Jumping into summer!

Today was the last day. As I am sure every teacher does, we had mixed feelings....sadness, happiness, over-it-ness, missing our kids already-ness! The last day always goes by fast. It's a mixture of "oh my gosh I have to get my room cleaned, I get to be outside all day, and I have to pass out report cards and give all my friends 5th grade pep talks". Really, teachers do it all, ya know.

After the sunscreen was added and lunches were gone, we were ready to go outside! For us big kids, field day was from 1:00-2:45. Teachers walk around to each station with their class~ it was too much fun for me not to join in. I would say my favorite station was the hula hoop station. Here, students hold hands and make the hula hoops go around their bodies. The kiddos loved the water station, duh, they were able to get wet and cool down!

 We have parent volunteer and classroom aides assist during field day..how does you school do it? 

The following pictures are pictures from our end of the year party. Only a select few get invited, depending on how many points they get throughout the year (it's like golf, lowest score wins!). We cooked out, we played life sized Jenga, bubbles, had a water balloon fight, and played ships and sailors. We had a great time!

One last thing~ as a teacher, do you do anything towards the end of the year? I love putting a small amount of glitter in my the report cards. This is my 3rd year doing it! I randomly use glitter throughout the year (BECAUSE I LOVE IT!) so I know my students will think of me when they open their report cards.

Be great this summer! 

Never too old to write!

Being a fourth grade teacher means a lot. It means your students are on the verge of being big kids. It means you are always on call for giant hugs--or mean glances, depending on the day, and the student. It means harder spelling, reading and math! It means Indiana history (if you live in Indiana, of course!). It means your students are young enough to still love you and old enough to understand your sense of humor! It also means B-O. Yes, you read that right. Body Odor. Trust me, on recess days towards 'the end', you do not want to be in a 4th grade classroom after recess. It can get stinky! (Disclaimer: the beginning of the year never smells as bad as the end of the year! Take our word for it, do not sniff!) 

Today, we did shaving cream spelling. It was just awesome. Not only did the room smell very nice and refreshing, but the kids had actual fun! Our little 9 and 10 year olds love this stuff! Just because 4th grade is getting up there in the age department does not mean they do not enjoy some good S&S (shaving and spelling instead of R&R....see what I did there?)

Some tips for shaving cream spelling.....
*Use the restroom and get a drink before it commences (even 4th graders can have a hard time holding it!)
*Give each desk, or work area, a large squirt of shaving cream so you do not have to return!
*Give students directions before they touch the shaving cream
        ~Use only one hand
        ~Take 3 or 4 fingers and spread out the shaving cream in the middle of you work area so that you are able to write a word.
       ~When the teacher says "Clear." that means wipe your area with yuor 3-4 fingers to start your new word.
*When done with the spelling list give students time to play in the cream! Remind them that is should stay in the center of their work area and it should only be on one hand! (this really makes clean-up much easier for the teacher! When the shaving cream in rubbed a lot it dries up and disappears. Allow the students to use paper towel if they are having trouble.)
*When all the desks are clear and everyone has washed their ,we clean our desktops with our amazing cleanup spray. You need to getcha some.
*Remember, if it gets on clothes, carpet, or a face.....its clean and washes out!


Have fun, friends!

Our new favorite things....

Ok. Can't lie. We have a lot of favorite things...Converse shoes, puppies, Tervis', Destin Florida, little babies, rain boots, food, getting pedicures, our planners, a new package of card stock...the list could go on! But-today, right this moment, we will talk about our love for Kahoot's.

 

Have you heard of Kahoot? If not, listen up. It's cool, it's fun, it's interactive technology and kids love it. You can create your own interactive Kahoot or use one of the many already made Kahoot's.

After creating an account and logging in, click on quiz to start creating your own!

In order to use in the classroom you need to have access to computers, iPads, iPods, or some sort of device that has access to the internet. In our classrooms, we pair students into groups of 2 or 3 and have them create a team name using their names combined. For example: Lizz and Lesley would be LizzLey. It is so fun to see how creative their new names are and it doesn't take up a lot of time. Here are some examples of how creative names can get. (aubby=Audrey and Gabby)



The first time we introduced kahoot to our rooms we created a quiz that was short and easy so our students could get the hang of it. It had 5 questions all relating to our classroom. These were questions only my students would know the answer to so I made it a private quiz.

 

Once you have played around with the sight some, you will be a pro! It is an easy to use site and doesn't take long to navigate. The picture below shows the Kahoots created by me, the ones other people have created that I like, and ones that other teachers have shared with me.








 Be sure to play our end of the year math quiz~this is perfect for 4th grade! It is called End of Year Fun-Math Style .

Happy Kahoot~ing!

It tastes like summer

School is nearing the end. The teachers know it, the parents know it, the students know it, heck, even our husbands know it! It is almost summer. We made it.

Today I gave away a 'summer tasting drink' to a deserving student who won our most recent game of sparkle. All of the kids were so jealous of her sweet cup (thanks Taking on Second!), the bendy straw, and the 'summer' drink inside.

To make this drink is easy. You only need 3 ingredients: water, Crystal Light Lemonade, and Tazo Tea Passion. Boil about 2-3 cups (depending on how strong you want it) of water and add 2 tea bags. Let the tea sit in the boiling water for about 5-10 minutes. While the tea is 'cooking' make the Crystal Light Lemonade according to the package. When the tea is done, pour the hot tea into the lemonade and stir. Allow to cool before serving.



This is the best summer time drink. So refreshing!