YOU ARE A WINNER, WINNER, WINNER!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered the Holiday Giveaway! 

• 1st Place Winner who will receive 10 items from my TPT store is:

"Kristen"

• 2nd Place Winner who will receive any 5 items from my TPT store is "Marylea Remkus"

• 3rd  Place Winner who will receive any 3 items from my TPT store is "Amber Jones"

I will e-mail each of you for more details!

 

Giveaway!!!

Enter using the Rafflecopter below and don't forget all the FAB sales at my TPT store! (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Wirth-It) Good Luck it is "Totally Wirth It!" 

 

Holiday Giveaway...Simple, Quck and Easy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tipis and Wiki-Ups Oh My!

In the good state of Oklahoma...where the wind comes sweeping, wooshing, hammering down the Plains, 3rd grade is required to teach the Plains Indians. I absolutely, positively LOVE this unit and each year my teaching partner Kingsley (and our new baby teacher "K") make it better. This year out of nowhere a GENIUS idea came to me to build villages of Plains Indians. Did I mentions Genius? We had so much fun as a class doing this but even better the students were able to visually compare and contrast the villages and the living conditions of the Plains Indians. The students made the traditions tipis which many of us our familiar with but the students also learned of a housing style called "Wiki-Ups". Check out the villages below.

No, those are not french fries on top! ;) Those are our roofs for our wiki-ups.

Each Tipi had symbols that represented each student in the tribe.

We could see the dry, dusty land and the green, lush lands by the stream.

Mrs. Q. explaining each part of her Kiowa dressing

Teaching our K/3rd students how to dance

My sweet and wonderful co-worker is Kiowa and dressed in her original Kiowa clothes for dancing. She taught the students many Kiowa dances during 3rd grade/ K-Buddy time. She looked and sounded so beautiful. I was in such amazement.

Math in a Flash

I am always bewildered by the fact that parents, other teachers, administrators etc. forget how young 3rd graders really are. I feel like it often in my mission in life to keep these little guys in the lime light of Early Childhood. Here I am...Super Early Childhood Announcer. Just kidding, just kidding. In reality I do continue to explain and model early childhood beliefs in my room. Who doesn't love hands-on explorations? Who doesn't love learning by trial and error? My kids certainly love it and so do I! So this was just a day at my back table where the kids were "going at it". No worksheets to fill out, no one to tell the yes or no but themselves! IT WAS GLORIOUS!!! :) Here they are measuring and figuring out self proposed questions. YESSSSSSSSsssssssssssss!

Inference Line

Can you Infer what we are reading?

One fun way I always start out my literature units is by having an Inference Line. I have the kids discuss, brainstorm and then make a guess of what they think we are reading next.  I really make it BIG deal and get them hyped up. Days before I put this up I talk about our TOP SECRET NEW ADVENTURE. One the book is revealed it always gets a huge cheer and woots, wheeee's and rounds of applause. I LOVE reading and I hope to instill this love into my "babies". So far, so good this year. Pat on the back ;) 

The Magic of October

I don't know exactly what it is about October, maybe it is our state fair comes to town (YUM GIANT CORN DOG) , the heat is being extinguished, there is Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING and all of a sudden (*WAH-LA*)  MAGIC the kids "get it." I can't put my finger what "IT" is but "IT" is there.The procedures are set in place, we have practiced, done and succeeded at centers, and the first progress report has gone out. In Oklahoma students begin getting A-F's so it can be a shocker at first when parents see the first "C" or even Dun-Dun-Dun "F". I love explaining how much parents need to be involved and ask questions. I remind them that I have been sending home items/projects for the family to do as a family.  I always see such a big improvement in kids AND parents after that first progress report. I really love having parents involved and more so involved in their children's lives. I was so lucky to have a mom & dad that pushed me, asked questions and was my support system. They really are the best and I am one lucky gal!

My Mommy & Daddy ROCK!!!