Let's Get Aquainted and Spring Break Bucket List

Hey Y'all!

I am super excited to have a couple of new new-to-me linky parties to participate in. It is my first time to link up with both of these ladies. Should be fun!

Flying Into First hosts a fun {{and easy}} linky party to help us all get to know each other.

Latoya's Let's Get Acquainted this week is 2 Truths and a Lie. Just so you know, I am a terrible liar. I all blinky and clench my teeth. Good thing this party is digital! You can't see me....nanny nanny boo boo! Here goes:

1. In Junior High, I performed a choreographed dance to "Rockin' Robin" for a 4H Talent show. Complete with poodle skirts.

2. When I was a little bitty girl, my dad's friends called me "That barefooted river bottom girl."

3. I have a disappearing birthmark on my big toe.

Which do you think is my lie? Comment your pick. I will do a reveal at the end of the party.



I am also jumping on the opportunity to get motivated with Brigid at Brigid's Daily Lesson Log. She is hosting a "Spring Break Bucket List" linky. Anyone who knows me, knows that lists are one of my favorite things. Watch me load my list with things I have already done! It makes me feel accomplished, which makes me want to do more on my list.

Brandi's Spring Break Bucket List

1. Go camping with the family

2. Repost Theme Task Cards...without errors!

3. Finish Student Led Conference Materials

4. Plant flowers with Dahlia

5. Go to the grocery store:/

6. Fold all of the laundry :/

7. Babysit Baby Mara for Katie

8. Make BBQ chicken pizza **insert Yum here

9. Work on yard

10. Play outside with Dahlia

11. Blog at least 5 times

12. Thrift shop

13. Write Budding Blogger post

14. Plan for 100 follower giveaway- so close!

15. Upload items to TN

16. Shop for paint for the living room and new door knobs

17. Call to chat with the bestie

18. Have a mini-date with the hubs

19. PEDICURE!

20. Shave legs before pedi. LOL!!

21. Make Spring Break Bucket List

22. Buy Dahlia's Easter Bunny Basket items

23. Play the new video game the hubs got me

24. Watch my DVRed shows (New Girl, Smash, Whitney, Big Bang...the list grows!)

I should mention that it also makes me very happy that Blogger has the formatting button to cross through. I love to cross my list out. Do you like to cross your list, or do you use checks next to the items?

I'm off to blog stalk all of the other link participants:)

Toodles,

Rockin Student Led Conferences

Hey Y'all!

Every year since I have been teaching, I have done student led conferences in the spring. I have to admit, when I first did them, I was just following the lead of my team. I was completely on board and enthusiastic about the concept, but a bit nervous. I had never structured them myself, and I used whatever forms and plans that my team had used previously.

Now that I have been doing student led conferences for 8 years *insert "You don't look old enough..." comment here*, I have made them my own. After reflecting, I think that this is the best round I have ever had.

Possible Reasons for My Best Student Led Conferences yet:

• I kept the work I thought the class did very well on as a whole (and a couple we bombed), to add to the portfolio work that students had been collecting throughout the year. It was nice to see the kids reflect on the work I picked, not just things they had gotten good grades on.

• Most of the class had previously done a student led conference with me last year or with another teacher.

• All of our data collection and charting all year made it easy to analyze grades and assessment data for the conferences. I could also really tell that the kids were very comfortable reflecting on their work since they had previous practice.

• I used new materials (that I had created). The forms and documents were fresh to me, which made me more aware while taking the kids through the process. Also, the fun ROCK STAR theme goes right along with our school discipline model.

• We practiced a lot!

• I circulated during practice time and gave notes on what to do and not to do at the actual conference.

• It was fun. A couple of the things I asked the kids to do were "less than serious" and it think it was just what the doctor ordered. They are kids, after all! The theme helped a lot.

I recently uploaded my conference forms to my TpT store. If you want to give them a look-see, click here!


Bee Tee Dubs, in case you haven't had conferences yet, the first three to comment can have my "ROCKIN Student Led Conferences" packet for free!

Do you do student led?

Toodles,

Camping on Gopher Hill

We packed up our gear and headed east, to my hometown, to camp at the best place ever. Home sweet home. Dahlia was the fifth generation of my family to set foot on that land. The menfolk cleared land at the exact place that my favorite house ever stood, before it burnt down. It is funny how land evolves and changes after 20 years of being uninhabited by people.

All the hard work was done by the time we pulled up to the campsite. All we had to do was put up our new tent! Call me crazy, but I love to put tents up. Taking them down and managing to fold them into a shape that fits into the tiny bag...not so much.

My Mama and her "man friend" 

relaxing

Camping isn't complete without a princess flashlight!

...or a pink camp chair!

...or a place to put your sippy cup!

Cecil, or as Dahlia started calling him, "Sissy!" At least she stopped calling him Brian on purpose!

Daffodils from the good old homeplace:) I dug up lots of these, irises, and  Easter lilies to plant at my new home. 

Yes, we have a waterfall! And some tires! lol

The North Canadian River

This used to be a schoolbus!

Raccoon tracks!

The guys were happy to see deer tracks all over. We saw some monster buck tracks while searching for arrowheads!

Walking along the river bank. 

Danger! Sandy bottoms ahead!

Dancing Queen

complete with ballerina shirt

Mark splitting wood

The boys relaxing!

That big Oklahoma sky

Mama and her pal, Cheryl. Just ignore that sweatshirt!

fire out, packed, heading home

Saying goodbye

We had a great time with our family and friends! Hopefully, we will do it all over again soon. I love the land and all of the happy memories I have made there. I love that Dahlia and Jeremiah are getting to make some too. Now, off to work on some TpT products! I have been slacking and have a bit of alone time today. 

Toodles. 

Spring Break, Okie Style

Hey Teacher Friends,
     It is officially Spring Break around these parts and I am prepping to meet the mister and our pals in my hometown. We have big camping plans. As I like to say to my bestie, "Let's make a memory!" The last weekend we spent there looked a little like this...

Riding down a dirt road...'nuf said. 

 and this.....

Trail to the south side of the river. 

Sweeten the deal with some time with my Mama AND some sweet tea? Don't mind if I do. Add a big bonfire and some bank poles? Yes Ma'am! Sleeping under that big Oklahoma sky in the exact place where I grew up?  My heart is all a flutter. I'm heading to pack the quilts and my Great Granny's cast iron skillet. 

While I am off the grid, I will have my camera. Pictures coming soon and maybe some more teacherly posts later in the break. 

Bye Y'all!

My Laptop Woes

I just bought a new laptop. The old one was on it's last leg. It died and was frozen. As I was booting up the new laptop, my friend was working on the old one. He seems to have it all set and working again. At least I can get all of my pictures and music and such off of the old one.

I am glad to have a working laptop for all of my bloggy and TpT obsessions. I have missed you all!
Now I just need to work on getting all of my fonts on this new machine;) Off to Kevin and Amanda!

Toodles,

Currently Marches In

Howdy Do! 

Linking up thrice in one week?! I was in a bloggy funk. Not now. I cycle through productive and not so productive times. It may be medical! lol. Any-whooo! I am linking up with Farley for her fab Currently. Go see it!

listening- Did I mention Dahlia on the show is just too rude? Also, all of the Sheas crack me up. And the theme song is boss. And I want my hair to be the color of Tessa's.

loving- I have found a few excellent cardigans and a comfy summer dress lately. And for cheap cheap cheap.

thinking- Those clothes are so calling my name. And I just keep pretending they are the kid who is calling out during an inappropriate time..."I can't hear yoouuuu!" lol!

wanting-LBP is the bestest cutest game. The sack people are so cutesy and the whole game set-up is super fun. Up to four players can play too. Party at my house?

needing- That daggone door knob is killing me! I actually had to go out the backdoor and cross through the patio the other morning. Lowes, here I come.

like, love, hate- LIKE: Bromances. Lemme explain. The hubbers has the best guy friends. They are all so sweet with their little friendships. It makes my heart happy to have such wonderful men as friends. LOVE: Dahlia dances and writhes around in the living room. She sings and shakes her tiny tush. That sweet girl is the bees knees. Love it! HATE: Big babies-Adults out there, grow up and get over yourself. Plenty of people have a far worse time than you. Put your big girl panties on and stop being a little sister. Rant over:)

Y'all come back now,

Five For Friday- Holler!

Howdy Teacher Friends!

Linking up with Doodle Bugs makes me happy. I have been pretty good at taking pictures at school this week, which always make it more fun to post.

Here are my five randoms:
1. We almost had a snow day...then it hardly snowed at all. I was glad since what I am calling our "faux snow day" used up our time accumulated and we would have actually had to make the day up.Snow days on days without actual snow to play in are blah. The roads were just too sketchy for buses. I am NOT for additional days at the end of the year. Somewhere in all of the chaos, we made fun cause and effect chains. Check it out here!

2. Happy Birthday Dr. Suess! I was Pin-spired to celebrate and had a little help from my intern, Ms. J. She is an honest to goodness teacher now. She is filling in next door for my 4th grade neighbor who is on maternity leave. I love having a partner in crime a couple of steps away, plus if I need to pee, she will look in. Bonus! How many other jobs require you to hold or or suffer a lawsuit!? Lol!

She was in charge of the pudding for our "green eggs" and had a little snafu with the selection at Wally World. She ended up with a variety pack. That poor thing left during her plan to head to the Dollar General to get all vanilla snack packs.

She is such a cutie! And she can teach...watch out! 

How it looked before the kids did their magic

Green eggs and "red fish." They look greener in person, promise!

3. I went to the doctor for what I thought was a kidney infection. The good news- no kidney infection. The bad news-I have a back issue. They call it "muscular-skeletal pain," the hubs says it is basically a back spasm. I say it is just plain dumb. I need to loose some weight and work to strengthen my back muscles. I am stretching daily now and taking an anti-inflammatory med. Oh, joy! 31 NEXT MONTH! Holy thirties, Batman! 

4. My Theme Task Cards are flying off the shelf. Holler!! (Hence the title.) Author's Perspective Task Cards and Measuring with a Ruler {Inches}Task Cards are also selling! I love it when my hard work is well received. If you aren't using the free TpT app, you should be. It will make your day. It makes a cha-ching sound when you sell something. Happy happy:)

5. We had our first annual Student Art Show today. I was postponed from the faux snow day and the almost snow day. Here are some examples of our amazing art displays. Two are pinspired and one is inspired by our therapy dog, Sunshine. 

Sunshine inspired "Puppy Love" display

This creepy little dog makes my heart sing  I love the stylized way one group of my boys draws. 

Check out the shading on his little mouth! Purple and yellow are complementary colors too. 

Liquid watercolors made these so bright and fun. Easy project too!

We handpainted the paper that the birds are made from. Salt made the colors look mottled. 

Here is the pin for the bird in a cage art. 

Here is the pin for the birds and birch trees art or you can hop over to Deep Space Sparkle.

Don't forget to grab your button to show your state pride over at Fifth in the Middle. Can you see on the side of the blog that I am an Oklahoma Blogger? Love. Love. Love it. Tell Diane I sent ya;)

 Toodles,

Sponsored Links Anyone?

Hey Y'all,

Blogger conundrum ahead....

I got an email from Big Event Fundraising. They are interested in paying me to insert a sponsored link on this little ole blog. Yikes! I have never even considered such a thing. I read plenty of fabulous blogs with sponsored links along the side.Sometimes I even click them. I have no personal problem with such links.

I am just really ignorant to how all of it works. I am doing some research to help me with the decision.

I should just say that regardless of how I end up on this issue, I was super flattered to even get an email about this. It could have been spam and I would still have been happy.

In the past, my bloggy buds have had great advice. Any experience with sponsored links or this particular company?

Toodles,

Link Up- Blogs by State

Hey Y'all!
How cute is this graphic?!

Blogs By State is a new feature on Diane's blog, Fifth in the Middle. I was so excited to see it. Head over and grab a button to show your pride. My Okie Button is just what the doctor ordered. I can't wait to stalk her and find other Okie bloggers. Are they out there??

Toodles,