Bye-Bye Google Reader, Hello Bloglovin'!!

I am 100% sure you've heard about the soon-to-be death of Google Reader on July 1st, right? 

cute pic courtesy of Oliver + S

I do NOT like change......especially when it comes to my bloggin' world......BUT......we gotta roll with the punches {I guess}. 

Stay in touch with {Third Grade & Lovin' It} by following along with Bloglovin'!!

 

 If you need any help setting up your own blog on Bloglovin', Megan from {I Teach. What's your Superpower?} has an awesome video tutorial to walk you through it.  It's less than a minute and half and totally easy!


Keep livin' the dream,

{FiVe for FRIDAY} fun.....and a new find !!!

Hello, all my lovely bloggin', summer lovin', teacher friends!!  How is your summer going???  Just swimmingly, I hope :)

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching and having some {FiVe for FRIDAY} fun. 

Don't you just love that Friday sneaks up on you during the summer?!?!  During the school year, we can tell anyone (down to the microsecond) how far away Friday is.....but not now, my friends.....who knows what day it is at any given moment during the summer???  NOT me!!!

My {FiVe for FRIDAY} is incredibly random this week.....so here we go:

1)  I have been stalking this poor woman's blog every day patiently waiting for this **FANTASTIC** reading notebook to come out!  She has done a 4th grade version and a 5th grade version and I have been on the EDGE OF MY SEAT waiting for the 3rd grade edition to come out and it did.....today!!!

Nicole from Teaching with Blonde Ambition has created this awesome resource.  It is Common Core aligned (which doesn't help me at all....but we share many of the same standards) and it is my newest find!!

Click here to see her blog post about it and see more images from inside (seriously....go.....do it now!)

 

2)  I have been book shopping like a crazy person!  In case you didn't hear, I will be self-contained next year and I am in desperate need of books and ideas on how to teach reading/writing.  I got a ton of new books and a label maker (teacher heaven....I know!!!) and have been busy as all get-out trying to get them all labeled and ready to go!

 

3)  My #1 reason that I look forward to summer each year is this, right here:

Unlike my 10 year old, Miss Caitlyn (who wants to play outside, stay the night with a friend, climb a tree, etc.).....this little one, Miss Jaci Brooke, LOVES to play with momma!  She is "cheesin'" and I love every bit of it.  She takes naps on my chest and wants nothing more than ME!!! 

She is my joy!! 

 

4)  What is summer without a little fingernail polish fun?!?!?!  I don't have time during the school year to do this......but I'm gonna try next year.  It's fun!!

 5)  Last, but not least, professional development!  Does it ever end?!?!?  I have so many different books I want to read this summer and I have no idea how I'm gonna get it all done! 

 

 

 

 

That's my random and crazy {FiVe for FRIDAY}!  Don't forget to link up.....it's the last one for the summer {until August}!!

Keep livin' the dream,

Mentor Text {HeAvEn}!!!

Waaaasssssuuuupppp????  How is everyone on this fine first day of summer???  Have I mentioned that I {LOVE} summertime!!  What would we do without summer?!?!?!?  I don't even want to think about it.....

This is gonna be a very short post........but I just had to share what I have come across!!  This may not be news to some of you, but it feels like I've struck gold!  Collaboration Cuties is a phenomenal blog written by two 4th grade teachers, Amanda and Stacia.  It. Is. AWESOME! 

These two brilliant ladies have come up with "mentor text" linky parties and I have spent the last week stalking perusing this blog, looking at old linkies and seeing all the great mentor texts that veteran teachers use in their classroom.

One of the pages/tabs on their blog is "Must Read Mentor Texts".  It is where all of their linky parties are easily accessed and are even divided by subject.  They have ELA links, Math links, even science and social studies links.  Can you say "teacher heaven"???

Simply go to their mentor text page, find the subject that you're looking for (they have more than one linky, too. ELA has 4 different linky parties you could look at!!!) and get to readin'!!

My Amazon and Scholastic carts have tripled in size.  Sssshhhh.........don't tell the hubs :)

Well, I said this was gonna be short, but maybe not!!  Enjoy the rest of your beautiful summer day, y'all! 


Keep livin' the dream,

{SuMmEr} Bucket List

HELLO!!!  I feel like it has been for-eh-VER since I blogged.....oh, wait.....it has!  This is the first week that I've been "off".  School ended on June 7th, but I registered for a week long math training the 1st official week of summer {I'm an idiot}. 

BUT.....today, I have no trainings, it's my BIRTHDAY.....and my summer vacation has *STARTED*! It's gonna be a great day :)

Ever since STAAR testing ended {gag}, I have been thinking about all the things that I want to do differently/better/MUCH better next year.  Enter......Teri @ A Cupcake for the Teacher, Hadar @ Miss Kindergarten and April @ A Modern Teacher.  They are throwing a "Summer Bucket List" linky party and I had to join in!!! 

Side note: I was told last week that I am going to be self-contained next year (vs. math/science this year).  Needless to say, my summer bucket list doubled upon this revelation. 

 

1.  My Amazon cart is now empty!  I have 7-8 books being shipped to me as we speak.  Now, to be fair, some of them are read aloud books for my kiddos.  But 3-4 are for me!  Being self-contained next year is going to be a first for me in third grade (I've done SC before, but only in kinder and 1st). I'm really excited about it, and anxious and nervous all at the same time!!!  I need to brush up on my ELA stuff and hopefully the "sisters" can help me out :)

 

 I have read both of these books before (for kinder and 1st), but sold them when I moved to 3rd grade math because I was "never gonna need them again".  Once again, I'm an idiot. 

 

I also went ahead and jumped on the "Teach Like a Pirate" bandwagon.  I have heard great things about this book and it just happened to jump into my Amazon cart too ;)

BTW......Gina from Third Grade Tidbits and Jennifer from Rowdy in First Grade are hosting a fabulous book study on this book.  As soon as I get the book........I'm jumpin' right in.  Better late than never!!!

 

2.  I need to learn how to teach 3rd grade writing.  Is that something I can learn to do in 8 1/2 weeks???  It seems like in K-2, it's a lot of "What does a sentence start with?" or "Where's your period?" or "Remember your finger spaces!".   I have NO idea how I'm gonna run Writer's Workshop in 3rd grade!!!  I have been on Pinterest every day looking for a way that makes sense to me.........and I've found a ton of cute ideas.  I just need to settle on 1 and get to learnin' it!

Found on Pinterest....can't find where it originated!

Cuteness from Amanda @ One Extra Degree

Any help in this area would be greatly appreciated!!

 

3.  I need to work on a new classroom set-up/layout.  When I was just teaching math and science, I only needed areas for those 2 things.  Now, adding reading and writing and all that other good stuff, I need to figure out a way to make the most out of the space that I have!  I want them to have enough space to spread out in Daily 5 and I need a carpet area now (I really needed one before....but now I certainly do!). 

 

4.  I want to make a "Student Intervention Tub".  Last year, I had 5 special ed. kids between me and my team teacher.  I don't feel like I knew enough about all the assistance that I could give, or the tools that I could use to help them be successful.  I also want a way to stay organized with my documentation with my Tier 1, 2 and 3 instruction.  Carrie over at A First Grade Teacher's Passions and Obsessions has a great post about how she's doing this very thing!

 

5.  Last, but certainly not least, I am going to spend all the quality time I can with my girls! 

 

Me and the girls had a {BLAST} at the Color Run!!

 

The hubs plays golf A LOT in the summertime, which leaves the house to me and my girls.  It's so much fun!  Then, when the hubs gets home, we grill out and play some more.  I'm so glad summer is finally here!!!

 

Don't forget to link up and share YOUR summer bucket list!

 

Keep livin' the dream,

{CURRENTLY} and yes, I'm still in school!

OMG.....am I the only teacher who isn't out for the summer?!?!?!  I know I'm not, but reading all of these "I'm out for the summer!!!" posts has me bummed :(

BUT.....I will march on.  It's only one more week and I can do this......yes, I can.....yes, I can......yes, I can!

With grades already submitted and posted, and textbooks being gathered up around the school......the kiddos are VERY aware that "school" as they know it, is over.  We, therefore, have become glorified daycare workers.  This last week should be really, REALLY, fun :)

I really do have some pretty fun stuff ready for them for this last week.  The blogosphere has been bumpin' with lots of "end of year" goodies and I have stocked up!  Here are a few of the things we'll be doing in room 14:

This awesome {freebie} is from Stephanie over at 3rd Grade Thoughts.  It's such a positive way to wrap up the year.  You can read all about how to use it (and download it) in her blog post here!

This fantastic find is from Christi over at Ms. Fultz's Corner.  My class is going to make a book of the "ABC's" of our class for the next group that comes up!  I can't wait to hear what my kiddos have to say.  I'm sure it's going to be hysterical!

This memory book is wonderful!!!!  Natalie from What the Teacher Wants is so creative!  It's perfect for the upper grades and I know my kiddos are gonna love it!  Go on.....go get yourself one.....you know you want to.  Oh, wait.....you're probably already out for the summer.  {I'm not bitter.  Really.  I'm not.}  Go grab one for next year ;)

And now....what I've been waiting all month long for......CURRENTLY with the fabulous Farley.  Have I mentioned that I think that Farley and I are soul mates?  I've never actually met her, but I'm convinced we were cut from the same cloth.  Truly. 

Moving on....

 

If you don't link up with this {CURRENTLY} linky every month......you totally should!  It's a great way to get to know more bloggers and more about the bloggers you already follow!  It's a down-right-blog-lovin'-good-time!  So link up!

 

 

Alright, peeps.....I'm off to finish my laundry because I STILL HAVE WORK TOMORROW! 

 

 

I think I can.....I think I can......I think I can.....

 

Keep livin' the dream,