Today's number is...

Good Afternoon! It's Saturday afternoon but feels like it could be Sunday afternoon, which is something we're getting used to in our house, might not be a good thing! Caleb and I have been working for my district's summer program this summer, we're calling it Summer Learning Academy. It's a great program that is brand new to this year aimed to help students get ready for the next grade. We serve students who are rising first graders through rising sixth graders. I have 7 rising fourth graders (one very small group, it's incredible for these kiddos to have so much more attention, I'm really digging the super small group) who have already made leaps in their education during the four weeks we've been together. We have three weeks left and I'm eager to see how much stronger they become. We focus mainly on reading, writing, and math but I've found ways to incorporate social studies and science. Our theme for the summer has to do with the Summer Olympics and we are all studying a different country. My group is studying Greece and we research (very Common Core like) and write to a pen pal at the other Summer Learning Academy campus to tell them about our country while they are researching to write to tell us about Jamaica. The kids love it! And boy are they learning! A lot of research, a lot of friendly letters, and a lot of Greece! It's really been a neat summer, packed with FREE field trips, FREE packs of books for the kiddos, and other incentives and prizes. I think it's really going to be a summer to remember for them, and me! I look forward to hopefully diving in again next summer. I say all of this to explain to you why today would feel like a Sunday at the Thrower house. We're both working with SLA this summer which runs from Monday-Thursday, 7:30-2:30. We have our Friday's off, which ends up feeling like Saturday which in all, feels like we have 2 Saturdays and then Sunday comes along. It's very nice, I hope we don't become too attached! The leaving at 2:30 thing every day is nice too, much better than 5:30, 6:30, 7:30, and the worst, sometimes 8:30. Always worth it but definitely nice to be done at 2:30 every day this summer. Like I mentioned earlier, we're focusing all of our time on reading, writing, and math. Math is my favorite, I was awful at it as a student but I think being so bad at it all of my life has helped me be a better teacher in it. I am constantly looking for new ways to help them "get it." I've especially needed to find/pull resources for helping my students understand number sense this summer. We're not focusing a lot on geometry, measurement, etc. but on numbers and operations and truly understanding a number. I found some things on Pinterest, of course, where teachers choose a number a day for their students to study. I've looked at several types of activities and gathered ideas from all and have created my own, "Today's number is..." I've seen A LOT for younger grades, but I've created one more geared towards 3rd and 4th grades. Please use if you see fit in your classroom and feel free to pin! I hope you enjoy!! Have a fabulous weekend and be looking out for my next blog.

Here are some other number of the day activities that I found on Pinterest...

I've been using this one this summer, until recently, when I created the one more fitting for my students.
http://loryevanspage.blogspot.com/2011/04/number-of-day.html

And another one...
http://shoopdedoop.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/todays-number-is/

And mine...
IMG-Today's Number Is

Me

I have officially created my fourth blog, The Palmetto Teacher. The three blogs before, one just because, one about us and our engagement, and an even shorter one, about our wedding, just didn't see to make it too far... I'm hoping one day to be able to pick up the marriage one and continue to let people in on the everyday lives of us. Maybe when the little ones join us.. on down the road, of course! I think every time I started a new blog or tried to more consistently post... something major was happening in our lives. These are the best times to learn about us and get to know us more but also the hardest times for me to find time to get in front of a computer. But I'm hoping to do better with this blogger. And I'm hoping to keep this one educationally based. If you've checked out my "About Me" section at the bottom of my page or if you've visited my facebook, twitter, etc., or, if you know me personally.. you already know enough about me. I am a follower of Christ, crazy in love and thankful for His grace, and trust in His plan and purpose for my life, for my husband's and my life, for our little family. I know with all of my heart that teaching is what I'm supposed to be doing and teaching is where the Lord has called me. I just finished my first year of teaching in May and am currently working for our Summer Learning Academy with my husband. Teaching has stolen a gigantic piece of my heart. I've wanted to be a teacher since I was in the third grade. I looked forward to getting out of school in the afternoons to come home and go right back to school. My school. My classroom that was set up in my bedroom. I had a ton of books that momma and daddy had kept for us over the years, a few dry erase boards, a sort of overhead projector made of toy boxes and sheet protectors with my Vis-a-Vis, and, of course, my baby dolls. I had a set schedule which included reading, math, social studies, science, writing, activity, lunch, and recess. Now that I think about it, it had everything that is included in my true classroom schedule, now. Of course I couldn't start my teaching job until after momma or daddy had helped me with my homework (they have always been supportive in our education and lives, we are so blessed!) but once I did my work, I was able to get started in my classroom. Sometimes I was able to rope my little brother, Corey, in. If he misbehaved (which he did 90% of the time, he didn't want to be there, he knew what he was doing) he was sent to the principal's office. Which I thought was my momma, but she only released him to play on his on, I wasn't as bossy and in control as I thought I was after all! And I've definitely learned from my third grade days. I say all of this to explain my teaching background. I started last August with a 0 under experience on my certification and will start this August with a 1. My certification shows very little for my experience, one day it will show much more and that's what I'm working to. Year after year. Teaching is something that's been a part of me, in my heart, for as long as I remember. I have a passion for education, for reading, for our future, and, my favorite, the children. That's all the experience I need. Do I know everything? No way Hosea! But I am learning and I enjoy learning and I am compassionate about learning more and becoming better and better at what I do. This blog, is to allow you all to follow my walk, my path, through my second year and the years to come. I'm hoping to reflect here, share ideas, and continue to learn. I hope you enjoyed my first tid-bit and will come back soon for more! :)