Missing in Action: "Passion in Portable Land!" Has been Found!!

I'm linking up with Kacey over at Doodle Bugs Teaching! It's only been two months since I've blogged!!  Where have I been? Well...I've been MIA!!

I've noticed a common theme among my favorite bloggers during the first quarter of the new school year.  "Too Busy to Blog!"  Well, I'm no different.  I've been MIA!  Otherwise known as "Missing in Action!"  

Don't get me wrong.  I love blogging and really enjoy reading what is going on with everyone.  However, I  have had to cut myself off in order to live my one word, Balance!  I've been pretty successful with dividing my time up between my family and school, so that means blogging is what gets pushed to the side.  

 This makes me sad because I really enjoy blogging! I have come to realize that I was a little LOT obsessed with the blogging world! found myself spending hours and hours reading, commenting, posting, creating, TpTing, Pinning, etc...

So, this weekend I've decided to add a little blogging world back into my "Balanced" life!  I'll share 2 family and 2 school random things with you!

While M.I.A. I've spent my time with my husband Al!  

We have enjoyed our "Empty Net" which means FREEDOM!  It has been so nice to not have to worry what the kids want or need, and just focus on the two of us!  We eat, drink, and are marry!!  HA! We both teach, so you know that means we are poor and can't quite travel the world just yet.  We did increase our $$ going towards our retirement since we don't have kids to pay for anymore.  We do spend time making plans for our future together.  Where we want to go, see, do!  I love our time together.  It is very romantic and comforting.  

I've been working as busy as a bee at school!  EVERYTHING is new to me this year.  I almost feel like a new teacher.  New school, coworkers, teammates, population of students, parents, new Florida Standards for Reading & Math, new programs, and a whole new teaching style!  I have to be honest, I LOVE my new school and it's vision for our students!  It makes a HUGE difference when your leadership is supportive of teachers and what we have to accomplish is a very short period of time.  

I blogged about starting the Making Meaning Reading Comprehension Program with the Vocabulary Supplement Component from The Developmental Studies Center before I went M.I.A.  I am ecstatic with the results I am seeing with the level and depth of thinking my students are expressing!  I wish I had someone in my classroom that would remember to take pictures of what this looks like, but we are always so deeply involved in our discussions of text we forget to capture it!  I did remember to take a picture of our Reading Community Anchor Charts.  They remind us of what our classroom community should look and act like!

  

After studying & reading DSC- Vocabulary & Word Nerds by Brenda J. Overturf, Leslie H. Montgomery, Margot Holmes Smith,  I was inspired to create a vocabulary journal for my students.  Here is a sneak peak at what it will looks like.  Not quite finished yet...so let me know what you think!

Math instruction has changed the most for me this year.  I'm learning how to teach with more student exploration built into my lessons.  It is challenging for me, but I'm loving the results!!  My district has embraced the Hands-On, Minds-On approach to math instruction.  Many hours of research and planning went into the district Math curriculum map for the 2014-2015 school year.  In my opinion, this year's Math Curriculum Map is by far the BEST I have ever seen or worked with.  Kudos to Volusia County School's K-5 Math Department!! 

Here are some pics of what Math Instruction has looked like in my classroom so far this year.

My fifth random post is about my family.  Mainly my son, Erik.  He graduates next Friday, 10/31/14 from Marine Corp. Boot Camp!  For me, the last 13 weeks have passed by slowly!  It has been absolute torture not being able to see him or even hear his voice.  Erik has written many letters home letting us know how much he LOVES Boot Camp, reporting how time is flying by, and that he can't wait to finally be a Marine!  He also reports how much he has grown, how much he misses us, and that he can't wait to see us again.  We are all proud of him and are bursting with excitement with only 6 more days to go!!  We ordered shirts to wear on Family Day!

Hopefully, I will be able to balance a little blogging into my life now that the first quarter is over.  I miss you all!  I want to hear from you, so send me some love to let me know you are still here too!  

Five for Friday Week #2 (Saturday Addition)

I'm linking up a date late again with Doodle Bugs Teaching!  Here's why...

WOOSH!  That was the sound of my second week of school flying by, and Zzzzzz, was the sound that I made by 8:00PM last night!  I was exhausted which is pretty much the consensus of every blogger that has returned to school prior to Labor Day!  

 I'm still loving my new school and coworkers!  Everyday has been a confirmation that the move was a smart choice.  My new principal passed out a copy of One Word that will change your life to all of us during our preplanning week.  

My word for the school year...Balance!  Which leads me to my #2 random thing for the week.

In order to maintain balance this year I scheduled a Mani/Pedi after school on Monday, a Message on Wednesday, and a Facial on Friday!  Repeat after me,

"Relax, Refresh, and Heal!"

Florida added a new Math standard to the Common Core standards on Relational Thinking and my school district decided it should be taught first on our new curriculum map.  This was a mind blower for my 4th grade team.  Thankfully, our wonderful Grade Chair went to several math workshops over the summer and brought back how to Transform Standards into Clear Learning Goals in the form of a Standards Wall.  Have any of you used this?  I loved it!  Here's what my wall looked like for the Relational Thinking Standards MAFS.4.OA.1a & 1b.

This is an example of implementation of "Determine if an equation is true or false by comparing, decomposing, and composing the numbers"  students are not to use calculations and must share/record their thinking.  

I was able to persuade my principal to pilot the Making Meaning Reading Comprehension Program from the Developmental Studies Center!  

This is very exciting!  I have my very own kit and have started to build my Classroom's Reading Community!  I was also given the Vocabulary Supplement that compliments the program!  I love it!!







So far we have established our classroom Reading Community, routines & procedures for Class Meetings, Listening to our Partner, and how to share our thinking with making connections to the text!  Stay tuned for more sharing on how effective this program is for All my students!!  

Random Thing #5 is dedicated to my son, Erik.  He has completed 4 weeks of Marine Corps Boot Camp.  I have received 3 letters from him so far and he sounds up beat, motivated, and in good spirits!  This warms my heart.  He has 9 more weeks to go!  Next week he has Water Survival Training!  



I'm confident he will excel since he is a Florida Boy, Surfer, and an Excellent Swimmer!  

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend! 

First Week of the 2014-2015 School Year!

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs for the Five for Friday Weekly Linky Party

AND

I'm linking up with my BBB Joanne from Head Over Heel for Teaching for the first Spark Student Motivation Saturday of my 2014-2015 School Year!

I love my new school, new classroom, new teammates, new students, and just about everything about the new school year!  I just have to show you my room first!

Of course I spent the week orienting myself and my students to classroom procedures and expectations.  I use a behavior clip chart to manage student behavior from Teacher Tools and Time Savers.

I feel that students have more "buy in" with a classroom behavior system if they help develop the rubric and expectations.  Here is a pic of what my students came up with for defining the difference between what a "Good Day", "Outstanding", and "Role Model" look like.

I have to throw in a little student motivation with this, so...when a student reaches "Role Model" they will receive one  of...

 Joanne's 

SCAN TO WIN TICKETS!

I also enticed my students to work hard all week to get rid of their "Summer Brains" with another one  of Joanne's fabulous Spark Student Motivation ideas.  FLASHLIGHT FRIDAYS!!  My students were busting at the seams on Friday afternoon when I FINALLY pulled out the flashlights for the last 30 minutes of the day!  Check this out!!!

It was a huge hit!!  My students can't wait till next Friday!!  Looks like I'm creating Wild Readers!!

I created a new product for my TpT store!  Editable Classroom Schedule Labels!  I have a freebie you can download to try!  If you like it and would like different colors then you may want to purchase the whole packet for only $2.00!!  Check it out!

FREEBIE

FULL PRODUCT

Last, but certainly not the least.  I received a wonderful letter from my son, Erik.  For those of you that don't know, Erik is in Marine Corps Boot Camp at Parris Island, SC.  I am a very proud Mom-ma!  He sounded great, like he is actually enjoying all the craziness!  I could hear his sense of humor and personality through his writing!  It warmed my heart!  He will start week #4 out of 13 on Monday!  I can't wait till Graduation on October 31st!  

Erik is the shorter one!!  

Thanks for reading!  I hope you all have a great weekend!