So I've realized I'm starting this "blog-teacherspayteachers" endeavor all wrong.  The purpose was to create a blog to showcase what I am selling on teachers pay teachers to start making some loot selling my lesson plans.  Well, the idea was great.  However, I'm not getting to the important part...selling lessons!  So, I'm "signing-off" the blog until I get my act together &

create some fancy lessons!  Peace-Out peeps!

Alinea Restaurant

     

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Celebrating my hubby's 40th...Alinea Restaurant (#6 in world) and the prestige suite at Hotel Sofitel!  A night to always remember!

            

Alinea menu for the evening. The circles represent the portion size of that course and the darkness of each circle represents the intensity of flavors.
 

Each time we are finished with a unit of study, as a way to review what we've learned...

we play GAME SHOW MANIA!   

Before our final assessment we get into teams and answer review questions...The host of the show is the teacher.  One scorekeeper for each team sits to the side.  The contestants come forward.  Hands behind their backs.  The question is asked.  Be the first to ring the bell.  Answer the question correctly.  Earn a point for your team.  If the contestant needs help they get one lifeline from their team to help them out.

Fun & easy way to get ready for cumulative assessments!

 

And now...I'm peacin' out...taking personal days for the remainder of today & tomorrow.

            

This website has been around for a few years now, but each year I inform the parents in my room about it.  They can experience the magic by creating a personalized video message from Santa Claus to their kids!  You get to add pictures & data about your child, and the video is immediately generated & can be emailed to you.  The best part...it's free!

I have the information for parents ready to be sent home

in tightly sealed envelopes!

 

This is what we did at home tonight.  My four year old ran around the house overjoyed that he was on Santa's "nice list" and was so happy he wouldn't be receiving any coal (he was thinking this is what he was sure to get). 

 

Check it out...www.portablenorthpole.com                                  peace-out!

 

            

Our first long distance journey of this school year...a field trip to the capitol of our state & a visit to the Wisconsin Historical Society Museum.

            

                        

Our trip was rich in Wisconsin state history and

knowledge about the way in which our government operates our state.

(Hmmmm, last time I was here I recall being in the middle of a protest)

      

And again... the Morgan Stars continue to shine. 

Not only did my classroom students show exemplary behavior, but hanging on this very tree in the middle of our state's capitol building, are the ornaments that our 5th grade created!

 PEACE-OUT!

Story Response Discussions

            

One of my most favorite times of day is during guided reading.  It makes small group-work so rewarding.  Either the kids really know how to fake it...or they just might actually be learning somethin'!

            

That is...actually learning something...from one another!

      

pEaCe-oUt!

 

      

I'm so excited that tomorrow is December 1st!  It's my first "advent calendar" gift basket.  Each day the kiddo's get to open a gift until the night that Santa arrives!  I love this time of year!
                                                                                            PeACe-ouT!

No post yesterday due to the fact that I was so busy planning my math lesson on probability for today.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to implement the lesson because I didn't end up winning the lottery!  I was preparing to explain to the class how normally it would be close to "impossible" and that yes, the odds were that it would be "unlikely"...however I was "certain" that I had won the jackpot.  Sorry to say, I couldn't teach that lesson.

No win = I guess it's just more of this thing called "work" for me.  So not only another day at work, but another night as well. It was our school's holiday sing.  During this time of year, it is always touching to see all of the kids wearing their finest get-ups and seeing their eyes twinkling with excitement.  I guess I am in the right profession...they were all adorable.

            

The best part of the night was seeing our shining stars playing guitar.      

                         

Pretty ladies.                                Wild fellows.

Pretty much sums it up!

      

Happy Holidays! Peace-out!      

 

 

                                                                                                         It was rough.  I came down with a serious illness...a bad case of stripes!  We learned all about writing descriptive essays.  We found that you need to use lots of details, descriptive adjectives, and sensory language.  I read the book A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon, as an introduction for word choice and using detail in writing.  Can you believe it?  The sickness started to spread! 

Soon, the majority of our class came down with the stripes! 

It was contagious!

                               

      

                        

 

                  

                                                                       peace-out!

      

Today one of my guided reading groups started having a conversation about using a book's table of contents to help a reader pinpoint specific content in a book.  We have been working on inferencing and have been searching for clues as we try to make understanding of the author's purpose.  One of the ways that we have been doing this is through the use of the table of contents in our book.  Ironically, my first grade son came home from school the day before Thanksgiving break with a completed story that he wrote...complete with a table of contents!  Not only did it have a table of contents, but the story had a magnificient opening sentence, as well as a surprise ending!  I never thought that my 1st grade kids' work would help me with tomorrow's instruction during guided reading (proud mommy moment...of course). 

            

(I typed the story too, so that grandpa & grandma could read it.)

Another moment to love!                                            PEAce-oUT!

      

Scarecrows, caramel apples, and turkey spoons, oh my!  Ended the work week with our fall festival.

Happy Thanksgiving!

                  

                  

Giving Thanks.  Words spoken & rewritten by Chief Jake Swamp of the mohawk tribe.  This tribe has taught their children to start each day by giving thanks to Mother Earth. Also known as the Thanksgiving Address, this daily good morning message is based on the belief that the natural world is a precious and rare gift.

                                          

As a reflection of this holiday season & in coherence with the Thanksgiving Address,

each student created a poem of giving thanks.  Parents were asked to let their child share this poem of thanks during their family holiday time.  The finished products are always special.

                                    

 

      Thankful I am!  peaCe-OuT!

      

Vertices. faces. edges. sides. angles. polygons. quadrilaterals. paralleograms. prisms. 2D. 3D. 
Oh, it's all so confusing!  Remember...make it real.  Math is all around us.
                                                                                                               peace-out!

            

            

      

Sunday fire

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A great way to end the weekend, &
 a great way to start the two day work week!

The end of the week!  Friday's are the day we devote a small portion of our time to catching up and finishing our assignments from the week.  In addition, the student's that have completed all requirements get to have time to pick something fun to do.  Therefore, our classroom wouldn't be complete without our non-verbal signs....

                        

Ketch-up Friday and Friday Pick'les

 
                                                                                                                   peace-OUT!