Summer Adventure!!

After 10 years of wanting to go to the Keys, I finally went to the keys a little more than a week after school got out.  I am in central Florida so I know about Florida daily storms and the hurricane season but it's June... I should be ok right???

Long story short, our week was filled with about 3-5 inches of rain a day.  We knew that this was more than typical daily storms that we get in central Florida but what we didn't know was that this was rain bands from tropical depression Debby.  Yes, the same Tropical Storm Debby that would continue up the gulf and affect Florida for the next week.

Only me-- this is the kind of luck I have!!!

We left the Keys on Friday and made our way back to central Florida with storms following us the entire way because of course TS Debby was following us!  (By the way, we got about 10 inches of rain in my area from Debby)

All things considered, it was a good week even if it wasn't what I envisioned. 

I have included a few of my pictures from my vacation...... (I took over 400 pictures -- wow! )


Have you ever had a vacation that took a 360 degree turn from what you planned? 

 Our only sunny day-- oh the colors of the water. 

 Waves were so high that they were coming over the wall and streets were covered with water

 A Florida Key Deer on the side of the road

 I liked the dark skies, color of water etc

 we were trying to figure out what this was- a baby lobster? While we were in the water this came up next to us.

 ohhh we really wish that we could have been on this island.  You know the famous Zac Brown song? Toes in the water...  or  Knee Deep? 

 Wow... just sitting in a tree.  I had to look twice!

 Hemingway House

 Everglades- Look Out tower.  See the storms building in the background?  Those would be on us in about 10 minutes and we got soaked while on our last half of the tour.

 Everglades

 Yep... a Florida Gator

Morning Work Project

Happy Summer!!

I can't believe that we are looking at  the end of July already!  I know I have been missing in action most of this year.  I have been super busy and trying to keep up with the changes at work and home.  Nothing like starting the school year with a move!  Right now I am living the lifestyle of boxes and chaos!

I don't know about you but have you had the itch to get into your classroom and begin the set up process?  Have you gotten the bug to shop for school items?  Or *gasp* start working on school projects??  I know, I know, we still have a couple more weeks of summer (or so) left but I bet many of you are raising your hands : )


How many of you do morning work?
I have a time period of about 30 minutes in the morning from the first bell to the last bell and announcements.  I use this time to check planners, talk to parents, take attendance etc and I like to have my first graders working on something meaningful yet something they can do somewhat independently.  Does this sound familiar?

I haven't really changed my morning work routine too much but I have tweaked it.  I went to teacher's notebook and teachers pay teachers and found some great resources to aid in my project.  I have been spending the last couple days working on a daily power point slide so that I can hook up my computer and project it onto the board for their morning work.  Students will be using regular notebooks to show their work and I am thinking of giving them morning work folders that they keep in their desks.  These folders could/would contain- abc's, #'s 1-100, Lists of FRY words...

I have decided that the activities would be as follows:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday- Mr. Fix It Sentences and Journal Prompt
Tuesday- Spelling and Sight Word Work
Thursday- Math review/practice, practice writing #'s 1-100

I added 2 additional slides that give me the option of "Teacher's Choice" activity (word search or other fun work, free write journal time, specific seasonal or other activities etc)

I also have the option of printing these slides in case I am absent and students can still do their morning work without having my computer. 

I am also thinking that I will have students be responsible for having this work done so that we can share and correct it as a whole group but I may also add the surprise factor of picking a group table to turn in their morning work to be checked.  Each table group has a # and I roll a die? Maybe instead of having it be a negative if they are not done, maybe those students who are done get a "punch" on their punch cards...  What do you think?

Here is an "overview" of the power point.  I'd love to hear what you think below!

picture above: preview of all the slides I have done so far.  White slides are headers for each week.  I have 2 extra slides at the beginning for "Teacher Choice" etc

 picture above:  example of my monday, wednesday, friday morning work (the blank box is for the fix it sentences that I found on teacher's notebook/ teachers pay teachers)

 picture above: Will be math practice pages that I will copy side by side and cut in half so that I have 2 week's worth of math practice one 1 page to conserve copies

picture above:  spelling activities will vary each week but will repeat after 4 or 5 weeks and will periodically add a new activity as the year progresses.  I still need to enter my spelling words. 

2012 Fascination Award Nomination

WOW!!  I was so surprised when I opened up my email to find out that I was nominated for the "2012 Fascination Award Nomination".

How?

"An article you wrote in 2011 titled Create Your Own Flip Charts using Binders has earned your blog a nomination for a Fascination Award: 2012's Most Fascinating Elementary Teacher blog.

The comments posted in response to your post prove that your content not only inspires your audience, but it also creates discussion around your posts, both of which are requirements for the nomination of a Fascination award."

To find out more about this post please click here: http://primaryconnections-beth.blogspot.com/search/label/flip%20chart%20binder

I need your help....  if you like my "Create your own Flip Charts using Binders" idea please vote for my blog!   

Voting begins May 14th at 12:01 AM (EST).The blog with the most votes by May 21st at 11:59 PM (EST) will win the grand prize, a $100 restaurant gift card. 

Thank you!!

Beth

MIA and Oops Note Request

Hello Blog Land!!

I know it's been a really really really long time since I have posted anything (all school year)!  It has been such a hectic year -  our state passed the merit pay law and several other big things changed so it's been a year of change, growth and yes- stress  but I think we are going to make it.  My other excuse is that I gave up internet at home in October....  (I can hear all the gasps across blog land) which means that by the time it hits 4pm, I am either heading out the door in exhaustion or I am staying late to do school work and forget to stop by the blog.  I know, excuses excuses...

Are you counting down yet?  We have 26 days left after tomorrow.  Right now I am at the  "yikes we only have 26 days left and I have to get this 10 mile long to do list done" stage. I'd love to hear if anyone has some great tricks of the trade for ending the year  with as little stress as possible.  Please post below!!

Oops Note Request:
I had a wonderful blogger who sent me an email asking about my "Oops Note"--

I have used and adapted the Oops Note over the years.  I find that I tend to write the same thing over and over in various planners so this system really does save me a lot of time as well as provides documentation through out the year in case I need it.  I have it saved on my desk top and I can easily "tweak" the note before I print it if necessary. 

If you have any other questions, please let me know!! 

Oops Note

Versatile Blogger Award

I'd like to give a big Thank You and Shout out to First Year in 3rd Grade for thinking enough of my blog to give me the Versatile Blogger Award :-)

Now for the rules. When you receive this award, you must thank the person who gave you the award, tell seven things about you, and pass this award onto 15 blogs that you feel deserve this award.

And so....

Seven Random Facts:

1. I like to dabble in photography -- some day I would love to take some classes
2. I love to watch drama shows- NCIS, NCIS LA, The Good Wife etc are a few of my favs
3. I love to travel and would like to do more of it but due to the money factor, I have only been traveling back and forth to see family in the Mid-West. 
4. I am a huge Packer and Wisconsin Badger Fan-- you will see me cheering loudly during a football game
5. I have 2 cats-  Indy and Jones  
6. I love to curl up with a good book
7. I love to listen to a variety of music but mostly Country

15 Blogs I think are Versatile:


Stay tuned--- these will be posted tomorrow!! :-)

Fall Harvest and Updates

Hi Everyone!

WOW.... the school year started and I got sucked into that void!!!  You know the one-- the back to school, busy as all get out, drowning in paperwork and always exhausted void.  Well at least I hope I am not the only one.

I have just hit the progress reports are due time frame.  Whew-- glad those are off my to do list.

TO DO LIST:
Open House
Progress Reports
Picture Day
FAIR Assessments
Running Records
Prepare for Fall Harvest Week

At the end of October I celebrate more of a Fall Harvest rather than Halloween.  We do many different activities during that week.  Here are just a few:

• Leaf Rubbings
• Water Color Leaves
• Glyphs
• Craft Projects
• Apple Prints
• Apple Taste Test
• Sink/Float with Fall Harvest Vegetables
• All About Me--  a book that is also comparing themselves with pumpkins (children move from group to group to complete their books)

                      * Height of child compared to height of pumpkin
                      * Measuring around pumpkin, measure around child's waist
                      * Weight- compare their weight to weight of pumpkin

• Estimate how many seeds inside pumpkin
• cut open pumpkin and explore insides
• discuss and label parts of pumpkin/sequence growth of pumpkin
• taste test different pumpkin items
• plant pumpkin seeds- observe growth in journal, discuss (Plant Unit)

What do you do?

Helping a Parent-- Need ideas please

Do you have parents that ask you for a variety of creative ways to encourage their child to learn at home? I have a student who is quick to frustrate and has the "I can't" idea stuck in his head and I'm trying to find a variety of new ideas that I can send home.

I am trying to come up with the following lists:

• variety of (free) websites that work on math skills, reading skills etc for 1st grade students.   I have parents that are asking for a variety of websites such as starfall.com
• a variety of different homework ideas that are winners in your classroom

                       
Do you have any suggestions?  Please post below!

Open House is in the books

To Do List this week:

Open House----- A BIG CHECK :-)
Whew-- we had our Open House last night!  What a busy week!   I was able to create my informational powerpoint and scavenger hunt for parents.  All the paperwork from the office, student work, highlights magazine subscription option, our NEW Birthday Celebration policy was ready on each child's table spot.  This year the student work focused mainly on student goals and what they want to be when they grow up since that is our focus this year. 

AND.......................  Last night was the Packer game!!!

I watched the entire game and loved it--  I tried to keep in mind what time it was and that I had neighbors in my apartment complex.   Wow-- what a close game at the end!! 

Now this morning I get to start my day with a parent conference and then my daily race begins until 4:05pm.  I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!

Check this out

Hi Everyone!

I hope all is well with you.   I have super busy with my 1st graders.  We just started our 2nd week and I'm still trying to play catch up with paperwork, assessments and sleep!!

If you are a primary teacher AND you need to give basic assessments to your kids AND you need to provide data AND you have to communicate this with your parents, please head on over to check out the great resource I found and am using....  Find out more here

(the link should be working now--- Thank you! )

Classroom Picture Update

Well ready or not, kids will come on Monday! We have had many meetings during the day this week and I ended up staying until about 7pm every week night even last night!  FYI:  My district has strict fire codes that we must follow... I wish I could glam it up like others in blog world!! 

Top Picture: I am loving the IKEA bookshelves I bought earlier this summer and we put together a couple weeks ago.  Yes it was money that I spent but I think I will love the backpack organization.  You can see the beanie baby reading strategies on the board to the left.  I have had these posted for the last couple years. Under the beanie baby reading strategies I have my various turn in baskets (reading, math, writing, science/social studies, extra work basket and a pizza box will also be placed on the shelf) - red cup for highlighters (sign that says highlight names before turning in basket) On the desks- desk name tags ( I do not tape them down until things settle down the first week- I may lose or gain students, I may move them once I get to know them and what set up will work better etc) I also add clip name tags for every student.  A couple years ago I switched to clip name tags so that I can learn student names as well as when they go to lunch room, specials etc the other teachers can learn their names and even for PE they can wear these (safer than lanyards) Once I learn their names, I take these name tags and put them in my sub tub for a sub to use asking that they are collected at the end of the day.  I had only a couple parents bring in school supplies early so only a couple pencil boxes are at their table spots.   


Not Pictured:  Behind the student computers is my desk area.


Bottom Picture: This is my group area (I cropped this picture so that student names could not be read on the desks) You can see my calendar area- calendar, months, 100 day puzzle, 10's 1's straws, schedule behind portable chart stand, job chart- yellow pocket chart.  The red pocket chart will be where they keep their library card and lunch clip.  Above the red pocket chart is the ready for hallway poem.  Hanging off the red shelf is the attention grabbers and goodbye book.  To the left of the calendar, you can see my new behavior chart, school/classroom rules - 3 rules but what it looks like in all locations thru out school.  You can also see a small whiteboard above easel.  This will be where my information for morning work will go.  Top of the black electrical tape will have the current date:  Today is Monday August 19, 2011 etc and below that on left side will be the Mr. Fix It sentences which children will put on the left side of a notebook and on the right side will be journal entry and other To do Items.  

Not Pictured: If you would continue looking to the left of my morning work bulletin board, you would see my picture direction icons, punctuation signs, white board for document camera and brand new mimio (should get them next week! ) and my breakfast/writing area. 

*** I still have more work that I need to do such as labeling shelves, finishing the LEQ's for the blue pocket charts, adding the cards for centers (green pocket chart on front board)  Will it ever get done? This weekend will be lesson planning and paperwork ....  ***


I have incorporated many wonderful ideas from blog world into my classroom--  Thank you to all who have shared their resources and talent!