Take Me Out To The Ballgame

I 'll admit it.  I'm a Cubs fan.

 

 

I know it has been forever since they won a World Series, but each year I

keep thinking that this will be the year. 

 It never is and so I wait for next year. 

Well, next year starts on Monday. 

In honor of the start of the baseball season,

I've created some baseball themed grammar activities for my kids. 

 

We are going to work on comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs.

Such big words for the kids, but I think they will understand the skill. 

I've got two different sorts for them along with task cards. 

They loved the basketball theme, so I know baseball will also be a "hit." 

 

Have you taught this skill yet?

What team are you cheering on this year?

 

High/Low Linky Party

Today I am linking up with Katie over at Teacher to the Core. 

It's almost the end of March and so it's time for   

 

 

 

March went by so fast and I really needed to think about what happened this month. 

 The high had to be that my beautiful, energetic, funny, little spitfire turned four. 

She really is something else. 

 

 

Do you notice her two different shoes?  That was on purpose. 

She thought it would look funny.  Yesterday she wore her bike helmet all day. 

She called it a safety helmet and thought she should wear it in case she fell down during the day.  Falling is a very common accurance for her. 

Too bad she tripped and fell after the safety helmet came off.

Don't worry.  She is alright

 

 Did I have a low point this month? 

I'm happy to say, not really. 

So for me the worst part was my college basketball bracket fell apart.

 

 

My husband and I have a bet going.  The winner gets to choose a Saturday to sleep until 9. 

The loser has to get up with the girls and keep them away from the winner until 9. 

I don't think I am going to get that prize and so that is my low point of the month. 

 

Hopefully March was good to you as well.  Enjoy April!

 

Math Review Cards

It's Thursday night and that means my spring break is slowly coming to an end.  The exciting part is that means we only have about two months until summer.  The part that makes me anxious is we only have about two months of school. 

 

Next year my district is officially implementing the math common core.  To help with the transition, our grade level teams met to discuss what each team could do to help the students for next year.  My third grade team got together with the fourth grade teachers and they let us know what skills the kids should master in order to make the fourth grade common core transition easier for the kids.

 

This is the part that is making me anxious.  I know I will do the best that I can to help my kids out, but there is a lot to do.  There are two things that I really think will help - math talk and daily review.  That is why I created some math review cards.

 

 

My plan is to copy the cards back-to-back and cut them apart.  Each day we can review and talk about two skills and I will still have time for my math rotations.  These cards are only covering a few of the domains, so my next task is to keep working on the other domains. 

 

 

I also think I will organize the cards so that my students can take a set home to practice over the summer.

 

Has your district already adopted the math common core?

How was the transition?

  Any tips to help us out?   

 

Happy Friday!

Tried It Tuesday - Skitch

I'm very excited to be linking up for the first ever -

  Holly's first post was about being digital, so I will stick with that theme.  I recently tried the IPhone/IPad app "Skitch" with my students.  It was so easy to use and the kids had a lot of fun.     The assignment was to take a picture of something to represent perimeter or area.  Partners went around the school and took a picture.  We reviewed the guidelines ahead of time and I'm so glad I did.  A fourth grade teacher complimented my class on their behavior while they were walking around the school taking their pictures!  

 

 

  After they took a picture, they came back to the room to complete their project.  It was the first time with the program so we kept it simple.  Everyone had to add lines and the title of area or perimeter.  I printed the pictures and we hung them up.  That's it!  

  We are going to continue multiplication and division after spring break.  I'm already thinking about incorporating this into our unit.  It was just a fun way to use technology and have a quick review of a topic.  It also gives some kids a good visual of the concepts.    Have you ever tried Skitch or a similar app?  How did you use it?    

Classroom Freebie

It's cloudy, cold and windy here in the Chicago area. 

Not exactly Spring Break weather, but perfect "work on the computer" weather. 

 I'm working on a novel unit for after the break and created a new foldable. 

I thought it was something that could be used with any novel or writing activity. 

 So here it is for you.  I'm also linking up with Classroom Freebies to share it there as well.

   

Spotlight Saturday

How is your weekend so far?  We finally had some nice weather, but now I am hearing we may get snow tomorrow.  Yuck! 

If you are looking for something to read tonight, you should check out my guest blog spot over at The Third Wheel.  You can read about my math rotations and check out a great blog all at the same time.     

 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  Let's keep wishing for no snow.

 

Friday Flashback, Wednesday Workshop and a Sale

This week I was busy, but I didn't mind because.....

It's Spring Break!

 

Tonight I am linking up with Amanda from Teaching Maddeness for

 

  

And the last part of my post is for this Wednesday Workshop.

 

1.  The one thing that took most of my time was my little girl.  She's only 11 months old and she has a terrible cold.  It's so hard with little ones because they can't tell you what is wrong.  I'm so glad it is spring break so she can rest and get better.  I stayed home with her on Monday and Thursday.  I love surprise days at home with my girls.

 

Here she is on a better day.

2.  Emergency Sub Plans - I was so glad that this was the first year I put together emergency sub plans.  It was an entire days worth of work for the sub and I didn't even have to go into school.  Of course, now I have to change them, but I don't mind.

 

3.  Last Saturday we had the family birthday party for my now four year old daughter.  Her gift was a night with just mom and dad at a hotel with a pool.  It was a busy but fun weekend.  These are some of the awesome cupcakes that my husband made for her. 

 

4.  I finally finished making my informational text and literature foldables.  I loved using them this week with my students for reading.  We added them to our reading journals.  It gives the kids a great way to organize their thinking and they are all aligned to the common core. 

 

 

 

I'm really looking forward to this week with my girls.  We don't really have any plans and I am fine with that. 

 

Who else just started spring break?  Do you have any plans?

 

 

Have a great weekend.

 





 

 



3rd - 5th Grade Giveaway

Calling all 3rd - 5th grade teachers!

There is a great giveaway going on now.

Check it out. 

You can win 33 different products.  One of them is mine.

Head on over to www.123teachwithme.com and enter.

Good luck! 

 

Basketball Grammar Freebie

It's time for college basketball!  Do you fill out the brackets? 

I do every year and have such high hopes of winning it all.... but that never happens. 

Will I try again this year?  You bethcha! 

Sports are such a big part of my students' lives. 

They play sports, cheer on sports teams and go to the games.  Creating some basketball themed grammar activities for them was a no-brainer. 

 I'm sharing them as a freebie in my store. 

 

Have a great week and good luck with your brackets!

 

 

Another Week Completed

I can't believe this week is over.

  One more week and then we start SPRING BREAK!

That means it's time for another Five for Friday.

#1:

As I mentioned before, one more week until spring break. 

It will be nice to have a week off with my two girls. 

#2:

State tests are over! 

I always feel that once they are finished, I can relax

for the rest of the school year.

#3:

My older daughter turned four on Sunday.  We are having her birthday party tomorrow. 

On Saturday night, my husband and I are taking her to a hotel with a swimming pool. 

We are going to go out to dinner and have some quality time with her. 

The one year old is going to stay at home with my sister. 

A night way - fun! 

#4:

My students finished their short research presentations using the IPad app - Sock Puppets. 

If you have an IPad, download this fun app.  It's free and so easy for the kids to use. 

They get to move the puppets around and it changes their voices. 

#5:

We did a lot of fun activities with area and perimeter. 

That's right, I said fun! 

We took pictures around the school to show area and perimeter. 

Then the students created pictures with graph paper. 

Some students produced their own picture, while others followed some simple direction sheets. 

Everyone had to find the area and perimeter of the shapes that were being used. 

Check out some of these creations.

If you are interested in these activities, check out my newest product.

Have a great weekend!  Spring is almost here.

Let's Get Acquainted Linky Party

For this fun link-up, I had to share things that I like or like to do using my initials - JMH.

J - Jogging

I think I have used this letter on another link-up, but it is true - I love jogging.  I hate the time leading up to the jog, but it feels so great afterwards.  My recent goal was to jog three days a week, but usually it is two.  My first race of the year is at the end of May, so I need to step it up.

 

 

M - Mom

I love being a mom.  I have two wonderful girls, ages 11 months and 4 years.  The older one just turned four the other day and she has reminded us everyday of that fact.  Anytime I tell her something, I hear, "Mom, I know.  I'm four."  She is a little spitfire.  My husband and I joke that if her behavior continues into the teenage years, we're screwed.

 

H - Hummus

It is so delicious to eat with vegetables or crackers.  I love to make hummus.  It's so easy!

 

         

 

There you have it!  Some new facts about me.  Enjoy the rest of your week.