Planet Rounding

Curse YOU GOOGLE DOCS!!! THAT'S RIGHT~ I'M SO MAD I HAVE MY CAPS LOCK ON!!!!!!!

On the other hand I have evaded you and found an alternate way to upload and direct other teachers to a document where they can use and tweak if needed.  You may have to look for it on the webpage.  My documents I post will be linked and directed to the part of my webpage where you can down load the file. IN WORD, so if you choose to change any of the material, feel free just don't be a bugar head and take credit for all my hard work, blah, blah, blah.... that's just uncool!!!!!

Here is a fantastic computer lesson where if you show the kids the link ahead of time they will have fun finding all the days, months and years on other planets then rounding to your mathematical choice.... I know a few fourth grade teachers that have used this too.  So... now that the first two weeks of school are over....
Like Mase said..... I'm Back!

Select the pictures above and it will bring you to the webpage where the file is stored.  This file is located under science technology and you can download and print.  Hope you like.

If you don 't have time to explore some of the science links to find out which this belongs with  here she is....
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/index.html

Overwhelmed

First two weeks of school.
Sooooo busy.
Dibels for two weeks.
Third graders are supposed to stay busy
while I test individual kids on reading passages.
When can I teach?
I heart teaching....
but here I dibel....
Is dibel a verb?
While sooooo many kids play
or randomly stare into space....
I should have put more educational posters on my walls...
I value the information these reading tests give us...
But two weeks of instruction...
gone.... gone..... gone....
Minilesson..... work on your own.... dibel......
Minilesson..... work on your own.... dibel......
TWO WEEKS....
I am a teacher....
May I teach?

EyeClops

Well, here I go again on my own. 

Yes, I have a juke box that constantly plays in my head too.

Here is a toy..... ahhhhemmm.... educational tool that is fantastic for kids to play....use in class.  Mine actually has a USB removable port where the kids can download their microscopic pictures to a computer and then use them in PowerPoint, etc.

EYE...hehehe actually use this for two units in my third grade class.  I don't know if I have ever told you that I teach third grade...funny.

Anyhow.

1. Sand, Silt and clay..... BOY oh BOY can you see how itty-bitty clay is and how HUGE sand is.  Also, sand tells you where it's been and where it's going.  I have a small sand collection of about 30 samples all over the world and it is remarkable to see how different sand looks. 

2. Pollination:  Kids think  people think insects really are not that important.  When they realize the honeybee crisis in America and bees pollinate a majority of things we eat.... well, you get the picture.  Pretty fascinating.  Here are a few good pictures the kids took.  It's harder for third graders to use them, but give them time.  Like a cell phone, they'll be changin' your ring tone before you know it.

This is my favorite kind of sand... Sand that is made of coral reef.  Normally this sand has beautiful, clear blue water that comes with it.  And memories of my sweet Granny who loved the islands.

This is a close up of wood.

Sand from....hmmm, I'll have to get back with you

Not bright, but a honey bee buttox.

Honeybee wing with POLLEN...cool.

Butterfly wing... I know... Cool.

Hmmm, I don't think we were studying shirts that day, but here is one up close.  Just so you know what it looks like.

In honor of the late Dr. George from India, here is a "Can't See Um" as we corrected him in class a No See'm

I

I really don't want you to be mad at me.... because I don't like confrontation and I don't know you, but I got these for...... wait for it, wait for it....

19.99 a toy!!!!!!!  Yes, Walmart was clearing out their Christmas toys and well, 139.99 scientific toys were not on the hot list that year!!!!!!  Can you believe it!  I know you can't.  Well, this toy did make toy of the year some time back and I must say it keeps getting better and better.  Hope you like.

If you want to trade sand, I'm all about that too.

arrivederci~tara

Vocabulators

These are the fabulous vocabulators you will read about on Melissa Forney's website.  I have created a document to make it easier to label and laminate synonym vocabulary for the words we 'murder' in class.  Here are the simple steps... hehehe...

These were so much fun to make----SYKE!!!  I used recycled Parmesan cheese containers instead of paying for new containers.  Think green right, wrong, think broke.... :)

I used tape to laminate the two sides together then trimmed with scissors.

Put the words inside the rice and don't forget the cute things that help represent the word you're trying to replace.  For example, the big container can have dinosaurs, trucks, etc.

Here we have from left to right.  Color words, Like words, Big words, Cold words

When I finish my character traits and other bottles I will post the document so you too can make your own vocabulators.  I also have some ideas to use with vocabulary centers too.  After I survive the first week of school.  Love ya bloggy friends~ Chow- Tara

Take home folder cover

Here ya go!  Makin' the back to school crapp-ola.  I will allow the children to choose between one of these designs to color for morning work.  This will go in their daily take home folder.

Free for All FRIDAY! Hooked on Books!

I can't wait to start my hooked on books bulletin board.  The kids will have a fish with their name tag and a thick thumb tack underneath to hang a ring clip.  As students check out books weekly they will complete these bookmarks to enter for drawings.  As students get more and more recommendations, they can also earn extra points for recommending books to read.  This should create a nice display for the year.  Near the end of the year, students will see just how many books they have been reading.  I also have other reading incentives to post soon. 


Another Tara ORIGINAL!  I'm only saying that because I think it's totally funny how many teachers think many of the things they came up with were their OWN original IDEA.  There are some fantastic ideas out there and some are really unique.  I'm just saying that when I see a million ideas with this or that and another teacher gets mad because it was their IDEA!  HA!  SO with all that said, maybe this is original, maybe not, I can't directly think of a source that I have ever seen like this.....BUT, I will not be so bold to say no one has ever made anything like this either.  Either way I hope you enjoy.


I'm totally complimented when people like, tweak, or borrow ideas I've used in the classroom.  I can't say honestly any idea is totally mine, because actually, someone or something has inspired me to tweak it for ME!

So for all you tweakers out there.  Feel free to make this into something that works for you.
Happy Hurricane Irene to you all staying dry.  ~Tara

PPS!!!!  I hate technology!  Google Docs can kiss my big toe!  If you want this please leave me a message and I will email the document to you.  I really am trying to figure out all this new techno stuff, I will get there someday.

Third Grade Common Core

I'm slowly but surely getting there.  Here is my very first lettering delight string of words. 

I have purchased and printed my third grade common core.  Thank you Ashleigh for making such amazing resources to purchase on Teachers Pay Teachers!  I'm so excited to post my common core for reading and math, then after teaching it, move it to a review board so we can reference it all year.  Thanks again!

Yes, first day of school is tomorrow and I'm not quite ready.  So nighty, night, bloggy friends.  ~Tara

Meet the Teacher, Blog Hoppin'

Well here goes...
I'm not grammatically skilled with grammar and I'm a total list maker.
So I figured I would start with number one and see how far I get.
1.  I'm not perfect, but I know who is and He gets me through this crazy, amazing life.
2. Yes, that is me picking a moose's nose and yes that is the most understanding and wonderful husband in the world. (I think any man who married a teacher is.)
3.  My two beautiful daughters Hannah and Phoebe are growing up so fast I constantly search for the pause button!  Pictures, pictures, and video!
4.  I have had a crazy childhood, I was born in Royal Oak Michigan, lived most of my child hood in Crystal River Florida, a little bit here and there and wound up in Southport, North Carolina.  Which is the best of all the worlds combined. 
5.  I am so random..... one conversation with me and you will totally understand the 20 hamster wheels going on in my head.
6.  I enjoy really good food and when I'm having a bad day, there is nothing better than fixing or eating a five course dinner.
7.  I had some great teachers, don't get me wrong, but I mostly became a teacher because I thought learning can be so much more fun!
ON TO THE GOOD TEACHING STUFF!
8.  I love literature groups and group projects, we all have strengths and weaknesses and everyone has something to bring to the table.
9.  I love real world learning.  With all the EOG testing, it is a big pet peeve when teachers leave out science and social studies to hammer reading and math.   I just want to hit them on the forehead! 
10. I love anything related to the ocean.  My teammate said this year, it looks like someone threw up fish all over your room.
11. I enjoy making UNITS! 
12. I cannot organize.... thus the lists....
13.  I have 5 USBs, I don't know where they all are and they are all full of home made teacher stuff (crap)  that I will tediously make again, because I don't know where I saved the file.
14.  I love lists.  NO.  I'm in love with lists.

RANDOM....
15.  My heart is in missions.... I want to work in Haiti with my friends and spend time with children who will suck in every ounce of love you can give them. 
16.  When I grow up I want to be a pirate or a mermaid at Weekie Wachie Springs.

FOCUS...
17.  I currently have 9 class pets, Chinchilla: Geronimo or mo mo for short, Hedgehog, Mr. Prickle Pants who is engaged to be married in the spring to Miss Roxie, African Spurr thigh tortoise named King TUt, four beiber fish, Eenie, meenie, minee, and mo, and spontaneous residents of crickets that get fed to Bubbles our oscar.
18.  I have been in Open House all day, therefore, my grammar is especially atrocious.
19.  I love children!  Ones who love school and have somewhat normal lives are easier to teach.  BUT I LOVE seeing a child who doesn't like school so much, LOVE school by the end of third grade.
20.  I have a bad habit of USING CAPS and ..... in lots of places I shouldn't.
21.  I enjoy brainstorming and learning new ways to teach with other awesome teachers.
22.  I enjoy finding fossils of past marine animals while diving 130 feet below sea level. 
23.  I HEART sharks!
24.  If I could live on a beach in a bathing suit, I totally would. 
25.  I hope this hasn't been too boring to read, I feel like I'm a boring person compared to some.
26.  I worked on my national boards for three years and I'm five points from getting it this fall!
27.  I really want to learn how to make my blog rock and how to make cool files like Hope, Amanda, Ashleigh, and Beth!!!!  So anyone who wants to take me under their wing, I'd love some help..... I have some cool stuff to share.... If not, time will shape me up.

Nighty, night, blog buddies.  MUAHHH!

Compliment Cards

Here are some compliment cards to accompany Hope King's Essential Posters inspired by Ron Clark.  If you haven't printed these essentials, I suggest you do so right now.  Unless you are surfing the net while working on a number two.  Sorry, I have a four year old that declared in the mall bathrooms that her's looked like chicken wings.  Among a lot of laughter outside, I simply said... 'you know kids!'

I know, that's so random... Welcome to my head, 20 different hamster wheels all spinning at the same time.

Das Vi Dania Friends~ Tara

Transportation Card, Student File

I'm so excited!  That I just can't hide it!

I'm glad there are some people out there who like a few ideas!  Yay!  I know you all have been so much fun to follow too.  I'm really excited to get more into this and learn how to do all these official bloggy things. 

I'm also very excited to participate in this upcoming 2011 Blog Hoppy Teacher Week.

Maybe click here if the picture doesn't work.... I still consider myself new to this blog world.  I will conquer!

Here is a recently created Transportation Information Card for those of you who haven't started school yet.  I plan on having a few things on the students' desks for the parents to fill out on open house night.  A SUPER BIG SHOUT OUT to JOY KING at  Second Grade Shenanigans for being so helpful on how to use power point for those rascally graphics with fonts.... All my life's problems are now solved.  Thanks.