Five for Friday ....

I'm joining in again this week for some shared randomness.

My last day before my week long Thanksgiving break was Friday!

My class ended our day doing some fun readers theatre scripts and a turkey apple craft.

I've been getting back into my walking routine after a long time of going without exercise.

Harley sure does like his walks. Now he is resting in one of his favorite lounge spots.

I'm busy prepping my winter holiday gifts for my students. I get decks of cards at the dollar store and have them "Deck out the Holidays" with math games. I've had parents love it as it reinforces critical math skills in a fun game format. If you'd like to try this holiday gift this year for your class you can get it in my TPT store.

I went to the store today to pick up the baking ingredients for the chocolate trifle layer cake my family EXPECTS me to bring to Thanksgiving dinners every year. It is unbelievably yummy and is always such a hit, especially for any newcomers who taste it for the first time.

I'm hoping to read at least one good book over my Thanksgiving break.

The last book I read was The Husband's Secret which I did enjoy.

I ran across the site What Should I Read Next? which I'm planning to explore for my next read.

Find more great ideas on my Pinterest page or TPT store

Five For Friday

Happy Friday! Here are my 5 random end of the week shares.

It's the little things that can make your day. This week I found this random slip of paper on the classroom floor.
I figured it was from student who ripped a piece of their paper to then pass a note to a friend. But it was instead a happy note to me. I asked the class who gave it to me, but nobody fessed up.

My conferences are OVER. Yeah.  I made a goal setting conference sheet to keep me on track when discussing the progress of my students. Grab it as a FREEBIE from my TPT store.

After being swamped with parent conferences this is what I face in my office at home. I have stuff spread out all over multiple desktops to organize. When will it get done? I'm not quite sure. Some days I just shut the door so I don't see it all when I walk by.

Love the feathery frond stalks in my backyard planter. Usually this plant is just the green stalks most of the year though. Sorry, I'm not a plant expert and have no idea the name of it.

I'm now enjoying a cup of tea and Reeses while sitting in my living room. My favorite wall art is behind my couch.  It makes me feel like I'm taking a peaceful walk in nature.

Find more great ideas on my Pinterest page or TPT store

Remembering our Veterans

When I teach about Veterans Day in the classroom I share with my students that my grandfather, died in World War II at Iwo Jima. His sacrifice for our country meant that my dad and his brother, at the ages of 2 and 1, grew up without their father. My dad, over the years, has read numerous books on Iwo Jima and shared that wisdom with my nephew. For a project in my nephew's history course he had to pick a historical moment that made a pivotal impact. Naturally, he chose to write about Iwo Jima and tie in facts about my grandfather's service and death.

Here is his poster board display of his project

I've added this directed poppy art drawing lesson to my ever growing lesson ideas for Veterans Day.

If you'd like a Veterans Day pack to add to your lessons I've created this one

Find more great ideas on my Pinterest page or TPT store

Doggy Tales Writing Pack

Oh, I wish dogs could talk. My Harley came down with a swollen, infected paw this week and I have no idea what he did. It's a fun battle to try and get his paw to soak in a tub of warm water. I have his bag of treats close by to reward him after I manage to soak it for a few minutes at a time.

I hope he's on the mend soon!

If you are looking for cute doggy themed writing, including a prompt on "If My Dog Could Talk", check out this pack in my TPT store.

Find more great ideas on my Pinterest page or TPT store

Multiplication Fluency Practice

Multiplication mastery is a MUST in 3rd grade and is the building block that leads to other concepts.

This year I use song fact videos to reinforce students mastery. The videos are repetitive and also show the facts visually on the screen. My students love them.

Another project that comes in handy is for building arrays.

I do this every year with my class and then each student becomes the "expert" on their array and teaches it to the class.

You can get this project from my TPT store.

In addition I also have a Multiplication Activity Bundle that may interest you.

What are some fun ways you teach multiplication?

Find more great ideas on my Pinterest page or TPT store

I recently started a Facebook Group for teachers to share ideas, questions, and inspiration. 

Come Join the group!