Friday, January 25, 2013

Five for Friday

fiveforfriday
 
I'm linking up with five random things from my week:


1. Date Day with the Irishman
My husband and I were both off on Monday. We don’t have family or babysitters around, so we try to go on a daytime date on the two or three days a year that we are both off and the day care is open. We splurged on the new movie theater with the recliners. Such a treat! We saw Les Miserables – I loved it! My sister-in-law is coming to visit from Ireland next month, and my husband has already decided it should be his pick for the movies. Nothing says,”Happy Valentine’s Day” like the latest Die Hard movie!

2. Division Strategies
I had this popcorn clip art and wanted to find something to do with it. I came up with “Poppin’ into Division.” We used popcorn as manipulatives and recorded multiple division strategies. We are fortunate to have a color printer at school.

divsionboard

We also have a giant printer. I sent it off to the right person and had posters printed for my bulletin board.  I love the way it came out. I hope to have the activity pack posted to my TpT store next week.

3. Balance
I was talking to a second grade teacher this week who said, “I don’t know how you find the time." I’d been sharing something I created for our “Revising Knowledge” deliberate practice group, so I thought she was referring to time in the classroom, but she meant home/work/etc. Most days I feel like I am just getting by. If I’d been quicker on my feet I’d have given a more honest answer. My house is a mess and I have been known to skip a shower on cool days in exchange for time to sleep. Funny how that would have seemed a crazy idea before I had kids! The things you do as a mom...

4. (Math) Operation Snowball Fight
I have had this planned for a few weeks now. I put in in my plans this week so that I would have to get it finished.

image3

After spending the last few months on multiplication and division, my students are trying to multiply or divide every word problem that they come across. I wanted to create some mixed operation word problems to get them thinking.

Operation Snowball Fight

There are two versions included – one with QR codes and an recording sheet for the cards without QR codes. These Florida kids were happy to have a snowball fight, even if it was just math word problems!

For my first little mini-giveaway I'll give away two copies of (Math) Operation: Snowball Fight to lucky readers who follow my blog and leave a comment on this post with an e-mail address. The Irishman (my husband) will pick a pair of random numbers on Sunday night.

5.  Giving it up
My student teacher is at 50% next week. It is always at this point that I struggle to hand over a subject. I’ve had some amazing student teachers over the years, but each time I reach that point. Do I give up my reading block? Do I want to have her introduce fractions to the class? Decisions, decisions!

Have a great weekend!

5 comments:

  1. Hey Jenny!

    I just found you through Doodlebugs! I get so excited to find other "upper" grade blogs! I taught 3rd for 11 years and my students did the same thing- they needed extra help with mixed operations because they wanted to solve every problem the same!!

    We're your newest followers!
    Amanda and Stacia
    Collaboration Cuties
    collaborationcuties@gmail.com

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  2. Hi, Jenny! I found your blog through Doodle Bugs and I love it. So super cute and you have some great ideas. I am student teaching this semester, and I cannot imagine how difficult it is for my mentor teacher to 'give' over her classroom. Still, I SO appreciate it and the confidence it gives me :)

    Catherine
    The Brown-Bag Teacher

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  3. Balance is sooo hard. I was going to post about that tomorrow myself.

    Angelia
    Extra Special Teaching

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  4. Your blog is so cute. I struggle with the whole balance thing and my home kids are older. I am your newest follower.

    Terri
    The First Grade Princess

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  5. Love that board! I found you through Doodle Bugs Linky! I'm your newest follower. Drop by. =)


    Just Wild About Teaching

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