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!

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!!!

January fun AND history & geography notebooks

Hello!!

Well it seems I can only get to this a couple times a month. Ah well. Here I am. How are you? 

After another doctor's appointment for my nose, I've been feeling a lot better in the past 1-2 weeks and have been able to do so much more! I have a CT scan for my nose in February to get more info on that situation. Here's what I've been up to:

I am excited about more game nights with friends and an IKEA & Costco date in a couple weeks (some of my friends have never been to Costco as there's not many in the UK-we're silly! And IKEA-who doesn't love it there?)
  

Here's what we've been up to in History and Geography at school for those that want any notebook ideas:

why is this spelled artefact or artifacts? weird.

Also I've finished Part 2 for Math Journals: Second Grade Place Value. There is so much packed into second grade addition and subtraction.whoa.

I hope to be back on here sooner than later. Love reading all your blogs. I may not comment on them much (am trying to get better at that) but I am constantly inspired by all of you amazing educators!!

Christmas...journals...freebie!

Happy New Year!

I can't believe I haven't been on here for a month! My husband and I have spent the last 2 1/2 weeks visiting family and friends in Phoenix for Christmas. The focus was on loved ones, so no time for lesson plans or journal printables.

Needless to say I'm feeling super behind.

Meetings at work tomorrow. Lesson plans. Gotta get Book Week sorted. Field trip in 2 weeks. Hope the playscript I picked got OK'd. Lesson plans. Eeek.

Anyway the past several weeks:

1) last day of term 2) easiest gift I made for my students
3) Christmas dinner  4) new shoes!  5) hiking in Phx  6) reading


I found some pictures of some kdg/first grade literacy journals back at home for those that want some ideas or are ready to start journals for the first time!

Now, the freebie! Money Printables: Part 2 (for second grade) is FREE until Tuesday 1/7/14! Get it here!

Finally...here is what I hope to be finished with next weekend! 

It was supposed to be Place Value: Part 2 (for second grade), but my goodness 2.MD.5 is long!! So there will have to be a part 3 in the future until I can get it all put together.

Off to bed now for me! Have a great day!

Our Big Writing Programme & some anchor charts

Hello!

The countdown is on. Just finished conferences, I've got a class trip Friday, carol service next week, staff Christmas party and then we're on a plane to go home for Christmas on the 15th! Can't wait!

So what have you been up to? 

Have you been Christmas baking and enjoying Christmas-y things? I'm jealous.

I can't wait to wear my polka-dot pajamas and watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation with a hot chocolate and not think about school.at.all.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look at this stamp that we use to mark English. Love it! This stamp helps focus my feedback:

I got it here in the UK, but I'm sure they make something similar elsewhere. Totally worth it.

Individual target cards guide me so I know what goals the students are working towards.

Our school does Ros Wilson's Big Writing programme. All week the children do a variety of activities that lead up their 'Big Writing' session at the end of the week. On that day, they have a double English session-the first session (1 hour) is a summary/overview of things learned that week, with the last 10-15 minutes for planning their Big Write (a set writing task). Then they have recess, and when they come back, the lights are low, classical music is playing, there are little fairy lights, they have their Target card, plan and paper....and they have sustained writing for 45 minutes.

There are some kinks that I'm working out (trying to get more 'free' writing in, and add in the actual writing process to get to an occasional final copy)...but really this runs alongside the style of exams in this country and all in all, it does seem to highlight needs while also giving students a focus when writing.

Sorry, that went on a lot longer than I thought. How about some random pictures?  These are some anchor charts (perfect size-about 11 x 17 paper) that the children and I brainstormed together over the past couple weeks/months.

Bit of a photo dump.

 

To bed now.

How are you? Would love to hear from you!

Book List and Bread!

Hello! 

I'm feeling better since the last time I blogged. Things are changing at our school and it threw me for a loop (My head teacher is leaving)! I cannot imagine what the school will be like without her (leaving at Easter to have a baby)......hopefully the change won't be too bad.

 

Anyway, I've got the OK to update the books at our school-now I'm just not sure where to buy them. Scholastic, Amazon? Some of you gave book ideas and asked for my ideas. I've attached a google doc with the list I've created so far. Of course I may move around the books, depending on levels, etc. Many are British authors (since I'm in England)...anyway, I hope this helps. This list takes into account the books we already have (lots of Michael Morpurgo, Anthony Horowitz, Jacqueline Wilson, J.K. Rowling).

I'm also on the lookout for any good British comprehension assessments with links to levels (2c, 2b, 2a, etc)??!! Let me know if you've got a recommendation!

Aside from parent conferences this week (2 nights, very short, not too bad), I have had a "good" sinus day and even managed to get the gym! Our Bible study group has our Christmas party tomorrow night which I'm looking forward to and after this week I will have 2 weeks of school left until Christmas break!!

Here is my latest math notebooks/journals resource that is nearly finished:

I will end with a funny photo-I was the elf at our 'Santa grotto' on Friday for our Christmas fair!

Oh and also-this bread is soooooooo good! I make my own applesauce in the blender and cut down the sugar.

Happy Thanksgiving week to everyone in the States!

How long will you teach?

Sometimes I wonder how long I will teach and what job I might do next. Do you ever feel like that?

After a looooong week of reports and making a mistake on homework I sent home and a seriously low student that is never on time (missing lessons!) and teaching English 'Club' every Friday until 5...sometimes I don't know. I love my students, and I do have very small class sizes, but. There's still so much to do. I enjoy (mostly) the added responsibility of English Coordinator, but someways I feel like I'm getting burned out. Again.

So how about you? Do you ever think you might go for a different job at some point?