Tricks or Treats???! Staying safe this Halloween!

Happy Tuesday, Friends!

How is everyone doing out there?

I'm enjoying the change in weather (a little bit)... but also getting a little anxious about how dark it is becoming so early now...but I'm feeling like Fall is coming if I'm ready or not!?? Am I right?

I wanted to take some time to reflect on the first quarter of the school year as it's coming to a close. One thing I've been talking with my students a lot about is internet safety. This is the first year for them that they have their own devices 1:1 and they are exposed to the internet a whole lot. They are doing fantastic... however I always feel like I can do more... Like we can do more. 

Sometimes I Feel like I get so wrapped up in internet safety that I also forget that I {we} need to reinforce safety of all sorts with kids of all ages. So whether you're a teacher, a parent, or just looking for ways to reinforce safety with kids in your life..... this Halloween is the perfect example of a time to do that.  Need ideas???

I've got just the thing for you to get started with. Now, I know some of you won't need all of these tips if you have littles who won't be going off on their own Trick-or-Treating, but it's never too early to discuss with them what is expected of them, or what can keep them safe when they do go off on their own! 

Thanks to my friend Erik from Russ Darrow for sharing this graphic with me!

I'd love to know what other safety issues you discuss with your students or children at home?!  Please share!!!  Don't forget, as my 2 year old always says "Safety First!"

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Five for Friday... on Sunday ;) 9.25.16

Happy Weekend!

Happy Fall!

I am so excited to be back in action, and I'm hoping that this will be a more regular thing for me. A personal goal that I had this school year was to blog more. I'm really wanting to get connected again. So I'm starting out with an old favorite of mine: Five for Friday with Doodle Bugs Teaching!

It was a slow process, but this week we managed to rewrite, label and discuss our first mentor sentence. We didn't do much more than that, but it was a harder book to start with! I used this book to talk about September 11th, and since we had it already read we stuck with it!  

Really working on growth mindset for a school wide initiative. We took some time this week to discuss some of these quotes and how we can use them in our everyday 

It always amazing me each year how quickly our math picks up at the beginning of the school year for our third graders.  We are already working on 2s, 5s, and 10s for count-bys, and discussion things like commutative property!  These guys are rocking it, but it's been up-hill most days! 

Speaking of an up-hill battle some days, I've really gotten creative to get us up and moving in the morning!  We are loving these math centers from Ideas by Jivey! Check them out!

I've been working really hard on a classroom redesign. It's been a slow process, however I've started to put some things together and some furniture is slowly being delivered. I've done a lot of clearance shopping this past couple weeks after the back to college items have been discounted! I'm also lucky to have had some great support through our schools PTO!

Here's a sneak---

Today I.... {#SOL16 Day 4}

Today I....

... will be the best I can be.

... embrace the end of the week.

... live in the moment of what's happening around me.

...be happy.

...be strong.

...have fun.

...laugh.  Laugh a lot!

...do something to pay it forward to someone else.

...will smile.

...will make someone else smile.

...love and appreciate what I have.

...will be me.



What will you do today?

Loved {#SOL2016 Day 3}

It's nearly 9:00 and I'm just getting the chance to sit down today for the first time and read blog posts and write my own.  I'm still very excited to be a part of the Slice of Life writing challenge.  I've read so many great posts over the past few days and followed about another hundred blogs.  It's inspired me to write again, which hasn't happened in awhile since this challenge started.

I'm not going to lie, today... I'm exhausted. Sometimes by the end of the week that happens with work and home and life.  So I'm going to keep it short and sweet.  I felt so LOVED tonight as I was cleaning.  YES cleaning!  This week was my birthday (March 1st) and things that I've collected from others to celebrate had made their way into several piles all over the kitchen counter.  When my husband mentioned it needed to be cleaned, I knew it had to be bad.

Even though it was the last thing that I wanted to do so late I took the time to go through everything and also finally open a package that was delivered today from a great friend.  A great friend with whom I used to see and spend time with all of the time.  Now we don't live close and time is very precious as it doesn't happen often.

As I opened her gift and saw my 'favorite things' I couldn't help but smile and then look around at everything surrounding me.  They were small things... notes, cards, my favorite candy or school supplies... but they were things that make me happy.  To know that people care so much to know these 'little' things made me remember how loved I am.  It's always those little things that mean the most.  Tonight, it really made me stop and think about all of the little things that those that love me do for me and what I do for them.

What little things to you do for others?  What little things do you appreciate that are done for you?

 

Sweet Sweet Sun {#SOL16 Day 2}

Day 2 of the writing challenge... Wooo Hooo! I'm super excited to continue to write with everyone for the Slice of Life writing challenge.

This morning while I was driving my son to daycare, I was so excited to see the sun shining very bright.  On Wednesday he goes to our old neighbor's house, just like he did when he was born. So this means, a much longer commute for him than the usual 2 minutes to Grandma and Grandpa's house! What I didn't realize, was that the sweet sweet sun that I loved, was going to hit my little guy right in the face as we drove.

Now, this normally could be easily fixed with a visor or a window shield, however my little guy is one in a million and loves LOVES LOVES to wear hats and sunglasses. He has been this way ever since he was able to figure out what both of them were. People are always in awe that he keeps both of them on. He even got an award at swimming lessons last summer for wearing his glasses for each lesson.

As soon as he saw my glasses go on, he wanted his and wasn't going to take no for an answer.  I forgot them.  Super sad day, with all of this sweet sun shining in on us.  So I tried to give him pairs that I had in the car for emergencies, but of course he couldn't get them on right.  Which led to not a very enjoyable ride to daycare this morning.

However an hour or so after I dropped him off, I got a text message saying that he was explaining & talking up a storm about our ride in.  "Mommy, me, glasses, bought.."  For a 2 year old, I was pretty impressed with his ability to share in almost a sentence that he got "new" sunglasses this morning. He thought I had bought them for him, even though they were mine... and he was wanting them after I left.

Oh this kid!!!

A Slice of Life...Beginning a new year [#SOL16 Day 1]

Hello and welcome to a new adventure for me! I am a first time writer for the Slice of Life writing challenge!  Today is also my birthday and the beginning off my 31st year on Earth.  So with that, I'd like to share a few goals that I have for the next year to make it the best yet.

1- Strong--- Strong is my OLW for this year.  I want to focus on me as a person inside and out.  Physically and mentally and be STRONG! I've been doing a lot of great things so far, including working out with great people 3-5 days a week which has helped bring up my spirits! I want to focus more on the mentally strong as this 31st year continues. I feel writing/journaling will help with that.



2-Adventure--- Now that our son is almost 2, I feel that we're ready to get out there more and not be so scared of adventure.  Don't get me wrong, we've done plenty of new things as new parents with our little one, however I hope this next year is full of many more firsts in the adventure department.



3-Capture the Moments--- I love photography.  LOVE LOVE LOVE it.. and since life has gotten in the way it seems I haven't done much of it in the last couple of years.  This next year I hope to get back into my hobby and start capturing the moments around me, and living more in them.  The days go fast, so it's always great to look back and remember the little things.

What goals do you have for your next year?

TPT Seller Challenge Week 2: Dare To Dream!

Happy Weekend!

I'm having a great summer,

but the days are packed...packed...packed....

and it seems like I have a small window

to do some blogging... nap time and weekends!

I'm excited to be here for week 2 of the 

TpT Seller Challenge hosted by

Third in Hollywood

Sparkling in Second

Peppy Zesty Teacherista &

Teach Create Motivate

This week's TpT Challenge is Dare To Dream

I'm fairly new to the TpT world and haven't made a ton of things. I try to focus on one or two things at a time that I need for my students.  As I get more comfortable I hope to expand and do more. Some of my dreams are...


Family Time- I would love to use TpT earnings to do fun family things with my husband and son. Not just the usual go to the park, have a picnic, etc.  Those are all super fun things to do and we do them a lot... what I want to do is those special extras.  Maybe going to a water park for the day, or to a special place for the weekend to get-a-way spontaneously. I'd love to just always jump at the chance to meet up with people and do things to make memories and not worry about money.   

TpT Conference- I really want to go to Vegas for the TpT conference.  I have met so many wonderful people through blogging and IG that I really would love to meet them and see what else I can learn. I'd love to save money from TpT to be able to join in on the fun.  Maybe next year???

Fun- I just want to be able to go out and do something for myself, my family or a friend.... to have fun.  Offer to treat someone to something special or just to be making memories.  I guess that goes along with my first goal, however sometimes I feel that us teachers don't get enough time to spoil ourselves or the people that we love.  

New House- My husband and I are in the process of building a new house.  We don't have an eta yet but it should be sometime this fall (you know, the perfect time for a teacher to move!!!) I'm hoping that we can really take the time to put into it what we want to get it started and off on the right track.  Sometimes money can hold you back from doing certain things to the house or adding certain decorations or splurging on something new like a comforter set.  I'm hoping that I can use my TpT earnings to help that process out a little bit more!


Be sure to stop by one of the blogs I mentioned above to read and connect with all of the other dreamers out there.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Makeover Madness: Week one TPT Challenge

Hi there! Happy weekend. I am excited

to be a part of the TPT Seller Challenge

hosted by 4 fabulous bloggers. 

See Below!

I have been absent from my TPT world lately.

Life has just gotten in the way. 

I have on my summer list to do some makeovers,

so this was the perfect way to get started.

One of my best sellers is a set of task cards

that I use at the beginning of the school year. 

I have three sets of them. One for addition with 

regrouping, one for subtraction with regrouping

and one for place value. I also have them linked together

in a bundle pack.

My goal is to revamp the whole entire bundle,

but for now I have the first set done. 

Here is what I started with----

In my defense, it wasn't a bad start.

I use them a lot with students,

especially when I'm trying to do some assessing

at the beginning of the year. 

I decided to change it up a bit and

I LOVE how it turned out. 

I would love for you to check it out!

Click Here!

It's going to be FREE for a flash and then 

discounted. I'd love some feedback too!

I'm super excited to get on the next product

for this bundle. :)

Currently May... wait...what??? May?? Really???

OMG! Where has the time gone.

 I just can't get over the fact that May is here. 

This has been the fastest and slowest

 school year at times this past year,

 but now I'm starting to panic... 

Am I really ready to be in the last month of school?

 Am I really ready to say goodbye to my sweet kiddos??? 

Ahhhh!!!  

Am I the only one feeling this way?  

Either way, I'm excited to finally be back to blogging!
I'm super excited today to link up with Farley

for Currently!  It's been awhile so I'm 

ready and excited to catch up on some

blog reading after writing this!

First of all don't you just LOVE the design this month?

I can't get enough of the purple!!!

Listening- The TV is on and the hubby is watching a movie. I can't sit still long enough to watch a movie these days.  I have no interest. So here I am just blogging away!

Loving- At the end of April I started to do a Pinned It Spinned It challenge on Instagram.  Have you heard of them?  I follow a few gals who pin different outfits from pinterest for each day, and you need to spin the outfit to make it your own.  It's really helped me stick with not wearing the same old things each day.  It's excited for the end of the school year too.  Are you on Insta?  Find me: MrsBentinsBlackboard!!!

Thinking- Sadly most nights around this time I'm already in bed.  We've gotten really used to a schedule with a baby and that means early to bed for H, early to bed for us!  He went to bed really early today and I'm worried bout what time he will wake up in the morning! :)  Cross your fingers for me. 

Wanting- I'm a new mom.. It was my first year as a teacher/wife/mother all rolled into one. I desperately need some "Me Time"! Enough said. 

Needing- I've recently started Weight Watchers with a group of teachers at school and I'm really wanting to finally get rid of that baby weight. I've been avoiding it for far too long. H turned a year old this month so it's time. It's important to me to stick with it and be more active especially with my family. So far so good especially since the nice weather. 

Summer: Yes- Building our new house starts this month. So this summer will be full of following the progress! I'm so excited.  Hoping- To just enjoy time with my family and forget what day of the week it is. I can't wait! I hope I can do it.  Dream- To get away on a mini-vacation. I feel it's been tooooo long and it would be a great way to start making some memories with my new little family!

Stop by Farley's blog and check out all of 

the currently linkys! It's a great way to 

meet some awesome people!

My Rockin' Classroom- Pioneers

Happy Weekend!

I'm pumped to be blogging today for a Rockin' Giveaway

with my friend Katie at Rock and Teach!  

We're all getting together to give you the chance at some great prizes

and to share some rockin' things that we do in our classrooms. 

For the past several years my team and I

have done a pioneer simulation to help teach

non-fiction in our reading blocks. To get some background,

check out this old blog post.  

Here is our trail map to the West!

This year we wanted to continue 

some of the great things that we've done

in the past, but also we wanted to take it to a new level

So.... we added a STEM element! 

A-Ma-Zing!  

Seriously.. Amazing!

I am so lucky to work with such great 

teammates.  We rocked this and I have them to thank for it!

Here were the pioneer essentials that had to be packed in the wagon!

Students worked in their 'wagon train' groups

to attempt the challenges that we've made.

The first one was to build a wagon that 

can hold a list of 'trail materials' without falling over. 

Step 1:  Students had the opportunity to look over items in the General Store and go back as a team to view prices and discuss ideas. 

Step 2: Planning Process- Until they had a plan, they weren't able to go to the store. They needed to bring their ideas together. 

Step 3: Buying Supplies- Students needed to track their spending on a budget sheet, and make change from their purchases. They could go to the store as many times as they needed, but there would also be times that it would close. 

Step 4: Build a wagon structure that could hold all of the pioneer essentials for travel. In order to have a completed wagon, you must fit everything in or on it and the wagon can't tip over. 

Step 5: Additional Challenge- Make your wagon roll 2 yards without tipping or falling. 

I had 3 out of 4 wagon trains successful with this challenge. 

 Surprisingly the one that didn't finish was a huge shock to me. 

It was amazing to see some students shine in this activity

 that struggle with more everyday school activities.  

I also love how 2 of the 3 put their water barrel (soda can)

on the outside of the wagon how it was on the real wagons!!!

We had a long discussion and reflection process after this activity was done. 

 Students wrote about their experience and documented their process with pictures. 

 We took the pictures and listed the steps and talked about what they would do differently next time.  I can't wait to share with you the next STEM challenge we did.

  Some groups really took what they learned 

in this wagon building activity to heart 

and tried very hard to fix their teamwork

 or communication the second time around. 

Thanks for stopping by and seeing my rockin' pioneer activity!

Please take time to visit Katie 

and the other fabulous bloggers taking part in this giveaway!

Enter Enter Enter to win some

fabulous prizes and also a $50 TpT Gift Card!

Have a fantastic Day!
Ana :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up