a tool against the BEAST

a lot of us have this wonderful STATE TESTING BEAST thing coming
and coming FAST...
like... it is no longer around the corner
it is on MY STREET...
it is closing in on me and my KIDDOS...
you can feel it approaching...
and soon it is going to be on my doorstep and
before it gets inside and breathes down our necks...
I need to have my kiddos prepped and ready
READY TO TACKLE THE BEAST!!!

FEAR TAKES OVER...
we have been doing a ton of practices, benchmarks, CBAs, old released tests, and this and that and more
most of this is a result of the fear...
fear that you haven't done enough
fear that the BEAST has morphed
fear from you
fear from parents
fear from your boss
fear from your district...
and worst of all FEAR from your kids...
everyone FEARS this BEAST...
our lives as teachers are summed up by the BEAST
if our kids beat the BEAST we know it...
and if our poor babies do NOT defeat the BEAST...
it follows them around for the rest of their education careers...
like a badge of BEAST FAILURE....

and this
this FEAR....can overwhelm you
and your classroom
heck my fear sets in UMMMM right about now...
can you tell???

even those kiddos who always do well might miss a question and cry
and then you have the ones that try and try and try
and try some more... and do their BESTEST... and are ALMOST there...
they are sad too...
and pretty soon everyone wants to cry....
even me

it is the BEAST
I am not a fan of the BEAST
to tell you the truth I would love to have the BEAST BANISHED....
but since people that have never taught run our education system the BEAST will live on...
RAWWWWRRRRRR

did I scare ya...

so I saw my FOURTHIES getting a little bogged...
especially when it came to the writing test....
ummmm scary
and I keep telling them... the more we write the better we get....
and that only gets them so far.....
and then I showed them this...




is this not the perfect movie to show???
I consider it a tool of sorts ...
to be used in my favor against the BEAST...

my kiddos and I talked about how they stumbled in their writing
and when the year first started they were those little babies
(some did WHINE about writing... some still do)
and now they are on the path to being GOLD MEDAL WINNERS
we have been practicing to get them a MEDAL...
A medal of concurring the BEAST

MY KIDS LOVED THIS...
they even WROTE about how this movie connects to their writing journey...
I was in one of those teaching moments where I was like
AHHHHHHHHHH unicorns and rainbows and glitter moments...
I mean all I needed was like a WALK THROUGH.... and this would have been PERFECT....
how come they never see a spontanious unicorn rainbow glitter moment...
anyways...
this is a GREAT WEAPON to use against the BEAST...
with hard work and determination
we all show improvements
and with improvements comes the possibilities of
BEATING THE BEAST

I hope you can use this tool in your arsenal
GOOD LUCK in your Battle with the BEAST!!!

CURRENTLY FEBRUARY

WHAT WHAT...
it is Friday and
I am LOVING the irony that this time last week I had an ice day
and today it reached almost 80
Only in TEXAS!!!


Before I go into the CURRENTLY Template of things....
I wanted to let you know that I have a great collection of blogs....
all organized by grade levels...
you can find it on the sidebar --------->
look for a green balloon and the words
Teacher Block Partay
go look and join if you haven't...
everyone is invited
I promise it is full of WONDERFUL BLOGS

alright enough about the weather...
and block partays
let's get down to business....
This month's CURRENTLY SPONSOR is

Jennifer is the blogger behind this creative blog...
she is a devoted mom and teacher...
like all of my sponsors I ask them to give me 3 things they want to share....
and so drum roll please.....
here they are

number one...

click on pic to head on over and grab this

Here is what she has to say....
Super Sweet Arrays is my newest creation!  It took me FOREVER to finish!  I think that it can be one SWEET center for the classroom during the month of February!  Super Sweet Arrays will give your students the opportunity to practice identifying arrays in multiple ways. Students can practice through games and worksheets.  The worksheets have answer keys!  All teachers LOVE answer keys!

number 2

click on me to go and see

Jennifer gives you the details....
I love my Character Education posters!  They are very bright and helpful!  The definition for each character word is written as "I Can" statements so that students can clearly understand the meaning. Each poster also includes 3 examples of each character word.  There are 36 character words!

and NUMBER 3
super excited about this one....
the number 3 thing this EnErGeTic Teacher wants to share with you is her FRIENDS' store...
are you kidding me...
how sweet is this!!!!

Her friends....Stacy and Tara!  

 have opened a new TpT store, Tea and Coffee!   

They sell 100^th Day T-shirts, custom magnets, and teacher clipboards

 SUPER CUTE STUFF 

you really need to click on the pic to go check this place out!!!

 thanks so much Jennifer for sponsoring this month's CURRENTLY

if you want to see more of Jennifer... 

head to these places

Teachers Pay Teachers Store
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Extra-Energetic-Educator

Blog

http://extraenergeticeducator.blogspot.com/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/extraenergeticeducator

AND NOW...

is there anything that is questionable....

hmmmm????

we do yoga 

after school on Friday

those of us that want to partake in this stress releasing activity... head to the library 

and we DE-STRESS with yoga!!!

It is AWESOME... 

I LOVE IT!!!

if you want to see a pic of us melting our stress away... 

you can check out my Instagram (farleyfarleyfarley)

not too worried about the formal observation but it is on my mind...

have been fighting this bronchitis crapola for a couple of weeks now....

YAY... I am feeling better BUT not 100%

maybe 75% 

my goal this weekend is to REST REST REST 

ok the 2 truths and a fib...

1. YEP I won a t-shirt contest for the WNBA... it was super cool!!! and they told me it was one of the best selling shirts of all time for WNBA and NBA... OH YEAH!!!! i saw no $$$ just 3 free shirts... and some other goodies

2. YEP this is the last month for a CURRENTLY SPONSOR...

I will eventually do it again...BUT it will be different and won't be available for at least another few months... last time I opened it up for sponsors it booked for a year out....

I think Jennifer has waited a year or more... so please show her some love!!!

3. FIB.... I don't even like coffee.... I LOVE WATER!!! that is pretty much all I drink... I only drink WATER and the occasional HEALTHY fruit smoothie... NO soda for over a year... almost 2.... feels good :)

and now your turn

PLEASE don't forget my rules....

1. link up to your CURRENTLY POST... the specific post please... if someone clicks on your pic they should head to your CURRENTLY POST 

NOT YOUR STORE... so wrong

not any ole BLOG post... they want to see your CURRENTLY POST

I only bring this up because I have had some issues lately...

I had to delete (for the first time in CURRENTLY history) some links the past 2 months...

I get anxiety doing that and super sad and kinda MAD too...

ok a lot mad 

2. follow the rule of 3....

PLEASE go to the 2 blogs before your link and read their CURRENTLY and leave a meaningful comment... and then go to the link after yours and leave a meaningful comment there too...

a meaningful comment is not vague or copy and pasted 

it doesn't ask them to come and follow you 

it refers back to something they wrote
it is genuine and from the heart!!!

OK that is it... 

TWO RULES... 

not too bad right???

if you are confused on what to do on 2 truths and a fib

post 2 things that are true about you... a quirky fact or interesting sumthin sumthin

and then post a fib.... something to throw your reader off...

you don't have to do it in that order....

your fib could be your number one

I thought it would be fun for us to figure out the fibs... 

JUST BE SURE to let us in on the TRUTHS before you end the post

ok let's get this started
if you aren't sure how to join...
directions are in the first comment :)

*cough* five for *cough* Friday

linking up once again for

ONE...
so let me just say I have been BFFs with this lately...

I have been battling a horrible sinus infection...

and it just won't go away!!!

GO AWAY already

so I have been sucking on Ricola
drinking LOTS AND LOTS of water with lemon
wearing my glasses... YAY
and taking a nice dose of meds...

had to go back TODAY!!!
because I still feel like YUCK
so now I am on another antibiotic
and I am on steroids
que Arnold... I want to pump.... YOU UP
and a nose spray
and a higher dose of my allergy meds
and some other medicine that will shut down the mucus factory that has popped up in my sinuses
and a really nice COUGH med... really it is an ANTI-cough med...
think about it... it is NOT a cough medicine... it is a no cough or stop the cough medicine...
RIGHT???
and then she told me to rest and then I laughed...
then I got the look
and I agreed...
so
here I am resting...
blogging is resting right???

NUMBER 2
somewhere between my dry cough and my onset bronchitis I got a little award...

my principal nominated me for a spirit award...
I graduated from the very district I teach in so
I really felt honored to get this award...
So here is the official pic...
my friend sent it to me today...
she found it on the website
I think it is OK...
that is our Superintendent Dr. M

I look a little lock jaw
I was in the middle of talking to our Sup.
and we were having a good convo about my shirt
I was in the middle of letting him know
I always look this good...
when
SMILE!!!!
flash!!!
SMILE AGAIN!!!!
FLASH
ok thanks

so knowing that I was caught off guard
and didn't do my
stick chin out...
tighten jaw
lick your lips
chin to an angle
pose

I told Hubs...
I am going to ask Dr. M for another pic...
hubs gave me the look...
and I knew HE knew
YEP...
I went up after the ceremony and asked for another pic...

A SELFIE
Hey...
I know my best angles...
and we look much happier...
I asked him politely and he said yes...
I even got permission to put it on my blog...
and OBVs he said YES...

when I got back to my Hubs he was laughing...
and admitted he thought I would chicken out...
ah NO
my parents thought it was only fitting for me...
I kinda like it...


THREE

had lots of meetings...
this week
and mind you
I HAVE BEEN SICK ALL WEEK...
but this meeting has to rank in my TOP 5 of all time...
just look at our agenda

LOVE IT!!!

and the snacks were delish...

well one was this hot spicy Texas FireCracker Cracker

that was not so delish

it was OH MY WORD my mouth is on fire

and I must eat chocolate to cool it off

and then when the chocolate didn't work I had to have...

I kinda had to laugh at the 130 calorie pack...

it was yummy

and just in case you are curious...

the fire cracker... cleared my sinuses for about 30 minutes 

but only after about 5 glasses of water did my tongue go back to normal

FOUR

this is my class pet...

Co Co

we only get her for 2 weeks...

our education center for our region rents out class pets...

and I signed up for her...

we kinda love her...

as you know or maybe you don't BUT

Texas had an ice storm last night... pics coming in number 5

and well I left CoCo at school...

I was a little scared to take her out in the cold to get her to my house...

it was below freezing when I left school and with the wind chill it was in the 20s...

so I left her at school under a light... (in her cage)

I was super nervous about it the whole night...

THEN my phone rang...

Terry our head custodian called me to let me know my room was SUPER cold

and he was worried about CoCo...

 he wanted to let me know and thought I might want to pick her up...

I rushed over and he was waiting at the front door with her...

so I didn't have to get out...

can you say CUSTODIAN of the YEAR

now CoCo is warm and cozy at my house

Y'all I love this spider...

she was suppose to go back today to the Education Center...

BUT I guess we will get to keep her next week too...

Yay for the ice closure

my kids are super bummed about her going back...

ME TOO!!!

Last time I got a tarantula from them it was one named Rosey...

I fell in love with her too...

I begged the Ed Center to let me keep her and even offered to buy her...

BUT NO... 

so I know I can't beg and plead for CoCo...

it took me 2 years to rent a pet again... I was so traumatized by it

So CoCo is going back 

and Hubs knowing I fell in love with this hairy arachnid

and knowing that last time I cried when they took Rosey away

has offered to get me my very own...

so even though my heart aches knowing CoCo is going back to the center and 

will continue to rotate every 2 weeks to various classes

and knowing she won't get Figi water or fresh large crickets

 we spoil her!!!

It helps to know that we will have our own Tarantula to spoil...

and while I have CoCo... we will continue to spoil her...

maybe I will sign up for her again and again and again and again and again and again

HMMMMM that makes me think....

(insert evil laugh)

well any who... I am now in the thoughts of a cute name for my spider...

I am thinking Hildy or Hilda or Hillary or Harriet or Henrietta

any ideas???

FIVE

thank you to Mother Nature for a beautiful ice storm...

it gave me the day off and a chance to get into the Dr again

and an excuse to get some good pics

here are a few of my favorites...

 bush with ice

 leafcicle

 another leafcicle

 a leaf and its cicle

rockcicles

*cough*

alrighty that about *cough* does it...

I think it is *COUGH* time to go and take *cough*

my *cough*  anti- cough medicine

YEP...

toodles

5 on a Saturday almost Sunday

It is Saturday
almost Sunday
and I am linking up with

 I have really tried to be more organized
and efficient when it comes to school work...
don't ask me how many times I have "fluffed" the same load of laundry in the dryer
I'm only talking about SCHOOL here peeps...
alrighty... so
I am so proud of myself...
I actually had my plans
my grading
and copying DONE before MONDAY!!!
boo-YAH
and it felt good...
I posted a lot of these pics on my Instagram account (farleyfarleyfarley)
and had a ton of questions....
SOOOOOO you don't have to ask any...
I will give you all of the info....

The pen is a double end ZIG pen... my faves to grade with

The dawg is my hubby's but she loves me more... she is a WoNdErFuLLLLLLL snuggler...
and keeps my feet warm.... she is priceless and not available... THO THORRY

my lesson plan template came from the LOVELY



most of my work last week
OK all of my work came from awesome TpT Stores....
(click on their names to head to their stores)

Emily Kissner's awesomeness was our Reading for the week and hOmEwOrK too... I used her Winter and December Reading Homework and Test Prep (I know it is Jan. BUT it worked for us and it will for you too)

Blair Turner helped us get to know MLK better with her Grammar Packet and Busted our Brains with her Fruit Bowl Brain Busters.... OH and not to mention fraction notes with her Interactive Fraction Notebook

(Blair and Emily are with me almost every week)

Stephanie McConnell's writing posters and rubrics are PERFECT for writing..... and if you teach in TEXAS... it is a MUST HAVE!!!

Create Teach Share always has great Interactive Notebook goodies with a double page spread...which I love

Teaching With a Mountain Veiw's  MEGA Fraction Task Cards were and will be used... my kiddos LOVED the set we did this week and I KNOW they will LOVE the set we are doing next week

AND

Joanne Miller's Multi-step Problem Solving Performance Task Notebook.... {puffy} heart LOVE here... you need this 4th grade teachers... YOU NEED IT!!!  I do 2 sets of these a week and my kiddos enjoy these... the I do... We do... You do.... format is not scary to them and gives them confidence

how do you get a grumpy little pre-k boy to take a bath
THROW A GLOW TUB PARTY
all you need is the Target DOLLAR SPOT glow bracelets and LOTS and LOTS of bubbles
turn off the lights and
instant SMILES!!!
Clean Boy = Happy Mamma

So he wanted a hamster for Christmas...
um NO...
but we went to look at them this week...
and he ended up wanting a bunny!!!
OH MY
this bunny was SUPER CUTE and so nice and calm...
BUT still
UM NO!!!

Poetry Friday is back...
I finally had a week where I could have a POETRY FRIDAY
YAY
we looked at 2 different poems this week
one that was a free verse and one that was a rhyming
the kids enjoyed each one and we made a flippy file folder
inside we sliced and diced the poems apart and wrote notes and studied vocab

the poems came from a must have book...




this is the Common Core one...
and there is a TEKS one for my fellow Texans...
thanks to my buddy Kenoyer for the heads up on this book!!!

Yesterday
I had a special visitor... BIG C
he happens to be the brother of one of my current kiddos and
AND AND the son of one of my best teacher friends.
You might recognize him from this blog because I was given permission to have him on here
when I taught him in 3rd and 4th...
and I plastered his face all over the place!!!
I am super happy that I have his brother this year!!!
These boys are SUPER SMART and have a special place in my heart...
the little one (Little C)... I met when he was just a few minutes old...
seriously!!!
and here is a funny story...
when Big C came into my room I squealed, we hugged, we took selfless, we hugged some more
AND AND AND then he told me he had to go visit his mom...
HE CAME TO ME FIRST!!!!
I asked BIG C... You came to me first?
he said... yep I had to see my favorite teacher!!!!
AHHHHHHHHH....
so sweet

BUT then I remembered.... his mom was his teacher in 5th grade... LOL
heart smiles
I LOVE THAT KID!!!!
LITTLE C looked a little left out so OF COURSE we did a selfie too...
I LOVE THAT KID TOO!!!

OH OK
and here is some random schtuff too...

* bub and I made homemade pizza... YUMMY
* I was selected as a Spirit of Judson Educator Award Winner... BLUSH....
* Bub and I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE working on his Kiwi Crates every month!!!
This month we were mad scientist!!!
* a PINTEREST thumbs up... I learned how to do a bang braid!!!


alright alright alright...
that does it...
thanks to Doodle Bugs for hosting such a great linky!!!
toodles

Made It Freebie

Wow it has been a little bit...

BUT I am so excited to join my bloggy friend for her fun fun fun....

if you have NEVER EVER seen this linky party

OK really...

who hasn't seen this LINKY...

it is like the bestest... funnest...craftiest linky in the blogosphere

go check it out...

but only go after you see my craftiness

ok here it is...

Here is what the TAG looks like up close and in yo face...

I have my name on it just in case my little darlings forget who their fave teacher is...

they wouldn't do that... I remind them daily I am their favorite...LOL

I have 4 different colors 

so I know which umbrella is missing...

all of my umbrellas are black

but the tags are different colors so then I know which one is MISSING....

I have added these tags to my TPT store....
FOR FREE!!!

they do NOT have my name on them....
and are in Power Point so you can add your own name...
by simply adding a text box to the slide :)
easy peasy
click on the tags above to head to my store... hope you can use them :)

Thanks TARA for hosting such a fun linky!!!

 now you can go and look at all the fun links over at Tara's fab blog party!!!