Can you believe I am just getting to writing about all the things we did in our classroom during Halloween time?
Let me begin by saying that my sweet in laws came all the way from CA to spend Halloween with the boys (and us too). We hardly ever get a chance to see them, and we loved every minute. They are not only fun but so generous and kind. I love the fact that I “married” into such a great family.
My little Gabriel has also finished his soccer season. Every single game is filled with joy and cuteness.
Let me just show you what has been going on in room 208:
I have introduced all the addition strategies I could think of!
We also introduced subtraction strategies… well bonkers! I didn’t get a chance to snap a picture before I left school yesterday, but I promise I will for my next blog post.
I swear by the approach outlined in Children’s Mathematics – Cognitively Guided Instruction- you can get a copy of this bible wonderful book by clicking HERE!!
On the other hand we had a total blast celebrating pumpkin day. We conducted all the pumpkin explorations available on this planet… but the highlight of our day was making pumpkin shakes.
But hey, pumpkin day comes only once a year. Even though I am a very conscious eater, I am willing to make peace with this delicious treat.
Of course we made accommodations for those friends with dietary needs. Every single kiddo loved this treat.
You might be thinking that I have all these great ideas. Well don’t get me wrong, I do have ideas… as a matter of fact I am the type of human who needs a creative outlet (this is one of the reasons why I love teaching). BUT in this case, this idea was not mine. My sweet assistant Mrs. Wilson took this upon herself. She shared the recipe with me, she bought all the ingredients, and brought all the gadgets from her house.
The best part is that my sweet DBo, my former assistant, came and helped us make the shakes!!
Here’s the recipe. You can click on the picture to snatch a copy for your home or classroom.
But hey! Kiddos don’t become better readers and writers based on “cute”, so of course there is an instructional component to this activity. Since we have been learning about sequencing, writing B-M-E, and transition words, we conducted a guided “how-to” writing activity.
This is an activity that can be done any time, it really doesn’t have to be on a special day. It is also a concrete shared experience to write about. You may grab this freebie by clicking on the following image.
And just in case you are interested, I have jumped onto the “interactive notebooks” bandwagon and have created this product based on CGI as well.
Of course I am a rookie when it comes to interactive notebooks, but I hope to improve each day and share my experiences with you through this little blog.
Have a fantabulous day!!
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