Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I found this recipe link at Kelly's Korner, (one of my FAVORITE blogs!)

It is AMAZING and there are pictures to guide you on your way. Justin told me I need to make these and take them anywhere we have to brink sweets. He said, "It's a perfect muffin". Hmmm...I thought it was a cupcake?

Chocolate Chip Cookie dough Cupcake Recipe

(ps...I made the homemade icing...1st half was plain vanilla...2nd half I added 1/4 cup of cocoa.)

Photostory Friday :)

Pics of Taylor and Nat's last BFF meeting before Taylor and her mommy & daddy move far, far away. :(

Taylor and her gorgeous Eyes!

BFF's!! I love how they are polar opposites in the looks..brown eyes, blue eys, brown hair, blonde hair, olive skin, pale skin, curly hair, straight hair!

Janet & Natalie and Amber & Taylor (BFF's and the NEXT generation :))

Taylor giving Natalie "bye bye kisses"

Sweet thing! She's getting soooo BIG!

The "brat pack" of ducks at our park. They are the misfits. Maybe the other ducks are predjudice? The white duck has some kind of wierd thing going on with it's head. The feathers are all messed up. It always makes me laugh!

Nat touching her first fish! GROSS!

Looking at the ducks!

Wordless Wednesday

Teaching Tip Tuesdays

I miss teaching soooooo much, so I thought I'd share a few of my "tips of the trade". Maybe I'll do this every week, maybe not... :)

Grading Slips

I have always had issues with grade books and grading in general. While searching online one day, I came across a GREAT website! Class with Sanders This is where I got the phenomenal idea for my grading slips!

Grading slips are a class roster/grade book for EACH assignment. There is a place for the title of the assignment, what type of assignment, and grades (and other stuff). You have a template for each class. Every time the class turns in an assignment, you staple a grading slip to the top. You grade each assignment and write the grade on the slip. The roster can be in any order you like, but i prefer alphabetical by last name because that's how most grading programs are. I give my students "numbers" and they write them in the top right hand corner of their papers. When I grade, I just look at that number and it coincides with the number on the grading slip. (Also...their names are under the staple...so it helps a little from me being biased....hey...you know we all do it sometimes).

When it's time for assignments to be turned in, I have one student ( a reliable one...or someone who needs to feel special) put the papers in numerical order. They hand it to me with a sticky telling me which numbers are missing. I staple the grading sheet to the top & quickly ask those kids who didn't turn the assignment in where it is. This made it all SOOO worthwhile!!! Instant knowledge of where the late assignments were!!

For each class I have a manila folder for each 6 weeks (1st Period 1st 6 weeks...so on). I group the "like" grading slips together and staple them on top of each other when I'm done grading (along with me using a highlighter to put a check mark over the slip when I've inputted it). I usually have these groups:

1. Daily Journals 2. Homework 3. Tests 4. Projects 5. Classwork

When I have parent conferences, it's easy to take that class's folder with me, rather than a grade book. The grading slip also has a space for comments. This is where I write, "Late", "Excellent", "tardy"...whatever...

I also have a color system. If they were absent that day, I highlight yellow. If they didn't turn it in, orange. If it's late, I write "late" in red next to it (it was already highlighted orange).

Here you can see examples and Mrs. Sander's explanation of the grading slip!! My friend Jen & I use these and they have made our life so simple!