June Currently!

I have never done a "Currently", so I'm pretty excited about this!  I'm linking up with Farley from Oh Boy Fourth Grade with this month's Currently.  So, here goes!

Since the kids are in bed, it's my turn to get the television, so I'm watching Rachel Maddow.  Love how smart she is.  (And how excited she gets about geeky stuff.)

The weather has cooled off here in Georgia, so I'm able to have the windows open today!  Unfortunately, June will return tomorrow with its tropical moisture, and we'll be back to A/C and sweating.

I go back to work 8 weeks from tomorrow!  Crazy, right?  So, I'm already starting to think about my themes for next year and what I need to do to get prepared.

My ten year old is off to Boy Scout Camp this week!  It's his first time away from home for this long, and I'm pretty nervous.  We haven't gotten a phone call yet to come and get him, so I'm thinking he's probably having a good time.  He'll be home on Saturday, and it can't come soon enough.  My twelve year old leaves Sunday for the same camp (they're in different troops).  He went last year and had a great time, so I won't worry quite as much about him.  :-)

I was able to get out and walk around the neighborhood for a half hour, but now I need some water.  I'm too lazy to get up off of the couch, though.

I've decided that this summer is the year I finally get my house organized.  We're thinking about moving next summer, and we all know how busy the school year is, so if it doesn't happen this summer, my house will never get organized.  I'm also trying to lose 15 to 20 pounds.  Hence the walking today.  Hoping that next fall, I'll go back to school at least two sizes smaller!

Resuscitating the Blog (And a New Feature!)

Yeah, so it's been a few weeks almost six months since I last posted.  I'm trying to slowly figure out how to fit this blogging thing into my life, so there might be some fits and starts before I get it all worked out.

I've decided that one way to ensure that I'm posting more frequently (and not stuff that's dreadfully boring) is to do at least one weekly feature.  So, I'm going to start with "Get Fit Friday!"  Yes, I worked for hours on that name.  ;-)

I've been wanting to lose some weight and start exercising for the longest time, but I've never found anything that worked out for me and my schedule.  I'm working on a plan this summer that I think is something that I can start in the summer and continue throughout the year when things get completely crazy.  And, it won't cost you a dime!!  (Full disclosure: I am using Weight Watchers which costs money, but there are free alternatives as well.)

So, follow along this summer as I take you on my trip to getting fit!!

My Introduction to Dropbox!

One of my favorite non-teaching bloggers is Rachel Held Evans.  Her way with words is something that I envy (a lot), and most of her posts will make you either laugh or cry.  This post did both.  She is in the middle of writing a book and proceeded to spill a chai latte all over her computer.  She spent a long couple of days wondering if her entire manuscript was lost.  I cannot encourage you enough to read the post.  It really is excellent writing.

Now, I'm not writing a book.  (Definitely not!)  But, I do have LOTS of files on my computer that I would hate to lose.  While I do try to back up the ones on my school laptop on the server at school, that's not always possible.  And my school laptop is almost six years old, which is almost elderly when you're talking about technology.  As a result, it dies.  A lot.  And when it dies, it needs to be re-imaged, which means I get it back just like it came to me the first time.  Every single file that is saved on my C Drive is gone.  So my constant fear is that it will die during a long break like Christmas or Summer.  Then, everything I've worked on for school would be gone.  Kaput.  Lost in the netherworld forever.

As a result, I've thought about how to save my work so it's not lost forever in a disaster of fire, flood, or pestilence.  And I've found Dropbox!  I know this site may be familiar to most of you, but it's all new to me, and I think I'm in love!  It was so easy to install and add files to.  I have Chrome as my browser, so it's easy to get to Google Docs, but it's harder to upload files to that.  I'm probably going to save my stuff to both, because I don't want to lose anything.

If you don't have a quick and easy way to save all of those great activities you've been creating for your classroom, I would definitely recommend Dropbox!

And, I can't leave you without a picture.  This was our day today.  While we didn't have snow, we did have single digit temperatures which only happens every couple of decades here in metro Atlanta, so schools were closed.  This is my two oldest playing on their Kindles with the new apps they were able to buy with the Amazon gift cards their aunt gave them.  It made for a quiet afternoon.  I think, however, that we're all ready to get back to our regular routine.  If only I could get school to start every day at 10:00 am. . .

Shepherds and Centers

What a weekend!  We had our Christmas Program at church today.  I got to spend time with a very cute shepherd.  :)

I had to help corral 30 of his fellow shepherds as well.  It was definitely interesting.  They did a great job though!!

I've finally finished my Winter Literacy Centers!  We've been using them this month, and I've been creating one or two a week for my students to use.  (Having them use them also means that I was able to work out some of the kinks.)  They cover the 2nd grade Common Core Standards, but they could be used for advanced first graders or for remediation in the upper grades.  I use them during my Daily 5 Word Work time twice a week.  It's a great way to review the grammar standards that there never seems to be enough time to practice.  They've been uploaded here in my TPT store!  (You can also click on the picture to go to my store.)

I hope everyone has a great week!  We only have five school days left before Winter Break!

Five for Friday. And a Freebie!!

It's the end of another week, and I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching with my Five for Friday!  We've had a busy week.  We started on Monday with our Elf arriving.  The kids named her "Jessie".  One of the choices was "Sparkles", and I was hoping that would win the vote, but luck wasn't with me.  So far, Jessie has brought the kids pencils and chocolate bells.

(Am I the only one who thinks the elf has really creepy eyes.  She's always staring at me!)

Here's a really cute video we watched together.  They loved it!

On Monday, we also made Hot Chocolate.  I made it, and the students wrote down the steps.  Then, we talked about using transition words in a how-to paragraph.  Finally we wrote the final copy of a paragraph.  We'll finish out the week by making this Hot Chocolate Craftivity that I got from Third Grade Bookworm.

Here's the recipe I used:

Creamy Hot Chocolate - serves 24
Adapted from www.mrshappyhomemaker.com

1/2 gallon milk (I used 2%, but whole milk would be divine!)
2 quarts half & half
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
12 oz bag chocolate chips (semi sweet or milk chocolate)
Mini marshmallows

Add first four ingredients to slow cooker.  Stir to combine completely.  Cook on low for 2 - 3 hours or until hot.  Serve with mini marshmallows.

Here's a picture.  The pic isn't great, but the hot chocolate was delicious!

Wednesday, I had someone from our county's ESOL office visit my classroom for the whole day.  She was also my instructor last year when I was getting my certification, so she is a wonderful resource!  It was so nice to have another person in my class.  I could really get used to it!  She also had some suggestions of ways I can help my ELs become more comfortable with academic language.  Plus, she's fluent in Spanish (which I am most definitely NOT), so my Spanish speaking students loved it!

And, finally, we've been stuck inside almost the whole week with rain.  While it's been in the 70's here in Georgia (and I know that's not the case for much of the country), no recess the week after Thanksgiving Break makes for stir crazy children (and teachers).  Here's hoping that next week will be sunny and beautiful!!

If you'd like to use the unit, it's free in my TpT store!  Just click on the pictures to go download it.

Enjoy Friday!  I've only got two more until it's Winter Break!!

My Truth Monday - How I Became a Teacher

It's Monday again, and I'm linking up with Denise at Sunny Days to share another "My Truth Monday."  This one's pretty easy.  :-)

So what's your truth about becoming a teacher?  Head over to Denise's blog and link up!

Brand New Blog Design!!

The blog has a fresh new look!  Thank you so much to Tessa from Tales From a Blog Designer!  I love the bright, clean look!!

Hopefully, having such a good lookin' blog will encourage me to post more often.  ;-)