So...yeah, that really happened...

*Note* Please excuse the horrible mess you are about to see...please don't judge! ;)

I'm sure you're all aware of the saying "Nothing says tired like back to school tired."  Well, I am living this, as are so many of us I'm sure.  Today was a perfectly embarrassing example of how much I am living this.  Each morning when I get into my classroom I place my things on my small group table, and put my lunch away in my mini fridge.  I headed back to my small group table to take things needed for the day out of my bag.   Not paying close attention, I accidentally bumped the side of my school bag, which fell over on the table.  I heard a loud clattering followed by a crash on the floor.  Having no clue what in my bag could possibly have made that sound, (and worrying that I had left my camera in there and just dumped it) I walked around the table and looked on the floor.  Imagine my surprise when on the floor I see the portable telephone from my kitchen.  Apparently in my exhausted stupor this morning when I thought to myself "I need to make sure I have my phone with me," my brain didn't process that I meant cell phone.  When my neighbor next door came into my room and saw the phone she said "How's the reception with that?" At least we got a good laugh out of it!  I came home this afternoon and set my bag down like always.  I called my hubby over and sang the "One of these things just doesn't belong here..." song.  He just shook his head at me and said "Seriously?" Early to bed tonight?  I think so! Oy!

Currently September and Back to School!

Happy September!  I am loving the little hints of fall that are making their way to us...cooler mornings, and crisp evenings...I love fall!  It's my favorite season.  I can't wait until next month to go apple picking!  I'm once again linking up with Farley for her fabulous Currently!

I love that for the last one we're focusing on taking care of ourselves...as teachers I know that most of us put our own well being on the back burner in order to tend to the demands of teaching and our families.  In the long run we're really hurting ourselves if we're not taking care of ourselves when we can.  My goals for this school year are to make time for exercise, to take less of the job home with me, and to try to focus on thinking positively about myself.  I really tend to have a negative inner voice directed at myself personally, and I want to work on that.  There's power in positive thinking! =) 

My own boys were sad to see summer come to an end, but I think they are getting back into the swing of things with school.  Our youngest is in 5th grade and is at the middle school with his older brother who's in 8th grade this year.  He is so happy to be back in school with his big brother, even if only for this year.  I can't believe how fast time is flying by, they are turning into such handsome young men if I do say so myself!  These were pictures from their first morning back to school...they were up and at 'em, but  by the end of the day they were both so tired!  Nothing says tired like back to school tired, that's for sure!  I plan to post soon some pictures of my classroom set up for this year...I'm a little behind the ball on that one!  Have a great week! =)
~Heather~

Back to School Savings!

It's that time of year again...the annual Back to School Sale at TpT!  I don't know about all of you, but my wishlist is PACKED with all the goodies that I can't wait to add to my cart...nothing like a good sale to ease the pain of saying goodbye to summer and heading back to school! 

Be sure to enter the promo code BTS13 for up to 28% off!  Happy shopping! =)

Dog days of summer...

I know that for many of us the last few days of summer vacation are slipping away...and to those teacher friends who have already returned to school I hope you are having a wonderful new school year.  This summer I really found myself in school denial...not sure why, and this was the first summer in eight years that I really made sure to devote time with my family and relaxing.  It has been wonderful!  Don't get me wrong, I still have blog stalked on a daily basis, and Pinterest has consumed way more time than I'm willing to even admit! (I'm sure I'm not alone on either of those points, right?? lol)  Our family didn't have a big go-away type vacation this summer, but we still managed to cram in lots of day trips, memories and fun.  Here are a few snapshots of my favorites. =)

Along with camping at the ocean, going mini golfing, to the zoo, watching 12 year old all star baseball, putting up a pool, and building a shed, we've also fit in bowling, a visit to an armory museum, a family cookout, a huge surprise birthday party for my Grandpa's 80th birthday, and lots more!  So, we've definitely been busy!  Not summer is winding down and I'm here wishing it would go on and on...lol.  I did crawl out of my denial and drag myself head into school to work on my classroom a bit.  My furniture is back in place and I was able to get some sorting of materials done.  I still have to label supplies and place them on students' desks, as well as put up some of the Monday Made Its that never made it...lol.  Please tell me that I am not alone in trying to squeeze summer out as long as possible! =)  Enjoy your last days of vacation if you still have them...back to school in T minus 9 days for this lady!

~Heather~

AUGUST CURRENTLY

The beginning of August has arrived and I am linking up with Farley's Currently

Listening
I am loving being able to catch up on all of the Bones reruns...I love this show and can't wait til the new season starts up again...in the meantime I'll enjoy David Boreanaz episode after episode ;)
Loving
I am loving having so much time with my boys...we've been to the zoo, movies, bowling, kayaking, camping, to the ocean, mini golfing, hiking, etc...Our state offers Free Fun Friday events at many different museums and venues all over the state.  Last Friday we enjoyed visiting the Higgins' Armory Museum.  This museum has been around for as long as I can remember.  My younger brother stayed over night there when he was young and in scouts.  This December the museum is closing, so I wanted to be sure to bring my boys there while we still had the chance to go. 

They had a blast checking out all of the suits of armor, weapons, making their own shields, and of course the gift shop! lol
Thinking
I REALLY need to start thinking about the end of summer and getting some back to school planning done...it has been way too easy to ignore that so far this summer!
Wanting
We put up an above ground pool a couple of weeks ago, and I would really love to have a deck to go along with it...I can picture it now with a patio table up there and some chairs...and reading while the boys have water battles with each other...lol.  Guess that will have to be next summer's project...
Needing
MOTIVATION...I have none, well none when it comes to things I know I should be doing but can't seem to make myself do...anyone else with me???
B2S Must-haves
1. A cute planner...I am so much more likely to refer back to my daily calendar if I like it... =)  This year I purchased an adorable blue and white chevron planner from Target.
2.Fun, colored pens...need I say more? Everything looks better in color...I think so anyway!
You can never have too many, right???

3.  Product:  I am looking forward to purchasing and printing out these Shout Outs! Recognizing Amazing Students
 I love being able to send home good notes for students.  I believe that it helps to build their confidence, encourage others to do well, and honestly, what parent wouldn't want to receive a note that their student has done something great? 
Here's to enjoying the remaining days of summer...and to those of you who are already heading back to school- have a wonderful start to the year!
 ~Heather~

CURRENTLY JULY

Happy summer everyone!  I hope that you are all enjoying your time off from the daily grind...I'm hooking up again for my favorite linky...Farley's Currently.

Listening to...
I will admit it, my guilty pleasure is the Twilight Saga...much to my husband's dismay.  He will walk into the living room and roll his eyes as if to say "You are watching that again?" lol  Sorry dear!
Loving...
That it's finally summer vacation.  We had so many snow days to make up that even after giving up three days of our April vacation we were in school until June 24th! So, we haven't even yet had a full week off, but I am loving it!  Finally there's some time to unwind and spend time with my boys. <3  I'm also really trying to talk the hubby into a date night...I want to see The Conjuring big time-I LOVE spooky movies! =)
Thinking...
That I have so much to get together, get packed up and ready to go if we are going camping this week.  Our plan is to head out Wednesday evening for Maine after our oldest son's All-Star Little League game.  Guess I better get on that tomorrow for sure...Wednesday will be here before we know it.
Wanting...
The hubs to have more time off with us.  He only has three weeks off all year and I tend to feel guilty about all of the relaxing time that we have without him.  I always tell him he should go back to school to be a history teacher, but he won't bite...
Needing...
A new hard drive for my laptop...I am unfortunately one of those people who has gotten hooked on Candy Crush.  Last week when I was on a level that I have been trying to beat for what seemed like forever, I got to a point where I was one move away from being able to beat the level.  I was SO FRUSTRATED that I slammed my hands down on the computer...what a dope! =(  Double lessons learned here right?  It's just a dumb game, and a temper tantrum gets you no where...ugh!  Please tell me that I am not the only one who's gotten hooked into this silly game! Please?? lol
Tips, Tricks, or Hints...
Don't feel like you HAVE to always blog...I spend so much time blog stalking and gathering ideas, that most days, by the time I would even get around to blogging I'm sort of over it, and that's okay.  I think it's better not to drum up some generic blah blah blah just to post, you know?

Well, I'm off to finishing picking up the kitchen, and to hopefully watch a movie with the hubs...happy summer everyone! =)
~Heather~

Goodbye Google Reader, Hello Bloglovin...

Follow my blog with Bloglovin 

Thanks to the wonderful A Turn to Learn, I am finally getting around to claiming my blog on Bloglovin...better late than never, right???  Google Reader is going away, tomorrow, July 1st, so if you haven't already, be sure to join and follow all of your favorite blogs on Bloglovin, and be sure to click the link above to continue following my blog as well.  I promise my vacation from blogging is coming to an end now that school is finally over for the summer and I have a bit more time on my hands.  Who knows, I may even break the bloggy rules and post twice in one day with my Currently later today... ;)  Happy Sunday! =)

~Heather~

June CURRENTLY...ALREADY?!?!?!

I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that time is passing by way too quickly!  Here we are again starting out another month,  I'm linking up again with the fabulous Farley for her monthly CURRENTLY.

Listening: As I'm posting I'm listening to the show Renovation Realities.  My husband thinks he's being a funny man as he laughs and says "Maybe I should be on this show..."  I am not chuckling, at all...especially since he recently took on a home improvement project that didn't go as smoothly as planned, and has totally stressed me out!

Loving:  I am also loving that as I am sitting here I am being cooled down by crisp air blowing out of the air conditioner.  I was determined to hold out, but today the humidity got the better of me.  I enjoy the warmth of summer, I definitely do not enjoy the sticky humidity!  I will sleep well tonight for sure!

Thinking:  That I really do need to get motivated to go through my classroom, reorganize certain areas, and PURGE.  I have inherited many different teaching resources in the seven years that I have taught, and I have always suffered guilt over getting rid of things.  This year my goal is to really go through what has accumulated, and get rid of what I don't use or need.  I know that many of the things that I am getting rid of many of my students will want, and they will think that it's fantastic lol.

Wanting:  A quiet day at home with family to just relax.  With the different sports schedules and projects going on around here there hasn't been much quality time spent relaxing.  I'm hoping things will slow down a bit very soon so we can get this quality time in!

Needing:  A pedicure, badly!  Seriously, I can't believe that I have been leaving the house with sandals on at all....I hope to be able to fit this in asap as well!

3 vacay essentials:  1.  Relaxation, I know I keep saying that, but it's a must...this year has been very stressful, for many different reasons...it's time to get back to time with the family, and chill!
2. Family time-with all of the hustle and bustle of different schedules, and to-dos, I feel like time spent together gets pushed off too much.  Summer is a great time for us to recharge our batteries together.  We'll do this camping together, visiting with relatives, and I am very much looking forward to spending time with my best friend and her new born baby boy! <3  3. Outdoor adventures with my boys-I can't wait to go camping, it's a family favorite!  We also are looking forward to exploring trails while hiking, swimming at a local lake, taking walks, play ground trips, etc.  I am also really hoping that this year we will be able to go white water rafting as a family!  I went once as a child and loved it.  I've been wanting to go as a family, and we were just waiting for our youngest to be old enough and comfortable with the idea.  Now that he's ten, I think it's the time! =)

To all of the teachers who are already enjoying their summer vacations, I am jealous!  I will be in school until June 24th!  But, if things continue the way they have been, it's going to fly by, and I will be joining you very soon!  Happy June! =)

~Heather~

Are you ready to shop?!?!

I don't know about you, but my cart at TpT is full!  I am very much looking forward to cashing in tomorrow and Wednesday on all of the wonderful teacher appreciation sales.  I have also put all of the items in my store on sale for 20% off, add that to the discount being offered by TpT and you can save up to 28%!  So, fill up your cart now and get ahead for tomorrow's big sales!

Thanks to Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah-Designs for the sale photo! =)

This is my motto for the next two days! lol  Have a great night!

~Heather~

CURRENTLY...a little late, but better late than never, right?

Yet another month flew by and May is here.  I'm linking up again for Farley's CURRENTLY party.

I'm currently listening to Bones...love this show!  We are way behind in our DVR'd shows...our district implemented new teacher evaluations this year, and our evidence portfolios were due this past Friday.  So, a ton of work to get done for school on top of a jam-packed sports schedule with our boys lead to a week full of long nights working and no t.v. time.

I am absolutely LOVING that the weather has been so nice.  All winter long I was anticipating warmer weather, and then winter seemed like it wanted to hang around forever.  I adore days like today where I'm able to have the windows all wide open.  The hubs and I brought out the patio furniture out, so we're looking forward to grilling and enjoying some meals outdoors.

I made it a point to relax this weekend after how stressed out I was all week, and now I am thinking that I really ought to start thinking about getting some lesson plans going...no motivation for that yet though! lol

I am really wanting a trip to the nursery...my best friend is pregnant, and she's due just about any day now!!! =)  I am so excited to meet my "nephew" and can't wait to snuggle him!  My brother and his family live in California, so my niece and nephews are very far away.  Even my nieces and nephews on my husband's side are far enough away that we don't get to see them very often, so I will love a new little one to spend some time with. <3  I also want to make a trip to the nursery for a new rose bush.  My rose bush last year ended up turning yellow for some reason, and this spring so far it is showing absolutely no signs of coming back...no leaves, no buds, nada... =(  I definitely don't profess to be a professional, but I think it's beyond help at this point, and that I'm going to have to get a new one...

I NEED a haircut desperately!  My hair had gotten so long that it is just about down to my backside...I am really looking forward to having it all chopped off this Wednesday!  It will probably take some getting used to, but I will be happy to have it short again. =)

Finally, my summer bucket list doesn't have anything major on it, so it will all hopefully be accomplished...we want to finally get our pool installed and able to be used this summer...we've been planning to do that for the past three years!  Other than some family camping trips I am most looking forward to just relaxing and spending quality time with my family. =)  I am easy to please lol.

Now that the nice weather is here I am starting to get summer fever.  We have our state testing in math this week, and it feels like school should be just about done.  Not for us though.  We will still be in school until June 21st!!!!  That's what a winter with tons of snow and lots of snow days gets us here on the east coast...fortunately it seems like time keeps flying by and it will probably go by quickly.

I hope that you all have a fantastic week!
~Heather~

Let's Get Acquainted Linky!

This week I'm linking up with Mrs. Reed's Let's Get Acquainted Linky and sharing my three favorite areas in our classroom.

#1

My 1st area to share is the view from my classroom door.  I wanted my classroom to be bright and inviting, and I hope that I achieved that!  When you walk in my door, the first thing you see up on my wall are two inspirational quotes:  "Dare to dream it...work to achieve it!" and "The more that you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you know, the more places you'll go." Dr. Seuss.  I love it! =)  I really do try to foster that drive in my students to set goals, believe in themselves, and work hard to achieve whatever it is they have set out to do.

#2

The second area of my room that I wanted to share is our class meeting area.  I realize that it's not very large, but it works because we really become a close-knit classroom community, and don't mind having to be close to each other. =)  I also really like this section of our classroom because it's where our interactive white board is located.  Our whiteboard is such an important tool for learning.  I honestly don't know how I ever taught without it!

#3

The third area I chose to share is the other part of our whole group meeting area.  This is where a lot of the magic happens. =)  We have had so many wonderful mini lessons and class discussions in this area of our classroom.  I really love getting them up close when I'm teaching.  It not only brings us closer together, but I find that they are more engaged when they are right there in the mix.

     I hope that everyone is having a wonderful spring.  Today was our first really nice, warm spring day, and I was loving it!  Especially since we didn't have our typical spring vacation week this year.  We ended up having to go to school three out of five of our vacation days to make up for some of the many snow days we had this winter.  I am definitely looking forward to getting the patio set back out on the deck and enjoying the sunshine! =)

~Heather~

April...really? And CURRENTLY...

April?  Seriously?  Pause button please.  We had a very lovely Easter this weekend.  We cooked a nice dinner at our house with my mother-in-law.  My own mother is currently on vacation in Washington, D.C. so we didn't have our typical egg hunt for the kiddos.  We'll have that when Granny returns from her trip.  Even with such a relaxing weekend Monday is back and I'm exhausted!  I'm thinking it's from all of the hard work we're doing in class. ;)  We are chin-deep in our fractions unit, and presently reviewing before our unit assessment on Wednesday.  Once we finish up with fractions we're moving on the geometry.  I have to say that this year's class has really enjoyed fractions much more than classes I've had in the past have.  Two resources that I have used along with my fractions resources/lessons are:

Math Interactive Notebook-Fractions by Michelle Harper of No Monkey Business

And also:

Fractions Math Unit by More Time 2 Teach

 

These two were worth every penny!   My class has really enjoyed digging deeper into our math notebooks, and they keep asking to play fractions tic tac toe. The hands-on activities in More Time 2 Teach's unit were excellent!  

I suppose it's time to swap out our seasonal writing prompts.  I use these for my students who are fast finishers.  Time to take out my April prompts I suppose!

Sorry for the glare by the window...

 

Speaking of April, I've linked up with Farley for this month's currently.

 

 

Happy Spring! =)

~Heather~

I'm such an absentee blogger... =(

Am I the only one who's feeling overwhelmed this school year?  I feel like lately it's all I can do to stay caught up.  When I get finally get home, get a few things picked up around the house, get supper going, and have a few minutes to chill, I get completely caught up in blog surfing.  There are so many amazing teaching bloggers out there, I wonder what teaching today would be like if we didn't have the ability to communicate with so many amazing educators all over the globe.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who can look around their classroom and see inspiration from so many different teachers out there!  I'm going to set a new goal for myself to get back to blogging more regularly, and hopefully I will reach that goal.  We have definitely been busy in our classroom.  We've been working on finishing up our unit of study on the Puritans.  Man were my third graders amazed at some of the punishments they used back in colonial times!  I have a poster I always take out during this unit that is made to look like an old historic document that shows a lot of the different punishments that were used as well as how someone could get punished that way.  Each day that it's been up on the front board I've had multiple students that love to just stand there and examine it, it's so funny!
 I FINALLY got around to taking some pictures of the Wampanoag Daily Life books that they created at the end of our unit on the Wapanoag people of Massachusetts.  They really did a nice job.  I try to always fit in an assortment of assessments, and during my science and social studies block four of my students are inclusion with intense special needs children.  These types of activities make it possible for them to participate and get so much more out of the lesson than they would if we were just reading from the textbook and answering questions on paper.  They really worked hard on them, and they were very proud of themselves. =)  Here are some highlights:

 

The pictures in the last row of the photo are from one of my special needs students.  He really did a great job demonstrating what he learned, and it would have been so much more difficult for him if he just had to take a test.  For this project they were focusing on the Wampanoag people's winter and summer homes, clothing, tools, jobs of men, jobs of women, and jobs of children, as well as foods they ate.  They all did a great job!

We have also moved into our fractions unit recently.  They are really seeming to grasp the concepts which I love, especially since I wasn't a fan of fractions when I was a kid!  There are so many great resources out there for lessons, but I wanted a little something more to add to my math workstations.  I put together a March/St. Patrick's Day themed activity pack for my students to use during their math rotations.  We're still working hard on becoming fluent with our multiplication facts, so I had to include a bump style game for them to practice with.  I also really need to increase their stamina with multi-step problem solving, so I created a board game that has twenty-four different word problems for them to work on while playing with a partner.  I've also included two different practice activities with input/output tables.  The rules are focusing on multiplication and division facts, and I just print these and slide them into page protectors for them to practice with.  I have them pass in the sheet in the protector before they wipe it clean so that I can see their work and know if they made any mistakes or are not understanding the concepts.  I included a page that I also put into a page protector that has them working on ordering numbers in order from least to greatest.  We seem to slip in some of our skills from the beginning of the year, so I want to spiral whenever possible.  Finally, I made a fraction match up where they are sorting the picture, number, and word forms of fractions.  This could also be used as a memory game it's up to you.  Here's a peak at it:

You can check it out now in my TpT shop...and if you click on the preview you'll find a little goodie ;)  Have a great weekend! 

~Heather~

I've been busy...

Time seems to keep slipping by on me.  It's already February, and vacation will shortly be upon us.  I can't say that I'm not excited about having a break, that's for sure!  Along with keeping up with the normal day to day classroom tasks, I've been working hard on getting some more activities put together for my students to use during math workstations.  We still need lots of practice with our multiplication facts, and multi-step problem solving as well.  I created my Penguin Comparisons for my third graders to practice both of these skills at once.  I love how cute it turned out!

Over the weekend there were some pretty incredible sales going on over at TpT...did you all stock up?  I ended up checking out-twice!  Just don't tell the hubby! ;)  Along with my fabulous TpT purchases I took advantage of the awesome sale that KPM Doodles is having until the 14th- 50% off!  Can we say yes please?  As soon as I saw her Valentine Monsters I had to have them.  Then it came time to decide what to make with them.  My son was a great inspiration with this one.  He suggested making a game where the students have to use a code to determine what math problems they would be solving, and voila!  Creature Code Multiplication Monsters were born!

I love all of her graphics, they are seriously adorable! Both of these games are up in my TpT store if you're interested, and only $2 a piece!  I'd love to hear if your students enjoy them as much as mine.  What's your favorite way to practice multiplication facts with your students?
The other project I was working on was giving my Contractions Hearts Mini Pack a facelift.  I've updated the graphics, as well as added a contractions memory game for additional practice.

 

Well, that is definitely all for now...it's time for bed!  Have a great rest of the week!

~Heather~

Today was a sad day...

It's the little things in life, right?  So imagine my dismay this morning when one of my girls asked me to sharpen her pencil.  No big deal you're probably thinking...my reply to her was "Sure, bring it to me and I'll sharpen it for you."  She went across the room to my desk where my world's best sharpener from Classroomfriendlysupplies.com is ALWAYS located in the SAME spot on my desk.  "It's not here..."  To which I replied "What do you mean it's not there?   It should be right there on the left side of the desk."  Needless to say, this led to a whole class search where all my students were looking in every nook and cranny trying to hunt down our favorite sharpener.  I was out sick all week last week and during that time my tape dispenser AND my stapler disappeared.  I assumed that one of the subs must have accidentally packed them away with their belongings unknowingly...either that or there's a hot monopoly for stolen staplers and tape dispensers.  It's very frustrating to be having things disappear from off of my desk.  I know that in the grand scheme of things these aren't the most expensive items, but these things add up.  I hate to think that there may be a student in class stealing things.  I sent home a newsletter and mentioned that some things have gone missing, perhaps brought home by accident, and if seen please send them back to school.  The only other alternative that I can think of is that one of the night cleaning staff may have taken them.  I can't for the life of me figure out why they'd want them...maybe they want to play school at home?  Anyway, at least I'm not alone in my sadness over the loss of my sharpener.  One of my boys came up to me towards the end of the day and said "I miss your sharpener already, that's the only one that ever really works."  Who knows, maybe tomorrow we will be pleasantly surprised and they will be returned...one can hope anyway.  On a different note, I also think that I deserve a medal for my restraint this afternoon.  Another one of my girls came up to me at the end of the day and asked if I would like to hear a joke.  Seeing as they are eight and nine years old their jokes are usually safe.  She proceeded to ask the following:  "How do you tell a boy snowman and a girl snowman apart?"  At this point in my mind I was thinking "Oh boy, here we go...how do I get out of this one?"  My reply was "I have absolutely no idea."  "If it's a boy snowman it has snow-balls!"  And yes, she was most definitely referring to a certain part of human anatomy.  I maintained a straight face and said "That is not the type of joke that is appropriate for telling in school.  Please don't repeat that to anyone else."  Her response?  "But my mom told me that one."  Oy...These are the moments that led me to select the name for my blog! Have a great night! =)
~Heather~

Brrr!!!! New product, and a giveaway!

Baby it's cold outside!  Here comes another round of bitter cold in New England, and with it some more snow.  I will definitely not be sad if we end up with a snow day, as I am recuperating from a nasty cold and strep.  After getting a second antibiotic I am finally starting to feel more like my old self.  (Finally!)  I have thoroughly enjoyed my day off in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  My favorite quote by Dr. King is "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."  How true this is for so many situations in life.  Along with cuddling on the couch with my pup and watching an NCIS marathon (love NCIS!), I put together a valentine themed multiplication facts practice game: Purrr-fect Products-Multiplication Facts Practice for my third graders.  I included all facts from the 1's to the 12's.  I think it's important for our third graders to work on the 11's and 12's even though they do not have to master them by the end of third grade.  Each year though I have some students who really seem to absorb their facts quickly, so the 11's and 12's are a great extension for them.  We will be using these flash cards in our math workshop rotations.  I will be able to easily differentiate which facts my students are working on.  I will simply put selected sets of facts in certain groups, that way my students will be working on the facts that are at their current levels.  They'll be using these cards in a couple different ways.  One way will be to match the fact card to its correct product card.  They will also be playing multiplication memory with the cards as well.  Towards the end of the week when they've had a chance to become very familiar with their current level of facts they can even take turns quizzing each other with the flash cards.  

  

I showed my fourth grade son the set when I was looking at it, and he thought it was adorable...I have to agree! =)  I love the graphics from mycutegraphics.com  She's great!

Seeing as I haven't been very regular lately with blogging, I'd love to give away a few sets of my Purrr-fect Products-Multiplication Facts Practice!  I will send a free set to the first 4 followers who comment and leave their email address! =) 

Still here...

Man, I feel like I haven't posted in forever...because I pretty much haven't!  I'm sure I'm not the only one who by the time the day is done and reorganized, I'm finally heading home exhausted.  This year I am really trying to focus on making sure that I spend more time with my family, they are my number one priority first and foremost.  I went back to school after Christmas break feeling pretty refreshed and rejuvenated...and it lasted for a little while seeing as it was a three day school week last week.  This week is our first full week back since vacation and it has been BRUTAL.  On top of being so tired I am now coming down with some kind of bug...fingers crossed it won't end up being the nasty flu that seems to be everywhere right now. (I'm thinking it's just a nasty cold thankfully.)  Even being so tired and worn down I have to say I love my group of kids this year.  Each day there is something new that they come out with that makes me laugh and appreciate their unique and precious personalities.  Just today one of my ESL girls randomly came up to me, gave me a hug, and said "I love to be near Mrs. Michaud, she makes me feel like home." <3  And that right there folks is why I do what I do.  I think that it's so easy for us to get caught up in all of the day to day stresses that we all face, and we often forget where our students come from, and what they go home to each night.  I am very thankful that I get to be a bright part of their day each week, because they definitely make mine brighter. <3

~Heather~