Remind 101--FREE Service

I was perusing through my Pinterest account, and came across this text messaging service for teachers. It's called "Remind 101".

Do you mean that there is a way to send out a mass text message to my parents without giving them my cell phone number?!?! Yes there is!!!!

All you have to do is sign up and create a class name. Then you can have your parents sign up just like they would for texts from stores. There is a number to text and attach the tag line that connects to your account.

Anytime that you have a message for parents, just go to the site (or the app on your phone), type up the message, and then send! They do not know your phone number but are able to get those reminders that are on those newsletters that they never read. You know what I'm talking about....you spend all that time creating a cute newsletter then it never gets home or gets put directly into the trash can.

Did I mention that you can attach this to your class blog?? You create a widget from the settings and place it anywhere on your blog. This way your parents not only get your text messages, but they are able to see the messages you send on the blog! 

I'm SUPER excited about this!! I can't wait to use it in my classroom next year. Most of my parents could care less about newsletters or blogs, but I know that they will check their phones. Whoot Whoot!!

Here's the link

This Teacher Needs Your Help

Over the past few days I have been attending the Mid-South Reading and Writing Conference/Institute. It has been a great experience learning more about how to make writing and reading (specifically vocabulary instruction) more meaningful and fit into the Common Core.

One of the discussions was about the lack of at home libraries of children from poverty or low-income homes. We all know that children in these circumstances have smaller vocabulary than children from higher social-economical homes. Some of this comes from the lack of reading at home. I know that there are other reasons too, but this is a problem that we can fix. The way that we can fix this is to build the child's at home library. We expect these children to read every night, but they don't have the books to do this. They might not have someone that can take them to the library; life is just about surviving, it's not about going to the library. So what can we do to build their libraries??? Well, we can get these books donated.

I have included 2 different representations showing the importance of having students read EVERYDAY for 20-30 minutes.

From Perry Public Schools

From The High-Tech Teacher

There is a point to all of this, I promise......

I would LOVE to be able to have those of you in the blogging world to help me out here. Many of my students (not all, but many) do not have the books at home to become successful, to build their language and vocabulary. My goal this year is to be able to give EVERY student at least one book every 2 months, but I do need your guys' help! This blog might not be the most popular, most read, but I do know that teachers know how to get the word out even for tiny little blogs like mine! So yes, I am begging you to please help build students' at home library by sending books that you think little 3rd graders would love to read!!

Just let leave me a comment with your email address if you are interested and I will get you the information that you need! I hope that you all will get the word out to help my little lovelies!!

Currently

It's been a busy time for me since school has been out! I've been having my nose to the grind trying to get finished with grad school, getting things ready for my summer job teaching reading/math, and helping out with my kid's camp. Oh, almost forgot....I have been trying to get my training for the El Camino de Santiago underway too (accomplished to hike 11.5 miles with a 15 pound pack!). Busy, busy, busy summer. It's only to get even busier.

I figured that I link up with Oh' Boy 4th Grade's June Currently...it's been awhile. Gives me a nice break from doing grad assignments and icing my wrist from tendonitis.

Listening to those critters and bugs.....I am one of those freaks that does not turn on the a/c until ABSOLUTELY necessary. That thing cost money! Plus there is an attic fan that I can turn on at night to cool the house down. It really does work!

Loving all of my goodies....Things have been coming in the mail left and right! For one thing, I won a $100 gift card from Oriental Trading for Teacher Appreciation Week!! I got all sorts of stuff for my classroom. Some of the things I have been wanting for a while, but was too cheap to buy myself. Plus, there were things I still REFUSED to buy because they were too expensive. See...I am cheap with free money, ha ha ha ha. Everything else has been books for grad school, teaching units, and personal use. Who doesn't like getting package??? LOL.

Thinking about all the kiddos at camp....The A/G in Alabama have summer camp every year for kids and teens. Well, right now it's the kid's turn. So, I have been going to help the lovelies get registered. I am thinking about them constantly; hoping that they are growing in their relationship with the Lord. 

Wanting to go on my trip....I know that I have a little less than a year before I take on the El Camino de Santiago, but I would love to just start now! While I wait, a friend of my did recommend a book that a classmate of his wrote a few years back to help me get ready. Maybe I will get some time to read it over the summer. 

Needing to stop being so lazy.....I was just telling my mother about how I have not moved from my little area in the living room today. Lazy hefer!!!!!! I know that I have been working away on some school assignments. But that is not excuse to stay in the same spot all day. I've got to get moving tomorrow!!!!

3 vacation essentials.....1) a book--I love to read. No vacation is complete without a good book to get lost in. That leads into #2, a comfy chair. Love reading a book in a big comfy chair, one that I can just fall asleep in if I want. 3) Have to have a good beverage. I prefer good ol' H2O. It's my trusty friend that will always quench my thirst. 

A New Reading Series

Okay guys, my school is adopting a new reading series and I would love some advice. We're going to be using McGraw-Hill's Reading Wonders. What do you all think about this series? What do you like or dislike about the series??

 From what I have seen of it, it seems really good. Although I am not liking shelving my "real books", there are some good things. One of my favorite things that I saw was the read aloud chapter books that come with each unit.

I would love to hear what y'all have to say!!

Stone Fox, Open House, and State Testing

We've been pretty busy trying to finish our Stone Fox book these past couple of weeks, but we got it done! Oh, how my students loved this book. I think it has been there favorite so far.

***SPOILER ALERT....if you haven't read Stone Fox then you might want to scroll down a little bit****

        I had never read the book before, so on my spring break I took it home to read. I was shocked that Searchlight died! It was almost like when Luke Skywalker found out the Darth Vader was his father..."NNNNNOOOOO!!!!!!!!" However, when Stone Fox stopped the race allowing Little Willy to carry his dead dog over the finish line, I lost it!! There were tears involved. So when I had to read it to my students, I knew that I was going to have to hold it together--which I did, barely. The reaction of my students was priceless. They were so in to the story, so when Searchlight died it was the same reaction as I had! WOW! They were REALLY engaged in the story. I think they were more mad that the story didn't have an "ending". They had all sorts of questions about what was going to happen next. Did Willy get a new dog? What did Willy and Grandfather do now that he was well? Were Willy and Stone Fox friends? This led them to writing the next chapter of Stone Fox.

****OKAY....it's okay to read now...spoiler alert is over*****

        Next, we are reading Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger. This out to be interesting. I haven't seen my kids so excited about reading in a long time. So thankful that my principal gave my team the "go ahead" on using REAL books! The little ones are constantly asking about what we are going to read next. Even if they do not care for the current book itself, they are still excited about what the next story will be. That makes my heart get warm fuzzies!

       Okay, next week is an open house during school hours for an entire week! We are trying to give parents a chance to see what goes on in our classrooms during math and reading. Since our school has gone to using Investigations math material, some of the parents started to worry about this "new" math. This is a great way to for them to get a glimpse into our math world, see how making math fun can help students learn, and how we are allowing students to use their own strategies for solving equations (not just using the ONE way the uses one the board). Maybe it will help them see that I have to take care of other children's needs too, if you know what I mean. So far I only have one parent that is coming. Maybe there will be others. Our school already had math and reading sessions one evening a little while ago, so that could be for the low response. I will let y'all know how it goes.

      State testing is just around that corner--in 3 weeks to be exact!! Where did the time go?!?! Our preparations have been underway since the beginning of the month. We have to get our opened responses a little more refined. Lots of reviewing going on here. I have been thinking about what I can do for my students to get them pumped up about doing well on this test. There were some really cute ideas on Pinterest (of course, isn't that were we get every idea nowadays, ha ha ha) that I might try. For example, I saw some cards with cute messages that matches different types of candy. Also, last year I had parents write a letter of encouragement to their child which was given to them the morning of the first day of testing. Those kiddos read their letters every day, aaaawwww. I might do it again. I would love to hear your ideas!!

It's All About Weather

 It's spring break!!! I've made it!!!!!

     I love, love teaching our weather unit. It's not the fanciest thing in the world, but I love seeing my students get so involved with each lesson. There is always the black-hole of never ending questions. No way can they all be answered. Every once in a while, I am able to get the kiddos to find out the answers on their own. This is a rarity, but it does happen.

       Like any good teacher try to keep her students entertained, we have a couple of songs that we use to help our lovelies remember the water cycle and the types of clouds. The water cycle song is something one of my team members remembers from when she was in 3rd grade, and the cloud song was composed by an old 3rd grade team member.

Water Cycle Song

(To the tune of "She's Comin' Around the Mountain", and there are hand motions for each part)

Water travels in a cycle, yes it does
Water travels in a cycle, yes it does

Water goes up as evaporation (hands rise)

It forms clouds as condensation (Hands clap without touching)
Falls down as precipitation (Hands make come down like rain)
Yes it does.
Water Cycle! (Fist pump in the air)

Cloud Song

(Well...it's more like a rap)
Clouds, clouds, amazing clouds
Cumulus clouds are fluffy and white
Could mean good weather
It might! It might!
Clouds, clouds, amazing clouds.
Stratus cloud are low and grey
It might mean that rain is coming today
Clouds, clouds, amazing clouds
Cirrus clouds are wispy and high
This means it's nice and we'll play outside
Clouds, clouds, amazing clouds
Watch out for cumulonimbus clouds
Their thunder and lightening make a big
Boom-pow!
Clouds, clouds, amazing clouds

If you would like to have the PowerPoint presentations for these, you can visit my TPT store. Just click on the picture below.

It's About That Time...

     I can't believe that it's that time of year....time to get down and dirty preparing for the ARMT+ (Alabama Reading and Math Test)! Where has the year gone??? I know that I couldn't tell you.

    I have put my students into those boring, dreaded, hated "military rows" trying to get my students into the right frame of mind.

      Oh how I hate this set up! It drives me CRAZY!!! I don't know how teachers did it years ago putting students in rows. There is no where to move and it makes it harder for group work!

    Today is nothing but mock ARMT+ tests. After our students take these tests, we analyze them to see where their strengths and weaknesses are. From there we are able to group them according to like weaknesses and target those areas in small group interventions. In the past it really helped our students. So, hopefully it will do the same this year.

      Math is our biggest concern since the change to the Common Core Standards or College and Career Readiness Standards here is Alabama and a change in our math curriculum. I don't understand how a state can change the state test and our county adopts a math program that doesn't cover the needed standards.

Is your school getting ready for testing yet???