Wow! It's October.

It is has been a brutal first couple months. I like the change! ((well somewhat)) However, I have signed on for too many things..but that is me! I have finally figured out a routine and we have settled into it nicely. I have a college student that comes in twice a week for her college class. She observes me and teaches a lesson each time and I give feedback. She is better than what I have had in the past. Yay me and less stress!

For October, the students made these awesome pumpkins by rolling strips of orange construction paper. Then they goopy glued the rolls together to make a pumpkin shape. It took about a week, but it was fun. Here is the website that inspired my project. I modified it a smidge so my fourth graders could do it. They enjoyed displaying their masterpieces.

#10 cans...you are awesome!

Since I am not doing a beach scene in my classroom, I had to shelf my plastic sand buckets.  I decided to use #10 cans. These were my hucklberry pickin cans. I washed them out. Then I cut fabric to match the can. Then I sprayed an adhesive on the can as I wrapped the fabric around. As you can see below, I didn't cut it exactly. I don't mind as that is the bottom. So I glued it down. Not like I am going to see it.

Then I hot glued some fancy feather stuff around the top. One thing I like about these is that I can put a magnetic label on the outside and change the label if I need to.

Aren't they cute!!! They totally compliment my monster theme.

Magnetic LeTTers

 Back yonder when I lived in Arizona and taught in the hugely (is that even a word?..well whatever I'm using it and I don't care) Hispanic populated schools. I had my students make words from bigger words or just make words from letters that I would cut out of an alphabet puncher that I have. I even bought a book called "Making Words." It was a book for grades 4 and up.  This book isn't my book but close to it. I am thinking of purchasing it off of Amazon.  Doing an activity like this gave my ELL's hands on activities so they could manipulate letters into words. It is great for all levels.


I saw this project on another blog and I STOLE it. Ya, I am a stealer.

 There are 133 something letters. Upper case and lower case letters....I took some alphabet stickers and I MOD PODGED them to the back of a glass marble. Yay! Here is how I created my little letters...I cut each individual letter to fit on the flat side of a glass marble...Then I mod podged the flat part of the glass marble. I stuck the letter on (not sticky side of the sticker). After it dried, I hot glued a magnet on.

 My intent for this is for students to use this on the large white board when they come in before school or during recesses when they are stuck in the classroom because it is too cold or snowy.

**Note the problem that I noticed was...some of the letters are little too hard to see. Kind of funny. The B in Brayden's name is actually pretty easy to see. It is the ones with orange background and pink letters. All in all, it was a great project. You can always just print them out in any font you like. I liked the stickers because of the color of the background. I am going to do more to replace the ones that are hard to see. But I figure if I keep my letters in ABC order, it will be easier for the kids...

So NOW I am thinking big time. I got bigger glass marbles and I am going to put greek and latin roots on each of the marbles. Then make up activities for them such as writing or making other words with that root in them.

Follow up to best ever classroom management system

Here is a little follow up to my best ever management system that I stole from here. A couple people asked what I do at the end of the day with the clips or even the week. Do I send notes home or track with a calendar? I keep track of the movement of their clip each day. I score their behavior below in a grid.

Outstanding 5

Good Work 4
Ready to Learn 3
Think about it 2
Teacher's Choice 1
Parent Contact 0

 A sample of my grid:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Sally	5	3	1	2	4
Junior	4	4	4	5	2

 I create a grid that documents their score daily (see above). Then I start everyone back at ready to learn. Kids like to be fresh each day anyways. After a whole of scores,  I add them up weekly. I figure that 15 points (as 3 points each day would be the minimum) meets my expectations and that those students are really doing a fine job.  With anyone below fifteen points, I try to see what the student’s struggle is or maybe they were distracted by another. I may move them for the next week to the front. Sometimes they might just need extra praise and I try to praise and notice the little things about a student that might have scored lower for the next week.

This year, I am going to start give out little certificates of praise to go home to parents. that are the size of business card.

I have to tell you this system works wonders on giving a citizenship grade or even discussing behavior at conference times.

Gel Pens Galore!

Gel pen galore! This is almost as awesome as my fancy socks that I like to wear. They were $9.99 and 40% off.  Yay! I bought my first back to school school supplies. Gel pens....I just can't get enough of them...So what am I going to do with 48 of them? This is how I get my reluctant students to practice their spelling words. When students finish their work, I have a gel pens for them to use for spelling word practice in a center. I used to do this with my ELL 4th grade students in Arizona. They loved this! Of course, they loved the scented ones that I would buy but I can't find them or else I would stock up on them.  Call me Queen Gel Pens from now on!

Hello Summer Vacation!

Here are some pictures of our Mother's Day presents. I gotta tell they absolutely ROCKED. The kids weaved the paper vases and then students made cinco de mayo flowers for the bouquet. They also included a card in them as well. I taught them this too! Such a talented person I am. :)

Wow! I can't believe that I have not posted anything since March. Bad me! Well, I have been busy. Isats came and went in April. My students did exceptionally well. I had all kids made grade level or above on Reading. That means they all passed reading. Then I had only one student get below grade level on the math and language arts. The rest passed. Yay! So proud of all of them.

The end of school was hectic: scoring over 40 student council applications, end of school year fun, going on a field trip, moving my classroom, grading and finishing report cards.

Well, Good bye third grade and Hello fourth grade (nice to see ya again)
Yup, you heard me after three years in the third grade, I get to finally go back to fourth grade. Tears were shed and I am excited to move up. Really I am! I look forward to some of my former students in my room, Idaho history, different curriculum, harder math...Guess what? I am also teaching music as a class to the whole fourth grade. Is that scary or what?

Have a great summer!

Leprechaun Traps

On the last day of February, I read a St. Patty's day book to my students about how tricky leprechauns are. Then I give them an assignment to create a leprechaun trap at home with parents. Students then bring them the Monday before St. Patty's day. I bring the little first graders and Kindergarten classes down to check them out. My students in turn show and tell those little students how they work. Then I have them take them home the night before so they can set them at home along with a note to parents on what to expect if "a leprechaun" gets away or visits the trap.

When students come in the next day, I have a scavenger hunt planned. A "leprechaun" knocks on my door and slides a note under the door. The note takes us to the office, then to the library, and then to the lunch room. While this is happening, a "leprechaun" is dumping all the desks that are soooo messy and stealing my gold from my trap. When we get back to the room, the students freak out about the leprechaun. They believe it because I was with him. I mean who else would do it right? And I get the messy ones to clean up their messes.

*Note last year when I did this. I had kids looking in the cupboards for the little man and some even saw a hump in the snow at recess and thought it was the leprechaun. What a hoot it was!

(sorry no pictures)

Multicultural Grant

My coteacher and I got approved for a $2000.00 multicultural grant and everything that we wanted is getting ordered.Yay! We have big plans for our school next year.

How to find the just right book

My first grader came home today with his first chapter book. As a teacher, I knew he was not ready. I know that he reads at a first grade level and does not have the confidence yet for a longer book.The book that he checked out was almost at a third grade level. I don't think the teacher realized that students need to know how to find a book just right for them. I discussed with my son about how books might be too difficult. We talked about the five finger test and I showed him the poster that I use in my class.

In my own class, we discuss how to find the "JUST RIGHT" book.  I am not saying that the Accelerated Reading (A.R) program is the best thing EVER. but it serves as a good tool and starting point to help students pick out books to read.  Students do read a different levels and have been exposed to different experiences and vocabulary. Even though students may know their reading specific level. They also need to have the tools to help pick out books for them.  I have found that students pick out books that are similar to the ones that other friends pick out. However, they end up being too hard and it is discouraging. So this is why we practice and work on finding "just right" books.

The black boxes cover my picture of some of my students. For an object lesson on teaching students how to find a book that is just right.

1. I bring in two shirts: my husband's football jersey and my son's baby clothes. I purposely choose a smaller child for the jersey so it looks like they are totally swimming in it.

2. I take a picture of him in it and we talk about how a book might be "too" big or difficult. 

3. Then I take a picture of a student holding the baby clothes. We discuss how books are too easy.

4. The last picture is of a student in his or her normal clothes. We talk about how you know when a book is just right.

BEST ever management system.

Did I ever tell that I found the BEST ever classroom management SYSTEM ever, ever, and ever? No, why here it is! If you look at it, you will see that students have nowhere to go but UP. Students that are doing what they should and behaving move up. Students that make wrong choices move down. This system really works and it reinforces the good behavior. That is the beauty of it. Kids like to get recognized for good. It makes the negative behaviors go away. You will find the link to an e-book that talks all about it. I modified my chart to fit my needs. I still follow the rest of the plan...I do suggest that you do follow the dude's plan closely.

I have had one child this year make it to parent contact. I may have one or two go to think about it or teacher's choice but the rest go up. Even though it looks like it can only go to outstanding, you are wrong. After outstanding, a child can go to the "top" of the chart and then I put a rhinestone on their clip. After the top of the chart for really exceptional behavior, they can go "off" the chart and latch onto my lanyard and then I put two rhinestones on their clip. I told my students once they get 8 rhinestones on their clip..something magical happens..

Well, it happened on Friday for two of my students. I recognized them in class. They got to pop virtual bubble sheet. The goal was to see how many they could pop in 20 seconds. Then I gave them an Eagle pride dog tag to put on their necklace. I also retired their clothespin to my clip hall of fame and they now have a new clothespin that I colored yellow. It looks really cool by the way...

So if you decide to do this..let me know! Because it totally rocks!

Just a side note! A couple teachers in my school implemented but they are not as consistent with it as they should and I could tell they did not read the e-book and I really don't see the success that I have had in my class.

How to NOT to eat fried worms

This was once piled high with worms. This is what was left over!

I started doing activities with the chapter books that I read aloud in class a couple years ago. This year, I was lucky to find different activities with How to Eat Fried Worms. I remember reading that when I was young so I thought I would share it with my class. For a culminating activity, the students had to pretend that if they eat four worms they would get $400.00. We brainstormed on things that they would eat with their worms. Here are few that they brainstormed on: peanut butter, caramel sauce, salsa, nacho cheese, whipped cream, ketchup, mustard, relish, bbq sauce, honey, ice cream, and lots more. I chose a couple from the list. They voted that they would all try honey, bbq sauce, taco sauce, whipped cream. However they did not know that I was bringing worms the next day for them to try.

I walked in the classroom with a platter of worms (okay they are really not worms) They are hot dogs sliced in half lengthwise and then again lengthwise. Then cooked in the microwave so they curl up.

The kids tried their "worms" with cool whip, bbq sauce, taco sauce, and honey. I couldn't bring in pb. I just couldn't. The looks on some of the girls were priceLESS. They all tried the different toppings.   

                                            

This crazy one above mixed all together to try.  Can you believe that the majority of the class picked honey as the favorite??

Raising Dragons

I loved the story for the week that we were focusing on. The story is Raising Dragons by Jerdine Nolen. This author is fabulous and has several other books. One book was made into a disney movie called Disney's Balloon Farm. Here is a little summary about this story:

A young girl hatches and raises Hank, a dragon, on her family’s farm.  Hank helps out, but soon the girl realizes she has to find him a new home.  She says good-bye to Hank on Dragon Island, but returns to the farm with a new batch of dragon eggs.  After all, raising dragons is in her blood.

This is one of my favorite stories that we read with my students. I love how it can make them think more creatively and outside of the box. On Monday, the students were given a bag and construction paper to create their own baby pet dragon. I had some models in class for them to go off of as a start. Students started putting wings, fire coming out of their mouths, etc. They each took the task to their own level and I loved watching the fire in their eyes. Then during writing, the students had a manual to complete on how to care for their dragon. After it was finished, it was a nice little flip book.

One thing that really made me happy is that a student took extra care for her dragon. I told them they could take them home but they needed to return the next day for school. I wanted to see how well they could take care of them. She returned with her dragon in gift box along with a pillow, bottle, and blankie. What a cute spin on that!