New Font

Happy Saturday!

I do not think I will land a job in web design any time soon.  It was brought to my attention that it is very hard to read the font I chose for this blog.  So, I went ahead and changed it.  I hope it's easier for you to read! :)

Eric, let me know what you think of this font. :)

New posts coming soon.  It's been a busy break!

Flocabulary - Five Things (Elements of a Short Story)

Hi!
I came across a great You Tube video the other day on Pinterest that I wanted to share. Our class is in the process of writing their own "trickster tale".  Students began by completing a story map to help organize their ideas.  They came up with the characters, setting, plot, and conflict (trick). This video is great because it helps introduce each aspect to the students.  They loved it!

Jacob's here!

Happy Wednesday!

After Thanksgiving there is a special visitor at the Jones house...Jacob the Elf.  He is a mischievous little elf and we love to see what kinds of things he does while we're sleeping.  He started coming to our house two years ago and Riley adores him.  Jacob came with a note from Santa this year.  He told Riley that he's counting on her to teach Jacob how to behave.  The first morning we found Jacob drinking syrup out of a straw!

He's had a "snowball fight" with marshmallows.

 

He's tee-peed our tree.

 

He wrote a note on Riley's bathroom mirror.

He's even drawn on one of our family pictures. 

   

We love having Jacob at our house! He has brought out the kid in all of us. :)

                                                              

Puzzle Maker

Happy Saturday!

One of my projects this semester was to write a technology curriculum for third grade.  We have computer lab time every week and while there are Information & Technology standards, there are not ready-to-use lesson plans. So, I set out to create some.


Yesterday our class had fun creating a word search puzzle using Puzzle Maker on the Discovery Education website.

I created a list of computer terms they needed to include and they plugged them in. The software generates random word searches that we could print and use right away. The students liked that every puzzle came out different even though they all used the same words.  You can choose from word searches, mazes, and cross word puzzles.  It's a fun tool and it's free! :)

Math_conference_2012

Hi!
Today is the day....I am turning in my Phase 4 Portfolio! It is one of the last steps before graduation and I could not be happier.  It's been a long road (about 8 years since I started back to school in Michigan). I'm grateful to have had the chance to attend school and meet wonderful people along the way.  In celebration of our upcoming graduation, I decided to post one of my favorite videos from the Math Conference earlier this year.  Katie, Sarah, Natalie, and I had such a fun time!





Happy Friday!

It's been awhile...

Hi!
It has been awhile since I've posted a blog. I have been hard at work finishing up things for school and in order to finish all of it I had to take a break from Facebook, Blogger, and Pinterest.  I'm usually done with assignments and papers well in advance but this semester has been a little different.  I have not been late with my assignments, but I certainly have not been early.  :)

So, I figured I would post a "catch up" blog.

1) I found these cute keyboard stickers on Amazon a few weeks ago.  I was thinking of using them as part of a Word Work station for Daily 5 but I'm scratching the keyboarding from Word Work all together.  I still think they are cute and Riley seems to like them. :)

 

2) Riley participated in Election Day again. The first time she came and voted with me (2008) she was asleep in her car carrier.  This time she went in with Nick and I and got to see the voting booth.

3) At school, Riley had to decorate a turkey to make it look like a member of our family. This is what Riley's turkey ended up looking like:

 

4) We had a great day at school yesterday! There was a PBIS assembly in the afternoon and Grandparent's Day in the afternoon.  On the calendar Grandparent's Day comes around in September, but our principal decided to schedule the Grandparent's Day right before Thanksgiving break.  This is brillant because it meant that grandparents who live out of state could come and celebrate at our school while they are in town!  We had a great time. :)

For the next 5 days I will be enjoying a nice break and spending time with my family.  I hope you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving. :)

Honesty is the Best Policy

One thing I love about kids is that they are brutally honest- especially younger ones.  Some of them have not learned how to filter their comments yet, which can be helpful when you are looking for truthful answers.

I just finished Week 9 of my student internship and one of the components I have to complete for the University is a mid-point evaluation.  I complete one, my cooperating teacher completes one, and then we compare notes.  Well, I thought it would be a good idea to have my students complete one too.  After all, they see me teach every day and they can offer valuable insight into how I teach.  I used one of the surveys I found in the text  Comprehensive Classroom Management: Creating Communities of Support and Solving Problems, Vernon & Louise Jones, 8th Ed., 2007 and added two additional questions.

Here's what I ended up with:

This survey offered me some valuable insight into how my students view me.  They also liked having the chance to "grade" me.  Enjoy your day!

Just another ordinary Friday...

Friday was quite the day! It's not every day that the Vice President of the United States makes a stop at a local middle school gymnasium. :)  Now, I have to make a quick disclaimer:  I am not making a political statement about either party! I am simply saying it is kind of exciting that the current Vice President comes to a school district to speak. So, I had to go and check it out.  Mr. Jones took some students with him from his school and I went with.

                 

 I have to say the teachers and staff at Aldrich did an AMAZING job getting ready for this event and handling all of the "things" that went along with it. :)

Superintendent Steve McNeal 

Tom Barrett

The media

V.P. Biden

Picture taken on my cell phone (not the best). :)

 After this event wrapped up, I hurried back to my school in time to have our class Because of Winn-Dixie party.

We just finished reading the book and celebrated by watching the movie and throwing a party just like the one in the story.  I cut out lots of dog pictures and decorated the hallway with them.  We put up pink, orange, and yellow crepe paper on our door and wrapped some horehound candy in tin foil for Littmus Lozenges.  Our wonderful parents set up a table full of egg salad sandwiches, peanut butter sandwiches, pickles, and Dump punch too!

It was quite the day and one I won't soon forget!

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

Happy Tuesday!

Since I was sharing pictures from the Pumpkin Patch yesterday, I thought it would be fun to post some pictures when I was Riley's age at the Pumpkin Patch.  These gems are from Fall 1985.

My sister and I (1985)

Riley (2012)

                                                 

Mrs. Jones (1985)

Mrs. Jones pouting on a pumpkin

Riley in front of the same Oscar sign

One of my favorite pictures of all time is the one above.  I am the one pouting on the pumpkin because my mom told me I had to take a nap when we got home.  My little sister Amy is the cute one smiling. Although Riley was smiling in her picture, she was acting like how I looked in my picture just moments before.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!  Enjoy your day. :)

Sometimes You Have To Stop and Smell the Apple Cider Donuts

Happy Monday!

Sometimes it feels like the weekend is just long enough to get caught up and then it's over. That's how this weekend felt for me. Maybe it's because my mind has been preoccupied with the Phase 4 Portfolio that's coming due in a few weeks. I always get myself so worked up over these requirements. This one has been especially hard because my focus this semester has been on teaching, not on course work. Not to mention it's the last step before graduation!  :)

Anyway, I was getting myself ready to spend the entire day at the library on Saturday when Riley came into the kitchen ready to talk.  She wanted to tell me a story.  She wanted to tell me about something that happened at school.  She wanted to tell me about what she wants to do with her pumpkin and about her costume, and on and on and on.  She needed my attention.  She needed me. As hard as it was, I knew I needed to abandon my plans for school work and spend some time with her and Nick.  So, that's what we did.  We got in the car and went to the Pumpkin Patch.

 It's been years since I've been there and not much has changed. :)

 We had so much fun walking around and seeing the animals.

Ry especially liked her pumpkin with purple hair. 

It ended up being a perfect fall day and I'm glad I didn't miss out on it. I have not always been good about turning off my "school mode" for "family mode".  It's been a difficult at times to balance as I work to finish my degree.  Saturday was one of those days that I realized that sometimes the best moments are the ones that aren't in the original plan. Sometimes you have to stop and smell the apple cider donuts. :)