Hello!  This will be a quick post as It's late and I'm TIRED!  However, I wanted to post a quick pic to hopefully entice you to travel on back.  I will be sharing some GREAT Earth day activities in the next few days!  So please stop on back and gather some Earth day goodies! :)

                                                 
                   

Bunny Tales

So it's the Monday after Spring Break and at lunch I look down at my plans for writing.  Empty.  Oops!  So I quick grabbed my April file and found a oldie but goodie bunny template...you know the ones that "hold" the paper... I love those :)  Then I quick jumped on the computer and created 3 writing sheets with starters.  I have found that my students write better with choices.  They will write more if it is something that they WANT to write about.  I tend to choose topics that are both Narrative and Creative (story) writing.  So I made a "If I were a bunny," "If I were the Easter Bunny," (this was the fav!) and "On Easter," starters.  We had a quick mini lesson on word choice and adjectives to make their writing more detailed and interesting to read.  And then the rest of the afternoon was magical... they were happily writing and creating their bunnies.  I left out some construction paper scraps and they had fun adding colorful eggs, baskets, carrots and even earrings to their bunnies.  Here are some examples:

                                     CLICK for Mr. Bunny

                                     CLICK for Bunny Paper

I'm a fan of anything simple and CUTE!  I love the construction projects, but frankly, who has time to cut all the paper out!  I hope you will find this helpful if you happen to notice an empty box in your plans too!

Have a good evening!

  

First of all, I want to thank everyone for stopping by today and hopefully picking up your freebie :)  I now have 3 followers! Yippee!  That's 3 more than I had yesterday.  I plan to have a freebie for every 10 followers I get, so when I reach T E N I'll have my next freebie :) Awesome.

Ok, so why the pictures at the top you ask?  Well, those are my report card must haves.  Yes, I know, yet another report card post.. but they are on my brain as I was working on them for a good part of the day today.  So first of all... I'm OBSESSED with pens.  I have discovered the Paper mate Profile Pens... they rock!  I do all my grading, averaging, and sloppy copy report cards in all kinds of colors... you know to keep it fun! :)  Second, I need some tunes!  I have my ipod nano handy with Adele, Rihanna, Lady Gaga... and I will admit..even Britney.  Last, I am simply in love with my Keurig coffee maker.  I love to try out new flavors!  My newest like is Gloria Jeans Hazelnut. Yum!

I'd love to hear... what are your report card must haves or rituals? 

ps... I just figured out that I am doing my 51st set of report cards.  Wow, I think it's time to retire...hehe.

Night,
Tori

Ok I mentioned adding a FREEBIE... I'm going to attempt to do so now... I normally have this in my
TpT Store but until the end of SUNDAY (4/1) it can be yours! :) No this is NOT an April Fools!  Tell your friends! :)

                                                         
                                                        

This is designed for grades 1 and 2 but can also be used for high K or low 3rd.  Take a look... leave a comment and feel free to become a follower! :)

Report Card Blunders

It's Saturday night and I'm on here again (and NO my report cards are not finished).    Which leads me to my topic tonight... Report Cards! Yay!  So I'm going to share two report card nightmare stories.  I like to share so that others don't have to make my mistake!  So, a LONG, long time ago...

I was stuffing the report cards into the envelopes.  I knew that I had them in an alphabetized order (both the cards and the envelopes) so I stopped double checking the card to the envelope about half way through (ok I have to pause for a moment before you think...ok who does that... I was a long term sub at the time and I was NOT thinking!)  Anyway.. needless to say... 3 yes THREE report cards were in the wrong envelopes.  Yikes!  One kid came back right away saying..um I got the wrong report card.  So that led me to the next kid who I called and that parent was furious at me!  After that call I realized that one more was out there and wrong.  Oh man, one more phone call and at least that parent was understanding.  I had to drive all around exchanging report cards, apologizing over and over...it was NOT fun.  So the MORAL... triple check the report cards.. and yes I do triple check now.

Second story:

I was on the couch in front of the TV doing my report cards.  This again was a long time ago, actually it was my very first teaching job.  I was transferring what I had on my "sloppy copy" to my actual report card.  I was completely concentrated... um... to the TV and not my report cards.  Later I realized how un-concentrated I was because I noticed that I had transferred all "consistently" to all "satisfactory" on a student who was very much a "consistently."  I freaked and knew I had to fess up to my mistake at my parent teacher conference that evening.  So I'm a nervous wreck telling the parents that I made a huge mistake and the Dad looks me in the eye and says..."You know I grounded my daughter for a week because of the report card."  My response (as I'm sweating).. "oh my gosh... I'm so sorry!!"  Then there is a long silence.. and he busts out laughing and says..."I'm just kidding you.  It's fine.  I'm glad to know that she is doing well."  And I just had a heart attack.  MORAL: Don't do your report cards in front of the TV or you will make a mistake and get a kid grounded.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to become my FIRST follower :)  If I can figure it out... I'll try and attach a great FREEBIE to have you keep coming back :)

Night...

Tori

Welcome!  This is my first try at the blogging world!  I am currently on Spring Break which is why I am on the computer playing around and not working on my report cards!  Which leads me to my VERY FIRST TEACHER TIP: Don't start a blog when you have report cards to do!  Maybe I'll learn not to procrastinate one of these days! 


Thanks so much for stopping by.  I PROMISE that I will be posting some amazing tips and tricks for the teaching world soon!  Stay tuned!


Tori