Hoppy Easter!

Hoppy Easter everyone!  I hope you are all spending some time with your family and friends (and shopping on TPT with all the great sales!)!

I will announce the winner to my 300 giveaway tomorrow!  Have a great day...

You can get this adorable bunny from Krista Wallden on sale today at TPT...just click here!

300 Giveaway...Did you Enter?? And a SALE!

Hi everybody.  Just a quick blog today to remind you that my 300 Giveaway ends tomorrow.  I hope you have enter or will click on this picture to enter now!  Good luck!

And I have my "YEAH...It's Finally Spring Break" Sale going on in my TPT store until tomorrow as well! 

YEAH...It's Finally Spring Break SALE!

Today was my first day of Spring Break...YEAH!!!  Of course my son gets us up earlier than a normal school day, but hey that's okay.  We were both excited to start our break, so I guess I'd better plan on no sleep the next 10 days!

I am going to be having a "Yeah It's Finally Spring Break" Sale this Saturday and Sunday.  Everything in my TPT store will be 20% off!  Now is the time to do some spring shopping to get ready for our long haul until the end of the year.  Happy Spring Break everyone...and happy shopping!  :) 


And don't forget about my giveaway.  You only have a couple days left to enter!

New Constellations

Have your read the story Coyote Places the Stars?  Well we just read it.  It is a cute native American tale about how a coyote placed stars and made the constellations.

An activity I like to do with this story is having the students make their own constellations.  It is so much fun!  First, I pass out a strip of sticker stars.

 

Then they have to connect the stars.

After they are connected, they have to get up (to throw away the sticker wrapper). 

They have to look at their paper to see what they visualize. 

Once they visualize their constellation, they add details and a title. 

 

And finally...the completed hallway bulletin board. 

 

I also had them write a creative writing essay about their constellation.  I told them to enjoy this creative writing time, since in third grade it doesn't always happen!  :)

 

The students had so much fun. And this is a way I can sneak in visualizing and constellations (especially since we don't get to teach space anymore at third grade)!

 

Have you entered my giveaway yet?  Click on the picture to enter...it ends Sunday!

 

 

A Funny I had to Share

I'm standing in the hallway, as my students arrive, talking to another third grade teacher.  I go in to start the morning stuff (attendance, homework collecting, etc.).  One of my students comes over and says, "Wow, that is really funny!"  I asked him what he was talking about.  He said what I did in the library.

Here is what I see-

 

 

At this point...I'm laughing so hard.  I try and find out who did it.  I was convinced one of my students did it and my class was convinced I did it.  We are having so much fun with this that in walks my principal.  He asks what is going on and I tell him that my critters are reading and we all thought it was funny!  He laughs, says only in my room, and leaves to start the pledge.

 

In the meantime no one says who did it.  I know I didn't!  A student walks in from using the bathroom to ask what was going on.  I told him, and he says that he did it when I was out in the hall.  He said that the class critters, as we call them, liked that book the last time he read it in the library so he thought they would like to read it again!  After that we all laughed even louder!

 

I had to share this as this is what happens in my classroom a lot.  Laughter is the best way to reach children and sneak in learning...don't you think so too???

 

And don't forget my little giveaway is going on until Easter Sunday.  Click on the picture to go and enter!

 

 



Tried it Tuesday Linky

I'm linking up with Fourth Grade Flipper for her first ever linky...Tried it Tuesday.  This post is about something I made, lost, found, and tried!


Click on the button to link up!  
I saw this idea over the summer on Pinterest.  I made it and was super excited about it.  Well I put it in a safe place...so safe that I forgot about it until this week!  Don't you hate when you do that.

Sorry...I don't know the original owner.  If it is you, please let me know

Anyways...I used it on our current story Lon Po Po.  I didn't want to have the students write on the poster with dry erase markers or use sticky notes, so I cut paper to fit the poster. 

I wrote the title on a strip.  As a class we discussed the theme.  I had 5 strips left.  I have my students sitting in 4 groups of 5, so I gave each group one strip and they had to answer it.  Then they had to decorate it to match the story.

Here is the final product. 

Didn't it turn out cute?  Now I have to go hunt down other things I made this summer that I put into that safe place!

And don't forget about my giveaway.  It ends Sunday.  Click on the picture to go directly there.

DWTT and 300 Giveaway

For the last three years our school district has had a Dancing with the Teachers fundraising contest.  A teacher from each building in our district signs up, gets a professional dancing partner from Fred Astaire Studio, and performs in front of our school district.  The teachers can write grants to get supplies for their classrooms.  It has been a GIANT fundraiser each year.  The first year, my third grade team got over $600 in Lakeshore center supplies!

This was the first year I went.  My mom, son, and I went.  Oh...my...gosh....did we have a ball! My school's dancer was a second grade teacher.  My son's school was the music teacher (and he was the only man in the contest).

The dancers have to promote different fundraisers for a couple months before the big contest.  One of my son's fundraiser was for the class that brought in the most money for 1 week and if his teacher wins the contest, the grade level will have a dance party and the teacher will shave his head into a Mohawk!  Another one for him was to buy these glasses (they look just like his music teacher's glasses)!

Here is a picture of my son and his Grammie wearing their glasses and spirit wear!

 Today was the big day.  We have 4 elementary schools, 1 5-6th grade building, and our Jr. High.  So there were 6 dancers.  My son and his Grammie were all decked out in their school spirit wear.  I was in a tough situation.  I didn't want to not support my school, but I couldn't wear my son's school colors...so I wore blue for my school, but not spirit wear.  Then we got to the cheering.  I had to cheer for both schools.

Well...after all the other dancers danced, my son's music teacher was last.  He was fantastic!  I told my teacher friends I was going to cheer for both, but after he danced....I threw all loyalty out the window.  My school's dancer got a 8, 7, and 9.  My son's dancer got a 10, 10, and 10.  A perfect score!  The only perfect score of the evening!

And guess what.  It was an even split.  My school won a check for $1,000 for the most fundraising money raised.  My son's school won the mirror ball trophy!

What a great time!  A super way to spend a Sunday afternoon with two of my favorite people and my school friends!  Now I need to write my grant up so that I can get some goodies for my classroom!  And my son reminded me...he gets to be the grade that gets to watch his music teacher shave his head and have a dance party!  Oh boy....I feel bad for that teacher!  Luckily it is a man!

And by the way....did you enter my super giveaway yet?  You have until Sunday to enter.  Click on the picture to go directly there!

300 (Almost) Giveaway

Can you believe that I am almost at 300 followers?  I can't wait any longer, so I'm starting my giveaway before I reach 300.  I wanted something to show you all how much I appreciate your support, comments, and blogs, so I'm giving away 2 gift cards:  $30.00 for Teachers Pay Teachers and $30.00 for Target.  I decided on 30 because it was close to 300 (and I couldn't do $300...so this is the next best thing)!

Thanks to JW Illustrations for the frame, Melonheadz for the adorable clip art, Painting Fairy for the background paper, and me for the font!

My giveaway starts on Sunday, March 24th at 12:00 a.m. and ends on Sunday, March 31st.

Hope you win! Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank You and Upcoming Giveaway

Thank you so much for your kind words, thoughts, prayers, and support.  I'm so sorry that I was down.  But as some of you told me...if I let it get to me, I am letting that negative person win.  So forget negative...here comes happy!

In honor of all of you...I am having a super Almost 300 Follower giveaway. 

 

 

It starts tomorrow at 12:00 A.M.  and goes until Easter Sunday at 12:00 A.M.  I will announce the winner on April Fool's Day (pretty appropriate, huh)! 

 

Please enter...I want to share the love that you all sent my way!  :)

HELP...Comments on TPT Make Me Sad

Hi everyone.  I need some HELP!  I'm feeling a little sad.  Why do some people leave not very nice comments on TPT?  I really work hard on every item that I put in my store.  And it takes a lot of nerve putting things on TPT or on my blog in the first place.

Some people leave not nice comments when an item is FREE...or they don't leave any comments at all.  Or they rate things lower than 4.0 and never leave me a comment as to why it isn't 4.0.  I would so love to help them if there is something wrong with a product.

I just had someone leave me a comment complaining that I have St. Patty's Day on a banner and not St. Patrick's after the saint.  I would have loved to explain why I cannot have saints in my public school classroom and St Patty's Day is allowed.  But I didn't get a chance...instead I have that comment sitting there forever! 

I don't know....maybe I should stop trying to put things on TPT???  Do you every feel like this?  I mean my store is only about 8 months old, but it is beginning to make me sad...

HELP!!!  How do you all deal with negative comments or ratings?  I'm beginning to feel like I stink at all of this...blogging....TPT....TN...  :(

Fractions and Laundry

Today I had to teach ordering fractions.  So yesterday after school I'm sitting at my desk thinking....how am I going to teach this lesson when it is usually difficult for third graders??? 

 

Here is what I came up with. Laundry and a clothesline!  No really...  First, I got some clothing pieces.  I found these free on TPT.  I made three "clothespins" (out of my magnet men), so I had to make my laundry fractions in three pieces.  I wrote fractions on each piece of clothing. I color coded them so that I could keep track easier.

 

 

 

When I was ready to teach the lesson, I told the kids we were going to do laundry.  They looked at me like I was goofy (what else is new, right???).  They said, "But our I Can says we are ordering fractions."  What well trained students...they even looked at the I Can statements before we started math for the day!

 

Okay, back to my lesson.  I passed out clothing to each student.  Then I called them by the color code.  So I said all the purple fractions stand up.  They told me what fraction they had and I wrote it on the board.  The entire class had to work with partners and fraction strips to make each fraction to put them in order from greatest to least.

 

Once I saw that every partner group had the fractions lined up, I called the color group to the board.  They had to clip the clothes to the clothesline in order from greatest to least.  

 

 

Sorry...I had to smash the clothesline together to fit into the picture!

 

The class had to either give them a thumbs up or they had to say, "Shuffle those clothes!"  O...M...G...we had so much fun!

As we progressed I made sure there were fractions that they didn't have fraction strips to use.  We reviewed how they could solve these problems by looking at the denominators/numerator and they were on their way.

Then we used a fun resource I found on TPT from More Time 2 Teach.  It was called "Ordering Fractions:  A Little Birdie Taught Me..."

They had to work again with their partner to put the fractions in order.  Didn't they turn out cute?  This was one of those lesson when I wish the principal was in for an evaluation! They were disappointed when I told them we were done for today!  And we were all giggling how they were going to go home today and tell their parents "Shuffle those clothes!"  Heehee  :)

Leprechaun Visit

We had a fun little visitor to our school on Friday for St. Patrick's Day. 

Before he came out to the kids, we had to call out Lucky....Lucky....  He then came out asking if we were going to take his pot of gold.  When we answered no, he read the story Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato.

Each grade level had story time with Lucky.  He even had an Irish accent.  Soooo cute!  It was really the husband of one of our teachers, but don't tell anyone.

Division Games and New Pennants

Hi everyone!  I just finished up a division game unit.  It has two games:  one task card/scoot game and one poke game.  I used cute Popsicle graphics to give it a little summertime feel.  You can pick it up in my TPT store.

 

I also made two banners available in my store.  One is St Patty's Day and the other is Happy Spring.  I know I'm late with St. Patty's Day...it's been in my store for awhile, just forgot to blog about it!

What do you think??? 

Misc March Stuff

Happy St. Patrick's Day my wee little friends!  I wanted to share some cute projects my students did for St. Patrick's Day.

 

 

This is a symmetry project I do. The students cut out the white leprechaun paper and glue it's symmetrical match on the other side.

 

 If the students wanted to add details to their leprechaun, they had to add it to both sides. This way it was symmetrical. Here is a picture of one of my student's creations.

Every month we do a glyph.  I LOVE glyphs!  Here is our St. Patrick's Day one.  Some of my students wanted to accordion fold their shamrock's arms.

 

 

Here is one of my student's creation...

And here is another one...

What fun projects have you done for St. Patrick's Day?