Inside Bell's Brain

  It's time for another Pick 3 Pinterest Party Linky with Inspired Owl's Corner !  Since it's full-swing back-to-school mode for many of us, we're posting pins for our classrooms this month.  Check mine out below.  I just had a great conversation the other day with my friend Davita about the difference between a topic and a theme .  I wanted to make sure I was doing my students justice on this standard when I explained it to them.  ( Academic language is SO important for our ELs.)  Then I ran across this anchor chart pin.  It's simple and to the point , but I really like the second half about how the authors suggest theme.  It gives students something more tangible in the story that they can grab and identify the evidence to support their claims.  I can definitely see myself using these ideas this year. Click on the photo above to pin on your own boards! Back-to-school means g...

It's been a whirlwind week , but as of right now, I have 47 minutes left to get this post finished and linked up while it's technically still July 3 !  :) I'm linking up with my blogging friend Marissa at The Inspired Owl to share three of my favorite Pinterest finds this month. I'm still on the lookout for some awesome math ideas , especially those that build language , to work on with my English learners this fall.  When I saw this easy-to-make popsicle stick activity, I couldn't believe I had never thought of anything like it before!  What an awesome idea...and it clearly has minimal prep !  I'm brainstorming now to come up with a way I can use it on a higher-order thinking level to build ideas about grouping and skip counting too. Click on the photo above to pin it to your boards too!   Next up, something else that has been on my mind... parent communication .  I'm SO thrilled with how my parent communication has been going ...

I'm linking up with my friend Marissa at The Inspired Owl   for today's Pick 3 Pinterest Party Linky .  It's a monthly linky we do on the third of each month to share a little "pinspiration" with you.  Check out the cute little pins I found this week! My first pin is a VERY creative idea that I would love to try.  I was just thinking earlier today (as I was working on that aforementioned office overhaul) that I needed something with knobs to mount to the wall to hang my Thirty-One bags from.  I guess now I will have to be on the lookout for a slender drawer that will be sturdy enough for them! Click on the photo to go to the original pin.  My second pin was a little motivational thought I ran across today.  I've been reflecting on my fitness and personal goals lately, and this one really spoke to me .  When you want something bad enough, you make it happen.  You find a way to make it happen, no matter what obstacles...