Summer Wish List

We have only 2-half days left of school... that equates to 7 hours and 20 minutes... but who's counting! I don't know about you but I'm already thinking ahead to next year. Every summer, like thousands of other teachers, I purchase new things for my classroom. But I'm married now, and I have to think of my household first and I can no longer spend money all willy-nilly! Fortunately my husband is very supportive and could probably care less but I don't feel comfortable doing it. In comes summer school... 5 weeks, Monday-Thursday 8am-12pm...$25 an hour! So I'm working summer school to fund my obsessive habit of having every and any thing I want for my classroom! So what will I be working for...(click the pictures for links to the websites)

1. Grade Level T-shirts for my team. I'm using these as back to school gifts.

 

2. I did interactive notes in Social Studies this year and I love the process. Fortunately there is a website just for Virginia Standards that sells interactive notes for all subjects. I know I'm purchasing Math, Science and Social Studies, the jury's still out about Reading.

 

 

3. Have you heard of Gallopade International? Well I love this website, really I love any website that sells products aligned to the Virginia Curriculum. I have most of their resources for 3rd grade but they have these new Digital Readings that I really like. It's 20 readers and they are about the Famous Americans we teach. Side note... 3rd Graders in Virginia take a standardized test on all the social studies content from K-3, so these will be perfect for introductions and review.

 

4. Next year I'll be teaching 3rd grade Science for the first time. Previously I taught Social Studies to two classes while my partner taught Science to both classes. Well my partner is going back to 2nd grade (we both came to 3rd from 2nd) and I thought it would be the perfect time to take responsibility for all my subjects. I order most of my books from Amazon. I have a running wish list with tons of Science books, Character Building, Biographies. Pop on over and take a look, you might find something you can use in your classroom.

 

 

5. My favorite teacher store ever is Lakeshore Learning. I've visited the one in Columbus OH, Matthews NC, Atlanta GA and of course Alexandria VA! Every August I take a trip to Lakeshore with a friend, each year I think it's been a different friend. But this now there's like 6 teachers who want to go with me so we're going to make a day out of it. Go shopping, eat lunch and just have a good time before school starts. I've got several items on my wish list and if you teach in a Common Core State (I don't) they have some new resources for you. I have a couple of CC items on my list because our math standards are very similar.

 

6. Are you familiar with Reading A to Z? Well the have an electronic version call Raz-Kids. I had this program at my previous school but when I transferred 2 years ago I found my new school did the Accelerated Reader program. Well now that the AR program has gone online my school won't be able to purchase any additional quizzes and they will no longer have tech support. So I'm not entirely sure what will have to AR but I have a back up if they decide to get rid of it. I love Raz-Kids because the books are aligned to the students DRA level. I assign a level and students read the books, take quizzes and can even get a worksheet from me about the book. After students have passed the quizzes at their level, it automatically goes to the next level or when I do mid-year DRAs I can change the levels myself.

 

7. This year I purchased Mountain Math and I loved the spiral review. I'm strongly considering Mountain Language next year. I have the math bulletin board but I'm thinking of purchasing the language flip book center.

 

So what's on your wish list, what are you looking to purchase for your classroom in the Fall?