Do you use a math notebook???

So if you took a look at my last blog post from today, I ended with my new math center board! 

So what is here...

1. That green empty pocket chart is for current vocabulary

2. Today's number-for morning work 

3. Math boggle, Add it up-also morning work

4. other green pocket chart-center choices. students will pick what center they want to do each day by writing their name next to the choice on the actual white board.

5. the super cute duck tape thing in the middle is for my calendar math!

I spent a few hours last night really working on my math block! This year I am going to have students use a 1inch 3-ring binder to hold everything for math! They will have different sections. I have put this whole unit together in a 34 page packet! It's available in my TPT and TN stores!

This packet includes:

• Math cover pages in 4 styles
• center cards and descriptions-blank cards to so you can write your own centers on them
• center sheets for students to have in their notebook
• 2 calendar math sheets
• number of the day or week
• vocabulary sheet 

The fact test is where I plan on having my sweet multiplication fact pack. I am working on an addition facts packet too!

The journal section is where I may have a math journal question for them to answer. 

There will be a number of the day and add it up section. 

How do I plan on doing my math block??? 

As of right now, I have 75 minutes for math! I am hoping to get some more time in, but not sure if we will get it or not! 

Monday 

I plan on having a whole class block! This is where the big lessons of the week will come. We will also go over the previous weeks calendar. We will talk about centers for the week and also talk about homework. 

Tuesday-Thursday

First we will take a few minutes to go over homework. Then I will do a short mini lesson. Students will go to their centers and I will pull students for mini lessons. I am NOT a part of the centers. Students will make center choices first thing in the morning. They must stay at that center the whole time with their buddy unless they are with me. Students have to work on their calendar and complete it by Friday. This is independent work. They will have to work on managing their own time for this plus doing their centers. In the beginning of the year we will work together on how to manage their time. When students can't manage their time, I will step in and give them a schedule. 

Friday

Fridays are for:

-review Thursday's homework

-assessments

-finish calendar

-finish centers

-remediation/intervention

-more small groups 

How do you set up your math block? Do you have any suggestions or comments about mt math block? 

Class site and updated pictures-Part 1

Erin from Creating & Designing has completed my classroom blog! I  am SO IN LOVE with it:) Click HERE to check it out! I would love to have you all follow me, but this blog is for my parents! I plan on making it invite only to protect my students and families! I am so excited to get in there and play around with the different pages and add stuff!

I also went into school today to work on a few things while people are still not there. I like the peace and quiet so I can actually get stuff done. I plan on being there Monday and Tuesday next week to finalize things:)

Enjoy these updated pictures

I changed my reading focus wall a bit! I like this better!

I also changed my center wall! Again, I like this better:)

I added my Where Are We magnetic board:)

Attendance sticks! I have been racking my brain in how I want to do attendance this year. So many super cute ideas on Pinterest! But I already had these frog sticks and wanted to use them! When students come in they will move their number stick to the HERE jar! All I need to do now is make a label:)

My NEW math area:) I LOVE it! That blank space will have a Math Center poster I plan on making tonight! 

So what is here...

1. That green empty pocket chart is for current vocabulary

2. Today's number-for morning work 

3. Math boggle, Add it up-also morning work

4. other green pocket chart-center choices. students will pick what center they want to do each day by writing their name next to the choice on the actual white board.

5. the super cute duck tape thing in the middle is for my calendar math!

I really like it! I want to tell you all about my math block but want that in a separate post! Look for Part 2 next post! 

Thanks for taking a look:) 

Don't forget...you can get my writing or listening center task cards for FREE if you blog about my almost 500 followers! I am only 57 away from an AMAZING HUGE giveaway!

New and improved math block, almost 500 follower giveaway, and a sneak peak:)

I have a few things to talk about today...and I promise you won't be disappointed:)

First up, I am 81 followers away from 500! I just can't believe it! I have a HUGE, I mean HUGE giveaway planned! Many of your favorite bloggers have generously donated some items for this giveaway! I can't wait! But it has to until I get 500! So I am asking for YOUR help!

If you can, post the above picture to your blog and blog about my almost 500 follower giveaway! In turn, I will giveaway my listening center or writing center task cards to you for FREE:) AND anyone who is new to following my blog will get them for FREE too! So don't forget to mention that either! 

If you help me out, make sure to leave me a link so I can check out where you blogged and talked about my giveaway! Also...don't forget your email so I can get you your pick of the prize! 

Next, I spent a ton of time working on my math block rotation! Like I said, I don't want to be a part of the rotation at all! This will allow for as much individualized/group attention as I can give. 

So this is what I planned:
1. 8 centers that will rotate every two weeks. I was thinking about 4 each week but then I think they would get crowded! 

2. I also planned a calendar piece that students must complete each week. I looked at the standards for 3rd grade and make one for 1st quarter. Each quarter I will add new skills and still keep the old ones for review. Thank you to The Creative Apple for such great ideas on adding a calendar piece.

3. I also want a way to check their work and understanding. So they have a summary/check sheet to turn in for each center. 

4. I wanted to add literature to my math block so that is why I have Math books as a center. I found a GREAT list of math related books for specific skills on The Creative Apples blog. You can get it here. This is the center sheet for the math book center I created!

That is what I have for my math block! I have not uploaded it to TPT or TN just yet...I was hoping to get some feedback from you lovely bloggy friends! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

LAST but not LEAST! I got an email today from Erin over at Creating & Designing! She had my classroom blog snapshots ready for me to view and see if I liked it. I didn't like it at all:( I LOVED it! What do you think???

I am SO excited! I hope the kids LOVE it as much as I do! Well, I am off to finish a few things here at the coffee shop and then head home to clean house:( Blah! Enjoy your Tuesday!

Monday Made it with a little bit of HELP please!

 I feel very unprepared for this Monday made it:( I have been so busy and enjoying as much friends and hubby as I can before school is back in full swing that my school projects are lacking! 

Today, I spent 2 hours with my friend and co-teacher to talk about our literacy block this year! It was a great conversation and we both left excited for this school year! One thing we did talk a lot about was homework! The co-teacher is the certified ESL teacher so we do a whole group ESL class for literacy to best meet all of their reading needs. So homework always looks a bit different. We wanted meaningful homework and not busy work...but there has to be an accountability piece to ensure they are doing something!

So they have their nightly spelling homework and also reading homework. I worked on a new reading log for them to use this year. We modified it a bit and we both think it will work out great!

It is simple and gets the job done. Yes, it is not as cute as I usually do things but that really wanted the point with this. So students will get take home books each week. they are to read, and write a summary each night or write something about what they liked. A parent will sign and I will check it every morning in order for them to get their homework ticket. Students also must read 80 minutes each week to get their reading bead!

If you are interested in the reading log, just click on the picture! So that is it for my Monday Made it! I promise to make up for it later this week! Thanks Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for the opportunity to link up!

One more thing before I go...I have been wrecking my brain about how to do my math block this year. I have used Pinterest, goggled, blogs, PT, anything to gather ideas. I just can't decide how to do it:( 

I need all the HELP I can get...so if you have an idea or suggestion, I would greatly appreciate it! 

This is what I plan on doing, or not doing...haha...

1. I do NOT want to be a part of the center rotation. I want to be able to meet with a few kids, one kid, or a whole small group when needed. It has never worked adding me into the rotation. 

2. I want a calendar piece

3. I do NOT want transition times where they stop, clean up, move and start again...ugh! too much time LOST. So...I am thinking of having them have a given amount of centers to complete at their own pace over a two week span? One week span? What do you think?

Thanks for listening! I hope someone can give me some suggestions!

August Currently....REALLY? Already?

I could not believe my eyes when I saw Farley's August Currently! I really don't want summer to end at all! I am trying to enjoy every last bit of it! I am not mentally prepared for August, but here it is anyways!

Listening:

While I love coffee, going to the coffee shop is getting quite OLD! I have to mix it up and go to different ones each time!

Loving:

My hubby just called me and asked me if I wanted to go wine tasting tonight! I am so excited! Plus our favorite beer is on tap that you can't get anywhere else! Or so we have found! Exciting!

Thinking:

I still have a stack of things to do. But I don't want to! I have worked ALL summer and now I just have hit a wall...this is NOT a good thing, especially right before school is about to start! I have to get on those projects and share them with you all very soon!

Wanting:

My drink is empty...I really want another...but probably shouldn't!

Needing:

I am very disappointed in Sprint right now! I had to get a replacement phone this week and that phone is worse than my phone I turned in! So mad I have to drive back out there! Very frustrating!

B2S must haves

1. Teacher tool box! If you did not make one, where have you been? 

2. Erin Condren life planner

I was a bit hesitant to get one but SOOOOOO glad I did! I LOVE it and you will too!

Well, that's it for today!

Happy Friday you all! I hope you enjoy your day!

Ice Cream Winner and a foot update

First off, thank you to those who participated in my ice cream giveaway! The winner is...

I will be emailing you today and get your info! Congrats! Don't forget I am still having a 40% off sale at my Teacher's Notebook shop to celebrate my 400 followers! I will also be contacting some of my blogging friends and see who would like to help me out in a huge giveaway when I get to 500 followers!

So yesterday I went to the podiatrist.....finally! I already knew I had plantar fasciitis...but the pain was not going away. I got a referral from my doctor and went. I was so scared because I did not want the cortozone shot...at all! Remember...me+needles=bad news! 

Well I was in the office for a hour and it was good news and bad news! Good news is the top of my foot looks great, toes look good, ankle looks great:) Bad news...yes, I have plantar fasciitis AND a BONE SPUR...seriously! I wanted to start crying:( I didn't though! It is small. He told me I have extremely HIGH arches and really is surprised I didn't need to see a podiatrist sooner. So I am getting fit for new custom orthotics on Monday (another dang $70 copay) but I called insurance and they are 100% covered! I was so happy! I also have some new stretching exercises and have been instructed to get new shoes! Yea! Shoe shopping! What girl doesn't love shoe shopping!

So last night while I was at Starbucks I looked up the name of the shoes he really suggests I get.  Naot shoes. Well, they are like $170 bucks! Ugh! Well, it's better than surgery right??? I needed house shoes and work shoes!

I went today after my hair cut to The Walking Company...this is what I came home with!

 These are my house sandals! I got them in black too so I can have some to wear out and about

These are my new black work shoes! They are the Naot ones for $184! YIKES! The sole will mold to my foot. They felt GREAT! I now am just broke for the rest of the month...haha! 

I just hope my feet get better than worse!  

Have a great rest of the night!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that:)

Do you ever feel like this...

 This is what I want to be doing night now...

This was my cats laying on the bed with me watching the Olympics last night...I think they were bored! 

But I can't because I still feel like I have so much to do before school starts in 3 weeks! My house needs some serious attention, I still have 4 books I want to read, time with friends, time with my hubby(well overdue) and catching up with family on the phone! Plus I have some other school projects I want to finish! Never enough time is there???

So for today, I have a few things I would like to share with you !I have another scratch off set I did...actually, I did it awhile ago but forgot all about it...oops! It is a rock star theme!

They are SO cute! I would love to do a rock and roll theme sometime...since it matches my last name. But I would not know what to do with all my frog stuff! 

Mrs. Dwyer from Mrs. Dwyer's A+ firsties is having a fun linky party!

You might be a teacher if...

--Friday nights you're home my 6, pj's by 6:10, and in bed by 7ish

--You know which student is talking even when you're not looking at them

--The people at Target know you by name

--You spend all Sunday lesson planning (not happening this year...NOPE)

--Getting a brand new pencil sharpener is like Christmas

--The sound of individual plastic pencil sharpeners dropping on the floor makes you cringe!

--New fonts make you happy

--You can't go anywhere without buying something for your classroom

--You make a special trip to school in the summer to unload your stuff from your car so your husband won't find out

--You hide stuff in your trunk so your husband won't find out

Make sure you link up today!

Do you remember my Where are we cards??? Well, I finally figured out how I want to display them! I saw this cute board from Miss Kindergarten and I knew I wanted to make it!

This is hers

So I went to Michael's and found a magnetic small white board in blue:) My favorite color!  I made a smaller where are we sign, glued it on, and then used the magnet and will have the where are we card on there! 

What do you think? I really like it! I have some green ribbon I plan on gluing to the back so I can hang it!

I also got my free gift from Erin Condren today in the mail! 

When I ordered my life planner these cute stickers came for free! But my name was spelled wrong:( I was so sad! So now I have it right and I am happy!

Well, that's it for today! I have a foot appointment in 2 hours and I am very scared:( I hope it goes well! Don't forget about my ice cream giveaway...it ends tonight! Have a great Wednesday!!!!