Sparking Student Motivation- 1 minute recaps

Greetings from a snowy and cold New York!  I am tucked away in my warm house thinking about spring and warm things!  I was blessed with a snow day yesterday!  It was so nice to be able to stay home, catch up on some blog reading, take down Christmas decorations and watch some TV.  It was wonderful!  We did go back to school on Thursday, which made for a one day work week!  It was hard going back, but nice to get into the rhythm of school again!

Today, I am linking up with the fabulous blogger Joanne from Head Over Heels for Teaching for her Sparking Student Motivation.

Whenever we come back from a long break, my students always want to tell me everything they did.  I decided a few years ago to give my students time to tell the whole class what they did!  I call it One-Minute Recaps!  I give each student one minute to tell the class anything they want!  I usually choose a stick with their name on it and then set the timer.  Sometimes we will do it during morning meetings or we will do it when we have a few minutes throughout the day.  Most students will take the whole time, but some do not.  I don't pressure the kids to do it, but most of the time they want to talk!  I make sure the other students are sitting quietly and they are not aloud to interrupt whoever is speaking.  I also give a one-minute recap, which the students find exciting!  They even told me I could go over the minute when the timer rang!

I am also part of an awesome giveaway with Erin at Learning to Be Awesome!  She has three different giveaways going on through January 13th!  Check it out and enter!

You should also check out Joanne & Holly's  awesome giveaway!  They have new prizes each day!

Have a great rest of your day!

Blogging Resolutions 2014

Well, I made it though the first day back after break!  My students were surprisingly not to out of control...even with snow coming!  Not sure if school will be had tomorrow, but we will see! 

Today, I am linking up with one of my blogging idols and super stars Diane from Fifth in the Middle.  She is awesome!  I love all of her fabulous ideas and encouragement!  She is having a fun linky party on Blogging Resolutions.  I am usually pretty bad at resolutions, but I figured I would try!

Blog at least once a week is a goal of mine.  I would like it to be more, but I cannot type on the computer and drive my car at the same time!  My commute takes up precious hours of my day, which I would rather be blogging! (This is my second post of the week! We will see if I can keep it up!)

I read many blogs, but I don't comment very often.  I love when people comment on my blog, so I am sure others love comments too!  I would like to make at least one comment on a blog a day!

I often feel like I don't have anything fun or interesting to blog about.  My students always tell me I make class fun.  I need to just get over my self doubt and just blog about what we do in class!  I am sure some one will find it interesting!

Well, I am off to rest and dream of a possible snow day tomorrow!

Currently January

Happy New Year Blogging Buddies!  I hope you all had a fabulous New Year's Eve.  I am so excited to see where God take me during 2014.  The sky is the limit and I am ready to just let him take me!  I am linking up with Farley for her January Currently!

Listening- Yes...I watch Dance Moms.  It is my guilty pleasure!  I do not like the drama, but I love seeing little kids go after their dreams!

Loving- A new year...I love that God gives us a fresh start each January.  I am excited to see what 2014 has in store for me and for others!

Thinking- There is a snow storm coming and we go back to school tomorrow.  I live an hour and a half from the school and I am hoping I will be able to make it to school!  

Wanting- With coaching basketball, my grading has been put to the side.  I brought a huge pile home with me over break.  I graded a bit, but still have a bit to go!  I wish I had a magic grading fairy to come and finish it all up for me!

Needing- I need to de-clutter my life, especially my bedroom!  I have a hard time getting rid of things, but I just need to bit the bullet and throw things out!

Memory and/or tradition-  My sister and her family live in the Netherlands.  We were able to Skype with her and my nephews at about 1 am on Christmas to watch my nephews open their presents.  It was so much fun!  They are at the perfect age for Christmas and were so excited with each present.  I wish they lived closer, but God has them doing amazing work in the Netherlands.  You can check out their website at www.allwillsee.org.

Look at the email I received yesterday!!

Yes, it is true I finally reached 200 followers!  I plan on having a fantastic giveaway in the next week weeks.  Stay tuned!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1....Happy New Year, plus a freebie!!!

Hello Blogging Friends!  It has been forever since I have blogged!  I almost forgot how to do it!  I actually had a few things I wanted to blog about in the last new weeks, but I could never get to my computer to actually blog!  One day, hopefully soon, I will recap my December!!!

Today, I am linking up with A Peach for the Teach for her Resolutions 2014 linking party!

I also created these fun homework passes to give my students when we return to school!  I have made them in both color and black and white! Click on the image below to grab this FREEBIE!!!

If you download this freebie, please leave feedback!  I am also at 199 followers on Bloglovin.  I would love one more so if you are not yet following me...please click the link on my side bar!  I promise a super celebration when I reach 200 followers! 

Have a great New Years!  I will see you all in 2014!

Remembering Sandy Hook

As educators, we remember and honor our fallen colleagues and their students from Sandy Hook School. We honor them each day in our classrooms in which we continue their dream of teaching our children. We honor their memory with our service. Join with teachers everywhere in committing random acts of kindness to show our love for Sandy Hook. #love4SH

Christmas Questionnaire

Hello blogging friends!  Today has been one of those days when I just wanted to throw in the towel.  I actually told my assistant principal I quit around lunch time and she told me I could not!  It has been a crazy week, but I made it to the end.  Yes, there is still one more day, but I made it through three basketball games and a practice that was suppose to be a game, but the snow got in the way!  Plus, teaching, a door decorating contest, Christmas concert rehearsals and snow!  I did not know if I would make it until Thursday, but I did.  Tomorrow is rehearsal all day, which I think I can manage!  I thought to calm myself down before bed, I would blog!  I am linking up with Fabulous in First for her fun Christmas Questionnaire!

Hot Chocolate or Eggnog?

Hot Chocolate!  I am not a fan of eggnog.  I am not sure what it is, but I do not like it!  I am a regular hot chocolate girl!  Disney World makes the best hot chocolate!

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them underneath the tree?

Wrap the presents!  I love making my presents look pretty and the surprise of not knowing what is under the paper!

Colored or white lights?

I love white lights!  I love lights in general!  I like to use white because then I can add all the color I want in everything else!

When do you decorate?

I like to decorate as soon as possible!  Usually the week after Thanksgiving or the first week-end in December!  I actually go into a minor depression when I have to take it all down!

Real or fake tree?

I prefer a real tree hands down!  My mom has a fake tree because she says she is too old to be cleaning up the needles from a real tree!  When I have my own house, I will probably have more than one tree so there may be some fake mixed in with the real!

What tops your tree?

An angel that my mom made when she was first married.  We have used it every year.  It is so pretty!  

Favorite Christmas Memory or Tradition?

We celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah.  My mom's side of the family is Jewish so growing up we celebrated both.  We would get one present for Hanukkah and all of the rest for Christmas.  This is a tradition my sisters and I plan on doing with our children.

Do you remember your favorite gift as a child?

I think my favorite gift was when my parents bought my flute for me.  I played the flute from fifth grade through 11th grade.  We rented it at first, but when I was in 6th grade my parents wrapped it up and put it under the Christmas tree for me.  I was amazed that it was there and wondered how they got it out of my room without me knowing!  My mom told me she took it after I went to bed Christmas Eve!

Do you prefer giving or receiving?

Both!  One of my love languages is gifts.  I love to give gifts any time of the year, but I cherish whatever I am give by anyone!  I was telling my students about this the other day!  I keep every picture they make for me.  They are too special to get rid of!

What is your favorite Christmas song?

I love all Christmas music!  I like the classics Away in a Manger, Joy to the World, but I also love some of the new songs like Sidewalk Prophets, Hope was Born This Night.

Candy Canes. Yuck or Yum?

I am not really sure...I don't hate them, but they are not my favorite.  The jury is still out on that one!

Favorite Christmas Movie?

Charlie Brown's Christmas and White Christmas

Do you shop online or in stores?

Both...I always look for a good deal!  The better the deal the more presents I can buy for people!

Photo cards, letters or store bought cards?

I think photo cards, but I will take any!  I have also send all three!  It depends on the year and the mood I am in!

I hope you enjoyed reading my responses!  Have a fantastic night...tomorrow is Friday!

Currently December!!!!

Happy December!!!!  I love December and all that this month brings!  I was looking forward to filling out my Currently for the month all day!  I find these Currently posts are a great way to reflect and think about the coming month!  So once again I am linking up with the famous Farley and her December Currently post!

Listening- The Holiday is one of my favorite Christmas movies...I happen to catch the end of the movie tonight!  I will have to go back and watch it sometime this month!

Loving- I decided to decorate for Christmas today.  I live with my mom so we decorate the living room with her Christmas decorations, but I like to put a small Christmas tree in my bedroom with my own ornamets.  My tree makes me happy and I love looking at it!

Thinking- There are three full weeks between now and Christmas vacation.  The month always goes by so fast and there is so much I want to get accomplished.  I hope I can get it all in!

Wanting- My sister and her family live in the Netherlands.  I would love for them to come and visit for Christmas, but they cannot.  I wish they could!  I will have to settle on Skyping with them and watching my nephews open their Christmas presents!  I have to thank God for Skype!

Needing- Grading papers...didn't do any this week-end, so they will be waiting for me tomorrow when I get to school!  I wish I could invent something to grade papers!

Favorite Traditions- Growing up my mom's side of the family was Jewish.  We celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah.  We would only get one present for Hanukkah and all of the rest for Christmas.  It was a neat tradition that my sisters and I have kept going.  I love teaching my students about Hanukkah!

Well, there is my Currently for December!  I am hoping to reach 200 followers soon because I want to have a give away!  I only need TWO more followers!  Tell your friends!