Oh hello there!

I have not posted in over a month. Shame on me. I know, I know.... My bloggy resolution has already failed. Ah well, what can I blame my lack of blogging on? I'm not quite sure. Needless to say this has been a very interesting year. I thought I would share though our Ice Cream scoop bulletin board for independent reading was a success! Many of my students that were not so motivated to complete just right books were suddenly motivated to see their ice cream cone filled with scoops! Check it out!

 

I'm grateful for vacation. Even though I haven't done anything too exciting, it was just what I needed! DRAs will begin when we return from vacation. I will be responsible for all 52 DRAs for the fifth grade. I wouldn't want it any other way however, because I have been the sole person teaching the students reading this year. Remember, we are doing "subject specialization model." I will be working tomorrow in the classroom to create some fun activities for the students who are waiting to take their DRA. What do other people do for this? Any ideas, I'd love to hear! :) Take care bloggy friends!

xo

Weeeeeeee March Currently and 50 Followers!!

Happy March everyone! March has always been a month I so long for during the long, long..have I mentioned LONG winter months? It's a sign of "oh hey, spring is around the corner." Although it doesnt FEEL like spring is around the corner, I just know it wont be long before these 8 ft. snow banks slowly start melting away..

Anywho, MARCH currently time over at Farley's. Here we go!

Listening: *Okay, I actually created this on Sunday when I WAS listening to the Today Show. Nothing too exciting, it's just a show I like to indulge in during the weekend/summer months because it begins at 7am! (Which is when I need to leave for work during the normal work week!)
Loving: My Mocha Coffee out of my Keurig!! Simply divine. Period.
Thinking: I need to get my Master's work started. I began my second class of my Master's work on Feb. 28th.  The class is a psychology class, which I find interesting. We will see how it goes!
Wanting: A fresh start. There isn't much I can say about this. I just feel like some weeks I want a re-do, a fresh start...you know what I mean..
Needing: More caffeine? Ah yes..
LIKE learning, LOVE laughing, HATE lollygagging! (Okay..okay..I equally love learning and laughing..I just needed to come up with words that began with the letter L because my name is Larissa!!)

I'm also super excited that I now have 50 followers! I thought this day would never come but now it has! Weeeeeee! Thank you, thank you! I think when I get to 100 followers I will do a give away! I've always wanted to. :)

Happy Tuesday my bloggy friends! Have a fantastic day!
xo

Another Snow Day and MCL!

Oh yes, we had another snow day today. Where do I live? You guessed it, in the 8-14 inch range! We have gotten a ton of white stuff this winter. I think we could have gone to school today, it seems that the snow started later in the day. However, I'm not complaining. I realize that making that decision must be tough. I'm hoping to get to school tomorrow but who knows if I will. I can say that I am excited for SPRING! :)

I wanted to give a little bit of an update on a book I finished reading over vacation. I'm sure it's one many of you have read before, however, I wanted to share my thoughts on it. Over vacation I read Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning by Charles Schwahn and Bea McGarvey.

I've learned about MCL through discussions with other fellow teachers but I wanted to read this book to get the information direct from the source. I read it within two days and could no put it down! I would love to try to begin piloting some MCL in the classroom beginning next year. Has anyone done any MCL in the classroom? Is your school already doing it? I'd love to talk to other teachers that have had experience with this. A disadvantage that I'm facing with MCL is at our school we have little to no technology. It really can be a challenge to keep "up to date" and "cutting edge" when you do not have the resources you need.
Like I said earlier, please leave a comment if you've had any experience with MCL. I'd love to hear what you're doing in your classroom!

Get the SCOOP on our reading!

How will our fifth graders do on their reading for the month of March? Our goal is to have everyone read AT LEAST 4 books! Each student has an ice cream cone. Once a student finishes a just right book they choose an ice cream scoop (flavor of their choice :)) and add it to their cone! After this picture was taken I decided to add an ice cream cone for myself, my student teacher, and all of my ed techs! Modeling reading behavior is so important! Perhaps once we've filled our ice cream cones we can have a special treat for our fifth graders?? (hmmmm.. :))
 I'll post a picture at the end of the month to show our SCOOPS of success!!!

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe...

Please excuse me from being absent for a few weeks, I've been lost in Narnia, and oh how it has been simply splendid!

I decided that I would teach Fantasy this month using C.S. Lewis' beautiful book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I was apprehensive to use this book for a few reasons. First of all, I was afraid that some of my students had already read the book. Although it is a level DRA 50 I could see many of my students trying to read this in the earlier years of school. I was also nervous to use this book because I knew I would be bombarded with cries of,  "I've seen the movie!!!" Regardless of my worries, I decided to teach the book anyways.I am delighted with my decision.

Did I have fifth graders that read the book before or some that have seen the movie? Absolutely! Has it made a difference in the pure enjoyment that they've gotten out of this book? Absolutely not. My fifth graders have enjoyed every chapter, every page, every word that C.S. Lewis wrote. They have been enthusiastic about reading, and at times try to sneak to read a chapter ahead. How can I be upset when a child wants to "get lost in a book?" Isn't that what we want our students to do?

On Monday we will be on Chapter 12. We are nearing the "climax" of our plot map. How exciting! The book discussions and lessons before each chapter have been magical. I have been so impressed with the discussion this book evokes in my students. My "mini" lessons have turned into more like...jumbo book discussions...because the students could go on and on talking about this book.

Some of the skills I've taught while using this book are:
*Symbolism.  (This can be tricky with this book, because the symbolism is highly connected with Jesus Christ, God, Resurrection, etc. Of course I'm not teaching any of this in the classroom...one can simply let the symbolism stay at "Good vs. Evil")
*Vocabulary
*Identifying Unknown Vocabulary (using context clues)
*Character Traits
*How character traits can effect one's decisions and actions
*Theme
*Reading strategies (Predicting, Questioning...etc.)
*Descriptive Writing

I will be posting pictures of my anchor charts that we've created this week! Has anyone else used this book before? I'm curious how your experience was using it? Hope everyone has enjoyed their wonderful weekend!

It has felt like Narnia here in Maine...lucky that it's in the teens today. Oh how I wish Aslan would come and make it Spring. :)

xo

UPDATE: I decided to add my entire novel study to my TPT store. Be sure to check it out here!


 

New TPT Products!

Hello Everyone!

  I wanted to let all of you know that I've been working on two new products today for my TPT store. Two great packets! These packets are Reader's Journal Writing Prompts! All of the journal questions align with the Common Core Reading Standards. I have Grade 4 and Grade 5! Each packet is 27 pages long. I've also included a nice matrix of all of the Reading Standards.

 Click on whichever one you'd like to check out! Thank you! :)

January Currently! Happy 2013!

I'm so excited, this is my first "currently" from Farley over at Oh Boy 4th Grade! I've been having a blast this vacation getting back into the swing of blogging, photo editing, and learning the tips and tricks of the trade again! I've also enjoyed making more bloggy friends! I appreciate my new followers and I will be sure to check out your blog and follow you as well!

So here is my January Currently...

 I'm not sure what is is about having the time to watch the Today Show in the morning but it's such a treat! I normally never get to see it because of work. Fun fact about me, 2 years ago my fiance and I went to visit NYC. We went to stand outside of the Today Show and wave to the cameras. After the show airs Matt, Ann, Al, etc walk around and shake your hands. Ann is super pro military and was talking with my fiance (who is a Marine and a State Trooper). She invited us into the Today show and we spent the whole morning watching it air! Here are a few pics to prove I'm not fibbing...seriously...

We even got to eat the yummy food they cook during the segment! It was so much fun! :)

I'm also enjoying my yummy Donut Shop Keurig made coffee! So scrumptious. I also really want a cupcake for breakfast that my mom made for Jason and I. However, I will resist the urge and probably make some eggs. Farm Fresh Eggs that is! 

(My parents and my aspiring farmer sister have chickens and we have farm fresh eggs!) 

Check out their chicken coop..It's pretty fancy.

At some point today I need to get my butt moving and use that elliptical of mine! It's a tad dusty. Oh well, the holiday season is over and time to be thinking about getting back into shape. I feel so much better when I am, just need to force myself to do it. :)

Today is the last day of vacation. I am feeling SUPERB right now. 2013 I believe will be superb, fabulous, fantastic, and magical. I'm looking forward to teaching my fifth graders for 5 1/2 more months, planning for our wedding (we are getting married in summer 2014), and going to DISNEY WORLD with my mother and sister in July! Life is grand. 

Okay, very random post but it was fun! Remember to link up with OH BOY 4th GRADE and create your own currently. Remember the rules though:

"where you need to go to the 2 links before yours and make a meaningful comment
and then come back and comment on the link after yours...
spread the love and joy"

I concur Farley, spread love and joy..everyday!

Happy 2013 Everyone! xox