Mom Blog: written by a teacher-mom, but not just for moms- a blog for everyone

File Folders

2011-12-27T11:16:00.000-08:00

File Folders, for Games and More

I know, I have a thing for file folders! Maybe it's because I make so many file folder games for my classroom, but nonetheless, a really cute file folder just grabs my attention. As the new year approaches and I am putting away all my Christmas stuff (well, I haven't actually put it away yet, but I have thought about it.... that counts, right?), I have been thinking about ways to get my office, laundry room, and kitchen organized. I am for sure going to be grabbing some decorative file folders. Here are some really cute ones I found on Amazon.com. Now, I just need to get motivated to do the work!

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You can buy fun Printable File Folder Games.

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Easy Christmas Cookies

2011-12-25T05:14:00.000-08:00

Easy Christmas Cookies

If you need an easy Christmas cookie that everyone seems to enjoy, try these. Not only are they easy to make, but they are yummy to the tummy! These are the packaged Oreo cookies that are dipped in white chocolate. Buy the prepackaged cookie icing (royal icing) that comes in a tube. I used red, green, and white icing, but you could choose whatever colors you want. I then took a toothpick and swirled the colors together and added white snowflake sprinkles. Put them on a Christmas platter, and there you have it..... pretty little white chocolate Christmas cookies!

These would also make a great cookie gift to package up for neighbors or as a teacher gift. See my teacher blog for other great ideas for teachers.

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You can buy fun classroom games.

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Best Teacher Blog

2011-12-22T12:11:00.000-08:00

Teacher Blog

Yep, I am looking to create one of the best teacher blogs out there. Okay, that is a hefty goal, but it is achievable. Don't ever underestimate Molly! HA! If you haven't already visited my new teacher blog, please head on over today. It is really coming together. I chose the name Classroom Confections because I love sweet ideas for the classroom... AKA... fun, creative, original, etc. On this blog, I will feature all of my teacher/classroom ideas. I am not going to remove the links on this blog yet, but I probably won't add any new material here. My new teacher blog will include my Teachers Pay Teachers store, as well as lots of free stuff. On the sidebars of the blog you will find pictures to all of my classroom games, so just click on an image and it will take you to more detailed information about the items. I will also be doing a Featured Teacher write-up each week on a favorite blog of mine. These will be blogs that offer fun and creative ideas just as I do. If you are a teacher, please head on over to check it out. Don't forget to subscribe. You don't want to get left out of any of the freebies!

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Christmas Math Center Activities

2011-11-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

Calling all teachers!! It's Christmas time, which means it's time to add some Christmas themed math centers to your classroom activity list. And of course, the busy bee that I am (or maybe more like Santa's elf), I have been working hard to put together some fun Christmas activities that will work perfectly for math centers. Although most of these are math games with a Christmas theme, a few of the activities might be more suitable for individual work. All of these activities can be found in my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking HERE.

Christmas Division with Remainders Printable

Christmas Addition Game

ABC Order Christmas Activity

Christmas Morning Work Activities

Christmas Candy Division Game

Reindeer Remainders Christmas Division Game

Christmas TIME Reading a Calendar Game

Thanks so much for taking the time to check out these fun Christmas themed math center activities.

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Order of Operations Game

2011-10-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

I gotta' (yes, I know that's not spelled correctly) tell you, some fourth graders can barely do basic multiplication and division, so when it comes to throwing another step into the picture, such as order, it can become quite challenging. This week's focus is order of operations, and what better way to make things fun than with an order of operations game!! The theme of this game is 'get in the groove' with order of operations. It has a peace and love theme and is sure to get your kiddos in a happy mood.

This is a sample game that has been laminated and put in a file folder.

To purchase this game or for more info, click HERE.

In this game, students will solve problems using order of operations with adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. This makes a perfect math center activity, as it fits perfectly in a file folder once laminated. There are 32 operation cards, an adorable cover sheet for the front of your file folder game, answer sheets, and directions. Your students are going to get in the groove with order of operations and have a smile on their face while doing it!

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Halloween Multiplication Game

2011-10-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

I love doing themed activities in the classroom, especially holiday activities. This is a fun game I made to review basic multiplication facts, and it has a Halloween theme. I try to make my games so they fit perfectly in a file folder or a pocket folder. This multiplication game does exactly that. You will laminate all pieces: cover sheet, two game boards (one for each side of file folder on inside), directions to staple to the back, and 40 multiplication cards. Once you have it all put together, this file folder math game will work great for a math center activity. You can purchase this game on my TpT website by clicking HERE. Thanks for checking it out!

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Teacher Giveaway

2011-10-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

Calling all teachers!!!.... You have got to check out this giveaway I am participating in. It's a SPOOKtacular giveaway offering you the chance to win some FREE (and totally creative) lessons. Seven teacher bloggers are participating...OH, and those are seven fun and creative minds designing some of the cutest lessons out there (okay, just had to throw that in). Head on over to my blogging buddy's site at Sassy in Second and read all the details.... It's no trick, but it sure will be a treat!!

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Bizzy Bee!

2011-10-19T02:47:00.000-07:00

Wow! Here it is Wednesday, and I am still trying to recover from my weekend. Sometimes I look at all we do with our three kids and wonder how it all gets done. Let me give you the rundown of what I'm talking about:

Friday: 6:00-7:45 PM - attended my school's sock hop dance (took my little guy with me)
Saturday: Mid morning: went shopping for homecoming shoes for my daughter with the baby in tow (we had already shopped several time and hadn't found any), got her hair done early afternoon, got my toes done while he was getting her hair done (That was nice), met for daughter's homecoming pictures at the local winery in late afternoon, earlier in the day my husband had my older son at two baseball games for his travel ball team (missed those games, which stinks), and my husband and I chaperoned the homecoming dance until 11:30 PM (he teaches too, so that was a responsibility).
Sunday: Two more baseball games!

I don't know how this compares to your weekend, but for me, this was a whole lot of stuff! This meant that to start the week, my house wasn't as clean as I would have liked, the laundry wasn't completely done, and basically, lots of around-the-house chores were left undone. Notice how two events were 'teacher' events? We teachers are so dedicated!

Is your life this crazy?

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Teacher Stress

2011-10-12T18:57:00.000-07:00

I hate to think the word stress is in my vocabulary, but sometimes there is simply no avoiding it. Someone asked me today if going back to teaching was a smooth transition. My answer to that was, "well, sort of." I mean I love the school where I teach. The people are wonderful. I couldn't have been more blessed as far as being placed at the school I was placed at. BUT.... and yes, there are some BUTs (or should I say BUTTS)... HA! just kidding. Here is the deal though....

I like to think of it like this... if we teachers were made like those crappy yellow pencils our students use in the classroom, we would break too!! Catch my drift! At what point do teachers get to that breaking point as far as demands outside the classroom... things that are required of us after 4 or those extra duties and responsibilities that are beyond the lesson planning.

I am not going to kid around... these last two weeks have been incredibly draining. Last week on Monday and Tuesday, I had 25 conferences. In order to get all 25 in, I had to stay til after 6 o'clock both nights. Plus, it is the end of the grading period, so there is always stuff to take care of in order to get that finished up. This week I have report cards going out, goals due where you have to calculate all kinds of data, an IEP meeting, chapters in a book to be read and ready for discussion at a meeting, and a sock hop dance on a Friday night from 6-8, which we are required to go to. Basically, that is staying at work until close to 7 o'clock for 3 of 9 school days. Throw in the 25-30 emails you get, along everything else that is not 'teaching' and it's no wonder we are like those #2 pencils.

Why is this stressful? um.... that would be because I have an 18 month old baby that would like to see his Mommy!! and there is a mommy that would like to see her three kiddos and husband. My only saving grace this week is that I can wear jeans every day... LOL... yeah for supportive administration!! That at least earns some brownie points in the 'trying to relieve some stress' category.

Now, to end on a positive note... I love to teach, I love to lesson plan, I love the people I work with, I love that I have a job to go to when many don't, and I love the fact that I really do know I can only do what I can do, and I have the choice of being a broken pencil or a nice newly sharpened pencil. :-)

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3rd Grade Gridiron

2011-10-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Who creates the most creative and standard based lessons?........ TEACHERS, of course!!

Where is the best place to find these creative lessons?........ Teachers Pay Teachers, of course!!

Today I would like to introduce you to Dana. Dana is a third grade teacher in the metro Atlanta area. She lives with her hubby, Dave, and her little pooch named Maggie. She not only posts her wonderfully creative lessons on TpT (check out here store here), but she also has a really cool teacher blog called 3rd Grade Gridiron. Teacher blogs can be so much fun to follow because you gets a head's up when teachers post their items. It's nice to find out about all those FREE items, too. Take a moment to visit Dana's Teachers Pay Teachers store and subscribe to her blog so that you won't be left in the dust when it comes to those great lessons she creates. Here is a sample:

This is actually one of her FREEBIES!

Check out here TpT store for lessons such as this one.

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Sassy in Second

2011-10-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

In my quest to find some original lessons for my classroom, I come across other educators who strive to provide cute, interactive, and fun lessons too.... the kind of lessons that can't be found at your average teacher store. These teachers sell their hard work on Teachers Pay Teachers just as I do, and what I am finding is TpT is the place to go to find exactly what you are looking for. Today I would like to share one of these teachers with you.

Meet Yvonne Dixon. On a personal note, she is a proud mom of two teenagers (Erin-16 and Derek-13)! She and her husband just celebrated their 21st anniversary!!! She has just started my 19th year of teaching and loves Second Grade!

Yvonne has a blog called Sassy in Second where you can catch her latest lessons as they are hot off the press, or should I say, "Hot off her computer!" She was led to the 'teacher blogger world' as she was searching for lessons for her own classroom. When some teacher friends told her about blogging and TpT, she decided to hop on the band wagon and start making her own. I would say she does a pretty sassy job!! She has some very creative ideas that any kid would love. As she said it best, " I love all of the sharing that goes on in the blogging world." You have got to check out Yvonne's Teachers Pay Teachers Store. Here is just a sample look at some of her creative ideas.

Oh, and when you visit Yvonne's blog, don't forget to enter her Halloween give-away. Good luck!!

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Multiplication Math Centers

2011-10-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

Math centers are always a great way to make math fun. I love making colorful and interactive centers and games related to what's going on in the classroom. What's even better is that the kids LOVE these types of activities. If you are a teacher then you know that if the kids are engaged, learning, AND having fun, it just makes for a great day in the classroom. Below, you will find links for some great math games and centers I have put together. These links will take you directly to my Teachers Pay Teacher's store where you can purchase and download these math games instantly. They are a very affordable price when keeping in mind it can take several hours to make the games. Have fun!

Click the below links to go to the different games.

Factors Math Game

Mental Math Multiples of Ten Game

Two-Digit by One Digit Multiplication Center

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FREE Themed Writing Paper

2011-09-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

If you are a teacher, it's always nice to have themed writing paper. My students LOVE doing a final copy of a paragraph or story on cute paper. They see it as something special. With themed paper, they can present a writing they are proud of. On my Teachers Pay Teachers site, I have a downloadable themed writing pack. It has 14 pages of paper to fit all sorts of themes. There is everything from Mother's Day writing paper, to Back to School paper, to Dr. Seuss writing paper. All you have to do it click on my link below, and it will take you to my Teachers Pay Teachers store. You can then download it for FREE! Enjoy, and let me know what you think by leaving me a comment on the TpT site.

FREE downloadable Writing Paper

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Feedom to Blink

2011-09-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

Do you blink your lights at ongoing traffic to warn them of a waiting patrol car? ... come on, admit it!

As I was riding into work the other day, a news story grabbed my attention. Evidently, there is a man filing a class-action lawsuit in Florida. He cites that his Freedom of Speech rights were violated when he was ticketed for blinking his headlights at oncoming cars. The class action lawsuit includes motorists that have been ticketed for the same thing over the last five years. What is the offense? ... Telling people, "a cop is waiting for you!"

It really got me thinking.... is it okay to blink? Well, I agree with the fact that honking one's horn or blinking one's lights is a form of communication (just like throwing up the middle finger at someone), and the First Ammendment right has protected people when speaking with an 'unspoken' language. So, I guess the man does have a point.

I will say this... I am not a big speeder, but I have appreciated on several occassions when someone has blinked their lights at me.

I say blink away people! What do you think?

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Native American Lesson

2011-09-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

Native Americans....This is a topic where most people would fail if staring on the show Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader. I mean, come on.... what can you tell me about the Hopi or Pawnee Native Americans? How about the Kwakiutl? Nothing, ah? ......Yeah, I thought so. I love it though when you are required to teach a topic and you basically have to create everything that goes along with it (did you hear the sarcasm in my voice). They give you a concept to teach yet they provide you with very few materials. Where does that leave the teacher? Busy making all kinds of creative activities.

I did an activity with my students the other day and then hung the items outside my classroom. They looked cute, so I thought I would share. I created a very basic organizer where the students had to use a book on the Plains Indians to provide information on several topics: clothing, shelter, buffalo, foods, and the region itself. I then had the kids glue the sheet between the top and bottom of a Native American boy or girl. What do you think?

I also made a Native American diorama project if you are a teacher and interested. I have it for sale in my Teachers Pay Teachers store for a very reasonable price. Click HERE to go straight to the project, or click on the image below to visit my TpT store to view all of my other creative and fun ideas.

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Subject Predicate Game

2011-09-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

Oh me, oh my! Subjects and predicates is one of those topics that can really frustrate a teacher. Just when you think your students have it....... well, they don't! The students get to fourth grade and they can't recall what they learned in third grade, and yes, they were taught subjects and predicates. You can teach this topic and then leave it for a month or so and come back to it, and students can still get messed up on the subject being a noun or pronoun and a predicate being a verb. Heck, sometimes they can't even seem to recall that a noun is a person, place, or thing!!

So, what do you do as a teacher? You keep coming back to it all year long. And how do you do that? Well, games are a great way to review skills. In an effort to do just that, I have made a subject and predicate game. This game can be purchased for a great price through my Teachers Pay Teachers store. It works great as a file-folder game in a Literacy center, and I have even included a cover to put on the front of the folder. The game board is easily stapled on each side of the inside the folder.

Here is a sample view of the subject predicate game:

Click on the image to enlarge.

Click here on this Subject Predicate Game link, and it will take you to the TpT store.

Or, click on the image below, and it will take you to view all products in my store.

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Homophone Game

2011-09-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! I have not blogged in a LONG stinkin' time!! I am safe, I am alive... thank goodness. My only excuse is I have been so busy. As much as I love to blog, I simply can't do everything, which would include teaching full time, going to my two older kids' sporting events, taking care of little Huddie (who is now 17 months, if you can believe that!), being a wife (yes, that takes time), laundry, cleaning (not doing much of that either), and so much more. Life is fast paced here at my house.

Despite being so busy, I have had time to focus on my teaching. I went back into the classroom full swing, and I am loving it. One of thing things I have been doing is making lots of games and centers, which I plan to post on here. I have these already posted for sale on Teachers Pay Teachers, and if I may so so myself, I am quite proud of some of them. They are creative and fun, and my students have made comments like, "Oh this is FUN!"

So, here is one of my latest games. I figured with the weather getting cool and Halloween right around the corner, why not review homophones with a Halloween Homophone Game. This is one of those skills that can't be reviewed often enough. Kids are constantly asking, "Do I use they're, their, or there?" Anyway, this is a fun homophone game that includes a Halloween themed game board, which can actually be used with other games if you would like, 20 sets of homophone cards with a Halloween themed picture, a cover sheet in case you choose to use this for a file-folder game, and a skill sheet where the students can choose three sets of homophones and write a sentence with each of them. The homophone cards can actually be used to play other games and don't have to be used with the game board. The kids can play concentration or a homophone version of Go Fish. If you are a teacher, I'm sure your class will enjoy it. I will include a picture below and a link to my Teachers Pay Teachers store where you can purchase it for a very reasonable price.

Keep checking back for lots of other ideas!

Click on image to enlarge

Click here on this Homophone Game link, and it will take you to the TpT store.

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Mom Facing Jail Time

2011-07-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

I read an article today in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about a local mom facing jail time for what seems to be a horrible accident. From what was stated in the article, the story goes something like this:

A Cobb County mom, Raquel Nelson, got off of a public transit and proceeded to cross the four lane road with her three kids. As the article stated, she didn't go to a cross walk because the nearest one for .3 miles away, and it was getting dark outside. Evidently, while crossing the road, her son was hit and killed by a hit and run driver. Well, here is the kicker for me. The guy who fled the scene pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in jail. He has served his time and is now out. The mom is facing sentencing tomorrow, and she could get up to three years in jail.

Am I the only one that seems something wrong with this? The mom is up to get more time than the guy who hit the kid and then DROVE OFF!! Yes, the mom should have been more careful, but she didn't set out to kill her own son. I just hope the judge in this case shows some compassion and can see that the mom has probably suffered enough already. Surely she won't send her do jail time and take her away from the other two kids.

Oh, and if you want to be in far greater disbelief, here is more about the guy that drove off:

"Guy was originally charged with hit and run, first degree homicide by vehicle and cruelty to children. Charges were later dropped to just the hit and run charge.Court records show that Guy was previously convicted of two-hit-and-runs on the same day, Feb. 17, 1997.The first hit-and-run also happened on Austell Road, but when Guy fled from that scene he hit another car, seriously injuring that driver and passenger, records show.Guy pleaded guilty and received a two-year prison sentence, but was out in less than a year, according to the Department of Corrections website." (taken from AJC)

It will be interesting to see what happens in this case.

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Reader's Workshop

2011-07-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Since I posted the below blog, I added more pages. It is a total of 13 pages. See the details on the TpT website. If you use Fountas and Pinnell's reading strategies, this goes along with the first few days of setting up reader's workshop.

School is almost in, and I am gearing up for reader's workshop. In doing so, I have designed some sheets and have added them to my TpT product listings. What do you get?

This is a packet of printable sheets to be used in a student's readers notebook. The packet includes a COVER SHEET, which can be slid down into the plastic sleeve of a three-ring binder. It also includes a TABLE OF CONTENTS. I have split the notebook into seven sections. You could choose to use this table of contents or make your own. I will use the tabbed dividers in the binder to separate the sections. There is a sheet called ALL ABOUT ME, THE READER for students to complete and put in the front of their binder. This sheet has a place for them to do a self-portrait, tell the last book read, explain how they feel about reading, and share how they choose books. There is a READING LOG, a sheet titled I PROMISE TO TAKE CARE OF MY READER'S NOTEBOOK where students can write 5 things they will and 5 things they will not do with the notebook (this could be used with a mini-lesson), a sheet titled HOW DO YOU SHOP FOR JUST RIGHT BOOKS where they write ideas on how you know a book is too easy, too hard, or just right. A sheet titled WHAT TO INCLUDE IN MY READER'S RESPONSE LETTER, which tells proper letter format, reminders of conventions. They will then stick these on the sheet to refer to in their notebook. Finally, I have included a LIST OF 5 WEBSITES that have free reader's workshop printables. These can be combined with what I have made in order to make a wonderful reader's notebook for your students.

If you are interested in viewing or purchasing the Reader's Workshop Notebook packet,
please click the Teachers pay Teachers image below.

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Responding to Literature in the Elementary Classroom

2011-07-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

So, your kids have finished reading a book. Now what? How about have them respond to it. There are a variety of ways to respond. Most often you probably use a response notebook, but let's face it, that can get old after a while. Don't get me wrong. They have a purpose! But, if I am getting tired of reading them, I know my kids are probably getting tired of writing them. In this case, it is simply time for a break. Remember, a response to literature is communicating what you think and understand about what you read. It may be done while you are reading or after you are reading, but there are many modes of sharing this. As I searched for ideas in cyberland, I came across the wonderful website Work Sheet Place. Click here to see the response to literature activity sheets.

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The Organized Classroom

2011-07-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

The countdown has begun! I am officially going back to teaching, and the students will be arriving shortly. I have mixed emotions (which I will blog about on a later date), but for now, I want to share some pictures of all the work I have done in my classroom over the last few days. There is still more to be done, but you can get a good idea of my efforts. You will also probably realize why my Blogging Mom blog postings have been slim pickings.

I love for my classroom to be organized. I also try to instill organizational skill in the kids by having them keep their desks clean and tidy. I don't think kids can work efficiently in a classroom of clutter.

So, here goes.....

We will start with my class library. There are many ways to organize books in the elementary classroom. Some people separate books by genre. Some do it by the reading level of the book. Actually, some people don't organize them at all. They just stick them on a shelf. I am sure there are lots of other ways. What have I chosen to do? I have taken all of my chapter books and separated them by reading level using a color coding system. The pink crates are second grade reading level. The purple is third and fourth. The green has fifth grade. As far as the picture type books, I thought long and hard about how to organize those this year. I wanted something different. The genre thing is great, but I wanted something that would grab my kids' attention and draw them to the library. I decided that to best do this I needed display shelves that would allow for the covers to be seen. Of course these types of display shelves at teacher supply stores cost hundreds of dollars. To compromise, my husband and I built the shelves pictured below. I think it really makes the books say, "Come read me!"

When the kids arrive in the morning, I don't want any questions about what the expectations are. Each day as they hang their book bag, they will get a brief reminder of what to do. There are actually six expectations, but only a couple are pictured.

I can't stand for kids to sharpen their pencils all day long. It either makes noise or a mess. If you are a teacher, you know what I'm talking about! So, in order to eliminate both of those, we sharpen a bunch of pencils at the end of the day to use the following day.

At the beginning of the year, the students are issued a different science book for each unit of study. This makes about six paper back books for each student. This is simply too much to keep in the desks. I collect them at the start of the year and give out each unit as needed. Here is where they are stored until used.

This is just a simple organization system where kids turn in their work.

The students keep most supplies in their desks, but I always have extras on hand. These buckets make great organizers for basic school supplies.

I have lots of literacy games or math folder games that I have made. I store them in these boxes, which I made the labels for.

I use the file cabinet to store copies of worksheets for upcoming activities. Each drawer holds a different subject.

There is always some kind of important handout for me to keep up with, so I kept part of my bulletin board for teacher stuff.

And the last picture to share for now is my essential question display. I made the labels to go along with my cooking theme. I can easily change the question on the dry erase board.

Hope you enjoyed. Let the learning begin!

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Beach Vacation 2011

2011-07-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the beach! As I said before we left, I would be back to post a few pics.

These are a few of my favorites.

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Blogging Mom Vanished

2011-06-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! It has been a LONG time since I last blogged. I figured I would work to get one last blog posting in before the month of June passed me by, so here I am giving you the rundown of Molly's life. Some of my loyal blog followers probably think I fell from the face of the Earth. Nope. Honestly, life has had me so very busy! Let's see if I can update on a few things.

What about the weight loss? I am still exercising. I am following the same routine as I have been for the last seventy days or so. I am continuing to watch my intake of bread and sugar and the exercise takes about an hour a day. I am down about 15 pounds and many inches. I guess this means that the weight loss plan has been somewhat successful. Yeah for me! Although I will say that it is still very hard. I just love bread, no two ways about it. I still have a long way to go.

A new job for me! I am headed back to teaching in the fall. I will be moving from third to fourth grade. I have taught fourth before, but it has been seven years. For those of you that are just blog followers and not family or friends, you will remember that I took this year off to stay home with my little Hudson, who is now 15 months. I was blessed to stay at home this year, and I also consider it a blessing that a job was available for me to return to for the 2011-12 school year. Now, with that said, I am a bit stressed about being able to handle everything once I return. Keep in mind that I have a twelve and a fourteen year old that have very active athletic schedules and a husband that is a head basketball coach. With my little guy now having to get up at the crack-of-dawn for me to go to work, I know he will need to get to sleep early. This is going to be one of the many challenges of my new schedule. How can I be two places at one time? not sure about that one yet.

Speaking of the job, I figure if I plan this summer accordingly (what's left of it), I can get my thoughts and lessons planned out, at least for the first nine weeks of school. As you can see from the pictures below, I have been a busy bee! I plan on making many more things before the first day of school. Why? Because I need to be able to leave school each day as close to 4:00 as possible. After all, I have a family to get home to!!!

Designed this great lesson plan book that is personalized for ME. It has everything in it that I know I will need, such as lesson plan pages, calendars, roster lists, student info., curriculum maps, etc. There are 200 pages of needed info.

This is one of the lesson plan pages.

Because we teach United States land features, I made a mini book that is specific to the land features outlined in the standards that we teach in the 4th grade.

Pages in the Land Features book

I also designed a file-folder United States Land Features board game. I really think it will be a lot of fun.
Although this can be used in a center of just a few kids, I decided to make 9 games, which is a class set if three kids play against each other.

Because I needed to brush up on Native Americans and figure out how I would teach it, I worked to figure out how to connect the land features to where the designated tribes lived. We focus on six tribal regions and then six tribes within those regions. This is the cover of Native American book I will make with the kids.

Inside the cover of the book, we will discuss where these Native American tribes are in relation to the land
features just introduced.

I have also made games/centers that go along with the first unit in Math.

Plus, I have made about 10-12 literacy activity games for a group to do while I am in guided reading groups.
I ended up making a skill sheet to go along with the activities in order to get a grade if I so choose.

In addition to all the hard work, isn't there time for fun? of course! How 'bout a week at the beach!! I shall be leaving shortly and will post some pics when I get back. Who knows, I may even update my blog while on vacation. Needless to say, I will be in a condo for a couple of hours each day while Baby Hudson naps, so I'm sure I will be looking for something to do.

This is the kids' beach picture from last summer.

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First Day of School Activity

2011-06-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

The first day of school will be here before you know it. Yeah, I know..... summer just started, but time flies! The first day of school is a time when you want to set the stage for what is expected. It is also a time of getting to know your students; helping them to feel comfortable in this new environment. In order to do this, a variety of activities can be used. With that said, I have put together a beginning of the year/first day of school packet. If interested, please check out all the details by clicking on the link below for Teachers Pay Teachers.

First Day of School Activity

If you are interested in purchasing the packet, please click the link below.

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Weight Loss Update - Day 36

2011-05-31T19:25:00.000-07:00

14 months ago

Day 36 of weight loss plan
(I know, no make up yet again)

I don't really have time to write a lot, but I did want to update my weight loss. Surprisingly, I am not really losing a whole lot of weight. I am still only down about 11 pounds. And yes, that part is still frustrating. On the bright side, I can tell in my clothes that I am losing inches. Based on my diet and exercise, the weight will have to fall off at some point simply because of the mathematics of the calories eaten versus calories burned. It will just take time.

I saw someone the other day that I had not seen in about 2 months and she made my day. She was throwing compliment after compliment at me and even told my that my results have inspired her to start doing something herself. I was very flattered!

On another note, I have got to figure out a way to vary my menu a bit. That is the next thing on my agenda. I will let you know how it goes.

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