Back in the Saddle - A Monday Made It

I'm linking up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics for her weekly party - Monday Made It.

I MADE IT to work after a five week medical leave.  Here's my Back-in-the-Saddle Selfie from this morning. 

Getting to see my kids was amazing.  Huge grins and smiles and they all wanted to hug me and be near me. Very uplifting.  I hated being out.  I rarely take off even when I am sick- so five weeks was awful.  And so near to the end of the year.  I am thankful that I get the last nine days with them. Although- these first couple of days back will be me in the Library pulling them individually for end of the year running records.  BIG FUN! Super thumbs up!

This year- we are to find their INDEPENDENT level as opposed to their instructional level.  Which only begs the question- why weren't we doing that from the get go?  Flamingo Fabulous and I had this conversation on the phone during my ride home this evening.

We know that the instructional level can span multiple levels.  Heck, I could instruct a kid on any level really- with the right amount of teacher support.  But their independent level is truly what they can read.  It seems to me that I should be more concerned about their independent reading level, and seeing it make gains across the year.  Or at least close up the gap between their independent level and their instructional one.

I think I will make this one of my SMART goals next year.  Karen and I also talked about what reading levels would look like for an adult.  She suggested I make a meme.  So here you are, Bestie:

Teeheehee.

Ok- I also made something crafty.  I have kept some of my kids babyish clothes.  They live in boxes.  I guess I keep them because I feel like I should- but then I'm not really doing anything with them.  And then I'm trying not to be a hoarder and I get all conflicted.  My sister came across a bathing suit of my daughter's I had been saving.  I decided to make something with it, rather than finding a box to put it in.  So- in the glorious aisles of Hobby Lobby- I bought these:

And then, in a matter or maybe ten minutes, I'd made this:

 I feel ridiculously satisfied with myself.  Of course this got me thinking about school... Like, would making these shadow box frames be a good idea for content?  What would Jackie Robinson put in his? What if a Hurricane made a memory shadow box to hang on its wall- what would it put inside?  The leaf of an uprooted palm tree?  A piece of a sandbag?  Board from a window that was closed up?

Perhaps that's just weird.  I don't know.  It's sort of stuck in my head though.

Make anything?  Go link up with Tara!

And then tell me if you think I'm crazy...

***UPDATE - I found the cutest link up before going to bed- and I had to do it!***

Ok, now you can get back to calling me crazy.