A teacher's summer break........

Wow, I can't believe it's already week 3 of summer break for us teachers here in Michigan.  Time flies when you're having fun. 

So far summer has been full of music, dancing, singing, sleeping, reading, creating, and tubing!

Week one

was a blur of spring summer cleaning, landscaping and house projects. And sleeping in of course!  

It was also filled with music as my daughter started piano lessons, I started rehearsals for Legally Blond the Musical and my husband took me to see Guns & Roses.  We were blown away, it was an amazing show! Go see them when they come to a city near you!

Slash hasn't changed one bit!!!!!

During week two

I started my summer reading stack.  My amazing friends at #wecantputbooksdown have been recommending the best new YA lit and my pile is massive.  I can't wait to share these new books with next year's 5th graders.

(Amazon Affiliate links are used in this post)

I've already finished the whole Percy Jackson and the Olympians 5 Book Paperback Boxed Set  (definitely recommend these to your Harry Potter fans) and Booked by Kwame Alexander.

Booked is now my second favorite read this year, next to Pax - it's amazing! Your sports loving boys will actually read this novel in verse, I promise!

If you're not following our wecantputbooksdown instagram page - you need to!!!  We share anything and everything that promotes the love of reading!

I also began thinking about décor for next year's classroom.

Yikes, I know.  But I can't help it!! I loooooove decorating a new classroom each year and making it a fun, exciting place to learn for my new students.

First on my list was updating my word wall cards.  I have 6 bulletin boards in my classroom and I dedicate 3 of them to word walls.  

Academic vocabulary is so crucial for students to master and after we are immersed in these ELA, Math and Common Core Critical Verbs and Nouns, my kiddos constantly refer back to these words to use them in their writing and discussions.

My classroom colors are black, white (zebra print) and lime green. But I also have word wall sets available in bright chevrons and polka dots, rainbow colors, nautical colors, black & white, animal print or no backgrounds at all (great for conserving printer ink).

 

Plus, super easy bulletin boards! Just my style! 

Hang up a heading banner, post the vocabulary cards as they're taught, and that's it - a year long, interactive, useful bulletin board.

Week 3 

of summer break called for a trip up north, along with most of the people in Michigan. We've been tubing ever since.

 

What has your teacher summer consisted of so far?