Must-Haves & Tech-Tip

There is less than a week until school starts and just thinking about it makes my head spin. Since today was the first day I could get into my class, I'm feeling a bit frazzled. With most of the decor for my room in place, I decided to tackle the closets, which have been the bane of my existence for the past five years. Looks like I'll be there every day this week.. bye, bye summer!

On to the real reason for the post, it's Teacher Week! As if I needed more of a reason to be attached to my laptop.

I get so many fabulous ideas from you all and I am a list-making fool this week! So many great ideas to try out! So many fab things to buy! In true procrastinator fashion, I have left too many things to be done this week so I am piggy backing Monday & Tuesday's post. Sadly, tomorrow's classroom reveal won't be ready until at least the weekend. I'll just have to drool over your rooms until then!

My must-haves in the classroom are simple...

Let's be serious... this is on everyone's list.

Although according to the source of the image, it's not such a great idea.

They obviously are not teachers.

Duh.

These are my fave for making anchor charts.

 I love the color choices and stock up when they go on sale!

I have upgraded to the Erin Condren Planner this year! Watch out!

Hopefully it will be here soon!!

Finally, my teacher binder is my bible.

{Sorry, no pic!}

 I am re-vamping it and it will be better than ever.

I'll definitely share it when it's finished! :)

Ok, on to my Tech-Tip Tuesday. I wish I had more to share but there's not much technology available in my room, with the exception of a few things..

This machine has drastically changed the way I teach.

I use it for everything from showing the nooks and crannies of a sedimentary rock to showing off student work to enlarging text for read alouds. Yes, we read aloud constantly in fifth grade and this machine helps make it work.

This website is my new favorite math site:

Xtra Math

My students can go on to practice their multiplication facts from school or home and I receive email updates with their progress. It is beyond student friendly and the best part? It is FREE!

I also just begged my principal via email, with links and selling points, for an interactive white board or a Mimio {which is portable!!} and I'm hoping that there is some money in the budget. My life would seriously be complete.





Back to School Shopping

You know it's summer when the only blog posts have been Currently link ups! This summer has been a whirlwind that has included some major events such as raising our new puppy and honeymooning in the Dominican Republic. It really hasn't included any talk of school. Like, not even a little bit. I haven't even talked to my TBFF's much. Teacher BFF's, according to my students. I'm kind of contemplating a big change, that I'm really not ready to talk much about on the blog, but it has explained my absence even before the summer started. I'm hoping that I will receive some sort of guidance in one direction or another and that I can get back into the swing of things soon.

So, I recently experienced that first night of laying awake in bed with a million thoughts running through my head that need to be checked off the list for the upcoming school year, as well as the looming deadline for unchecked items from the summer list. We don't go back for another three weeks but I started trying to get back in the groove today. I hit up Staples and the Dollar Tree with my lists, and the miracle of all miracles happened.. I didn't buy a thing. Strangely enough, I then went into TJMaxx and walked out with more cash than I had when I went in, after returning a few items and um, not buying a thing. Seriously, I then stopped at CVS to pick up a script and it was free. The stars aligned or something because this never happens. Obviously, I then went into Panera and proceeded to spend $15 on soup and a sandwich. Eh, I guess you win some and lose some.

Ok, my point is coming. Usually when I go out to buy school supplies, I spend the remaining portion of my summer savings and load up my living room and then my classroom with goodies. Then I try to convince my husband that I really need hot pink post-its with zebra trim because it makes me a better teacher. Sound familiar? :) Well, something went terribly wrong this year.. Staples changed their teacher discount policy. I'll give you a minute to let that sink in, if necessary....... 

I heard the rumors but didn't believe them. Did you know this?? Ok.. old policy = teacher limit of extreme deals (1 cent filler paper, 10 cent folder, etc.) is 25 versus the two or five or whatever low number they choose. New policy = regular low limit of extreme deals and the remaining amount, up to 25, that you paid full sale price for (99 cents instead of 1 cent.. um, huge difference!) you get back in Staples Rewards, which is essentially a gift card to Staples in the amount that you spent. Sounds lovely, right? Yeah, well it takes about 5 weeks and comes in your email.

Now, I don't know about you, but I certainly appreciate only spending 25 cents on 25 packs of filler paper for my 25 students who usually come to school without it even though it's on their list. I definitely appreciate someone helping me out a bit when I'm buying school supplies for children that are not my own. I don't get it. I told the very nice man (seriously, he was so nice that he almost had me loading up on Staples Rewards) that I just didn't understand and he said, "yeah, it turns most people off". Um, ya think? Why do I want to come back in 5 weeks to pick out full price items? Then, I'll end up seeing star shaped Post-its or damask filing folders and spend even more money. That's if I even see the Rewards coupon in my inbox. In early September, my personal email is swamped and I usually have what I need to start the year, because you know, it already started and all.  I'm onto you Staples. I just may adding to my Walmart list, where they price match, and apparently have delicious steaks, too. Well, according to the commercials.

Really, though, it's off to Target next. You all know what happens when we go to Target. Ugh! I need time to mourn the loss of Staples but Target never lets me down :)

What are you going to do? Are you still loading up on filler paper this week? Should I go back? I'm so torn. Especially because it smelled SO good in Staples today. Fresh notebooks, new pencils, and Post-its, oh my!

Where I'm From

This project is one of my all time favorites. I love writing "Where I'm From" poems in the first month or two of school because it is a great way to learn more about your students but also to challenge them in their writing. This project was inspired by Jen at A Teacher's Life but is originally based on the poem "Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon. This is her poem.

I am from clothespins,
from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.
I am from the dirt under the back porch.
(Black, glistening,
it tasted like beets.)
I am from the forsythia bush
the Dutch elm
whose long-gone limbs I remember
as if they were my own.

I'm from fudge and eyeglasses,
          from Imogene and Alafair.
I'm from the know-it-alls
          and the pass-it-ons,
from Perk up! and Pipe down!
I'm from He restoreth my soul
          with a cottonball lamb
          and ten verses I can say myself.

I'm from Artemus and Billie's Branch,
fried corn and strong coffee.
From the finger my grandfather lost
          to the auger,
the eye my father shut to keep his sight.

Under my bed was a dress box
spilling old pictures,
a sift of lost faces
to drift beneath my dreams.
I am from those moments--
snapped before I budded --
leaf-fall from the family tree

First, I share the audio of the poem by George Ella Lyon that is on her website, as I display the written version with the document viewer. After the kids hear it and read it, I ask them questions about the poem, such as.. What is it about? Who are the people, places, and things, mentioned in the poem?  What is the theme of the poem? Can you make a self-to-text connection? We also discuss the language used and how it enhances the poem.

Then, I share poems that previous students wrote. This brings the poem back to their level since the original is a bit too much for most of my students. The poems lead to rich conversation about poetry, language, writing about personal experiences, and how those personal experiences shape who we are and what we write. Many of my students have such wonderful stories to tell, some heart-breaking and some that make your heart just burst with love. It is through this poem that I really learn the most about my students.

Next, the students brainstorm all of the most important people, places, and things to them in one of two formats. They can either create a list with sublists or they can make a web, using words and pictures. 

Then, I provide students with this template. I'm not where the original came from because I've found the same template floating around the web for a few years now. I go over the template with them, explaining the parts they have trouble understanding and providing examples.  The students then work on filling out the template, using their brainstorms to guide them.

Then, the students move their writing to a piece of paper, adding any additional details that support their writing and they self-edit using a thesaurus.

Finally, the students complete a final draft. We usually type our final drafts, but this year, my computers are still not working. Oh, well! Another opportunity for them to practice their handwriting.

This student is one of my rockstars. This type of writing comes naturally, as you can see from the last line in her poem, "I am from creativity". I encourage them to think of one word that sums up their poem or defines them as a person. I see wonderful endings... I am from love, hope, faith, their country or city of origin, fashion, friendship, an emotion, their favorite subject, and the list goes on.  Here is another example.

If you want to experience great writing, deep poetry, and rich discussion with your students, try this activity. While this activity is geared towards middle and high school students, it can certainly be modified for younger students. I can't wait to hang these up!

All About Me T-Shirt

How on earth is September already over??? I feel like I haven't even had a chance to catch my breath and now I have to change my calendar?! Good thing I love October. Crisp air, apple picking, pumpkin spice lattes, tall boots, chunky sweaters, Halloween, shall I continue?

Anyways, I wanted to share an activity that I did with my kiddos in the first week of school. I have a hard time finding 'back to school' activities that are cool enough for my middle schoolers. After some blog stalking therapy, I found a project that the kids loved.

Lindsay from My Life as a Fifth Grade Teacher  had a great project on her blog that was just right for my kiddos. It's perfect for those first few days that are super busy but also have too much lag time in between teaching procedures, but you could also do this for a book report or student of the week.

I created a tshirt template by drawing one, or twenty-five, on poster board and gave the kids the template that was not cut out. I figured that they might hack up the tshirt if they weren't careful with the scissors and I am too OCD to let that happen wanted them to look nice when I hung them in the hallway. Each student had to come up with words and pictures that represented them and draw them on their tshirts.  When they were finished, I cut them out and hung them in the hallways, using a clothesline and clothespins. LOVE this!

The only thing I would have done differently, is put up a light blue background, so that it looked like the sky. I already had green up and that's that!