October Currently…and a Treat

I am linking up with Farley for this month’s Currently.  I am so happy that it is October because it means that fall is in full swing.  I love everything about fall…football, cooler weather, sweaters,  apples, and pumpkin everything. 

Listening: Every Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday there is football on TV at our house.  None of my fantasy players are playing in tonight’s game and it’s a blowout, so I’m not too focused on it.

Loving: My school is encouraging all teachers to do home visits this year.  I was a little nervous for my first one, but it was so worth the time. I went to visit two of my students’ families at their homes today, and it was an amazing experience.  I feel like I know so much more about each student and their families.  I can’t wait to do more.

Thinking: I have a Halloween costume ready for work, but I still need to decide what to wear for Halloween with my husband.  I better decide before everything is sold out.

Wanting: I love doing guided reading, but having to download, print, copy, fold, and staple books for 5 different groups gets really old.  I wish my school would purchase leveled libraries for us to use in guided reading, but until then I am relying on Reading A-Z.

Needing: I have an extremely active group of boys this year who struggle to sit for any period of time on the rug.  I have been researching fidgets all week, but they are so expensive.  I saw a few DIY fidgets on Pinterest, so that may be the way to go.  Has anyone tried to make their own fidgets? Or found cheap fidgets to buy?

Treat: 

Click on the image to download a great resource for helping students write Halloween narratives.  Students can choose cards for the characters, setting, and problem.  This helps students who struggle to brainstorm the story elements when writing.

First Sunday Scoop of Fall

Happy fall!  I spent my morning decorating our house for fall/Halloween and now I am linking up with The Teaching Trio for Sunday Scoop. 

I love how short and sweet their 3, 2, 1 template is since it allows me to quickly write a post once a week.  I hope to write at least two other posts this week.  I have been taking lots of pictures of the stuff happening in my classroom, but haven’t found the time to write about it yet. I hope everyone has a great week.  I need to get to work on my lesson plans.

Tried It Tuesday: The Sharpener that Beats All

Happy Tuesday! I am linking up with Holly at Fourth Grade Flipper today for Tried it Tuesday. Tried it Tuesday is a great way to gather new ideas that have actually been tried in a real classroom. 

 We are now in our fourth week of school and I am still loving my Classroom Friendly Sharpener. 

Honestly, I only have to sharpen pencils about 2 times a week! I have supply caddies at each table where pencils are kept. There are two pencils per student in the caddy. 

 Thanks to my Classroom Friendly Sharpener, the pencils stay sharp for days...even with my second graders using them all day. 

Check out the difference between the Classroom Friendly Sharpener and a hand held one.

Not only do I save time sharpening pencils, but I also save money buying new pencils. I am still on my first set of pencils for the year. The Classroom Friendly Sharpener doesn't eat pencils like many electric sharpeners. There is very little waste and shavings to throw away. I can sharpen over 40 pencils before having to empty the shavings! 

If you haven’t converted to a Classroom Friendly Sharpener…go check them out now! You can't beat the price…$24.95 (or just $17.99 each if you buy 3).

The Sunday Scoop (a day late)

I am linking up with The Teaching Trio for Sunday Scoop (yes, on a Monday).  I meant to link up yesterday, but got caught up watching football.  I hope everyone is having a great start to their week.

Sunday Scoop: September 7th

I am linking up with The Teaching Trio for their first Sunday Scoop.  After a day of celebrating with friends for my birthday yesterday, I am enjoying a day on the couch watching football. I hope everyone enjoys their Sunday.

P.S. In celebration of my 31st birthday, everything in my TPT store will be on sale (31% off for the next week)!

Currently September

I think this is the first time in a long time that I am actually linking up with Farley on the 1st of the month for Currently.  How in the world is it September 1st already?  I just finished my first week of school with 26 second graders, so this long weekend was just what I needed to recover and recharge. 

Listening: Football has been on the TV all weekend.  My husband and I both love football, both college and NFL.  Our Fantasy Football draft was on Saturday, so we’ve been watching NFL Network to set our line ups for week 1. 

Loving: My birthday is next Saturday and I can’t wait to celebrate with my friends.  A few friends are traveling up from Southern California for the weekend.  I miss living close to these friends, so I enjoy every minute we get to be together. 

Thinking: I have a to-do list a mile long to prepare for the third week of school and my birthday weekend.  My plans are done for next week, but I feel like I should be working on the following week’s plans since I won’t have time next weekend.

Wanting: I have been keeping four students after school each day to complete all of the beginning of the year assessments.  I am loving all the information I am gaining about my new kiddos, but it is tedious.  I should be done by Thursday…fingers-crossed.

Needing: I made it to the gym before work four days last week.  I think this is a routine I can keep up with because I get my workout over and done with before the school day even starts.  I no longer dread going to the gym after a long day.  I need to make it to the gym today so that I start this week off on a good note.

3 Trips: I would love to visit both Norway and Ireland to see where my ancestors came from.  Luckily, my husband and I know people who live in both countries.  This makes trips there a little more feasible.  I would also love to go to Belize.  It looks beautiful and a great place to try diving for the first time. 

Saturday Snapshots

I know many of you have started back to school already, so I hope you are enjoying your weekend. I am savoring the last days of summer on vacation with my husband in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  I am escaping the heat for a little bit to write this post and link up with Miss Nelson from Run Miss Nelson’s Got the Camera for Saturday Snapshots.  

We are staying at a beautiful resort right on the beach.  I love waking up to this view every morning. 

The resort has many animal residents including iguanas and peacocks.  They just roam around looking for food and shade.

My husband just had to feed them. 

Our main goal for this vacation was to relax, so we have only left the resort a few times to go sightseeing.  We did go downtown to see Los Arcos.

We also went to Rhythms of the Night.  It’s a show and dinner on a secluded cove.  If you are ever in Puerto Vallarta, I highly recommend going. 

Everyone has been so nice and the weather is beautiful. We leave tomorrow afternoon, and I cannot wait to come back here again. 

Monday I head back to work for a week of in-service before the kids start back on the following Monday.