We continued working on Idioms this week and used Sabra from Teaching with a Touch of Twang's Idioms: Literal vs. Figurative product.  I loved my students illustrations for their idioms.  Here are a few of my favorites :)

Our social studies curriculum requires us to study famous landmarks of North Carolina.  We studied one of my favorite places this week, The Biltmore Estate.  We watch a few Youtube videos of some tours and my students were instantly intrigued!  They wanted to know more and had so many questions.  We finished up our lesson with a passage on the Biltmore.

This is how I feel this week, except it should say teacher.  I have expectations for my students to pay attention, not to talk when I am talking, not to talk when others are working or during a test, to be respectful of each other, etc.  We actually all most likely have the same expectations for our students, but in my room if I tell my students to stop talking, pay attention, or be respectful that means I don't like my students.  This is according to my students and parents.  TGIF!

The Bermuda Triangle of Room 20.

Today is the last day to enter a chance to win a "Read America" shirt from Mimis Chest and a $20 Amazon gift card from I {Heart} Recess!  Hurry over and enter!

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Anonymous

You may have seen this on Facebook or other websites, but it TOTALLY explains my year!  This has been my MOST difficult year of teaching.  This is my ninth year and sometimes there are days I wish it was my last.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE teaching, creating lessons and activities, seeing children's faces when they have success, and having fun in my classroom; but I am being challenged over and over this year.

I know I am learning a lot about myself professionally and personally, but often times I feel defeated.  Defeated in classroom management, student motivation, parent support or lack thereof, student behavior, etc. 

Since I have started blogging it HAS helped me reflect in my classroom practices and teaching, and most importantly rejuvenated my LOVE for teaching.  I read other blogs and get incredible ideas and lessons to use in my classroom, but then Monday morning comes around and our first bell hasn't even rung and I have already said "Stop Talking", "Get to Work", and/or "Sit Down" ten times each!  It then continues over to checking homework and seeing the lack of parent support or a note asking about something that I have already addressed or is in the newsletter.  I push through and try some of the great things I have seen in the blogging world and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, but EVERY TIME I am glad I tried.  I try because I care about what my students do, I try because I want to be the best teacher I can be, I enjoy watching my students learn, and most of all I want to see them successful.   

To get me through this year I have relied on MY SURVIVAL KIT:

1. God.  I am often praying to him through out the day.  This one of my favorite songs.

2. My co-teacher and support teachers. They have picked up my slack, let me know I am not crazy, and that I am doing a good job.

I don't have a pic of all of us, but this is close enough :)

3. Mt. Dew.  

Need an IV with this stuff.

4. Chocolate.

Looks so good!

5. My Boys.

This was taken last summer on my parents farm.

What helps get you through the day? Week? Year? What is in your Survival Kit?

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Anonymous

I have found some great St. Patrick's Day Freebies that I have included in my sub plans this week and thought I would share with you some of the awesome items out there!  You too can get each item by clicking on its name and check out its creator's blog!

1.  Shading Shamrocks By Amanda & Stacia from Collaboration Cuties

2. St. Patrick's Think Book Sample By Wendy from Think IQ Blog

3. Color by Fraction By Miss Nannini from Young Teacher Love

4. St. Patrick's Day Reading Comprehension Sheets for ANY book By Jessica from Joy in the Journey

5. St. Patrick's Dictionary Dig By Janet Rainey

6. St. Patrick's Day Fraction Match Up By KNJ Kreations 

7. I Have, Who Has Antonyms Sil's Teaching Resources

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Anonymous

First I would like to THANK everyone who participated in my 100 Follower Giveaway!  The LUCKY winner is Jennette M.! 

Can you believe it is MARCH!  Where did February go!?!  I am linking up with Farley's March Currently...LOVE this monthly linky party!  I always find fun new blogs to follow :)

 Listening:  My hubby is watching some show about a man that scammed thousands of dollars from women.

Loving:  Today was my son's first birthday party!  (Details below)  We did a Dr. Seuss theme and I Love how everything turned out!

Thinking: I have so many things to get done or accomplished...there is just never enough time in the day!

Wanting: We are on Dave Ramsey's plan to becoming debt free, I just hate how slow the process is but so easy to get into debt.

Needing: In preparation for the party today I threw my downstairs mess into my master bedroom, it's a very scary sight in there!

Like, Love, Hate:  This was hard with the letter J!  Like the journeys life gives us, love all jewelry (I know I spelled it wrong on my currently...oops!), hate jello; I think it is gross :)


Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
Our school celebrated Read Across America Day on Friday.  I told my students if they could keep the name "Dr. Seuss" on the board through the week they could earn a celebration on Friday.  This was difficult for them some days, but were able to pull it off :)

Students wore red and a wonderful parent cut out the Thing hats for me!

We are working on fractions so I gave the students multi-colored goldfish to use for creating fractions.  

They sorted their fractions and then ordered the fraction on  a number line.

I made blue jello with sweedish fish for a treat.

My "Things" working hard!

My 22 "Things"

 My Baby is ONE!
I can not believe my last baby (note: I have said last baby before, I am for real this time!) is ONE!  Carson is the sweetest and loving boy!  Since I LOVE Dr. Seuss his party theme was of course Dr. Seuss!

Enjoying his Cat in the Hat cake.
(I made the cake)
Love having most of the decorations in my classroom to use for the party!

All the guest wrote a special message to Carson in the book.

 Seriously, I don't know what we did before Pinterest!  Many of the food items come from there, some I did come up with on my own.

The Truffula Trees are my own creation, cotton candy and a pretzel rod, so simple!  They were a hit!

Many guest just couldn't get pass the green eggs :)

My family LOVES little smokies, so I had to look up a book to go with the theme :)

Our big boy!

Making his cake the night before...please ignore the messy kitchen!
My three loves!

The boy loves cake!
I used a pillow case to cover the back of his highchair, because it didn't match the theme.  Also, made for easy cleanup.

Last Sunday Carson had a cake smash photo shoot.  This is one of the proofs.  Jamie did a fabulous job!

Such a cutie pie!

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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