The 4th Annual Great Pumpkin Swap!

Were you worried?

Did you think it wasn't happening this year?

I have sort of not been very active here lately, so I can't blame you if you did.

BUT it's here!

Swaps are so much fun, and I've loved participating in (and hosting) this one for the last three years!  Kristin (from Stuff & Things) and I thought it would be fun to save the swap until fall was really getting under way this year.

If you haven't done a swap before, you don't HAVE to have a blog.  Your partner can share what they're sending on her (or his) blog when it's reveal time.  You can also share your goodies on other social media!  A swap is also a great way to make new friends across the country (or world).  Thanks to this swap, I have met and continue to follow Casey from Everyday Adventures, Rachel from The Ross Family, and last year, Micah from Unabashedly Me.

So here's how things will go this year:

1. Fill out the form to sign up for the swap! Sign-ups end on Friday, October 9th at 11:59pm.

2. By Monday, October 12th, you will get an e-mail from one of us with your swap partner.

3. Once you know your partner, please make contact within 48 hours (by Wednesday, October 14th) to get to know a bit more about each other.

4. Spend $15-$20 (excluding shipping) to put together a fun package for your partner.

5. Mail your package on or before Tuesday, October 27th.

6. Link up with us on Friday, November 6th to share your swap goodies!

It's that easy!  I can't tell you how fun it is to get your swap goodies in the mail.  I am obsessed with getting mail and packages are so much better!  

So fill out the form below to join us!

And for your enjoyment, feel free to go back and see what kind of great goodies I've gotten over the years! :)  (I switched blogs after the first swap, so I don't have my post from my swap with Casey!)

2nd Annual Swap
3rd Annual Swap

Stuff & Things: Things I Love

I've got a bunch of stuff that I'm loving lately, and I thought that it would be a perfect time to crank out a blog post, link up with Kristin, and share it with all of you!

• Fall!  As much as I enjoy and look forward to my summer vacation, there's something about fall that I just love so much!  Sure, I have to get up early and go to work, but truthfully, I do love my job, and I function so much better with a routine in my life.  It's not feeling very fall-like yet here in Pennsylvania, and I'm getting a little anxious.  And around here, it's just so gorgeous in the fall.  It's breathtaking! 

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• Boots.  I have a problem.  Tall boots, booties, high heels, wedge heels, flats, I don't discriminate!  One of the reasons I want the weather to cool down is because I want to wear boots, and I know that somehow people wear them all year long or wear them in warmer climates, but no.  If it's hot, I don't want that much of my leg covered up.  

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• I also apparently love plaid.  I was browsing my "Things I Want to Wear" board on Pinterest the other day, and discovered that not only have a pinned mostly cold weather outfits, but many of them involve plaid.  Or leggings.  Or both.  I just ordered a new plaid shirt from Old Navy the other day.  I like the colors.  Still not sure that it fits me the way it's "supposed" to.  I like how the ones fit the girl in the picture.....

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So all of that pretty much goes along with fall.  I guess I'm feeling a bit impatient.  Once school starts, I'm just done with summer and summer weather.  I get impatient to move on and get to the next season.  Now, winter on the other hand, I'm not a fan of at all.  I wish fall lasted longer!  That's probably why I like to just get to it.  I think I my mind, I figure if fall gets here sooner rather than later, it will stick around longer.  Doesn't seem to work that way, but a girl can dream, right?

Stuff & Things 9/10: Education Edition

Hi everyone!

I've been scarce around these parts lately, so I thought I'd take a moment to link up with Kristin this week!

• A new school year is under way, and it's off to a good start.  So far, this is a nice group of kiddos!  Some of them even brought me cards and gifts for my birthday even though I really didn't mention it or make a big deal of it.
• Speaking of school, for the first time, I had a group choose to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as one of their novels this year!  I'm super excited to be giving this brand-new unit a try! 

  

  I covertly took this picture while the students were working in their groups.  If we're friends on Instagram, you might have seen this with the caption: "Happiness is: Students reading Harry Potter in class!! #hpforever"

• Tonight is our Open House.  I'm stuck here at work until 7:30 tonight.  On the bright side, I get to have dinner with my bestie after work!
• I have decided to take a class.  As per some big wigs in education somewhere, we now only need to have a formal observation in PA every 3 years.  The other two years, we need to do some sort of project.  Last year, I completed a portfolio based on a math strategy I was implementing after attending a conference.  This year, I decided I was in the mood to take a class, and I figured that I would kill two birds with one stone by completing a self-directed research project.  I found a class about working with gifted students in the regular ed classroom through Learners Edge.  One area in which we are lacking at my school is growing and enriching our gifted/advanced learners.  We are focused on our struggling students because that is our largest population, and advanced students get lost in the shuffle because they'll "be fine" no matter what!

With all of that being said, it's time for me to check back in with my reading groups!

What's up with you lately??

August Books

I really enjoy writing these monthly book reviews.  It helps motivate me to keep reading, and it's WAY better than writing a post for each book I read.  I've been reading as much as I can this summer, and I'm sure everyone I would get annoyed with a separate post for each book.  Now that school has started up again, I'll probably be reading less, but my Audible subscription is back again (I suspended my account for the summer), so at least I'll get to listen to books on my commute!

Spelled by Betsy Schow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book! It's one of the books that I read very quickly this summer!

While I did find myself trying to fit the story to the original Wizard of Oz tale, I found that it doesn't work! It's just a completely new story. There are Wizard of Oz elements thrown in with many other fairy tale references, characters, and creatures. I enjoyed following Dorthea through the story and how she changed and grew. Definitely a fun read!  I actually decided to put this one in my classroom library.  It's still pretty new, so it's not listed as an AR (Accelerated Reader) book yet, but I'm hoping that my students who just love to read will enjoy it as much as I did.  Plus, I did use my Barnes & Noble Educator's card to get a discount when I bought it, so I felt like I should at least put one of the books I bought in my classroom......

These next three books came in a set that I purchased with my bonus points from Scholastic!  It almost feels like cheating to call them three separate books....THEY ARE three separate books....but they were short, quick, and easy reads.  I read them all easily in a couple of hours.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The version I have of this book contains additional notes by Professor Albus Dumbledore and J.K. Rowling which takes it to a whole new level. I love that Rowling took time to create actual books that were mentioned in the Harry Potter series. It just takes everything to another level! The tales themselves were much like Muggle fairy tales, but for me, what put this over the top is reading Dumbledore's thoughts about them.  Albus Dumbledore's "notes" were included after each story in the book.

Quidditch Through the Ages by J.K. Rowling

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


While I am admittedly fascinated that J.K. Rowling wrote these books discussed in the Harry Potter series, this one was definitely not my favorite. It was interesting to read a little bit about the history of Quidditch. But it just didn't strike me the way that "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" or "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" did.

No matter, this is definitely a must-read for Harry Potter fans!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was actually surprised that I liked this one so much! Obviously, a replicated text book from Hogwarts, it didn't sound truly thrilling. BUT it was fun to read about the many different magical creatures, their locations, and their danger classifications. What put this book over the top for me are the handwritten comments and drawings by Harry & Ron.

Definitely a fun and easy read!

Avenue of Spies: A True Story of Terror, Espionage, and One American Family's Heroic Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Paris by Alex Kershaw

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my most recent Blogging for Books pick.  So I did write a separate post for that one.  You can see my full review here.


Dancing Through Life: Steps of Courage and Conviction by Candace Cameron Bure

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love Candace Cameron Bure! I really do! I listened to this book via Audible, and I didn't want to stop.

Though I've never seen Dancing with the Stars (I want to watch a season now!), I loved hearing about Candace's journey as a contestant on the show. It was inspiring how she shares her journey and how she managed to be a shining example of the Christian Faith as she performed. Throughout the process, Candace maintained her integrity and convictions as a Christian woman, and she was not afraid to share the times where she was falling short! She gives great reminders and ideas (backed up with scripture) for ways to stand your ground when the world is against you.

So glad I chose this book for my monthly credit. It was wonderful that she narrated the book as well. Who better to tell your own story than yourself!?

If you're a fan on Candace's, Full House, Dancing with the Stars, or are a woman of faith, this book is for you!


The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Philippa Gregory does it again! Her stories always draw me in. I very much respect that her books come from in-depth research and attention to detail, while creatively filling in the blanks of what is unknown about her heroines.

This is the 6th book in The Cousins' War series, and is told from Margaret Pole's point-of-view. It was especially interesting because this book begins during the reign of Henry VII, with Margaret, cousin to Henry's wife, Elizabeth being at the heart of court. The book spans through to Henry VIII taking Kitty Howard as a wife. I've read about all of the other exploits of Henry VIII in Gregory's other novels. I always enjoy hearing the stories again from another character's perspective.

It was fascinating to read more about Margaret Pole, her life, her family, and her role in English history.

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And there you have the month of August!  I set a goal to read 30 books this year on Goodreads.com.  I am only 3 books away from reaching my goal, as I have read 27 books so far this year!  I am 8 books ahead of schedule, and I am pretty sure that I will surpass my goal for 2015!

Have you read any good books lately?

How are you doing with your reading goals??

Blogging for Books: Avenue of Spies

Have I mentioned how much I love summer break?

One of the best things about summer vacation is that I have SO much more time to read.

Avenue of Spies: A True Story of Terror, Espionage, and One American Family's Heroic Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Paris by Alex Kershaw

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I received a copy of this book for free from Blogging for Books. All opinions are my own.

As I began reading, I immediately enjoyed that while this book is nonfiction, it reads like a novel.

After getting further into the book I found that it was confusing at time with many names and how they were connected to each other in order to be influential. There were times that I had to reread paragraphs or pages in order to piece things together. The sentence structure awkward at times, and I needer to reread to figure out what the author was stating. I think this occurred because Kershaw felt the need to explain people, places, or clarify French or German phrases. Sometimes, it was slow going because of the numerous French and German names of people and places. While important to tell the story, it took time to work out the pronunciation!

Nearing the end of the story, things began to really move me. It's easy to forget that Jewish people were not the only ones targeted during WWII. People who resisted the Nazis and many others were put to death in the most cruel ways. While I do wish the story would have focused more on the Jacksons and less on other details, in the end, I think it all came together to tell a remarkable story of one family's remarkable bravery in terrible times.

If you enjoy history or WWII stories, I would recommend this book.



View all my reviews

It's a New Year!

There's a back to school commercial (that I can't seem to find on YouTube and don't remember what company it's for) that plays the famous New Year's tune, "Auld Lang Syne."  Kristin  mentioned this in a post recently, and I can't help but agree.  The "New Year" for me starts in August!

I love the beginning of a new school year.  It's exciting!  Fresh school supplies, setting up my classroom, anticipation of all of the *wonderful* things that are going to happen.....it's all just so exciting.

Though I will admit, by the end of the first week, this happens:

from my "The Life of a Teacher" board on Pinterest

Maybe not the first week.  But at least by October.

In case you don't remember, I teach 6th grade at a small school district.  We have one elementary school and a Jr/Sr High School.  This means that our elementary is a K-6 building.  This year, the 5th and 6th grades will be trying a new schedule.  It's not exactly block scheduling, but the purpose it to provide more time for Math Instruction and for ELA (English Language Arts- which includes Reading and Writing) Instruction.

 I have been the 6th grade Reading teacher for 2 years, and last year I taught all of the reading classes and language arts (writing) to my homeroom.  This year, I will be teaching 3 ELA classes for 80 minutes each.  I'm looking forward to this new schedule and adventure.  But if any of you have taught Language Arts, it can be really difficult and time consuming to grade writing assignments.  I will also see about 60 students (I know, I know, some teachers in this subject area see A LOT more), so I wanted to keep things organized and make things easier for myself and my students.

I came up with a couple of things to try!

1) Writing Process System
Last year, I ordered a filing system for folders.  This was originally for something entirely different (math related, and thank goodness I'm done teaching math!), but I was able to find a good use for them.  First, I color coded the tabs of manila folders for each class I will be seeing (My homeroom is blue, another is red, and the third is yellow).  I placed all of their folders on this filing system.  Next, I have some colorful storage baskets.  On each one, I taped an index card.  One basket reads, "Rough Draft" in green.  The other is "Editing/Revising" in yellow, and the last is "Final Copy" in red.  (Do you get the green, yellow, red?  Like a stop light??)  Students will write their names on their own folders.  As they enter each step of the writing process, they will put their manila folder in the appropriate basket.  In other words, if a student is working on his rough draft, he will place his folder in the rough draft basket when class is over.

When dealing with writing assignments in the past (in both Language Arts and Reading), I was very set on students NOT handing in their assignments until the due date.  With 60 students, I've decided I might lose my mind trying to grade that much work at once!  (Truthfully, you should see how awful some of their writing is.....)  With this system, as soon as a student's folder is in the Final Copy basket, I can correct the paper, and return it.  After I've graded a paper, it will go back into their manila folder and back to the filing system.  I plan to have students keep all of their writing in their folders to serve as a portfolio of sorts.

2) Use of Google Docs
I have already gotten some very good feedback on this from parents.  I am sending home an introductory letter about what students will be needing for ELA class.  On this letter, I explain to parents that students will great a Gmail account for the use of Google docs.  I do include a permission slip, and parents do not have to allow their student to create an account.

Why am I doing this?  For a few reasons:

• My classroom computers (I have 2) are not connected to printers in our school.  Therefore, I have to give students a flash drive to save their work.  Then I have to put the flash drive into my computer, open their file, and print it myself.  This isn't a huge deal for one or two students, but when almost all of your students need you, it can get time consuming and overwhelming.
• Of our 4 computer labs, one is a technology classroom that is being used for classes all day, and one has no printer.  That means if I can't get my students into 1 of the 2 labs that have printers connected, students cannot print their work from there.
• This will also allow easier peer editing because students can share their work with other students.
• This also makes it easier for ME to edit student work should they ask me to.
• While students can access their saved work from any computer in the school, they can't access their work from home.  While not all of our students have computers or internet access at home, those who do can take advantage of being able to access their work from home if they choose.

Things I did before running with this idea:

1. I asked permission from my principal.  Before I got too excited, I wanted to make sure that I was even allowed to offer this option to my students.  (P.S.  She LOVED the idea.)
2. As I already stated, I created an informational letter to send home.  I will be sending this letter home with my students the first day of school.  The sooner it gets home, the better.
3. I included a permission slip at the bottom of the letter. Again, as I already stated, I am not going to force the students to use this.  Even if there are students whose parents will not allow it, that's a lot less students I have to do things with the harder way. 
4. My principal reviewed my letter and initialed it.  She requested that I provide her with a copy of the letter to read and initial.  Her initials will be on this communication going out to parents so that they know that the idea has been approved.

I'm really excited to see how these new ideas will work!

Any other writing teachers out there have ideas to share??

Backing Away from Technology....

This title may be slightly misleading.

As I type this from the comfort of my couch, I am currently surrounded by not only the laptop on which I am working but also my iPad, iPhone, another lap top with a broken screen which is connected to my television transferring pictures to my Google drive.  (And it's taking half of my life to do so....)

Despite how that may seem, I have recently felt the urge to stop using technology in certain areas of my life.

The first thing to go: the calendar app on my iPhone.

Sure.  It's useful when I forget what the date/day of the week is.  (This happens to me a lot in the summer.)  But in July, I had a lot of things going on.  The stupid little dots on my iPhone calendar were NOT helpful.  Maybe I'm lazy, but I started to lose my mind over the fact that I had to click on the dotted date to see if I actually had something planned or if it was just iPhone reminding me that the day was a holiday.   (P.S.  I don't know if this happened to anyone else in July, but iPhone was telling me Independence Day was on July 3rd AND the 4th......)

It was then that I decided that I needed a planner.

Of course, I would make this decision in July when Back to School stuff isn't *quite* out yet.  I did check a few places first in the hopes that I could score one immediately.  No such luck.  I checked out some places online.  So many bloggers I love are always raving about Erin Condren.  I looked there, and friends, I love you all, but I just think it's INSANE to pay that much money for a planner.

So I did what all people do in times of crisis.

I turned to Amazon.

I posted this on my Instagram.  I happened to have a $10 credit I didn't know about, so I splurged for the 2 Day shipping, and this baby was in my hands.  I also ordered pens to go with it, which I didn't realize were coming from China....SO I bought some Sharpie Pens to tide me over.  Now, I carry a small Thirty-One pouch in my purse with about a thousand pens in it.......

I love that I can open this planner for a monthly view.  Since I have hundreds so many colored pens, I have assigned major things in my life a color (which I wrote in the notes section) to keep things interesting.

This planner also has a weekly view with more space to write.  Just yesterday, I wrote a grocery list in this section.  I've been using a "To Buy" list in my reminders app to go grocery shopping.  I like this for when I think of things we need to buy because I always have my phone on me.  But it was nice to have an actual paper list for going to the store.

Last night, I pulled out a real Bible.  I've been doing my Bible reading on a Bible app on my phone.  I really do love the app, and I like to use it at church so I don't have to carry my Bible back and forth.  But I have just been feeling the urge lately to hold the actual book.  This particular Bible is a study Bible.  I've been wanting more from my daily Bible reading, and this has notes on specific scriptures and sometimes articles that go more in depth on a specific topic.  While I enjoy the reading plans offered on the app (I have liked going through the Bible in a year), I've decided that I want to read what I want to read.  If I do it in a year, great.  If I only do 1 chapter a day, great!

Who knows what technology I may cast off next?

Is there any technology that you've decided to give up?