Fourth Grade Common Core Workbook

 Have you heard about this wonderful resource? If you teach 4th grade and need a good, quality resource for teaching using the new common core standards, this is for you! It has everything organized by subject. This workbook is a timesaver with so many activities to cover the new standards. Included in this workbook are graphic organizers for reading comprehension, center activities and materials to print out, laminate and use, worksheets for vocabulary, concepts, and practice skills. The materials are age appropriate with nice clip art and easy to read font. I just wish I would have had such a great resource like this when I first started teaching! It would have saved me so much money having all the activities offered by this one book, rather than the bookshelf of resources that I've bought throughout the years! Check out the  Fourth Grade Common Core Workbook and if you have a blog, you can enter the giveaway, if you hurry!

Happy New Year!

The decorations are down and put away for another year. I didn't even set out my snowmen this year as I've been so busy with my mom. I've posted before how her cancer is spreading, well now it has gone into her spine. Right now she is in rehab, recovering from surgery. I've been going back and forth from my house, to her house, to rehab, and taking care of both houses is wearing me out! My own house hadn't really been cleaned for the past few weeks, so it was good to take down the tree and decorations and actually vacuum. The dusting will wait until another day! Tomorrow is my last day of vacation. On Thursday I have a work day and students come back on Friday! I don't know who set up this schedule! I also have a new student starting on Friday. He's autistic and will only attend half days at first. The administrators have told me that if he actually comes into the room, they will praise me! Not sure what I'll do if he doesn't come in.... I'm hoping they have given me the worst case scenario!   I'm trying to develop a snow day of learning for Friday. It will get us back into the routine slowly! Then next week is back to normal! While I'll miss my family and the ability to have 2 cups of tea and stay in pajamas in the morning, I'm looking forward to getting back to school.

I'm linking up with Farley for her January Currently....

My son and I are watching HGTV... we are footballed out! These people are actually buying an island in the Florida Keys! I love having my sons home. My oldest went back to his apartment in Cincy, but my youngest is home until Saturday. We've played games, watched movies, cooked meals together, and just plain hung out. I'll miss this when he leaves again for college.  I just realized that I never got a new calendar for 2013! I will have to go out tomorrow and look for one!  I also need to stop grazing cookies, candy, popcorn, crackers, chips..... throughout the day. Thursday when I go back my tummy will be in for a rude awakening!  My OLW is breathe. I need to remind myself to take a deep breath when I get frazzled or overwhelmed and either gather my thoughts and choose a plan of action or simply enjoy the moment! Happy 2013!

Silence for Sandy Hook School and Community

December Currently, a bit late to the party

Once again, I'm running behind the currently party that Farley hosts! I don't think I'm even fashionably late this time! December snuck up on me, maybe because of the unseasonable warm temperatures we are having in Ohio! It needs to get cold soon and snow! It would be nice to have cold weather to help get rid of all the germs floating around the school and area! So continue to read my currently and then you mustache check out the awesome blog of Farley!

 

I love listening to Christmas music and especially Amy Grant's I Need a Silent Night - it is so soothing and has a great message! Even though this was a short 4 day week (due to fog cancelling school on Monday), I'm so glad it's Friday night! The days are getting longer and time seems to stand still at times in the classroom leading up to Christmas break! I don't know about anyone else, but the week ends fly by and I have to get baking cookies, decorating the tree and house started! I will confess, I still have a fall table runner on my dining room table! Yikes! I also really need a haircut, I've driven by the salon a couple of times and there's always been a line! I haven't wanted to wait, but I think I will be in that line tomorrow. My hair is driving me crazy! I had to think awhile about the random act of kindness. I started a secret classroom treat bag in October at my school, so that was out, I've written letters to my family and friends to let them know what they mean to me, and every year I buy a charity newspaper from the old newsboys selling them on the corner the first Friday in December. So I will be going to a fast food restaurant and paying for the car behind me. I haven't decided which restaurant I'll go to, but I'll play that by ear!

Best Pencil Sharpener Ever!

I recently received the best pencil sharpener for my classroom. It is a dream! Everyone wants to sharpen pencils! I used to use those noisy electric sharpeners, you know the kind that reminds you of a dentist's drill? I also tried using hand sharpeners during class times to avoid disturbing working students, but after a few times, the blades would get dull. Then, I read on other people's blogs about an amazing pencil sharpener that was quiet! I had to try it out. I sent for it, and  couldn't wait to use it in my classroom. I showed my paras how to use it and then we showed my students how to sharpen pencils. Keep in mind that I teach students with behavior and emotional disorders- it's tough to find pencil sharpeners that can keep up with my students! This one does though! I love it! It would make a great holiday present for anyone, teacher or at home.

I know several teachers at my school would love to receive this as a Christmas gift!
Happy Sharpening!

Where did the time go and it's another currently!

Wow! I can't believe it's November already! Seems like just yesterday I was starting school in my new room! I want to apologize for not blogging more, things have been hectic around here. My mom has had a set back with her health, she's had lung cancer for the past 8 years, and now has 2 brain tumors. She has recently gone through 10 radiation treatments, and now we wait until Friday to hear what is next. She is in really good spirits and is continuing to enjoy life, even though her body is not cooperating! She has her friends pick her up everyday to go to a local tea shop where they play dominoes and talk.

On a lighter note, my birthday was last week and look at what my wonderful paras gave me!

They also made cupcakes for the class and my family! They are so special to me, I wouldn't be able to do my job everyday without them! I had a great day with my class and then with my family.

I'm also linking up with Farley for her November currently. I look forward to reading everyone's but I'm always shocked when I see a new one posted!

 

My town had it's trick or treat time postponed until tonight, due to Sandy. I don't understand this, we're in Northwest Ohio, and it wasn't like it was stormy! Anyways, we had 3 huge bags of treats to hand out and they were gone in 45 minutes! I think we had about 240 people in that time, more than other years! I know some of the people were from the surrounding areas that had trick or treating on Wednesday, but oh my! I felt bad as a group of 15 kids came up and I only had 2 pieces of candy left that I was handing out to the 2 little ones at the door! Luckily, all of my lesson plans are done for the week and I have all of my meals planned out too!! Maybe I can start my Christmas shopping- or at least make a list of what to get everyone! I can't wait for the election to be over! Did I mention I'm from Ohio? We are getting bombarded with mailings, phone calls, commercials, people at the door- I just want it to stop!!  My favorite music to play is an instrumental CD that has classical music with various sounds of the forest- like birds, waterfalls, rain, etc. My students like to listen to it also!

 

Hopefully, I will be able to post more in the coming weeks! Where does that time go? I know I just got an extra hour last night, but it's gone already!!

 

 

A freebie for my 101 followers!

I have been thinking about blogging, but it seems like time is not on my side! Plus the fact that I wanted to create something super-spectacular for all of my followers since I have 101 followers! I think my creative juices have frozen up with the colder weather! I look at everyone's creations and am in awe of all of the materials that I've downloaded and purchased.

Last week was a tough one for my class. I had 2 students that ran out of the room- and one even ran out of the building. Another student got mad at me for making him finish his work before he could have free time (this is a consequence that is posted in my room). After dealing with his physical aggression for over an hour- yes we had to restrain him- we are trained and allowed to use restraining as a last resort, I was mentally drained. Skip forward to science, where one of my lovely students complained that science is boring and he wasn't going to do it. He had a time out in the alcove in my room, where he then decided to throw his shoes out at me! During the science lesson on plants, I had brought in 2 plants and 5 carnations. We were taking off the leaves of one plant (to see the effects on the plant) I handed each student a leaf so they could see the veins. One student ate his leaf! I reminded all of them of my rule in science- no eating anything during any experiment! We moved on to the carnations, putting each into colored water. I split one of the stems, using scissors (note this was hard to do) and stuck each part of stem into a bottle of colored water. The next day my students were amazed at the flowers change in color, the split flower was half red and half blue! On Friday, 2 of my paraprofessionals had the day off. I do appreciate substitues, but I still have to be with my room the whole time, I can't leave any students alone with a sub! It wasn't too bad of a day. My principal decided to rotate some people around so that I could have another regular staff in my room and one of the subs took that staff's place.

I did make break cards for my students that I'm sharing with all of you. I gave each student their own card (laminated). When they feel that they are getting frustrated, overwhelmed, anxious, or need to have a break (short 1-2 minute walk, sensory break) they show their card to staff. Earlier in the year, each student and staff made a list of 5 coping skills they can use in a school setting (count to 10, walk, stress ball, deep breathing, etc.) Everyone has their coping skills on a laminated card that they can reference when they need it.

Break cards

I did have to change 2 of the pictures, when I uploaded this to Google Docs, the pictures were missing on them and I don't know how to fix it.