Five for Friday (6/27/14)

Its time for another Five For Friday Link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching!

Anyone remember their 21st birthday celebration? My own memories are vague to say the least, but I'm pretty sure I had a really good time!  I hope my daughter will remember hers!  We celebrated this milestone last weekend at Universal Studio's City Walk Orlando!  I find it hard to believe that my baby girl is now LEGAL!!!  I felt old! Especially when I started to yawn and it was only 10:00 PM!  Here are a couple of pics of my baby girl all grown up!

First Adult Beverage!  Well, first one that I've seen anyway...{we won't talk about her first two years away in college}

My son, Erik, was a good sport since he still has a couple of more years before he can participate!  I love this picture of the two of them.  I am blessed!

Wow!  Looks like the girls had a good time!  Hahaha!  Oh, to be young and 21 again...Don't you just love her birthday hat?  It has been reported that she kept those shoes on all night long, dancing the night away!  CRAZY!!!  Joanne, over at Head Over Heels should be proud!!

We spent two nights at Universal's newest resort, Cabana Bay!  It has a retro 50's & 60's theme.  I thought I was in an Austin Powers movie as I walked down the hallways.  We loved it!  I recommend it to anyone looking for a nice, fun, family resort in Orlando that isn't outrageously priced.  

My husband and I decided to let the young adults stay the first night so everyone had a safe place to crash after the City Walk Party celebration. We rejoined them around noon the day after.  I was surprised to find everyone up and already at the pool!  

We spent the day hanging out at the resort enjoying the pool, lazy river, arcade, and a bowing alley.  We went back to City Walk in time to watch Team USA play in The World Cup!  Go USA!!

After the "Recovery" day at the resort we took my daughter and her boyfriend to Islands of Adventure!  I still enjoy riding roller coasters so it was a good time.  Check out the T-shirt I bought in Seussville! 

  "Teacher of All Things" with Thing 1 & 2 behind me.  Good Times, good times...

I'm working on a new teacher planner for the 2014-2015 school year that was inspired by Peter Brunn's The Lesson Planning Handbook.  Have you read it?  I highly recommend it.  It is an easy read and has changed the way I lesson plan!  I loved it so much I thought I would share!  I have a sample freebie at my TpT store.  Check it out and let me know what you think.  If you like it I should have the entire planner up and available by early next week.  That's my goal anyway.  

My inspiration for:

2014-2015 Editable Teacher Planner Freebie!

Last, but not least!  I started and finished reading The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller!  Loved it!!  Now I'm going to start Reading in the Wild.

If you haven't read these two books they are a MUST READ for any Reading Teacher K-12!  The Brown Bag Teacher has started a summer book study on Reading in the Wild.  I'm a little behind because I just had to start with The Book Whisperer first.  I'm so glad I did!  

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  I'm enjoying my summer so far.  Hope you are as well.

Editable Lesson Planner Freebie

2014-2015 Editable Lesson Planner Freebie

I'm working on a Lesson Planner Bundle, but wanted to offer a freebie in hopes to solicit feedback from my friends.  Please visit my TpT store, download this freebie, and let me know what you think!  

Thank you so much!!

It's time for Five for Friday{Saturday!}  
I'm loosing track of my days already and I love it!!


I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for:

I spent the first three days of my summer vacation sleeping!!  I was exhausted to say the least.  This year really kicked my gluteus maximus!!  I know it is because I'm getting old, but I'm in serious denial!  

I didn't do a single thing until Father's Day!  Then I woke up rejuvenated,  cleaned my house, and pampered my husband!  Okay! Okay! I had a little help from my kids too.  

My best friend from college, Kelly, stopped by for a visit while she was in Florida with her family for vacation!  It had been six years since we last saw each other.  Kelly lives in Illinois, but we talk on the phone a lot!  

 I never had the "college roommate" experience  because I was married to a gorgeous US Marine!!  But if I had to have one I would have chosen Kelly!  

Kelly has two adorable children, Laura -12 & Jacob -10!  We all went to the beach and enjoyed each other's company.  I wish we lived closer...I also wish I had taken pictures, but completely forgot! What is wrong with me???

  While Kelly was here we talked a lot about school.  Kelly is a principal of a Pre-K/Kindergarten Developmental School for students with special needs and her district's Director of Exceptional Students!  She is awesome!  Kelly helped me to reflect on my school year and listened as I weighed the pros and cons of several different doors that have opened for me this past week.  Best Friends are such great listeners.  

Then out of the blue another door opened up WIDE!!!  It opened so quickly that I couldn't help but run right through it!  I didn't even really think about it!  Crazy! Needless to say, I spent the next three days packing up my classroom and moving everything I own into my garage.  Boy, Oh Boy! It is a lot of stuff!  

There is more, but you get the picture...It took 10 car loads to get it all home and my school is about 25 miles away! Yikes!  I should have rented a U-Haul Truck!  

Leaving my school was very difficult for me.  I love my small farm school even if the water is poison!  I have developed several very strong friendships with my co-workers, and the students are the best...

BUT!!!

My new school is less than a mile down the road!  I get to teach one grade level, 4th!  I will have at least 3 other teachers on my team maybe more, and one of them is a VERY GOOD FRIEND!   I'm in a real classroom, not a portable that is falling down around me! Even though these are all positives.  The real reason why I ran through that door...LESSON STUDY!!  Yep!  Call me crazy, but I have wanted to participate in a real Lesson Study Group for several years, but I could not motivate my coworkers to participate!  My new school has several active Lesson Study Groups going that I may join, or I can start a new one!  They are even reading the same resource book as me:

Has anyone else participated in Lesson Study?  If so, please share your thoughts and feelings.  

Now that I have direction for the 2014-2015 school year I can move forward!  The wheels are spinning again and fast!  It's funny how a little change can rejuvenate and motivate you to keep moving forward. 

In doing so, I'm going to participate in the Book Study started by The Brown Bag Teacher

Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller!

As I was reading all the posts about the first chapter I became excited and wanted to join.  Then I read that this is book 2 of a series!  Well I just had to start with The Book Whisperer first!

Needless to say I'm going to be reading a lot, but that's what I love to do!!  Enjoy your weekend!  I know I will.

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs for:

The school year is rapidly coming to a close which means that it is time to reflect on my year and begin to make preparations for next year.  One of my major reflections so far has been with my interactive student notebooks.  To start my 5 for Friday, I want to share with my BF Diane over at Fifth in the Middle.  Diane asked a very thought provoking question on Facebook this past Wednesday: "Do you prefer spirals or comp books for ISN's?"  Well,  I prefer spirals because there is less cutting involved!  Many prefer comps because spirals can become twisted, and catch on everything.  I have the perfect solution!  DUCT TAPE!!  Yep!  See pictures below!  

Interactive Student Notebooks: Spirals are better!  Their only downfall is that the metal spiral becomes twisted, out of shape, and catches on everything!  The solution, DUCT TAPE!  I actually learned this from a first year teacher at my school!  Meet Jessica!

Isn't she adorable? I took this pic today while my 3rd & 4th graders were reading with her cute little 1st graders!  I love that she still has that same infectious smile today that she had at the beginning of the year!  When I first met her, I noticed that she had used duct tape to cover those nasty spirals on her ISN's!!  I ran right out and bought duct tape to use on mine as well.  I have to give all the credit to Jessica! She was a life saver!  Here are a few pics of my students' ISN's with DUCT TAPE!!

I started off the school year using paper bags taped to the ends of my tables/desks for ISN scraps.  Those bags became old real fast!  Then one of my coworkers shared these plastic cups with me.  It was another perfect solution!  I waved "Good-Bye" to those ugly ripped paper bags and placed two plastic cups at each table!  Whoop-Whoop!

53% of my students are ELL's, (English Language Learners) so I keep homework simple...I require students to read for 30 minutes each night and clarify 3 unfamiliar words.  Instead of morning work, students share their unfamiliar words using a Kagan Structure, Stand up, Hand up, Pair up.  Today we made a chart of our favorite words that we have had to clarify this year!  My students loved it.  I know some of the words are misspelled, and I promise you that I will whip out the correction tape on Tuesday and correct those errors.  I was so excited about all the new words we have learned that I just needed to share them with you now.  :)  So, if you could just overlook those errors and see wonderful words that my students have discovered on their own!  I would greatly appreciate it.

Here are my students sharing their words!  I have to tell you that I have had more student HW participation since assigning clarifying words than ever before.  At first students were choosing "cheesy" words that they really already knew, but once I started making a big deal about words that were truly amazing, then everyone wanted to find "cool" words to share.  We are spending at least 10-15 minutes each morning sharing new and exciting words.  It is absolutely the best vocabulary instruction that I have been a part of in years!  Students are required to record the word in context from the book/text and then define the word with the appropriate definition that matches the sentence/context from their reading. 
  

Remember the adorable first year teacher, Jessica from my #1 about Duct Tape and Spiral Notebooks? Well my #5 is about her too!  My students are Reading Buddies with her little 1st Graders!  We meet up with our 1st graders every Friday afternoon from 2:30-3:00!  My students listen to their 1st grade buddy read, cover, retell & they practice their sight words by saying, spelling, and reading the sight word!  It is a lot of fun for both classes.  Today, I decided to share Joanne's Flash Light Friday from Head Over Heels For Teaching with our Reading buddies!  They loved it!  

I hope all of you have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day Weekend.  Blessings!

Currently May...A Reflection

I'm linking up for the first time with Farley's May Currently over at "Oh Boy Fourth Grade!  I love reading all the Currently posts each month, and now it is my turn to give it a try.  Wait for it...

Listening: I really enjoy the soothing sound of Contemporary Christian Music.  I listen to it all the time on the satellite radio we have on our TV.  The Spirit is my current favorite and Lincoln Brewster is singing Power of Your Name.  

Loving:    I'm loving eating the entire bag of Brookside Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Fruit that I bought while shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond yesterday.  You know how it is when you are waiting in line looking around at all the wonderful items stores try to tempt you to purchase last minute...Well I was a super sucker for these babies!  They are addictive!  I can't stop and now I have a tummy ache.  Oh well, it was worth it!!  Beware if you see them.  They are a must have!!  



Thinking;   I've been thinking a lot about my son Erik.  He is determined to become a US Marine and wants me to be proud of him.  I am very PROUD of him.  I'm also scared to death!  This is my baby boy, and I don't want him to be placed in harms way.  His father was a young Marine when I married him.  I love what the Marine Corps. did for my husband, and I know that my son will become an OUTSTANDING Marine...yet, my heart breaks.  His recruiter refers to him as a future Legacy Marine, which causes his father's chest to swell with pride.  All I want to do is hold him in my lap and cuddle with him like we did when he was little.  This is what I see when I close my eyes...except his cover says "Marines" not the Army!



Lord, give me strength...

Wanting:  I am wanting to start painting our house!  My husband inherited his parents' house a couple of years ago.  It was difficult at first to make changes because there were too many memories.  We have added our furniture, special things, and replaced the carpet with tile and wood floors.  We have kept a few things that are warm reminders of his parents, but now we are both ready to change the colors.  It's time!  I can't wait to get started, but we all know how busy May can be finishing up the school year...soon it will be summer vacation and we will begin this major project.  

Needing:  To decide which colors we want for our house!  There are so many choices!!  We are having fun talking about it and mulling it over.  

Surprise:   My surprise blog is...

I love ideas by jivey!  My favorite ideas by jivey are her Mastering Mentor Sentence Units!  My students and I love them and I use them everyday!  If you haven't heard of her then head over to her blog right away.