Adventures in Math - Tales of a 3rd Grade Teacher

Back to School 2015 - The Classroom Tour

2015-08-23T17:00:00.000-05:00

This year, our 3rd Grade theme is "Originality." We want to encourage our students to discover, create, and collaborate throughout the year, valuing what makes each student unique. So to celebrate my originality and uniqueness, I wanted to share the beginnings of my classroom for the year (as always, still in progress).

For bulletin boards, we created a word cloud describing originality along with some quotes from some other original thinkers. Outside my classroom is where we will share all of our original work.

For my door, I hung a poster to show my love of all things Doctor Who - something that makes me unique (at least where I live).

Now in the classroom, I went with a black, blue, and teal scheme that I think really works. Here is my small group area that will double as my STEM station/mini-Makerspace:

The Reading Corner with my comfy pillows and milk-crate benches that I made last year:

My little corner of the room. I had to take a picture of my new pen cup. I went a little crazy buying multicolored pens. Maybe I'll share with the kids! :)

Here's my best NAEIR find - one of my laminators that I bought for $14. Put that baby to good use!

My laminator thinks it's a Dalek

Finally, ready for Meet the Teacher! Welcome packs (Open House Flipbook by Ashley Reed) on desks and sign-in sheets ready for my awesome new 3rd graders:

Class starts Monday, and we have so many adventures to share! It's going to be a FANTASTIC year! Hope you'll join us along the way!

Saving Some Cents on Supplies

2015-07-29T02:20:00.000-05:00

Must have coffee when shopping!

Hi, my name is Amanda, and I am addicted to Sharpies... and composition books... and Post Its. I get giddy around Mr. Sketch scented markers. You want to really make me happy, find me a bunch of pre-sharpened pencils!

My addiction to school supplies is currently being enabled by Target and Starbucks coffee, and I don't think I want to be completely cured. However, my husband would prefer that I did not spend ALL of my paycheck supporting my little habit, so I've had to find ways to stretch those pennies as far as I can. So here are a few teacher tips to help you get through Back to School season, and still have some money left for Christmas shopping.

Tip #1: Just Ask
Last year when I was making my Milk Crate Benches, and I needed crates (the good kind, not the $3 kind) I went to the grocery store and asked the manager. I got 6 milk crates for free! They were a little dirty and I had to paint them, but it was totally worth it! Don't forget to start of with, "Hi! I'm a teacher..." and bring your ID just in case they ask. This can also work at home improvement stores.

Tip #2: ALWAYS see if there is a Teacher Discount
Now if you can't get it for free, don't pay full price either! Most stores nowadays have some form of teacher discount (or at least teacher appreciation days.) Check out their website or ask at customer service. And don't forget your ID - Some places are stricter than others about the ID thing, and you don't want to pay more if you don't have to.

Here's a pretty comprehensive list of Teacher Discounts, but always ask to be sure.

Tip #3: Use Cartwheel at Target
Target, I just can't stay away from you! But when I go, I Cartwheel! It's an app that has extra discounts you can use at checkout right from your phone. If you coupon too, these can be used in conjunction with your other coupons which can really help you save money. I got 12-packs of Mr. Sketch markers for about $4 after coupons and Cartwheel combined.

Tip #4: Join Facebook Groups
Sometimes it's hard to find the great deals on your own. But with Facebook (and Pinterest too) you have a whole world of teachers looking out for each other. My favorite group is the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE. It's a Closed Group, so it won't post on your regular feed. It's a great place for advice and encouragement, as well as learning about good deals.
I also encourage you to find a local buy/sell/trade group - great for finding books for your classroom cheap or even free.

Tip #5: Sign up for a FREE Teacher Account at NAEIR.org
What is NAEIR you may ask? It's this amazing site I found through my previously mentioned awesome Facebook group!
NAEIR is an organization that takes donations of excess inventory from businesses and allows you, as part of a non-profit organization, to get it for FREE! Ok, not quite free, you do have to pay a handling charge, but it is minuscule in comparison to what you would have to pay retail. For example, the school supply junkie in me loved getting 16 pads of Post It notes for $1 and 25 Sharpies for $2. I even ordered TWO personal laminators and hundreds of pouches for $28 (the laminators themselves sell for at least $50 each)! This is not used stuff - it's brand new merchandise, just what businesses had left in the warehouse.

Well, I have a couple more weeks before I start setting up my room and getting ready for my 3rd Graders! Going to enjoy my last few days of sleeping past 6 AM and getting to enjoy my coffee while I watch the Today Show.

Have a FANTASTIC Day!

Mrs. T's Top Techy Teacher Tools

2015-06-22T23:16:00.003-05:00

It's summer, so you know what that means - PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT!!! (Don't all cheer at once...)

Now I'll admit, some of the PD I'm required to complete ~~is torture~~ isn't the most stimulating, but most of the time I can get some pretty awesome ideas from some pretty amazing presenters and fellow teachers. I also had the added excitement of Tropical Storm Bill (OH NO Mr. BILL!) thwarting my schedule into a bit of disarray as classes got rescheduled and TCEA Tots & Technology got cut a bit short.

So, without further ado, here are my top tech tips and tools that I picked up over the last two weeks of PD.

iMovie Trailers
I've had the iMovie app on my devices for at least a year, but never really knew how to use them. I finally found out how easy it is to make trailers. Seriously, I was able to make one on my iPad in about 10 minutes once I opened the app up and found all of the built-in trailer templates! I can't wait for my kids to use this to create summaries of the books they read this year. Learning in Hand also has some great planning templates for the students to use. I also found a site with some great Book Trailer examples here.

Just for funsies, here's the trailer I made in class just using iMovie and the pics already on my iPad.

Google Docs + Autocrat = Instant Certificate Generator
At TCEA Tots & Tech, I went to this AWESOME session by Amy Mayer (@friEdTechnology) where she taught us how to use Google Docs (Forms, Sheets, and Docs) and an add-on called Autocrat to create an easy form that will generate a certificate and/or email for all of those certificates we have to do at the end of the year (think the old mail-merge we used to use) You can create a generic template for a certificate, end the form to your teachers, they fill it out and, VOILA!, they receive an email with the completed certificate ready to print. Click for a link to her presentation.

Nearpod
I'd heard of Nearpod, but never really got the chance to see it in action until last week. Boy have I been missing out! If you have iPads or Chromebooks in your classroom, or access to a computer lab, you need to use this. You create a presentation (or download one from Nearpod), the kids open up the app and type in a code and YOU are now in control of what they see on the screen. The presentations also include polls, quizzes, and other interactive activities that you can use to check for understanding and for formative assessment. It is free, but if you end up using it alot, you can upgrade for more storage. There are school and district subscriptions available too.

Edmodo and Gamification
Another program I just never had the time to really learn to use until now is Edmodo. If you don't already know, it is basically a closed social network for the classroom. I can make groups, assign activities, create quizzes, or even just ask questions for feedback. Students can even upload and turn in assignments. Pretty easy to use once you get in and play with it for a while.

My plan is to use Edmodo's badge system to "Gamify" my classroom. Gamifying basically means to apply the framework of a video game to the classroom setting. I haven't worked everything out yet, but I'll have the students earn XP (experience points) for various tasks and they will move up levels based on their XP. The higher the level, the more XP they will have to earn to move up and earn badges. If you've played any game like CandyCrush you can understand the concept.
Here is an excellent infographic that explains the concept of Gamification.

Code.org
Last year, I did have my students participate in Hour of Code, and they LOVED it. I want to expand this year and have students use some of their math/computer time to actually learn coding. Code.org has some excellent programs to teach kids how to learn basic coding concepts and practice critical thinking skills. At TCEA, Karen North (her site is www.build-a-brain.com) took us through some fun introductory coding activities. What's great is that they don't all have to be on a computer-unplugged activities! We had a great time making Binary Bracelets to learn that ones and zeros can represent letters in a computer. My bracelet, of course, is binary for the letter T!

The Techy Makeup Bag

Picture via Twitter by @daisyray215

Twitter and Pinterest count as professional development, right? I saw this on my Twitter feed today from @mrhooker and shared by @daisyray215 and knew I just had to share too! I'm always misplacing my cords, chargers, headphones, Lightning to VGA adapters, etc. Never thought to use one of those folding makeup bags!

I really did have a great time at some of my PD classes (at least the ones I got to pick!). So go out there and learn (and yes, I do think Twitter and Pinterest should count!). I can't wait to start using some of my new knowledge with my new crop of 3rd graders!

For more Tech Teacher Tips, follow my Pinterest Board.

Follow Amanda's board Tech Teacher Tools on Pinterest.

Have a FANTASTIC day!

A Year to Remember

2015-06-09T19:06:00.001-05:00

What an Adventure...

I started my blog planning on doing a post at least every other week. Well, between actually teaching, STAAR testing, RTI paperwork, and just trying to have a semblance of a life, that just didn't quite happen! :)

So instead, here's a short video I put together with some highlights from my first year back in public education. I really am going to miss these kids!

And now, I solemnly promise to do my best to post more often in year two! I'll be self-contained next year, so I have even more adventures planned for my new batch of sweeties!

Have a FANTASTIC summer!

Because I'm Appy! - My Favorite Teaching Apps

2015-01-28T22:59:00.001-06:00

With everything we teachers have to do nowadays, it's nice to have something that makes you're life a little easier. Here are some of my favorite apps and websites that I'm using this year:

Kahoot! (Website - compatible for use on most devices)

Having fun and leaning with Kahoot!

Kahoot! is an awesome way to engage my kids. I create multiple choice quizzes on the website and then my students use their iPads to answer the questions as they come up on the screen. The students earn points as they answer the questions - the faster they answer, the more points they get. I usually give a little prize to the winners. I can also download the data from each session to use as an assessment.

GoNoodle Brain Breaks (Website)

This is one of my kids' favorites! I use GoNoodle to give my students a brain break between lessons. There's lots of choices from yoga to Zumba to track and field. I also love to use the Indoor Recess mixes on those cold, rainy days that we've been having. It also becomes a game because as you earn minutes, your class avatar changes and becomes stronger. This one is a keeper!

ZipGrade (App, website for downloading answer sheets)

I can't say enough about how much this app has changed my life as a teacher! ZipGrade is an app that allows you to grade multiple choice quizzes by taking a picture with your iOS or Android device. You scan the key then scan the answer sheets. It's so easy! It also gives you automatic Item Analysis as well as the option of downloading the data to your Google Drive or Dropbox. I use this for nearly all of my tests as well as for exit tickets or quick quizzes. There's a free version for the first 100 scans, but the full version is only $9.99 in App Store. Believe me, it is totally worth it!

Google Apps - (Web and Apps)

I've been addicted to Google for years, and now that Docs, Sheets, and Slides are available as Apps, I've gotten even more use out of them. My campus hasn't quite gotten all Googly yet (I'm working on it!), but I still love using Google Drive to share documents with my coworkers and parents on my website. I create exit tickets and classroom sign-ups with Google Forms. It really just makes my life a little easier and more paperless.

Reflex Math (Website and iPad app)

One of my goals this year is for my students to become fluent with their math facts, especially those multiplication facts! Reflex Math helps me to do that while my kids have fun at the same time. They beg to practice their facts and are really showing growth with the games and fast action quizzing. I'm able to track my students' growth with my teacher account and see which facts we need to focus on.

There is so much more I could share, but I need to go prepare for our Science Fair experiment. We're doing a little something with forces and motion...can't wait to show you next time!

Have a FANTASTIC day!

We Wish You a Mathy Christmas (New Year's Edition!)

2015-01-04T23:04:00.000-06:00

Technically it's still Christmas since my tree is still up, but since I finally get to return to work tomorrow, I thought it was time to update the blog. I wanted to share what my kids were up to before we left for break so we can get ready to rock 'n roll into the new year.

We spent the majority of our time working on multiplication concepts and practicing different strategies for recognizing solving multiplication problems. Then the students practiced by creating their own story problems and representations.

Multiplication Strategies Anchor Chart

We also learned about multiplication and division fact families by creating some lovely mistletoe (saw this on Pinterest of course!) I randomly assigned multiplication facts, and the students created the fact family on the leaves. The berries in the middle show the numbers in the family.

The students really enjoyed playing Multiplication War to help with their math facts. I know this game is going to be a regular part of my Math Workshop rotation!

We also spent one day participating in the Hour if Code. This program is used to expose students to computer coding in a fun way. The students spent time in the computer lab solving coding puzzles based on Angry Birds or Frozen. It was amazing seeing the students completely engaged and helping each other. Many of the kids continued to work on the iPads during workstations and found an activity where they could program their own version of Flappy Bird. Here's some pics from that day:

One of the things I really love to do with my students around the holidays is origami. We made these fun origami picture frames and used them to decorate our class tree. I used the pattern and directions from the book Origami Math by Karen Baicker.

Although I'm not looking forward to my alarm going off early tomorrow morning, I am excited to get back! We'll be making some goals for the year, working more on fact fluency and problem solving, and begin division concepts. It will be an adventure!

Even Santa showed up in my class! :)

Have a FANTASTIC year!

Getting a Grip on Graphing

2014-11-20T21:14:00.000-06:00

It's the week before Thanksgiving, and we've been thankful for the cooler weather, especially during recess!

Last week we learned about representing data using dot plots by surveying the number of people in our families, creating a frequency chart, and then graphing on the number line. We used a bingo blotter to create the dots (the kids LOVED that part!). The students then practiced with a partner by rolling dice 20 times, collecting the data and creating their own dot plots. (Find the activity from Math Adventures on TpT here.)

Our completed dot plot

Rolling the dice to create dot plots

We're also wrapping up our weather unit and practicing our graphing skills at the same time. The students have been collecting weather data on a selected city for three weeks using accuweather.com.
As a class, we created a pictograph, bar graph, and dot plot for our hometown data:

Then the students created graphs for the cities they researched. Here are some of our examples:

We used our data to make conclusions about how geography affects weather and looked for trends over time. The students have worked hard and learned a lot during this unit, and are ready to continue our adventures after Thanksgiving break.

I am so thankful for my sweet and fabulous students! Can't wait to see what other amazing things they do this year.

Have a FANTASTIC day!

Weathering Addition and Subtraction

2014-11-05T12:19:00.001-06:00

What to do on a rainy Wednesday - write a new blog post of course!

A new quarter is upon us, and we are beginning our unit on Weather, starting with a review of the Water Cycle. We worked together to make an awesome anchor chart to remember our vocabulary, then kept it going with the "Water Cycle Boogie" (see video below, you won't be able to stop singing!).

With Halloween last week, we spent our workstation time practicing our addition, subtraction and place value strategies with some Halloween Math Centers (from TpT). The students enjoyed collaborating with each other to solve word problems using strip diagrams, classifying numbers by place value, and practicing addition and subtraction algorithms and mental math strategies. Here are some of our third graders working and learning together:

We ended the week by reviewing modeling part-part-whole word problems using strip diagrams:

The students then used those strategies to create comic strips illustrating an addition or subtraction problem.

The students had a great time sharing their stories, and are becoming fantastic problem solvers!

Have a FANTASTIC day!

Time Flies in Third Grade!: Our First Nine Weeks

2014-10-20T22:45:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe that we have already made it through our first nine weeks of third grade!
We've accomplished so much, but I'm also looking forward to more adventures to come.

Here's a look at what we've been up to the last few weeks:

First, we finished up our experiment on the effects of the sun's energy called "Sun Prints." We each cut out two handprints using construction paper, then hung one inside away from direct sunlight, and the other handprint in the window where it would receive direct sunlight.

Two weeks later, we took down both handprints, then compared and analyzed the changes that occurred. Here are some of our results:

While we were busy reviewing our solar system research, the students created models of the solar system to present in class. Here are a few of their "out of this world" creations.

In math class, we've started off our mornings doing our Daily Math Practice to keep all of our skills sharp. The students are starting to become great problem solvers and are working on explaining our answers to the class. We are also learning A LOT from our mistakes!

We finished up our numeracy unit by reviewing rounding strategies, working on place value workstations, and playing an awesome Kahoot! review game before our test (Click here to give it a try and see how much you know!)

Rounding Anchor Chart

Place Value & Numeracy Kahoot!

In our second nine-weeks we will be continuing addition and subtraction strategies, and then get to work on multiplication! In science, we'll be studying weather and the water cycle. With both subjects, we'll continue to work on becoming better problem solvers on our adventures together.

Have a FANTASTIC day!

Finding Our Groove in 3rd Grade

2014-09-28T20:09:00.000-05:00

Well, we find ourselves about five weeks in to the year. Our third graders (and their teacher) are starting to find our groove. We're getting the morning routine down - lunch count, fill out agenda, begin math warm up, and remind Mrs. Thompson to send the lunch count to the cafeteria. We're starting to really dig in to our numeration unit, did some measurement with our science tools, and are having a great time learning about the solar system.

Here are some of the highlights from the last few weeks:

We headed to the lab to practice using our measurement skills and science tools. The students really enjoyed being real scientists and putting their problem solving skills to work.

The students are really getting into our Math Workshop rotations. Here are some of my companions thinking thorough place value in the Hands On workstation. They are doing an activity called Build A Number. Students roll a 3- or 4-digit number with dice, then build the number using place value blocks. Some of the students have moved on to comparing 3-, 4-, and even 5-digit numbers with Build a Number and Compare.

We're continuing our adventures through time and space learning about the planets in our solar system. Last week we studied the characteristics of the Sun and created artwork with coffee filters and markers, and a spray bottle of water (our hands were orange for the rest of the day!).

We've moved on to the terrestrial planets, creating a flipbook to keep track of our research for our Interactive Notebooks- found this one on TpT that has worked really well.

We'll be spending the next week reviewing our numeration skills for our first big test, and begin planning for our solar system projects. Can't wait to see what my students come up with!

Have a FANTASTIC day!

First Week Adventures

2014-09-10T16:08:00.004-05:00

Even after 15 years of teaching, the first week of school is still the most exciting and the most exhausting time of the year. I meet these new, sweet faces with their brand new supplies. The cubbies are ready, the books are counted, and off we go!

We started off with a graphing activity looking at how the students would be getting home. We made a frequency chart then graphed our results together both as a pictograph (using SoftSchools.com) and as a bar graph which became anchor charts in my classroom:

In our next lesson, the students surveyed their classmates about their favorite things (pets, music, books, food, etc.). They had to make a frequency chart, graph it, and create three questions for other students to answer about the graph. I modeled questioning with our class's graph using sentence stems as a guide. I think they turned out well, and I got to break in my Pinterest-worthy bulletin board!

For our first Fun Friday, we brought out the iPads to do some Kahoot! quizzes and practice our digital literacy skills and responsibility. We did a quick quiz on what they've learned about me, then we did some math review on addition, subtraction, and place value. The students really loved this activity and I plan on using it for some future assignments.

Next time, we'll be getting into some science investigations to practice using our science tools, as well as more numeracy activities. I'm still getting to know my kids, but I think I'm going to enjoy my time with them!

Have a FANTASTIC week!

Mission Organization: Putting it all Together

2014-08-31T18:48:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to finally meet my awesome 3rd Graders this past week! Still have a few things I'd like to do with my room now that I've actually had students in it, but I'm happy with how things turned out. Next week, I'll show you what we've all been up to, but for now, I'll just give a little tour of my classroom!

Originally, I was going to decorate my whole door as the TARDIS from Doctor Who, however, the fire code in our district won't allow that, so I used some "3D" letters and a cute cartoon as a start for my door decor:

My favorite part of the room is the Large Group area with my awesome benches (see last week's post). The rug is a great buy I found at IKEA for about $20.00! I'm housing my library in fabric bins inside the benches, so this doubles as my reading center.

I used 3M hooks, a curtain rod, and drapery clips on the back of my bookcase to use as a holder for my chart paper. Below the chalk rail, I attached clothes pins to the wall with mounting tape to hold current anchor charts. The red and blue pocket charts will hold papers, task cards, and other items students will need during workstation time.

I'm back to using Every Day Counts this year, so I found the perfect corner for Calendar Time (think I may add a rug here too!). I also used a Doctor Who theme with the months, weather, and seasons. The corner shelf holds all of the calendar items as well as drawers for pens, pencils, glue, and paper. This will also eventually house my Maker Space where I'll have Legos and other items for the students to use to create during workstations. Oh, and of course, every room must have a TARDIS on the bookshelf, just for a little more awesomeness!

I'm actually still working on my final desk arrangement, but this is pretty close! Once the plastic storage drawers go on clearance at Target, I'll add them to the middle of each group to hold notebooks and supplies. On the back board you can see my Math Workshop rotation board. I hope to get that started with setting up rotations in the next week or two. I also have my small group table in the back along with all of my Math Tubs and some of the manipulatives I'll be using at hand.

I'm also very lucky to have a great Computer Station setup, along with an iPad cart that I plan on making great use of once we really get going next week. I also love my TARDIS a la Van Gogh poster, and the banner I got from Staples on this wall! It says, "Welcome to 3rd Grade Adventures in Math & Science."

I really do want to try and make each day a little bit of an adventure for my students. We'll work hard, learn a lot, and have a little fun along the way! This is always a work-in-progress, so who knows how this could change throughout the year, but I think we're off to a great start!

Until next time, have a FANTASTIC week!

Mission Organization: Making a Milk-Crate Bench

2014-08-17T21:40:00.001-05:00

Vacations are done, teacher training has begun, and my kiddos come next Monday, so it's time to put my room together (tour coming soon!).

One of my favorite Pinspirations that I've been putting together is the awesome milk crate benches that are going to double as my book nook. It took a little help from my tool-wielding hubby, but we finally put two of them together. Here's how we did it!

How to Make a Milk-Crate Bench

For each bench you will need:

Three milk crates 9"x 9"x 13" (You can ask for them at the grocery store, or buy from Home Depot, the Container Store, or online)
1/4 inch MDF cut to size (You can use other types of wood, but this is light, durable and less expensive)
Three 5/16"x1 1/2" bolts, three 5/16" nuts, and six 5/16" Fender washers
Polyfoam (most craft stores will have this)
Fabric (I wanted Doctor Who fabric, so I found some on Spoonflower.com)
Zip ties (at least 8)
Spray adhesive
Upholstery stapler and 1/4" staples

1) We zip-tied the three milk crates together and then took measurements for our MDF.

2) Test the board to make sure it fits. Then mark where to drill the holes for the bolts. We did one on each end and one in the middle.

3) Drill the holes with a 5/16" bit and then insert the bolt through the holes over Fender washers to distribute weight.

4) Cut the polyfoam to size, leaving about a 1 to 1 1/2 inch border. Glue to the top of the board.

5) Cut fabric to size, gather and staple to the underside of the board.

6) Attach board to crates using another washer and 5/16" nut.

7) Cut the zip-ties and you have a completed milk crate bench!

I added cloth drawers for my classroom books and other storage. They turned out great, and were even tested by one of my colleague's children. They loved them, and I hope my 3rd graders will too!

My Quality Control Experts - Think these benches passed!

Now to get ready for another day of prep and training. Once the whole room's together, I can't wait to show it off!

Have a FANTASTIC week!

Mission Organization Continues

2014-07-23T22:25:00.000-05:00

Hubby has been out-of-town for a week, so I spent several days working on all sorts of things for my classroom. I've been creating and labeling and sorting and Pinning like crazy! My material isn't in for my benches and chairs, so that demonstration will have to wait until next time.

I'm especially excited about my organization for Math Workshop. I made my rotation chart based on having four teams of students and four stations and adapted from printables I purchased from The Clutter Free Classroom. I've decided on a black & white theme with elements of TARDIS blue, so her printables work perfectly! I put my rotation chart on poster board so I can reuse it or move it around if needed. I'll be using four small dry erase boards to list out the team members so that I can change them easily each week.

Math Workshop Rotation Chart

I've also finished numbering my Math Tubs and have been labeling my drawers for supplies. I have discovered my new love for decorative duct tape and washi tape for decorating. I like this particular tape because it looks a lot like Gallifreyan writing (for those that don't speak geek, that's the written language of The Doctor's home planet on Doctor Who).

Math Tubs

Drawer Labels

Then I got REALLY crafty (thank you Pinterest!) and made this sign for my students. I'll find a special place for it in my classroom! I used Google Drawing to make the words and frames, then printed and glued on to cardstock, laminated and attached to each other with ribbon. I used leftover cardstock for the heart on top.

Last thing I did this week was create the bones of my teacher website using Google Sites. I used the Classroom Website template and edited it for my needs. I still have a few details to add and adjust, but I think it's a great start. You can check it out at http://goo.gl/5Gghgp.

I also posted several of these projects and more ideas to My Classroom Pinterest Board - Follow Amanda's board My Classroom on Pinterest.

I'll be starting my actual classroom setup in two weeks, so I can't wait to see how everything comes together!

What do you think is most important to a successful classroom setup? Let me know in the comments - I would REALLY appreciate it! :)

Have a FANTASTIC day!

Climb Every Mountain - Mission Organization: Part 2

2014-07-14T21:26:00.000-05:00

Summer is for Vacation Too!

Just spent several days up in North Carolina dropping my son off at camp and then spending time with the best guy I know - my hubby Nathan up in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville. We try to spend time in places we've never been to before when we can. There's so much new to learn and do!

Me on the Balcony of Biltmore Estate

Selfie Time!

We spent one day at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. It was built in the 1890s by George W. Vanderbilt, whose family made lots of money in the railroad business. The house has over 250 rooms and over 40 bathrooms with indoor plumbing (not a common amenity at the time). It also includes its own bowling alley and an indoor swimming pool! He lived there with his wife and daughter for many years, and the estate is still owned and run by the family. Despite it's immenseness, it still feels like a family home - just a very nice one!

The next day we went hiking in the National Forest and climbed to the top of Mount Pisgah. It's not the tallest mountain in the range, but it was pretty good challenge for me! The climb was beautiful and the view worth it!

View from the Top of Mt. Pisgah

Mission Organization: Part 2

Things are starting to come together for my classroom plan. First things, first - I am OFFICIALLY a public school teacher again! Just signed my contract today and got my badge:

They actually misspelled my name the first time, so I had to go back and get a new badge. ( I didn't want to have to tell my kiddos that the"s" is silent!)

Love this fabric!

I celebrated with a Grande Skinny Iced Caramel Macchiato and then went shopping for my new classroom. I went to Jo-Ann's and picked up foam and batting for my benches. I'm getting my milk crates tomorrow, so I can get started on them. I ordered some mathy Doctor Who and some TARDIS blue fabric from Spoonflower and am starting to work on labeling my math tubs/centers for Math Workshop. During math centers, students will be assigned specific tub numbers to use during their rotation. I'll change the activities in the tubs out depending on the objectives we are working on at the time.

One of my Math Tubs (decorated w/Duct Tape)

Example of Math Workshop Bulletin Board (from Clutter-Free Classroom on TpT)

Still LOTS more to do before training starts in a few weeks! Looking forward to putting everything together and getting ready for a brand new batch of kiddos to have adventures with.

Have a FANTASTIC day!

How to NOT Attend a Conference - #notatiste14

2014-06-28T17:44:00.002-05:00

At last week's TCEA Tots and Technology, I learned so much. One thing I learned is that you don't always have to be at the convention to learn from it and connect with other educators. So this time, I decided to try virtually attending ISTE, which is held in Atlanta, Georgia this year.

Here's Mrs. T's Guide for NOT Attending a Conference

Step 1: Find a conference you want to go to, but for some reason ($$$) can't make it and learn the hashtag on Twitter (#ISTE2014)

Step 2: Search Twitter for others talking about the conference and discover that there are others like you that can't go, but want to learn together. Follow them! If you're lucky, there will be someone that is way ahead of you and has created a Google+ Community - JOIN! (Thanks @jenwagner for setting this up!)

Step 3: Pick up your virtual badge:

Step 4: Find the schedule for the live broadcasts on TeacherCast and watch over breakfast with your cat - Katie is a VERY important part of my PLN (Personal Learning Network).

Learning with @cybraryman1 and @TeacherCast

Step 6: Check the schedule and continue connecting with and following others both at the convention and not at the convention. Favorite and/or Retweet comments that interest you. Presenters often post links to their presentations on Twitter, Google Docs, or Slideshare.

Step 7: Relax and enjoy NOT going to a convention, but still finding great new resources and meeting new people.

Now this is nowhere near a complete list! I'm still a newbie at a lot of this, but at least I'm trying and putting myself out there and will have some great ideas to use in my new classroom.

Have a FANTASTIC day!

Blogging at the Beach - TCEA Tots and Technology

2014-06-18T00:04:00.000-05:00

Summer Learning, Had me a Blast!

The best thing about being a teacher is having summers "off" to do professional development with friends! Luckily, I live an hour from Galveston Island where TCEA put on their Tots and Technology Conference this week. I'm also lucky enough to have a friends that will invite me to share a hotel room with them (Thanks MJ!) so I can go to a conference with a view like this:

We started the conference off with our first use of tech integration: tweeting our selfies to #TCEAtots:

Tweeting selfies with MJ

I might not use Twitter that much with my 3rd graders, but it is an excellent way to keep up with the latest education news and share (within limits) with parents.

The next two days I spent going to some amazing sessions, learning new ways to use technology with my students and in collaboration with other teachers. Rather than list everything, I'll just give you a link to my notes that includes some of the best links: TOTS and TECHNOLOGY 2014

I also posted several to my Pinterest Board - Follow Amanda's board Tech Teacher Tools on Pinterest.

This conference was perfect for my goal to become more prepared and organized for my new classroom this coming school year. I already have several ideas for beginning of school and ways for my kids to effectively use iPads in the classroom. The best part of this conference was that is was very hands-on, so I got to make my own example for the perfect "Get to Know Me" Google Drawing activity:

Get to Know Me w/Google Drawing

Lastly, no conference would be complete without door prizes at the end. Well, I actually won something this time! I walked away with a copy of Goodnight iPad (a parody of Goodnight Moon) and a stylus shaped like a Crayon (I think my nephew would enjoy that!).

My Loot!

Next time, I'll continue to work on my organization and planning and share my progress.

Have a FANTASTIC day!!!

Mission Organization - Part 1: The Binder!

2014-06-13T21:07:00.000-05:00

You would think that after teaching for this long I would have organization down - well, think again! I would never be mistaken for the Queen of Organization, the Princess of Perfection, or even the Court Jester of Consolidation. But I am determined that this time - with a new school, new kids, and a new room - I will have it (mostly) together.

Right now, I have a couple of months before I can fulfill my dream Doctor Who decor scheme, so I'm going to start with something pretty basic, but also quite essential - THE BINDER! With much thanks to Pinterest and TeachersPayTeachers, I actually have a pretty good plan of attack on this one. I also found an awesome Doctor Who theme from Katy LaPlace for it, so we are off to a fabulous start. (Btw: She also has Wizard of Oz and Disney themes if Who is not your thing!)

Here's a picture of the front cover:

I have my planner divided into the following sections:

Calendar (Long Range and Month-at-a-Glance)
Lesson Plans (I do my plans on Planbook.com, but want to keep printouts here)
Standards (TEKS, Common Core)
Student Data (Click here for one example of an info sheet)
Meeting Notes

I will also be making separate binders for Sub Information and Parent Contact/Conferences, all with the same Doctor Who theme.

Here are some pics of my completed binder:

Outside cover

Inside cover

Year-at-a-Glance

Student Information

It really feels great to have at least this first step done! I will also be making another set for Guided Math, but that will have to wait for another blog.

Next week I'm going to a TCEA Tots and Technology Conference, so I'll have lots of ideas to share!
Have a FANTASTIC day!

Taking the Plunge!

2014-06-10T19:43:00.000-05:00

After 14 years of teaching in elementary, middle, and high school, most recently at a local private school, I've decided to plunge back into the public school realm as a 3rd Grade Math & Science teacher. I'm excited to get to teach one of my favorite ages my most favorite subjects, but honestly, a little nervous about keeping up with all the acronyms again - IEPs, RTIs, and of course, the STAAR.

Here I plan to share some of my hopes and plans for my new adventure as a 3rd grade teacher. As I have time (and as we know, teachers have TONS of extra time!) I'll try and share some of the ideas I have, and let you know what works and what doesn't.

Doctor Who?

OK, I have a small confession to make. I am a HUGE geek! I love nearly all things sci-fi and fantasy - Star Wars, Star Trek (in all its iterations), Sherlock. Supernatural, and most of all, Doctor Who! Yes, I am one of those people that wait in line for hours to see panels and get autographs at Comic-Cons. And, yes, I dress up. Here's a picture of me from Comicpalooza this year:

Yep, I'm wearing a TARDIS skirt in a TARDIS!

So, of course, my first plan for this year is to have a Doctor Who theme for my classroom! I want to make my door into a TARDIS (this is a sort of time machine for those of you who have no idea!). I want to do something like this:

TARDIS Door

I also have several quotes from the show I want to use for inspiration (found on etsy.com):

On my list is to find some really neat (hopefully Doctor Who related) fabric to make some benches I found on Pinterest using crates.

Now, I do know teaching is not all about your room theme, but I think it's important for the students to learn about who you are as a person. I want kids to know that it's ok to be different and not be ashamed of who they are and where they come from and the things that make them happy. In my classroom, I want my kids to think that they can be anything and do just about anything - well, we might have to have a few rules :) ! I want them coming into my room wondering, "Where will we go today?"

Thanks for letting me babble on! I'm just very excited right now. I know there will be many ups and downs, but I can't wait to share them.

Have a FANTASTIC day!