Michigan Love

Thank you Michigan.  You are so beautiful, calming and friendly and you've managed to help me to enjoy some much needed relaxation.  <3 <3 <3  Even though your temperatures have been in the 90s, the calming effects of the forests, the water and just plain lazy days have calmed my nerves.  

Why do I need this relaxing trip so much?  Why have I been so "edgy" lately?  Why have I bitten off all of my fingernails?-------My 19 year old daughter, was "unable to get off work" to go with us on our family vacation this year.  Fill in the blank.....

I am in the beautiful state of Michigan! We are visiting the in-laws who have a summer cabin up here.  My days are consisting of laying on the beach at the lake, jet skiing, laying on the beach, taking the boat out, and laying on the beach.  Tomorrow we're taking out the canoe. Before we leave this gorgeous state we're going to Mackinac Island and I'll probably lay around the beach a few more times--especially because it is HOT!  I'm from Texas and I know HOT and these poor people up here aren't used to doing HOT!  

By they way.  If you're ever out near Glennie Tavern, definitely stop in for a beer, some pizza or fried fish on a Friday night.  It is De-lish!!

Together for Our Kids,

Denise 

Manic Monday and Award Appreciation

"It's just another Manic Monday...Oh oh oh....."  You know the rest.  (I'm sure I'm not the first one to do this, but I just had to.  :)

I'm linkin' it up with Manic Monday at Classroom Freebies!!!!  I'm offering the very same Summer Vacation Writing Craftivity that I offered yesterday--right here on my blog.  I hope y'all will enjoy it and be able to use it.  Click the picture below to snag a copy.

I would also like to thank Jennifer at Grade 2 Happenings for awarding me with the Lovely Blog Award.  She also has a lovely blog--get over there and check it out. 

I'm now off to check out all those freebies at Manic Monday and then I'm going to try to hold up my end of the blog award and find some other Lovely Blogs.  :)

Together for Our Kids,

Denise

Freebie--Back to School Fun!

I LOVE tying read-alouds into just about everything I can!  I really enjoy reading aloud to my class and if it covers a topic I'm trying to teach--even better because it makes my work  job a little easier.  ("If you love what you do, you'll never have to "work" a day in your life"---right)

I like to read Pictures From Our Vacation by Lynne Rae Perkins, the first week of school.  I love this story.  It reminds me of my own family vacations.  I also read this story again through out the year, because it is a great way to teach visualization AND I believe it is also a picture book recommended in the book No More, "I'm Done" by Jennifer Jacobson.

You may have seen this idea on a past post of mine.  This freebie isn't anything really big, but it is an activity my team and I like to do at the beginning of the year.  I've cutsied it up a bit.  So, here it is.  If you have any questions about it, please let me know.  If you have any suggestions on how to improve it--let me know.  

Click Here or on the picture to get this download.  :)

Together for Our Kids,

Denise

Freebie for Back to School

I whipped this little activity up to use at the beginning of the year.  I've noticed that a lot of the students aren't real sure what to expect in their new grade.  I would start out by reading First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg.  (If you haven't heard of this book, look it up because it is Super Cute.)  Just comparing the grade the students were in last year to the grade they're in this year, is sure to ease their nerves.  I've also added some writing forms if you're interested....they're sideways because I couldn't figure out how to rotate the slide....I'm learning.....

   CLICK HERE to take a peek or download.

I hope you can use these.  They are available for download on google docs, but I'm going to make the jump and open up a TPT store.  I'm going to be crossing my fingers.....

I'm sure you do this, too, but I just love looking through our textbooks on the first day of school and showing them what they will be able to do at the end of the year.  They're pretty amazed and they get really excited for what's ahead.  

Together for Our Kids,

Denise

TEKS vs. Common Core

Some of you may be wondering what TEKS are, well....Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, (or TEKS), is Texas' equivalent to the Common Core Standards.  There are only four states that have chosen not to adopt the CCS and Texas is one of them.  In case your interested, Alaska, Nebraska and Virginia are the other three.

The TEKS aren't that much different from the CCS.  I do like the wording of the CCS better than our TEKS.  I found this article from the TX Association of Business that I thought was interesting.  It is comparing TEKS to CCS in Math.  Here's the link if you're interested.  http://www.txbiz.org/wcnews/NewsArticleDisplay.aspx?articleid=46  What do you think?  Any comments or concerns?

Here is a copy of the 2nd Grade TEKS that I have made into a checklist.  You can click on the picture or HERE.

On to less political and more teacher talk.  I've copied some of your ideas and made myself a checklist that covers our 2nd Grade TEKS.  It's more for myself, but I was thinking of putting a copy of Math and ELAR in the student binders so they can also check off when we cover a standard.  Maybe even make a poster of the Math that we can check off together as a class.   I think it will also hold them more accountable for their learning.  My district has a Common Assessment every 6 weeks that goes over 2n Grade TEKS taught in Reading, Revising & Editing, and Math.  This school year they will also be adding Social Studies.  

Is This Weird....or Am I Crazy?!?

I could be really embarrassing myself right now by admitting this...but this is something I find really weird.  My husband can't understand how this is so "troubling" to me and how I let it bother me so much.  It also sort of bothers me that it doesn't bother him.  By now you're probably saying, "GET TO THE POINT!"  Ok, ok....I was at a public pool today with some friends, and there was a family that just started swimming in their clothes.  Yeah, walked down the ladder into the 4ft water at the pool fully dressed in nice clothes.  Well, the dad, mom and sister (around 13 years old) were in their street clothes...the son (around 10 years old) was in his underwear, (in his defense, they were boxer briefs, but clearly underwear).   The dad had on denim shorts and a nice polo shirt and the mom had on a super cute sequined top and white pants (wet white pants on a lady in early 40s NOT appropriate).  Now, I DO live in Texas near a touristy part of the state and it is HOT...they all had on water shoes, though.  How do you have water/swim shoes, but no suits?  No life guards said anything about the undies or the see-through pants, so am I being too judgemental?

Your honest opinion would help me out.  My husband has really made me question the type of person I am.  Am I normal or do I have a serious personality flaw?  

Yikes!

Denise

Race Over To....

...The Tattooed Teacher blog.  She is having a most FABULOUS giveaway.  You must hurry though!  It ends tonight.

Together for Our Kids,

Denise