Follow Me On Bloglovin'

Hi friends! As I am sure you have heard by now, Google Reader is going away in just a few short days! Make sure if you are a follower on here, you follow me on Bloglovin' as well. I have been using the Bloglovin' app on my phone the past few days, and so far, I am really liking it!

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Awesome Giveaway!!

Hi friends! I am so excited to be sponsoring Sabra's 300 FOLLOWER GIVEAWAY over at Teaching With A Touch of Twang this week. Myself, along with some other amazing bloggers are giving away lots of fabulous items as part of her giveaway. How awesome is that to have 300 followers! Head on over to her blog, and enter to win lots of fantastic prizes and items. Hoping one day my little blog is just as fabulous as Sabra's :)

Organizing Your Classroom Library

Even though this past year I only taught math, I always kept my classroom library stocked with exciting and new books for the kids to check out. I am a firm believer in having a classroom library ready and available for students, no matter what subject you teach. Throughout the year, I collected a ton of books from retired family member teachers, staff members helping a new teacher out, and lots of my own money going straight to Scholastic Book Clubs! Now, my bookshelf is overflowing with books and it drove me crazy by the end of the year how unorganized my bookshelf was.

One of my goals for this summer is to organize my classroom library, especially since I will be teaching reading as well as math next year! Last summer, I "tried" to separate my books into grade levels (4.3, 5.2, etc.) and genres. The problem was, as students checked out books and returned them, my organization went down the drain! I have seen lots of bloggers using baskets to organize books, and I think this would be a great idea. My confusion is how do you organize your book baskets. By genre? By author? By grade level?

What ways do you organize your classroom library? What works for your classroom? I could use any and all advice you have! 

Summer Bucket List Linky

Today, I'm joining three great bloggers for their Summer Bucket List Linky! I have big plans for my summer break this year and after slacking during the first week of break, I am ready to start crossing things off my bucket list!

1. READ- During the school year, I didn't find myself with much time to read for myself. This summer, I am determined to get some good reading in, both professionally and just for me ;) Right now on my list are: The Book Whisperer (started it today!), The Daily 5, Cafe, and Girls in White Dresses. 

2. RELAX- If you know me, you know one of my favorite things to do is relax! I am ready to relax by the pool, by Myrtle Beach on vacation, even laying in bed an extra hour every day watching House Hunters. 

3. WORK OUT- Growing up, I was a competition dancer who spent my life in the studio. I never had to worry about my weight, and could eat whatever I wanted. This is definitely catching up with me now! I have started running recently and taking a Zumba class once a week, and I would really like to keep that routine up this summer. 

4. PINTERESTING- I have SO many things I want to make or create this summer for both my apartment and classroom. Top of my list are new Common Core I Can statements to put around my room. 

5. VACATION- In July, I am going on vacation for a week to Myrtle Beach with my family. I am really hoping I can get in another vacation this summer, like a long weekend away in Chicago or New York. Here's to dreaming! 

I think it's a pretty manageable bucket list, don't you? What is on your bucket list for this summer?

Lets Try This Again...

So about this time last year, I figured I had creeped on enough teaching blogs that it was time to start my own. Fast forward to now, and I am determined to stick with it this time! This past year was my first year of teaching (ah!) so I guess I can use that as an excuse for being too busy to blog. Now that I am a seasoned pro, yeah right, I am ready to commit to this thing! 

A little bit about the gal behind Fifth Grade Features- I'm Ashley, 23 years old, from a suburb of Columbus, OH, and about to start my second year of teaching in a small, little rural town. I did my student teaching in 5th grade, and was fortunate enough to land a 5th grade job right out of college. I spent this past year teaching 5th grade math to some of the greatest kids I've ever met. This past year was a definite learning experience for me, with many fantastic "up's," and a few definite "downs." My passion for teaching is just as big as ever, and I am ready for whatever this year may bring!

Stay tuned ;)

Ashley