Journal Rubrics and a....GIVEAWAY

I am trying SOOOO hard to get around to check journals between reading groups...and believe me with 29 kids it's no easy task.  However I really want to give them immediate, semi quick feedback.  I created a freebie that you can use if you'd like - it looks something like this.  Click first picture below for link.

Here is a picture of it in action stapled to one of my firsties journal pages.

Can you tell I'm in a total hurry between groups - done quickly and moving onto the next one. :o)

I hope it's helpful to you and you are able to use it as well.  Also I have to tell you about an amazing giveaway that I'm lucky enough to be a part of with other very talented TPTers.

Head on over to Creation Castle and enter the rafflecopter to win BIG!
BTW

**TPT** is not allowing uploads at the moment -- so visit back and click on the first picture above for the link for the freebie tomorrow.   { all loaded now :o) }
Goodnight all! { well not really - LOL just moving onto laundry and Amazing Race }

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Chair Pockets, Cars and Prayers

My crafty mom in law made these adorable chair pockets for me a couple years ago to go with my bee theme...bee helpful...bee kind...be thoughtful, etc....then she made me newer ones with a bucket filler theme on them too.  Aren't I lucky??  So the table that gets the most table points at the end of the week earns the chair pockets.  They can do whatever they want with them as far as what they put in it...as long as it's not too heavy.  They LOVE this -- go figure!



Now for my car story....I have had my white nissan mini van for 10 years - it has over 100,000 miles on it...I'm cool with that.  However on Friday after my hubbys Homecoming game ( he coaches and teaches high school ) my son started throwing up ALL OVER my van...I mean -- ALL OVER...Did I say ALL OVER?!?!  Yikes.  It was dark and late 10:30 pm ish and I was swerving all over the freeway to figure out what to give him  to contain this situation...not likely.  Anyway we survived but my poor van didn't.  LOL  SO my hubby took it in to be detailed.  I had never really thought much about detailing a car before.  Like I said I'm not a big car person.  I don't really care what I drive and I allow my kids to live ( meaning eat, etc. ) in it so it's not the cleanest thing.  Anywho we had to deal with the big mess....so my hubby went to get it detailed.  Oh my!!!!  First off - it's not cheap...secondly it took 4 1/2 hours.  Is that even normal?  Does that tell you how dirty it was and I'm not just talking throw up here. 

I was CRACKING up when he came back with the van.  We were looking at it like we had never seen it that nice since the day we bought it.  When I picked up my middle school car pool - one little girl was like..." Oh wow, Mrs. Moore your car is so clean!"  Too funny!

Lastly I was wondering who prays for their students?  Every year after I get my class list and look at the pink and blues I set up my seating chart.  Then I go around at each desk and stop and pray for these little guys.  Their family life, behaviors, learning styles ( that they will be met by me ), etc.  Wherever you are in your life of faith - it sure can't hurt to pray for our students - especially if they are in a hard situation....I have one sweet, precious little girl right now fighting a battle with cancer.  She is one that I definitely pray for daily...do you pray for your students?

Sorry if this was a little TMI but sometimes you just gotta share. :oD  Have a great rest of your week teacher friends.



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Buddy Reading Program

Our school is really big on reading buddies --- { which I love BTW }...I'm curious how many of you have this type of program set up as well.  We meet with a 5th grade class every Friday and they sit and read with their buddy. It really is the cutest thing.  I love watching them read and interact.

*  However...now that in So. Cal we have gone up to 30 students in K-2 we decided to split up our class.  We used to have the 5th graders come down to my room and spread out to read with their buddies.  Now we think it will be easier for 1/2 of the class to go to the 5th grade room and 1/2 stay in mine with their 5th grade buddies.  Otherwise 66 bodies in my lil ole' room might be a bit LOUD.  My ears hurt just thinking about it. LOL... *  

Prior to the first meet up I meet with the teacher and we look over our class lists to see who would be great with who -- it's always been a blast.

We also do fun seasonal activities together as well.  For instance - hot cocoa at Christmas with a book exchange, writing new years goals together at the beginning of the year, etc.  We make them a gift at Christmas too - a snowman ornament from a tongue depressor...

We also use them as buddies to help if a student is struggling with issues on the playground, etc.  Here is a picture of some of the buddies.  We were buddies with my daugther's class from a couple years ago -- she's in the pink fuzzy Christmas stocking hat with the braids and cute smile. :oD

At the end of the year we have a mini field trip to the park across the street and have a picnic with our buddies.  I love building community!

We share our campus with a special ed preschool that has a typical peer program. ( mainly focusing on autisim ) we have now also adopted a preschool classroom - adopt a pup.  It's the cutest thing.  But we only meet with them 2x's a year for a craft project.  Tell me what you think...do you guys have buddies?



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Sight Words and a Toothpaste Lesson

So I had to 'copy' someone's brillant idea and make the sight word necklace that has been all over pinterest.  It is soo fun...my students are lovin' it.  On Friday I wore I - I have been noticing that many of my new friends are writing I  as a lowercase in their jounals when it's by itself so I decided to focus on this one first.  Then of course I had to use my sweet friend Annie's sight word watches that I bought at the TPT Back to School Sale.  Here are some pictures ...

Here I am with my zebra print sight word lanyard...I'm sure I looked funny to some walking around with I around my neck all day.

How cute are these from Annie at the Moffatt girls?  My students loved them...you can purchase them here.

I also teach the 'toothpaste' lesson every year.  I use a travel size toothpaste tube and squeeze it all out onto a plate.  Then I ask who can put it all back.  I always have a few that think they can do it.  I've posted about this before briefly -- anyway we discuss how the toothpaste is like our words.  If we say something hurtful to our friends we can say sorry but we can't truly take them back.  They are 'out there' similar to the toothpaste that can't be put back in the tube.  Here I am with all that toothpaste... LOL

Also I was busy making my Where the Wild Things Are unit -- if you do a unit on this book you might want to take a look at it.

{ Here }



I know many of you start tomorrow -- Have a great 1st day my friends.

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