Wordless Wednesday

I realize Wordless Wednesday was probably the last time I posted!  It's been quite a hectic few days.  And tomorrow is Report Card Night ..

Nonetheless, once again it is time to link up with Miss DeCarbo from Sugar & Spice for ....

I moved classrooms this year, so I not only inherited the books from my previous room and the books I purchased at library sales, but I also inherited books from the new classroom I was moved to!  It still hasn't been enough books to keep up with my readers and their ever busy, growing brains that love to go on a reading adventure. :)

So, this year, I have been handing out Scholastic Book Forms .  It has been a great help to get books and high quality literature and informational text into the hands of my 3rd Graders.  And, of course, it earns our class points for purchasing more books for our classroom library! :)

I am a like a little kid at Christmas when these boxes come !!!! :D

I track my e-mails because I am asked every minute of the day when the books are coming! I can't wait for the packages to arrive! 

This is just a sneak peak at some of the books that I've order for the classroom - and this was just the last order that I put in!  Some months, I purchase more than others. And to be honest, most of the time I just purchase them myself through Scholastic.  I'm trying to earn as many points as I can before the summer.  I'm saving the points to purchase book sets for guided reading groups next year. My students - I have 55 in total - have been a BIG help in earning points for the classroom.  [One month - I believe it was December - I had a total order for books of almost $400 !!!]

I love passing out books to them and watching how engrossed my students become with what they have.  I can't help but stare at them because their focus and attitude are quickly swept over by this new touch that brings a new adventure. It's encouraging.. :)

What about you .. Do you put new books into your classroom library?  How do you get great books, literature, and information into the hands of your readers?

Wordless Wednesday

Today is the last day of our Spring Break. wahhh! :(  Thursday and Friday were taken back due to the 60+ inches of snow we had in total this winter.  

With today being our last day, it brings Wordless Wednesday from Miss DeCarbo at Sugar and Spice 

Our school recently implemented PBSIS, Positive Behavior Support in Schools.  One of the ways we acknowledge positive behavior is through Character Coupons.

How do you acknowledge good behavior in your classroom?

Be sure to link up too and share some questions from your classroom! :)

Happy Wednesday!

Spring Break!

It's amazing how quickly time flies.

Gets away from us.

Yet, we are often heard saying:

"How many days until break ?!?!?"

"I can't wait until summer break!"

"Is it Friday yet?"

And I get it - I'm right there with you! I'm often the one instigating the complaining!  Nonetheless, I woke up this morning realizing we had made it to the infamous
S P R I N G  B R E A K ! ! ! !

Where did the year go ???  I only have 2 months left with my kiddos! It's been *such* a fun year with them.  I can't believe how much fun we have had together.  And these last 2 months are going to be awesome.  Our IFL unit is on Oceans and Ocean Life.  Guess we know what I'll be up to over break . . . ;)

So, for the past few weeks, a lot has happened -

My sister was accepted into Rutgers' University Graduate School of Education! :)  So, she will have her undergraduate degree in Mathematics, then she'll continue straight for her Masters in Education. I'm so proud of her.  She has definitely come a long way, changing her major a few times.  I told her she can teach the Math and I'll teach the ELA/LAL. #twopeasinapod

                       

 Our district has us using PD360.  Our state is requiring us to do 20 hours of professional development a year, so our district helped us out with this program.  Any thoughts on it?  I've been using it here and there.  I enjoy the videos and the thoughts/ideas that are presented, whether is information from the actual videos or the classrooms in which the videos are filmed.  I just wish there were more videos on workshop models and those sorts of things that are taking over our classrooms - whole brain teaching, Daily 5, yah know. :)

I completed my first half marathon last week!  woo hoo !

Hadn't really trained for it.  Yes, I ran here and there, but nothing serious that would've really prepared me for running a continuous 13.1 miles for what felt like 5 hours. ;)

When my friend and I left on Saturday to pick up our packets, I said we would drop down to the 8k.  But then, we walked into the expo center and ... I saw my running bib.  Saw all the other people around.  Looked at where I was a year ago - standing around waiting to corral for our 8k.  And I realized, I needed to do this.  All of my stress, anxiety, grad school work, school work, cleaning - was never going to go away.  It will ALWAYS be there.  But the chance to do this for myself, doesn't come very often. .... plus, we had paid for this. -_-

Anyways, my friend came to pick me up Sunday morning for the race.  I got in the car and said, "We're doing the half.  Don't ask questions."

Off we went.

Then there I am a few hours later ... :)

 I think we had a visitor in our classroom ..... :(  How rude! Totally killed our aloe plant. </3

Oh, yes! And we won the Pennies for Patients contest!  Granted, this was a few weeks ago, if you keep up with me via Instagram. :)  Seriously, my class - I couldn't be prouder.  They are truly some of the funnest, loyalest kids a teacher could ask for.  After starting the first week of collections in fourth place, they came through and three weeks later we BEAT our class goal of $300.  We earned bragging rights, again for the year - after winning the Drug Awareness Week door contest back in October - and we also won a pizza party!! :D  One of my poor girls. :( She started crying because she can't have pizza.  </3 Of course, we will figure something out for her while we still wait for those pizza gift cards to come. Hmm...

 And last but most certainly not least ...

 NEW WHITEBOARDS!

I was fortunate enough to have 4 new whiteboards installed in my classroom.  The chalkboards are now all covered and the crummy old whiteboards that I once had were replaced with these beauties.. I couldn't wait to use all of these magnets because for whatever reason I'm obsessed with magnets!!  :D

I know - they look a little empty.  This was when I first got them and just threw some charts on the board as well as the calendar and our schedule/morning meeting stuff.  I had everything strewn about my green kidney table that it drove me bonkers and I just needed things OFF the table and my magnets needed to be utilized. :)

For now, I'm a happy little teacher on spring break for a few days.  Though spring breaks means grading, lesson planning for the rest of the year, andddd lifeguarding... 

Currently .. April !!

I knew it was coming.  I just can't believe how soon it came!  A P R I L  ! ! ! woo hoo!  13 school days until Spring Break.  Unit 4 Benchmark assessments are next Mondays.  And Unit 5 - IFL begins at the end of the month.  And the infamous NJ ASK is approaching.  boo!

As usual, it's that time of the month to link up with Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade.  Be sure to read mine first, *wink wink*, then go link up yourself!

Here goes ...

Listening: So I'm at Panera.  It's Tuesday and I don't have personal training tonight, so as much as I should be running or working out on my own, I came to Panera to get my work done.  I have too much work to do - grading papers, e-mails, paper work to be filled out, questions to type up, and oh yea, an outline to write for a literature review for my graduate class.  #indenial

Loving: How many days until spring break ?????

Thinking: I looked up at the calendar today and I can't believe how quickly the year went!  It's already April.  There isn't too much extra research I need to do in prepping my lessons because we are about to move into an IFL unit.  You can check out IFL here - Institute for Learning.  To be honest, I have never done an IFL unit.  But all of the other grades in our building have.  Third grade doesn't do an IFL unit until Unit 5, so from what I've heard .. IFL is very scripted.  The only thing I'll need to do is supplement materials.  I'm looking forward to it - our unit is on ocean life! :)

Wanting:  Well, I did get up to use the restroom.  However, the paperwork is all still there.  I was in the middle of typing my book long e-mail response to my VP when I was timed out of the server.  Guess I was taking too long.

Needing:  #selfexplanatory #indenial

Hours and Last Day:  So, I typically get to school around 7:30 am.  On Mondays, I leave around 3:30pm to get to my graduate class for 4:30 pm.  On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, I do an after-school program at another school, so I leave my classroom around 2:50 while my co-teacher dismisses my students.  On Fridays, that's usually my day to stay late in my room and clean up from the week, make copies, charts, search for materials, yah know..

As for our students, they're in school from 8:20-3:00.