tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21532073425699181922024-03-12T21:37:47.127-07:00Sunny and Bright in First GradeHi I'm Marcie! I am a second grade teacher and curriculum designer at Sunny and Bright in First Grade. On my blog, I share classroom tips, teaching ideas and primary classroom resources. Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-27801580626251913712017-05-22T15:40:00.000-07:002017-05-22T18:08:59.745-07:00Easy Ways to Keep Your Students Reading This Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I mentioned in my <a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2017/05/play-learn-getting-student-ready-for.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, I have been working on finding playful, fun ways to keep my students learning this summer. (If you missed the first post in my <a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2017/05/play-learn-getting-student-ready-for.html" target="_blank">Play & Learn This Summer serie</a>s find it <a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2017/05/play-learn-getting-student-ready-for.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.) One of the very most important ways to accomplish this is through reading! So today I wanted to pop in to share some easy ways you can keep your students reading this summer!</div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Library Love - </b>Access to reading materials is one of the most important ways we can make sure our students are reading. If they don't have books, they can't read them...pretty simple, right? Even after all these years, I am always surprised at how many of my students do not have library cards!<br />
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A couple of years ago my team started organizing a field trip to our local library during the last month of school. We pick up the paperwork & send it home ahead of time, so anyone who does not have a library card is able to get one that day. We take a tour and learn about the children's section, how the books are organized, what special programs are offered etc. Our library has a beautiful children's section with computers, puzzles and magazines. They have weekly story-time and lots of puppet shows, crafts and special events...and it is all FREE. We make sure that the students get to see and experience it all during our field trip and then we send a summer schedule of events home with them that day. I am always so happy to see many of my students when I take my own children to the special events during the summer!<br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Summer Reading Challenges </b>- Summer reading challenges are a great motivator for some students! I do a quick Google search each spring to find out what reading challenges are being offered in our area and I send the information home with my students. <br />
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Our school district always has some kind of reading challenge. In addition, most public libraries seem to have reading challenges as well. I live in Tampa Bay and there is a great program here where the major league baseball team sponsors <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/nie/raysreading/" target="_blank">Reading with the Rays</a>. I am sure you can find a program in your area with a quick search.<br />
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In addition, Scholastic and Pizza Hut offer national reading challenges every summer!<br />
<a href="http://www.scholastic.com/ups/campaigns/src-2017/" target="_blank">Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bookitprogram.com/summer/" target="_blank">Pizza Hut Book It! Summer Reading</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">High Interest Reading Choices </span>-</b> I always make sure to talk to my students about all the different, fun reading options available to them. I also make sure to send something home to remind parents about the value of reading a variety of high interest materials. (Be sure to check out the FREEBIE at the end of this post!) <br />
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I find some parents need to be reminded about the value of things like magazines and comic books. These are great ways to keep our students excited about reading and often these are the materials they will read over and over again...which is fabulous for fluency!<br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Sneak in Reading Anywhere You Can!</b> I always give parents (and students!) ideas for ways they can sneak reading into their everyday summer activities. Some of my favorite ways are:<br />
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<li>Cooking together & having the child read the recipe and/or directions</li>
<li>Having the child be the "tour guide" at amusement parks, zoos & museums this summer- letting the child read the map and exhibit descriptions </li>
<li>Keeping the closed captioning on the television for the summer - **This is my FAVORITE** - I kept the closed captioning on my tv for years while my twins were preschoolers and learning to read. </li>
<li>Have students read signs and directions when traveling- environmental print is such an easy, natural way to practice reading skills</li>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Find Little Ways to Make it Special -</b> It doesn't take much to make a moment special for young children. Encourage your students and their parents to make some of those special moments reading centered! Some of my favorite ideas include:<br />
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<li>Setting up a tent to use as a special reading place</li>
<li>Reading in the dark with a flashlight</li>
<li>Building a "reading fort"</li>
<li>Dressing up as a favorite character before reading a book about him/her</li>
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I hope this post gives you some good ideas to send your students off with this summer! I created <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Summer-Packet-Parent-Letter-Info-FREE-for-Pre-K-Kindergarten-First-Grade-3169704?utm_source=http%3A%2F%2Fsunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com%2F2017%2F05%2Feasy-ways-to-keep-your-students-reading.html&utm_campaign=Play%20%26%20Learn%20Easy%20Ways%20to%20Keep%20Students%20Reading%20Blog%20Post" target="_blank">this FREE resource</a> to help you share these ideas (and a few more!) with the families of your students. I hope this will give you one less thing to do during this CRAZY time of the year! And I especially hope this will help to ensure that your students spend their summer cozied up (or cooling off!) with a good book!<br />
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Be sure to check back later this week for more fun ways to help your students keep learning this summer! The next post in my "Play & Learn" blog series will be up by Friday!</div>
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Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-30575369326870127702017-05-21T10:45:00.001-07:002017-05-21T11:59:53.522-07:00Play & Learn - Getting Students Ready for Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Can you feel it? The out-of-control feeling in the air? Do you see it? The frenzied, wild-eyed look in the eyes of all the children you see? Can you hear it? The unbelievable decibel level of every cafeteria, playground, hallway and bathroom in your school? It can mean only one thing... <span style="font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Summer is coming!!</span><br />
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And it's coming fast! If you are anything like me this gives you very mixed feelings. I can't help but feel a wave of excitement and relief (I mean, I <i>am</i> human... and it has been a <i>long year</i>!) but I also get nervous at this time of year. There is still so much to do: reports to write, grades to finish, awards to prepare, slide shows to create, festivals to attend... the list goes on and on and on...<br />
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And THEN I look at my sweet students and I get all the feelings - you know what I mean. <i>All the primary teacher feelings. </i>Are they ready? Did I teach them enough? Will they retain it all over the summer? Are they ready for next year? Will they be okay this summer? Are they going to get what they need? What more can I do? I only have a few more days with them...what else can I do to make a difference? (It's exhausting isn't it??)<br />
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So, when I start spiraling (because this time of year, I <i>always</i> start spiraling!) I slow myself down and try to think of some simple things I can send my little students off with to ensure that they have a successful summer.<br />
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I've spent <i>years</i> trying to figure out how to help my students retain everything they've learned during the year and making sure they are ready for the next year. I've tried it all. For many, many, many years I taught summer school. Which was very beneficial to the students that qualified, but it wasn't really the answer I was looking for...for a couple of reasons. First, not everyone goes to summer school. It is great for the kids that attend but that is a pretty small percentage of the students in my district. Second, it is exhausting to do year after year...I did it for <i>many</i> years but I felt there had to be other options.<br />
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So, I am here to happily announce that I have finally found an answer that I am really, really happy with! After several years of trying different summer "take-home packets" I think I figured out what works for my students and I and I am hoping it will help <b><i>you and your students</i></b> as well!<br />
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I spent weeks and weeks and weeks creating summer packets for young students that are completely based on <b><i>play</i></b>! I am <i style="font-weight: bold;">so</i> excited to finally have developmentally appropriate, FUN activities to offer my students and their families to ensure a summer of playful learning!<br />
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So, my plan is to write a series of blog posts that will give you some easy, ready-to-go ideas that you can offer to your students and their families. Then, you will be able to send them off for a summer full of playful learning and YOU will be able to keep your sanity at the end of the year! (Well, that might be wishful thinking...but you will at least be able to check some things off your end of the year "to-do" list with some freebies and ready-made resources.) So, check back tomorrow for some easy ways to keep your students reading this summer and a great free resource!Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-35625021258875675992017-04-28T17:45:00.000-07:002017-04-28T18:11:22.864-07:005 for Friday (FINALLY!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's here!! It's finally here!! The weekend! Oh Friday, how I've been dreaming about you ... I thought you might never come ... but you are finally here!!</div>
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(If you can't tell it was a long week around here! But now it's the weekEND and I am celebrating by putting on my pajamas at 6:30 pm and linking up with <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2017/04/five-for-friday-april-28th.html" target="_blank">Doodle Bugs Teaching</a> for a <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2017/04/five-for-friday-april-28th.html" target="_blank">Five for Friday post</a>.)</div>
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This was how my week started - at 7:20 on Monday morning:</div>
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I mean...seriously?!?<br />
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My "gross out meter" is pretty hard to activate. I have a lot of years of experience teaching pre-k and kindergarten, and those babies aren't afraid to sneeze right in your face. AND I'm a mother of 4. FOUR. I've pretty much seen and done it all. I have been thrown up on more times than you can imagine, and if I do say so myself, I handle it pretty well ... I am able to hide my disgust and take care of whoever needs taking care of pretty easily these days.<br />
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But <span style="font-size: x-large;">SCABIES?</span> Seriously?? <br />
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Again, I am a mother of 4...I have sent a kid to school with a runny nose that I wished I could keep home...and I have made a doctor's appointment to have ears checked after school when I thought an infection was cleared up. I<i> totally</i> get that it is hard to be a working mom!<br />
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But <span style="font-size: x-large;">SCABIES? </span><br />
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I'm gonna go ahead and say that if you think your child has SCABIES and you find it necessary to tell him "Don't tell anyone that you have SCABIES, we will try to go to the walk in clinic tonight" then you really need to take the day off. <br />
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Because #1: He is going to tell EVERYONE. That is what kids do. Especially when you tell them not to tell anyone.<br />
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And #2: It is <span style="font-size: x-large;">SCABIES.</span><br />
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(Okay, public service announcement officially over.)<br />
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So, when your week starts off with <i>SCABIES</i> it can only go up from there right? On Tuesday we went on a field trip to the hands-on children's museum. </div>
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The kids loved it. They had so much fun. They tried really, really hard to be good. (I mean, how cute do they look in the little veteranarian center looking at the snake x-rays?) But...</div>
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Here's the thing: If you remember, I've mentioned before that I have<i> <a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2017/03/when-scoot-goes-wrong-classroom.html" target="_blank">that class</a></i> this year. Now, it was nothing like the <a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-second-worst-field-trip-ever.html" target="_blank">second worst field trip ever</a>, but it was a lot. </div>
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The museum is set up with one large area in the middle and lots of smaller areas around the perimeter. Each of the smaller areas has a different theme. (There is a grocery store, a pizza restaurant, a veterinarian's office, a fire station, a news station etc. It is really cute.)</div>
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So, we were staying together in a large group in 1 or 2 of the areas at a time. Have you heard the expression "so excited I could burst"? Well, now I know where it comes from. They were<i> so excited </i>that I wouldn't have been surprised if one of my boys actually exploded. It just didn't seem possible for one little body to contain so much energy!</div>
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They were really trying to control themselves. but it wasn't totally possible for some of my guys, so before we would go into some of the areas I would have to physically block the entrance for a "pep talk". </div>
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It went something like this: "Okay, there are babies in here. Do you guys see the babies? Look at me. Guys? Guys! LOOK AT ME. Do you see the babies? See how little they are? You will hurt them if you fall on them or knock them over... so you have to be careful. Are you listening? Boys? BOYS! POINT TO THE BABIES! SHOW ME WHERE THE BABIES ARE. Okay, now, don't step on the babies okay? Don't bump them, because you are big kids and we don't want to hurt the little kids, right?"</div>
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Luckily, the parents of the babies are much better listeners than my boys and they pretty much looked at my boys, grabbed their babies, and chose another area to go play. We tried. </div>
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(Do you see the blur on the right side of the photo? That's pretty much what my boys looked like all day. I'm still tired.)</div>
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My sweet intern finished up her semester with us this week. (After Tuesday I'm sure she is thinking it didn't come a moment too soon!!)</div>
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There seemed to be "fingerprint hearts" all over Pinterest. We wayyyyyyy simplified the idea but I think it still came out cute.</div>
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This was the little gift we prepared for her. The basket has a few school supplies and a TPT gift cards. The folder behind the basket has two booklets we made for her. We wrote some "teacher tips" for her to remember and we wrote reference letters for her to bring on job interview with her.<br />
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I am trying to get these things together to share - I will keep you posted :) The "reference letters" were adorable! They were so funny and so cute! She really loved them.</div>
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We are going to miss her so much! Fortunately she is coming back on Tuesday to help me with Running Records and spend time with the kids - because she is <i>that</i> awesome - so we don't have to cry <i>too </i>hard (yet).<br />
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My "Mom - Uber" is in full service these days. The twins have swim practice twice a week and my oldest had try-outs this week for cheerleading & dance. I spent about 2.5 hours a day in the car!<br />
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Some weeks there are just literally not enough hours in the day. Between work, homework, projects, sports, carpools, attempting to keep my household running...well, let's just say, I didn't do any of it very well this week. I kind of lost my cool. It wasn't pretty. :(<br />
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This week was long. And hard. And I did not handle it gracefully. I hate that.<br />
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But, then one daughter sent me this photo of me and my other daughter.<br />
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And it all kind of melted away. (Look at the wrinkles on that little nose. Couldn't you just eat her???)</div>
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And it's Friday night and I am in my pjs before 8pm. So there's that :)</div>
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And all my favorite people are here and in their pjs with me.</div>
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My oldest just got news that she made the varsity dance team... so her eyes are sparkling... and everyone else's eyes are sleepy... pretty much a mother's Friday night dream come true. ;)</div>
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Good night my friends. I hope your weekend is long and that you get to sleep until you can't sleep anymore (a teacher-mom can dream can't she?).</div>
Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-62156721911129351732017-04-20T18:40:00.000-07:002017-04-20T18:40:26.659-07:0010 Tips for Handling Meltdowns in the Classroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Let me start off by saying, I hope you don't have any reason to read this post. I hope that your students are all happy, healthy and well-adjusted. In fact, I hope you are wondering exactly what I mean by "classroom meltdowns"... but I have a sneaking suspicion that you <i>do</i> know what I mean. If you have been teaching for awhile, or if you work with a challenging population or if you... I don't know... <i>have ever met a five year old</i>... chances are, you have had an experience with a meltdown.</div>
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So, in the spirit of guiding these little people we teach and love through challenging moments - and keeping our sanity - I decided I would share my "Top 10 Tips for Handling Classroom Meltdowns" with you today. </div>
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Now, I am not a behavioral therapist or a chid psychologist. This list is the real deal...the "in the trenches" teacher list. These are the things that I've learned from 17 years of teaching pre-k ESE, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, children with special needs, children in foster care & traumatic care placements and inner city schools. Oh, and from being a mother of 4 (which includes an adoption and red-headed twins...the twins alone should give me all the "street cred" I need! Ha!).</div>
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So, there you are in your happy classroom teaching your perfect lesson when all of a sudden the meltdown of all meltdowns occurs... </div>
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OR there you are in your super challenging classroom where you are doing everything you can to give your students everything they need (even when it is officially more than you have to give) and the meltdown of all meltdown occurs... </div>
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OR you are somewhere in the middle. Wherever you are...I'VE BEEN THERE. At some point over the last 17 years I have been there. It is hard to imagine that there is a meltdown experience that I haven't yet experienced. </div>
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These are the tried and true tips that have worked for me. They <i>really</i> work. Sometimes I forget them... because... you know, the crying... the screaming... the melting down... but when I can talk to myself as if I am my own intern (that is one of my <i>best </i>secrets!) these are the tips I remind myself - and <i>they work</i>! </div>
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Here's one of the problems with meltdowns in the classroom: they are usually public and they are generally unacceptable - and kids know this. So, our students often wind up backing themselves into a corner and they don't know how to get out.</div>
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This is why it is really important that we offer our students a little grace, or an "out". Now, don't get me wrong, there have to be consequences for actions. I firmly believe that we have to teach students to take responsibility for their choices. </div>
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However, I also believe that if there is never any chance of redemption we can't really expect young students to "hold it together". Back in the "old days" of clip charts there was a lot of debate about whether the clip should be able to "move back up" the chart after it was "moved down" for misbehavior. You will have to decide what works for you and your students...but I really encourage you to look for a way to hold students accountable for their actions, while still giving them a chance to "fix things". If they have "ruined their day" by 9 am it is going to be a very, very, very long day for everyone involved!</div>
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You will have to decide what an "out" looks like for your student. It might mean a chance to rejoin the group activity right away, letting him know you will write a note home about how quickly he is able to calm himself down, or a second chance at something that was frustrating. </div>
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Meltdowns often occur when students are frustrated and overwhelmed. Giving your student "a break" is an important strategy both for avoiding and for calming meltdowns.</div>
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If you have a student that is prone to meltdowns, you might want to consider "break tickets" or "calm down passes". The best is if you can stay a step ahead of the meltdowns. A teacher friend of mine used to have a student that she sent around campus to have "very important messages" signed. The very important message was a note that said I need a break ... please sign this and send him to another room. It gave her 10 minutes and it gave him a "very important job" and a break when he needed it.</div>
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I have had other students who were able to control their own "break tickets". Depending on the student, they had 3 tickets a day or a week, and could use the tickets for their own 10 minute "break" to calm down either with a book, headphones, a rest etc.</div>
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I have always used this as a pretty individualized intervention and it has varied from student to student. However, whenever I have used it it has worked remarkably well.</div>
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My oldest daughter had her share of meltdowns when she was younger and <i>nothing </i>would change her mood like putting her in the tub. It was an instant game changer. Unfortunately I am not able to install a shower in my classroom...so I have learned to make due with a water fountain.</div>
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My teacher BFF laughs at me because I think that water is the solution to pretty much all of life's problems. Seriously. </div>
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-"Oh, you have a headache? You must be dehydrated, go get some water." </div>
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-"I miss my mommy sometimes too. You know what makes me feel better? Water. Go get a drink."</div>
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-"He looked at you? Really? I can't believe that! You should go get a drink of water."</div>
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I am telling you, there is something about getting a drink of water that helps. First of all, it is a little acknowledgement. It helps the student to feel "heard". Second, it breaks up the cycle a little bit - he has to get up and move across the room, and I swear, there is something about the water itself that helps. </div>
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"If... Then..." Magic words. </div>
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When our students get worked up they often don't know how to deescalate. They are in a situation that they are now just making worse by the minute. One of the best things you can do is to provide simple steps toward a solution.</div>
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There is magic in the simplicity of "If you do this, then you can do that". It is such an easy, concrete way to help an overwhelmed student find a solution to their problem or to problem-solve. </div>
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The "trick" to this is to not use too many extra words. Keep it simple. This works best when your student is melting down because he/she is overwhelmed and/or frustrated and needs help finding a simple solution. It's a "less is more" situation.</div>
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<b><i>If</i></b> you keep it simple and offer a solution, <b><i>then</i></b> your student will be able to calm down and regain control. </div>
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This one can be hard if you are a super emotional person like I am. I am never good at "removing" myself. I pride myself on being connected with my students. However, this can be tricky at times. </div>
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For example, if I am going to be honest it is really easy for me to get my feelings hurt by a student who directs a meltdown at me. "You are so mean!" "I hate you!" "You are the worst teacher ever!" Ouch... (and those are the PG rated insults. I have definitely had my share of R rated insults over the years).</div>
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How about the kiddo that you <i>know</i> is not melting down about a broken crayon but because mom and dad are getting divorced? Or the child living in foster care who is screaming that he hates everyone - but <b><i>you</i></b> know she is just looking for someone to show her a little love? </div>
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Okay, here is the thing. You <i>have to</i> keep your emotions out of it. Your student has lost control. Feeling hurt, or empathetic, or angry is <i>not</i> going to help him. It is very important that you stay calm and in control. By controlling your emotions and "going on with business as usual" you are showing your student that it is possible (and not all that hard) to move on from this moment - when he feels so out of control. You are the living proof that "life will go on" and that everything is going to go "back to normal". (I actually have a lot to say about this and want to write an entire post about it one day soon...but for now this is the short version.)</div>
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Staying positive is just one more way for you to stay in control of the situation. If you are here reading this post, my guess is that you are generally a pretty positive teacher. It can be hard to keep smiling when your "sunny and bright" classroom is filled with screaming and crying. However, it is <i>really, really </i>important. If you are having trouble staying positive then "fake it 'till you make it"!</div>
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Remember that you are the "captain of this ship"... <i style="font-weight: bold;">especially when you are sailing through a storm!</i> Whether you realize it or not, everyone in the room is waiting and watching for your reaction. <i>All </i>of your students are going to look to you to see how to react. If you can keep smiling the tone in the room will stay positive - but if you give in to the frustration and stress - <i><b>the ship is going to go down</b>.</i></div>
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It always surprises me exactly how much my attitude affects every single thing in my classroom! So keep smiling (even when it is really, really hard to smile!)</div>
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It's a good idea to have a designated space for students to calm down. Do you <i>need </i>to do this? Of course not. Do I think you should do this? Yes. Here's why. If you have a student that is melting down and has truly lost control he is going to need a few minutes to "get it back together". This is stressful for everyone.</div>
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To say it can be distracting for other students to have one of their peers screaming or crying in the seat next to them is an understatement. We tell students to "just ignore" this, but that is <i>a lot</i> to ask!</div>
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It can also be very difficult for some students to de-escalate a tantrum when they feel like "all eyes are on them". Giving the upset student a "calm down space" can solve both problems.</div>
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A "calm-down space" can be a corner of the room with a bean bag or pillow, a small space behind your desk, a little chair in the back of the room near the backpack area ... anywhere that is away from the "eyes" of other students.</div>
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I believe that it is important that a "calm down space" is not used as a time-out area. I don't ever use my "calm down space" punitively. I don't believe that it would be effective this way, and having a little corner that can be used purely for taking a moment to regain control is going to benefit everyone.</div>
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When a student is in the middle of a meltdown he is probably not being super-respectful. I know I have heard a lot more students scream "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" than ask "Can I please have a moment to myself?" mid-meltdown.</div>
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However, this is a <i>really</i> good time for you to model the respect you would like to see. First of all, your other students are watching you very closely. Even if you don't think they are, <b>they are - </b>trust me. They are watching and noting everything you do and say. This is a perfect time to model that we can always speak in a respectful tone and choose respectful words...even when someone is being unkind or doing something wrong...it doesn't have to change the respect that<i> we choose to give them.</i></div>
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Your out-of-control student is also watching you. He may not be able to process everything you are saying and doing in the moment. However, <i>your words and your tone matter</i>. Offering grace and respect matters. Letting our students know that this behavior is unacceptable- but that we <i>always </i>care for and respect them matters.</div>
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Meltdown moments remind me to let my whole class know how proud I am of the way they care for one another...because they do. They really do - because we have worked <i>so hard </i>on our class culture - just like I'm sure you have. <br />
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We have built friendships, taught acceptance and forgiveness. We have "used our words" and been "problem solvers" a thousand times by now. So, when these meltdown moments come, I know that I can rely on my students to "forgive and forget". <br />
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I have never had a student made fun of or ostracized for a meltdown/tantrum. Never. And I have had some very, very challenging classes over the years. I have had some classes that had <i>a lot </i>of meltdowns and I have had some classes that needed <i>a lot </i>of help being kind to one another. However, with every single group, I have been able to build a "team" that makes a huge difference in moments like these!<br />
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I feel like this quote by L.R. Knost pretty much sums it all up: "When little people become overwhelmed by big emotions it is our job to share our calm - not to join their chaos."</div>
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That's really what it all comes down to. We have to remember that they are just <b><i>little</i> </b>people. They have only been on the planet for five or six or seven years - they are still new at being alive. Heck, I feel like I am still figuring everything out and I have been here <i>a lot</i> longer than seven years!</div>
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Sometimes everything just gets "too big" or "too much" for these little people and they fall apart... <i><b>loudly</b></i>. When that happens we have to "share our calm". It is <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">so easy</span></i></b> to get frustrated and frazzled when they are yelling and screaming (and believe me, I have gotten frazzled <i>plenty</i> of times!) but that is "joining the chaos" - and goodness knows we don't want anymore chaos!! </div>
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This quote has really helped me a lot. I have it pinned up in my office and remind myself of it often. I love the idea of "sharing the calm"! It has really been a bit of a game-changer for me.</div>
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I hope you got some helpful tips here today. I am sure that most of these things are things that you know and already do ... but sometimes seeing them altogether and reminding yourself can be helpful. (I know just writing it all out was a helpful reminder for me!) Please share some of your best tips for "sharing your calm" in the comments! I would love to hear your ideas!</div>
<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-7354023226311351902017-04-16T08:04:00.004-07:002017-04-16T16:48:06.757-07:00The SECOND Worst Field Trip Ever...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The idea for this blog post - I have no idea why - came to me in a dream. Seriously weird, right? I woke up after dreaming about writing a blog post about the worst field trip ever. I'm not sure exactly why my subconscious thought I should share this with you right now, but this seems like as good a time as any. </div>
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However, when I sat down to write I realized that my dream was NOT actually about the worst field trip ever. It was about the <i><b>second</b></i> worst field trip ever. The <i>first </i>worst field trip ever was wayyyy worse than the one I am going to write about today... but that is a post for another day. (Believe me, you won't want to miss that one!)</div>
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So to honor my subconscious, to give you some good practical life advice, and to hopefully save you some pain (and make you giggle at my expense) ... Here we go!</div>
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So, last year I was teaching kindergarten. I had taught kindergarten (my all-time favorite grade) for many years at several other schools. However, when I decided it was time to stop commuting and move to the school I'm at now I took a position in first grade. I enjoyed teaching first grade for two years, but if I'm being honest, I spent a lot of that time angling to get myself a spot on the kindergarten team. (I'm setting the stage here... stick with me. It was a really fun, happy year. I was teaching in the room next to one of my teaching BFFs, teaching my favorite grade, in a sweet little school, close to home ... Can you see it? It was happy and fun. "<span style="color: #ffd966;">Sunny</span><span style="color: cyan;"> </span>and<span style="color: cyan;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Bright</span></span>" if you will...!)<br />
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One of the highlights of kindergarten every year is a spring field trip to the farm. We spent about a month before the trip learning about farm animals. It was <i>really,</i> really fun! I wrote <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Farm-Animals-Close-Reading-Kindergarten-First-Grade-2342175" target="_blank">THIS nonfiction, close reading unit about farm animals</a>. We used this as the basis for our unit and based everything else around it.<br />
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We used some of the photo pages from the unit to make our anchor charts. I laughed so hard the day after this one went on display. I had THREE parents write me notes that their child had gone home and asked for a pet pig the night before! Ha! We learned a lot of fun facts... (I think the favorite was that pigs are smarter than preschoolers. We had a lot of students with preschool brothers and sisters so this fact hit especially close to home!)<br />
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Okay, back to the story... So, we spent a month learning about farm animals. The kids were <i>totally </i>hooked. It was pretty fascinating stuff, if I do say so myself! The unit was going to end with our big field trip to the farm. Everyone was very, very, very excited. We had a ton of parents coming with us. (Many more than we usually have for trips.) <br />
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As the day of the trip got closer a few little "bumps" did start to pop up... but that's normal. Things never go perfectly for these big trips. The biggest "bump" was that Spring Picture Day was scheduled for the same day as our field trip. (There was a <i>major </i>mess up with the master calendar.) We were supposed to get on the bus to leave at 7:45 am- but the earliest we could take pictures was 8:00... Minor setback... Of course, the pictures took MUCH longer than they should have and we were almost an hour late getting on the road.<br />
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However, once we got on the road we were good-to-go! It was a beautiful day and we made it to the farm relatively quickly ("relatively" still being an hour on a school bus with 45 kindergarteners... ).<br />
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When we got to the farm it was "outdoorsy magic" (and I am <i>not</i> an outdoorsy sort of girl!). We started with a hayride and then went into the chicken coop. Where we got to <i>hold chickens</i>! So much cooler than I expected it to be!<br />
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We saw donkeys, pigs & hogs. There were horses and some (kind of scary) turkeys. (Apparently, turkeys can be pretty mean and a bit aggressive. They were <i>not</i> my favorite!)<br />
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You know what was my favorite? Milking a cow for the first time!! For real... a real cow and real milk! We watched lots of videos about it, read books & learned a lot about the different ways cows are milked... but getting to actually do it?? Well, I don't know what it was like for the five year olds... but for this thirty-something (lots of something) year old teacher it was quite the thrill! (In case you can't tell... I have to work on not hiding my emotions... I should really be more expressive... ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0aOs8_lgOOo1GsYxhMh7IL0Qo6WR0a8zmZLkdIEa3eeFrifR7PRpnEy3IN-SUID3S2VLBg0z3QPyOTB_B4VLnwz8h83e2u2DlRRYaLEFeJHdYykFHyPgoMCMiQLonskvCBk4rrEJ7M0/s1600/Facetune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0aOs8_lgOOo1GsYxhMh7IL0Qo6WR0a8zmZLkdIEa3eeFrifR7PRpnEy3IN-SUID3S2VLBg0z3QPyOTB_B4VLnwz8h83e2u2DlRRYaLEFeJHdYykFHyPgoMCMiQLonskvCBk4rrEJ7M0/s640/Facetune.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, you are probably thinking... apart from scary turkeys, this field trip doesn't sound bad at all... no lost kids, no broken-down bus, no tantrums or breakdowns in a crowded parking lot (I had that once on a field trip to the State Fair when I taught a pre-k class for students with Autistic Spectrum Disorders... we'll go ahead and call that the "Third Worst Field Trip Ever"... and in case you are wondering, I do not recommend taking your ESE class - or any class for that matter - to the State Fair. It <i>sounds</i> fun. It sounds like a great community learning experience. It's not worth it. Trust me on this one. NOT. WORTH. IT.)<br />
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Where was I? Oh, right...the farm. It sounds like it was a perfectly nice field trip, right? Well, yes, you're right. It was. It was lovely. We were <i>just about</i> to sit down for a nice little picnic lunch before heading back to school when "our Farmer" told us we had <i>just enough time</i> to go see the baby goats. And THAT, my friends, is where the story takes a turn.<br />
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I can hear you now. You are thinking, "Baby goats - what could possibly be so terrible about baby goats?" **That reminds me of the night when my twins were 15 months old and disassembled their dresser (after climbing out of their cribs) at 2 am. By 3 am I was pushing all the furniture from their room out into the tiny foyer in a move of <i>total</i> desperation. When my husband went running downstairs (to leave for work) at 7 am and slammed into a dresser (awkwardly wedged into the foyer) he made the rookie mistake of yelling "What is a dresser doing in the hallway?!?!"<br />
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Well, that was almost 9 years ago and we still tell the story of how I came running out of the bedroom, wild-eyed screaming "IT <span style="font-size: x-large;">MUST BE NICE </span>TO WONDER WHY THERE IS A DRESSER IN THE HALLWAY! I SURE WISH I HAD THE LUXURY OF NOT KNOWING WHY THERE WAS A DRESSER IN THE HALLWAY! <span style="font-size: x-large;">BUT ONLY THE PERSON WHO GETS TO SLEEP THROUGH THE MIDDLE-OF-THE-NIGHT DRESSER MOVING DOESN'T KNOW WHY IT WAS MOVED!!! </span>I SURE WISH I WAS THAT PERSON!" (It was not a <i>proud </i>mothering moment... but I've made the most of it by retelling the story 987 times... and I love a good story ;)<br />
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Okay, back to baby goats! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4b_fEuH2KK3CbBsr9XDKT_tmaT1rg65mWOIibqVpjCEksrZ_zwOqBgVbVXp1ZqS3MvEmvQTg715WEyTwWKbSFbEqHTC3ObIFT6CQuj-d52Jnm1pjrppfxOhDsdC4v_9Qhyphenhypheni8Fclojmc/s1600/goat+pen+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji4b_fEuH2KK3CbBsr9XDKT_tmaT1rg65mWOIibqVpjCEksrZ_zwOqBgVbVXp1ZqS3MvEmvQTg715WEyTwWKbSFbEqHTC3ObIFT6CQuj-d52Jnm1pjrppfxOhDsdC4v_9Qhyphenhypheni8Fclojmc/s320/goat+pen+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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First, let me set the scene...the goat pen was an approximately 12x12 area. There were a few waist-high platforms/tables in the middle. There were also about half a dozen stumps that were between a foot and 18 inches high. The ground was covered with dirt, mulch and thick roots & vines. <br />
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My class went into the pen with my friend Rachelle & her class. We had about 35 kindergarteners, 2 teachers, a farmer, and 3-4 parents inside the pen. There were another dozen parents around the outside of the pen watching. <br />
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...There were also a lot of goats. There were a couple of "big goats" but the vast majority of the goats were babies. They were tiny and super cute...and they were <i>everywhere</i>. They were resting on the platforms, <i>hopping up on the stumps </i>and walking every which way<i>. (Which means there were five-year-olds everywhere</i>.)<br />
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(For the record: that goat is sleepy and enjoying being pet - he isn't dead. That isn't where the story goes bad.)</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">You might notice, in the photo above, all the sensible "day at the farm foot ware"... lots of sneakers... pretty much everyone wore sneakers... everyone except me. I am a true "Florida girl". I live in flip-flops. I have "fancy" flip-flops and athletic flip-flops... </span><i style="text-align: left;">totally </i><span style="text-align: left;">different than beach and pool flip-flops. So, </span><i style="text-align: left;">even though</i><span style="text-align: left;"> I sent a note home reminding students to wear sneakers to the farm it never even occurred to me that I wouldn't just wear "farm appropriate flip flops". I mean, do people on farms just always wear close-toed shoes?? (You can probably see how this is about to go bad...)</span></div>
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So, there I am in the goat pen, with lots of baby goats and 5-year-olds in my flip-flops... I had turned around to take a picture of someone... somehow in the turning, or the picture taking, or the "being me-ing", my foot got caught in a vine like this one:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDsKrjGrzUMNTYZAP9uGFnpN2j5uonBqEX7iTvOzEvyXcAmP8xLqAbO7VhSqBE2UhrW5QjrprLx6hGwqrhi-cWpxoQPXm1k3AJuGP0eWD6taEOzL8wsyoBZEYY3Tthr-jswUWsRzhLUg/s1600/Slide3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDsKrjGrzUMNTYZAP9uGFnpN2j5uonBqEX7iTvOzEvyXcAmP8xLqAbO7VhSqBE2UhrW5QjrprLx6hGwqrhi-cWpxoQPXm1k3AJuGP0eWD6taEOzL8wsyoBZEYY3Tthr-jswUWsRzhLUg/s640/Slide3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Well, once my foot got caught I tried to re-gain my balance - which <b><i>did not</i></b> work - and I realized I was going to fall. However, in the split second that I started to fall I realized that there was a tiny, baby goat <i>right </i>in my path. You know how they say that "your whole life can flash before your eyes" in a split second? Well, that baby goat's whole life flashed before my eyes because I knew I was about to land on him <i>hard.</i></div>
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So, in an effort to not kill a baby goat or traumatize 35 five-year-olds with the goat carnage that was about to occur, I awkwardly threw my body the other direction. The problem is that when I did that I wound up slamming my knee down on a stump. It hurt <i>so badly</i> that I don't even know how to describe it.</div>
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After slamming down my knee I landed face-first (<i>literally face-first</i>l) in the dirt... and I stayed down. I don't know how long I was lying there in the face-down in the dirt, arms & legs thrown out, but my friend Rachelle eventually kneeled down and whispered, "Can you move?!?". </div>
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I slowly sat up and started spitting out dirt & mulch. (For the record, Rachelle likes to laugh and insinuate that it was more than dirt & mulch since it was on the ground on the bottom of a goat pen... but since it was <i>in my mouth</i>, eyes and hair I like to pretend it was just dirt. I'm going to ask you to go along with that, okay?) </div>
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That's when Rachelle started to mention that my foot was bleeding. "I don't care about my foot... It's my knee. Oh my goodness, I'm so embarrassed... but my knee..." I think I said that about 30 times. (My knee really hurt a lot.)</div>
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I limped over to a picnic table and was given an ice pack for my knee. Someone else got my class set up with their lunch. Rachelle came back over to see how I was and again mentioned, "Your foot is really bleeding...can I get you a Band Aid?" "No, it's not my foot it's my knee" I answered.</div>
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<i>Then I looked at my foot. </i>And this, my friends, is why you wear sneakers to a farm ... because if you <i>don't</i> wear sneakers and you trip over a vine and try not to kill a baby goat, you might <span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>rip the toenail off of your big toe. </b></span></div>
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When I finally looked down at my foot, my "farm flip-flop" was completely filled with blood and I was toenail-less. (Rachelle's offer for "a band-aid" had really been very calm... it took a heck of a lot more than a band-aid to clean up the gory mess where my toenail used to be.)</div>
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So, I think you get the idea... add having a student step on my bloody toenail-less foot <b><i>two times</i></b> while getting back on the bus and having to pretend that you are still having fun "making memories at the farm" and you have the second worst field trip ever.</div>
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Being the eternal optimist I am, I always try to look for the bright side ... I do think that the story brightened the principal's secretary's day. She really hates doing the paperwork involved with filing accident reports. You should have seen the look on her face when she asked for the "location of the accident" and got to type in "goat pen". It was almost as good as when she asked, "What were you doing when the accident occurred?" and I answered "Trying not to kill a baby goat".</div>
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True story.</div>
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Epilogue: </div>
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The student who stepped on my foot while getting on the bus stepped on it exactly 13 more times that month. It only took 9 months for my toenail to grow back. I am still waiting for my pride and dignity. I'm hoping they will be back any day now. And I still wear flip-flops everyday. </div>
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<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-87486206529995535282017-04-12T10:43:00.000-07:002017-04-12T18:01:51.253-07:00Earth Day Activities for First & Second Grade (and a Freebie!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgg3rG5shZpy__g_usSeA4XzJMqsbxO3OJr1D9BTxreIlOg_HINnflnmkA-5_oEpHTOMtci2I2TvvmE6olT4ZvtjEKXMJNSBBpTreL5z93B2wBPWe5nCvXtccQ8nMEm2l8-18K0Hzcbc/s1600/are+more-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgg3rG5shZpy__g_usSeA4XzJMqsbxO3OJr1D9BTxreIlOg_HINnflnmkA-5_oEpHTOMtci2I2TvvmE6olT4ZvtjEKXMJNSBBpTreL5z93B2wBPWe5nCvXtccQ8nMEm2l8-18K0Hzcbc/s640/are+more-2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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I always love teaching my class about Earth Day. I am a little embarrassed to say that before I began teaching I was not at all "green". <br />
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I have always been involved in a lot of different charities and service organizations. I have donated and participated in fundraising events for St. Jude's and the Shriners for years. I am always an enthusiastic participant in toy drives and food drives. I have helped <a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2015/04/service-with-smile.html" target="_blank">my own children create service projects to benefit the NICU unit at our local children's hospital</a> and <a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2014/11/veterans-day-part-1.html" target="_blank">my favorite project of the year is having my class collect candy for overseas soldiers.</a> When I was in college I was even volunteered as a "cuddler" at the university's medical hospital. (That was a GREAT gig! I got to go from one unit to another and just hold babies for 3 hours every Tuesday night... I was in HEAVEN! I wish I could do that full time!) </div>
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The point is I care. I care a lot. Caring is kind of my thing. ...</div>
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But in my "I care about everything" way of living... I kind of left the environment out... UNTIL I started teaching! It's funny how these little people change us, isn't it? </div>
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My first year teaching I hardly knew what Earth Day was but now it is a holiday (and a full instructional unit) that I look forward to all year long! So, I thought I would share some of my favorite Earth Day "tried and true" activities and some of the new things we are going to try out this year!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1No5nlN7-JfK1MWSh3cSucCWK39kpVzBgYT0czMx26vjLt7XP6o3vui8Qcv8LzuDRA0edQ9jT-VtKceWpyhKR9iKAj5ErfXJaAgi9lmlONhRdJHwhfXFi9PqDWF_8xCO4U9dofP03LhM/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1No5nlN7-JfK1MWSh3cSucCWK39kpVzBgYT0czMx26vjLt7XP6o3vui8Qcv8LzuDRA0edQ9jT-VtKceWpyhKR9iKAj5ErfXJaAgi9lmlONhRdJHwhfXFi9PqDWF_8xCO4U9dofP03LhM/s640/Slide1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I usually start by front loading some <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-Conservation-Posters-Vocabulary-1814968" target="_blank">vocabulary</a> that will will be using this month. I go right ahead and teach the "big words" to my students. (I have taught these "big" vocabulary words to kindergarten, first & second grade classes.) I find that they are very capable of learning the real vocabulary when it is taught in a fun, <i>developmentally appropriate</i> way. So, to introduce the vocabulary, I have a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-Conservation-Posters-Vocabulary-1814968" target="_blank">poster</a> for each word that I hang up for the entire month. I like to use vocabulary posters that have big, clear photographs and simple explanations. The picture support is especially important for young students and English language learners. Whenever I teach the kids new vocabulary I make a big deal about telling them their parents are going to think they went to college today instead of second grade when they come home and say they learned about _____. (They love it.) Then, we clear our throats and say the word in a very over-exaggerated "college voice". (It is kind of ridiculous but it works. I promise. They LOVE to use the "big words"! AND if you leave the posters up they will start to use them in their writing too! I have had kindergarten students writing about recycling and landfills because it was easy to find the words they were looking for on the posters!)</div>
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There are so many great books that we are enjoying this month! Teaching second grade, I found some new books this year. They go more in depth than the kindergarten books that I've used the past few years- so, I thought I would share a few of my favorites!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrYbQ_mXaMFWqKG96zcTRDVIEZ6mK3hotvsyYFl5h5EcgMco-c02qQdj64o84RT4__exKjqyddaviGiWK4G1TNoQklp-ACqfTOdonIRoiIvYv1soizNPxrOQmX4_CKld5Pi-Z0QEmjds/s1600/IMG_0658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrYbQ_mXaMFWqKG96zcTRDVIEZ6mK3hotvsyYFl5h5EcgMco-c02qQdj64o84RT4__exKjqyddaviGiWK4G1TNoQklp-ACqfTOdonIRoiIvYv1soizNPxrOQmX4_CKld5Pi-Z0QEmjds/s640/IMG_0658.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20src=%22//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=sunnyan-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0764131559&asins=0764131559&linkId=0247b8247669ab3c5177926ba56c67aa&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066C0&bg_color=FFFFFF%22%3E%20%20%20%20%20%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank">Why Should I Recycle</a>?, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20src=%22//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=sunnyan-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0764131575&asins=0764131575&linkId=73694cce29bdb3f85fba2382aa21d527&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff%22%3E%20%20%20%20%20%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank">Why Should I Save Water?</a> and <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20src=%22//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=sunnyan-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0764131567&asins=0764131567&linkId=f3ad06feedcadca6200331566df61347&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff%22%3E%20%20%20%20%20%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank">Why Should I Save Energy?</a> This series will work for any primary classroom. The stories are easy to understand and the illustrations are cute and clear. My students really liked these books and have gone back to read them many times.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8FRAgsBAv7VEEw7Ik-piCO3OQH5L22kQ-BCT-9VukMeLs9f0PfuUMlTy3SnZwhCvYVMejNN10bfzDZFhYZYByI6wt7gcFKWn-rvcTHpLH14Xu22V0NmAO1W0X4430wDZZWjkBt-e7jQ/s1600/IMG_0662.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8FRAgsBAv7VEEw7Ik-piCO3OQH5L22kQ-BCT-9VukMeLs9f0PfuUMlTy3SnZwhCvYVMejNN10bfzDZFhYZYByI6wt7gcFKWn-rvcTHpLH14Xu22V0NmAO1W0X4430wDZZWjkBt-e7jQ/s640/IMG_0662.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20src=%22//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=sunnyan-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0316309435&asins=0316309435&linkId=2cf210856252194a59bd09f52eb665d1&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff%22%3E%20%20%20%20%20%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank"> Recycle: A Handbook for Kids</a> is fabulous. This is the book that we have used the most. It is packed with information, just like all Gail Gibbons books. You can use it to teach a lesson on text features or informational text. It is also great to use as a mentor text for informational writing. (I have 3 copies of this book and they are all always being used!)<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20src=%22//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=sunnyan-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1600102247&asins=1600102247&linkId=2cfa47178c317b7c721c3670618288c8&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff%22%3E%20%20%20%20%20%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank">Michael Recycle</a> is such a cute book! It's about a little superhero whose superpower is teaching people about recycling. The kids loved it. It led to a cute class discussion about how <i>we</i> cold be earth superheroes too!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtv2UQ7SQ7U7Y8-jUu9Qab8hCpWu-VPzGQU5a79WCAYO-zbvxJhmwsfFGIJrsuoC_R-RYzJ4bI-Hius-JPVpQRch3cFKUoX22-bYzqaxxV5xlIeLsJoaDNe-uezELJWpr17fNclYhdY6w/s1600/IMG_0665.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtv2UQ7SQ7U7Y8-jUu9Qab8hCpWu-VPzGQU5a79WCAYO-zbvxJhmwsfFGIJrsuoC_R-RYzJ4bI-Hius-JPVpQRch3cFKUoX22-bYzqaxxV5xlIeLsJoaDNe-uezELJWpr17fNclYhdY6w/s640/IMG_0665.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20src=%22//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=sunnyan-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1903919509&asins=1903919509&linkId=da31165c7158a350afbc52243d5f388c&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff%22%3E%20%20%20%20%20%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank">George Saves the World by Lunchtime</a> is another </span>really cute book! This one is about a little boy who decides he wants to "save the world". At first he isn't sure quite how he is going to do it... but soon he realizes what a big difference he can make by recycling and creating less trash. It was another great "We can be superheroes too" kind of book... very cute.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6GG_vldBAlNUpM_6XNOQCz9z304yVathWtuA4QANX0grbFaNHYUzPHflfnZcHtfOm_FJ-VGZ91xxgUl03d6hgCGd4Lufogswzex7RrZcd59F3XuFuKCTfurnTz3Wngib-mr_iRbBgiM/s1600/IMG_0657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6GG_vldBAlNUpM_6XNOQCz9z304yVathWtuA4QANX0grbFaNHYUzPHflfnZcHtfOm_FJ-VGZ91xxgUl03d6hgCGd4Lufogswzex7RrZcd59F3XuFuKCTfurnTz3Wngib-mr_iRbBgiM/s640/IMG_0657.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">We are going to begin learning about composting next week. I haven't gone deep into composting with a class before... I have always just quickly mentioned it- but this year we are going to go more in depth... we are going to start by reading </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20src=%22//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=sunnyan-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=1404822003&asins=1404822003&linkId=37e89a68773e239593c6c6e8308c3155&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff%22%3E%20%20%20%20%20%3C/iframe%3E" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">Composting- Nature's Recyclers</a><span style="text-align: start;"> and </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20src=%22//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=sunnyan-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0385755384&asins=0385755384&linkId=ca3e8e14012f30f74057ffc4533c0d07&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff%22%3E%20%20%20%20%20%3C/iframe%3E" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">Compost Stew.</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeTTokJKM4N9K7gnBvpxOreqT5Ew97V7Hb61s3ombqhMzBdtHaU_QcFBP7iv4SYSfA2PROGqqh3ZMo7aaC78Dkg2m7yasEy7FgkxQhf6BcQIjmNjirtkIRNJ5mQbc4vZuobdHl485hI4/s1600/IMG_0663.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeTTokJKM4N9K7gnBvpxOreqT5Ew97V7Hb61s3ombqhMzBdtHaU_QcFBP7iv4SYSfA2PROGqqh3ZMo7aaC78Dkg2m7yasEy7FgkxQhf6BcQIjmNjirtkIRNJ5mQbc4vZuobdHl485hI4/s640/IMG_0663.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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We are also going to try to learn more about composting by watching it happen with this <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20style=%22width:120px;height:240px;%22%20marginwidth=%220%22%20marginheight=%220%22%20scrolling=%22no%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20src=%22//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=sunnyan-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B01ARHG7XO&asins=B01ARHG7XO&linkId=57fc9954da5aed360b31740cf06b2a0d&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff%22%3E%20%20%20%20%20%3C/iframe%3E" target="_blank">compost kit</a>. I have never tried this before... I really hope it works!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpYexF2DN0UEfmnXiUOOeMXYPxYk8l445qvWmomU0xoBHYQ7GqbKCJMhkMvx-v57DyQRngDOqgBkdCSGT9RJ8YF_csFb4lpr2-Dmt6hFUlcMFIQSmenyhyphenhyphenRe6nLW0RaWmi2KTrFvULks/s1600/IMG_0661.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBpYexF2DN0UEfmnXiUOOeMXYPxYk8l445qvWmomU0xoBHYQ7GqbKCJMhkMvx-v57DyQRngDOqgBkdCSGT9RJ8YF_csFb4lpr2-Dmt6hFUlcMFIQSmenyhyphenhyphenRe6nLW0RaWmi2KTrFvULks/s640/IMG_0661.png" width="448" /></a></div>
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Last week we also made "Recycled Robots". I need to hunt down more photos... but how cute is that little guy?</div>
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Okay, here are a few more quick things I want to share with you! First, some of my favorite Earth Day songs... </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8DJ45Yc3urg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8DJ45Yc3urg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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"Going Green" is our <i>favorite</i>. (Warning: You won't be able to stop singing it.)</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AOvcW8l3RzE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AOvcW8l3RzE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" is a very simple song about the recycling loop.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/U3ZK5pntyNg/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U3ZK5pntyNg?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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"If You're A Kid..." is another one of our favorite songs. My kids LOVE this one by Harry Kindergarten.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiGgRswrIOlpKn09ji3YxD7FEJDDUNAIZpH-NuosFGWHrLmfzbCprIJkqWaR7DAKoPfaNcOcUpStzLs-fActxeWFt375wigqYsQfEV8GSlM5FUMpvwvXlyB4AAK2RcdloorRQK-z_gG4/s1600/20150409_100856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiGgRswrIOlpKn09ji3YxD7FEJDDUNAIZpH-NuosFGWHrLmfzbCprIJkqWaR7DAKoPfaNcOcUpStzLs-fActxeWFt375wigqYsQfEV8GSlM5FUMpvwvXlyB4AAK2RcdloorRQK-z_gG4/s640/20150409_100856.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is my all time favorite hallway display. I wrote more about it <a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2015/04/earth-day.html" target="_blank">here</a>. This is part of my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-Bundle-2506607" target="_blank">Earth Day Bundle</a> and my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-Close-Read-Unit-Differentiated-Texts-Common-Core-Aligned-1201425" target="_blank">Earth Day Close Reading packet</a> or you can grab just this writing/art project <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-3038303" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div>
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I wanted to share a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Recycling-A-Mini-Close-Read-Unit-Differentiated-Texts-1200105" target="_blank">recycling FREEBIE</a> with you as well!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZCN_TuejkDDTB9WPXAFlFbVzRX32GxclPZLAOHo7FtgWf14Ujd4Fx2ROWbz97Yc2gi_N25koUokfV7Y9zcUS145UVeuwPE4gx9bmUW5ARP0wZiUsyg6aa5zzltEYJwkkwHLJkV8te4I/s1600/Slide01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZCN_TuejkDDTB9WPXAFlFbVzRX32GxclPZLAOHo7FtgWf14Ujd4Fx2ROWbz97Yc2gi_N25koUokfV7Y9zcUS145UVeuwPE4gx9bmUW5ARP0wZiUsyg6aa5zzltEYJwkkwHLJkV8te4I/s640/Slide01.png" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Recycling-A-Mini-Close-Read-Unit-Differentiated-Texts-1200105" target="_blank">This mini-unit</a> is perfect for grades 1-3. It includes and article that explains recycling written on 3 different levels of text and vocabulary complexity... so the differentiation is done for you! It also includes text dependent questions and some recycling posters.</div>
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I always use Earth Day as an excuse to sneak my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Butterflies-2462911" target="_blank">Butterfly </a>and <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sea-Turtles-Life-Cycle-More-Complete-Nonfiction-Resource-Close-Reading-Unit-1764796" target="_blank">Sea Turtle</a> units into centers as well. I LOVE these units. They are so much fun to teach- the kids love them! (The <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sea-Turtles-Life-Cycle-More-Complete-Nonfiction-Resource-Close-Reading-Unit-1764796" target="_blank">Sea Turtle </a>unit is actually a part of the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-Bundle-2506607" target="_blank">Earth Day Bundle</a>- which is a great deal if you are looking for some materials!)</div>
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So... that's where we are in our Earth Day preparations... we are going to be planting seeds today (which is for our science fair project... but fits nicely in with Earth Day)! What do you have going on for Earth Day? I would love some new ideas!</div>
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(F.Y.I- This post contains affiliate links to books & products that I love & use in my classroom.)<br />
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Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-71022602097621037562017-03-24T19:35:00.000-07:002017-03-24T19:35:37.048-07:005 for Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN2nu1PmtMEmhMZM71Fe6xtwUMdGJ9VsySi6h0iYZuG9DiN5j9LuIFJbPgySm1J7GaCY_9weUE5Q9WNyRRZTXEsHxdirNN2yRv71MDsGrlykbziTNcV7ou_EmZPeea011cxDHJvgrY_E/s1600/fiveforfriday2_thumb%255B3%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN2nu1PmtMEmhMZM71Fe6xtwUMdGJ9VsySi6h0iYZuG9DiN5j9LuIFJbPgySm1J7GaCY_9weUE5Q9WNyRRZTXEsHxdirNN2yRv71MDsGrlykbziTNcV7ou_EmZPeea011cxDHJvgrY_E/s320/fiveforfriday2_thumb%255B3%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy Friday!</div>
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We made it! I wasn't sure if I would. It was the week after Spring Break... which is hard enough... but we also had testing alllllll week. Brutal! To celebrate making it through the week I'm linking up with <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2017/03/five-for-friday-march-24th.html" target="_blank">Doodlebugs Teaching for a Five for Friday Linky Party</a>- Here we go!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEAyi6zFYm_mRoRrhZSbmEUdraJJuAROA68K3mVJhPC2pfrYaM5SkEki-GJAQ6T7l2FfRnrYMOxxk5498eUO4E28WfY1avHnYUFVUWXkmO6qaPLqkZdd7wRfL4o41gJ8YTPh_pMb18uI/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdEAyi6zFYm_mRoRrhZSbmEUdraJJuAROA68K3mVJhPC2pfrYaM5SkEki-GJAQ6T7l2FfRnrYMOxxk5498eUO4E28WfY1avHnYUFVUWXkmO6qaPLqkZdd7wRfL4o41gJ8YTPh_pMb18uI/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+1.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_NBqTLhbQS52v4HVS2uJjKgu_fiU-037gu4r-QRwZDHzufL_ljbLhnt5xMMDkwnoRI11jibBD4zbmyWH0qMwnXFzZ-lBNgPBhD2UUAxAwtuqrwC76AHzfNR4orDaoWWd10eTW9pbJgo/s1600/IMG_0319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_NBqTLhbQS52v4HVS2uJjKgu_fiU-037gu4r-QRwZDHzufL_ljbLhnt5xMMDkwnoRI11jibBD4zbmyWH0qMwnXFzZ-lBNgPBhD2UUAxAwtuqrwC76AHzfNR4orDaoWWd10eTW9pbJgo/s1600/IMG_0319.jpg" /></a></div>
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So, after a glorious week of Spring Break and a difficult re-adjustment to real life (getting 4 kids into my minivan at 6:20 am Monday morning) I had to administer SAT-10 testing to my poor kiddos all week. It's a lot on these little guys under the best of circumstances... and let's just say, in my humble opinion, standardized testing at 8:00 in the morning after coming back from vacation is not really the <i>best of circumstances.</i>.. but they were troopers!!!</div>
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In addition to getting back into the swing of early mornings and standardized testing, I started a new professional development class this week. It's a bit of a long story... I will spare you... the short version is that certification requirements have changed in the past few years and when I got ready to renew my certificate this spring I found out that I needed to take ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY HOURS of professional development hours to keep my ESOL certification. (Again, long story...) </div>
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I knocked out the first 60 first semester and it was pretty painless. I signed up for another class this spring where I would do 5 modules online and then go to 5 weeks of classes. <i>Of course, </i>the classes started this week... AND the online modules had to be completed before the classes began. (I had missed that little asterisk when I signed up...) So, I found myself sitting at my computer for many, many hours completing the online portion of the class this week... AND I spent Thursday night sitting in class. </div>
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I guess that wasn't the "short version". (I am never good at "short versions"!) Okay, the short version of that story is: I'm taking a linguistics class this spring. I completed 60% of it this week. I'm tired.</div>
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My adorable nephew is turning 8. I love this kid so much! He is just the cutest, funniest kid. He had a "Nerf Battle" party last weekend. (It was such a cool party. It was held at a gym that was set up with blockades and barriers. The kids were divided into teams and it was a full-on Nerf war. He was in heaven!)</div>
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And as much as I loved watching my nephew in "8 year old boy heaven" I also loved watching my little Ella let her personality shine through. She isn't one to be left behind, but she was much younger than anyone else at the party and was definately the only "warrior in a tutu" but it didn't slow her down for a minute!</div>
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We have been continuing with measurement in math this week (which the kids are LOVING!). My awesome intern had the kids do this adorable "<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Measurement-Activities-Inches-Feet-Centimeters-and-Meters-507507" target="_blank">Measurement Monster" activity from the Applicious Teacher</a> this week. They came out SO CUTE! They had so much fun. It was the perfect "after testing" activity. They were working on the standards, using the vocabulary and talking about math... but they were also getting to be creative, make something cute and act like 8-year-olds... I love that kind of activity!</div>
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It's officially spring! I hear that in some places that is a really big deal! (I can not even IMAGINE being somewhere where it snows in MARCH! - or ever I guess...) Here in sunny Florida we don't really get "seasons". Our seasons go from warm, to warmer, to hot, to so hot you can't breathe outside. You don't really want to be here in August... trust me on that one... but March? We are good at March here in Florida!</div>
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My girl is especially good at March. She is soaking up every moment of sunshine! She got new rain boots for her birthday. Aren't they cute? Poor girl has been <i>DYING </i>to "stomp in muddy puddles"... but she's not going to let a little sunshine get in the way of her plans! She will wear her rain boots and she will look a<i>dorable </i>in them! So there, sunshine!</div>
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Well, I don't know about you, but I am having a "wild and crazy" Friday night! I am sitting here on my couch next to a sleeping 5 year old. I just finished watching "Night at the Museum" with my cute dates and I am sipping a glass of Chardonnay while cutting out my butterfly laminating. Oh, the wild and crazy life of a teacher-mom ;) Wouldn't change it for the world! (Well, I might change the amount of sleep I get... but that's about it).</div>
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So, after listening to the squeals of joy my kiddos let out while cutting out their monsters this week I vowed to spend the next 9 weeks (ONLY NINE MORE WEEKS!!!) giving them more of those fun, eight-year-old experiences. I am just going to find ways to make it work.</div>
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So, this upcoming week, I am going to integrate science and literacy standards and put my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Butterflies-2462911" target="_blank">Butterfly Close Reading Unit </a>in a literacy center for students to work on independently. There are lots of great informational texts, text dependent questions and writing prompts included. Once they have completed the "work" activities they are going to do the craft and make their own butterflies... because they are eight... and eight year olds should learn about and make butterflies. So there.</div>
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Have you found ways to squeeze "more childhood" into your classroom? I would LOVE to hear your ideas! I need to find more ways to put FUN in my lesson plans. Please leave a comment and let me know how you are making it work! </div>
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Happy WEEKEND!</div>
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Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-27948716813467633522017-03-11T09:16:00.006-08:002017-03-11T13:06:45.218-08:005 for Friday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Weekend! I am extra, extra, extra happy because this weekend is the beginning of my Spring Break!!! Yea!! I really thought I might not make it...a<a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2017/03/when-scoot-goes-wrong-classroom.html" target="_blank">s I explained earlier this week I have <i>that class</i></a> this year and, let me tell you, the struggle is real. But, I made it!!! Yea!! In celebration I am linking up with <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2017/03/five-for-friday-linky-party-march-10th.html" target="_blank">Doodlebugs Teaching</a> to wrap up my week with a 5 for Friday post. Here we go!<br />
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Isn't my Ella enchanting? :)</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2153207342569918192#editor/target=post;postID=2470663491284130673;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=2;src=postname" target="_blank">As I mentioned last week </a>my baby turned five on Monday. I just can't believe it. I swear she was just born last week. I don't understand how five years can pass by right before your eyes! I know that sounds so cliche and like something "old" people say... but it is <i>so true</i>! (For the record, that does not make <i>me </i>old! Neither does the fact that my <i>youngest</i> is now five years old... )<br />
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She squealed and giggled and was completely thrilled with absolutely everything (except that fact that she couldn't start kindergarten that day...she was not very happy about that..."Five year olds are supposed to go to kindergarten!" you know). I just absolutely adore this age... four and five are my favorites... I just love everything about this little moment in time... I swear I look at her and I can just see everything good in the world in that little smile. :)</div>
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It has been a fun week of soaking her up and counting my blessings. Sometimes I wonder how I ever got to be so lucky. That saying "the days are long but the years are short" is so true. It is so easy to get caught up in the exhaustion of school and homework and cleaning and carpooling... but when you stop and look at your babies... you just want to cry that it is all going too fast!<br />
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Okay, thank you for indulging me... It's been a sentimental week... On to the "regular stuff" now :)<br />
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We have been working really hard on adding "juicy details" to our writing. The kids love the "juicy burger" analogy. They totally get it and it has worked really, really well. The kids have really been having a lot of fun with writing this week. (The fact that I am not really a meat eater and talking about "juicy meat" makes me want to throw up makes it a little less fun for me.)</div>
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We have been using parts of <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Write-On-Unit-4-Informational-and-Paragraph-Writing-2866930" target="_blank">this unit </a>(written by Amy Lemons and Hope King) and then I have been adding my own ideas and "extras" and making it work for my kiddos. </div>
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On a total (kind of dumb) whim I decided to end our week by making "juicy burger flip books" on Friday. I do this... I get these ideas and just jump on them without really thinking... I got the idea Friday morning and made the template during lunch... Then, Friday afternoon (the Friday before Spring Break!!) we made them. </div>
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The room was a bit chaotic for the rest of the afternoon. </div>
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However, the kids LOVED it. They did great work and are so proud of their writing... and now we are on Spring Break so I can just forget about the ridiculousness of Friday afternoon's activities ;).<br />
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Math has been all about measurement this week. I am going to write a short, little math post later this week that links our videos, songs and activities. </div>
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It was a very "hands on" fun week. (Again, kids loved it... I am tired. Very, very tired.)</div>
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Isn't that little fox cute? More on their artwork later this week. :)</div>
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We focused on Gail Gibbons books this week in ELA. I just love her books. I love them all. I wish that I could have hours and hours and hours to teach the content in all of her books for months without anyone interrupting me and telling me it was time to "move on" or wrap up the unit. I find my own ways to incorporate them all the time... but I LOVE when they get to be the official focus!</div>
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I also love reading my kids biographies. It is a passion of mine. This week we read about Amelia Earhart. Our favorite book this week was <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amelia-Earhart-Ordinary-People-Change/dp/0803740824/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489251404&sr=8-1&keywords=i+am+amelia+earhart" target="_blank">I Am Amelia Earhart (Ordinary People Change the World)</a>. There is also a great <a href="https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/famoushistoricalfigures/ameliaearhart/" target="_blank">Brainpop.com video</a> on Amelia Earhart that we enjoyed. I am trying to add in some extra biographies since March is Women's History Month (not that I need an excuse...).</div>
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I was so excited this week to see my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Womens-History-Month-1147980" target="_blank">Women's History Month Poster Pack</a> in action! walker.library.girl posted her bulletin board on her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BRZkjiGhZUr/?taken-by=walker.library.girl" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and I love it SO MUCH! (It seriously made my week!)</div>
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I have found <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Womens-History-Month-1147980" target="_blank">the posters </a>to be an easy way to introduce students to a variety of inspirational women in a quick, fun way. (-And that is my favorite way... much better than the stupid 'Let me create a really complicated project two hours before we go on vacation even though I have <i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2153207342569918192#editor/target=post;postID=4735907730753834501;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=1;src=postname" target="_blank">that class </a></i>this year' way! ...Rookie mistake)</div>
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So, that was my week... How about you? Are you on Spring Break yet? Is it coming soon? Are you as completely, totally exhausted as I am? If so, I hope you get to take a really, really long nap! (That never really happens around here... but it sounds glorious!) Have a great weekend!</div>
<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-47359077307538345012017-03-07T18:10:00.001-08:002017-03-07T18:10:38.166-08:00When "Scoot" Goes Wrong -Classroom Management Tips for "THAT Class"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;">So, if you read</span><a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2017/03/5-for-friday-or-whatever-day-it-is.html" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="color: #420178;"> last week's "wrap up" post</span></a><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;">, you
know that our first game of Scoot went terribly, terribly wrong. In fact,
it went so wrong, that I realized it was time that I sat down and wrote out my
classroom management tips for "that class" (also known as how I try
to make it through the day this year).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">If you are a "classroom game" kind of teacher,
I am sure it is hard to believe that a game of Scoot could go so awry.
*By the way, if that is what you are thinking right now, I am jealous of
you...because you and I are having very, very different years!* (I'm
sure that you probably know what a "scoot" is, but just in case you
don't, it is a game where students all begin at their own numbered spot.
They complete an academic task - such as an addition problem - then when
the timer goes off the entire class "scoots" to the next numbered
space. There is another task waiting for them to complete there.
They continue to "scoot" around the room until they have
completed all the tasks or problems.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">Scoot is a game that many teachers go back to over
and over again. Kids love it, you can incorporate almost any skill or
standard, it includes movement, it is easy to differentiate...the list of
positives goes on and on! You might even call it the perfect classroom
game...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 32.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">However...</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">It is much, much, much, much, much easier for some
groups than others. The particular group of students that I have this
year are not what you would call "naturals" at this type of
organized, independent, focused-yet -exciting and enjoyable activity.
They tend to...how should I say it?...Lose their minds. Like,
for real.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">Now, this particular scoot/lesson was planned by my
(wonderful) intern. She planned it perfectly. She thought of
everything. She aligned the game to the standard we were studying and
made accommodations for ELL and ESE students. She remembered everything...except exactly who the little people in this particular class happen to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">You see, this year, we have the honor of teaching
"<i>that class</i>". Now, don't get me wrong...they are sweet!
They are kind and usually very happy. However, they are <i>not </i>independent.
In fact, it is shocking just how "not independent" they are...especially given the fact that it is now March and I have been working with
them on becoming "independent learners" every. single. day. since
August! This particular group also seems to have the collective attention
span of a certain distractible fish named Dory.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">Now, my intern is new at all of this...so it would
make sense that she might just not be accustomed to "wiggly" groups
or kids that are a little more "active" than most. However, I
am in my 17th year of teaching. I have taught special education classes,
pre-kindergarten or kindergarten for the majority of my career...I believe
that this background has me fairly accustomed to distractibility and students
have have difficulty focusing. In fact, I think that my tolerance for
"the wiggles" is much stronger than most. However, this year is
like one long wiggle hangover. The struggle is real my friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">So, just in case you find yourself in a situation
where you are teaching "that class"...you know, the one that loses
their minds every thirty seconds...the one that gets SO wound up that you
don't know if you will ever be able to reel them back in...the one where
spotting something shiny knocks them off their rockers...the one that </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;">CAN NOT
HANDLE A SIMPLE GAME OF SCOOT</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">...then, worry not...I am here to help!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">Here is my list of "Helpful Hints". These are the
classroom management strategies that really do work with "<i>that
class"</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 24pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Give
Clear, Simple Directions</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">One way to really set your students (and yourself!)
up for success - especially when you are teaching "that class" is to
make sure you are giving your students very clear directions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">For example, during our colossal Scoot failure, my sweeties had been
told: "Everyone is going to go to your numbered space. When you get
there you will find a math problem waiting for you. You are to solve that
problem on your answer sheet in the square that has the same number as your
space. When you hear the timer go off you will get to "scoot"
to the next numbered spot! Then, you will solve that problem in the same
numbered space. We will keep doing this until all the problems have been
solved. Ready? Go to your numbered space!"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Mincho";">
</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">On
"do-over-day" I simplified the directions. I brought it way,
way, way, way down. Here is how it went:</span><span style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Mincho";">
</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">"When
I say go, you are going to get up and go to your numbered space. Watch
me. I am going to pretend I am number three. I am going to get up
and walk to space number three." (I got up and walked to space three
with my clipboard and pencil.)</span><span style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Mincho";">
</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">"Now, when I hear the
'beep' and the game begins I am going to solve this problem. Watch.
'BEEP!'." (I pretended to solve the problem on my clipboard.)</span><span style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Mincho";">
</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">"Now,
I am going to listen for the next 'BEEP'. When I hear it I am going to
get to "scoot" to the next space. I started at number three.
Where will I scoot to boys and girls?" (Wait for them to
answer "Four!") "Yes, I am going to go to four. Watch.
'BEEP!'. I am moving to number four. I am going to answer this math
problem now. Where should I write the answer on my paper?" (Then, I
waited for them to answer "at number four") "Yes, right...then,
I will wait for the 'BEEP'. What do I get to do at the 'BEEP'? (Wait for
the answer "SCOOT!")</span><span style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Mincho";">
 </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">- Then, I acted it out for the next three "scoots". Yes, I am serious. It
is crazy right? However, I swear, it went from complete and total chaos, to
this:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">I have found that I <i>literally </i>cannot oversimplify
directions this year. It is not possible. One step directions are
ideal, however, that is often not possible. If I can't give one step
directions, I need to give one step, then help them process that step before
moving on. (This can be with wait time, having students repeat the
direction, acting it out, using a visual etc.) <i>Then </i>I can add the
next step. I know it sounds crazy to be breaking things down <i>this much</i> with
kids older than three...but, I am telling you, it works. It is totally
worth getting into the habit of taking a few extra minutes to break things down
because<i> it works</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 24pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">Rely on
Routines and Systems</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Mincho";">
</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">While it is always best practice
to have classroom routines and systems in place to assist with your classroom
management...when you have "that class" it is 100% essential! As you
can see from the above, it can be exhausting to have to break down every single
little thing all day long. You are going to need to have routines in place so
that your students know what they are supposed to be doing (and when and how!).
It is going to be the only thing keeping you sane some days!</span><span style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Mincho";">




</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">I have
found that it really doesn't matter what the routine is (as long as it works
for you). What matters, is that you teach your students to be very, very
consistent with it. For example. If you have homework sitting on the table when
students come in in the morning then you have to make sure that it is there
every morning. If it isn't there they are going to lose their minds. They will
ask you 500 times where it is and will not remember that you told them the
copier is broken and that they will get it later. Now, of course, sometimes the
copier is really going to be broken and they are just going to have to deal
with it... just be aware that it is not going to be pleasant for you when that
happens. However, it <i>will</i> make your life much, much,
much easier to have as many things happen "automatically" as
possible. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">When you have a class that has a hard time following directions
and/or focusing it is key to minimize the number of times per day you need to
give them directions.</span><span style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Mincho";">
 </span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">If you really try, you can make
almost everything that happens in your classroom (except for the actual
teaching points/instruction) part of a routine. Packing up, unpacking,
choosing centers, cleaning up, turning in work, passing out materials, working
in groups/with partners, working on computers/iPads...these can all be
on-going routines. </span><span style="font-family: "MS Mincho"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "MS Mincho";">
</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Fun activities like recess,
brain-breaks, Go-Noodle breaks, learning games & 'Scoots' should
all also be part of routines that have been <i>taught and practiced</i> as
well. (This was obviously our downfall.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 24pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">3. Focus on
Engagement</span><!--[if !supportLists]--></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">Now, I know that it is probably always your goal to
have your class engaged, right? I mean, who wants their students to be
passive learners? However, this is just one more example
of something that is always best practice that becomes absolutely
critical when you have "that class". These kiddos need us to
put on a show to keep their attention under the best of situations. Can
it be frustrating? Sure! Is it worth it to keep the classroom under
control - 100%. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">So, what exactly does it mean to keep "that
class" engaged? It means keeping their attention by <i>any means
necessary</i>...this could easily be a post all of its own! However,
most of the most effective engagement strategies are probably things you are
already doing! The only difference is, when you have "that
class" you need to do them all and you need to do them pretty much all the
time (Again, Exhausting? Yes. Worth it? Also yes.).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">Some great ways to keep your kiddos engaged
include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">•</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">i</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">ncorporating lots
of music and movement - you can find a quick song and video to go along with
just about any lesson on YouTube these days! (Be sure to check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/havefunteaching"><span style="color: #420178;">Have
Fun Teaching!</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">utilizing
the gradual release model for instruction ("I do" teacher
demonstrations, "We do" partner/group practice, "You do"
individual work)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">lots of
brain breaks (think Go Noodle!, stretch breaks, jumping jacks etc.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">using <a href="http://wholebrainteaching.com/"><span style="color: #420178;">Whole Brain
Teaching </span></a>strategies<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">plan
lessons while accounting for different learning styles<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">utilizing
cooperative learning groups, turn and talks, <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literature-Circles-and-Conversation-Circles-in-K-2-Speaking-and-Listening-1446491"><span style="color: #420178;">accountable talk and conversation circles</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">letting
students make choices and building places for choice throughout the day<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">carefully
thinking through the daily schedule - varying activities (loud then quiet, large
group then small group, teacher directed then student directed etc.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Times;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 24pt; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">When All Else Fails - ABANDON SHIP</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">Sometimes the best thing you can do is to simply
STOP doing whatever you are doing! We try so hard all the time don't we?
We spend hours planning the "perfect lessons". Then we
create the materials...we cut, color, print and laminate. We make games
and anchor charts. We try SO HARD. We try so hard that sometimes we
don't see the forest for the trees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">So, this is the best advice I can give you for the
times "when Scoot goes wrong"...abandon the ship. If it
is sinking - JUMP OFF IT. Trying to salvage "Scoot gone
wrong" is a terrible idea for so many, many reasons!</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: normal;">First of all,
it's too late. They aren't listening to you anymore. They don't
care about Scoot or math or games or anything anymore. When you are
teaching "that class" you have to remember that sometimes they are
too far gone. It might be a full moon, or raining, someone might have
"looked at" someone else, or seen something shiny. For whatever
reason, there are going to be times that it just won't work...and that's okay. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Really. It's okay. You can decide to say "We are done
with this for today" or "I changed my mind" or "We are
going to try this again tomorrow." You can say whatever you want
because you are the teacher. You can simply decide to teach them
something else right now (like how to take deep breaths and calm down so you
don't lose your cool in front of a classroom of children... or something
else...that's just a random idea). The point is, sometimes the best
thing you can do is to say, "This isn't working. Let's try this
again tomorrow. Please come to the gathering area and we will read a book
instead". Because the next day when you try again (after a good
night's sleep - and a few glasses of wine) it might just be "Scoot M</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 18.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">agic"!</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKiTPyrT4b8OZqDBEF28Ze9qonMdPMxG4bAFxMDC7BiTnjx9em7oQgUEanBarmPcEdkynfq7cGidl5D1VYZwHpIqo-69NR64s3bWUzaTZ5Cee2EMNYIt-vzNU9kY_18z_bAUgLHhakfC0/s1600/IMG_0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKiTPyrT4b8OZqDBEF28Ze9qonMdPMxG4bAFxMDC7BiTnjx9em7oQgUEanBarmPcEdkynfq7cGidl5D1VYZwHpIqo-69NR64s3bWUzaTZ5Cee2EMNYIt-vzNU9kY_18z_bAUgLHhakfC0/s640/IMG_0036.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">I would love to hear your ideas for getting things "back on track" when they go wrong... or for keeping them on track in the first place... Pretty much I would love to hear any ideas you have! It is <i>that</i> kind of year! I hope some of these ideas help you... or at least help you to know that you are not "in it alone"! Let me know if any of these ideas work... or if you have any better ideas! I'm listening...</span></div>
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Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-24706634912841306732017-03-05T08:35:00.001-08:002017-03-05T08:48:02.881-08:005 for Friday (... or Whatever Day It Is...)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN2nu1PmtMEmhMZM71Fe6xtwUMdGJ9VsySi6h0iYZuG9DiN5j9LuIFJbPgySm1J7GaCY_9weUE5Q9WNyRRZTXEsHxdirNN2yRv71MDsGrlykbziTNcV7ou_EmZPeea011cxDHJvgrY_E/s1600/fiveforfriday2_thumb%255B3%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN2nu1PmtMEmhMZM71Fe6xtwUMdGJ9VsySi6h0iYZuG9DiN5j9LuIFJbPgySm1J7GaCY_9weUE5Q9WNyRRZTXEsHxdirNN2yRv71MDsGrlykbziTNcV7ou_EmZPeea011cxDHJvgrY_E/s320/fiveforfriday2_thumb%255B3%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Happy Weekend! I am late (as usual!) but I am not going to let that stop me :). I am linking up with </span><a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2017/03/five-for-friday-link-up-march-3rd.html" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Doodlebugs Teaching</a><span style="text-align: center;"> to recap my week. Here we go!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5UWg4S0JD1Fh43JX_pU8XFHbDadn-UYgHQrt_jIiawGzizMQqi33Tv9oR7AUIo07i-NtoUITij-V_j7CCcALAf8ghyKyURMTC5m4ZT43i20bl8O1cTXk8M0C8y9xh12ys45bxWQWTXE/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5UWg4S0JD1Fh43JX_pU8XFHbDadn-UYgHQrt_jIiawGzizMQqi33Tv9oR7AUIo07i-NtoUITij-V_j7CCcALAf8ghyKyURMTC5m4ZT43i20bl8O1cTXk8M0C8y9xh12ys45bxWQWTXE/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+1.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Scoot!</span></div>
So, my sweet intern planned a "Scoot" game for my class this week. (You know "scoot" right? The "get up and move in an organized fashion while you complete academic tasks" game.) It was the perfect game for the math standard we have been working on. She planned the <i>perfect </i>lesson. It incorporated movement and differentiation... it provided practice for a skill that students should be becoming independent with... She accounted for learning styles, assessment, and the individual needs of ESE and ESL students. Let me say again... <b>She planned the perfect lesson.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
And look! It looks good right? The students look engaged and like they are working hard. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">BUT... O.M.G....</span> It was crazy. Like, so, so, so crazy. So crazy that it deserves its own post... and we both deserved wine that night... a lot of wine.<br />
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(A "When SCOOT Goes Wrong" post will be coming tomorrow... if you have "<i>that </i>class" this year it will make you feel better ;) and if you don't have "<i>that</i> class" this year it will make you feel grateful... ha!)<br />
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On a more successful note, the students built a worm habitat this week. (We are building up our background knowledge and working toward a science project that will focus on composting.)<br />
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F.Y.I Those are not my hands in the above photo. (I told you my intern was awesome. She planned and executed this whole thing!) I wish I could say that because the kids love learning about worms so much I "get over myself" and get into "science teacher mode"... but I don't. I absolutely can not bring myself to touch the worms. CAN NOT DO IT. I am not super squeamish around insects. (In fact my own children know to call <i>Mommy</i> and not Daddy if they see a spider!)<br />
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However, if it weren't for my intern this wonderful worm experience would not be happening... or at lease would not be "hands on" learning!<br />
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The kids are totally fascinated. They are so intrigued with the worms and have been learning SO much!<br />
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<a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2015/09/living-nonliving-worm-investigation.html" target="_blank">HERE i</a><a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2015/09/living-nonliving-worm-investigation.html" target="_blank">s a blog post </a>that I wrote about the way that I teach about living and nonliving animals. If I am able to talk someone into helping me handle worms ;) we do a really fun earthworm vs. gummy worm living/nonliving science experiment. It is always a crowd pleaser :)<br />
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This week was Read Across America Week, as I am sure you know! Here is a quick photo of my sweet little "Daisy-Head Mayzies". Aren't they cute? This might have been the easiest project EVER... and it was cute! Which means it is my new favorite. The fact that I love reading <u>Daisy- Head Mayzie</u> and that it is something the kids haven't done before makes it even better!<br />
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March is Women's History Month! Do you do anything to teach your students about Women's History? I have really been enjoying studying biographies with my students this year. </div>
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This is the same bulletin board in the front office that I put together last month for <a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2017/02/black-history-month-resources-freebies.html" target="_blank">Black History Month. </a> This month it is featuring the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Womens-History-Month-1147980" target="_blank">poster set</a> that I put together for <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Womens-History-Month-1147980" target="_blank">Women's History</a>. This set features 25 different women throughout history (so far... I am still adding to it!)</div>
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I am going to try to write a Women's History Month post later this week that includes all of my favorite books, videos & activities... stay tuned!</div>
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My baby thinks she is turning five tomorrow. Isn't that ridiculous? She was just born <i>YESTERDAY. </i>There is no way she could <i>possibly</i> be turning five. I really can't process this information...<br />
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Besides the fact that four is my favorite, favorite, favorite age and I can't bear the thought of not having a four year old anymore... She is my <b><i>baby</i></b>! My <i>last baby!</i><br />
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I am still problem-solving this out... but it can't really be happening. So, we celebrated "All things Ella" yesterday... and the celebration will continue throughout the week (because my baby is just like her Mama... she is a happy little soul that loves life and loves to celebrate!)... but I am not accepting that the celebration means she is <i>actually</i> getting older... because that is more than my sentimental heart can handle right now.<br />
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I have ONE MORE WEEK until Spring Break!! "I think I can... I think I can... I think I can..." How about you? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Hope you are having a great weekend!!Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-16618898895102498482017-02-26T17:04:00.001-08:002017-02-26T17:08:10.837-08:005 for Fr- The Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, since it is Sunday night I don't think I can even pretend that this is still a "real" Five for Friday post... However, I do like catching up, sharing the highlights of my week with you and linking up with <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2017/02/five-for-friday-linky-party-february.html" target="_blank">Doodlebugs Teaching</a>... So, I'm hoping we can just ignore my tardiness (like we do every week- but a lets do it a little more this week) and jump in!<br />
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So, you might remember that <a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2017/02/five-for-friday.html" target="_blank">last week</a> I told you about the Living Monument projects that my twins were working on that were <strike>taking over our lives</strike> being finished up. Tuesday night our school turned into a Living Monument Museum and it was <i style="font-size: x-large;">AWESOME!</i> It was so incredibly impressive! The kids all did such an amazing job! They all wrote and memorized fabulous speeches and the creativity was really just overwhelming. </div>
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My son Matthew's project was about the Moai and Easter Island.</div>
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Danny's project was about Luxor Temple. He is dressed up as the statue in the front of the temple- obviously ;).</div>
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They really did a great job. I was so proud of them. Our school's gifted teachers went totally above and beyond to make it an amazing experience that the kids are never going to forget. (Even a "non-project-y mom like me was able to appreciate the full experience- and that's saying a lot!)</div>
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This week our math focus was time. My fabulous intern set up a "human clock" in the gathering area. It was so cute and so much fun! The kids all chose cards with different times on them and then they used their body to indicate the time that was on their card. The other students had to figure out what time they were portraying. it was a really cute fun game. They <i>loved </i>it!</div>
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Some times were easier than others to portray. We laughed pretty hard as some of the kiddos tried to fold themselves up to show their time. </div>
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It was not what I would call a "quiet, calm game" (but nothing really is with the group I have this year!). However, it was <i>very</i> engaging! The kids really loved it and it was super cute. </div>
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We also finished up some soil experiments this week. Two weeks ago we planed bean seeds in three different types of soil to see if there would be differences in their growth. We thought the experiment had been a bust because there was NO action for a long time... Then, all of a sudden, those little bean plants sprouted and grew like crazy! It was very, very exciting!</div>
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Earlier this year I wrote a Donors Choose project to purchase a large collection of inspirational books for my classroom. I wanted to buy books to teach my students about perseverance and having a growth mindset. I bought lots of biographies of inspirational people throughout history. We have been focusing on 1-2 of these biographies each week and I really love the effect it is starting to have on my students. They are starting to make comparisons between some of these people and are seeking out more information on their own. It is really warming my heart. </div>
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We read a book about Malala Yousafzai earlier this week and the students immediately made a connection between Malala and Ruby Bridges. They had the best conversation about how they were both brave and both heroes. Sometimes they melt me. <3</div>
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(I purchased the poster set above <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Be-The-Change-Bulletin-Board-Kit-2737256" target="_blank">HERE</a>.)</div>
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Have you heard about <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3401882/" target="_blank">this movie</a> yet? Friday night a huge group of teachers from my school went to see the movie and then went out for dinner and drinks. It was SO MUCH FUN! The movie was hilarious. I loved it. Silly and irreverent but so, so funny. </div>
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And it is always so much fun to get together with everyone from work when we are<i> not at work.</i> We don't do it nearly enough... Every time we do we swear we are going to make it a regular thing... then life gets in the way (kids, jobs, schedules, blah, blah, blah...) We really have to find a way to make it a priority!<br />
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I hope you had a fabulous weekend and I hope you have a great week!Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-59892635256913358582017-02-18T16:17:00.000-08:002017-02-18T18:16:29.811-08:00Five for Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yea!!! It's the weekend! I swear, the weeks seem to keep getting longer and longer recently! I have to admit... I am pretty jealous of the 3-day weekend that I hear so many people are enjoying right now... Kind of makes my "regular old 2-day weekend" seem a bit less exciting... but I'm trying not to do that whole "grass is greener thing"... a weekend is a weekend, so I am going to enjoy it! So, I am starting off by linking up with <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2017/02/five-for-friday-link-up-february-17th.html" target="_blank">Doodle Bugs Teaching</a> for another five for Friday (on Saturday) post. Here we go!</div>
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I'm sure you noticed that Valentine's Day was on a TUESDAY this year... Just like Halloween was on a MONDAY. (We really need to speak to someone about this- This can never, ever happen again!) <br />
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ANYWAY, even with plans for a very calm craft and valentines saved for the very end of the day (with just a lone cookie and juice box...) it was MADNESS. Complete and utter madness. I think my little sweeties lost their minds. I have THAT group this year. They are sweet. Individually, they are very endearing children... but together... they are... A LOT... just A LOT. But they were happy. Hopefully they made a memory. (My husband and I often have to remind each other that "Making memories isn't easy!" - This is the family motto that makes us smile when we are carrying multiple children through a 100 degree parking lot at the end of a crazy-long day somewhere "magical" ;) )<br />
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Speaking of magic, this is the valentine-gram that one of my twins sent to his brother at school on Tuesday.<br />
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The valentine-grams are purchased the week before Valentine's Day. The note and a treat are sent to anyone in the school. So, this was delivered to his classroom by a PTA volunteer. His teacher stopped passing them out long enough to text me this photo. I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe.<br />
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I find it both hilarious and kind of horrifying. What has happened to my sweet, precious little boys?? On one hand, it is so sweet that he is still sending his brother a "Be Mine" card on Valentine's Day- but seriously- "even though you are a butt"?!?! When did that happen? Last year's card ended with "You are my BFF" and the year before ended with "I love you". Bittersweet.<br />
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(*Although, I really should not complain at all... because they both also sent ME a valentine-gram telling me that they love me. They are still sweet... just not to each other...)<br />
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Speaking of my boys, a big part of this week has been devoted to helping them with their "Monument Projects". This Tuesday night they are giving speeches and presenting their "living monument" creations. They are very, very, very excited. I am too. Their speeches are fabulous and it is really going to be a great night.</div>
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However, they didn't really get a "project mom"... you know, the kind of mom who always has spray paint and knows how to do things like paper mache... I'm not that kind of mom. I'm the kind of mom who gets very "deer in the headlights-y" when the word project is mentioned... I mean, I can Pinterest with the best of 'em... but the actual follow-through... not really my thing. </div>
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So, you can imagine my feelings about these particular monuments. Danny is presenting Luxor Temple. This is a screenshot of the photo he is using as a guide to construct his monument (that he has to be a part of... and give a speech as a part of). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeA2OUYuR1TTimaJGbt_rMUXvdPqToxCO5dPTSM5FNuOIKSRnkf2QRWDuy39JXkypf-8K_L9mNrdiR0xcRzGkDJviOed5YMPtvmDwcEjFM-edigPtAUZT9i5sx3n1dLz8bd753q3aN6A/s1600/IMG_9560.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDeA2OUYuR1TTimaJGbt_rMUXvdPqToxCO5dPTSM5FNuOIKSRnkf2QRWDuy39JXkypf-8K_L9mNrdiR0xcRzGkDJviOed5YMPtvmDwcEjFM-edigPtAUZT9i5sx3n1dLz8bd753q3aN6A/s640/IMG_9560.png" width="360" /></a></div>
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Sure, easy peasy.</div>
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And Matt is presenting on Easter Island and the Moais. Here is his photo.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlMGA5JYzMN63vD9EPi29TU95iNl9dlVItvAYRsbkPEGo644Y6wtBEUvhbxPkWRXY2gscMF3jsKFse0EAJ-lSRrKTklT0KhD8MvG5bL1jM3lnEm9exRhSmNgZTQo_k6WjbLis5UmfosM/s1600/Easter+Island.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlMGA5JYzMN63vD9EPi29TU95iNl9dlVItvAYRsbkPEGo644Y6wtBEUvhbxPkWRXY2gscMF3jsKFse0EAJ-lSRrKTklT0KhD8MvG5bL1jM3lnEm9exRhSmNgZTQo_k6WjbLis5UmfosM/s640/Easter+Island.png" width="360" /></a> </div>
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So... yea...</div>
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I'll let you know how it goes....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-kEvpVwaXLnTDPZdmneQ5nY_Q6QlrPchPlw6rQDAAG9TOV1Squ9l6mvDCLjQUHFl30PJGiN7HUUDgqk_Q36evR2iHbORfcWjbFXIaQGYEz870Xhw2cQ6BTxF3LWTb3esqL_HGPDencY/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-kEvpVwaXLnTDPZdmneQ5nY_Q6QlrPchPlw6rQDAAG9TOV1Squ9l6mvDCLjQUHFl30PJGiN7HUUDgqk_Q36evR2iHbORfcWjbFXIaQGYEz870Xhw2cQ6BTxF3LWTb3esqL_HGPDencY/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+3.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkdZAOF2RaXttYyWOhL2QgoAqkUKqOl-znhPGrel7P5WYE6PzAHxDO2SFWzFTbZeIwhRhMDO4i8rNL1ixKaowIErDSGIk8qgZN1KJne6uE3PbxBgyebAceRGKMMoM1LvXVXm-HNrqJFc/s1600/IMG_9576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkdZAOF2RaXttYyWOhL2QgoAqkUKqOl-znhPGrel7P5WYE6PzAHxDO2SFWzFTbZeIwhRhMDO4i8rNL1ixKaowIErDSGIk8qgZN1KJne6uE3PbxBgyebAceRGKMMoM1LvXVXm-HNrqJFc/s640/IMG_9576.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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On a sunny note, my new intern started this week. She is WONDERFUL. I really, really, really, really like having her in my room. She is so excited and energetic. She has great ideas and is "a natural". The kids love her... and she loves them. (She even loves the ones that are a little harder to love, and that makes ME love her too!) </div>
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She has been doing lots of fun, hands on things with the kids. This is a soil experiment that she did with them this week. It's funny, because when I looked back at the photo, this photo looks very calm... but they were SO excited. I don't really know how I caught a calm look on anyone's face... Soil has never been so exciting!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxoSfAaI6RCGUM0q52MUJoz48_iWn0dL0YLHqw52VJqjpziXm9cUQ-5j6_qnGhoC6UN_8mTk0ggMfnS6plA8XqJR205_C8iLsYCSkc2ewJ3pTlapSlMhQXNF-Sd1iBZnHQNDeE7_p7ZE/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxoSfAaI6RCGUM0q52MUJoz48_iWn0dL0YLHqw52VJqjpziXm9cUQ-5j6_qnGhoC6UN_8mTk0ggMfnS6plA8XqJR205_C8iLsYCSkc2ewJ3pTlapSlMhQXNF-Sd1iBZnHQNDeE7_p7ZE/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+4.png" /></a></div>
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So, just in case you were impressed a few weeks ago when I<a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2017/02/black-history-month-resources-freebies.html" target="_blank"> mentioned how ahead of the game I was with my Black History Month unit.</a>.. have no fear. I haven't even mentioned Presidents Day yet. (Ya can't win 'em all, right?) I am going to roll with it and begin some Presidents Day activities when the students return on Tuesday. (After the long day of training that I have on Monday- when I will NOT be relaxing at home... just for the record.)</div>
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I have a couple of Presidents Day resources that I really enjoy using with the kids, so they will all be pulled out on Tuesday. One of my favorites is <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidents-Day-US-Presidents-Fun-Facts-1654880" target="_blank">this set of "Fun Facts" posters</a>. I made them 2 years ago and I think I love them as much as the students do!</div>
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I find the facts FASCINATING! Do you know which president was a college cheerleader? Or who had a pet raccoon in the White House? So many fun things to talk to the kids about!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuB_HoJ4kCxJVA_KWokDTTSvgs0GcwKDtgxlfumwehoEzN6FOWnulOsOp1FmlNIWj0fu3xuan0YbmdJvAnt8cKdJpE6Fbf3GuQRDCm7SbCmz_iTgQC6Gnmg8l8lAdFY2Oh_GgdzhIbGEk/s1600/Slide1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuB_HoJ4kCxJVA_KWokDTTSvgs0GcwKDtgxlfumwehoEzN6FOWnulOsOp1FmlNIWj0fu3xuan0YbmdJvAnt8cKdJpE6Fbf3GuQRDCm7SbCmz_iTgQC6Gnmg8l8lAdFY2Oh_GgdzhIbGEk/s640/Slide1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course, it isn't all "Wrestling Hall of Fame" trivia. I also teach them the more important things... but, I have to say, I really do love the silly stuff! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQELkg00jRxsywVsNGzdxQL3BUK8zvx5j7N-iQbGCeeSDayd2MT6Ly0IRPZkWflD0jmmxqa-UjonOJU5obdvowE9qIhycwvNchwWPf5hmVAsVxmdnwzxZ1Vr8MFjpShymLGI324eDh5s/s1600/Slide3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQELkg00jRxsywVsNGzdxQL3BUK8zvx5j7N-iQbGCeeSDayd2MT6Ly0IRPZkWflD0jmmxqa-UjonOJU5obdvowE9qIhycwvNchwWPf5hmVAsVxmdnwzxZ1Vr8MFjpShymLGI324eDh5s/s640/Slide3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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However, if you are looking for something more serious, I do have a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidents-Day-Close-Read-Biography-Unit-Differntiated-Common-Core-Aligned-1104486" target="_blank">Presidents Day close reading </a>resource... AND this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidents-Day-Differentiated-Biography-of-Abraham-Lincoln-Common-Core-Aligned-1104433" target="_blank">Abe Lincoln differentiated close reading resource</a> is a great, ready-to-go <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Presidents-Day-Differentiated-Biography-of-Abraham-Lincoln-Common-Core-Aligned-1104433" target="_blank">FREEBIE</a>!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3YuVOmg_Ac7hGDlYgD6CZh7RQAT3uUYLTGhVFd9UreqzAt8EjCnKX50NaNAdQI7tbFCyx6nMZ23kDa78685q1A2AdYjCKzbtgN3B7TpUKEswrYzF0C-x-G1YaVidajxOATr6jXLAuiQ/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3YuVOmg_Ac7hGDlYgD6CZh7RQAT3uUYLTGhVFd9UreqzAt8EjCnKX50NaNAdQI7tbFCyx6nMZ23kDa78685q1A2AdYjCKzbtgN3B7TpUKEswrYzF0C-x-G1YaVidajxOATr6jXLAuiQ/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+5.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYw4Gz3CfC13sCWYvQpXAlxC2dIHdLj-K69wUk5v9-3CyvJ4iupQ4z6ReEirZ-cbDSW6hplpE6oWGcQZLa6rA0tyXqN9bFPvEmoMQqwBLJBB2R_loSHKjz8kY7nkUjO8p4PYtf2EawN1Y/s1600/IMG_6524%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYw4Gz3CfC13sCWYvQpXAlxC2dIHdLj-K69wUk5v9-3CyvJ4iupQ4z6ReEirZ-cbDSW6hplpE6oWGcQZLa6rA0tyXqN9bFPvEmoMQqwBLJBB2R_loSHKjz8kY7nkUjO8p4PYtf2EawN1Y/s640/IMG_6524%255B1%255D.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I saw this yesterday and laughed so hard... then I kind of wanted to cry... #5 is I am very, very, very tired. I need to start sleeping better. For real... so, please don't dream about me ;)<br />
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I hope you have an awesome weekend filled with naps!<br />
<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-12733394070422502192017-02-13T00:00:00.000-08:002017-02-13T00:00:16.075-08:00Our Favorite FUN Test Prep<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1MX0OzWQ9KV_vJ9CuumfCMwuk9nsXTTTrXBVgWPcCnFrw0TFovUE0ZGvBjWwkxmuTwDskUro_8GWHklNsgSa6gVlqy5qBGQ2IKkTEBahQPo7ZK-z-QuMimRTNPX-p5nDFNzj4xj3t0M/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1MX0OzWQ9KV_vJ9CuumfCMwuk9nsXTTTrXBVgWPcCnFrw0TFovUE0ZGvBjWwkxmuTwDskUro_8GWHklNsgSa6gVlqy5qBGQ2IKkTEBahQPo7ZK-z-QuMimRTNPX-p5nDFNzj4xj3t0M/s640/Slide1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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While I deeply believe in the need for ongoing formative assessment- the kind that gives me information to drive my instruction- I just CAN NOT STAND the "big" tests that we give to such little children these days. I feel like I am being asked to give my second graders the SATs or the LSATs every quarter. It hurts my heart. And while I refuse to make a big deal about any kind of assessment with my students (the tests only get a quick mention here or there) I do know that if they aren't thoroughly prepared it will be a very stressful experience. So I know that I do need to do some "test prep" with my students. I need to make sure that information is fresh in their minds and that they are very familiar with the "testing language" that they are going to see. I am always looking for developmentally appropriate, fun ways to do this. (Please send me your great ideas! I would love to hear them!)</div>
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Recently, I stumbled across my favorite "test prep" game yet and I wanted to share it with you today. (If this post sounds a little like a commercial it is just because I am THAT excited. This has been in no way sponsored...I just love, love, love this game!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMrTEM-jL6BeU5QF_W01hUPsGjRjwJR8HpF0Gf86QxTskg_5e5G3vU7m2dar6WA_vnEKplWnVNE5oWxCtlU9ur_RFi7mN9bvYr_tP6y9JzCnp99t0VWoneuXXETgne6Mb3dgdcHQjgjw/s1600/IMG_9543.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMrTEM-jL6BeU5QF_W01hUPsGjRjwJR8HpF0Gf86QxTskg_5e5G3vU7m2dar6WA_vnEKplWnVNE5oWxCtlU9ur_RFi7mN9bvYr_tP6y9JzCnp99t0VWoneuXXETgne6Mb3dgdcHQjgjw/s640/IMG_9543.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Have you heard of Kahoot? This week we were "Kahoot-ing" like crazy! I was introduced to Kahoot by one of my daughter's high school teachers. At Open House she asked all of the parents to take out our cell phones to experience the vocabulary "warm up" she uses with the class each day. It was so cool!</div>
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If you have never done it, you have got to try it out! You go to <a href="https://create.kahoot.it/#login?next=" target="_blank">Create.Kahoot.it</a> to set up a free account and to make up your own quiz game. (You can also search for games that others have already made.) Then, when you want to play you will sign into your account and click "play this kahoot" and a code will come up on the screen for the players to enter. Your students go to <a href="https://kahoot.it/#/" target="_blank">kahoot.it</a> and enter the game pin. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VAptDiK7e2BxrCgjYtlbrTvRnALUAyHvrPUU0nM-LHGgz-i66cuYU4XsqImBIQxKxu7hJs_Im61eXZIL9SaZgmQGxvbe43nKcAb9JqhIGKI7M6QU5lqYjh60XYefz6y8A4tJWU7RNso/s1600/IMG_9542.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4VAptDiK7e2BxrCgjYtlbrTvRnALUAyHvrPUU0nM-LHGgz-i66cuYU4XsqImBIQxKxu7hJs_Im61eXZIL9SaZgmQGxvbe43nKcAb9JqhIGKI7M6QU5lqYjh60XYefz6y8A4tJWU7RNso/s640/IMG_9542.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then, the Kahoot is played like a gameshow. It is SO much fun. A question comes up on the SmartBoard (or wherever you are projecting) and each student or team rushes to answer. They receive points based on correct answers and speed. </div>
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You can play on any device that has wifi. (We used iPads and desktop computers. My daughter's class uses iPads and cell phones.) The first time that we played I only had 5 iPads for the class. That time we played in teams, which worked out fine. After that, I began having some students work on desktop computers and borrowing some iPads from other teachers. (We have 5 iPads and 5 desktops per classroom at my school.) However, the time that every student had their own device, the wifi gave us trouble and about half of the devices wouldn't work... so there is always a "real life" factor to be ready for... My kids enjoy playing so much that it isn't really a big problem. They know to just join the person or team next to them if their device isn't working.</div>
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When I say they love it, it is the understatement of the year. They go CRAZY for it. They beg and plead for it. I made several Kahoot quizzes to review for our science common assessments. I knew they would enjoy it, but the engagement and joy is really unbelievable. They beg for it ALL THE TIME. </div>
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I was really amazed with how much science review we were able to get done in this format. The kids were SO motivated by the game that I would find them talking about the questions at lunch and dismissal so they would be "ready" for the next time we played. (I found that playing the same game several times motivated them to study and/or learn the answers that they got wrong the first time. I made several different versions of the same quiz and we played each one several times.)</div>
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Now, it is not always a calm activity... In fact, it never is. It is almost impossible to keep the cheering quiet... but the engagement and amount of content we are able to cover makes the noise worth it (most of the time). </div>
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I have heard that <a href="https://quizizz.com/join/" target="_blank">Quizziz.com</a> is similar. I haven't used this one yet but I am going to try it this week. From what I hear, the difference is that students are answering different questions at different times. I think the idea is that they are working more independently and not looking at someone else's answer. I am thinking it might also be a bit quieter... I will let you know ;)</div>
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One of my students also mentioned that her dad (who is a 3rd grade teacher) found a SmartBoard game that is similar... I need to find out more about that. Have you found any great games to use for test prep? I would love to hear about them!</div>
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<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-20655636117828400722017-02-11T10:20:00.001-08:002017-02-11T10:20:32.513-08:005 for Friday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy weekend! Did you survive the "teacher trifecta" this week? Apparently there was a lunar eclipse, a comet and a full moon all on the same day... I heard this was "a once in a lifetime astrological event". If your week was anything like mine I'm sure this is not new information to you ;) but we made it!!!</div>
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To celebrate making to the weekend I am linking up with <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2017/02/five-for-friday-link-up-february-10th.html" target="_blank">Doodlebugs Teaching </a>for 5 for Friday (on Saturday... because that's how I roll!)<br />
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Yesterday my oldest daughter didn't have school. I secretly love when I have school and she doesn't. (Actually, it's not very "secretly" since I cheer, clap and rejoice.) When she has a day off she comes to school with me to volunteer! She has been doing this for years and she is the BEST volunteer. She works so hard and gets so much done. The kids absolutely love her... and I don't feel like I have to do any of the "work" of getting ready for a volunteer. You know how when you have a volunteer coming you usually have to get nice, organized piles of work ready for them. Then you have to write out clear directions for everything. Plus, you have to make sure that you have tasks "ready to go" so you don't waste their time. Well, when Kirsten comes I can just point to a closet and say "Will you work on that?" and she DOES! She organizes and gets it all done...it is heaven. AND I get to have her around for the day... which I love :).</div>
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We started learning about rocks in science this week. I find it interesting how much I love to teach science. I mean, I love, love, LOVE to teach science. However, I was not ever a kid that loved to learn about science. Which seems odd..plus it seems like all kids like to learn about science!</div>
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I think a lot of it has to do with the non-"hands on" approach to learning that we used in "the old days". Luckily, I loved to read. So, book-based learning usually worked for me. However, I work really hard to make sure that my lessons are as active and hands-on as possible.</div>
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However, rocks are not really "my thing". I don't know much about them and have never really been interested in them. I mean, they are just rocks, right? Wrong apparently! </div>
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Luckily, my new intern (who is amazing) and my mother-in-law both have great rock collections that they brought in for the kids to explore.</div>
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They had SO much fun describing the properties of their rocks, comparing and contrasting, sorting and learning about their rocks. It was much more fun than I ever knew rocks could be!</div>
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In math we are all about money right now. We have coins coming out of our ears! I bought about a thousand "money games" during the big TPT sale last week. However, the favorite so far is when we play Race to a Dollar as a whole class. (Kind of like when your kids get a great gift and spend the afternoon playing with the box.) </div>
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I gave each student a set of coins and a die and projected values up on the board. (Roll a 1-take a penny, Roll a 2- take a nickel, Roll a 3- take a dime, Roll a 4- take a quarter, Roll a 5- Your choice!, Roll a 6- No Coin!) My plan was to play one round as a group and then to have them pair off and play with a partner. However, they were having SO MUCH FUN playing whole group (we called it "BINGO style"- They yelled out "MONEY! MONEY!" when they reached a dollar) that we just continued playing together. It was really fun... I highly recommend it :)</div>
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I love teaching my students about Black History Month. It is a favorite of mine. This is the bulletin board that I put up this year. We are having a lot of fun learning about all of the different people that are featured. (The favorite lessons this week were on Jackie Robinson and Ruby Bridges.) You can read more about my love for Black History Month and these lessons <a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2017/02/black-history-month-resources-freebies.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. <a href="http://sunnyandbrightinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2017/02/black-history-month-resources-freebies.html" target="_blank">This post </a>also includes freebies and links to some videos that we have really enjoyed this week. :)<br />
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I am going to end with a smile this week.</div>
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I saw this on Instagram earlier this week and I laughed SO HARD. I'm not sure exactly why it struck me as so hilarious...maybe because it is crazy how wrapped up the world gets (myself included) in "celebrity news" sometimes. Whatever the reason, I have been saying this all week and making myself giggle.</div>
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...And this is the note that one of my sweeties gave me as she was leaving yesterday. It was a very chaotic, crazy afternoon. I didn't shine, I can tell you that... but her sweetness made me smile and warmed my heart exactly when I needed it. </div>
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I hope you had a great week and that you have an amazing weekend!! I hope you get to take a nap, have a glass of wine and laugh until your sides hurt :)</div>
Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-11981442456487957122017-02-07T14:31:00.000-08:002017-02-07T15:18:03.283-08:00Black History Month- Resources, Freebies & Videos for Primary ClassroomsHappy February! <br />
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I have never been much of a "Groundhog's Day" fan... I think it might be because I still remember having to copy down the looooongest "morning message" EVER on Groundhog's Day when I was in first grade. (I hated that stupid morning message! It took sooooooo long to write... I liked <i>reading</i> it... but we had to copy it down... and I <i>hated</i> copying it. I remember being 6 years old and vowing that when I grew up and became a teacher I would <i>never</i> make my students copy down a long, boring morning message... a vow I am proud to say I have kept for all 17 years of my teaching career.) Anyway, my daughter's preschool teacher must be a fan of Groundhog's Day because she delivered such an enthralling lesson that my 4 year old could not sleep the night before Groundhog's Day. Seriously. She kept popping up her little head excidedly whispering, "Mommy, I am TOO EXCITED TO SLEEP! I just don't know if that guy is going to see his shadow or not... I can't wait!". Precious. Apparently he saw his shadow (so I hear...). She was very satisfied. However, we aren't too concerned either way since our air conditioning is on and our flip flops are in regular rotation here in sunny Florida.<br />
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While February, in my classroom, does not begin with lessons about rodents predicting the weather ;) it DOES bring some of my very favorite lessons of the year! As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I jump start my Black History Month unit with Martin Luther King day. I really love focusing on Black History Month in my classroom. It has become one of my favorite times of the year... it is right up there with teaching about Growth Mindset, Women's History and Veterans Day. I L-O-V-E finding ways to inspire my little students!<br />
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So, I thought I would share some of my favorite ideas and activities for Black History Month in primary classrooms. Here we go!<br />
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This is a bulletin board that I put together in the front office of our school this year. </div>
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On the bulletin board I posted these <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Black-History-Month-1064549" target="_blank">"Biography Briefs"</a>. I created these a few years ago and I really, really love them. There are 28 different African Americans featured. There are athletes, scientists, educators, politicians, civil rights activists, and so many more incredibly inspirational people! Here they are featured on one board all together- but I originally created them so I could introduce one new person for each day in February.</div>
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<img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtvO4huGecFqDUFGFix0eOQN308VWm4z-Ohh0wuPTj3n08YAOnEFxEMec8-xN-rT_SewUzFUKWp_pcyuy_LZIONIveIddM6z0IQpgj_LG-Arki68TrizrpaZw2cF37PKK6CRVxTwWw4Ww/s640/IMG_9393.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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My friend Charlotte is teaching third grade this year. She decided to present all the cards to her students and to let them each choose one person that they would like research further.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIBZIp_CZJDXLMQQL9HYDpYvu2rtf72t66oqSDuWmt_BT7Y5PEKaWHs3uh695sTFmeaqcN8MsQnV4SY0bTnJDiExb9COZc2HdzgNJhL99YKTDpMtuJdMmEqoMyhjja4r_Oukia7DyPsw/s1600/FB+Black+History+Bio+Briefs+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIBZIp_CZJDXLMQQL9HYDpYvu2rtf72t66oqSDuWmt_BT7Y5PEKaWHs3uh695sTFmeaqcN8MsQnV4SY0bTnJDiExb9COZc2HdzgNJhL99YKTDpMtuJdMmEqoMyhjja4r_Oukia7DyPsw/s640/FB+Black+History+Bio+Briefs+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The "<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Black-History-Month-1064549" target="_blank">biography brief"</a> cards can be purchased on their own and are a great starting point for any Black History unit or research project. They are also offered in a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Black-History-Month-Huge-Bundle-1090154" target="_blank">Black History Month Bundle </a>that includes reading passages, text dependent questions and writing prompts that can be used along with the cards for student research. (This is especially helpful for young students who are new to research.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30DfVEJVjucv8ua1CUoCMBQKcBlWOdqwGzZmJMqyKZsnD6LBBuUlEt5t_gVuTP3y7NGgHnQOpbklVcBfuxGdza40MyW-O6b86CwRYcwA7TWkbOZNyDSbXJDYntuLWt4F-yND6tbLjsm8/s1600/FB+Black+History+Thurgood+Marshall+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30DfVEJVjucv8ua1CUoCMBQKcBlWOdqwGzZmJMqyKZsnD6LBBuUlEt5t_gVuTP3y7NGgHnQOpbklVcBfuxGdza40MyW-O6b86CwRYcwA7TWkbOZNyDSbXJDYntuLWt4F-yND6tbLjsm8/s640/FB+Black+History+Thurgood+Marshall+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlSpMqK9biwuEkzywwVs38eEYS8rzJgnqXhQIgXIEGBSAMFNtofWL5c-F87Vikc33O_vEPiyUboUJ9bfjvoN4qKW6XZRdwhIJcDHVCW86DWZgi95AJFfd0DXRudkCvZdlOyDwTRxx2Pc/s1600/FB+Black+History+Fredrick+Douglass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlSpMqK9biwuEkzywwVs38eEYS8rzJgnqXhQIgXIEGBSAMFNtofWL5c-F87Vikc33O_vEPiyUboUJ9bfjvoN4qKW6XZRdwhIJcDHVCW86DWZgi95AJFfd0DXRudkCvZdlOyDwTRxx2Pc/s1600/FB+Black+History+Fredrick+Douglass.jpg" /></a></div>
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The <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Black-History-Month-Differentiated-1089508" target="_blank">reading passages are differentiated</a>. Each article is written on 3 different levels of text and vocabulary complexity. This will help your students to work independently and provides deep content at early and transitional reading levels.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw80l16Yp-N8B5QNmS3IuoPTniRzSlnxndqSO-mrmW-loYBbhy9GIRzxwK8GeNEwDDya1tJs4pj0xscR3Qte8R3C3aBVqZ7cXDX7o5_LMJYeSrnV9Uyb8lnCyA3Ttqqk1tkMAydevGrBI/s1600/FB+Black+History+Jackie+Robinson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw80l16Yp-N8B5QNmS3IuoPTniRzSlnxndqSO-mrmW-loYBbhy9GIRzxwK8GeNEwDDya1tJs4pj0xscR3Qte8R3C3aBVqZ7cXDX7o5_LMJYeSrnV9Uyb8lnCyA3Ttqqk1tkMAydevGrBI/s640/FB+Black+History+Jackie+Robinson.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3F7JDPzbYA8nMaT8g3nBplrZ8zKflZB23lNcsTO-fm1VMdghPo2Ez1TGk5qvetvxeQG9o6NOrvGiKQyUVFFXug9WFEpCsj4Mi5-ou-mYjwrsmky38IcLg_Ay-QHYXdUz4sZPk0J_EDg/s1600/FB+Black+History+Bundle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3F7JDPzbYA8nMaT8g3nBplrZ8zKflZB23lNcsTO-fm1VMdghPo2Ez1TGk5qvetvxeQG9o6NOrvGiKQyUVFFXug9WFEpCsj4Mi5-ou-mYjwrsmky38IcLg_Ay-QHYXdUz4sZPk0J_EDg/s640/FB+Black+History+Bundle.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rosa-Parks-Black-History-Month-1089586" target="_blank">The Rosa Parks differentiated biography "mini unit" is offered FREE here!</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLQbTZ_t3E1bGfcM5J55fx08wxju7xNJwaXNmDhQVOs7LLurjUjkfq0Mxo8ffdiUManWmBF5xVKmazZY0llZXCdY5TG9O-Ci57phlAQFvVQBlEVjYGt_Az4dh1e6EQbppXySTfVkDMhA/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLQbTZ_t3E1bGfcM5J55fx08wxju7xNJwaXNmDhQVOs7LLurjUjkfq0Mxo8ffdiUManWmBF5xVKmazZY0llZXCdY5TG9O-Ci57phlAQFvVQBlEVjYGt_Az4dh1e6EQbppXySTfVkDMhA/s640/Slide1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here are some other FREE Black History Month resources that you might find helpful :)</div>
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This is a great Martin Luther King Jr. book being read on Reading Rainbow</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hC-RyrakaQM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hC-RyrakaQM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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This one is Kid President talking about Martin Luther King Jr. (I LOVE, love, love Kid President!)</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4xXZhXTFWnE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4xXZhXTFWnE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Great cartoon about Jackie Robinson's life.</div>
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Great cartoon to introduce students to Frederick Douglass and abolition.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GtKY4bLUxC0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GtKY4bLUxC0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Introduce your students to the struggles that Oprah Winfrey overcame to achieve her current success.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9XV9q3Vby5U/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9XV9q3Vby5U?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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This video gives an overview of the fascinating life of inventor George Washington Carver.</div>
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This video is a great read aloud of the book <u>The ABCs of Black History</u>.</div>
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How are you teaching your students about Black History Month? I would love to hear some new ideas! I will be popping in again later this week with a few more ideas and some examples of student work. I hope that some of these resources or ideas help you to inspire your students to "think outside the box" and find ways to make the world a better place!</div>
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Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-2854285728402974442017-02-01T17:00:00.000-08:002017-02-07T12:57:08.057-08:00Door Decorating Ideas for Literacy Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, last week was Literacy Week... and somehow between our early in the year inspection from the (very strict) Fire Marshall and our new principal we were allowed/encouraged to decorated our classroom doors. I have been at other schools that had "door decorating cultures" (ha!) but we have never been able to do it at my current school... and I feel like Pinterest was just becoming a "thing" when I came to my current school (maybe it wasn't even a thing yet... or maybe I was behind on the times and didn't know it was a thing...). The point is for most of us this was our first "scour Pinterest and figure out what to put on your door" experience.</div>
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As I mentioned in my last post it was also a testing week and about a million other things going on... but the doors were decorated none the less! And for a "non-door decorating school" I think we did pretty good! Actually, they were really, really good. There were "teacher decorated doors" and "student decorated doors". Some were decorated with photos, some with book reviews and others were decorated as book covers. This post will pretty much act as my own little Pinterest board as I show off everyone's cute doors. (Actually, this is the first round because my camera battery died because... well, because that's how I roll... So, more doors to come!)</div>
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My "Super Readers" are pictured below. The superhero tape was a cute touch and I've gotten lots of compliments on it but it is not very strong... I keep waiting for the whole thing to fall down...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_4SE1YmllLFHd5CJsw4TZZf6v5mKM4AN3eEvAytfHxiZBR-MkhgQPOeU5FFKDX2EKWy6jhgc0FOObwgN0wdK-9FrwQ1gqeXQMJjLSKsXU6L-dTlON0IwG2SxkPgfN5fSAIz8H8dVruE/s1600/super+reader+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_4SE1YmllLFHd5CJsw4TZZf6v5mKM4AN3eEvAytfHxiZBR-MkhgQPOeU5FFKDX2EKWy6jhgc0FOObwgN0wdK-9FrwQ1gqeXQMJjLSKsXU6L-dTlON0IwG2SxkPgfN5fSAIz8H8dVruE/s640/super+reader+door.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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Our art teacher pretty much outdid herself. Isn't this David Shannon door great? When my 9 year old twins saw it they literally gasped. They were especially impressed with the handle. They think it looks like the handle to Camilla Creme's bedroom (?). I hadn't really noticed the handle but I find the whole thing very, very impressive!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83e8LmtwIwvl5OT1brR9Edz_FQP1Lg9u9ctlNvLIcj87eKxrDZjCWyl6djjx8KQMtc32fSBeqhqVfgBZrJM3UjKr_c0mi0roRrbQaoHYqAEPB-dsMTGmiTBA6IY6eQt0rFcQOHFz7VdE/s1600/bad+case+of+the+stripes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83e8LmtwIwvl5OT1brR9Edz_FQP1Lg9u9ctlNvLIcj87eKxrDZjCWyl6djjx8KQMtc32fSBeqhqVfgBZrJM3UjKr_c0mi0roRrbQaoHYqAEPB-dsMTGmiTBA6IY6eQt0rFcQOHFz7VdE/s640/bad+case+of+the+stripes.jpg" width="334" /></a></div>
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I love this first grade door. I love everything about Elephant and Piggy. they are favorites of mine. I always love looking at projects like these where the kids are all making the "same thing" but they all look different. (Look at the elephant with his ears straight up!! Love it!)</div>
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This Hungry Caterpillar door was a cute kindergarten class project. I thought it was a really good "teamwork" project. Everyone worked on a small part and it came together perfectly!</div>
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This door has photos of the kids reading along with their favorite character (and one of EVERYONE'S favorite characters!) Pigeon.</div>
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More Elephant and Piggie. Love, love, love it.</div>
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I'd seen this one on Pinterest but I really loved seeing it in person. The "reviews" that the kids wrote about the books were so cute! </div>
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This one makes me giggle every time. I thin it is so bright and happy looking.</div>
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This is the door to our media center. Isn't it cute? It is pretty simple but it is really eye catching and impressive when you walk down the hall.<br />
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Hopefully the Fire Marshall won't be making a surprise visit this week!! Everything is much too cute to take down :) Does your school do a lot of decorating? Are you limited with how much paper you can hang or are you allowed to go "all out"? Let me know!</div>
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<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-24750374434898735462017-01-28T17:24:00.000-08:002017-01-28T17:32:57.151-08:00Five for Friday & a Freebie!Happy Weekend! I thought it might never get here!!! I know it's Saturday, but it seems like a good time to recap the week, so I am linking up with <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2017/01/five-for-friday-linky-party-january-27th.html" target="_blank">Doodlebugs Teaching</a> for a Five for Friday post.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN2nu1PmtMEmhMZM71Fe6xtwUMdGJ9VsySi6h0iYZuG9DiN5j9LuIFJbPgySm1J7GaCY_9weUE5Q9WNyRRZTXEsHxdirNN2yRv71MDsGrlykbziTNcV7ou_EmZPeea011cxDHJvgrY_E/s1600/fiveforfriday2_thumb%255B3%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN2nu1PmtMEmhMZM71Fe6xtwUMdGJ9VsySi6h0iYZuG9DiN5j9LuIFJbPgySm1J7GaCY_9weUE5Q9WNyRRZTXEsHxdirNN2yRv71MDsGrlykbziTNcV7ou_EmZPeea011cxDHJvgrY_E/s320/fiveforfriday2_thumb%255B3%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was Literacy Week this week. It was the first week of common assessments, the 100th day of school, the week that a district walkthrough was scheduled, and probably 300 other things that I am forgetting because I am so tired from this long week.</div>
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Back to Literacy Week. Our fire marshal is REALLY strict. We aren't allowed to hang anything from the ceiling and we are very limited in what we have in our classrooms and how much paper we have on the walls. So... this was the first time our school has ever had a "door decorating" event. It was very exciting. People came up with super-cute ideas... I will share some photos in another post later this week. </div>
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As the cute doors started going up I realized that my "stick something up on the door at the last minute" idea wasn't really going to cut it. I am not very artsy and this stuff is hard for me. I was happy with the way my door turned out. I thought it was "super-cute" (ha-ha). It was absolutely "Pinterest inspired" but I actually put my own little spin on it and got it put together on my own. Shocking, I know... no one was more surprised than me!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqr1jx6xE4UagOUB2JwwNbegp6glDn2HOmHyrJQKOg63Cy68_T1jG1aB0LikZr6EpPzlm_Ov0eamWjkaTLBKdZF_jedT7-dE078QjFZqcLNGKwDbMqsYYWhcP7ibaKWYC7cjdnzAjqUk/s1600/IMG_9319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfqr1jx6xE4UagOUB2JwwNbegp6glDn2HOmHyrJQKOg63Cy68_T1jG1aB0LikZr6EpPzlm_Ov0eamWjkaTLBKdZF_jedT7-dE078QjFZqcLNGKwDbMqsYYWhcP7ibaKWYC7cjdnzAjqUk/s640/IMG_9319.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This week was our math common assessment. We have had math strategies coming out of our ears. The little graph pictured above really helped inspire a lot of great math conversations. We work on a word problem each day (which isn't pictured... not sure why... sorry). When the students finish the problem of the day they put their name on a post-it under the strategy they chose. Then, they move on to the "bonus questions" (which are pictured). Once everyone has had a chance to work on the problem of the day we discuss which strategy was chosen by the most people today (which strategy "won") and why we think so many people chose this strategy. Then everyone explains to a math partner how they worked out the problem and why. It seems to be helping the students to analyze what they are doing and make more conscious math decisions. I have also noticed that they are able to describe their thinking in mathematical terms much more easily after only a week or two... So far, this is proving to be a valuable addition of our math instruction!</div>
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Thursday was the 100th Day of School. The years I have taught kindergarten and first grade the 100th day was a really, really big deal! However, we had district testing (my least favorite thing in the world) on Thursday... and I have been SO tired and overwhelmed and worn out this year. I really couldn't see how I was going to make anything extra or anything special (especially anything extra special!) happen on Thursday afternoon. </div>
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Pinterest to the rescue! I "sold" the kids on the idea that we would leave the 100th day celebration to the "little kids" ;) in kindergarten and first grade and since we are such grown up second graders we would have our own special day on the 101st day of school. (Which also happened to be a Friday and I can make myself do almost anything on Friday.) </div>
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So, we made Dalmatian shirts and ears. (There was a huge debate over floppy vs. attentive, straight up puppy ears. I had no energy to partake in the debate. You will notice a variety of ears... We'll call it self expression or creativity or something that sounds better than I was too tired to care about puppy ears...)</div>
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We played lots of math games, wrote 101 things that are special about us and called it a day. Whew.</div>
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Actually, we had a surprise tornado drill before calling it a day because that's the kind of week it was. (About 20 minutes before dismissal on Friday afternoon... after the longest week ever). </div>
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My 9 year old twins would like to make a public statement that they are available for autographs... in fact, Danny has even been practicing his cursive just in case (how cute is that?) Yesterday was an exciting day for the boys. They were invited to the ABC Action News studio to be interviewed for a news segment called "Positively Tampa Bay". They were part of a 3 minute segment about the Young Eagles program. </div>
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It was SO much fun and everyone at the news studio really went out of their way to make the boys feel special. I will explain more about Young Eagles next week. It is an AMAZING program that introduces kids to aviation by teaching them about flying and giving them FREE flights! </div>
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It didn't hurt that the boys were interviewed on the MORNING news... so they had to miss a few hours of school. Their class watched their segment live. So, when they returned to school their whole class started clapping when they entered. They said that was the "best part". SO SWEET.<br />
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One of the things I loved about this week, was my annual jump start to Black History month. Every year I find that my students are very moved when they begin learning about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is a little "extra" unit that means so much to so many students. They <i>get</i> the incredible significance of the difference that this one person made on all of our lives. I have always felt like it is the perfect "jumping off" point for a Black History month unit. There were so many other inspirational leaders in the civil rights movement at the same time as Dr. King. It only makes sense to keep telling students the historical story that they are curious about.</div>
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So... this week we moved from Dr. King to Rosa Parks. Next week we will learn about Ruby Bridges. I just <i>love</i> teaching my students about "ordinary people" who made "extraordinary changes" in our world. It just fills me up. (Especially on a week like <i>this week</i> when I am exhausted and don't feel like doing anything extra. This doesn't feel like extra... this feels like the "good stuff"... the "why I became a teacher" stuff.)</div>
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Please download <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rosa-Parks-Black-History-Month-1089586" target="_blank">this FREEBIE </a>if you would like to kick off your Black History Month instruction with an introduction to <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rosa-Parks-Black-History-Month-1089586" target="_blank">Rosa Parks</a>! It is includes a reading passage that is written on three different levels of text and vocabulary complexity levels so the differentiation is done for you! It will work great for students from grades1-4. It also includes text dependent questions and writing prompts... the whole lesson is ready to go :) <i> </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECkZsPU2Gb1xrnN1V-iEqek3ceW9IC8fcZHnN1V8BxEMz4B99bA3GG9T98_5M-PkPR2DOo5XxlnXO791DWjTi-ltyDtxZGJ2WowFpqtrbFLSYjtOwZ7teCVQqZL54LA-BuyewQDzqJ_k/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECkZsPU2Gb1xrnN1V-iEqek3ceW9IC8fcZHnN1V8BxEMz4B99bA3GG9T98_5M-PkPR2DOo5XxlnXO791DWjTi-ltyDtxZGJ2WowFpqtrbFLSYjtOwZ7teCVQqZL54LA-BuyewQDzqJ_k/s640/Slide1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Have a wonderful weekend! Take a nap for me!! And let me know what wonderful things you have planned for the upcoming week!</div>
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<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-63087442889760066172017-01-22T10:46:00.001-08:002017-01-23T15:25:01.164-08:00Chinese New Year & Freebies!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy New Year! So, 2017 is officially here. I will tell you... I am ready for a fresh start. I like to keep things pretty "sunny" and positive but if I am honest, 2016 has not been my favorite year. It seems like lots of people felt that way this year. I always think that's so strange... that when I have a bad day (or a "bad year") that everyone else seems to be feeling the same way. <br />
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Anyway, I was really looking forward to ringing in 2017 and having life magically get back on track. I did have a really fun little New Year's trip with my family... ( I will have to write about that in my next "catching up" post... there are some funny stories there!) -but surprisingly enough, when the ball dropped at midnight all of life's problem's didn't disappear... crazy right? ;) <br />
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However, I think I figured out why! (I told you I am an eternal optimist!) CHINESE New Year isn't until January 28 this year! So THAT is when my luck is going to change! Ha!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjUStMy0dxWdMmRbGuzDlt5ZTKd-1fRK4uLblQGd5KDHz2nRoEsZ5DOexM_QhClITUYjhMROc7gUPkPh4o9JOWfDvD3KEsdbDrdLGIv-iicz5tDHHAfOovhl_lrPTDOnGLqJdi8hKUnA/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjUStMy0dxWdMmRbGuzDlt5ZTKd-1fRK4uLblQGd5KDHz2nRoEsZ5DOexM_QhClITUYjhMROc7gUPkPh4o9JOWfDvD3KEsdbDrdLGIv-iicz5tDHHAfOovhl_lrPTDOnGLqJdi8hKUnA/s640/Slide1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Two years ago I started reading about Chinese New Year for a <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chinese-New-Year-Close-Reading-for-Kindergarten-First-Grade-1668498" target="_blank">close reading unit</a> I was writing. If you are not familiar with the traditions, let me tell you... it is <i>fascinating</i>! For example, I need to hurry up and get my hair done this week because once the New Year celebration begins the Chinese believe that you shouldn't cut your hair because you don't want to "cut off" your luck for the new year. You might want to clean your house really well this weekend as well... because there is no sweeping your floors during the New Year's celebration... you certainly wouldn't want to sweep out your luck! (I know I need all the luck I can get this year!)</div>
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Last year was the "Year of the Monkey". We were all warned by the Chinese that it was going to be a strange, unpredictable year. (I should have taken that warning a little more seriously!) However, 2017 is going to be a good one! This is the year of the Rooster! We have good luck and good fortune to look forward to this year! Alright Rooster... BRING IT ON!!!</div>
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I have some cute little <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Sunny-And-Bright-In-First-Grade/Search:chinese+new+year" target="_blank">freebies </a>that you can use to celebrate with your students! Download this <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Sunny-And-Bright-In-First-Grade/Search:chinese+new+year" target="_blank">free packet</a> to make "Year of the Rooster" crowns and celebration lanterns with your students. (They are super cute!) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpNFIH3QQMG7pgMKzDeqyq7ORopqxwDRZPcsm2SHWPFmpEYqv6j6caVADEh1F4yvCBeniGt8Rb6JAvLWnlmdCLLFXGxCWgyW4El0DywcwwZiQa6EL-OXlSktMWtR1NiK7M9uYN-e8CzI/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpNFIH3QQMG7pgMKzDeqyq7ORopqxwDRZPcsm2SHWPFmpEYqv6j6caVADEh1F4yvCBeniGt8Rb6JAvLWnlmdCLLFXGxCWgyW4El0DywcwwZiQa6EL-OXlSktMWtR1NiK7M9uYN-e8CzI/s640/Slide1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You can check out the entire <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chinese-New-Year-Close-Reading-for-Kindergarten-First-Grade-1668498" target="_blank">non-fiction unit here</a>. I have to tell you... It is one of my favorites! It is So interesting! It includes 11 articles informational text articles with writing prompts, text dependent questions and really cool photos. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicq_8r3kZElXmomqTBupsh3Lnr0DUJFPk6cMCwHgMw35R6Rmn56XJCNcM_sA2_OgJclzbMkUm0_m5o9381tD-n7yCv_dj1fo9oZRtxXbU-gwRThbKVJ2Yaj9hyphenhyphenMTPzWx8-mpcNsRy9n-8/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicq_8r3kZElXmomqTBupsh3Lnr0DUJFPk6cMCwHgMw35R6Rmn56XJCNcM_sA2_OgJclzbMkUm0_m5o9381tD-n7yCv_dj1fo9oZRtxXbU-gwRThbKVJ2Yaj9hyphenhyphenMTPzWx8-mpcNsRy9n-8/s640/Slide1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I hope you and your students enjoy these resources and I really, really hope that the Year of the Rooster is as prosperous and fulfilling as predicted!! Happy New Year!</div>
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<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-84606533783260173692016-12-03T14:05:00.000-08:002016-12-03T14:05:07.978-08:00Five for Friday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAy1FWkJdkT3bcOhcl5uugXtnEjGhO8CfrC_-6iZkqCkAA0LoDW-5Jx1pAwOHSHUoh35VjQto49vmKETGKO_91ZE9kVlQOfQYILTJd-5CKrTucOj1Vrv8iiHF9lLl9m2cRKdhBE5wNTM/s1600/fiveforfriday2_thumb%255B3%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQAy1FWkJdkT3bcOhcl5uugXtnEjGhO8CfrC_-6iZkqCkAA0LoDW-5Jx1pAwOHSHUoh35VjQto49vmKETGKO_91ZE9kVlQOfQYILTJd-5CKrTucOj1Vrv8iiHF9lLl9m2cRKdhBE5wNTM/s320/fiveforfriday2_thumb%255B3%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy Weekend! Even though it's Saturday, I'm linking up with <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2016/12/five-for-friday-link-up-december-2nd.html" target="_blank">Doodlebugs Teaching </a>for Five for Friday... I'm such a rebel!</div>
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Can you believe it is December?! It is hard for me to process that... Mostly because it feels like time is flying by recently... but the fact that I had my air conditioning on this week doesn't help!</div>
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Last weekend I put up my Christmas tree and finished 98% of my holiday shopping. I can't even believe it. I have never, ever been "ready" for the holidays this early! </div>
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Last night we went downtown to look at Christmas lights and see the "tree lighting" in our town... Which is kind of amazing because on Friday nights we are usually too tired to do anything. We went with great friends of ours and had a really, really good time. We are all dragging today though! Being out late after a long week isn't really our forte. </div>
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I'm not going to lie... it was a little hard going back to school after being off last week! However, I keep reminding myself how much I love this time of year with the kids. They are all so happy and excited. We have some big, fun school events coming up... and we have another vacation coming up in just a couple of weeks!</div>
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So, a lot of this week was spent trying to get back on schedule... getting my own kids to bed, trying to get them up in the morning and trying to get them to focus on homework and "real life" when all they want to think about is Christmas, our elf, and what kind of treat will be in the Advent calendar in the morning!</div>
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We got a HUGE shipment from Amazon this week! The materials I ordered from a grant I wrote recently came in and it felt like Christmas unpacking everything! </div>
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Among all of the wonderful new things we received, were 4 more "ball chairs" to complete our new flexible seating. I have been anxious to try out flexible seating for awhile now and I have to tell you... I just LOVE it! I knew that I would like giving the kids more opportunities to move... I have never been a "sit at your desk" kind of teacher... but I had no idea just how fabulous it would be!</div>
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I was a little concerned because I like to keep a lot of structure and routine in my classroom. I wasn't sure how the logistics of the new seating were going to work. I read lots of blog posts and pored over Pinterest looking for ideas. I found lots of great "choose your seat for the day" or "rotating seat" options. However, I haven't used any of them! So far, I haven't needed to. I explained to the kids that the different kinds of seats were going to "help their brains learn and bodies move in different ways" and so they should switch their seat with each new activity. </div>
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I was also very strict in the beginning and sent anyone who was "playing around" in their new seat back to a regular chair immediately. After the second day it was not an issue at all. (No one wants to sit in those plain old chairs anymore!)</div>
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I really feel like it has changed the energy of the room. Everyone is a little calmer and a little happier. I can't imagine ever going back to traditional seating.</div>
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We are going to start our <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Holidays-Around-the-World-Differentiated-Close-Read-Unit-Informational-Texts-1561121" target="_blank">Holidays Around the World unit</a> this week and I can't wait! It is one of my favorite units of the year! <br />
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I wrote T<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Holidays-Around-the-World-Differentiated-Close-Read-Unit-Informational-Texts-1561121" target="_blank">HESE differentiated passages</a> on 10 different holidays a couple of years ago. They are going to be perfect to use with the kiddos I have this year! I am also excited that I have (finally) finished a huge update to the unit! I added an entire "passport" section. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LvwHwAqJi87yQu0h_qzDVhBTPMa-Wi-jHjO6xNfPYQGA91jCMhfuf5ZN6trLUAvgEq3sL5p65YIefc2-LuDGxLM1T68EOzSnMM-eXr3dHHXn_0IEJbTYx3CkdEivfg27lcEQyVXzfy4/s1600/IMG_0175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LvwHwAqJi87yQu0h_qzDVhBTPMa-Wi-jHjO6xNfPYQGA91jCMhfuf5ZN6trLUAvgEq3sL5p65YIefc2-LuDGxLM1T68EOzSnMM-eXr3dHHXn_0IEJbTYx3CkdEivfg27lcEQyVXzfy4/s400/IMG_0175.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Inside the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Holidays-Around-the-World-Differentiated-Close-Read-Unit-Informational-Texts-2891135" target="_blank">passport</a> there is a short summary of the country and 2 pages for students to review/record their learning. There are also cute passport "stamps" for each country a student information sheet and a few "extras". I think they are going to be a lot of fun to use and will be perfect to keep my kids engaged during centers and in small groups. (You can also purchase just the passport portion of the unit <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Holidays-Around-the-World-Differentiated-Close-Read-Unit-Informational-Texts-2891135" target="_blank">HERE</a>.)</div>
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I also have a very detailed version of this resource written on a simpler text and vocabulary complexity level <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Holidays-Around-the-World-Kindergarten-First-Grade-BUNDLE-Close-Reading-More-1575808" target="_blank">(perfect for kindergarten and first grade!) HERE.</a></div>
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Have a great week!!</div>
Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-53600380770882649672016-11-19T13:43:00.006-08:002016-11-19T17:48:01.901-08:005 for Friday (on Saturday)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello my poor, neglected blog. I am linking up with <a href="http://doodlebugsteaching.blogspot.com/2016/11/five-for-friday-linky-party-november_18.html" target="_blank">Doodle Bugs Teaching</a> for Five for Friday. Yes, I know it's Saturday... but a day late and a dollar short is pretty much the way I am living these days, so I decided not to let that hold me back! </div>
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So, I decided to use this post as a bit of a "catch up" post... but there is A LOT to catch up on! This week was ridiculously crazy. Crazy everywhere! We have the entire week off of school for Thanksgiving next week. (I don't think I could possibly be anymore grateful for that!) So, there was all the usual "week before vacation" madness at school.</div>
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On top of the "regular" craziness we had the Great American Teach In on Wednesday. It was a really exciting day and the kids LOVED it... but the "off our routine days" are never easy.</div>
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We started the morning with an active presentation about teaching karate.</div>
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Then, we went outside to hear FBI investigators teach us about how they gather evidence in the field. It was fascinating!</div>
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My mother-in-law came in and taught the kids about her small business and taught the kids how to sew. They each got to make their own emoji mini pillow. They were so excited and they loved it... but oh. my. goodness. Sewing stresses me out under the absolute best of circumstances... and 19 7 year olds doesn't really count as the "best of circumstances". Ha!</div>
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This week was also our week to learn about Thanksgiving. We had a lot of fun comparing the lives of the Pilgrims to our lives in America today. I created <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Thanksgiving-Then-and-Now-Sorting-Cards-Booklet-Real-Photographs-2865376" target="_blank">these</a> posters and the kids were totally fascinated by the photos. It was fun to talk about and to listen to their observations.</div>
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One of the things that has surprised me about second grade is how much I have enjoyed teaching math. I have never, ever been a "math person". However, this year we are really having a lot of fun with it. The kids seem to have the perfect mix of background knowledge and curiosity. Some of the things that are working well for us in math are the "tool boxes" that I gave everyone this week and our daily <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Number-Talks-Common-Core-Grades/dp/1935099655" target="_blank">Number Talks</a>. </div>
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We have been playing lots of math games and making sure that everything is very "hands on". So, last week I made each child their own math "tool box". In their box each student has: a mini hundreds board, 25 round "flips", 30 square tiles, 35 snap cubes, and 11 "10 rods" along with 25 "ones cubes" and a "10 rod style 100s piece". The boxes have been a HUGE hit!</div>
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The other math tip I have for you is to consider daily <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Number-Talks-Common-Core-Grades/dp/1935099655" target="_blank">Number Talks</a>. Our district bought these books and gave us training a few years ago. I have used Number Talks inconsistently for a long time. The problem was always the preparation piece. There always seemed to be so many cards to make or problems to "think through". Well, I came across <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Talks-A-Yearlong-Program-for-Second-Grade-Common-Core-Aligned-1975663" target="_blank">THIS</a> unit on TPT and it is AMAZING. Everything is done for you. Every single little thing... it is so well put together. It has made it incredibly easy to "print and go" and I am seeing a HUGE difference in the number sense of my students.</div>
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I've gotten my flexible seating up and running and we are truly loving it. It is hard to imagine how I ever ran a classroom without these options!</div>
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I haven't been "together enough" to take purposeful photos... so I am missing a few things. Right now, I have a table that I took the legs out of that we call the "floor table". We also have hooki stools, wobble stools, ball chairs and scoop rockers. </div>
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I haven't put a "choose your chair" system in place yet. So far, I have just been telling the students to rotate throughout the day so that they get a chance to sit in different places. Remarkably, it has been working out fine. I am usually pretty "high structure" so I didn't expect to like this very much... but it is working out great so far! </div>
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I have also been doing the usual "teacher mom" balancing act... Some days I do it better than others! </div>
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Here is my crazy crew on Halloween.</div>
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(Elsa, Alice -from Wonderland-, Harry Potter and Hagrid... obviously;) )</div>
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Here are my girls on election day. (Which is the ONLY thing I am going to say about that.)</div>
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The twins were both thrilled that they made Principal's List. Unfortunately, Matt had a migraine that day, so Danny collected both certificates at the ceremony.</div>
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My beautiful girl went to Homecoming. We had lots of fun shopping and getting our nails and her hair done. She is having a really good year and I am enjoying soaking her up!</div>
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Yesterday was a sentimental day for me... It was the 10 year anniversary of the day we adopted this beauty... or "Forever Day" as we like to call it. I am going to write a little post about National Adoption Month and some ways to recognize it in the classroom next week.</div>
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So, for now I will just say that I am counting my blessings that I get to be the mother of this amazing, intelligent, creative, beautiful girl.</div>
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Happy Weekend!!</div>
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<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-38565833906542022742016-11-06T14:26:00.000-08:002016-11-06T14:26:05.019-08:00Veterans Day- Make it Meaningful in Primary!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8EqRXuVYeHWUXjhJCqeKOjQvnSW4F82RHyXtcd22mxsoDf-_Bcssvnajb0bQEUWIASlNyn9DpKlmcg9wrGeM1oruktzX-IDNUdryCzHiJO121nw5WCZlEED3zPiLMeqZ6wRTkissNUUg/s1600/Slide1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8EqRXuVYeHWUXjhJCqeKOjQvnSW4F82RHyXtcd22mxsoDf-_Bcssvnajb0bQEUWIASlNyn9DpKlmcg9wrGeM1oruktzX-IDNUdryCzHiJO121nw5WCZlEED3zPiLMeqZ6wRTkissNUUg/s640/Slide1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I LOVE teaching my students about Veterans Day! Love, love, love it! Check out <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2153207342569918192#editor/target=post;postID=9194725658521802226;onPublishedMenu=overview;onClosedMenu=overview;postNum=29;src=postname" target="_blank">THIS POST </a>from last year. It is full of lots of great ideas and activities for making your Veterans Day unit meaningful for young students.</div>
<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-33200359726185712182016-09-02T00:00:00.000-07:002016-09-02T00:00:23.958-07:005 For Fridays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Well, it's been a few weeks since I've been able to write a 5 for Friday post (or blog at all, for that matter)! Life has been crazy... like, CRAZY crazy... So, I will try to use this post to give a quick summary of the crazy...This is three Fridays is one... Here we go!</span></div>
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So, the back to school craziness started off with the "usual" crazy... Long days of setting up my classroom, a busy "Meet the Teacher" night, and hours and hours of preparing for the new little kindergarteners that were about to be "mine".</div>
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Oh, I also had to get my own 4 kids ready to start school. Which is no small task! From uniform and supply shopping to haircuts they kept me running in circles.</div>
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I have to be at school very, very early. So, the girls get dropped off at their grandparents' houses before dawn each day. (We are very, very, very lucky to have an amazing grandparent volunteer taxi service. I don't know what we would do without them!) </div>
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Anyway, Kirsten's "First Day of School" photo was taken in the dark... but you get the idea. She looked beautiful and is enjoying her sophomore year so far.</div>
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These goofy guys come to school with me. Taking their photo in my classroom should have been easy... except they have yet to stand still in the 9 years they have been on the planet! They had a hard year last year and were not super excited to come back to school. Luckily, the year is off to a GREAT start! They have fabulous teachers and are really enjoying 4th grade!<br />
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My baby seems to be less and less of a baby each day. It's so hard to believe that this is Ella and not Kirsten! I swear my oldest was 4 YESTERDAY! Anyway, Ella is loving everything about VPK.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQr6HcvPLVUG_CZHTPSpPqLwcTroNNFYQ_b9Ig5CDCdzMd0e_avKk87-mmrYd-sDe1pDXqnnUkx72-ER-4jTR2Xt59jSMRpr9C7i3XMcTWFvatDB8KOy8VhHQNED8qI1LBjtNuuWFzZFk/s1600/IMG_6271+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQr6HcvPLVUG_CZHTPSpPqLwcTroNNFYQ_b9Ig5CDCdzMd0e_avKk87-mmrYd-sDe1pDXqnnUkx72-ER-4jTR2Xt59jSMRpr9C7i3XMcTWFvatDB8KOy8VhHQNED8qI1LBjtNuuWFzZFk/s320/IMG_6271+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My first day of school was a little less wonderful than the kids'. If you remember, Rachelle and I were set to co-teach this year and were SO excited. We were both caught a little off guard with the first half hour this year though... We had a LOT more crying than we have had in previous years. And it wasn't the "I miss my mommy" kind of tears... It was "<span style="font-size: x-large;">GET ME OUT OF HERE NOW</span>!!!!!!" hysteria. </div>
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We also had a really, really hard time convincing some parents to leave. They always want to stay and we always have a few stragglers... but we have both been teaching for 16 years... We are pretty good and moving them on... But this year it was hard!!! Which did not help the screamers.</div>
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I finally got through to one dad that it was really time to go... (His son was getting more and more upset... His being there was NOT helping). Unfortunately, I wasn't expecting his (very tall) son to try to leave with him... and I really wasn't expecting him to head-butt me in his attempt to escape. Luckily, I was able to grab him, hug him, calm him down and diffuse the situation pretty quickly. Unfortunately I completely threw out my back. <span style="font-size: large;"><b> During the first 20 minutes of the first day of school. </b></span>We are now in week 3. After 13 visits to the chiropractor, lots of ibuprofen and muscle relaxers and many, many sleepless nights I am finally feeling a bit better.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-kEvpVwaXLnTDPZdmneQ5nY_Q6QlrPchPlw6rQDAAG9TOV1Squ9l6mvDCLjQUHFl30PJGiN7HUUDgqk_Q36evR2iHbORfcWjbFXIaQGYEz870Xhw2cQ6BTxF3LWTb3esqL_HGPDencY/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-kEvpVwaXLnTDPZdmneQ5nY_Q6QlrPchPlw6rQDAAG9TOV1Squ9l6mvDCLjQUHFl30PJGiN7HUUDgqk_Q36evR2iHbORfcWjbFXIaQGYEz870Xhw2cQ6BTxF3LWTb3esqL_HGPDencY/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+3.png" /></a></div>
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The first week of kindergarten is no joke! It is EXHAUSTING. I don't even know if there is a word that accurately describes just how hard the first week is... and this year I got to experience it with excruciating pain in my back... Good times.</div>
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So, on the 7th day of school things were finally coming together. The kids were learning the routines slowly but surely. They were settling down and we were able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.</div>
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Then (on a Thursday afternoon) we were called into a meeting and told we didn't have enough kindergarten students to keep our 5 classes this year and that one of us was being moved to second grade. Guess who... Yup. I still can't believe it. I was in complete shock and was not expecting it AT ALL. My classroom went from looking like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvsQgFmSyiuVPo97v1gQlKu-IeJm3_WaW91NIVNMob6h3GiU_p-yUKTQbplxvGJyWilZ60HGrNN_rs5klDYlCYznivNaBB8FjVRUVi3IYcauFIbMC_3d1nq4vOIn0P34eMYz9kR0mPOM/s1600/IMG_7627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvsQgFmSyiuVPo97v1gQlKu-IeJm3_WaW91NIVNMob6h3GiU_p-yUKTQbplxvGJyWilZ60HGrNN_rs5klDYlCYznivNaBB8FjVRUVi3IYcauFIbMC_3d1nq4vOIn0P34eMYz9kR0mPOM/s320/IMG_7627.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw_N9jC8MJSMekvQoBguFABcQy9LnOOOWbQNdNQG-t1egHzrpsiQpYkW2UGsmX3E_rKmLhdBo7mVoDsNlGnY_8SG-LnrGaDdHmnCmzGxpZphO_TRv6ZMt513e9kXJ9W_6SqduETQz6NM/s1600/IMG_7470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdw_N9jC8MJSMekvQoBguFABcQy9LnOOOWbQNdNQG-t1egHzrpsiQpYkW2UGsmX3E_rKmLhdBo7mVoDsNlGnY_8SG-LnrGaDdHmnCmzGxpZphO_TRv6ZMt513e9kXJ9W_6SqduETQz6NM/s320/IMG_7470.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIH-gai1mS1A4AfYoklhPcFcfBwxmzQrU0do3rYoLY7KOsWsd-B83FiePG5maqy_46Tkbt1mbdn45yJ_-OJDgYvsaXa-mUWjjBY5YaAcRZOZpQ8VBebjlCUaeiqob3yyKUq9fnfXy_VAg/s1600/IMG_7407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIH-gai1mS1A4AfYoklhPcFcfBwxmzQrU0do3rYoLY7KOsWsd-B83FiePG5maqy_46Tkbt1mbdn45yJ_-OJDgYvsaXa-mUWjjBY5YaAcRZOZpQ8VBebjlCUaeiqob3yyKUq9fnfXy_VAg/s320/IMG_7407.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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...To looking like this almost immediately. I cried and cried as I packed up my kindergarten unit and told my sweet students that they were going to have "even better" teachers and that I knew they would be so happy. I was really heartbroken.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyQeUynKdXC4_tcPtuKaQPSkZvoplyQDgnZcKNIBMTAg0rbScJRdbcHEOhuHn8iu5Lvf2k-23QFIX0jVjrblrSOpxXcPBT3TvMhFRp_9rtyzrHqtLQSmzMF73rZQ3GNq2zi2_lhUyejE/s1600/IMG_6434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGyQeUynKdXC4_tcPtuKaQPSkZvoplyQDgnZcKNIBMTAg0rbScJRdbcHEOhuHn8iu5Lvf2k-23QFIX0jVjrblrSOpxXcPBT3TvMhFRp_9rtyzrHqtLQSmzMF73rZQ3GNq2zi2_lhUyejE/s320/IMG_6434.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hkx4S0gztuyDTGDZrztCymaIpSK2QMw7vU3t964RXt2icsboYFKE3xjt2L31Y166E1jYm4zFBd4U6uUeAitIGBaFcR6AwSSY0LN2VYct-VERUEOHY_MHt-PMkO6rO6-a9j5jpsS8KQI/s1600/IMG_6435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8hkx4S0gztuyDTGDZrztCymaIpSK2QMw7vU3t964RXt2icsboYFKE3xjt2L31Y166E1jYm4zFBd4U6uUeAitIGBaFcR6AwSSY0LN2VYct-VERUEOHY_MHt-PMkO6rO6-a9j5jpsS8KQI/s320/IMG_6435.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, Monday I walked into an empty room... and I thought that was overwhelming... until the plant operators started bringing over all the second grade things... that were thrown into boxes and a complete disaster...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyAMW3wEK1HxMCoKKKXH01w__iQiNgoXmz9xfhMyNLbQzu_9NG4b7Dqk2vvcoAPiUE3w_uKrHNpt9AcoHYloe-cpJticFSF4HsH2qb82cbCNm2AprGzHlcvmvA_DxuGF54gBz24w13DM/s1600/IMG_6436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyAMW3wEK1HxMCoKKKXH01w__iQiNgoXmz9xfhMyNLbQzu_9NG4b7Dqk2vvcoAPiUE3w_uKrHNpt9AcoHYloe-cpJticFSF4HsH2qb82cbCNm2AprGzHlcvmvA_DxuGF54gBz24w13DM/s320/IMG_6436.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN95FgUiVM9mv4ntQbvEtnm79imbcoshnK8lEALplHVxFaC8qKhmkjRoePIaS9uzXBBPzsI4egGiIDThdYGDV9LtFOoyIGIqfb5tvZ4p-nzE9k4mOMacBJlI0emLkVUf5pc5AiYlNzi6A/s1600/IMG_6439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN95FgUiVM9mv4ntQbvEtnm79imbcoshnK8lEALplHVxFaC8qKhmkjRoePIaS9uzXBBPzsI4egGiIDThdYGDV9LtFOoyIGIqfb5tvZ4p-nzE9k4mOMacBJlI0emLkVUf5pc5AiYlNzi6A/s320/IMG_6439.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, Monday and Tuesday were spent trying to sort through the mess. (Thank goodness I have amazing friends that spent hours and hours helping me.) It was not an easy transition at all. :(</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxoSfAaI6RCGUM0q52MUJoz48_iWn0dL0YLHqw52VJqjpziXm9cUQ-5j6_qnGhoC6UN_8mTk0ggMfnS6plA8XqJR205_C8iLsYCSkc2ewJ3pTlapSlMhQXNF-Sd1iBZnHQNDeE7_p7ZE/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXxoSfAaI6RCGUM0q52MUJoz48_iWn0dL0YLHqw52VJqjpziXm9cUQ-5j6_qnGhoC6UN_8mTk0ggMfnS6plA8XqJR205_C8iLsYCSkc2ewJ3pTlapSlMhQXNF-Sd1iBZnHQNDeE7_p7ZE/s1600/Five+for+Friday+Divider+4.png" /></a></div>
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So, last Wednesday I started teaching second grade. Oh, and did I mention Open House was Thursday? Seriously, not joking. So, here is a quick look at my second grade class. (I don't know how in the world I pulled this off in 2 days... but somehow it got done. It always gets done.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtv_UASOlSAPOVFoI8opzapXkttjgu9TNu15s5qSJvetaTs1tN1pTw1EFOVVO7ha35hepD-nwZl9yFCr5-6J0dfO6k5rGA0SVQjfJJtz_O7MTb-Tp4_Hy6KXCGvRrhlxeiOhzVkHABCQo/s1600/IMG_6494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8TcZxCV-QTRaLm-MRqzqD8IuHUZJg_Q3hpZWyGXAxYLVr9IvmUGUT2qedWe6lYuzTxeeNOkgKZzyHssDrXqE20eLaO2LtC0Aq_KVpbjq0L6NCEP01AOwmkxzx6xIS1qPQcXcji47RHxk/s1600/IMG_6444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8TcZxCV-QTRaLm-MRqzqD8IuHUZJg_Q3hpZWyGXAxYLVr9IvmUGUT2qedWe6lYuzTxeeNOkgKZzyHssDrXqE20eLaO2LtC0Aq_KVpbjq0L6NCEP01AOwmkxzx6xIS1qPQcXcji47RHxk/s320/IMG_6444.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmfuL95JGgfepy9_ZKvnbZHTLlwWvvkR3aDpETaHhjs5sfSyBAbxATwquMsT7mqtIpGnc7vRCJDMydADOGx_tuHWItGZegxJg9jBq1g0WdxHonNIJLU74agB2R44tyLdyQp2c4Qryjkk/s1600/IMG_6445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmfuL95JGgfepy9_ZKvnbZHTLlwWvvkR3aDpETaHhjs5sfSyBAbxATwquMsT7mqtIpGnc7vRCJDMydADOGx_tuHWItGZegxJg9jBq1g0WdxHonNIJLU74agB2R44tyLdyQp2c4Qryjkk/s320/IMG_6445.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thank goodness for Teachers Pay Teachers! As I have tried to teach myself everything about second grade in less than a week, I have been "saved" by some fabulous TPT finds. (Thanks Amy Lemons!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0L05T0zQK6WHMPfXgErsu6UBmwIHGQr54zgMyP2Er4ZHEdXcxZz9XDuB6L5-2AO5VArzYAMsgbxDdQOIwBd8HgMaWjX2G2nBJhwuHBS2N4jhod4hiEpdngBW6dqBVuw8pkPuY44nMy-4/s1600/IMG_6475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMHXS-oiow9m2aXAgfIkBfCuGOJLx5tuKJxLanp8rC6R-42LI20owpnEkfQ7cFTPtcP0kxMUfoZV3-CVQOrgtjjoerR0Erv5p1Fc5CkBfBpebNWLDqmK9BpaVYV05jSXxdW0IS_F2OiI/s1600/IMG_6492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMMHXS-oiow9m2aXAgfIkBfCuGOJLx5tuKJxLanp8rC6R-42LI20owpnEkfQ7cFTPtcP0kxMUfoZV3-CVQOrgtjjoerR0Erv5p1Fc5CkBfBpebNWLDqmK9BpaVYV05jSXxdW0IS_F2OiI/s320/IMG_6492.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9RadX6kagT_Hx2xOiLa64sS6HzakNTCshfzuKPYXAyfdsf5HR57dVxQ3u6bBOrDw_-u1puNSKxTs2-fQ5y5xjrH-_hLeRXmxb9SovW0tpi1wyO5bTZNbrAd6nEs-Ng1bfH1SI_6Fgfm8/s1600/IMG_6493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9RadX6kagT_Hx2xOiLa64sS6HzakNTCshfzuKPYXAyfdsf5HR57dVxQ3u6bBOrDw_-u1puNSKxTs2-fQ5y5xjrH-_hLeRXmxb9SovW0tpi1wyO5bTZNbrAd6nEs-Ng1bfH1SI_6Fgfm8/s320/IMG_6493.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, we are getting there. My students are sweet and we are learning together. Everyone keeps asking me if I "love second grade" yet... Not quite yet... but I will! I am getting there... I am just still processing the craziness.</div>
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I will tell you what I DO love though... second graders are VERY independent! They can read, write and tie their own shoes! It is a very different scene than kindergarten right now.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaJwZi_odnv1jUbBx-w7O7l8HxuAK2CVzB6kjyzBcSgR6lcKQAmYj-IwOrheERI_X70kTeFgxwKRzXaGLlmh7pDEPKx8ZJR15Qjslgb3dyca0UiiOYw_rRTrF0eMIyhO0VwbWLyrhjV4/s1600/IMG_6483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaJwZi_odnv1jUbBx-w7O7l8HxuAK2CVzB6kjyzBcSgR6lcKQAmYj-IwOrheERI_X70kTeFgxwKRzXaGLlmh7pDEPKx8ZJR15Qjslgb3dyca0UiiOYw_rRTrF0eMIyhO0VwbWLyrhjV4/s320/IMG_6483.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Our school uses supplemental, computer based math and reading programs. Let me tell you... going to the lab with kindergarteners is HARD work! I had to log-in 18 kids... and by the time you get to student #3 the first student has accidentally logged out. It is HARD.</div>
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Taking second graders to the computer lab is a DREAM! First of all, they love it (Kindergarteners whine the entire time)... and then there is that independence thing... Heaven.</div>
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So, I am a second grade teacher. I don't really know what I'm doing yet (which I HATE)... but I am figuring it out... and trying to love it.<br />
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As if this wasn't all enough...</div>
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I got really sick (on top of my broken-ish back) last week. Fever, sore throat, body aches... but no infection... which is technically good... but in the moment I was wishing for an infection that they could just give me medicine for so it would go away. :(</div>
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And we are currently experiencing the awful weather effects of Hurricane Hermine. </div>
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My girls are pretty excited about school being cancelled...</div>
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But I am just exhausted from putting out a million (or 30) sandbags and stressed because this is what the <strike>river</strike> street in front of my house looks like. I am really, really, really hoping the water stays out of my house... but the way things have been going recently, I am certainly preparing for the worst!</div>
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But I got to wear my cute, new rain boots... That's something, right? (I know it's a stretch but I am REALLY trying to look on the bright side!) </div>
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I am really sorry for the longest post ever... There is probably no one still reading this... but it was cathartic to write. So... my "hurricane day" plan is to light a pretty candle, put on some comfy yoga pants and learn how to teach second grade! What are you up to this week??</div>
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<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-49739012093744064482016-08-05T04:00:00.000-07:002016-08-05T04:00:26.135-07:005 for Friday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great week! We went back to school on Monday so it has been a l-o-n-g, busy week.. a good week... but a very, very busy one!<br />
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Last weekend my parents had a huge family party at their house. My sister and her family came into town, which is always fun! They also had my aunts uncle, cousins and all of their kids over. It was a really great "family fun" day. <br />
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The kids spend the<i> entire</i> day outside.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGXQXKz47wOhVbl6LnGZeBdijprn3A-FutcPsCc7lu20degTCfifDMkc7Z-OhrrNjg3W1Hg0dAyaQZs-ADDpZS-HWmGL_qhOMrc7suUyasUQecmqCm6cHh12vXS2QtcWwe7jQd7LcLQA/s1600/IMG_5855-ANIMATION.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGXQXKz47wOhVbl6LnGZeBdijprn3A-FutcPsCc7lu20degTCfifDMkc7Z-OhrrNjg3W1Hg0dAyaQZs-ADDpZS-HWmGL_qhOMrc7suUyasUQecmqCm6cHh12vXS2QtcWwe7jQd7LcLQA/s400/IMG_5855-ANIMATION.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Most of the day was spent in the pool. However, they also spent lots of time fishing and enjoyed a huge water balloon fight.</div>
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At the end of the day, someone got the idea to have the kids dive for pennies at the bottom of the pool. Somehow, the "pennies" turned into a<i> ton </i>quarters, dimes and nickles. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPncOsSQ9BhsJdS8CZzmoo3PL8-wIoHVe_VmMdFVP8lAAjZveLaBBhyphenhyphenAeEShP18mzdJUhTKnZPt9YgRI4-IlFYAggynJDb-t1l_08y351lyxHUgn5nyjMK5LjRquI-p9cEpoQQegnYQ5c/s1600/IMG_5987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPncOsSQ9BhsJdS8CZzmoo3PL8-wIoHVe_VmMdFVP8lAAjZveLaBBhyphenhyphenAeEShP18mzdJUhTKnZPt9YgRI4-IlFYAggynJDb-t1l_08y351lyxHUgn5nyjMK5LjRquI-p9cEpoQQegnYQ5c/s400/IMG_5987.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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As we started laughing about how expensive this game was getting, my cousin started throwing in dollar bills. This was a<i> huge</i> hit with the big kids!</div>
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At one point he hurled a credit card into the pool too. It was so funny. All around, a perfect day.</div>
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Monday was the first day back to school. I have made lots of progress in my room... but you will have to trust me until next week since this is the only photo I took of my classroom all week.</div>
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I saw this on Facebook last night and couldn't stop laughing. <b><i>SO</i></b> funny!</div>
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(Thanks for the laugh <a href="http://www.teachinginprogress.com/" target="_blank">Teaching in Progress</a>!)</div>
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We have actually had more time in our classrooms this year than any other year. It has been wonderful... but I think most teachers can relate to this feeling at one time or another ;).</div>
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Last night a huge group of teachers from school got together to go see the movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4651520/" target="_blank">Bad Moms</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaXTO6Xx8iXU1nnv8NjgnuvBcJqCfZ-7t0RNCXv9sIgEmUsvHMN3giZx0jk-aO43ITZYL-p4z2aqHAo9654h8nbbXPEYxBtcJdeBdSAEXGw204wRRJrbe08Pjb8-k0GDVkVZFF5SLiII/s1600/IMG_6075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaXTO6Xx8iXU1nnv8NjgnuvBcJqCfZ-7t0RNCXv9sIgEmUsvHMN3giZx0jk-aO43ITZYL-p4z2aqHAo9654h8nbbXPEYxBtcJdeBdSAEXGw204wRRJrbe08Pjb8-k0GDVkVZFF5SLiII/s400/IMG_6075.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I think there were 23 teachers that went. We figured out that we had teachers from every grade level and every team. It was SO MUCH FUN. The movie was hilarious. There is some off color language but it is hilarious! We have never had such a big group get together outside of school before and it was awesome! We are hoping to make it a monthly thing this year. </div>
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If I wasn't tired enough this week, after I got home from school Monday I read about a grant opportunity through Target and Donors Choose. It sounded exciting and I was inspired. I tend to get things done quickly and do pretty good work... but I do it all at once... and it can be a little exhausting. (Especially during the first week back to school!)<br />
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Anyway, I wound up writing two Donors Choose grants for my classroom!<br />
<a href="https://www.donorschoose.org/project/kindergarten-kids-wiggling-our-way-to-he/2090613/?rf=email-system-2016-08-proposal_approve-teacher_3114289&challengeid=20762156&utm_source=dc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=proposal_approve&utm_swu=4258" target="_blank">Kindergarten Kids- Wiggling Our Way to Healthy Learning</a> and<br />
<a href="https://www.donorschoose.org/project/tiny-teachersplaying-and-learning-our-w/2091141/?challengeid=20762156&rf=link-siteshare-2016-08-teacher_profile-teacher_3114289" target="_blank">Tiny Teachers: Playing and Learning Our Way to Healthy Habits</a>, which only needs $97 more to be fully funded!!<br />
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All donations made to my projects before August 9 will be matched by Donors Choose when the code LIFTOFF is used... in case you know anyone who might be interested in donating. :)<br />
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Finally, I am putting my #1 seller on sale this weekend! </div>
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Superhero-Theme-Character-Education-Posters-40-Traits-Included-1312128" target="_blank">This is a really cute superhero themed character education product.</a> </div>
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It includes 40 different character traits! So, you can focus on a different trait each week... or you can just pick and choose the traits that your school focuses on. </div>
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There are 2 different posters, a writing prompt, and "caught being good" slips included for each of the 40 character traits.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIEyArLgy1bMgsm72Rq0Frz92NFMWGaTRIueQQctVcItSf89hHxCiU_ElZ97Odr05euSsOEGBbCk4OhtmvyMkGRGZIkyVrBsPbhaDmuBop_W-aXcTTpCW74C7AVHHVlkDbShCR99LVvM/s1600/IMG_6083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIEyArLgy1bMgsm72Rq0Frz92NFMWGaTRIueQQctVcItSf89hHxCiU_ElZ97Odr05euSsOEGBbCk4OhtmvyMkGRGZIkyVrBsPbhaDmuBop_W-aXcTTpCW74C7AVHHVlkDbShCR99LVvM/s320/IMG_6083.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrLWj-kML59Ymc5BJ7325dCcEvwUmQQzyC2Mjn5hDvjS6dzHEC_eB5Osp3laf79d1YcnynunF_CIJML5J9FZS0Hzby-vrmH9NjXjS33ZDmQOqBpURy3wlZO7DhKw9PNvn_gkyQ-exvyc/s1600/IMG_6084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrLWj-kML59Ymc5BJ7325dCcEvwUmQQzyC2Mjn5hDvjS6dzHEC_eB5Osp3laf79d1YcnynunF_CIJML5J9FZS0Hzby-vrmH9NjXjS33ZDmQOqBpURy3wlZO7DhKw9PNvn_gkyQ-exvyc/s320/IMG_6084.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can grab this on sale through Monday <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Superhero-Theme-Character-Education-Posters-40-Traits-Included-1312128" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div>
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Have a fabulous weekend!!</div>
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<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-13520729241279858232016-07-29T00:00:00.000-07:002016-07-29T00:00:10.915-07:005 for Friday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Pw7zfkCPE5loILmdDbu5H4QKxCJ3tRG6TUjqFilIlcPwHl2uqjl2X-DZRnJps8lv3smkcYBK0Es1AwfQIhPTNKgvGlvtWi0b8L0Hg6EJRHPmSBFJT2Snf80o6QVUazUJD42Xoyj5hVY/s1600/fiveforfriday2_thumb%255B3%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Pw7zfkCPE5loILmdDbu5H4QKxCJ3tRG6TUjqFilIlcPwHl2uqjl2X-DZRnJps8lv3smkcYBK0Es1AwfQIhPTNKgvGlvtWi0b8L0Hg6EJRHPmSBFJT2Snf80o6QVUazUJD42Xoyj5hVY/s320/fiveforfriday2_thumb%255B3%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy Friday! I am linking up with Doodle Bug Teaching for another Five for Friday post today. I am trying hard not to think about the fact that this is my LAST week of summer vacation! Next week's post will be full of classroom photos and "back to school"... hard to believe! </div>
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My identical twins are going to be a little less identical for awhile!</div>
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My sweet Matt had his "Phase 1" braces put on this week. He was super nervous... but he did great!</div>
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Isn't he cute?</div>
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My husband and I laugh (so we don't cry) because we keep taking kids to the dentist and getting great reports but there is ALWAYS a very, very, very expensive catch. </div>
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Here is how it tends to go:</div>
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"No, cavities, looks great! But it is time to pull these 3 teeth to put in spacers for his adult teeth." OR</div>
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"These teeth are coming in great! Let's get a retainer put in to make sure they stay in place." OR</div>
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"He is doing a great job taking care of his teeth... but it is time to see the orthodontist for that cross bite."</div>
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I swear, we must be the only people who can leave the dentist with no cavities and a treatment plan for over $3,000! Oh well, what are you going to do? He's totally worth it. We've gotta keep that heart melting smile in tip-top shape! </div>
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Kirsten went away to cheerleading camp this week. I was a nervous wreck... I know this is what kids do... and lots of kids do it much younger... but I like keeping my kids close. She has never gone "away" where she wasn't with a family member before.</div>
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She was a little nervous when she was leaving but I got a text that evening that said "This is the most fun day of my LIFE!" so I think she got over it pretty quickly ;) </div>
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She and her high school team went to camp at a nearby university. They got to sleep in the dorms, eat in the campus cafes, and cheer from 8 am- 10 pm. It was her version of heaven!</div>
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My friend sent this to me this week and I just about died laughing. </div>
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I wish it wasn't one of those "It's funny because it's true" deals... but... it's funny because it's true.</div>
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It has been a bit of an indulgent summer... I am not looking forward to "real life" starting next week! </div>
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As much as I am wishing summer didn't have to end... I am being reminded that I like routines... a lot. At the beginning of the summer I am always so happy to have no (or less) obligations. The idea of "open" days is so freeing! However, after about a month, I am craving a bit of "normalcy" and routine. I am NOT saying I am ready for the back to school rush, everyone having tons of homework, carpooling around town non-stop... But, I AM saying that we can no longer<i> all</i> be in the house for more than an hour or two.</div>
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The people that I adore and love with all of my heart are<i> driving me up the wall</i>. I have NO MORE PATIENCE for the arguing about nothing, the whining (about nothing), the mess everywhere I look, the 7,000 cups that are being left out all over the house... WHY DO WE HAVE SO MANY CUPS? I am seriously at the point of the summer where I am ready to throw away all the cups. I guess that's extreme... maybe I will keep 6... then everyone can have 1 cup. That sounds perfectly reasonable doesn't it?</div>
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Anyway, I am combating the end of summer cabin fever by getting everyone OUT OF THE HOUSE. It is about 900 degrees out, so that isn't exactly easy... but we are managing. </div>
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When we haven't been at the orthodontist, or pediatrician, or ophthalmologist #alltheappointments we have enjoyed the free morning movies at the local theater. (The MOVIE is free, the popcorn is still the equivalent of a mortgage payment.)</div>
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We have also been spending TONS of time in the water... We don't have a pool... but we go out and find water all over town... the beach, grandparents' houses, town pools, club pools... we aren't picky!</div>
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Yesterday I was hit especially hard by the "we can't all be in this house" feeling. So at about 5:05 I yelled for everyone to put on bathing suits and we would go "find water". It wasn't great planning on my part since my tiny kids eat their body weight in food at every meal and decided they were "starving" as soon as we left the driveway. </div>
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Luckily, the grilled cheese sandwiches at the club were delicious and only $3.95 each! I was so excited! Taking these guys to eat ANYWHERE usually costs a fortune. This was the perfect answer. They ordered their food, swam until it arrived, we ate in the shade, and then they jumped right back in the pool. It was the nicest "family dinner" we've had all week! There wasn't one argument... no one complained about anything! It was heaven!</div>
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I worked on a HUGE update to my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Nursery-Rhymes-Puppets-Crowns-Booklets-More-1530429" target="_blank">Nursery Rhymes</a> unit this week! First,<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Nursery-Rhyme-Mini-Unit-Jack-and-Jill-Freebie-1530297" target="_blank"> HERE</a> is the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Nursery-Rhyme-Mini-Unit-Jack-and-Jill-Freebie-1530297" target="_blank">Jack and Jill </a>portion of the unit (which is a<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Nursery-Rhyme-Mini-Unit-Jack-and-Jill-Freebie-1530297" target="_blank"> FREEBIE)</a>. </div>
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The complete unit includes 16 more nursery rhymes. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Each section includes :</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">-Poem with colored illustration to be
used for a class display/ teaching poster</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">-Poem with black and white illustration
to be used for student poetry journals, partner reading, fluency practice
sheet, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">-Crown for students to color, cut, attach
to a sentence strip and wear (adorable!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">-Student booklet for reading and/or
sequencing practice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">-Colored and black and white retelling/
puppet pieces- The colored pieces can be used for a class center and students
can color their own to keep. These
pieces can be used to sequence/retell the rhyme OR they can be attached to a Popsicle stick for a fun, simple puppet.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I LOVE using this unit with my kiddos. The little puppets and crowns make them so happy. It is so cute to see how excited they get about the little touches. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I added over 60 pages to this unit this week. However, I am not going to raise the price unit the end of the weekend.. So, if you need some nursery rhyme materials for the beginning of the year, they are on sale <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Nursery-Rhymes-Puppets-Crowns-Booklets-More-1530429" target="_blank">HERE </a>this weekend! :)</span></div>
<br />Marcie- Sunny and Bright in First Gradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10971125473191396596noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2153207342569918192.post-14764648608500388842016-07-23T08:54:00.002-07:002016-07-23T08:54:41.847-07:00How Teachers Relax<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My friend Laura from <a href="http://www.agracefilledclassroom.com/" target="_blank">A Grace Filled Classroom</a> told me a few weeks ago about this great idea for a linky party. I thought it was a fun idea and told her I would love to link up.</div>
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Then, yesterday I sat and stared at a blank computer screen for wayyyy too long. While I did not actually get anything <i>written </i>during my 2 hours at Panera, I did have time to figure some things out. Lately, I keep asking myself why I have a hard time blogging... I have lots of ideas. I enjoy sharing them. It seems like it should be easy enough. 1/2 way through my delicious tomato and mozzarella flatbread (which I highly recommend) I figured out that the issue is that I am "overthinking it". It is ridiculous that this had to be a "light bulb moment" because I overthink <i>everything</i>. I am sure that I would have been given the "Most Overthinking-est" superlative in high school if that was a thing.</div>
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So... I am thinking that the key to successful blogging, for me, is going to be thinking less. That sounds like a terrible business plan, doesn't it? Seriously, how unprofessional is that? But, I am going to go with it for awhile and see where it leads me...</div>
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Wow, that was a lot. So, in case you forgot why you were here,.. Here's the recap: I told Laura that I would be happy to write about how I relax. Then I got writer's block and starting overthinking. Here's how that went 'Hmmm... how do I relax? Do I relax? Maybe she means hobbies... what are my hobbies? This shouldn't be hard... I like to do things... WHAT DO I LIKE TO DO?!?!? I like to read. Reading is a great hobby... but I never have time to read. I haven't gotten to actually read in a really long time. I can't write about that.' This went on, and on, and on. I came up with a list (an actual list!!) of what relaxing might look like. (Told you I was overthinking it.) </div>
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Here is the list:</div>
<ul>
<li><strike>pedicures</strike></li>
<li><strike>naps</strike></li>
<li><strike>long lunches</strike></li>
<li><strike>shopping</strike></li>
<li><strike>visiting a spa</strike></li>
</ul>
However, those list items are not crossed off because they were completed (like a normal list). They are crossed off because they are totally unrealistic and things I have not had any time to do this summer... back to overthinking...<br />
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THEN, I had another "light bulb moment"! I am a kindergarten teacher during the school year, a TPT author, and a full time mother of FOUR children. I <i>don't </i>relax. BUT, that's okay! I am at a moment in life that is very, very, very, very busy. "Relaxing" as I have pictured it in my mind is not going to happen right now.</div>
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However, I do <i>A LOT</i> to <b>rejuvenate</b>! During this season of my life, rejuvenation is<b><span style="font-size: large;"> so much more important</span></b>! I don't want to miss anything! If I "relax" through a spa day I miss a full day at the beach with my kids. If I "relax" wandering through beautiful department stores by myself, I don't get pulled through the mall by my teenage daughter. Right now, I need the rejuvenation, the fun, the "good stuff" that fills up my heart and soul<span style="font-size: large;"> SO MUCH MORE</span> than I need a nap. (And that is saying A LOT because I love naps!)</div>
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So, here is a little recap of my fabulous summer of rejuvenation with my beautiful family!</div>
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We started the summer with our annual trip to Ft. Lauderdale with my parents and my sister and her family. It is my favorite thing to do every summer.</div>
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This is a sneak peek into "Phase 1" of packing for 4 kids... it is a 3 phase process... I heard a quote once that when you have kids you don't go "on vacation" anymore. Instead, you go on "family trips". Funny and accurate. I LOVE our family trips! They fill up my heart... but I leave tired and I come home tired. ;)</div>
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This year we scheduled our trip over Father's Day, which was super fun. Here is my crazy crew. (You can probably see how there isn't much "relaxing" with this gang around... but they sure do rejuvenate this teacher-mom's heart!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqRB4DOkbUrsb3tfDeGEm12Fm81s5rN2ZTL5QYv7QUgZuhoeBHuRY2TCuY-z_8DojBtjk5rXw8fdEDDMXl3D6a13ddE6SMDbflrHW9xMK3c8Xn-rFgh9u7189dpEoOheZ-6ndi6SMQkE/s1600/IMG_4553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFCfyxe7h2d_uPr3GJO0h8zEnAbV6mQELea6iZAVVhXjnCISToaDvt8L5-nX9mouM6Je0jupGR1C71yQr6fKxuUWn11wP4Ybr7wBBfQBTwosFsUoA7U937diXJN41k79MWp25OE5tPk44/s1600/IMG_4618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWfXYFotvmw3f5GDib4WCl8bKvHqyjue0WLy2F9kNCRkdOzCSRATk2KTBs6QEapyiTEUCLE7KeW9jF0oTfCADzNGX8gjHdJtitp1ZHAxZtPOZDkR2V_Cm42nzFYti0mFx2GCJTVV5DTA/s1600/IMG_4582-ANIMATION.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWfXYFotvmw3f5GDib4WCl8bKvHqyjue0WLy2F9kNCRkdOzCSRATk2KTBs6QEapyiTEUCLE7KeW9jF0oTfCADzNGX8gjHdJtitp1ZHAxZtPOZDkR2V_Cm42nzFYti0mFx2GCJTVV5DTA/s320/IMG_4582-ANIMATION.gif" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqRB4DOkbUrsb3tfDeGEm12Fm81s5rN2ZTL5QYv7QUgZuhoeBHuRY2TCuY-z_8DojBtjk5rXw8fdEDDMXl3D6a13ddE6SMDbflrHW9xMK3c8Xn-rFgh9u7189dpEoOheZ-6ndi6SMQkE/s1600/IMG_4553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqRB4DOkbUrsb3tfDeGEm12Fm81s5rN2ZTL5QYv7QUgZuhoeBHuRY2TCuY-z_8DojBtjk5rXw8fdEDDMXl3D6a13ddE6SMDbflrHW9xMK3c8Xn-rFgh9u7189dpEoOheZ-6ndi6SMQkE/s1600/IMG_4553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeqRB4DOkbUrsb3tfDeGEm12Fm81s5rN2ZTL5QYv7QUgZuhoeBHuRY2TCuY-z_8DojBtjk5rXw8fdEDDMXl3D6a13ddE6SMDbflrHW9xMK3c8Xn-rFgh9u7189dpEoOheZ-6ndi6SMQkE/s200/IMG_4553.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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I tried to get a quick photo with my girls... Don't you love my silly photo bombers?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tn16_lumsh8SFTqBV6lzRsTJCT20pNE6sjy7kpaXm-M2SGZCZEb-H_cK4ny7Glg1DYJDXCH2wTd4MNsCXQZEF9J9wCnfsetH6ETr3oD1GJ25U9icFLOtVEjtbiIukpCiz_y7OvtftyY/s1600/IMG_4662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tn16_lumsh8SFTqBV6lzRsTJCT20pNE6sjy7kpaXm-M2SGZCZEb-H_cK4ny7Glg1DYJDXCH2wTd4MNsCXQZEF9J9wCnfsetH6ETr3oD1GJ25U9icFLOtVEjtbiIukpCiz_y7OvtftyY/s320/IMG_4662.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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There is no napping in a lounge chair when you are watching these 3 in the pool for the afternoon... but there is A LOT of laughing!</div>
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Most of our summer was spent at the beach. It is A LOT of work to keep my little red heads sunscreened and to get everyone packed up and ready for the beach! But when we get there... heaven!</div>
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Something about this photo melts me. I think it is the way she is conquering her fears this summer. She started the summer afraid to get her face wet... now she tells everyone she is a mermaid because she never wants to get out of the water!</div>
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My "big girl" is still fun to watch at the beach too. She gets her talent from her mom ;) (Ha! No, no she does not. Unfortunately I don't have her talent or her abs!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7NjOJdTs0vrG355xJkuBzrksOWzSh2BMjlGaFQkjlzeUjnOIT10RtvZVEB8PsZMowAqDJNU7XVT6QKVMGRCmFImZX4usDFI6E5SC1qejtZ8qOBgOMqDCYhNCAKVRyC5QdrkAYXzDLTI/s1600/IMG_5130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7NjOJdTs0vrG355xJkuBzrksOWzSh2BMjlGaFQkjlzeUjnOIT10RtvZVEB8PsZMowAqDJNU7XVT6QKVMGRCmFImZX4usDFI6E5SC1qejtZ8qOBgOMqDCYhNCAKVRyC5QdrkAYXzDLTI/s400/IMG_5130.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Since we have hit the parenting "sweet spot" where we have grown our own babysitter ;) I was even able to fit in a few nights out with my favorite guy. Given the choice between resting and enjoying some music and wine on the beach... I will always choose to stay tired!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UdLCrJZkdhds-Bi00uNEs7IHd3E-5ruM0y1HnybH1sQnqvN6bSfLFrakLMCkmLpg-zdmnpqdwEajt7w1iE2ZeUZhyphenhyphenBEmVhdl3DBy5CzOm_2o6-YomuiaH8Z3UE9gd-eyLQp34bfeowE/s1600/IMG_5458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UdLCrJZkdhds-Bi00uNEs7IHd3E-5ruM0y1HnybH1sQnqvN6bSfLFrakLMCkmLpg-zdmnpqdwEajt7w1iE2ZeUZhyphenhyphenBEmVhdl3DBy5CzOm_2o6-YomuiaH8Z3UE9gd-eyLQp34bfeowE/s320/IMG_5458.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, while I might not have had a spa day this summer, I have laughed until I can't laugh anymore. I have loved "my people" and spent my time soaking them up... and there is nothing that rejuvenates this teacher-mom's heart more!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaTikKNic6azYay8AQC8UPB3Xb6RznwqtNt9X6wM1v5JwBuB0J0GxiOqEO9FLSKQCKoB5fR7WR9BqkWhxNaTTHJaWa-eu_UyK1aLcr4HF15OjmRCOU9ye9-9nCR7ySuVh1uQtiJ1nDbY/s1600/IMG_4866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaTikKNic6azYay8AQC8UPB3Xb6RznwqtNt9X6wM1v5JwBuB0J0GxiOqEO9FLSKQCKoB5fR7WR9BqkWhxNaTTHJaWa-eu_UyK1aLcr4HF15OjmRCOU9ye9-9nCR7ySuVh1uQtiJ1nDbY/s320/IMG_4866.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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How about you? Do you relax? Is relaxing a real thing? Sometimes I wonder if it is just a myth! Whether you have been relaxing or not, I hope that your summer has been filled with laughter and rejuvenation! </div>
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