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.

Happy Mother's Day!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day!  It is rainy here in N.W. GA but, it has still been a good day.  I have celebrated by having all of my children clean, clean, and clean their rooms :)  I wanted to share an activity my students had fun with last Friday.  Since CRCT is over, (Yee Haw!), my students are reviewing and practicing their multiplication facts again.  Since my students love Fortune Tellers, (or Cootie Catchers), I created one last winter with random multiplication facts on it.  However, we were so busy trying to finish the standards, we never got to try it out.  Even though the pictures are winter themed my students loved the activity anyway.  (I don't even think they noticed the pictures were wintery).  I have included the link to my TPT store in case you want to check it out.  There are directions for folding the Fortune Teller, directions for the activity and a picture code included with the activity. Click here to view:  Multiplication Fortune Teller

My kiddos had a blast with these Multiplication Fortune Tellers!  They forgot they were reviewing and learning.

I'm finished!

I just had to post that I have finished all my assignments 2 weeks early for my EdS educational specialist degree!  I am so grateful to be finished.  I don't think it has completed soaked in yet that I won't have to work on assignments in the evenings and all week-ends.  I am so ready to get my life back and spend time with my family. My twins' Junior prom is in 2 weeks and I am so excited that I am going to have time to do all the "memory stuff" with them with no nagging feelings about needing to study.  Well, good-night everyone and have a great week!