Winter Break: Tales of an Addict

Yes, that's me.  School was open 2 days this week and guess who was there!  However, my room desperately needed a good organization/cleaning!  I wish I would've taken a picture of my desk - it hasn't looked this organized since I unpacked in the summer! (actually, even then, it didn't - it was piled with stuff for other places!).  So, I managed to get my little area clean as well as straighten up around my room.  Teacher workdays are next Thursday and Friday, but school will be open Wednesday.  (Hiding head). I'll be there, then, too!

Hah hah - as I type this, I'm actually with a friend at HER school since my husband and kiddos are off to Amazement Square to meet up with cousins who are visiting from New Jersey.  (If you don't know about Amazement Square in Lynchburg, VA, it is AMAZING!  If you ever visit anywhere near there and have kids, it's a must-go!). 

However, with 60 lb bag (okay, that might be an exaggeration) I have 4 math units, history unit, and basic lessons to plan (including a focus on nonfiction this semester!).  So, I am cherishing this day without interruption.  Oh, that and high speed internet and access to my school network folder. :)

Of course, today we FINALLY get some winter weather!  I know - some places have been hit hard.  However, it's missed our part of central VA until today.  I mean, my 6 year old told me on Thursday that we might as well go back to school on Monday because there is NO SNOW and it's WINTER BREAK!  (yes, she's that dramatic - the same girl who said yesterday to a friend that she didn't know why "Tuesday Morning" was open since it was Friday!).

Anyway, back to my addiction.  My husband calls it "dedicated," but I sense an eye-roll when he says it.  Either way, I AM getting some things done and thought I'd share!  I'm also hoping to clean up my seasonal items and throw a sale for the New Year - just on holiday things, so you can stock up on different times of the year!  That, and I'm approaching my anniversary of both blogs and teacher stores, so I'm starting to come full circle on some of my items.

So, what have I accomplished so far?  Glad you asked!  My kids are a little less than skilled on calendar.  I don't know why.  We do it every day.  Seriously.  So, I made a packet of monthly skill sheets that frankly, I probably will use no matter what month (heck - I don't mind doing July in January!).  Each month is slightly different with the skill levels.  Be sure to check it out at my stores!  Click on the picture for TpT and {here} for Teacher's Notebook.

Next up is a winter mix of writing and math activities.  We haven't touched on fractions yet this year, but I put a fraction game in there anyway and thought it might not hurt for my students to revisit this part of their brain!  Kind of a "sneak preview" of the next unit or so.  Other math concepts include patterns, money, and addition.  Writing activities include comparative adjectives, mitten writing prompts, seasonal paper, and a cinquain pattern.  It's all snowmen, penguins, and polar bears - perfect for the winter months!  For TpT click on the picture, for Teacher's Notebook {here}.

Well, back to work!  I'm trying to polish up some of my units as well, including Economics (including my "Elf Economics"), Famous Americans, and Graphing Unit/Investigations Unit 4.

Fostering Independence?????

Hmm...maybe not "fostering"..."encouraging" or "teaching" or "desperately trying to instill"????

I have the sweetest class this year - don't get me wrong. However, they are so far from possessing independent skills, it's been driving me a little batty.  School started back on August 15th, and my students are STILL not in settled into our routine!  It's been tough this year since all the talk about "self-reliance" and "self-discipline" from our Citizenship unit has apparently gone in one side and out the other!  

So, in order to keep my sanity, I'm revising a few things.  I love, love, LOVED (notice past tense) my BUILD center setup.  I will be continuing this.  Only...that nice little Excel spreadsheet I did on it?  That's being heavily revised.  I have students who are struggling with both reading and math and while we may practice some of the games during our Investigations lessons....it's apparently pretty difficult to remember when we see them the following week in our BUILD box.  (sigh).  I'll be posting games on here as I make them.

So, in order to accomodate my little learners this year, I'm backtracking and creating a LOT of new things for BUILD and my assistant that comes in to help us during math...hopefully at the students' current level and on their retention/reading skills.

Here are a couple things I've created and have now posted on the two teacher store sites (you know 'em:  TpT and Teacher's Notebook).  Click on the picture and it'll take you to one of them.  It seems most people use TpT, so I'll send ya there.  Or, if you prefer the other, the links to the side take you directly to my stores. :)

Oh, and for all you Common Core people?  Virginia apparently is a "believer" (or "initiative member") in CC, but not adopting because our standards are very similar (they really are!  I checked out the comparison chart on the VDOE website, and if its not taught in 2nd, its covered in first or third!).  I'll let you use your judgment, but I do create for our standards, but I know how everyone is so hot for CC that I thought I'd throw this disclaimer in! :)

Okey dokey, now that I have that taken care of, here are a few things I have created/posted (and can I say how HAPPY I am that I have an extra day to create this weekend??? I realize this after it took me more hours than I thought to create these activities!).

Calendar Skills (days of the week/months of the year/abbreviations/finding dates and days on the calendar, putting things in order, and even some ordinal numbers thrown in with the directions):

Hundred Chart Activities (including posters on skip counting by 2, 3, 5, and 10 as well as how to use the hundred chart to add and subtract; missing numbers (counting), and making a hundred chart puzzle).

Another game of SCOOT (I haven't quite introduced this game to my new kiddos yet...I might be doing easy versions here in the future!)

and last, but not least today....here is a new "Grammar Detectives" I'm going to play with my kids...I've already hinted it with them by doing a "detective theme" with writing in my class...they're anxious to start earning their badges!

I have more I'm uploading to the teacher stores....a math ice cream matching cones (number, words, ten frames, tally marks), as well as a soft/hard c game. I think I'm tackling time, blends, and matter next...not to mention post some of the magnet things we've been doing in class!  Whew!  Thanks for reading, and I hope you find something useful!

Oh, and on a personal note...my son made the Lego Robotics team at his middle school!  YES!  I am so proud of him for getting involved and having a great year so far!  Have any of your children/former students done this before?  I am super excited to see their competition in November!  As for my daughter, the socialite :), she tested on a third grade reading level! (She's in first!).  She must be a lot like her mama with reading....I used to hide out in the bathroom at night just so I could finish "one more chapter."  So, is anything exciting happening in your life?  Can you tell mine revolves around school and my kids? :)