Who says I can’t pin what I want---Pinterest---That’s who!

I couldn’t have said it better than Laura Candler.  Do you have the right to pin???

Together for Our Kids,

Denise

Classroom Dojo Catches the Crook!!!

I have to share an experience I had last week at school.  My principal called it one of her top 10 discipline referrals.  I don’t know if you’re familiar with Classroom Dojo, but if you’re not, you should be.  It’s really an awesome tool.  Last Thursday, at school, after lunch and recess, I’m teaching math.  Dojo is on the smart board, but hidden behind another page.  I like to keep the volume on the computer loud, so the kids can hear when the dojo goes off.  All of a sudden the dojo starts dinging positive dings like crazy.  I’m not near the computer, so we don’t know what’s going on.  The kids are going crazy.  I stop the lesson and pull up the dojo.   My student, L, had 5 positive points all of a sudden.  I know for sure he had at least 2 negatives in the morning.)  Now this student is not in class, he left much earlier for a dentist appointment.  Since the dojo is web based, it can also be controlled by an app on my phone from anywhere.  I now remember that just before L left I was doing reading groups and I noticed my iPhone was missing.  I thought maybe I already put it away and just forgot---at the time.  Now it was starting to make sense.  I called my cell phone from my class phone and it went straight to voice mail both times.  Now, L, is one of the last people I would have thought would take something that isn’t his. He is such a sweet boy and is always the first to fess up when he’s done even the slightest thing wrong.   I notified my principal, who called the parents.  When the parent went to ask L if he had seen my phone, L was PLAYING it!!!!    When L and his parent came back to meet with the Assistant Principal and bring back my phone, I went down to express my disappointment and lay on the guilt trip.  My sweet L started sobbing and when I  mentioned how I had given him the Honesty Award earlier in the year, he agrees by saying in between breathes, “Twue, Twue” (He can’t say his Rs).  I gave him a hug and told him I forgive him but he will have to earn back my trust and the class’ trust.  The next day when he came back to school he had in school suspension and at the end of the day when I saw him, and after seeing him in class all day today, I am sad to say that I don’t think he “gets it”.  He started “joking” with someone today saying he was going to “jack” somebody’s glasses.  He’s only 8 and this makes me VERY sad……

Together for Our Kids,

Denise

Day 3—”Pinspirations”

We just finished our unit on the night sky.  The students needed to be able to see the pattern of the changing moon.  I think these turned out pretty cute!  It was a bit time consuming (thank goodness I had parent help!), but I would definitely do this again—maybe not use foil….the students had a  tough time manipulating it into the shape they wanted on the moon.  But I definitely think mission accomplished!

Well, this sweet kid needs to work on the patterns, but I love that Earth he made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This sweet one did an AWESOME job!!!

 

We finished our unit off with the class creating and then describing a constellation.  I put a toothbrush into white paint and gave it a flick to make the black construction paper look like the night sky.  We had talked a lot about the constellations and how some of them got their name.  I am super proud at how hard the kids worked on these.  Here a couple of examples…..

Sorry the “West Peace Sign” is blurry…I had to post it!  It is made up of 8 stars and when “poor” people look up into the sky they find hope.

This was the most creative one.  It’s the “Cake Hogger”.  You get the story behind this one!  CUTE!!

Well, there you have it!  I will be posting more SOON!

Together for Our Kids,

Denise

Woo Hoo!!! I’m on my way…

Who???  MMEEEE???  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you and Thank you!!!!  I’m VERY late in accepting these yet, on time with one acceptance.

I would first like to give a shout out to Tina over at Quench Your First.  You are the absolute Best!!!  I hate to say that she’s not very objective though, because Tina is one of my closest and dearest friends.  Check out her blog.  She’s really got GREAT ideas!!!!

Back in January, Sandy from Ms. Fiorini’s Stadium awarded me with “The Versatile Blogger Award”  Check out her blog and also her Teacher's Notebook Store that’s filled with lots of goodies!

Sharing 7 things about myself

1. I have a SUPER family.  My daughter is in college…YIKES!  I have a son in Jr. High and one in Elementary School.  They keep me pretty busy and the older 2 have given me MANY gray hairs!  But….I wouldn’t change a thing.

2. I love to sing although I’ll be the first to admit I’m horrible at it.  I can make a song up about almost anything and to any tune which I use to my advantage in class. 

3. This year I am trying to be more organized.

4. I have self diagnosed ADHD.  (Well, I use it as an excuse)

5. I’m still looking for that book or workshop that is titled, “Do this in exactly this order and your class will ALL be on/above grade level by the end of this year”

6. Teaching is my calling and I’m so blessed to have it as a career.

7. I HATE cooking & cleaning.  My wonderful husband does most of the cooking around here. 

Now the award goes to…………..

Love, Love, Love her!!!!

I have also been awarded the

by 3 fellow blogsters.

I want you to immediately click on these teaching blogs!  They are so good that I will probably be---let’s just call it what it is---stealing some of their great ideas!

  Notes From Miss Dennis and Stapler's Strategies for Sizzling Second Graders! (LOVE THE NAME!)  This award is given to blogs with 200 followers or fewer and is meant to give recognition and love to wonderful, upcoming blogs like  Quench Your First 2nd Grade Bliss Thinking Out Loud  

I really appreciate all of this recognition!!  Thank you!!!

 

Together for Our Kids,

Denise

Day 2 Of Pinspiration

Our 100th day was last Thursday.  You probably saw a few of these cuties around blogs and pinterest.  This is my version….
Here is the writing form and the writing paper I made.
When I'm 100 2 Here are the finished products!!  How CUTE are THEY????

Hope you enjoy…..
Together for Our Kids,
Denise

Day 1 of Being Pinspired!!

I have been gone a LONG TIME!! I wish I could say I was training for my 5th marathon, taking a sabbatical in the mountains, mountain climbing, and being whisked away by Bradley Cooper to an exotic location where we would…..well you get it….  But…..I wasn’t.  I was grading papers, planning lessons, looking and analyzing data, dealing with my personal children, sitting and eating in front of the TV and/or computer... IE…Living the LIFE!!

I have continued to blog stalk and keep up with everything on Pinterest and I would now like to coin a new word….You read it here first….PINSPIRED!!!!  Yes, I have been “pinspired” by so many of you, that I would like to share my “pinspirations” with you in hopes that you may be “pinspired” by me.    Over the next couple of days, I will share with you some of the things I’ve done with my Sensationally Wonderful 2nd Graders who also inspire me. I would also like to thank ALL of you Kind and Fabulous teachers who selflessly share your creations so that you not only touch the children in your own classroom, but hundreds of others by making learning a little more fun. 

1.  Here’s what I did to wrap up our unit on Geometry.

		Yikes! It Snowed! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Yikes! Snow 3

The kiddos had to think of a 3-dimensional object and then list a few attributes of that object as their clues.  Their picture was drawn in chalk—except for the object which was colored.  We stapled a page protector on top and then they covered the object with snow (shaving cream and glue).  To sum it up….You read the clues, take a guess, check your answer by lifting up the transparency.  It was a lot of fun and they got a lot of compliments on their creations.  I LOVE it when we can be creative with our learning!

Come back tomorrow for some more “PINSPIRATION”!

Together for Our Kids,

Denise