3 day weekend

Hey teachers! How's it going? I haven't heard from a lot of you lately.. how's everything going? How's your 2013? I hope everyone is doing well.. 3 Day Weekend!! So very happy.. I never want Mondays to come, so it will make a huge difference not having Monday.  Martin Luther King, Jr. is such a hero to me, and did everything a human being could to fight for equality among all men and women.  Being Asian, I grew up feeling different at times, and did have people make fun of me.  I now love and embrace my ethnicity, but it took me until I was older XO.  Happy Birthday Martin Luther King, Jr. and it falls on my mama's birthday this year as well :) She is the most amazing woman, and I am so happy to have her in my life and to be adopted by my wonderful parents. I am very blessed.

 

I have been working on my state testing practice with my kiddos and the best way to go about working with them.  I have been doing comprehension homework all year so far with them, and it will definitely help them with the reading.


Some topics that my kids need a little more practice in are fractions, line of symmetry, word problems, measurement, and then I think we will be good to go with math..
I also want to incorporate technology to help them practice and I came across Math Slice, which has online tests for students to practice for grades 3-5.  Check it out: http://www.mathslice.com/mathmocktest.php

 

My beautiful friend Holly at Fourth Grade Flipper has this fabulous product that I cannot wait to try out with my students... her Monster Fractions Unit for Big Kids has AMAZING activities and I am so excited to use them!! Check it out!

 

I also want to tell you that there's still time to enter Teacher's Notebook's Tablet for the Teacher!!! You can enter once a day until January 31st! How sweet of Debbie and Steve... they are just amazing and so sweet.  Please consider opening up a store with them if you haven't done so already.. They are the nicest people and you receive 100% of your profits!! Only $20 to start a membership :) I will never forget when Terri from Terri's Teaching Treasures bought my membership for me when I didn't have any money.. I am just SO freaking blessed with wonderful people. (That means YOU, Sara Ventrella!! My angel!!)

 

 

For Social Studies, I introduced DBQs for the first time to my class :) I do not know when they start in "full force" (probably 5th or 6th grade I imagine?) but I figured that my kiddos could handle them, and what better than to start with the Revolutionary War.. I loved teaching about this war.. if only my kids could field trip to Saratoga (for the Battle of Saratoga).. I don't think we can afford a whole bus for my little old class and have them pay.  Maybe I will look into it though for a weekend trip and meet the kids up there or something with their parents.  With only 7 students, I can do a lot with them!



 

I started a 90 Day Challenge this past Monday to lose weight and feel great :) I have a beachbody coach Monica, since I started Insanity last year.  Well, I did complete Insanity and it was terrible (but worthwhile!) and then winter and Christmas came, and so did the weight.  So, I am determined more than ever to be successful and eat right, exercise, and lose lots of weight.  My overall goal is 25 pounds, but my goal for the 90 days is 10 pounds (but also gaining tons of muscle from Insanity again!) I am doing the program 4 days a week, instead of 6-7. I am extremely busy with working and my other jobs to make ends meet, and I need time to hang out too.

I want to feel great about myself again :) Wish me luck!

State testing needs, catching up with you!

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I last posted... Up top is my kiddos New Years Resolutions... some of them were extremely adorable.  Like Troy's: "My New Years resolution is to eat less bread.  I eat 6 slices a day and I need to cut down."  I hear that! I am doing my 90 day challenge "biggest loser" competition with my beachbody (online) coach.. I hope that my motivation lasts since I am already a pretty determined person in general. 

Here is the yummy goulash that Mike made tonight... with garden vegetable pasta, peppers, onions, hamburger, and sauce :)

Speaking of motivation, I have been trying to be the best teacher I can.  I have 5 fourth graders, and 2 third graders.  All I can think about are the state tests, especially with my 4th graders. I want them to be as prepared as possible and have the most resources I can.  I am also the only 3/4th grade teacher, so I am the only one planning for state tests this year.

I am thinking about doing adopt a classroom (I can't do donors choose because I work at a private school).  I am most worried about science... it is so important that the children have lots of hands-on materials to use and to be engaged and understand the experiments and learning better.  There are a few items on my wishlist.. I definitely need a balance scale, magnet kit, and simple machines kit... I was looking at Lakeshore and they have amazing resources, I just wish the prices were a little lower for what I can afford.

How amazing would it be to get this and share it with the other teachers at my school?! But it's 500 dollars... but a teacher can dream!!

If anyone knows any great resources or great prices on any sites for science materials, please let me know! I plan on continuing to prepare my students and get them ready for April/May!!

 

Speaking of Science Test Prep, please check out my latest TPT/TN product... my 40 Science Test Prep Cards which reviews most of the information and topics from our science new york state text (McMillan-McGraw) and will help with comprehension and using background knowledge.  CLICK HERE to visit Teacher's Notebook, and CLICK HERE to check it out on Teachers Pay Teachers!  Amazing graphics from The 3AM Teacher and fonts from Kevin and Amanda!

 

 

Other topics that my kids have loved:

Learning about Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

Learning about the Revolutionary War

 

I want to keep finding new teaching ideas, which is why I love Pinterest, TPT, TN and all of that.  Sometimes I am just so tired when I get home to look though. 

I have some questions for all of you, if anyone can help me out!

How do you prepare your kids for state testing?

Where do you purchase your science materials?

Where do you get most of your lesson ideas?

How do you "keep up" with being the best teacher you can?

 

I am very tired... so I leave you with a picture of my cute baby, Pancake...

Good night!

Currently for January 2013

Happy New Year everyone!! I wish you all a beautiful and bright 2013 ahead of you!
I am linking up with the wonderful & amazing Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade :) What a dolly she is having the most successful linky party each and every month for us... I love getting to know you all, and reading about old and new friends!

I am very sad Christmas is all over, but I am excited to have a new beginning... 2013 will be a great year for me, if I make it that way.  I often miss the little things, and take my life for granted, but I don't want to do that this year.  I want to be happy.... I want to love life, and not work day and night 7 days a week.  Somehow, I hope the money will come, and I can take a break from my many jobs.  We only get one life, and I want to embrace it and start "living", as I feel I have not in a long time. 

 

OLW: Heart.  I want to put my whole heart into the projects I take on, my teaching, my family, my friends, and the love of my life.  I also want to follow my heart to see where it takes me.  I am 27 years old, so I am certainly reaching a point in my life to make significant choices and think about the future. 

 

I wanted to share a picture with you all, of my boyfriend and I from last night.  I wanted to recreate one of the very first pictures Mike and I ever took together, that has been one of my favorites!  I think this is such a cute idea to do in the future as well when we are older.  I saw the idea on pinterest ;)

 

I love Farley's Currently because it allows me to reflect on my own life and what is important to me.  I will be doing just that in 2013... I wish you all a wonderful year as well XOXO