Beach Sand: FREEBIE

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Happy New Year!! It's here...2016 and the end of winter break! It's also time for the CURRENTLY linky with Farley.

So here's what's happening in my life right now!

I cherish the time off with my family. Since hubby is a teacher too, I've always felt so lucky that we can all be home together on breaks. As my kids get older, I am savoring these times together knowing that one day I won't have them all to myself. Time really does fly and they really do grow up so fast!

Speaking of time flying, I can't believe it's already January. There is SO much left to teach. At this time of year, I always start panicking, thinking about how I will get it all done. I need to hit the plan book today and prepare for the weeks ahead. I do find that 3rd graders come back from winter break a little more mature. I hope this is the case this year since we will hit the ground running on Monday!

POSITIVITY. This is my one little word. It has been my word this school year. With so much being placed on us in the classroom, there are many, many days I find myself feeling down and frustrated. There is so much we are expected to do and accomplish that it starts to feel impossible. I try to remind myself that I can only do what I can do in the time I'm given. I have a life outside of the classroom, too. Balancing school and family and keeping a positive attitude will be my key to "survival" for the remainder of this year. Are you feeling the same pressures? How do you keep balanced? It's helpful to hear what we all do to stay positive!

If you are looking for an activity for BTS on Monday, download my New Year Freebie!

I hope you all have had a peaceful relaxing winter break and let's look forward to a HAPPY healthy POSITIVE New Year!

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

Hello Friends!
I am so happy to be posting today! It's been FOR.E.VER!! Since the start of school, it's been one thing after the next! My son started high school. My daughter is in 7th grade. It's been endless homework, activities, carpools, etc. You know what I mean...taking care of the family is beyond a full-time job and pile that on top of school....whoa! Are you pulled in a million directions, too? What's your escape or how do you spend time on yourself? Leave a comment. I would love to hear!

Starting back with blogging is fun with Farley and her monthly Currently. Here is what I'm up to today!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog today. I appreciate it! I'm on Instagram and Facebook, too! Follow me and let's be social!

Please swing by my TpT store and check out my autumn products. You'll find some freebies, too!

Enjoy your weekend!

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

I am super excited to be a featured teacher over at Art with Jenny K. Learn how my students used nature to create works of art and pick up a little freebie.

Visit Jenny's TpT store, too. Her pop art is so much fun. The kids really have to think creatively on these projects! I love them and use them often! Jenny has inspired me and reminded me how important art integration is in the classroom! THANKS, JENNY!!

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

It's FIVE FOR FRIDAY time with Doodle Bugs Teaching.

I have had this post started for the last couple of Fridays so here's 5 random things from the last few weeks...

My students completed a multigenre writing project after returning from winter break. The task was to write in three different genres about one topic. Our topic was snow/winter. First they had to write and explain some aspect of winter...how snowflakes are formed, explain the season of winter, etc. Then write a how-to piece like how to build a snowman, how to make a paper snowflake, how to bake snowflake cookies, etc. The narrative piece was a story or poem about winter/snow. They worked in groups of 2 and 3s. I liked this project and plan on using it again with a different genres.

A group research project that we have been deep into for the last couple of weeks has been our United States regions project. The students had a good time working on this and so many teachable moments came from it. I divided the class into 5 groups and assigned each a region of the U.S. Their first task was to read the pages from the social studies book about their region. Other resource they pulled from were atlases, books about the states, and the internet. The idea was for them to become "experts" on their region. They were required to learn about various aspects of their region: landmarks, climate, natural resources, vegetation, etc. They created a poster and then had to present their findings. I told them they were going to be the teacher. Once I said that then new ideas started flowing. They wanted to make Keynote presentations and even worksheets. It turned into more than I had intended, but it was great...all student lead. It was so much fun and they did a great job!!

I decided to offer a FREEBIE for my regions project because I liked how their work turned out. I think you might, too! Check it out HERE if you are interested!!

You can find more products for social studies HERE at my TpT store.

Text structure and text features have been a huge focus for us over the last month. Third graders need a lot of practice with these skills. We read lots of books that are patterned after various text structures. I use graphic organizers to model and for the students to practice. I created a text structure pack with posters along with organizers that have been very helpful for my students.

Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears is a great mentor text for cause and effect. We went a field trip to see this play so it was perfect!

My text features posters and activities have also been very helpful this last month. Students were able to refer to these during the U.S. regions project since they had to include 3-5 text features on the poster.

And we had a little class picture fun this last week! Their faces just crack me up!! I emailed this to my parents and they loved it! How can you not smile when you look at it??

That's been my January! I CAN NOT believe it is February already!!

Stop by tomorrow and check out the Stop, Swap, and Roll linky that I am participating in! I will be showcasing a fun unit to accompany Dear Mrs. LaRue from my friend Kelly over at An Apple for the Teacher. Join the fun! Find some new products and blogger friends and enter to win some great products!!

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

Oh. My. Goodness. I feel like I have gone completely AWOL from this little ol' blog of mine. I'm quite sad about it, but it can't be helped. This school year has been BEYOND crazy. I'm lovin' my class from 8-2. They are super sweet and funny...which is my favorite part! When that bell rings, though, it's a whole different story! Before and after school...there is WAY too much going on! New test. New acronyms. Data collection. Assessments. BAM! BAM! BAM! We are getting hit from all sides with so much. The funny thing is no one really knows what the future holds. So as fast we are told about something "new", it's OLD! With a new standardized test looming in the distance things have been quite chaotic. It seems like everyone is in panic mode. Does anyone else feel like that? I've been at this 25 years and I will say this is the toughest one yet!

All I know is I am required to teach the standards. If I do that then they SHOULD perform well on the test, right? (Someone please agree with me!) I am doing my best to stay afloat and TEACH ON!

Since it's Halloween weekend, one of my favorite times of the year, I wanted to give you all a little treat! And if you're like me, retail therapy always makes you feel better! I'm also in an extra good mood because Halloween is my big sister's birthday! We have lots of special treats planned for her...can't tell you what they are here in case she reads this! But I will say that she is the BEST sister in the world. So giving. So caring and patient. And one of the best teachers I know!

Stop by for a little sale going on all weekend.

If you haven't picked up this challenging analogy freebie yet, go and get it at my TpT store. My kids had a blast with this!

I hope everyone enjoys a very spooky weekend!!

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

Here we are for Worksheet Wednesday with The Teaching Tribune's Summer Linky!

I have two summer themed activities for you today. The first is my Words by Number game. I created these games to meet the needs of the various levels of my students. This game is perfect for a word work center and for spelling/vocabulary practice. Your students can work with their own "just right" list of words. If you like this game, check out my Words by Number pack with games for the entire year. I will have it on sale for the next 24 hours.

The second worksheet I have for you is a calendar of activities your students can work on over the summer. Assign a specific number of days to complete and have students return it to you in the fall for a special treat. If you are already on break, be sure to download it for next year!

I hope you find these activities fun and educational for your students!!

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

One week from today I will be on summer vacation! WOOT! WOOT! I can not believe it! Someone pinch me! I am over-the-top excited for summer to be here. I mean I love my job and my little cuties, but summer is just soooooo nice!

To celebrate the beginning of summer time, Britney over at Tailor-Made Teaching has organized this summer hop!

As the school year comes to a close, I start to think about summer reading. While I love to read a good adult novel, I also enjoy reading young adult books or chapter books written for elementary students. There are some wonderful ones out there! I spend time reading these books because knowing about books helps me to motivate my readers and helps me help them find what interest them. I think it's vital to be up on what is NEW in children's literature. I get it about "the classics" out there, BUT what kids want to read is what is new and popular, not old and tire. I'm talking about those books where the characters on the cover look like they walked out of the 70s. These are not appealing! Do you agree? So as you are packing up for the summer, take a run through your classroom library. If books on your shelves look old, yellow, or just plain unappealing...say goodbye! Over the summer, check out your local library or yard sales for book sales. Ask parents to donate gently used books to your classroom. Use up those Scholastic points you've been saving or go through your book shelves at home. Have your own kids do some summer cleaning. If the books aren't the right age for your classroom, share with other teachers.

Besides making kids read outdated stories, my other pet peeve is outdated summer reading lists! I don't send them home anymore and it drives me nuts when I see lists going out to kids with books I know are outdated. UGH! Drives me nuts! I like to encourage my kids to do what all good readers do to find books. Go to the library. Go to the bookstore. Talk with friends and get recommendations. Join Goodreads.com. Check out the New York Times best sellers list. In Florida, we have the Sunshine State Young Reader's Award list and it always has a variety of levels and interests for elementary and middle school students. Find a series you love. Join a book club or start one with friends. Find a reading list online and see if there are books that interest you. I also encourage my parents to give their child the opportunity to self-select books. Teach them to find good books the same way YOU do!

Here are some of the books I will be reading and recommending this summer are:

Janitors, Book 1

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

A Tangle of Knots

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

I Funny: A Middle School Story

Cinder: Book One of the Lunar Chronicles

For professional reading, I want to finish up Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits

I hope you found a book or two to read and/or recommend to a student.

I created a little Summer Time Fun Time Activity Calendar of 30 fun activities to give your kids as they head off for the summer.

Specify the number of activities for them to complete and have them return it to you in the fall for a special back to school treat.

Now hop on over to Sparkling in Second for some more summer time fun and freebies!

Find even more freebies here:

Beach Sand and Lesson Plans

I'm linking up with Charity for Manic Monday where you'll find LOTS of wonderful free activities to use right now in your classroom!!

Looking for new Word Work activities? I created Words by Number game boards to work with ANY spelling or vocabulary list. I think they are the perfect way to differentiate spelling and vocabulary practice in your classroom. Every student can work with a different list of words and have fun! This summertime freebie is for you to test out with your students. The directions are included! All you need is playing pieces and number cubes.

Check out my Five for Friday post to read more about my Words by Number pack.

Looking for a little spring time word work?

Try

You will find 3 activities that give kids a chance to work with words by categorizing them. Great thinking activities!

Enjoy your week and thanks for stopping by!!