Where Has The Time Gone? and Constitution Week

Hello all. I can't believe we're in the fourth week of school already. I have intended to blog with pictures of my classroom, but I always forget to take pictures as soon as I'm at school. I will seriously try tomorrow. SERIOUSLY.

Although this school year started off crazy (mostly because of the construction), it has been great. I love my students. They are so smart and sweet =) And we have a new teacher in third grade and we have just jelled. So cool! A friend of ours said we have The Dream Team~ I'm talking old school people~ with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, etc. It's always sad to lose teachers to retirement or reassignments, but when the new teachers fit in so nicely, it's a happy surprise.

Anywho, this week is Constitution Week and I'm pretty excited.
First, we will start off with The Pledge of Allegiance. We are going to break it down into kid friendly terms. Then we will rewrite The Pledge.
Second, I love reading this book to the kiddos.
After reading this book,  I will continue with the cards that Hooty at Hooty's Homeroom shared on her blog yesterday. She created The Preamble Match and What The Preamble Really Means. I snagged them and they are great. Just click HERE to go to her site.
Third, we will write a class constitution. It should be great =)

We are also studying Johnny Appleseed this week. I'll share some apple fun later this week.
peace, love, and Happy Constitution Day!
~lisa

First Currently and A Lot of Other Stuff

Hi ya'll!
It's September! I can't believe the first week of school is over. I am pleased to say that I have survived. My kiddos are great (that is what I will keep saying), my room is coming along, and our team is rocking. In the last year and a half, Tina and I have lost two teachers to retirement and one moved up to fourth grade. Our two newest members are new teachers and they are so awesome. It's crazy how good they already are!

Breaking News- My students love Whole Brain Teaching! I jumped all in this year and am enjoying every minute of it. I like creating gestures for whatever we are learning. And my kiddos love teaching and switching and mirroring with words and, ... If you do not know this Whole Brain Teaching, check out the vids on youtube.

I am linking up with Farley for her Currently Link Up.

Wanting~ I want to make a positive difference in the lives of my students, each and every day.

Heart- Love myself spot- I need to start exercising every day, I need to leave school at a reasonable hour unlike last week when I stayed at school until 6 too many times, and I desperately need a pedi and I want a pedi and a pedi will make my heart happy =)

To visit Farley's link up, just click on the currently pic!


I also finished our new Chrysanthemum unit just in time for next week.

Just click on the pic to visit our store =)

Thanks for visiting

~lisa

First Day

Howdy!
We were extremely busy at school last week attending meetings and getting our classrooms ready. The construction saga continues. There was jack-hammering right outside my window for most of Friday which led to headaches and dust. Just what we needed on our "Work in your Room" day.

I hope y'all have a great week. And if today is your first day with students, may the force be with you!
I love me some Star Wars =)

~lisa

First Ever Back To School Sale!!!

Hello everyone! We will be participating in our first ever BTS Sale at TpT!!

Everything in our store is 20% off. Then use the promo code at check out and get an additional 10% off. That will make your savings 28%! Wow. It begins at midnight. Just click on our TpT store on the sidebar.

My wishlist is full of wonderfulness! Can't wait to do some shopping =)
Thanks to Krista Wallden at The Creative Chalkboard for sharing the cute sale button. It is adorbs. 

~lisa

Working On Vocabulary

Hello everyone! I'm wishing I could already be in my classroom. Construction problems at our campus are not allowing teachers to work until we report back for trainings. Oh. My. Word.  This is scary. 

Anywho, to keep my mind sane, I have been focusing on vocabulary development. (Everybody does this, right?) Our students in 3rd grade struggle so much with vocabulary. Especially when asked to choose the correct definition of a word based on a sentence. We have tried many approaches over the years because the basal readers don't do enough for the kiddos.

Needless to say, vocabulary development is a huge focus this year!

In our latest unit, Owen, I have changed up our vocabulary. It looks good so far! We have a vocabulary focus for our Reading Interactive Notebooks. Students will generate their own definitions after we study the words and pictures. We also have a homograph worksheet. The students will read a sentence and then pick the correct definition for the sentence.

Do you know the story of Owen?
Owen by Kevin Henkes~ The story of a carefree mouse who loves his blanket. When his parents tell him he can't take Fuzzy with him when he begins school, Owen is inconsolable. Luckily, his mom comes up with a great plan.

You can purchase this unit by clicking on the pic above.

This unit includes~

Vocabualry Cards

Favorite Things Tally Chart and Graph

Vocabulary for Reading Interactive Notebook

Story Map

Sequencing 

Venn Diagram of Owen's Blanket and My Special Thing

Homograph Worksheet

Journal Entry Question

I love this story so much. It reminds me of a special girl. Jaden and her grandpa would walk her brother to my third grade classroom every morning. She was a sleepy 2 year old who always had her blanket. Years later, she was in my third grade classroom. I told her how I remembered her walking with her blanket. She confided in me that she carried her blankie every day~ in her backpack! Too cute =)

Good luck to everyone for the upcoming school year!

~lisa

Five For Friday for the First Time

Hello friends! 

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday =)

1. San Antonio

My kids are in San Antonio visiting their grandparents. It's so nice not to have to slave in the heat of a Texas kitchen I really miss them =)

2. No Classroom Decorating Yet For Me=0

Found out on Monday that we cannot get into our classrooms on the 12th. There is construction happening at our campus which led to broken pipes, and now we might get in on Sunday, Aug.18. We report back on Monday, Aug. 19 with a week full of training and 1.5 days in our rooms. Whaaattt?!?!?!?!

Needless to say, I am freaking out! I was hoping to have my room ready by the 19th =(

3.Liebster Award~

Lindsey from The Journey of a Beginning Teacher nominated us for this award.

Tina and I were so excited. As we were filling in the requirements, we laughed the whole time.

Thank you Lindsey! We happen to love your blog and wish you luck this school year!

4. Ikea, The Container Store, and Red Robbin in Phoenix, Az=)

Last Thursday, I went to Phoenix for the day with Tina and 3 other awesome teachers.I seriously do not enjoy shopping. When lunch discussions are about my buddies' latest shopping sprees, I try to pay attention but usually my eyes glaze over and I begin daydreaming about butterflies and glitter.

But this was different!

~The Container Store is my kind of store. I loved every aisle. And it was huge.

~Red Robbin was delicious. I wish we had one where I live.

~Ikea~ Oh my! This was huger! I was a little worried that I wouldn't have the stamina 

that my buds have, but I can't wait to go back.

And it was a road trip (12 hours round trip) filled with laughter and music. So much fun. I love my buds.

5. Finished Units

I finished my Wemberly Worried pack! Yay! I can't wait to use it=) I am working on a Kevin Henkes unit. I begin reading  aloud with his books. Just love his stories. 

Tina finished The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola. We love his stories too. 

They are perfect for third grade. She is going to work next on The Legend of the Bluebonnet and The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush. In September, we always read Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox. It is such a sweet story and Tina revamped this pack as well. Seriously, it needed a make-over and now it is so cute. I.Can't.Wait.

Lastly, I made a Monster Behavior Clip Chart. I began making it for Tina to use this year, but then I realized I would love to update mine and trade out a few things.

If your interested, just click on the pic to go to our store =)

Thanks for reading and go check out everybody's Five for Friday by Doodle Bugs Teaching by clicking on her button up above!

~lisa

Busy Beavers

Hello! Tina and I have been very busy, again, and now we are pooped! We have been cute-ifying some of our units for the new school year.













We updated 3 of our Reading Units. Check them out below! Click on any pic to visit our store.

Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox

Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

We uploaded a science lesson for the beginning of the year =)

We uploaded a Monster Theme Behavior Clip Chart! Can't wait to put mine up in my classroom =)