five for friday - and it's on time!

Oohhhhheeeemmmmgeee! Blogging world, how I've missed you! It's been since - well, last Friday I guess, when I posted Five for Friday late. But I'm back again for more, so here's a peek into the last week - see what I've been up to!

First thing - I have a problem. With stapelers. Also I can't spell stapelers. Spell Check? Okay: staplers. Better. Moving on....my roommie at school got a beautiful new stapeler. (uuuggg, spelled wrong. Again!) Anyways, it' s gold. GOLD. and guess who broke it? Yep, sure did. Not sure how...wasn't being negligent. But broke it. So I'll be buying her one this weekend - hopefully I can find the gold one. 

Why yes I do. And it's broken.

Which reminded me that I broke another person's stapler a few weeks ago. So, GE, you've got one coming, too!

From now on, I'm keeping my stapling hands to myself!

Am I the only one who has a problem with kinders doing a standardized test? On a computer? This one is just practice, I guess, and I know it's the culture of the whole education system right now in our country. But it makes me so sad, like, it makes my heart hurt. Our district is 1:1 and we are so lucky for that. Kinders are going to be getting their iPads soon and doing awesome work with great apps to help them read, do math, and learn together. But more than likely, our kinders will first be exposed to their iPads for a standardized test. This is education in 2014. It not only makes me sad, but scares the hell out of me.

If it were up to me - no multiple-choice, bubble tests till third grade. No questions. So Arne, if you're reading up tonight, give me a ring.

Scary that this is what *they* think!

I had a craft night this week on Tuesday and made this:

It's a deco mesh wreath and got the idea from another blogger this summer who linked up with me. My wreath turned out huge, but I love it. I don't think it's perfect, but my girlfriends came over, we drank wine, and crafted. Liz said, "We should have a monthly craft night - like a book club, but make stuff!" To which my other friend, Kristy, said, "Yeah it's just like book club, totally! But without all that stupid reading!" So, we had fun, Kristy has no plans for reading, and I've got some school spirit on my front door! :-)

(also: ASU won their first game, which I missed, because I was teaching grad school! More to come on that...keep on reading!)

I love my mentees. I always do.  Mentoring is one of my favorite things...I love hanging out and building relationships and living vicariously thought their experiences with them. This week I was just so impressed with so much - their mini-lessons, their problem solving, the way they are already becoming such reflective practitioners. And, then I went to yoga tonight with one of them and it was a great way to spend my Friday evening!

I taught my first grad school class this week. Mostly it was fun and productive, but I could also feel the first year teacher jitters and the inexperience (with this age group) creeping up. The best parts of the night were the active engagement ones - when we did Writing Workshop, when we used some Kagan structures to share, when they got to talk about their literacy attitudes. I did get the most nervous when I was doing some lecturing on the Cueing Systems and Balanced Literacy. Not to self: Keep everything active next week! But, I'm so excited to get to know a new group of people and add a new experience to my resume!

Hopefully this is not applicable, but just funny! :-)

So that's all....but I'll be back on Sunday for the Letters blog. I'm writing that blog every other week on Sunday and this week is the week! So, get your letters ready to share, and hope you'll come back and link up! :-)

Happy Friday! Enjoy the long weekend! And thanks to Doodle Bugs for the link up! If you like Five for Friday - check it out and link your blog!