Five For Friday

Valentines Day would not be complete without talking about the greatest love of all! John 15:13 tells us what the greatest love is. "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friend." Each day teachers put the needs of their students ahead of their own, they are loving like that. My Owlets read 1Corinthians 13 with me yesterday and looked for words that gave evidence of love. We want our hearts so full of love that there isn't any room for hate. Sharing God's word with my students every day is the best part of my job.

I can't imagine living somewhere that doesn't have the hope of a snow day once in a while. There is something really awesome about hearing that phone ringing at an odd time in the middle of the night. Then being able to climb back under toasty warm covers while listening to the winds pound the windows asking to come in is priceless. Much to my daughter's disappointment I spend a snow day at home and off the roads. I search for unusual crafts to make using hangers and milk jugs. I drink coffee, take naps and watch birds. 

I think I finally figured out how to give Hundred's Day the time it deserves. Stretch it out over the first several days of hundred. There is no way anyone can fit in all the wonderful and educational ideas associated with the day. My favorite activity this year was 100 balloons. After blowing them up I was going to use them until they popped of natural causes. The best time we had was taking them out of our classroom tepee and covering the associated number on a unifix cube 100 frame. The Owlets had to find a cube the same color as the balloon to cover the corresponding number with. We could easily use the cubes to build a graph to see which color we had the most. Because we can't go outside if the temperature is ten degrees, they ended up being a great indoor recess activity too.

Valentine's Day, how I love you. My Owlets get so excited about sharing their cards and treats with each other. This year I the most unique Valentine ever. One of my kids made wooden Valentines for me and each of his classmates. He was so proud to have made them all by himself. What great parents this kid has. He came up with this idea and executed it on his own. He brought them to school three days early!

My baby turned 16 this week. 16! She is a constant source of sweetness in my life. Even when she kicked my hand yesterday during some wild dancing we were doing in the kitchen, I can't imagine life without her laughter and energy. Drivers Ed. Starts in two weeks. I hope I can survive this last student driver's 50 hours!

Happy birthday to her. Here is a set of bookmarks for you. They're free until March!

100 Eyed Monster!

Have you made it to 100s Day? Snow Days have certainly put many of us behind on our celebration! Last year we had way too many Snow Days, but this year we've had just the right amount...two! You won't hear me complain if we happen to get one more. Three is just such a perfect number!

I wish our tee-pee had held all 100 balloons! Alas, I was only able to squeeze in 80 !

I numbered each balloon from 1 to 100 on random colors. We used markers to fill in our 100 chart by matching the color of the balloon to its number. It really helped kids see patterns and relationships between numbers. Some of my Owlets would start at the beginning of the chart and count all the way up to the right number every time. Others figured out quickly that they could use the chart to see ten more or start at a number close to the one they were looking for and count on. I wasn't sure I'd ever want to blow up and tie one hundred balloons again, but I would definitely repeat this activity. Next year I think we'll do it for the 50th day of school!!

Have you seen those cute T-shirts with monsters with 100 eyes? Kids are wearing them to school all over the place. I wish I'd had time to make one for myself. I did have time to be inspired by them! Here is my 100 eyed monster!

Of course I had my own little "monsters" help me finish this guy up. When they arrived at school there was only one eye! I wrote a poem to go along with the Put-an-Eye-on-the-Monster activity and we traveled around the school to read it to our friends.(friends:  preschoolers, and kindergartners!) HERE is a copy of the poem to use for your own celebration. I'd love to see your 100 eyed monster too!

Hump Day Highlight!

I am linking up with the AMAZING Jessica from Mrs Stanford's Class to share a Hump Day Highlight.

With three days under my belt this week, my highlight occurred when an Owlet gave me a huge thrill. We've been reading books and poems about snowmen all week. Today we brainstormed words we would need to use to write directions to help others build a snowman of their own. We used this cute snowman from Digital Bakeshop to organize our thoughts.

When it was time to unleash my authors, they were ready to go. I wish I had brought home the piece written by the student who started the year out being unsure of letter sounds. The student who would write random letters down without any seeming organization. Her paper was covered with words front and back. The difference 82 days make is why we teach! I could read the whole thing with very little trouble. Sure, some of the letters were capital where they shouldn't be. Yes, it was missing most of the needed periods. BUT! It had voice. It had order. It had pride. It had attitude! What happened? No one told her she couldn't...so she did.

The Trifecta!

I cannot believe it has been over a month since I last posted anything. It seems to me that since I have gotten my Ipad and gotten sucked into games like Trivia Crack, I've been far less productive in most areas of my life. Enough said...I'm back and ready to share some thoughts. I'm going for the trifecta today. (Trifecta: a run of three wins or grand events)

The first grand event will contain the second which will contain the third. It is like opening a gift, to open a gift to open a gift! It is your lucky day!
First link is one of my all time favorites...


It may be tricky to come up with five because I've been spending most of the last two weeks in my pajamas eating cookies for breakfast. Enough said...That is my number one. Cookies make a wonderful breakfast because they beg to have milk with them, so this way I did get a serving of calcium. Right? RIGHT?

Remember how I said I had a present inside a present? Well here it is the second grand event. I'm linking up with Farley, too! It is time for Currently...

It isn't too late for you to link up! I'm linker 266. Maybe by the time I'm done it will be 267, but that's okay. It's a great party.

Kitty is sitting on the table  my purse watching me right now. I've trained her not to get on the table.

I'm not a big one on making resolutions. I do (here comes the tri- of fecta!) like contemplating one word for the year.  I can do that. I can just think of one little word. Link number three come on in......

My one word: Listen

I realize I spend a lot of time talking. I finish sentences for my family. I tell God what I want Him to do in my life. I quite often feel like I've got all the answers...I'm the teacher after all. I realize I have a lot to learn. I want to listen to God's Word and soak it in like never before. I want to listen to my husband and children with not just my ears, but also my heart. I want to listen to my students and better understand their needs as learners. 

I spent hours re-doing one of my favorite TPT projects. I think it is better than ever. I think I spent more time fixing it than creating it in the first place. If you think you could use it just click on the picture below to get it on google docs. If you would like to buy it, I'm cool with that. You can. Just click here to go ahead and put it in your cart!

Happy 2015! May your year be filled with amazing people. It is who you are with that makes the journey worth travelling! 

I Love You and Some Other Stuff Too!

I love you. What power these words hold. Last spring was the first time I remember looking at a student, making eye contact and saying, "I love you, Tucker." What a floodgate of love was opened with those words. That child wasn't real easy to love, but I did because I knew I couldn't give him anything else of value until I could give him love. It works both ways. Several weeks ago I walked into the after school latch key program to return a student's lunchbox. A future first grader smiled at me and said, "I love you, Mrs. Reck." I teared up. My heart swelled. I have made a connection with a child I don't even have in my classroom yet!  As a teacher, I know that I will sound like a grown-up from Charlie Brown's world if I don't have love to back up what I'm teaching. I can't help but think about 1 Corinthians 13:1

Speaking of love...my daughter is marrying her best friend. You couldn't ask for more than that for your children. We got their save the date card in the mail this week and I am giddy with excitement! Can you identify all these famous couples?

As long as I'm stuck on the subject of love...I found a new friend on Instagram. She made my students think that I was a creative genius! Art with Jenny has some truly amazing and fun art projects to make any special occasion pop! I reluctantly took down our Veteran's Day mural, but will soon replace it with one of Jenny's other creations. Go give her some love, but check this out first..

Click HERE to visit her TPT store. 

My students are falling in love with reading. I love watching first graders grow into readers so quickly. I gave my class a challenge to read 50 books outside of school in two weeks. Each time they read a book they got to place a turkey feather on the turkey decorating our classroom door....they did it!

Because we met the challenge, I get to...well, see if you can decode Tuesday's morning message...

Well, that's embarrassing! What the heck is a pacake? Looks like I have some fixing to do. Please don't tell anyone that I occasionally make mistakes. Just when I thought I was really on top of things!

 I leave you with one last picture. As I was sitting here tapping away look who stopped by! There is a whole flock in my backyard, but this hen came right up to the window. Maybe she is looking for kitty! Maybe the idea of a warm oven sounds inviting on this dreary day? Poor Chessie slept through all the excitement!

ChatterPix! App Review

I made a concentrated effort this week to grab lots of pictures of my Owlets! Yet, I still ended up with a lot more pictures of my kitty! My daughter and I celebrated our little girl's adoption day. Before she came to live with us she was kept in a cage for two months. Now she is free range. She is frequently spotted on the dinning room table by my Cranky Bear to which I always respond, "I'm sure she's not on the table. I trained her to stay off!" She just thinks she's a decoration!

My favorite app this week is ChatterPix. My kiddos love this app, too! I have all kinds of plans for this including having students making book characters introduce themselves to the class. I've had way too much fun with this late into the night. If you get this FREE app be warned: you will get silly!

Want to take a peek? I narrowed down three videos to share with you. 

This video was made by a child with Selective Mutism! What a great resource for her!

This collection of 50 pennies was part of our Fifty's Day celebration!

Field-trip to my house to rake leaves and make caramel apples! We had a blast!

I know you are wishing I had added more pictures of my kitty. Follow me on Instagram and you'll see a ton more!! I'm OwlThingsFirst on Instagram too!

My Best Friend is a Hippo Named Boo-Boo Butt!

Book Review




Today the book is hidden at my house. I have never been asked to re-read a book as much as I have been asked to re-read this one. I think the author is a genius for making a book so engaging for young readers without using one picture! Have you read it? It is completely ridiculous and I love it! I'm just tired of telling kids that my best friend is a hippo named "Boo-Boo Butt!"

We have a Reading-Buddy event every month. Older students are paired up with younger to read to and with them. I passed this book from former student to former student who had embarrassed me in the past I knew would get a kick out of it. Soon our school was rocking with laughter.

 It is hidden at my house, but only so I can share it with my 16 year old and her exchange student friend from South Korea. She is finding out what an American sleep-over is like! I think a bedtime story is in order. How about you?

Click HERE to see B.J. Novak talk about his book on the Today Show. Matt and B.J. even talk about how it is harder to write a book for children than it is for adults. This is a great inter