The Teacher's Lamppost: A look forward and some giveaways

Friday, March 15, 2013

A look forward and some giveaways

I loved the post on Third Grade Tidbits today and I hope you will also check it out
http://thirdgradetidbits.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-jerry-maguire-post-inspired-by-ari.html

I think it is the time of year where we all hit our last slump before that push to the end. I know many of you are on spring break. I have to wait two more weeks until our break. I really needed it this week. I think I hit a bottom earlier in the week. I am bouncing back now and feeling better about everything. I enjoyed this post so much because that is where I am at right now. I am still dealing with this year and trying to make it full of quality lessons and activities. At the same time I know where I want to go next year.

1. Homework- This was not a problem until we hit addition and subtraction with numbers to 20. Then there were issues. The parents did not know how to support their child in their homework. It is making rethink the whole idea and come up with some creative alternatives next year. I also have to consider possible limited copying which will really challenge my creativity, but I am up for a good challenge!!

2.Brain breaks are all the rage right now. I am extremely interested and intrigued. I just haven't had the time to really look into it much less take time to implement it.

3. Delve more into common core, Singapore math, and all the resources at my fingertips. I am returning to first grade this year. I kept many of the resources I have had. However they were badly outdated (I had gotten them from a teacher retiring almost 9 years ago). Most of them were not common core friendly, center friendly, or limit your copies friendly. I realized I had a ton of busy work worksheets. I have gained an immense number of resources this year from blogs and TPT. Some I have printed, laminated, and tried out. Many are still on my hard drive waiting. I am just going to be a printing and laminating queen this summer. It is a good thing my day care bill will be so low this summer!

4. I admit that I am in a little bit of survival mode right now. Where else would I be with a teenager, a tweener, and an infant, a house, a husband, and a full time teaching job? I love my kids (all 97 of them! 93 first graders, 3 boys, and yes my husband sometimes). I just got to take some time to breath and just take some time to get my hair cut at least!

Well one thing that always turns my day around is a good giveaway! Here they are!