Spring Break Freebie!

Mrs. Patterson being jealous she missed out on
Principal Gerry.

It is finally here! SPRING BREAK! One teacher friend is in sunny Florida, while the other is stuck at home in Indiana....Don't feel too sad for her though, she got to go to the French Lick Blogger Meet-up and listen to Principal Gerry Brooks speak. She even got her picture with him! How cool is that?! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous.

Mrs. Reinhart and Principal Gerry.

Do you give break homework to your students? We have in the past. This year we went a different route and made a reading log. It is a forever freebie in our Teachers Pay Teachers store ------>check it out here!

It comes with 2 different reading logs and 4 different bookmarks. Print and Go ~ or ~ print on card stock/laminate/and go! Either way, it gets students reading....and that is a big deal.

I hate to write and run....but I am in Florida and it is sunny and I want a tan.
Have a great break, wherever you may be!

Rediscovering My Love of Chapter Books

Grateful!  Oh, so grateful that our first round of I-step is over.  We plowed through a power outage, two days off school, terrible storms, lots of rain, and all the fun behavior challenges that come with all the disruptions to routine.  We are all (teachers and kiddos) quite tired of the testing talks so I decided it was the perfect time to begin a novel. 

I must constantly remind myself to slip novels into my reading block.  We are required to teach from the basal reader, but nothing, and I mean nothing compares to a well written novel.  The length of a chapter book gives the much-needed time to develop characters, to make personal connections, and to fall in love with books.  There is really nothing like it!  As a child, my family moved a lot and my very best friends became the characters from the many books I read.  Laura Ingalls is still a character that I consider a friend from my childhood. 

With my busy schedule, it is often difficult to plan for a chapter book.  I have also found that students hate stopping at every chapter to answer two pages of questions and to learn more vocabulary from each chapter that are commonly found buried in the pages of a novel study.  Reading should be a pleasure, and comprehension should be a natural process of reading and getting to know the characters and their predicaments.  Because of this struggle, we developed a product that can be used in grades 3-5 that meet all the Common Core Reading Literature Anchors.  I know we created it, and I shouldn’t toot my own horn, but I really do love this product.   It is called Common Core Reader's Response Graphic Organizers.  It is a pile of graphic organizers for everything from point of view, character development, poetry, figurative language, fables, plot development, and more.  Seriously it has it all.  It is so easy to find a relatable organizer for any book you are teaching and to print, copy, and go.

Common Core Reader's Response Graphic Organizers

Introducing this novel, How to Steal a Dog, by Barbara O’Connor has been just what both students and teacher need.  We have bounced back from testing and can’t wait to daily dive into this rich piece of literature.  The discussion has been so encouraging to me and has reminded me during this stressful time why I became a teacher. 

 I recreated one of the organizers on chart paper and we completed it while discussing the events of the story all together.

Another exciting element of this week has been the test drive of our new product, “Sneaky Little Leprechauns.”  The students loved using junk from around the classroom to create their works of engineering mastery!  Check out this fun product for a great writing experience along with some hands-on creativity.  The kids loved it!

 Check out these fun Leprechaun traps!

Be sure to go over to our store to check out "Sneaky Little Leprechauns!"

Testing Rockstars

First off, let me fill you in on our week.... This week our state testing began (ISTEP). Tuesday was the first official testing day. Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning we had a bad, terrible, awful storm that cause most of our small town to be powerless...fast forward to Wednesday morning when school was canceled, DURING TESTING, due to no power! Thursday, school was also canceled for the same reason. Lucky us, we got to go back to school on Friday and test our sweet babies who have been off for the past 2 days unexpectedly.

I went to school! There was no cell service, meaning no internet either! I didn't want to be "that teacher" that didn't show up...Do you know how hard it is to get ready in the morning without power?

To encourage our students to be the ROCK STARS we know they are, we have created a fun incentive. Testing Rock Star Tickets will be the 'carrot' you need to dangle in front of your students during the grueling state tests to keep them motivated. These tickets are free in our store, be sure to click the link to download them!

Set up is easy-peasy! Print on colored paper for easier sorting. We chose pink Rock Star tickets and purple Job Well Done tickets. Students knew they wanted a pink! When they earned the pink it was so rewarding to see their face light up---most of them knew they would be getting it when they did. Even the students who might not have showed their best effort and got a purple slip were still excited to get it.

The reward part is the fun part! Get creative! You know your students best, have fun with it. We did our shopping at the dollar spot at Target, the Dollar Tree, and our homes! Here is an unfinished product of part of the grand prize. For the 'runner-up' prizes there will be lunch with the teacher, a drink of their choice, and maybe even a no homework pass (if they're lucky!).

Testing can be boring and long, and then even longer. To us, it is important to make sure our students don't lose focus. These Testing Rock Star Tickets really helped get our students to go above and beyond. They were constantly trying their hardest and wanted that ticket, pink or purple. 

Have fun shopping, remember not to spend a lot. You do so much for your students as it is, don't feel ashamed to go cleaning out a toy closet, or a junk drawer! Kids love that kind of stuff (We should know, we do it all the time! The looooooove it.)

Have fun. Happy testing!

August 22- August 26

What a great start to school we have had! Students will get their spelling words in their agendas on Friday's before they come home. This allows weekend practice if time permits. Students may also get onto spelling city at home to practice their words. This week's list is lesson 2~Words with Long A. If your child has a shorter list, he or she will always have the first 10 words.

awake
chase
paid
eight
mistake
plain
trade
weight
waste
afraid
neighbor
taste
trail
plane
wait
waist
space
break
state
shape

Please be checking the Independent Learning Logs nightly. This is your child's homework for the week. There will not be any homework on Fridays. On Friday we will collect their logs and check to see they have completed what is in their agendas. If there are ever any question please contact your child's teacher.

Have a great week!
~Mrs. Reinhart & Mrs. Patterson

Oceans of Steals, Deals, & Giveaways!

We are teaming up with some new friends this week to bring you Oceans of Steals, Deals, and Giveaways! Trust me, this is an event you don't want to miss out on! There will be new deals, steals, and giveaways every day next week so stop by our Facebook and Instagram pages to see all the goodies!

Monday we will be practically giving things away---$1.00 is super cheap, am I right?! We will have 2 products for sale on Monday for only $1.00~here they are below...You can also search on TPT using #MondyMadness to find all the Monday Madness Deals!!



Be sure to sign up for the Rafflecopter giveaway to win something awesome, like a gift card....who doesn't love to win things!?

Jumping into summer!

Today was the last day. As I am sure every teacher does, we had mixed feelings....sadness, happiness, over-it-ness, missing our kids already-ness! The last day always goes by fast. It's a mixture of "oh my gosh I have to get my room cleaned, I get to be outside all day, and I have to pass out report cards and give all my friends 5th grade pep talks". Really, teachers do it all, ya know.

After the sunscreen was added and lunches were gone, we were ready to go outside! For us big kids, field day was from 1:00-2:45. Teachers walk around to each station with their class~ it was too much fun for me not to join in. I would say my favorite station was the hula hoop station. Here, students hold hands and make the hula hoops go around their bodies. The kiddos loved the water station, duh, they were able to get wet and cool down!

 We have parent volunteer and classroom aides assist during field day..how does you school do it? 

The following pictures are pictures from our end of the year party. Only a select few get invited, depending on how many points they get throughout the year (it's like golf, lowest score wins!). We cooked out, we played life sized Jenga, bubbles, had a water balloon fight, and played ships and sailors. We had a great time!

One last thing~ as a teacher, do you do anything towards the end of the year? I love putting a small amount of glitter in my the report cards. This is my 3rd year doing it! I randomly use glitter throughout the year (BECAUSE I LOVE IT!) so I know my students will think of me when they open their report cards.

Be great this summer! 

Never too old to write!

Being a fourth grade teacher means a lot. It means your students are on the verge of being big kids. It means you are always on call for giant hugs--or mean glances, depending on the day, and the student. It means harder spelling, reading and math! It means Indiana history (if you live in Indiana, of course!). It means your students are young enough to still love you and old enough to understand your sense of humor! It also means B-O. Yes, you read that right. Body Odor. Trust me, on recess days towards 'the end', you do not want to be in a 4th grade classroom after recess. It can get stinky! (Disclaimer: the beginning of the year never smells as bad as the end of the year! Take our word for it, do not sniff!) 

Today, we did shaving cream spelling. It was just awesome. Not only did the room smell very nice and refreshing, but the kids had actual fun! Our little 9 and 10 year olds love this stuff! Just because 4th grade is getting up there in the age department does not mean they do not enjoy some good S&S (shaving and spelling instead of R&R....see what I did there?)

Some tips for shaving cream spelling.....
*Use the restroom and get a drink before it commences (even 4th graders can have a hard time holding it!)
*Give each desk, or work area, a large squirt of shaving cream so you do not have to return!
*Give students directions before they touch the shaving cream
        ~Use only one hand
        ~Take 3 or 4 fingers and spread out the shaving cream in the middle of you work area so that you are able to write a word.
       ~When the teacher says "Clear." that means wipe your area with yuor 3-4 fingers to start your new word.
*When done with the spelling list give students time to play in the cream! Remind them that is should stay in the center of their work area and it should only be on one hand! (this really makes clean-up much easier for the teacher! When the shaving cream in rubbed a lot it dries up and disappears. Allow the students to use paper towel if they are having trouble.)
*When all the desks are clear and everyone has washed their ,we clean our desktops with our amazing cleanup spray. You need to getcha some.
*Remember, if it gets on clothes, carpet, or a face.....its clean and washes out!


Have fun, friends!