Taking Stock- September

-
I did this type of a post back in June.  I like the format, so I thought I would try it again!

 Making: myself do some blogging… it's been a while!  It feels good to be back.
Cooking: I made shepherds pie last night… perfect for the chilly weather we've been having
Drinking: Wine… as usual. :)
Reading: The Husband's Secret is my book club's next book
Wanting: some new fall clothes
Planning: My return to teaching on October 20th
Playing: With my daughter… at 3 months she can grab and bat at toys!

 Eating: peanut m&m's!
Wishing: I could both be a stay at home mom and a teacher
Enjoying: a little time to blog this morning while my kiddo snoozes
Waiting: for two family weddings at the beginning of October
Liking: carrying my little one around in this ring sling
Wondering: how teachers with kids balance their work and home lives
Loving: These videos.
Hoping: I stop seeing "teacher-bashing" on social media.

 Marveling: at this weather… it's pretty chilly for September!
Needing: a trip to Target
Smelling: Coconut lotion from Trader Joe's
Wearing: this denim shirt from Gap
Following: A Mighty Girl on Facebook
Laughing: at this commercial-- it just cracks me up!

Noticing: more "viral homework assignments" on social media.  boo.
Knowing: I still love teaching
Thinking: about how to make a smooth transition from the maternity sub to me
Pinning: Ideas on how to style a bookcase in my living room
Opening: all my work emails and trying to stay on top of stuff while I'm gone
Feeling: excited that my best friend, Jill, is moving back from Germany at the end of September! yay!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Valentine's Day: I Heart Math

-
Image
If you teach middle school, brace yourself for the craziness that is Valentine's Day celebrated at school tomorrow! Heart shaped suckers, teddy bears, chocolate, and a few (hopefully minimal) tears. Instead of fighting it, embrace the mathiness that can be squeezed out of this heart-filled holiday! Here are a few resources to use: 1. Send a Math-o-Gram . Love math? Love Desmos? You can send your students (or friends) a heart themed graph! 2. Make a Mathy Valentine Use transformations to rotate your way to your students' hearts. 3. Check out these other heart-shaped graphing activities I found these NCTM Illuuminations graphing actives a few years ago. 4. Graph this equation in Desmos : (this was a fun one for my 6th graders... just to figure out how to type in the correct symbols!) 5. Mobius Strip Hearts ?! Yes! Happy Valentine's Day! <3 Update: More Valentine's Day Activities Added: Early Childhood Ideas: Spark a Lov...
Read more

What to do during the last days of math class?

-
Image
Here is my criteria for what makes good mathy activities for the end of the school year: -no/low tech (we have 1:1 devices, but the last few days of school usually mean all devices are turned in) -still incorporate math or problem solving in some way -fun and engaging video credit:  http://sci-toys.com 1. My favorite activity is one I've done every year. Kaleidocycles . When I first starting doing them, over 10 years ago, I had to figure it out on my own. Now, there are tons of online tutorials (check youtube) to explain how to color, fold, and glue. You can also check out my blog post about making these . Kid love them, trust me. It's been my go-to activity for the last two days of math class for years for a reason! :) 2. 5x5 Game. Check out Sara's blog post about the rules . She calls it "the most amazing game" and I trust her judgement. :) I haven't tried it yet, but I'm leaving it as sub plans for the last days of school becau...
Read more

Lesson Idea: Combining Like Terms

-
Image
I haven't written about a lesson idea in a while! While talking with an 8th grade teacher today, I was reminded of a lesson I've done in the past about combining like terms. I wanted to write a quick post to share and also so that I can have it saved to refer back to. The lesson begins by showing this clip: The kids always laugh and enjoy the silliness of it. When it keeps going, I hear a lot of "You gotta be kidding me!" and "ugh, how long is this going to go on?" Perfect. I feel like I'm creating the controversy (create the controversy, Dan Meyer suggests is a first step) After the video, I talk about a simpler version of this same idea. Me: What if I ordered 5 hamburgers, 3 orders of fries, 6 hamburgers, and 2 more orders of fries. Is there a better way to order that is less confusing? Students: Yes! (they are almost frustrated with me!) Put the hamburgers together and the fries together. Me: Oh, so if I wrote ((write on the board:...
Read more