Little Bit of This -- Little Bit of That!!!! - And a Freebie (or 2)!

Well, I went to my classroom today to get something done.  When I left, I thought to myself, "did I do anything?"  You see, when I walked in, all of my furniture was all pushed to one side and piled on top of one another.  And I swear, everything that needed on the left side was buried on the right, and visa-versa!!  UGH!  Anyway, I did get the main pieces of furniture moved with the help of my daughter.  Everything else will have to wait a few days.  They will be waxing the hallway the next couple of days.

I have gotten a few products completed and posted to TPT.  I worked on some Multiplication Roll & Cover games.  I got sets of 5 boards each for Back-to-School, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas done.  I also completed some 6+1 Traits of Writing Posters.  These include statements in student language to help them assess how they are doing with each particular trait.  They will all be hung at the beginning of the year, but I will be introducing each poster as I teach the particular trait.

As I have been working on things at home, my kittens have been keeping me company.  Some of them have even decided that they are going to find some new beds!!!

As I was working on my TPT products, I made up a few freebies too.  So if you want to check them out, click the pictures.  The first is 6+1 Traits quick reference cards that correspond with my posters.  The second is Parts of Speech quick reference cards.

Sunday Smorgasbord

Wow!  It has been a week and a half since I have been on here!  Time flies in the summer.  Today I am linking up with Michelle @ Fabulous in First for her Sunday Smorgasbord linky.  After being away from here for a while, this linky just makes sense to catch up on a little random stuff!

I have dome some back-to-school shopping as all of us have.  I picked up some things from Target's $ spot the other day, and I have been getting things from Amazon as I have been thinking of them.

Target $ Spot

Amazon & Wal-Mart

I also got my 2013-14 Erin Condren planner.  I absolutely love these wonderful tools.  I got one last year, and knew I had to get another one for this year.  She has made some great improvements - tabs, bigger calendar boxes, etc.  

We have had such crazy weather here.  One minute it is so blazing hot and humid that you can't stand it, and then it rains like cats and dogs.  Personally, I can't stand the humidity, so I don't get to spend much time outside.  I am either in my house or at school.  The other day when driving home, I ran across a pretty rainbow - however it does not show as good as it looked.

As I have been spending time indoors, I have had some little buddies to keep me company.  We have 5 little kittens that will be 9 weeks old tomorrow.  Here are a few of them.

Danny

Blue - don't you love those eyes!

Tabby hiding in my school bag!

I have become addicted to Instagram.  I have posted a few things, but really love to follow others.  If you want to follow me & let me stalk you, - follow this link:  http://instagram.com/dtbdteach.

Well, off to get some printing and laminating done.  I have some Whole Class Journals I am putting together.  I recently won some cute Shared Writing Journal topics from  in a giveaway from Tracey @ Third Grade All-Stars.  Thanks, Tracey.

Science & Social Studies Pins

I am so enjoying the 10 Pin Summer Linky Party.  Ashley @ Just Reed hosts a weekly linky to share links for a specific topic.  I was already a Pinterest addict, now she is enabling that addiction. - However, she is making me go back and look at what I have already pinned, so that is a good thing!

This week we are sharing Science and Social Studies pins.  I am looking forward to seeing what others share.

1.  This landform flip book is such a cute idea.  I like that it enables students to see each landform in reference to the others.  And - it's a freebie!!!

2.  If you have a Smartboard - or the Smartboard software, this is a fun activity.  Students get to drag states to their appropriate location!!!!  My students had a blast with this last year!

 Source: Smart Exchange

3.  Pearson has some nice resources for teaching American symbols, and they are adding to them.  Right now, there are 3, but they have many others listed as coming soon.  These include movies that are very relatable for students.

Source:  Pearson School.com

4.  Don't you just love foldables?  I do, and I am planning on doing more of them this year to add to my journals for each subject.  This foldable is for learning about explorers.  Adding that interactive piece, allows many kinesthetic learners to get more involved.

Source:  The Inspired Classroom blog

5.  One of our final units of the year is learning about our own state - West Virginia.  I usually have students create a brochure for a tourist attraction or the state in general.  I had found this pin, and thought - "I do that!"

Source:  The Inspired Classroom blog

6.  This pin is just AWESOME!  I am going to use this for sure!!!  It shows each planet as if it were as close to us as the moon.  Neato idea!!!!

Source:  Unknown

7.  Who doesn't love to use edibles when teaching - especially Oreos!!  This pin uses Oreos to show the phases of the moon.  My kids loved this one too!!

Source:  Unknown

8.  This website has all kinds of interactives for all subjects, and science is no exception.

Source:  All Free Teacher Resources blog

9.  Love to get a little dirty, then this pin is for you.  I think the kids would enjoy this project idea for teaching how erosion occurs.

Source:  TLC How stuff works

10:  When learning the states of matter, my kiddos love the slime/goop labs we have.  I found this one after the fact this year, and might add it to the mix!!!

Source:  All Things Simple blog

So many links, so little time.  I hope I found some that inspire you.  I can't wait to explore those that others share!!!  Make sure you link up so that you can add to my pins!!!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things.......

I'm linking up with Jessica @ Covered in Glitter and Glue for What I'm Loving Wednesday.

First off is Bloglovin'!  Don't you just love this blog reader.  It is so easy to view the new blog posts - you get a daily email that has many of them, but when you go to the web, it is easy to flip from one post to another.  Yes, it is very user friendly.  

Recently I invested in a new tool for my classroom library.  I bought a book scanner - IntelliScanner.  I got the classic version because they have a special price for teachers.  It enables me to easily scan all of my books and put them in a database.  Now I can keep track of all of my books - it even has a lender feature on it, so I can better keep track of the books students use.  I have only scanned a few of my books so far, but when I get access to my classroom I will be scanning them all - or should I say, my daughter will!!!!!!

Another super item I have discovered this summer is Pilot's B2P pens.  These pens are recycled from  water bottles.  Isn't that fantastic!  Not only that, but they have refills so that you don't have to keep buying the pens - that is unless someone snags them from you or you leave pens laying around like I do.  I found mine at Walmart, but Amazon also carries them.  

These pens write so smooth.  I know that I will be purchasing several of these so that I have them on hand - as well as their refills.  

Well, these are just a few of my favorite things - you need to check them out!!!  You won't be disappointed - I promise!!!

Liebster Award Nomination

How fun is this?!  I have been nominated for the Liebster Award by Sarah of Kinder Cakes.  To accept this nomination I have to do a few things:

1. Link back to the blog that nominated me
2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers
3. Answer the questions posted for me by my nominator
4. Share 11 random facts about myself
5. Create 11 questions for my nominees
6. Contact my nominees and let them know I nominated them

I am choosing to nominate the following blogs - Going with a 3rd Grade theme:

• Tales From 3rd Grade
• Third Grade is a Hoot!
• Adventures in Third Grade
• Groovin' Into Third Grade
• Third Grade is the Place to BE!

11 Questions posted by my nominator:

1. What is your favorite dessert?

• My favorite dessert is tiramisu!  YUMMY!  I can't get enough of the stuff - that is - when I get it.  I haven't tried to make it myself, even though it is supposed to be easy to make.  I generally only get it when I go to Olive Garden.

2. If you could be a Disney Princess, who would you be?

• I would choose to be Ariel.  I love to explore and travel.  I also never seem to be happy with the status-quo.  I am always wanting to find out more - or learn more!!!

3. What is your dream car?

• I actually got my dream car this year - a 2013 Nissan Rogue in Black Amethyst.  

4. What is your favorite TV show?

• I have several shows I like to watch, but I make sure to DVR Days of Our Lives every day.  I have watched it since I was a little girl with my mom!  I am a Soap addict - there are not many of them left!
  

5. What is the last song you listened to?

• How Country Feels by Randy Houser - I love his voice!!!

6. What is your favorite animal?

• I love my kittens.  We have 5 kittens that are 7 weeks old today!  Each have their own personality.  

7. Which holiday is your favorite?

• My favorite holiday would be Thanksgiving.  I love everything about fall, and Thanksgiving is all about food and family!!!  What more is there to love!!!

8. What is your favorite fruit?

• This one is hard to answer - I love fruit!!!!  I eat a lot of Granny Smith apples and Asian Pears.  But - I love berries, citrus fruit,bananas, etc.  

9. What was the last thing you ate?

• I stopped at Hardees and had a Jim Beam Bourbon Burger for lunch!!

10. If you could meet a character from a picture book, who would it be?

• Skippyjon Jones.  He is so much fun.  I love reading the books to my class, and reading with the voices.  I bought a stuffed Skippy from Kohls last years, as well as several hard back books.  

11. Where would you vacation if money was no object?

• I would love to go and spend a few weeks in Williamsburg, VA.  I am a big history buff.  I remember going with my family when I was a child.  I would love to be able to take my time and check everything out.  There is also a Busch Gardens in the area.  

11 Random Facts about myself:

• I love to go to the movies - my daughter and I go often.
• I was a teenage mommy
• I love books - I have way to many - both for me to read, and for my classroom.
• One year when I was in college, I gave up chocolate for Lent, and ended up going a year without eating it - I still don't each much of it
• My favorite color is neon green
• I am teaching in the same county school system that I grew up in - just a different school.
• I love to crochet and cross-stitch
• I was 32 when I became a grandmother
• I am a morning person - and prefer to be early wherever I go
• I hate science - I have all through school - and it is the hardest subject for me to teach
• I played the saxophone in middle school.

11 Questions for my Nominees:

1. What is your favorite subject to teach?
2. Do you collect anything & what?
3. Do you / Have you played an instrument?
4. What is the last book you have read?
5. What is your favorite genre of music?
6. Why did you become a teacher?
7. What do you think about year-round school?
8. Do you consider yourself organized?
9. Are you a salty or sweet snacker?
10. What is your favorite season of the year?
11. What is your favorite candle scent?

Thanks, Sarah for the nomination.  I hope I have shared something interesting for my followers!!!

Favorite Reading Pins

I'm linking up to this week's Just Reed! Ten Pin Linky.  This week's topic is reading ideas.  This is my first time linking up, and what fun.  I get to go back into my reading board and find all those great pins I haven't looked at in a while.  I have been wanting to do this some time this summer, now I have a great reason!

1.  This is one of my all-time favorites in my reading board - Tabletop Twitter.  What a fun way to get a reading response - so interactive, and it relates to our students' need for social media.

Source:  http://conversationsinliteracy.blogspot.com

2.  Another very student-centered pin I have is the Bookworm Wall Display / bulletin board idea.  I love how this gives students a personal connection to their book reports or activities.  

Source:  http://tupelohoneycaro.blogspot.com

3.  This is a very creative anchor chart for Author's Purpose!!  It really caught my eye!

Source:  unknown

4.  This one I thought was just a simple but memorable way to show the 3 ways to read a book.

Source:  unknown

5.  This pin is an excellent way to illustrate text connections.  The more you can visualize those abstract concepts the better!!

Source:  http://eberhartsexplorers.blogspot.com

6. Most of my pins seem to be bulletin boards or visuals.  This one is no exception - character trait bulletin board!!! I like the way they attached the traits to the book cover images.

Source:  Unknown

7.  I'm always looking for different ways to add to vocabulary instruction.  I want to put this to use this year with the texts I will be using.  It refers to the book Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction.  I read this book as part of a book study years ago.  It is also one that is mentioned in the Common Core Appendices.  

Source:  http://myheartbelongsinfirst.blogspot.com

 8.  Love this CRAFT board.  Ladybug's Teacher Files is one of my favorite blogs.  I really like how she expanded it from CAFE.  Her resources / printables are always so bright and cheerful.

Source:  http://www.ladybugsteacherfiles.com/

9.  I'm lovin' these Bloom's Buttons cards.  I've got to get these printed and laminated.  I am putting them in a center this year.

Source:  http://totallyterrificintexas.blogspot.ca

10.  Visual and concrete tools are always needed when teaching reading.  I thought this one was just too cute!  I can't wait to use this to teach main idea and details.  

Source:  http://www.lessonplandiva.com/

Wow!  That was a blast going through my pins.  I need to do this more often.  I hope I was able to share something new for you to check out.