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Where the Wild Things Learn

Information and Informational Text!

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I owe you all a big apology.
I know I said I’d post more.
I truly meant it.

But again,
life has gotten in the way!

I’m back though… and I’m on SPRING BREAK! I’m going to try to blog so much, that you’ll probably be sick of me! 🙂 I have lots to share though… so get ready to read!

I’m going to get the ball rolling with a quick, easy, and FUN linky! I’m linking up with Flying into First Grade…

It’s the noun game! All of my favorites!

Person- MY HUBBYYYY! He is a sexy stud muffin, is supportive, and just awesome! As you all know, being a teacher’s spouse can be hard! Being a teacher and a coach’s spouse? Yeah, he hears a lot of ranting and raving about parents, spends sleepless nights with me preparing for games or lessons, and has to be REALLY supportive and understanding. I’d say that earns him the fav spot in my life!

Place- Our house. With all of the traveling we do for volleyball, I can’t tell you how many times we say we just want to be HOME! I love our house, and love our time spent together in it.

Thing- CLOTHES! Or… I hate to admit this, but my phone. I use it for SO many things: take pictures, call, text, calendar, look things up… it’s a wonder we survived without technology for so long, isn’t it?! 😉

Animal- TIGERS! I have always LOVED tigers. I want a baby one for a pet.. no big deal, right? My favorite are white siberian, but any are beautiful!

Okay, next I want to share with you something I have been working on for FOREVER! I noticed that I don’t cover nearly enough informational text in my classroom. With it being such a HUGE part of common core, I knew I needed to kick it up a notch. I tied a TON of informational text in with my Famous American project, but still wanted a way to reteach it all, get meaningful reviews, and check student understanding. So, I created one! I created this 62 page pack that has a teach and guided activity for every standard, practice pages with original informational text passages, a graphic organizer, and an I Can statement poster. I waited until I used it in my own classroom so I could tweak it and make sure it worked, and let me tell you, it does! My students loved the passages, and it provided me with a quick, easy way to assess understanding and review! Here’s a preview of this pack!

If you head on over to my TPT shop, you can pick up your own copy here! I can’t wait to hear about others using it! To make it fun, I of course have to throw a freebie in there! Leave a comment with the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you teaching, or a student has said to you! I’ll read them to my husband and let him pick a “funniest” winner to get this pack for free:) GO!

I’m also linking this up with Fourth Grade Flipper for her awesome new linky! I tried this pack, and it works 🙂

Okay, last linky I SWEAR! But I can’t pass up Teacher to the Core’s High/low linky, because usually I have a hard time with the “low”, but today I unfortunately have a “good” low I think I should share with you all.
My JO team is really working together and coming together! I am so proud of my girls for all of the time they put in the gym and it shows in their games. We finished 5th out of 64 teams in New York, playing an age level up! We played an age level up in Indianapolis this past weekend at a HUGE qualifier with over 1000 teams total, and did GREAT! Here they are looking all hilarious:
Remember I told you about us making a Harlem Shake video a few weeks ago? Well it’s finished and up! Check it out here! 
Today was an EMOTIONAL day, to say the least.
Originally, today was supposed to be our last day with kids before spring break. However, a month or so ago, our district announced we wouldn’t have kids today and would be going through “safety training.” They informed us we were changing our lockdown procedures (no more sitting ducks in the corner) and were being trained in a proactive approach called “ALICE” (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate.) Now, I went through this training in college, so I knew somewhat to expect. It is EXTREMELY emotional. They show you a reenactment of the Columbine shootings that is so ridiculous it makes every hair on your body stand and gives you baad chills. You learn how to take down a shooter. Now don’t get me wrong, it is GREAT training and prepares you immensely, but the next part is the hardest.
Our local police came in with real guns (shooting blanks) and took us through 5 scenarios of a shooter in the building. They placed us in realistic places around the school and came in shooting in different scenarios. We had to make decisions to lockdown and barricade our room, get out of the school, or ambush the shooter. We knew it wasn’t real, but it entirely feels like it. The adrenaline in my body was out of control. When you hear that real gun shot noise in your school and screaming, it is something you can’t imagine. My heart has always ached for those who have experienced the real thing, but today brought it even more clear. Here’s my room after my teaching partner and I had barricaded ourselves in my room when the shooter was outside our doors (and this was after we had taken some stuff away.)
Now obviously, I hope and pray we NEVER have to use this training, but it was extremely beneficial. We are going to have a few more like this throughout the year and next year.
WOW! I feel like I just wrote a book. Sorry to share so much, but thanks for reading along!! For those of you that are on break, enjoy the rest of it! For those of you like me, YIPPPEEEE!! It’s relaaaaxation time 🙂

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Your low sounds tough-it is horrible to imagine and then to actually see some of the video reenactments…that would be so hard and difficult and doesn't really allow you to leave for spring break on a "happy/uplifted note." BUT it is better to be safe and prepared just incase.

    Yay to officially starting spring break! I am on my last few days-it is glorious…enjoy every minute of sleeping in! 🙂

    Amanda
    Learning to the Core

    Reply

  2. Hi Amelia!

    The funniest thing a student has said to me: One of my fifth grade BOYS said to me: "I switched to this school to get a better education but if I find love along the way… so be it." HA!

    Vanessa Johnson (vjohns1023@gmail.com)

    Reply

  5. Your informational pack looks great!! You sound like you are very busy!!

    That training does sound emotional. I always wonder how I'd hold up, but I'd definitely rather have the training than worry about what I'd do if it happened and I hadn't had the training!

    Enjoy your spring break!!!
    Amanda
    Collaboration Cuties

    Reply

  6. Oh my gracious. I am having heart palpitations reading this!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for linking up with me. I am going to pray that none of us ever have to use the ALICE method!!!!!!!!!!

    Katie

    Reply

  8. Glad you are on Spring Break. I found your blog through Latoya's linky. I am also very glad to hear that your district/school is no longer using the "sitting duck" protocol for intruders. I am married to a police officer and he has told me many times that if something were to happen we need to get out the building. I can't even imagine how emotional it would be going through that training with police officers shooting blanks.
    On a happier note, have a great break!!

    Mrs. Pauley’s Kindergarten

    Reply

  9. Thank you so much for linking up! Your informational pack looks amazing! I have a shocking story that I will NEVER forget and it is now 10 years ago that it happened. Picture two 6th grade students: a shy boy with social issues and the the naughty, bully who likes to push everyone's buttons. They are both lovable in their own way…One day the cafeteria served hard boiled eggs and the naughty boy took two eggs and peeled the outer part so he just had the two yolks in his hand. He walked over to the shy boy and said, "Here. Now you have some balls." 6th grade!! I felt so bad for the other boy but looking back now, it always brings a smile to my face. I had a weakness in my heart for that naughty boy too who had such a rough home life. I bet your husband will like that story:)
    ~Holly
    Fourth Grade Flipper
    P.S.
    I can't imagine even going through that training! That is good your district is being so proactive though.

    Reply

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