Positive Points linky

Permanently Primary is hosting a new linky on Mondays and I love her idea! It's called Positive Points!

It's so easy for us, as teachers, to become bogged down in all the stress of getting through a curriculum, dealing with challenging students, worrying about reports and conferences and assessments - not to mention the extra stuff that might become part of your job temporarily such as accreditation and new timetables! The staffroom often becomes a place of bitter moaning and complaining and some of us take it all home with us as well.

This is not a good thing - and I'm SO glad that Sarah's had this idea for this linky because I really do want to focus on the positive this year! And thankfully - there are LOTS and LOTS of positives about teaching. :)

So... my positive points on this Labor Day holiday...

Well, despite the fact that I'm not even in school today and my kiddies don't come in until next Monday I'm already in a very positive frame of mind. :)

#1: My classroom is looking pretty good. I've gone for the minimalist look this year and I love my blues and lilacs and whites. It's very soothing.

#2: I have a small class which means I'll be able to do a LOT of one-on-one and small group work. I'm really looking forward to lots of center time, lots of differentiation and lots of fun, creative learning.

#3: This is my 5th year in grade 3 (Year 4) and so far every year I've had different team teachers. The positive? I've loved working with all of them and this year is no different. Yes, there will be some adjusting as one of our grade 2 teachers moves up for a year but we have a great relationship and she's young and dynamic and I'm looking forward to working with her - and of course, my old buddy from last year too. :)

#4: We're halfway through the whole school accreditation process and at least we're all a little more familiar with the process. Hopefully it won't cause as much stress as it did last year :) Thinking positively here!! :)

#5: I'm sharing my duty times with two of my best buddy teachers!! Why is this a positive? Because... when one of us forgets (which is practically guaranteed with our new 6-day cycle :) ) I KNOW that none of us are going to get upset!! In fact, we've already discussed the possibility of sharing the duties so we can catch up with each other while we're watching the kiddies. Now that's a real positive - coffee with a friend on recess/lunch duty. What could be better than that? :)

Wow! This is very therapeutic!! I'm going to make this my mandate for the year - find at least one positive thing about each day and then share all the wonders the following Monday. :)

I am READY FOR SCHOOL!! Woot, woot! Thank you, Sarah!!

So, if you're ready to list your own Positive Points head on over to Permanently Primary and link up. :)

Link up HERE

Getting Ready...

And let me tell you it has taken a LONG time to get ready!! Which is why this poor little blog has been so neglected lately...

I got home last week after an absolutely fabulous 7 weeks in Scotland with my parents - I was very sad to leave :( - and headed straight into school the following day.

It always astonishes me that it takes so long to set up again after the holidays. No matter how much clearing out I've done previously, no matter how carefully I've packed everything away, no matter how organized I think I am... I can guarantee it will take at least 3 full days to set up the classroom the way I (sort of) want it to be.

So here are some photos of my hard work this last week. I don't do themes in my classroom because the  "theme" will be whatever our topic is for the term. This term we'll be looking at Invaders and Settlers - the Ancient Romans and Celts in Britain - so the classroom will reflect that but I did decide to do all the bulletin boards in blue and keep the classroom as minimalist as possible.

I have to say I love it so far. It feels really spacious and light and I love my white lanterns. :)

So far I have 16 ( possibly 17) students which means
lots of space for desks :)

There was a thunder shower passing through as I
took these photos so the light is a little dubious.

I'm trying the round table in a different location this
year. We'll see how it goes...

I wish I could have got a blue carpet but no luck so
I'll have to manage with this again :)

Lots of Roman books!! It's
a lot harder to find books
about the Celts that are age
appropriate!!

You can see my desk!! Still looking
somewhat clean and empty. Long
 may it last!!

I hope we'll live up to
these ideals :)

I'm now in the throes of planning. We're moving to a 6-day cycle this year and it means revamping all my planning sheets, timetables etc. I'm a little worried that I won't remember what day it is and will be sending my class to all the wrong lessons at the wrong times!! People say you get used to it very quickly - I hope they're right!! Even our duties are tied to the new cycle so instead of having duty on Wednesday and Friday, say, I now have to remember to do them on days 4 and 6 (which will be a different day of the week every week! Oh, help!!)

It'll definitely be different this year :) I'll have to read my own bulletin board and remember that I can "challenge myself", "am efficient", "am responsible" and that, above all, I am a learner. (I hope I'm a quick learner!! :) )

On Tuesday we head in for our PD week and on Monday the 9th the fun begins! I really am looking forward to it now :)

Happy Labor Day to all those who will be on holiday on Monday :)

Butterfly fun

Quick post :)

One butterfly garden open-ended math project ready to go!

I have to say I've had a lot of fun with this one - taking photos, researching in garden centers (always a great way to spend a sunny afternoon! :) ), playing with squares and area - it brought back all sorts of memories of when I was in college doing a degree in horticulture and designing gardens. Loved it.

Now I desperately want to plant a garden of my own again. I used to have a butterfly garden when my children were little. One year we counted 79 Monarch chrysalids - and had a whole section of the lawn devoted to milkweed in a vain attempt to keep the caterpillars supplied with food. (It never works with Monarchs - the more you plant, the more they eat!)

Bermuda only has 5 species of butterfly but even so, our garden was beautiful. Now, in Scotland, however, there are lots of butterflies!! And bees. Lots of lovely fat, furry bumblebees - and apparently, as I discovered while researching, TONS of varieties. Who knew there were so many types of bumblebees around?!!

White-tailed, red-tailed, buff-tailed... the list seems endless. I took a couple of photos of these bumbles but I'm not exactly sure what type they are. :) They are, however, sitting on a hybrid variety of globe thistle which is a great plant for a butterfly and bee garden.

 

Here are some more good "bee" plants :)

Helenium

Lysimachium

Lavender

So... if anyone would like to try planting a "virtual" butterfly and bee garden with their kiddies this year please feel free to check out this resource.  Enjoy!

Available here :)

Best and Most Linky - Back to School Sale :)

And it's finally happening - the TpT Back to School Sale will be on August 18th and 19th!!

I'm linking up with Christina at Bunting, Books and Bainbridge for her Best and Most TpT Back to School extravaganza. :)

Although this is supposed to be an individual "yearbook" I realized that, although I love the resources I've created, I couldn't really think of one that was a "teacher's pet" (i.e. that every teacher would need :) ) so I decided to highlight one resource that I've used this last year and loved. It belongs to Meg at Fourth Grade Studio -  and I've included a link so you can go visit her, as well as all the other WONDERFUL stores that will be on this linky! :)

I can't wait to check them all out!!

Teacher's Pet

Academic Learning Posters:

I acquired these last year from Meg and they were a wonderful addition to the classroom. I posted them on the white board at the front of the room and they were invaluable - since I could just quietly tap whichever one I thought was applicable for the issue of the moment :) Meg custom makes these for your classroom decor - so I had mine done in a rainforest theme - they worked beautifully for terms 2 and 3 since we do the rainforests and the Meso-American civilizations then but I'm going to need a new set for September to go with my Ancient Rome setting :) Will have to send Meg a message!!

Most Likely to Help Your Students Succeed

Open-ended Projects Bundle:

Many of you know how much I love critical thinking, inquiry and exploration projects and open-ended Math projects are a great way to allow students to experience this type of learning.

Why do I think they will help your students succeed?

Students realize that there is sometimes no one "right" answer and are able to experiment without fear of failure.
Students learn to work cooperatively and are able to showcase their own individual talents and strengths in group presentations.
Students who find Math challenging very often love these projects and Math becomes fun and exciting again.

They're a great way to foster independent learning in your classroom - and isn't that what we're trying to do as teachers? :)

(If you have no idea what this type of project is there are some links at the bottom of the post that will take you to blog entries about some of our projects.)

Best Couple

Pumpkin Units:

As well as open-ended Math projects I really like giving my students challenging word problems. I particularly like word problems that give interesting information at the same time as providing a math challenge. And I like word problems that require reasonable computation skills (not too hard, not too easy) but that require the student to read carefully and think about what is being asked. My third graders are very quick to look at the numbers and just decide on an operation (seemingly at random) without really thinking about what the problem is ABOUT. I spent a lot of time on problem solving last year and have made a lot of different sets of themed task cards which have been invaluable for center work, "I've finished" time, extra review and one-on-one problem solving.
These two resources were created in case I have students who don't celebrate Halloween - we can still have a pumpkin/harvest theme in the classroom and no-one will feel like they are missing a holiday. :)

So those are my picks for the yearbook! I wish I had photos to share from my "real" yearbook but, sadly, it wasn't a tradition at my school. Yearbooks started two years after I graduated :(.


Now, head on back to Christina to see what other blogger yearbooks look like :)

Bunting, Books and Bainbridge

And... get ready to get all those cool school resources that you have been wanting to buy - and enjoy some browsing :) Don't forget to put in the Promo Code to get your extra discount!! BTS13

And it you're wanting any open-ended Math projects - word problem sets -  at a reduced price please stop by and visit!

HERE

(If you're not sure what an open-ended project is then check out these posts!)

Lots of Open-Ended Projects on display here :)

Building a Perimeter Farm in detail

A Valentine Project in detail

Enjoy the sale, shoppers! :)

Some giveaway fun...

Casey at Second Grade Math Maniac has been hosting this fun giveaway.

You might want to stop by and try your luck :)

There are lots of other categories too!! Clip art, K - 2, Back to School - it's a 10 day series of posts and she's only half way through. Fun!!

Problems in the garden...

I know I've been saying how glorious the weather has been here in Scotland ad infinitum this summer but it really has been gorgeous. Today is yet another blue sky, sunny day and I feel like being nice :)

My mom's garden is just wonderful - full of lavender and lilies and lobelia and tons of fat bumblebees. I've been inspired to create some Math stuff with a garden theme and just finished the first project. :)

I think it's pretty - and it will make a nice Spring activity/center station for my kiddies this year.

So... if anyone is looking for theoretical garden problems (because no-one REALLY wants the real problems that come with gardening - bugs, weed, flooding etc. :) ) then use the link below to collect your goody.

And enjoy :)

Pick up your copy HERE :)

Plus stay tuned for another open-ended Math Project coming soon - and with a fun Spring/Garden theme as well :)

Getting ready for school - sort of :)

With only a couple of weeks left until I head back home and then into school to look at my classroom I've started thinking about cute stuff. :)

Cute stuff being birthday presents for the kiddies, labels, little rock magnet reading buddies - that sort of thing. The fun little things that I can do right now before I start thinking about books and supplies and all the serious planning.

I always do a small birthday present for my kiddies on their birthday (or, in the case of the summer kids - as close to it as I can manage) My first year in the classroom I made the first birthday child a crown - personalized and glittered to death. It's now a tradition! There are days that I distinctly regret starting this (on a Friday at 5.00 when I suddenly realize that there is a birthday on Monday morning!!) but for the most part it's a lot of fun and it satisfies my creative instinct.

So... crowns. This year I think I'll make half a dozen at a time in advance and then just add the glittery name and bedazzles the night before.

Birthday goodie bags this year will contain an individual survival bracelet (made out of colored parachute silk by my nephew. I'm paying him for these since he's 17 and needs money and I'm sure he'd rather be making cool camouflage ones for his mates instead of rainbow colored girly ones for me :) ) I have one (in black and white) and he made this awesome hot pink dog collar for Bear. You can see her modeling it below :)

 

Close up of collar :)

I'm also including these magnetic bookmarks that I found in Scotland. They'll definitely be different from the normal ones we find at home and they're big, sturdy and neat. Plus they can put their names inside and then (hopefully) they won't get lost!

A hedgehog, red squirrel, otter and fox - none of which live
in Bermuda but I think the kiddies will like them anyway.

And finally, I have found a whole pile of tiny little flat rocks that I have painted in bright colors, added eyes (and will stick magnets onto once I'm back home) and these will attach onto the kiddies' desks (which are metal on the sides) and can be used for.... oh, I don't know, reading buddies, holding notes, stroking, playing with... I'm not really fussed. I just thought they'd be cute and I know my class of girls (no boys in our school) will love them!

The naked rocks :)

Beginning of beautification

The end product - I think they're cute :)

I've also bought a pack of nice glittery cardboard and am starting to design the cubby labels - I'll probably wait till I'm home to do this properly because I don't want them all squashed (or even worse, LOST) in my luggage. I sort of wish I hadn't let the kids make their own desk labels - have to keep reminding myself that I like the student-created bulletin boards etc. And I do, really! It's just that it's such fun doing it myself as well. I'll have to concentrate on my notices board - maybe I can make that glittery and frilly and satisfy this urge I have this year! :)

So, even though I really don't want to leave Scotland and have had a wonderful summer, school will be here before I know it and it IS kind of fun to be getting ready :)