Liebster Blog Award

Kristy at Teachin' First awarded me the Liebster Award! Thank you Kristy!



This is a very sweet award. The goal of the Liebster Award is to spotlight up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers. I love the idea, because I'm hoping that as it goes around that I will discover more new blogs!

The rules are:

{1} Copy and paste the award on your blog.
{2} Thank the giver and link back to them.
{3} Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. My Life as a Fifth Grade Teacher

Lindsay is a 5th grade teacher in Texas, like myself! Love having someone in my boat! She has great ideas, and I can just tell we have very similar tastes in things! :)

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2. The Art of Learning

The Art of Learning is written by a 5th grade teacher in Michigan. She does REALLY cool stuff with her class, and loves costumes.

3. Jasztalville: Where Creativity and Inquiry Rule

Mrs. Jasztal is a wonderful and creative teacher. She has some especially great writing ideas on her blog!



4.Finding Joy in 6th

Kim is such a sweet encouragement to everyone, and she just oozes positive energy, even through the internet!



5. Colorful Teaching

Colorful teaching is a fun blog name, and a wonderful blog full of cute things!

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Encouraged, Finished and Blessed

Friends, I FINISHED MY MASTER'S DEGREE!!! I presented last week, and my work is complete!!

That morning Mason left before I did, when I went to get dressed, I realized I couldn't zip it up by myself because it hit a snag. Thank goodness for my dear, retired neighbor who was at home and willing to help. Love having good neighbors.

I arrived very early to my presentation time, so I checked my email while I waited. I had an encouraging email or text from over half of the people on staff at my school. It was an amazing encouragement before I presented.
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After I was finished, my dear mother-in-law treated me to a massage and facial. My sweet mother also bought me a new dining room table as a graduation present. I'm not sure if I'm blessed or spoiled rotten. Definitely both.

Now I feel like I can really enjoy my holidays, and I'm definitely more relaxed in the classroom with that weight off my shoulders. Thank you for all of your encouragement!

And last, but certainly not least, Sweet Miss Katie Klohn is hosting a giveaway. She is giving away her interactive reading resources and a Polar Express Unit! Fun fun!

Stockings, Poetry, and Happy Thoughts

Last week, we worked on our persuasive letters to Santa. OHMYWORD, they were hilarious!!

While trying to persuade Santa to stop by his house, one of my kids wrote "Santa, those cookies you eat are so so filled with calories...This year, I will leave you a salad, an apple and a good ole yoga mat..." So creative!!



Then, I let the kids create their own stockings and glitter them. Yep. Glitter. They aren't perfect, but the kids designed them all by themselves, and they sure cheer up the hallway!



We have also been working with "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." If you teach 3rd on up in Texas, you've probably seen that poetry can be added to the new STAAR starting in 3rd grade. They need to know all these type of features. "Twas the Night Before Christmas" was a really fun way to incorporate some of our poetry elements! We also practice reading/rereading the poem for fluency practice. The kids loved it.



We also illustrated our favorite stanzas and analyzed those. Very fun!





Okay blog friends, send me some prayers and happy thoughts: Tomorrow I present for my Master's Degree!!! I'm nervous, but I'm very excited to finish! Here I go!