Giveaway!

Hi All! I haven't been up to too many "teaching" jobs lately! Christie over @ First Grade Fever! is having a giveaway! I am going to try a jungle theme this year and she is all over it- so creative. Check out her name plates and her postcards are cool too! Hope you are enjoying your weekend!

Down and Dirty!

Hi All! I spent yesterday trying to be all crafty. Mrs. Dillard over at http://seusstastic.blogspot.com inspired me with her Dr. Seuss chair.

Here is Mrs. Dillards Chair.. cool or what?!!

I had an old, white bookshelf in the garage that was serving no purpose... so- I decided it needed a makeover. Check. it. out.

 I will add it to my classroom library! I can't wait to get it to school and add my flower arrangement that I made {I will post that too when I get the ribbon on & all cutsy patootsie!} All of this blogging and pinterest has gotten me all inspired to try and find my creative side. Ok.. anyway.. here is what I used to create my bookshelf!

tools needed

I used:

• bookshelf
• Dr. Seuss's ABC book (got at half price book store for $2)
• Sponge brush
• Pampered Chef nylon pan scrapper - for "no air bubbles!"
• scrapbook paper
• tissue paper
• Modge Podge- I used the paper/gloss kind

Love?! I think I do!  I  will post it's home when it gets there! I am trying to stay away from school for a few days. :)

TODAY-- I went to my parent's farm to help out with shucking, cooking, and packaging my favorite.. SWEET CORN! YUM in my TUM! Guess what I am having for supper??!

Dad cookin and coolin the corn! Then it was packaged! mmm..mmm..good!

Last night.. I also got my hair done.. oh, how I love that! Spur of the moment.. we added a blue and purple {fav. colors} feather to my hair too! If I wasn't sitting in my scruffs with "un-did" hair I would show you. :)

From etsy.com. You get the point?!? ha!

 Ok.. I'm done rambling! Have a great night! Time to solve some Wheel of Fortune puzzles.. :)

Writing Idea & a BIG thanks!

Happy Monday! I am tutoring this summer and have a set of quadruplets and a first grade student. The quads (2 boys and 2 girls) were in my kindergarten class! They are the coolest children. I also had the first grade student when he was in kindergarten. It is fun to see the kids during the summer! We have been working on some of the Writetools tricks. One of the students had just gotten back from Florida, so we wrote about it. Check out the PLAN! Then, the story. It is very simple now. Notice the green for the topic and conclusion and then the yellow for the ideas. We haven't gotten to pink yet, which is details for the ideas!

Here is an idea for all of you kinder teachers out there! I did this each Monday with my kinders to review what they did over the weekend.  Get it now! Let me know if it works or not.. I am new to all of this! :)

Switching gears...{no tutoring today} I was in the classroom again today for about 4 hours. It is coming along.. I'm not showing pictures yet because it is not all "put together!" :) While working, my Blackberry buzzed alarming me of an email. I, of course, go and check it and much to my surprise it is a comment on my blog. I'm serious when I say I got so excited! hehe.. I'm a nerd.

It was Marlana from lil' country kindergarten! She wanted to share a header she made for my blog! I was so excited that someone would be willing to help me- since, I am still learning how to do all of this and of course, want me blog to be all cutsie like everyone else's. Check.it.out. Thanks Marlana-- head over and check her blog out! She has a cute etsy store too- www.shabbychicbowtique.etsy.com!

Time to focus on the Bachelorette!  ugh.. why do I like this show?!?!

Pinning. Pinning. Pinning.

Ok.. I'm going to try and do this the right way!

Michelle over @ Math in the Middle blog is having a linky party for those teachers on pinterest! It is so fun addicting. Check. it. out. Click on my pinterest button to see what I have been finding.

Leave me a comment, follow me and I can't wait to see your findings & follow you, too. Seriously.. genius idea. :)

Hop on over to the party and link up!


Happy Sunday Funday!

Beginning of the Year Printables

Stopping by to attach some of my beginning of the year printables! At our school, we do not get our class list until (wait for it).. no earlier than a week before school starts. Yucky! So, we have a "Meet your Teacher/Bring your Supplies" open house night the night before school starts. I have attached a few of the documents I use on that night. I will add more as I get them finished!

On the Transportation List parents will write their child's name regarding their child's transportation for the year. I tape it to the front white board and then I have a compiled list of all of the students. Afterwards, I type it up and have it all on one page.

 I give each parent a packet of information. In that packet is ABC's of First Grade {class handbook}.

I also have attached my Parent Note and Generic Student letter.
Since we don't get our class list soon enough, they get all of this information the night before school starts. bummer- huh?!

I am in the process of making my supply list for first grade, but this is the one I used for kindergarten.
 Kindergarten Supply Night

I have to give a shout out to Amanda for the great free fonts! If you haven't been there.. check.it.out. She rocks! Thanks to Abby for hooking me up! P.S. her website ROCKS, too. I can only hope my classroom looks half as creative as hers.

Friday Madness

Hi All! I'm sorry about changing my blog design, but I am still getting used to all of this! Hopefully, I can get situated real soon! Thanks for being patient with me.

Ok.. well today I spent about 5 hours in my classroom. I am setting up a new classroom, since I moving from kinder to first this year. Whew- I forgot how much work it was to move and start all over in a classroom! My goal for today was to get my books sorted and into buckets in the classroom library. No labels yet... but check out the progress.

messy floor as I sort all of the books...

all of the books found a home! whew... now I need labels

 











One step @ a time.. that is for sure! I can't wait to get the labels made and add a rug and some fun accessories. Any ideas?? :) The top shelf are leveled readers and on the left side of the library are series books (Cliffor,d, Froggy, etc..) sight word readers and Jolly Readers (part of jolly phonics curriculum). The white bins (which are dish tubs from walmart- they work awesome for any organizing btw!) are themes such as: farm, ABC, math, transportation, school, feelings, etc..

I got home from working and checked the mail .. SURPRISE! I forgot I had ordered a magic wand from www.musicwands.com. I have seen these all over teacher blogs.. sorry I can't remember which ones specifically. I wish I would have known about www.pinterest.com then! darn. 

A little worried about it being loud enough though!!

Time to stop rambling... have a great weekend!

beat the heat & my new addiction

Whew! It sure is hot here in Iowa. With no air in our school building, I have been at home completing projects  browsing on my new addiction. Thanks to all of you other teachers out there, I found www.pinterest.com. Whoa- this is so cool! It is my new obsession and I have gotten almost nothing done since finding it {except for cool ideas and adding more to my "to do" list!}

Check out what I have found so far by clicking the link to the left!

Ok and I went to TJ Max AGAIN.. ok, ok, I know, but my mom was there too- we were shopping together! :) Look what I found!

pencils- perfect for a jungle/safari type theme! hmm..

Tomorrow, I am meeting with some of my other team members to go over shared reading books and literacy center ideas. What are some of the shared reading books you include in your classroom? How much time do you devote to literacy centers?

Thanks for stopping by! I probably should get to pinning get to cleaning my basement! :)

Two Words- TJ Max!

Two Words: TJ Max. ok- I must confess, I used to hate going into this store. It was so cluttered, I had to dig and I do NOT like to dig. However, it has gotten so better and my good friend (who also happens to be a teacher) got me hooked! I must confess- I now go almost every week! They always have new stuff and it is CHEAP too. Gotta love cheap!

Lately, they have had the cutest furniture and decorations. Check these out.

classroom library chair?? it's a maybe!

Pillows are adorable and cute, purple lamps. oh, how I love purple!

I got some cute things for the classroom too! Scrapbook paper, cutest picture frames and some cute little flowers in a vase.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Classroom Crazyness!

I'm so excited- I have to share! :)

Here is my mess in the new classroom. Grrr... this may be why I can't sleep at night!

Here are my highlighters for my Writetools activities I will be teaching! I took the training a few months ago and am so excited to try it this year! I'm a nerd... I know...but here is at least something that is organized in my new classroom.

Here is the start of my whole group teaching area. I (and my kids- AKA my students) love my big comfy rocking/reclining chair! And my easel.. love, love, love. Thanks to my momma for this great gift!

Ok..well that's all for now. Hopefully, I can get a little sleep tonight! Share any Writetool ideas you have too! I would love to hear about them! Toodles! :)

Can't Sleep? Start a Blog!

Hey all! I am new to this blog thing, but as I lay in bed one night for 3 loooong hours (ugh!) I decided to grab my computer and start a blog.

I have been peeking into some other blogs and my! there sure are some cute ones. I hope mine can someday be as cute and informative! I am looking forward to teaching first grade. It will be a new adventure, as I have taught kindergarten for 4 years.

Hope you will come along with me! Enjoy!