Ho - Ho - Ho - Hallelujah!!

Ho! Ho! Ho! HALLELUJAH - We survived Classroom Holiday Mayhem 2011!!! :) :)

Can I get an AMEN??!?

St. Nick Delivery, Polar Express day (favoriiiiiiite) and the 2nd annual Deaf Education Cookie Decorating Party just made the holiday season the best!

We focus a lot of attention on Thanksgiving (when I first got to my school, my students thought that GRAPES and POPCORN were what you had for Thanksgiving dinner!?!?!??!?!?!?  -  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!??!.... that has been re-taught and corrected).

Here are some snapshots of our Holiday Happenings!   -   With a short video of our SNOW-BALL FIGHT!!!! :) :) :)  <----------NEW tradition!!!!!!!!!!

4th Graders performing at Supper with Santa

4th Graders that performed at Supper with Santa - Lovin' on Mrs. Evon!!!
We miss her dearly!  Baytown is super blessed to have this woman.

My inexpensive gift for my students this year.
I did not neglect my 3 year old... he was already gone for the day...
Snowman in hand!

"May your holiday be filled with sweetness!"

2nd Annual Cookie Decorating Party :)

A new pair of BFFs - I don't know what little guy will do
when his 4th grade friend leaves in June!!!

I just love these kids.

Mmmmmmm.

All smiles.

Oh yeah - I went there.  Justin Bieber Christmas album for the
ENTIRE party!!!!

Yes, she is in LOVEEEEEE.

Beiber Fever Friends.

How match-y match-y and PRECIOUS are we??!?!

You would have thought we were torturing them.

"THIS IS THE LAST DECEMBER PARTY PICTURE I WILL HAVE WITH YOU.
YOU ARE GOING TO MISS ME NEXT YEAR AND BE GLAD YOU HAVE THIS
PICTURE!!!!!"  -- I might or might not have yelled this each time asked our 4th
graders to pose this month.  **tear**

SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!

Wait until we count to THREE!

You are about to witness the best idea EVERRRRRRR.

Ms. Cothran.  Is.  A.  GENIUSSSSSSS.

Get it Mrs. Farrell!!

So, maybe this table dumped over and we had to sit a teacher there
for the duration of the fights.

POLAR EXPRESS DAY!!!!!!!
**I DON'T EVEN WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW I WAS STUCK
IN A PLANNING MEETING ALL DAY FOR THE NEXT NINE-WEEKS.
I'D LIKE TO {{SMACK}} THE PERSON THAT PICKED OUR DAY!!!**

A Deaf Ed teacher out means a silly schedule for everyone!
Breakfast altogether was a big hit!

Don't they just melt your heart??  My boys.

Santa and Mrs. Claus stopped by SHE!!!

He is signing "Santa Claus!"

4th Grade program.... going to miss this group! :)

I love helpers.

Sweet perfection.

Love 'em.

My boys.

2/3 of my girls.

School-wide caroling.  An incredibly unique tradition at our school.

Entertaining ourselves waiting on the carolers.

SANTA CAME!!!

Have you ever heard of "Be An Angel"?
Check them out!!! ---> {Be An Angel.org}

Santa visited during the caroling!

Many, many blessings!!!  I cannot find where my St. Nick pictures went.  I love this time of year.... and I am so glad we survived.  Until next year, December in the classroom!  --It's time to wrap up these homemade Christmas gifts and hit the hay.

Adios, bloggers!!

OHHHH!!!  Snowball Fight # 1 video::::

<>< Laura {ilovesignlanguage}

Bieber CHRISTMAS Fever in 315!

Hola, BLOGGERS!


Well, I finally got it!!  Justin Bieber's Mistletoe CD!!!  My girls (all hard-of-hearing or with a CI...cochlear implant) have been buggin' the fire out of me to get JB's CD and play it during workstations.  When they are working independently and at the appropriate noise level, I make sure to get everyone's attention and brag, brag, brag!!!  I always insist on playing music so that I can stay awake since they are being so GOOD!!!!  It absolutely amazes me how music playing in the background can really help some kiddos attain to their work.  It shouldn't surprise me too much since I was one of those kids growing up... and have Law & Order: SVU playing softly in the background.  There's something about auditory stimulation that can help our brains slow down and focus.  Simple things like this remind me to be grateful for each part of my hearing organ and that they are healthy (for the most part).


I've been working on my Secret Santa gift for my Deaf Ed team member!  I reallllllly hope she likes it.  It's a gift I can honestly say I have never given before!  


Friday was a rough, terrible, horrible, no good, very bad... -- no, special day and I was very anxious walking into my room this morning.  Luckily, the amazing God above heard my cries (both figuratively and literally) over the weekend and we had a magnificent day today.  With Christmas festivities beginning tomorrow for our group, the idea of a normal routine is quite the JOKE.  It does not happen.  With that said, I did my VERY best to keep my little Sweet Shoppers as close to their comfort-zone as possible.  Same calendar, cancelled Auditory Enrichment pull-outs and had crafts, language, crafts and Christmas stories to do all day!  This was my favorite part of the day... it was after Specials, so around 2:00, when some of my little Sweeties are on their last straw and can barely keep their eyes open.  We had our name-lights to finish up so that we can get them on string tomorrow and a few little assessment pieces that I needed to wrap up so that I could be FINISH with grades/report cards that go home tomorrow.  With all that focusing and FIRSTY stuff, I decided to have a GO-CHRISTMAS huddle and conquer the afternoon.  IT WAS MIRACULOUS!  We walked through the options... everyone agreed they would be active participators at all stations, we put our hands in the middle, counted to 3 and exclaimed, "CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!"  It was a picture perfect afternoon.  Different pairs (or singles) for each rotation eliminated the bickering and I got everything checked off my to-do list.

What a happy Monday!  Let's hope tomorrow goes as smoothly.  It is, after all, the December Birthdays Party!!!  


Until Next Time,
<>< Laura  {ilovesignlanguage}

Really.... I neglected my blog?!?

Hola Bloggers!!

Merry December!!!  Boooooooo Laura ignoring the blog.  As I write this blog (and feel annoyed with myself) my Silhouette cutter is doing it's thang and helping me create Christmas goodness for my classroom tomorrow morning!  I have not been home this weekend, so I have not had time to cut out my cookies.  I created some ADORABLE workstations over the past few weeks.  I will be sure to upload some more info on them tomorrow - yes, that is a promise.  I have on math workstation that I am extremely proud of that I came up with ON MY OWN!!!  That's right!!  No beggin', borrowin' or stealin' here!!!  It's called "Christmas Cookies for Greater Gator"... precious, right?!?!?!?

Have a peak!!

Alright, I have a dozen more cookies to "ice" {get #s on}... sweet dreams, bloggin' world!  I shall not neglect you like this ever again.

<>< Laura {ilovesignlanguage}