Back To School Linky

Hi Everyone!

I'm linking up with {I Heart Recess} for a little BTS linky party.  Join the fun and share your goals.  If we write them down, they will become true.  Right?

Personal: This year I need to find the balance between work, church, personal life, gym time, friends, family, puppy, etc, etc.  There are a few new things I want to become involved in so I need to learn how to balance it all.  And for any moms out there--you are my hero!  I have no idea how you do it!  I always tell Emily she does more before 7:30am than I do all day!!

Organization:  My friend Kristin is a feisty little Italian and has always said, "Cut the fat!"  It just means to get rid of the things in your life that you don't need.  I need to remember this motto for my classroom organization.  For some reason, I am the anti-hoarder at home and then at school I'm a complete hoarder freak.  I had "dittos" saved from student teaching in kindergarten in 2001 still in my desk.  That I moved to 3 different schools.  Yall, I've never taught kindergarten.  I hit rock bottom in May when a particularly disorganized friend asked me for something.  I couldn't find it, talked to myself for a few minutes, threw some papers around, prayed to Saint Anthony, and then there it was.  She laughed and goes, "You are just like me!"  AHHHHHHHHHHHH!  Stop the insanity and cut the fat already!

Planning:  Emily and I have taught together for five years.  She has taught third grade for 11 years and I have taught third for 8.  Yet somehow I always feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants.  We are always changing things (for the better!) and creating new lessons.  If I get organized, I can stay ahead!

Professional:  Blog baby blog!  Even when I feel like I have one reader (hey you!), we've got to keep this blog going.  It helps us stay engaged and excited about teaching.  Just like how we want our kiddos to be!

Students:  Ok, so I may not be the most organized teacher in town.  BUT-my kids are always laughing and smiling and happy!

Motto:  Pretty self explanatory there.  Remember there is a plan for us!

That's it, yall!  Link up so we can see what your goals are!

Friday Favorites!

We are back with more electronic hoarding via Pinterest.  Love this little linky that Cara is hosting each week.  Link up so we can see what yall pinned!

Just click each pic to see the original post.  So here we go.  Our favorite teaching pins:

I thought this was a cute idea.  Show interesting pics and have the kids write a thoughtshot about the character.  It would be a great way to review tone and character reflection for common core.  Side note:  Doesn't this girl look like a pint-sized Ashlee from Long Island Princesses???

I'm going to hop on the Bucket Filler train this year.  We aren't supposed to have a visible behavior plan, so I'll try a positive one instead.  The tissue paper makes it pop! (I feel so bad that I couldn't find the source here, if this was you--you are awesome!)

This is so fun for a bulletin board to teach multiplication.  It's from Yay Third Grade on TpT and the pic comes from Classroom Compulsion.

I think my kids would love this on the first day of school.  My old school had a bulletin board contest during the first week and it was a huge hit.  The kids had to match each teacher to the posted baby picture.  

How about this?  Students write their ninja name and then write a story about it.  My boys would FLIP over this and giggles would be inevitable!  I'm Me-ku-shi-shi-fu and personally...I think that has a ring to it!

Lesson Plan SOS has this awesome pack on TpT.  One idea is for kids to play fraction basketball.  They roll a dice to see how many times each person will "shoot" and then they record the shots as fractions.  

Our favorite fashion pins:

Do yall #armparty??  Apparently, all the kids are doing it and I am totally late to this party.  There are even blog posts dedicated to achieving the perfect #armparty.  Not that I've read them or anything.  ;)

#armparty in action

Our favorite home pins:

How awesome is this?  I love it.  I mean...to me...all cheese and all wine is good.  But if you have to be fancy, just use this little cheat sheet.

And this is just too cute not to pass along.  It practically screams summer backyard bbq on a fab porch with friends!  Not to be judgey either--but doesn't it look like the Mrs. has red wine in there?  #amaze

Our favorite words of wisdom:

Let's just suppose you work with a Negative Nancy or a Deb Downer or a Linda Longwinded.  If wearing sweatshirts with inappropriate comments was acceptable business casual wear.....I would totally recommend this:

No source here, but we know who she is!  Someone really wise once said:

That's all we've got.  Have a great weekend everyone!

PS-Check out Tales of Frogs and Cupcakes today.  Our Place Value Task Cards are FREE to help her celebrate 1000 followers!!  To see how we teach place value and mention the greatest 90s movie ever click HERE.  

Workshop Wednesday-Set Up

Hi Sweet Teacher Friends!

Happy Wednesday!  It's time for a link up with the fab and fun Jivey.  Go check her out and see what everyone is talking about this month with their workshop set-ups.

Today we wanted to talk about our Writing Workshop block.  We use a combination of 6+1 Traits and Lucy Caulkins.  

Creating an environment that inspires kids to write is half of the battle.  We have to show them that what they  say is important. You know....like what Abileen said in The Help!

I love the fact that 6+1 teaches children the qualities of good writing (voice, ideas, organization, word choice, conventions, sentence fluency, & presentation).  Writing is a lifelong skill and teaching the essentials at a young age is crucial.  I also love the fact that my kids can throw out these terms in a mini lesson and they instantly sound grown up!

I think any book by Lucy Caulkins is a must have in your professional library.  I think I've become a better writing teacher for having read her books.  I really didn't understand the art of teaching a "conference" until I really delved into her workshop model.  

Once we consult our "manuals", we are ready to organize our writing notebooks. We have used composition notebooks as our interactive writing journal for years.  

One of my favorite grad school professors had us decorate our writing journal with magazine cut-outs and personal pictures.  So every year I decorate one and show my children that I love to write and share my thoughts, too.  I want them to see me as a writer and understand that our mini lessons will help them become great story tellers.  

I'm not at school so I can't share my past journals.  Depending on the year, it may have quotes, book titles, inspirational sayings, etc.  The year I ran the NYC marathon, my journal had a lot of running pictures because a lot of my small moment stories came from running.  Emily tells a lot of silly stories about her kids so she has a lot of photographs. Every year the kids love it!

Once we decorate our journal, we choose our mentor texts and get cracking on workshop ideas.  We will share more about those ideas during the first few linkys of the school year.  I hope we gave yall some tips on how we get started.  Thanks for reading!

Two for Tuesday...Tried It!

Well I am updating my Tried It Tuesday from last week and showing you my masterpiece!   Last week I showed you the beginning stages of my mug from my pottery class in the mountains.  Well, today I will show you the final product.  I am super pumped and proud. Not to brag or anything, but it turned out pretty cool.  Here is the final stage before glazing and the final spa treatment.

Then after glazing, it turned out like this....
I really am impressed and kinda want to make another.   Guess I'll have to wait till next summer!

My next little bit I wanted to share was a chore chart for my kiddos.  I needed something for motivation and needed some order in my house.  It was possible that if I didn't have some order, I might go insane bonkers.  Some days I think it is way easier to have 15 3rd graders then 3 kids under the age of 10.

The first thing I did was create this chart with pictures so Big G would know what he was responsible for. Then I bought one of those $1 certificate frames from the Dollar Store (love that place!), added some Velcro and..... tada....hung it on the fridge.  Our deal is that he needs to complete all of the chores every day to be able to get a prize at the end of the week. I know what you are saying... Wow, she's a tough one, but really I don't ask for perfection...as long as the covers are sorta pulled up, I say way to go!

He loves to give himself checks and really gets excited about doing his chores.  For my big girl it is the same, just minus the pictures since she is 10.  I added one house chore that we decide on each week. 

I have seen all these great ideas on Pinterest on how to make my children perfect, so I said what the heck, I'll give it a try.  Not quite perfect and I am still doing laundry, dishes, and vacuuming...but hey there's always next summer!!!!

Here is a copy of the chore chart in case you need one!

Monday Made It-Sentimental Frames

Today we are linking up with Tara for another Monday Made It!  Check out what everyone is up to this week HERE.

I originally saw this idea on Pinterest and it took me to a sweet blog called Maple and Magnolia.  Unfortunately, the original post is down (don't ya just hate when that happens?) so I was on my own when I tried to recreate these frames.

I have always loved raiding my Grandma Jane's jewelry box.  I just found these bracelets and amber pendant  last weekend.  Score!  I haven't taken the bracelets off and I wore the pendant with a black maxi yesterday.  It was kinda cute!  {Disclaimer:  I am asking for a camera for Christmas because the iPhone isn't cutting it!}

Anyway, this time it was my Grandma Mary that had the pretty brooches.  I always had a special bond with her and am actually named after where she grew up in Ireland (County Kerry).  She was a pretty special lady, and I'm lucky to have called her my Grandma.  She spoke with a really thick Irish Brogue, ALWAYS had yummy treats at her house, and told the best stories about growing up in Ireland and NYC.

I picked two of her pins, headed to Michaels (don't forget your 40% coupon!), and got to work.  I found these frames that were perfect for this project, I just love the ribbon detail.  They were about $5 each and the burlap was $2. Not bad!  

Here is how it looked when I was finished:

I think it would look even better with a super glam brooch; however, I was keeping this project for reals.  I'm pretty sure this was what was in style during the Great Depression.  Amazing!

I think the cameo brooch would look really pretty in one of these situations:

Gorgeous, right?  And so sentimental, too.  I can thank Pinterest for allowing me to plan my fake wedding and have my fake baby.  :)   

Link up and let us see what you've been up to!

Sunday Smorgasbord--Workout Essentials for Running

Hey Teacher Friends!

This post is totally un-teacher related so if you are looking for a great classroom tip then you may want to stop reading.  ;)  I've seen a ton of teachers on Instagram posting about their summer fitness.  I'm no expert (that would make me sound like a huge jerk know-it-all), but I've always loved to exercise and I think I've tried most classes out there.  From Zumba (I have no rhythm and just stand in the back confused) to fancy schmancy spinning at SoulCycle (LOVE) and everything in between......I love to work out.

I wanted to share my top favorites for running (yoga will be a separate post).  I promise not everything will be super pricey either.  What teacher wants to spend their paycheck on $$$ workout gear?!  Case in point-I ran the NYC Marathon in Sauconys from Rack Room.  Swear!

So, here we go--my favorite running essentials!  

1.  The first item is the Nike Tempo Shorts.  I probably have them in every color.  They are Dri-Fit so they keep you cool, the waistband is comfortable, and they don't ride up.  I've tried Lulu Lemon, New Balance, Target, and Under Armour (skirts and shorts).  The Nike shorts are my personal favorite.  I love the hidden pocket for keys and your iPod can easily clip on the skinny waistband.  You can't beat the price either, not bad for $25ish.

2.  My second must have is the Lululemon Pace Tight.  These babies are MAGICAL.  They are designed to keep you cool during winter runs, so you really want to wear these when you are running in weather under 55 degrees.  The material is breathable, comfortable, and lightweight.  There are two pockets to use for keys or gels, and they have a hidden back zipper.  I promise you--if you are getting into running and can spend a little more then THIS IS THE PANT.  I've tried countless brands....do yourself a favor and splurge/ask for a gift card/put it on your Christmas list.  THESE TIGHTS ROCK!  PS-These are made for running, not bending over!  We all remember the indecent exposure issue Lulu had last winter!

3.  Let's face it, we are getting old.  Anyone else out there want to cry watching This is 40?  Ugh.  My third must have can help with that.  It's cheaper than a $350 X-ray from one of your student's fathers (trust me on this one).  Joint Repair pills.  Yes, girls.  It works.  You can buy any brand you prefer, just look at the main ingredients.  I happen to love the Trader Joes Joint Support with MSM, Glucosamine, and Chondriotin.  Taking one a day (keeps the $ doctor away) and will keep your joints flexible and happy.  Have angry knees?  Aches and pains after a run?  So did I.  Try these, you won't regret it!

4.  I'd be a real loser if I didn't mention shoes.  I highly recommend getting a professional fitting.  You know the kind---you run on a treadmill and the pushy salesman professional tells you the best match for the shape and function of your foot.  I have run in Brooks, Mizuno, Nike, and New Balance.  Very expensive to very expensive.  For me, the Saucony Cohesion 4 were my favorite and they just happen to be sold at Rack Room for under $50.  So sometimes the most expensive is not the best.  It doesn't always buy you extra protection, mileage, and comfort. You just have to see what works for you and getting a professional opinion is worth it.

5.  My final must have is another pricey item ($150), but absolutely life changing.  It's the Garmin Forerunner 110 GPS Enabled Sport Watch.  When I started running in 2008, my first 10K clocked in around 1:06.  By the fall of 2011 (I was training for the NYC Marathon), my 10K time had dropped to under 49 minutes.  Yes, I put in the hard work and dedication, but as far as speed goes I give all the credit to the Garmin.  Depending on the model, this watch can track your pace, mileage, heart rate, and caloric effort.  The 110 doesn't have all the bells and whistles, it just told me how far and how fast I was going.  If you are training for a race, having accurate workout data (just like teaching!) is an absolute must.  Call me crazy-but my Garmin became my training buddy, my diary, and my savior on long runs when I just wanted to quit!

If you are a runner or just love to run casually, I hope I helped you out with some tips.  Did I miss anything?  Tell me what your running must haves are and, as always, thanks for reading!

I linked up with Michelle from Fabulous in First because this was definitely a random Sunday Smorgasbord kind of post!  Check out what everyone has been up to this weekend!  Thanks, Michelle!

Favorite Pins Linky

Happy Friday, Everyone!  We are linking up with Cara for another Favorite Pins Friday.  We love this idea and it's been so much fun to check out what yall pinned!  Just click the pics to see the original source.

First up, our favorite classroom pins for the week:

I love this idea for using iPads in class.  We are going 1:1 sometime in the very near future.  The upper grades are already 1:1 and we should be sometime in 2014.  One of my fears is that when I am teaching small groups, my other children will be off task at an iPad center.  This is a quick tutorial on how to lock the iPad within the app you want your children to play.  Pretty cool!

I thought this video was really cute for teaching math properties.  I'm not going to lie, it's one of those skills that makes my head kinda hurt.  ;)  

I love this foldable for teaching place value from Runde's Room.  Our kids love foldables so I think this one will be great at the beginning of the year.  

I'm definitely doing this on my door bulletin board.  It reminds me of that song You Gotta Be.  In a time when bullying can be so prevalent, I think it would be really nice to remind kids they can be themselves and it's ok!

Our favorite home pins:

I love this idea.  Why haven't I ever thought of putting fabric in frames before?  This could be a really easy project using Ikea frames and pretty fabric from your local fabric store.  What a great way to add a pop of color to any room.

My obsession with the dresser turned TV stand continues and I've been scouring Craigs List for a real beaut that needs a facelift.  I'm so glad I stumbled on the blog Wedded Whitaker.  She has some great DIY ideas.

Our favorite cooking pins:

I've made these burgers twice this summer and they really are (as the title says) the best burgers ever!

We made these buffalo chicken salad sandwiches from Six Sisters and they were great!  Add a little more hot sauce if you like the heat, we did and they were delish!

I didn't pin Boyfriend Cookies last week, but I made them!  I've made these heavenly cookies at least ten times since I originally pinned them.  I made them for school (they were gobbled up 10am), given them to friends (they always ask for the recipe), and had them on hand....just because!  They can be a little pricey to make, so I usually just pick and choose which candies I want to use. You won't regret making these cookies, promise!

Well, that's it!  I know I just met you...and this is crazy....but here's my Pinterest page...follow me, maybe?

http://pinterest.com/kplitnick/boards/

Throwback Thursday-Visualization

Today in Throwback Thursday, linking up with The First Grade Parade,  I am  reintroducing a wonderful book I found that would be great for Visualization.  The kids loved it and it worked perfectly.  So take a look and see what you think.  There is a freebie involved as well!!

Whaaaattt, wait a minute, I used to want to be a dental hygienist, but not if they are letting sharks in the chair.  Have you ever read this book?

It is super duper cute and hilarious.  I happened upon it as I was reading to Super G one night and my teacher brain took over.  We laughed as we looked through the pictures and imagined "watching a movie with a giraffe" and "sitting next to a porcupine on the subway."  I couldn't stop thinking about using this for visualization.  Since we are in between writing projects and guided reading novels... I thought this would be a perfect, little activity.  Boy, did they have a blast with it!

First, we went over visualization and the importance of using mental images as we read.  We made this fun anchor chart as I introduced the book.

Then, I read the story to them, without showing the pictures. I made them VISUALIZE what it would actually look like "if you invited ants to your picnic."  We laughed and laughed.  Then I reread them the story and showed them the pictures.  Every page, I got an OHHHH, OHHHH, WOW!

Each student chose an animal and completed a web about the animal's characteristics.  Next, I had them list what they would NOT do with their animal.

Finally they came up with a "never."  It was super cute and they loved it.  Everyone got a good chuckle as we shared aloud.  Click here to get a copy of the worksheets I used.  Enjoy!