I'm Helping

Guys, I have been struggling with this whole Moore, Oklahoma story. I mean, anytime I hear about how a tornado (or any disaster) destroys an area, it touches me. But this one has gotten to me more than any other. When I heard about the school and those children, I just cried. And it didn't help that my little man is away from me at the beach all week. So I couldn't hold him tight like I wanted (and like I did after Sandy Hook).

I chose to donate a product along with MANY other sellers on TN. There's already almost $1500 worth of products that have been donated. If you donate, you will receive my Magic Tree House - Twister on Tuesday pack (along with a ton of other great stuff). I debated whether it would be appropriate to donate this, but I know that I would want to make my students more aware of tornadoes because you know that's what is on their minds right now. I hope you will donate!

Giveaway updates during testing

We're more than halfway through the week, and testing started today. That means I am sitting in the center area helping make sure only one person is in the bathroom at a time. Fun stuff! At least I have a computer to keep me entertained. Anyway, as I was catching up on blogs, I ran across this great giveaway! We're on day four. Go check them out!

Kristin is also having her 400 follower giveaway! Lots of great bloggers are giving away winner's choice from their store.

Tried it Tuesday - Question Strategy

This is my last week of "teaching", so I'm hoping it will be easier to blog starting very soon. However, I don't know what I will blog about because it will be testing, testing, testing for the next three weeks. Then we'll be doing running records and packing up the class.

Anyway, I wanted to participate in Holly's Tried it Tuesday, and I figured a testing strategy would be the perfect "tried-it" to link up with.


Most of us use strategies like "Slash the Trash", "Plug it in", "Prove/Highlight your Answers", "Stop and Jot", etc., but I have a different one you may not do that I want to share today. I don't know about you, but we always have a few questions that look something like this:
Which question is answered in paragraph 3?

• Why do chickens lay eggs?
• Is it safe for a chicken to cross the road?
• Why do we care about a chicken crossing a road?
• What does this have to do with chickens?

The question should be an easy one to get right, but they are always difficult for my students because it takes so much effort. I use what I have started calling the "question strategy" as a sure-fire way to get these questions right every time. It's simple, really. Students have to go back to paragraph 3 (or whatever) and physically write "no" beside the question if they can't find it in that paragraph OR write the answer to the question beside the correct one. They should only have 1 answer. This also works for the opposites (Which question is NOT answered in paragraph 3?), but they should have 3 answers and one "no". Sometimes the kids get annoyed with me for making them do it, but they always get it right if they follow my advice!

I hope this helps some of you, although I know most of you are already through with testing. Those who are like me and are just beginning, good luck! We start Thursday. Eek!

Giveaway update

Just wanted to check in and let you know about a great little giveaway going on right now. Erin is celebrating 175 followers (lets raise that number even higher) with 3 giveaways. You can enter by grade level to win more grade-specific prizes. I've already entered!

Five for Friday

So glad that Friday is here again. Only 5 more left before school is out for summer! I'm linking up with Kacey at Doodlebugs Teaching again for her Five for Friday. Enjoy all the pictures this week (I'm so proud at how on top of things I was) because we start testing next Thursday, and that will be the end of picture-taking at school for a while.

I also decided to make these precious little numbers for my post using Kevin and Amanda fonts. Feel free to borrow them if you like!

I was loving some Teacher Appreciation! I posted some pictures from earlier in the week. This was a sweet little Pinterest-inspired gift from one of my students (the one who brought a little treat Monday and Tuesday). I LOVE it! And once again, they were sweet enough to make one for my para as well.

I participated in the TPT sale and was thrilled to buy a few items from my wishlist. Can you tell that summer's on my mind? Click on the pictures to view the items. I'm in love with all of them and can't wait to use the clipart in some fun products! And I'm linking up with Blog Hoppin' to share what I bought:

I bought these to send home with my students for the summer. Thinking of cutting them up and putting them in baggies to take home. I may even be nice enough to print them on card stock!

Click on the linky button to see what others bought. I would love to browse and see some of my products!

I got my book order from Amazon when I went to the office on Wednesday! I wanted to buy some great read-alouds that I could use for teaching specific skills. I used Linda Hoyt's Guide to Interactive Read-Alouds to choose some books (and then I picked a few others that I was always searching for/using this year). Since we had $100, I had to choose carefully (plus I needed tape), but I managed to buy 12 books!

Recognize any favorites?

Since 5th grade went on a field trip Tuesday and we had a "wild rumpus" to celebrate reaching our goal for reading month on Thursday, I had time to work on my door. I thought about making it related to testing, but I stop pulling kids next Thursday, and none of the older kids walk by my door (I'm on the kindergarten/1st grade wing - don't ask why). So I decided to make it a cute countdown to the end of the year. Yesterday was 25 days. We're now at 24. So excited to be at a countdown number!

This little man has been quite the ham recently! 

Mommy taught him to stick out his tongue - yes, I'm a bad mommy!

Yesterday we learned that he's starting "pushing epidemics" at the sitter's. Not to be mean, just rough-housing like little boys do. Once he pushes someone, the other kids start pushing as well. So we were asked to work with him on that. Oops!

This morning, he discovered his sunglasses we bought last summer. I had to snap a picture - not the best lighting, but I thought it was cute!

How was your week?

Feeling Appreciated, sales, and a giveaway

I hope you're all enjoying Teacher Appreciation Day as much as I am! I have to admit that I was a little worried about being forgotten now that I don't have my own class. Not the case at all! I actually have one student who has brought myself and my aide a little something every day. Such a sweetie!

This morning, our PTO provided breakfast, which was delicious! Tomorrow, they're doing a baked potato bar for lunch. It's always nice when I don't have to pack a sandwich.

When I went up to the office at lunch today, I had these cute little flowers waiting for me. One of my parents sent them to the classroom teacher and me. 

When I got home, Steven and I went to our local Chick-fil-a for dinner since they were giving free chicken sandwiches with a Teacher ID. Since we're both teachers now (he teaches Criminal Justice in the building next to mine), it was a perfect deal! Plus we were able to let Keagan play in the play area, which he loved. He waved and laughed at all the bigger kids as they ran around screaming.

Aren't those curls just the best?

In all of this appreciation, I want to remind you that TN and TPT are having sales right now (TPT through tomorrow and TN through Friday). Be sure to stop by and empty your cart! I've been browsing during my free time and trying to decide exactly what I want. I may be spending a little more than I planned on!

I finished my literacy centers yesterday and posted them first thing this morning. They're in both shops for $4.80 while the sales are going on (actually a little cheaper on TPT with the 10% discount if you enter TAD13 at checkout). After the sales are up, they go back to $6, so get it now while you can! These would be great for end of the year review! I even added some context clues to this packet.

TN or TPT

Also my sweet bloggy friend, Holly, is hosting her 500 follower giveaway! There will be 4 winners, and there are tons of great prizes. I'm offering winner's choice of any item from my store. Go check it out! (And link up with her for Tried-it Tuesday - there's always so many great ideas.)

Everybody loves a sale!

Good news! My voice came back, and I was able to sing this morning without issues! That also means I can go back to work tomorrow and get my last week and a half of test prep in. We start testing May 16 and go through May 31 (all tests in VA are online with our new Technology Enhanced Items - do your states have these?), so this is basically the end for me. Once testing starts, I will be helping with that. Then after testing, we start end of the year running records. So my groups are almost done for the year. Seems crazy to think it's that close to being over!

Just wanted to quickly share about the sales going on this week for Teacher's Appreciation Week. The TN sale started yesterday and runs through Friday. Some stores are up to 55% off!

Then TPT is having a sale Tuesday and Wednesday! Be sure to enter the code TAD13 at checkout to get an extra 10% off, and most stores are adding 20% off all of their items. Go check out Mrs. Leeby's blog to see other stores participating, then start filling up that cart! I know I'm planning on buying a few items!

Plus, isn't this button just adorable?

What kind of deals are you hoping to snag?