Random Tuesday: shopping, reading, jealousy, and a couple of giveaways

I went shopping with Flamingo Fabulous, and Hobby Lobby was having a nifty 50% off canvas art sale.  And I struggled for about two minutes before I popped this baby in the cart.  It was the Inuit that had me.  My school is into Global Awareness since we're a PYP school- and I thought this would be fabulous.  I wish my house wasn't so ridiculously dark though, that I had gotten a better picture...

There's a giveaway going on over at Teaching with Nancy, and the Meek Moose has offered winner's choice in the 3-5 package.  But she has four total packages to offer, which makes it certainly GyNORmous- as advertised.  Go try your luck!

 

I did finish re-reading Laney Sammons Guided Math.  I still love this book.  I loaned it to a friend this afternoon who's looking at making this more of a focus in her room this coming year.

Overall, what I love about this book is that it IS only a framework - and not a spelled out HOW-TO.  And I know that there are times when I want and, let's face it, NEED a how-to.  But since I already have small groups working in reading, and ideas of how I'd like math to work in my room- the framework is more up my alley.

I did try to make my room a more numeracy-rich environment.  Math manipulatives were definitely more available and used on a regular basis.  We did make a calendar at the beginning of the year- and I want to do that again next year- but I did not use it to it's full potential.  I will be looking back over the post from Fairy Dust Teaching on making it more interactive.

During this read-through- I spent some extra time looking over the sections about those math-warm ups that should be part of my morning routine.  This piece was definitely missing from my teaching this past year.  But I also told myself I'd take it in baby steps- so I've decided this is the next piece in my conquering of the small groups.  Thus far, I'm thinking that I would enjoy the weekly/daily graph warm up the most.  I think this is something I can easily work in, and also make use of technology with.

The math huddle is interesting to me- but I don't feel like I am particularly good at coming up with rich problems that the kids can find meaty enough to work on over a couple of days.  Further investigation necessary.

I was planning on reading her book Building Mathematical Comprehension next - but EGAD! I have lost it somewhere in my house.  I've looked everywhere and now I'm in a right fit mood and glaring at everybody.  Momma wants her book! Grrrrrrrr!

But here's something to lighten the mood:

Barbara at Ruby Slippers Blog Designs is having a giveaway for a deluxe dream blog design pack.  I'm entering because I want to tidy up my blog design- but don't actually have time to work on that this summer myself.  So here would be a cool way to get something fabulous and not have to do any work for it.  Ha!  Momma loves her lazy!

And for my last random thought for this Tuesday evening- I've been taking these e-courses with Sally at Fairy Dust Teaching, and getting really inspired.  But I started reading through some of her blog posts and getting inspired about room décor as well.  She has a lot of posts on Reggio-inrpired classrooms- and admittedly, I do not have a deep understanding about this system, but I have found out that the room environment is considered a "third teacher" in the room- and therefore most of their learning spaces are really natural. 

I'm wanting to "branch" (ooooo- punny!) out my current Moose theme into more of a forest deal.  Karen and I even saw this neat driftwood piece at Hobby Lobby when we were shopping that got me thinking about natural elements in the room - and then I saw this post of Sally's about a chandelier in her classroom.

 

I like it that it's a branch.  I love it that each kid made the bead strings and put it on the chandelier.  I am obsessed with this thought enough to be ready to go toe-to-toe with a fire marshall. And, I'm not really that brave of a person.  But I could put up a brave front before completely backing down for this chandelier. I waaaaaaaaaaant it.  I think it would be super cool over my guided reading table.

And then after seeing this post, I looked at all of her reggio posts and now dream of somehow making this work for my second graders.  Because, I don't think I'm cut out to change grade levels.   Second is a really good fit for me.  But oh, how I love what she is doing in her room, and showing what else is going on out there in early childhood education.  Exciting stuff.

Do you ever get jealous over what another grade level can do?  Truly, I am not jealous - AT ALL- of the standardized testing in the upper grades.  But sometimes I get jealous about their choices in chapter books.  Do you ever try to make another grade-level's mojo work for you where you are?