Groovy Educator

YouTube Video Teaching Writing Skills and Vocabulary Through Conversation In this relatively short video, I model how you can use conversations to build your child's vocabulary.  Through questioning and rephrasing, you are modeling appropriate language skills.  This in turn improves your child's ability to write because usually if a child can say it, he/she can write it (even if words are sounded out). In the video, I begin by asking what my daughter wants to talk about and she replies "fans."  Then she goes on to say "So today we will be talking about fans."  She automatically went into an introduction without even realizing she was stating the topic (probably because her mom's a teacher).  By giving her a choice on the topic, she is more interested in the conversation.  This builds engagement. A little while later in the video, I state "Apparently my daughter is a fan of fans."  I am intentionally modeling another way to use ...

                       Click here to see Pickles on YouTube! Pickles is one of my rescue animals.  I absolutely love my pets.  They are a perfect topic during modeled writing lessons, especially narratives.  I use them to demonstrate how to think about writing.  The kids are engaged when I write about Pickles, Sparky, Cali, Alice, Sadie, Rosie, or Zeus.  They ask a lot of questions and that lead to more detailed writing infused with adjectives and descriptive language. The writing is much more rich in vocabulary and not just "safe writing."     I made a little thirty second video featuring Pickles the cat.  He was a stray that we saved from under a friend's car while visiting an out of town relative.  My husband didn't want to keep him at first because we had too many animals already (3 cats and 2 dogs).  Somehow Pickles found a way into his heart and now they are bo...

This year I will be teaching First Grade after two years out of the classroom.  I feel like a new teacher full of enthusiasm and giddy excitement.  I am on to a new adventure at a new school.  With a new school, there is a new classroom which is my empty palette.   Here is my new room! In the past I've done a lot with trees, animals, cows, owls, stars, dots on turquoise, etc.  (I have been teaching about 13 years.)  For some reason though, I am beyond excited about this theme.  I LOVE the ocean / nautical theme.  It is so versatile and has so many cute sayings!  Once I have my room decorated I will add more pictures.   In the meantime here is a link to my pinterest board where I am collecting fantastic ideas.   https://www.pinterest.com/lowerysloft/ocean-nautical-classroom-decor/ What is your theme this year and why did you choose it?

Last week I resigned from teaching.  I love the profession but decided to pursue a dream.  With my Dad's passing I realize how precious and short life is... Ever since I was in elementary school I wanted my own business.  Back then I dreamed of Andie's Place.  I even drew layouts in a notebook.  My earliest memory was wanting to own my own dress store when I was in first or second grade. Flash forward thirty years and I opened Lowery's Loft LLC (an online business selling on eBay).  Being a small business owner is a lot like being a teacher in several ways. You have to be super organized. You have to manage materials. You are always learning. Everything consistently evolves. There is a lot of documentation. Kindness counts There are many more items that I could add to the list.  With that said...Change is never easy.  There are things I am giving up to pursue this dream. I will miss my students and my coworkers .  Noth...

I'm linking up with DoodleBugsTeaching for another Five for Friday! 1.  Spring Break is almost over!  I've enjoyed time with my family, working on my blog, and not feeling "rushed." Please check out my end of the year class yearbook at my TpT store.  It really is a wonderful activity and the end of the year just sneaks up.  It is a big hit every year with the kids.  I am so excited to use this updated version. 2.  Three years ago, I was in California on Good Friday.  It was the last time I've been "home."  Even though I left CA at 21 and since lived in two other states, I still think of myself as a California Girl.  I was born in the valley after all, like totally. :)  On that same trip, I visited Arizona (my favorite place).  This is the view I miss more that I can put into words.  I love the mountains.  Even though the sun has not come all the way up in this picture, I know that the sky will soon be the mos...

I've been home sick these last TWO days!  It's so frustrating!  I did sneak in my classroom at 6:30am Monday to make sure the leprechaun visited and make sure plans were in order. Can you believe I had over a 100 degree fever Saturday, Sunday, and Monday?  Today I woke up drenched (luckily no fever) with a straggling sore throat that will not go away .  Luckily my husband was off and he took care of our soon to be one year old sweetie pie. I slept and I slept and I slept.  I forgot what that felt like because it's been so long!  In the moments that I wasn't sleeping, when my teeth were chattering, I looked up ideas for my baby's first birthday.  It is sneaking up so quickly. I feel so guilty that I wasn't grading papers!!!  It's so hard to find balance now that I am a mom.  I feel guilty when I am doing school work because I want to give my daughter 100% and I feel guilty when I am doing mommy jobs because I feel my other babies nee...

Orientation and Back to School Night are the two times of year you can count on quite a bit of parent involvement.  Where I live, Orientation is when students and parents meet the teacher and drop off school supplies the Friday before school begins.  Back to School Night takes place about a month to six weeks after the school year begins.  Parents are invited back to see what their child has been learning in school. When planning for these special events, you need to keep in mind that the child is the focal point.  In my mind, Orientation is about alleviating fears about the first day and Back to School night is for the child to share about his/her school experience.  When I plan for these events, I always to remember it is not about me.  With that said, here are some tips to make the experience memorable. Orientation Remember Orientation is when everybody meets the first time so first impressions are important.  This is the first time that the pa...

Here are some links to catalogs I like to look through before the beginning of each school year to get ideas and products.  If I cannot get it right away, I add it to my wishlist. Lakeshore Learning Although the items are a bit pricey, they are great quality.  This catalog is full of ideas. Really Good Stuff The title says it all.  It is really good stuff! Scholastic Check out the teacher store and the book clubs.  I use the book club to build my classroom library and to order the dollar books for gifts/rewards. Teacher Storehouse This looked like a nice resource. Creative Teaching Press  Under the for parents tab they offer free activities for parents.  This is a great resource. Oriental Trading An excellent resource for ordering party supplies and treasure box items. Learning Resources Check out the magnetic border.  It can be used to decorate your whiteboards, file cabinets, or even magnetic chalkboards! Teacher Direct A very...