Im here!

 Hey ya'll hey!!

Oh my goodness.  Where has the time gone?  

Oh!, that's right.  We had a pandemic.  I pray everyone is safe and well.

Now that we are all full force, back into the swing of things I wanted to reset, recharge.  That's our school theme this year, and how appropriate it is.

I am ready to start a fresh and hope you are too.  Check out my tweets at the bottom right.  I came in over the summer with the mindset to reset and painted the media center.  I purchased some things, too many things, but it looks great and ready for a fresh new year.

I am working on some bulletin boards and signs for the media center and will post them soon.  Check out my TpT store to see new stuff as well.

THANKS

Thanksgiving

Is it November already?? Where is this year going?  I can't believe I am already planning for November lessons.
I am excited to share my new creation The Murky Turkey.
It's an original story that is great for reading to whole class.  I included some retell strips and pictures as well as a bundle of other activities including SCOOT.  The new classroom craze.

How cute is this writing and craft activity for your November bulletin board?

You can find it at my TpT store, just click on the pic!

Hope you enjoy!

Elementary Library Centers

Today is the day!  Ready to begin some collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication among my students.

As you may know I teach a fixed schedule (second year teaching a fully fixed schedule).

Today I started my library centers with 3rd-5th grade.  Usually I like to keep them around a theme like fall, or October.  I started out centers this year with things that are surrounded with the 4C's as stated above.

I am fortunate to have 28 iPads and 11 computers so most of my centers involve those tech tools.
I whipped up some center signs with "I Can" statements.

I am jumping on the #flipgridfever train and including it as a center as well. If you haven't checked out flipgrid, you must.  I think it is going to be a great tool!
I posted two flipgrid boards, one is a book review board and one is "If I had to choose a button" board where students choose a button based on what power they would like and why. "Critical Thinking!!"  I found the button pic on Pinterest when searching for flipgrid.
Here are two friends working together on their flipgrid.

So what's going on in your library this year?

New Year New Look

Here we are, another school year and with it my blog has a great new look!

Anybody do something awesome with International Dot Day?

Since I am on a fixed schedule for the second year, the specialist and I combined all our classes for the day and did some activities. 

Check out the pics on twitter.
We watched the video of Peter Reynolds reading The Dot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CHBrRyPb2I

Our wonderful music teacher handed out some dots "drums" and the kids clapped and played to the "dots" music notes as she pointed to them.

Then we played musical dots where students walked around in a circle and when the music stopped, they stood on a dot!

Fun Fun!

What do you do?

Celebrating Black History Month with African American Authors

It's been a while....
This year I am working on renewing my National Boards and although the process is not as difficult or as time consuming as the first time, there is still a lot of writing, videoing, and reflecting.
Which explains my absents!

But I am back!
So I have been working with my kiddos on authors and what perfect time to introduce Coretta Scott King and African American Authors.

This week we have been reading Do Like Kyla by Angela Johnson with Kindergarten and First grade.

We do a picture walk and talk about what motivated the author to write a story about two sisters (pssst, we don't know so we just brainstorm).

Then students fill out a Beginning, Middle, End graphic organizer after we read the story.  I do this to help them with our Benchmark assessments that require them to tell what happened at the beginning, middle and end.

My second graders are learning about Coretta Scott King and the award named after her.  They use ipads to look up facts about her and then find the title of a book that has received her award. 

I have a "I mustache what you are reading" bulletin board outside the library so I posted the Coretta Scott King research with pictures of my second graders and their mustache!

If you want to see my Black History Month packet and all the authors we will be learning about you can check it out, just click on the picture.

Library Signage FREEBIE

O those library signs...
I am always looking for ways to help my students become self served patrons in my media center.  I want them to be able to locate what they want easier and quicker.

This year I created more signage for my library!  I hope this will help my kiddos or atleast allow me to point to the sign from across the room to help them locate what they are looking for.

Here is the sign I have for poems.

My sign for pets and in the background animals.

Feel free to use these signs in your library, HOPE YOU ENJOY!
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THEM HERE

Thanks

Five For Friday with the Teacher Librarian

 Five for Friday is a weekly teacher linky party where you post five random things from today or this past week and on your blog. Then, you come back and link your blog post up at the bottom of this post in the linky tool.Grab the button above and link back to this post on your blog.

My sister posted this on my facebook yesterday because like everywhere it is COLD outside.  Plus as a little girl I loved watching wrestling and Ric Flair was one of my favs, don't ask, it is hard to believe I watched it but I did and loved it so much my sweet daddy took me to see them on a couple of occasions.

Baby it's Cold!!!! Wooooooooooo

Baby it's COLD outside is also the title of my centers for January.  How fitting is that.  If you have bought my centers before, these are just as good and are themed for January.

Be sure to pick up this months library center here.

A New year and I am reading to change it up a little.  I am working with my 1st and 2nd graders doing research.  Scroll to the next post and you will get some FREE stuff to help you out.  My district uses the research model eWISE which has helped me explain to the kids the process of research.  Be sure to scroll to the post after this one to READ ALL ABOUT IT>

During the break I worked on some close reading for President's Day.  The passages are written on three different levels to meet the needs of all the students and differentiate. 

hahahahahahahahaha

And lastly, who doesn't wait till after all the festivities to get back on track with health.  So I overindulged this break and now I am paying for it!!!  Time to get back to my low carb and 5k. 

Don't know how I cooked low carb before without Pinterest!!! Great recipes, had the spaghetti squash carbonara last night...look it up, it's delicious!

Check out Doodle Bugs Teaching blog for more Five for FRIDAYS! and be sure to follow my blog for more FUN!

Second Research

It's a new year and time to try some new stuff!

 I am put off doing too much independent research with my little ones just because the time I have with them is short, and I just haven't' been brave enough to let them loose. But this year I am giving it a go.

Coming back from winter break and tackling it head on!! Our county has a research model that we have adopted called eWISE.

 I made posters for the acronym at the beginning of the year to look nice and pretty but now it's time to put those babies to use.

 I introduced the model with Wonder. I talked about how I wonder about things, like what do snakes eat, how many babies do kangaroos have, what are meerkats. Then I talked to students about where you find those answers. In the library! You can find them in the nonfiction books or the internet sites that our county pays for NCWiseOwl.

Here is the Wonder poster and Investigate poster I made to guide them.

This discussion of wondering lead to talking about how to find out the answers of my wonders.  To find answers, we investigate.

How do we investigate, we read the text we found about our wonders.

After modeling how to do this, students were open to wonder about any animal they wanted using the Amazing Animals website we have at our school.  

Then I had the kids read or investigate the text to find answers.

Students then Synthesize (the s in eWISE) by writing 4 facts about what they had read.

I was surprised how busy they were, were they really investigating and researching or were they still asleep from winter break...

I think they were learning.  They used this print out I got free somewhere on Pinterest.

We stopped there because time ran out and I am trying to decide if we are going to do more with that they learned Express it (the e in eWISE) or if we are just going to continue to practice the act of researching??

Here are the posters and things I used if you want it!!!

eWise POSTERS

What's new in your library or classroom?

Friday FREE FOR ALL!!

It's a Friday free for all where every Friday teachers and educators are linky up with some great FREE resources!!! Be sure to add the link to your blog and link back here.  

My Friday FREE FOR ALL this Friday is

iREAD bulletin board printable.  This is great to great an attractive bulletin board of your students reading.

be sure to link up with your FREEBIE!!

Elementary Library Lesson BUNDLE

I have finally!!!!!  Bundles all my TpT Elementary Library Lessons in one nice packet to save you over 20%!!!!!  I also included The Busy Librarian's Survival Kit.

Be sure to purchase the entire BUNDLE to save save save!!

Hope you enjoy and if you are doing centers, get ready for my Elementary Library Center BUNDLE!!!

Creating your own TpT products!

So I made a product in my store called How to Create TpT products without spending a dime and since then I have changed my blog name.  YIKES!
As promised I wanted to be sure to add additional information as I learn on how to create things for TpT
Well since I have made this product there has been several others to come up with tutorials and helpful hints.  Therefore, instead of reinventing the wheel, I will just link to them.!

The first tutorial that is quite helpful is from The 3am Teacher.  She has lots of cute things in here store and free frames and clip art to help you get started on attractive products to catch the buyers eye!
You can see her tutorial here

Here is also a VIDEO Tutorial by Katie Knight that is really great!

Sooo I hope this helps get you started!!!

Friday FREE FOR ALL!

It's a Friday free for all where every Friday teachers and educators are linky up with some great FREE resources!!! Be sure to add the link to your blog and link back here.  

My Friday FREE FOR ALL this Friday is

the free analog clock clip art.  Be sure to check it out.

Great to create your own lessons, smartboard activities, printables and more.

Click on the Clock to get yours!

What's your Friday FREE FOR ALL?

Five for Friday

Here we go! So this week I was out at a convergent meeting with all the tech and media people in my county! Great minds coming together and sharing ideas. I am going to share some of those things through my Five for Friday!  Be sure to click on the picture below to link to Doodle Bugs Five for Friday!!

My first is SKYPE in the classroom.  I love it!  You can do a mystery skype and have students guess where the others live.  You can skype with others about anything.  YOU MUST go and sign up for skype in the classroom and connect with others.  Look in my sidebar, I am trying to get with others and skype about Holidays Around the World!! 

So much awesomeness at these meetings I couldn't help but share WONDEROPOLIS!  If you haven't heard of it you must go check it out!!  What a great way to get students ALL AGES to begin thinking! Matter of fact, I am presenting today!! HERE is the presentation.  I am tying it in to my research model process. Feel free to use it!!!

Oh My, such greatness from this conference.  Another thing I am learning is tweeting!  If you don't tweet, don't be scared.  It is an awesome way to spread the news, share ideas, connect with others and classrooms.  You can tweet with me at @summersusu!  Check out the Library Girl's tweet to.  There are so many tweet meetings and sharing times that you are missing out on so do it!!

So I am trying to do a weekly Throwback Thursday.  Just started last week.  I want to share tried and true ideas that you always go back to.  Who else wants to join.  So far I think my linky folks missed the idea that I want links to blogs writing about those tried and true things, not a link to a product.  HELP...maybe my linky party is a bust?

And last, We celebrated my youngest birthday :)

On the left, turned 6.  Where did the time go and my oldest on the right.  Got an amazing Living Social deal at Monkey Joes cause Lord knows I couldn't afford it otherwise.  We were able to invite the whole class!  We had a blast!

Throwback Thursday

It's that time again
Please be sure to link to your BLOG not your TpT store.
Looking for tried and true things you have used in your teaching experience that always works over the years.
Be sure to click on the link below to add your blog link and copy the picture to add to your blog.

My throw back tried and true is bubbles and hugs.

When I ask my students to stand and line up I say, bubbles and hugs.  Students know to put a bubble in their mouth and a hug around their library book.

Love hugs and bubbles.

Add your tried and true below.

Throwback Thursday Tried and True

A linky party of tried and true routines, books, lessons, or other aspects of teaching that you go back to time and time again.

I'm hosting a Throw Back Thursday Tried and True linky party and hope you can join.  I am hoping we can throw back each week those tried and true lessons, read alouds, class routines or whatever aspect of teaching that has always worked for you.  What are those things that you go back to time and time again that never out date themselves.

I am a teacher librarian so my throwback Thursday is Mr. Wiggles.. I have used those book care books for years and they never get old.

Kinders love Mr Wiggles and it really gets to the point of book care.  

I never get tired of him and the kids don't either.

What is your Throwback Tried and True.

Be sure to grab the image and link back here!

An InLinkz Link-up

Skippyjon Jones Centers FREEBIE

I have began my centers for the year in the school library.
This year it has been more of a process because I want all the centers to be meaningful.

I see k-2 once a week.

Because we have been reading Skippyjon Jones, I decided to begin my first round of centers based on him.

Here are my center signs which I completely stole the idea from Pinterest and now can't remember who from...sorry, Ill come back when it comes to me.

Children know they must check out a book and they must visit ONE center.  I also printed the names of the students on a spreadsheet because I want to be sure that I know when someone has gone to the same one over and over...up to you how you would do it.

I also chose three IPADs and downloaded Make Dice Lite.  Love love love this app.  You can use as many dice as you want, any color and you can add words, letters, numbers.  

Here I have to dice on the Ipad.  Students did a math roll.  They roll the dice and create a number sentence.

Here the student rolled 2 and 1 so they write that in the blanks and solve.

I used the app and created a MUY Loco vs Good Dude words printable.  Students roll the two dice, one has a consonant and the other as a blend like ap,at, an.  Students roll the dice and if it is a word they write it under Good Dude, if it is not, they write it under MUY Loco.

I also put an IPAD at the Skippy Game with one die.  Students roll the die on the IPad and play the game.

My other centers were listening center with a Skippy book, Computers where they listened to two Skippy books on Youtube, Be a Skippy illustrator, where the students had directions on how to draw a chihuahua (Google it and you can find the print out) and the Skippy Hidden picture.  Which is included in this freebie.

There is also a Siamese vs Chihuahua handout where I thought I might have a center with books about both and let students write about each one but I haven't used that yet. 

Pick up your FREEBIE HERE and HERE with center signs and all.  Hope you enjoy!

Five for Friday Linky

I am linking up with DoodleBugsTeaching Five for Friday Linky.

It's where we link and post five things we did Friday or this week and link to other blogs.

It has been a fun and filled week with the Book Fair in full force.  If you don't know, I am a teacher librarian in charge of the media center and 780 k-5th graders.

This year I had the most participation in book fair and to add participation in the character dress up day, I offered a prize to the top three teachers that dressed up.
And the prize was, 90 minutes child free lunch!!

Boy did I get some participation there.  And I covered one of the lunches already, only two more to go. Here is the first, second, and third place winners.

If you give a mouse a cookie

Click Clack Moo

Harry Potter

And of course me and my tech assistant dressed up with our homemade Pete Shoes

Me on the left and Pam on the right

On Wednesday we dressed to the theme of books are Pinkalicious.  We also wanted to keep with the Breast Cancer awareness theme for the month of October so of course me and Pam had to go over and beyond crazy pink!!  Me on the left and her on the right.

How awesome is it when you get to see the kids' creations.  This year we did the storybook pumpkin patch during the book fair so that was our book fair theme.  I had an overwhelming response even though it was optional.  This is my favorite SPLAT!!

And of course to wrap the book fair up, we ended it with the theme, snuggle up with a good book.  Here are a few of us in our pj's!

Be sure to link up with your Five for Friday!!