Currently (Late to the Party) and Photo Updates!
I haven’t blogged since Wednesday?! I usually do not go this long. Last week slipped away from me. There were these things called report cards. And then this other night called Parent-Teacher Conferences. After that day came this holiday called Halloween – with a Halloween party. The day after conferences. THE DAY AFTER people. I pretty much slept my whole weekend away, and I know that you all understand. 🙂
Let’s start with this month’s November Currently with Farley from Oh’ Boy 4th Grade!
Listening: I LOVE fireplaces. I love the warmth and coziness they bring to a house and the crackling sound!
Loving: I’m going to NYC for the weekend with some teacher friends in my old district. I.can’t.wait! I decided to add a little pizzazz to my nails as I got ready for the Big Apple!
Aren’t they fun?!
Thinking: WOW are the next two months b-u-s-y! In addition to the usual at school, I’m prepping for my first SDE presentation next month – EEK!! I’m also working on a couple other professional development workshops I am giving and will shortly be getting things ready for my last formal observation. On top of that, I know you are all wanting the Math No Prep Edition and I can promise I will be trying to work on that as soon and as fast as possible! Hang in there with me friends – I’m hoping this crazy time passes soon! 🙂
Wanting: to knock some of these projects out so that they are DONE. 🙂
Needing: I have some really bad pain that forms in my fingers and hands lately – it can sometimes make it painful for me to work on the computer (not a good thing for a blogger!). I’ve been trying some different remedies and practices to see what is causing it and what makes it feel better. Some days I feel great and other days, it just plain old hurts!
Reading: I’m reading Brain-Based Learning by Eric Jensen. It’s wonderful! I’m not even halfway through with it and I’ve already learned so much about how our kids learn, strategies for instruction, and ideas for further differentiation. I’ve always been an advocate for teachers to read professional books on their own. Our career is always-changing and it’s up to us to keep on top of things for our kids. 🙂
Now, let’s talk about what we’ve been up to in first grade!
On Friday, we practiced counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s. My top math group counted by 3’s and filled in this blank dry-erase hundreds chart. Without my help, they saw a really neat pattern! This little girl realized that her numbers were making diagonal lines. In the diagonals, the ones place was decreasing, while the tens place was increasing! Pretty cool for a first grader!
It’s all about retelling and identifying the main idea in small groups this month. During this small group reading lesson, my kiddos wrote the events of the book on sticky notes as they read. Then, they sequenced the events as they retold the story!
A new month = new math games! Last week, we learned our new Math by Myself games using my November Write On/Wipe Off Math Games & Centers pack.
They LOVE this Number Puzzle game!
Find it by clicking on the picture below, or clicking HERE.
My kids LOVE this little math game I made called Turkey Hunt!
It’s a fast-paced strategy game that requires students to think ahead about their partner’s next move. You can find it on my Facebook page for FREE!!!
This is a Fan Freebie this month. To download, you must visit my Facebook page and click on the pink FREEBIE button on the left side of the page. 🙂
Follow me on Facebook HERE or click the Facebook Button to the right of my blog!
Before I go, I wanted to share a little November Bundle pack I created to help you make your November planning a breeze! This little bundle contains a reading, math, and writing pack in it! Find it in my TpT store HERE or click on the picture below!
Thank you so much for catching up with me! I’ll be back Wednesday with another Wordless Wednesday! 🙂
Hi from New Zealand!!! I LOVE your nails they are soooo cute. I can definately relate to being swamped with work. We are coming up to the end of our school year and all the testing and report writing that comes with it. I've seen Eric Jenson speak at a conference here and I love his ideas. I haven't read this book but would love to hear your thoughts on it once you have finished it. 🙂
Believe it or not I got wonderful relief for pain and tingling in my hand from my chiropractor. My should was a little out of whack and it was causing nerve pain in my hand and fingers. Hope you get some relief. Hands and definitely important to our job! P.S. We had conferences one time on the same day as our Halloween party. School until 1:30 and conferences 2:00-8:00. The reward was no school the next day and Halloween was on Saturday that year.
That should be "shoulder."
I hope your hands feel better soon! That doesn't sound good at all! Hopefully if things settle down at school (no more report cards and Parent Teacher Interviews), then it improves! Hope you had a great time in NYC!
Alison
Teaching Maths with Meaning