Summer Lists

Summer Lists:

I love to make lists and even more so in the summer when I want to stay on a schedule. I usually make a list/schedule for each day during my summer so I’m not a complete bum on the couch. It makes me feel productive.

My list usually looks like this:

Clean

Workout

Target

Publix

Print

Laminate

I know it is not much of a list! Haha…it is summer give me a break. It varies from day to day but cleaning, working out, printing, and laminating usually stay on the list every day. While I’m printing and laminating I watch TV. I usually try to get into some new shows I know my husband won’t watch. Last summer I watched New Girl and Gossip Girl.

My TV watch list:

So You Think You Can Dance

Yes, I know kinda lame. After years of watching it with my best friend I still love watching it on my own. I fast forward through the fluff and judges talking. I love all the dances and pick favorites.

Orange is the New Black

The girls are back for another season. Not sure how long they can keep this going but I enjoy watching all the sassiness in the cell for now.

True Detective

I like how HBO is making this series with different actors and plot each season. This season Rachel McAdams is starring as a badass girl cop in L.A. I can’t wait to unravel the mysterious case.

The Mindy Project

I’ve love Mindy since she was on the office but didn’t really get into the show until this season because it was after New Girl. I’d like to watch all the other seasons now.

Any other suggestions for my TV watch list?

Printing/Laminating list:

I’m sure this one will continue to grow and become more specific once I finish this school year!

Second grade literacy center games

Second grade math center games

Guided reading materials

Classroom décor (not changing too much but still want to change things up for the new year and new grade!)

Calendar

Teacher Planner

Curriculum map for the year

Do you have any must have resources for second grade?

Travel list:

My FAVORITE list!!!

Hawaii in June

Ashville in July

Chicago in July (not booked but I’m hopeful!)

NYC in August

Poconos in August

Are you travelling anywhere this summer?

Reading list:

A Spoil of Thread

The Silent Girls

Paper Towns

We Were Liars

Yes, Please

The Unexpected Waltz

Secrets of a Charmed Life

Any other must read recommendations?

I don’t have a professional reading list create just yet but I’d love some suggestions. Here are my lists for summer so far! I’m so excited! Only 6 more days and 2 teacher work days! 

Field Day Fun

We had our annual field day last week. It was a hot summer morning in Florida and everyone had tons of fun. The kids played all the traditional games from sack races to tug of war. The kids stayed cool in the heat by getting sprayed by the hose during a water relay. They also got popsicles and water bottles to keep cool. The most fun was probably the bounce house slide.

Now with all this fun going on, the teachers couldn’t let them be the only ones1! So the teachers decided to go down the slide too! It was extremely fun and I felt like a kid again.

I love having field day every year. I hope that every school continues this outdoor day too. It is so important for kids to enjoy sports and teamwork.

Do you have field day at your school? What is the highlight of your field day?

Teacher Appreciation Week

Teacher appreciation week has been a two week affair! The first week of May the district and TPT celebrated teacher appreciation week. I got some awesome deals on restaurants around town and TPT materials.

The second week of May my school celebrated teacher’s appreciation week. Our PTA wanted to wait until testing was over to celebrate. It was much more relaxing for teachers too! Our PTA always comes up with a theme for the week. This year the theme was rock stars. Every day of this week our PTA had breakfast and lunch for the teachers and staff. It is truly amazing how our PTA comes together for this week.

On Monday our doors were decorated in a rock theme. Room mom’s did everything from Hollywood to rocks as in the stone. My room moms made my door “School House Rocks” theme. My kids helped create the door which made it extra special.

On Tuesday my students brought me flowers. I received many beautiful bouquets of flowers.

On Wednesday my students brought me chocolates and candy. They are trying to make me fat.

On Thursday my students wrote notes to me and brought me varies gifts.

On Friday my room mom’s put together a gift basket of all of my favorite things.

I defiantly felt appreciated and lucky to be a part of a school that goes all out for teacher appreciation week. I also feel blessed to have such wonderful room mom’s and parents in my classroom.

Hope everyone had a wonderful teacher’s appreciation week! 

My door decor

A cookie poem!

Teacher cookies :) 

Little potted plants

Fun bag

My awesome gift basket.

End of the Year Testing

My first graders had testing the first week of May. I had to cover up or take down many things in my room. I couldn’t have a calendar, number line, alphabet, or really anything that might help them with the test. I covered everything with colored bulletin board paper. Here's my word wall and calendar all covered up.

The students had to sit in rows and far enough away from each other. This was very hard for them since they are used to sitting in groups or tables together. I also turned around some of my busy and fidgety students’ desks because I knew they would be in their playing around.

Our instructional coach helped the primary teacher through the testing process, as this was our first time testing little ones. She sent us cute gifts for each day.

We only had two days of actually testing. The rest of the week was for make-up testing. Each day though the test was around an hour and a half. That’s a super long time for a first grader to sit and take a test!! I change what we are doing in the classroom every 15/20 minutes. My class needs movement and novelty.

Each morning the students got a breakfast snack of dry cereal and a granola bar provided by the school. My class also had a testing buddy who gave us a treat bag after we finished the test.

Overall it went well but I hope we don’t have to continue testing at this young age. It was too long for them to sit and some students’ were unnecessarily stressed about the test.

Do you have to do standardized testing in primary (K-2) in your district? 

Tips for testing: 

-always have a snack

-take as many breaks as allowed

-speak calmly 

-act confident in your students

-be your students cheerleader

-have a long recess after testing

-follow all testing rules