Technology Tip Tuesday

 

My go to websites:  

For teacher resources:

1.  Writing Fix- Great resource for teaching writer's workshop.

2.  Illuminations- Great resource for PBITs.

3.  Making Sense Online-Great resource for teaching math and literacy.

4. North Carolina Unpacking the Standards-Great source to help unravel the common core.

For students:

1.  Illuminations-Great math activities.

2. Cool Math Games

3.  The Body Zone-Great for review the body systems.

You know It's Back to School When...

 

 Here are my thoughts on back to school, link up and share yours.

First Day Back!

Today was my first official day back.  I spent a lot of time in meetings.  We got our new schedule.  It didn't change much, yeah!  I did get my last bulletin board hung and if kids showed up tomorrow my room would be ready.  Would I?  I'm not sure!!!!

Back to School Fun for Teachers!

Tomorrow one of my best teacher buds and I are hosting a breakfast for the staff at our building.  Today we got together and prepared the muffins, coffee cake, and breakfast casseroles we are serving.  We cooked at my friends house and I will host the party at my house.  Needless to say I got very little done in my classroom today.  Although my 14 year old (bless her heart) did finish straightening up my classroom library and hanging my hall display while I dealt with paper work.  So I did accomplish a little.  After that I did a whirl wind job of re-cleaning my house.  

Anyway back to the breakfast.  All the staff in our building is invited and usually we have a good turn out.  It is fun to get together somewhere other than school and enjoy a little bit of freedom before we report to work on Thursday.  When it's over most of us will head into our rooms in attempt to be ready before Thursday.

Does your building do any type of fun back to school activity? 

School and Life

I started thinking early on during summer vacation about how to streamline or get more organized.  I know we all have busy lives outside of work.  My son plays football and my daughter runs cross country so starting next week we are gone 2-3 nights a week.  I love it and would not trade it for the world, but I get very behind at home.  So I came up with a couple of things to try and avoid this! 

1.  I made myself a chore list.  Each night of the week I am going to clean something.  For example on Monday I am going to clean the main bathroom.  On Tuesday I will clean the second bathroom.  I set text reminders from my Google calendar, so I don't forget!  So come the weekend I will not be spending all day Saturday cleaning.  I may have to do some extra cleaning on Saturday, but not all the cleaning will be put off until then.  This has worked great during the summer.  Wish me luck with it starting Thursday, my first official day back to work. 

2.  Freezer Meals and Crock pot Recipes:  I have started preparing some freezer meals.  It involves one long day a month in the kitchen, but has already made my life simpler.  I found some recipes on Pinterest.  The website Once a Month Mom is also a great resource.  I have also fell in love with my crock pot.  I am sure others feel the same way.  Some of our favorite crock pot meals are hot beef sandwiches, chicken and dumpling casserole, and Santa Fe chicken.

What do you do to stay ahead at home and still enjoy life?

What's Your Style?

 

 I love to shop!  I might be a shopaholic, so I am excited to link up with Jess at From Blood to Books!

Here are the guidelines...

1. Tell me your favorite store(s) that you like to get your "teacher's fashion".

2. What are some of your favorite accessories?

3. What type of shoes do you teach in? (i.e. heels, flats, wedges, etc.)

4. Do you have a "go-to" item in your closet? (i.e. sweater you wear weekly, shoes you wear daily, etc.)

5. Have you ever had a fashion "uh-oh" at school? (i.e. heel broke, button popped off of blouse)

Please feel free to post any cute items, sales, outfits that you have grabbed for this upcoming school year!

 

1.  Favorite stores:  Kohl's, NYC, Express, Target, JcPenney, TJ Maxx, Charming Charlies, Maurices

2.  Accessories:  I love scarves and necklaces.  I just have to be carefully that they aren't in the way while teaching.   

3.  Shoes:  I mainly teach in flats.  Occasionally I throw in a wedge, chunky heel, or cute dress boot.  I love Clarks and Born for comfort.

4.  "Go-To" item:  cardigans and various jackets.  I am always cold.  I have one cardigan that I leave in my classroom for those days that I forget mine.

5.  Fashion "Uh-Oh":  My first year teaching I was working with a student at my desk and the student puked on me and my desk.  My principal (bless her) took over my class so I could run home and change.

 Here's a few items I have found on clearance this summer:

 The brown belt came from Charming Charlies.

 The black belt came from Kohl's.

The orange shoes came from Kohl's.

Must Haves for Reading and Writing Workshop

Must Haves 

We don't do Reading Workshop at my school, but I do a Writing Workshop in my classroom.   

 1.  Never having taken a class on it, there are a couple of books that I found very helpful with getting started.  

• Launching the Writing Workshop: A Step-by-Step Guide in Photographs by Denise Leograndis
• The Reviser's Toolbox by Barry Lane

    2.  I use this website a lot.  http://writingfix.com/

    3.  Writing notebooks

    4.  Picture books

Making Progress

Worked in my room some over the last couple days.  I managed to clean off two old shelves and remove them.  In their place I inherited a more useful bookshelf.  I finally feel like I'm making progress.  Here's a few pictures to prove it.

Bad News and Good News

I went into my room to work last night and needed to print some items and copy them.  Here's where the bad news come in, our copy machine is on the fritz.  Grr!  Good news-Our secretary starts back to work tomorrow, hopefully that means it will be fixed soon!

Good news I am getting together with one of my favorite colleagues tomorrow to plan our "Back to School Staff Brunch".  I will be hosting this at my house, back to bad news, which means it needs to stay clean.  I'll let you know how it goes!

Versatlie Blogger Award

Thanks to Julie from 4th Grade Haps and Hacks and Mrs. J from Surviving Sixth Grade for nominating me for The Versatile Blogger Award!
So here goes:  7 Random Facts About Me:

1.  I love chocolate.  I have yet to meet a candy bar that I won't eat!
2.  My favorite candy is Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs.  The ones that come out at Easter time.
3.  I don't like water, therefore I have never been to a water park.
4. I hate heights, therefore I am not fond of amusement parks.
5.  I love pizza and Mexican food.  
6.  I jog (I hesitate to say I run because with the Olympics going on that brings visions of fast, graceful people and that is not me); not sure you would say I love it, but I love that I do it!  Does that make sense?
7.  I love cats. Here are my babies. 

Here are my nominations:  (I will add more of these later today, when I have a tad bit more time.)
1.  Teaching Fourth
2.  Second Grade Style
3.  Crayons, and Paper, and Pencils Oh My!
4.  24-7 Teacher 
5.  Primary Polka Dots 

Follow these rules to to claim your award:
1.  Thank who nominated you.
2.  Include a link back to who nominated you.
3.  Include the award image in your post.
4.  Give 7 random facts about yourself in your post.
5.  Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award.
6.  When nominating, include a link back to their blog in your post.
7.  Let the bloggers you nominate know by leaving them a comment.

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Currently and B2S Must Haves

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