Perseverance?

Hello on a Tuesday!

It's half term next week and the last really big thing that needed doing at school was done today which means I can relax a little, enjoy teaching my class and find the time to link up with Mrs Jump's Class for Book Talk Tuesday!

I was searching for a story to teach my class about perseverance as it is a learning behaviour we are promoting in school. 

I stumbled across this one which sounded perfect and it arrived last week.

It's a sweet rhyming story about a little ant who thinks he can't carry anything to the feast with all the other bugs because he is too small.

He has offers of help from Spider and Grasshopper but they both start to help him and then dash off halfway through the job leaving him carrying the food alone without realising.

At the end, the little ant is pleased with what he has managed to take to the feast and he thanks his friends for their help only to find he managed it himself all along! 

He is the little ant who can now say "I can" instead of "I can't!".

I do really like this story but it's not quite what I was looking for. The illustrations are bright and the story flowed nicely due to the rythmn on each page. As we are a church of England school - the little bible passages were also a nice touch!

The ant succeeds, but I don't think he really persevered as he didn't realise what was happening! 

I was hoping for a story which showed a struggle to achieve something with more of a "try try again" message. 

My class enjoyed it but if you can think of any stories that really teach perseverance, please let me know!

Don't forget to go check out the books others are recommending on Book Talk Tuesday!

Sunday Scoop 19-10-14

Hello!

I am so grateful to the Teaching Trio for hosting Sunday Scoop - things have been so busy and I have not been able to pay my blog any attention recently. The Sunday Scoop is a fun, quick and easy way to link up with everyone and share some things that have been going on!

It has been go, go, go this half term and I know that everyone in my school is ready for half term! This week all data and action plans (mini reports) were due in along with a teaching and learning review on Tuesday (very stressful!). 

I was so well planned for the day where important people could pop in and observe me at any time only to hit an enormous pothole on Monday driving home which meant I couldn't get to school on the Tuesday - so annoying! It means the Head and Deputy will come and see me this Tuesday instead (which I am obviously NOT so well prepared for!). 

Anyway, here are a few things I have, hope and am happy to do this week!

I also hope to not completely neglect my blog this week! Wish me luck!

Have a great week.

Positive Perseverance!

Hello!

As a school, we are having a big push on perseverance and teaching children that perseverance is an important learning behaviour to help us be successful in the classroom! 

We held a competition to design a character (a very cute ant was the winner) to represent perseverance and I have now been looking for video clips and images to display to promote this.

As Mrs. Laffin's Laughings hosts Positive Thinking Thursday every week, I thought I would link up to share some of the thoughts I have stumbled across so far!

(Please click on the images to take you to the sites where I found them!)

(Not sure about this one as I do need the work done in the time I set!)

If you know of any great video clips/animations or other images/inspirational thoughts to help me encourage perseverance in the classroom then please leave a comment below! 

Don't gorget to link up for Positive Thinking Thursday!

Thanks!

Five for Friday!

This week has just flown by and I can't quite believe it is Friday again! I am not complaining though!

And Friday means it is time to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday!

Number 1 is a quick reminder to enter my giveaway! You have the chance to win a $10 TpT giftcard and 2 products from my store!

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We are learning about Harvest in RE at the moment (and I keep putting off the fact I have to put together a Harvest service somehow incorporating approximately 140 children in a couple of weeks!). We looked at Harvest in South India this week and then decorated Pongal pots and cows!

We spent some time in SLT walking around the school this week looking at learning environments. It was lovely to have the time admiring other classrooms. We left little notes on the boards letting each teacher know what we especially liked in their rooms so they know they are appreciated!

I spent time today preparing for a staff meeting on moderation in maths. We are all brilliant at moderating writing but struggle with maths and reading. Do you do any maths moderation in your school? How does it work? All advice appreciated!

My gorgeous boy cat has just come and plonked himself down on me to join in the Five for Firday fun and is being very sweet so I think it is only right to share a picture of him as number 5!

Have a great weekend!

October Currently!

October is here and that means we all get to link up with Farley at Oh Boy 4th Grade for Currently! Thank you for the great linky Farley!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway at the end of this post!

Listening: I'm back with the audiobooks on my commute to and from work since school started again. It makes me feel like I'm doing something useful with the time and not wasting my life in the car!

Loving: This time of year when there are lovely shows to watch as the days become shorter and we are less inclined to go out and more tempted to stay cosy on the sofa with some great TV!

Thinking: I recorded myself teaching a phonics lesson this week so I could share it with some new teachers at school. Some of the shots were NOT flattering!

Wanting: I love butterscotch sauce!

Needing: I am sure this is true of us all but things are getting a little out of hand at the moment!

Right. I love reading all the other Currently posts so am off to do that now!

I would love it if you entered my giveaway (feel free even if you already follow me) below!

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Wordless Wednesday

Half way through the week - nearly the weekend again and time to link up with Miss DeCarbo at Sugar and Spice for Wordless Wednesday!

I spent a lot of time at the weekend trying to get ahead with my guided reading planning. It is my least favourite subject to plan as it takes longer to plan that the time I have allocated to teach it!

Now I don't mean to be negative because I do actually enjoy TEACHING guided teaching but my question for you is: What is your least favourite subject to plan for?

Don't forget to link up with Miss DeCarbo and don't forget to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a $10 TpT giftcard!

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Pinkie Mouse, where are you?

Hello!

It has been a while since I linked up with Mrs Jump's Class for Book Talk Tuesday and I have had the pictures for my post about this book ready for weeks and just never got around to writing about it! (Don't forget to enter my giveaway after reading about this great book!)

It's such a lovely story that I recently discovered and loved sharing with my class. 

This is the tale of a Pinkie Mouse and Pangolin playing hide-and-squeak. 

From the back cover: Pangolin searches for Pinkie Mouse in all the scariest places - and discovers just how brave he really is..."

It's a rhyming story which makes it very easy to read and for the children to listen to and follow. We are introduced to Pangolin who is sensible and does not like being brave.

He sets off to find Pinkie Mouse and finds himself in some tricky situations, ignoring the advice given to him by his family about staying safe!

The page with the elephant's poo was popular with my class!

 At the end, when he still can't find his friend, he plucks up the courage to look inside the crocodile's mouth...

Until he hears...

Pinkie Mouse explain that she had been calling to Pangolin all along but could never make herself heard (and we loved looking back and spotting Pinkie Mouse on each page where Pangolin does something scary). 

She explains that she saw how brave her friend was and hopes that she will be that brave when she is big! 

(I have to admit I almost brushed a little tear away when reading this page!)

There is some information about Pangolins at the end which was a great addition to the book!

I loved this story and think you will too! Don't forget to go and check out the other books being recommended this week in Book Talk Tuesday and don't forget to enter my giveaway below!

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