Woohoo! The kids have been put on the bus, the chairs have been put up... this teacher is ready for the weekend! Not that I have much to do this weekend... but I am certainly ready to relax. I will say sadly, that because I didn't get my centers laminated, I will be working this weekend and will probably be up at the school for a couple of hours. Here's my question to you. How do YOU manage to teach, grade papers, create lesson plans, create games for centers, AND get it all done by Friday? I realize that we work after school... and I'll admit I've been a slacker on that end of things this week... but even when I do work all week before and after school, I've only been ready for the next week by Friday a handful of times in my 2 years of teaching. Maybe its just because I'm a new teacher. That could totally be the reason. And if it is, then I'll accept it. But if not, what am I doing wrong? What could I be doing better? To save myself time and work and STILL be a great, effective teacher (which I hope I am!) and get to enjoy my weekend and actually live a life outside of being a teacher?
On a somewhat different note, after school yesterday I was hanging out with the teacher that I see as my mentor and closest teacher-friend. She is the reason I started blogging. The reason I started creating items. To say it simply, the person/teacher I want to be. She's my teacher role-model? (Do you guys have one of this type of person?) ANYWAYS.... we were talking about tons of stuff... and finally we started talking about how I plan to move. I was asking her about how she organized her center games, materials, and all of that jazz so that year after year she could find it and not have to print, laminate, etc again. Eventually this conversation led to the question... "I wonder how all of these great bloggers store and organize their center games/materials?" So now its your turn to answer... what do you do? I'm DYING to find out. Because although I love the way I have my computer organized, and I like how I have my phonics organized, I'm not a real fan of how I have all of my center game stuff organized... and am worried that I will have to spend time next year laminating the same things all over again (which not only is an ineffective time management thing, but would get SUPER expensive!)
Just one more thing before I go and bubble in Dibels Next Scores, tonight is the night I choose! So if you haven't entered my contest, now is the time! I am choosing my winner at 8pm!
Friday, March 9, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Currently, Giveaway, and Prayer Requests!
Happy "Hump Day"! Only 2 more days until Friday! Yay! I know I'm excited. Yesterday spoiled me. We had the day off because of Election Day! I hope you got to go out and vote. I cleaned house and hung out with the boyfriend. The best part of the day was waking up at 9. I mean, I know I get to sleep in late on the weekend every week... but I think there's something more rejuvenating about sleeping in on a day that you usually have work.
Only 2 more weeks till Spring Break! I'm excited! I think my family and I are going to go to the mountains and get a cabin. I'm looking forward to this, because I have not had a vacation in umm...almost 3 years! Yes, I am LONG overdue for a nice relaxing vacation.
I am going to imagine that I have a tall pina colada in my hand and the breeze and waves are coming in. But the mountains will do for now!
So sadly I do not have any freebies to giveaway today. But I do have a few giveaways to tell you about. I JUST found out that First Grade Magic is having a giveaway. She is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate! It ends tonight! So HURRY go over there now and enter to win!!! A Cupcake for the Teacher is ALSO having a giveaway to your choice of 3 stores (Target,TpT, or Amazon). It will be a $25 Gift Certificate! It also ends tonight! (Sorry ladies and gents, I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT BOTH OF THESE WONDERFUL GIVEAWAYS!) Don't forget about my giveaway! I'm thinking that if I get up to 50 followers (thats just 14 more followers ya'll!) that I will choose 2 lucky winners!
I am also linking up to Oh' Boy Fourth Grade! for this month's Currently! Check out her blog! She's super cute!
My students would DEFINITELY say I was "cray-cray!" In fact, they started saying this last week. I'm not sure where the word came from. In a way I though they were just being "cray-cray" but then I heard another teacher use this word on a blog yesterday... so I guess its a real word?? If you know where it originated, I would LOVE to know! Thanks!
About my currently, please say a prayer for me if your a praying type of person. I have gone for 3 rounds of blood work in the past month. It started with me just thinking I had arthritis. When I came home today I found out that I had a Dr. Apt on the 21st of this month at a Cancer Care Unit. I'm not sure what this is about. My boyfriend took the call while I was at work today and wouldn't tell him anything... just that I had an apt. I will definitely keep ya'll in the loop. But prayers are definitely welcomed!
OKay.... I KNOW this is probably the LONGEST post I have ever written... so if you are still reading at this point THANK YOU! My boyfriend is a graphic artist and is starting to make me clipart. I only know what I want. So here's my question for you! What type of clipart do YOU want??? Leave me a comment to let me know! You never know... he may just create your clipart!
Have a great Wednesday! See you tomorrow (possibly with a freebie!)
Only 2 more weeks till Spring Break! I'm excited! I think my family and I are going to go to the mountains and get a cabin. I'm looking forward to this, because I have not had a vacation in umm...almost 3 years! Yes, I am LONG overdue for a nice relaxing vacation.
I am going to imagine that I have a tall pina colada in my hand and the breeze and waves are coming in. But the mountains will do for now!
So sadly I do not have any freebies to giveaway today. But I do have a few giveaways to tell you about. I JUST found out that First Grade Magic is having a giveaway. She is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Certificate! It ends tonight! So HURRY go over there now and enter to win!!! A Cupcake for the Teacher is ALSO having a giveaway to your choice of 3 stores (Target,TpT, or Amazon). It will be a $25 Gift Certificate! It also ends tonight! (Sorry ladies and gents, I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT BOTH OF THESE WONDERFUL GIVEAWAYS!) Don't forget about my giveaway! I'm thinking that if I get up to 50 followers (thats just 14 more followers ya'll!) that I will choose 2 lucky winners!
I am also linking up to Oh' Boy Fourth Grade! for this month's Currently! Check out her blog! She's super cute!
My students would DEFINITELY say I was "cray-cray!" In fact, they started saying this last week. I'm not sure where the word came from. In a way I though they were just being "cray-cray" but then I heard another teacher use this word on a blog yesterday... so I guess its a real word?? If you know where it originated, I would LOVE to know! Thanks!
About my currently, please say a prayer for me if your a praying type of person. I have gone for 3 rounds of blood work in the past month. It started with me just thinking I had arthritis. When I came home today I found out that I had a Dr. Apt on the 21st of this month at a Cancer Care Unit. I'm not sure what this is about. My boyfriend took the call while I was at work today and wouldn't tell him anything... just that I had an apt. I will definitely keep ya'll in the loop. But prayers are definitely welcomed!
OKay.... I KNOW this is probably the LONGEST post I have ever written... so if you are still reading at this point THANK YOU! My boyfriend is a graphic artist and is starting to make me clipart. I only know what I want. So here's my question for you! What type of clipart do YOU want??? Leave me a comment to let me know! You never know... he may just create your clipart!
Have a great Wednesday! See you tomorrow (possibly with a freebie!)
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
My first giveaway!!!
Wow! A BIG Thank You goes out to Laura at Kinder Kraziness for featuring me in her "Someone New Sunday" post this week! I went to bed Saturday with only 8 followers, when I woke up I had nearly tripled that number! And that number is still growing. So thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
As a THANK YOU to all of my followers I would like to do my first ever giveaway! I have 2 St. Patrick's Day packets on my TpT store. One is a CVC Word Game and the other includes 2 board game and 8 different deck of cards that let your practice both literacy and math skills.
Literacy Skills:
*Sight Word Fluency (pre-primer, primer, and first grade words included.)
*Letter Naming Fluency (capital and lowercase)
*CVC Words
Math Skills:
*Sets to 30
*Number Words to 30
*Addition (1-10)
*Subtraction (10-1)
*Double Digit Addition and Subtraction
There are 2 ways for you to enter.
1) Follow me! Leave me a comment letting me know!
2) Post about this giveaway on your blog and leave a link to let me know!
The giveaway will end Friday, March 9th! I will post first thing Saturday morning to let you know who the lucky winner is! This giveaway has officially ended! Thank you for entering!
As a THANK YOU to all of my followers I would like to do my first ever giveaway! I have 2 St. Patrick's Day packets on my TpT store. One is a CVC Word Game and the other includes 2 board game and 8 different deck of cards that let your practice both literacy and math skills.
Literacy Skills:
*Sight Word Fluency (pre-primer, primer, and first grade words included.)
*Letter Naming Fluency (capital and lowercase)
*CVC Words
Math Skills:
*Sets to 30
*Number Words to 30
*Addition (1-10)
*Subtraction (10-1)
*Double Digit Addition and Subtraction
Saturday, March 3, 2012
One Lovely Blog!
This week has been crazy busy and jam-packed with Dr. Seuss. I read so many of his wonderful books, had parents come in to read, and did so many activities... but I did not get everything done that I wanted to. My favorite craftivity from this was one I found on pinterest. We read "Happy Birthday to You" by Dr. Seuss and talked about why we were all special and unique. I then gave each child the task of writing about why they were special using the prompt "I am I because..." OMG! I did not expect so many cute answers. Some of my favorites were "... because people care about me." "...I cheer and tumble." "... because I have a mohawk."
Speaking of birthdays, my nephew shares his birthday with Dr. Seuss! So after working, me and the boyfriend decided to weather the biggest storm to ever hit Clarksville (that never happened) to drive to my hometown to celebrate his big 42nd. Each year we are blessed to celebrate his birthday. He was born with downsyndrome and with a hole in his heart. The doctors told his mother that they didn't think he would live past 6 months. Thankfully he's proven the doctors wrong and is still going strong!
That's not the only reason I feel blessed this weekend! I just found out while reading one of my many favorite blogs, Kinder Kraziness, awarded me with a great award. Thanks Laura!
Here are the rules:
Speaking of birthdays, my nephew shares his birthday with Dr. Seuss! So after working, me and the boyfriend decided to weather the biggest storm to ever hit Clarksville (that never happened) to drive to my hometown to celebrate his big 42nd. Each year we are blessed to celebrate his birthday. He was born with downsyndrome and with a hole in his heart. The doctors told his mother that they didn't think he would live past 6 months. Thankfully he's proven the doctors wrong and is still going strong!
That's not the only reason I feel blessed this weekend! I just found out while reading one of my many favorite blogs, Kinder Kraziness, awarded me with a great award. Thanks Laura!
The Rules:
1. Link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Pass the award onto 15 other lovely bloggers.
3. Follow the person who sent it to you :)
So now its my turn to award some of my favorite blogs!!
1. Kristin @ A Teeny Tiny Teacher
2. Abby @ Babbling Abby
3. Shannon @ Kindergarten Hoppenings
4. Reagan @ Tunstall's Teaching
5. Deanna @ Mrs. Jump's Class
6. Jessica @ Under the Alphabet Tree
7. Christina @ Mrs. Bainbridge's Class
8. Michelle @ Fabulous in First
9. Mrs. Bell @ A Place Called Kindergarten
10. Robyn & SueBeth at Busy Bees
11. Kelly @ Busy in Kindergarten
12. Kathy @ First Grade a la Carte
13. Kathleen @ Growing Kinders
14. Heather @ Heather's Heart
15. Annie @ Kindergarten At Heart
Once again thanks to Laura @ Kinder Kraziness for the award! Make sure to go check out her blog and follow if you don't already!!
Happy Weekend!!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Insects and 2 Freebies
The boyfriend and I decided to get out and enjoy the beautiful day with a early brunch at Cracker Barrel. Afterwards it was still too beautiful to head home and be stuck indoors, so we went to Target (yes, I know it's still inside... but shh!!). I checked out their dollar section and found 8 great books to go with my insect unit. I'm sure I will be reading them and seeing what type of goodies I can create to go with them. But for now, I decided to make a few Insect-related math activities.
Most of my kiddos know all of their numbers, but some still have trouble with those number words. So I decided to make learning fun with this "Buzzing Around with Number Recognition" board game. There are 4 different sets of number recognition cards for you to use with your students (1. Counting Sets up to 20, with ten frames. 2. Recognizing numerals up to 20. 3. Reading number words up to 20. 4. What comes Before/Next/Last? Up to 20). All of the cute graphics come from KPM Doodels' set "bugloo" which you can get at her etsy.com story here.
If you decide to take one of these freebies, please let me know what you think!
Most of my kiddos know all of their numbers, but some still have trouble with those number words. So I decided to make learning fun with this "Buzzing Around with Number Recognition" board game. There are 4 different sets of number recognition cards for you to use with your students (1. Counting Sets up to 20, with ten frames. 2. Recognizing numerals up to 20. 3. Reading number words up to 20. 4. What comes Before/Next/Last? Up to 20). All of the cute graphics come from KPM Doodels' set "bugloo" which you can get at her etsy.com story here.
This packet is on sale now at my TpT store.
I also have 2 freebies for you tonight! Both math related. The first one is a patterns worksheet where the students have to cut and paste the insect that completes the pattern.
The second one is a 'Roll and Cover' game. All you need is a mat for each student playing the game (best with 2-4 players) and 2 dice. Have the students roll the dice and add the total dots together.
Roll and Cover InsectsIf you decide to take one of these freebies, please let me know what you think!
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