Five for Friday and Snapshot Saturday

It's Friday, well at least when I started this it was!!!!! And it's time for.......

School started this week, and we've had two terrific days thus far! I know there will be many more to come because I've energized my teaching with great ideas from fellow bloggers, sellers, and teachers on Pinterest. That's what my five and snapshots are all about this week.

1. From Collaboration Cuties and Ideas by Jivey come Mentor Sentences. I used a technique similar to mentor sentences for years, but I liked the repeated, structured organization and built in assessment these fellow bloggers included. With just two lessons in I already see a deepening in thought by my students, especially with my eighth graders who were somewhat familiar with this process from having worked with me in fifth and sixth grade Language Arts. I can't wait to continue next week with Mentor Sentences.

2. From Sweet Rhyme, Pure Reason comes the reminder to utilize music and song within curriculum. Again, this idea is nothing new to me. Being a singer and musician I have always included music within all the content areas that I teach. However, fellow blogger Nick, took it a step further with his Tunes Tuesday by using current, popular lyrics to teach language skills. Here's what my eighth graders will be looking at next week as we work our way through Ann Rinaldi's The Coffin Quilt. The file below is a Word document in case anyone would like to edit it, leaving out the reference to this specific novel.

3.  Found on Pinterest but elaborated on by several bloggers this summer comes this idea...

My sixers started this project on the first day of school by utilizing a graphic organizer to help them focus their thoughts about who they are. On the second day we began our hands. Some finished, some have not; it is a work in progress, just like all of us. Here are a few snaps shot by one of my girlies who is an award winning photographer... she took third place at the STATE fair in her age division for 4H photography. Next week I'll share the completed hallway display.



4. From fellow TpT seller, Laura Randazzo, comes Grammar in Real Life.

LOVE this product and so do my eighth graders! Here's part of the product description:

Want to amuse your students AND impress your administrators? Use these real-world grammar mistakes as a rotating desktop background on the computer you use to project lesson materials or on any computer screen in your classroom that’s viewable to students. With a constant scroll of proofreading exercises to keep eyes and brains engaged, you can just “set it and forget it.” Each day, the computer will scroll through the images all on its own.

Again, this is not something new to me or my eighth graders. When this group was in fifth and sixth grade we would often find "mistakes" in ads or periodical articles to share in class. What Laura has provided is enough material for EVERY day of the year! We are using this activity as the class opener each morning.

5.  And finally it just is not Saturday Snapshots without Miss Daisy. My family was over for dinner this past Tuesday. Normally, Miss Daisy does not lower herself to grace us with her presence during family visits. However, I had been gone all day and she was missing me so she came downstairs to sit on my lap. She was purring away and enjoying herself while ignoring all else in the room... until she noticed my grand niece laying on the floor covered with MY her fuzzy blanket. That was all it took. After the evil glare at both my grand niece and me which lasted about a minute a piece, Miss Daisy was not seen again until my family went home. What a cat!

Happy Weekend,
Happy Teaching,
Angela
The Teacher's Desk 6