My Classroom Door Wreath & a Science Tools Lesson!

 Hi everyone....hope you all had a happy Tuesday! I know for some of you it was your first day back with students and I'm sure you are P...O...O...P...E...D! I know I always am on the first day....oh, who am I kidding? I am exhausted every day for the first week and sometimes longer! Anywho, I hope you all had a great day...:) I decided to tell you about a lesson we did in class today and it reminded me that I never showed you pictures of my door wreath. I use this same wreath every year and just change out the ribbon and decor to match my theme. Well, since I am teaching science this year, I decided to use various science tools on the wreath. It's nothing fancy, but it serves the purpose! It has a couple different size test tubes, a magnifying glass, a compass,tweezers, goggles, and a welcome bunting I made. The sign on the door is the sign I made for my biology class last year. It is from Vista Print. I couldn't bear to throw it away so I used white-out to cover biology and replaced it with science. It isn't perfect, but it will do. 

On to the lesson. I decided to have the students do an activity similar to Scoot for this lesson. As you can see in the pictures below, I numbered and labeled each item. I then placed them on 14 desks around the room and had the kids roaming around the room to write down the name of each item and also what they thing it is used for in science. Tomorrow they will find out what the items are really used for and write that information in on the form they made today. The students really enjoyed this activity and had fun examining each item...:)

Well, that's it for now! I have a few ideas for upcoming posts, so until then, have a fantastic week!

Be Blessed!

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3-Day Weekend, Monday Made It, September Currently!

Let me just begin by saying, I have thoroughly enjoyed this 3-day weekend! After being in school for two weeks, it was much needed to do some "catching up" on everything....house cleaning, laundry, blog stalking, resting, grocery shopping, lesson planning, and the list goes on! But now, on to the fun stuff!

For this week's Monday Made It, I finally finished my No Names plaque. I started it a month ago and it just kept getting pushed to the side since I didn't really need it as much as other things I was trying to finish up! I found the large clothespins at Michael's over the summer. At the time I didn't know what I was going to do with them, but I just had to have them! They were too cute to pass up....you know the feeling, right? They were all pink, but I spray painted two of them. They are  attached to a wooden plaque that I already had. I mod-podged turquoise blue scrapbook paper on it and attached the clothespins with a little Gorilla Glue. I wrote No Names with Elmer's glue and sprinkled white glitter on and added some rhinestones to bling it up a little!  I like the way it turned out! Be sure to head on over and visit Tara at 4th Grade Frolics to see what everyone is making! I'm glad it's down to once a month now....maybe I can keep up with that now that school in session!

Another thing I am sharing is the birthday postcards that I designed on Vista Print for my students. I used these last year at the high school and I had lots of them left so I am using them for my 5th graders too! On one of their get to know you papers, I ask them to tell me their favorite candy and that's what I give them for their birthday. My high schoolers loved it and couldn't wait for their turn! They were always excited to see what candy they had written down at the beginning of the year too! My 5th graders are just as excited....we've already celebrated three birthdays and are just starting our third week of school tomorrow!

 Speaking of birthdays, I finally got around to writing all their birthdays down on my giant cupcakes (see pic below....before I added names) and discovered that not only do I have a student with a Halloween birthday, but I have students with a Christmas and a New Year's birthday  as well...:) Too cool!

And last but certainly not least, I'm linking up with Farley over at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade for September Currently! I just puffy heart love Currently and reading what everyone is doing!

Be Blessed....and enjoy your Labor Day! Best of luck to those of you just heading back to school tomorrow! I hope you have a fantabulous week!

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Monday Made It, Really Want It, & Gotta Win It!

My Monday Made It for today isn't too exciting, but I like how they turned out, so I'm sharing! I found the ideas while searching for something on google. They are posters for my classroom. Since I have 3 blocks, I just made them and am going to hang them after they're finished. We talked about non-fiction text features last week, so I made this poster to keep up in the room as a reminder. I still have to make copies of the various features to glue on the poster. The other poster is titled....What is a Scientist? A scientist is someone who.......I will have the kids brainstorm about scientists during each block and add the words they come up with and then it will hang in my room. That's all I have for this week....I can't wait to see what you made! Be sure to hop on over and link up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics and share what you made!

OK....so I had to go get some blood drawn after work today and my nephew had a dentist appointment so I just rode with him and my sister. I was absolutely awed by the beautiful salt water aquarium in his dentist's office. It was the most beautiful one I have ever seen! The colors of the fish and the corals and they way they sway gently back and forth in the water.....so soothing! I could watch it for hours! If they weren't so costly to build and maintain, I would have to have one! Maybe when I retire one day....:) Here are a couple of pictures I took!

And now.....drum roll, please! I am thrilled to announce my blog buddy Crystal over at Ms. Jones' Junction is hosting a fabulous giveaway for reaching over 100 followers! I really want to win so I can be the proud owner of a second laminator! I contributed to the giveaway too, so hop....or should I say mosey on over there and enter to win! You have several opportunities to get your name in the drawing! 

Good Luck & Be Blessed!

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Just Another Sunday In the South....:)

Did you hear that? That was the sound of me sighing! I can't believe this weekend is almost over! It has been a busy one! After school Friday night was my Kota's opening football season jamboree! Lots of fun....and we won 61-0! (I was rooting for the other team the last half of the game....I hate to see anyone lose with no score on the board) Anywho, it was a loooooong day since I was in town from 7 AM until about 10:30 PM! We live in the country so we usually don't drive all the way home if we have anything going on in the evenings. We usually go to my mother-in-law's house for dinner and hang out there until time for the game or whatever is keeping us in town. Here's a couple of pictures from the game. 

My son is # 50...:) I love this one of him between his two best friends as well as another one of his lifelong friends. Sweet....it makes me smile! The other one is him listening to his coach praise them for a job well done after the game. This is one of my favorites things about his games. No....not the praise, but listening to the whole team recite the Lord's Prayer together after the game (win or lose) and then celebrate with their own little chant! They are an amazing group of teens......I'm going to miss this next year! Insert tears & sniffles here.....

I didn't even get to sleep in Saturday morning because I had a training to attend. No, it wasn't mandatory, I wanted to go. It was with Renaissance Learning on the new Accelerated Reader and STAR programs. It was an excellent training and very informative. I'm glad I went....the trainer, LaDonna Hauser from North Carolina, was awesome! After the training, I came home and cleaned house! Fun!!!......NOT!!! But....it had to be done!

Fast forward to Sunday morning....I went to Sunday School and got a huge blessing from one of the sweetest ladies in my life! Oh, how I love my SS teacher...:) A quick trip to the grocery store after and then home to fix a quick lunch (chocolate chip pancakes...a request from my Kota), catch up on some laundry, and that leads me here! I am SUPPOSED to be writing lesson plans, but my blog was calling my name! So, I am updating since I haven't been on much recently and trying to catch up reading all my favorite blogs before I start lesson planning! I'm such a procrastinator! I'm also wondering if  Isaac is going to shut us down Tuesday....we're waiting to see! 

Anyway, I hope each of you enjoy what's left of your Sunday and.....

Be Blessed!

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Before & After!

I was so happy to get somewhat caught up today after school! There has been something going on literally every day this week, from a training to meeting with the other 5th grade teachers to try to work out scheduling issues, yada, yada, yada! I know I'm preaching to the choir though because you know exactly what I'm talking about! Anyway, I took a couple before and after pictures to share. Funny how quickly things start changing when the kiddos arrive isn't it? Here's the area I do most of my teaching from. You can see that it looks a little different that it did pre-kiddos! You can see my Home Depot nail apron pocket chart hanging on the right side of the board. I have clinic passes in it now and will find other things to store there as the year goes on. I don't know about you, but I have to move things around and tweak everything until I feel like it's working for me. I like everything to look good, but I also like things to flow smoothly and be student friendly and not too perfect! 

Before-Kiddos

After-Kiddos

Here's another before and after shot. Again, I have moved things around a little and am still in the process of tweaking this area. I did want to point out the Scientific Method on the cabinet doors in the after picture. These were courtesy of  Kristen over at Ladybug's Teacher Files. Aren't they adorable....and they're free if you want to snag them too! I just love them...:) Thanks Kristen....you're a sweetie! We've been learning about the scientific method this week and will be using it all year long! I finally got a chance to put it up after school today! I made little arrows to put beside each step, pointing to the next step, and also little conversation bubbles at the end. What do you think?

Before

After

 This isn't all I have been teaching of course! 

We have been learning how to use our interactive science notebooks and today we started learning about nonfiction text features! 

Having a great week so far.....hope you are too! So....what have you been teaching this week?

Be Blessed!

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So....I'm Back, and I Have a Winner!!!

Hello all my bloggy friends! Let me start by saying I am so sorry I have been MIA for over a week, but life has been C...R...A...Z...Y lately! 

Last week was my first week back to work and as you know (if you follow me) I am at a new school this year and in a new grade level! I had a great first week, but it was BUSY! On top of being super busy, I didn't have a computer for about a week! On top of that, my printer at school wasn't installed on my new laptop and I couldn't get mine at home to install on it either so I have been having to use the guidance computer to print off things I needed for this week. I am still having trouble with printers but hopefully that problem will be fixed soon! I didn't even have time over the weekend to blog since I had to take my son school clothes shopping Saturday and my daughter came home for a visit Sunday. I also had to get last minute things done Sunday evening for Monday! Anywho, sorry to bore you, but that's been my life lately!

 Hopefully I'm back in action!!! 

So...I also have a winner! I didn't forget, I just haven't had a chance since I got a laptop back to post it! The lucky winner is.....Joni from Kinder Kids Fun! Congratulations Joni....I sent you an e-mail!
 I look forward to hearing from you.....:)

Ok....so, yesterday was my first day with my 5th graders and it was an awesome day! The kiddos were really sweet and we had a super duper first day! Today was day 2 and overall, today was good. A few of them came out of their shells today and were a little too chatty, but overall it was a great day! Today we practiced thinking like scientists by doing a fun activity I found over the summer on ProTeacher called Save Fred. Some of you may have heard of it or done this before. It was super fun and the kiddos loved it! Here is a link to check it out. You can google it to find different versions of the directions and flow chart that go along with the activity. Here's a picture of the first Fred to be rescued in my classroom today! I wish I could show you some of the kiddos trying to rescue Fred but I haven't gotten permission to put their pictures on my blog yet. I need to do that soon!

Before I go, wanted  to share one more picture. This is my favorite bulletin board in my classroom. It is my We Do poster I created on Vista Print. I printed my kiddos names in Word Art using just an outline and had them decorate them and cut them out to display around the poster. Isn't it adorable. I used the font Grobold that Tara from 4th Grade Frolics used for her student name activity. I have done these in the past, but not with this font. I love it!

Well, it's good to be back! I have so much catching up to do...:) Are you back in school or still on summer break? Leave me a comment and let me know! Thanks for dropping by!

Be blessed....:)

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Monday Made It & a Graduation!

Wow....I'm feeling so out of the loop lately! I was out of town all weekend and I have been without a computer for a few days so I am feeling like I have lost my lifeline! I borrowed my dad's laptop to post a quick Monday Made It. Be sure to l,ink up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics and share what you made! Mine was pretty simple this week....I just finished a bunting I had started a couple of weeks ago. The triangles are cloth and the letters were made on MS Word and then laminated. I think it turned out super cute!

I had a glorious weekend celebrating the graduation of my daughter Miranda from Florida State University! We had a really fun party with her closest friends and family....I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend celebrating with her in Tallahassee. 

Today was my first day back at work....the students come back next Monday! I am so not ready, but I will be....one way or another! Hopefully I can get my laptop back tomorrow and get caught up posting....I have lots to share...:) Until then......

Be Blessed!

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