My Students have been on Pinterest

Among the many reasons why I love teaching 6th grade, is that the girls that I teach love pinterest just as much as I do and at the end of the year, I am the one that benefiting from their pinterest interest. :) Thus far, I have received two super cute pinterest-inspired gifts.  I didn't take pictures of the exact gift from my students, so instead, I am using the pinterst pictures.

Happy End-of-the-Year Teacher Gifts!





*New Look for Summer*

At the beginning of this school year, I began this blog.  I was certain I would keep it up, stay current, and have great posts. However, school started, and well, friends, shortly after, the blogging stopped. 

So to commemorate a renewed commitment to use this blog as a place to store classroom thoughts, projects, and happenings, as well as to celebrate the summer that is t-totally 2 days away.... For Love & Laughter has a brand new look thanks to my new friend Barbara Leyne at Ruby Slippers Designs. 

CuRrEnTlY... September

Favorite Things:
1) iPad - I feel like one of the smart kids.  :) My school has given me an iPad. I'm sure this piece of techno isn't anything new to any of you, but for me, my new toy  educational instrument is lots of fun. No really, I am thankful that my district has allowed me to have this tool. I have found it to be useful in several ways.
2) So hubs got me a guitar this time last year.  In January of this year, I began taking lessons.  Who cares that I can only play 3 songs... I'm loving it.
3) I've just been reminded of how great my friends really are.  I love the evening phone calls, the funny classroom stories they tell me, and all the other great convo we have. I'm just thankful for their encouragement. 

Stations?

I need help! 

Now that school is underway, I want to begin planning stations for my students to rotate through.  This is what I'm thinking:
I want to have 5 stations.  This will be one station for each group, a day.  By Friday, all the students would have visited each station.  I am planning on 30 - 45 minutes for each station. I have a rough draft of topics, which will help align with the new Common Core Standards
-social studies (global awareness)
-vocabulary
-teenbiz3000 (which is a new textbook based program online) (media fluency)
-current events (effective writing through journaling)
-SRAs (informational text)

These are just a few ideas.  I have 5 Ipads available to me, most of the time.  There are 4 student computers in my classroom. 

I'm interested in hearing from you.  What do you do for stations, centers, whatever you call them....
:)

Currently in August

Whew... summer is over and school begins in just t-t-two days! Honestly though, I don't really mind school starting.  It gives me routine and normalcy.
Check out what I've been doing "currently".

B2S Must Haves

*Electric Hole Punch* This year, my students will keep a notebook with all journals, vocabulary lists/definitions, and handouts.  I would not even think about doing this without a hole punch being available in my classroom.  Therefore, in my opinion, there is no other way  to go other than using an electric one.  We have one in the teacher workroom and it is pretty amazing! :)

*Stocked 1st Aid Drawer* Though we have a school nurse, most of the time, I still gave out my share of band-aids. This year, I decided that the students are very capable of cleaning their wounds without me.  So I have stocked the drawer beside the sink in our room with band-aids, neosporin, peroxide, and cotton balls.

*Leader in Me by Steven Covey* My principal introduced this book to me.  This book emphasises a culture of student empowerment through developing leaders with 21st century skills.