Loving Blog Land!

I started this blog as a way to journal my thoughts about teaching. I love my job, and I love to encourage others. I also know how much we as teachers go through, and hoped to encourage others through the tough times (mine and theirs!) as well.

As I've searched around to make more connections, my eyes have been brought wide open to this wonderful land of Blog Land. Holy cow, there are soooo many amazing teachers out there, with so many wonderful and fresh ideas!! It has truly re-energized my love for teaching, and the students have felt the direct result of it! We (mostly me I think!) are having more fun than ever before. Last year was a tough year for me- one of those where I kept wondering if I had gotten into the right field. I'm happy to say, I have made it through that slump and am excited for each new day in the classroom.

I want to show you just a few of the motivational blogs/teachers I have visited- however, as I am still discovering a new blog/teacher daily, this is by no means a conclusive list of awesome sites to visit. These are just what have gotten my inspiration going...(and you may have already heard of them, as they have LOTS of followers!) :)

Deanna Jump


Her idea for Chit-Chat messages in the morning has revamped my morning message routine (it was in dire need, I must say). I was just in the boring routine of writing a quick message about what we're doing for the day...I was bored, I know the students were bored (they got wiggly real quick!). By changing it to Chit-Chat Chart, it always ends with a question that we discuss, and usually there is some interactive writing involved (always had trouble fitting that in!?). I must admit, just changing the name to chit- chat chart got my students super interested...and I wrote it on chart paper instead of the whiteboard, made it real colorful, and used bubble letters. I also incorporated lots of phonics- missing letters and the such. This is all stuff I had known before, but Deanna helped me re-see the light! Now my kids are super involved and we have fun during our chit-chat time!
Click here for an example from Deanna.
I will also post some of mine...later!

Another is Babbling Abby over at The Inspired Apple...


I actually bought one of her little activity packs from Teachers pay Teachers. It showed me to just add a little spunk to the work I make, like fun fonts and clipart. And to make units about things like....hot chocolate. What a fun idea! Can't wait to do it with my students...even though it's been about 70 degrees here lately!!

I just recently found Room 36...



I still have some perusing to do, but I can see the ideas are flowing already!

Lots of blogs I have seen so far are K/1st grade...since I also have 2nd graders, I wanted to find some 2nd grade teachers as well (though I can modify/extend the wonderful 1st grade ideas as well). I did find Mrs. Lemons' 2nd grade:


Still have to look through there too...but am loving the "when I was sick" idea.

What these blogs have done for me is help me make things more interesting and fun- more crafty, more colorful...more "connectable" for the students. Kids love color and splash...I admit, I do too!

Thanks y'all, for recharging my batteries!!

I have yet to explore all the wonderful blogs these ladies have listed along the side of their blog...forget the superbowl, here's to exploring!! :)

-An apple for the Teacher

Inspire Me #2

I was reading back in my posts and came across Inspire me #1...and was truly inspired. I had forgotten some of my ideas...good thing I have this blog to remind me! HA!

So we're going to have "inspiration days" and at 1am, my motivation is flowing! Why I'm not also in bed while my baby is sleeping, don't ask me. I'm used to sleep deprivation and am enjoying some time perusing the web and thinking of teaching ideas (many might call me crazy). I don't know about you, but just looking through my thumb drive is inspiration enough...I make so many things, save it, and then forget about it!

When I go back (just a few days!) I want to remind the kids that we can have fun and still learn. Transitioning teachers is never easy and I figure games might help us all ease back in.

It's always good to practice those addition facts. Here's a fun game for students to quickly play at a station or as a "when I'm done" activity. They simply put the cars on the road that leads to the number it equals.

In my creation of this game, I was thinking of a song my mama always sang to me..."Show me the way to go home..." Now I sing it to my boy...



I also am going to have them time and check their accuracy in solving mental math problems. They will use regular flash cards, and with a partner, go through as many facts as they can in one minute. The partner quickly checks if they're right or wrong (as they go), makes 2 piles, and the student counts how many are correct. They record how many, then try again. I thought it might be a cool, simple, motivational tool for them and they can put it in our data notebooks (more on this another time)!

Click here for the recording sheet!

Well, baby is cooing, reminding me I really should get some sleep before he's back up ready to eat!

Have fun! Oh, and, what are your inspirations lately??

Inspire Me #1

In every aspect of life, we all hit snags and run dry. In your occupation, this can make work seem just like that- work. With teaching, there are no moments to just sit and rejuvenate- the students are always with you! Inspiration and motivation are key to keeping it exciting not only for the students- but for you as well.

When you hit a snag, what inspires you?
I'll be honest...I have loved my job because I always get new, fun ideas, but lately, the creative flowing of my brain has been lacking. It has been frustrating me....but today, I had an idea come to me, and it re-inspired my thinking.I like to think of a project or fun activity that I know the students will enjoy, rather than do the same ol' thing. When the students do well, it is instant gratification and will give you the spark you may need.

My math idea from today:
I'm going to make "Super 10" days. This can be held either on days that you make a new 10 on the calendar from counting the days of school or on any date that is a 10 (or multiple of 10!). I haven't decided yet. On Super 10 days, we are going to talk all about 10's. The first activity is to read Math Fables by Greg Tang. This is a fun book that talks about numbers and the parts that make a whole (like 2+2=4). We are beyond this in math, but it's always a good review. The last page is parts that add up to 10. As I read, I am going to have students use animal counters (as the book talks all about animals) and let them manipulate the math as I read it. (Give them a minute to play with them first!). Then, I'm going to let them come up with their own part/part/whole relationships and display them on a poster. This provides collaboration, teaching to others, and allows me to see at a glance what the students can do.

Next, I'll teach them some "Super 10" games.
Like my apple cards!??!

I don't know why these pics won't display the right way!?

One is the pyramid. Make a pyramid with cards, taking out all the face cards. (One card at the top, then cover with two, then three, then four, then five at the bottom.) Students must put the numbers together to make ten. They can only take cards that are not covered up. They can use a card from their extra pile as needed, discarding if they cannot use the top card. The students have loved this one in the past!


Another game is "Ten Towers" from Super Source. The students roll a number cube and place that many unifix cubes as a tower, making ten towers total. They then go back with another color of unifix cubes and roll again, this time only placing the cubes where they can complete a tower to make 10. Whomever makes a tower of ten keeps the tower. The most towers wins!

The best part of teaching these games is that they can then be used as math tubs/centers.
Here is another game. It works like face-off. Students lay markers on the 10's on their side. Students roll two number cubes. If they get 10, they take a marker off. Whoever clears their board first wins!


Are you inspired? What other games can you think of?