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!