Currently July 2015

Wow!  How is it already July?!  I’m linking up with Oh’ Boy Fourth Grade today and FINALLY sharing pictures from some St. Patrick’s Day fun.

Listening

I’ve become addicted to Right This Minute.  I get all of my gossipy celebrity news right after my real news at noon.  Summer is fabulous.

Loving

Summer IS fabulous.  I’ve been sleeping in, reading for enjoyment, and attending some really fun professional development workshops (more on those in some future blog posts!)

Thinking

I’ve recently learned all about QR Codes and my brain has been going several hundred thousand miles a minute with ideas for Tpt creations ever since!

Wanting

I’m wanting to go to Vegas with everyone but there is always next year and I am putting it on my calendar THIS year!  In the meantime I will live vicariously through everyone who IS going!!

Needing

I’ve been enjoying summer but it’s time to get some work (cleaning/organizing) done so I can  enjoy the rest of my break as well.

ALL STAR

Procrastinator…of course!

St. Patrick’s Day Catch-Up

My two favorite holidays are Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day.  I love teaching my students about these two holidays and celebrating them in the classroom.

This year I had the opportunity to work with a group of Kindergarteners who truly shared my love for St. Patrick’s Day.  We started our St. Patrick’s Day Study by reading several books about the holiday including,

         There were so many fun activities that we worked on over the next two weeks including learning about rainbows and then creating our own with Fruit Loops. (They also made a delicious snack!), Matching Math Shamrocks, creating Paper Bag Puppet Leprechauns from Creative Clips, Retelling Shamrock Chains, and Graphing with Skittles! 

  Finally, we read How to Catch a Leprechaun,

and spent several days creating our own Leprechaun Traps. 
 

This was an incredible experience for both the students and myself!  The conversations that stemmed from their work were unbelievable.  I heard things such as, “I’m going to lure him in with a skittle.”  “Can you help me measure this ladder(pipe cleaner)?  It’s too long.”  I even had one student try to convince the principal to let him hang a string from the ceiling to allow his trap to hang down and catch the leprechaun in action!  The language and teamwork that occurred was invaluable.  We finished the traps and did a quick little writing activity before we put the traps on display in the library for a few days. 

On St. Patrick’s Day, the student’s were surprised to find ladders and shamrocks moved, green (chalk) footprints all over their traps, and some gold chocolate coins hidden inside their traps!


I am still so impressed with all of their work!!!

April Currently

Hi Everyone,

I'm still working on my St. Patrick's Day Post...I have lots of fun pictures to share and they are taking me a little bit longer than I anticipated to edit!  It is also crunch time before graduation at school and I have three huge projects due within the next month, so I have been a little more stressed, crazy, high strung than usual.  I know...I know...how could I be even MORE high strung?!  :)  I will hopefully get the post up sometime this week.  Until then, I have linked up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for the April Currently.

The April Currently is pretty self-explanatory this month...head on over to Oh' Boy 4th Grade to fill it out yourself!

Until I get the St. Patrick's Day Post up, here are some green sparkles to hold you over!  :)

Slantboxes!

As a teacher I am always trying to broaden my social circle of colleagues and other educators.  I love hearing about different strategies, programs, and lessons that others try and use in their schools and classrooms, which is just one reason that I decided to start blogging!  I love to read other blogs and get to know other teachers!  When I heard about the Slantboxes that Jameson at Lessons with Coffee organizes each month I knew this was something that was right up my ally!

This was my fourth time participating in a Slantbox exchange.  Each month you are paired up with one other teacher (Anywhere throughout the world - Yes, you can even request to be paired up with someone internationally!  How cool is that?)  and Jameson selects a theme.  February's theme was, I LOVE Teaching!  You spend the month getting to know the other teacher through e-mail, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, any and all forms of social media.  As you get to know the other teacher, you put together a box of goodies that you think the other teacher would enjoy to receive around the 25th of the month and mail it off!  It is so much fun getting to know different teachers and realize how much we are alike!  And sometimes different!  :)  

In February, my Slantbox partner was the lovely Linda from Teach-a-Latte.  I loved getting to know her and when I received my box, I felt like she had known me for years!  

I am a school supply addict!  I just can't get enough!  And Roxy and Ozzy were SO EXCITED to get some treats in the box they went crazy!  I had to open them up right away!  They loved the treats...and they are picky treat-eaters. :)  I also already read Schooled! (While I probably should have been doing Grad work...shhh!)  I loved it!  I am thinking of sneaking the bell into some meetings this week.  We could always use extra smiles!  Thanks so much Linda!  You really brightened up my week! 

I missed the deadline for the March Slantboxes but I will be checking back at the beginning of April to get back in on the action!  If you want to participate as well check out the Slantbox Link at the beginning of April!

March Currently

How is it already March 15^th?  Could someone please explain where January and February went?  2015 is already flying by and I am going to do my best to blog a little more regularly. 

I’ve got two more posts on their way… one later this week…(**SLANTBOX post **) and another with some St. Patrick’s Day Fun coming up next weekend.  Until then I’ve linked up Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade  for the March Currently!

Listening

I’m Listening to Property Brothers.  Is anyone else completely obsessed with HGTV??? I spend days watching home makeovers and sometimes I truly think that I CAN easily complete home improvement projects on my own.  This might become a problem some day considering I hang pictures on the wall with a high-heeled shoe…

Loving

I am loving St. Patrick’s Day and all of the fun and excitement that my students are sharing with me as we are learning and creating some pretty cool leprechaun traps and St. Patrick’s Day activities.  Look for a post next weekend detailing all the fun! 

Thinking

Spring is always such a busy season.  I feel like I live with a list in my hand.  And yes…the list is always color coordinated.  J

Wanting

My want to read list is so so so long!  I cannot wait until I can read books for fun (i.e. not textbooks) this summer!  What are some of your favorite books I should add to my list? 

Needing

I need to remember what I’m working towards and find my focus.  I am so close to my goals.  I don’t want to lose sight of them now.

Spring Break Plans

I am so excited to simply relax, clean, work on some grad school work, catch up Netflix and hang out with some friends.

December Currently

It’s been awhile but I’m back and ready to link up with Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade!

Listening

I’m listening to Bones on Netflix and wondering why I have never watched this show before!!!  Funny story I had a life-size cardboard David Boreanaz as Angel living in my basement for years!

Loving

I love having the Christmas tree and decorations up.  There is nothing like working on schoolwork next to a beautifully lit tree.

Thinking

I’m thinking about Krista Wallden’s Christmas Morning Surprise!  I am obsessed with her clip art and can’t wait to see what awesomeness awaits me on Christmas Morning!

Wanting

I am wanting the rain to stop!  This rain needs to stop before recess tomorrow!  No indoor recess!  These kids need to get outside!  

Needing

I NEED to finish my Christmas shopping!  I don’t want to be running around at the last minute like a chicken with my head cut off!!

Giving

I am giving a shout out to my friends at Smartie Pants!  Check out their blog and TPT store for some great products! 

As you can see, Lauren's Loft has gotten a brand new look from the wonderful Lindsey Johnston over at L Paull Designs!  Lindsey did an amazing job helping me decide how I wanted my blog to look and ensuring that it was exactly what I wanted!!! Thanks so much Lindsey!!!

I've got a lot of posts planned for the next few weeks so be sure to follow along!  :)