Wonder Wednesday #41...

Wonder Wednesday - 30 Day Countdown

*A few years back, I began the last days of fourth grade countdown.

*We start the countdown with the number of students in our class (plus the teacher) and continue on until the very last day of school.

*It is an awesome way to end the year and so fun to highlight each student and some of their favorites from the year.

*Here are some of the specials events we do during each final day...



*Each student gets to pick out the picture book that I will read to the class during our morning meeting.

*During each student's special day, they pick our morning meeting greeting and game that the class will participate in.  They pick from our year-long list of greetings and games.

*We have a final 30-Day Chain.  There are some positive "reward" type items in the chain and there are some negative "non-reward" type items.  The student of the day can either say YES to the Chain or NO to the Chain.  The whole class will either receive the reward or the non-reward.  They don't know what is on each chain link until they decide yes or no.  

*The class also participates in "Smarter Than a Fourth Grader."  Each day two students compete against each other with five trivia questions.  The student that gets the most correct, continues in the next round the following day.  After each student gets one turn, we have our semi-final round and then of course the finals.

*During each day of the countdown, the student of the day reads their "Year in Review" sheet which is a reflection of our year together.  They also get to pick their favorite music Monday song/video to watch and their favorite video of the week from the year.    


*We all know how important the "first six weeks" are for a class.

*I think the final days are just as important and I want each student to know and feel how important they are and were to our community of learners.

*If you have any questions or want more details about our final 30-day countdown, please post a comment here or send me a tweet.  I would be happy to give you more information! 

Treat Tuesday #41...

Treat Tuesday - Chicken Enchilada Dip

*If you are like me, you can't pass up a great dip for a cracker or a chip.  It is my downfall.

*Enjoy a great read while snacking on this tasty treat...




Ingredients...

16 oz regular cream cheese, softened 

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (not drained)

2 green onions, chopped (optional)

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed, or use a melon baller (optional)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin 

¹/₂  tsp paprika 

¹/₄  tsp oregano

¹/₄  tsp salt 

¹/₈  tsp onion salt 

2 cups cooked, diced chicken 

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Directions...

*Preheat oven to 375°F

*In large bowl, mix softened cream cheese (nuke if necessary in the microwave oven first), tomatoes, green onions or avocado (if using), garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt and onion salt. *Stir in chicken

*Stir in 1 cup Cheddar cheese

*Place in a pretty, large 2-quart (2 L) capacity oval dish or use a 9 x 13-inch (2 L) casserole dish  *Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese

*Bake 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly

*Serve with sliced cucumbers, sliced jicama or low-carb crackers

Treat Tuesday:  Middle-Grade Novel

The Notebook of Doom Series by Troy Cummings

*This series has been taking my classroom by storm.  They love it!  

Treat Tuesday:  Adult Novel

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

*A friend ask for a book recommendation that was historical fiction and this one came to mind.  One of my favorite stories.  

Music Monday #28...

"Fireflies" by Owl City

*We realized this artist has made our Music Monday list three times this year.

*That could be because they are an artist from just south of the Twin Cites where we are from.

*This has been one of my favorite songs for quite some time.

*Sharing with my class today was so much fun because many of them knew all the words.  

*The class enjoyed watching the video (a couple of times) & then doing writing in their notebooks.

Music Monday Selections 2013-2014 (so far)...

Week Number One:  What I Am by Will.i.am

Week Number Two:  Proud by Heather Small

Week Number Three:  Roar by Katy Perry
Week Number Four:  Dreamer by Chris Brown 
Week Number Five:  What Does the Fox Say? by Ylvis 
Week Number Six:  The Rainbow Connection by The Muppets 
Week Number Seven:  Good Time by Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen 
Week Number Eight:  Thriller by Michael Jackson 
Week Number Nine:  Hall of Fame by The Script and Will.i.am 
Week Number Ten:  Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka & Glee 
Week Number Eleven:  One Day by Matisyahu
Week Number Twelve:  Count on Me by Bruno Mars
Week Number Thirteen:  Louder by Charice 
Week Number Fourteen:  Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid
Week Number Fifteen:  Do They Know It's Christmas by the cast of Glee
Week Number Sixteen:  What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Week Number Seventeen:  Shooting Star by Owl City  
Week Number Eighteen:  Happy by Pharrell Williams
Week Number Nineteen:  Everything Will Change by Gavin DeGraw
Week Number Twenty:  The World's Greatest by R. Kelly
Week Number Twenty-One:  The Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson
Week Number Twenty-Two:  Home by Phillip Phillips
Week Number Twenty-Three:  Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) by Sharkira
Week Number Twenty- Four:  Surfin' USA by The Beach Boys
Week Number Twenty-Five:  I Lived by One Republic
Week Number Twenty-Six:  I Believe by Yolanda Adams
Week Number Twenty-Seven:  Dream Big by Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (4/28/14)...

Thanks to Jen and Kellee for hosting this idea on their site.  Here is a link to their site...

                

 http://www.teachmentortexts.com/


**Not sure why, but I'm not getting to much reading so my books are not changing real fast from Monday to Monday.  A spring slump perhaps???  

Books I Read this Past Week…

Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week...

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

*My adult novel selection

Divergent by Veronica Roth

*This is my newest BBC (Boy's Book Club) novel.  

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

*I'm so excited to read book #2 from the Chaos Walking Series.

My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish:  The Seaquel by Mo O'Hara

*My middle-grade novel.

Friend Friday #40...

Hi!  I’m Masa and I'm reading the book called Bird & Squirrel written by James Burks

I think this book is good because hit has adventure, animals, and humans in it.  

My favorite part of the story is when they reach the island because then they go on another exciting adventure and it was a great part.  

The character that I liked best is Bird because he is funny and made me laugh many times.  

I think the author wrote this book because he likes birds and squirrels and wanted to write a great book for children.  

I would recommend this book to my friends because it would be a good fit for them and I know they would like it just as me.  

Reading to me is relaxing and nice because it is very calming and I like getting into the reading zone.  


*When Masa first started in my class, he would flit from one book to another book to another book.
*It has been wonderful watch him grow into a more mature reader and be able to start and finish a book.
*He has told me he feels better about himself as a reader and loves all the books he has read and finished this year.
*This particular book was read in one sitting and he came up to me right after finishing and told me how great it was.

Thursday Lesson #27...

Life Lessons in Room 113 - Writing

*Each Thursday we watch a short video clip that I title "Life Lessons" which I incorporate into our daily writing. 

*After the video we have a class discussion about the content.

*My students then spend time writing about the video which could include their reactions, thoughts, feelings, or connections.

Lesson #27 - "Thinking Outside of the Box"
*This is one of my favorite videos I have used this school year.
*It is so important to teach our students to think "outside the box."
*I love when students give creativity, thoughtful, and original ideas.  
*Today we watched the video, discussed what it is trying to teach us,
 and what we do to "think outside the box".  

Lesson Thursday Videos (So Far)…

Lesson #1 - Be Brave

Lesson #2 - Be Kind

Lesson #3 - Be Courageous

Lesson #4 - Be Motivated

Lesson #5 - Be a Buddy, Not a Bully

Lesson #6 - Be Inspired

Lesson #7 - Be Spooky

Lesson #8 - Be Kind (Part Two)

Lesson #9 - Be Happy
Lesson #10 - Be a Reader

Lesson #11 - Be Power

Lesson #12 - Be a Team

Lesson #13 - Be Merry 

Lesson #14- Be Giving 

Lesson #15 - Be Brave (Part Two)

Lesson #16 - Be Positive

Lesson #17 - I Can Do This

Lesson #18 - Be a Friend

Lesson #19 - Be Kind (Part Three)
Lesson #20 - Be Courageous (Part Two)  
Lesson #21 - Be Fearless
Lesson #22 - Be Fearless (Part Two)
Lesson #23 - Be Creative  
Lesson #24 - Be Springlike
Lesson #25 - Be Grateful
Lesson #26 - Be Different  

Trailer Thursday #40...

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (Adult Novel)

Swindle by Gordon Korman (Middle-Grade Novel)

The Perfect Square by Michael Hall (Picture Book)

The Fault in our Stars by John Green (Young-Adult Novel)

Wonder Wednesday #40...

Wonder Wednesday - Springtime Growth



Springtime has finally arrived in Minnesota.  It has been a very long and "harsh" winter that began last November.  We have had snow, cold temperatures, more snow, gray skies, more cold temperatures, windy days, and of course more snow.  As we head into the end of April and the beginning of May, I am finally seeing several signs of spring.

One of the most beautiful signs of spring is the growth that I have begun to witness.  Just today as I was walking around my yard, I saw the growth of iris plants, day Lilly plants, and some of my ground cover plants.  This growth sure put a smile on my face and a warm-spot in my heart.

During this walk I began to think about my fourth grade readers and all the growth they have made since the day they walked through my door last September.  Recently, as I met with my small groups and/or individual readers, I would take a gander across the room and that same smile and warm-spot would begin to take existence as it did on my springtime walk.

I'm amazed at how all my readers are in their "spots", are in the reading zone, and are all doing exactly what I have been instilling in them since the first day we met.  Here are a very of my readers that stand out in my memory…


Ilhan - Her springtime growth is that she has taken an interest in our "Breakfast with Books" book club and has even begun to purchase her own copy of the novel instead of borrowing one of my copies.  I know she is a true reader now.

Lucy - When Lucy came into fourth grade, she had a very difficult time finding a book to read and normally would flit from novel to novel and not finish anything.  Her growth has been tremendous and now whenever I observe her as a reader, he nose is right in the book.

Wilson - Wilson's growth has probably been the most exciting for me to see.  He started the year in "pull-out" special education so was not with us for our reading zone.  One of my goals this year was to get him back into the room.  A few weeks back we made the big move and brought him into the classroom.  It has been spectacular to watch him devour the books that he has been craving to read all year.

Will and Joey - This pair of boys have given me such joy this year when I think of their reading growth.  I'm not sure how it began, but they decided they were going to read all the same books and they were going to be from a series.  The fun part was how they would stay on the same page, the same chapter, and at times, the same line.  The amount of books they have covered this year is simply amazing.

Kori -  Kori is my reader.  She lives for books and her reading time.  When I think of her growth, I'm so pleased with how much she has read this year.  Kori has been my reader that has pretty much covered my entire "personal" bookshelf and read all the books I wasn't able to introduce to my students via a read aloud and/or book club.  To me there is nothing better than recommending a book to a student and watch them read it with the same satisfaction that I had when I "lived" with the novel.  I know that no matter who Kori gets for a teacher in the future, she will continue to be the avid reader and will grow and grow and grow!


Springtime is a wonderful time of the year.  The flowers and plants are growing.  The grass is growing. The animals are growing.  But the best thing about springtime is that as I look out over my classroom, I know my readers have grown more than any of these other things…

Happy Spring!!!

Treat Tuesday #40...

Treat Tuesday - Cherry Bar Dessert

*This was made as part of our Easter meal.

*It was quite delicious and a perfect spring-time treat.

*I hope you enjoy it as you read a great book!  

Ingredients...

•     1 cup butter, softened
•     2 cups sugar
•     1 teaspoon salt
•     4 Eggland’s Best Eggs
•     1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•     1/4 teaspoon almond extract
•     3 cups all-purpose flour
•     2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling

Glaze...

•     1 cup confectioners’ sugar
•     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•     1/2 teaspoon almond extract
•     2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Directions...

1.     Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and
2.     salt until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well
3.     after each addition. Beat in extracts. Gradually add flour.
4.     Spread 3 cups batter into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Spread
5.     with pie filling. Drop remaining batter by teaspoonfuls over
6.     filling. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely
7.     in pan on a wire rack.
8.     In a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar, extracts and enough milk
9.     to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over top. Yield: 5 dozen.

Treat Tuesday:  Middle- Grade Novel

Swindle by Gordan Korman

*This series is still going strong.  I remember book #1 fondly.  

Treat Tuesday:  Adult Novel

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

*This was one of our first BBC's (Boy's Book Club) selections back in 2000.  

Music Monday #27...

"Dream Big" by Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband 

*I still remember when my daughter shared this song with me several years ago.

*We both have enjoyed listening to this song many times together.

*It has been a joy sharing the song, the words, and the message with my students.  

*One of the most important lessons I try to teach my students is for them to "dream big."

*After viewing this video we had a wonderful class discussion about all of our BIG dreams...

Music Monday Selections 2013-2014 (so far)...

Week Number One:  What I Am by Will.i.am

Week Number Two:  Proud by Heather Small

Week Number Three:  Roar by Katy Perry
Week Number Four:  Dreamer by Chris Brown 
Week Number Five:  What Does the Fox Say? by Ylvis 
Week Number Six:  The Rainbow Connection by The Muppets 
Week Number Seven:  Good Time by Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen 
Week Number Eight:  Thriller by Michael Jackson 
Week Number Nine:  Hall of Fame by The Script and Will.i.am 
Week Number Ten:  Pure Imagination from Willy Wonka & Glee 
Week Number Eleven:  One Day by Matisyahu
Week Number Twelve:  Count on Me by Bruno Mars
Week Number Thirteen:  Louder by Charice 
Week Number Fourteen:  Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid
Week Number Fifteen:  Do They Know It's Christmas by the cast of Glee
Week Number Sixteen:  What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Week Number Seventeen:  Shooting Star by Owl City  
Week Number Eighteen:  Happy by Pharrell Williams
Week Number Nineteen:  Everything Will Change by Gavin DeGraw
Week Number Twenty:  The World's Greatest by R. Kelly
Week Number Twenty-One:  The Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson
Week Number Twenty-Two:  Home by Phillip Phillips
Week Number Twenty-Three:  Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) by Sharkira
Week Number Twenty- Four:  Surfin' USA by The Beach Boys
Week Number Twenty-Five:  I Lived by One Republic
Week Number Twenty-Six:  I Believe by Yolanda Adams

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (4/21/14)...

Thanks to Jen and Kellee for hosting this idea on their site.  Here is a link to their site...

                

 http://www.teachmentortexts.com/

Books I Read this Past Week…

Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week...

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

*My adult novel selection

Divergent by Veronica Roth

*This is my newest BBC (Boy's Book Club) novel.  

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

*I'm so excited to read book #2 from the Chaos Walking Series.

My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish:  The Seaquel by Mo O'Hara

*My middle-grade novel.

Friend Friday #39…

Hi!  I’m Kaltun and I'm reading the book called Walker Bean written by Aaron Renier

I think this book is adventurous because her want to save his grandfather.

My favorite part of the story is when he gets a letter from his grandfather because he was happy that his grandfather wrote back. 

The character that I liked best is Gen because she is brave. 

I think the author wrote this book because he wanted people to read it and enjoy the story. 

I would recommend this book to my friends because it is a really great and a fun book to read. 

Reading to me is knowledge because reading makes you smarter and the more you read the smarter you will become.  


*Kaltun is one of the sweetest girls in my class.
*She is very quiet and a harder worker.
*It is a pleasure to watch her read because she always goes right into the "Reading Zone" and just reads and reads and reads.
*The best part has been to watch her grow from a student that didn't love to read to a student who always has a book with her.

Trailer Thursday #39...

Robert Munsch Books (Picture Books)

*We are currently reading the Robert Munsch picture books during our morning meetings.

*Even though these books are written for younger kids, my fourth graders LOVE them!

*These are just three books of the many that he has written.  

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt (Middle-Grade Novel)

*This is our current read aloud in my fourth grade class.

Divergent by Veronica Roth (Young Adult Novel)

*This is my current BBC (Boy's Book Club) novel.  

The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian (Adult Novel)

*This is one of my favorite adult authors.

*This is his most recent novel and he has another book coming out this July. 

Thursday Lesson #26...

Life Lessons in Room 113 - Writing

*Each Thursday we watch a short video clip that I title "Life Lessons" which I incorporate into our daily writing. 

*After the video we have a class discussion about the content.

*My students then spend time writing about the video which could include their reactions, thoughts, feelings, or connections.

Lesson #26 - Be Different
*I stumbled across this video a few weeks back and knew it had to be shared with my writers.
*In today's society, everyone tries so hard to fit and be just like everyone else.
*During class discussion/conversations I try to teach my students to be themselves and be different.
*This isn't always easy, but in the end is so worth it.  
*Enjoy the video and the lesson that goes along with it.  

Lesson Thursday Videos (So Far)…

Lesson #1 - Be Brave

Lesson #2 - Be Kind

Lesson #3 - Be Courageous

Lesson #4 - Be Motivated

Lesson #5 - Be a Buddy, Not a Bully

Lesson #6 - Be Inspired

Lesson #7 - Be Spooky

Lesson #8 - Be Kind (Part Two)

Lesson #9 - Be Happy
Lesson #10 - Be a Reader

Lesson #11 - Be Power

Lesson #12 - Be a Team

Lesson #13 - Be Merry 

Lesson #14- Be Giving 

Lesson #15 - Be Brave (Part Two)

Lesson #16 - Be Positive

Lesson #17 - I Can Do This

Lesson #18 - Be a Friend

Lesson #19 - Be Kind (Part Three)
Lesson #20 - Be Courageous (Part Two)  
Lesson #21 - Be Fearless
Lesson #22 - Be Fearless (Part Two)
Lesson #23 - Be Creative  
Lesson #24 - Be Springlike
Lesson #25 - Be Grateful

Wonder Wednesday #39...

Wonder Wednesday - Readers Ready for the TEST

*I use to get stressed about the MCA (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment) that we give every April.

*The more I've learned recently is that I don't need to get stressed, nervous, or uptight about these state tests.

*I don't need to feel all of these "negative" feelings because I now realize I have prepared my students for this "REQUIRED" examination from day number one in my classroom.

*What I do is teach my students to be life-long readers and learners; if I have done this, then the test-takers will do WONDERfully on the MCA (and any other state required test).

*A school nearby put together a pretty cool video to share with their students before they take "THE TEST."

*I love the message of "letting go" of all the stress of the test and just show what you know.

*Our students in Minnesota are taking the reading MCA test on Tuesday, April 15th and Wednesday, April 16th.  They will take the math test the following week.

*In honor of my students and not stressing them (or myself) out about this test, here is the video from the group of teachers right here in the Twin Cities.

*Keep promoting the love of books, reading, sharing, writing, and learning; hopefully someday soon teachers won't have to make videos like this one.  We can let our students be kids again with the love of learning and knowledge.  (and of course books and reading)