Christmas Crafts

It's that time again!  Time to start thinking of which Christmas crafts I will do with my class...here is a list of things we have done in the past.  Now just to decide.....

Christmas Craft Ideas:

Candy cane reindeer—use 1 candy cane, 2 “googly eyes”, one small red pom pom, and one brown pipe cleaner cut in half to make two pieces

Make a snowflake center—this is a center activity on following directions—all they need is a piece of white copy paper , their scissors, and pencil

Heart Wreath- students will trace hearts onto green construction paper , cut out and form a circle with point of heart facing the middle of the circle.  Then they will add small red circles as “holly”.

Snowman Can- Use a clean soup can.  Paint it white, add eyes and nose out of buttons and students will draw a with a red or black sharpie.  Hot glue ribbon around the bottom of the can to serve as a scarf. Hot glue a pipe cleaner as a handle.

Clear glass ornament- Students stuff iridescent filler into a clear glass ornament and the paint a snowman face on to it.

Blue handprint ornament- students dip their hand in white paint and they will grab the blue  ornament from the bottom. This will give the effect of five white snowmen.  Add hat, and face with black sharpie.  Attach poem :”These aren’t just five tiny snowman as any one can see, they are made with my handprint which is a part of me. Hang it proudly on your tree so you can recall, the Christmas of 2011 when my hand was just this small”

Can lid metal ornament: use a soup can lid removed with smooth edges and cleaned.  Students can decorate with glitter, scrapbook paper, paint, etc.  Add student’s picture to the middle and add a ribbon to hang.

reindeer  lapel pin: Use old fashioned wooden clothespins and decorate to look like a reindeer

add pin to back to wear

    

What ideas do you have that you have done with your class?

Behavior Doctor

I had the opportunity yesterday to hear "The Behavior Doctor", Laura Riffel, PhD speak. Although our seats wear very uncomfortable (a junior high auditorium built in the 50's), the speech was definitely worth hearing.  What great ideas and perspective she has about dealing with children with "problem" behaviors!  After siting there all day, I started thinking about how I like the kids to get up and do learning centers for reading and math. While centers are GREAT, there are times when we need to stay at our desk and do work.  I realize sitting there will get uncomfortable for some kiddos (as I was uncomfortable yesterday).  I have a chair cushion on my teacher chair I sit at during small group instruction.......so why not make the kids chair cushions??  This is something I think I may do for them.  I have to explore cost, color,materials, etc. Has anyone else done this?

Here is the link to the site for The Behavior Doctor if you are interested. Today I played the music from her site while the kids were doing independent work.  Very calming.....

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all my ghosts and ghouls out there!  What a busy weekend it has been ! 

 I turned 40 last Thursday and spent the day watching my oldest daughter compete in the district cross country meet. She took the bronze medal and her team won the district championship!  What a great birthday gift to see your child be so successful! Friday evening I went with family to celebrate my birthday at a local BBQ restaurant that has local bands play.  We had a great time! Saturday my husband and I went to a Halloween party for adults only. Hubby dressed up as Allen and Baby Carlos from the movie the Hangover, and was hilarious!!! He won best costume! 

Today, I am back at work and it has been a very busy day with a parent picnic and Storybook character parade.  My team dressed as the M&M's from the M&M's Counting Book ( I know it's a stretch...but it worked and was easy!)

I made an M &M template for the kiddos to make M&M headbands.  They had a challenge to make theirs in a pattern.  Have a safe and Happy Halloween if you take part in the trick-or-treating! 

Scentsy

I love Scentsy!!  I was given my first one as a Christmas gift from one of my students last year.  I absolutely ♥ it!  I bought one more for my classroom to help with those "after PE" aroma's...you teachers know what I mean! Who says third graders are too young for deodorant?? :)

I am ready to buy another one from my colleague at work Veronica, who sells Scentsy.  I came across this giveaway today via The Tip Junkie.  Check this out:

This giveaway is sponsored by Being Allison (twitter) , Being Allison (facebook), Being Allison (blog).  Go to her site(s) and check it out!!

September 12th

What will you be discussing with your students tomorrow?  I read this book every year and think it is fantastic!

Time flies when you are ....BUSY!!

Wow......time flies when you are ......BUSY!!!

I have not been on here in a month!  No time to do much other than go to work, help give rides to day care for my nephew (my sister had surgery), pick up my high schooler from cross country practice, pick up my 4th grader from our friends home (they care for her afterschool for about 30 minutes till I can get there), come home, make dinner, feed family, feed horses, pick up the house mess that magically occurs even though you just cleaned it, get ready for the next day, shoewr, sleep, and...repeat! Weekends are busy too running to small towns in Texas to watch my daughter compete in varsity cross country meets and lets not forget church, CCD classes, and ......grading papers! Blah!

While on here today I found a give away!  I love give aways!  I won one from TeachHub and from the Organized Classroom blog! I never win anything so I was delighted!

The give away is from Glue Sticks and Tape.  It is a $25 Walmart giftcard. Who couldn't use that? I would use it to buy something for myself!  I know, that sounds selfish...but I am always buying for my kids, my students, and everyone else.  I will turn 40 next month (YIKES!!  How did that happen?) and would like to treat myself, even if it is only at Walmart and not a fancy spa! :)

Last day of freedom! (sorta)

Well, it is that time!  Today is the last day of freedom for me....sorta.  Tomorrow I can finally go in to work on my room!  :)   Even though I am not required to go until Monday the 15th, I must go.  There is no way possible to get it all done in the two days they give us.  Actually, a day and a half since Meet the Teacher is on the Friday afternoon before school starts!  So, tomorrow all the stuff I have been lugging around in the back of my car will get a new home!  New stylish crates, pencil holders, shiny posters, new borders, etc.  No more sight seeing trips for you!

Back to the routine.  Routine is good for me...even though I ♥ my sleep late days (I have trouble sleeping in the summer..weird..I know) and wearing my cute Yellow Box flip flops.  I do better when I am on a schedule.  It exhausts me, but I sleep like a baby! zzzzzzzzzz......

My daughters will be entering their sophomore and 4th grade years in school.  They are anxious and excited and I am as well for them. Fall brings new school supplies, new routines, new expectations, traveling all over the state following my daughter's varsity cross country team, and hopefully some cooler weather here in HOT-Texas!!

Every year my goal is to "be better organized".  I think that is one of those forever goals with me.  I am organized, but am also guilty of making "piles". I am working on that. This year I have a new goal.  I found this saying on my friend Ginny's pinterest board and re-pinned it to mine.  It  is so true!

So....my goal this year is to live with a positive attitude----GLASS HALF FULL!! I want my class to be more positive to each other as well.  Many of them come from dysfunctional home lives and I need to find a way to make them think positive.

I am looking forward to this school year and the changes it brings.... So here we go!

What is your goal for this year??

Giveaway!

 

Back 2 School Bash: 4 GB Kingston USB Drive Giveaway

Here is great giveaway we can ALL use!  Click on her link and see how you can win!!!

Thanks to Surviving a Teacher's Salary for this!

Behavior Management

Here is a good post with some great ideas from   Ashley at Teaching To Go

Some good resources too!

Hot hot hot!!

It is super crazy hot here in south Texas as it is in many places right now.  We have had many days this summer with temperatures well over 100 degrees.  My oldest daughter is a high school  athlete who runs cross country and track.  We are doing everything we can to keep her well hydrated since she has been practicing in the heat.  Even though practice is at 7pm, it is still 100 or higher. Athletes around the country have died due to heat exhaustion.  Very scary folks!  Keep you and your kiddos hydrated! Even though I am sure we will be banging our heads against the wall when school starts because they are going to tell us "no recess" due to the heat.... it really will be the safer option to stay in.  Let's just hope our school A/C cooperates!  Drink lots of water!!!! 

We are staying in during the day as much as we can.  What are you doing to stay cool?

Thank you Matt Damon!

I saw this post on another blog and couldn't help but repost.....

Here is the speech that actor Matt Damon gave today to thousands of teachers, parents and others who attended the Save Our Schools march on the Ellipse near the White House to protest the Obama administration’s education policies that are centered on standardized tests.
Damon was the last of many speakers, including Diane Ravitch, Linda Darling-Hammond, Deb Meier and Jonathan Kozol. I’ve published posts of theirs before, so here is something different: Damon’s common-sense, straight-to-the-point speech.

I flew overnight from Vancouver to be with you today. I landed in New York a few hours ago and caught a flight down here because I needed to tell you all in person that I think you’re awesome.

I was raised by a teacher. My mother is a professor of early childhood education. And from the time I went to kindergarten through my senior year in high school, I went to public schools. I wouldn’t trade that education and experience for anything.

I had incredible teachers. As I look at my life today, the things I value most about myself — my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning, my curiosity — all come from how I was parented and taught.

And none of these qualities that I’ve just mentioned — none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, that have brought me so much joy, that have brought me so much professional success — none of these qualities that make me who I am ... can be tested.

I said before that I had incredible teachers. And that’s true. But it’s more than that. My teachers were EMPOWERED to teach me. Their time wasn’t taken up with a bunch of test prep — this silly drill and kill nonsense that any serious person knows doesn’t promote real learning. No, my teachers were free to approach me and every other kid in that classroom like an individual puzzle. They took so much care in figuring out who we were and how to best make the lessons resonate with each of us. They were empowered to unlock our potential. They were allowed to be teachers.

Now don’t get me wrong. I did have a brush with standardized tests at one point. I remember because my mom went to the principal’s office and said, ‘My kid ain’t taking that. It’s stupid, it won’t tell you anything and it’ll just make him nervous.’ That was in the ’70s when you could talk like that.

I shudder to think that these tests are being used today to control where funding goes.

I don’t know where I would be today if my teachers’ job security was based on how I performed on some standardized test. If their very survival as teachers was based on whether I actually fell in love with the process of learning but rather if I could fill in the right bubble on a test. If they had to spend most of their time desperately drilling us and less time encouraging creativity and original ideas; less time knowing who we were, seeing our strengths and helping us realize our talents.

I honestly don’t know where I’d be today if that was the type of education I had. I sure as hell wouldn’t be here. I do know that.

This has been a horrible decade for teachers. I can’t imagine how demoralized you must feel. But I came here today to deliver an important message to you: As I get older, I appreciate more and more the teachers that I had growing up. And I’m not alone. There are millions of people just like me.

So the next time you’re feeling down, or exhausted, or unappreciated, or at the end of your rope; the next time you turn on the TV and see yourself called “overpaid;” the next time you encounter some simple-minded, punitive policy that’s been driven into your life by some corporate reformer who has literally never taught anyone anything. ... Please know that there are millions of us behind you. You have an army of regular people standing right behind you, and our appreciation for what you do is so deeply felt. We love you, we thank you and we will always have your back.

original source- Washington Post

What have you found?

What new finds have you found for your classroom?  I wanted new buckets for my tables to organize pencils and red pens, etc. Last year I used student sized pencil boxes and they worked okay.  I just wanted something different this year!  I found these at WalMart and I think they will work great!  It's worth a try!
Look at what The Sweet Life of Third Grade found!!

Oh, I almost forgot!  Look at my super cool broom for my classroom!  The kids ♥ to sweep up the mess on the classroom floor when they have a cool broom. I found this for $3 at Ross.

Welcome!

After reading a friends blog, I have been consumed by reading all of the fantastic teacher and craft related blogs out in cyber world!  I decided maybe I should give it a try! So here we go.......

BTW..check out my friends blog: Life as Topher's Mama     She has done a great job!