Poetry Stations & Scavenger Hunt *Freebie

I think my posts will be brief until I get this splinty thing off my pinkie and no longer have a giant ringkie finger that gets in the way and keeps pushing letters and does NOT help me capitalize things with the shift key and just generally hurts because I can't rest it on anything.But I really really wanted to share this activity we're doing to review poetry. 
This week, the kids are working in poetry stations to review the characteristics of poetry. We read a poem for shared reading and spent some time identifying important ideas and language in the poem. There are four stations for students to rotate through. Each station includes a matching activity and Test-like questions to practice the skill. I work with kids when they reach the most difficult station (station 2, this time). We analyzed a practice test to see where they were struggling. After we stopped crying, we created stations to address the worst of these areas.
These are the four stations:
1. Word Work. Matching activity: match synonyms and antonyms to words in the poem. Questions: context clues, synonyms, and antonyms.
2. Making inferences. Matching activity: statements from the poem to conclusions/inferences you can make. Questions: The reader can tell... type questions, and questions about why the author chose to include certain lines/stanzas.

3.  Features/Characteristics of poetry. Matching activity: match words like, "stanza" and "line" to examples from the poem. Questions: using features of the poem to answer questions.
4. Figurative Language. Matching activity: match lines from the poem to two things: the poet included this line to show... and this line means... Questions: interpreting figurative language. 
I know this is vague... I can probably clean up the files a little to show you sometime - but typing hurts. waaah.
Anyway, this is the freebie for you: if the kids finish their station early, they can work on the poetry scavenger hunt below. I included two levels to make it useful for different grades. Grab it for free at TPT or Teacher's Notebook.

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Pinkie Drama

So, today I wore a splint-y thing on my pinkie cause I think I have a hairline fracture in there. 

I was gesticulating madly as I got into my hunny's car about a month ago. Who knows what story I was telling! Waving my right hand in the air, I shoved my pinkie head-on into the door frame. And it hurt. Big time. But I mistakenly assumed that it would stop.

It didn't.

So five weeks later

twice I've banged it against the gear shift in my car - ow - ow

and twice I've wrenched it away from the rest of my hand - ow - ow

I'm using the backspace like never before because I only have use of parts of my right hand. Instead of a ring finger and pinkie, I have this weird morph of the two: a ringkie finger. It's enormous and useless and just sticks off the side of my hand inappropriately. 

It's not good for typing.

Or writing.

Or anything involving fingers.

I went to school today wearing my splint. Of course, my kids were horrified.

Kid: What happened to your hand?! look on face of complete mortification. 

Me: I hit it against my car and it hurts sometimes, so I put a splint on it. 

Other Kid: Does it hurt?

Me: Not much. Only if I hit it on something.

Third Kid: Did you break it?

Me: No, I'm just trying to protect it so it can heal right.

Fourth Kid: Does it hurt?

Me: repeating Not really. Only if I hit it on something.

Kid enters classroom, tardy: Ms. Beltran! What happened to your hand?! picture hands and face like McCauley Caulkin in Home Alone - AAAAAGGGGHHHH!

Other Kid: She broke it.

Oh, my children are good listeners. 

It happened several times during the day that the kids made up reasons for my 'broken finger'. 

My favorite? "I'm gonna tell my mom you got in a fight with a school box and you lost!"

hahahaha kids are silly.

Today is the last day for my Teacher's Notebook Sale! Go grab some cheap stuff!

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Furry Friends Linky! *2D Shapes Freebie

Several things today.

One:
So I know I just recently mentioned my little fuzzy pants in a post, but when I saw how precious this graphic was from Soaring Through Second, and what a cute linky party it was, I decided to reblog. (reblog: v. to blog again)

These are my little fuzzers.

This is Lucy. Lucy was dropped off at my house one morning by somebody who found her in his backyard. She was just a little ball of fluff with a face back then.

 Lucy is a great dog. People who don't like dogs like her. She's smart and learns quickly, which is good, because even though I'm good at teaching children, I know next to nothing about teaching dogs. With Lucy, I still feel like the dog whisperer. That's how smart she is. She knows what I want her to do when I don't know how to tell her to do it. Smarty Pants. 

From Lucy, I've learned:

Just be nice. People like that.

This is Penny. Penny is a dachsund who was given to me by one of my students about five years ago. He and his family had to get rid of her, so she became mine. She has diabetes, the poor baby. When I feed her in the morning, she gets so excited that she bounces on her three-inch-legs.

From Penny, I've learned 

the value of a good appetite. 

This is The Professor. I got him from someone whose cat had kittens and they didn't know where to put them. He's a smarty pants, too. He looks like he's dead, but he's not. This is his preferred position: back on the floor, legs (usually all four, unlike this picture) in the air. Out of the two cats, he's the boss. 

From the Professor, I've learned:

Let it hang loose. Who cares, anyway?

This is Jeannie. Jeannie's a weenie. But I didn't know that when I named her. Just got lucky. She meows incessantly for attention. She wants to be loved, but is terrified of attention. 

From Jeannie, I've learned:

If you need some love, ask for it!

As you can see, some of my lessons are conflicting. I guess it depends on whether you're in a dog mood or a cat mood; a safe mood or a dangerous mood. Lately, I've been in a dog mood. In the winter, I'm more of a cat.

This may not be normal; I really don't know. Pets are lovely. Until you have to clean up their poop.

Two: Teacher's Notebook Sale through Monday. Go grab some cheap stuff!

Three: New 2D Shapes Pack for second & third grade.

Grab it at TPT or Teacher's Notebook!

Four: And for being awesome, have this freebie for...free!!2D Shape Hunt Tree Map and 2D Sorting Chart: Quadrilaterals vs. Other ShapesGrab it at TPT.

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Marshmallow Math & Kids at Parent Night *Freebie Repost

Today we got ready for Parent Night. I mean, I like parents and all, but... well... I stress about parent night. I'm not sure why. I just expect parents to come in with a frowny face and angry eyebrows. Maybe because I'm deathly afraid people won't like me. That's sad. But they don't. I usually get nice feedback, or none at all. It's funny to see the kids explain things to their parents. On Reading... Kid: This is my prediction. Parent: Of what? Kid: Of what I'm reading! Parent: Oh. reading "Why do spiders spin webs." Hmm. Why DO spiders spin webs? Kid: I have no idea. Nice. I'm really making an impact there. lol On Social Studies... Kid: This is our tree with the three branches of government. Get it? Trees have branches!! Parent: Yes. Can you feel the excitement?

On top of their desks, the kids put several of their notebooks to share about, including their math, reading, science, and social studies, as well as their science collection. Kids also write a brief note about parent night to their parents and put it in their Write On Wednesday notebooks. This parent night, on top of all that stuff, the kids had their marshmallow 3D shapes we made as part of our 3D shapes unit. It went super well. First, I had the kids predict the number of marshmallows they would need for vertices and toothpicks they would need for edges for each shape we made. 

We compared the prisms to pyramids, in the hopes that students would notice the major differences: - pyramids have a base with a vertex opposite of the base -prisms have two faces opposite each other You can get both of  get the activities from my TPT store.

Also, grab the marshmallow model recording freebie at TPT!

At TPT 

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I'm a slow runner

I know I'm a slow runner cause I got tagged twice.

The first one who caught me was Simone at Busy as a Honey Bee.
This is what she wanted to know.1. What sport - if any- did you play in high school? If you didn't play a sport, why not?Did I mention I'm a slow runner? Most sports require some sort of running.Nope.
I was in band. And I was THE band nerd. Like, my level of nerdliness what amazing. It's in the record books at my high school under, "Nerdiest Flute Player of All Time".
2. How many hours do you spend each day reading different blogs? What are your Top 5 blogs?I try to keep it down to half an hour, but I could easily spend an hour or so. I am trying to learn limits.I check lots of blogs frequently, so it's hard to do a top 5. I tend to check out the ones who recently commented on my blog, because it makes sense to me to do that!
3. What has been your favorite blog post that you have written?Oooo I don't know. Maybe the one about the Pigphony. Odd but completely me.
4. If you are married, getting married, or dream of getting married, where did you take a honeymoon to? If you aren't married where are you planning on going or where would you like to go?I am not married, and am not technically getting married yet (cause no ring, no wedding) but we have already talked about it - let's say it's in the works. Coming soon to a family near you.Anyway, we (mostly I) want to go overseas. I've been to London and Paris before, but my hunny hasn't and I think he would love it. BUT I love to travel and so does he, so we're up for pretty much anywhere pretty (I need pretty).
5. What does your hubby/boyfriend/significant other think of your blog and do they read it on a regular basis? Or is your blog your domain alone?We-ell.... he does read it, but not on a regular basis. He'll read it, like, once a week or every two weeks. And then he'll only read the personal stuff and scan through the teachery stuff, which I would do, too, if he wrote a blog about photography - I'd scan for stuff with his personality and blow off the technical.I know how often he reads it because he'll comment on it. "So, I read your post about Channing Tatum today," or "Yes, you did ruin the symphony for me."
6. What is your favorite beauty product that you use on a daily basis?I'm so not a girl. I wish I knew more about that stuff. I use shampoo & conditioner, some sort of cleansing product (clearance rack), some sort of mascara (clearance rack), and some sort of eyeshadow (clearance rack). I'm not loyal to any product and don't wear too much stuff, so I'm not good at answering beauty questions.
7. What was the last thing you bought at Target!!!???Well, my cart had several items in it the other day.A gift for my best friend's baby. If you open the little flap on the submarine, you can see the Beatles inside. I don't know if she'll liek it much, but I think it's adorable!!

A leash for Lucy with a choker chain (she's too strong for me to walk!)
And this, my old stand-by. THE BIG ONE.

8. Do you sing in the car? In the shower?

Not the shower, but I sing AMAZINGLY in the car. And only in the car. I think it's because I turn the volume up so loudly that there's no way to actually hear myself, so I think I'm really talented.

9. Sunrise or sunset?

Is it just me, or are you hearing Fiddler on the Roof? 

Sunset. For sure. If the sun's barely waking up, I should be in bed. But I LOVE sunset because the light comes through my front window and turns my living room walls a gold-ish color. And it's cooler.

10. What is your favorite meal to cook for yourself and others?

Well, I try not to eat too many carbs (lol, please don't think me too hypocritical after you finish reading this post) but people have appreciated my lasagne. And I make a mean salad. I don't really care what I make for myself. I'm lazy when it's just for me. Eggs & bacon, any old things are good enough for just me.

11. What inspires you each day?

The Test.

HAHAHAHAHA! I think that's what politicians think, though, don't you? That they're helping motivate us!?! HAHAHAHAHAHA

I think knowing that these little people are people and they are somebody's children. They have little hearts and need love and education. They will someday grow up and need to take care of themselves and try to fulfill their dreams, and without an education, they're helpless. They need us in a way that no one else can give them: every day, we go to work to try to help them open doors for someday.

What is your favorite dessert?

Anything with sugar. 

But there used to be this amazing apple caramel thing at Carino's. Oh my god, it's a good thing they took it off the menu. I love anything chocolate, peanut butter, cookie, candy, ice cream, cake, pie, and fruit. It stinks, being so easy to please.

Then, I slowed down to catch my breath and got caught again!This time it was Second Grade Silliness.

1. Cash or credit?I haven't carried cash in years. I'm not good at it. I never know how much I have or in what pocket. So I just use debit. It's like cash only easier.
2. Math/Science or Reading/Writing?Even though I post about math all the darn time I really love to teach reading and writing. Although I feel like math is easier - there's a specificity to it, whereas reading and writing feel so open-ended.
3. Real book or e-reader?I prefer real books but I do have an ipad on which I read some things.
4. Dog or cat?Have I mentioned I'm a sucker for animals?Big time.I just keep ending up with these pets that other people don't want. Poor babies.So I currently have two dogs and two cats (Dogs: Lucy and Penny. Cats: Jeannie and the Professor) and I love them equally, depending on my mood. Dogs are nice if you want to be outside and cats are nice if you want to be inside.

Lucy the Border Collie. She's
remarkably sweet and smart.

Penny the Dachsund

Jeannie.  She's a weenie. And that rhymes.

This is the only picture I've ever taken of the Professor where he
doesn't look like a furry black blob with eyes.

5. Chocolate or vanilla?Oh, definitely chocolate. Why eat something bland? Not that I won't eat sugar that's bland - oh, I will - but if I have a choice... well, chocolate is tastier.
6. Coffee or soda?Num num coffee. I love it. I drink it all day long, if I can. In the summer, I make myself a tasty cup of coffee to keep from snacking on the aforementioned sugar. 
But soda will do in a pinch.7. Heels or flats?You're gonna make me cry! I LOVE heels. Tall ones, pointy ones, heels with bows, bright colors. What I really want to wear is something like these:

 








But guess what?Two years ago I got plantar fasciitis. What does that mean? Excruciating pain in my arch because I tore it. Or should I say them, because I got it in both feet. Waaaaah. SO now I have to wear flats most of the time.But not the cute ones - oh, no. Those are TOO flat. I have to find the holy grail of shoes just to make it through the day. This rarely happens that I find a shoe that is adorable and has the right height and amount of arch and heel support. So I just wear the same old shoes every day. Booohooooo. So it looks like this:

8. Mac or PC?I was a PC girl back in the day, BIG on PCs when I did web design (instinctively and crappily) for the small engineering company I worked for (family business). I could do anything - it was nice. But then I started teaching, and they gave us macs. Now I heart Mac. And it helps that my hunny is a mac through and through - won't use anything else.

9. Book or movie version first?Book Book Book!But then, I usually don't want to see the movie anyway.
10. Winter break or Spring Break?Tough question. I love both seasons, but winter break is 2 weeks (yay) and spring break is one week (boo). Winter break is mid-year, and spring break means almost...But I think I prefer winter break. There's more time for family. Oooh! Can I choose summer? Summer break! Summer break!
I'm not going to tag anybody (sorry boo) because it seems I'm late to the party and lots of people have been tagged already. At the risk of re-tagging and giving someone a question-answering heart attack, I am going to sit down, take a break, and let everyone else tag each other until they pass out.I'm in time out.Pin It

Linkin' it up.

Ok, so the blogging world is the best.The other day, I fell apart. (Not a little; a lot) and bloggers from all over tried to put me back together again.
And they helped! So you're the bestest. Who knew there was a whole horde of teachers who lost it and cried to their (typically) male principals who didn't know what to do about it cause they're men? Apparently, this is a common problem. We should start a help group. Or a specific blog for people like us. It could be called, "Elementary Tears" or "Buncha Crazy Girls." Any suggestions?
That makes me sad. 
But then, everything makes me sad lately. I still am super-emotional (that would be the superpower I actually posses. Super-emotional-ness. I'm terrified that when I'm pregnant I'm going to be hysterically laughing one second and hysterically sobbing the next, because I'm almost like that now.)
But the day off I took and the lovely responses from so many bloggers helped me to think about things a little. This is what happened on my day off:
8:30 Woke up. I'm getting old. I used to be able to sleep for days. Not anymore.8:45 My hunny took me to breakfast at What-a-Burger and I had a tasty biscuit. num nuns.9:30 I sat on my swing on the front porch for a few minutes and drank coffee.After about three minutes, I realized there was a LOT of grass growing through my landscaping rocks in the front yard.9:33 I pulled a lot of grass. It was a pretty day and I got to wear shorts :) I was pulling grass, with my butt up in the air, when suddenly, I heard a car pull up short right behind me and honk! I jumped and turned around - it was my brother! My brother Ben who's been away at college came back for Easter a day early. He and one of my other brothers (there are three, but one's still in high school) were going to my mom's for breakfast! What does that mean?
10:30 Second breakfast at my mom's house.
12:30 Took my brother to have his car window fixed.
1:30 Went to see Mirror Mirror with my brother at the movies! A daytime movie! Wow. It was kind of weird (the movie was) mostly because Julia Roberts is kind of weird. But who cares! Cause I ate a ton of popcorn! And the movie theater guy layered the butter for us - what a diamond in the rough. 
3:00 My brother (who is currently my favorite brother) put freon in my car and helped me buy the pads for my air conditioner (swamp cooler). He says he'll put it together for me, too.
6:00 Went by my other brother's house to get stuff for the Teachers Taking Care of Teachers that he and my sister-in-law are donating to a school in Kentucky. Boxed it up.
7:45 Had an awesome dinner with a friend at BJ's and drank three margaritas.
So yesterday was actually pretty terrific, and I'm thinking I was supposed to be off because if not, I wouldn't have spent the day with my brother.
I will NOT bore you with a play-by-play of today. Instead, I'm doing two linkys! 
Linky One: Currently! (of course)

Link up at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade!

Linky # 2: What Went Right Today?

Now you might say this is a godsend. And at such an opportune time, too - I really need a kick in the seat to think about good things. Apparently, I'm not the only one who needs a reminder that things are going right, too. 

I know today was Good Friday, and lovely, but I needed reminding about good school stuff, so I wrote about Wednesday. So this is actually What Went Right Wednesday. 

Link up at Confessions of a Teaching Junkie.
Just a reminder! My entire TPT store is on sale through Sunday - 15% off the already low-priced (if I do say so myself) items in the store. Some items are less than a dollar and all are less then five dollars!Check it out!

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