FREE TIME

This has been a very nice weekend!  My kids spent the weekend at Great Wolf Lodge, so I've had lots of time to myself this weekend!  I had really big plans!  I need to finish the review Math Centers that I didn't get to last weekend and during the week, check out my on-line individual tutoring programs and see where everyone is at, and grade, grade, grade!  Well, free time is a rare and special thing, so I did very little teaching work this weekend!

I did grade a few things, but have 2 more sets of papers to grade.  I know it won't take me long, but fun things are calling my name today!  I did check out my student's scores on Think Through Math and Moby Max Math.  Our goal for Think Through Math was to get 30 lessons in by STAAR.  Last year, pretty much everyone met that goal by COMPLETING the lessons.  This year, the goal was changed to 30 PASSED lessons by STAAR.  Well, that's just not going to happen.  I have only a few students who have been able to pass 30 lessons on Think Through Math.  I have many more who have completed 30 lessons, but didn't pass them all.  The program is great for higher level thinking in Math.  However, it's really much too hard for my kiddos this year.  That's why I love Moby Max Math!  Moby tests the students where they are at, and then designs lessons based on their needs.  It can fill in holes from previous grades, and students can even work ahead.  Our class goal was to have most students at level 4.0 in Moby before STAAR.  I have about 1/2 that have reached that goal, and many more that are very, very close (3.9!)!  We still have a week!

As for fun, I went shopping  for non-teaching things!  I went to Half-Price Books and did NOT go in the children's section!  Boy was that strange!  I did buy myself some Historical Fiction books to read (my favorite genre)!  I also enjoyed watching tv!  It's been a relaxing weekend!

 Tomorrow is back to craziness.  It will be a long Monday, with a long staff meeting for STAAR training. At some point this week I really need to read the STAAR testing manual. It's been sitting by my desk at home so I would remember to read it, but I'd much rather read Historical Fiction.  I'll make time this week though!