Getting my feet under me...

Finally a long weekend, and a much needed rest.  It is not the teaching that has me so overwhelmed, it is all of the "small" things, such as scheduling a meeting with the principal, getting sub plans together (for the first time) so I can attend a data retreat with my team, responding to emails, and taking care of myself.

Reflecting:
The transition from being at home with my kids to working full time has been bumpy, but this week I think we have worked most of the kinks out. 

With text leveling done, I think I can spend more time really teaching and not rushing through lessons!

Time to build anchor charts with the kiddos - lets get thinking together!  These posters will stay up in the room and I think be a help to many thirdsters during quizzes and tests.

I think... I think I am getting a grip on everything!

Made it through the first week...

Well, I love my thirdsters!  They are a fantastic bunch of young people, and I look forward to seeing them every day. 

Week one reflections:

- The first week will always feel disorganized.  There is a lot of baseline testing to be done.  The students did a lot of "busy work" so that I could start text leveling.  I did not feel like I was teaching, and I did not feel like the students really enjoyed the week.

- Try to get organized, but know that a late night on Friday will make the weekend feel better!  I stayed until 8 pm to get my files in order, clean up my room, and prep for next week.  I slept last night because I feel like I can walk in on Monday ready to go.

- Rule and Procedures, Procedures and Rules!!!!!!  Do not relent, do not "let it go."  Make them follow the procedures.  Practice! 

- Silliness is a good thing!  On Thursday the kiddos were EXHAUSTED!  We did some Cowboy calls, chair dancing, clapping and snapping patterns... they loved it.  Looking forward to using GoNoodle net week for brain breaks too!

The best activity was a classroom scavenger hunt.  By the end of the week, students were able to get erasers, pencils, turn in items, find the dictionaries, and pretty much feel at home in the room. 

My first newsletter is posted on the website, my contacts and address books are put together, I know the food allergies in my room, I think I am ready to get into the curriculum next week!!!

The little things that make the classroom run...

After a wonderful turn out at open house, yesterday we (the staff) got down to business preparing for the first week of school:
Procedures
Routines
Safety (weather, fire, codes etc)

Then back to my room to plan... it took us about 2.5 hours to plan this first week.  (YIKES!  I need to speed this up a bit!)

Then housekeeping -
OH - I need a grade book! (sort of important)
Restroom Sign out
Assignment turn in checklist
SUB PLANS!

I guess I will be in to read my pass on folders today (Saturday), but I am limiting myself to 2 hours!  The family has plans!

Here it is ... My home away from home...

Woo Hoo!!!!!

My room!

My donation board!  Apple sticky notes.

Love this furniture!  I holds my Daily 5 stations and my MATH stations. I made the labels to go with my polka dot theme.

My back work table and the computer area!

My completed library!

The front of my room - still under construction!

How we get home! (Pinterest - love it)

All of the third graders!  My group is pink!  A nice group of 19!

A few personal touches... Including a book I wrote with my girls about art! (It was for a class!)

My mini posters!

My Library where I will teach my reading lessons!  I love my posters

Question of the week, Vocabulary Strategy, Genre, and Comprehension Posters!

My VIP and helper board!

This is some of what we are working on this year...

 

Now I am off to bed!  It was a huge day and I am so tired!  Thanks for checking out the room!

Where did the time go?

Knee deep in the new hire orientation and I have more questions now, than I did before!  Actually, my questions are now focused and I know who to ask, but when to find them and the time!  LOL!

Lots to do today:
- genre poster
- reading strategy posters
- math bins
-open house printed and assembled
-essential questions printed
- vocab concentration printed
- birthdays
...  my list continues!!

Add to that my mom duties and getting my girls ready for school too!  It is a never ending list that will continue to grow! 

I will get the important stuff done... what did not get done, was not important!  Hee Hee!

New Hire Orientation on Thursday...

So I start my job on Thursday.  I decided to go into my room for a short time, then spend the day with my girls.  We decided that we should make Mrs. R's famous pretzel rods...

Mrs. R was probably one of the most influential people/teachers for my family.  She was a stay at home mom, who entered the work force when she felt her children were independent enough and able to manage with mom working (like me).  She was also a teacher who made every child feel special, loved, capable, important to the classroom community, and always had a hug for everyone, including the parents.  She retired last year.  I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to watch her work. 

Some of the best projects Mrs. R had:
1) Service Learning:  Math and Taxes and raising money to give a family Christmas.  I loved this project!  Students held a bake sale (everyone worked two shifts), and the students raised money.  During this time they reviewed money concepts and learned about taxes and how to calculate taxes.  Then a field trip to Target to buy the gifts, calculate the tax and make sure they had enough money. 
2) Biography Book Report:  The students prepared and gave a book report as if they were the person they read about, complete with costumes and props.
3) States and Capitals Parade/Write and Record your own Travel Video.  A year long activity that had so many moving parts, but all came together at the end of the year.
4) Baking: Mrs. R baked for every student, pies, cookies, fudge and pretzel rods
5) Pictures:  She took pictures of all of the students and decorated the classroom with these pictures.  They even had sound bubbles for classroom rules!
6) Time Capsule.  The first day of school the students made a time capsule of themselves.  They traced their hands, measured their height in string, wrote goals and dreams.  The last day the students opened the time capsule and were able to reflect on the year.

So, pretzel rod in hand I go forward into my new career hoping to be an engaging, interactive, loving and community building teacher that lets every student know how much they are loved and how important and special they are!

Health: Skeletal System...

So over the weekend I managed to get a draft of the health unit on bones done!  I am really excited about it.  Here is what I have come up with...

My first lap book!!!

On the left in the pink pocket there are 5 "bone cards" with specific facts about each bone on one side.  Also, a what we learned question and flip foldable.  The middle has the skeleton that the thriving thirds will put together, and types of exercise, how long they need to exercise and a place to write 5 ways to keep their skeleton safe.  On the right is a book for students to write a physical activity goal.

 

 

The inside (I did not fill in the answers yet).

The white part is under the skeleton.  Students are to write at least 3 sentences about why it is important to take care of their skeleton.

 

The inside of the goal book.

 

And my rubric.  This also has a collaboration grade and does not include the unit quiz.

 

Whew!  That was a lot of thinking and typing of lesson plans!  We will be doing a lot of experiments/demonstrations during this unit!  I will let you know how it goes!

 

I welcome any suggestions you might have!