Thoughts of a Third Grade Teacher

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Is Pinterest Frozen??

6:19 PM

Has anyone else noticed that Pinterest seems to be frozen?? I've been pinning a little less but my followers # hasn't gone up in a couple weeks. I find that odd. I've been stuck at 1691 forever! Weird! Has anyone else noticed this?

Labels:Pinterest | 17 comments

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Grammar Tales

1:37 PM

Grammar Tales

I posted yesterday about a fun adjective activity and I recently posted fun vidoes and projects we have done while reviewing grammar. I use Grammar Tales by Scholastic as a tool to teach grammar. It has a nice little teacher guide, picture books to reinforce concepts, and worksheet pages to make a student book for each concept. Here is a link to Amazon that will hook you right up!!

I've had this set for a while and this is the first year I've really started the kit and stuck with it. I have to say that combining the songs/videos, using the kit, and occasional projects have really made grammar fun. The kids love it when they see me reach for one of the books or pull up our latest song/video. The kit really doesn't cost that much and I think it would be a great addition for any classroom!!

Let me know what you think!

Labels:Grammar | 3 comments

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Adjectives

7:54 PM

Hey blogger buddies!!

I hope all is well out in chaotic holiday blogger land!! In school we have been BUSY!!! We just had our first round of conferences and the holiday craze is soooo here!!

We have been discussing adjectives.

I read a cute book about bugs that focused on adjectives. I decided that I would grab out the fun stuff (paper, glitter, buttons, etc.) and we would make unique bugs of our own. They then made lists of words that described their bugs. I typed the lists out in a sassy font and they cut them with fun scissors. The bugs turned out a little more disorganized than I had envisioned but I must remind myself that they are only 3rd graders and they really did have soooo much fun making them.

Things are rockin busy at the Lutton house! I enjoyed some way super fun shopping after Thanksgiving. My "team" and I were in and out by 1:30ish. We have sooo much fun each and every year. My long time friend Jill and her supper sassy cousin Lexi and I usually stand in the cold a couple hours but man do we grab up bargains and laugh a ton! We kept calling ourselves shopping ninjas. :) Good time!

That is me in the WHITE coat. :) At this time we had been waiting outside of Toys R Us for over an hour and it dawned on me that in all the years we do this I had never snapped a photo.

Labels:adjectives | 6 comments

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Thanks So Super Duper!

3:36 PM

I'm honored to have been nominated as a top 50 blog by TeacherCertificationDegrees.com!!

Click on over and take a look at the blogs nominated!

Also Dana over at 3rd grade Gridiron

selected my blog to receive the Sunshine Award!!

"/>Thanks so super duper Dana!!

Now for me to pass this award on!!

Hop on over and check out these sassy blogs!!

Labels:Award | 3 comments

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Crazy Town!!

2:47 PM

My Pinterest obsession has exploded!!

I can't believe I have over a thousand followers over there!!
That's right!! 1028 so far!!

I do sooo LOVE to pin!!

Come on over and check it out!!
Let me know if you need an invite to get your pinning going!

Labels:Pinterest | 1 comments

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Grammar With Attitude!! :\

5:09 PM

We have been having some verb fun the past week. The kids really love the Youtube videos!! I have one I do for nouns and a couple I use for verbs. I use them as brain breaks before or after I teach the grammar lesson.
They all get stuck in our heads and the students and I tend to hum them all day. Too funny! Play them and you will see.

This video is super funny!! (At least I think so) My kids are allowed to stand by their desks and follow along. They tend to want to really get crazy but I just lay down the law. :) Once the behavior expectations are clear they are great. They think it is hilarious when I start clapping and jumping along.

We discussed irregular verbs today and I showed this video just after I introduced them. It has pictures that grab their attention and I then show it again after the lesson so they see the irregular verbs again. They really liked it today.

I also created a sassy irregular verbs chart! I say sassy because as I was teaching today a co-worker came in and complimented the chart. One of my girls pipped up that Mrs. Lutton likes to make her charts "sassy", ha!

This is the one I made for verbs.

My lovely daughter helped me color it.

We did nouns last week. I've shown this noun song for a couple years now and I really like it!! The kids practically memorize it. Beware!! This one will sooo get stuck in your head!! ;)

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look around!!

I hope you found something that you can use in your room!!

Leave a comment and let me know what you think!!

Labels:Grammar,Nouns,Verbs,Videos | 5 comments

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Nonfiction Fun

8:01 PM

I had mentioned yesterday that I was diving into a new summarizing strategy called 3-2-1. I'm really liking this method for focusing student thinking during reading! It goes right along with my tracking your thinking lessons. I have a little pic of a kinda sassy chart I whipped up today. The flash was a little defiant so this is the best I have. :(

I admit it is a little top heavy but I really like to add color to draw interest. We are focusing our school wide writing prompt towards a nonfiction summary. Any thoughts or suggestions on this girls?!?!

I'm having trouble wrapping my head around 3-2-1 as a summarizing tool. I see it more for focusing student thoughts during reading by giving them specific things to look for/think about during reading. I'm still working out the kinks!! :)

Labels:writing | 4 comments

Monday, November 14, 2011

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!! :)

6:04 PM

I can't believe the trimester is almost over?! Where or where does the time go?!?! We have been doing so many fun things and I've been too busy to share most of them. Sorry :(

Right now we are studying nonfiction text features. FUN!! I use the Comprehension Toolkit by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis. I have never taught out of the 2-3 grade version but I would love to own it!! Maybe I'll suggest that to Santa!! Ha!

For interventions right now I'm in charge of the on grade level to just above grade level students and we are doing a hodge podge of the toolkit intervention and a cool 3-2-1 summarizing technique that we just learned. We are using the super cool National Geographic kids magazines that come in two different levels. If any of you have experience/opinions about the 3-2-1 summarizing technique I would LOVE to hear about it!!

You all know of my Pinterest obsession!! I pinned this super cool 3-2-1 summarizing graphic organizer and you should so check it out!! It is from none other than Lesson Plan SOS!! They rock!!

Source: teacherspayteachers.com via Julie on Pinterest

Come on over and check out my Pinterest wonderland!! I may have a bit of a pinning problem!! :) Don't tell my hubby!! :)

Labels:Comprehension | 5 comments

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Online Lesson Plans w/ Common Core

1:09 PM

Sorry I've been a little MIA lately.

Always the same excuse - Life in the fast lane!!

We have this wonderful (insert sarcastic voice/face) new evaluation at our school and one of the categories we have to get ranked on is lesson plans. We provide them when asked and we get a score between 1-4. Now, to get the fat 4 you have to include Common Core within. I have been looking around at online sites that make adding in the core a little bit easier. I haven't found "the one" just yet but I have a couple I'm trying out. I'm linking up with A Teacher's Treasure. She is hosting a Lesson Plan Linky party. Fun huh?! (more proof of my nerdness)

As far a online lesson sites I'm currently going to stick with Planbookedu.com. I like the layout better and you have options for layouts when you print. It is super easy to forward plans or attach files. I included youtube videos in my plans and they show right up for the admin. to click and see. It is set up much like Blogger with the HTML and all.

The other site that a few of my co-workers use is called Planbook.com. (easy to confuse huh?) I hated the way these looked when I printed them. The CC was a little easier to add but ugh I hate the way they print.

Here is the big question!!!!

What online lesson plan sites do you recommend??

Have any of you found one that is super easy??

| 13 comments

Sunday, October 30, 2011

I'm on Fire Baby!! :)

9:08 AM

Thank you so very much to Maria over at

Charmed in Third Grade!!

I so appreciate the Blog on Fire award you gave me!!

So with this award, you need to share 7 things about yourself

and then pass the award on to 7 "HOT" blogs!

So here goes...

1. I'm married to my high school sweetheart and we have 3 adorable children ages 7, 6, and 4.

2. I so totally threw my back out on Tues. and it still really hurts but I'm on the mend.

3. I'm having the best school year EVER!!! My class is wonderful and I feel like we are making awesome progress!

4. I'm totally addicted to Pinterest!! I'm gotten so many teaching ideas. I swear it has made a huge impact on my teaching. Check it out!! Click the little P -