Weekly Post for February 19, 2016

I am sure many of you are coming off a 4-day week (which probably has you more tired that a 5 day week).  If you are super lucky then you have enjoyed a full week off.  My house has been full of sickness this week.  I think my kiddos have made up for 2 years of nothing major in 5 days. I am ready for warm days now!

Book of the Week
Today I am going back to one of my favorite books.  The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo is one I have read aloud every single year.  I've read it to 2nd graders and 5th graders, boys, and girls...they all loved it.  I have recommended it to other teachers who quickly came back for more suggestions because their class loved the book.  If you want to teach theme, if you want to have your students on the edge of their seats, if you love beautiful pictures, and if you want a book YOU will enjoy reading again and again, then this is the book for you.  (NOTE: Have your school librarian hold all copies of the book in the library for your class.  I guarantee you students will ask to go to the library to check it out the day you start it.) Here is a website on more stuff to use with the book.

Lesson of the Week
Today's lesson focuses on getting the Writer's Workshop time organized.  One of the things my students had the hardest time with was knowing when and how to conference.  After taking time to teach students about conferencing with the teacher and conferencing with peers we had more time on task and more engaging conferences.  This post contains a free download of conferencing forms.

Fabulous Freebie
This week's freebie is 5 Science Prompts. These prompts encourage students to think outside of the box.  Click here to get your free download.

Recipe of the Week
This Stuffed Chicken Recipe from eatingwell.com is my husband's favorite.  We skip the breading part and it is still super yummy. This quick recipe has minimal prep time.  I like to add some broccoli or corn as a side.

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Weekly Notes for January 29 (Books, Freebies, Lesson Plans, and More)

Welcome

Book of the week

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena

The current Newbery Award Winner and a Caldecott Honor Book!  Wow, what a book. This is a great book that can be used so many different ways.  The details in this book! This is a great text to use in getting students to dive deeper into descriptions.  You could also use this book to introduce any service projects your school or class may be participating. Last Stop on Market Street is one you can use again and again. 

Lesson of the week

Groundhog Day is approaching. Although it's not a holiday to take up a lot time, I love it. It makes me start the countdown to longer and warmer days. To help teach kids about Groundhog Day I like to use this Poetry Literacy Center. The kids get to have fun while learning.

Fabulous Friday Freebie

Are you still holding on to winter? If so, then check out these Snow Paired Texts created by Ideas By Jivey. She shared this awesome resource on the Primary Peach Blog.

Recipe of the Week
For Christmas my husband got me a bread machine. I have said for years I wanted to try to make my own bread. There is something weird about the way I buy a loaf at the store and a month later it is still hanging around with no mold on it. My daughter loves PBJ sandwiches and I cringe every time I give her a sandwich wondering what preservatives are in the bread. Now I don't have to worry because I know all of the ingredients going into the bread. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and after two tries (I read the helpful reviews and adding the vital wheat gluten, baked it on white bread setting, and used butter instead of shortening) and WOW! My two-year-old eats the bread by itself. It is that yummy. Check out this bread recipe!

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Click this Image to Pin for Later. 

Weekly Notes for January 22 (Books, Freebies, Lesson Plans and More)

Happy Friday everyone! This week has been a whirlwind of a week. I am always amazed at how a 4-day week can seems crazier and busier than a 5-day week. I hope you have weekends filled with joy and time to relax and enjoy.

Book of the Week

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley

A fabulously woven tale about a boy and his sick grandfather. A belief in magic leads this mystery in discovering the miracle that can save Micah and his grandfather. This is definitely one that your fantasy lovers will enjoy.

Lesson of the week

This week I am looking at Perimeter. This is one of those measurement lessons where you get to review your addition strategies in combination with geometry and measurement. This blog post will give you examples to use in your classroom, along with a practice page download, and a suggested performance assessment.

Fabulous Friday Freebie

This Winter Coloring Book by Krista Wallden is fabulous. It has saved me on cold, rainy days. And my kiddos have something to color other than my walls and floors.

Pin of the Week
I have been working on mastering and creating pins. Here is my newest update on my Poetry Unit.

Recipe of the Week - Seaton Sunday Chicken from Once A Month Meals
A Sunday night repeat in our house. This recipe is perfect for a clean eating night and Monday leftovers. The original recipe for this called for soy sauce and we still use that to combine with the mustard. This chicken is so tender. I like to add carrots, an onion, and small potatoes around the chicken to add to the meal. This one is great for cooking with my kids. They love to help add the veggies and create and pour the sauce.

Weekly Notes for January 8 (Freebies, Books, Lessons, and More!)

I am so looking forward to this year. After a few years of fearing the page I have decide to buckle down and get over that fear. One of the poems from the January A Poem Each Week is Life Doesn't Frighten Me by Maya Angelou. I am not going to fear the page and when people ask me what I do I will tell them that first I am a mom and second I am a writer. A writer of children's stories and writer to inspire and make the lives of teachers easier.

Book of the week

Float by Daniel Miyares

What a fabulous book! The images draw readers in and this wordless picture book provided so much detail that my two-year-old could tell the story to me as he flipped through the beautiful pages. This is one I hope to see a Caldecott sticker on soon!

Lesson of the week

Creating character is one of the first things students should so when planning a fiction piece. Watch this video and download this handout for ideas on helping student create strong characters.

Fabulous Friday Freebie

The January Edition of A Poem Each week is ready to download. This month focuses on four poems to promote higher level thinking and having students make connections to the text. Poems you will need for this month:

Hooray! Hooray! It's New Year's Day by Kenn Nesbitt 

(found in the book My Hippo Has the Hiccups)

January by John Updike

The sky is low, the clouds are mean, by Emily Dickenson

Life Doesn't Frighten Me by Maya Angelou

Pin of the week

I have spent a lot of time lately reading about testing and assessing.  I loved this article by Mandy's Tips 4 Teachers about getting control of student assessments. 

Recipe of the Week

For New Years this year we wanted something warm and cozy. I fixed this white bean and ham soup that I found at Sweet and Simple and a Dash of Crazy. Since I am a little superstitious I added a few collard greens to bring money in the new year.

Weekly Notes (Books, Lessons, Freebies and More) 11/20/15

Books, lessons, and freebies.  Here is a treat for you this Thanksgiving.  I hope you are either already on vacation or just two school days away from a much needed break.

Book of the Week
I've been revisiting an old book Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg.  After a 5-year hiatus from writing, I am finally trying to get over the fear I've felt of the page.  I've enjoyed putting words on paper again and this book is inspiring me to get over myself and get on the page.

Lesson of the Week
This week I like to focus on poetry.  It is a week filled with activity and poetry is quick and easy. These 4 poems by Jack Prelutsky will get everyone in the holiday mood and reflecting on their Thanksgiving Traditions.  You can get this November A Poem Each Week for FREE.

Fabulous Friday Freebie
My wonderful friend, Erin Shurbutt from Snazzy in Second made these wonderful Properties of Addition posters.  I love how I can use these at centers and have them on the walls.  A little velcro on the back makes them easy to move.


My Favorite Pin of the Week

This bread!  This will be an appetizer for my Thanksgiving Day.  I can't wait.  

Recipe of the Week
About a year ago my husband and I completed Whole 30.  We have spent the past year trying to stick to the 80/20 rule.  80% of the time we follow Whole 30 and the other 205 we eat what we want. One of the staple meals we fix is Paleo Italian Meatballs from Tastes of Lizzy T's. This makes a lot of food and we are set for lunches, dinners, and snacks.  In the recipe you can find the link for the a sauce and how to cook spaghetti squash.


Finding Time for Me
After a 20 year hiatus from the high school swim team, I dove back into the pool.  I hate working out. I hate running, and watching the clock, I hate gym class teachers who are super excited about working out and want me to yell and count.  But, I love water.  Today I got over myself, put my 1 year old in the gym daycare and did laps in the pool.  I feel great!  My entire body feels alive.  I was alone for 25 minutes with nothing but myself and a pool.  The only sounds were my breath and splashing and my brain actually relaxed.  To top if off, I hopped in the hot tub for 5 minutes and was able to shower and put my make up on without someone wanting to be held or play with my brushes. This will be my thing.  My 25 minutes of silence.