The Principal from the Black Lagoon

First I'd like to say that I am pooped, exhausted, oh so tired. We are into the 4th day of school and my body is not adjusting well to the changes. I have pictures of my classroom on my camera and will hopefully get them up and running soon. 

Yesterday, we read:

I started by activating what they already knew about a principal (what they do, their responsibility in the schools, etc).  They obviously did not really know a whole lot as they were only able to tell me 2-3 things they knew a principal did. (Yikes)

After reading we took a reading comprehension quiz using our 

Because my students did not have a lot of prior knowledge regarding the principal's job, I decided to invite our principal to our class so that the students could interview him. 

Before he came we devised and created questions that would help us get to know his position a little bit better.  Then we all go in our interview circle and I had the students practice reading their questions into the microphone and making eye contact while interviewing.  

The kids were super excited to interview our principal and did a great job with their questions.  I know they gained a lot of knowledge about him that was not there before.

Our last follow up activity will be a compare and contrast of the principal in the book versus our very own principal.  They already decided today there would be a lot of differences:)

As my eyelids are droopy I look forward to doing this

Anyone else crazy tired like me? 

Thankful Thursday

I saw this on someone's blog and decided I would dedicate a Thursday post to gratitude. 

Source: etsy.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

a. my husband, family, and school community for the support, encouragement, and teamwork that helped today's first day flow smoothly. I don't know where i would be without them.

b. potato salad because I forgot my chips to go with my sloppy joe at lunch today and this was the perfect filler. Thanks to my co-hort for thinking of me:)

3. Begin organized and getting through my lesson plans today. It felt so good to get everything covered and checked off. Go me:)

4. Soaking my feet later. I have HUGE blisters on the bottoms of my toes. ooouch.

5. Sweet lil new students and sweet returning ones.

life in the fast lane.

1. Open house was last night. I wore my tall heels. Bad idea:) I got to meet some new faces and see some of my returning students as well as my veterans from years past. 

2. Today was spent moving my co-hort teacher into a new class (after she had already set up her other classroom) in 4 hours with some of my fabulous EC co-workers. The day before the first day of school. Now only truly awesome people can make that happen:)

3. I busted my bootay to get the first 2 days of school finished for myself as well as my co-hort and haven't had time to snag any photos of my classroom. Soon. Very soon.

4. I was not able to participate in the blog hopping that's going around ( see for yourself what I mean ), but I have been trying to catch up on all the blogs I follow. I love you all and think all of you are the bomb.

5. Tomorrow is the student's first day of school.  I'm sure tonight I 'll be tossing and turning-unable to sleep with excitement and nerves. 

We are totally reading this book tomorrow and I am excited.

Have a great rest of the week to all!

Winners Announced....is it you?????

and the winners are....(drum roll please)

Yaay Tina. Now you have to decide which print you want (that's the hardest part)

Congrats Rebecca! Can't wait to see which one you pick.

and a surprise.........(you never know what I'm up to)

because she was the first to comment on my very first give away. 

 Amanda: you can pick either a lanyard or a keylette. Just let me know which one and see below for details

Here's what I need from the winners ASAP!

1) email me at Jruthecreative@gmail.com the following

*your mailing address

*the direct link from the etsy shop with what you want. Act fast so they don't get scooped up like hot cakes.

If I don't hear from you in a day or so I will pick another winner.

Thank you to everyone who came out and participated in my give away. 

I look forward to doing more so tell your friends and fellow teachers to follow ze blog:)

Happy Friday to all my fellow educators. May you dream dreams this school year like never before. 

I announce my giveaway winner tomorrow so today is your last chance to enter.

Hall Pass Hoopla

Browsing through Michaels led me to buying some cute unfinished wood products 

which led to me creating NEW Hall Passes.

Yaay. 

hello is anyone alive? I'm having a GIVE AWAY

I know everyone is getting busy heading back to school

But see this adorable keylette here;

it's waiting for you, calling your name. 

and you could win one of the keylettes or lanyards from SewMuchDetail.

that's right 2 winners

read the original post here with details:

100 follower give away

I am going to extend the give away up through Saturday the 20th and will announce the winners Saturday night. 

100 Followers GIVEAWAY!

Hello friends, teachers, and followers.  Due to my increase in followers I have decided to have a give away.  I was tempted on giving away some handmade goodness from yours truly but with all the back to school prep I'll have to save that for another give away.  

So I have decided to give away a few products from one of my favorite ETSY shops

She specializes in lanyards and keylettes. 

There are so many choices

I bought myself this one:

How fun is this keylette?

She even has a teacher section:)

and Amy Butler patterns. 

For my give away I have decided to give away 

1 lanyard and 1 keylette

so that means 2 winners:)

Here's how you can enter 

1) follow my teacher blog (of course)and let me know that you follow ze blog

2) become a fan of my OHLOVELYOIL facebook page (which is also the name of my Etsy shop)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/OhLovelyOil/177969118919232

3). Blog about the giveaway leaving me proof that you indeed did blog about it:)

4). Go to SewMuchDetail 's etsy shop and tell me which lanyard or keylette you have your eye on.

5) begin following my teaching blog on twitter here: 

http://twitter.com/#!/MrsHawksNest

That's 5 ways to get in on the action. 

I will choose the winners on Tuesday August 16th (as teacher work day starts on the 17th)

Good Luck:)

VistaPrint and my flip signs

Apparently I have been super slow on jumping on the Vistaprint wagon for teacher goodies.  I use Vistaprint for my crafty related needs but had never branched out. So after finding this VISTAprint facebook page (full of created things by teachers: it screams inspiration central)

vistaprint facebook group

I decided to snag some freebies (just paid for shipping)

behavior party invitation. 

Because I teach students who have behavioral and emotional disabilities, we have behavior parties every 2-3 weeks.  I always make invitations for the kids that make it as this is a really BIG deal for us:)

I fell in love with this zebra and pink polka dot design.

behavior boost card

I have 250 of these

I also became inspired from looking through one of my back to school catelogs (Really Good Stuff maybe?) and saw some student flip tents that had things like : I need help, I'm finished.  Instead of raising their hand or yelling your name, they would just use their flip tent responders. So I decided to make my own.

I obviously have a smaller class population of students but this could also be used in a regular ed setting during small group activities. 

Folded up paper into a 3 tier tent then taped together.

 

 One side says I need help.

 Another side: I'm working hard

 Last side: I'm finished

I plan on teaching the students how to use their flip tents while working and self monitor what stage of working they are in.  They will also learn the expectations of properly caring and handling their tents as well as what to do when they are finished. 

I only lack 3 followers before a giveaway. 

Leaving you guys for the BEACH

Source: None via Jennifer on Pinterest

Heading to the beach in the morning for a weekend get away before school starts back up, and to spend some vacation time with my hubby:)

perhaps when I return I will have 100 followers and can proceed onward towards a GIVE aWAY! 

If you are already back to school and teaching, I will bask in the sun and spend hours by the ocean and pool just for you all. I'll even collect some seashells for you;)

Currently I am...(linky party woop woop)

 

is having a Linky Party for Currently I am....

(she was inspired by PINTEREST what else?:))

She also has some freebies with a Currently I am....print out to use in your classroom. I snagged it up and you should to AFTER you link up for the linky party.

Here we gooooooooo

 

construction across the street at the Mercedes dealership and my husband talking to a customer (I'm working at my in-law's furniture store some this summer). 

all the insanely creative and inspiring projects and ideas from Pinterest as well as all my new blogging teacher "friends" I have found and that have found me.

But did I mention that I love Pinterest right now? 

Oh okay thought so.

about where the hubbie and I are going to stay for our anniversary trip Thursday-Sunday. We know we're going to the beach..some beach. That's about it.

I'm also thinking about how I can make a window in my classroom because I have NO WINDOWS.

If you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments section. 

some Peanut butter M and M's. 

nom nom nom.

to work on some OHLOVELYOIL orders and get over this laziness syndrome.

craigslist? Wait is that considered stalking? Well that's where I'm spending a lot of time in search of anniversary spot. 

I guess I was kind of stalking Oh Boy 4th Grade seeing as how I read about the linky party.

Your turn

Go Link UP

What I've been up to...

So I have been making things for back to school. Getting folders and journals prepped and ready to go and I thought I would share:)

1. BOOK BIN LABELS

I went to my class a few weeks ago to sort through my books and get them organized. I typed out these bad boys, printed them and then.....

 self laminated them.

you know with some packaging tape.

Now all they need is to proudly smile from their new place on the book bins in the class library. 

2. FOLDERS

 morning work folders: these are on their desks each morning and students are taught the expectations for morning work.  At the end of the week I average and grade their completed work.

 I do a direct instruction program called Language for Writing so this is the folder that will house their work. 

PS: I LOOOOOVE ducktape. I had to buy some from Michaels to spruce up their folders. 

3. NOTEBOOKS

I saw this on Pinterest where you use ribbon in the back of a notebook for a bookmark/placeholder and said YES pLEASE. So I got out my hot glue gun and some ribbon and started gluing. 

 i ran out of the fun blue kind but had a lot of green so just finished up with that.

see? you must do this. It's fabulous!

Finish, done, complete

I'm on a roll.

PS: I'm thinking once I hit 100 followers a GIVE AWAY needs to go down.