March Currently

Here's the March currently from Farley.  Go over to her blog and link up! :)  I always LOVE seeing what other bloggers have to say.

 

 

  Listening: As I was filling it out, I realized I was sitting in silence.  Sometimes it's just best that way!   Loving: Ok, seriously... for February to be the shortest month it sure felt like the longest month!  I thought it would never end.  Holy cow.   Thinking: All I've heard ALL week is that it was supposed to snow today.  No snow. Not one bit.  Boo.   Wanting: I have a huge pile of laundry that I have been procrastinating going through.  Wouldn't it be awesome if a little magic fairy could come and do it FOR me? :)   Needing:  I have some new items in the works for my store but I need to just sit down and finish it.   Like: coca-cola- I started drinking JUST water this week... I miss soda! Love: Chocolate ... I'm trying to stay away from ALL of the candy I got from my 4th graders for Valentine's Day.  Hate: Cattyness ... is that how you even spell it?  Ugh.    I could have added that I LOVE the email I had in my inbox when I got to work on Monday morning... I'll give you a sneak peek....

That's right!  My donors choose project has been fully funded.  I screamed and then the teacher across the hall poked his head out the door to make sure I was ok.  Oh man I was excited!!!!

My project was for 6 video cameras and they showed up in my classroom yesterday! 

YES YES YES! 

 

My brain is overflowing with so many great projects that we can do.... my first thought was history skits then my thoughts went to readers theater. My kiddos were SO excited!!!!  Can't wait to use these with them. 

 

Smiles and Snapshots!

 

   

Giveaway Winner and Valentines Fun

What a week! I was only at school 3 days this week... not by choice. On Wednesdays, I go to choir practice with my mom and aunt. On the way out, my knee walker hit a place in the sidewalk and threw me off of it. On the way down I landed on my broken foot, rolled a little, just stayed there. PAIN. Oh man. PAIN like I've never felt. After a trip to the hospital, having my cast sawed off (officially the weirdest thing EVER), and having a new cast put on... I was sore from the fall. Finally today has been the first day that I haven't been sore. I'm supposed to get my cast off on Friday. Not exactly sure that will happen now. We shall see. But until then I'm in this beauty...

 

 

 

I am actually diggin the purple. :) 

 

And now it's time to announce the giveaway winner for my February giveaway!!!!!!!

 

It's Karen from An Apple a Day in First Grade.  Karen is a fellow SC teacher and she won the Figurative Language Packet! 

Congrats, Karen!  Go check out her blog.

 

 

My students are so into Nonfiction right now.  How awesome is that to see!?  After learning all about the nonfiction text features, we decided to make some of our own.  Here are some pictures of my kiddos make their rough drafts on their desks.  It is such a hassle to get out those dry erase boards all the time and their desks work just as great.  And when they erase their desks with Clorox wipes, it makes our  room smell so clean!  Plus, they would much rather do this!!!

 

 

Each child had to create a table of contents for their nonfiction topic that they chose.  Next it was on to index, glossary, and appendix.  Their creativity on this assignment has been great. 

Can't wait to display their projects in our room for "Treats with Teachers" on Tuesday night.  This is basically an open house but our book fair is open in the library and there are treats for everyone in the cafeteria.  Gotta love it!

 

What are you doing for Valentine's Day this week?  My aunt made this for my kiddos...

 

 

 

Champagne flutes with conversations hearts in the bottom and they'll have a cupcake in the top.  How stinkin' cute!  They will love these.

 

I ordered photobooth props from an Etsy shop called The Manic Moose.  I will hang butcher paper on the wall and let my kids take fun pictures to keep.

 

Can't wait!!!!

 

What are you doing for Valentine's Day this week?

 

Smiles and Snapshots!

 

 

February Currently

Happy February everyone!  I've linked up with Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade for her monthly Currently.

 

Here's mine:

 

 

Listening:  Shark Tank... I'm obsessed with this show.  I do not have much of a "business" mind set but I just like to see what people have come up with.  Amazes me!

 

Loving:  That this school week is over.  Seriously.  Longest week ever.  Last night I ended up like this...

Praise the lord for veggies! :)

 

Thinking: about my new giveaway. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway All you have to do is

 

1. Follow my blog.

2. Follow my TPT store.

3. Leave a comment with your favorite item from my store that you would like to receive FOR FREE!

4. Mention my giveaway on your blog.  You can even add my button.

Go ahead and enter! :)

 

 

Wanting: to go shopping.  I haven't been able to actually GO shopping but I've spent way too much online shopping lately.  Etsy pretty much has my heart right now.  I can't wait to get all of the things that I have ordered lately.  My poor bank account.

 

Needing: to color my hair.  It's nasty.

 

Pet Peeves: Loud people who just get louder... and then you can't hear yourself talk or think!  And bragging.  I just can't take it!

 

 

Have you entered my giveaway?  Have you linked up with Farley? 

Get busy and let's make this the best February yet! :)

 

Smiles and Snapshots!

Scooter Girl and a Freebie!

So apparently I have a new nickname... "Scooter Girl."  At first I didn't know how to take it but I've just learned to live with it for the moment.  Let me back up to last week and explain...

 

As you know, I was in a boot for 90 days.  No fun.  But when the doctor asked me if I could RUN, I knew that was a red flag and I needed a 2nd opinion ASAP.  I could barely walk.  Seriously.  So a few days later, I got my 2nd opinion and landed in a new pretty pink cast.

 

This is "pre-signatures" of course.  My 4th graders were oh so excited to sign this thing. 

 

So as the nice little lady was wrapping my foot in this suffocating cast, I couldn't help but ask myself a few questions.

 

#1. How in the world am I going to get up all of those steps (19 to be exact) to my apartment?

Hmmmm..... why not move in with my mother for a month?  She makes really good sandwiches by the way!  First time she has packed my lunch since the 5th grade.

 

#2. How am I going to drive?

Start a rotation of all of the lovely people in my family. 

 

#3.  Crutches?   I mean, there's waaaaay too much of me to haul around on crutches. :)

 

So #3 was solved with this beauty...

It's a knee-walker and 50 shades of awesome!  Notice the 31 bag for storage. :)

It's a little difficult to maneuver around my classroom and write on the Smartboard but we are adjusting.  At least my kiddos are anxious to help out their poor 'ole teacher.

 

And that would be how I obtained the nickname "Scooter Girl" this week.

 

3 more weeks in the cast.  I CAN DO THIS! :)

 

 

We didn't have school on Monday because of MLK Day.  So on Tuesday, we started our Nonfiction unit.  I had my students choose a fiction book and nonfiction book and get with a partner.  They went through the books to determine similarities and differences between fiction and nonfiction text.  They recorded their answers on a venn diagram and then we made a class venn diagram.

 

Grab your copy of the student venn diagram HERE.

 

 

 

Friday we were there for 2 hours but went home early due to icey road conditions.  Still NO SNOW here in SC.  Maybe one day this year. (((fingers crossed)))

 

How about a giveaway?  I'm teaming up with another TPT seller so make sure to stop by later this week.

 

Smiles and Snapshots!

 

 

Donors Choose

The one thing that I found in my 2 1/2 years of teaching is that teachers constantly use their own money to purchase things for their classroom.  I'm always picking up something at the store... big or small.  Things always need replenishing or I'm always digging into my pockets for extra money to buy something for a lesson.

 

Donors Choose is a great opportunity for teachers to post projects that are in need of funding.

 

Below is a description of my project....

Do you remember the days of sitting at a desk and just dying to get up, dying to move, dying for your teacher to just let you have a break? You just wanted school to be more exciting!

I teach a Title One school with many underprivileged children. Most of them will not get an opportunity outside of class to use technological equipment. I have 18 very active fourth graders who deserve the world! I develop activities and lessons to engage them but I am missing one opportunity.

With these video cameras, my students will be able to conduct numerous projects. This will create many engaging learning opportunities for them, opportunities that they wouldn't normally be given. My desire is for them to create advertisements for studying author's purpose. Create skits for American History. Capture our field trips. There are SO many possibilities!   would greatly appreciate your donation. Your donation means giving a child the chance to create learning for themselves, to challenge themselves, and make learning come alive! Students will be able to take learning in their own hands and make memories that will last a lifetime!   My students need 6 video cameras to use to make learning come alive!

 

Would you consider donating to my project?  If so, click HERE! :)

 

How do you fund items for your classroom?

 

Smiles and Snapshots!

New Blog Design! :)

I am so excited about my new blog design!  My entire classroom is zebra so this was very fitting.  A huge thanks to Dreamlike Magic for making this awesome new design.  It's exactly what I wanted. :)

 

 

Go check them out and tell them that Courtney sent you. :)

 

Smiles and Snapshots!

January Currently

I'm getting a new blog design.  Oh man I'm excited.  I like the owls but it's just not me.  New year.... new blog design! :)

 

On to Farley's currently for January.

 

 

The boyfriend wanted to watch the Sugar Bowl ... and guess who's asleep?  I may see if I can steal the remote from him and turn it without him noticing.  I don't really have any shows I HAVE to watch unti Toddlers and Tiaras and Cheer Perfection at 9 and 10.  Crazy shows but so hilarious.

 

I was really worried about going to see the Lincoln movie.  I didn't want to fall asleep.  I have really come to love history this year because of 4th grade but it's been a long day.  Surprisingly, I loved it!  Very well made... I highly recommend it.  Maybe I can talk him into seeing Les Mis with me now?

 

Yep.  My foot hurts.  Same ole, same ole.

 

Wanting a new planner.  I saw the display of them in Walmart yesterday.  I have more planners that I need but it was all I could do not to buy it.

 

Needing to finish some work for my Have Fun Teaching project.  (See previous post).

 

My one little word... patience.  It is something I am working on. 

 

Head over to Oh Boy 4th Grade and link up! :)

 

Tomorrow I'm headed to the school to meet up with 2 other teachers.  We are revamping our school news.  It plays on our SmartBoards each morning.  It's been the same template for years so we are spicing it up.   The 3 of us will host for the next week and then it will be students again.  I am so excited to do some filming tomorrow.  What does your school do for the announcments/news?  Do you use technology in any way? 

 

Smiles and Snapshots,

Courtney