Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Je ne parle pas français (I can't speak french)

AHHH! Would so love to blog more often than I am! 

Hope you're having a great day...things have been crazy busy as always. Are most of you nearing the end of your school year? So awesome.

Coming up: a residential trip to France for Year 5 and 6 (fourth and fifth grade) next week, assessments and the play next month! Sidenote on the play-my students are making movie trailers for the play with imovie apps.Best.Thing.Ever. Hope to share some of those later.

I'm desperately trying to learn some French phrases for our upcoming trip but that is not easy! Two other teachers are coming on the trip (and they speak French), but I've gotta learn a few words right?

Anyway, I'll share pictures when I get back!


On another note, you MUST check out my friend who has recently started blogging. She is a British teacher, just learning about the blogging world, Pinterest and TPT. I'd love it if you stopped by her blog, Resource Angel to say hello and give her some encouragement. She makes amazing resources for 3-5th grade and is one of my closest friends!

Have a good one!!

Monday, April 28, 2014

English Homework for grades 4-6

Hello! This is probably the wrong time of year for this, but if there's anyone from Australia, the UK or other places that still have a while to go for the school year, well maybe you can use this.

 
English homework.
 

Sometimes I struggle to make it interesting.

I'm required to give it once a week and I wanted to make it more interactive and possibly fun.

I saw this idea for having an on-going project that incorporates many of the features of text that we'd previously worked on in class. I tweaked it for my Year Six class for half a term and put the page along with the required paper in small folders.

Would you believe they loved it?! They loved the idea of choice, they loved adding onto to it each week.......they said it was actually...fun! 

Even better...I didn't have to sort homework week after week. They had their homework assignments for the next 6 weeks!

I've uploaded it to google docs in Word so you can change it to what you need. Please tell me if that works. I haven't used that in ages. I was too lazy to upload it to TPT. Click here for it.





One more thing for homework.

We recently returned from Easter holidays (off for 3 weeks). Again, I'm required to give English homework. This time I gave a letter with choices.



They had to pick 3 writing choices (to average 1 a week). I did mention reading in the letter, but focused more on writing for this holiday. I copied this cover sheet on bright yellow colored paper, along with several pieces of blank writing paper, and put it in a folder. Easy. Except for grading them when they come back, but hey.

Can you believe they came back showing each other what they picked and what they wrote and were so proud?! I was speechless. I was just so happy to see them enjoy writing and even want to share it with their peers!

Click here for this document in Word so you change it for your needs.

Hope some of you can use this and I can save you some time!

Have a good one xx

Saturday, April 12, 2014

FREEBIE FRIDAY!

Oops, a day late.

Hope you're happy and healthy today! I'm enjoying my Easter break. Love it!

Here are some book review forms I created for 3-5th grade at our school. I have a few other options too, just have to round them up. I make a bunch of copies of them and  put them in the folder on the bulletin  board for our Reading Challenge. Maybe you can use them!


http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Book-Review-Forms-1204143

Friday, April 4, 2014

FREEBIE Friday!!

Hello!

I am finally on Easter Holidays/Spring Break! It could not come quick enough. 

There is some yucky stuff going down at my school.

I can't say much, but let's just say between student bullying allegations and nearly half the staff leaving at our very small private school (including our Head/Principal)...school life has been stressful to say the least.

In all honesty, several of the teachers are leaving because of maternity leave/staying home with new baby. 

However there is other crap stuff going on too.

Needless to say...school morale is low.

It's hard to get away from low morale when it seems to be everywhere. Does anyone else feel like this at their school at the moment?

But anyway, we've got 3 weeks off, then 1 term left (schools go til mid/late July here). It is great to change environments for awhile.

Therefore, on a positive note-I've decided to get back into blogging a bit more and am starting with [trying] to post a freebie every Friday! I know that structure might help me blog more regularly like I want to do!

I would like to blog once more during the week. I was thinking Memory Monday or Wordless Wednesday? I think I've heard of those before. What do you think?
 
So here is the freebie for today! A spelling menu (one for second/third grade and one for fourth/fifth grade).

Now I have a love /hate relationship with spelling lists and spellings tests, but hey. My boss says I have to do it. Now while I do have differentiated spellings lists, I have not been satisfied with the ways I've seen for practicing it. 

I'm not sure how it will go, but I'm going to give it a try. Maybe you can use it too. (We have a spelling notebook/journal for all their spelling homework so it's all in one place. I will have them glue their spelling menu into their notebook)

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spelling-Menu-2-5-Grade-1191225 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spelling-Menu-2-5-Grade-1191225http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spelling-Menu-2-5-Grade-1191225


Saturday, March 15, 2014

March travel and more notebook ideas (of course!)

Well 6 weeks on, here I am again. I've seen a lot of amazing things going on in classrooms around the world...I LOVE YOUR BLOGS EVERYONE!

My life at the moment can be summed up in 4 words: Bible, Dates, Yoga, Library.


This is all I have time for these days. The classroom libraries are done for now though! I updated the libraries (labeled book baskets and all) for Year 3, 4, and 6! I am so excited to see if this help kids to find the books they want and read even more!

As for dates, the latest one (Christmas present this year: 1 meaningful date each month) was a visit to Brighton last weekend!




Here are some notebook ideas for those that do that sort of thing!





I'd imagine that many of you are spring break? I will be on Easter holidays in just over 2 weeks!! The only sad thing is that means only 1 term left with my Year 6's which makes me want to cry. I can't believe they will be leaving to go to secondary school : (   
I still love looping, apart from the fact that I feel more attached.

Have a good one!

Monday, February 10, 2014

Please help! Money to spend for Guided Reading books!!!


Hello! Hope you're having a good start to your week! 

I have mentioned this subject once or twice before, but now I need all of you!

I have the great fortune to spend money to update the guided reading books at my school for Year 3-Year 6 (American 2nd Gr-5th Gr)!!!

I want to get really good quality books and I've been researching this, but sometimes it's so much better to hear from those that have actually used the books themselves.

I'm trying to find guided reading books for all levels. Here's what I purchased already, or am considering: This does not include books we use as a whole class (Charlotte's Web, The Magic Finger, ect).






Thanks in advance for any more book ideas!!

As it will be Valentine's Day before you know it-have a good one!!!