TpT Sale!

Just wanted to say I am so excited about the Teacher Pay Teachers sale tomorrow and Monday, (August 12 -13)!  I have my Wish List ready and waiting to go!  
Be sure and check out my store Mrs. C's Classroom using the link below.  Along with the sale TpT is throwing, I am taking an additional 20% off ALL my items in my store. 

Mrs. C's Classroom

I Still Have a Few More Weeks

I have been relaxing some more and spending time in Florida.  It is nice to go places, but it is always nice to come home :)  I know a lot of school districts around me have already began inservice and several are already having classes.  I still have a few more weeks to prepare.  Thank Goodness!  I believe I have relaxed too much this summer :)  I need to get hopping!  The one thing I always want to do is get my house spotlessly clean before I go back to the classroom in the fall.  So far, I have never succeeded in this task, but that doesn't keep me from trying.  I think I can!  I think I can!  
If you need any more beginning of the year forms, I have one you might like.  It is a form that is filled out at school by students and teacher.  It has school phone numbers, websites, etc... More importantly, it has the phone numbers of three other students in the classroom.  No more excuses about leaving the assignment at school, or forgetting what the assignment was.  Students now have 3 friends to call in case of emergencies :) I hold them accountable for calling their peers.  After the form is filled out, it is taken home to the parent.  I always suggest placing the form on the refrigerator. Here is the link, and I hope this form is helpful to you: BACK-to-SCHOOL @ HOME INFO SHEET 

Getting Anxious

I have been busy this evening reading posts about getting classrooms ready for the beginning of school. This makes me both anxious and excited.  I am anxious because I cannot get into my classroom until after July 22.  I am so envious of educators who are allowed to spend the summer fixing their rooms up at will. I am excited because I have been working on ideas here at home to use and have seen some wonderful classroom set-ups on teacher blogs and on Pinterest.  Classrooms have certainly come a long way from the time when I began my teaching career back in 1989! 

Tangrams: Part II

The second day of experimenting with Tangrams, I began the class by reading the book, Grandfather Tang's Story by Ann Tompert. My students then got an unexpected treat.  We spent the remainder of the class playing a Tangram game on the iPads.  

iPads 

always

equal


happy 


and


excited


kids!

How to Beat the Summer Heat :)

I hope everyone is having a great summer break!  It has been in the 100's the last couple of weeks here in NW Georgia, with record breaking temperatures.  One evening around 8:00 p.m. I passed 2 marquees in a row which posted the temperature at 103 degrees.  Really?  103 degrees right before nightfall.  WOW!  I found the perfect way to have fun and stay cool yesterday in this sweltering heat.  It's not a very flattering picture at all, but the water felt wonderful and looking good was not part of my plan. :)  Everyone stay safe and stay cool!

Back to School Packet

Sorry I have been away soooo long.  I have been vacationing and taking a break from all things school.  But, I'm back and ready to go!  I am so excited.  I just finished a back to school packet and listed it on TPT last night.  Be sure to take a look at it!  
Use this link to take a peek at my new unit.

Tangrams

Last week my students got a chance to work with a 7 piece Chinese puzzle - the tangram.  Day 1, I began by reading the book, The Warlord's Puzzle.

Next, I challenged my kids to make their own square with a 7 piece set of puzzle pieces.  Most students were saying they would have the puzzle completed in 2-3 minutes.  It didn't take long, however, before everyone realized the puzzle was going to be a challenge.

  Eventually, some of the kids began to put the puzzle together correctly.  Then, after a couple of hints, everyone began to get the hang of it :)

After the "square" challenge, I handed out folders of tangram puzzles I had collected over the years.  I had laminated each set of puzzles and had a folder and set of tangrams for each student.  The kids spent time building tangram puzzles within an outline.

Finally, on Day 1, my students practiced making tangram puzzles without the outlines.  They looked at a smaller version of the completed version of the puzzle and put it together on their desk.

It was a fun activity and the kids really enjoyed the puzzles.