Long time, no see...

Ok, Ok...I know it's been an extremely long time since I posted. And I hate myself for that. I promised myself I would post at least once a week. Well, that has NOT happened. Let me start by explaining that I had fall break the first week of October. It was a glorious week and I had grand plans to craft and not do much. Well, of course I can never stick to those kinds of plans. So I did craft (see frame...I also made Kinsey an eyeball frame, but didn't add the "Eek!" or spider), and worked out, and worked at the Mart in Atlanta. I think one of my callings is in sales, but with clothes and accessories. So by the end of Market weekend, I was exhausted. Oh, and that weekend before Fall Break started, the family I lived with came back to town. So we went full throttle the entire weekend. Cole got his black belt!

October was also a HUGE wedding month. A family friend got married; a good friend from high school got married; and a new friend from college got married and I helped coordinate the wedding (I try and do that in the spare time teachers have). So between weddings and football, I hope you see and understand why I haven't posted ;). 

This was at the Ole Miss Homecoming Game! Go Dawgs!

I also got the awesome opportunity in the month of October to go see my cousin play football. He is a Junior, so he is beginning to look at colleges. It was a proud and bittersweet moment to see him out on the football field considering I remember when he was born (since when can I say things like that? I'm not that old yet, am I?)

He actually had a pretty large cheering section! 

So, I will say that my kids have been pretty great through October. We have been studying the water cycle and weather. I will have to try and post some of their songs about the water cycle. I was thrilled by some of the lyrics and their motivation and creativity in the performance. In my reading class, we did an author study on Eve Bunting. We took a look at her books and the tough themes and subjects she writes about. At the end of the novel study, the kids painted a pumpkin to look like a character from a book. They worked in groups and had to write a summary about the character and the role they played in the story. Here are a couple of pictures of the pumpkins. 

So now, here we are, a week away from Thanksgiving. I turn 25 years old Monday (yikes...quarter life crisis mode) and I am running a half marathon in Atlanta Thanksgiving morning. What a month and it has flown by! I will also try and put some pictures from my real camera and not the camera phone soon. I also love the water cycle flipbook we did and the cloud flipbook, so I will get those posted soon. Of course, I can't take all the credit...pinterest is a teacher's best friend. Until next month (but hopefully sooner), see ya around. 

Read All About It!

So, I decided I would procrastinate putting grades in the computer by posting some of my favorite reading projects that were presented today. I just finished a unit with my Reading class based off of the book Number the Stars. This was a childhood favorite of mine, so I was very excited when I decided to do that book with my class. The students, even though they have no background knowledge (or very little) with World War 2 and the Holocaust, they still were incredibly engaged during the entire book. This also opened up their world to those subjects and they couldn't wait to go to the library every week and check out more books about this period in history. That is when, as a teacher, you know you are doing your job. Their final assessment for this novel study was a partner project, as well as two individual projects. For their partner projects, they had to choose one out of five options. I wanted to highlight these two because I thought they really showed the student's understanding of the novel, as well as their creativity.

So this first series of pictures are of a pair of girls who created a facebook page. I thought they really took this to the next level. They created this from memory....we have no access to facebook at school! Next time, I would love to figure out a way for them to create a mock facebook page for their character on the computer. I love all the details that are true to facebook!

 Chatting with Ellen :)

This next series of pictures are of the newspaper option. They could create an illegal newspaper (similar to the one in the book) or they could create a legal newspaper. This pair of boys chose to create an illegal newspaper. I especially liked the tag line under the title: "The illegal newspaper you can trust." 

 I haven't looked closely at the individual projects yet, but will hopefully post some pictures of those too.

Fall Break, Fall Break, Fall Break!

It is so close, I can taste the pumpkin spice latte. Fall Break is 3 DAYS AWAY! We only have to make it to Thursday. However, I have 108 students' report card grades to put in the new system that the county is using. So, while 4:00 p.m. Thursday is SO close, it is yet, so far away. But I will make it through. I know my promise to update every week has not been so true. But, I remembered to take some pictures and am finally going to update with the fun things that have been going on in fourth grade. I think I left off while we were studying light. We went on to sound and the students got to make musical instruments. They are currently being displayed in the library so I will have to go take a picture of the displays and post it on here. The students LOVED this project. I brought in everything I have been recycling for about a month or so. It definitely took the help of my mom and fellow teachers to bring in as many recyclables as the students wanted. They would have emptied a local recycling center if I had let them. Their possibilities were endless; however, most stuck with the drums, shakers, and guitars. They had to show pitch, volume, and make it look creative. Like I said, I will post some of those pictures soon.

I know that the days are tough and pulling these 12 hour days are not ideal. However, there are reasons I keep getting up day in and day out. Last Friday, my students and I had a great day. Their attitudes were great; my attitude was great. I opened up the day and each class with some Kidz Bop (which I do most Fridays, but they were just having a great time with it this Friday). And then by the end of the day, after the fury of papers and folders had settled, I looked at my board and found this:

As much as they may drive me up the wall sometimes, I always have to remember why I am doing this.

I also added some new "ticket out the door" options. I added a "twitter board" and a "What Stuck Today?" My kids have enjoyed "tweeting" and ask at least three times a week if they can reply to the tweets. Our "What Stuck Today?" board works, but I am constantly finding post-it notes on the floor. I'm sure the janitors aren't crazy about the post-it board.

Alright, well that's all for tonight. I have some more additions to the room, but I have got to do some work for grad school. Unfortunately, that has taken the back burner this semester, and I need to try and get some of it under my belt tonight instead of waiting for tomorrow! Yikes! It's already Tuesday! Alright, until next time...take care!

What a week!

I always knew four day weeks felt longer than your typical five day week. But last week (Labor Day was Monday) felt like forever. The kids were chattier than normal and I learned a lot of lessons. I graded my first tests which I was so proud of. I created questions that I knew we had talked about...and talked about...and talked about. Nothing was new or a surprise. I even asked the students when I handed them back. I was proud of them for being honest. They were honest about when they started studying (the night before the test). They were honest that they had seen everything that was on the test. It was a reality check for me. And for the students. Summer is over. That is for sure. I also have to remember that these students are still a little bit in summer mode. I am ready for a great week this week. We have started studying Sound and the students are very excited about making musical instruments. I feel like it is definitely an age old assignment, however, I remember making one when I was in elementary school so I am hoping to give these students a similar memory of what I had.

Labor Day weekend was fun though! It's FINALLY football season again! This is the time of year I wait for all year long! A friend came from South Carolina (and is a Gamecocks fan...I am slowly trying to stage an intervention) and went to the game with me. We tailgated as much as we could for a 12:21 kickoff and then settled into our seats.

We were very fortunate because our seats were in the shade, but the Dawgs didn't do as well as planned...in my mind. I told Corey we might leave around halftime because they would probably have enough of a lead that it was safe to do some afternoon shopping. But I was shocked and surprised that we stayed until the end of the third quarter. The Dawgs did not have a big enough lead for me to be comfortable leaving at half time. However, the game ended well and we left after the third quarter. Got downtown with enough time to do a little shopping and then meet some friends for an early dinner. It was a great day that ended with some lounging around and catching up with "Meet the Parents" and craft tips. I also got to spend some time with good friends and had a cookout at my parent's house. I love three day weekends...in a selfish way. I got laundry done. Lessons planned. And had time to spend with family and friends.

This past weekend was another chill weekend which I have come to LOVE and look forward to. I had a night at home Friday night and was able to gawk at the dresses, prices, and attitudes at "Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta." Started my leveled library for my classroom too...that is going to be a huge chore, but well worth it so my students know what books are right for them. Right now, it is a cluttered mess. I got to spend some time with a good family. Max (the dog I am dog sitting for a very extended period of time) took the mini vacation with me and we packed up and went to Atlanta. He got some new treats (a deer antler-who knew dogs loved those, and a new bone) and got a bath! He was not a fan of the dryers at the bath so he had to air dry. But he doesn't smell like a dead animal or mud so it was well worth it. I am now mentally preparing for another week...another week of grading...another week of being a positive role model for my students...another week of laughter and "Ms. Gunter, where did you get your dress? Can I come shop in your closet?" I am looking forward to another week with my fourth grade team and students! Look for a new post hopefully sooner rather than later :).

Wow! I made it!

I have to say, I cannot complain because I knew teaching would be a lot of work, especially my first year. However, the 12 hours days everyday is not exactly what I expected ha. But I don't have anything pressing to get home for, so I feel like I don't have to time manage AS WELL. I need to get out of that mindset! The first week went really well. We did some great team building activities the first two days. We had the students get into groups of 10 and we gave them a bag of various materials. Some bags had a whole roll of masking tape, some cups, and 5 sheets of paper. Some bags had only a strip of paper, 20 sheets of paper, popsicle sticks, and 8 cups. Some bags had NO tape. The students had to work together to build the tallest tower. Some of the towers were very impressive. When I have some pictures on my computer, I will post some. We also had a challenge where they had a metal washer with six strings tied around it. The only directions were to balance the golf ball in the middle of the washer and they couldn't touch the metal part. The groups worked together to figure out the best way to balance the golf ball. It took some groups longer than others, and every group did it a different way. But eventually, a couple of groups figured out that they could hold the string close to the washer without touching the metal. Their group work was very impressive. During our group meetings, we emphasized our high expectations for the students as well as for each other. We also talked about positive talk and then had the students do an activity called "Good Graffiti." The words had to be positive but the artistry could be theirs! They really got into them and I am putting that display up this week so pictures will come soon. Our final "team" activity was to trace their arms/hands and write their academic and personal goals. Their academic could be anything from to get on the honor roll to exceeding the CRCT to reading a certain number of books. Most of them really took their time on their goals and I have a picture of what our display looks like. This second week has already started out a little smoother than the first. I even got a run in after school! Looking forward to some great Science activities this week.

1 Day Down, 159 To Go

I SURVIVED MY FIRST DAY OF TEACHING! The day went really well, but I do have to say, there is a noticeable difference between teaching from 7:15-2:20 to 8:30-3:30. The extra hours do make the feet ache a little more. But I made it through and it was fantastic. The team I work with made it seem like I had been teaching for 8 years. We did a team building activity along with a team meeting this morning. Our team building activity included a bag of items (paper, tape, cups, and popsicle sticks) and the different groups had to work together with the members to make the tallest tower. The catch was, not all groups had tape. And each group who did have tape had a different amount. Some groups had a strip of tape. Some groups had an entire roll of tape. The results were outstanding! We had one tower 36 inches tall and another group did NOT use any tape and had a tower 23 inches tall. These fourth graders have held up to our HIGH EXPECTATIONS for the first day.  We are going to do both things again tomorrow. I am very excited about our team building activity. We are doing "Good Graffiti" where the students are going to be able to really show their creativity by writing positive words that pertain to themselves, the team, or the school year. I am very excited to see what the students come up with!

The students were very quiet during the morning time, but once we came back and started "rotating," (we practiced rotating classes), they grew more comfortable and became a little more talkative. However, this group of fourth graders are very sweet and did a great job in the hall and at lunch today. I am so excited to see what the year is going to bring to our team and our student's lives!

All the hard work...

...will finally pay off! I get to meet my kiddos tomorrow morning, very bright and early. I am so excited. My room has finally come together. I will make sure to post some pictures of my room on here tomorrow. For now, I have one that goes with tomorrow:

I am ready! Here goes nothing! 

A New Adventure

Today, I began a brand new adventure in my life. I sent a piece of my heart to Louisiana this morning with the family I have lived with for the past year. I then drove myself to my new job! I sat through a couple of meetings, learned all about Common Core (a very condensed version of Common Core), and organized my classroom library. I have the best mom and the World's Best Mom Award goes to her! She brought my handmade curtains to the school and helped sort my books into categories. I am looking forward to getting back into my room tomorrow morning. I have another meeting with more training on Common Core, so I am sure I will have some fun and exciting news tomorrow! As overwhelmed as I am with getting ready for the first day of school, I know that it will all come together! I will post pictures of my classroom as it becomes more put together (there is no reason to put pictures of the piles on here right now :))! Keep sending the good thoughts!

Where did the summer go?

I feel like I was just cleaning up a classroom yesterday. Now, I'm reorganizing and moving stuff into a classroom. Where has the summer gone? I was in a Kindergarten classroom last year as a parapro (teacher's assistant). I moved all the kidney tables and kitchen stuff and started traveling the East Coast. My first stop was Williamsburg, VA. I have some family friends who recently moved up there and welcomed us with open arms. My friend, Lucy, met me there from Connecticut. 

Here are the parents with the kiddos. 

After a great visit, I ventured down to Destin, FL to spend a week and a half with the family I live with. It was just the break I needed. I am a true beach bum. We rented a boat and hung out on Crab Island. We also saw dolphins while we were riding around on the boat. It was the coolest thing to see the dolphins playing in the wild. 

Crab Island

Dinner at Fudpuckers

After a great and relaxing time at the beach, they dropped me off at the Jimmy Buffett concert, where I met some friends. The next day, we all left to travel to Gordon, GA (which is in the middle of nowhere) to counsel at our church camp. I have gone to this camp since I was in first grade. I have made some lifetime friends at that place. I always say those are the people who truly love me for who I am because they have seen me at my sweatiest (this place never gets below 70 degrees...I'm certain of it). This summer, a group of my close friends and some new friends counseled about 80 high schoolers for the week. From luaus to the city (NYC that is), we celebrated community and friendships all week long. 

Counselors

Talent Show...Notice the giant mugs of coffee. That is necessary at camp :). 

A beautiful and serene sight

Childhood Friends-Corey and Sara

Childhood Friends-Harrison and Joseph

Counselors

Small Group

My rockstar cabin-The Monogram Cabin

After Camp, I was home for a week babysitting. Then I went BACK to camp (in the middle of nowhere) to direct a camp. It is a wonderful outreach project that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) do every summer. This camp hosts children from the surrounding areas of camp (Gordon, GA) and pays for their three days of a camp. We provide a day camp for them, complete with recreation, community, swim time, lunch, snacks, and fun! I counseled this camp for three summers in high school, then came back for two summers to help out, and am now directing! This is my second summer directing this camp and I can't wait to start planning the third!

I then flew to White Plains, NY to hang out with my best friend from college for a week. It was so great! We ventured to Old Greenwich, CT, Samford, and NYC. We were in NYC for the 4th of July with another friend from college. I am glad I had the experience of NYC on the 4th...it was pretty, but we also watched the show on TV when we got home. I also got to go to  Mets game (I am an Atlanta Braves fan so that was hard) and experience part of a summer WITHOUT humidity! 

I finally stopped traveling and took a class for my Master's program. I also started helping the family I currently live with (only for two more nights), pack up their things. They are moving to Louisiana in a few days. Now, I am moving my stuff into a fourth grade classroom. Everything is brand new. I am confident I have what it takes, but I am anxious about what the year will bring. When I reflect over this summer, it has been a whirlwind, but every trip and every minute has been worth it! I am looking forward to my new adventure, and am reminiscent over the adventures that have helped shape me. 

Luau's, Safaris, and Birthdays! Oh my!

Whew! What a DAY! We began our day at 7:30 this morning. And boy, did we hit the ground running. After cutting the hotdogs like octopuses and getting the car loaded, we headed to the friend's house who so graciously hosted the parties. The luau went off without a hitch. The cake was a hit. The hotdogs were well liked. And the leis were a kid favorite.

We had about an hour and a half to break down the luau and prepare for the safari party. We made it happen with time to spare! The adults even got to spend a little time in pool! We had a brand new cake, more hotdogs, some veggies, and lot of zebra and cheetah print!

What a day! After six hours of parties and lots of restocking and unloading, the outcome was all worth it! The kids had such a great time! Now that the parties are done, I am hoping to get in to my classroom tomorrow! Wish me luck!