tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77097080542746903842024-02-06T18:05:53.263-08:00Learning to Teach in the RainAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-5515383503729828532015-08-02T08:06:00.000-07:002015-08-02T08:07:10.583-07:00Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's Back to School We Go!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzFfFyka353sdZFMQms1l9h72yt_QJc852rB_HELtzNHl2OchLxtH7G8ua9HigZ0xjzgMy-i7AtSFk4pmbfl60JOFtPNB3F4JhVAwCbHWgGNNXbs5AbBKfpMIUPhLkiGLb0zvhJsqhNcH/s1600/back+to+school+apple.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzFfFyka353sdZFMQms1l9h72yt_QJc852rB_HELtzNHl2OchLxtH7G8ua9HigZ0xjzgMy-i7AtSFk4pmbfl60JOFtPNB3F4JhVAwCbHWgGNNXbs5AbBKfpMIUPhLkiGLb0zvhJsqhNcH/s1600/back+to+school+apple.tiff" /></a></div>
That is really my fake-it-til-you-make-it mentality for work. Don't get me wrong. I am always excited to go back to school, but it's only the beginning of August. I don't actually go back for a couple of more weeks. I would just like a little bit more downtime before the fast forward button is pressed. But, as we all know, the preparation starts long before the start of school. As an aside, I was thinking how funny it is when Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Breaks all come, and 1-2 weeks seems like an eternity. Yet, when it's 1-2 weeks before the start of school, it feels like NOTHING! I guess that's relativity for you. Haha!<br />
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Anyway, as much or as little as we'd all like to think about it, it is time to think back-to-school. In fact, I know some of you are already there! I have done a little bit over the summer, but not nearly as much as I have the last few summers. Maybe it's because going into my fourth year of teaching as a seasoned veteran (bahahahaha), I am more guarded of that much-needed downtime.<br />
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My summer has been spent mostly focusing on my family. We had a 10-day vacation to see extended family in the New Orleans and Houston areas, and we coupled that with a few days on the beautiful white-sands beaches of the Emerald Coast in Florida. In between times, I have played tourist in my own city of San Antonio, visiting the Missions, seeing baseball games, touring museums, etc. It has been heavenly!<br />
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Now, I need to focus more on my classroom. I have another teaching assignment change this, although more minor than in year's past. I will still be fourth grade, but this year instead of being fully departmentalized, we will be teaming. I will be responsible for reading and writing, and my partner will teach math. We will both teach our own science and social studies. That itself is not much of a change since last year I was teaching writing and science/social studies. The biggest kicker is that my district is moving us to teaching reading by genre and pairing it with writing. Makes total sense! But, it is a change and something we all have to figure out. That has been my biggest challenge this summer... figuring out a structure for teaching reading by genre and gathering resources to do so.<br />
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<a href="http://www.creativityinthemodernclassroom.com/?p=1608"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXI83id6Z9bhem2nvwTCc3cYgC-bATKMuW0BrvgXIH2NCZaMU3-Uw9IZy6WodY_-_V1eMFDBFyKDQHso7o75AusRWBFXznNX9D8qFjGgKnF9wjfg10zIwPzmp-HIp0EREXWHIY5mgwiwh8/s320/TPT+Back+to+School+Resources+Link+Up+by+the+Wise+Guys+lead.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because I have been looking for resources, I am most grateful for the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich">Teachers Pay Teachers</a> site wide <b><span style="color: red;">Back to School sale August 3-4</span></b>!!!! I am also grateful to the <a href="http://www.creativityinthemodernclassroom.com/?p=1608">Wise Guys</a> for hosting a bomb-diggity linky party showcasing some awesome resources.<br />
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My Wish List is packed with resources, so I am ready to shop! If you are a TPTer, you know how awesome the sales are... most sellers put their stores on sale for 20% off, and TPT offers a Promo Code to get 10% more off, creating savings of up to 28%! So, fill up your Wish Lists and get ready to check out during the sale.<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>A word to the wise (and, unfortunately, I speak from experience here): don't forget to enter </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>BTS15 </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>at checkout. Doh! How could I have done that?!?!</b></span></div>
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Need some ideas of what to shop for? For me, back-to-school is about setting the tone for year and making sure all the procedures are in place for each subject. Check out my <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Workshop-Teacher-Toolbox-824818">Writing Workshop Teacher Toolbox</a> for all the basic forms you need to get started in Writing Workshop. Included are Mentor Text Chart, Baseline Sample Analysis Form, What Are We Working On Form, I'm Ready for a Conference sign-up sheet, Conferencing Form, and Comments from the Reader slips.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Workshop-Teacher-Toolbox-824818"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHfro_ljvUVUpvBaNRL3vgcBPtM0SOWq97m2IPHzJyhvIz13rdrXxwvjpySlUxXUh69u8YgHMYCetfQfueshW51Sr6ThEVU1xG9I4dhhX1CbXtd3yL_rFokaxxQZsvRFPSciBWY37EtX-/s320/WW+collage+image.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
Going along those lines of being prepared, make sure you have your Emergency Sub Plans for those unexpected days you have to be out. My emergency sub plans have been by-far my best-seller and have gotten lots of positive feedback from buyers.<br />
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I have two types: The <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich/Category/Just-Add-Paper">Just Add Paper</a> plans that little to no prep...just have a grade-appropriate picture book and paper available for your sub. These are in my store for grades K-5 and will save you added stress of needing something quick and easy to leave for your sub.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich/Category/Just-Add-Paper"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmoUZE0giuMYdps8buVssHgu2VsvL6SFva-mEOB8sAWsE_T4x4oS9Wh6-UHm1RZhlDfPmD5rkumvNetcm7jEhLEFaS5juGTTOjl0wvHc72tiagdyoBKLVex480Z7_7Wm372DL9zY726gC/s320/Just+Add+Paper+5+collage.tiff" width="320" /></a></div>
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And I have the <a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich/Category/CCSS-Emergency-Sub-Plans">CCSS-aligned plans</a>. These need slightly more prep. They are based on a specific picture book and come with ideas and printables for a day's worth of teaching. They are available for grades K-4.<br />
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<a href="https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich/Category/CCSS-Emergency-Sub-Plans"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6mbEN1Y8yf34yoglHPwOFH1JPRuNIsl24Wl1ifAt5UuBiGtQ2EjsqSpNUA8CJ8ubtzOGAnAQuKrh2fb0pgUcatWnaujs1-Y-F0Q1bMdJyv1U_HvuCjNIeIY4lWd_cCFG4JPJvR3nSS7o/s320/3rd+collage.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-44577262150955061592014-11-18T18:21:00.000-08:002014-11-18T18:21:15.123-08:00Writing Kiosks UnveiledI am having such conflicted feelings this week. First, holy bagumba! (Have you read <u>Flora and Ulysses</u> by Kate DiCamillo? If not, do it!) I can't believe it's already almost Thanksgiving Break! And second, holy bagumba! Why isn't it Thanksgiving Break already?! Ha! Seriously, though. I really do need a break. It has been a fantastically and amazingly challenging year so far. So many things are going well, and yet, so many things are extra difficult. I guess that's the way it goes.<br />
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This week I had one of the successful experiences, so I thought I would share. I have posted about the idea of <a href="http://learningtoteachintherain.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-new-twist-on-literacy-stations.html">writing kiosks before</a>, but this is a post about my actual kiosks and how I use them. Now, they are nothing pretty, but I can tell you that all 60 of my students find them engaging.<br />
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Here is what they look like:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvpF2PaFrVgHtccrOYxyQ8O9FEXEvDlkEKTshYkvqfIBWW8_tUTUcfzCCEcZw7TlKEXS0kGhDiTdTsh0wFPXhJn7M94Mkc6aaDy7wcGW2nFmaEU5r00hvaBjaHGTnB63Rpr4xn7Ywe30Q/s1600/photo+1-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvpF2PaFrVgHtccrOYxyQ8O9FEXEvDlkEKTshYkvqfIBWW8_tUTUcfzCCEcZw7TlKEXS0kGhDiTdTsh0wFPXhJn7M94Mkc6aaDy7wcGW2nFmaEU5r00hvaBjaHGTnB63Rpr4xn7Ywe30Q/s1600/photo+1-2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZXUd8Wq5y8lmknH8rFpfia0HTDvIwEWSFDZsT5AwBquXwervpCOGpRJQoKssk5AttKEkrruQ9V41-6qG6HDzwKSfMRQNE5SHZQ5Z207erczgsZEeg6kxtfCgKO50QnTT4-7vGkfxoubq/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZXUd8Wq5y8lmknH8rFpfia0HTDvIwEWSFDZsT5AwBquXwervpCOGpRJQoKssk5AttKEkrruQ9V41-6qG6HDzwKSfMRQNE5SHZQ5Z207erczgsZEeg6kxtfCgKO50QnTT4-7vGkfxoubq/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkA9C-4VK7QeB-d1EI-F1pStMRVHIeGUWt-quRepkn8r7Dn4j6XD-sd2dus_ZOXVbWC79FriTzAq8F8BYExZ6QAjl0PVSmxHMAL5jX24zP0YERuUi7UCKo4gqZe8MCOPFLgBDWLib-Mnzb/s1600/photo+2-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkA9C-4VK7QeB-d1EI-F1pStMRVHIeGUWt-quRepkn8r7Dn4j6XD-sd2dus_ZOXVbWC79FriTzAq8F8BYExZ6QAjl0PVSmxHMAL5jX24zP0YERuUi7UCKo4gqZe8MCOPFLgBDWLib-Mnzb/s1600/photo+2-2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1mCcFQsljaqXyRil0-NOug6EWFA56jmutvZ_FyPw4lXZbSV9XiQrHVEFEF-xNiOGj17ZEGuiOp5JMzzwWCxWa0_nstPb1iUa1stozSxnWmKOb6Tp9BhJPIUg-zYODX2TNTVEePxLd3ML/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1mCcFQsljaqXyRil0-NOug6EWFA56jmutvZ_FyPw4lXZbSV9XiQrHVEFEF-xNiOGj17ZEGuiOp5JMzzwWCxWa0_nstPb1iUa1stozSxnWmKOb6Tp9BhJPIUg-zYODX2TNTVEePxLd3ML/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvSgkt-epATpxv7HDEjkvtWTHif0xoHWOXuL95g1kN6Ea2bjLhAdDcVEBFlQxPbURaGKoMukB87gi1XwRWuZmVu8xsXwSjwBzdA8u62BzhOi7OBmEjF58PBk3keWsnGDRg68LDGU5k-Dt/s1600/photo+3-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUvSgkt-epATpxv7HDEjkvtWTHif0xoHWOXuL95g1kN6Ea2bjLhAdDcVEBFlQxPbURaGKoMukB87gi1XwRWuZmVu8xsXwSjwBzdA8u62BzhOi7OBmEjF58PBk3keWsnGDRg68LDGU5k-Dt/s1600/photo+3-2.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhea1dXsagn-EhhZb3Srr1jUqabPn4TpIRZfNlnJAzv4bPZbi6GRXJ2R_YgJ-gFPYrDcbqVhXKLqy-AiZgTsRLjrrx-ywKGmJb0_9VN9MLtxdyCHvwlsyR7-TG9vSBaNF8zYd78bpKj4e2u/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhea1dXsagn-EhhZb3Srr1jUqabPn4TpIRZfNlnJAzv4bPZbi6GRXJ2R_YgJ-gFPYrDcbqVhXKLqy-AiZgTsRLjrrx-ywKGmJb0_9VN9MLtxdyCHvwlsyR7-TG9vSBaNF8zYd78bpKj4e2u/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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They are made from tri-fold presentation boards cut into thirds. The side pockets are just card stock taped on the edges with clear packing tape. In the middle goes the title and reference material. In the side pockets are various ways to practice the targeted skill. I use materials I either make myself or find from the awesome teachers on Teachers Pay Teachers. I use everything from task cards to photos to the students' own writing in the practice.<br />
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First of all, there has been direct instruction in the form of mini-lessons on every topic. Writing kiosks are NOT for teaching new material. They are for practicing targeted skills, because we all know that practice makes perfect...or at least better writers.<br />
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As I unveiled the kiosks to the sounds of oohs and ahhs (seriously, you'd have thought fireworks were going off in the classroom), I made sure to set clear expectations. I had already put students into groups of 2-4 and assigned them a starting kiosk. My set of expectations looks something like this:<br />
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1. Stay in your assigned kiosk.<br />
2. Complete the activity at your kiosk.<br />
3. Voice level at a 1 or 2.<br />
4. If you finish the activity early, work on your own writing.<br />
5. Turn in your kiosk work to your class tray.<br />
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I went over the expectations, told the students their starting kiosk, and was ready to monitor and redirect like crazy. But something pretty amazing happened. It was nearly silent. EVERY student (and I do mean every student...even that really reluctant one) was in their assigned kiosk and working intently on an activity. There were a few questions here and there, but lots of excellent practice was happening. The activities I have included in these are designed to take about 20 minutes to complete, so we did 20 minute rotations.<br />
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Now, the students are asking to do them again and again. We will be doing kiosk this whole week so everyone can get to all the kiosks. But they will certainly make additional appearances throughout the rest of the year. I will change up topics and activities as needed, but I do believe we have discovered a successful strategy! And for that, I am truly thankful.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-47853197595768477812014-08-07T13:48:00.001-07:002014-08-07T13:48:24.756-07:00Creating an Author's Chair Students Will Want to Sit On<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Author's Chair is such an important part of Writing Workshop, and it is a part that I always find myself skipping for time purposes. Well, I am vowing to turn over a new leaf this year! And to help me stick to my guns, I created a new Author's Chair for my classroom.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaNsTyjM3mdyxGWE4gYzB3lykcGDRNTZ73ofo2v0LSu6d6glo5kf411wQRptaYDnUuLqYTLrNY9JwGu7sr-orbNIwDqyJky-_UliN7_JmHuqFJVPVCz97Qowted-P25KxZy7ATITk2kBA/s1600/IMG_3338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaNsTyjM3mdyxGWE4gYzB3lykcGDRNTZ73ofo2v0LSu6d6glo5kf411wQRptaYDnUuLqYTLrNY9JwGu7sr-orbNIwDqyJky-_UliN7_JmHuqFJVPVCz97Qowted-P25KxZy7ATITk2kBA/s1600/IMG_3338.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It was so much fun to research and make... and I think it will be just as fun to use... for both me and my students.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">First, I started with an old stool that my children had stained from their artistic endeavors. But any stool will do. This one is wooden, but I am sure with a different type of paint, you could probably even use a metal one. I also gathered my supplies. I used craft paint from Michael's because it was so much cheaper, and it didn't take much (there is still some left in the bottle), but you could also use paint from a home improvement store. I needed Mod Podge, some ribbon, paint pens, and a fine-grade sandpaper.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-9caoPNQ8oEisHKfx1fB0wwetPsHMcSXKvv0eZ9g1j4I1Fw2G32AgzDDW-GSYUMHlCNz71QSt0f1TVPgX4-W-VYUP8JEYNTsetiuR60FNAMcpRImY39_mX9BEfHiqkBisqoEyChBcIJa/s1600/IMG_3330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-9caoPNQ8oEisHKfx1fB0wwetPsHMcSXKvv0eZ9g1j4I1Fw2G32AgzDDW-GSYUMHlCNz71QSt0f1TVPgX4-W-VYUP8JEYNTsetiuR60FNAMcpRImY39_mX9BEfHiqkBisqoEyChBcIJa/s1600/IMG_3330.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2_w3rOXRw9AKpRXHy30spdpLmhPB7yrN776SLgQOMBH5Qb18S_NhJY6Z_zY5Rynh7y8JLKNsFey6Dr5FFlk4BJ8ZKEHhPlzR3TDU8c2_IixEVjX0PdhYSINUfjmHmGgwP5OaUe5VC1J2/s1600/IMG_3336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2_w3rOXRw9AKpRXHy30spdpLmhPB7yrN776SLgQOMBH5Qb18S_NhJY6Z_zY5Rynh7y8JLKNsFey6Dr5FFlk4BJ8ZKEHhPlzR3TDU8c2_IixEVjX0PdhYSINUfjmHmGgwP5OaUe5VC1J2/s1600/IMG_3336.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I lightly sanded the stool, wiped it down, and then started the coats of paint. I put on three coats to get it the color I wanted with no streaks.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDE7-hjLS4SQpMy6h8sCl0CuJaSPer9UqRB3GMpuzpckPsbHriUCmYm9bkviD7QYRZxBDwMtwjp8zZTUwsSm2GEP7ZTkdcnb-tuikLhQQLOAbXxJTPFGq-IXnQ_RMkFjybmu6Ggib-S6T/s1600/IMG_3333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDE7-hjLS4SQpMy6h8sCl0CuJaSPer9UqRB3GMpuzpckPsbHriUCmYm9bkviD7QYRZxBDwMtwjp8zZTUwsSm2GEP7ZTkdcnb-tuikLhQQLOAbXxJTPFGq-IXnQ_RMkFjybmu6Ggib-S6T/s1600/IMG_3333.jpg" height="320" width="225" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Once all that was dry, I could Mod Podge the top. I created the Author's Chair sign on the computer, printed it out, and carefully cut it out. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The words on the stool, I wrote in paint pen. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then I just followed the directions on the Mod Podge bottle for application. I ended up putting 10 coats of Mod Podge on the top and around the rim of the stool. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSUc-uBa_BvL9esshMy1IOkxQup6BGpNAFO7Zq94ZqhRHy3JYQij-DZ5gn7PgLs2ZDvDH-khkp9CAKFPHAuCNHYkyWB4qirxW6OadrUL_0qdAdWZ8I5n99zkxXQZBHxkLhpuqMaU8FTgw/s1600/IMG_3335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSUc-uBa_BvL9esshMy1IOkxQup6BGpNAFO7Zq94ZqhRHy3JYQij-DZ5gn7PgLs2ZDvDH-khkp9CAKFPHAuCNHYkyWB4qirxW6OadrUL_0qdAdWZ8I5n99zkxXQZBHxkLhpuqMaU8FTgw/s1600/IMG_3335.JPG" height="306" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">All the words are quotes about writing from authors. I chose to do them in different colors and write them around the top, down the legs, and on the rungs. These are the quotes I used:</span><br />
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Make the words yours. If your eyes could speak, what would they say?" ~<u>The Book Thief</u> by Marcus Zusak</span></div>
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<tt><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Writing is
seeing. It is paying attention." ~Kate DiCamillo<o:p></o:p></span></tt></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tt><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Write it so that
people can hear it, and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the
heart." ~Maya Angelou<o:p></o:p></span></tt></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tt><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"I can shake off
everything. As I write, my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn." ~Anne Frank<o:p></o:p></span></tt></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tt><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Look in your
heart and write." ~Unknown<o:p></o:p></span></tt></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tt><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"We all have a
story to tell." ~Unknown<o:p></o:p></span></tt></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tt><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Writing is the
painting of the voice." ~Voltaire<o:p></o:p></span></tt></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tt><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Writing is easy.
All you have to do is cross out the wrong words." ~Mark Twain<o:p></o:p></span></tt></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"It doesn't really matter what you write, but you
must keep up practice." ~Rick Riordan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #202020;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"There’s always room for a story that
can transport people to another place." ~J.K. Rowling<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"I like to think of myself as a storyteller." ~Kate DiCamillo<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"READ! READ! READ! and WRITE! WRITE! WRITE!" ~Jack Prelutsky</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"The storyteller in me asks: what if? And when I try to answer that, a story begins." ~Jane Yolen</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And the final Author's Chair looks like this. I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaNsTyjM3mdyxGWE4gYzB3lykcGDRNTZ73ofo2v0LSu6d6glo5kf411wQRptaYDnUuLqYTLrNY9JwGu7sr-orbNIwDqyJky-_UliN7_JmHuqFJVPVCz97Qowted-P25KxZy7ATITk2kBA/s1600/IMG_3338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaNsTyjM3mdyxGWE4gYzB3lykcGDRNTZ73ofo2v0LSu6d6glo5kf411wQRptaYDnUuLqYTLrNY9JwGu7sr-orbNIwDqyJky-_UliN7_JmHuqFJVPVCz97Qowted-P25KxZy7ATITk2kBA/s1600/IMG_3338.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkytixUMCbvEtyFH059-9kAK2vtR5SsBrHISj2zKUXd_CCbYBhYgVB6nuAmGyGFVpNf5v3DmLmniAQbM87fZtGV-Ngu10sx7r_MeiANL1DisSux5OmUt3eP_8mafuItROEg9n4e1xwAa-/s1600/IMG_3339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirkytixUMCbvEtyFH059-9kAK2vtR5SsBrHISj2zKUXd_CCbYBhYgVB6nuAmGyGFVpNf5v3DmLmniAQbM87fZtGV-Ngu10sx7r_MeiANL1DisSux5OmUt3eP_8mafuItROEg9n4e1xwAa-/s1600/IMG_3339.jpg" height="320" width="193" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Moving on to what the Author's Chair will be used for, I created a freebie with some Response Stems. I find that students never know quite how to respond to what is shared from the Author's Chair, so I created these that will become an anchor chart in my classroom and be glued in their writer's notebooks as a guide to help scaffold their learning. You can find the link to my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Authors-Chair-Response-Stems-1379195">Author's Chair Response Stems here</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Authors-Chair-Response-Stems-1379195"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb684-oRxse5ObFXFReBXJuSBMrO7plGhQr1j-M35dN7yQL-qwnBfol0QHkfI2Z99xGY5NO10u1-dFXBlgq_vSPlgmGhXdKMevSbVsNhKhoFJO4LDNXl46oobjSFK7eTZ3ylyq8lzYu7DE/s1600/Author's+Chair+response+stems.tiff" height="320" width="243" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-38266224421355013742014-08-03T08:35:00.000-07:002014-08-03T08:35:04.231-07:00Back to School Sale Time!My wish list has been loaded for a while. And now I am ready to stock up on the Teachers Pay Teachers Products I need for the school year (or at least the beginning of the school year). The TpT Annual Back to School Sale is always one of the biggest of the year. Most sellers, including nearly all of the top sellers, participate by putting their whole stores on sale 20% off. And then on top of that, TpT allows you to enter the code BTS14 at checkout to get an additional 10% off... which adds up to 28% off on so many fantastic teaching products.<br />
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Some of you may already know that I got my start in blogging with <a href="http://subhubonline.blogspot.com/">Sub Hub</a>. I had an extremely hard time finding a full-time teaching position, and so subbed in K-5 classrooms for four years. In those years, I learned a lot about what teachers and subs need, so I launched several lines of sub plans. And even though I don't really post on Sub Hub anymore since getting my full-time fourth grade position, those sub plans continue to be by far my most popular products.<br />
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First, there is the line I have of <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich/Category/CCSS-Emergency-Sub-Plans">emergency sub plans aligned with CCSS</a>. All these plans are based on a picture book and have lessons for warm-up, reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies. They are available for grades K-4.<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich/Category/CCSS-Emergency-Sub-Plans"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgRs4UzDNi3wXGiuZqRXUIiPmX2xMw6NpG_XPSPVQkpq79XrUI53ImdhMKbdnaoBUJd3aGY_SpTCxy1uZyrWG60oAo1UM000Qu6wRizT982DROuZ9ihmV0id3pFffTkP4tL3pDlGEC2TJ/s1600/3rd+collage.png" height="249" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then, there is the <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich/Category/Just-Add-Paper">Just Add Paper line</a>. These are for those true emergencies. Then also have lessons for warm-up, reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies. They are also based on picture books. And they are available for grade K-5 and as a bundle for subs to have in case no plans are provided. The difference with these is that they are much more generic. You get to pick the picture book you use, so it can be anything you have available in your classroom. And there are no copies to make at all. You just need to add paper. There are lessons to write, draw graphic organizers, make foldables, and make other manipulatives. They are not meant to be comprehensive or in-depth lessons. They are meant to make the most out of a bad situation... when you are not physically able to write any sort of a lesson plan. These plans will let you salvage something out of the day, and at least do some educational activities.<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich/Category/Just-Add-Paper"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADlAi41CzZS9hTS-fkS01VJYqQFOs6P6Hu4RjGlk_J0hIS7nUkpr5Di9oNPwYPytkcPtbevP73ZjJZF0At1wT0u_0hPIYdg1T18xLARyJS8IGGwgoIHq2M5Gfti2XxkyKWaocgKj5O3co/s1600/Just+Add+Paper+4+jpg.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
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Both these lines, along with everything else in my store will be on sale Monday and Tuesday (August 4-5). You can see lots of other stores and products on sale by visiting this <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/rachelfriedrich/tpt-back-to-school-sale-2014/">Pinterest board</a> I am hosting specifically for the sale.<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/rachelfriedrich/tpt-back-to-school-sale-2014/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGhXLTXrSKL83nON639PuofbQcZXbtecdYIuuxGTSm4y8_Gh7vBKVt2qjl0mmStGd3kIVPXVdkomDETbrExbXyPLTmMc1_743Fv8U7PaGO2D-uijft_B8cnwYJghDXNltC1Tm6iYdcC13/s1600/10458111_10106907184728324_7537632281348660821_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Or visit these linky parties to find other amazing resources. What did teachers ever do before Teachers Pay Teachers? Ha! I know I have been a tremendously better teacher because of the products available on TpT.<br />
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<a href="http://www.elementarymatters.com/2014/07/lets-have-some-fun.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMb0ESkSinwzot3W2Gna6eKf43cAj6i7eU1-9u4vIU3unBN74H7U6VgKlwkImwPN7ceA4zfjaG29R76-iDoLGKP4nQME72YGZ8FzvWY-4qRQpG5z4jaCfSlL5MEPrKNKZW6zTsvu6nhqY/s1600/0012.jpg" height="270" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://imbloghoppin.blogspot.com/2014/08/back-to-school-sale-2014-linky-party.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqas7LeZ3mn0Ee3ZuxXQnuhBoZBWVa7qQxsc3Ut7-7XmnBVo9GqdoaWvWfDAFcq1u9yv7VBgNCizxn7cFG-VAFalngKbMHrD0NGB1H9UeFAymd17EdatypPolsB4VSP71R3HbjuBL2fMzq/s1600/BH1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://teachertothecore.blogspot.com/p/blog-hop.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYXSUfi-zXKshXRinUxQEzHEi5CpDiHGrvnw-b0P5tRvw5uwPmRexMVN6p3RN0PBlO62antEDx927gG96rcpVmW5XxdX4zpdaPXGqWAn8Edymyv0wDcBmfcNJaAb0FnC9ceKxRznGQKaU/s1600/teachertothecorebutton_zpsbe305128.png~original.png" /></a></div>
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So, happy shopping, and make this the best school year yet!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-5619938518481977452014-07-31T16:49:00.002-07:002014-07-31T16:49:55.284-07:00Let's Have Some Fun LinkyThe start of the year can be a scary time for most teachers, me included. There are so many details to remember. And so many things to be unpacked. And so much organization. And then there's all the inservice meetings. Whoa! I might be hyperventilating a little. Time to slow down and remember why we do this teaching thing in the first place.<br />
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For me, the number one reason I love to teach is that it is FUN! There is not a day that goes by that those little stinkers don't make me smile and laugh. This is why I am linking with <a href="http://www.elementarymatters.com/2014/07/lets-have-some-fun.html">Elementary Matters</a> in her Let's Have Some Fun link party.<br />
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<a href="http://www.elementarymatters.com/2014/07/lets-have-some-fun.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXCVM_Q8CMV7x2xEX5Y0Mar2qVr601nCHH24ELRfKmYfnHARFGnykvqrFpSYYr9t-HPLYq0xb9f3VhkCErapBMlZy1y5jVlRMNA-ofdzpfwvRmbf7etPrIJmjH_MyQqw77gcS3de2s7CA/s1600/0012.jpg" height="270" width="320" /></a></div>
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First, I have to share a funny story. Well, I have so many, it's hard to choose. One that stands out the most is from when I was a substitute. On this day I was subbing in a a fifth grade room. I arrived at the classroom a little early, but there was already a student sitting dutifully in the hallway where she was supposed to wait. I politely smiled at her, said good morning, and went in to prepare.<br />
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I was reading through the lesson plans when I heard through the closed door. "We have a really weird sub today! I mean...really weird! She smiles A LOT!"<br />
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Well, of course I couldn't let this golden opportunity pass by without a little razzing. I opened the door and gave her my best "sub look" while I said, "Weird sub, huh?" And then I closed the door.<br />
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It was quiet for a minute, and then I hear, "Be careful what you think! This sub reads minds!"<br />
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Bahahahahaha!!!! Oh, the innocence and naiveté of sweet little fifth graders.<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Monthly-Writing-Packet-August-272349"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTA6ymmJ9yrEsG3BnRa0bcI0tgTWj3hu5OdJpPEXq1dQhaL6Iz80BouF2i7L6GzrUrN5ltgMzqWkGZyWV-Zz4TSdZXO9bUpY4goRZn5hXMGM-n1X2CuT7glpxPk7JFMieN3tKuDoFO1kl/s1600/original-272349-1.jpg" height="320" width="243" /></a></div>
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And now for my fun lesson. It involves my <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Monthly-Writing-Packet-August-272349">Monthly Writing Packets</a>. I have them for the first few months of school, and hope to have the rest of the school year finished soon. These packets include interesting journal prompts, fun writing prompts that you can take to publishing, writing picture prompts, and even a literature-based writing activity.<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Monthly-Writing-Packet-August-272349"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkgMQQxxCveshjC6bCQfDcyC3yfyrm3wPKCXft7SIcWhSu70ZpfVPWz0ofxeE6Xif7eOgbjYqzYKXc4nz98MKaJaEn2DKVUw4PSwC5nHtW7Vbi-9xcpvdKWzswWjT8zzmfAoCkpdogwQQ/s1600/august+collage.png" height="266" width="320" /></a></div>
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For the August packet, the literature-based writing activity comes from one of my favorite books to read at the beginning of the year, <u>Do Unto Otters</u> by Laurie Keller.<br />
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Writing is fun when we make it so! And this and all my other resources are on sale for the big Teachers Pay Teachers Back to School sale Aug. 4-5. <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich">My store</a> will be 20% off, and you can enter BTS14 at checkout to get additional savings. Check it out!<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmD990mNiBcz0bpyYmqHj13iw6QV0_oIb6beEBqgerTA3g8Hj_52QfWCnh5R_R8ugDNRjgUtI1Q8Ojai0I8jABdTRDNs-E7pm1J6bWZ8z8uSGLLXE43EFemESgDshLKKPYWGatTqUo3oGe/s1600/10458111_10106907184728324_7537632281348660821_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-34542963913614138642014-07-10T08:31:00.000-07:002014-07-10T08:31:03.824-07:00So Many Anchor Charts, So Little Space<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGpei7Zl4Fh3AfRepHWmYbleO2FAftEjsGsC7lJuO-AiQ3AAoT-eZZqRkLdaqE06ZXCKpS6JBsnf3-2_dB3KrMl493_VG7y5ldenRjycjYhj_lZN49kJ-RNB8Jj9JDUOSU7UoU4qMK8zA/s1600/IMG_3089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGpei7Zl4Fh3AfRepHWmYbleO2FAftEjsGsC7lJuO-AiQ3AAoT-eZZqRkLdaqE06ZXCKpS6JBsnf3-2_dB3KrMl493_VG7y5ldenRjycjYhj_lZN49kJ-RNB8Jj9JDUOSU7UoU4qMK8zA/s1600/IMG_3089.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Especially when the fire marshall tells you such a small percentage of your walls can be covered in paper. I have gone back and forth with what to do with the anchor charts I produce with my class. After a while, I swear they start to mate and multiply. How do you end up with so many? And how can students continue to take advantage of those resources you worked so hard to make?<br />
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I have seen and heard some pretty brilliant ideas on Pinterest and from other teachers. Ideas such as hanging them from chart stands or clothes racks so students can flip through, taking photos of them them and putting them in binders, or hanging them on rings from the wall. I need a way to have them accessible without having them on the wall (to make Mr. Fire Marshall happy). Plus, taking up as little space as possible is always a plus.<br />
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So, this is the idea I am going to try this year: THINK SMALL! I know, it's not what is usually said. But, I have decided to think outside the box of anchor charts. Who says they have to be made on giant chart paper? Are the anchor chart gods going to smite me if I go small?<br />
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Instead of creating them on chart paper and trying to figure out what to do with it, I am going to go small and utilize technology. I will create those charts on plain 8 1/2 x 11 paper, projecting it as I create it using my Elmo. Now, I can even use different colors or patterns of paper. Oh my! The creative possibilities are endless! Of course, this only works if you have access to a document camera, which I do. If you don't have one, you might want to look into grants or other possibilities to get one. Mine has become an invaluable teaching tool in my classroom.<br />
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Now, I will have created an anchor chart just the right size to slip into a sheet protector in a binder. I can organize them into different binders, or use dividers in one binder. I can even make black and white copies of each anchor chart to put in the same sheet protector in case multiple student need to reference the same anchor chart at once.<br />
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This year, I will be teaching three sections of fourth grade writing, plus one science/social studies, so most of my anchor charts will be writing. I plan to break them down into binders based on lesson topic, such as Writing Ideas, Grammar/Spelling, Revising Strategies, Prewriting Strategies, Editing Techniques, and Beginnings/Endings. I plan to keep the binders on a shelf alongside the mentor texts we use for each genre as well as dictionaries, thesauruses, and rhyming dictionaries. Then all the writing reference material will be in one spot.<br />
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A spin-off idea might be copying, shrinking, and laminating the charts. Then using binder rings to make a set for each table group. That would take a lot more work though. I think I will start with the create-through-projection-to-organized-binder idea, and direct students to the binders when they need resources.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-88379137257177005162014-07-06T12:22:00.001-07:002014-07-06T12:22:20.712-07:00DIY: Make a Cool Book Setting Sign for Your ClassroomI have been inspired by signs like this for several years and vowed to have one in my classroom.<br />
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Finally, I made my own... and one that would work with the beach theme in my classroom. Want to know how?<br />
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First, I set out to brainstorm the locations I wanted on my sign. I scoured Pinterest and then Googled until I could Google no more. I also sought out the help of my friends through Facebook. And when I got stuck, I thought of my and my students' favorite books, and if they were set in identifiable places.<br />
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Next, I went about trying to figure out what materials to use. To go with my beach theme, a pole was pretty easy. I immediately thought of bamboo, which was easy to find in the gardening section at Lowe's. But what would the signs be made of? My inspiration pictures, and actual signs like this, are made from driftwood or broken pieces of wood. That's not so easy to find, at least where I live. Finally, after walking around Lowe's for a while, I came upon shims. If you don't know (and I didn't), shims are pieces of tapered wood that carpenters use to fill in gaps or make pieces level. Anyway, they were cheap, so I thought I would try to work with them. But, I hated that they were just a light wood color. I wanted them to look weathered... like driftwood. I thought, it's wood, so why not stain? And lo and behold, there is a stain that is driftwood colored! I was all set. All the materials cost me less than $20.<br />
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My first step of actually making the sign was to stain the shims. This was a very quick and easy process. I just rubbed the stain on both sides with a cloth. Just make sure to work in a ventilated area. It took them a couple of hours to dry.<br />
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Next, I gathered up some colors of acrylic paints I just had, but you could use any sort of thick, colored paint. I would not imagine watercolors would at all. I got my children to help me paint, choosing a variety of colors and printing styles so that they looked mismatched. They took an hour or so to dry.<br />
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Finally, I nailed them to the bamboo using small finishing nails. I made sure to mount them all caddywampus (one of my favorite words) to make it look more like the inspiration. Just a word to the wise: if you do use bamboo, it is VERY difficult to nail into. That was the hardest part of the process for me. But, TA DA!!!!! I now have a totally cute sign to put in my classroom. My hope is that the students ask about settings they don't know, and that might lead them to other books to love.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-20214190085877500852014-03-12T10:32:00.001-07:002014-03-12T10:32:32.491-07:00Sub Binder for Life's EmergenciesI am pretty embarrassed about this confession: I haven't had a sub binder until just now. For some of you that may not seem like such a deep, dark secret, but those of you who have been following me over my blogging career, know just how earth-shattering that is. You see, I was (am still am) Sub Hub and blogged all the time about being prepared for a sub. I even sell two different lines of emergency sub plans in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. But did I use either one of them? No (hanging my head in shame). Just file that one under the "do as I say, not as I do" category.<br />
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This Spring Break, I decided to remedy that and show you all just how easy it was to get things in order. Now, I used a couple of my own products, but you can use whatever you like and works for you. The two I used were: <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Just-Add-Paper-Fourth-Grade-Emergency-Sub-Plans-173791">Just Add Paper: Fourth Grade</a> (and I have these plans for K-5) and <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sub-Forms-for-Teachers-297549">Sub Forms for Teachers</a> (and I only used the pages that worked for my school).<br />
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First, I filled out the Sub Forms for Teachers with information for my class this year and printed those out.<br />
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Then, I printed out multiple copies of the Daily Summary Form that is also in the Sub Forms for Teachers.<br />
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Next, I went to my gradebook and printed several copies of my class attendance list.<br />
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I also printed out the Just Add Paper: Fourth Grade Emergency Sub Plans.<br />
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Finally, I put them all in a binder with a cute cover and dividers.<br />
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This will be somewhere in my classroom that is easily accessible, so if there is an emergency, a sub will at least have some basic information and some things to get started, if not get through the whole day. All they need to add to this is a picture book (which there are numerous choices in my classroom library) and paper (which is out in a visible location in my classroom).<br />
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Of course, best case scenario is to write up sub plans continuing your scope and sequence, and I will continue to do that if at all possible (even if it's in the middle of the night). But now, I have some peace of mind that if something were to happen and I couldn't write plans in the middle of the night and email them to my awesome teammates, that my classroom and students would still be taken care of.<br />
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So now you can "do as I do" as well as "do what I say" and always be prepared for life's emergencies.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-66212695596340174252014-02-23T09:07:00.001-08:002014-02-23T09:07:27.646-08:00A New Twist on Literacy StationsDon't you just love when you get to go to a conference and you are presented with so many excellent ideas, you don't even know which one to do first? Me too! It makes me feel so inspired and rejuvenated (which I know we all need this time of year).<br />
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I had the opportunity to attend the Abydos Writing Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Abydos is the Texas version of the New Jersey Writing Project. I got so many ideas (and I promise I will share others), but the one that was my true a-ha! moment of the conference, the one that is just hands-down brilliant, was the concept of the Reading and Writing Kiosk presented by super genius teachers from Donna ISD, Sylvia Vela and Maritza Park (who also credit Dr. Joyce Carroll in giving them ideas to get the ball rolling). Since these are not my ideas, copyright prevents me from just recreating blackline masters to distribute to you. However, I am happy to share photos I have taken so you can recreate them in your classroom.<br />
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A kiosk is essentially a portable, targeted, skill-based literacy station (although I see no reason you couldn't do them for math, science, and social studies as well). The presenters had theirs created on trifold poster boards, but the samples they gave us were made from two file folders glues together. I am toying with the idea of making mine on trifolds, but cut down so they are not so big and bulky to store.<br />
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So, instead of your more general literacy stations, you have kiosks that each focus on a skill you have already taught. It is important that it be something the student can practice independently or with help from a partner. The kiosk has two basic parts: the anchored reference information that students may need to remind them how to complete the practices, and the actual practice parts. Most of the kiosks we saw had two or three practices for the targeted skill.<br />
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The teacher's role is that you assign specific kiosks to specific students depending on what skills they struggle with. The possibilities for skills on kiosks are endless...you choose based on what your standards are, what you have taught, and what your students need to practice. These are three that the Donna ISD ladies shared with the attendees, and that I will share with you.<br />
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The first kiosk they shared was for Inferencing. What student at any grade level doesn't need practice with inferencing? Here are photos of the anchored reference parts (obviously this would change based on your grade level and standards and your strategies for teaching the skill):<br />
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The practice parts on the inferencing kiosk really focused on images, but you could also do passages or even something they had been reading in class. One side had them look at an image, glue it down and complete an OWI chart (as seen in the references). The other side had them look at an advertisement and complete a sheet making inferences.<br />
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The second kiosk shared was on Hexagonal Writing. Hexagonal Writing is a strategy devised by Dr. Joyce Carroll, who heads up Abydos. This strategy alone is brilliant to get students thinking more deeply about their reading...and the strategy double dips as a prewriting strategy. In this strategy, students think about six comprehension sections after reading a piece: plot summary, personal allusions, theme, analyze (for literary devices), literary allusions, and evaluation. Students can complete this after reading any material...even a short poem. Again, this should only be a kiosk AFTER you have taught students about Hexagonal Writing, explaining all the parts. Here are the anchored references in the kiosk:<br />
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The activities in this example, were based on poetry. The poem was included in the pockets, and then materials would be available for students to complete the hexagon. And as shown in the "Oranges" example, it doesn't have to be a true hexagon. It could be theme-based.<br />
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The last one the Donna ladies share was on Transitions for Writing. The writing kiosks had a slightly different format. Yes, they still had the anchored reference material, but the practices were always in three parts: Find It in My Reading, Find It in My Writing, and Revising and Editing. The Find It in My Reading was based on a reading passage, and you could have students highlight what they are looking for or even color code the different types. In Find It in My Writing, students use a piece of their own writing to look for the skills (and add it in if it is missing). And finally, in Revising and Editing, students look at another student's piece of writing and look for the skill in their. Again, they could highlight, color code, or even cut apart the writing and put it back together using the skill practiced.<br />
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My jaw was on the floor the whole time during these presentations. My brain was spinning out of control thinking of the possibilities. The Donna ISD ladies cited that this kiosk strategy has improved their reading and writing scores tremendously... not to mention made their students better readers and writers!<br />
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I have two more weeks until Spring Break. I know over those next two weeks, I will be really honing in on what exact skills my students are missing...and then over Spring Break, I will be a kiosk-making fool!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-14737093059767608672014-02-15T14:51:00.001-08:002014-02-15T14:51:35.912-08:00Feeling the Love......that I survived this week. This time of year the drama among fourth graders is reeling out of control. Top that off with a reading benchmark test, flu running rampant through the school, Jump Rope for Heart, Valentine's Day, and a full moon, and you have nothing but pandemonium! Somehow, I made it through the madness and even had some fun along the way.<br />
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The Valentine's Day party was really my highlight. I had asked in a group of teacher-bloggers who had ideas for a class party that was meaningful, fun, and low-key, and Tonya Roller of <a href="http://tonyastreatsforteachers.blogspot.com/2013/02/valentines-day-project-they-loved-it.html">Tonya's Treats for Teachers</a> came to the rescue. She does a brilliant activity for Valentine's Day, and I "stole" it and put my own twist on it for my class. I call it Valentine Compliment Posters, and here is <a href="http://tonyastreatsforteachers.blogspot.com/2013/02/valentines-day-project-they-loved-it.html">Tonya's post</a> about how she does it with her class.<br />
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Most of what I did was very similar to her, but I did it all at school. I sent a note home to parents explaining what we would be doing so that they knew not to buy the cheap paper Valentines that get thrown away the next day. I had each student write a compliment about every other student on strips of paper. Then we organized the strips into baggies, one for each student's compliments. My school provides poster board, so we used that. And I had students donate other Valentine-themed craft supplies such as stickers, paper, foam hearts, pom poms, etc. All this was done prior to party day in spare time as students finished other work.<br />
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Yesterday afternoon, on party day, I gave each student a poster board and ANOTHER student's compliments. They could choose the craft supplies they wanted to use to create a compliment poster for a student (not themselves) in the class. The results were beautiful! I loved reading all the good things they had to say about each other, and they really worked hard on creating posters for each other.<br />
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I did have one student absent for the party, so I let early finishers work together to create his poster. And other early finishers worked together to create a lovely one for me as well. It will hang in a coveted spot on my classroom wall for as long as it lasts.<br />
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I loved this project, and the students did too. They all went home happily with a poster describing just how awesome they all are. How much more meaningful than a Spongebob Valentine?<br />
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Stay tuned soon to see how my Go For the Gold Division Facts Olympic Challenge went in my class. Here's a hint: everyone earned a medal!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-38777532464494277672014-01-27T17:35:00.001-08:002014-01-27T17:35:57.209-08:00Caring Classrooms Made My Monday Better<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDpnS3oomucTzCtXW7TMNDxHofTqhd8wo_9y2owpjGQisYgbqH5HwlkeemWSwPDyiLFmQOvLbqeez3Bj0SZSFI7Tt-yFuqgPpNspQl1_QptwnWRRbw7IOB4m5WaQ2nFgfi3wrEC8P7s4m/s1600/c304297_sm.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaDpnS3oomucTzCtXW7TMNDxHofTqhd8wo_9y2owpjGQisYgbqH5HwlkeemWSwPDyiLFmQOvLbqeez3Bj0SZSFI7Tt-yFuqgPpNspQl1_QptwnWRRbw7IOB4m5WaQ2nFgfi3wrEC8P7s4m/s1600/c304297_sm.png" /></a></div>
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Ugh! Monday... and after we had an "ice" day on Friday. And this is South Texas. We don't get ice days. But, cities down here are built with an entirely elevated highway system, and you can't drive anywhere without getting on a highway. An eighth of an inch of ice on the overpasses was all that was needed to shut the city of San Antonio down for nearly the entire day. </div>
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Mondays are always hard no matter who you are, so when I saw this morning that my current Donor's Choose project had been chosen to be featured on the Caring Classrooms page, I was thrilled!</div>
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I know many (if not all) of you have heard of <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/">Donor's Choose</a>, a website to help teachers get funding for materials for their classrooms. Money in education is hard to come by at best, and this website helps so many teachers get what they need. But it can be hard to get your project noticed (and therefore funded) with so many to choose from. Cue the entrance of Laura Candler and her <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/caringclassrooms/?id=304297&home=true">Caring Classrooms</a> page!<div>
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What Laura has done is harness her power to bring teachers together in a community supporting each other. Every week, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/caringclassrooms">Caring Classrooms Facebook page</a> hosts Fund-day Sunday. All you need to do to join is like the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/caringclassrooms">Facebook page</a> and donate at least $1 to one of the projects featured on the <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/caringclassrooms/?id=304297&home=true">Caring Classrooms Donor's Choose page</a>. Then you can offer up your project each Sunday to see if yours is chosen. More than $35,000! That's how much money Laura's page has raised for teachers! Simply amazing!</div>
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My project is called <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/project/literature-circles-for-all/1156827/?rf=link_dccontent_2014_01_teacherid_1721783&challengeid=301309">Literature Circles for All</a>. I was inspired to try literature circles in my classroom, but didn't have a good selection of titles for the reading levels and interests in my classroom. I have told my students about this prospect, and they are so excited! They can't wait to improve their reading skills through high-interest chapter books, rather than basal stories or reading passages. </div>
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So, if you have not joined the Caring Classrooms community or tried out a Donor's Choose project, now is the time! There really is nothing to lose!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-62347247944926268762013-12-08T13:12:00.001-08:002013-12-08T13:12:59.683-08:00A Sweet Freebie Just for You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdz8nq2t2COs_opJFAIPQjQZhyp5qZpXs92PuI8HFA2pGuR6gg4_FMN20_p3786LOtBrUWHT-1W1jIcUDsRDm8c6ZMGoGHd3rzNRBN4KDqr8MKvzITPLRIsu3c1nXhT-hZCo5eJuLPqFGR/s1600/PCS_GingerbreadMan_SantaHatC.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdz8nq2t2COs_opJFAIPQjQZhyp5qZpXs92PuI8HFA2pGuR6gg4_FMN20_p3786LOtBrUWHT-1W1jIcUDsRDm8c6ZMGoGHd3rzNRBN4KDqr8MKvzITPLRIsu3c1nXhT-hZCo5eJuLPqFGR/s320/PCS_GingerbreadMan_SantaHatC.png" width="254" /></a></div>
I know. I know. I am so crazy behind on blogging. Honestly, I have so much so share with all you that I am quite overwhelmed. There are so many awesome things happening in my classroom this year! And also some new challenges that I am working my way through, which is a lot of the reason I am behind in blogging. Plus, my daughter is a freshman in high school this year and joined the cross country team. Cross country runners keep an INSANE schedule! But, now cross country season is over, and my son's soccer is in between seasons, so my hope is that I can get back on track blogging about some great ideas of activities and teaching that you could use in your classroom as well.<br />
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For now, please accept my apologies... and this SWEET freebie! I do a gingerbread theme in my classroom for December. You see, I teach the ESL fourth graders at my school, and many of them do not celebrate Christmas. I always want to do Christmas activities, while still allowing everyone to participate. My solution has been The Gingerbread Man... Christmas-ey without being specifically Christmas. <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gingerbread-Activities-172602">I even have a freebie in my store of some gingerbread activities I do.</a> Anyway, I was perusing Pinterest looking for gifts for my students and came across this cutie pie wrapped around a Hershey candy bar:<br />
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Well, I am always looking for ways to simplify as well. That guy was cute, but also looked like a lot of work. So, I decided to design some <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gingerbread-Candy-Wrappers-1014049">Gingerbread Candy Wrappers</a>. They just need to be printed, cute, wrapped around a candy bar, and taped. And I have specifically designed them generically, so they will work for students both do and don't celebrate Christmas.<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gingerbread-Candy-Wrappers-1014049"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxZsY-U0hy4LPOthtVZzW9n8DtZ_lSdauWAq9Y5jZuzpqtg_le1YzPql0E9M5dBa4lSr8aSYbOKUJXNLFNG943s8MmILUg9I-JG9eseRpmwIeopSu8T8LIt9RLzINCoDGNrB-_wrfbz9Z/s320/wappers2.png" width="185" /></a></div>
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So, feel free to grab this forever freebie for your student gifts this year, or wait and use it next year.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-18313216708579613592013-11-29T13:23:00.000-08:002013-11-29T13:23:06.910-08:00Big Savings at the Teachers Pay Teachers Cyber Monday SaleWho doesn't love a sale, especially this time of year. And one you don't even need to leave the house for? Even better. Just enter the code "CYBER" at checkout to get an extra discount off stores that are already on sale... like mine! Every item in <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich">my store</a> will be on sale at 20% off. That, plus the code, will give you 28% off! 28% off emergency sub plans, writing resources, and downtime ideas!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBc8G4LXRcMZpFQT5BxrXdStnQGrMbwYmwsIqKP5r5m_zkJ35WOCVm6qZGgPz_iDJL-pWBmjZ61V0Cq0eMx_L0j5B_pNMmZLOEtnQKixVyzy_aCSpbAqST6eAJixdcY-xl7YDeruXGZAhI/s1600/1479476_10151700492081082_1795659470_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBc8G4LXRcMZpFQT5BxrXdStnQGrMbwYmwsIqKP5r5m_zkJ35WOCVm6qZGgPz_iDJL-pWBmjZ61V0Cq0eMx_L0j5B_pNMmZLOEtnQKixVyzy_aCSpbAqST6eAJixdcY-xl7YDeruXGZAhI/s320/1479476_10151700492081082_1795659470_n.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>
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So many of your favorite sellers will have their stores on sale too. Now is the time to buy all those fantastic resources you have saved in your Wish List. And spend this weekend finding awesome things to add to that Wish List before you buy. Find something you just can't do without? Feel free to share the link in the comments section so everyone can get in on the action.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-38199616383618524132013-08-19T15:26:00.000-07:002013-08-19T15:26:12.585-07:00Classroom Reveal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMdgN0NyTs-OO36JqryFPpSzywYakaaT4fK7ftIxZrpyjmEnfiscC9u6naE9ongHywEJwzoO5vCcsXBg5FvcFHtGaxQMkpppUIWklbxsakyVMTwARs94Fn7-hvp6cHIZU1MDMtf11vyEU/s1600/IMG_0841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMdgN0NyTs-OO36JqryFPpSzywYakaaT4fK7ftIxZrpyjmEnfiscC9u6naE9ongHywEJwzoO5vCcsXBg5FvcFHtGaxQMkpppUIWklbxsakyVMTwARs94Fn7-hvp6cHIZU1MDMtf11vyEU/s320/IMG_0841.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yay! My classroom is finally mostly set up! I still have some details to finish, but the big pieces are all in place. Now, keep in mind that I am no <a href="http://www.schoolgirlstyle.com/">Schoolgirl Style</a>, but my mother does have an interior design degree, and every now and then I channel her just a little.<div>
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When I was hired a week and a half after the start of school last year, I was most grateful to walk into an already set-up room even though it was not "me" at all. It was not bright colors and was very plain. This was it last year:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLswfkb7VlHQqCSPC16ic-lfsObPAVsi-i2jYW_j1qefzmmwUd25qhnZCqC4PJTYwlXpW9Pqr5k9byhu9pP7P8GMCv7ODjBTDqDpGW8_0u3xlpCLQf_jvS-oUMpaNf4A3kMd0vPEcRW4BT/s1600/IMG_4016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLswfkb7VlHQqCSPC16ic-lfsObPAVsi-i2jYW_j1qefzmmwUd25qhnZCqC4PJTYwlXpW9Pqr5k9byhu9pP7P8GMCv7ODjBTDqDpGW8_0u3xlpCLQf_jvS-oUMpaNf4A3kMd0vPEcRW4BT/s320/IMG_4016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1awK0sWA1VFo_tqx-TBMLERUmr0BSflqFzM3Ew0tAPBwUUreDyml1cw-SP_D6BLkkk0MY1U82cwpjaalclMGDqB1bpySMNFLifpYuy1W2z_JLj-aFNj9_FQ2TroaT9WutBpGbmzIc3BxO/s1600/IMG_4017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1awK0sWA1VFo_tqx-TBMLERUmr0BSflqFzM3Ew0tAPBwUUreDyml1cw-SP_D6BLkkk0MY1U82cwpjaalclMGDqB1bpySMNFLifpYuy1W2z_JLj-aFNj9_FQ2TroaT9WutBpGbmzIc3BxO/s320/IMG_4017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here is what I started with this year. I took down all that red and brown in preparation of beach-ifying my room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2hscs6t7v2Zm861-i45ZjWczbeRo-jz5u7wI1licJ0h2-UNGUYdpnbIBaCjMsR8L2hOsUDoQpKSbuACJrh1U1tn_xrGzedSu3-KvyjD6ju3zm78Kle3-3yieKaa-02T_-Dq2arK28Vdw/s1600/IMG_0823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2hscs6t7v2Zm861-i45ZjWczbeRo-jz5u7wI1licJ0h2-UNGUYdpnbIBaCjMsR8L2hOsUDoQpKSbuACJrh1U1tn_xrGzedSu3-KvyjD6ju3zm78Kle3-3yieKaa-02T_-Dq2arK28Vdw/s320/IMG_0823.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I started with that back wall. I used fadeless paper I bought at Lakeshore... I got one roll in lime green and another that was an ocean pattern. That ocean one was a steal... one roll did all that you see in the photos, and I still have some left over! For my borders, I used a combination of waves and sea animals. On the left of that back wall are my math posters. The top right has reading genre posters.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEjLgLHUvLHfKIAFjmkAgKcEa85P2pob_ZjZseXQnrjCDi-wC1rzgUGDYB3-iLWCBN1cqblS_VHdywomzuvtjKYaqFbU6L05youI67wmNip6tMunhWxLeri5g16dCjFBggsYzMl-2QOup/s1600/IMG_0837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEjLgLHUvLHfKIAFjmkAgKcEa85P2pob_ZjZseXQnrjCDi-wC1rzgUGDYB3-iLWCBN1cqblS_VHdywomzuvtjKYaqFbU6L05youI67wmNip6tMunhWxLeri5g16dCjFBggsYzMl-2QOup/s320/IMG_0837.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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That part in the bottom middle is from the book <a href="http://www.supergrammar.com/">Super Grammar</a>. You should totally check out the author's blog. He has those free posters. It's pretty cool!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGPFz7I2_ZuvgiaVWJxlJvasNnRAH6XUa69NDAvGIrVoATyT26E0pZVqIAKrVg_yE5jCLHj01lq4rKJzcUoQQTgpjvrhdrBydZOyuirYRYNQoqG94GYFb560srkGFLpPnPHWEn4aZDXa-/s1600/IMG_0833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGPFz7I2_ZuvgiaVWJxlJvasNnRAH6XUa69NDAvGIrVoATyT26E0pZVqIAKrVg_yE5jCLHj01lq4rKJzcUoQQTgpjvrhdrBydZOyuirYRYNQoqG94GYFb560srkGFLpPnPHWEn4aZDXa-/s320/IMG_0833.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here is my guided reading table and information board. It has the calendar, lunch count, agenda, and my favorite subject flip flops to post our daily objectives.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2UkM9q_P09v-wXqQro7aCL_NvClyiyCwKzk9PLYIyMK0INS5vySNkgLSbJg58UNiT8haQNyMdbiDgnN0kwze3xjHPf1RQIM_bpe6CZfUBEIIcZ7H1bQPi2zdF1JVUtv5AXinTlkZRz_b/s1600/IMG_0835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2UkM9q_P09v-wXqQro7aCL_NvClyiyCwKzk9PLYIyMK0INS5vySNkgLSbJg58UNiT8haQNyMdbiDgnN0kwze3xjHPf1RQIM_bpe6CZfUBEIIcZ7H1bQPi2zdF1JVUtv5AXinTlkZRz_b/s320/IMG_0835.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The front of the room needed some more beach, so I added wave border to the top of the board and some beachy accents of the hula skirt and sea animal cut outs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4nZZVWYl-dLBMyLcGqzvyk-cz3KnhveJ9dL52wZz4Q7vVvMFtIYyZnNS01RzRgrhq_822GSh_KEldHj9opWG7m8NodKr-4ywT5fu7WPNlfLTldT5U4UYDF9hjThJEge5iG_RYsYjD0H8/s1600/IMG_0836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4nZZVWYl-dLBMyLcGqzvyk-cz3KnhveJ9dL52wZz4Q7vVvMFtIYyZnNS01RzRgrhq_822GSh_KEldHj9opWG7m8NodKr-4ywT5fu7WPNlfLTldT5U4UYDF9hjThJEge5iG_RYsYjD0H8/s320/IMG_0836.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is more of a close up on the Elmo area... I made some morning and afternoon procedure posters that I hung there.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQ9waIbaDgqRUb3FK9bCLlaC25pvQ3Fxv3RhicwEdg1LwsuaBHbUP_Qw-Og08w1SCCesZOAE84x0R6Yup8EQmi_wirIdbFNzx4uc53eH7QScJUZ3wGy0c4QAqowQM1XEWbQ6bVeeH7ALt/s1600/IMG_0838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQ9waIbaDgqRUb3FK9bCLlaC25pvQ3Fxv3RhicwEdg1LwsuaBHbUP_Qw-Og08w1SCCesZOAE84x0R6Yup8EQmi_wirIdbFNzx4uc53eH7QScJUZ3wGy0c4QAqowQM1XEWbQ6bVeeH7ALt/s320/IMG_0838.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The classroom library got organized by my teenage daughter. It seems they are quite useful occasionally. Ha!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoqLGhomQkl0n3CVytY1M0WkYjDEvRoDnMVXw_20SptLUAQKb603u2_XKcgV9dCaQMLBkePHq9X1ECJEFStk1vILWCvBZ2nSSNQDE5PAcNswVePLVCoNypTMqOfp0xnQAkhKVgZc9-U_6/s1600/IMG_0875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoqLGhomQkl0n3CVytY1M0WkYjDEvRoDnMVXw_20SptLUAQKb603u2_XKcgV9dCaQMLBkePHq9X1ECJEFStk1vILWCvBZ2nSSNQDE5PAcNswVePLVCoNypTMqOfp0xnQAkhKVgZc9-U_6/s320/IMG_0875.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is my Leader in Me tree poster on the door to my closet and my behavior clip chart. Below it, I have the pencil sharpener and the buckets for sharp and dull pencil. On the shelves, I keep paper, white boards, markers, erasers, and the math kits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbyi6VJAtmbJtMv4TxNYAWv3xgP7xuxumok_thvBy6PPBY3boSYEksngXEpusgqfUaDD310qde_vvPEXpLwlWJ4I8yZO35NvkWbrWzH57o7oIZWGwX905o8M3pQFInnbi-6EB8mYUMz8Q/s1600/IMG_0877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbyi6VJAtmbJtMv4TxNYAWv3xgP7xuxumok_thvBy6PPBY3boSYEksngXEpusgqfUaDD310qde_vvPEXpLwlWJ4I8yZO35NvkWbrWzH57o7oIZWGwX905o8M3pQFInnbi-6EB8mYUMz8Q/s320/IMG_0877.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I ended up with a blank wall, so I decided to "science" it up by adding some photographs I took during our Florida Keys vacation. They go with our science curriculum too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJrEyeWjZZ6sLP6J0YlnlkpQnS6Z2s4TyfVHH-zcrYsNHeCnnu77DCpmAx4XU_kUYK-cyPUcNecfUeAVuXdlJPu96ypij3iSbv4KOxKXucSyGdQcCWoR_m0X86G9qgX0TrzPef30h7KXk/s1600/IMG_0876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJrEyeWjZZ6sLP6J0YlnlkpQnS6Z2s4TyfVHH-zcrYsNHeCnnu77DCpmAx4XU_kUYK-cyPUcNecfUeAVuXdlJPu96ypij3iSbv4KOxKXucSyGdQcCWoR_m0X86G9qgX0TrzPef30h7KXk/s320/IMG_0876.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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These are my rotation turtles to keep track of what special class we have each day. It is a student's job to change it at the end of each day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOeS7PcgwsYCqeKCyhIhOS59ElPtfPtdP1NbA4dM-V_tF4JIgmV7dADiOnWQzi6aOvn0pDsPazo6-w8uLk3LB0or7yMbaxnwBsIh8UmLNYKL7j8_7wFlkql9nQnj4rHNzisGQy6L9dfLLn/s1600/IMG_0840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOeS7PcgwsYCqeKCyhIhOS59ElPtfPtdP1NbA4dM-V_tF4JIgmV7dADiOnWQzi6aOvn0pDsPazo6-w8uLk3LB0or7yMbaxnwBsIh8UmLNYKL7j8_7wFlkql9nQnj4rHNzisGQy6L9dfLLn/s320/IMG_0840.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Even my closet is sort of organized to start the year. We'll see how long that lasts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNyCRqEDAC1f1FhFk2Qk04VAxl36s4K2puvtMnqrdoUtS3p-mmWyKzDHynLKmoZVl3rJylhsielg7UELqUCUx3mi5a_-kyE3zVu1UVrINIzD6ta40DjMgw_6qN0YZa2JsnpxuAw38vX0k/s1600/IMG_0830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNyCRqEDAC1f1FhFk2Qk04VAxl36s4K2puvtMnqrdoUtS3p-mmWyKzDHynLKmoZVl3rJylhsielg7UELqUCUx3mi5a_-kyE3zVu1UVrINIzD6ta40DjMgw_6qN0YZa2JsnpxuAw38vX0k/s320/IMG_0830.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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So, finally, for the whole effect, here is what you see when you stand at my door. Is it perfect? No. Do I love it? Yes!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sIQuvJdkWqWv9HRWZgLC_29GA__-XOV2jheYlcnr1XxdjWcKr-e2pmTezOvdQR6WFbQ-xA9hv5HUk973T-bT2zJK35QF7rNKAY-1ymbAkyqv9pLURx70FAV4YHepY7WdxwWiGc8P8AVH/s1600/IMG_0839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sIQuvJdkWqWv9HRWZgLC_29GA__-XOV2jheYlcnr1XxdjWcKr-e2pmTezOvdQR6WFbQ-xA9hv5HUk973T-bT2zJK35QF7rNKAY-1ymbAkyqv9pLURx70FAV4YHepY7WdxwWiGc8P8AVH/s320/IMG_0839.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-38402923253340416472013-08-17T12:00:00.000-07:002013-08-17T12:00:00.252-07:00Back to School Sale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTSImIZdqMyGAPwublMimUwzakM8ngtsLsALRVPGgY1iPYpyHYvb4efr3j4lLkki5cu88dM2JoWA2liy-bJDt9GCZv1ozAyJiR30nY-615l-PXE0yh2gvkS55g4D6Z5aQYtYV5fxXP72Q/s1600/1002361_10201288685999699_64345899_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTSImIZdqMyGAPwublMimUwzakM8ngtsLsALRVPGgY1iPYpyHYvb4efr3j4lLkki5cu88dM2JoWA2liy-bJDt9GCZv1ozAyJiR30nY-615l-PXE0yh2gvkS55g4D6Z5aQYtYV5fxXP72Q/s320/1002361_10201288685999699_64345899_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I know many of you are already back at school, but Teachers Pay Teachers and most sellers want to help you get the resources you need. The annual Back to School Sale is August 18 and 19. Everything in <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rachel-Friedrich">my store</a> (plus many other fabulous stores) will be 20% off plus, enter the code BTS13 at check out to get an extra 10% off. That's a total of 28% off at most stores!<br />
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I start on Monday for a week of inservice with students starting on August 26, so it's pretty good timing for me. Although I have been buying resources all summer long, I managed to find more for my shopping cart. Imagine that, right?!?! Here's a peek at what's in my cart:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIbWh6nqFnYIKIBs9NQcE6jC25Mx3tGpN0Z4UXKY6OnMMLeMFFkwk1KY-dX1GloNq6zc_d66h8qq4cxPuhHCFy9Ga8qdzW-p6feWIi5zbv7T8Jv-M_G4xjYWCeO6C1qFJMV6-I1lmnHdJ/s1600/cart.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggIbWh6nqFnYIKIBs9NQcE6jC25Mx3tGpN0Z4UXKY6OnMMLeMFFkwk1KY-dX1GloNq6zc_d66h8qq4cxPuhHCFy9Ga8qdzW-p6feWIi5zbv7T8Jv-M_G4xjYWCeO6C1qFJMV6-I1lmnHdJ/s320/cart.tiff" width="310" /></a></div>
Usually I try to save the higher priced items for a sale:<br />
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First there's the <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/4th-Grade-TEKS-I-Can-Statements-Bundle-All-4-Core-Subjects-735874">4th Grade TEKS "I Can" Statements Bundle</a> from <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/4mulafun">4MulaFun</a>. I teach 4th grade in Texas, so this is perfect... all four care subjects with all the objectives in one bundle. Just what I need to help students be accountable and know what they should be learning.<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/4th-Grade-TEKS-I-Can-Statements-Bundle-All-4-Core-Subjects-735874"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAYa9U54trP5c-loiChYU3bcuY7N-E19Rpf1-MeZ5h7wiRgRCm6bfZaofv71wtq6WsGn7aSNVMCLXWq4U-Q98fk2omowbkxbFtwE1IdTmeRZVz4PncqJoLuvvjjSSfM-WpC8EwgkJ4PSa/s1600/4th+grade+I+Can+Statements.tiff" /></a></div>
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Next there's the <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/4th-Grade-Interactive-Reading-Notebook-aligned-with-Common-Core-736781">4th Grade Interactive Reading Notebook</a> from Nicole Shelby. This one is aligned to the Common Core, which we don't use in Texas, but much of it applies anyway. It has easy-to-follow instructions as well as photos of actual notebook pages. I do love photos! And if you are a 4th grade teacher, you should definitely check out <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Nicole-Shelby">Nicole's store</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/4th-Grade-Interactive-Reading-Notebook-aligned-with-Common-Core-736781"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOvinColNO2ool_1eSv5YKauY7yWBRJJSmjcUdbUmYh-Volk_duzDZ1mQ0eDCefZbMW39kddLThM50It6Zsq8y7AR2NcisD3au8aIP9EJWm3WOqgcq62MKss_7EJa2wJSgHrjmc1EtsmG/s1600/reading+notebook.tiff" /></a></div>
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Third in my cart is <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Texas-Indians-An-Integrated-Unit-Social-Studies-Math-ELAReading-680367">Texas Indians an Integrated Unit</a> from <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Educating-Everyone-4-Life">Educating Everyone 4 Life</a>. Fourth grade is where we teach this subject, and integration is always a good thing... especially for my ESL sweetie pies. Plus, social studies resources are always pretty hard to come by.<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Texas-Indians-An-Integrated-Unit-Social-Studies-Math-ELAReading-680367"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-gxyR_e4v9ZQOiFXQxLR7GshF9rv6iNRV_lBgpd2-7P17NIfUW-I4j5sq_T4J1G5KTfaXO-kouKxACOYlGI7m01frz5Zch6gUf0werlGJB1CjHuiMLujtvKoS3l6BfJ1vPGzYAtamxjS/s1600/indians.tiff" /></a></div>
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Next are the <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Newsletter-Templates-12-included-Fun-Beach-Theme-277131">Newsletter Templates in a Fun Beach Theme</a> from <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Msfultzscorner">MsFultzsCorner</a>. There are 12 included, one for each month, and with my beach-themed classroom this year, these were a must-buy! Plus, Christi Fultz is the bomb!!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Newsletter-Templates-12-included-Fun-Beach-Theme-277131"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlwlY-kG0u4yah6JyU8gL8oXYkRjsTn9c6EZ5mJ_GicC32xvVR0BhVSrmA441GLiP7559rZKaf4GnfLuNYxLcgIaACEmXxcLo2_9f1TQ8cHqzlBJXUpRWQBh5l8_iIKi822ENziLEodAA/s1600/newsletters.tiff" /></a></div>
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Finally, I had to include an item from my go-to fourth grade seller, Jennifer Runde of <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rundes-Room">Runde's Room</a>. I can't believe I didn't already own her <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Math-Journal-315177">Interactive Math Journal,</a> but that is going to be remedied soon. 165 pages of math journal ideas with all major math concepts covered. It's a must-have if you teach math to older kiddos!<br />
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Math-Journal-315177"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM4chdPnf5Uzr4Oha5RKhC-bNZ6JGc2djLS6kN4D0XnN_Ab4UDLxyUHRlgjHZNQHKpee6Vcymfj1zuDSSOzgxPKrET6lYm-u-w-Yt5G_di53W_SuIghYCT8PgTkyljF6PERDNBD4WVzCe/s1600/math+journal.tiff" /></a></div>
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So, that's what's in my cart. What other amazing things can you find to benefit yourself and your kiddos?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-53881536128003842942013-08-12T17:26:00.000-07:002013-08-12T17:26:19.729-07:00Writing Workshop Teacher Toolbox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Workshop-Teacher-Toolbox-824818" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBO1gxyu-cXr2T5V8TBTUN-gu6GpE0gG1r59NZFsgUkR84zVODsyI2Cqt91zm3TsTnYQWCffDb069cC1gZwwA_fsP-PGjmB2OD4XyDbMssUrqz4_D0RUNUEH7_NKM1DFbqh8oxB-_Jo64/s320/ww1.tiff" width="244" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I wrote earlier in the summer about going to a three-week writing institute and being apprehensive about it. Well, I went, and IT WAS AWESOME!!!!! Wow! It was basically a mini graduate-level class complete with two textbooks, all of which was provided by my district. The training was based in the New Jersey Writing Project and was all about how to launch and implement writing workshop in the elementary classroom. And how did we learn? By going through writing workshop ourselves! It was so cool... a lot of work... but so beneficial. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You know those days when students sit there and refuse to write anything? I had those. You know those students who "don't know what to write about"? That was me. You know those students who think they are done, but they are no where close? Yep, you got. I did that too. It was so valuable to be able to be in my students' shoes. When school starts in a couple of weeks, and I launch writing workshop with my own fourth graders, I can tell them I know exactly what they are thinking, feeling, and going through... because I was there.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yes, we wrote... every day. And we had to produce two finished pieces... a personal narrative for publishing in our class anthology, and an extensive piece that we were to submit for publication to a real magazine.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And I got so many ideas for the classroom... from prewriting strategies to grouping to mini lessons to revising to editing. I will post on them as I use them with my kiddos. For now, I thought I would focus on getting things started so I created a new product. It's my first new product in like... FOREVER! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I created the <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Workshop-Teacher-Toolbox-824818">Writing Workshop Teacher Toolbox</a>, a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #313131; line-height: 16px;">set of six forms to use in writing workshop. Also included is a list of procedure mini lessons to teach at the launch of writing workshop. Forms included are:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #313131; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">• Mentor Text Chart<br />• Baseline Sample Analysis Form<br />• What We Are Working On Form<br />• I'm Ready for a Conference<br />• Conferencing Form<br />• Comments from the Reader</span></span><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #313131; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here are a few sample images of a few of the forms:</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Workshop-Teacher-Toolbox-824818"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmX2ONK8WRF6UoW3qgyc6cOd5qT53C7ykwTCdWpFXmxwFSe_rY9lhFwsExPNy7b3sKnVFCoUlMcXuELr3COI66nB9HpMSnYxSxziNRI3h_n8T5KRxpidUCgEJ7VWXtJlJftRIKI2EAE1D/s320/WW2.tiff" width="244" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Workshop-Teacher-Toolbox-824818"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyrIPiz6_HlXwruFeyjFDRGsjwLNh8iwvmCNkpN8BTBFB_4bgthUg-HiU_rEdob0yyMxJYymKKQd6mW4vTre1NNZNn50l7nocvZ5je4YwVLdyuITD4I3VWUSi4KvegUD9xvjxTbRbTCgg/s320/WW3.tiff" width="245" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Workshop-Teacher-Toolbox-824818"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxSxstoy9lXJI4Y2Xc4J3eVWkRfGupy1obn-Q5V8s_ozp7Ehk5lFkAZ-Xwd1LzdabaBBXkHESRXU176GV9Yc8JlIccr-NeLRI1RyXDiSbc88Xzm4zKTkfXsVXiSIMsY2VUGrNCLi-6jMq/s320/WW4.tiff" width="246" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #313131; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />Since these forms are intended to be used by the teacher, they are good for all grade levels. I will using them with my students, and I hope you can use them with yours too.</span></span><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #313131; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And stay tuned for more tales from the writing workshop this year.</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-71490062091510768442013-08-01T11:05:00.001-07:002013-08-01T11:05:03.689-07:00Currently in AugustOh boy! I am so excited I finally got off my butt and am joining in Oh Boy 4th Grade's monthly <a href="http://ohboy3rdgrade.blogspot.com/2013/08/currently-august.html">Currently</a> linky party! I see it all the time and love it, but I have never linked up. There's a first time for everything! And I am sure this won't be my last time either.<br />
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I can't believe it's August already... and this August for me is so different from a year ago when I didn't have a job and desperately wanted one. Wow, I would have put way different responses on these last year. But now is now! And it is good! And all I want is to get into my classroom and get started!<br />
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<a href="http://ohboy3rdgrade.blogspot.com/2013/08/currently-august.html"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHNqy0uz0NTgPdvsAb41DqKJeHQoTimXWbxTx3FSLkQ0ioO0RMslXSwK_uKUTe8pCqS45nxQJfUU1mfSZNtGOfUPbnn3mbF9KacFP7zOp4ICWAsoHNURyPiNu0R5cTR1p_b7c9mxq8BvNj/s640/Currently+August.tiff" width="483" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Currently-for-Your-Classroom-324375" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzCffrSMcMiCO3KoDJqCLzil28v5H86eWXxVpLd1p44ic7-Th93nBKK7B5l9hNb2GPgJtX4pFlS-HTHpVI7c6uQ9n6HhuRtQppq5FV9x_6qsbWr40B9FAV8yPSIXexWkuuETpM9g_eiv0/s200/currently+for+the+classroom.tiff" width="150" /></a></div>
This year I have also decided that I will be doing Oh Boy 4th Grade's <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Currently-for-Your-Classroom-324375">Currently for Your Classroom</a> with my students. You see, we are a Leader in Me school, and I thought Currently would be a perfect addition for their data notebooks. How fun to have a year's worth of responses to see how they changed! Plus, you never know when something like this might spark a great writing idea! I already have them printed and ready to be copied for my new sweeties whom I haven't even met yet!<br />
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So, here's to setting up classroom, finding the rug of my dreams, and drowning myself in chocolate!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-57361832397245358712013-07-16T15:21:00.002-07:002013-07-16T15:21:42.444-07:00Get Your Followers Only Freebie Pack from a Class*y CollaborationWoo hoo! Look at this fabulous collaboration project I am involved in. I part of a brand new blogging collaboration of 12 bloggers... <a href="http://aclassycollaboration.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">a Class*y Collaboration</a>. We have gotten together because we just have to share more ideas, more activities, and more freebies!<br />
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<a href="http://aclassycollaboration.blogspot.com/2013/07/everyones-winner-amazing-resource-pack.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lGiHXzAN6-UCRQ76zcXCLPVgdwMUlT0hezeVeQu6ax_gGHu7EkUmQUa7ntbxq-eZfiJlAsjN8_mJ8y9WmUPB5iBmn3NDKZm1sO852ddzYP04orXbUyAdh5hZZlxl5TMzm0juXX4afjg/s320/FollowerFreebiePromo.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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To start things off with a bang, we are offering an everybody-wins giveaway. All you have to do is follow is on Bloglovin. Just follow the directions on the <a href="http://aclassycollaboration.blogspot.com/2013/07/everyones-winner-amazing-resource-pack.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> and you will get an amazing <a href="http://aclassycollaboration.blogspot.com/2013/07/everyones-winner-amazing-resource-pack.html" target="_blank">Follower-Only Freebie Pack</a>. A sample of the super-duper free resources are there for you to check out. So don't wait! And share with your friends so they can get in on the freebie action too!<br />
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<a href="http://aclassycollaboration.blogspot.com/2013/07/everyones-winner-amazing-resource-pack.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5DosJlGaMQWx6Y8Vqj2_-HDHOrPhlUQuIEx6QBTMWqWbaz_kFMSfLdj9p5514RX6Wl-v31y9g41-Pd78WeU334pVnTKqvjv9eRvF7PqdOxfQXzYaASEt8f1YhxlukM0ePZ7CoZEmxSg/s320/50winnerschoice.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Plus... one lucky follower will get a $50 winner's choice gift card. Hmmmm.... wonder if contributors are eligible to enter? Guess not! Ha!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-2883669060814406322013-07-03T13:21:00.001-07:002013-07-03T13:21:55.309-07:00What Am I Doing This Summer To Prepare for School?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.fabulous4thgradefroggies.com/2013/07/to-do-before-first-day-of-school-linky.html"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lUY5LCPhIiiRzkZGmidJw2Z1I6tyIabzdhYXlY9hckoXdFl7R5wqWczTS3j4Snpv7iHslt7XRfP8V6GwmFP_BZBlfNQLJbGuh1g2LSfvcxcKV-yKWtVvjVMOPs6vTFEbwuvTa9CfVNbV/s320/post+pic.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today I am linking up with my good buddy in the blog world and in real life, Lorraine from <a href="http://www.fabulous4thgradefroggies.com/">Fabulous Fourth Grade Froggies</a>. As much as I don't really want to think about all the things on my summer to-do list, I do like her idea of recording them all in one place. And it's not even that I'm not excited for school. I am crazy excited! This is the first summer I am actually getting to plan for a classroom that I know is mine. Truth be told, I am probably going just a wee bit overboard. My list ranges from a three-week professional development to shopping, shopping, and more shopping to crafting to planning to organizing and purging. I'm sure a lot of it probably sounds pretty familiar to you.<br />
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<b>1. Professional Development.</b> Most teachers do PD in the summer, but I made the commitment to do a three-week writing institute. I teach 4th grade, and that is the grade where writing is tested in elementary school here in Texas. This institute is based on the New Jersey Writing Project, and I hear it's supposed to be great! So, although I am sad it's three weeks of my summer gone, I am also excited about writing! Additionally, I have a one-day ESL workshop scheduled in August.<br />
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<b>2. Shopping!</b> When I took my teaching job, it was a week and a half into school. I was super duper lucky to basically inherit a put together classroom since the teacher was leaving the classroom to go to a specialist position. I didn't have the time or energy then to decorate things my way so I just adapted and added some things as the year went on. Now, though, I am chomping at the bit to build my own room. I have chosen a beach/ocean theme and have already been doing quite a bit of shopping from Lakeshore, Really Good Stuff, and Wal-Mart so far. Here are a few of the things I have already bought:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cDqxbZnD04JZCMrY65tfdVRehK6DHLKpx2BZRJvcfORaqXNTNtsibeuPDA_kui2adyZRATBuhzNwAsrZQ7bkbnvzotQKWWOxM2swExCO7tJIi0Vng17QvAFFyVUAiSXcZYac8tabXGBh/s1600/IMG_0740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cDqxbZnD04JZCMrY65tfdVRehK6DHLKpx2BZRJvcfORaqXNTNtsibeuPDA_kui2adyZRATBuhzNwAsrZQ7bkbnvzotQKWWOxM2swExCO7tJIi0Vng17QvAFFyVUAiSXcZYac8tabXGBh/s320/IMG_0740.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HBqrTCFGMS_2celWERteed7sxZvTORtFtF6s60-jDCm9pmPNHoG4xd1kbXNW8a0NN2ccdkL3OPF5-8e3Ee7iOELU2g0cynwKkBIla9BGeMBYfLNEw80Un4sWyNOEqjCTDxQT64DNRtw-/s1600/IMG_0742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HBqrTCFGMS_2celWERteed7sxZvTORtFtF6s60-jDCm9pmPNHoG4xd1kbXNW8a0NN2ccdkL3OPF5-8e3Ee7iOELU2g0cynwKkBIla9BGeMBYfLNEw80Un4sWyNOEqjCTDxQT64DNRtw-/s320/IMG_0742.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>3. More Shopping!</b> This time on Teachers Pay Teachers. And along with that shopping comes the printing and organizing of the materials. Here is my favorite TpT purchase so far. It's one the the Teacher and Lesson Planners from April at <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/A-Modern-Teacher">A Modern Teacher</a>. I printed mine on my home printer and put it in a 1/2-inch binder. Now, I am ready to stay organized!<br />
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<b>4. Crafting.</b> I wouldn't say I am the ultimate crafter, but I enjoy a simple project now and then. So, I am making these flip flop agenda subject labels. They are just Michael's cheapo flip flops with magnets hot glued to the back, and laminated labels taped on the front.<br />
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Going along with my beach theme, I am embracing the seashell. I have hot glued them to craft sticks and magnets that will also get student numbers. Plus I made a few larger shell magnets just for teacher use.<br />
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<b>5. Planning.</b> Before school let out in June, I was already beginning to plan my room arrangement for next year. I still have to finalize that. And, of course, all the curriculum and back-to-school, get-to-know-you, team-building activities. The nice thing about that one is that my fabulous principal has made our retreat day in August a team planning day.<br />
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<b>6. Organizing and Purging.</b> Finally, when I was looking for a job for four years and subbing, I hoarded everything I came across. I had no idea what grade I would end up in or what I would need, so I saved it all. Now I have a garage full of teaching mess! I am in the process of cleaning through all that so I can save what will be actually useful and be able to take it to my classroom.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-67328270043250712492013-06-28T06:30:00.001-07:002013-07-02T12:48:55.683-07:00Bloglovin Shows Blogs Some Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I heard Google Reader was going away, I had a little freak-out moment since that's how I follow and read all my favorite blogs. After the panic subsided, I launched a search for a new way to keep up. Cue the discovery of Bloglovin. Now, I only just signed up so I don't really have any grounds to compare it to Google Reader, but other blog-lovers seem to (that's right; you guessed it) love it. To make sure you don't miss any of your favorite blogs, go check out <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/" target="_blank">Bloglovin</a> for yourself. You get an option to import all your blogs from Google Reader. Definitely do that, but also make sure to click this link to follow Learning To Teach in the Rain. That way you won't miss any of our rain dances together.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiOBOJPC0tkwOQLI6OqZnU-uFJTGHPVAtMRDaH6ZnPHvlr7JCAnJyQay3xRG9Shm-MrzWYfEFwgBZnw9xEuPDh63CzBqfkcBCJdkwyQBU-slJj26Cuy0ZCl6bsLz-TJTZOx1QFYCqITqt/s1600/FFT+page+1.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiOBOJPC0tkwOQLI6OqZnU-uFJTGHPVAtMRDaH6ZnPHvlr7JCAnJyQay3xRG9Shm-MrzWYfEFwgBZnw9xEuPDh63CzBqfkcBCJdkwyQBU-slJj26Cuy0ZCl6bsLz-TJTZOx1QFYCqITqt/s320/FFT+page+1.tiff" width="246" /></a></div>
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Yay! We're almost there. We've got the classroom newspaper planned and the stories written, edited, and typed. Now, we just need to finish things up.<br />
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<b>Day 16: Creating a Dummy.</b> For those who don't know, a dummy is just a representation of what stories will go on what pages. My students sure got a kick out of the fact that it is called a dummy. :-) I created ours on the board with the anchor chart of stories at hand. As a class, we decided what order the sections would go in, and what stories would go on each page.<br />
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**Now here is the part where I did take a short cut. I did the layout in the computer myself. Our computer lab at school had already closed for the year, and we were just running out of days in the school year. I used Adobe InDesign and created my own newspaper template, but I have experience doing that. It would work just as well to use one of the premade newsletter templates in Publisher or whatever program you and your students are comfortable in.<br />
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<b>Day 17: Proofing.</b> I printed all the pages out and made enough copies so every student had at least one page. I let them loose with highlighters and red pens and told them to mark everything they saw that was wrong or that they wanted to change. Then they traded papers and did the same thing. We did this a few more times, so that each student saw at least 4-5 pages of the paper. I took those marked up copies, made the corrections, and printed out a clean copy.<br />
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<b>Day 18: Distribution Discussion.</b> This was a class discussion deciding who we were going to give copies of our classroom newspaper to. I reminded the students about the kinds of people who would want to read the paper. The final list included: the students in my class, the other three fourth grade teachers, the principal, the vice principal, anyone who had a story about them in the paper (this included the specialists, student council sponsor, etc.), the special ed teachers (since we had two special ed students in our class), our language support specialist (I had 12 ESL students who saw her on a regular basis), the reading specialist, and the counselor... all total it was about 50ish copies.<br />
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**For printing, I just used the handy dandy copier, printed front to back and stapled to create our finished classroom newspaper.<br />
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<b>Day 19: Delivery.</b> This was a very quick day. I sent my students in pairs to deliver to a couple of recipients at a time. As email after email came in praising the kiddos for their newspaper, I made sure to share all the positive responses with them. All the students were so excited to see their work in print and to have so many people give them compliments. In fact, the biggest complaint came from people who were not on the distribution list. Next time, I guess we'll make more copies.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-63557775625986187542013-06-20T13:55:00.000-07:002013-06-20T13:55:00.029-07:00Creating a Classroom Newspaper: Part 2 of 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In Part 1 of this series of posts, I recounted how I led students through the planning process of creating a classroom newspaper. Now, it's on to the writing of the stories. When last we met, students had named the newspaper, decided on all the stories that would be in the paper, and chosen a story idea to write themselves. Additionally, I had also conducted lessons in the parts of a newspaper and how to write a newspaper story in an inverted pyramid style. Now, on to the writing... let's start with prewriting.<br />
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<b>Days 6-7: What Do You Know and Need to Know.</b> Since newspaper writing is a kind of informational text writing, it all starts with the 5 W's (and H). It's all about the facts. This was also another nice opportunity to reinforce the difference between facts and opinions. I spoke about journalistic ethics, and how writers should not write something if it is not a fact. I know. I know. Many journalists have thrown that part out the window these days, but we can certainly teach the ideal, right? I had my students just draw this graphic organizer in their Writer's Workshop notebooks, but I have also created a <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Newspaper-Article-Prewriting-Graphic-Organizer-731326">Newspaper Article Prewriting Graphic Organizer freebie</a> that you are welcome to use to do just this.<br />
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Then students were to begin filling in the graphic organizer with all the facts they knew. Any holes in the graphic organizer became questions to go at the bottom of the organizer. Finally, students were to write down who could answer those questions for them. That gave them the names of who they would need to interview. It took most students about two class times to complete this form and generate a good list of questions.<br />
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<b>Days 8-9: Conducting Interviews.</b> Before I set the students loose to conduct their interviews, I went over some etiquette rules. I wanted to make sure they weren't just going to barge into someone's classroom and start attacking them with questions. I also gave the teachers the heads up that one of my students would be coming. I went over how to politely ask the questions and how to write down their answers. Many of my students just needed to ask other students questions or interview me, so we really didn't disturb too many teachers for too long.<br />
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<b>Days 10-12: Writing the Rough Draft.</b> Once students had all their information, I reviewed the <a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson249/pyramid.pdf">inverted pyramid structure</a> (from the Jack and Jill lesson). In this structure, facts are written in a story in the order of importance, not sequential order like most students are used to writing. The reason this is the case is that most newspaper readers don't ever finish a story. I emphasized to the students that their job when writing was to make the headline interesting enough that a reader would want to read the lead (or introduction). And then they had to make the lead interesting enough that a reader would want to keep reading. And finally, they need to put all the really important facts at the top of the story so the reader got the big ideas before they stopped reading.<br />
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<b>Days 13-14: Self and Peer Editing and Editor Approval.</b> Once their rough draft was complete, the students were to self-edit their writing. Then they were to exchange stories with a peer and edit each other's writing as well. Finally, they needed to get the approval of the editor-in-chief (me).<br />
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<b>Day 15: Typing the Stories.</b> I scheduled a day in the computer lab when most everyone was done with their stories. I had the students all type their stories with a headline and their byline into Microsoft Word.<br />
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Of course, there were some students who worked through this process faster than others. That's where the extra submissions opportunities came into play. I told students, once their story was complete, they could work on additional items for the paper. I gave them choices of writing an opinion story, creating ads (on paper or in the computer), illustrating their story, drawing and writing a comic, or creating a game such as a word search or crossword. It all ended up working out pretty well, and the students were generally busy the whole time we were working on the classroom newspaper.<br />
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The last blog post discussing creating classroom newspapers will hit on laying out the newspaper, proofing, printing, and distributing.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-18678088801583816422013-06-15T14:46:00.000-07:002013-06-15T14:46:27.042-07:00Creating a Classroom Newspaper: Part 1 of 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhthkUuIbA4k5qB31xgWyRhjIZ_A9XAtsecNRsqewfWjpa-1whgh0Mcpk5av5ihH2IONUzvCaL-N-ZaNgIGFuMz0yk_KfjQ8yvzPGtIpWJbYtepQrAv_PAoNOx_1L_t-T1BtD7Mk6Ynkw4/s1600/FFT.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhthkUuIbA4k5qB31xgWyRhjIZ_A9XAtsecNRsqewfWjpa-1whgh0Mcpk5av5ihH2IONUzvCaL-N-ZaNgIGFuMz0yk_KfjQ8yvzPGtIpWJbYtepQrAv_PAoNOx_1L_t-T1BtD7Mk6Ynkw4/s320/FFT.tiff" width="263" /></a></div>
After our onslaught of state-mandated testing was over, I wanted to start a classroom project the students could really take ownership of. As a former newspaper journalist, my thoughts naturally went to writing and a classroom newspaper. Additionally, I thought it could be a perfect way to publish student writing and also reflect on the school year. It was decided... a classroom newspaper it was. I will detail my process in a series of three blog posts: the planning, the writing, and printing/delivery.<br />
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To get things started, I started looking around doing some research and remembered a resource I had found when I was student teaching. I also did a classroom newspaper in my second grade student teaching classroom as a part of our nonfiction writing unit. I came across this fabulous resource from <a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/creating-classroom-newspaper-249.html">Read Write Think</a>, the website of the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English. By the way, if you have not discovered <a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/">Read Write Think</a>, you need to spend some time exploring this invaluable resource. I have found so many amazing lesson plans, units, online activities, and others, complete with printables and everything! Seriously, it's the bom diggity!<br />
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I combined the Read Write Think unit with my own knowledge of journalism and started the project in the classroom. I began with getting my students familiar with newspapers. For homework, I had each student bring in a newspaper article of their choice. To make things easier, I told them it could be from any newspaper source, including online papers. I showed a few examples of what I was looking for to make sure they understood the assignment. I also brought in my own stack of whole newspaper examples. I happened to still have many of my own papers with my bylines that the students got a big kick out of, but you could bring in any example.<br />
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<b>Day 1: Parts and Vocabulary of a Newspaper.</b> Using the articles brought in be the students and my examples papers, I had the students look through the papers. I recorded their observations on a bubble map on the board. This gave me the opportunity to introduce vocabulary like headlines, bylines, captions, etc. as well as point out the different parts like news, sports, opinion, comics, ads, etc. We then discussed what parts we thought our newspaper should have. I made a list of those things on an anchor chart and hung that up when we were done.<br />
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<b>Day 2: Naming the Newspaper.</b> Every paper has to have a name, so I let the students decide the name of ours. I brought out the example papers again and pointed out the different words commonly used in newspaper names, like times, news, journal, today, dispatch, etc. I gave the students some time to brainstorm their suggestions, and then made a list of all of them on the board. We ended up with about 10 suggestions. I let the students vote on their favorite to narrow the list to the top three. Then we voted again and settled on Friedrich's Fabulous Times.<br />
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<b>Day 3: How to Write a Newspaper Story.</b> This is where I used the Read Write Think unit the most. Basically I used <a href="http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/creating-classroom-newspaper-249.html?tab=4#tabs">Session 2</a> nearly word for word. I explained how newspapers stories are written in an inverted pyramid style with the most important information first and include all 5 W's. Then we looked at Jack and Jill. We identified the 5 W's in the nursery rhyme, and then did a shared writing activity to create a newspaper-style story telling the saga of Jack and Jill.<br />
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<b>Day 4: Story Ideas.</b> This day I ran much like an actual meeting is held at a real newspaper. I began a list of suggested stories that the students wanted to see in the paper. The important part here was to include every idea the students suggest. We ended this day with my telling the students to be thinking of the top three stories they would like to write. We also began discussing which section of the newspaper the different stories would go in.<br />
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<b>Day 5: Story Assignments and Final Planning.</b> I told the students that each of them was responsible for at least one story. Then they could choose one other thing to submit, such as an ad, picture, comic, or game. Here is where I let students choose what stories they were most interested in writing. If there were two or more students wanting the same story, we discussed who we thought would be better. For example, someone who was in choir was probably better equipped to write the story on choir. Eventually, I had to call on some students who hadn't volunteered and have them choose from the remaining stories. Then we made our final section list of all the stories to be included and who the writer was for each. In this part of the process, some of the stories did not get chosen. I opened that up to the students if we were OK that those stories were not in, or if someone wanted to write a second story. All of this was recorded on another anchor chart, and also hung so everyone would know their responsibilities and where their story belonged.<br />
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Basically, at the end of the first week of this class project, we had the name of our newspaper and a plan for who was going to write what story in what section. Stay tuned for Creating a Classroom Newspaper: Part 2 of 3 where I explain how I walked the students through the actual writing of the stories.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06192087905020382435noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7709708054274690384.post-28788060884147207892013-06-12T07:47:00.000-07:002013-06-12T07:47:00.590-07:00Let Me Introduce...<div style="text-align: center;">
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Many of you may know me as the author of <a href="http://subhubonline.blogspot.com/">Sub Hub</a>. And while Sub Hub was my first baby, and I will always have a special place in my heart for it, things in my life have changed this past year, making Sub Hub not the best place to share many of my ideas. But, don't worry, die hard Sub Hub fans (and I have so many of them for which I am eternally grateful), Sub Hub is not going away. I still intend to share and create for the hardworking subs in the world... and the teachers who are preparing for those subs.<br />
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It's just that, well, I finally found a school to adopt me permanently... I have an amazing, loving, welcoming, supportive (and every other positive adjective I can think of) forever home! Yes, a week after school had begun (and I had given up on another year of job searching for a permanent teaching position), I got a call for an interview. Of course, I went in right away. I interviewed for a fourth grade ESL position in front of a panel of the other three fourth grade teachers, the principal, and the vice principal. It all seemed to go well, but they warned me that HR was very backed up, and it might be a week before anyone heard anything. Imagine my surprise when I got that call the next day (ironically as I was on my way out the door to a sub job). I am pretty sure that poor HR man does not have any hearing anymore as I screamed with excitement into the phone. And I started in my own classroom the next day.<br />
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I'm sure all of you permanent teachers will agree that a first year of teaching can be a nightmare at worst and crazy busy and stressful at best. Well, luckily I got the best-case scenario. It was certainly not without bumps, but my first year of teaching has been the best I could possibly ask for. I stepped into a wonderfully organized classroom set up my the exiting teacher I was replacing (she took a position as a math specialist and so didn't need most of her classroom materials). I started teaching with a pretty darn amazing group of teachers, and my administration was so welcoming, supportive, and friendly. Best of all, my students were the sweetest, most well-behaved group of kiddos I have ever seen.<br />
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Anyway, all that being said, I now have a wealth of blogging ideas that are both subbing and permanent classroom related. I didn't really want to change up Sub Hub, as it's been out-of-this-world successful for me. So, I thought a new blog was in order to capture my teaching experiences.<br />
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Why Learning to Teach in the Rain? I live in San Antonio, which most times is a near-desert as far as rainfall. So, I don't mean the title literally as if I lived in Seattle or something. Where the title comes from is my all-time favorite quote:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain." </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>~Vivian Greene</b></span></div>
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In my four years of subbing and all the disappointments of not finding a permanent job, I began to battle depression. It got so bad at one point, that I began speaking with a counselor who was a tremendous help to me. One solution she offered (and the one that worked the best for me) was to come up with a mantra... a little saying to repeat to yourself when things are rough. I thought a long time about an appropriate mantra for me. Then I remembered that quote that I had seen (where else) on Pinterest. I printed it out, created a photo of my son with the quote on it, and took the end part of "dance in the rain" as my mantra. Believe it or not, it is quite comforting when some terrible thing happens to repeat those words over and over. When it is really bad, I sound a little bit like Rainman... "dance in the rain, dance in the rain, definitely, dance in the rain." Ha! But it really does work... at least for me.<br />
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Well, I also know that the world of teaching and education is pretty stormy these days... over-testing, funding cuts, teacher layoffs, increasing demands on teachers in the classroom, decreasing public opinion of teachers. It is pretty much a deluge of negativity out there. And it is so easy to get caught up in that negativity. But, what I always remember is that it is NOT the students who are creating most of that negativity... and they all deserve a teacher who cares and who is willing to try whatever is necessary to make them successful. That's when I realized that my "dance in the rain" quote completely applies to teaching as well. Hence, the birth of Learning to Teach in the Rain.<br />
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So, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it. I hope you can come with me on my journey, as we all learn to:<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">TEACH</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: magenta;">IN</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">THE</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">RAIN!</span></span></b></div>
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