What I'm Pinning Wednesday

Wow-ee! Today I did something that I have been wanting to do for AGES! I went to the gym and worked out for over an hour! I know that for most of you this is no biggie, but I haven't gone to the gym in forever... and by forever, I literally mean forever! I had a personal trainer give me a workout routine and show me the ropes, then I got on and did 45 minutes of cardio and 5 of the weight machines! I loved every bit of it! But now, I am hurting! I am going to ignore the pain the most I can, because my goal is that I will lose 75 lbs by this time next summer, although several people have told me that I should be able to lose that 75 lbs before Christmas. :) That would be exciting!

Then today I got home and got on facebook and found out we (Mid-TN bloggers) are having a short-notice get together tomorrow in Nashville because Mrs. Erin Eberhart is coming into town! There will be some faces there that I have already met (Laura Starnes, Kinder Kraziness) and some there that I have never met before! I'm super excited about meeting new people and seeing old faces! I will have to post some pictures or something afterwards!

I also went to Hobby Lobby today, I've been wanting to go there for about a week now, and I finally found the ribbon that I have been looking for!

It is plain, but I think it will be perfect for the project that I'm using it for! I will be sure to share some pictures of that sometime soon! I still have several projects that I am working on for school! I can not believe that I only have 2 weeks of summer left. Is it just me, or does it feel like summer has FLOWN by?!

And now for the namesake of this post, What I'm Pinning Wednesday!

This FREE activity from Kindergarten Smiles is a great beginning of the year (B.O.Y.) resource!

One of my favorite bloggers, Abby, has some great poetry journal ideas! You can check them out here!

This is a great "All About Me" activity from First Grader...at Last! Super cute!!

This last one isn't really an activity for the kids, but a tool they could use to rate their work! I love it and need to make me one! (Sorry I could not find the original posting for this one!! If you know who posted this originally, please let me know and I will give credit where credit is due!)

The rest of my pins this week have been clothing, Fall/Halloween decorations and Christmas decorations! I know... summer is not even over yet and, just like Hobby Lobby, I'm ready for Christmas! (I've even been singing some Christmas tunes! eh!)

Diving into Common Core (with What I Pinned Wednesday)

Are you getting ready to dive into Common Core? Well here in TN we are! For the next few days I'm going to be sharing ideas, resources, and possibly even a freebie! We'll call it Diving into Common Core!

We'll start with this....

I have to admit, I'm kinda excited about it. I think it is great that 45 states and 3 territories have adopted CCSS (Common Core State Standards) for several reasons.

1) Having equal standards means that all states are required to teach the same material. This means that comparing TN to Florida for example, will finally actually be fair. ---Now, I KNOW there are still some disadvantages in this: kids are not the same, schema may not be the same, etc. But to be fair, this isn't even the same school to school in the same community!
2) Having equal standards means that testing across states will be fairer than it ever has been before.
3) If a teacher living in one CCSS state decides to move to another state that has adopted CCSS they will not have to learn a whole new set of standards (unless they move grade levels), therefore making the standards teacher-friendly.
4) It allows us to DIVE DEEPER into the standards.

Since today is Wednesday... and I'm loving pinterest... I'm going to share a few of my Common Core finds on Pinterest. Most of these are free resources that you will most definitely want to check out if you are a teacher in one of the 45 states and 3 territories going on this adventure.

 This first resource is the K-5 Math Teaching Resources website. It has tons of FREE math activities, divided into Number, Geometry, and Measurement/Data! It is very organized and you could easily find tons of great resources to use in your classroom!  I definitely recommend checking out this website. (click on the picture to be taken directly to the website.)

 This resource is great for KINDERGARTEN teachers. Mrs. Jump- we all love her right!- has created printable "I Can" statements that we can just print and use for each CCSS. Talk about making it easy!

Donna over at Peace, Love and Learning has created this awesome resource for us kindergarten teachers, but I did see one for 2nd grade while I was on here site as well. This is a great free resource that you can print out and pass out to parents so they know what their child will be learning... or you could do what I plan on doing and put it in your standards binder because I don't think there would be anything better than seeing this cute clipart while studying your standards! Thanks Donna! 

The final pin I have for you today is this great website I have to share today is "Math Playground." This website has math games that your students could play during computer center. A great free resource!

To check out more of my pins, head on over to my pinterest page by clicking the icon below!

What I'm Pinning Wednesday

Hey everyone! I'm super excited about today! It is the day that I have prayed for for FAR TOO LONG, the day that I believe holds a turning point for my future... The boyfriend is going in for an interview! Woohoo! If he gets this job he will be making more money than me.... without a college degree. If you believe in prayers, pray for this one for me. I'd greatly appreciate it!

Anyways! I've been pinning a lot lately! I just set myself up a new board so I thought I'd share some of the pins on that board. It is my "Summer To Do List." Some of these you have seen before. Some of these are completely new to me. But all of these have to do with the set up and organization of my room! Which I have changed the theme of. My classroom will no longer be ladybugs, but instead bright colors. For a freebie that showcases some of the colors from my theme, as well as my new classroom management system head over to Wild About Teaching to check out my guest post from yesterday (if you haven't already done so.)

So here is a few of the items that have made their way onto my summer to do list!

                                                           (source: Project Life. 2012)
I love these! I think they are cute! But even more than that, before some paint, they are free? My only problem is I'm not quite sure how to make these safe for the kiddos. If you have any advice on these, PLEASE let me know. I really do not want any cut fingers.

                                                             (source: Classroom DIY)
I'm super excited about these! I think they are classy and cute! I bought the frames last night. I've thought about painting the frames, but I'm not sure. I wonder if leaving them black would let the scrapbook paper pop more. What do you think??

I love this! Blow up a balloon, glue buttons to it, let dry. Then pop balloon. Easy-peasy-cutesy bowl! I just am not sure what I would actually use it for inside the classroom. So this one might just be "For the Home" thing.

                                                       (Source: Peachy Keen Stamps)
I love this classroom wreath! Bright and colorful! Just like I'm liking it. PLUS I might be able to fit in a ladybug where that bumble bee is!! :)

To see more of my "Summer To Do List" check out my pinterest board!

I'm linking the post up with Laura over at Kinder Kraziness!

What I'm Pinning Wednesday

So it is 11:30 at night and I'm just now getting to chill at home... and to be quite honest I'm about ready to call it a night! But since I just realized that it is Wednesday, I'm going to share some things I've pinned on pinterest this week! It's a hodge-podge of awesomeness, but maybe you will see something that you like.

This is said to come from TeachKidsArt, but I'm having difficulty finding the original. HOWEVER, she does have some more awesome ideas for teaching and creating craftivities using symmetry. Definitely worth checking out!!

I know its not Christmas yet... or even close! BUT this is adorable!! You can buy these at Little1Fun or have your kids create these in class as a parent Christmas present... or even a EOY parent gift (for those of you that are still in school!)

This is beyond gorgeous to me! Organized, clean, and classy. I love the colors and the pattern. I hope that one day my classroom can be this organized!! Check out Glitzy in 1st Grade  to find out how you can duplicate this look!

Last but not least I'm going to leave you with an idea that one of my good friends, J Tilton - over at Kindertrips, made that got pinned....

Birthday chair covers!! What a great and inexpensive way to make your students feel special on their special day!

What have you been pinning this week? Go on over to Laura's blog, Kinder Kraziness, to link up!


P.S. You have a few more days to enter my 100 follower giveaway! Check it out here!

What I'm Pinning Wednesday and Mother's Day FREEBIE

Okay.... so I haven't pinned a lot lately... I don't know what is wrong with me?!? So I had to dig back into the archives and find some things that I thought would be good. So here it is....

 This coin flip book came from Classroom Freebies. It was created by Diane. I will be doing this activity next week since I have decided to spend the last week of school reviewing coins and working on counting money. I feel like this is a skill that my kiddos really need to work on.

 I've seen this idea before but I still love it! In order to keep the kiddos from throwing the dice... putt them in clear containers. Have the kids roll the dice, and look through the clear bottom to see what was rolled. I really like these because of the pop of color. Super cute! (Could not locate the original posting. If you posted these, let me know so that I can give credit where credit is due!)

I really like this craftivity from The Kinder Wife. Kids love anything that they can use their hands + paint for.... plus painted hands make most things so much cuter (this definitely being one of those things)!! I'm keeping this in mind for when I teach ocean life next year.

 Okay... so I know Mother's Day isn't over yet... but I only have one more week until I have to have Father's Day stuff accomplished. This bookmark from Creative Family Moments is adorable and any dad that likes to read is sure to love this!

I love the idea of card games being used for math. I've been wanting to get my kids playing War... but then I think about all the other fun things you could do... like I could have kids add the cards together... or figure out the biggest number then subtract the cards... I'm half tempted to make all of my math centers card games next week. I mean... come on! Super fun! And this paper alliGREATER is super cute! Thanks Wendy @ Living Creatively for sharing this on your blog!


Okay... just one more thing before I go tonight! I just created a cute Mother's Day Card and uploaded it to my TPT store! In honor of TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK I decided to make it FREE for TONIGHT ONLY! In the morning I will be changing it back to $1.50 (which is still a really good price). PLEASE leave me some feedback if you download this product! Thanks!

We will finish our tomorrow.... Hopefully I'll remember to take some pictures so that I can show you the finished product.

What I'm Pinning Wednesday

I don't know about ya'll... but I am READY for summer! With only 13 1/2 days left it is time that I begin thinking about our End of the Year Celebration. So as I gathered which pins I wanted to showoff tonight I focused on great End of the Year ideas.

Tip Junkie has posted 34 End of Year Activities, Gifts, and Printables. 

I love this colored pencil vase. Too adorable! 

Mrs. Picasso over at Mrs. Picasso's Art Room posted this lovely End of the year craftivity. 

Its darling and I just love it! 

I just LOVE this End of the Year gift. It is more involved than bubbles or something simple that I was thinking, but a keepsake that they could keep forever. Something I'm thinking that is totally worth it. Unfortunately I can't find the original source.

Okay, so what are you serving at your EOY Celebration? I'm thinking cake... and particuarly THIS cake! Super cute! By Cake Central.

Okay so whatever you are doing for you EOY Celebration, I hope you have a GREAT one! How many more days you have... make them count! Your kiddos will never ever forget you!!

What I'm Posting Wednesday

Today has been a LONG day! I took the day off because I had an appointment this morning and I didn't know how long it would take. I wish I had just taken a half day because I have been done with the appointment since 11:00 this afternoon. But I've gotten to spend some time with the boyfriend, as well as write a post for his gaming blog Eternal Alchemy. I think if people like it I may make it a usual guest posting. It was kinda fun.

Anyways other than that, today has been a VERY boring day. I'm gonna have to get a job this summer or I'm going to go stir-crazy. Does anyone else get this way?

Earth Day Craftivity from Michelle 

 Apples and ABC's: Adventures in Kindergarten

I love this cute Earth Day craftivity. I love using the kiddos hand-print in things. It always makes any activity a keep-sake.

Plant People by Family Fun

I can't wait to do our plant unit so that I... I mean my kiddos can make these super cute plant people!

 Mama Jean has great activities for math and literacy. This is just one of the fun games that she is sharing with her followers that engage students in learning. Go check out her site.

Kid Friendly Standards

OMG! I think I just found something that is going to save us ALL time as our schools dig deeper into Common Core! Check this one out! Click on the picture and then find your grade and download. You won't be sorry that you followed this link!

Okay peeps leave me some love! I'm working on another freebie to share with you!

My Horrible No Good Very Bad Day and What I'm Pinning Wednesday

Oh my! Today was one of those days you need a drink of your favorite sweet tea afterwards. I was running behind this morning because I couldn't get the sandwhich meat bag open, so I gave my yummy breakfast to my puppies and put me in the standard biscuit and sausage in the microwave so I could eat on the run. I got half way down the road and realized I had left my breakfast in the microwave. I decided I'd just starve and not eat breakfast so I could get to school on time. So I got to school with just enough time to spare and found that my cute Bunny Addition hall display had been destroyed. At first I thought the wind had just knocked down a few of the cute rabbits and then I noticed...

One of the poor innocent rabbits had its head torn off... the second one had its arm torn off. I know it was cold and windy last night... but there is NO way that the wind could have done this much damage. Not inside a building that is surrounded by at least four walls. I was devastated and if my students knew they would be heart-broken. I have no idea who did this, so I'm not pointing fingers. But I'm still disgusted at this. I mean come on! Who in the world could destroy student work and live with themselves. I mean I have a hard time even throwing away work that has no name and does not get claimed. They work so hard on their stuff! (The one who did the head-shredded on is a PERFECTIONIST! I mean just look at the cute pocket detail she added! And if you turn it over you'll see the tail she added.)

The day got a little better... but I had another disaster at the end of the day. I just wanted to put my head down and quit the day. Thank God the day was almost over at that point. I mean another teacher looked at me and just said "45 minutes to go. Breathe!" I mean, it was THAT bad! 

Okay now that I've vented (Thanks I needed that!) I have for you this weeks What I'm Pinning Wednesday! So each time I've done this I have had a "theme" for the week. So since the first thing I saw that I wanted to show you was THIS awesome bookcase, I decided to go with a Classroom Organization "theme."

 

Rosenberry Rooms sales this bookcase which is TO DIE FOR!

Now I don't know if I can afford it, but it is absolutely gorgeous and could be an inspirational starting place.

 Okay... I have to be honest! When I first started teaching I didn't like the idea of "time out." I thought it was too childish... but after I found out that the principals at our school do time-out and other teachers in our building do time-outs... I tried it. And I have to say I think its a good thing. It gives the students somewhere to go to think about their behavior so that they are not disrupting other students anymore. And this chair is just too cute. I let my students know all the time that I love them... even when they do something silly that you can obviously tell they did not think through, I want them to know that I still love them and care about them and their well-being and their learning.

Okay so I'm sure all of you have seen these. I currently use a similar one to organize my junk boxes. But I really really like the idea of organizing all of my smaller desk items in one of these. At least then I MIGHT be able to find what I need, when I need it, without taking too long.

 After today... I need one of these. Maybe I can't implement it at the beginning of the year... since some students don't know how to write their name. Or I could let those that can write their name use it and provide students who still can't write their name a picture or something similar to put on here when they leave- at least until they learn to write their name!

Michelle at Apples and ABC's: Adventures in Kindergarten
This is just simply a good idea. Paint your stick 2 different colors at the end. At the beginning of the day have all sticks facing the same way. As you call on students, flip their stick over to the second color. That way you'll know you've already called on them. That way your questions can be spread out among everyone.

Gotta be honest, not liking my current mailbox/folder system. Going back to just folders and study buddies next year. Also going to put my behavior chart on my newsletter and staple that in the study buddy just like I did last year. (Its my way to save the Earth! Less paper needed!) So gonna build me a new mailbox and I really don't want it to get ruined after just the first year, so using these clips with labels seems like a good choice. PLUS if you have a student leave in the middle of the year you can simply change out the clip and/or label.

Maybe, just maybe, I will get around to implementing some of these cool, inspiring ideas into my classroom next year! Make sure you check out these blogs, if applicable. (Sorry for not having all the blogs, I followed these back to their original place and most were just dead-ends.)



Have a good night ladies. Just 2 more days until Friday!

What I'm Pinning Wednesday and 1st EVER linky party

So do you remember that pinterest addiction I was telling you about a few weeks ago? Well it still hasn't gone away... I just hadn't had time to do both lately. (Insert sad face here.) But since I've been on Spring Break I've had time and I've been pinning like crazy. Since Easter is coming up, and I've been getting ready to do Easter activities in my classroom the week we return, I decided I would make this the Easter edition of "What I'm Pinning Wednesday"! I hope you enjoy and find lots of ideas that you can use/adapt for your classroom.

 

Mrs. Morrow over at Mrs. Morrow's Kindergarten posted this adorable addition bunny last April and I'm loving it! I am already planning on doing something similar to this (Easter Basket with colored Easter eggs addition) but I like that this could stay up for even longer in the hallway. 

Stephanie over at Playing House posted 10 Fun Learning Games using Plastic Eggs last March and I'm super glad I found this activity! It will make a great way for my emerging kiddos to have a fun reinforcement of letter matching. 

Melissa at Chasing Cheerios posted this great activity!

I'm super excited about this activity as well. My "average" group will be using this activity this week during game center. They will be matching CVC words to its pictures. I have to say that I am secretly wanting my high group and emerging group to finish wit they activities early so that they can get their hands on this activity as well! 

This last craftivity comes from Jenna at The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman was posted in 2009! (Wow, what a long time ago!) But I LOVE it! If you flap down the ears this cute craft just shows camouflages itself as an egg in the grass, but once you flip up the ears you will see that this is no egg, its really a bunny!

Okay my last 2 pins are food ideas that would work well for Easter dinner. We'll start out with an appetizer and then go to a yummy desert.

Are you a fan of deviled eggs? Especially at Easter time and Thanksgiving and all those food-filled holidays? Well these deviled eggs featured on FOODjimoto's April 20th blog are perhaps the most precious way to display deviled eggs on your table this Easter.

 

Okay so funny story! The ORIGINAL source of these yummy orange dyed-white chocolate covered strawberries is actually unknown. HOWEVER, I pinned it from Sun Scholars so thats my source. Not only are chocolate covered strawberries DELICIOUS! but these carrot looking strawberries could not be any cuter!

Well peeps (get it, haha! I crack myself up!) I hope you enjoyed this Easter Inspired post. Let me know what cute Easter ideas you have by joining in on my FIRST ever linky party!