Five For Friday- May 3rd

 

Time to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday! I had a LONG, but fun week.

1. Counting Down to the end of school

I saw this idea somewhere to count down to the last day of school. Pinterest perhaps? Anyhow, each balloon has a number on it and a slip with a special treat inside it for my homeroom. Each morning we pop the balloon and get to do whatever is on the slip. Since my students switch classes each day I did make the rule that they only got to do the special activity or get the treat if they got good reports from the other teachers. I know that probably makes me look mean, but I REALLY need them to keep their behavior in check for the next few weeks.

 

 

2. Tiger Safari

This week the Tiger Safari came to our school. They brought several animals for the students to pet and learn about. The kids got so excited to see all the animals! Sometimes I forget that even my big kids get excited about little things.

 

3. We got an award

I'm sure it seems silly, but I got so excited the day the custodian walked into my room and said it was so clean she didn't need to vacuum. I was already happy, but when I came in the next day to this certificate it put me over the moon. It's the little things that get me through the crazy times at the end of the year.

 

 4. The Great Pencil Challenge

I saw this last week on Ladybug's Teacher Files and got beyond excited. My co-teachers loved the idea, so they started it the same day as well. I started this challenge on Monday, and guess what? Most of them still have the same pencil! This is almost a miracle as they were losing a pencil a day and even some losing a pencil per class. Woo hoo!

5. Getting ready to party

Our schools 65th birthday party is next week. Today one of my co-teachers was gone, and we had to spilt her class. So we decided to start working on some decorations for the party. They turned out super cute. My favorite is the one that says "I like Central Elementary because Ms. Bateman is Awesome."

 

 

I'm so excited to have some new followers! It makes me so happy to see that other people are reading what I say. I'm also learning so much and getting tons of ideas from everyone. Hope your week was awesome! 

Tricks of the Trade Thursday- Bulletin Boards

I saw a new Linky by Compassionate Teacher and Joy in the Journey called Tricks of the Trade. I think this is a great idea to help new teachers and just teachers who want new ideas!

Time for an honest confession, I am the WORST bulletin board decorator. I have a storage system in which I have TONS of stuff stored to make all kinds of bulletin boards, yet in the box my decorations normally stay.

Tip #1:  I like my boxes, but they are boxes. If you want something that will last a long time, buy something made of a longer lasting material than cardboard.



Tip #2: Buy a flat staple remover. They are only a couple bucks, but make pulling staples so much easier. No more ripping things to shreds with "the claw."  It also catches the staples as you pull them. Brilliant invention!

Tip #3- If you want things to last go with fabric behind the board and laminate everything especially the border and store bought decorations. You want the money you spent on your stuff to last.

Tip #4- Make boards that serve a purpose versus just looking cute. I love cute boards with fun themes, but I barely have time to look at my boards let alone change them out each week or even once a month. Boards with a purpose will be used much more often and will seem like a better use of your time.

With those few tips shared, here are a few pics.

This is my bulletin board in the hallway. The students tweet about Genre using this board. The board has stayed the same since December, but I update the tweets every so often.







 

 

This is my CAFE Reading board. I know it looks a little busy. It's a work in process. If you'll notice the background is a fabric. This fabric has been used for five years and still looks awesome. The content on the board changes, but the cute fabric stays.

 

This is probably the board that gets used the most in my room. It actually isn't even a bulletin board, but a chalk board at the back of my room. I covered it in fabric using hot glue and magnets. Voila, bulletin board! My students check in each morning using the stars which have magnets on the back. The stars have their numbers on them, so I can reuse them every year. I'm all about saving money. Also, my calendar numbers are put on using paper clips. You simply poke a hole, thread half the paper clip through, and then slip the number in the clip. It makes it super fast and easy to change out the calendar.

Like I said before, I am such a lazy bulletin board decorator, but I thought my few tips might help others have an easier time as they create beautiful works of art. Decorate on, you creative people you!

May Currently

Today I'm linking up with Oh' Boy Fourth Grade for the linky May Currently. I like this linky because it's super easy, and I'm having fun reading what everyone else is currently doing in May.

Listening- I love this song by Miranda Lambert. Luckily, I am not suffering from a broken heart. But it offers some great advice. My favorite part says to "Run and hide your crazy and start actin’ like a lady..." We all lose it sometime, but being a Southern Girl we are taught to keep it together no matter what. I actually had a discussion yesterday with our fifth grade girls to start acting like ladies.

Loving- Pajama pants. Need I say more? Such a long day deserves pajama pants and possibly a glass of wine?!?

Thinking- It's the end of the year. I love my students, but the closer it gets to the last day, the closer they get to losing it!

Wanting- It would be wonderful if my state would pick a season. Yesterday was AC and tank tops. Today is jackets and heater. My wardrobe and allergies have no clue what is going on.

Needing- I stayed up way to late watching the Thunder game last night. After a really long week and getting little sleep last night, I REALLY need a nap.

Summer Bucket List- I'm having a blast planning the wedding, but I really need to make some decisions this summer. I have lots of ideas, but very few things set in stone.

Hope the rest of you have a fabulous May!

Must Read Mentor Texts: George Washington's Socks

Today I'm linking up with the Collaboration Cuties- Must Read Mentor Texts. I'm super excited because this week is Social Studies Mentor Texts. Since I started teaching Reading last year, I have found tons of books to use in Reading that fit perfectly with what we are studying in Social Studies.

One of my favorites that my students just finished a few weeks ago is George Washington's Socks by Elvira Woodruff. In this book a group of kids travel back in time and wind up right in the middle of the American Revolution.

My students love that is isn't just a simple Historical Fiction, but has an element of Fantasy with the time travel.

This book does have a second book called George Washington's Spy about the same group of kids. One of the activities I have my students do with this book is to create an idea for another book for this same adventure club. They have to pick an event we have learned about in class, create a short plot, and a title for their new book.

 

I love the teacher and student guides that came with the novels. They have activities, comprehension questions, and vocabulary study from the novel.

 

 

 

I number all my novels I use in class, and the students have to use their number. It helps so much in tracking down who has each of my books.

I would greatly recommend this book for any wanting to get kids interested in novels about history.

Motivated, motivated, down right dedicated

I know it's Sunday, but I couldn't resist to join in on the Spark Student Motivation Saturdays with Head Over Heels for Teaching Linky Party. Her warm fuzzy post is so cute and reminds me of when we used those when I was little.

My motivation tip is not as cute as hers, but has solved a huge problem for me this week. In my school we have the last fifteen minutes or so as a study hall. It drives me crazy that very few of them come into class and actually use their study hall time wisely. Well this week I got an IPad to use in my classroom. My students and I were both so excited! I wanted to give the students a chance to use it as well. Somehow it occurs to me that I can solve the study hall dilemma using the IPad as motivation!

The first time I do this I wait patiently for the students to put away their stuff from the class they just returned from and for ANY student to get busy on work. It took a good five minutes for anyone to do so. When I saw the first student working, I walked over and placed the IPad on her desk. I said loudly that since she was working so hard she could play a game. I also made sure to tell her that when the game was over to raise her hand so I could pick someone else who was working hard to play.

That did the trick! Everyone got very busy very fast. When study hall was over I made sure to point out that I would be looking for some kids to play before class tomorrow morning as well. What a super easy way to motivate and encourage them to review whatever skill I want each student to reinforce! Tip: I keep track of who has had a turn by highlighting on a class list who has gotten to play so I make sure everyone gets a chance to play.

Let's Get Aquainted Linky Party: My Classroom

I've decided Linky Parties are my new favorite thing. Let's Get Acquainted Linky Party from Flying into First Grade sounds like the perfect way to make some new blogger friends and have a blast blogging! This week 's topic is to show three things I love in my classroom.

1. My Reading Covered Wagon

 





My students love to get to go into the covered wagon and read. This picture, from before school started, is missing the ten different pillows that normally lay on the floor and the red, white, and blue garland that normally wrap the poles holding up the top. Hopefully you get the idea. Once again, anything that gets them excited to read is a winning idea in my book.

2. The Mayflower

I wish I could have found a better picture of this one, but this is my Mayflower. The green sign is covering the word "Mayflower" because this was taking during state testing, and they somehow think that seeing the word Mayflower might help my students cheat. Sigh. Anyhow, what teacher likes just plain off-white empty wall space? I love it because the kids love to see it, and it is a super easy decoration I have had up for probably five years. I simply change the water out when it starts to fade. Best of all it hides the hideous wires that run along that wall.

3. No name board

 I probably have TONS of other things I could put as my number three, but this is used every day in my room and saves me tons of trouble tracking down the owner of papers. I normally make a big deal of walking over and putting papers on this board. I have used it so much some of  the clothespins have had to be hot glued back on from falling down. Surprisingly, I still have a few papers each week which are unclaimed. However, it keeps me from holding on to these papers and gives the students a place to look without ever having to say a word to me about a missing assignment.

Hope you enjoyed learning a little about my favorite things in my classroom!

My First Linky Party- Five for Friday

So excited to join my first Linky Party! Let's give this a try...

1. This week we learned about George Washington, and as one of my activities the students learned how to be surveyors. They loved the activity, and it was a great cross curricular activity.

 

2. With less than a month to go of school, I taught my students how to journal "Sixth Grade Style." They got so excited to learn something from sixth grade!

3. I got an I-pad for my classroom. To say I'm excited is an UNDERSTATEMENT! I won't even begin to try to guess the number of hours I spent searching for free apps.

4.  With my new a I-pad I made a book about our surveying using the App "My Story." I had such a blast doing it and can't wait to show my students next week. I can think of countless ways to use this FREE App in my classroom!

5. Since we didn't have school on Friday, my last item will be about me taking the time to really get back into blogging. I have already read tons of blogs today and made a bunch of catch up posts.

Hopefully next Friday I'll have more pics to add to my Five for Friday.