Back to School

Well, I have been back to school for almost 3 weeks now and I spent this last weekend, in between the hubby's birthday celebrations, finalizing some plans for starting out the year with my new kiddos.  They are quite the busy group so I am looking for more ways to keep them engaged!  I actually wrote this earlier this week and kept forgetting to take pictures so I had revise it to past tense!  I have been snooping around at all of you checking out your fab classroom ideas, and while mine isn't as creative as some of you, it seems to work for me.  I started my master's classes again Monday and I'm sure I'll be up to my eyeballs in craziness soon so there's no time to make big changes now.  I decided to link up with Courtney over at Swimming into Second for her Show Off Your Space link up.

Here is my little slice of education:

I started using the Warm Fuzzies and easy reward system from Mel D at Seusstastic Classroom Inspirations. I didn't realize that the paint cups had attached lids when I bought them, but they just remain open all of the time.  I got the Rainbow Chalkboard Calendar Numbers from Lindsay Hill (I use them as student Nicknumbers). I have to admit that the "shopping" last week wasn't as smooth as I would have liked and I will rethink the management of that one...it needs to be quick and easy.  I'm open to suggestions! 

We are using the Bucket Filler idea to encourage respect in our classroom.  I started this last year and have tweaked it a little this time around.  I made the "buckets" from paper cups from the party supply store and nylon cord that way they were light enough that I could hang them on the board.  I "censor" the little paper slips that the kids write and put them into the cups so they don't fall off due to kiddos tugging at them.  Besides, the board is too high for them to reach all of the cups.  Yes, I know the B-U-C are bold font!  I didn't notice until I had already put them up...the Cricut must have had a mind of its own that day!

 We did this fun Math About Me activity from Linda Kamp at Around the Kampfire during the first few days.  I really like the way they turned out.  It is telling, though, which kiddos are going to need a little extra assistance this year, isn't it!  The little paws have each child's name on them as a permanent display area.  I don't have a "theme" in my room, but this one is because our mascot is a leopard.  The cute pennant is also a beginning of the year activity.  Next time, I'll have them be more colorful!  I also made the pennant from Gina at Beach Sand and Lesson Plans that she shared as a FREEBIE on Owl-ways Be Inspired.

I also used Linda's Go For the Goal people and had them out on the desks for back to School Night this week to share with the parents.  Inside, the students wrote a goal for the year.  I plan to hang them up on the wall and revisit them at the end of the year to see how much we have grown!   I didn't take a picture, but they are super cute.  Here is Linda's photo:

If anyone wants to teach me how to link a photo, I'd love to learn!

 So, that's where we are so far!  Thank you to those ladies who share on TPT and on their Blogs for all of the wonderful ideas and inspiration. I have become passionate about teaching again (I was in a slump), thanks to all of you!

Almost Time!

Well, my birds are all back in the nest! We enjoyed some fun events interspersed with frantic back to school moments-such as, "we HAVE to go to Staples today, its the last day of the sale and new stuff goes on sale tomorrow!" or classroom visits, or planning, etc.  Yes, I'm crazy like that!  I officially return at the end of the week, so just a few days left...   :(

Don't worry, I'm also excited to start back!  I have grabbed some cool new stuff from TPT and conjured up some bright ideas for "what I'm doing different next year" that I will (hopefully) implement and love!  Since I had a combination class last year, some of my 1st graders will be my 2nd graders and I am trying hard not to repeat the lessons I did whole class last year.  I'll share more about those ideas later!  I finished reading Talking, Drawing, Writing that I blogged about below.  It was a great book and I got some wonderful ideas for mini-lessons and how I can set up the student writing binders.  I think, however, it is much more geared to Kindergarten.  My kiddos are usually beyond the storytelling stage and should be writing more details.  But this book may help me with ELL students and my struggling writers.

I have been working on my Grad Project and I will need to create a teacher guide/staff development on the topic I chose.  I am currently researching the use of technology to differentiate reading instruction in primary classrooms.  Please share any ideas/suggestions you might have that may help me develop this topic-I'd love to hear your input!  Again, I'll share more about my project as I get more into it.

Time to Get Busy

I enjoyed a lovely night out with my husband on Friday and I have one little bird back in the nest! We went to the movies this afternoon and now I need to get that to do list in perfect working order!  I am planning to finish up some of my scrapbooking pages so they are totally complete and tonight, while my hubby takes control of the TV remote, I am going to delve into the expectations for my final project.

Later this week I'm going to get cracking on my first week of school plans and try to mix and match some of my regular activities with Common Core.  Our district has given pretty much NO guidelines for integrating or even what the expectations are with the CCSS.  I want to hit the ground running!  I will be going to a 5 day training throughout the year, but don't have a clue as to where to start.  Is anyone else in this boat?  

Writing is my weakest link and I will be focusing on that as well as what needs to get done with my Master's.  (Toot, toot!) I did finish a novel this summer! It was nothing to share about, a freebie on my Kindle, but an escape nonetheless.  I LOVE to read and I miss it soooo much...shortly, I will be done reading textbooks and back to novels--there is a light at the end of the tunnel!  I will be reading Talking, Drawing, Writing by Martha Horn and Mary Ellen Giacobbe before school starts. 

 

(link here)

Have you read this book, do you have any suggestions--things you love, things you've tried, things to NOT do?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Well, off to accomplish something today!

ReBoot

Ok, so you can see why my blog is called Me & My Bright Ideas--I had this great idea to create a blog last summer...before I found out, last minute, that I would be teaching a combo (with fidelity) and beginning my Master's Program! Duh! Bright idea, huh!  I had no idea what I was getting into with either of them. 

So, I have decided to start over with more energy this time. (A least, I am 99% sure I won't have a combo!)

I will re-introduce myself as if today was the first post ever:
My name is Tracy, I am a SoCal girl, born and raised!  I absolutely love it in San Diego County and I will never leave, despite the cost of living!  I love the beach and all it entails, and teaching!  I have two girls, one will begin high school in the fall and one is going into sixth grade, and a supportive, loving husband.  I teach second grade and have taught 2nd (in some form) for 12 of my 17 years teaching. (what!-NO way!)  I am finishing my Master's in Educational Technology in December (all online-it is absoulutely awesome! Yet, exhausting!)  Which is how I got here...

I thought that with an emphasis on EdTech, I should delve into the world of Blogging and after BlogStalking for a few months, began my own--then life took over!  I had NO (I mean NO) idea how much work a Master's Degree would involve and add to that a self-contained combo!  Therefore, no blog posts! 

Now, I have two weeks (sob) before reporting back to work and I can safely say I have accomplished nothing!  How is that possible??  I feel like I have been busy...but I have not:
1. read several novels
2. planned cool new stuff for next year
3. scrapbooked to be up to date
4. read the professional book I inteneded
5. done the research for my Master's Project
Shoot!  I'm not even tan! So I can't even say I sat by the pool all summer!

The to do list goes on, and on!  What have I been doing?! Get this, I have been kidless for almost a week, and still....  My oldest spent a week at camp and I saw her for only 2 hours before she went to Oregon for a service trip with the church youth group.  I haven't even spoken to her for 11 days!  But, don't worry, they were told to leave the phones at home and the adults are maintaining a short but sweet blog on their adventures.  I am looking forward to her return on Wednesday!  My younger daughter has been at camp since Sunday and will be home tomorrow-yay!  I have enjoyed my husband's company and we have a nice dinner planned tonight.  I think I'll go shopping and find something cute to wear.  If I am smart, I can double it up as a first day of school outfit or for Back to School Night and cross that off of my list right!? Besides I have some deals that are only good until this weekend so I need to go soon!

I'm off to shop!  Thanks for granting me a fresh start!  I have now added Blogging to my official to do list.  :)

Little by Little

Well, I think I have completely overextended myself! I am exhausted, running on 6 hours of sleep a night and now working through my lunch break.   I have had a combo for two weeks now (we restructured two weeks into school).  The kids are settled in and our routines are more or less in place.  I teach one group then send them off for independent work, then teach the others--pretty much all day.  I have found it difficult to keep up with it all!  I know my 2nd grade curriculum but 1st is all new.  Our district requires us to teach the adopted curriculum and we are not supposed to vary.  This means I plan two different curriculums and try to teach both in the same amount of time I used to teach one.  I'm not sure how much longer I can play this game...  It seems it would be a lot easier to sit down and completely create my own curriculum and teach both grade levels, occasionally pulling kids for grade specific tasks and mini lessons.  I feel like I am "on" all day!  I really don't know what my kids can do since I never see them work independently. 

On the bright side, I think that how curriculum is delivered to students in combo classes may be the topic for my research inquiry with my master's class.  Maybe someone has a brilliant idea out there that I haven't found yet.  Then I can present it to my principal and cover my tail.  Part of the problem is that 6 & 7 year old's really aren't developmentally ready to be fully independent for any lenght of time, in my opinion. 

As for Daily 5 (my first attempt, by the way), the kids loved the shoe lesson!  They thought it was hilarious.  The other day they wanted to know why I was wearing my hiking shoes to school! (Because my dogs were barkin'-I tell you!) We have only done a few read to self practices but they have a book "bag" that seems to work and have done an OK job with good fit books.  I'd love to hear suggestions on how you all manage book shopping.  I was letting them do this if they completed work at independent time but it is getting too crowded and noisy.  I can't wait to get the Daily 5 going as I think it will give the kids more to do at independent time (some are done super fast!) and I really need some small group time for reading tasks.