Back To Reality!

Do you ever feel like you're in a bit of a time warp for those few days between New Year's and the day you go back to school?   I've loved every single minute of the holidays and  being home!  As much as I love my kids and my classroom it's a little hard to get back to reality and the crazy routine!  We didn't start our break until the Friday before Christmas and I decided this year that I wasn't leaving my classroom until everything was done so I could hit the ground running on Jan. 7!  I am so grateful to have the MOST wonderful volunteer Moms who help me tremendously and they even got the hallway bulletin board
ready to go!

Here's one of the things we'll be doing this week and hanging on that lovely, freshly papered board!

To set the purpose, I'll be doing some mini-lessons on the history of the New Year's resolution
and defining a resolution. (I project  the anchor charts and organizers on my SMARTBoard.)
 My kiddos will use their version to record their ideas and definitions.  Then they'll get to write
some resolutions of their own and make these cute little party horns!

Here's a peek at last year's hallway display.  I used die cut letters glued to paper plates from Target.

If you'd like to use it with your class you can find it in my 

 TPT  Store or TN Shop 

My district uses the Houghton Mifflin Reading series and while my team and I have skipped a few and added a few new stories this year as we transition to Common Core, I'll be starting Theme 4 and working with Officer Buckle and Gloria as one of our anchor texts. (I'll be pairing it with some nonfiction texts on
police dogs and K-9 units).  One of the skills we'll be working on is word building with
the syllables-tion and -ture.  I'm really exited to use some centers that I made last year after
looking high and low for word work activities with -tion and -ture. I just couldn't find anything that I liked or would work for my kids so I made my own! Each center has a different -tion & -ture based movie theme and I've even  included an opinion writing "movie review" craftivity!  I can't wait for my kids to use these!

I've spoiled them so!  They are totally disappointed if we don't do a

(standards based, of course) craftivity each week!

Here's a little peek at 2 of the activities

If you'd like to use these in your classroom you can find it in my stores on 

TPT   or   TN

I'll be using these supplemental word work and vocabulary reader activities as well.
I use these in my literacy stations each week and have made them for each theme.

I also use these with my small groups.  After a lovely teacher told me that she copies the
sorting mats and word cards for each phonics pattern on colored card stock I started doing
the same.  Why didn't I think of that?  I was using boring old white!

You can find all of the themes by clicking  {HERE} or on the pictures.

We'll be focusing on data and graphing when we get back and
I purchased and started using this little cutie before Christmas.
I love Hope King's resources!  You can find this little cutie {HERE}

And guess what?  I got the SWEETEST. PRESENT. EVER from Hope!  Totally out of the blue!
She sent me her new Rock the Classroom packet that she created with her husband who is also a teacher.  How cool is that?  She is the sweetest thing and I was so thrilled!  It has the cutest
songs to introduce math concepts.  My students retain so much more when I include music and movement and these songs are perfect for our math concepts this quarter.  You can find it by
 clicking on the picture!

So guess what again?  I will definitely be using it this week!

I'm linking up with Jennifer at Simply Kinder for
a Teaching Blog Linky Party!  Be sure to stop by
and see what's happening in lots of other classrooms
and find new resources and ideas!

Well, I'm off to hopefully get my house cleaned before Monday!
Have a great week, friends!