Christmas Time Dessert!

Recipe Time!

Let's share our favorite Christmas Time recipes! Here is one of mine because it just looks so festive!

Watergate Cake

Directions for cake:

1 box white cake mix

1 box pistachio instant pudding (don't judge before you try it!)

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sprite or 7 up

3 egg whites

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients well (4 minutes). Bake in 12 by 9in greased pan for 30-45 min at 350 degrees.  

Directions for icing:

1 box pistachio instant pudding

1/4-1 cup cold milk

1 (9 oz) box whipped topping mix

Nuts or Cherries (optional)   

Beat milk into instant pudding mix. Prepare topping mix according to instructions on the box. Pour into pudding mixture. Spread on cake and top with nuts or cherries (my favorite!). 

 

All the ingredients (plus you will need Vanilla!)

Mixing the cake ingredients....yummy, green!

 

 The cake in the oven!

It doesn't look green anymore!

I forgot to take a picture right after I iced it and before everyone ate it!
So this is what you get, a partially eaten Watergate Cake!
It was definitely a crowd pleaser! :)

Quiz Time!

Why is this cake named the "Watergate Cake"?

Hope everyone had a very Merry {Christ}mas! :)

Here is a little update on me!

 

Sandy Hook Elementary

What a terrible tragedy. I can't imagine what everyone is going through right now. Such a subject that is so close to home, being a classroom teacher. I can't help but think that I would do my best to protect my students to the best of my abilities. I will be praying for the families who lost loved ones. 

Feeling a bit overwhelmed...

Wow, I can't believe it is almost Christmas time! Where has the time gone? I'm not sure, but I'm glad that it is going by quickly! I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. With it being my first year teaching, and my first time ever in the Jr. High setting (I never did any observing in the Jr. High age group), I have been feeling a bit stressed. I never realized how much lesson planning, grading, RtI work there was involved. Oh, and did I mention all the grading? By far my least favorite part!

I am really hoping that this is just a first year teacher problem. Hopefully next year I will feel a bit less stressed and overwhelmed with everything. Oh, and did I tell you that I got observed last Tuesday? Haven't gotten my "results" back yet...hopefully I will get them tomorrow. I am a little nervous to get those back, to say the least!

Anyway, I just thought I would vent to my blogger friends. Hopefully I'm not on this boat alone! It is just so hard planning for 6 different classes a day (geometry, science, history, spelling, reading, and english). How does one handle it all? Plus all the grading, and the contacting of parents, and the RtI work, and trying to stay on top of everything! I just feel like I can never stay caught up.

I have been wondering, do the lower grades (K-3) teachers feel this way as well? I know they probably don't have as much homework...I don't know!

Oh, the joys of being a first year teacher!

Mummys!!! oh, and currently

For the past few weeks we have been studying Ancient Egypt in History class. A few weeks ago we did a mummifying experiment. I found the lesson plan here. Check it out! My kids loved it. I intertwined History with Science in the activity.

I introduced the Scientific Method. 

Before we started I had them write down their predictions and questions of what they thought the apple would look like after a week. Then after a week was up we got to look at our apples. Before we looked at our apples I had them write down step 2 and 3 of the Scientific Method. After we looked at the mummified apples we finished by writing steps 4 and 5. Here are some pictures!

(This picture is great!!)

I had so much fun with my kids during this activity! I think they really enjoyed it too!


-------------------------------------------------------

A little late, but here is my currently!




We haven't listened to much music in my class. I should really change that. I think music is very calming. If we were to listen to the radio it would be our town's local country station. What music do you listen to in your classroom?

Big Announcement!

Sorry that I've been M.I.A. for awhile! I have a lot to update you on!

For starters I would like to show you some geometry projects my 6th graders have been doing!

One of the projects we've done is working with Coordinate Planes (which aligns with the common core standards!) They used graph paper to plot points to make their initials in box letters. They have to draw the points and then connect the dots to make their letters. Here are how they turned out!

The class is only a 6 week class so their final project was to make a design using 5 given geometric shapes. 

They were to use a Triangle, Square, Rectangle, Octagon, and Circle. For extra credit they were to find one 3D figure. 

Below are some of my favorites! 

One of my students made a Stegosaurus!

This student made a little character

This student made a scrapbook

This student also made a little character.

This student made a holiday feast! Yum!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

and now, what you've all been waiting for....

My BIG announcement!

We're having a baby!!!!!

A picture that one of my classes made for me. They were SOOO excited when I told them I am pregnant!
Gotta LOVE 6th graders! :)

Yay!! We can't wait :)

Have a great week!

Parent/Teacher Conference Pics & New Design!

Woo! Am I glad that conferences are over! But you know what? They actually went really well!

One of my co-workers gave me the advice to say "your child is perfect" to every parent. Well, I didn't exactly do that...but, I did make sure to give each parent a compliment about their child and then we discussed any concerns that they had.

To set up my classroom I put four desks together. With me on one side and the parents on the other. (Shown below)

I also set 4 chairs outside my classroom for the parents who were next in line. I was told not to post a master list of my conferences outside my door. Because it is really none of the other parents business who has a conference when with me.

I also had the students file pulled out and our behavior log binder out.

Inside the behavior log looks like this. If the student has to move their "baseball" they have to write down the date, what class they were in, the behavior they were doing, and their signature.

 So...I feel like a terrible teacher....

Our conferences were Thursday night and Friday morning. On Friday morning I found out that I was apparently suppose to stay at the school until 8pm. Well, my conferences got over at 7:15pm. And I was sure that some of the other teachers told me that I could leave once my conferences were over. So I waited till about 7:30pm and decided to leave. No one stopped me on my way out either! I had no idea I was suppose to stay till 8pm! I felt terrible when the other 6th grade teacher told me that the next day! Luckily, no one but her and another teacher noticed (good thing the principal or super didn't know!) Honestly, they wouldn't have been made because I had absolutely no idea! But, I still feel bad anyway!! Oh, the joys of being a new teacher! :)

p.s. Check out my new design! The header on my page is a little pixelated but....I still like it! lol

Parent/Teacher Conferences & Currently

Tonight was my first ever Parent/Teacher conference! And I survived!! Yay! You know I really wasn't nervous for them until my principal and superintendent individually came to talk to me about them. They were asking if I was nervous, if I was ready, if I had any questions. Then they proceeded to tell me that if I needed them to just call down for them if I have a problem with a parent...ya, that statement got me a little nervous! But you know what? I made it! And they actually went very smoothly! I had no complaints! I actually got some compliments! Tomorrow morning is round 2 of P/T conferences. Let's hope they go as smoothly as todays!

Have you had P/T conferences yet? If so, how were they? If not, how do you prepare for them?

I had 4 desks pulled together. I sat on one side and the parents sat across from me. I had a file folder for each student with they AimsWeb test scores, grade reports, and their behavior log. After I presented those I asked the parents if they had any questions.Each time slot is 15 minutes long and some of them didn't even last the whole 15 minutes!

And now, time to link up with Oh' Boy 4th Grade's October Currently! Can you believe that it is October already!!

the BOOK section is for you to share your fave OCTOBER SEASON book
that means you can share FALL, Halloween, Autumn, or all of those!!!

My book right now is Where the Red Fern Grows we are currently reading this book in my class and my kids are loving it! Such a great book!

and PLEASE remember the rule of 3...
you need to please comment on the 2 links ahead of your link and then come back and comment on the link after your link...
this is a way to spread the love and visit new blogs and well it is just my RULE... and not to mention nice (and my RULE)
 and it hurts feelings when you don't give the love (aka you don't follow the rule)... really it does I get the emails that say they didn't get the love :) so RULE of  3 PLEASE 

Happy October!