form. I started taking screen shots and realized it would be much easier if I just made a video.

SO I DID!

A few disclaimers before you watch:
I've been told I have a really bad Wiscaaahhhhnsin accent... Sorry.
I'm a bit nasally.
I sound like I'm 12.
It's kinda long.... like 23 minutes long....
Don't mind my dog snoring in the background either :/

If you can handle all of that, then here's the video!

After I was done making the form (and the video), I realized that it might be helpful to show you how to access the student responses and what the spreadsheet looks like. So I'll have just my smart kids my whole class take the quiz sometime this week and do a follow up video.

Let me know if you need any clarification or have any other questions! Hope this helped!

PS... Don't forget about the Classroom Quick Tips linky tomorrow!

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Synthesizing and LEGO Bricks

11 days left... but who's counting?

With 11 days left, what better to work on in reading than to practice putting all of our reading strategies together to create a new idea? Oh yes, dear friends, I'm talking about synthesizing. Every year around this time, I panic a little. What IS synthesizing again???

Developmentally, now's the time to teach it. But with 11 days left, it's hard to keep the focus IN the classroom, rather than OUTSIDE in the sunshine.

What's a teacher to do?

BRING OUT THE LEGO® BRICKS!!!

For real?

Yes. FOR REAL.

What do synthesizing and LEGO® Bricks have in common? Lots, actually.

I have a giant tub of LEGO® bricks that my mom gave me from when I was a kid. I keep this tub at school and use it as an incentive for bunnies who are on monitors. I put the tub in the middle of the circle. I gave them 5 minutes. The only directions were to "build something." They would be sharing their something with the class after the time was up. I always build something too :) Make sure you give them lots of time checks (I did every minute), because you know kids and their LEGO® bricks. They could do this ALL DAY!

Here we are at work:

After we went around the circle and shared what we created, I said, "What did you notice about our creations?" Eventually, someone said, "They're all different." EXACTLY!

Everyone had the same tub of LEGO® bricks, but everyone built something different. Each student used their prior knowledge to create something. Synthesizing is the same thing. We use our prior knowledge + what we read + our reading comprehension strategies to create a new idea.

Some of my favorite books to teach/practice synthesizing: The Important Book, A Color of His Own, Oliver Button is a Sissy, The Wednesday Surprise, My Rotten Red-Headed Older Brother... I also do a mini unit on the underground railroad.

An update on my shoulder...

I mentioned yesterday that I got injured in my hockey game on Saturday.

I was NOT a happy camper... as you can probably tell from this picture. Well I went to the orthopedic doctor today and he didn't seem too concerned (YAY!). He said I dislocated it and may have torn a ligament (don't remember the name, but the one in front). I have to do physical therapy for 3-4 weeks and then go in for a recheck. If my stability and range of motion are back to normal, then YAY ME!!! If not, then........ I don't know, but it better not involve surgery, because...

Disclaimer: LEGO^®is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.

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CLASSROOM QUICK TIPS: First Edition :)

So excited for the first installment of the Classroom Quick Tips linky!

Font: Jessica Stanford
Background: I Teach? What's Your Super Power?
Frame: Tonya's Treats for Teachers

THE RULES

Link up with a quick tip that makes life in your classroom easier. There are no weekly themes or topics. The only real "rule" is that you may not link up with a paid product or unit. Our goal is to share the small nuggets of greatness that are happening every day in our classrooms! If you missed the backstory about how this party got started, click here!

MY CLASSROOM QUICK TIP

When it's time to for students to work on their individual dry erase boards, give them one minute of "free draw time" before you start.

My students use their individual white boards mostly for math. When I want them to get out their white boards, I will say, "Please take out your board, marker, and sock. Your one minute of free time starts........... NOW!" Then I start the timer. (In case you're wondering what the sock is for... It's an eraser! It also makes a very handy holder for the markers.)

The one minute of free time works for lots of reasons:

1. Everyone hurries to get out their supplies. I start the timer as soon as I can, so if you're not ready, then that cuts into YOUR free time.
2. It helps to cut down on doodling when it's time to do academic work. When I see someone doodling, I will say, "Oops. We already had our free drawing time. Now it's time to work."
3. I'm able to put out fires, answer questions, get someone a replacement marker, help slow-transitioning kids get ready, etc. without having to worry about the rest of the class getting too rowdy.
4. If I forgot to bring up my SMARTBoard lesson or need to grab a last-minute teaching tool, I can do that without having the pressure of 21 little people staring at me and waiting.
5. It's fun! And it's only one minute :)

When the timer goes off, the bunnies are trained to immediately erase their boards and get ready to work. It seriously works like a dream!

Make sure you hop over to Diving Into 2nd Grade to check out Jean's Classroom Quick Tip. We'd love for you to join our party! And check back every Thursday for more Classroom Quick Tips from Jean and I... and anyone else who wants to play in the sandbox with us! :) We've also made a Pinterest Board to keep track of the AMAZING tips and tricks shared by other bloggy friends.

Hope my tips helps to make your life a little easier!

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