Take Your Daughter to Work Day and Word Choice Activity

Howdy! I am posting tonight after a few days quarantine at my house. On Thursday night the baby sitter's son got sick, then on Friday the sitter got sick, then Dahlia got sick, then the hubs got sick, and then...I didn't get sick! HAHAHAHA!!! 

I wonder if it because of all of the germs from the carrier monkeys children, because I have an immunity from having a very similar illness years ago, or because my hands have been rubbed raw from washing. In any case, I have dodged it so far. 

Here is Dahlia at school with me for a couple of hours as a last resort when I got the emergency call to pick her up. She stayed until I could leave and loved all of the attention. I am so glad we left when we did. She was fine for most of the day Friday, but on Saturday, she came down with the same stomach bug as the sitter. Eek! 

Coloring like a big girl

Back to the point. WORD CHOICE! I have done this activity for years. It is easy, virtually preparation free, and the kids LOVE it. I picked 5 words we use way too much. I put them into groups. They made lists on notebook paper. They were allowed several opportunities to give words to and get words from other groups  and then were tasked with finding a creative way to present their words. I gave them the example "Said is dead" with a tombstone. 

Here is what the little darlings came up with. I think they did great. How about you? Well, only comment if you think they did great. Really, or I will come to your blog and dis your class. Not really, but, really...LOL!

Big is going into the shredder

Said is dead. They scrapped their original idea and then panicked when faces with the timer

Good is leaving town. I love how they have the word strapped to the moving truck!

One kiddo said, "Got got caught in a pot!" She thought it was hilarious!

Went is being bullied. You can't see it but the hand extends off of the page and is holding their complete list.

Cute huh!? We also use a series on the traits of writing to cover word choice in a more in-depth way.

Laters,
Brandi

Freebie Friday: Somebody Wanted But So FREEBIE

Hiya out there friends! I have a super fun freebie to share with you for my first ever link up to Freebie Friday.



I have reformatted this activity numerous times and have settled on this one as my favorite. I like that it has a space for them to write their statement as one loooooong sentence. Listen to me ramble! I haven't even told you what is it! Many of you will have seen the activity "Somebody Wanted But So" as an easy way to get kids to summarize. Somebody is the character, wanted is the characters goal, but is the conflict, and so is the resolution to the conflict. Easy peasy! Sometimes you will also see "then" attached to the end. I left that off because I ask my class to choose one statement out of their 5 to write a then about.  I have included a SWBS printable with 5 places for the kids to write. I have also included an example of how to complete the activity. I post the example on my reading bulletin board to remind the kids of what it looks like when done correctly. 

Here is the link to the product on TpT.  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Printable-and-Example-FREE Enjoy this easy activity for centers and small group reading time! 

Teacher's Notebook Anyone?

This is to you, all 18 of my blessed followers. I need some perspective. I am considering two things.

One- Heather over at The Wild Rumpus has me thinking about a custom blog design...I say thinking, I have basically decided to ante up the cash and do it. My homemade version just isn't cutting the mustard, ya know? Thoughts? I contacted Megan, who did her cutie patootie design. I have two in mind.

Two-The next big step is to open a Teacher's Notebook Store. I feel like I am doing all of this work to create my resources in a TpT format, why not also upload to Teacher's Notebook. Anyone out there doing one, the other, or both? I am wondering if any pitfalls await me. Or if you have any tips to ease the start-up.

Toodles from your teacher friend,
Brandi

January Currently and Cheers to 2013

Here I am again, linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy 4th Grade for the 3rd month in a row. Holla!  I think this is my only consistent linky. I love it because it is so easy, fun, and reflective. Like a mini-bloggy scrapbook. Here is what I am thinking for January and 2013.

Listening to the weather is pointless. It's cold and won't be a snow day. John Slater is a cutie patootie though and the remote is on the table. I must really need a little pep in my step after multiple days of the hubs coming home to me in my pj's still. Luckily, school starts back tomorrow.

Loving all of the text message updates that I have received from my sweet little student's mama. She has totally kept me in the loop which allowed me to send out prayer requests and email updates to all of the faculty at my school and the parents in my class. She returns to school in 2 to 4 weeks after real. live. brain surgery! What a blessing technology is my friends. Not to mention all of the amazing people that have helped this wonderful family. {sigh}

Thinking that I have tons to do. Email the parents about our new Revolutionary War Novel Unit, email the Teacher Book Club, grade, post grades, work on my plans, and on and on.

Needing to go grocery shopping. I am not one of those once a week shoppers. I do the major shopping and then try to use all food in my cabinets before I go again. I do hoard certain items because I would die before running out of sweet tea or Miracle Whip. How Okie is that!? The hubs would be happy if all I bought was condiments (pickled jalepenos, A-1, and Head Country BBQ sauce mostly) but we need some other staples and Dora fruit snacks for Dahlia.

OLW- Crush. I just watched one of my favorite episodes of New Girl. I love me some Schmidt. He is adorbs. Ima crush me some 2013. Crush it.

Toodles from your teacher friend,

The Bob Phenomenon or What About Bob?

I have been noticing a trend in 5th grade for years now. I wonder, does anyone else see this happening in their room year after year? Do you see your kids having an unhealthy obsession with...Bob?

Not that Bob! But, while we are on the subject, isn't this a great movie!? Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm a schizophrenic and so am I. HA!

"What Bob?" you ask with eyebrows scrunched. Yes, my bloggy friends, Bob. Each year it starts with one little whippersnapper who thinks, naively that, in fact, they are the first inventor of "Bob." 

Once it was an empty desk that spurred the "Bob Phenomenon" or hereafter referred to as "the BP".  A student was on my role at the beginning of the year. The desk was all ready for him, nametag and all, and then the kid never showed. I hoarded the desk thinking that I would need it later. I also never removed the tag. The kids started chastising anyone who used the desk, saying that the visitor, principal, parent, or whoever was using the desk, was sitting on Bob. They left a space for him in line even! Bob were they disappointed when that kid finally showed up in February and claimed Bob's desk which had been labeled "Colton" for months!

Another year Bob showed up in stick figure cartoons. That kid also said that he was the first to make those kind of cartoons too. That's a whole other 5th grade phenomenon!

Yet another year Bob was the cool nickname for your friends. We had variations like Billy Bob and Joe Bob and Bobby Joe and Kaylee Bob and Silly Bob. Too many to count. 

This year Bob has showed up again. The BP is in it's infancy. Too early to tell what Bobness I am in store for. I will look on, quietly logging stories to embarrass this class with when they are high school seniors. 

Do you notice the BP with your class. Is this just a 5th grade thing? 

I would love to hear from you about your own BP/weird kid behavior. 

And I leave you with an awesome quote from What About Bob?

You think he's gone? He's not gone. That's the whole point! He's never gone! -Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss)

Toodles from your Teacher Friend, 

Bad News:(

Okay Bloggy Friends, I need your help.

I got a text today that one of my students has a brain tumor! I won't go into detail out of respect for the family's privacy, but I am asking for you to send up as many prayers that you can muster. She has surgery tomorrow morning.

Raise her up!
Brandi

Silence for Sandy Hook