My 5 for 5.

So technically it is Saturday morning, but since I've only had three hours of sleep last night (1 hour when I thought it was bedtime and 2 hours around 3 this morning) it still feels like Friday to me. So I'm linking up with this awesome fun linky.

1. I don't think I have posted much on here about my recent decision to lose weight. But back in January I decided I was tired of being overweight and that I wanted to lose 80 lbs before the boyfriend and I get married in Fall 2014. No not engaged.... but it's getting closer. I'll let you know when that changes, I PROMISE! So I decided to do something. I wanted to do something that wouldn't just be temporary, but instead be a life change. And I really feel like what I've got going is working. As of this week, I have lost 22 lbs. I am still having trouble seeing the difference, but people at work are stopping and telling me how much of a difference they see. Most of which, didn't even know that I was in the process. So they are like "Wow. You are losing a lot of weight." To be completely honest, this is one of my biggest motivators. I still have 60 lbs to go, but I know that if I keep working at it... I can do it.

P.S. Sorry the picture is bad, I took it with my phone after a workout.

2. So are you wondering why I only got three hours of sleep last night? No, I'm not sick. Thank God. Sadly, it wasn't because I got to go out and enjoy myself. No... it was because Miss Molly decided to have puppies.

I went to bed at 11 last night thinking I was done for the night. An hour later I woke up to screeching and heavy breathing. I couldn't figure it out. I decided to go into the living room where we keep our babies and see what was wrong. That is when I found a black little puppy in Miss Molly's kennel. She was having puppies. 9 hours later, she and all 8 of her puppies are doing well. They are currently feeding and Miss Molly is resting.

3. Tomorrow is St. Patty's Day and to celebrate we had a fun St. Patrick's day party yesterday. Some of the kids brought in  St. Patrick's Day/Irish inspired treats. They had deviled eggs, soda bread, Irish Potato Candy, cookies, cupcakes, and green popcicles. I did try the Irish Potato Candy and they were AMAZING! If it wasn't for my diet, I would have definitely had more!

If you have never had these... or (if your like me) even heard of these before, click on the picture to go find a recipe via allrecipes.com

4. We're gearing up for Easter next week! I set up my centers using Easter Baskets! I stole the idea from Reagan. I fell in love immediately, and I can not wait until the kids see them on Monday! I've got a lot of fun things planned and em excited to use my Easter Centers from last year. If your needing any centers, here are two that I posted last year. (Click on the pictures to go to my TPT store).

5. Okay, so like I said in number 1... I'm losing weight. One of the things I'm loving about this is my walks. I've been doing 2 mile walks at a nearby park after school. On Thursday it rained. :( I didn't get to do my walk. So I came on home and did this 2 mile walk. It is a WONDERFUL exercise and I would definitely recommend it for anyone wanting to work out but not able to find a nearby park. It works just about every muscle possible!

Okay so that's it for this week! How was your week? Go on over to Doodle Bugs Teaching and link up!

Cookie Math

Okay so in math right now we are working on addition and subtraction. For the past two weeks we have been working on the numbers 0-5. This week I have decided to break it down into chunks and work strictly on the numbers 6 and 7.

Today I did one of the best math lessons I think I have done in a while. I started the lesson by telling my kiddos that I had baked 6 cookies yesterday and after baking them I couldn't figure out how to share them with Mr. Anthony (the boyfriend).

I then read The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins. On a side note, if you have never read this story you should go check it out.

After reading the story, I gave my students 6 cookie cutouts and a blank piece of paper. I told them that I needed their help in figuring out all the different ways in which I could share the cookies with Mr. Anthony. I told them that since I am on a diet that it didn't matter if he got more than me.

I split the students up into pairs of two and had them spread out around the room. They were able to sit anywhere (which if you ever let your kiddos sit anywhere they want, you know they LOVE this!).

The students worked really hard figuring out ways that we could share the cookies. These are some of the results that I just loved and knew that I had to share with the boyfriend (and thankfully I am able to share them with you too).

This one reads: (top) Mister Anthony can have these three cookies. (bottom) Ms. Cannon can have these three cookies. 

This one just shows the different way we could share the cookies. (The numbers are the order in which he did them, it has nothing to do with the number of cookies drawn.)

Afterwards, we came back together and discussed the different ways that I would be able to share the cookies and I recorded their answers for a anchor chart that could be posted in the classroom. And because they worked so nicely with one another they each got one cookie (oreos, because I didn't think ahead and make or buy chocolate chip cookies).

What are you doing in math with addition/subtraction.

St. Patricks Day Gold (and Freebie)

If your like me than this isn't your lucky week.... meaning you have to wake up bright and early and go to work in the morning instead of sleeping in and enjoying a week of Spring Break.

Unfortunately for us we still have a week or 2 before we can enjoy the magic of Spring Break. So why not enjoy the magic of the leprechauns this week? I have just the packet to help you do so.

I have posted my 92 page Lock O'Gold Literacy packet that includes 15 common core aligned literacy activities (most of which have SEVERAL different versions for you to use).

From whole group activities like brainstorming on what makes you lucky (writing sheets included) and Leprechaun tree map (chart pieces and 3 differentiated writing sheets included) to fun independent activity like the Graphing the Letter/Beginning Sound, Syllable Sort, and Scrambled Sentences (plus much more!) this packet has something for everyone!

One of my favorite parts of this packet is the Luck O'Gold CVC word game. I mean who doesn't love games? This game includes a sorting mat (real/not real words), 12 playing cards for each medial vowel, and gold coins to keep track of points!

So head on over to my TPT store (click here) and get this treasure so that your kids can have some Luck this week... even if it isn't Spring Break!

Oh and while you are over there check out my other St. Patrick's Day goodies (just click on each picture to be taken to that page) and grab my freebie "Graph The Rainbow."

Dot Plates

So I told you I didn't know when I would be back. It's not that I don't have the time... it is that I don't feel like I have anything to say. I would rather write a blog that is informative and interesting than a blog that is just a bunch of words with no meaning behind it. I hope you understand. :)

But I do have something interesting to tell you tonight!

On Monday 3 of our teachers (K-2) went to another school in our district and watched a few of the K-2 teachers there teach math. One of the higher ups in our school district has been raving about their math program so our principal decided to send some of our teachers over there to see what is going on.

The teachers that went loved what they saw!

Yesterday (Friday) was a early dismissal in our district. Which means "teacher jail" for the faculty. That is what another one of the teachers calls it. It makes me laugh... but sometimes (like yesterday) we get exciting information!

2 of the teachers that went to the other school on Monday (the 3rd one was sick. Poor Kindertrips. Get feeling better soon hun! Hope to see you on Monday!) led the inservice. I really enjoyed what they showed us.

One of the ideas they gave was really similar to something I do with my students. Quick Images. For those of you who do not know what that is, basically it is when you show your students a ten frame that has a certain amount of dots in it. But you only show them for like a second.  You can have them copy it onto their own ten frame or you can just discuss it. I love the discussion part of it. It lets you know how they think.

For example if you show a ten frame that looks like this

students may say that they saw 7. You HAVE TO ASK THEM HOW THEY KNOW! This is when the responses show you what they know and how they see and understand numbers. Some of the responses you get will include:
"I saw 3 on top. 4 on bottom."
"I saw 4 on one side and 3 on the other"
"I counted"
"4 and 3 is 7"

One of the ideas presented was very similar to this.  However, instead of using ten frames they used plates with dots. It was super cute! I knew right away that I had to make them this weekend. So today after going to the park and walking a mile (go me!) I stopped at the dollar tree and got 1 set of black plates and star stickers. I will have to go back tomorrow and get another set of black plates so that I can finish the set to 10... and you will only need the one set of stickers (I didn't know that at the time, so I got 2 sets to be safe).

In 20 minutes I had created a super fun set of Dot Plates!

I can't wait to use these in class and continue to learn/assess how my kinders think!