Rockstar Day!
Pajama Day!
School Spirit Day!
Crazy Day!
Storybook Character Day!
The Magic School Bus kids!
The Magic School Bus In the Arctic
and
The Magic School Bus Goes Fishing
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Word Hunt and Writing Activities
Sight Word Hunt
Students wore sight words on their foreheads and had to roam the classroom to located each sight word on the list. Before they could connect the student name with the sight word, they had to read the sight word out loud to each other.
Such a great activity to build listening and speaking skills along with confidence in their sight words.
Class color day and the student on the right got into the spirit with his face paint! To create the worksheet, I made 2 columns on Microsoft Word and on one side typed the students in my class and on the other typed relevant sight words. Super simple and very fun!
Sticker Writing:
Each student was given 1 sticker to stick on their paper. Then, they had to come up with a creative picture that incorporated their sticker.
Students had to write a list of nouns and verbs from their creative picture. Finally, they created sentences using the sentence frame to match their picture. A rubric was included on the worksheet to give them accountability for their writing.
Sentence Puzzles:
Each student wrote a sentence using Noun + verb + finisher.
Then, they cut each piece of their sentence apart.
(it was pajama day!)
Once the sentences were cut, we bagged them, and mixed them up. The students read through a friends sentence and had to create a complete sentence.
Fall Welcome Sign
Being in the Autumn Harvest spirit and Hobby Lobby fall decorations were 40%-50% off, I decided to make a "Welcome Sign" for the front porch.When I am in Hobby Lobby, I feel like I am transported to another world full of magic and wonder and I wish I could just make myself a pallet on the floor and live there!
I was searching for a pumpkin that said 'Welcome" but couldn't find anything that matched my vision. So, whenever that happens, I find the right pieces and make it myself - if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself! :)
I bought a wooden pumpkin, paint, and a burlap bow (ingredients for success). I like to take a bunch of different ideas from Pinterest and combine them together to make the ultimate craft.
Nothing beats a $5 (50% off $10) pumpkin!
The wooden pumpkin was painted with "burnt orange." I love the rustic look to it as opposed to the bright orange color that most Halloween pumpkins have.
Hunter green paint was used to make the stem and some cute swirly vines.
To write the "Welcome," I google searched different welcome signs and welcome calligraphy until I found the perfect one! I free hand drew it on the pumpkin - with pencils - the eraser was my best friend!
The stars aligned and it turned out just as I envisioned it. But, it needed something to jazz up the pumpkin and make it more... pumpkin-y
I added a mix of yellow/orange accents around the edges and in the creases and now it is the best pumpkin on the block! (Sorry neighbors :))
Happy Fall Ya'll!
I got a job!
I got a job! I got my dream job! I got a job that I didn't even know was my dream job!
It was a beautiful Thursday afternoon and I was heading home from spending some time in the city with my friend, Jami. I was pulling off onto the exit towards Huntley when my cellphone rang. I saw that it was an "(847) 659" number (the beginning digits to the phone numbers in the Huntley School District) and instantly blacked out. I answered and spoke to the assistant Principal, Karen Rowe, who asked me to come in the following Thursday for an interview. I was so excited, agreed, and hung up the phone.
OHHH MYY GOODNESSS - after months of applying to any and all teaching positions in the greater Chicago-land area, I had a real life interview... IN HUNTLEY - the place I had dreamed of working since I was in 5th grade. I would go to my mom's classroom and beg her to let me go to school in Huntley. I had wanted to be part of the the tight-knit community full of successful athletics and intriguing individuals.
After I hung up, I called my mom and we both FREAKED. But... then I realized, WHAT WAS I INTERVIEWING FOR? I honestly had no clue! I never even asked which position this interview was for, I could have been heading in to interview for the janitorial staff, but I didn't care! I would clean those floors with the biggest smile on my face!
The interview day came and I knew I was in the right place. After spending hours preparing and perfecting my questions and tech presentation, God had brought this wonderful sense of peace and calm over me. I felt so confident and relaxed walking into the building. As I walked up to the front doors of Conley Elementary School, I took in every sight and smell. It was so new, big, and beautiful. The rotunda smelled like I remember elementary schools smelling like - lunchroom scents and gymnasium floors. I had somehow not gotten that same scent in all of the 5 years I taught in Arizona - it is weird how powerful scent triggers your memory!
I sat before the same woman who has known me since I was 10 (the Principal), Assistant Principal, and two 4th grade teachers (okay, so this interview was for 4th grade, whew!). I was nothing but honest and exuded my best self. I knew that no matter the outcome, I was true to myself.
They told me it would be up to two weeks before I heard anything... so... I was prepared to wait...
THE NEXT DAY, the VERY NEXT DAY - that same "(847) 659" number appeared on my phone! I answered and got THE BEST NEWS OF MY LIFE (or so I thought). I was being offered the 4th grade teaching position at Conley Elementary School in Algonquin, IL! As scared as I was for 4th grade, (such a jump from teaching 1st grade) I had faith that God was putting me right where I needed to be - plus, having my mom to bounce ideas off didn't sound like a bad idea.
BUT THEN... THE REAL BEST NEWS OF MY LIFE...
After getting into the school...setting up my room... I got a call that there was a 3rd grade position available and it was mine if I wanted it! I instantly said yes and when we hung up the phone, LOST MY MIND! I could not even think straight! 3rd grade was a younger grade, so I felt a wave of relief come over me. I went into the school the next day and began moving all of my stuff to my brand new 3rd grade room. It was a lot to haul and I sweat a lot but I never regretted that choice for one second.
I have never felt more welcomed into a school. Everyone accepted me with open arms and offered up more tips and helping hands than I could ever imagine. It was like someone was going to win a prize for "Most Helpful Co-Worker" :) How many people can say that about their place of employment!?
That was the day that I KNEW moving back to Illinois was another step towards the path to my future.
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