My Favorite Websites-A linky party!

3-6 Resources is having a linky party so I decided to join in.  The topic is your favorite websites.  I use a lot of websites to find resources, games, and activities.  Here are a few of my favorites!

Shepphard's Software- They have great math games here. My favorite thing on this site is the science though.  My kids love all the food chain games and info!

Reading Street Links for 4th Grade- I used this site almost every week to set up my computer centers.  We did a lot of the grammar games during whole group as well.  I hope I can find one for 3rd grade!

Ms. Sanchez's Class- She has great printables and graphic organizers.  Check it out! You will love it.

Honestly, some of my favorite sites are your blogs! Oh and Teachers Pay Teachers and Pinterest!

Calling all 3rd grade teachers...

  I have news to share with y'all.  I am officially moving to 3rd grade after four years in 4th.  Even though this means I will not be teaching next door to my good friend Brooke anymore, I am excited about the new challenge.  I will be moving to a new classroom and trying to figure out how to arrange everything and what colors to put with the green walls and yellow floors.  Ekk!  I will post pictures of my new room as soon as I can so be on the lookout for those!
  Alright my 3rd grade teaching friends, any advice for me? Oh and what are your favorite read alouds or novel studies?

Book Boxes:Yes or No?

I don't know about y'all (yep. I said it. Y'all. I am Southern), but at the end of the year I get in super planning mode.  I keep thinking about all the things I want to do this summer and I want to start them all RIGHT NOW.  I am trying to keep calm and focus on what I need to do-which is back up my entire classroom in preparation for my move down the hall, finish all my end of the year paperwork, and enjoy my kids. 
  That being said, I am considering doing book boxes or book bins next year for my kids.  The room I am moving to is a bit smaller (ok a lot smaller) than my current room and there will not be a lot of storage for students.  My thoughts were to get those book bins or boxes and have students keep their current reading selections in there along with their reading journal, reading folder, and perhaps writing folders.  I have never done book boxes before so I am looking for input.
  My questions to you:
  Have you used book boxes before and how did it go?
What did students keep in them?
What kind works best?  The cardboard or should I spring from the plastic ones?

  Thanks for any input you can give.  I know we are all busy and exhausted but not too much longer!!!

4 More Days!!

We only have four more days with our kids! I am excited and a bit sad.  Right now we are making class memory books which the kids loved.  We had our Edward Tulane celebration yesterday complete with bunny cake. I have never seen more excited kids then I did when I showed them that cake!
   A couple of updates and ideas:

1.  I am making a PowerPoint of our year to show during our class party.  I have tried to take pictures throughout the year of all our activities.  Hopefully it will turn out cute.

2.  I am still not sure what grade I will be teaching next year.  Getting a bit nervous over here!

3.  The Wizard- I have been studying for National Boards (the test is in two hours and here I am-procrastinating til the end) and I came across a lot of great ideas.  One is called The Wizard.  You ask students a question and they practice looking back in their text to find it.  The first student that answer correctly gets to be the next Wizard and ask a question and then pass on the title of The Wizard.  Wish i had known about that this year!

Off to do some last minute studying (and praying) before Boards.  Wish me luck!

AR

Hello!
  My school is adopting AR next year in order to encourage students to read.  We will continue to do Reading Street next year as well.  I know that I want to add the color coded stickers to all the books in my library center so the students can easily find books on their level.  I was wondering if anyone had any tips for using AR in the classroom or could recommend any websites or other blogs about it.  Thanks!

Funny and Measurement People

I thought you might need a laugh to start your week off right.  This week our story is about the moon (which just happens to go along perfectly with our space unit). We were in small group and I asked my students, "What do you think of when you think of the moon?"  One little girl looked at me and her eyes got wide and she blurted out, "Bumps! Acne! Proactive!"  Clearly we had some misconceptions.

In math we are reviewing measurement so we did our capacity measurement men today.  This is a great hands-on and visual math activity.  Here are some photos!

Spelling Sticks

Happy Sunday! I wanted to share an idea with y'all for a spelling station.  This idea is not an original idea but when I saw a teacher at my school do it- I could not believe I had not thought of it before.  Get some craft sticks and write one spelling word on each stick.  You can put these in a cup or a baggie.  Students play together.  When it is one student's turn, a classmate picks a stick for them and tells them the word.  If the student spells the word correctly he or she will get to keep the stick.  The student with the most sticks at the end of the game wins.  You could also do this with math facts for a math station.
It is a such a simple idea that I never even thought about it! My kids love this game.