A Beautiful Day for a Race!

It’s a Beautiful Day for a Race!

      We took our first field trip to the Indianapolis 500.  What an amazing place.  First of all, IT’S HUGE!  "My Teacher Friend" and I came home exhausted from all the walking.  Did you know it’s the world’s largest spectator sport facility?  Did I mention we walked...a lot.  It felt like the world’s largest to us too.  It’s been said that Yankee Stadium, the Rose Bowl, Churchill Downs, the Colosseum in Rome and Vatican City all can fit inside the Indy oval.  It is 253 acres!

          It gets its nickname “The Brickyard” from the 3.2 million bricks that used to line the Speedway.  The only bricks showing now are the row of bricks at the start/finish line.  It’s a tradition for the winner to kiss the bricks.  The kids had a great time kissing the bricks.

         The Pagoda stands 199 feet from the ground to the top of the flagpole.  The first Pagoda was built in 1913.  The current Pagoda was built in 2000.  With its Japanese inspiration, it’s impressive!

                     

                 This year’s race will be held on Sunday, May 24^{th  w}here 24,000 pounds of fries will be consumed in one day.  I’m not a person for crowds so I’m going to be happy with my field trip with the kids.  

            I do wish I could have had a souvenir.So many cars...surely they wouldn’t miss one!?!

            Just wanted to give you a little taste of Indiana.  If you live close enough to drive, think about the Indi 500 for your field trip.  Everything was free!   That's right, free!  They even reimburse transportation costs.  It was the easiest field trip ever!

START YOUR ENGINES!

Lots of love and prayers for sunny days!

{Kelli}
Your Teacher Friend

Five For Friday First Timer

It's Finally Five for Friday!!! (See what I did there? This is actually my very first Five for Friday!) I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching. In a perfect world, myself or my other teacher friend would be posting our top five faves from the week. I have a lot of favorite things so it might be hard picking...

Two Teacher Friends have been working hard making items to use in the classroom. Our Teachers Pay Teachers store is filled with fun goodies for all ages. This weekend I am working on our third Mo Willems Elephant and Piggie set. Our  book buddies have used this and thoroughly enjoyed it! Other big sellers are our Sequencing Activities, Fact and Opinion Task Cards, and our Mother's Day Printable Booklet.

APRIL FOOLS day was a big success in my books....I baked my kids 'brown e's'. I cut out brown letter E's and put them in a brownie pan. I had a student open them up and pass them out. I don't think he got it at first..a few of them didn't. I don't think they thought their teacher could be so funny. After the letters were all passed out I began passing out the real brownies I had baked the night before. It was a win-win. I got a great laugh, and my students got the brownies!

He was being clever and ripped off the paper to make it look like a big bite.

This weeks number three is our Two Teacher Friends Facebook page. I have to admit, I am so very anxious. We are almost to 500 likes! To me, that is a very big deal. (We really only have 318, but who's counting! Each day we are closer to 500!! Can you tell my glass is always half full?!)

We only need 182 more!

This week we had a field trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway---home of the Indianapolis 500. This was our first trip to the IMS. We got to learn a lot and see a lot of great Indiana history. We loved seeing all the cars in the museum! Here are some pictures of the trip....    

Kissing the Yard of Bricks

Sack Lunches!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Just a quick selfie with the track behind us

This is Easter weekend. My number 5 is going out to family. No matter where you are, what you have planned/or not planned, no matter what nationality you are, or what is or is not being celebrated in your home, I hope you get to spend it with family and friends. I hope it is restful. I hope it is pretty outside-sunny and just the right temperature. I hope it is everything you want. 

The week after...

Yesterday, Mrs. Patterson {me} made the journey home from Florida....My husband drove the whole way home! I sat shotgun and the other co-pilot was in the back seat singing loud.

                                            Mrs. Reinhart has been working hard on fun TPT things-I cannot lie- I AM SO JEALOUS! Over break I was ready to go, laptop and all...our condo didn't have WiFi, what are the odds. Not only was I upset I couldn't work like I had planned, but I was mad I even packed my large laptop...do you understand how many more shoes I could have packed!?

This week is jam-packed with review, ISTEP prep, and even a field trip! We get to go to the IMS (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) for the first time with our fourth graders. 

Glad to be back, ready to see my teacher friends, and very excited to have warm Indiana weather (even though Florida weather is much nicer) 

I have missed this lady~but not the large recess jackets!

                                            xxoo {the teacher on the right}

Kelli's Top Ten Read Alouds

SPRING BREAK!!!!

It's here!!  That week that we have all anxiously and patiently waited for...Spring Break!  While many are heading for sandy lands and warmer temperatures, including our amazing Lizzy, I chose to take a break on Hwy 31 and look for snow crocus and daffodils with Mr. R.  This break also gives me time to catch up with the blog world.  

I read...a lot.  In fact a friend text me this week asking me for recommendations for a child she is working with and I got so excited thinking about book recommendations for a young adult.  I try to read all of the current series that come out so that I know what's out there...what's available...what resources we have, as teachers.  In keeping with this theme, I thought it would be a great time to do a top 10 list.  I love reading to children.  All teachers do but it's so hard to keep up with all of the many books available.  There are some amazing authors, but there are some that are not so good for read alouds in the classroom.  I looked through my own collection of favorites and decided upon a top ten pile of books for read alouds.  Here goes...

Kelli's Top Ten Books for Read Alouds

 First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg. This one's been around for awhile, but it's still my go to for the beginning of the year.  Everyone is a little anxious and needs some reassurance.  This book is a great one to talk about how everyone is feeling, including the teacher...hint...hint.  If you haven't read it, slip on over to Amazon right now and order it.  It'll be here by the time Spring Break is over.  You won't be sorry.  In fact, it will go on your list of gifts for new teachers!  p.s.  Julie has a new book out called Last day Blues.

Waiting is Not Easy! by Mo Willems.  Oh my...Oh my.  I can't say enough.  Just go get it.  It's a lower elementary book, but I read it aloud in fourth grade.  When you're finished with it, you just sigh.  Please go get this book.  Can you tell I get really excited about books?  It's a sickness.

Dogzilla by Dav Piley.  Yes...you read that right...he's the underwear superhero guy!  He also writes picture books.  This one is AMAZING!  He uses pictures of his own pets for his characters.  Kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book!  They ask me to read it again and again, even though they know the ending.  Amazon is your best friend today...admit it!  You know you want to order it.  He has a similar book, called Kat Kong.  Another great one, but this one is my fav.

Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey.  Hmmmm...Dav Pilkey again...a dog again...I see a trend here.  But hey, kids love dogs, and kids love to laugh.  While I love the books that make you sigh at the end, kids love to laugh and they need to have fun while reading.  Dav Pilkey gives them that combination.  Sometimes books need to be less about making connections and more about just having fun with a book!  Again, Dav gives us that!  This is a great one too!

 The Hallo-wiener by Dav Pilkey.  This is the last one.  I promise.  Pilkey again.  Dog again.  This one is a Halloween book.  Poor guy gets made fun of by bullies and has to wear a costume his mom made for him that gets him made fun of even more.  Hallo-wiener saves the day and becomes everyone's favorite buddy!  I've seen boys that hate reading come and beg me to hold and read this book themselves after I've read it aloud.  It's a winner!

 The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant.  It's been around forever and it's still fantastic.  Great for teaching personal connections.

The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant.  Great feel good read aloud,  Good for teaching character development and endings.

 Those Shoes by  Maribeth Boelts.  Sigh...Double sigh.  Character education at its finest.

 Guji Guji by Chih-Yuan Chen and Stellaluna by Janell Cannon.  I couldn't choose so I'm listing them both.  They are both about characters that end up in a family in which they are very different.  One is funny.  One is feel good.  Both are just so good and both have read alouds on www.storylineonline.net.  What the heck?  Get them both.  You won't be sorry.

I could do this all day, but I said ten, even though, I will have listed eleven.  Oops. Forgive me.  I've saved the best for last. 

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.  I love that a movie came out about this because authors are underpaid, especially this one.  There isn't an amount of money that equals her ability to put words together onto a page.  She is just so incredible.  I hate that a movie came out about this because now kids say, "Oh yeah.  I know this.  I saw the movie."  Do you know how hard it is to get kids to remove the characters from the big screen from their heads and to replace it with their own schema?  It's impossible because that movie is now a part of their schema.  Oh well.  Occupational hazards of being a teacher.  Schema frustration.  I have used this book for many years at the beginning of the school year.  I use it to teach the beginning stages of making connections because I have a gazillion connections to this book.  I am a preacher's daughter.  I moved more times than should be allowed so I was always the new kid.  I always had dogs that saved me from insanity.  As many times as I've read this book, it never gets old and never stops moving me to the core.  Kids love it too and find many connections to Opal as the story progresses.  Everything this author writes is on my shelf and on a list of mine somewhere, but this one can never be topped.  

Happy reading everyone.  I'm off to do something non-teacher like.  

 Much love to all, especially to my sweet Lizzy who is traveling today.  Miss you already!  Have fun with the fam!  p.s.  Look for some beach picture from our girl this week!

{Kelli}

It's not like the movies...

     A really good friend of mine recently had a baby. First, let me say.....he is SO SO SO cute. I have been giddy and excited for the past 24 hours for their new little family. Secondly, folks, it is not like it is in the movies!
     A few of our friends have recently had babies. I have been talking, hearing stories, and added to the group question texts to hear all about the silly/exciting/ewwwwy/fun things that are involved in becoming a new mommy. (Did you know there is such a thing as after birthing pads?!) 
     When the hubs and I went to visit new baby B at the hospital I learned a lot. I have been living a sheltered life. I never thought I knew a lot about birthing, but enough. Remember, I have 27 kids of my own, all of which are not mine....sooooo I have no idea what it feels like, sounds like, looks likes...you get the idea. Here is a little idea of what I had in mind: 

1) I thought everyone in the birthing room would be wearing scrubs
         -The new daddy got to wear whatever! I was bummed for him, scrubs sound so exciting compared to my teacher clothes!

2) I assumed birth would not be in the same room I got to visit the new family hours after baby B was welcomed to the world!
         -I know I have seen on Grey's a mother being wheeled to another room really, really, really fast down the hallways....FIELD TRIP!

3) 10 is a really big number!!!!!!!! This needs no explanation.

4) I thought I would look at a lot of babies behind a glass window.  I couldn't imagine I'd be lucky enough to hold him!
        -You know the window I am talking about....This was not there. I literally got to hold new baby B hours after he came into this world...how stinking cool is that?!

6) His head was not in a cone shape. As a teacher, I know this is an opinion. But really, baby B has a great head!

5) The only time you are not allowed to visit is 1-3 for mommy/baby cuddling. 
       -Don't these new moms sleep? See you at 11:30 pm for a quick visit. (Just kidding, we all know I need my beauty rest.)

I had to get that off my chest. I am still in shock about the scrubs....I know this new dad would have put them to good use too. What a shame. 
So happy to welcome a new little friend to this world....we will have round 2 in June with different friends...I cannot wait to see what I learn then.

This has been procrastination at its finest. Time to pack.
                                                         xxoo {lizz}

Spring Cleaning

Today a club I run called Wildcat Pride got to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. During our after school meeting we picked up trash on school grounds. Each student got to wear a pair of gloves and carry their own bag to fill with trash. Even though this is a 'yucky' job they seemed to really enjoy it! It is so great to see a group of 13-15 kids that want to help their school community by volunteering and making the school a better place. Here are a few cute little hands picking up...

I feel like a crazy woman this week---I need to pack for Spring Break  (~we leave early Saturday!~), go shopping for said trip, get my oil changed on my car, get my hair highlighted, and grade a math test...oh, and at my house, laundry is an everyday thing (still trying to get that one right as a housewife)

That being said....I think I will create something new for Two Teacher Friends TPT store. Who needs sleep when there is sugar free red bull.....

Much Love---- {lizz}

What is this stuff?!?!

   Today we made Oobleck. It was big fun! All week long we have been studying solids, liquids, and gases. We wrapped up our unit by making both a solid and a liquid!
   I (Mrs. Patterson) also had a big 'Oh My Gosh" moment as the day was winding down....I realized I am "one of those teachers". By this I mean "one of those teachers that creates things for Teachers Pay Teachers". Just a few short years ago-pre husband, pre homeowner, pre not in college anymore-I was the one saying "who has time to make all these great resources?!" Now friends, I'm that girl. My class slowly but surely has been using the products Two Teacher Friends are creating and it is awesome! It really makes me mad I didn't start sooner. 
   I love seeing the students faces as they get to feel the Oobleck for the first time. One boy even said "What is this stuff!?" After the Oobleck was made they had to fill out a short question page-be sure to grab it on our TPT store! I cannot wait to read their responses. Each child was sent home with a bag of Oobleck and a recipe card with directions for creating their own at home (sorry parents!).
    Room 410 had a lot of fun today!

            Have a weekend filled with sunshine, family, and an IU Basketball win!

xxoo,

           Lizz