End-of-the-Year Linky Party



What a CRAZY week and weekend!!!  We are finished with our state testing and school fair.  Yahoo!!! This past week consisted of finishing up state testing, teaching students a dance for the fair performance, painting a picture for the fair silent auction, (see picture below), making over 50 candy apples for the sweets booth, and practicing for the teacher fair performance!  Yes, I am one of 11 teachers who actually dances in front of the parents and students at the fair!!!  I think the best part of dancing would be attending all practices after school!!!


enjoying the fair

candy apples for the sweet booth

silent auction: each student painted a different picture on the canvas




End-of-the-Year Linky Party

With state testing & the fair behind me, I can start preparing for the end of the year. I am linking up with Clutter-Free Classroom and sharing my end-of-the-year ideas.  I can't believe May is right around the corner!!  Where did the school year go?  I still need to put together portfolios and make a power point presentation.  I love making a power point from all of the pictures I take during the school year.  I must admit that it takes over a week to construct because I always find a way to mess up something!  It never fails that every year I make some kind of mistake!!!  For the portfolios, I save the students' work all year and use sheet protectors in binders.  I like to put the work in order from the first to last day for the parents.  I put all work in sheet protectors.  The parents appreciate the organization of the work so much because it saves them the time of doing it over the summer. 


Also, students complete a summer writing activity.  This writing activity is my favorite one of the year.  The creativity that flows from the students' brains is amazing!  Students are asked to write about a summer trip they have taken already or plan on taking.  After editing the rough draft, students write the final copy of the essay on sunglasses.  Students glue glasses on large white construction paper and draw a picture around the glasses.  I was amazed the first time I did this with my class.  I did not instruct them to draw a person.  The end results were more than I imagined!

summer writing

summer writing

end-of-the-year presentation set up

 

 

Click (HERE) to grab your sunglasses template.

 

 

What a post!  Please check out Clutter-Free Classroom Project and join the End-of-the-Year Linky Party!

With much appreciation,





                  

What kind of blogger am I?

I have been reading a lot of wonderful posts from so many awesome bloggers.  After reading each post, I stop and think about my own blog.  Am I providing my followers/readers with important information? Are my posts useful? Do I only provide my followers/readers with freebies? I go to bed each night thinking about what kind of blog I envision Third Grade Love to be.  Of coarse, I originally started my blog to give others a chance to use what I create for their students.  I LOVE the idea of sharing!!!  However, I would love to write about things that work (and don't work) in my classroom.  I want my blog to be a place where teachers can visit often and learn about behavior management, center structure, classroom procedures, etc. 

So, I have decided to share with everyone how I manage my third grade classroom on a daily basis.  I want to share as many of my procedures that I can.


Lunch Procedure
When my students enter the classroom in the morning, they have several responsibilities.  First, they are to unpack schoolbags.  After unpacking, choosing lunch is next.  The lunch procedure I use is very important in 3rd grade.  This is the first year students are allowed to choose what they want to eat in the cafeteria.  They have 3 choices~~main menu, choice menu, or salad.  The other grades (4-8) call out each choice, students raise their hand, and the teacher counts. I have tried this and it does not work for me.  After much planning,  I have devised a plan to eliminate the confusion of counting hands.  I have a pocket system that allows the students to be responsible for their own choice.  See picture below.  Each student has his/her own Popsicle stick. He/she chooses what lunch choice they want for the day.  After all students make a choice, sticks are counted and recorded.  I have students count/record (it is a classroom job).  While students are choosing lunch, I have free time to record absences, read notes, or collect any money/notes for the office. 

lunch pockets



lunch menu students read from

pockets for lunch choice

sticks students use for pockets

The amount of free time I have is unbelievable!  I must admit that we practice this procedure many times in the beginning of the year in order to be successful at it!  I train my students for at least 2 weeks before they become independent.

WOW, what a post!.  I can honestly say that I provided my readers/followers with useful information.  I hope that you can use this procedure in your own classroom. 

Since I am still in the beginning stages of blogging,  I appreciate the kind words of encouragement.

With much appreciation,

Linky Party~~My First One!!!

I am super excited to be participating in my very first Linky Party!!!  I hopped over to Fabulous 4th Grade Froggies and joined the Parent Communication Linky Party.

 I personally feel that parent communication is very important year round.  I am always sending home notes to parents about reminders and upcoming events.  My school requires that we maintain a weekly website.  Click here ( Quia website ) to see my school site.  I post things such as reminders, weekly homework & tests, important dates, and skills for each subject.  I am limited to how the site is set up so I try my best to be creative. This week and next I will not post any skills for individual subjects.  We are taking our state tests this week and next.

In addition to my weekly Quia site, I send home a newsletter.  I include what we are learning, special activities, birthdays, dates, & other information I feel parents would like to know.  Here is a copy of one of the newsletters I already sent home. 

I hope these ideas were helpful to you.  In the future, my plan is to have a blog for my parents so I can post weekly pictures and completed activities for them to view. 

Hop over to Fabulous 4th Grade Froggies and join the Parent Communication Linky Party!  

Blog Stalking

Well, I have been doing some intense blog stalking this week.  I just love all of the precious blogs.  Everyone is so creative and dedicated to the blogging world.  As you can see, I have changed my blog background several times. I just figured out how to download the template and heading!  Yeah me!!!  I have made a list of several 3rd grade blogs you might want to check out.  All of them are just so cute.  Also, you may even pick up on a few free goodies while you're there.  Tell them Third Grade Love sent you!!!! Happy Blog Stalking!!!!

3rd Grade Grapevine

Third Grade Teacher Files

3rd Grade Sprinkles

3rd Grade Thoughts

3rd Grade Times

A Class Act

A Series of 3rd Grade Events

Charmed in Third Grade

Love to Teach :)

Mrs. C's Classroom

stickers and staples

Three is a Magic Number

Lighting a Fire in Third Grade

Yearn to Learn

Its About Time Teachers


I will continue to add 3rd grade blogs as I stalk find them!!!

TAG...you're it!!

TAG...I'm it!!!  I am so excited that Michelle @ http://nomonkeybusinessmichelle.blogspot.com/ has TAGGED me!!!! Read below for the rules:

Here are the rules:

* Post these rules

* Answer the 10 questions that the tagger posted for you.
* Create 10 questions of your own to ask the people that you're about to tag
* Tag 10 people and link them with your post (and let them know they've been tagged!)

I was asked the following questions and my answers are the following:

1. What teacher inspired you most & why?

I would say my elementary teachers in grades K-4 inspired me the most.  I had 6 different teachers in elementary school each year and was able to see so many teaching styles!!

2.  What has been the most challenging behavior problem you've had to deal with?

In my 16 years of teaching, I would say disrespect from students whose parents do not respect me.  Students know when their parents do not agree with your teaching styles.

3.  If you didn't teach, what would you be doing?

I would love to be a Marriage & Family Psychologist.  I would love to help couples &  families with their relationship and help them become closer.

4.  What do you do in your summers off?

I do not work during the summers.  I basically sit out by the pool and enjoy the sun with my daughter!  Lazy, I know!!!

5.  School lunch or bring your own?

BOTH!  I only like some things from our cafeteria.  On days I have lunch/recess duty, I usually bring my lunch. 

6.  What is one word that describes your teaching style?

Hands-On!  I am a visual learner myself.  I love when my students are out of their seats working, learning, & having fun!

7.  Coffee or hot cocoa?

I drink hot chocolate---my daughter is the coffee drinker!

8.  What is the ideal # of students to have in a classroom?

I think 20 is the perfect # of students.  I have taught 15 girls at one time---LOVED IT!  I have also taught 35 at one time----too many problems! 

9.  What's the funniest thing a student has ever said to you or asked you about?

I teach in a Catholic school.  While teaching about Jesus' Second Coming, we were discussing the "good" and "bad" groups people will be divided into.  A boy asked (his mom is teacher at my school), "So, I will be by myself when my mom and dad are on the bad side?"  I had to call his mom and let her know that she is sooo bad!!! She almost fell on the ground!

10. If you could choose a celebrity to team teach with for a day, who would it be & why?

I would definitely need to pick Bret Michaels from Poison!  He would be so fun to work with.  Just think:  He could just sing all the lessons to the students!

Here are the 10 questions for my TAGGED friends to answer: Enjoy!!

1.  How many years have you been teaching and blogging?

2.  If you could change one thing about your classroom, what would it be & why?

3.  How do you spend your summer vacations?

4.  Beach or Mountains?

5.  Describe the ideal student!

6.  Do you perfer worksheets, hands on, or technology to teach with?

7.  If you had $500 to spend in your classroom, what would you purchase?

8.  What is your favorite classroom game?

9.  Do you work during the summer on lesson planning?

10.  If you had the chance to visit a foreign country, where would you go & why?

I had a blast answering all of Michelle's ( http://nomonkeybusinessmichelle.blogspot.com/) questions.  I hope you enjoyed reading my answers as much as I enjoyed answering them!!! 

Remember, if you are "TAGGED", repost the rules, answer the 10 questions, and make up your own!  Don't forget to link my post on your blog!

Happy "TAGGING",

Darleen

More classroom pictures

I am posting more classroom pictures.  My plan for the summer is to change my decorations and have one central theme--Peace!  Please enjoy my classroom!  I love, love bright colors as you can see!

 behavior & word wall

centers, job chart, & bucket filling

center baskets

spelling centers

Easter Spelling List Freebie

I am so excited.  I have 6 new followers!!! Thank you to everyone who has visited my blog and those who are new followers.  I am still in the process of figuring out the technology part of blogging.  I have learned a lot from so many new friends.  Please check out my newest Freebie!  I am using this Easter spelling list with my students next week.  I hope you enjoy it!

                          Click here for your copy:
                              Easter Spelling List