Currently Catching Up

Hello my long lost friends. I promise; I am still around, and our class is still working hard. I have found myself lost, once again, in one of my favorite stories. This is precisely why, on most occasions, I choose not to read during the school year, yet here I am these past weeks lost in a story with such tunnel-vision that I seem to lose focus on most everything else. Ahhh...the magic of reading!

Since this is my first post in a bit, I have decided to join Farley's Currently again.(I know...again, I am better late than never.)  I love spending a few moments here and there blog hopping. There are so many amazing teachers out there, and all share so many great ideas. I am glad to spend a few minutes catching up with the blogging world.

We are blazing our way through our latest unit as we learn to "Read Like a Scientist." I am enjoying watching  my students' eager response to our look at Mars. Today's nonfiction is certainly NOT what I grew up with. The imagery in most of these books is amazing, and I find that I am hooked as much as the kiddos are. As we continue our research, we are taking a strong look nonfiction text features.

This is the time of year that I find it harder to squeeze in so many of my favorite picture books. Just this weekend during my planning, I combed through my library thinking about just how many I have yet to share with my kiddos. I guess that's where more time in the day would come in handy. :) I do have a few for today though...

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner was a perfect review of prepositional phrases. This is a new addition to my library, but it came at the perfect time. Not only is this book jam packed with prepostitions, we were able to revisit some of our figurative language as well.

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

Now, you can never go wrong with a Steven Kellogg book, and The Missing Mitten Mystery is a great winter read. If your students have not read it before, it is easy to infer and make predictions with. I received my own special copy during one of my student observations during college. All of the sweet kiddos of the class signed the book for me! Love it!!

The last little picture book that I want to leave you with is a classic Munsch. I know it seems a bit low for my class of fourth graders, but I can promise you that every time I read it hoots of laughter can be heard by all. Thomas' Snowsuit is a great look of problem/ solution, but the close look at character traits is sure fun with Thomas!

Happy Reading!

Resolution time...

Wow...I cannot believe how long it has been since I have posted anything! I have thoroughly enjoyed my break and whew...I have been thoroughly lazy! I spent time hanging out with my own kiddos, playing in the beautiful snow, enjoying long days in bed with my favorite books, and eating entirely too much. Which brings me to resolutions....

So although January 1st has come and gone, I am just now getting to resolutions. I figured I would start them all as soon as I go back to school, so that means TOMORROW! Holy Cow...our break is over and tomorrow we are back to the real world.

Southside Biggest Loser ~ here I come! I cannot wait to get back on track! I am sharing here and tomorrow with the kiddos because I have found that the more people I share with, the more I hold myself accountable.

Now, of course winning Southside's very own Biggest Loser, wink wink, is not my only resolution this year. I usually have somewhat the same plans, and I succeed at some more than others but here are my goals: continue becoming a healthier person and run, run, run; work hard on becoming a more organized person, at home and school; and dag-nab it, make myself a rich person by becoming so incredibly smart with money, hehe! Wish me luck! I can't wait to see what goals my kiddos make for themselves tomorrow!

I have just one sweet book to share with you tonight. Come to think of  it: I wonder if keeping up with my effort to share one picture book a day should be one of my resolutions? Oh well, any-whhooooo, I just love The Day Dirk Yeller Came to Town by Mary Casanova, and looky here, looky here...my copy just so happens to be signed by the illustrator Mr. Ard Hoyt. What a sweet gift from one of my sweet kiddos!

Just look at these precious illustrations!

Well you see, Dirk Yeller is a jumpy, jittery, itchen, twitchen, bad guy, and just guess what he discovers... he discovers that the more he reads, well, the less he itches and twitches. The more he reads the less he jumps and jitters. You won't believe the wonderful things that befall him as he discovers the wonders of reading! What a fun way of sharing the love of reading with my kiddos.

I'll let Dirk Yeller help me say goodnight for now...happy reading!