In the Full Swing of Summer - The Meek Moose Makes a Monday

Aside from some required Professional development three days this week- I am actually doing NOTHING this summer.


I didn't sign up for any classes. Partly because I'm tired, and partly because I'm being rebellious, and partly because I decided to get a masters degree as a Math Specialist and it starts at the end of August and I figured that was enough.

I did not agree to take on any sort of job at all.  No tutoring, no summer school, no helping out at a friend's store.  Being a slug and a mediocre Mom is going to be amazingly consuming.  Plus, I figured I would be getting ready to teach fifth grade, and that would be sure preoccupy my thoughts that were not directed towards eating and watching the spawn of my loins.

I DID decide to go horse back riding once a week.  And I'm doing Maker Camp on-line with the kids.  And I have a pile of books that are nothing like The Hunger Games piled up near my pillow to read. I admit, a good portion of them are professional.  But I also decided to go to the library once a week to read a young adult chapter book to get ready for the move from Biscuit to big kid books. I, of course, haven't started that library pilgrimage yet.  Maybe Friday.  I'll pencil it inside my imaginary day planner right now.

I also decided I'd try to make more of a schedule for myself to blog.  I know, I know, I say this all the time. I should at least be able to stick to it for the summer.  That's a good four weeks longer than normal New Year's resolutions.  Should count for something.

Of course, to blog, I sorta have to do things and think about things other than where I can find lemon seeds to harvest on Sims4. That damn tree in Oasis Springs isn't mature!  I can't get a seed from it!  Curses!  Anyway - #geekmoment

So- I'm going to be doing some stuff I find on Pinterest for fun!

This last week I decided to try out this little ditty on my Outside Recess Board from Homegrown Friends:

I had even tweeted about the experience and heard back from Homegrown Friends on Twitter!  Super nice people!

If you click on the picture, it will take you to their blog page, as well as a video of kids doing this art so you can see the dynamics of it.

I decided I'd like to do this one because I needed some wall art for my bedroom. I got these cheap canvases from Walmart- different sizes and enough for each person in my family to make one. And I chose colors for the paint based on my bedspread and room decor.  My first thought was to do the process painting on wrapping paper, and then stamp it onto the canvas.

Ha!  So you can see the trouble we ran in to from the beginning.  The wrapping paper was too flimsy, and her legs too long to get a good swing.  We did eventually try the stamp method with this though.

But it wasn't the look I was wanting.  We relocated to the back yard to try Ye Olde Swing Set, and tried painting directly on the canvas this time.  Long legs and low swings continued to thwart us.

We decided to just sit in the swing the regular way and I'd hold the canvas like a human easel.  This worked better for us.

So I went about having each of the kids make one, and my parents, and even tried to get my dog to walk across the first little one we had tried down by the tree swing in the front yard.  And I made one of course for a total of six paintings.

We all ended up covered in paint, especially since the littlest decided that this was the perfect way to paint using karate moves.  That he has no training for, I might add.  Like I need him to be able to chop me with any precision.  Anyway- I hosed the kids off- which made them happy as clams- and all was well.  Except for the dog.  He is still most displeased.

You might be noticing that art work already up on the wall.  That's from the littlest, during his "I love Sharpies" period.  Picasso would be proud.

To get these hung up on the wall in a decent arrangement, I utilized Pinterest again- recalling an old pin from my old Pinterest account.  I found this one here today, I think the original one I was thinking of was from Martha Stewart- but this one from BHG is the same thing.

So, the basic idea is you make paper templates of the art, and then you can move them around using tape getting them just right without destroying your walls.  Mine was already destroyed of course, but moving the papers around did make things easier.  I had a bunch of very large sheets of construction paper that I used to make the templates.

 I took me three or four arrangements until I decided on this one.  And I found two other little pictures I had around the house to add to it to make it a bit more symmetrical.

Voila! Family art, bedroom wall covered, no more sharpie. Trifecta of success.

As far as getting rid of the wall paper border at the top?  That is another battle I will have to wage with  my mother.  But until I prevail- this makes for a much nicer atmosphere in my room.

Be sure to head over to Tara's page to see what everyone has made this week!

What You Fear, Comes Upon You - The Meek Moose Reflects

Here we are, two weeks in to summer vacation, and I'm still having teaching nightmares.

I can't say that I have a variety of teaching nightmares- they all involve the same elements.
1) I'm not wearing a shirt
2) I can't find a bathroom with a door on the stall
3) I cannot control the class

I get the last one.  It makes sense as to why I would have anxiety over that situation.  Who doesn't?  I think this is what the parents who visit our classrooms and whisper "I could never do what you do!" are referring to.  Maintaining control over 20+ personalities that could mutiny at any given moment.

The other two- yeah, I don't know.  I guess I need a dream analyzer for that one.  Although, thinking over number two (pun completely fortuitous), ever walk in to a place and just think "I cannot poop here!"?  That one might just be universal.

I can remember watching some sort of documentary on dreams where someone said they believed nightmares were only rehearsals for a real life crisis we imagine we might experience.  And therefore the purpose of the nightmare was to figure out a solution so that we would be best prepared when the real moment came.

I'm going to tell you right now- I do not want to show up to work without a shirt.  And I don't see how that could happen anyway.  If I really want to come to terms with the no door on the bathroom stall, I suppose I could go to a roller rink (if they even have those anymore) because I remember that being the norm in the 80's.  For some reason, no door made it easier to go when you were wearing skates.  I guess.  I'm not buying it though, thinking about it now thirty years later.

The controlling the class problem - now there's the sticky wicket.

I know why I'm having the anxiety.  I'm leaving my comfort zone for the past seven teaching years of being in second grade.  I was told in May that I would be teaching fifth in the fall.  During the meeting I tried to keep upbeat.  I did mention my reservations of teaching that grade level- but I remained calm, nonchalant, if you will, during the meeting.  I had decided to not show fear.

The car ride home however- seeing as I have a commute of over an hour - I had plenty of time to really work myself up. I like second grade.  Second Grade is my favorite.  I'm good at teaching second grade.  I like what I teach in second grade.  I'm taller than second graders.  I feel successful with second grade.  I don't have a standardized test in second grade. Second graders accept me as an authority figure.

And that's the heart of it there.  The testing and authority issues.

I've taught fifth grade before.  My first four years I was a fourth grade teacher.  And then I taught fifth grade for two years.  Now, granted, this was over ten years ago, and "back then" tests were taken with pencil and we taught an entire lesson on correct bubble filling techniques.  But the crux is still there - I'm not good at teaching to a test.  I taught with colleagues who had very high pass rates every year.  They knew how to teach directly to the standards and get the results they wanted.  I can remember this one man I taught with one year - he was revered as a great example because he always go the highest pass rate in math - "I don't tell them anything that won't be on the test."

But...but..BUT! There's gaping holes in those standards- things that are important to know!  Things that make life more interesting and meaningful and who cares if no one asks a multiple choice question about it? This is why I don't get great scores.  I am a dang hippie when it comes to standardized education.  I don't care about making the standards fun or enjoyable - I care more about the other things that make us people.  I care more about who the kids end up being later rather than right this moment.  And I'm not saying that teachers that get good passing rates on the test don't also feel this way - I hold out hope that somehow they just found a way to balance it out.

This little ditty has been circulating a lot on the web.  For folks like me that are intrigued and inspired by the STEAM and Maker Movements - this becomes a bit of a salute the flag anthem moment.

Now- I should clarify that I don't dislike standards. Standards, after all, help us make decisions all the time.  According to my standards, should I date this man holding an AK-47 for his on-line dating profile? No.  According to my standards, should I feel comfortable using this public restroom that has obviously been sterilized recently? Ummm, well, ok.  According to my standards, should I eat this delicious gourmet cupcake rolled in bacon? YES.

But I also don't mind standards when it comes to curriculum design - it does not bother me that second graders learn about the forest, or that fifth grade learns about the ocean.  It does not bother me that every grade level learns about George Washington. I do not mind that standards progress in difficulty in mathematical concepts over time. I AM bothered when gaping holes in understanding are left, or that the pace is too quick for child development, but having a road map in general does not bother me at all.

As artsy fartsy as I am, I'm not the type of person that does well with "Today Koalas! Tomorrow Zucchini!" sort of thematic teaching.  If you want to be dragged down dark alleys in search of interesting restaurants not mentioned in the travel guide, my sister is the one you want.  We would make quite the duo on the Amazing Race, I'm sure.

I just don't like the testing part.  It doesn't show growth.  It doesn't show how much work a child put in to their year, or take in to account how they might be feeling that day.  It's a one take selfie photo.  Horrors!  I take at least twenty before I pick one that is acceptable.  I know I'm not the only one.  I also don't like how the testing is turned into a spit to roast a teacher on.

What does any of this have to do with the nightmare I had about controlling a class?

Because I wasn't very good at it ten+ years ago.  I was the kooky Aunt who they knew loved them and it didn't matter.  Why did they need to do what I said?

Here I am, young me.  In the midst of a rocky marriage that will be failing in the next two years.  Coming to terms with the autism in my oldest - watching him in a preschool play where he's an elephant at a circus and he leaves his troop behind to come stand at the edge of the stage and just stare into the audience.  I can remember this girl I taught, Brooke, asking me why that upset me so much, and I remember I told her "Because I know all those things I imagined him doing when he got older aren't ever going to happen."

I can remember my last year in fifth grade, sitting down with my principal, a man I greatly love and respect even to this day, and him telling me I would be going to second grade the next year. "You'll just be a better fit there." He said.  My scores had just come in.  They were the lowest out of eight 5th grade teachers.  The kids liked me.  Some of them still talk about the projects we did that year - the movies we made of being Native Americans, the plays about the revolution.  The book report projects where they made a robot.  But none of that was on the bubble it in test.  Second grade was to be a "better fit" for me.

And it was.  Without the fear of a test looming over me- I taught them to read, and write, and understand numbers.  We performed plays, and made dioramas, and thrilled at science experiments.  All the pressure was gone.  And I was taller, and just had to use a mommy voice to bring them back under my wings.

And I am terrified of going back to fifth grade.  I am terrified of losing what I know is me and giving in to the test.  But I am also terrified of not getting good scores. It will be me, a seasoned fifth grade teacher, and a brand new teacher.

I will not necessarily be taller.  Some will be just as tall as me, and some taller.  I don't know if ten years of teaching experience under my belt has made me less of a Kooky Aunt and more of a Commander-in-Chief.  Will I be able to celebrate the growth and change in my students and not give in the the pressure of the test?

I just don't know.  Further reflection necessary.

Summer has Arrived - The Meek Moose Gets Current

Like one of those corporate guys who answers his phone with "Go!" We're just going to dive right in. Pretend I haven't been away for months.  Roll with it, Kittens.
3, 2, 1 ... Blast OFF!

LISTENING

My youngest is four.  He is the exact definition of a boy:

Click to go to Little People and Me shop

He is armed with my horse riding boot and a SpiderMan balloon from the Dollar Store.  I don't believe the balloon stands a chance.  But I'm thankful he is not thinking it would be funny to hit me with the boot.

My apologies to the state of Florida.  His Grandmother informed him that saying words like f*ck, sh*t, or damn "Make God really sad!".  So now he has for some reason adopted "Florida" as his go to curse word.  We are assuming that, like us, God is having soda go up his nose each time the boy rages since my mother hasn't said anything about it.

But look out, Gulf of Mexico!  You may be next.

LOVING

The horseback riding lessons began as a birthday gift for my daughter.

But then she went on vacation to Disney World, the lucky duck, and I took her lesson for the week.

I look like a natural, no?

Eventually- the horse named Tom and I worked out a deal where he grumpily allowed me to ride him as long I tried to not take too many pictures.  He's not much of a Diva.  He's older, completely happy with going last in line, and is very much in tune with his "inner mosey".  Which is fine.  I don't really have any fantasies about galloping through the fields of barley or anything.

I hope to go once a week for the rest of the summer.  I'm not sure what I will be able to manage when school starts again- but I will hold off thinking about that for now.  

Riding is very peaceful.  They are majestic animals with beautiful eyes and soft snuffly noses. It is immensely relaxing to brush his coat and comb his mane and pat him gently on the neck.

THINKING

I disrupted my peaceful bliss by reading all three Hunger Games books over the weekend on my Kindle.  I'm blaming Flamingo Fabulous.  We watched the second movie on our beach vacation together and she was saying how the books were better than the movies. (Aren't they always?  Why did I have to think I needed to know for myself?)

I was fine until the end of the third book.  It was disappointing with Finnick of course, but I was ruined for life in the last chapters with Prim.  And just when I was almost over it- they brought in the damn cat, limping home after more than a week's journey in the wilderness. "FLORIDA!!!!!!" I scream from the rooftops. "Gulf of Mexico!"

I cried for a good hour.  I hate those books.  I refuse to watch the third and fourth movie.

Now I need something happy to read. Help me  dear people!

WANTING

BECAUSE...

NEEDING

My daughter took a video of me the other day, and I had to come to come to terms with it.  I've gone spherical.

And I don't want to be.

But I don't want to be a stick either.  I do not want to ever give up bread.  I just want to fit into pretty clothes and not look like I'm about to explode out of them.

So, I'm looking at trying to change my eating habits, and possibly exercise.  I say possibly because I'm not a fan of sweating.  But I found some funny work out posters that appeal to my sense of humor, so I think I will give it a go.

Click to link to tons of other workout posters

This site used to have lots of superhero themed ones- but then DC Comics got a bit hot and bothered and told them to take it all down. But whatever.  I will still pretend it is the WonderWoman workout- so take that DC comics!  

But yeah, I don't see myself being able to do any of those things in the middle there...

ALL STAR

Let's think this through- I spent the weekend reading three books I didn't have to read.  and I just made my bed for the sake of being able to write the sentence that I made my bed.  And my plans after this post is to very probably play Sims4 indefinitely because I am at that level of slug.

I should be getting my mind wrapped around switching grade levels next year.  And getting some materials made for teaching about the brain that I'm absolutely fascinated over.  But I can't seem to get myself out of the let-me-sleep-until-noon funk.

*HeavySigh* Meh.

Be sure to head over to Farley's blog to post your own Currently, and read up on some other fabulous things teachers who are not in a funk are doing.

Peace out, Kittens!

Ladies with Class Blog Hop ~ $40 TpT gift certificate up for grabs!

The collaborative blog Ladies With Class are hosting a meet and greet blog hop!  Come check out everybody and get some great freebies and a chance to win $40 for TpT!

 Thanks Mrs. Hug-a-Bug for the great job on our graphics!

I get excited about Spring because I am way into nature lessons with my kids.  I get to play around with frogs and butterflies, and hatch chicks and garden!

Hey, had you heard that gardening helps with depression because of the nutrients in the soil actually act as an anti-depressant?  Way cool!  My students are city kids, and not many have had a gardening opportunity- so they have a lot of fun with me this time of year.

I've been out looking for frog spawn lately, but haven't found any.  I don't want to order it from somewhere on-line, but I think I might be forced to.  Sheesh.  And I'm hoping that this year I'm able to do butterflies without a catastrophe like I had a couple of years ago.  I have already picked out the chicken eggs I'm going to attempt to hatch and have decided not to have them until a bit later in May so that I don't have a Memorial Day hatch date like last year.

This weekend I'm at a science retreat at a State Park in Virginia.  We're going to be doing all sorts of activities from Project Wet.  I can't wait to bring back what I've learned to my classroom and get my kids out to the pond preserve behind our school!

To celebrate Spring- I'm offering one of my first clip art packs as a freebie this weekend. (It's usually $4)  Click the pic to go to my store and get a set!  If you download and leave feedback- that would be awesome!

I've also decided to put all of my spring themed art and teacher resources on sale for 20% off, grab yourself a deal this weekend!

And last but not least, I'm giving away  winner's choice from my store to THREE lucky winners. Enter using the rafflecopter below.

But don't forget to hop ALL the way to Ladies with Class to try your luck at winning a $40 TpT gift certificate from all of us! Enjoy the hop and get yourself some great freebies!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Next stop? 

lopezlandlearners.blogspot.com/2015/03/march-into-spring-win-40-tpt-gift-card.html

Read-Alouds and Digital Citizenship - Virginia is for Book Lovers Blog Hop

I'm always excited to join my VA blogger buds for a blog hop.  This time we're embracing our love of reading! Each of us will be sharing a book and resource that we LOVE to use in the classroom for this very special hop. Even more THRILLING, is that you'll find a book giveaway on each page of the hop, with a super huge giveaway at the end over at Mrs. O Knows.

Mom and Dad always read to my sister and I growing up; picture books, chapter books, fairy tales, comics in the paper, the Bible, everything.  Traci was two years older and started reading independently before me, so then she ended up modeling it for me as well.  Mom took us to the library a lot.  I know for years I always checked out Colleen Moore's Fairy Tale Dollhouse book.  Never even read it until I was 32, but I adored the pictures and made up my own thoughts and stories to go along with what I saw.

I grew up in Alaska.  and I know there were book stores, because I can remember always visiting "The Book Cache".  But I think I bought a great many books at the grocery store. They had books at in the checkout lanes as impulse sales. Get a pack of green Hubba Bubba and a book.  Good times. When we went to the store, often we were told before we even made it through the doors that we were not buying anything not on the list.  But get to the check out counter and ask for a book, and Mom and Dad never said no.  Traci and I ended up with countless Archie Digests and fantasy chapter books this way.

My first year teaching fourth grade, I started building up a class library.  I only filled one four shelf bookcase that year.  By my ninth year, I'd graduated to needing six book cases and I was up to 50 labeled baskets.  A bit out of control, perhaps, but I love it!

I like to vary my read-alouds between picture books and chapter books for variety.  Shocking that I'm a little ADD, I know. When I first started teaching second grade seven years ago, I was a bit worried about having to give up my chapter books.  But it turns out- chose the right one, and there's nothing to worry about!

The Shredderman Series by Wendelin Van Draanen turns out to be perfect for second graders for a couple of reasons.  One, there is the occasional cartoon picture.  And they come often enough to keep the kids antsy to see it.  Two, the main character is in fifth grade- so the maturity level is not too far out of their frame of perspective. Three, the issues of bullying, good kid standing up against tyranny, and wishing to be a superhero are all applicable to the seven/eight year old mind.  Plus, as an added bonus, as you read it aloud, you get to say "butt".  This thrills the second grader to no end.

My students beg me for this book every year.  And they even check it out from the library, and beg me to continue reading the rest of the series.  Interest engagement alone makes this book worth it.

However, in the past few years, society norms have changed enough to make this book interesting for kids and teachers in a new way.  Published in 2004, anti-bully campaigns in schools were already in full force- but cyber bullying was not quite getting the attention yet that it does today.  For this reason, I like to read Shredderman to my second graders with the lens of thinking about the choices Nolan makes to end the physical and emotional bullying at school through his website.  It's a great way to talk about digital citizenship, and whether or not Nolan should have made other choices when working against Bubba.  It's also a great book to read with kids to talk about the choices the adults make in regards to the bullying both at school and over the web.

I read this book in the first month of school prior to introducing my kids to their digital portfolios and while I also teach them about writing appropriate response comments in our other website uses.  It allows for discussion on building a classroom community, establishing group norms, and also discussing citizenship in both the digital world and the real one.

My simple freebie includes a Digital Citizenship poster, and a book discussion form to talk about Nolan's choices.  This will be a forever freebie offered at my store.  Click the picture to go get your download!

Fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win your own Paperback copy of Shredderman: Secret Identity by Wendelin Van Draanen.  I'm willing to mail it anywhere, so no worries if you're overseas! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Make sure you hop through all nineteen of us, and don't forget the Amazing Mega-Giveaway at the end of the hop at Rachel's Mrs. O Knows page.  There you can try to win ALL NINETEEN of the books in one go.  Each one of us will individually mail you our book.  Just imagine getting nineteen different packages at your door, each box with an amazing read-aloud for your kids!

Click below to keep on hopping to Jen at An Adventure in Literacy!

Behind the Logo ~ The Meek Moose Pretends She's Watching VH1

Question:  Does VH1 even exist anymore?

Moving forward...

So, I was playing around on Instagram today.  Like a lot of days.  But with great diligence this morning because I was supposed to be
-updating my resume
-writing a business proposal
-cleaning my room
-making math card games
-creating lesson plans worthy of being peeked at during informal observations
-and NOT EATING bread
when it just so happened that I commented on another gal's picture about an art project she was doing with her students that I love that art pack too and it was on my wish list.

It's this art pack:

Click to check this Pop Art Miracle out!

I'm actually pretty sure I have Jenny's entire store on my wishlist...let me check... yes, yes I do.

Anyway, I made this comment and then ended up chatting with Jenny through email which was unexpected and very cool.  I have to say that one thing I like about blogging, and meeting teachers through FB, Twitter, Instagram, and TpT is that it starts to feel like I know lots of celebrities.  Knowing celebrities pleases my deep seated vanity.  Yes. Yes it does.

Turns out- Jenny is hosting a linky where you explain the story behind your logo.  And she asked if I was interested in linking up since I have this curious moose fetish going on.  And let's all admit it- moose are cool.  Deadly nasty mean beasts- but cool.  We also know I love to talk nonsense about myself.  And I think we all took note of how I'm supposed to be cleaning my room.  Again.  And I'm not.  So here we go.

Word wise- I'm from Alaska, I like moose, and my last name is Meek.  So it probably began as a simple fondness for alliteration.  The Meek Moose.

I had not always planned on being a teacher.  My college degree is in Writing.  I was going to be the next great American author.  I graduated from college, had a brief desire to be an intern at Jim Henson's Muppets that I never followed up on because I didn't want to commute by the LIRR every day to the city, and then ended up working retail at a toy store and then a gift basket shop because you can't make money just wanting to be an author.

My experience at the toy store was great!  It was one of those old buildings with nooks and crannies and had been open 100 years.  My favorite thing was if they would send me next door to the storage building to find something- because that place was LOADED with memorabilia.  I love toys, in case you didn't know.  So I'm 22 and I ended up thinking then that I would like to have my own toy store.  I remember at first I wanted to call it Farley&Fiona.  But then it evolved into The Meek Moose.

Idea tabled when I went back to school to get a teaching license. You don't really make a good living working part-time retail.

Teaching teaching teaching...years go by....teaching fifth grade...not a good fit for me.  Started to dream up other professional endeavor ideas.  And then I was 30.  Ah, 30.  I thought all my dreams would come true at 30.  I decided I was going to leave teaching and open a children's bookstore.  I wanted it to have lots of natural light, and wooden floors and shelves, and a stage with red curtains for poetry night.  And we'd serve snacks like cake pops and fancy lemonade.  I'd even decided that I was going to go with a mix of clean linen and cherry blossom for the general "smell" of the store.

When The Meek Moose dreams, she dives into the details.  But only the ones that have nothing to do with what you actually have to know to run a business. Because I'm cool like that.  I had my sister draw me up a logo of a moose that was feeling meekish.  And then a guy I knew at a T-shirt screening place digitized the image and cleaned up the lines of the pencil drawing.

Anyhow, get a divorce, real estate market bottoms out, house tied up in it- blah. The Meek Moose gets shelved.  But I kept my Meek Moose logo picture in a journal and would look at it from time to time.

Then, 2012, I'm 36 and looking for some teaching inspiration one spring when I discover teacher blogs.  So I think- hey- I could do that.  Seemed like a natural choice to pull out my lovely Meek Moose art and go for it.  so I did.  A year later, my sister decided to join me in a TpT endeavor.

Now Traci, she's a costume designer / freelance mascot builder in New Zealand.  And I'm sure she'll chime in after I post this and tell me how I've not used the correct job title to describe what she does. But her company name is Meek and Wild Creations.  So I asked her to put a sweater on the moose with her MW so we were combined.

When I go my blog design updated by Barbara Leyne Designs in September, she gave my blog moose a face lift with a hipster feel that I LOVE.  And even gave me a chicken!  Love you, Barbara!

As far as my glamour shot - this was a picture taken of me when I was 32.  I was teaching a drama club at a Military School and I was waiting outside the Chapel for our Summer Parent Performance to begin.  A man asked to take my picture.  His wife was one of the administration as I remember, and he had taken my picture once before when I was at dinner with the cadets maybe a year earlier.

Generally, I don't like my picture taken.  I'm guilty of taking fifty shots before I find one that I consider OK.  She brought me the picture the next week.  I liked it.  Sometimes it's nice to think that I haven't aged much since then.  But I guess it's ok that I have. Time presses ever forward.

32

39

So- that's the story of the logo.  I'm from Alaska, I love moose, my last name is Meek, and it would be awesome if I one day become a princess.

If you would also like to avoid cleaning your room- consider telling the story of your logo and linking up with Jenny at Art with Jenny K.

I guess I have to go clean my room now...

An InLinkz Link-up

The Meek Moose Wants to Be an Engineer

I became part of a collaborative blog, Ladies With Class, and it launched this week.  I've been thinking that it was a rather silly thing for me to do, as I blog so sporadically during the school year anyway- but then again, since I may only blog on the collaborative gig once a month- it's not a shabby deal.

My first post on the collaborative blog is up. Engineering and Coding are two of my favorite things. I've shared lots of video clips of my kids in action, on the computer, with Marble Run, and creating Domino Rallies. Hope you like it and feel inspired to add it into your day as well!

There are also two other posts, one on Motivational Tools by Yara at Sea of Knowledge; and another on Writing Biographies in Second Grade by Tara at Looney's Literacy.  Please check out all three!