Curently January

It's January (almost)!  We are in Michigan with family and have settled in for a rocking New Year's party- which will consist of watching the ball drop in our PJs!   We've never been big "go out on New Year's" people and this year will be no different.

I'm hooking up with Farley for her monthly Currently! Some months it's the only time I blog!

LISTENING: It is switching between the news and football! I will admit, I don't watch enough news- so the "year in review" show is really helpful! #that'sembarassingtoadmit

LOVING: We've had two weeks off work- two- glorious- fun-long-weeks home in Michigan! When we were leaving town, I made it a point to enjoy the time away! I even deleted work email from my phone! Being with my family has been wonderful! We spent the first half of the vacation with my in-laws and the second half with my parents.  I even got to see my BFF! Life has been good on vacation!

THINKING: Everyone knows that traveling is fun, but going home is always good! We will get a few days at home and still on vacation and I can use that time to unpack, put Christmas away, do the laundry, and just enjoy the remaining hours of this amazing vacation.  Have I told you I got two weeks off?  Sunday is going to be very depressing!

WANTING: So I got a new car for Christmas- and we took that car home with us to Michigan. Granted, it saved gas money, is much more comfortable than my husband's truck and it is better equipped to ride in the elements that Michigan presents... but it was a BRAND NEW CAR! And now it has dog hair in it... and snow in it... and it's just dirty! Thank goodness the husband promised me he would clean it if I allowed us to take it!  So that is what HE will be doing on Sunday!

NEEDING: This is about the time of a vacation where I start to think about the things I need to do when I get home. But I'm going to try not to think about it and will just enjoy some more time to sit in a chair and read a book! I did a lot of reading this vacation! Yay!

YES, MAYBE, I WISH: Pretty sure we have a ski trip planned for Spring break... and we are talking about taking our boat to the Bahamas again... in a dream world... I'd go back to Europe! Anywhere in Europe would be fine with me!

It's going to be a blessed New Year! Full of blogging... full of Leach's Literacy Training... and full of fun!

Wishing you a wonderful New Year! How do you celebrate?

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Hey y'all! I hope you are enjoying some quiet time after the Christmas rush! I sure am! Today is going to be spent in my jammies! I am catching up on email, writing thank you notes, doing a few blog posts, and adding a few FREE files to Teachers Pay Teachers!

I wanted to check in with y'all to make sure you have LIKED Leach's Literacy Training on Facebook! Sometimes I don't have time to make a blog post, but will post things on Facebook instead!

Please take a second...
Click here... and LIKE us! 

New Year's Resolution- more blogging- and more FREE stuff for great teachers like YOU!

What's not to like about that? 

Merry Christmas Y'all!

Math Talk

I am preparing for another training! And can you believe it- it's a MATH training! We will be applying what we know about Reading and Writing Workshop and Guided Reading to create a Math Workshop in classrooms in Lake Dallas ISD!

I made a file for those teachers and thought I would share it here with you too!   Math classrooms, should float the learning on a sea of talk. And we all know, that it is no longer about the "right" answer, but rather the right thinking! Teachers need to ensure this kind of mathematical talk occurs.  And better yet, hearing students prompt one another in this way.

Many of you have my Prompts to Support Independence at the Guided Reading table. These could be Prompts to Support Mathematical Thinking.  Teachers could use these at the small group table or post on the white board and refer to them as they think through math work as a whole class.

Get yours now- for FREE in my Teachers Pay Teachers Store!

Want to explore Guided Math over the holiday? Here are a few of my favorite websites...

https://guidedmath.wordpress.com/

This is Nikki Newton’s blog- a place to talk about Guided Math

http://tunstalltimes.blogspot.com/2013/11/guided-math-in-first-grade.html

Ideas for Guided Math in Frist Grade (pictures galore)

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=385384

There is much to be found on this Guided Math Live Binder

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=417520

Hold onto your hats- another great Live Binder

And of course the books...

Merry Christmas y'all!

Currently

Hey y'all! Yes... it's DECEMBER! And a cold 1st day of December in Texas too! I'm joining up with teachers all over the country for Farley's currently. You should too.

Listening: What happened to the good old days of raking? Seriously... that sound is SO.ANNOYING.

Loving: I did! I have to admit I wasn't really as excited this year as I usually am. It felt more like a task on the to-do list, but once I got started, I was glad I did it.  I had to get it decorated! 25 24 days until Christmas people! WHAT? That is CRAZY!

Thinking: We had an entire week off for Thanksgiving and I will tell you it was heavenly! I didn't even take my work computer home (OK- so I took it home, but I did not open it/turn it on once). It was amazing and much needed. Now of course I'm right back at it again! Education is so exhausting y'all! 

Wanting: I have to BUY said presents yet, but wrapping presents is my absolute favorite thing to do! I'm sure that will change when I have kids- and there are a ZILLION to wrap!A friend of mine had a brilliant idea- Santa presents are not wrapped! That would save a lot of time/work right? Maybe I'll do that someday. No! This is not the announcement that there are kids on the way! 

Needing: There's like no time between holidays this year. Is it always like that? It just feels rushed this year.  We got home from Thanksgiving- and in two more weekends, we are leaving again! I have to get a tree-and SOON- or it won't be worth all the work to put it up! But husband was hooked to the TV watching football yesterday, and a Christmas Tree is just not on his list of needing right now.

Giving: You know it's always FREE! If you haven't been.... please... the GIVING is GOOD!