Currently Hoarding

I should start by saying that I had every intention of posting earlier this week ~ more than once, including yesterday, but well, we all  know about good intentions. Having said that....hold on to your seats ladies and gents, this is going to be one heck of a post! I have LOTS and LOTS to share!

Let's begin here with my March Currently! You know how I love blog hopping, and this linky-party is so much fun! Be sure to check out all the amazing blogs out there! Farley at Oh' boy 4th Grade is such an awesome blogger and linky-party host. :)

I know it is rather nerdy of me, but I was very excited to have a few quiet moments to work and clean in my room. Lately, I have been getting as much of my planning done throughout the week and later on Friday afternoons as I can, and having done so, I still have much more left undone. Having no formal plans Saturday morning, I was eager to spend some time in my room, getting things in order. The quiet of my house and the quiet of my classroom are much different for some reason, and while I find the first rather lonely at times, I find the latter oddly comforting. Maybe it is all those wonderful books!

*So I belatedly discovered that I had not followed all of the directions of Farley's Currently this month. :/ Let's see if I can remedy this at all...hmmm...like, love, and hate...all starting with the letter "T"...like: tea ~ haha...lots of sweet tea that I miss because of this diet that I am so miserably failing at this time...love: time, extra time if I ever find it. Doesn't happen often so when it does, I cherish it! Hate: hmmm...that is a harder one because I am not a huge fan of the word...can I still use "this diet" LOL...that starts with a "T." I guess I'll leave it at that. Wow...here's to following directions, wink wink!

This week was a week that most teachers have a love/hate relationship with: Literacy Week. (A spirit week of sorts.)  Now, while all things literacy should make me nothing but happy, this week in particular was enough to wear out anyone! But the kiddos love it so much that it is hard to hold a grudge no matter how worn out I was by Friday.

My class showing off their fun hats!

Here is Mrs. Whitt's sweet group!

So we survived crazy sock day, hat day, wacky Wednesday, and then Thursday rolled around. Thursday was wear your favorite college t-shirt/ sweatshirt day, but that was only the beginning. We also had a district-wide assessment, field trip, tutoring, and parent-night all rolled into one day. Whoo....to say that I was exhausted by the end of the night would be an understatement.

Below are pics of my sweet kiddos at the high school production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie." It was a great field trip, lots of fun, and boy did the kids enjoy it. The kiddos were excited to see one of their very own classmates in the play!

 

 

 

Just look at our own Sam (in red hat)!

Our Parent-Night was a grand success! We had such an amazing turnout, and it is always such fun to see kiddos having so much fun, past and present.

One of my precious kiddos...and me covered in
cotton candy...such a sweetly dangerous booth to work!

That brings us to Friday: dress as your favorite book character day! Friday morning we were graced with the presence of Pinkalicious, Hermoine, Katniss, a couple Cats in Hats, Grandma Dowdel, the witch from the Wizard of Oz, Annabeth Chase, Percy himself, among others! 

 

 

Of course that is not the only fun we had this week. The wonder of book fair pulled and teased at us all week. My crazy-self more than others no doubt. 

I found this lovely on Pinterest this week and found it
perfectly fitting in its description of myself!

Below you will see the results of my first and second trips to the book fair. Perfect new additions to our ever-growing library!

     

Now for most, the spoils of this year's book fairs would be enough, but I guess this is what makes me a couple of books away from a hoarder. Our book order just so happened to come in Friday afternoon, topping off a perfectly hectic week! Have you ever seen a group of kiddos when a book order comes in? Instant insanity! I wonder if I was like that myself as a fourth grader...haha.

Great new titles ~ Whoop Whoop!

Here is why I do what I do with all these books! It is something that I read in The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller. She described a "book frenzy" of recommendations and book choices in the first days of establishing Reading Workshop. I have tried to continue that myself throughout the year. There is nothing that I like more than students coming to me for book recommendations. At each student request I jump up with joy and start flying through baskets looking for the best books for said student, and I do not stop until I have stacks and stacks for him or her to choose from. Each student will spend some time perusing book covers and blurbs before choosing their 8-10 favorites to set back as a sort of "reading plan."

Students add stacks of books they are planning to read
 in their cubbies. There is nothing I like more than to see
 stacks dwindle until I know that in due time kiddos will come
 to me asking for more recommendations!
You can see that some stacks are larger than others,
 a few will be coming to me shortly!  

Whew...what an eventful week! That might explain exactly why I left Friday afternoon with my desk looking like...

Holy cow...look at that mess!
I was so tired I didn't even care! LOL

This is why I was so excited to have time to spend alone
cleaning and organizing a week of hot mess!

Now time for some great picture books to add to my picture book a day efforts. 

The first I want to share is Daisy-Head Mayzie by Dr. Seuss. This I shared with my kiddos not only because it is a fun and classic Dr. Seuss of course, but because this was my choice of costume for our Character Day. I love the rhyme and rhythm of Seuss books, and even more, I love that you can always find a good theme! Dr. Seuss was never afraid to teach a moral lesson.

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands is another Kadir Nelson masterpiece! I cannot say enough just how amazingly talented Mr. Nelson is. He has transformed this well known children's song into such beautiful imagery. My kiddos were in love! I first fell in love with Mr. Nelson's illustrations while reading Will Smith's Just the Two of Us, and this new one does not disappoint. This is a great example of how illustrations can carry a text so much further.

Michael Garland is another favorite illustrator, but Fish Had a Wish was something I hadn't seen from him before. This was a new purchase from the book fair, and although, it is somewhat simplistic for fourth graders, the message is an important one! We can spend our days wishing away or we can appreciate all that we are and all that we have. LOVE the message and the illustrations!

My next book is a purely selfish share. I originally bought Leap Back Home to Me as a graduation card for Katie Byrd. When I saw it again, I knew I had to buy a second copy for me to keep myself. I shared it with my kiddos, and I asked them why I might have bought it for her. They all knew just why I thought this sweet story a much more perfect graduation card than an actual card. Such a smart class I have!

One of Katie Byrd's little gifts for graduation

All sweet picture books, and all full of easy lessons of theme and inferring. 

Happy Reading!