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Winner!

Thank you all for entering my 500 follower giveaway! It's time to announce a winner....


Mary W!

Look out for your prizes in your email, Mary! :)


Meanwhile, folks, I have to get back to finishing report cards. Our system is computerized and requires numerical codes for all the grades, behavior reports, and comments. It seems like it would make life easier than writing it all out, but it actually takes forever to find the code for the comment you are thinking of! I have been putting them off "until tomorrow" for over a week now. I'm finally up against the deadline- so it's back to the grind.

Stay warm!

One of those fantastic days

I had such a fantastic day today. Seriously- it was great. The lessons I planned went off without a hitch, my kids were engaged and learning, and behavior was spectacular. Seriously- even my lunch tasted better than usual! It was the kind of day that leaves a smile on your face until you get into bed. :) Just had to share the happiness.



I hope you all have a spectacular day, too. :)


I saw this linky and LOVED it! I just had to link up with my bloggy friend, Where the Wild Things Are for "A Day Our Way."


My day *actually* starts around 7 or so usually with before school prep. Then, if I have duty that begins at 8:05. Then, the fun begins. :)

8:30 - 8:45 - Homeroom. Here, my kiddos unpack, get ready for the day, and do some morning work. Lots of this time is spent just settling in, usually.

8:45 -9:30 - Specials/my prep. The kids rotate through library, technology, music, art, and gym.

9:30 - 10:10 - Writing Workshop. Although I'd like to have my reading and writing as one big literacy block, I teach an integrated section of reading. A special ed. teacher pushes in for the following block, so we have to divide them up. C'est la vie. We spend our time in workshop doing mini-lessons, conferencing, and working in various stages of the writing process.

10:10 - 10:15 - Agenda books & snack. Fifth grade is a big year in my district- the kids get their very first district issued agenda books. Every day I write in one book on the ELMO and the kids copy it down.  The goal is to get them used to writing down all their own assignments in an agenda book before they go off to the middle school next year, where they are expected to copy down all their assignments in each class on their own.

10:15 - 11:00 - Reader's Workshop. Minilessons, independent reading, and guided reading. I really love guided reading- so this is a lot of fun for me! It's just so much fun to see kids who are really interested in a book. Their reactions and the conversations we have are phenomenal.

11:00 - 12:25 - Social Studies. That seems like such a long block! However, it's not just for my kiddos. We switch classes for science and social studies, and decided to try a block schedule this year. Every other day, my kiddos head off to science and I teach another class social studies. During this time, we read from our textbook, participate in some guided reading of social studies books, and work on projects.

12:25 - 1:05 - lunch & recess!

1:05 - 1:25 - whole group math lesson. This is my "teacher centered" teaching for math. We watch an instructional video from our textbook series and do some guided practice. Usually, we correct our homework during this time, also.

1:25 - 2:25 - Guided Math. I talked a bit about my guided math a bit before (also called math workshop). I've tweaked a few things, but the basics of the format are the same. I meet with my kiddos each day in small groups to work through some problems so I can really see where they are doing well and where they are struggling. They also play a math game, do independent practice, and do a "teacher choice" task (usually math facts or review of a previous topic).

2:25 - 2:45 - homeroom & busses called. My little darlings use this time to clean the room, do their classroom jobs, and socialize (of course). Walkers are dismissed at 2:45.

So, there you have it- that's my day!


Don't forget about my 500 follower giveaway! A few more days left to enter.


500 Follower Giveaway!

I am so excited to be finally posting my 500 followers on Bloglovin' giveaway!! I have been looking forward to this for a couple weeks now. Here it goes!



Tons of great prizes! Including:


Choice of item from Keepin' it Krazy with Mrs. Berns



$10 to Rockin' and Lovin' Learnin' TPT store




Adjective Wall Cards from Rosie's TpT store




Winter Parts of Speech Practice from Literacy Spark's TpT store




Winner's choice from Success in Second Grade's TpT Store







Cause & Effect Task Cards {40 Differentiated Cards, Poster, Game Board, +More!} 
from The 4th Grade Journey




Winner's Choice from TpT Store




McDee's Busy Bees store






AND....

$15 Starbucks Gift Certificate from The Craft of Teaching


$20 TpT Gift Certificate from me, and your choice of item from my store!


Those are some seriously great prizes! I had product envy as I was typing in the names of each of the items above. :) Thanks again to all the great bloggers who donated items for this giveaway. So, enter the giveaway below!






a Rafflecopter giveaway

Post Holiday Blues

I don't know about you guys, but I've got some serious after vacation blues going on. I let myself get out of the regular work day routine, so I am SO not interested in getting up in the morning! It's SO cold here (polar vortex! Boo!), which only adds to my disdain. Beyond that, the bank account balance is seriously low. You all know it's not easy to do it all on a teacher's salary, which is why I'm loving a newly discovered blog, Surviving on a Teacher's Salary.  Crystal blogs tips for saving money and also posts great deals as she sees them online. The deals she posts are for anyone, not just teachers, so I was even able to pass a few good deals on to my parents. Check it out!



While you are at it, don't forget to check out my Teacher Discount Directory! There are so many places that will give you a little (or sometimes big) something off your price if you show proof of your profession. This has totally been a lifesaver for me. Offsetting the cost of classroom supplies can be tough, especially since congress let the educator expense tax deduction expire.  If you know of any that I haven't listed, let me know and I will update it.



Guys, I'm so close to 500 followers on Bloglovin'! I am so excited.  A giveaway is in the works, with the help of some of my favorite bloggy friends. If you are interested in donating an item, I would love to have you! Click here to give me your information for the giveaway- and THANK YOU!  Check back soon for the giveaway. :)

Currently... 2014!

Even with the countdown and preparing, the fact that a year has passed always hits me just after the ball drops. 2014- can you believe it? It's just wild to think about. I'll probably forget for the next month and write 2013 everything, anyway.


Have you linked up in the Blogs by Grade listing? If not, check it out! There are tons of bloggers listed by their grade level. Pre-K was just added today! If you fit into another category which I haven't listed, let me know and I'd be happy to make a new button.



For the first time in 2014 I have linked up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for the Currently linky! I totally loved these last year, even if I fell off the bandwagon after October.


In other news, the best timed storm ever is hitting the Boston area tonight! It will start snowing a little after midnight, and won't stop until Friday morning. It's not a huge blockbuster for snow amounts, but since the duration is so long our vacation was extended a bit by the superintendent. Schools are closed until Monday! I can totally get caught up on all that stuff I swore I'd do, but hadn't yet done. (Yea.... right.)


So, I logged into Bloglovin' today and saw that I am almost at 500 followers! I can't believe it. I am so excited to have reached this milestone! I am putting together a giveaway, so check back soon to enter. If you are interested in joining and donating to the giveaway, I'd love to have you! Click here and let me know what you'd like to donate- and THANK YOU!

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