97/365: Stepping

April 7, 2011

This week, I took a step class for the first time. I really enjoyed it. It was nice to add a little variety to my morning workout. Then, as I was teaching about the Statue of Liberty this week, one of the facts that we came across was that there are 354 steps to the crown. One of my students asked how long that would take to walk up. So, a teachable moment was born. I borrowed 4 of the steps from our gym teacher and timed each student walking the steps for a minute. We will then figure out how long it will take based on the steps they take in a minute.

96/365: Door Collage

April 6, 2011

One of the perks of being a film critic, my husband often gets posters of the movies he's seen. The boys enjoy getting these posters, but have not really had a place to put them. Well, he decided to decorate the door of the bathroom in their bedroom with some of the movie posters he has gotten over the years.

95/365: Planning

April 5, 2011

With only 8 weeks of school left, I need to make the most of the time I have left with my students, and to make sure I have covered all of the curriculum I need to cover. In order to do that, I need to be organized in my planning. These are the materials I need to get and keep myself organized.

94/365: Camera Shy Goose

April 4, 2011

The boys and I went to Kohl's to get some jeans for them and on the wall running alongside the building was this goose. I kept my distance, only getting close enough to take a picture. Apparently, she's camera-shy as she hissed at me when I aimed my camera in her direction.

93/365: Words With Friends

April 3, 2011

My new obsession is Words With Friends. Right now I just have the free app for my iPhone. I've got games going with my husband and my friend and colleague, Cathy. I also have pass and play games going with my two oldest sons. This is a great way to help build their vocabulary. My oldest was so excited when his teacher used the school iPod Touches for their "Word Wednesday" activities and played Words with Friends in class. I'm a pretty good speller and have always enjoyed playing Scrabble, so this game is a good distraction and time-waster for me. Maybe too much so.

92/365: Grilling Out

April 2, 2011

One of our favorite things to do during nicer weather is grilling out. Kevin has this amazing recipe for meat marinade. When it looked like it wouldn't be frigid or have precipitation, we decided that we would grill out tonight. As usual, it was delicious! I can't wait for Spring and Summer and more opportunities for grilling.

91/365: Creative Drawing

April 1, 2011

Yesterday, our school was visited by illustrator Steve Harpster. He turns numbers into animals and letters into monsters. He has written a how-to book that shows the reader how to do what he does. His books were available for sale at my school and several of my students ordered one, or both, of them. I decided to give them the chance to practice during Writer's Workshop time today.