Learning With Halloween Activities!

Halloween is only a few days away! It is so fun to see all the creative costumes the kids put together. My staff always coordinates our costumes and this year, we are all dressing as Waldo.

I am going to use my Halloween Activities - Across the Curriculum Packet this week and I wanted to share with you what fun things you can do for the holiday.

I always have a reading selection with questions and a vocabulary sheet. The story I am using is “The Headless Horseman” – one of my favorites!

I have a list of books that are related to Halloween and they are all picture books so you have time to share more than one. I included a writing assignment where students write their own narrative. I have a list of writing prompts related to Halloween.

Math is always a subject I like. I wanted my students to review: standard, word, and expanded form, so I made candy corn math activities.

       For social studies, students can create a tombstone of someone famous. Then you can decorate your room with tombstones of famous people for your Halloween party.

       The science activity is done in two parts. The first part is to do a directed drawing of an eye. I dissect a cow’s eye every with the other 5^th grade classes, so I did include the directions for the dissection as the second part. If you are up for that, it is all there for you. I know some of you will be just fine learning about the eye and drawing it.

       Finally, I have several fun activities for students to work on Halloween Day. I personally like the Mad Libs activity – those are always so funny! I also have a word scramble and word search.

       Hopefully, you are inspired to do some fun activities across the curriculum this week for Halloween. I hope you all have a wonderful week and an even better Halloween!

Sharing Our School's Safety Day!

Our school does Safety Day with style! We are extremely fortunate to have arrangements where policeman, fireman, border patrol agents, SWAT, service dogs, and rescue helicopters visit our campus.

We started the morning off with the two helicopters landing on our grass field – one was the fire rescue and the other was a police/Cal Fire helicopter. Once the aircraft were secure, our students rotate through 8 stations: police motorcycles, police dog, border patrol agents who do rescues, fire department, fire rescue helicopter, police and Cal Fire helicopter, SWAT, and police cruisers.

The students listen to presentations by each department and get to ask questions. Each station focuses on safety and rescue. When all grades (K-5) have completed all the stations, we sit down again to watch the helicopters take off.

I am always amazed how exciting it is each year. The helicopters bring back memories for me because my grandfather was a helicopter pilot. I was so fortunate to have flown many times with him.

My students and I return to class where we write thank you notes to all those who volunteered to come and share with us.

Thanks again to all those who participated in Safety Day!

Liebster Award

I am so excited!  Thanks to Kelly from Lattes and Lunchrooms for nominating me! I actually had not heard of this award, but I am thrilled to be a part of it. I am a new blogger and am excited to see something that encourages teachers, like me, to connect in the blogging world.

The Liebster Award is an award for up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.  It feels wonderful to be recognized and it is a great way to meet other bloggers. Thank you for the recognition and I have a few questions below that I answered about myself. 

Why and how long ago did you start blogging?

I recently started blogging this summer. I have been looking at other blogs and have enjoyed the ideas and wisdom that other teachers have shared. I thought it was my turn to get into the action.

What one word sums up the heart of your blog and why?

Sharing: I use my blog to share ideas with others. Teaching in general, is an isolated profession. I don’t know about you, but when I get together with other educators, we start talking about things that go on in our own classes. I enjoy those talks because I get great ideas and inspiration to create things in my own room. Well, that is what blogging has done for me. I don’t have to meet up with someone, I can read blogs at my own leisure and do the same thing.

 Is there something you learned late in your blog journey you wished you knew before?

I am still pretty new to blogging, so there are things I still haven’t learned. I just participated in my first “Currently” linking party. That was a lot of fun to hear from others, while seeing what other teachers are up to at the beginning of the year. I look forward to doing it again.

What is your favorite past time other than blogging?

I like scrapbooking. Surprise, surprise! But it is a great outlet for my creative side. I just remodeled my house and now I have a craft room. I am over the moon about it. I also like sewing too. So I plan on spending a lot of time in my new craft room.

How many hours per week do you dedicate to your blog?

Right now, I spend about 2-3 hours a week. With three kids, a husband, and two dogs, I don’t have much time at night and weekends. But I do try to post at least one day a week. I think it will get better as the year goes – the first few months of teaching always require so much out me.

 What category of blog posts do you enjoy the most?

I like blogs that have a variety of ideas: teaching tips, practical products, useful ideas, etc. Of course, it is always great when you find a blogger who teaches the same grade and subject areas because you find most of the stuff shared on his/her blog is relevant to what you do.

Where does your blog inspiration come from?

Mostly, it comes from my day in the classroom. I am trying to carry my camera with me more because several times a day, I think, I should share that on my blog.

Which post that you've written are you most proud of?

That is hard to say. I guess I liked the “October Currently” because readers got to not only learn about me as a teacher, but I had included some personal things in it as well.

Is there any post you have been planning to do, 

but have postponing it for a while now?

I do want to share more of my teaching ideas for discipline and simple strategies I do to motivate students. They are in my head and I use them daily, but I just haven’t had the time. Too much to do and not enough time – and that is the truth!

What is your favorite aspect of blogging?

I like connecting with other educators! We have so much to share – it is great to give and receive!

Which recipe, project, or idea on my blog would 

you be most likely to try yourself?

On Kelly’s blog – I checked out her store and thought her Morning Message Sticks were a really cute idea!

Here are my 11 nominations. Hope all of you enjoyed what I had to say and I look forward to reading your blogs.

My nominations are:

1. Victoria and Trisha from 2 Super Teachers

2.  Brynn from Brynn Allison’s Blog

3.  Carol from Carol’s Teaching Garden

            4.  Brooke from Countless Smart Cookies

            5. Martha from Two Smart Wenches

            6.  Lisa from Lisa TeachR’s Classroom Blog

 7. Angie from Fun, Food, and Figurative Language

8.  Valerie from Georgia Grown Kiddos

9. Jean from JWDesigns and Teaching Tidbits and Treats

10. Darci from Kinder Cutie

11. Kristin from Kinderdoodlez

(Hopefully, I have only nominated those who qualify!) 

To those who have been nominated, here are the "official" rules for accepting:

1. In your post, link back to the blogger who nominated you as a thank you and "shout out." (Follow their blog if you haven't already!)  

2. Answer the 11 questions given to you (the ones I answered above).

3. Nominate 11 blogs of your choice that each have less than 200 followers. Provide them with 11 questions to answer or have them answer the questions above.

4. Let your nominees know that they've been nominated and provide them with a link to your post so that they can accept.

5. Send your nominator a link to your post so that s/he can learn more about you as well! (You can just put your post link in the comments below!)

Have Fun!

Karen

October Currently!

LISTENING: I have the song from La Bamba running through my head. After reading Gary Soto’s piece from Baseball in April, my students and I listened to the song. Most had not heard it before. And now, they want to hear it again and again. So, I have been using it during transitions.

LOVING: I have been in an extreme remodel for about 5 years. My husband is doing all the work and we took our modest 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house and made it into a 6 bedroom, 4 bathroom custom home. We had to build a retaining wall, remove and rebuild the roof, and live in a motor home in the front yard for 13 months with 3 teenagers. Not all bad, it has been worth it. And now, I get flooring! The travertine is almost done and then carpet. About 90% of the house will be done at that point.

THINKING: I have to make sure my assessments are done this month. My school has parent conferences and grades in November. The first grading period is the hardest. I need to get on it because the time goes fast!

WANTING: Beginning of school is so busy, but I need to start exercising again. So, I made a date with my daughter tomorrow to go to the gym. We are going commit to once a week and go from there.

NEEDING: My students have been doing reading activities where occasionally they have to write a play. Many like to make a puppet show. Well, last year they kept trying to create a stage. So although I teach 5^th, I decided to get a puppet show stage. My husband agreed to make one for me – cheaper and I can personalize it a bit. I am excited and I haven’t told the kids yet, they will be so surprised!

TREAT: I unfortunate don’t have any Halloween freebies yet, but I do have an Absent Folder freebie that I hope works for your classroom.

Thanks for visiting and Happy October!

Celebrating Columbus Day!

Columbus Day is a week away – Monday, Oct. 13^th. I find my students enjoy doing different activities around the holiday. I have created a Columbus Day Activities – Across the Curriculum which covers all the subject areas: reading, writing, math, social studies, science, art, and fun activities.

The reading piece is three pages with a vocabulary activity, a list of reading books on Columbus, and questions about the text that are common core.

There is also a writing activity in which students write about what they want to be remember for. The math activities are comparing numbers using decimals and place value.

The social studies is a group activity of reading paragraphs that are facts about Columbus and identifying the main idea. The science activity is creating a homemade compass.

One of my favorite is the directed drawing of a ship in Columbus’ fleet. Students draw with sharpies with your direction and then color them in. They turn out really well – even for those students who can’t draw well.

Finally, there are fun activities such as playing a game – Nine Man Morris. I give the history of the game, directions, and a game board. There is also a word scrabble and mapping Columbus’ sailing routes.

If you are interested in this Columbus Day Activity pack, you can find it at my TpT store. Have a Happy Columbus Day!

Teacher Tip for Writing Time!

My first writing piece this year is a Response to Literature. My students and I read “The Bamba” from Gary Soto’s book Baseball in April. After reading and discussing the piece, we focused on the theme of the story. We have been covering theme in several pieces during reading this month.

My teaching tip is for writing time. I know you all have experienced the long line that begins to exist in your room when editing writing. Students in elementary (and middle school) struggle with seeing their own errors. So, early on in my teaching career I created the Five Error Rule. I will proof a student’s paper until I hit the fifth error. Then I send them to their seat to recopy what we corrected. When they have copied that portion, they can bring the paper up to me again to correct more until I find a fifth error. We repeat this process until their papers are written.

I have found this priceless! The students’ papers that have few errors are read quickly. But those students who have a lot errors are what take time. So by proofing only five errors at a time, keeps the line moving. I find I meet with a lot more students when I do the Five Error Rule. Finally, it teaches students, writing can take more than one draft. It is funny how kids think we all write everything perfect the first time.