Text Talks

There is a really big push in our district to do text talks.

Text talks are when you read a book aloud to the class. You pick out 2 or 3 vocabulary words from the text. I start by using the word in the context of the story. I ask students to see if they can determine the meaning of the word based on the context in which it is used. The students turn and tell their partner their ideas.  Then I give a kid friendly definition of the word. I use many pictures and youtube videos help the students visualize what the word means. I give many examples of the word. The students then apply what they have learned. I usually have them draw a picture of what the word means and write the definition.

The rest of the week we review the word. I have them make personal connections with the word. I have a word association slide where the students turn and talk about the definitions of the words. I also make them go back to their notebooks where they drew their pictures and wrote their definition and I have them write a sentence, using the word correctly.

By the end of the week they have worked with the word everyday. They have applied the word by writing it, drawing it, writing a definition and using it in a sentence. The students have also made personal connections with the words.

Text talks not only help my ESOL students but they help everyone develop a better vocabulary. Text talks also help children of poverty.

I have done many text talks on 2nd grade read aloud books. I will be working this summer to make text talks on 3rd grade read aloud books.

Here is the link to my TPT store for a free download of my text talk for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Please leave me some feedback and tell me what you think! thanks!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cloudy-With-a-Chance-of-Meatballs-Text-Talk-2536186



https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cloudy-With-a-Chance-of-Meatballs-Text-Talk-2536186

"Fat Man in a Little Coat"

I want to start by saying I love the school I work at. I commute 30 minutes to and from work. I wouldn't want to work anywhere else.  We have a great school. Parent's transfer their kids to our school from other districts and schools. My own child is supposed to go to another district, but I wouldn't have her at any other school.

Although it is flattering that so many parents want their children at our school it is also a problem. Our school is overflowing with kids! For the past two years I have shared a large room. Last year I co-taught with another teacher. We had 50 kids, 2 teachers in one large room. It was great. The sense of family and togetherness we had was amazing. The students weren't just her students or mine, they were ours and I still consider them to me ours. Yeah, having 50 kids transitioning was loud sometimes. STEM and other project based learning was difficult and noisy (controlled chaos most days) but, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Co-teaching is a great experience. I would encourage anyone who is adventurous to try it!

That was in 2nd grade. I got the opportunity to loop up with my 2nd grade students. I now teach 3rd grade, and I am still in the large classroom. This year I am in here with another teacher and we have a wall. We don't have the same community as we did last year. It has been different but it has not been bad.

So, as I pack my things to leave this large classroom, because I have done my time back here, I just thought I would reflect a little.

Mrs. Engle!

Oh man! It has been a WHILE since I have last posted! A lot has happened since my last post.

 For one, I am no longer Ms. Vestal, I am now Mrs. Engle! My boyfriend of 8 years and I finally decided to get married. No, he didn't get down on one knee and propose. No, he didn't ask my dad. But, we did find cheap tickets to Vegas during an after Thanksgiving sale!



It was the fairy tale wedding I had always dreamed of! Joe planned EVERYTHING!! He picked where we stayed, ate and what we did! There was absolutely no stress! When I started looking into different places to get married in Vegas most of the places looked pretty hokey. I had a friend who had gotten married outside at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. I told Joe that is kind of what I wanted to do. By the time I had told him that is what I wanted, he had already booked it! Great minds think alike! My only request was that we got pictures.

I bought my dress at David's Bridal two weeks before we flew out. It was the first dress I tried on. They shipped my dress right to my hotel, once again, no worries.





I found a great company that came to the hotel to do my hair and make-up. They made me look AMAZING! No worries with this company.
https://www.facebook.com/wwwGlamsquad702com-261073023382/


The limo came right up to our hotel and took us out to the sign. Our wedding official was so fun. He was the guy who married Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton. (yeah, remember when that happened?!?!?) Hopefully Joe and my love story will turn out better than theirs did. He had also lived in Arkansas for a short period of time, so we called the Hogs! (If you aren't from Arkansas, you wouldn't understand)





The rest of the night we drove around Las Vegas and the photographer took pictures of us. It was the most fun I've had. It was a day I'll never forget. Best day of my life! No worries, no stress!



 

Enjoy some of these pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can't have one without the King!!!

27th birthday

Tomorrow is my 27th birthday. I haven't been very happy about this birthday. I haven't made any plans & I really don't want to. I really thought I would have it all together by this point in my life! I got into the shower and started to cry about all that has gone wrong, but all I could think about was all that had gone right! So, here is my list of the 27 things that have gone right!
1. I have a beautiful, perfect, 5 year old daughter.
2. I have a wonderful, supporting boyfriend.
3. Even though sometimes they get on my last nerve... I have a pretty great family!
4. Joe's family loves me & accepts me as one of their own.
5. I have a great job.
6. I have a nice house over my head.
7. I have great friends who support me in everything I do.
8. I have great work collegues and friends.
9. I am in good health.
10. My car gets me from point A to point B.....most days.
11. I have a batchelor's and master's degree...no one can ever take that away.
12. I have all the things I need.
13. I live in a beautiful area.... Arkansas is really pretty!
14. I have a sense of humor about most things.
15. I enjoy a good prank, either doing them or having them done to me.
16. I get along well with others (unless you piss me off....you know who you are).
17. I can read & enjoy doing it....everyday!
18. Olivia goes to a great school.
19. Joe has a really great job, that he is good at.
20. I am pretty creative.
21. I have matured a lot from when I first moved to Fayetteville and started going to school.
22. I have a broad world view (I think).
23. I am comfortable in my own skin.
24. I laugh everyday.
25. I have a few hobbies that I am getting better & better at.
26. I try not to judge people ( I don't know what their story is or what they are going through).
27. I love the news & being informed! ( I guess, I am thankful for the news.)

So those are 27 things I have going right in my life!

During the next year there are still things I want to work on!
1. Saving money
2. Getting fit & in better health!!!
I will keep you posted on how I am doing on these two goals!!!

Elf on the Shelf, Our Holiday Tradition

As stated before, I LOVE ELF ON THE SHELF!!!! This is how our family starts our Elf on the Shelf tradition every year.

 

 When it starts to get close to Christmas time (or whenever my daughter starts to get "that holiday spirit") we right a letter to Santa asking him to send us back our elf on the shelf. Our elf's name is Tootsie. My daughter wrote the letter all by herself.

 

 

She told me what she wanted to say and I sounded out the words for her.

 

 

It says: "Dear Santa, I love Tootsie. Will you send him back? (I) Love, Olivia.

She was so proud of herself that she wrote the letter all by herself!

 

 

When she was done, we put it in the mailbox and sent it to Santa!

 

 

I will post more about Tootsie after he comes to our house!!!

Stress Relief

I am a teacher. Sometimes, I become stressed beyond belief! I try to relieve my stress anyway I can. Today, I relieved my stress in a whole new way. I sharpened pencils! Oh my! What a teacher thing to say! I know I'm boring! I bought this awesome new pencil sharpener & I LOVE it!

 

There is a little blue light that comes on when the pencil is sharp.

 

 

I know, I'm a dork! But, you have no idea how awesome it was to sit at the back the room & just grind away on pencils.

 

 

I'm saying all of that to say this: sometimes you have to slow down & take pleasure in the little things in life...even if it is just sharpening pencils!!!

Birthday Elf on the Shelf!!!

I love everything about Elf on the Shelf!!!! I am a second grade teacher & received an e-mail about a free Elf on the Shelf for my classroom. WAIT WHAT!?! My two favorite things?!?!?! Free & Elf on the Shelf! I thought I had died and gone to heaven!!!!! When I received my package I was blown away! Not only had the company sent me a free Elf on the Shelf, but they also sent me a free Birthday Elf on the Shelf!

 

I never even knew this existed!!!

 

 

The Birthday Elf on the Shelf comes with a cupcake outfit for the Elf on the Shelf that we already have. It also comes with a book! The book talks about Santa letting your Elf out for your birthday! It's super cute and super fun!!!

 

I will update when we use it for my daughter's birthday.