3.  Their third favorite thing is to read cards and notes from my past students who are now grown up!  Each year, I keep a student address list.  When they graduate from high school, I send them a card along with a picture of them in my classroom.  I ask them to write to me and let me know what their plans are for the future.  Some of them come back to me because they have moved. :(  A few students continue to keep in touch over the years and even send me pictures of their own children!  It touches my heart.


Whether you are a first year teacher or a "seasoned" one, it is never too late to start a memory book!  It has been my prized possession and whenever I begin to get a little burned out, I flip through the pages and realize why I am teaching!  I love my students!

So why have I been so busy?  The day school got out, I had a flight to Pittsburgh to go help my sweet aunt get back into her house.  She was hospitalized two months ago and then had to live with her sister (who is also elderly) until I could get up there.  Since it was the end of school and I didn't have many personal days left, I told her I could come for a weekend, but I would be able to come for a week when school was out.  I left that very day we got out of school.  Since it is an 8 hour drive, I didn't want to waste a second so I flew.  Aunt Dolly never had children of her own.  She was married to my dad's brother and he passed away 5 years ago.  Last year, she lost her independence because her eye sight got so bad, she couldn't drive any more.  Then she was having pains and had slight heart attack.  While in the hospital, they realized she needed to be on oxygen.  She is NOT happy!  But the best thing about her is her amazing positive attitude!  She says, "It is what it is."  I wasn't sure what I was going to encounter getting up there.  I was praying I didn't have to put her in a nursing home.  God is good!  She is still very independent and isn't letting this stop her.  She is my inspiration every day!  She has a reader- magnifying glass with a light- to help her read and pay bills.  I didn't have to do that.  She has wonderful friends who take her grocery shopping, do her laundry, take her to doctors' appointments.  I didn't have to set that up.  She has all her finances and power of attorney in order.  Woo woo!  Sooooo, I basically had to help her get accustomed to her oxygen.  It was scary for both of us!  We tackled it with trial and error!  With the extra time, I cleaned up her balcony and got rid of all the winter junk and spiders so she can sit out there on nice days.  Then, my BFF came over and we painted her bathroom!  Aunt Dolly is not one to complain so you have to listen closely to remarks etc.  Last time I visited, she mentioned she was tired of the wallpaper in her bathroom for the last 40 years.  I had it on my list of things to do this summer when I visited.  Of course I couldn't tell her that!  She doesn't like anyone to do anything for her!  Dawn and I had to pretend we were just looking at it, then RrrrrrrIP!  We tore that wallpaper down and got to work!

Who loves chocolate?  Me me me me me me!!!!!! Did I say me?  Believe it or not but I am sitting in the dentist office with my daughter and what better way to distract myself than to think about delicious creamy chocolate!  I usually like to do a longer unit but ran out of time.  Does time fly for you too?  I scaled the unit down to my favorite lessons: reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, researching chocolate history with a web quest, and then making our very own chocolate bars!  Yuuuuummmmmm!!!!!!

Excuse the mess!  It is the end of the year and my assistant principal needs to inventory materials!  Kids just seem to work around our little pig pen!    

Here is a link to the web quest: 
WEB QUEST

After the web quest, they got a little chocolate treat.  

The next day, it was time to make our very own scrumptilicous chocolate bars!  

STEPS TO MAKING CHOCOLATE BARS

Prep:

1.  Send out notice to parents for ingredients. I like to use www.signupgenius.com.  I will add a list of ingredients I usually ask for!

2.  The morning of making the chocolate, bring a crockpot, spatula, wooden spoon, and serving spoon.  

3.  Melt the chocolate chips on low.  Stir occasionally.  We were drooling from the smell of melted chocolate!!

4.  Set up the other ingredients in bowls around a table with a spoon for serving.

5.  Cut paper approximately 2 inches by 4 inches for labels.

6.  Prepare the foil.  Tear approximately 2 ft per student and fold it over once.  

7.  Tear out another piece of foil approximately 4 inches.

8.  Write each students' name on a quart sized baggie.

Making Bars:

1.  Create and color a unique label for your candy bar.  Set aside.  

2.  Students need to use the foil to create a shape of their choice leaving a hole to pour ingredients.

3. An adult will put your foil on a paper plate and place a scoop of creamy chocolate in the foil.  

4.  Next, fill your foil with your choice of ingredients!

5.  Then, stir ingredients together with a plastic spoon.  

6.  Take the smaller piece of foil and seal the opening.  

7.  Using thick clear packaging tape, tape the label on top.  

8.  Place foil in plastic bag.

9.  Last, place bag in refrigerator or cooler with ice to harden!

10.  When ready, guess what?  It is time for a taste!!!!!!

I promise your students will talk about it for years! Whenever I get a visit from a past student, they always mention our chocolate unit and I am known throughout the school as the teacher who makes chocolate!  In case you are wondering if I make one for myself, we'll hello?  Every year I make one for myself and I have my students who finish first make them for our principals!  Any kind of brown (chocolate) nosing works!

How do I keep children from tasting?  I let them taste!  I usually have so many ingredients.  I tell them ahead of time to keep their plates and spoons so I can give them some warm chocolate with ingredients left over to taste!  Happy campers!!!!!