Happy 21st Birthday Sam!

I would like to say Happy 21st Birthday to my oldest son, Sam. I cannot believe he is 21! How can I have a 21 year old when I still feel like a kid myself???

Sit Down or Put Your Shoes Back On!

Sit down or put your shoes back on, I told one of my students. Umm… what??? Yes, you did just read that! I let my students take their shoes off, lay on the rug and read, & pay them (Lakeshore money, of course.). It seems like they’re at home. The class seems so homey, but [...]

Free Shipping @ Lakeshore

There’s free shipping @ Lakeshore this weekend on purchases over $79. This offer is valid until Sunday, October 24, 2010, midnight, PST. Enter this code  PVFVKF2423472 @ checkout.

Ironic…

Working for L.AU.S.D. vs. working for a private school is totally different. When I worked for L.A.U.S.D., I was always overwhelmed and never able to perform to the best of my ability. So much was required of me, but I couldn’t get it together. Working for a Catholic school where there are no weekly Tuesday [...]

A Free Day!

Since the Carnival was over the weekend, there was no school on Friday or today. We had staff development, I worked in my room & came home. I worked a little when I got home. Now, I need to go grocery shopping. It was a pretty restful day. The kids are back tomorrow. So, it [...]

More to Do…

I have a lot more to do, in regard to my planning & implementation. I knew that it would. This is not a surprise. I’m okay with doing the work because I have a system now. I’m simply refining it. I am in such a creative mode right now. I am definitely using it to [...]

Here’s to Continued Success…

I tested my students’ reading fluency this month and was so happy with the results. One of my 5th grade students, who I knew could read faster, was too relaxed with no sense of urgency. I told him to think of reading the passage as a race. That is when he went from 144 to [...]

*WARNING!* DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THE BLOG HUB.COM

I was recently alerted that my blog appears, in its entirety, @ thebloghub.com. I couldn’t believe it. I checked it out & simply could not believe it. Not only did I never give them permission to use my post (and make money from it), but I contacted them to take the site down. Do you [...]

My Classroom Management System

I love my classroom management system. It works so well for me. I use the Lakeshore money. I even use time sheets. This is how it works. I have a price list. One list shows how to make money (h.w., classroom job, etc.,). While the other list shows how to lose money & go into [...]

Scholastic Book Club

I set up a Scholastic Book Club in 2007, but never used it. Now, at my new school, I’m required to create a class website. So, I went back to the one I made at Scholastic. It’s not sufficient, but I still discovered a couple of features that I really like. I’m pretty happy with [...]

Just Maxing & Relaxing!

I slept in this morning before the wonderful Home Going celebration I went to today. After I returned I decided to indulge in more of the napping. I woke up feeling refreshed. I’d been working so hard and been so tired that I am sleep deprived. However, I completed so much planning that I had [...]

So Much Planning, Part 2

I cannot believe how things just clicked for me this year. I was so scared going into this year. Quite frankly, I didn’t think I could do the job. Of course I took the job anyway & prayed. I didn’t stop there though. God helps those who help themselves. I knew none of the programs, [...]

One of Those Days!!!

I know tomorrow will be better. It has to be! I honestly felt like quitting today. Yes, it was one of the days. The students just wouldn’t be quiet. I don’t know if it was because of the rain & the fact that they couldn’t go outside to play, but they were acting crazy. Four [...]

Sundays Are Once Again My Friend!

I used to be terrified of Sundays. Not anymore. I don’t dread them anymore! They are once again my friend. I can remember a time when Sunday was not so kind to me. It was during my first year of teaching, I was so excited to see Friday come because I didn’t have to teach [...]

Getting to Know Your Students!

It’s a lot of fun getting to know your students. I’ve spent the past couple of weeks getting to know my students. It’s only been a month, but I know them pretty well. I have a pretty good class. Of course they’re not perfect, but who or what is! It’s funny how every class is [...]

“I Changed,” he said… (That AHA! Moment)

This week was very tiring. It wasn’t such a good week. I should know by now that that happens. Somehow, though, it still seems to sneak up on me. But, I digress. The reason I’m so proud has to do with one of my 4th grade students’ (Who I’ll call Michael) moment of epiphany regarding [...]