Monday Made It

Ah, summer. Sweet, sweet summer. There are sooooooo many things that I love about summer {being with my kiddos, time to read for leisure, going to the beach, staying up late}, but one of my very favorite things is having the time (and creative energy) to link up with Tara over at 4th Grade Frolics for her Monday Made It linky.

So, school only ended for me about a week and a half ago. To say I've been lazy would be an understatement. I've been doing a lot of napping, reading, beaching, reading, napping, eating, and reading.

But, as much as I've tried not to, I've started thinking about the upcoming school year. I can't help myself. So, I created some handy Summer To Do Lists to keep me organized, both at home and for work {you can grab them for free in my TPT store}.

I keep these lists printed and on a clipboard on my desk. They are fantastic for keeping me organized and on track.

I'll admit, I'm kind of excited about my next project. I started using a Teacher Binder about three years ago to keep all of my important papers organized. I love being able to grab it and go before staff meetings, IEP meetings, and parent/teacher conferences. Everything I need is in my binder, including to-do lists for the week, lesson planner, grade book, and parent contact information. 

I've updated my Black and White Polka Dot Teacher Binder for the 2016-2017 school year, and I love how it turned out! I love it so much, in fact, that I'd love to give one away! Just enter the giveaway below for a chance to win one. But first, take a peek at what's inside. {Did I mention that the entire pack is editable???}

Front cover.

Binder spines.

I use these weekly planners to keep me on track {especially since I'm notorious for having "issues" with pacing}.

{NEW this year!} I am loving these new lists! I have these copied, hole-punched, and at the ready at the front of my binder. You could either write your lists for the week directly on the pages provided OR you could laminate the page and write your lists on Post-Its. 

Want to win a Teacher Binder for yourself? Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer Time = Linky Time

Two things I love: Molly over at Lucky to Be In First and reading! So when I saw that she had created a Summer Reading List Linky, I had to link up!

Here are my choices for the books that you should definitely make time to check out.

I discovered Me and My Sisters on Facebook. I got it on crazy sale for $0.99, and once I started it, I couldn't put it down. The dialogue is fantastic, and if you have a sister {or two!}, you will love this book!

A teacher I follow on Instagram posted about The Husband's Secret, and once I read this book by Liane Moriarty, I downloaded two other books by her. I haven't been disappointed!

Orphan Train is a book that I've seen recommended over and over again, and as expected after reading the reviews, this book got me right in the heart.

Oh, The Nightingale. I adore anything by Kristin Hannah, but this story is unlike any of her other books. This one stayed with me for a long time, and if you read it {or have already read it}, you'll know why.

When We Fall got me hooked on all things Emily Liebert. I've also read Some Women, Those Secrets We Keep, and You Knew Me When. They are all wonderful! 

Oh, June and July: you hurt my bank account. All amazing new summer releases come out in late June and early July, it seems. 

The new Elin Hilderbrand book came out late last week, and I could wait to snag it! I'm more than halfway finished with it, and I have to admit that I'm not all that impressed with it. I usually love Hilderbrand's characters and I adore the setting of her books {Nantucket!!}, but this one isn't doing it for me. I'm not done with it yet, though, so maybe I'll change my mind.

The Vacationers has been out for a year already, but I saw it on a list of this summer's must-reads. It's already downloaded and waiting for me on my Kindle!

I don't think I've read any of Mary Kay Andrews' books before which, quite frankly, is kind of surprising. I love stories set at the beach, particularly North Carolina beaches {I grew up, vacationing on the Outer Banks}. I'm really looking forward to reading The Weekenders!

The last three books that I want to read this summer haven't come out yet {hurry up, July!}. All three authors are my favorites!

If you have some "Should Reads" and "Want to Reads," head over to Molly's blog and link up!

Busy, Busy, Busy

It's that time of year. The end of the school year. Mixed emotions abound: on one hand, I am going to miss my exceptional group of hard-working first grade students, but on the other hand, I can't wait to spend lazy summer days at the local beach with Deedle and Princess A. Oh, the conflict.

So, I've been busy, busy, busy these past few months. I spent my birthday weekend in Ocean City, MD presenting at the Common Ground Conference with my colleague, Dr. D.

We were surprised and humbled by the number of fellow educators who were interested in the daily live news program that we've developed for 4th and 5th grade students.

{If you've thought about starting your own live TV program, head here to check out the pack that I created for TPT! It has everything you need!}

Early last month, I took my firsties to Pickering Creek on their last field trip of the year to explore animal life cycles and habitats. Even though the weather was yucky, the kids still had a blast!

Every one of my students held this little tadpole without squealing, screaming, or freaking out. Proud teacher moment.

This game was just like Headbandz, except with animals!

Happiness is ponding!

Here, the kiddos are learning all about the water cycle.

As I was trolling Facebook and Pinterest for some cute ideas for Mother's Day gifts in early May, this one kept popping up over and over again:

Adorable, right?

So, I put my own spin on it, and I came up with this:

I mean, come on. What mother wouldn't love receiving this picture as a gift?

I whipped up this simple writing paper to accompany this picture, and voila! 

Click on the pic above if you're interested in grabbing this paper for next year!

After working on them since December, we finally finished our Animal Research Projects in writing! I know what you're thinking: you've been working on them since when? As I've posted here before, I happily work at my own pace, and I like my students to do the same thing. Don't worry, though: we continued with other long-term writing projects and "on demand" writing assignments while we worked on our research projects. 

I love the look of pride on this little guy's face. His cover is amazing!

We had our "Author Celebration" last Friday, and it was a huge success!

We had so many family members come and join in the fun! Animal crackers and goldfish for everyone!

Last weekend, after 9 months of "training" {I use that term loosely...we ran a few long runs and a handful of mid-week maintenance runs}, SpurDog and I ran our first {and possibly last} half-marathon! I was anticipating warm temps and sunny skies, but instead,  it gully-washed and was in the mid-fifties for all 13.1 miles.

Not sure how I managed to maintain this silly smile throughout, but I did, and we finished! Check that off the bucket list.

By later that afternoon, however, I thought I was going to die. This was the text I sent to SpurDog. While my body felt better by the next morning, I woke up feel totally crappy: sore throat, cough, congesting, headache. A week later, I don't feel much better. Bleccch. Lesson learned: when running 13.1 miles, try to do it in decent weather.

As of tomorrow, we only have 8 1/2 days of school left. Say WHAT? Where did this year go? It amazes me, though, that even as the school year winds down, my kiddos manage stay engaged and are still willing to help one another out. They are a remarkable group of children!

I love catching them being kind to one another. It's even better when they don't know that I've been watching and noticing!

One last thing: Caitlin from Cait's Cool School, Ashley from The Sassy Schoolteacher, Michelle from Pocketful of Primary, and I are up to something BIG!!!! I mean, BIG!!! So, all Maryland teacher bloggers, stay tuned!

A Labor of Love

The past few months have been (to put it mildly!) NUTS! Between field trips, unexpected celebrations, and assessments, I've barely had time to come up for air. I'm so thankful for Instagram, though...it has allowed me to continue to post about the wonderful things that are happening in our classroom without a huge time commitment.

So, why has life been so crazy? Well, at the beginning of February, I was once again fortunate to be asked to represent my school as the Teacher of the Year. I never expected to go through the process more than once, so I was very flattered to be asked two years in a row.

The dinner that our county puts on to honor the Teachers of the Year is simply amazing! Our high school's culinary arts students prepare the meal, and they always outdo themselves. I was blessed to have my family join me at the banquet, as well as my work friends and colleagues. It was a very special evening. I didn't win County Teacher of the Year, but I'm still very grateful for the opportunity.

I've also been hard at work during the past month on what can only be described as a labor of love. At the beginning of the school year, one of our fifth grade teachers, Dr. D, asked me to help him develop a before-school broadcast club (somehow, I've developed a reputation for being somewhat tech savvy). He envisioned creating a program that allowed students in fourth and fifth grades to produce a daily news broadcast that is streamed (LIVE!) to the entire school each morning. Thanks to many early mornings and a lot of collaboration, Dr. D's vision became a reality!

We even had the opportunity to present our program at a Board of Education meeting in March. The Board members seemed very impressed by the students' hard work and dedication.

Dr. D and I will be traveling to Ocean City, MD this Thursday and Friday to present our program at the Common Ground Conference. In preparation for the conference, I have been working hard to put together a packet for Teachers Pay Teachers that will give teachers everything that they need to start a similar program at their schools. I finally finished it this evening! 

Included in this packet, you will find:

- A description of the program

- The CCSS addressed in the pack

- Instructions for setting up your studio, including a list of needed resources and a picture of our studio

- Student application, parent permission, consent and release

- "Teacher Feature" sign-up sheet

- Job checklists

- Job assignment recording sheet

- Reminder stickers

- Basket/folder labels

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This is the cover page of the packet. I heart Creative Clips clip art. She never disappoints.

Here's a sample of our script. The script is totally editable to meet your school's needs.

I'm loving the student application that we developed. A huge part of the program is developing a work ethic and learning responsibility, and the application clearly outlines the expectations that we have of our students.

I even created reminder stickers to help students (and parents) remember what time to be at school on the days that they are participating in the program.

For at least the next week, this 53-page resource is ON SALE for $8.00! Click on any of the pictures above to head over to my TPT store.

I can honestly say that helping to get this program up and running has been one of the highlights of my school year. I have loved getting to work with some of the older children (many of whom are former students), and I've had the opportunity to work with a colleague with whom I may not have had the chance.

My Kindle is calling me. Enjoy the rest of your Monday!

Staff Shout Outs

Every teacher knows that awful slump between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You know you only have a few short weeks until Winter Break, but the days seem endless, your students are pumped up about the holidays, and you have gobs of paperwork to get finished. The mood in the teacher's lounge is just awful. Everyone is stressed out, tired, and grumpy. It's so easy to get caught up in the negative vibe that you find yourself complaining, whining, and griping along with your colleagues.

So, I did what any other teacher would do: I jumped on Pinterest for inspiration, and I found some great ideas to help improve staff morale.

I loved this adorable Shout-Out bulletin board from Vickie over at Primary Press!

Teach, Create, Motivate had these cute shout-outs on her blog!

I asked my administrators if I could put up a staff shout-out board in our lounge, and they enthusiastically told me yes! So, I created my own little pack that I hope you can use, too. Just click on the pics below to grab them.

Somehow, I managed to lop off the bottom of the board in this picture. Oops!

It may seem like a small thing, but a little positive thinking goes a long way!

Hope you enjoy what's left of your week!

The 100th Day of School

I am really counting my lucky stars that I (unintentionally) had my students celebrate the 100th day of school a day early. Apparently, I can't count. It worked out for the best, however, because today (the real 100th day), we were closed for snow!

I invited my students to dress like they were 100 years old, and good golly, were they adorable!

We had an abundance of gray hair, glasses, and canes. 

Instead of having my little guys complete seat work first thing in the morning, I used Molly's super cute Hidden Hundreds activity. 

I projected Molly's example for my students. They loved coming up to the Smart Board to hunt for the hundreds!

They were so absorbed in this activity that they barely looked up for almost thirty minutes!

 I know I shouldn't say this, but I'm pretty sure this one is my favorite.

Obviously, I teach on the Eastern Shore. This little guy's pic has ducks, geese, and jellyfish.

My favorite part of this picture is the little dog in the bottom corner.

After we finished these, we moved directly into our math lesson. First, I shared Brain Pop Jr.'s video about the number 100. Then, we practiced counting to 100, using this catchy little ditty.

I couldn't help but sing with them!

I used Meet Miss Parker's adorable Common Core-aligned math pack for our rotations. This is the third year I've used these activities, and they are always a huge hit with my students.

I love how comfy these two little guys look, playing "100 Tallies."

It cracked me up to see these two "little old ladies" hike up their skirts and get down on the floor to play "The Hundred Flat Race."

We finished up our math rotations after lunch, and then, it was on to language arts. We read "100 Hungry Ants" together, and afterward, I had the students write to tell what they would do if 100 hungry ants came to their picnic.

Click on the picture above to go grab this simple freebie.

Do I have some kind-hearted firsties, or what?

Finally, we wrote about what life will be like when we are 100 years old. I downloaded Kelly's cute little freebie (I really liked this particular writing activity because it came with a great kid-friendly graphic organizer). Apparently, there will be a lot of gray hair, glasses and canes!

"When I am 100, things will be different. I will have white hair. I will have glasses and a wrinkly face. I will be a grandpa and I will spend so much time with my grandchildren. I can't wait until I am 100 years old."

"It will be weird when I am 100! When I'm 100 years old I will read in my bed. I will wear glasses. I will drink coffee. It is weird to be 100!"

I'm trying to decide if I'm offended by this. I already read in my bed, wear glasses, and drink coffee!

All in all, it was a great day, and I can't wait to see what the next eighty days will hold!

I believe I've earned a nice glass of wine and a new Diane Chamberlain book on my Kindle this evening. Make sure you take care of you, too!