Five for Friday

It was my last week of summer this week. I go back to work on Monday & my new group of kiddos arrive at my door after labor day. In hopes of getting in every last minute of summer's goodness, the Mr. & I headed to Chicago for a few days.  So, this week's five for friday is looking a little more like Chicago's five.

1.

 The Mr. & I hopped on a train Tuesday morning and we made our way to the city.

We spent the day exploring, doing some furniture looking (CB2, West Elm & Design Within Reach, oh my!) & enjoying dinner with friends that live in the city.

2.

We spent some time just sitting on a bench by the beach. Watching the people 

go by & taking in the sights of Lake Michigan.  It was pure relaxation. 

3.

 We visited the bean, we checked out Stefan Sagmeister's The Happy Show 

& we walked around Art Institute.

 4.

We took an architectural boat tour through the Chicago River and out into Lake Michigan, which we loved! It was so cool to see the skyline from out in the lake.

5.

I guess the trip wasn't all play.  I spent the train ride home working on a new place value unit. Spending six hours on a train working on school stuff somewhat helps to transition you back to reality. somewhat. 

Now i'm off to enjoy my last couple days before my work reality sets in.

Happy Weekend!

Reading Response Flap Books

I love when I have a resource that can be used in a variety of ways and can easily be differentiated.  So I just had to share a little something that I have been working on!

These flap books are a fun way for students to demonstrate their understanding of a text and practice different reading comprehension strategies.  I used a few of these in my classroom throughout the year last year and my second graders just loved them! So, I have been busy updating them a bit and adding to the collection. 

 The set now includes 15 different flap books that can be used with both fiction and non-fiction texts! Simply print, fold & cut along the flaps to create these reading responses.

Click here to check them out at my TpT shop. 

& don't forget, my whole shop is on sale for the rest of the day!

Back to School Sale!

Back to School is here! To help you prepare, my whole TPT shop is 20%!

AND don't forget to enter the code BTS13 at the checkout for an additional discount! 

In case you need some ideas of what to buy, 

here are a few of my favorites that I will be using in my classroom this year. . . 

My Chevron Calendar Pack is a great way to add a touch of chevron to any classroom.  

The set includes everything you'll need for your classroom calendar!

 Start out your first week back to school with some fun! This pack includes 6 different activities that will help you get to know your new group of students & engage them during the first week of school.

My Number of the Day Pack is a great tool for ongoing practice with number sense. With this pack, you can differentiate based on the needs of your children!  

Add some punctuation & parts of speech posters to your classroom 

for student reference or teaching tools.

I also just added a new Birthday Bonanza Pack that includes everything you'll need to make birthdays extra special in your classroom!

So, head on over to my shop

& grab everything you'll need to get your year started off right!

Teacher Week: Classroom Digs (a sneak peek!)

 

I just went into my classroom for the first time this week. I spent quite a few hours there yesterday doing a little painting and a whole lot of staring at the space.  I had planned on doing some rearranging this year but I still needed to figure out the specifics.  I left yesterday with a plan in my head. Then I headed straight to Michael's to pick up the necessary supplies. I returned to my classroom this morning ready to roll.  A few hours later & it's beginning to come together.  I still have A LOT to do, but I'm feeling good about it so far. Take a peek...