Silence for Sandy Hook Elementary

What a Tragedy.....

How heavy my heart is today.   The first thing, among all of the thoughts running through my head was, "Oh my God, I can't wait to get home and hug my son!"  What does a Mom/teacher do in a time like this.....I can not even imagine the heartbreak those families are going through, nor do I ever want to know!  My heart bleeds for all families involved.  The internet is full of people talking gun control, mental health, etc.  Where does one start to insure our children are safe when they go to school?  I know, at my school, we have all been trained for tragedies like this, but who is to say it would go as planned?  

It is a sad day......I am glad I still have my son to hug, love, get mad at, or whatever.......

Second Grade Common Core Workbook

Well, it has been over a week since my last post.  Ha!  I sound like I am in a confessional!  Now on to my reason for posting today......

The Second Grade Common Core Workbook is now available!!!  It includes over 575 resources for Language Arts and Math in one book!  There are activity centers, posters, and worksheets that teach all the common core standards for 2nd grade all in one place!   Click the link (or picture) above to access the page where you can buy your own!  Check it out!!!

I promise I am still around....

Well, it has been a real busy first 8 weeks of school.  I am still around, but do not have any time for blogging.  I am lucky to visit my favorite blogs once a week!  Going from 5th to 2nd has been a real eyeopener!  I teach constantly...from 8-2:30....barely getting a chance to use the bathroom at lunch.  My kids are so dependent, but I am trying to break them of that!  I think I am finally getting the hang of this whole language arts block, literacy stations, reading groups, PALS, etc.  I am beginning to feel a little more comfortable.  I do love the little kids tho!  We had a fundraiser at Chuck E Cheese tonight, and one of my kids saw me, ran up, put his arms around my belly and screamed my name.  Now, my fifth graders NEVER did that! hahaha 

I hope this lasts forever!  Have a great week, bloggers!  I can't guarantee when I will be back, but hopefully things will slow down soon!!!

WoW! What was I thinking???

Oh my....what was I thinking?  I know what I was thinking.....I DO NOT want to go back to the classroom, and I definitely DID NOT want to go back to the smart mouthed 5th graders at our school.  So....with no choice in the matter, because funds ran out, I am now back in the classroom....going from 5th to 2nd.  Talk about a mind boggler!  I thought I would really enjoy the younger grades after being in all grade levels as Math Coach.  It is quite different having your own classroom of them....especially at the beginning of the year.  Do their ears not work?  Do most of them understand the English coming out of my mouth?  (I do have ESL and one non-English speaker).  I also have 2 kids that cry alot.  I made up my mind last week, that I wouldn't take the 5th grade Mrs. Bishop in there and scare the bejesus out of them!  So I went in and tried to be nice.....and I knew after 24 years of teaching, you never smile the first week!  Needless to say, I took the 5th grade Mrs. Bishop in the following day!  It has been a rough first 2 weeks!  Not only getting to know a WHOLE different curriculum, BUT there was NO schedule......I HAVE to have a schedule!  ESL teacher wanting to pull out during my reading time for 40 minutes 5 days a week?!  Then all my specials are at different times!  I have been lost, not eating, or sleeping.....I guess the good is that I have lost 7 lbs.....that is always good!  With young ones, you spend most of your lunch time supervising them thru the lunch line, making sure they know their number, etc.  In 5th, you go on and eat your lunch!  *sigh*

So my eyes have been opened!  I don't really think it is the age group tho.....I think it is I got way too comfortable of being OUT of the classroom, loving my job, and now I have been thrown back IN to the classroom.

It is beginning to settle down a bit, but at the sacrifice of my boys.  I am staying late hours, getting to work early, and still not able to get it all done.  I have to take multiple things home to work on.  It is a work in progress, but I believe it will work.....it kinda has to!

So sorry for not posting in a month.....I have had other obligations!

Ta Ta for now....time to get ready for another day with my 2nd graders!

Have Fun Teaching (A fantastic website)!!!

WoW!!!  I just found a fantastic website with anything and everything you need for activities and lessons in your classroom!!  I am still amazed at what all this site offers and it is FREE!!!!!  The site is Have Fun Teaching.  It has a blog, Pinterest page, and a FB page.  Please take the time to check all these out!  You won't be sorry. 

I have still been working in my room, wondering if I will ever get done!!!  Teachers return the 27th of Aug., and school begins Tuesday after Labor Day.  I have been to school for the past 4 weeks working in my room.  I did finally get my calendar up.  I borrowed the idea from The Lesson Plan Diva.  She has it for sale for $8.50, but I made my own using her idea.  Several people at school are already jealous and wanting to use mine! hahaha  It took a long time to make, and I can see why she charges $8.50 for it!

Anyway, check out the website above.  I am still flabbergasted at what all is offered!

Happy Back to School,

Second Grade Perks: Back to School Giveaway

Second Grade Perks: Back to School Giveaway: Well it's almost that time again. Summer break went so fast for me. Feels like it just started. I'm a nerd though, so I'm pretty excited abo...

Learning is for Superstars: 103!

Learning is for Superstars: 103!: I've reached 103 followers and now - time for a giveaway!  I am giving away any 5 items from my TPT store.  Andrea from Rea...

Moving, cleaning, throwing out, then setting up!

Good morning bloggers!

I apologize for my absence the past couple of weeks.  After Zach and I returned from TN, it was time to get back into my classroom.  My school is having summer school, so the rooms have the AC on right now.  I wanted to take advantage of that!  Beginning last week, Zach and I would get to school by 9, he would volunteer in one of the ESL summer school rooms, and I would slave away in my room.  In case I forgot to mention, I am going back into the classroom after being a Math Coach for 2 years.  (stimulus monies ran out to continue the position).  I taught fifth grade for the previous 20 years, and fourth for my beginning 4 years.  Here, on my 25th year of teaching, I have decided to go to 2nd grade.  I had the option to return to my old classroom, or take a 2nd grade class.  I don't know about where you live, but the attitudes of students and their lack of respect just kills me!  The 5th graders lately have been atrocious.  (I teach at a  school where about 70% get free or reduced lunch.  We just got school wide Title I, so I am hoping this helps the students and their families! )

Okay, I jaywalked.  I didn't feel like I needed the added stress of the students in fifth grade, so I opted to make a new change into 2nd grade.  Everyone tells me I will love it.  While a math coach, I was able to work in many classes/grade levels.  I loved the younger kids!  They love it when you come in to do a lesson, are always enthusiastic (most of them), and that is what I wanted!

Now, to what I have been doing all summer.....We had a teacher retire from 2nd grade, and I will take her position.  She left me all, and I mean ALL her stuff.  Before school was out, she had her kids move all her 'stuff' into the lockers, above the lockers, (and anywhere else she could find) into my new room.  It had been an RTI classroom, so it didn't have alot of stuff to move.  To make a long story short somewhat short, she pretty much just walked out of the building the last day of school.  When she moved her stuff to my room, she moved EVERYTHING!  She didn't weed out the OLD stuff from the 80s, she just had her kids move it all.  However, she was nice enough to give me all her files, resource books she had purchased, visual things she had purchased to go with China, Egypt, Indians, etc.  The problem was this.....Not only did I have to move ALL my stuff to a new room, I have had to go through ALL her stuff before I can even BEGIN to unpack/setup my stuff.

The week after school, I (and I mean I) moved all my stuff into my new room.  Granted, it was only across the hall, but I had alot of crap materials/resources to move.  Oh, and that week after school there was NO AC!  I may have blogged about that.  It was brutal!  I did have some help moving the big pieces of furniture.

So last week and this week, I have been weeding through all the stuff that teacher left me.   I am still not finished.  I work a bit on her stuff, then try to work a bit on my stuff, but it seems like it is taking me FOREVER!!!  I have thrown out a bunch of stuff, and kept some things.  I am grateful she left me her 'stuff', I just wish it could have been cleaned out a bit.  I know the custodians have LOVED me!

I am now able to see the floor in my room in some spots.  I have been so busy, that I have not taken any pics.  If I remember, I will do that today.  I did get my pictures and such up yesterday, so it looks a little more 'me-like' .  It still looks like there is ALOT to do, but I have the next 3 weeks when my son is at a summer camp. No AC after next week tho....  With our 100 degree temps during the day, I can't stay and work for long!

Okay, wow, that was long-winded!  A couple of more things.....The whole Penn State scandal has really upset my husband.  He is from PA, always loved PSU, and JoePa was a huge idol in his life!  He got his first tattoo Tuesday to show his support for JoePa.

He said it hurt like hell and he would have gotten it smaller had he known!  heh  Also, my son got his haircut.  He wanted a mohawk, but of course, I said NO!  The hair cutter lady made him one with gel!

Last but not least, Zach tested for his Blue Belt in Tae Kwon Do last night, and got it!

Alright....it is time for me to get a shower, take Zach to Summer Blast (camp), then head to school to do more cleaning/weeding/settingup!

Have a great day! 

Math Coach's Corner: Go For the Gold Giveaway!

Here is a great giveaway!!!  Please go by Donna's blog and sign up for her contest, TPT store, FB, and all the rest!!


Math Coach's Corner: Go For the Gold Giveaway!: There are really two reasons for this giveaway.  First, I really wanted to try Rafflecopter.  What a cool way to host a giveaway!  Second...

Vacation #1 and #2

Hi everyone,

It has been very busy in our household since my last post.  School got out, I spent the next week moving my classroom from one room to another, and still did not get it set up!  No AC in the rooms I was working in, so progress was slow.  I did, however, get all my stuff moved.  Needless to say, you can not walk in the room, but all my crap stuff is in the room. 

The next week (June 23-July 1) we went on our summer vacation to the Outer Banks.  This is our annual Bishop family vacation.  My husband's parents and brother/family go too.  We get a house in Rodanthe and all stay together!  It was a fun time.  We also do an annual family pic.  We make our own tie dyed shirts than have the pic made.

 The Bishop clan.

 The Grandparents with grandkids and granddogs.

 The original Bishop family.

My Bishop family. 

We left Sunday, July 1st headed back to Richmond.  After these pics were taken, my camera battery died.  I knew as soon as I got home, I had to charge my battery in anticipation of our 2nd vacation.  I looked and looked and couldn't find my camera.  I left it at the rental house.  I called the rental company twice, and no one has turned in my camera.  Some house cleaner in Rodanthe  has a $300 camera with all my pics on the SD card.  That's another story in itself, and one that gets me pissed off very angry when I talk about it!!!

On Monday, my son and I began our second vacation....journeying from Richmond, VA to Savannah, TN....a lovely 750 mile trek (with a 7 yr old.....but he was great!)  We bypassed Nashville, and got in a deadlocked traffic jam after an accident happened around the corner from us.  We sat there for an hour.....making our drive 13 hours!  But we made it safely!  We will be here in TN for a week or so, and head back to Richmond on the 12th.

Have a great summer.....my posts were scarce during school, and will be even more this summer.  Hopefully I will post progress of my room setup when I get back 'into the groove' after vacations, and my son goes to summer camp!!!

Until then,
Peace and Love fellow bloggers!

AWOL but for a good reason!

Hi everyone,

Well, we are finally out of school for the summer!!!  I have been busy the past couple of weeks with the end of school, and the past week, my son has been involved with baseball playoffs.  It all ended Saturday with the Championship game.  Yes, they won!!!  It was a very stressful week for me (nervous Nellie), but it was worth it in the end! 

This is his Championship trophy.  He also got a team trophy, so he is on cloud 9!

Other than baseball and the end of school, I found out that I have to change classrooms again.  I am moving back into the classroom into 2nd grade, but I am already on the 2nd grade hall.  I was a bit overwhelmed when my principal told me I had to move.  We also have Summer School at my school this year, so that made it all a bit more stressful.  I didn't know when I would get my stuff moved, and plan for a whole new curriculum.  She worked hard, listened to me and my worries concerns, and was able to leave my rooms (new and old) available to me during Summer School.  No class will be held in it.  YaY!  Another stresser (I know it is not a word, but work with me) was we leave for the beach the 24th of June, and upon our return on the 1st of July, we  will turn around and go to TN (on the 2nd) to visit my family for 2 weeks (back July 12).  (a lovely 750 mile drive....12 hours or so with a 7 yr old).  Summer school begins July 9, and I was concerned I would not be able to get all my room moved and set up for summer school.  BUT, it has all worked out in the end.  I am busy moving my things this week, and hope to have it all moved by Thursday. 

Changing classrooms the past 3 years, I have purged quite a bit, but I still have 24 years of stuff, and even more stuff now that I blog, find freebies,  and get wonderful things from TPT and Teacher's Notebook!!! 

Okay, I am rambling now!  When life slows a bit, I will be back to making things for freebies and to sell in my TPT store.  Have a wonderful summer, and I will be around in a few weeks!

Happy Memorial Day and a Freebie!

Happy Memorial Day to you and yours!  First, I want to thank all the men and women who have served or are still serving our country.  I would not have my freedoms if it were not for you!!!  I appreciate all you do for us!

Now, a FREEBIE!!  I know I have posted freebie counting by 5s and 10s before, but you can never have too many of these.  Some students have difficulty getting this skill, so hopefully these cute little dragons will inspire a student to practice and finally learn them!  To challenge mine, I also have them count by 5s and 10s backwards!!!  Anyway, please visit my TPT Store to pick yours up!  Don't forget to leave me some feedback!

Thanks and have a GREAT day!

Summer Time Ordinal Numbers

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to let you know that I have added another product to my TPT Store.  Since I will be going to 2nd Grade next year, I decided to make a few things before the year ended/began.  Our students are preparing for the state tests (and some have already begun), and I wanted to help out the second graders.  Check out this activity for only $1!!!

Have a GREAT Memorial Day!  We are out of school tomorrow and Monday, so here's to a LONG holiday weekend!!!  14 more days!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Good Morning, Bloggers!

I hope today finds you well, and eager to begin a new week at school.  I have been AWOL again.  Whew!  I love being a Mom, but where does the time go???  Between work, TaeKwonDo, baseball, housework, cooking, etc, time flies!!! 

I do want to wish all the Mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day!!!  For today (and maybe tomorrow if I don't forget!), you can get my Shopping for Sweets math center free only here on my blog!  It is in Google Docs, and I hope you enjoy!  Please leave some blogger love if you download it!!!

Thanks, and again, Happy Mother's Day!!!

Hmph....I have been AWOL!

So sorry to all my blog followers and any drive-by folks,

I am not going to make excuses.  I just haven't been here!  Anyway, I have posted new activities to my TeachersPayTeachers website.  Please go there and check them out.  Also, if you have not been to Classroom Freebies and Classroom Freebies Too, you need to check these websites out!  They have freebies all day long, and it is usually more than one or two! 

Have a great day blogger friends!

Teaching Blog Addict: Celebrating TBA's 1st Birthday with a Giveaway!

Teaching Blog Addict: Celebrating TBA's 1st Birthday with a Giveaway!: Teaching Blog Addict is turning one on April 8th!  When Tamara posed the question on her blog asking who else was as addicted to teacher bl...

Freebie listed in my TpT Store!

Please check out my latest freebie listed in my TpT Store.  It is Fractions - Closer to 0, 1/2, or 1 whole.  Please go by and check it out!!! 

Finding Fractions of a Set (Safari Fractions)

I have just uploaded a math center activity on finding fractions of a set.  There are 24 cards to match the question with picture to the correct fraction.  The first two people to comment and leave their email will receive the set free!!!  If you are not one of the first 2, you can purchase it for $1.50 at my TpT store. 

Busy Busy Busy

Hi Everyone in Blogland.....

Seems like it is longer and longer between my posts.  Honestly, I am trying to get my TPT store up and running, and have neglected my blogging.  Right now even, I am forcing myself to do this, even tho the VCU Rams are about to play in the NCAA Mens Basketball tourney.  Last year, they were the 'Cinderella' team and made it all the way to the Final Four, busting everyone's bracket on the way!  But, I will finish this post before I watch the game! haha Yeah RIIIIIIIIGHT!

Anyway, for those that visit my TPT store, you will notice I had to change my Dr. Seuss activities I made.  Scrappin Doodles, where I got the digital art for those activities, was notified that they were violating copyright laws.  I didn't see it, but oh well.  One would think that Dr. Seuss had made enough money, and wouldn't care if teachers used 'Dr. Seuss's name and characters' in educational stuff.  Guess they are still money hungry...wanting their share of the PIE .  I didn't think any of Scrappin Doodles' graphics looked exactly like the Seuss stuff, and I didn't name any of my things by that name, either.  BUT, I got an email, stating that I had to remove all stuff, free or being sold, with those graphics.  So, I went in this past weekend and changed them all.  It was irritating as hell, but people are still buying them! 

The latest activity I have listed is my Leprechaun graphing activity.   It is for $1 in my TPT store.

It's almost Friday!!!  Have a great weekend!