Five for Friday... late.

i'm linking up with doodlebugsteaching for a fun week week review!

{one}

Looping is the bomb. I got the incredible opportunity to promote to 3rd grade with my 2nd graders this year and I am 5 weeks in and it has just been amazing. I love teaching this little group of nuggets so much and I am already devastated that I won't get to be their teacher next year. We are just chugalugging right along with small groups and Daily 5 and all that is good and wonderful and the students are continuing to make leaps and bounds academically and socially. I started my 2nd grade class with about 70% of students at a Tier 3 reading level and this year? 14%. Partaaaay, we are going to be doing book clubs all day erryday!

{two}

If you follow me on insta, you know that my Yeti cup is my new little boo boo. I am drinking at least 5 cups of ice cold water a day now and I am probably the healthiest teacher ever ever ever (because the water obviously counters the insane amounts of Smarties I'm consuming  from my candy jar because my lil smarties aren't earning them often enough... but that's a story for another time). However, then I have to pee during class, and ain't nobody got time for that. 

Ryan, you swing by anytime, boo. Actually if you are a moderately functional adult and it's about 2pm COME ON DOWN. SERIOUSLY.

{three}

Speaking of smarties, I pinned this little game and then a sweet friend of mine from college said she was using it and it actually worked, so I've been trying it with my little dahhhlings in the class that rotates in for 2 hours of reading and writing. My looped homeroom has their behavior on lock (and they are teaching me sassy phrases like that so I sound hip), but the other class apparently doesn't know how much I love them and want them to succeed and dream the biggest dreams they can and be authors and readers and extraordinary even though you best believe I am trying to tell them. Currently, all they seem to know is if their little mouths are not talking and their little behinds are in their chairs by the time I get to zero after counting down from 10, they get a point and are one step closer to some candy at the end of their block with me. I did read this sassy article about why not to do it and while I feel it had some good points, I am seeing success in being able to limit excessive chitchat and increase time on task. I definitely DO NOT celebrate "my" points, I just slap them on the board and move right along. And the only thing that gets us points is when the students are quiet and seated for a countdown from 10. I'm hoping to phase it out, ok?!

read about her version here!

{four}

My new favorite cardigans: JCrew factory Clare. They are not totally cheapo but they last a long time and are the perfect 3/4 sleeve length and hip length if you are the height of your average 5th grader like me. I own them in four colors currently. If you click on the link, you're probably going to think I am an old lady, but they are super cute on. Promise! I would add a cute little picture of me wearing one right underneath this buttttt I am an absolute failure at selfies and I think we would just all be embarrassed.

{five}

I have successfully been working out three times a week for the last couple of months. I recently added ten minutes of running to that and I am daaaaaang proud that I can run 10 minutes without stopping. However, I am also slightly embarrassed because hello, I was a collegiate athlete not that long ago. I'm thinking of trying to work up to a 5k. Is that ridiculous? Too low of a goal? Are you a runner and if so can you please tell me how to run without feeling like I am going to hyperventilate?

knocking out bullying in october!

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. My very first ever See Bean Teach post was about that very topic, so I thought it would be a nice throw-back to look at some more anti-bullying ideas! Here, I've listed three lessons I've taught so far this month and two more I plan to teach. I like to be able to to link our content with talking about social skills type topics (just so we can make connections between what we learn and the real world)...  I also feel like lessons that help build our classroom community are a tool to help prevent bullying because I've notice that it is much easier for students to pick on those they know very little about... but when they know another's story and where they come from and who they really are, they find it easier to choose to say and do uplifting things. Pacer.org is a great online resource for some facts, along with Stomp Out Bullying.

(1)

As mentioned, my very first post, many moons ago was about a lesson I did with a kindergarten class during my senior year of college. It all focused around The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin and how to avoid bullying. It went over really well, so this year I decided to whip that baby back out! My class had a bunch of fun listening to the story on YouTube and then making their own unique pumpkins a couple weeks ago. Of course, I added in an attempt at some academic content and had them make a verbal text-self connection before they could craft their own Spookly, but it was a much needed afternoon of creative thinking and fun after a week of 6 weeks tests (BOO ON THAT.)

(2)

We learned about adjectives in language arts this week, so we combined that with a lesson I saw on good ol' Farley's blog a while back. We described my "friend" that I'd drawn on chart paper using adjectives. When the children slung out unkind words, I crumpled it up. When they said kind things, I uncrumpled the paper. We noticed that the wrinkles were still there, and even after we tried to smooth the paper out by saying nice things, the wrinkles didn't totally go away. I think it made a bit of an impact, because after the lesson we did a full on "share you feelings circle" for about 10 minutes. I made sure to end it by asking all of the students to share something that has been a positive interaction with another person in their life so that we could have some emotional closure and a way to bring our thoughts back to a happy place if they'd traveled a little away from there.

(3)

We also drew portraits of a classmate (they had to draw out of a jar so it was random!) and described them using 10 adjectives. I was so pleasantly surprised that no one had unkind things to say on their drawings AND they were all excited about who they got (even when it wasn't there bestfriendevereverever). I am proud of how close-knit and sweet my students are. We even had a "special visitor" from another class in another grade our room that day (yep, I get to be that teacher) so I threw his name in the bucket too and my sweet little nuggets just acted like that was totally normal and drew him a beautiful portrait as well!

(4)

We watched the BrainPop Jr. video on bullying and then did a class sort to clarified the difference between true bullying and teasing someone of having a "mean moment" using the phrases I cut from a chart that I found on Ms. Sepp's Counselor Corner. It sparked a lot of great discussion about what kinds of things we could problem solve on our own or by talking with the person who offended us, versus what kinds of things we couldn't solve unless we got help from an adult.

(5)

We read The Recess Queen, Chrysanthemum, Giraffes Can't Dance. Then we practiced making Text-Self connections. We talked about how we felt and how the characters felt, and experiences that we had that we similar to experiences the characters. We used Venn diagrams to compare both our life experiences and that of the characters AND the characters in the books. There's a freebie in my TPT store- it's not fancy by any stretch of the imagination, but it works! (:

I linked up with Doodle Bugs Teaching to share these five ideas! You should participate, too!

P.S. Real talk- this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Check out my About Mrs. B page for more info on that!

Five for Friday: October?!

{one}

Are you in an end-of-first-six weeks slump? Or maybe almost-end-of-nine-weeks funk? I read this last week when I was feeling a little tired and a lot little just... well... OVER IT and it totally turned my mood around. The post has great tips for teachers specifically, but you could apply it to your life in another profession or your life as a college student. It will also probably make you breathe a sigh of relief to know that you are not the only one feeling like you are under pressure all the time! A few of The Second Grade Nest's suggestions were promises I made to myself this summer so that I could feel more like myself this school year. I planned to leave school at a decent hour, do things other than teaching or crafting for teaching or planning for teaching and pay attention to maintaining a decently healthy lifestyle. It has made SUCH a difference for me this school year. Scoot over and absorb this post. Maybe read it two or three times if you need!

{two}

Speaking of healthy lifestyle... have I mentioned that I am really working hard in that department? I am about to do another 10 day Herbal Cleanse and I am super excited! A couple of friends and I are starting on October 13th and you can join us- shoot me an email at losdosfrijoles@gmail.com or click on the link above to order. I mean, for $31.50, you could buy a meal at the Cheesecake Factory... or you could put some focus on your health. Check back in a couple of days for a post with some tips for how to manage the cleanse during school!

{three}

My vice-principal sent out this video this afternoon. Add that to the fact that totally unprompted a student put on her Open House sheet that her favorite part about school is that "our class feels like a family" and I was a puddle this afternoon. Get some tissues and watch. You make a difference. You matter. Don't forget that.

{four}

I need a pencil solution. I hear a lot of good things about a pencil challenge- can someone explain that idea to a sister before I go crazy?! (:

{five}

We skipped pumpkin decorating last year, so now I am totally planning to make up for it... Pinterest seriously has the cutest ideas. I was originally thinking something like this:

But then I saw this post that has some fantastic no-carve ideas compiled! Can't wait to convince B that this adventure is happening tomorrow!

Five for... well, you know...

{one}

Since I've been on the Bountiful Baskets train, I've been trying really hard not to let produce go bad... so I was devastated when I found two bundles of celery that was like flubber in my fridge. ): But low and behold, did you know you can firm it back up?! Check it out! This is real life. I was so jazzed. I wonder if this works for any other veggies...?

Also, check out my haul this week below. Everything pictured for 15 smackeroos.

{two}

Week FIVE of school is in the books. WHAT?! I am 100% in LOVE my students. They are precious and I am already sad that they won't be mine for more than a year. I am still working on managing my time well and I spend the first three-ish weeks about to go nuts because I did not have a working computer monitor. That meant no BrainPop, no doc cam, no projector, no Go Noodle.... It was alllll song and dance for this tired teacher. I finally found relief and now we are technological wizards up in Room 16!

{three}

Speaking of technology: I have a couple sweet nuggets in my class that are still having a tough time with letter sound correspondence... I'm talking basic consonant sounds and short vowels... in second grade. While I am obsessively casually taking data (#formerspedteacher) and spending time wondering how they got this far without anyone else documenting their struggle, I have been using the Orton-Gillingham app with them while we are building our Daily 5 stamina. The app is FREE and I downloaded it after I attended the LETRS training this summer. I just kinda set them up and let them run it on Friday with very minimal instructions, and my heart was just singing as I walked past the sassiest of my two totally engrossed in the app and heard her proudly repeating each letter, sound, and key word. I think the best part of the app is the video option. After the students touch to hear the name of the letter, the sound, and the key word, they click "video" and it shows the mouth/face of a real person saying all of the things again. 

{four}

I am so darn close to getting Daily 5 up and running. My darlings can Read to Self and Read to Someone like champions. We still need to introduce Listen to Reading (my start up has been a little off of the sister's plan due to the technology snafus early on...). I have been doing some basic intervention and pulling kids here and there, but I am itching to really get my guided reading groups going! Any great suggestions for second grade higher level book study books? 

{five}

I mentioned that we adopted a little (OLD) monster, right? Well, we have been slowly working on getting him adjusted to normal living (aka, not being on da streets)... I left him in the house unsupervised for about 20 minutes yesterday and this is what I came home to:

I love bossy lady watching to make sure he doesn't get off his bed!

Five For Friday: AUGUST 1

First of all... check out the post title^^^^ AUGUST. What the heck just happened?

{one}

I ended up sadly having to scratch the road trip I was planning on because my darling father got saddled with jury duty. I am quite upset that I won't get to see the sweet friend I'd planned on staying with in Alabama this summer, buttttt: Blessing in disguise, because I found out that 1) I do have get to attend a two week literacy training (LETRS, anyone?) STARTING ON MONDAY 2) I was able to start working in my classroom this Monday.

{two}

Speaking of classroom, my darling father and my sister hauled it down here to help me work in there a little bit. I hate covering bulletin boards. I think it is the worst. But they have a beautiful method so I let them go to town butcher papering all of those bad boys. My crafty little sister also freehanded this mug for me. Is she the stinkin cutest or what?!

{three}

I have been doing shockingly well with balance in my diet [not diet as in "only drink cinnamon fire water three times a day with only vegetables and hot dogs to eat"... just my general eating habits]. I've been able to splurge on summer trips a little, but reign it in enough to still have even dropped a couple more pounds past my ending 24 Day Challenge weight! Woohoo! I am headed down to pick up my Bountiful Basket this evening (Click the link if you haven't heard of it- seriously a really cool endeavor, especially if you live in no-man's land like me). It's my first experience, so review to come... but I'm hoping for lots of delicious fruits & veggies that will help keep this healthy train rollin!

{four}

This recipe for baked french toast is delicious and awful for you... but mostly delicious. I first made it in mass quantities while I was cooking on the middle school mission trip I helped run last week AND THEN I made it yesterday morning for breakfast since my dad and sister were in town and there were actually enough people in the house to eat a full sized recipe AND THEN I cried tears of joy while I ate it with my side of turkey bacon. It's all about portion control, right? Or something like that.... OMG delicious. Still drooling over it a little bit.

{five}

To quote some of my favorite bloggers and teenage drama queens: I JUST CAN'T EVEN... this shirt... Perfection I tell ya. I have added it to my not-so-secret wish list for birthday gifts, etc. pinterest board and will likely purchase it even before a holiday opportunity arrives. Check out this precious little etsy store for more!

Five for Friday: July 18

ONE

This time last week I was on a plane to see some of the sweetest, most hilarious ladies I know. We had a BLAST doing the Warner Brothers tour, going to the beach, cruising around the bay, and seriously just soaking up time with each other. It had been far too long since we'd had a W(h)ine Night!

TWO

For the rest of the week, I spent way too much money enjoyed civilization. Ikea, Target, JCrew, Gap, and Hobby Lobby were just some of the places that viciously stole my money. I did some back to school shopping for my classroom and myself and caught some fabulous sales.

THREE

I also had a classroom craft/catch up on life night with another sweet college friend and her precious dog. Check out my Monday Made It on Monday (um, duh) to see some of our projects!

FOUR

I didn't pay real close attention to what I was eating/drinking on my lil trip, so I gained a teensy bit on weight... Even though it was just a little, I found this to be super frustrating because 1) I just paid to do a "challenge" to help me lose weight and 2) I had all the power and resources to NOT have that happen. However, because I thoroughly enjoyed the after effects of my Advocare adventure (and couldn't find anyone less that an hour and a half away to buy from), I decided to become a distributor. I'm hopping back on product here pretty soon and have also started a Three Weeks, No Cheats. My goals were: no sweets, drinking only water, and exercise 30 minutes a day. So far I've definitely exercised, but I've only been able to check off NO 100% successful days of no sweets (margaritas one day, GF cookies the next). It is soooo hard on not being at home but I am determined!

the bikes = exercise... not true winner days ):

FIVE

I am mission tripping next week and then going on a road trip to round out my summer. And suggestions for audio books? Driving by myself can be pretty lonely and I'll have LOTS of time to listen!

Happy weekend, friends!

Healthy Five Favorites for Friday!

I am going to attempt to make this work for all three link ups (it was too hard to pick just one!)

I haven't been real quiet here about my body being on the struggle bus during the last year. BUT, just in case you didn't know: Something about not being a full time athlete for the first time in 12 years... + driving 90 minutes each day to my first teaching job... + living in a new place with few true healthy choices... + my first year of wedded bliss... did not do pretty things to my waistline over the last year.

But now that I'm getting ready for a fresh start in August, the pressure is on to fit back into all of my cute professional wardrobe and honestly, just feel good.

I've been doing the Advocare 24-Day Challenge for the last 18 days. I've definitely stuck to all of the accompanying strict rules/advice, but I've tried to make this thing my own. I want it to be something I can easily carry into the next school year without having to bend over backwards. I've been trying new recipes and meal planning like a fiend, so without further ado...

My Five Healthy Favorites for Friday:

(1)

This salsa chicken is a super versatile, easy recipe that we definitely eat at least once a week. I use organic chicken broth (I know, I know... but it IS less than a dollar more than the other AND it has waaay less sodium!), my favorite Newman's Own Pineapple Salsa, and chicken breasts. If we're just doing it for dinner, I only throw in two good sized ones, but I could easily do 3-4 breasts and take it for lunch a few days during the school week. I cook it on low pretty much all day, and my husband knows that whoever gets home first is just supposed to switch the crockpot to "keep warm). I like this meal for US as well, because I can eat the chicken over a salad, in whole wheat tortillas, with some avocado... etc. and my main squeeze can load up a big ol' flour tortilla with sour cream and cheese and guac and rice (sigh) and make a burrito. Two happy (and skinnier) campers!

(2)

Pins like this + my extreme hanger + my tendency to lean towards any and all things sweet or fried when I get hungry have inspired me to keep my fridge well stocked with quick, easy snacks. I also like to think to myself when I am perusing the fridge, "Am I actually hungry, or am I thirsty?" I like to drink a glass of water, and then decide. A list of things I currently have: 
-cherries
-pineapple
-carrots
-cucumbers
-bell peppers
-hummus
-guacamole
-string cheese (avoiding until i'm done with the 24 day challenge)
-greek yogurt (avoiding until i'm done with the 24 day challenge)
-left over salsa chicken 

(3)

Smoothies- these puppies are only $1.50 (which thinking about, is kinda expensive for ONE homemade smoothie... but I'd say the convenience factor is worth it) at our favorite Tejas grocery chain. I can make them for a snack now, but they're also easy to make at night and put in the fridge for breakfast (with some kind of protein to keep a sista full) once school starts back.

(4)

Crockpot buffalo chicken is basically just another easy dinner like the salsa chicken I described above. Tasty, versatile, and SUPER EASY.

(5)

Justin's Almond Butter with bananas, apples, celery... a spoon... OMG so delicious. I have to really attempt to measure out proper serving sizes of this stuff when I eat it or I might just inhale the whole jar. The link above is to Amazon because that's how I have to buy it, but if you live anywhere civilized I'm sure you can buy it at your grocery store.

Anyone else having a #healthyteacher summer? How's it going? Any good tips? If so, maybe link up with one or two or three of these pretty ladies!

5 for Friday: June 20

love this fun link-up!

{1}
This week, I got crafty making a care package for a friend who is spending the next 9 months in the big ol' sandbox. It was super fun to make a box to send to a GIRL because I felt like I could anticipate wants and needs a little better. ;)

{2}

I started teaching swim lessons this week and I'm having a blast being nerdy and incorporating learning to swim and academic skills. For example, I'm having the little nuggets dive for "wishing stones" from the teacher Dollar Store. The stones have letters on them and the first one to spell a word wins. Or, they're swimming "perfect strokes" to grab sponges with numbers and then making number sentences. #Parentsloveme, I tell ya what. And thus far, the kiddos have been duped into believing thIs is all just a game! ;)

{3}

I made my sub tub last week. It's got about three days worth of work that a sub can pull and easily guide students through in the event that I couldn't plan on being out. Love this little guy! Year two is looking better already!

{4}

I knoooooow they recommend that you only weight on days 1, 11, and 24... but when you see nice things, it is not as traumatic a lot more fun. Check out my graph for the past 11 days!*

*yes, i cut it off a little... maybe i will get brave a share the actual numbers at some point, but just check out that pretty little trend line!

{5}

I am excited to be visiting LA in a few weeks- any fantastic ideas for what to do?!? We're definitely planning on doing some of the touristy stuff, but would love to do some fun local things as well!

* PS- I am NOT getting any kind of payment to talk about these products (because oddly, no one contacted me to advertise on my blog that gets about 10 page views a day)... I also don't sell them... I am just a wee bit pleased with the results.

5 for Friday

uno

I went to the first in-processing session for my {NEW} job this week, and then immediately called so that I could go up to school and look at my future classroom. My mind is already spinning with ideas, but I'm trying to sloooow it down. If I learned anything last year, it was to prioritize my efforts. I quickly ran out of time and energy to do some important stuff because I'd put tons into things like... shredding files. Um, hello. Totally should have just it in the file cabinet and moved on for the year. However, I am pretty thrilled to have a fairly blank canvas (as opposed to an overgrown storage room full of c.r.a.p) Let's do a quick photo comparison:

[[the 2014 first look]]

dos

I am loving this series from Luckeyfrog's Lilypad . It is so relevant and helpful! Though I am technically not a brand-spankin-new teacher, I am starting in a new district with a totally new teaching position with totally different expectations. I highly recommend that you read and re-read the series if you are a new teacher (or a veteran who wants to refresh their mind before the start of the next school year. [shameless plug] It also feels like the perfect follow-on from my Nailed It! Series.

tres

I had a bunch of fun doing summer linky parties last year, and am now that I actually have time to write, I looking for some good ones to join! Any suggestions?

quatro

I mentioned on instagram that I started Advocare's 24-Day Challenge on Tuesday. I gained a fairly extensive amount of weight this year, and I am usually not one for 'fad' diets, blah blah blah, BUT this one looked like something that would help me get back to my healthy eating habits of last year (instead of making me just drink lemonade and cayenne pepper 4x a day or something ridiculous creative like that). Thus far, I am honestly feeling energized and full. I am very glad I didn't attempt the process during the school year though. I've been riding on the ability to plan meals on the fly. I know that will end once school starts back, and I'm hoping to have found some staples to put back into my daily diet.

cinco

I lovelovelove to read. But I often have to put it off during the school year because reading consumes my life in the way that video games eat away at most 10-100 year old boys. My 'professional' summer reading list so far consists of: The Leader in Me, Daily 5, Space & Places. My 'for fun' summer reading list: The One & Only, Sharp Objects. 

Five for Friday: Small Town Edition

this week, i thought i'd give y'all a little peek into my life...

5 Ways You Know You Teach in A Tiny School

The school has a cat. Seriously. She's had her shots and has been fixed, and has been living at the school since she was about seven weeks old. She is fed by an army of loving teachers and the kids adore her and know not to touch her (during the school day at least!).

We cancel school because of the threat of rural road dangers, and "just so everybody doesn't have to get out in the cold weather and get sick this mornin'!" (cold weather being 27 degrees).

Everybody knows EVERYBODY. And their mama and their tio and their grandaddy's best friend. While this does come in handy occasionally to avoid major crisis (lost children brought back to school because their aunt spotted them trying to walk to the grocery store... not from my room, though!) and for making sure students who really need a buddy don't go unnoticed, it also means that I've had to have lots of lengthy confidentiality talks.

You get to play administrator, teacher, and parapro all in one day. I have taught PPCD, coordinated transportation, changed diapers, and pushed in to manage behavior for multiple students in multiple grades all in a span of about five hours. And that's with my recently lightened load. ;)

You are well loved and looked after. Seriously, I can't even count the number of times that people ask how I am doing, if I need anything, do I want lunch?, if my car is ok because I left it at school over the weekend (it was fine, for the record... B just picked me up on the drive north!)... In general, these sweet gestures also have nothing to do with needing favors or wanting supplies. The people in this itty bitty town care big, and I love it!