Prepping for a Sick Day . . .

Ugh . . . being sick is no fun!  I hate it, but I hate it even more when I am contagious and can't go to school.  It is really difficult.  Plus add onto that prepping for a sub!  Anyways, so I was up all evening preparing my substitution binder.  It was a lot of work.  I still need to add more information, but at least I got it set up for today!  Anyways, as I was preparing I was going through and trying to grab stuff.  It is way easier to just go to school sick than to get all of this together . . . too bad I am still contagious!

Well, through it all, I think I need to prepare better emergency lesson plans.  I went through the ones on the teacher pay teachers website, and I couldn't find anything that suited me, or matched the standards, or one that didn't require some type of book, or wasn't too advanced.  So, I guess that means I will have to accept a new challenge and get something up there.

Well, anyways, through my prep, I did make some super cute posters to define "author's purpose."  Click on the picture to grab them for *FREE* from my tpt store!

~  Miriam B. 

Wreath-tastic!

Have you seen all the super cute wreaths that everyone has been putting up on pintrest and facebook??  Well, after seeing all of them, I decided to try and make one for my door.  This year I am doing a ROBOT theme in my classroom, so I am trying to do something that ties in with robots.  Well, anyways, I went to Michaels in search of something to make a wreath out of.  I came out with a wooden circle, polka-dot ribbon, mismatched letters, some funky wooden blocks, and some weird wires and jewelry pieces.  Well after a couple of hours this is what I came up with . . .

I even inspired my sister to make her own wreath. She was having a chocolate party, to explain about her wreath.  Anyways, here is a picture of hers . . .

Hope you get some inspiration and have a wreath-tastic day!

~  Miriam B. 

Classroom Management Notebook

My new school is a Charter school.  Basically that just means that it is a public school that gets to more or less pick its students.  It can also “allow” problem students to return to their regular district approved schools . . . so more or less a public school with private school rights.

Yet, even though it is a charter school I have heard that we will still have some difficult kids.  Well, in order to prepare for this, I have made the “Problem Solving Notebook.”  Basically, it is for kids to go sit at, write down what is going on and regroup.  Here is the form that I made for the notebook:  Click on it, and you can download it for free from my TPT site!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Problem-Solving-Managment-Sheet

Here is the secluded desk that students sit at to complete their problem solving sheet.

~  Miriam B. 

Classroom Organization

Well, I am kind of what people would call a perfectionist.  I don’t think the blog/ pintrest world has helped that either.  For some reason, it has just made me feel like every other teacher in the world is just like me.  They are longing for really cute decoration ideas and then upload cute pictures of their classrooms to the internet.  Well, this “fantasy” was ruined a bit this year when I moved back.  I realized that there are those of us who like everything to match . . . but then there are those of us who like to live on pre-made posters and the such.  I know for those of you who have been in the U.S.A. forever this is no such surprise, but I guess I just became naive to the fact that not everyone had a beautiful classroom.  So, this disillusioned teacher was working on her classroom every spare moment, because I thought that was what every good teacher did.  This is what the end results turned out to be:

 A chart that students move their magnets onto if they leave the room, to sharpen pencils, multiplication achievement chart, daily math chart, and calendar.

 Desk layout with their R.O.B.O.T. binders and desk supplies.  It is in a star shape, but will move depending on behavior and classroom needs.

Behavior chart, Boggle Bulletin Board (thanks pintrest!), and character education board.

 Classroom from the front

Classroom as you enter the door

Side entrance to the classroom

~  Miriam B. 

Teacher Blog World Here I Come!!

Well, hello teacher blog world!  I am one of those teachers who have been blog stalking for several months and finally got up the nerve to create one of my own.  I have had several other blogs, but this is my first "teacher-e blog."

Well, first off, let me explain my name . . . 3rd Grade Travelin Teacher.  This year I am obviously teaching 3rd grade, but over the past few years I have been a "travelin" teacher.  I taught at a university in Kenya, a public and private school in South Korea, a university in Saudi Arabia, at a private school in Florida, and now I am at a public charter school in South Florida! And believe me, bikini-clad south Florida is way different than burka wearing Saudi Arabia!

Anyways, through this blog, I hope to be able to share my ideas, thoughts, and bits of culture shock.  Hope you enjoy and please feel free to comment, pin, and stalk me! 

~  Miriam B.