Five for a Birthday Friday!

I'm taking a few minutes to link up today with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday! It just so happens to be my birthday too!  I really don't make a big deal about birthdays, I mean after a certain point, who wants to keep count?  What's weird about this birthday is I've reached the minimum age at which you can retire in my state, and with the five years I bought, I actually will have 30 years this spring.  It is so hard to believe that this year that  I thought would never come is here!  In reality I'm not even thinking about retiring.  I mean, it's not even on my radar.  I always said...I will be that teacher who taught fifth grade for forty years.  Well, I'm getting close!

One of my favorite authors is Jane Green.  Whenever I discover a new one of hers at the library, I move it to the top of my To Read pile.  I was lucky enough to come across two books of hers that I hadn't read over Christmas break.  

I really enjoyed the first one called Another Piece of My Heart!  It was a super quick read for me.

I might have enjoyed the second one even more...

I had a hard time putting it down each night when I should have been going to sleep!  If you need a good read, check out any book by Jane Green!

Okay, over break I also got totally addicted to crack...

Trivia Crack!  Anybody else recently discover this highly addictive game?  It's like Trivial Pursuit for dummies, which is perfect for me!  One of my favorite things about it is all the questions that I know the answers to because of all these years teaching American history in fifth grade Social Studies!

The other day Timm and Jake decided to go back to the pond and test out the ice.  I suggested they take Emmitt along, because he really doesn't get the chance to run around the yard like he loved to do at the old house.  We have neither grass nor a fence!  I thought he could run around with them on the golf course for a little bit and have some fun in the snow.  First problem...getting him through the huge snow drift.  Second problem...mom didn't come along...

In honor of my birthday, I have a new freebie gift for you!  I created a goal sheet to use with individual students who need to work on a specific area.  

For instance, maybe every time you look at a particular student during reading workshop, he is looking at you instead of his book.  You and the student could sit down and set a goal for better engagement during reading workshop time.  From now on during workshop you are going to put a tally under Book or Teacher or Other, depending on what he is looking at each time you glance his way. The criteria for success could be that he needs to be looking at his book 75% of the time.  You would also determine the rewards he can earn.  If he meets the criteria, he would get one step on his goal chart.  Once he hits the third box that has a star in it, he would earn his first reward!

You can find this freebie at my TPT Store!

Have a great weekend and check out the Five for Friday fun at Doodle Bugs Teaching!

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