Springtime!

OK, I know spring doesn't start until March 20th, but once Spring Break comes, it feels like spring is already here. 

This was so weird - two days last week, I got done early with things and had a little extra time. Never happens! I have so much to cram in and so much I want to do. Anyway, one of the days, my kids and I talked about our five senses, then we folded a piece of notebook paper into four parts (plus the back makes 8) and we went outside to see what we could hear, see, touch, smell (we live in western Kansas - there are always smells!) and (really not) taste. Of course, as soon as I turned the corner to head outside, I realized the wind had picked up considerably since lunch recess (we live in western Kansas). Umm, go back or yell, "Hold on to your papers!" Choose the second. Then I had them write and partner edit. It worked pretty good.

Math centers - In four years, I've gone from totally whole group to centers. I like it better and I think the kids do too. I've been so glad this year to find things on TpT to use. I got Place Value Packet of Fun from Cara Carroll. Last week, I used the Dice Toss game with double digits. This week, I upped it to three digits. My kids were really engaged at this center. 
I also used Domino Math from Leanne Prince's Regrouping Addition and Subtraction. I'm not sure my kids were as much in love with this, but it's great practice for them. A couple weeks ago, I had them do addition and this week, subtraction. 
Finally, for after spring break: I purchased Toad-ally in Love by Lory Evans. I'm planning to use the Fact Family Frogs and the Polka Dots and Place Value. She has really cute graphics, but my color printer was out of ink. So I bought some spring looking cardstock - pinks, greens, blues etc. and printed out on those. It really looks nice and it's colorful, so yay there.
I'm also going to print and laminate this St. Patrick's Day Place Value Freebie from 2nd grade Paradise. By the time I use it, it will be after St. Pat's Day, but oh, well. 
 And (hee, hee) I made some of my own Bump games. But I don't know how to share those with you. I'll work on that this week, if I have time. I call them Bump Plus - so one is Bump Plus 7 and they roll the die and add the number to 7. A little practice with those harder math facts. Oh, wait, I might have done it - Bump Plus. Anyway, I just think they are too cute!

I was so excited to find this Splash idea by Denise Boehm. When we get back from Spring Break, we are reading a folktale called "Half-Chicken." I'm going to try this with my students. It seems like the thing to remember is to use Splash to start a lesson and NOT to get responses from children.

OK, for the rest of the week, the only school stuff I'm doing is FUN STUFF - like blog stalking and a few crafty things for organization (for myself). That's it! I mean it! Really, I do!! Enjoy your week, whether you have Spring Break or not. 

Kites!

Beautiful Saturday - and I got all my school work done yesterday evening, so I'm trying to have a school-free weekend (except for this, of course :) 
In class, we read the story, Gloria Who Might Be My Best Friend - it's an excerpt from the chapter book, The Stories Julian Tells. Anyway, in the story, Julian and Gloria make kites. So Friday afternoon, we made kites. I found this site that shows a video on how to make 20 kites, 20 kids, 20 minutes. That sounds right up my alley. I had the paper cut, the string cut, the tails cuts. They just had to help me with the masking tape and putting the kite together. Why, oh why, do I always feel like tearing out my hair on these projects? But one of my wise friends told me, this is something they will always remember! OK, that's why I do these projects. To connect to stories, to making learning enjoyable, to be creative. We had about 10 minutes until recess, so we went outside and tried the kites. There was just the right amount of wind, and some of them flew a bit. What fun! What fun!
The only Dr. Seuss thing we got to were the tongue twisters. Some of them did a super job, making funny Dr. Seuss words that fit in. Some of them did an ok job. And some of them just didn't get trying to start all your words with one sound. Oh, well. 
I was so discouraged Friday afternoon after math centers. Students didn't put up tubs, they left materials just lying around, their turned in papers were just a mess. Yuck! So I was telling them, you really need to do a better job of cleaning up - and then, one student brought up 5 more manipulatives that hadn't gotten put up. OK, that was it. No centers next week. Well, I don't know if I can do that (I like the small groups, when the kiddos are working) - but at least Monday. And when they ask why - I know what I'm going to tell them. 
Tuesday was a stinker day, as far as behavior, and it just got better through the week. No, no, I'm not being sarcastic - it really did get better. I think because I start getting lax and letting things go and then when I tighten up the rules again, I'm happier and my good kids are happier.
Only 1 more week until our Spring Break. I can't wait for some lazy, relaxing, pajama days. And maybe some shopping. For me. For fun. :)