Five for Friday

Friday at last which means it is time to link up for Five for Friday with Doodle Bugs Teaching!

It was my first week back at school this week - I was in to sort my room on Monday, a full day training on learning behaviour on Tuesday and kids back on Wednesday. It has been good - my class are lively but very sweet and I can see lots of potential already! I've had to give out a fair few warnings and have spoken to one parent already but only to make a point and set high expectations for behaviour! I've enjoyed the week but am shattered now...

I had the otters they made on meet the teacher day up and ready to welcome them on the first day of term:

And we did lots of work based on this amazing book which has become a firm favourite already!

On Thursday we made name-bows. Acrostic name poems, rainbow style. An idea I found on pinterest from The First Grade Parade. I hung them in the window so the parents could see them when they picked them up at the end of the day - I think they turned out well!

We had a 'worry free' morning this morning. I read this book:

And then we tried to make dream catchers. Some turned out well and others were a bit of a tangled mess!

After, I read Silly Billy by Anthony Browne and we made worry dolls!

We also attempted to go outside and blow our worries away with bubble mixture and wands but I must have got the quantities wrong because we got no bubbles!

Because it it the first full on teaching week next week I was super organised after school and have everything ready to go! It won't last long and before I know it I'll be scrabbling round in the mornings trying to get myself sorted for the day... I'll enjoy my organised self while it lasts though!

I'm looking forward the them filling all their new exercise books with lots of lovely work (not looking forward to the marking as much). I used to love writing on that first page of a new book and trying to make it perfect... I hope my class feel the same way!

I hope you all had a great week where you are and have an equally great weekend!

September Currently!

Hello!

It's time for Currently - an amazing linky with Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade! Thank you Farley!

School was open for the day so new staff could do an extra day of training. It meant I was able to get in and see what state I left my class in at the end of last term. It wasn't too bad! I think I'm nearly sorted - I love my new number posters and think my 'No Excuses' word wall will be really useful this year. I'm also currently trying to throw together a quick river themed reward board as I realised I had one board I had no plans for! Pictures of my class will be up by the end of the week!

I've also loved seeing all the great classroom reveals recently - so many people have created such great learning spaces for their children - they are very lucky to have such clever and dedicated teachers!

New school year = lots of good intentions for school and healthy living, right? I MUST dust off my exercise bike and start taking healthy lunches to school each day - and drink more water! THEN, I will be able to treat myself to that new school wardrobe!

I would really love to visit Italy - a huge tour of all the amazing cities. However, the 3 places I listed above are the 3 Canary Islands I have not yet seen. I lived on La Palma for a year many many years ago  and promised myself I would see all 7.  4 down and 3 to go...

I'm off to read some of your Currently posts now. Have a great September everyone!

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Five for Friday

Hello!

It's Saturday, which means that I'm a little late linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday AND that this is the last weekend before I have to go back to school which is very sad...

While I feel like I've been working pretty much the whole of this holiday, it has been a great break and I think I'll just about be able to manage the next 8 weeks until half term!

An amazing trip to Bruges

A lovely weekend in Cardiff

A trip to Harry Potter World

What was the best thing you did this summer?

This week I finally finished plotting the whole year for years 1, 2 and 3 so all the new teachers in my phase have a rough idea of what they will be teaching!

I have planned a 'Worry Free Morning' for Friday. We will be reading Silly Billy, learning about and making worry dolls; reading Grandmother's Dreamcatcher and making dreamcatchers and making bubbles and bubble wands and going outside to experiment with the best bubbles while blowing our worries away (if the weather is nice)! Come back next week to see pictures!

If you saw my Wordless Wednesday post you will have seen I was excited that this book arrived this week! 

 I am very excited to use it in class and think we will make a great display or class rule book by thinking about what Otters should do or be!

My favourite thing of the week is the cover I made for my teacher diary/planner! This is the third year I have personalised my planner this way and I think this one is the best I have managed so far! 

I'm not sure how often I'll actually find a pen in there as I can never hang on to one for that long (unless it is around my neck), but I will try!

 That's all for this week! Last minute relaxing and planning to be done this weekend, a few hours in class to finish setting up on Monday, staff training on Tuesday and kids back on Wednesday! I'm tired already!

Have a great weekend!

Do unto Otters

Hello!

Thank you Miss DeCarbo at Sugar and Spice for hosting Wordless Wednesday!

I have seen this book mentioned as a great back to school read in various places over the summer. As my class name is Otters I've been meaning to get myself a copy and I finally did! I love it and it is perfect for our first day back at school next Wednesday!

I think this is one of the most important rules for my classroom:

My question for you is: what is THE most important rule in your classroom this year?

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday Made It

Hello!

I'm sad today that today marks the start of the last full week off school and that I am back officially next Tuesday...our 6 week break has flown by quicker than ever this year and I'm not sure I am ready to start again quite yet!

It's also the last weekly Monday Made It so I wanted to link up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics to share a few bits I have been working on this week - thank you Tara for hosting this great linky each week!

My sister asked me to make pinboards for my 2 nieces after seeing some one of her friends had made. I set to work and my first attempt resulted in this one:

I was pretty pleased with it! (The colour is a bit off on the picture here - both side strips were the colour of the one on the left.)

I then tackled the second one. I bought a polka dot jelly roll in brights and decided just to sew the strips together rather than do anything fancier! 

Here's a bit of a photo collage/tutorial on the steps I took to make it! Any questions, just ask!

And the finished product! I was very tempted to keep it myself and may well need to make another with all the leftover material!

We had our annual summer family BBQ today (which turned into an indoor affair as it has rained solidly all day) and I made a cheesecake to take along! Lemon and Line with a Ginger base. Very simple but very yummy!

My final made it was for my classroom. I currently have a pennant banner with numbers 0-50 along the top of one wall in my classroom. I have seen all the great number posters other people have with the visual cues on them though and knew I wanted something like this. However, as I'm in the UK, I needed it with UK coins so decided to make them myself as I couldn't find just what I needed elsewhere.

Perfect for my classroom this year!

What have you been making this week? Don't forget to link up!