Back to School Hunt

Welcome to the next stop on the Back to School Blog Hunt!!!  Each stop has a resource that would useful in your back to school planning (whether you have started school or are about to begin school).

My school year has already begun.  Today is the ninth day of school and it feels like it has passed a blur.  All I remember clearly is that I am working with the best group of third grade students this year.  They are not officially mine, but I do borrow them for thirty minutes a day four times a week (starting next week).  This week I have only had them twice, but they were wonderful each time.  I am teaching science this year and I am working on teaching vocabulary and incorporating different kinds of texts (texts other than the science textbook) into the lessons.

 One of my favorite authors is Amy Krouse Rosenthal and I am going to use her book The Wonder Book.  The Wonder Book is a collection of poems, drawings, and wonderings about a variety of subjects.  I am only going to use two.

After I introduce the vocabulary for my vertebrate/invertebrate lessons, I am going to read (and show using an Elmo) the wonder pages to the students. Then I am going to give my students a sheet that has students with wonder bubbles above them and have them write "I Wonder" statements about our topic.  As a culminating activity for Unit 1 (Classification of Vertebrates and Invertebrates) and Unit 2 (Body Systems - Respiratory and Muscular), I am going to have my class create a periodic table like the one she created for table manners.  Click HERE or on the picture to download your copies of the activities.

Also, I had the wonderful opportunity to guest post on Tales From Outside the Classroom this week.  I wrote about teaching vocabulary in an interactive way and provided a few freebies.  Go check it out by clicking on Tessa's blog button below or clicking HERE.









Tomorrow you need to check out Mrs. Lirette's Learning Detectives for the last stop on the blog hunt.  If you have missed any of the stops, click through the blog hop links below.

First Day Jitters

Monday is the first day of school in my district.  It has been a whirlwind this past week getting the final details ready, leading professional development, participating in leadership team meetings, and finalizing our school plan for the year.  I will posting pictures of my teachers' classrooms next week.  We had Open House on Thursday and I forgot my camera!  Uhggg!  I am going to get to school really early on Monday and take pictures of everyone's rooms.  I will also do a post with before and after pictures of our meeting room (this is the room I am responsible for).

Every year I am a little nervous about that first week.  When I first started teaching, my best friend gave me the book First Day Jitters.  She told me that it was okay to be the teacher and be a little nervous.  I read that book every year the night before school.

As I was blog hopping recently, I came across A Turn to Learn's linky party:  Back to School Jitters.  I thought this would be a great opportunity to share what am I thinking about as the weekend begins and the summer ends.

 

In my role as a master teacher, I have to field test strategies to make sure they work for the students in my school and work out any kinks.  Then I present those strategies to my teachers during our weekly meetings.  Last year, I worked with first grade and taught reading and writing.  This year I am working with third grade and am starting the year teaching science.  I am excited about meeting and learning about these new students but am nervous about teaching science.  

This is the first year in the ten years I have been a teacher that my district has not implemented a new program!!!  I want to shout that from the rooftops because I am ecstatic.  We made huge leaps last year after implementing TAP and I can't wait to see where we go this year.

What are you excited and nervous about at the beginning of year?  Join A Turn to Learn's linky by clicking on the button below.

Favorite Things Sunday

Glad that you have joined me!  Every Sunday I share some of the best ideas I have found throughout the week.

How Characters Change
Tara from 4th Grade Frolics was inspired by Ms. T from Journey of Substitute Teacher when she had her students create a foldable to help them keep track of the changes a character goes through from the beginning of a story to the end of the story.  Check out her blog post (by clicking on her button below) where she shares student examples.

Sight Word Guess Who

This Reading Mama is a homeschool mother who shares fabulous ideas that can easily be used in the classroom.  Everything she shares is FREE.  On this post, she took a game from my childhood and put a sight word spin on it.  Check out her post for a freebie, pictures of how to complete the activity, and instructions.  I would use this as a center activity in the classroom.  It would also be a great intervention activity.

Magical Product Swap

Usually I only share freebies on the Sunday posts, but I am making one exception for this fun product swap.  128 bloggers were organized by Jessica from Mrs. Standford's Class to swap a product from their Teachers Pay Teachers store.  Once the products were swapped each blogger used their family members (since it is summer) to try out the product and give a review.  This would be a great place to start if you are looking new activities and lessons for your classroom.  You will also find a ton of fabulous blogs along the way.

A New Way to Group

Denise from Sunny Days in Second Grade shared a new grouping activity she learned during a professional development.  It is similar to the jigsaw cooperative learning method but with a twist.  Check it out.  She shares pictures so you have a better idea of what it could look like.  I am going to try it with my third graders and my teachers this year.

I hope you have enjoyed "A Few of My  Favorite Things" and come back each Sunday to see what other fabulous  finds I have gathered for your enjoyment and to add to your resources.

Mars, Swimming, and Teaching

What do the Mars Rover, the US Olympic women's swim team, and teachers have in common?  Read on to find out.

I wanted to share two signs that I found online this week.  The first one is a keep calm poster and I think it is particularly important to remember as the school year begins.  The beginning of the year can be a hectic time, but I know we love our jobs.

 Attribution:  Lovely Little Blog

The second image just made me laugh.  There are tons of parodies of the "Call Me Maybe" song.  Here is a teacher e-card version for the beginning of the year.


If you haven't seen the US women's swim team's video of "Call Me Maybe," you need to check it out:


NASA had a huge moment this week when the Curiosity landed on Mars.  Since I am on a Call Me Maybe kick, I am sharing NASA's mashup plus the Seven Minutes of Terror video (just in case you missed the landing...it was at 1:30 in the morning my time).



I stayed up to watch NASA's live streaming of the Curiosity landing on Mars.  I was extremely tired the next day but is was worth it to see the rover land safely and immediately transmit thumbnail images back to Earth.  This video combines computer graphics of what the rover looked like landing on Mars with shots of the NASA scientists monitoring the landing.  The cheer when the rover landed made me smile.


Looking for some resources to share the landing and what the rover finds on Mars with your students?  Check these out:

Two fellow bloggers had fabulous posts about the Mars landing:  Erin from Kleinspiration and Leslie from Science Gal.  Click on their blog buttons to be taken to their posts.  Erin has a great bingo freebie and Leslie shared a great cartoon about the landing.

Also, NASA has a webpage dedicated to the Mars project:  Mars Science Laboratory.  You can look at videos, images, see the latest tweets, and find lesson plans.

"NASA's Curiosity rover and its parachute were spotted by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as Curiosity descended to the surface on Aug. 5 PDT (Aug. 6 EDT)."

Favorite Things Sunday

Glad that you have joined me!  Every Sunday I share some of the best ideas I have found throughout the week.

Kindergarten Data Binders

Busy Bees shared how she created data binders in her kindergarten classroom.  I love this idea because it is a great record of how a student grows from the first day of school to the last day of school (and there is SO much growth in kindergarten).  Some of the concepts tracked:  letter recognition, writing samples, behavior, and sight words.  Check out her post for pictures of each item included in the data binder and how she sends it home at the end of the year without having to send home the binder.

Don't Throw It Away

Tammy from Forever in First shared a great idea of what to do with headphones that don't work any longer.  We have what seems like millions of these running around my school and now I have a purpose for them!!  What is it?  You must check out Tammy's post to find out.

Create a Guess the Word Activity

Erin from Kleinspiration did a great video on how to create a Guess the Word Activity using Smart Board Notebooks software.  She shows you how she she uses the activity in a great post on Classroom Freebies called SMART Board Guess the Covered Word for May.

I hope you have enjoyed "A Few of My  Favorite Things" and come back each Sunday to see what other fabulous  finds I have gathered for your enjoyment and to add to your resources.

Currently August

Welcome to August, which means Back to School time. Are you excited or sad? I am a little of both. I am always excited about a fresh start with a new school year but am sad that the summer is coming to a close. My summer officially ends on August 15th. When does yours end (or has it already)?

 Not only is it Back to School time, it is time for Farley's Currently party.

B2S Must Haves:  Back to School must haves...what I couldn't start the year without:
1.  Chart paper and Sharpie chart markers - I can't imagine teaching with creating anchor charts with my students.   The important word in that last sentence is WITH the students.  I usually create a framework and then have the students help me complete the chart.  Then my teacher OCD kicks in and I recreate a pretty version of the chart to hang up for future reference.  Oh, can't forget the Sharpie chart markers.  I LOVE all things Sharpie!!!
2.  Wonderful team - I work with a great group of teachers in my district.  They have been in their rooms for two weeks now and they don't have to officially be back until the 15th.  They are dedicated and want to make sure they are ready to start with year.

Now it is your turn, go check out everyone else who has linked up and then link up your own currently.  I would love to know what your back to school must haves are.  Don't forget at the Rule of Three.