Number Grid Tetris =)

What a busy busy week! The end is oh so near.... I can't wait! I'm so sad. ; )
I've been trying to crunch every bit of knowledge possible into their little brains! Everyone is D-R-A-I-N-E-D! Especially me! The only thing they have to worry about is figuring out who to play with (that AND the homework packet I'll be sending with them over Summer Break! {Insert evil laugh here} Lol.) While, I have a million things to do and worry about. Oh, how I wish I were 6 again.... *sigh* =)
OK, back to reality AND the original reason for this post....

If you all teach EDM you know that the number grid is something that is used ALL THE TIME! We just covered lesson 9.something and it talked about the patterns of the number grid. Well, while browsing through the Really Good Stuff catalog, I came across the 100 Grid Ordering Cards and, although I really considered making the purchase, I decided to make my own. =)
In fact, I made a whole 40 page packet (20 pages worth of game cards and the other 20 are the game cards with answers for self assessment) dedicated entirely to the patterns of the Number Grid... and named it after my first thought when I saw it: Number Grid Tetris!
My students L-O-V-E it! I swear it keeps them nice and quiet for a long time (especially when they are racing against the minute timer).
I'm still debating whether I should put the document on Teachers Pay Teachers; I guess it'll have to be up to you all to decide if that is something you'd be willing to purchase.
In the mean time, here's a small sample for you to try out in your own classrooms. If you like what you see, leave a comment... it'll help with the decision making process. =)

Click on the Document Below to
Download the Number Grid Tetris Sample

Speaking in Tongues Linky Party!

Hello, again, Damas y Caballeros! I know what you’re thinking, “Two posts in 24 hours?! She must be ill.” Lol. OK, so it may not be that exact thought, but I’m sure you are as surprised as me! =)

What brings me to this week’s second post? Well, Candis at I Teach Dual Language has an interesting Linky Party going on and I am honored to be part of it. =)

As part of this Linky Party I have been asked to share a brief description of what a day in my bilingual classroom is like. Well...

... it goes a little something like this:
My instruction is about 90% in Spanish and 10% English (with that percentage decreasing in Spanish and increasing in English as students go on to other grades). I’ll be honest, verbally I consider my classroom more like 50/50, but when it comes to the actual instructional time, it’s 90/10. =)

Here’s what my classroom looks like on a daily basis:

8:45-9:00- Universal Breakfast (breakfast is provided for FREE to all students that would like one.)

9:00-9:10: Math --> Problema del Dia and MClass Practice (Spanish)
During this time students must solve a math word problem and solve 10 operational problems in 10 minutes. The problem of the day is in spanish; I cut it, they glue it on the left page in their Morning Math Notebooks and the operational problems they write on the right page. When they are done, we collect notebooks (so they don't change their answers) and go through the problems together.

9:10-9:20: Morning Meeting (Spanglish [I know it’s not an actual language but I have to sneak English in every chance I can]) We cover calendar, weather, days in school, convert the days in school to dollars and cents. (i.e., if it's day 147, we would have $1.47 in money).

9:20-10:00: Math Lesson, Student Practice; Math Centers (Spanish)
If it's something brand new, we take notes in Math Notebooks (different than Morning Math notebooks). I teach the lesson, they solve a few problems in EDM Math Journals and complete 1 center a day.

10:00-10:40: ESL (English)
We use the program Moving into English; however, I've veered away from the program and started teaching my students word families and Dolch Words. (Basically, lots of English phonics!) Why? Well, I taught 3rd grade bilingual for 3 years; I know what's expected of them in 3rd grade, so teaching them how to read in English is my way of helping them reach that 3rd grade goal.

10:40-11:00 Lunch

11:00-12:10 Reader’s Workshop (Spanish)
Read aloud (even if book is in English, I translate it to their Native Language), Mini Lesson w/ Note taking if it's a new Focus Skill, 2 centers/guided reading groups per day.

12:10-12:45 (MTWF only) PREP (English)
35 minute preps 4 times a week!!!! =(

12:45-1:45: Writer’s Workshop (Spanish)
We use Lucy Calkins, but I wanted them to be more creative than Just a "Small Moment" so I also include a weekly option of writing with a Prompt.

1:45-2:30: Science or Social Studies (Spanish)
FOSS Science with my own Spin (which is: don't follow the guide and explore the kit with students! Lol)
We don't have a Social Studies Program, but we do follow the Hallmark Calendar of "holidays" and celebrate those... including Administrative Assistants Day! Lol.

2:30- Dismissal

I hope that this short post gives you an quick idea of what my day in a Spanglish Classroom is like ;)
I'll try to update this post with pictures of some of the activities in the near future!

Are you willing to share how you teach in your Bilingual/Dual Language classroom? Link up with Candis @ I Teach Dual Language for a chance to win a DVD of Speaking in Tongues (a documentary on Dual Language Education)!

Scholastic Dollar Deals

I always tend to JUST miss the Scholastic Dollar Deals and always end up kicking myself for "snoozing". Well, not this time! It's back and will be up and running til May 18th! I got such amazing goodies... I kid you not, about 115 eBooks!!! I know... I went a little crazy, BUT I used a coupon code that seems to be valid until today and saved 50%! I KNOW! =) Si hacen la suma, I spent $57 (made me feel less guilty!). So, Ladies and Gents, head on over to the Scholastic Teacher Express store and save 50% with code TEACHER50 (it expired on the 13th [yesterday] but I was able to use it today without a problem).

Click the image below to head straight there! =)

Funny Convos

Yikes! MIA yet again. So much to do, yet we have so little time. EOY testing is here! So far, my kids ROCK! =) I'm super excited for the end result; my only concern is when they have to count to 118 in a minute! Yes... count to 118 in one minute... un minuto.... 60 seconds! What?! How is that useful as an adult? I'm 28 and have NEVER had the need to count to 118 in one minute in my life! My poor firsties!

Moving on...
Kids are soooooo funny! I've had so many funny conversations with my students since the last post that I decided to share some with you. They may not make you laugh out loud, but I'm sure you'll crack a smile upon reading. =)

Conversation #1
Student: Ms. M, Como se llama ese animal que tiene boca grande y ojos azules?
Me: Cual animal, mi amor?
Student: Ese animal que tiene los ojos grandes y azules!
Me: Estas hablando de un Alaskan Husky? (That's the only animal I know with blue eyes)
Student: Creo que si
(Walks off and seconds later runs back)
Student: Ya recorde! Estaba hablando del Chupacabra!

LOL!!! What?! Does it really have blue eyes?! I would have NEVER guessed!

Convo #2
Student: Ms. M, puedo tomar agua?
Me: Ahorita no, pero cuando termines tu trabajo si podras.
Student: Es que... I have meatballs in my throat.
Me: (looking puzzled) OK, ve a beber un poco de agua.
(she gets her drink and comes back)
Student: Todavia tengo meatballs.
Me: Se me hace extraño que tengas albondigas en la garganta, ya que almorzaste un sandwich de jamon.
Student: (looking puzzled) Yo no dije que tenia albondigas, yo dije meatballs. Usted sabe... son igual que hippos (hippos in English)
Me: (even more confused) Hippos?! Tienes hipopótamos en la garganta?
Student: NO.... Usted sabe maestra... hippos!
(runs off to her table and I hear her ask, "como se dice 'I have the hippos?' en español". She apparently got her answer and comes back)
Student: Tengo hipo!
Me: OH!!! (laughing) Mi amor, hipo no se dice "hippos" ni "meatballs" en Ingles! Se dice "hiccups".

LOL!! She was so determined to explain this to me... I'm proud that she didn't give up. =) I gave her a sticker for her determination and allowed her to drink enough water to get those darned meatball hippos out of her throat. ;)

Convo #3 (more like a story w/ a convo)

We had a group of High School students come to our school through a program called Junior Achievement. They spend half a day teaching students different things that deal with the economy and the world around them. The young ladies that visited my classroom were teaching my Kiddos about Needs and Wants, Jobs, and communities. Well, in one of the lessons, they were showing my little ones pictures of different jobs and were asking what the job was and what the person that worked that job did; they showed them a picture of a teacher... here is how it went:

JA: Quien me puede decir cual es este trabajo?
Students (in unison): Una maestra!
JA: Muy bien. Es una maestra. Quien me puede decir que es lo que hace una maestra?
(I kid you not, 25 out of 27 shot up in the air! I was taken aback, then it occurred to me....)
ME: Damas y caballeros, APARTE de regañarlos.... que es lo que hace una maestra???
(20 out of those 25 hands came back down!!!)
LOL!!!

I do it cuz I love them. =)