The "green basket," math equations, and pajama pants....

Little green basket. This is where finished papers go. Finished papers and returned homework and notes. Important papers for Ms. Horn. We call it the "green basket." I know, it's not really green, just the ribbon. But that is our basket. I took the pictures so I can make some small pictures to post with our daily work reminders. Students trickle in between 8 and 8:20 each morning and so I find myself repeating instructions over and over again. So this is part of an elaborate (or not-so-elaborate) plan to help students become more independent.  Yay independence.

Working on math during calendar time. These two boys worked on this equation together. One of the things we bombed in the math assessment last week was writing an equation. Why? Their teacher didn't teach them the right words. They know how to write an equation. But what we've talked about is writing a math sentence. So now I have to expand what they know and re-assess. I should have taught them how to write an equation from the very start. But we'll learn now. 

We had fun with subtraction today. I called up groups of students and then we took some students away.  Then we learned what the equation looks like. 

Today it rained and was cold. This afternoon was "brrr!" on the porch waiting for parents to pick up students. But so far no freezing rain and no sleet.  I suppose that is okay. But let me tell you, teachers pray for "snow days" as much or more than their students do. I brought home Teacher Editions so I could do planning on our "day off" tomorrow. But at this point, it is still a big unknown as to whether or not we will even get the day off tomorrow. I hope that if the roads are slick they will call school.  I don't want to hear about any busses in ditches or anything else like that. I want to know that all my precious Kinders are safe and warm and that their families are safe as well. 

I am hoping and praying for a "snow day" but I am not counting on one. I predict that we will go to school tomorrow. 

It's cold in the house. Drafty. Breezy. Cold. The animals act like it's all about how much they love and miss me, but I think maybe they are just cold. This is the view once I got comfortable and sat done to get on the computer: Sammy is on my lap and Hundley is as close as he can get. Speaking of the word "comfortable" we are discussing that word this week and what it means if you get comfortable. I (shame on me) gave my example of comfortable before students talked to their shoulder partners. So 20 students said that when they get comfortable they watch a movie in their pajama pants. Hmmm, they are all SO much like me! Okay maybe I have a lot of influence over little minds. 

We started final copies of our Lincoln's Hat papers. More to come...