Snow Days are Productive

Hello, Friends!

I've thoroughly enjoyed my snow days this week.  We started Tuesday with a dismissal at noon. Wednesday and Thursday were snow days.  We have a 2 hour delay in the morning. 

What I like about living in the south is that the snow clears up pretty quickly and we don't have to miss too many days like my friends in the north.  However, what I hate about living in the south is that we don't have the equipment to handle snowstorms. When it snows here it quickly turns to ice which makes for awful driving conditions.  I'm sure that y'all heard on the news about all of the accidents.  It took my husband 3 hours (usually a 40 minute commute) to get home.  He actually got stuck.  His truck just wasn't doing its job.  My brother had to come and get him.  

What I enjoyed most about our snow days was that this was Brayden's first snow.  He LOVED it.  We had so much fun.   

These pictures were taken 3 hours later.  We got a good 2 inches of snow. 

Today, there was no snow to play in.  It's all melted an turned to slush.  We've just been silly all day. 

I have been a little productive despite being lazy.  ;-) I finished my Puzzlin' Prefixes and Suffixes. It's a freebie. Click either picture to download yourself this freebie. 




Last, I finished another product that I've been working on.  My students will fLiP when I show them this packet.  My teammates and I are going to figure out some lyrics to "What Does the Clock Say".  I'll share when they are all written.  Click the picture below to check this packet out. My students will be using a QR code scanner and finding the correct clock.  

I hope everyone has had a great week whether your had snow days or were at school all week. Friday is right around the corner. 

Lots of love,

Jeannie

Weekend Catch Up

Hello, Friends!

This past week was a great week with my kiddos.  I only had a 4 day week.  Actually, I've had a 4 day week for the past two weeks.  I don't know why, but short weeks make me feel more exhausted than a long week.  I came home EXHAUSTED every day. No motivation to blog and share all of the fun things we did this week.  Sorry friends!  As soon as I came home, I crashed. Well, I laid on the couch (in between playing with my 2 year old), did all of the nightly routines (you know cook, eat, get the munchkin' ready for bed...), and then was out.  I will asleep by 10 every night and still woke up tired.  My momma says I need to take some vitamins.  She may be right.  As I type this right now, I am still so tired.  I'm going to blame it on the weather...it's been out and back between 60 and 12 for the last month.  I'M READY FOR SPRING!

So, I didn't take a lot of pictures this week.  Slacker teacher...sorry.  But, I did snap some pictures while we made some weather tools.  For the last two weeks in science we have learned all about weather tools.  This week, we got to make our own.  They loved it.  We made a wind sock (not pictured), rain gauge, and a thermometer.  Take a look at our homemade weather tools.

Materials: 

Water Bottle

Red Food Coloring

Straw

Clay

Water and Rubbing Alcohol

Directions:

Pour equal amounts of water and rubbing alcohol into the water bottle.  Add a few drops of red food coloring.  Place the straw in the bottle but don't let it touch the bottom.  Mold the clay around the top.  Place your hands at the bottom and watch the liquid come up through the straw as if it is a thermometer.  My students thought this was the coolest thing ever! ;-)

Materials:

Water Bottle

Scissors

Ruler

Marker

Rocks/Pebbles

Directions: 

Cut the top off of the water bottle. Use a ruler to write measurements with a permanent marker.  Fill the bottom with rocks or pebbles.  Place the top of the bottle upside down into the rest of the bottle.  Place outside and wait for rain.  Easy, easy, easy, to make! 

Since it's Sunday, I just finished my plans for the week.  This week is going to be another fun filled week.  We will be using several of my roll and graph activities, learning about severe weather, continuing to write our fictional stories, and learning more and more about fables.

Pray that I get to feeling like myself.  I haven't been this tired since I was pregnant (and I am not pregnant).  

I hope that everyone has a TERRIFIC week!

Lots of love,

Jeannie

Black History Month

Happy Monday, Friends!

It is a happy Monday indeed.  I slept in until 9:00.  I love that my munchkin' sleeps in, too.  I'm truly blessed.  I've enjoyed my extended weekend.  It's going to be hard for the both of us to get up early! 

Today, we are off to celebrate the life of a man who changed the world.  Without Martin Luther King. Jr, I would not have the privilege to get to know and teach the majority of the students in my class.  Without Martin Luther King Jr, I would not have the opportunity to work with one of my best friends.  So, thank you Dr. King for changing the world.  

First, I posted a freebie on my blog last year.  My students loved the writing prompts and especially loved writing a letter to Dr. King.  Their letters were ADORABLE. Click here to grab yourself a copy.

Second, as I was watching the 49ers and the Seahawks (wanted the 49ers to win that game) play some football last night, I was multitasking and getting some lesson plans done.  We are currently diving into our graphing unit and I needed a roll and graph activity to integrate with the MLK Jr. Holiday and Black History Month.  So, my next roll and graph activity came to my mind.

My students LOVE rolling and graphing.  Pictures to come soon.... ;-)

Click on the picture below to check it out.  It will be 50% off until 6:00 EST. Grab it will it's on sale if you can use it in your classroom.

I haven't posted about any products on the blog lately, so I will give 3 copies away to the first 3 people to comment.

Lots of love,

Five for Friday

It's Friday, Friends!

I am lucky enough to be off today.  Today is an optional teacher workday in my district. So, I slept in until 8:30, attempted to make a fire (FAIL), and am now waiting for little man to wake up from his nap.

It's been such a busy week.  Brayden turned 2 on Sunday.  Insert sad face here. At school, we had fun learning about surveys, prefixes, and suffixes, having our biography museum, and even a a little science experiment to end the week.  

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs for her Five for Friday.  Take a look at all the fun we had this week.  

Number 1:
First, Brayden's birthday was on Sunday.  His cousins all had the flu (YUCK).  So we decided to have a small birthday party with just the 3 of us.  We bought him a cupcake just for him, we took him to Olive Garden for supper, and just relaxed and snuggled.  He had a great birthday, but it is so hard to believe that he is 2.  Time flies.  

He didn't like getting his hands all dirty, so he decided to eat his cupcake with his mouth.  Then, he laughed and laughed.  Silly little thing! 

Number 2:  

We began our graphing unit on Monday.  This is one of my favorite units. We've been taking surveys this week and learning how to turn our data into a graph.  I'll be pulling out my roll and graph activities next week.  

Number 3:
I started teaching my little ones about prefixes and suffixes.  We sang a song (we sing a song for everything) and then started on our puzzles.  We will be doing this again next week, since we had to stop early.  This will be a freebie for you soon!

Number 4:
Another 2nd grade teacher and I have decided to have "fun" Fridays where we take all of our quizzes and tests in the morning and we do some sort of learning activity in the afternoon.  I passed out all the materials and they had to make a paper clip float.  After letting them try, I showed them the video on how to do it.  They all went back to their tables and were ecstatic when the paper clip floated.  :-)

Number 5:

We've been studying biographies and held our biography museum on Thursday. I used Amanda from Teaching Maddeness' unit.  They LOVED it and were adorable.  Click here to check her unit out.  

Meet Sacajawea, Amelia Earhart, Betsy, Ross, Gabby Douglas, and Annika Sorenstam 

Meet Abraham Lincoln, Dale Earnhardt, Walt Disney, Peyton Manning

Take a look at all of the celebrities.  Can you spot David Beckham, John Cena, and Taylor Swift? 

I hope that y'all have had a GREAT week.  Enjoy your weekend.  

Lots of love,

3 Hour "Optional" Delay

Hello, Friends!

It was quite an interesting day today.  First, it was COLD this morning.  When I left for work, it was 8 degrees.  8 degrees. I live in the upstate of South Carolina.  The last time it was that cold was in 1985.  This southern girl doesn't handle the cold very well.  I froze this morning. :-(

My district decided to call for an optional 3 hour delay.  The 3 hour delay was called specifically for buses so that students don't have to stand in the freezing temperatures waiting on the bus. So, teachers had to be there at regular schedule time.  Students could come in at any point before 11.  I had 2 students show up at 8:50.  By 10 o'clock I had 6 students.  From 10:00-10:45, I had 4 more come in.  14/18 showed up.  Below is a picture I took at 10 o'clock.

Despite the freezing temperatures and the late start, we still had a fun day.  I didn't get to "teach" a lot today, but we did get some stuff done. It was actually a great day. 

First, we talked about New Year's resolutions and made inferences about what a certain character/animal's resolutions would be.  I bought Rachel, The Tattooed Teacher's packet 'Everybody's Makin New Year's Resolutions!  A Zainy Inference Activity'.  My students LOVED it. Here's a couple of them in action. 

The one with Spongebob says, "To work more in the Krusty Crab, to use new pans, and to not talk to Patrick."  These turned out ADORABLE.  Super cute! Thanks, Rachel, for such a cute activity. 

Click the picture below to check out her packet.  If you need a quick activity to do this week, I'd recommend it. 

Next, we worked on our next lap book.  When I told my kids yesterday that we were making another lap book to review before the test on Friday they were all so excited.  This one has a football theme and may just be my favorite one yet.  This is not in my store yet, but here's a few of them working hard.  Hoping to have it ready to go by Friday. 

                                              

Last, I came home to a package on my porch today.  Brayden's birthday is Sunday (this is the last week that I have a one year old). :-( I ordered him some personalized books from I See Me. They are plum adorable.  As I was looking through the pages, I saw one page that made me laugh.  Here in the state of South Carolina, we have a pretty extensive rivalry between the Clemson Tigers and the Carolina Gamecocks.  If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I'm a Clemson fan. This book is about all of the things Brayden can be when he grows up.  In the picture frame below it appears that Brayden received his degree from the University of South Carolina also know as the Carolina Gamecocks.  When they asked me which state we lived in, I didn't know this is what they had in mind.  The books came from Minnesota.  So, all I got to say is....Minnesota needs to learn that there is more than 1 university in South Carolina.  This picture made this Tiger laugh. :-) Hoping Brayden doesn't decide to become a Gamecock...I'm already making him say "Go Tigers!". 

I hope that you all had a great day.  If you are experiencing the severe cold weather, I hope that you all stay warm and safe.  I'm ready for this cold weather to go away.  

Lots of love,
Jeannie

Five for Friday

It's Friday, friends!

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs today. 

When I say I've been LAZY, I mean I've been LAZY.  I've enjoyed every minute of it.  Today is my last day of Christmas break.  I am going to be TiReD come Monday morning.  We've been sleeping in until 9:00 every day for two weeks.  Yep, I think I will need some coffee Monday morning.

I'm ready to see my precious students again even though I'm going to miss my munchkin' like crazy.  I've been thinking how I can be a better teacher and how I can engage my students more than I already am.  These thoughts are keeping me up at night.  I've been blog stalking and going through Pinterest.  Hoping for a great rest of the school year.

So, ready to see how lazy I've been this week?!?  Here's my Friday Five. :-)

Number 1: 

We have been potty training all week.  Honestly, I figured it would be much easier than it has been.  He's doing well.  My only concern is that I have to send him to daycare on Monday without being "fully potty trained".  I'm hoping and praying that he does okay and has an occasional accident here and there.  We've got the hang of it at home. He only had 1 accident yesterday.  I keep reminding myself that it takes time.  

Number 2:

I feel like I am on "pee watch" 24/7 now.  This week I've had to keep a close eye on him and look for signs that he needs to go to the bathroom.  So, we've been playing and reading all week long.  The teacher in my smiles when he picks up a book willingly and reads it.  :-)

Number 3: 

I've spent time with my parents these last two weeks.  I don't get to see them as often during the school year.  So, I take every chance I get to see them while I am on break.  Brayden has enjoyed playing with his cousin and spending time with his grandma and grandpa.  The picture above you will see my daddy holding both of his "boys".

Number 4:

I finished up a packet that I can't wait to use when we return next week.  After I put Brayden to sleep and my husband turned on football, I got right to work.  It's amazing how much I can accomplish when I have "time".  I love that I can watch football and work on fun stuff for my classroom at the same time.  

Speaking of football, Clemson plays tonight.  GO TIGERS!

Number 5:

I am participating in a Facebook Freebie Hop hosted by Tori from Tori's Teaching Tips.  (Click on the picture to see her Facebook page to know where to start "hoppin') There will be SO many freebies for you this weekend.  You don't want to miss out! Make sure you hop on by my Facebook page to grab my freebie. It's already uploaded and ready to be downloaded. ;-)

I hope that you have a TERRIFIC Friday.  

Lots of love,

Jeannie

January Currently

It's January, Friends!

It's so hard to believe that 2013 has come to an end.  Praying that 2014 is another great year for all of us.  

I found this picture on Pinterest and loved it!

I'm not big on making New Year Resolutions.  This year my goal is to be a better wife, mother and teacher.  Each day is a brand new day.  I hope that my "book" for 2014 is the best one yet.  

I decided to get right back on track with blogging by linking up with Farley for her monthly currently.  

Listening: As I was typing this I realized that I am STILL listening to the Disney Channel while Brayden is taking a nap.  It's on the majority of the day, so I don't think much about it during his 2 hour nap.  Made me laugh though. :-)

Loving: I am LOVING my winter break.  I needed these 2 weeks to rejuvenate.  I feel like I've hit a "slump" in all areas of my life and needed a little break.  I've thoroughly enjoyed being lazy and spending time with my munchkin'.  I'm beginning to think about school and how to be a better teacher. 

Thinking: Do I want to get a head start on my lesson plans or wait till Sunday afternoon? Haven't quite decided yet...

Wanting:  This is random, but the only thing I could think of was chicken wings.  I may be hungry and hot wings would be DELICIOUS!

Needing: I need to shout this...PATIENCE!  Brayden is potty training and well...I need some patience.  Pray for us friends.  He is getting there slowly but surely. I really didn't know it would be this hard! He doesn't tell me he has to go potty.  He starts to pee and then we rush to the bath for him to finish.  Every time...any pointers or advice???

Memory or Traditions:  I shared some of Brayden's Santa pictures from last month.  Brayden LOVED seeing Santa, so until he says no we will be doing this every year.

Something else, I forgot to add....

Brayden will be turning 2 is a couple of weeks.  Really?!?! Time flies...

Off to planning a birthday party I go!

I hope that everyone is having a GREAT break.  Happy New Year!

Lots of love,

Jeannie