The ghost has drifted in! My class by the numbers

Every year I forget how exhausting the first week is to my body and to my voice.  I am hoarse!  On the bright side, the starting back to school is a great weight loss program.  Since I am a math teacher, I am going to tell you about my class this year by the numbers.


This year I officially have 100 students.  In seats and driving ahead.  This is a record for me.  I have never had this many students.  Yes I am still memorizing names!!



Right now this is the number of students in the largest group.  It is supposed to be 25 and hopefully our data will settle in so that students can be shuffled one last time.



I see 4 groups of students every day for math and science.



This is our scheduled time for each group. It doesn't quite work right now.  In a few weeks we will get close to this time.


We already have 3 broken crayons.
I love this!






The number of pencils I have sharpened since we started school using my awesome pencil sharpener!  Would you like to have one?  You could buy one or try to win one first!!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a wonderful restful holiday weekend!!

Crystal

What day is it? Giveaway reminder!

Does anyone else feel like they are fitting in an entire week in one day?  My feet hurt, my body hurts, and I am tired!!

We are working and working on rules and procedures.  I am insistent on drilling it into them before the first nine days is done!!  I am demanding a good year!

Good news!! Monday is Labor Day!!  God is so good to me to plan the first week of school right before Labor Day!  I will definitely be resting from all my labor.



I promise promise to get back on track with fun curriculum resources.  I also have some successes and ideas that went ho hum.  I just need to tattoo on forehead to TAKE PICTURES!!

Remember that there is a pencil sharpener being given away!!  300 is on the horizon!!  Another giveaway in the future!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have a great day tomorrow and remember it's a holiday weekend!!

Crystal

I survived!!! and a giveaway!

I am absolutely exhausted.  Since when do our darlings start testing you on the first day of school? We all survived.  Everyone got home!  Tomorrow is a new day!

Short and sweet.

By the way, Classroom Friendly Supplies has a new PINK sharpener!!!  Every pink sharpener sold, they will donate to cancer related charities!!



Oh, and that giveaway!  (Maybe chose that awesome pink color!!)

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!!

Crystal

What a week! Five for Friday a day late!

1.  I have had an exhausting week and apologize for my absence.  After a week of professional development, we had open house on Tuesday.  Even though I had an extra week to get ready, I still felt I needed more time!  There is good news though.  We had the largest open house in the history of our school!  There were parents everywhere.   On Thursday my own son attended his high school open house.  He is a freshman this year.

2.  Fun with materials! (Can you hear the sarcasm?)



We have these great science books this year!  So the warehouse sent our middle school staff their books and held elementary.  Even though they did have a PO number, they wanted a copy of the PO.  The books were delayed about 4 days. We should have them early in the week. No big deal.  Monday came and went.  Tuesday came and went.  Wednesday came and went.  Thursday came and went. All we knew they were on a truck somewhere.  They arrived yesterday afternoon. Yeah!

3.  BUT...
So I was unpacking all my science materials.  I have a small flipchart, a cd with science songs, 100 science books and no teacher's manual.  I go to the 2nd grade teacher.  She doesn't have one either.  Third grade has hers.  So I go to our academic coach.  She informed me that I was welcome to the British Literature books that were sent with the Science books.  British Literature!!!  They sent us British Literature instead of our science teacher manuals!  So I am currently waiting for my teachers manual.  It is funny that both teachers without manuals are the tech savvy people.  We know how to easily access it online. Better us than someone who has difficulty with computers.

4. I have help for my low ones!!  Our academic head and coaches have done a great job!  I will actually have an extra set of hands for my low ones this year!! I am ecstatic.  I felt I didn't get enough one on one and small group time last year.  My first graders made great strides last year, but I expect this year to be even better!

5.News from Classroom Friendly supplies!  They have pink sharpeners now!!


They will also donate $1 for each one sold to Cancer charities.  Click the picture to check them out!

Today is my last Saturday before school starts, so I have a ton to do!!

Crystal

What I bought this time and a freebie

My wish list got a little smaller today.  Here is what I bought...  (If you are interested, just click the picture.)



























I had a hard time figuring out what to purchase now and what to hold off on.  I think I made some good choices.  Now for my freebie.  I am still deciding whether to leave this as a forever freebie or to make it a paid product, so grab it while you can!

My 20% sale will end tomorrow night, so shop on!!

Enjoy!!

Crystal

TPT sale and flash freebie!

First, thank you Traci for the lovely button!!I know that everyone is talking abut the big sale tomorrow.  You will get 20% off my store, plus us the code BTS13 to get up to 10% additional off up to 28% total.  I know that I will be shopping again!

Plus I have a new product that will be free until 8 PM Saturday (EDT)!  Click the picture!!  I would appreciate any feedback left.  Just please remember not to mention it's free status since it will become a paid product.  Thanks!!

A little plug for my facebook page.  They were told early about the flash freebie, so that had an additional 14 hours to grab it.  It pays to like my facebook page!!

Check back tomorrow for another flash freebie!!!  There may be a good chance that Facebook friends find out first!!

Crystal

A cool new technology toy, I mean tool

I have been a little lax this week, but I am super busy in professional development and in my classroom. Today we heard about time management.  This included writing to do lists and setting goals.  Yesterday during the Elementary Staff meeting my principal used a new tool that went along with this.  I decided that I had to show all of you.

Welcome to http://linoit.com

Virtual post its!!!



On your own board.



Have fun with it!!

Crystal

10 fun things about me... a day late

I am on day 2 of professional development.  I am tired.

I am joining Bloglovin for Monday's linky.  (I am not ready to show off my room yet for today's linky)

1.  I am the proud mother of a teenager (high school freshman), a tweener (5th grade), and a very active 10 month old. All boys! It is never a dull moment around here.

2.  I rarely get to see my favorite shows live (see #1), but I love
Dr. Who, Project Runway, Law and Order SVU, Once upon a time, Warehouse 13, Sherlock,and Top Gear.  Yes it is a very strange mix and we spend a lot of time on BBC America!

3.  My friends and family get upset when I do not make caramel apples for Christmas.



4.  If I could wish for any meal in the world, it would be my grandmother's macaroni and cheese followed closely by her fried pork chops and pepper gravy.  She passed away in 1994.  She really stopped cooking after my grandfather passed away in 1989.


5.  I hope to take my husband to Scotland someday.



6.  My first trip in an airplane was in 2005.  I won a trip to SEC tournament game from Dr. Pepper.  I competed for a chance to win $1,000,000 by throwing a football.  Sorry to disappoint you, but I obviously did not win the money.

7.  I have a love of fairy tale retellings especially Beauty and the Beast.



8.  My husband and I love books.  You would know this the second you walked in our door.  We also love bookstores!!

9.  I have been married 16 years.  I was married in a castle in Sydney Ohio.  It goes along with my fairy tale theme here.

10.  My best friend and I met about 30 years ago.  She was my maid of honor.  I am going to torture myself by wearing purple and serve as her matron of honor in the future.  Here is the earliest picture we have of each other together.


I am in the back row with the pink coat.  My best friend had just come from playing Raggedy Ann and is in the front row.

I hope you enjoyed reading a bit more about me!

Crystal

My mini TPT shopping spree

I had a little fun with some TPT gift cards today!  Here is what I bought....

Parts of a.....

friend                                                                    listener

scientist                                                               mathematician 

 

I purposely chose the girls for math and science.  There are so many males images in these fields that I wanted to go against the grain.  I will probably purchase the boys in the future.  Check these posters and many more here!

My idea right now is to have a clip chart for each of my blocks.  We will see if it works!  I love Creation Castle's behavior charts!

I ran into this today.  I love that it makes center routines fun and positive!  Check out All Y'All Need!

I have the math alphabet and love it!!  I purchased the Science Alphabet to complement it!  Check out Lovely Little Leaders for this alphabet and the two math alphabets!

I have been drooling over this set since it came out.  I love the monsters!!  I am thrilled to finally have it!  Check out Primary Graffiti for this set and more!

Now to printing and laminating!

Crystal

The truth about the shy child

The truth about the shy child (from a shy child)



1.  We love quiet praise most of the time.  Just a little encouragement in a whisper goes a long way!

2.  We do like to get acknowledged and rewarded every once in a while in front of  a group.

3.  Group work is hard for us.  Many times we get talked over or left out.

4.  Talking in front of the class is hard.  Challenge us with this but also guide us through it.

5.  It takes us time to warm up to those we do not know, If you make us feel comfortable it helps to ease the process.



6.  We have difficulty carrying on conversations.  We are polite, but we feel awkward in public and social situations.  Help us to learn what comes natural to others.

7.  Try to soften the blow of embarrassing situations, but don't always prevent them from happening.

We are smart, opinionated, articulate, and passionate.  Give us room, but challenge us to push the boundaries of our shyness.


Most of all, Remember the shy child!

Crystal

Making Progress

I have been working all week in my room.  The next two weeks are going to be packed full of professional development, so it was good I went in early.  I am in pretty good shape.  It is just the details that always stress me out!!  Here are my letters that I showed you earlier in the week.

I am just praying now that I mounted them good enough and they will stay up!!

I used the monster/alien duct tape on my cubbies.

Now my problem is that the humidity in my room (and our school!) is causing the tape to come off. I am looking for solutions, because I really like how they came out!!

The last thing is a little something I won from Pink Fish Studios.  I love it!!!  You have to check her out!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkfishstudios

Happy Thursday!!!

Crystal