Monday, December 12, 2011
ReadLearnTeachLife: Tis' the Season to Cook!
ReadLearnTeachLife: Tis' the Season to Cook!: I love to cook! So, it doesn't take the holidays for me to break out the cookie sheets and skillet. It really is the time in the day I don't...
Tis' the Season to Cook!
I love to cook! So, it doesn't take the holidays for me to break out the cookie sheets and skillet. It really is the time in the day I don't think about teaching, etc. I call it therapy. The best part of cooking is sharing it with others and seeing what they think of it. My biggest critic...my family, especially my husband. He is such a trooper trying all of my experiments and attempts at recipes.
Here are a few recipes that I am excited to share.
I am always afraid trying slow cooker meals, so I tried this on a Sunday when I was home. It's a Kraft recipe, you can leave it in for 8-9 hours on low, but it was great after only 5 hours on high.
Easy Slow Cooker Stew
Here are a few recipes that I am excited to share.
I am always afraid trying slow cooker meals, so I tried this on a Sunday when I was home. It's a Kraft recipe, you can leave it in for 8-9 hours on low, but it was great after only 5 hours on high.
Easy Slow Cooker Stew
It was very yummy, very easy and great as left overs.
Something sweet, Surprise Cookies from Martha Stewart. Thanks to Pinterest I found these fabulous cookies that may become a yearly cookie. Lots of fun to make, and easy ingredients to have on hand. It may just look like a chocolate cookie with chocolate icing, but there is a marshmellow underneath it all. I decided to add some M&M's on top to give some holiday color. Once again, a husband favorite.
before frosting
half and half
All done!
Tired today...first day back as a full time teacher with out a student teacher teaching. Got to say though, I love teaching :) I missed it. More teaching posts to come!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Questioning - Westlandia
This is the last week of teaching for my student teacher, and she is ending strong. We started our next month's strategy last week: Questioning. This was her next lesson to introduce that we ask questions throughout reading, as well as reviewing that there can be thick and thin questions.
I have briefly read this book...but it is fabulous for many strategies:
To start off the lesson she used their knowledge on the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to ask thick and thin questions to help students see the difference:
1. Who are the characters? (thin)
2. Do you think Goldilocks will break into another house again? (thick)
3. Where did the story take place? (thin)
4. What will happen when Goldilocks gets home? (thick)
etc....
She then had them ask some questions after looking at the cover and reading the plot description, and wrote some of them on a T-chart she had labeled Thin Questions/ Thick Questions.
Students wrote this chart in their reader's notebook.
As they read Westlandia, they wrote down questions and put it under thick or thin question. The teacher also thought aloud some questions she may have and what kind of question it could be. Students shared their questions periodically.
At the end, each student was given a post it note and wrote their favorite question they made while reading on it, and then came up to the t chart and put it on the large chart. This was a great quick way to see if they understood the lesson. It was great! Students were very into the story as well, so it made questioning very easy.
Fun discovery! My student teacher said that she was exploring on the ALL section on Pinterest and one of my pictures from my blog on Idioms was on there!!! WOW!!! thanks to all who follow and share these ideas with others!
I have briefly read this book...but it is fabulous for many strategies:
To start off the lesson she used their knowledge on the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears to ask thick and thin questions to help students see the difference:
1. Who are the characters? (thin)
2. Do you think Goldilocks will break into another house again? (thick)
3. Where did the story take place? (thin)
4. What will happen when Goldilocks gets home? (thick)
etc....
She then had them ask some questions after looking at the cover and reading the plot description, and wrote some of them on a T-chart she had labeled Thin Questions/ Thick Questions.
Students wrote this chart in their reader's notebook.
As they read Westlandia, they wrote down questions and put it under thick or thin question. The teacher also thought aloud some questions she may have and what kind of question it could be. Students shared their questions periodically.
At the end, each student was given a post it note and wrote their favorite question they made while reading on it, and then came up to the t chart and put it on the large chart. This was a great quick way to see if they understood the lesson. It was great! Students were very into the story as well, so it made questioning very easy.
Fun discovery! My student teacher said that she was exploring on the ALL section on Pinterest and one of my pictures from my blog on Idioms was on there!!! WOW!!! thanks to all who follow and share these ideas with others!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Winter Reader-Land!
Quick post today..wanted to show you my newest door for the season. I love being able to decorate a door now! I wanted to do a gingerbread house front, but couldn't find brown chart paper until after the fact. Yet, I do love how this turned out.
Right now I am trying out my first slow cooker meal. I decided to try it out on a day when I would be home all day. I will post soon how it comes out.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Happy Late Thanksgiving...Macy's Parade!
My love of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is almost sickening! I haven't missed it, except for maybe once when I as in a parade myself. Therefore I was sooo excited when I found the book Balloons Over Broadway
It tells the story of the man who brought the balloons to the parade...how he went from balloons on sticks to how they became "upside down marionettes". The images are fabulous, and illustrations are a great mentor text for publishing.
Beyond that, it was a great activity for that crazy day before Thanksgiving break. I read the book and then told the students that in honor of this history, they are going to create their own balloon to be in the parade. I explained that they add balloons each year depending on what the trends are that year. Therefore, what balloon should make next years parade?
They were given a long piece of paper, on part of it they were to design their balloon..even add how the balloon will look, and then write a persuasive letter on why their balloon should be chosen (2-3 details). They were quite convincing and artistic:
It tells the story of the man who brought the balloons to the parade...how he went from balloons on sticks to how they became "upside down marionettes". The images are fabulous, and illustrations are a great mentor text for publishing.
Beyond that, it was a great activity for that crazy day before Thanksgiving break. I read the book and then told the students that in honor of this history, they are going to create their own balloon to be in the parade. I explained that they add balloons each year depending on what the trends are that year. Therefore, what balloon should make next years parade?
They were given a long piece of paper, on part of it they were to design their balloon..even add how the balloon will look, and then write a persuasive letter on why their balloon should be chosen (2-3 details). They were quite convincing and artistic:
Harry Potter Balloon (snitch)
Green Bay Balloon
Hugo Cabret Balloon
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Hugo Cabret
Wonderstruck Balloon
Students were silent as they hovered over their creations and couldn't wait to share not only their balloon but what they had to say about why their balloon should be picked.
It was a great day before break!
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