It's Currently January... WooHoo!

Wasn't I just talking about Currently YESTERDAY?! Oh yea... and I completed the December edition so late the "collection" had already closed?! (That's a first... and not one I'm proud of! My heart ached over that one But I've moved on! It's 2014 and I have another twelve tries to do better!

Swirly frame by Ginger Snaps Clip Art HERE on TpT!

So, for January, I am not last. And I will be "in the collection." It's like being in the in-group in high school (I wasn't, by the way. I was in the middle. Does that make sense?) Oh dear. I am digressing in paragraph two after spending twenty minutes trying to find the right shade of turquoise for the font on the Currently graphic! I am never going to get on the list this way!)

Well, if I type really, REALLY fast, I might be able to break into the first one hundred. What a great way to start out the new year. I was looking for a post from my pal, Middle School OCD, and a Currently graphic flew by! Do you know Susan? She is a true sweetie pie. And if you are an upper grade teacher, you should stop by her blog. You will love her language arts posts. She works with some struggling learners (like me!) and she always makes me feel motivated... and hopeful! Click on her button below to visit her! By the way, Susan REALLY wants to get to 300 followers on Bloglovin' so if you're reading this... Please click on the BlogLovin' botton (It's very cute!) on her site. She would be so thrilled to see that "magical number" and you could help her do that!

Which brings me back to Currently! The thought that this vacation may someday end is starting to creep into my conscious thought. I keep pushing those thoughts away, but I know in my heart that one of these many "Sundays" (during vacation, all of the days seem like Sunday to me!), it really will be a Monday and I will have to go "back." Ooooh. Big shiver.

Time out for coffee.

Mmmmmmmmm. Good pot o' Joe! (Hey! Why Joe? Why not Kim? I'm sure I drink more than my fair share!) I'm particularly pleased with this batch of goodness. I didn't have any coffee filters so I ended up using tissue paper from the Christmas wrapping box. At that last minute I decided against the red-and-green striped piece. Wouldn't THAT have been a mess!

Don't you love my cup?! I bought it during my first year of student teaching! That makes it over thirty years old! It's probably made of some toxic lead-based material that is mutating my chromosomes as we speak (heeheehee). BTW, any reports that I have a hoarding problem are absolutely UNtrue!

I know... A better photographer would not have had that funny blue blur in the middle...

Now, back to Currently. I really want to be more HOPEFUL and POSITIVE this year. I don't think those are my one two little words this year, but I was trying them out. I have been feeling a bit discouraged that my kids don't seem to be learning much this year. One day they even told me so! (Now THAT is a blog post for another day...) So, I want to go back to school BELIEVING they will learn more... and doing everything I can to make that happen! Believing. Nice word... But, no, not it.

Which brings me to another part of Currently. I am SOOOOO bad about writing my lesson plans. I always usually know what we are doing. After thirty years, I can predict where we're going, where we've been, where we could have been, and where we are not going. I just don't write things down. And I don't compress the activities into the amount of time I have, so I just keep teaching and teaching... and then June arrives too quickly. So, I am VOWING (so NOT my one little word) to be more consistent and diligent in writing down my plans and planning farther ahead.

Well, it's clear that I have wandered all over the place with this post. And I forgot to add in the Currently graphic. So here it is! (I'm rather pleased with the shade of turquoise in my favorite Christina Bainbridge font... It's called CBPlain and you can find it HERE on TpT). And, honest truth, I am going to rush and post this, since I have slipped from a possible #28 spot all the way to spot # 52. Afterwards I am going to go back and edit all of my spelling and typing mistakes. Let's hope I don't add in another paragraph or two of semi-connected thoughts!!!

With that, I am off to another cup o' Kim (Joe can get his own coffee!)

Now, remember to make Farley proud (and happy). Check into Currently. Add your lovely (filled in!) graphic and your thoughts. And then join in the party. Most importantly (and dearest to Farley's heart), leave some love for the people before you and after you in the link up. In fact, click all over the link-up. Find some new friends... you don't even have to click on the links in order! (Although some people do... because they're just that way...)

Wishing you a HAPPY New Year with many wonderful blessings in 2014!

 

PS I'm not positive--but I just think it's likely... that my one little word might be... JOY!

Currently...SUMMER! (July)

Oh My, July?! What happened to June? Please, dear clock and calender... Slow down!

I didn't put it on Currently, but I have to figure out Bloglovin SOON! I have dropped from almost a thousand followers to almost... two hundred. SIGH. I hope I haven't lost my BloggyBuddies. My techno-skills are rather... elementary. But I WILL get that button on my blog this weekend, I will. I will. I will! I'm just giving myself a little pep talk there...

Whew! With that aside, here's what I am thinking on this almost-July morning...

I am stuck between wanting to accomplish a thousand things (and read almost as many books!) and just doing nothing. I'm not really a do-nothing type of person, but I do like to sit and think. I never get to do that once school starts. I take about five minutes to ponder and then a thousand items from my To Do list start yelling at me and I'm out of the chair and DOING again. These past few days I have just been enjoying the chance to think about doing--which, by the way, is best accomplished with an iced mocha-machiato. I'll tell you more about that in another post, but, my-oh-my, such delicious-ness!

I have to got to school on Monday and finish cleaning my classroom. I have those four giant drawers in the built-it cabinets. Do you have those too? I'm afraid of those drawers. I rarely open them.

Things have been hidden away in there for years, decades even. I have visions of opening these drawers and seeing things scurrying. Or, worse yet, seeing things that have stopped scurrying. I am going to wash and clean and sort everything else in my room... and then... I WILL open at least one of those drawers.

Maybe.

Finally, I know I always need to blog more, blog better, blog with pictures, blog about something interesting, etc. But this summer, I want to focus my attention on Blog Responding. I haven't done that as well as I used to. (It's that TIME thing, you know?) And I need to go back and add some comments on TpT because I have purchased A LOT of really wonderful items and I haven't let much feedback. My one little word was APPRECIATE. I've practically forgotten about my word. And sometimes I have forgot to appreciate...

I think that bloggers (and sellers) like to hear nice things, But I think they really like to hear REAL things. I am so lucky and blessed to have SWEET BloggyFriends who leave me comments. (NewsFlash! On my recent Teach Like a Pirate post, the author of the book left a comment on my blog. I almost fainted. And it was so kind! Click HERE to see what a nice man Dave Burgess is!)

I need to work harder to do the same. I want you to know I feel blessed to be a part of this wonderful blogging community and that I am glad to have a chance to say hello. And, so, I am extending a quick apology to those I have neglected and a promise to do better in the next few weeks...

And, so with that hopeful sentiment, I will be on my way. I am meeting friends for lunch and then I plan to read a little and just think. I've got a notebook filling up with lists and thoughts and quotes. Sigh. {A happy sigh!} Isn't summer wonderful?

Don't forget to link back to our dear, DEAR Farley (just click her button below)... and take advantage of the LOVE-filled rule of THREE to make some connections and to enjoy all that is wonderful about our blogging community.

Sending sunshiney thoughts your way...

Currently... It's June!

Hooray! It's June! Vacation is within reach! 

AND it's time to link up with Farley and Friends for another Currently...

Our last day with students is June 11th--which is also the day of our promotion ceremony. This is a day I anticipate (with mixed emotions) each year. This year's group has "grown" more than many other classes. And while their minds are already on middle school, I am reluctant to let go of more than a few of them. It has been a memorable year, to say the least.

However, I DO love summer. I have always appreciated being on a "traditional" schedule because it takes me a long time to unwind after the school year (and even longer to clean out my classroom!) Time is such a precious commodity to me. Just having time is a treat!

Oddly, my free time is often spent planning for school. I love the thinking part of being a teacher. Some people like hiking or canoeing or museum-visiting. Me? I like planning. Just give me my computer, some empty spiral notebooks and some terrific pens, and I will be happy for weeks!

This summer I am going to try to shift some of that time into reading ("normal" books, not teacher books) and relaxing. I am already struggling a bit with this idea. My brain seems to shouting: SEPTEMBER! Three times I had to check... Yep, this Currently is for June! (Thanks, Sweet Farley, for keeping me on track!)

I am excited to be visiting my (adored!) nieces in Washington and then some friends in San Francisco in the next few weeks. I wonder if I am the only one who spends more time worrying about my "thinking" elements over my wardrobe elements. I throw a few comfortable items to wear into my suitcase and then agonize for hours over whether to bring my computer or my iPad.... and which pens and sticky notes I must have... and how many books I can fit in the suitcase (school and "regular")...

And the older I get, the more I have gotten attached to having snacks. What if the plane is delayed, what if there is traffic on an outing, what if we are stranded somewhere (anywhere)??? I am just more content knowing I have snacks! Pretzels are my current favorite--but I can easily adapt to other choices.

So, how about you? Out of school? Last few days? Or looking longingly toward the end of the month like my pals, Jen Runde and Kristen at Ladybugs Teacher Files?

Whenever your year is finished, I hope that your summer is filled with friends and family and plenty of relaxation... and all of the fun you are hoping for!

Don't forget to follow the link below and join the party. And as always, leave some kind words to those who linked up before and after you...

Curently... November!

Ahhhh..... Farley's Currently. It puts order in my life--or, at least, reminds me of what month it is!

November is just-so-crazy! There are far too many things to do--and simply not enough hours in a day. It seems as if a few weeks ago, the students were learning how to put their names on their papers... and now they are expected type an expository piece using textual evidence to support their claim! (And, still, those names are not on their papers!)

We are hosting Thanksgiving at our house (I don't cook), so we had to get the carpets cleaned. A one evening vacation felt like a paradise to me. And to come back to an "empty" (of school stuff) house with clean carpets was pretty amazing. (Shhhhhhh. Don't let anyone look in the garage...)

I loved the music link on this month's Currently. I like to play "background music" in the mornings when the students come in and during most of the "quiet activities" in our day.  I prefer to use music that is NOT based on songs I know--I have a bad habit of breaking into song just after I've gotten them comfortably settled! One of my favorites is Daydreaming: Relaxing Guitar. I like this collection because it is calming, but not (completely) sleep-inducing. And they are all original pieces so you won't be tempted to belt out "You've Got a Friend" in the middle of independent reading. Click here to take a listen on iTunes. Or at least to show you a picture--I think iTunes needs to be open for you to listen to the music... or you need to do something else that I don't know how to do... If there were more hours in a day, I could learn a few more technology tips!

Now, click on over to Farley's and get your Currently linked up. Remember to show some love to the links before and after your. I have made new BlogFriends EVERY time I have completed a Currently, and I know you will too.

Wishing you a happy November!

October Currently

As I type this on a likely-to-be-sunny California morning, I am thinking good thoughts for my BlogFriends on the east coast and sending them good wishes and prayers for safety while Hurricane Sandy inches closer.. Be safe, dear friends! 

Three days left, but it is still October! Thanks, Farley, for always keeping us connected with your Currently link-ups! My addition will bring Farley's October total to 334 posters. Isn't that amazing? Click on the button below to check it out. And it's not too late to add yours too... just remember that Rule of Three...

August (Already?) Currently

How can it be August already? Yesterday it was June! (or so it seems...)
What would a new month be without a link-up with Farley?

Yippee! Time for the latest edition of Currently from Oh Boy Fourth Grade...

As you can tell I am having a love-hate relationship with my garage. I dislike the fact that it is taking so much time to get this task done, but I am so glad to be sorting through the towering piles. If you don't hear from me for a while, please check the garage... somewhere between the 1985 edition bread machine and the 14 assorted Easter baskets! (Oh, if only I were kidding...)

That last section on the Currently template is about those three things you simply MUST have for Back to School. Well, it was supposed to be three. I went for a rather "combo approach" on that last one. I could have typed "sanity," because those items listed are the necessary components of sanity...

Since Farley is all about sharing the Love (Which makes her even more SuperFabulous in my mind), she has designed a way to make even more connections with other bloggers: When you link up, remember to comment on the two Currently links before you and the Currently link that comes after you (Yep... you get to go back and check. That's what makes it so much fun!) Also, there are TWO chances to link up this time. The first one is to link up your "Mustache Posts" in the Mustache Linky Party (which is not the Currently Party). The second one is the "traditional" Currently where you will find LOTS of link-ups! It's only August 4th and there are already 229 links there (not counting a few that got lost in the Mustache section). Hope to see you there! (Thanks, Farley!)

 

 

July Currently! (Yippee!)

                          Currently, Currently, Currently.
                                                                    And I'm not late, late, late!

AAaaaaahhhh.
                                EARLY.

That's a nice (and foreign-to-me) feeling. (Often the secretary has to call our classroom a few times before finally asking if I can do the attendance before the kids leave for the day!)

It's July first, and Farley has posted her link up. And even though, it's the first day, there are already almost fifty entries! 

Farley has written some rules for this link up... nice rules... so be sure to read before you post (Boy, that sounded teacher-y, didn't it?)  Don't worry, they're easy to follow, I promise!

Here' s my currently for July...

And here are the rules...
The "Reads" section refers to listing your all-time favorite Read Aloud and then adding your "go-to" professionl book.  Easy, right?

My favorite read aloud book has always been The Cay by Thodore Taylor. I cry when we read the dedication. And then I cry several times along the way. The kids always share amazing things when we assemble in our sharing circle. I put on the twinkly lights and they read and I cry some more!

I Read It, But I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani has lots of great activities and strategies for older kids who are still struggling as readers. There is an activity on purposeful reading in the first chapter that I use every year!

The other request allows lots of people to get comments on the Currently post... and you  might make a new BloggyBuddy in the process! And since we all know, nobody chooses words like Farley does... I just borrowed her description...

"I would LOVE for you to look at the 2 in front of your link and then come back and look at the one behind yours...  that is 3 in all and I love the #3 ... let's call this the RULE of THREE!

PLEASE comment on these 3... that way EVERYBODY gets a comment or two... I saw this on another blog and I think it is a great way for EVERYONE to get appreciated!!!
Of course you can comment on as many as you want, BUT if you link up, please at least follow the RULE of THREE."

Yep, that's how Farley does things... with STYLE!

So, link up to Oh Boy Forth Grade with her cute new button above. While you're there, grab the template and remind yourself about the Rule of Three. Then, come back and link up and leave a few comments. It's sort of a "give some/get some" arrangement. How cool is that?

Home Again... and It's Currently June!

Well, it's not like we were without food or water or electricity... In fact, the accommodations were sublime! But five days without technology was a bit of an adjustment for me.

I loved seeing friends and family, (and I ADORE my teenage and almost-teenage nieces). But it is also good to be home.

I have to confess that I got off the plane, hurried home, and turned on the TV...

And, within minutes, I had about thirty-five windows open on my computer... all at the same time.

                        WooHoo.

                         Connected.

I'm sure this means there is something seriously wrong with me, but I felt so much more... comfortable and secure... once I had read the news (on a variety of sites), checked several e-mail accounts, logged onto Facebook, started getting caught up on blogs, and threw a bunch of stuff onto my wish list on TpT. Ahhhh. Yep, my life has returned to normal.




Further evidence of normalcy: My To Do list is eight pages long. My house is a mess. The post-trip laundry is piled up. I am behind on Guided Math AND Guiding Reading. (I think I need GUIDANCE!)


                                         HOWEVER, the calendar still says JUNE!

 

Which means although I am LAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTEEEE, I am not TOO late to join in on Farley's Currently for June! I may have the honor of being the LAST entry (#199!), but I will still be on the list. And my friend Farley at Oh Boy Fourth Grade will know that I didn't forget about her (like THAT would even be possible!)

So here's my thinking for JUNE... because, in a wink, it is going to be July!

As always, click on the picture link to get to Farley's party. And watch your Blog Roll for the July Currently link-up too. Next time, I am determined to be in the first fifty to join in...