Randomness, Recipes, and Real Bloggers

Truly Random. That is what you could call today's post. Might bring a chuckle or two, though. Thanks, Kasey, at Doodle Bugs Teaching for the ever popular Five for Friday link-up.

1.  First of all, does anybody else find this "new" typewriter ironic??

It is a regular, old-fashioned, gotta hit each key like you mean it, non-electric typewriter. The blurb says it will help you do "retro style" invites, and lend a "vintage air" to your office. Crack. Me. Up. When I saw the ad and saw they were two hundred dollars– good grief– I laughed and laughed. What goes around, comes around... although I don't remember any of the originals available in pink!

2.  And in the same vein, do you remember these?

Yep, that's a ViewMaster. It is still for sale, or maybe I should say, back for sale, and apparently all the rage. It costs TWENTY bucks and only comes with three disks. I have FIVE original equipment ViewMasters in a special collector box in my classroom with about 50 disks. Maybe I should put them on ebay and make back some of the money this classroom move has cost me, eh? No, the kiddos do love them and get them out for free choice. But twenty bucks?? They used to be five. Who woulda' thunk. I can recommend them though- if these new ones are just like the old ones they are very hardy. Mine have seen a lot of kid use, and most of mine came from garage sales so had already had a round of kid play.

3.  Did you see the super cute and good-for-kids Fine Motor Take Home Kit that Marsha McGuire posted on Differentiated Kindergarten? The FREE kit, I should add?

 

I think it is a terrific idea to send the kits home with kiddos for fine motor practice. Here packet comes with a lot of ideas, some activity cards, a parent brochure and a neat tag. I have gathered all the items for the activities and will be introducing the kits to parents on Curriculum Night. I like to build connections between home and school and I think this will help– kinders love taking things home from school. It also gives parents a chance to see what their child can do. I'm going to send two kits home with two kids each Friday, and make them due back on Monday, unless the kidperson is really into it. In that case they can keep them at home until Wednesday– just need them back in time to send home with the next lucky kids. You have to gather the stuff to go into the kit but the printables are a freebie and you can get them by clicking on the picture above and going to the Differentiated Kindergarten post. Thanks, Marsha!

I think my kits are going to travel between home and school in these adorable monster bags. Target's Dollar Spot had the CUTEST monster themed stuff this year– drawstring bags, pencil cases, notebooks... I got myself a new lunch bag. LOVE.

4.  I had a package of chicken in the fridge the other day, but when I remembered it there was only an hour or so before dinner. Who likes plain boneless, skinless chicken breasts? Boring. So I rummaged around in the fridge, then poured a little soy sauce, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar into a flat bottomed bowl, adding to that some crushed garlic and pepper. Sorry I don't have exact measurements. I've been cooking long enough to just sort of wing it when it comes to amounts. I usually only measure when I'm trying new recipes... with marinades... naw.

Ingredients I had on hand.

I stirred, then added the chicken breasts to it, sliced quite thin and punctured many times with a fork.

Chicken in marinade before going into the pan.

I covered and placed it in the fridge, turning them over after half an hour. I then put them in my new ceramic saute pan (LOVE!) and cooked them on top of the stove until they were no longer pink, which didn't take long as they were thin slices. I served them over rice and some chopped veges. Oh. my. gosh. SO good. SO simple. SO fast. I highly recommend! Sorry I don't have any pictures past the marinade stage– I was busy cooking and eating. Didn't think about pictures again until the kitchen was cleaned up. Rachel Ray has nothing to worry about as I just can't cook in front of a camera :)

5.  Teachers are terrific! I FINALLY got to meet some fellow Michigan bloggers. FUN!! We had a blast! One of the real perks of blogging is the people you get to "meet." I had a grand time chatting, learned some new tips, got some neat swag, and won a great prize, too... It is a Ellison Super Star machine that does die cutting. Here is a picture I pulled from the internet because I haven't opened the box yet.

I also won two set of dies that cut out a little boy and a little girl with various clothing options. I'm sure I and my colleagues (because it just seems like a thing for sharing) will put it to good use in the coming year, and I'll post about what I do with it. I will also post more about this meet up in the coming weeks as we'll have some follow-up photos and info to share. I want to especially encourage any Michigan teacher bloggers or TPTers to come to next year's meet-up. Sending off words and ideas into the black hole of the internet can be a little lonely. It is always good to put faces and personalities with the people behind the blog or TPT store. 

Hope you enjoyed my randomness today. Click on back to other Five for Friday posts. Thanks Kacey!

Now I'm off to get ready for a family wedding. Have a great weekend, especially those of you who were back at school with kids this week... my first week is fast approaching! See you next time.

Find a Linky Party!

UPDATED April 3, 2017

























Folks I have very sad news! There used to be FIFTEEN linky parties listed here, but as of April 3, 2017, there are only two left of those fifteen. So sad! The two that are still active are right on top, though the previous ones I left below, with very small buttons, just in case readers and bloggers want to know what used to be available... sort of a history of teacher blogs, I guess... though maybe inspiration for a new linky. I will update and add more buttons as more linky parties are created again.

And for anyone who finds this in the next couple months– I am going to do a book talk Tuesday linky for teachers to share books they use with kids, books they use as teachers, and favorite reads for their own pleasure. Comment below if you want details.

As a teacher reader and blogger I LOVE link-ups. I get inspiration for the classroom and inspiration for posting. I scour the internet to find them all, but it is hard to keep track... so I decided to put them in one place. Here's a list, updated regularly. Just click on the image buttons to visit the sties. Have one you want to see on the list? Email me, or comment below. I find this list helpful and hope you will, too.

Weekly Link-ups

If there is only one to do, this just might be it. So faithful every week. Thanks to Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching.

Monthly Link-ups

Stephanie over at Forever in 5th Grade does a Show and Tell Tuesday linky. It happens on the third Tuesday of each month and you can show and tell about up to four things happening in the classroom or life.


Link-ups That Are No More

This weekly linky used to focus on a picture that says a thousand words... well, and a few from a blogger. Get all sorts of ideas from all sorts of bloggers. Thanks, Miss DeCarbo at Sugar and Spice.

If you kept yourself busy making things for school or home, this was the place to share them! Each Monday click away to find all sorts of inspiration. Thanks to Tara at Fourth Grade Frolics.

This one let you in on what's happening with teacher bloggers as they looked ahead to their week- 3+2+1=Six things on the to-do list. Thanks to Teaching Trio for this one.

Do you like Freebies? Duh, who doesn't? Each week you used to be able to find them here and link yours for maximum coverage. Thanks to Tamara, Leslie and all the TBA authors.

This was for teachers who did centers in their classrooms... so LOTS of us. Let teachers find your ideas and activities by linking up with Mary at Sharing Kindergarten.

Kelly and Kim's Kindergarden Kreations did a link-up that highlighted TPT items on sale.

Farley over at Oh, Boy Fourth Grade did Currently at the start of each month. It was a great way to find out what teachers were thinking about. Were there ever a lot of sad teachers when Farley gave this one up. 

This is one I participated in since its launch. Who doesn't like Pins? The hardest thing is to find just three that you want to share with your teacher friends. Thanks to Pawsitively Teaching and Inspired Owls Corner. Another one I was so sad to see go!

Each month with this linkup there was a new topic to share about. Topics might be classroom improvements, parent communication, schedules, etc. It was a great way for teachers to share what works for them. Thanks to Ashley at Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd and Angie at Lucky Little Learners.

Buzzing with Mrs. McClain did the You Oughta Know linky. Read and post about a new idea monthly.

Short Term or Seasonal Link-Ups

This linky was hosted by Cyndie at Chalk One Up for the Teacher. It is a weekly party for the summer. Link up if you have two products on sale for that day only.

This linky was a fun one for summer and came from Deb at Not Very Fancy in 1st. Link up to share your favorite recipes and cooking tips. 

Here was a special back-to-school link up that went for just four weeks, a new topic each week. Thanks to Layla from Fancy Free in Fourth, Courtney from Ramona Recommends, and Jamie from Not So Wimpy Teacher.

If you have a link-up or know of some not on the list, let me know in the comments and I'll refresh the page to add it, too!!!!

Also, it would be great if you'd pin the heck out of the linky button so lots of readers and bloggers find it and continue to refer to it's updated list. Thanks!

If You Teach Writing...

Thanks to Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching for the Five for Friday linky. I am using it a little bit differently today. I have one great resource to share with any teacher who teaches writing, but I'll share five favorites from it.

There are soooo many blogs out there. Some we only need to see occasionally. Some we follow because we get things– admit it, sometimes the freebie is worth it. And some we follow because we really learn from what they share.

One of the most valuable blogs for me is Two Writing Teachers.

And if you teach writing, you need to know about this resource, too. This blog started out as the blog of just two teachers, but has grown to a team which includes Stacey Shubitz, Anna Gratz Cockerille, Betsy Hubbard, Beth Moore, Dana Murphy, and Tara Smith. I follow them through email so that I get fast notification of their almost daily blog posts. And I never fail to read them. It's like having a chat with a good teacher friend who is a very good teacher– the spark that keeps my teaching flame burning.

They post on a wide variety of topics under the broad heading of writing. It is very much based on Lucy Calkins and Teachers College work, but of course, that work is continually evolving and growing. Here are some of the posts I most value, but to get this down to a sample of just five was pretty much impossible and there is so. much. more.

1. The "Share" Time- a variety of structures for share time to maximize learning and keep it fresh Here

2.  You Just Don't Get It– I loved this post. I added these steps and language to my conferring kit  Here

3.  Back to School– a wonderful, must-have list of information for any time Here
And I'm going to let this be a double click topic. This post, Beginning a Year of Teaching Writing with Reflection, is on the back to school list, but it is worth checking out all on its own. Reflection and goal setting is important at the start of the year, but also good to do throughout the year as well, so I'll be coming back here multiple times. Here

4.  Top Five Lessons to Teach to Writing Partners of All Ages Right Now– okay, so having writing partners in kindergarten is a stumbling block for me. Even though over the years I have seen good things come from kinder partnerships, I need a little kick in the pants to get going each year. This is it Here

5.  Writing in Preschool: Scope and Sequence– I add this for my preschool friends and because I so wish all my kindergarten students came to me with this background! Good food for thought and very appropriate preschool writing activities. Also a downloadable Scope and Sequence chart is on this post Here

Something else that I must mention about Two Writing Teachers is their Slice of Life Story Challenge. Every Tuesday Two Writing Teachers invite you to write on your blog about your life, then post it within their Tuesday "Call for Slices" post. All the details can be found by clicking on the orange logo.

Participating with Slice of Life is a good way to prompt yourself to write and share publicly... well, I THINK it can be a good way to prompt yourself to write. This is another area where I need a kick in the pants, and even more so, a good dose of courage. I write and post on my blog pretty regularly, but this seems bigger, more personal perhaps. And more of a commitment. So... soon. Maybe soon.
Are there any other teacher bloggers out there who would like to take up the writing challenge with me?

I hope you will check out Two Writing Teachers and let me know what you find in the comment section below. I have certainly not been to all their posts and would love to hear what ideas resonate with your writing instruction.

Well, there you have it for this Friday post. I've been writing as I continue to clean up from yesterday, and now I'm off to visit just one or two stores on this Black Friday shopping day. Hoping the crowds will soon head home for dinner ;)  And then we're gonna start the Christmas house trimming. Click on back to Five for Friday to see what others are up to.

The post If You Teach Writing... first appeared on kidpeopleclassroom.com