Let's Try This Again . . . .

I have really wanted this to go well the past few years, but as you can tell - 

NOTHING 

has been done! I really hope to remedy that this year!

I have all kinds of things going on in my head.  We have been out of school for a week now - that's plenty of time to have off and to start thinking about things again, right?  So, as I sit here at my dining room table and think to myself what needs to be done next year, this is what is going on in my head . . .

Welcome slide on smartboard for each morning...

Goal setting...

What do I want from my students in reading?

What do I want from my students in writing?

What do I want to do differently in my room?

How am I going to incorporate vocabulary on a regular basis?

How can I be a better teacher?

How can I use notebooking in my room?

How can I use Daily 5 in my reading that is structured for me?

How to better use reciprocal teaching?

How am I going to incorporate project based learning?

And I am sure that this is just part of what is going through my mind.  So, if any of you are still out there that check my blog (I would have stopped a long time ago), what do you have to say on any of these subjects?  Help a sister out!

Just trying to cook up some success . . . 

Mrs. Becky

Getting Ready for a New Year

As I type, I am sitting in Nashville, TN, in my brother-in-law's house enjoying family time, but really wishing I was at the baseball field watching my 8 year old son's All-Star team playing baseball in the state tournament.  However,  because of a monsoon that decided to hit Middle Tennessee in mid-July (which I really am thankful for because we needed the rain) we have not played a game in two days! YUCK!

Now, I am NOT worried ONE BIT about when I am going to get things done in my room.  I mean, really, kids DON'T come to school in less than 3 weeks, and I am NOT sitting 2 1/2 hours away from my room.  However, I know that family and friends will pull together if I need to and things will be wonderful!

I have been able to get a lot of work done on my classroom - just not IN my classroom - while I am sitting watching the monsoon happen.  I am excited about my classroom this year.  After my 9 year maternity leave, I am anxious to have my own room this year. Anxious . . . excited . . . nervous . . .you name it, I am probably feeling it.  I can't wait to share with you the progress the room has seen, but for now (since there has been no progress made IN the room), I will share with you what I have been creating for the room.

I am doing a chef/bakery theme in the classroom.  It was inspired by the Sisters and their CAFE book.  That is how I plan on doing my reading this year, so I thought it would be a cute yet "grown up" theme for the third graders that get to be in my room.

Check out my TPT store to see the calendar headings I have made as well as the calendar numbers I have made to go with them.  I am super excited about it and can't wait to show you pictures of them actually up on the board!!!!

Our Reading Christmas Tree

To say that our principal loves reading and wants all of our children to love reading is a MAJOR understatement!!!  She is doing wonderful things to encourage everyone in the school to read and to love reading.  For our Christmas PTO meeting, she decorated this Christmas tree with all of our favorite book characters.  I thought it was just precious!!!

Isn't she great!!!  I have a lot of trees in my house at Christmas and one day I want to have a tree like this - doubt it will happen, but, hey!  Here's hoping!!!

12 Days of Christmas GIVEAWAYS!!!

What a great Christmas present!!! Check it out and join in on the fun!!! I can't wait!  Check out Oh Boy 4th Grade for all the details!

SNOW (yes, not a typo) in November

What a surprise!!! Anytime we get snow in West Tennessee we are excited because it just does not happen a lot! However, when the weather forecast calls for 3-5 inches of snow on NOVEMBER 28 - that causes a lot of excitement.   We were not sure when (or if) it would come, but about 1:45 it came!!!! These pictures don't show a whole lot but by the time I left school - the ground was COVERED!!!

The kids LOVED being out in the snow for a little bit.  We took black construction paper to see if we could catch snowflakes to see the different patterns.

Even Ms. Jill and I LOVED being out in the snow!!!!  Who are the coolest (ha ha) teachers?

We shall see if we have school tomorrow . . . .

Veteran's Day Activities

Our principal is AWESOME to say the least.  She found this idea on Pinterest and all the classes participated after talking about Veteran's Day this year.  What a great way to honor the men and women who have served our country.

For our class activities, we watched the changing of the guards at Arlington Cemetery and President Obama leaving the wreath.  I had had the class bring in names and addresses of people in their family who had served our country.  In conjunction with letter writing that week, each child wrote at least one letter to a veteran thanking them for their service to our country.  We mailed the letters that next week.  I love teaching our children to love their country!!!

Flat Stanley

At the beginning of the year, the third grade classes read Flat Stanley. After we read the book, each child got their own Flat Stanley to color and send off to someone.  They also included a letter telling what we were doing. We have had a wonderful turn out from our Flat Stanley adventures.  In the third grade hall, we have a world map and a US map to show where all Stanley has been.  The kids look forward to seeing where Stanley has been and what he learned while he was there.  

Some college students took Stanley with them while they were in Europe for the semester.  Stanley got to visit all kinds of neat places while he was there.  He was even on ESPN at the Belgium/USA soccer match.  One child sent her Flat Stanley to Afghanistan with her uncle who is a soldier there.  Stanley even got to go to Antarctica!! 

We can't wait to see all the other places Stanley is going to go this year.