Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Did you miss me?...Tried it Tuesday

Did you miss me?
Well...did you?
I didn't intend to fall off my blog...
I blame it on real-life gettin' in the way of my
awesome Spring Break.
I had to do grown-up things like get new tires,
shop for new outfits for out of town excursions,  pack, etc.
You know...stuff I loathe.
I'm slowly makin' a dent in readin' blogs...
I haven't deserted you...it will just
take me a bit to get back on track with my normal routine.
I couldn't miss Tried it Tuesday though with one of
my BBB's Holly from Fourth Grade Flipper.


Tried it Awesomeness #1:  A weddin'...
Jerm's cousin got married in the quaint lil' town of 
Brunswick, Georgia
this past weekend.  
It was about a six hour trip for us, 
but so worth the drive.

The reception was in an old courtroom.
It seriously was the neatest location ever.

Jerm baked his very first and probably last...weddin' cake.
Their grandmother used to bake weddin' cakes
for people at her church before she passed away.
Jerm used to bake with her.
I thought it was so sweet and special that his 
baby cousin asked him to do this for her day
since her grandmother was not there.
We transported the layers of this bad boy 
across state lines.
 
She wanted a cubed, textured and rustic cake
with her favorites: red-velvet and chocolate.
I think he did a pretty amazin' job for his first time.
It was ginormous!
I helped make the place cards since 
everyone knows I don't bake or cook!
Of course I did the most awesomest job bein' bossy
while directin' the bakin'.
Jerm and I actually clean up well.
I even brushed my hair for the occasion.

Tried it Awesomeness #2: Send Home Science! 
by Teach-A-Roo
I purchased this way back when...when?...
I don't remember.
I have been holdin' on to it to send home with 
my kids right before we do our state science test.
Yesterday was the day it finally went home.
I robbed sent out an email to all of my school friends
askin' for supplies I didn't already have.
I also sent the kids to our Science Lab to scavenge
for some of the items.
This is somethin' fun they can do with their families
and they were happy to get the kits.

Tried it Awesomeness #3: Group Test Prep
8 days left after today...8 days until I can stop
wantin' to rip my hair out...8 days unless you are one of my 
ten kids goin' to Junior Olympics on Friday all day.
Why didn't I get invited to vacate school for the day?

I have mentioned before that our county
switched to CCSS math books, yet we are bein'
tested on our current state standards this year.
It has been interestin' tryin' to do a blended curriculum.
We just finished 39 crosswalk math lessons in a 
two week time period.
My poor babies.
Even my brain hurts from so much math.
The crosswalk has 4 different assessments to accompany 
the end of the lessons. 
I don't want to grade 4 assessments,
 the kids don't want to DO 4 assessments
 and we are already over it before 
we have even started.
So...what did we do to make it go easier?

Day 1: Whole group 25 questions on the SMARTboard
with everyone holdin' up their white board answers.
This took a loooooong time and it gets BORIN'!
I had to do somethin' different...

Day 2: We split up in groups, each group got a paper,
worked on a sheet of problems together,
got a different set of problems, completed them
and tried to beat the other groups at finishin' 
all 25 questions.

The group that finished first and quietest got to
get a treat from the treat bucket.
It's always better when you have some
help from your friends.

We knocked out TWO assessments in the 
time it took to do ONE whole group yesterday.
Of course me bein' the MEAN teacher that I am...
told them we would do a THIRD assessment
that had 50 problems.
April Fool's on them!

Before I go...did you check out my
Tried it Tuesday last week
about Elvis and the Underdogs?
If so...be sure to check out Jennifer's review
also over at Mrs. Laffin's Laughings.
She thought the book was just as hilarious as I did.
I always love hearin' what others think!

Happy Tuesday, friends!

14 comments :

  1. I love the take home science bags! Don't you wish the test could have hands on activities like this? (Or better yet, not have a state test!) It would definitely be a truer measure of the students' abilities!

    Mary
    Fit to be Fourth

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  2. I did miss you. I really, really did. Glad you had a lovely trip to the wedding. That cake is amazing! Love the take home science bags. Did I mention I am glad your are back!

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  3. Actually I really did miss you! I was hoping that you were on Spring Break and having some fun! Glad that was the case! :) I am already thinking how I could turn "take home science" into "take home language arts" because hands on is always the best!

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  4. I was waiting for a pic of the dress you finally decided to get... I wanna see it!!!!! Jerm is the best guy. I love that he's always so thoughtful and caring toward you, his parents, and now his cousin. Definitely a keeper! :)

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  5. You're always missed! You and Germ look wonderful and happy together! :) I got my book in the mail on Friday-I have to finish my current read aloud, but can't wait to share it with my class. Those science kits look so fun!
    Joanne
    Head Over Heels For Teaching

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  6. I did miss you!! I am currently on Spring Break, so I totally understand the blogging silence - I'm living it right now!! That cake looks amazing!! What a sweet thing to do!
    Courtney

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  7. Love the pic of you and Jerm! :) Good for you taking some time off for spring break. I take time off all the time...Lol! It is so hard to keep up! I love your tips for test prep and how you switch it up. Test prep can be so boring but it is a necessary evil in some shape or form!
    XXOO
    ~Holly
    Fourth Grade Flipper

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  8. I'm joining the "We Missed Alison Club"! It looks like the wedding was beautiful - I love the bride's dress. The cake story was so sweet.

    The take-home science bags are a great idea. I may need to use that with my STEM Club.

    Wish I was spending my break in sunny Florida with friends like you!
    Jane
    Learning in the Little Apple

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  9. love the pic!

    I am so jealous that you are off! Even though I have been off a lot lately. (hee hee)

    Enjoy reading blogs!
    Elizabeth
    Hodges Herald

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  10. I would be crazy bossy about moving that cake so far from home! What a job!! It looks like you had a smooth trip though. Thanks for the shout out. I am almost finished with the book and have already recommended it to two other people. I think the author should send you a thank you gift. :) I missed you too, and am glad to see you are back! xoxo

    Jennifer
    Mrs. Laffin's Laughings

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  11. I missed you! I feel like I'm drowning these last few day before our state test! I'm trying not to panic in front of my students, but...who ever thought combo classrooms were a good idea needs to be shot! It's not fair to students at all. I try so hard to give them the individual attention they need, but trying it squeeze both 3rd and 4th grade curriculum into the same 30-40 minutes is insane! It's going to kill me! Ahhhhhhh! I want a Spring Break extention!

    Susan
    Passion in Portable Land

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    Replies
    1. I did a combo class one year of 4/5 with my best friend. We had 44 TAG kids. She took care of the 5th curriculum and I took care of the 4th. It was definitely a lot of work. The only time we really needed to switch activities for the classes was during math. Other than that...we did the same things for reading, science and social studies. There wasn't a night that went by that we weren't texting, emailing or calling one another to talk about the next day. I feel your pain!!!

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  12. Definitely in the south if you are cooking red velvet! Born on that stuff!! I have had my laughs over the recent years since somehow Red Velvet finally was "discovered" by all of the other peeps!!

    Looks like you are well on your way to having some prepped kids!! They will be fine... durable lil buggers they are!! Glad you are back and rested!!

    Susan
    LopezLandLearners

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  13. So fun! Seriously, the end of the school year is going to be one giant sob fest in your classroom. You and Jerm look so great at the wedding! I'm loving your hair/make-up/skin!!! Work it GURL! Does this mean your a fan of the amazing face mask schtuff you were talking about last month?
    XOXO
    Erin

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