Five For Friday - Research Activity and A 3rd Grade Review Sale Item

Today was our last Friday at school.

What better way to celebrate than sharing my

 

1.  4 More Days of School!

I have nothing more to say about that subject.

 

2.  School Years Around the World

 

There are only four days of school,

but we all know how important it is to keep the kids busy.

After talking with our school librarian,

we decided to have the kids do a mini-research project on the last day of school.

They are going to learn about school in three other countries

and compare it to our school.

 

Check out this website!

 

http://webpath.follettsoftware.com/resource/viewurl?encodedUrl=3bdJfJ-LmeUBaPkQqUrZZIhGGmpQf6ZAbSE-_LIoaT8&version=1&userGUID=D677E1C0-C0CA-4FA2-8779-B4F5FE8D6F12&gv=1&gc=-2118169686&appsignature=Destiny&appversion=10.5.6.0+%28RC6%29

 

I'd love to hear about your end of the year activities.

 

3.  40% off my Third Grade Summer Review Pack

Tomorrow - June 1st only - this product will be 40% off.

It's normally $4.00, but it will be on sale for $2.40.

Head over to Teachers Notebook and pick it up!

 

4.  Guess who started walking this week? 

It's so exciting, but I still want her to stay little.

What can you do?

 

5.  A May goal of mine was to order fabric for some

skirts I want to make for my girls.

I finally did it.

This is what I chose for them:

I can't wait to sew them and show you the finished products.

That's what summer is for!

 

Happy Friday and enjoy your weekend.

SALE - Third Grade Math Review Cards - May 31st ONLY

The end of the year is coming and we are all looking

for review materials.

 

Friday is your lucky day!

My Third Grade Math Review Cards are 40% off

at Teachers Notebook.

 

They are normally $9, but May 31st they are on sale for $5.40.

Be sure to head on over and pick up a set.

 The pack has 133 different cards.

Each page has four copies of the same card.

I like to copy two cards, back to back.

They can also be used as small group work or task cards.

A checklist is included so you can keep track of the cards you use.

Feel free to check out this sale for today only!

 

Happy Friday!

Quick Tip Linky - Keeping Track of Student Work

Today was a great day at school.

All morning was Field Day.

The kids just love the time to be outside

and play games with their friends.

Of course, they love having their teacher join in on a few of them.

 

Today is also a day to link-up with Jean and Angela for...

This really is just a "quick tip" that I use in my classroom.

 

I make a bunch of copies of my class list.

Then I label them as assignments need to be turned in.

The kids are in charge of checking off their names

as they complete an assignment.

When I need to know who hasn't turned in their work,

I just look at the list.

 

 

This is my list.

I like it because one sheet of paper has five lists.

Copy, cut and check!

 

How do you keep track of your students' work?

 

Magazine Poems

Next Thursday is our last day.

I still can't believe we are at the end of the year.

These days can be rough as the kids and teachers

are checking out.

Do you need an activity to keep the kids engaged?

 

Make a magazine poem! 

 

 

I started by having the kids cut out words, words and more words.

We had a huge pile of them.

I put at least 50 words in each envelope.

The more, the better.

 

This task can be a bit tricky, so I put the kids

into groups of two or three.

Each group was given an envelope and a piece of construction paper.

They had to take their words and create a poem.

 

 

The groups were only allowed to use the words in their envelope.

You could not cut big words into smaller words.

It was so interesting to see each of the creations.

 

As a follow up activity, we posted the poems around the room.

Then the students went around with Post-Its and

wrote what they thought the author's message was for the poem.

Some of them were hard to figure out,

but it was still a lot of fun.

 

Do you use magazines for any activities?

 

 



Next School Year I'm Definitely...

Today I am linking up with Kim over at Finding Joy in 6th Grade.

This school year is coming to an end,

so it's a great time to reflect on how to make next year better.

 

 

I'm sure I could list 100 things to change,

but I decided to narrow it down to three.

 

 

This year I started with math rotations. 

In the middle of the year, I tried a new format.

By the end of the year, I was back to whole class lessons.

My current plan is to do math rotations two days a week.

 

How do you teach math?

 

 

 

My materials and books have some basic organization.

I want to get everything is the same type of bins

and do some rearranging of the bins.

I took pictures so that I can try to brainstorm some ideas at home.

 

I have an iPad, an ELMO, and two computers in my room

Our school has two carts with laptops, a computer lab and three iPads.

I'd like to find some new and exciting ways to

incorporate technology into my lessons.

There are a bunch of "pins" on my boards with ideas.

I need to sit down this summer and look at the ideas.

 

What are your goals for next year?

 

 

 

Summer Bucket List

8 MORE DAYS!

Am I excited?  Yes!

The next few days are going to fly by

and so I need to start planning for summer.

This linky will give me a good start.

 

 

1.  Get My House Organized

This becomes a goal every summer,

but this is the year!

I need to go through closets and get them organized.

My plan is to get the small closets done first

and then move to the larger walk-in closet.

 

2.  Plan Ways to Rearrange My Classroom

I took some pictures of my room as inspiration.

These are the main areas I want to work on.

Any thoughts?

 

3.  Enjoy A Family Vacation

We are going to N.C. Outerbanks again!

I love this place.

We like to rent a house with other family members.

Each morning we visit the ocean and the afternoon is for the Pamlico Sound.

I can't wait for this trip.

 

4. Update TpT Items and Papers

I have a bunch of school papers in my home closet.

Many of them are ideas I have for TpT products.

I'm hoping to get through the all

and get some new items in my store.

 

5.  Relax and Spend Quality Time With My Two Girls!!

I don't think I need to explain this one.

 

Summer....Here we come!!!



Some Laughs and Third Grade Summer Review

I found these on Pinterest and I couldn't stop laughing.

Can you relate to these?

It's coming to the end of the year and 

I'm trying to find anything to help me through it.

The kids are starting to check out and I'll admit that I'm starting too as well.

 

I've already had four parents request work for

their children to do over the summer. 

I decided to put something together that I can use this year

and make slight changes for each year after.

 

 

This has 12 weeks worth of summer review for students

leaving third grade and entering fourth grade.

 

 

There is a day of math review and another for math facts.

 

 

There is also grammar practice,

writing prompts,

sentence review and

reading responses.

 

I know the parents at my school will

 LOVE this summer structure.

I'm also going to add on a little incentive for the kids.

Anyone that returns a completed packet in August

will be invited to a pizza party in my room.

I'm pretty sure this will encourage a lot of them

to complete all of the activities.

 

How are you dealing with the last days of school?

 

 

Optimum Organization - Calendar and Desks

I love organizing and therefore I've been waiting all week for this linky party!

Please join Kristin and Elizabeth for

Calendar:

My calendar is one that is laminated and you can write directly on it.

I love it because I don't need to worry about finding small calendar numbers
figuring out patterns to use.

The kids enjoy filling in their birthdates and other special school events.

This calendar has been in my room for about 10 years now.

I'm going to change it next year by getting a smaller one because

I need more room for math vocabulary.

Shoe Boxes in Desks:

This is a little tip that has helped to keep our desks organized.
Each student is given a plastic shoe box.
All of their supplies go in it!
You will need to occasionally have a cleaning day
so the kids can clean out the box.

Also, make sure you get a size that fits in your classroom desks.
Not all sizes fit.


Be sure to link up and share your own ideas!

Tried It Tuesday...but need to keep trying it?

Let me start by saying that my thoughts are with the families in Oklahoma.

I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through right now.

I feel so lucky and grateful for all that I have.

 

On a completely different note,

I'm linking up with Holly from Fourth Grade Flipper

for her weekly

 

Last week I tried a new behavior incentive that I read on another blog.

During each transition period, I would time the kids.

At the end of the day, we needed to add up all the lost time.

If it was less than the day before, everyone would get five minutes of game time.

 

It sounded great!

My kids love competition and playing games.

It would be a fun way to end the school year.

I knew it would work.

 

WRONG!

 

Here are the problems.

1. I don't always remember to time the kids.

2. In the six days we have been doing it, they only beat their score once.

3. The kids are starting to nag each other when I am timing them.

I keep hearing, "Johnny, come on!!"

We have had to remind each other about giving kind reminders.

 

So, I don't know if I'm going to keep going with this plan.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 



A Fun Saturday and Classroom Idea

Today was a great day at my school.

I told you yesterday about the big 5K/1 Mile Tiger Trot.

The weather was perfect and it was so much fun

seeing my students out there and running.

The PTA donated 100% of the money to

The Israel Idonije Foundation.

It's a great organization and "Izzy" could not have been a nice guy.

Here is my daughter and I with him.

Have you ever stood next to an NFL player?

I felt tiny next to him.

 

This is my daughter and I before the mile run.

She ran about 3/4 of the mile.

It was such a fun mother/daughter time.

 

Looking for a fun activity to use in the classroom?

How about using dry erase markers on desks?

 

I did this the other day for math and it was a HUGE hit!

Can you imagine the reactions when I said

"Draw a blank number line on your desk."

"What?" 

"Should we get out our dry erase boards?"

 

The kids were so good about it.

They never tried to draw their own pictures

or anything not related to our lesson.

 

At the end of math, I let them have two minutes of free time to draw.

 

 

Everyday when I tell them to take out their supplies,

they give disappointed groans when we don't write on our desks.

I will probably do it again this week for them.

 

What sort of fun things are you up to this weekend?

 

 



Budding Blog Linky

My school has a big fundraiser tomorrow. 

It's called the Tiger Trot.

There is a 5K and a 1 mile run.

I'm so excited to run the one mile with my daughter.

I'll try and post some pictures tomorrow.

 

I have to get up early tomorrow, so I'll make this post short.

I'm linking up with Jess from I {Heart} Recess.

It is a linky for those of us who are relatively new to the blogging world.



 

1. Why did you start blogging?

I was following quite a few blogs and loved reading about all the different teaching ideas.

My teammates always seem to like my ideas, so I decided to share them with others.

My blog has now become a way for me to reflect on my teaching

and find ways to make myself a better teacher.

2. What is your favorite subject to teach and why?

I LOVE to teach math.  In college, I started as a math major.

Pre-calculus was too hard, so I moved down to elementary school.

Math is my favorite because I love the challenge of solving a problem.

I enjoy hearing about the different ways kids solve problems

and then comparing their strategies to mine.

3. Describe your teaching style.

I'm not sure that I can explain my style.

It's all over the place.

I try to create and teach in a fun way that will

have the kids involved in their own learning.

I prefer to stay away from the worksheets that come

with our math and reading series.

My goal for next year is to incorporate more technology

to help my students learn.

4. Give three interesting facts about you.

- I was on the pom pom squad in high school.

- I don't like to perform/speak in front of people.

- I'm a great cook, but only if there is a recipe to follow.

-
5. Do you have a TpT store? If yes, post the link :)

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Third-Grade-Galore

 

Here's to a great weekend!

End of the Year Gifts and Job Charts (Two Linkies)

Today was a fun day at school.

My kids had to run the mile in P.E. and so I joined them.

I love how doing one simple activity can make their day.

 

I'm linking up today with Jessica and Becky for Tricks of the Trade.

The topic for this week is end of the year gifts.

 

Tomorrow is our annual Volunteer Luncheon at school.

The staff all pitch in and we put on a big luncheon for any parents

that volunteered during the school year.

 

I also like to thank a few of the parents in my class

such as the room mothers and those that helped with big projects.

LUSH is a brand I've blogged about before and it is my go-to

for end of the year gifts. 

This year I have four moms who will be getting:

Tutti Fruity 

 

                Happy Hippy shower gel is packed with fresh pink grapefruit to wake you up.

Our scrubby Miranda soap is made with kiwi fruit and seeds to tone your skin.

It’s the perfect companion to perk friends up, surprise a co-worker,

or thank your pet-sitter – all the people who make your life that much brighter.

 

Doesn't that sound wonderful?

Each set is about $17, but the mom volunteers are worth it to me.

 

I'm also joining a new weekly linky from Diving Into 2nd Grade

and Hippo Hooray for Second Grade.

 

The rule is to share a quick tip to make life in the classroom easier.

My tip is for anyone who uses a job chart.

At the beginning of the year, I type up all the jobs on a chart.

Then I laminate the whole sheet.

Each week I clean it off and fill in the new names.

I like it because it does not take up a lot of space and

it can easily fit in with my classroom colors.

 

I can't wait to see the other tips.

Have a great Friday!

 

 

 

 

 

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