T.G.F.F. (Thank Goodness for Farley) - November Currently!

November! It's officially the holiday season! I don't know about you but once November hits, I am in full on Christmas mode. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Thanksgiving! As far as holidays go it is actually my favorite. I mean, who doesn't love an excuse to eat their body weight in deliciousness!? But I love love love the whole Christmas season. The peppermint drinks, the music, the movies, the decorations...and yes I have already indulged in all of those things as of yesterday <3

Okay, okay, enough about my love of the holidays. I just need to take a moment to say how much I love and appreciate Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade! Without her monthly currently's I would be even worse at blogging than I already am. (Is that even possible!?) I just get so wrapped up in the day to day classroom life that I forget to take the pictures and blog about what I'm doing but I'm working on it. I promise. 

I am just so thankful for her currently. It reminds me to check in to my blog and to catch up on my blog reading! So that is what I am doing this lovely fall Sunday. Football and blogging. And probably a  peppermint hot chocolate, because who am I kidding, I can't be stopped. 

Listening: I am still in bed, in my robe listening to the rain fall and admiring the beautiful fall colors outside. My puppy is snuggled up next to me and my husband is still asleep. Other than the occasional snore (from both my husband and my dog) it is very peaceful. 

Loving: Does that answer really surprise anyone? I am loving that I get to wear all of my boots on the reg again. I have missed them. They are definitely a staple of my wardrobe. 

Thinking: It is probably too early, but I can't help it! I'm like a little kid when it comes to the holidays. #sorrynotsorry

Wanting: Well there are 2 things I am really wanting right now other than someone to bring me breakfast.. 

1. I really want to get better at blogging. I haven't really made it a priority and I rationalize it by saying "I'm sure someone has already done this". I started this blog for a reason: to share and connect. I need to stop talking myself out of (and stop belittling my ideas) and start blogging regularly. Even if someone has already done it, I may have a different spin on things. 

My school is currently in the process of becoming a PYP school and the attribute that we are focusing on this month is being a risk-taker. Now is my chance to practice what I preach. I have purchased an awesome blog organizer pack from the ever so talented Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd and I am hoping this will help push me in the right direction. 

2. I just learned about this awesome fitness challenge on Instagram from charm_city5 called 100 by Christmas! The goal is to run/walk 100 miles between Nov. 1st and Christmas day! Anyone want to do it with me!? We can help hold each other accountable.

Needing: So conferences were last week. And I don't have to tell you how tired I am after those long long long days. To top it off, I totally lost my voice. I guess I talk a lot or something? It has been gone all weekend. I sound like an 80 year old smoker. It's quite lovely.

Reading: Unfortunately I am not reading anything exciting. I actually can't even remember the last time I read something purely for enjoyment. Right now I have been knee deep in PYP and Number Corner reading. 2 new things that have been added to my plate this year. I am hoping to find a book (for fun) to read over winter break. Any recommendations?

Don't forget to head on over to Oh' Boy 4th Grade to get your November currently and to link up with the fabulous Farley. 

Happy Sunday! I'm off to make some breakfast and start getting blo(r)ganized!

October! October! October!

October! October! October! 

Can you tell I'm just a tad excited!? Anyone who knows me, knows that I am cuh-ray-zee about fall! I love everything about it. Seriously, everything. 

I was so excited in fact, that I forgot to do my currently until October 6th! For shame. "Better late than never, but never late is better" or at least that's what Drake told me.

I had every intention of getting to it this weekend but I was just too busy soaking up all the fall fun! Saturday I went to the pumpkin patch and Sunday was the annual casserole bake! Now I have all kinds of delicious fall casseroles just chillin' (literally in this case) in my freezer for easy weeknight dinners! 

But now, back to the fabulous currently that Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade sets up every month. She is seriously my favorite! And this currently design is to die for! If you've never checked out her blog you totally should! Her personality is infectious!

And now for my currently! 

Listening: So a friend of mine recently recommended the show Scandal to me. I was a little skeptical at first but she assured me that it was sooooo good. So I decided to watch a few episodes (and by that I mean I binged watched an entire season one Saturday) and I have to say I am hooked! How did I not know about this before!? It makes me wonder what else I am missing out on. 
Loving: I don't think this needs any explanation! I went to Target this weekend and bought everything pumpkin. Literally, everything. My husband just laughed at me. I swear I'm not addicted. I can stop anytime I want. 
Thinking: I should really go make dinner. But Scandal. 
Wanting: It has been so freaking hot here lately. Like unnaturally hot for Oregon. I am not a fan of this. I went to the pumpkin patch on Saturday and it was 83 degrees. I was sweating while picking a pumpkin. Sweating. Not okay. 
Needing: I attempted to be super productive this past weekend. I managed to get 2 loads of laundry done amidst all the fall fun, but they are still unfolded....Oops. 
Book: I wasn't sure if this was supposed to be a book for kids or for myself, but I have been dying to read Gone Girl. I just can't decide if I should read it before or after I see the movie!


OH! And I somehow I managed to create a new product this weekend! Look at me go! 
Gotta make up for that entire month I didn't do anything, right!?
 Reading strategy posters to fit my classroom decor! Simple but effective!

I hope you have a fabulous fall! I'm off to actually make dinner! Homemade chili and cornbread with a cup of hot cocoa! That's my kind of night! 

Monday Made It! & Monday Meet Up!

Happy Monday! 

I can't believe June is over! How did that happen!? I have not been nearly as productive as I had planned. Isn't that just how it always works out? Although I will say that I have finally finished my first big huge giant packet for TPT!

Which leads me to my Made It Monday! This is my first time linking up with the lovely 4th Grade Frolics and I am excited to get my craft on more in the future! Lord knows I have many projects on my to-do list!

So here it is! My sight word bundle! 215 pages of sight word practice aligned with 1st grade Storytown! I am pretty proud of this bad boy. And definitely deserve at least 2 glasses of apple cider ;) 

For those of you who don't know me, I love me some apple cider. My husband and I refer to it as my "alcohol" on the reg. 

Anyways, I had some difficulty pricing this bad boy. I asked my lovely IG followers and they said the general rule of thumb is $0.10/ content page, but I would love any additional help or input on pricing! 

I am also linking up with The Teaching Tribune for Monday Meet Up! Another first for me! I loooove link ups because I enjoy reading all of your blogs and interacting with all of you! And the traffic to my blog doesn't suck either ;)

So here goes, 3 things I am thankful for this week!

I can't wait to go blog snooping and see what all of you have been up to! 

Daily 5 Book Study {Chapters 5 and Kind of 6}

Woo! 2 blog posts in one day? Who am I!? I just had so much to get caught up on and share! If you read the previous post, you can see why I am behind on my reading! But today is my "catch up day" and I am loving every minute of it. 

Reading Daily 5: Second Edition, drinking my water (up to 16oz which as you know is pretty good for me!), blogging and watching a Will and Grace marathon! Ahh summer, I love you. 

The more and more I read the second edition, the more and more excited I get for the new school year! Is that weird!? I am looking forward to all the changes I am going to make to my literacy block and I can't wait!

Before I jump right in to my thoughts on Chapter 5 and 6, I have a question for you! Do you use CAFE with your Daily 5 structure? Does it make it easier? What do you like about it? I am not super familiar with CAFE but the more I read this book, the more I want to explore it. 

Chapter 5 really dives into why it is important to give specific and focused instruction when launching Daily 5. I myself am guilty of rushing this step. I find myself doing minimal practice sessions and then rushing to independence before my kids are ready. I definitely place to much emphasis on their prior knowledge from kindergarten and forget that each year is a fresh start. Summer brain is a real thing, but I don't need to tell you that! 

"The tone for the entire year is established during the early weeks of school." (pg. 67)

3 ways to read a book

- Read the pictures

- Read the words

- Retell the story

When I teach this I usually do each one as a separate mini-lesson. I like the idea of combining the first 2 as a time saver, but I worry about the length of that mini-lesson! I would love to see how they squeeze that lesson into 6-7 minutes! 

Foundation Lessons

I absolutely love how the sister's teach their foundation lessons! Esepically the I-PICK Good-Fit Books lesson with the shoes! That is my favorite lesson to teach! It is fun and really gets the concept across! I really appreciated the Appendix I that had all the lesson plans for these lessons! That wild definitely come in handy as I start to plan for the first few weeks of school. I'm not quite that ready for next year yet!

Read to Self Foundation Lessons

- 3 ways to read a book

- I PICKGood-Fit books 

- Choose a successful spot 

Work on Writing Foundation Lessons

- Underline words you don't know how to spell and move on

- Set up a notebook

- Choose what to write about

Read to Someone Foundation Lessons

- Check for understanding

- EEKK

{FREEBIE}

- Voice level

- How partners read

- How to get started

- Coaching or time?

- How to choose a partner

Listen to Reading Foundation Lessons

- Set up technology

- Listen and follow along

- Manage fair and equitable use with a limited number of devices

Word Work Foundation Lessons

- Set up and clean up materials

- Choose materials to use

- Choose a successful spot

** Do you let students choose their spot for word work? I just don't have the space for the so they have to stay at desks… Am I the worst? haha **

In all honesty, I kind of skimmed over Chapter 6. I'm not quite ready to get that in depth about the focused lessons, but I am excited to go back and read it throughly later!

I really liked the idea of the word collectors wall! In my class we use personal dictionaries that we add these tricky/robust words to throughout the year, but I like the idea of having it in a common place as well. I will definitely be using that. My new placement doesn't order personal dictionaries. I suppose I'll have to make my own this year! Just one more thing to add to TPT!

I can't wait to read all your thoughts on these 2 chapters and to see all the amazing resources you're posting! I have to be honest, looking at all the resources you guys have created makes me feel like I am slacking! It is intimidating!

I definitely still have a LOT to learn about this whole blogging/TPT business! You all inspire me so much! I hope one day I can live up!

Daily 5 Book Study {Chapters 1&2}

Happy Monday! 

We are still busy counting down the days in my classroom! Today as part of our countdown we had no shoes day. The kids had fun, and so did I! My feet sure appreciated it :)

I also met with the school that I am hoping to be at next year and I loved everything about it. The team was wonderful and I had so much fun! Is it weird that I had fun during an interview!? I think that is a good sign! *Fingers crossed*

I am so excited to be joining the amazing writers over at Freebielicious for a summer book study. We are reading Daily 5 (Second Edition) and I am already a little behind! But in my defense, I am not on summer break yet. It is my last week of school, so I'm sure you can all relate to the 50 shades of crazy that are happening right now. 

If you don't have this book already and want to join in on the fun, you can get it over at Amazon. Just click on the image below!

I have been using the Daily 5 structure in my classroom since I started teaching 3 years ago and I love, love, LOVE it. Although, typically I adapt it down to a Daily 3 (Read to Self, Work on Writing and Word Work) depending on the stamina level in my classroom. It has been such a life saver and I can't wait to make it even better next year!

Here's what some of the kids are doing during Daily 5 in our classroom!

The biggest impact that Daily 5 has had on my students, aside from increasing their reading scores (Woohoo!) is their motivation to learn. It is really exciting for me to hear my students engaged in making choices specific to their needs! 

The first chapter discusses how Gail Boushey & Joan Moser (aka "the sisters") realized that trying to get to all 5 choices squeezed into one reading block was unrealistic, especially in the primary grades. As with everything else, we need to teach students stamina. It isn't something that they either have or don't have, but instead needs to be learned and practiced. It is also important to teach our students how to be reflective of their learning and to self-monitor as they go. This is something I could definitely get better at. 

This chapter really got me thinking about my current literacy block and the changes I would like to make next year.

What I do that is the same:

* I-charts: We create these together at the beginning of the year and review as often as necessary (which is increasingly often near the end of the year). 

* Mini-lessons: I start each block with a short 15 minute reading lesson. The lesson varies based on what my students need at a given time. Sometimes it's strategies for tricky words, sometimes it's blends, sometimes it's making connections, it's always changing!

* Choice: Children get to choose what they work on each day.

What I do that is the different:

* Brain breaks: I don't use these at all. I really need to give this Go Noodle thing a try!

* Reflection: I am really horrible at checking in to see what students worked on/learned during their independent work time. I do it, just not with any sort of consistency.

* Options: I do not use Read to Someone (until the end of the year) or Listen to Reading (lack of resources). Also, students do not necessarily do Read to Self and Work on Writing every day. 

Chapter 2 was all about the foundations of a successful Daily 5 reading block! 

Trust and Respect: We have to explicitly teach the behaviors we want to see and then trust that students are capable achieving them. It is important to have high expectations for students otherwise they will never grow!

Community: I think that building community is the most important aspect of any successful classroom.  It is important for students to understand and respect that each student is at a different stage and that that is O.K. By creating this sense of community, we empower our students to hold not only themselves, but each other accountable. 

Choice: Choice is highly motivating for everyone, including children. Think how much more motivated you are to exercise if you get to choose your work out program, classes, routine. Think about how much more fun it is to read a book that you chose rather than one that was assigned to you. The same applies to students in the classroom. This choice provides students with a sense of ownership that helps them be successful!

Accountability: Accountability is a 2 way street! It is important to clearly define expectations of not only our students, but ourselves, during each of the Daily 5 choices to ensure students are making meaningful learning choices. 

Brain Research: Lessons should be short and sweet (not like this post…) and follow a 20:80 ratio. 20% of time for teaching and 80% of time for practice. I really liked the basketball reference, it really solidified the concept for me! Practice does make perfect, even in reading! 

Transitions as Brain and Body Breaks: Transitions can actually be positive and not just a necessity! It gives students an opportunity to move around the room and get those wiggles out! But just like stamina, transitions must be taught!

I'm really excited to be diving into this book! I can't wait to start creating resources to use next year and to better my reading instruction! I have to be honest, I am confused by Freebilicious, I don't understand how it works and couldn't find the book study directly on there! If you happen to know how that works, please let me know! :)

I did find a link up for this book study over at A Day in First Grade so make sure you check that out and go read what others thought of the first 2 chapters! Maybe I'll see you next week for chapter 3!

Happy Monday! Sorry for the lengthy post. I guess I had a lot to say ;)

Five for Friday {Linky Party} - And also, can I sleep yet?

Hey hey hey! It's finally my favorite day of the week! And not just because it's Friday, although might I say thank goodness, but because I get to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching and all of you other fantastic teachers out there for Five for Friday!  So let's get the party started!

I warn you now, this post is going to be all over the place, much like my brain right about now.

I am so, so, so excited that So You Think You Can Dance is back! And you best believe that I will be dancing around my house like I'm auditioning for the show! *fingers crossed* In all seriousness though, I love this show. The dancing is so inspirational, and the bodies aren't bad either! ;-) They are just so strong, fit and beautiful! 

After a month of waiting, I finally got my stitch fix and I must say I was super disappointed. I have done it once before and looooved everything I got. But this time, the price wasn't in my range and nothing fit right. The dress was too big, the capris were about a million inches too long and they sent me a bag even though I specified no accessories in my profile. I am pretty bummed. 

I think that with their big business boom they did not have the inventory or stylist power to support their new found success. Maybe I will try it again once they get through their "growing pains". 

I am almost embarrassed to post these photos, but I figured that in order to be impressed by the after photos that I need to show the before. Since my husband and I recently signed another year lease (to give us some more time to find the perfect home) I decided to redo our wanna-be backyard. Those weeds were literally almost as tall as me, which doesn't say much since I am only 5'1'' but still! I tore them all out with the help of my younger sisters and then laid soil, fertilizer and grass seeds. Now we patiently wait. 

Here is a little sneak peak of the graduation party I am helping plan for my beautiful friend Claire. She has busted her butt the last 2 years in nursing school and I couldn't be more proud of her! I can't wait to celebrate all of her accomplishments. :) 

And last but not least, Friday Fun Day! The kids love playing sight word hangman! I am sure going to miss these kiddos! I am sad to be switching schools! 

My brain is so frazzled. My to-do list keeps growing. I am ready for a break! 

I saw this floating around the internet world and it is so spot on I just had to share. 

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Chocolate Fever...

Hey guys! I hope you all had a wonderful (long) Memorial Day Weekend! I know that many of you are finished with your school year, and I must say, I am super jealous! We have 13 days left, and as you know, that means its crunch time. Not to mention, my placement for next year is still up in the air. So I am packing up without knowing where I'm moving to. But I should know something tomorrow! Fingers crossed!

My to-do list grows with every passing minute and yet all I want to do is watch Game of Thrones, try on my new Stitch Fix and read my Cosmo.

But before I start "lesson planning" I thought I would link up with Teaching Maddeness for Must Read Monday! :)

I like to end each school year with a chapter book, and my classes always love, love, love Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith. Now, personally I don't understand the concept of Chocolate Fever. I am not a sweets kind of gal. I prefer salty. Popcorn fever, potato chip fever, beef jerky fever….That's more like it.

 If you've never read Chocolate Fever, I highly recommend it!

(Click on photo to check this book out on Amazon!)

We started this book today! The kids were so sad when I got to the end of the first chapter. They even asked if they could come in during recess so I could keep reading it to them. I love when they get excited about reading! 

Before we read the first chapter, we discussed some of the tricky words and came up with body movements for each word. The words we used were:

hatched: They pretended to hatch out of an egg

slim: They held their hands close together to show "skinny"

bitter: They made some awesome faces for this one, I wish I had taken pictures. 

fever: They placed their hand on their head and looked "ill"

Anytime they heard these words in the book, they did the movement to help them remember the meaning! I do this with any story we read. It's my little way to front load those tricky vocab words and the kids have fun coming up with the body movements!

After reading, we worked on our Chocolate Fever Menus for Henry Green. Here are some photos! This is just our brainstorm sheet. We will make more formal menus tomorrow!

(Some of their handwriting still, I tell ya…Sheesh).

I hope you are all enjoying your final days in the classroom or you are relaxing and enjoying your summer vacay! 

I think I'll post about my summer bucket list soon to get me in the mindset! Until next time :)