I first would like to give a HUGE thank you to Diane at Teaching with Moxie, back in January she showcased my blog and my 2013 goal of 200 followers!  Thank you for sending some awesome teachers my way :)

This giveaway will run for one week!  It will close March 1st, and I will announce the one lucky winner Sunday March 3rd!  Good Luck!

I have been working on my 100 Follower Giveaway and excited to announce my sponsors!  I {HEART} each of their blogs and know you will too!

Diane at Teaching with Moxie is generously donating a $10 TpT gift card which I am matching!  Whoohoo!  Who wouldn't {HEART} that!

 Amanda and Stacia at Collaboration Cuties will give away one fabulous item from their TpT store!

 Jessica at Ideas by Jivey will give away one awesome item from her TpT store!

Wendy at One Happy Teacher will give away one incredible item from her TpT store!

Elizabeth at Fun in Room 4B will give away one wonderful item from her TpT store!

Joanne at Head Over Heels For Teaching will give away one awesome item from her TpT store!

Sara at Miss V's Busy Bees will give away one fabulous item from her TpT store!

I too will give away one item from my TpT store!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Anonymous

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching Five for Friday :)

1.  I'm Bored, Engage Me!
I am hosting my first linky party here!  I attended Science Professional Development on Monday and was very disappointed in the information provided.  Please link up new or old hands-on-activities for any subject.  The linky party is open until next Friday.

2. Edible Science...Yum! 
My co-teacher teaches Science to our fourth graders and did a GREAT hands-on-activity with the kids Tuesday.  I received an email from a parent stating her son came home from school saying it was the best day ever, and he hasn't been that excited about school since Kindergarten.

3. Cat in the Hat
My baby is almost a year, actually almost 1/4 because he is a leap year baby, and has his cake smash photo session this Saturday.  He will be wearing this adorable cloth diaper!

By the way I am addicted to cloth diapers...I have about 36 of them for one kiddo!

4. Pinterest Linky Party
My Teacher Friend is hosting a fun linky party!  Stop by and join her Pinterest Linky Party :)

5. Good News
Thank you for all your prayers and get well vibes!  My grandmother went home from the hospital this week.  She has severe pneumonia and is on bed rest but is she is happy to be resting at home.

I've reached 100 followers and working on my giveaway!  Check back this coming week to see the awesome goodies and to enter a chance to win :)

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Anonymous

I am so excited...I have 100+ followers!  Thank you all!  To celebrate I am working on a GREAT giveaway this coming week.  Stay tuned to check it out!

One of my 2013 goals was to have at least 200 followers, I am half way to my goal...YAY!

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Anonymous

I am participating in Primary Possibilities School, Sport, and Smile Linky Party :)

1. School

Even though we are located in a heavily Military populated town, several teachers have been at our school for many many years and/or attended school here as a child.  I personally came back to work at my school after we moved back here from a different duty station, it is a FABULOUS place to work at.

2. Sport

I grew up in a bowling alley, both my parents worked at a bowling alley and I was in leagues starting at the age of 5.  I was never allowed to bowl with bumpers and it took me a very long time to learn how to bowl for fun.

3. Smile

These three Loves make me smile, so does their daddy <3

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Anonymous

Graphics from 3am Teacher

Today I sat in a Science PD that BORED. ME.TO.DEATH!  Our PD was on Hands-On-Activities in Science, sounds like a great topic but the ideas were not new or original.  My Co-Teacher plans Science for our grade level and already had two of the activities in the next couple of lesson plans.  I have found more interesting, fun, and creative ideas on fellow blogs, Pinterest, and Youtube.  I was hoping to have learned something new and exciting.

My teammates and I were horrible students, shame on us, due to being bored. We were planning other subjects, finding ideas on Pinterest, I even started the draft for this post.  It's a reminder though that sometimes our students disruptive behavior may be a result of boredom.  Remembering to keep them interested and engaged in all subjects is key to their success.

Since my PD was lacking in creativity I am hosting my first linky party!  Link up and share your favorite hands-on-activity for any subject or topic.  I can't wait to see all your great ideas!

Rules:
1. Link up to any post (new or old) focus on hands-on-learning.
2. Follow Farley's Rule of 3 :)
3. Have fun!






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Anonymous

I am linking up with Teaching Blog Addict Friday Freebie a few days late, but a FREEBIE is great anytime :)  Yesterday it snowed for the first time this year and the snow flakes were HUGE!  They looked like large white feathers falling from the sky, it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  My boys enjoyed playing in the snow, although my little guy didn't know what to think about all that white cold stuff.

My students are enjoying their "Love for Writing" prompts I created for the month of February, so I worked on March's "Lucky Writing"writing prompts since it it right around the corner.  I even created a K-2 sentence starter for my primary followers.  Enjoy!

K-2

 3-5

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Anonymous

This week was very hectic!  My class was up and down all week, some days they were on it and other days it was as if it was the first day of school.  This was a trend in my personal life as well, ups and downs.

*Only 10 more followers needed for my 100 follower giveaway!  Send your friends over :)

1. Prayers Please <3
Monday evening my father called to tell me my Grandmother was admitted to the hospital, and that she was taken there via ambulance early that morning.  She has beat Breast Cancer and Lung Cancer and is weak from all the treatments.  They do know she has pneumonia and aren't sure what else is wrong and having difficulty with getting blood for tests.  Her veins keep collapsing within seconds of trying to draw blood along with her blood clotting very quickly.  We are praying for answers and recovery soon.

This is my Grandma with my sister in November <3

2. {Heart} My Boys
I received my middle guy's progress report this week and it stated he needed to work on writing his name and letters.  So, I printed out a sheet with his name and he did "homework" while big brother did his.  Sometimes I find it difficult to find balance between teaching my own children and keeping up with school.  What do you do to try to balance this out?  Any advice is needed :)

Practicing his name

3.  Valentine's Day
I hope everyone was showered with LOVE on Valentine's Day!  I personally went outside of my comfort zone for my hubby and got "pin up" style pictures done *blushing*.  After loosing 20lbs and finding a really sweet photographer for the right price (underpaid educator here) I decided to surprise my hubby.  He LOVED them and was not expecting anything like them at all :)

I received many chocolate flowers from my students and a beautiful orchard, just hoping I can keep it alive.  For my own children I made their Valentines for their classmates via a Pinterest inspired idea.  What did I ever do without Pinterest!?!  My classroom theme is Dr. Seuss and I found a box of Dr. Seuss cards at Walmart and turned them into Free Homework Passes for my students.

My boy's Valentines

For my students

4. For the Love of Reading
One morning this week my Co-teacher told me to look in our class library, and this is what I saw.  Moments like these are reason I love my job!

5. Summer To Do List
I am already starting my summer to do list, there is ALWAYS something needed to be done!  So far I have planned to:
1. Redo reading units (HUGE task)
2. Clean out closets and reorganize my house!  (I may send my children to a sitter so I can get this one done!)

Don't judge :)  This is my office/craft room, and is in need of a major overhaul.

3. Home school my boys.
4. Paint several rooms in my house

What do you plan on doing this summer?  Relax, clean, plan, etc.?

I am linking up with Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching.  Have a great weekend!

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Anonymous

Tonight I am working on plans for this week.  I have ended up straying from my original ELA plans and have decided to focus on plays/dramas focusing on the American Revolution.  I found a incredible resource here.  It includes a timeline and a Reader's Theatre based on the trial related to the Boston Massacre.  We haven't focused on RL4.5 as much as I wish we have thus far, and felt this resource would be great to go along with last weeks ELA theme.

I created the following three page packet focusing on the elements of a play.  You can check it out here at my TpT store.

I have slowly been working on my portion of the math plans, we won't get to my plans for at least one more week.  I am planning standards 4.NF.3 and 4.NF.4. I created some task cards for adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators and a practice sheet.  You can get it FREE here from my TpT store (please provide feedback-thanks!).

Hope you have a fantastic week!  

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Anonymous