A present from the Scrappy Guy

Thanks to Jameson at "Lessons with Coffee' I have made two knew blogging friends. 

I joined up in the great SLANT box linky. It stands for sending love across the nation to teachers. For me this was across Nations not just the nation.

I had heaps of fun getting to know Chelsea and putting my box of goodies together for her. I shall show photos when I know she has it - so I don't spoil the surprise for her. 

I received my box from Gary this morning and I am so thankful for the things inside and the card was delightful. 

The box needed to have an October theme as well as objects that meant something to the receiver and helped to get us through the scary month....

Here are some pics - I love the orange envelope and the message on the front. The card is gorgeous and we don't really have them in Aus. If I was in America - I think I would so enjoy Halloween. 

I am so lucky to have Gary as my partner for this link up!

The box was full of stuff

These tea towels are amazing

This bag is too cute!

This box has a whole lot of yummy inside. Now the little chocolates still in the box are Pumpkin Spice. In Aus we bake or boil pumpkins and they are treated as a vegetable - but in America they are a sweet and I have been converted - I don't think this treat will last long and I will have to hide them from my kids and husband. 

 Gary did his 'stalking' well and knows that I love books. I cannot ever have enough books (or shoes or handbags). I just love this book - it is a bit like 'The Enormous Turnip'

It takes a witch, a ghost, a vampire, a mummy and finally a bat to get that pumpkin off the vine.

And wait there is more - this pencils are also too cute. They are delightful. 

A very big thank you Gary - you have made my day - week - month!

Check out Gary's blog

also a big thank you to Jameson 

Tired of this weather

We are on track to have the coldest, wettest November ever! For what is about to be the beginning of summer in 17 days this is not great. 

But on the up side - I still have a week of leave left.

My other half is loving the fact that I am around to do to the cooking. I usually leave that up to him during the week. So he feels like he is on leave as well!

Our son has two exams left....

Another upside - while it is wet I can't garden - but I love my garden as it is fairly self cleaning - like my oven (yeh right)

 So the wet weather has given me time to work on this new baby - here is a sneak preview.....

Currently up to 138 pages....hopefully will be finished late tomorrow.

Hope the sun is shining wherever you are!

40 Christmas Writing tasks

Thanks for all the visits to my TPT store in the last few days. 

Teachers have been checking out my 

   

I so love Christmas! So I have been getting ready for all you early planners. 

I have put together 40 writing tasks to keep you on your toes.

This project has been one of my favorites and I can't wait to use the tasks with my own grade. 

Our 'work on writing' time will be full of fun while the students will be learning. 

      

  

   

This pack contains 62 pages

1.     Christmas word wall – as a grade brainstorm words and add to them over time to support the 

writing for all students

2.    A-Z key – record what you know about Christmas. Come back to this at the end to add any 

new learning, use a different color to do this

3.    Reasons why I love Christmas

4.    List stocking fillers

5.    Christmas in Paradise – Summer/Winter Venn Diagram in color and b/w

6.     My Christmas wish list

7.     A letter to Santa – I haven’t always been good

8.     A letter to Santa – I think I have been good

9.    A thank you letter to Santa

10.   Food we leave out – list and draw

11.    My note to leave with the food for Santa

12.  How to pick a great tree

13.   Who do you give presents to?

14.   A tale of two naughty elves – a planning page, an illustration and writing page and 

an additional writing page

15.   Christmas in Paradise – color writing stimulus and a planning page, an illustration and 

writing page and an additional writing page (summer)

16.   Christmas in Paradise – color writing stimulus and a planning page, an illustration and 

writing page and an additional writing page (winter)

17.   Label Santa’s outfit

18.   Design a new Santa outfit

19.   Santa is-can-has

20. Reindeer are-can-have

21.  An Elf is-can-has

22. Food we eat on Christmas Day

23. Design a new toy

24. Evaluate a toy for Santa

25. Santa dropped off the wrong presents – a narrative – a planning page, an illustration and writing page 

and an additional writing page

26. What could be in this present?

27. What is the best gift of all?

28. Draw and label your favourite/favorite decorations (two pages with different spelling)

29. Review a Christmas Book and convince someone else to read it

30.  Santa got stuck in the chimney

31.   Application to be an elf

32. Reindeer Application

33.  Best Christmas ever – recount

34.  A week in the life of an elf

35.  A reindeer scared of heights

36.  Procedure – how to wrap a present

37.  Describe a reindeer

38.  Research and write some Christmas jokes

39.  An Acrostic Poem

40.  Where do you spend Christmas?

Happy Writing.......

Remembrance Day 2013

A day to remember many life times that were stopped short for us!

A little Gingerbread Man help

     

    

Some of my grade need some work on 'ea', 'er' and 'br' and there is no better way then to use Gingerbread Men. 

This pack contains three 'Read the Room' tasks and each one is a different colour. 

Each set contains 24 words to find and a recording sheet and an answer key. 

I have also included a brainstorm chart for each set. 

After the words have been collected - thy students are to highlight the 'er'. 'ea' or 'br'.

I love these for small focus group. 

I bought these cute little clip boards ages ago that the kids love to use to collect the words. 

On leave.....

Today I am at home - I am on long service leave...

You all know that I love my job to bits, so being away from work is massive for me. However, my son is going through an important phase and I need and want to be here for him. Exams!

So while he sleeps in, I can do a little blogging in the mornings.

My posts will be a bit different for the next few weeks as I will not have photos of what my grade are doing.

So I am going to take a different slant and this week I am going to share more about my coaching role. 

A few years ago I was very lucky to be part of our state initiative to coach in low performing schools and had access to the most amazing opportunities and professional learning. I also got to work with the most amazing staff in these schools, who were teaching their hearts out to do the best they could be everyday. 

So today I am going to share a booklet that I was lucky enough to have helped put together with some amazing people. 

Click on the cover to go the whole PDF.

It is an easy read and outlines the 6 elements for effective coaching.

 These are the six elements

 Each element has a series of levels. The entry level for a coach is different depending on their own skills and experiences as well as those of the teacher we are working with.

Professional Relationships is the number one element. Without mutual respect and understanding - coaching cannot happen.
As a coach any relationship we enter into will only work when we start from a positive place.
Coaching is not only for teachers who need help, coaching is for everyone.

I left state based coaching four years ago. 

In my current school we are a school that has good results but we have a coaching culture, with a coach leading each team. 

As some of you know I teach four days a week and coach one day a week.
At our school everyone is coached, even our Principal is coached.

Here is the link to the whole PDF

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/archive/coachteach.pdf

Thanksgiving Packs

There is so much to do in these packs to help you celebrate Turkey Day.

The bundle is available here

Thanksgiving Math - click here

Thanksgiving Writing - click here

Thanksgiving Word Work - click here

Two weeks leave.....

I have just started two weeks leave to be around for our eldest teenager who is doing major exams to gain an enter score to get into University.

So I will around to do the full breakfast thing, drop offs and pick ups and whatever else I need to do to support him through this time.

So what do you have for breakfast?

This is a weekend treat for me and to have waffles with warm raspberries, maple syrup and icing sugar - yummo. So they will not just be a weekend treat. 

Then a smoothie with milk, fruit and frozen yoghurt - delicious 

What motivates me?

I have had cause to reflect today on a few things.

I was approached by a commercial company to do some cross promotional work and needed to see if it would actually benefit me and the people I have in my life. 

I still haven't decided my course of action as I need more information. 

But it all comes down to what motivates me?

My own two kids motivate me to be the best I can be. I want them to be the best they can be too.

My husband, who is a Principal (also a blogger and TPT'er) is a huge supporter of what I do.

My grade motivates me to be the best I can be so they can be.

The staff and students at my school motivate me everyday to help, support, coach and grow with them in many ways. 

The followers on my blog, my blog facebook, my digital stores motivate me to be the best I can be.

I do this stuff to make a difference to my life and hopefully then to others.

I know that this blog post is a bit different to my usual ones - so why am I reflecting?

My USA followers are about to celebrate Thanksgiving and I am thankful for so much.

I love what I do and wouldn't do it if I didn't. 

So I am thankful for all I have because it is a lot.

Bear in the scary night

Have you ever read 'This is the Bear in the Scary Night"? 

You should - it is a great book and the art work and writing from it are amazing.