It's August 25th. For most schools here in Texas, today is the first day of school. This is an event my boys have been anticipating for the last month. Once all of our summer travels were over, they would excitedly ask, "when do we go back to school??!?!?!?!?" For the last few weeks ,the excitement has been building. The boys met their teachers last week {they are all so PRECIOUS!!!} and they haven't been able to stop talking about school since they walked out of their brand new classrooms on "Meet the Teacher" night. Excitement would be an understatement. I decided to do a little something special … [Read more...] about Back To School
freebies
Personal Vocabulary Books ~ A Freebie!
Yesterday I showed y'all a fun little vocabulary activity we do in our classroom before/during/after reading. I thought we'd continue with a little vocabulary fun today so that I can show y'all one of my favorite little resources...our Vocabulary Mini Books!!! This was a class favorite this past year! Since we're in Kindergarten, we started off with a GIANT version of this book. Basically, we copied these pages on chart paper and did this activity whole group. I would use these books for one word and then complete 1-2 pages per day. I felt like this helped us to stay on task and really dig deep into word … [Read more...] about Personal Vocabulary Books ~ A Freebie!
Flashback Friday….It’s My BIRTHDAY!!!!!
SO...today is my BIRTHDAY!!! Forget the fact that I'm halfway to 70....as Mr. Spouse likes to remind me every chance he gets...but it's my day!!! I love ANY excuse to celebrate and, well, finally being halfway to 70 sounds like the perfect reason to party! I want to celebrate with YOU. Yes, YOU. So my entire store is 20% off today!!!! AND....that's not all. I'm giving away EVERYTHING in my ENTIRE store to one friend today! But you have to head over to Facebook to enter. In the meantime, I'm flashing back to an old post I wrote a couple of years ago...all about birthdays! Pretty fitting, don'tcha … [Read more...] about Flashback Friday….It’s My BIRTHDAY!!!!!
Apples & Freebies!
Not really sure what it is about apples that I love so much, but dang. I DO. I love them. I'll take them anyway I can get them. I'm kinda like Bubba in Forrest Gump, but instead of being obsessed with shrimp, I'm obsessed with apples. I even have a board dedicated to them... Today we're celebrating July birthdays in the family. Mine included. You know what that means?! All the apple pie I can handle. GET.OUT.RIGHT.NOW!!!!!! So that got me to thinking about apples in the classroom. A thematic staple of mine for the last 13 … [Read more...] about Apples & Freebies!
5 for Friday…The Valentine Edition
Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!! Do you like to celebrate?! Or do you think this is a pretty hokey 'holiday'?! Honestly, I love it. And like I said before, it's not because of the "lovey-dovey" idea behind it all. It's just so darn nostalgic for me. I mean, were elementary school Valentine parties the best or what?! This week I'm linking up with sweet Kacey over at Doodle Bugs Teaching for her weekly 5 for Friday linky. 1. Tell me this isn't the most precious thing you've ever seen. Of course, I found the idea on Pinterest. I'm not giving credit to Pinterest because Pinterest … [Read more...] about 5 for Friday…The Valentine Edition
Conversation Heart Math. A Fun, Hands-On Freebie!
I'm always looking for ways to make learning hands-on and FUN. Just like all of you, I scour the dollar bins at Target/Dollar Tree/Wal Mart/{insert store name here} in search of the *perfect* hands-on manipulatives/counters. Don't we all love making learning fun?! Turning the ordinary everyday things into learning materials for our littles?! Of course we do! And just like you, one of my favorite seasonal counters to use during the month of February are the tried and true...and completely disgusting...conversation hearts. {Y'all...I'm not a fan. They have the consistency of chalk and I'm really not … [Read more...] about Conversation Heart Math. A Fun, Hands-On Freebie!
And We’re Off…
Am I the only one that stresses thismuch about the regression of my kids after a long break?! I do this even after 3-day weekends. It's a sickness. I worry they'll forget absolutely everything I've taught them and they'll come back from break starting over at square one. Thankfully, that was not the case today {insert dramatic sigh of relief here}. In fact, I'm excited to say a lot of my babies progressed these last two weeks!! {Doesn't it always seem like a little light bulb goes off after winter break??!? Why do I worry?!??} I did running records on all of my kids today and ohmiword. Completely and … [Read more...] about And We’re Off…
ELFis Is In The Building
My kids were over the moon excited today. We had a special delivery straight from the North Pole… I read the letter to the kids and they flipped. I mean, they seriously had a conniption. They could barely stifle their screams. We somehow managed to get through the letter without anyone going too crazy, but when it came time for me to open Santa’s special delivery, we just couldn’t contain ourselves anymore. It got a little wild. But it was precious because their little hearts are SO innocent and they just couldn’t hold in their excitement at all. I just LOVE the magic of Christmas!!!! As … [Read more...] about ELFis Is In The Building
Winners & A Freebie!
I SO loved reading all about your favorite Christmas movies! Sounds like we have A LOT in common! EXCEPT…I’m really not a fan of A Christmas Story AT.ALL. {don’t judge!!!!!} I tolerate it because Mr. Spouse is obsessed. He’s SO obsessed that he bought me this two years ago for Christmas. And NO…it was not a gag gift. That movie brings back memories of my sister. She would watch it for 24 hours straight every Christmas Eve and I would BEG her to turn it off!! I won’t lie…in recent years, it’s really grown on me, but it’s definitely not my favorite! SADSVILLE!!!! These are the … [Read more...] about Winners & A Freebie!
Last Week. And My Visual Plans.
Do you ever feel like the short weeks are always the longest?! Why is that?! Maybe because we were blessed with a full moon. It’s a thought :) We were off for Columbus Day last Monday and then we turned right around on Wednesday and left campus for our first field trip of the school year. We went to see a live performance of “The Cat in the Hat” at the theater and then headed to the city park for lunch and a little playtime. I was so excited to be both mom AND teacher for this field trip. My little nugget’s class was there, too! SO exciting :) Since we only had 3 full days in the classroom, … [Read more...] about Last Week. And My Visual Plans.
Spider Week!
What is it about spiders that kids love SO much?! When I busted out our graph to start our unit of study on arachnids, the kids went CRAZY. In Abby’s words, 12 kinds of crazy. They were SO excited! I’m always floored by how much kids LOVE non-fiction. It seriously surprises me every.single.year. I see this with my own two boys. The gravitate towards non-fiction books ALL.THE.TIME. I love that. We started our week with the question, “Are you afraid of spiders?!” Me…notsomuch…unless they’re BIG and FURRY. Gross. They’re more creepy than scary and I say … [Read more...] about Spider Week!
A Peek at My Week! Visual Plans
It’s already Sunday. *Sigh*. Another RAINY Sunday. I’m not complaining about that though. Snuggling up on the couch with a cup of coffe {it’s National Coffee Day, did’ya know?!} and Lifetime…while it’s raining…sounds like the perfect way to spend a Sunday :) I’m pretty sure Mr. Spouse doesn’t feel the same. I’m sure we’ll be off the couch and out the door in no time :) Before I get to my plans, I just wanted to let you know that my October Write the Room packet is posted. I had a few sweet friends email and ask when those would be ready and they’re finally posted. You can check it out by … [Read more...] about A Peek at My Week! Visual Plans
The Week in Rewind, A Peek At My Week, and Fall is Here!
This past week seemed so fast and furious. The weekend went by even faster. It’s 6:00 on Sunday night and in a few hours I’ll be starting another week with my littles. Why does it take so long to get to Friday, but Monday gets here so darn quick?! I spent my weekend decorating for Halloween. Yes. It’s early. But I LOVE Halloween and decorating isn’t hurting anybody so that’s just what I did. If you wanna see it all, you can take a little Halloween house tour on my other blog HERE. I have another full week planned…parent/teacher conferences included…and I’m excited to take you back through our week … [Read more...] about The Week in Rewind, A Peek At My Week, and Fall is Here!
Here We Go {Again}!!!
Tomorrow’s the day. The first day of school. The first day of Kindergarten for my 18 little babies. I’m bound and determined to make it a memorable one…and you can guarantee it’ll be full of FUN! I’m putting my boys to bed tonight and waking them up tomorrow as a preschooler and a kindergartener. Sniff, sniff. I’m pretty sure there will be A LOT of tears in the morning…and they’ll ALL be from me!!!! I CAN’T WAIT!!!! In the meantime, I’m linking up with Deedee and sharing my first day visual plans with y’all. I’d share them all, but I’m experiencing a little technical difficulty on my end … [Read more...] about Here We Go {Again}!!!
Well…Color Me Happy! And a FREEBIE!
One of my most favorite “themes” to teach at the beginning of the year is COLORS! Not necessarily color identification…although yes, that’s VERY important…but I love teaching color WORDS. I think it’s SO important for our kids to know these words early because they’re used SO much throughout the year and we see them in print ALL.THE.TIME. When I say “theme”, I’m more or less talking about the books I read and the hands on activities I include in my station work. Here are some of my most favorite color themed books to read during our unit on color words… Throughout our study on color words, I like to keep adding to … [Read more...] about Well…Color Me Happy! And a FREEBIE!
Earth Day, Telling Time, & a Mother’s Day/Father’s Day Freebie!
It’s Saturday and I couldn’t be happier that I have absolutely NOTHING planned. Those are the best kind of weekends, aren’t they?! I *might* venture off for a pedicure because my feet are a little scary right now. BUT…other than the mid-day pampering, I have a whole bunch of nothing planned and I LOVE IT!!!! This past week was FULL of non-stop learning. We didn’t confine our Earth Day festivities to Monday, but instead we did a little something to celebrate each day this week. I can honestly say that I think my kids are experts on the 3 R’s. One of my FAVORITE Earth Day songs is by my FAVORITE artists, … [Read more...] about Earth Day, Telling Time, & a Mother’s Day/Father’s Day Freebie!
Kim Sutton, An Earth Day Freebie, and Some Fun Ideas!!
Guess where I was yesterday?! Spending the day with THE Kim Sutton!!!! If y’all have never had a chance to see her in person, I *highly* recommend attending one of her workshops at some point in your life! She is AMAZING! I had so many A-HA! moments yesterday!! That woman is BRILLIANT when it comes to teaching math! I’ve been using many of her resources and materials for several years now, but to hear her explain things in person is a totally different ballgame. Here’s a little peek at some of my fun… Now I’m spending the day getting ready for one of my FAVORITE days tomorrow…EARTH DAY!!! Are … [Read more...] about Kim Sutton, An Earth Day Freebie, and Some Fun Ideas!!
What’s the Buzz?
SO. I know I’m not the only one. Who else has their countdown on? 38 days for us. Not that I’m keeping track. But yes…38 days. I can smell summer in the air. Speaking of summer, I started a new workout program(ish). I’ve been getting up every morning and working out here at the house before school starts for a while now. I was using a few different videos, but after being inspired by my beautiful best friend {you have GOT to read her story HERE! Her progress pictures are INSANE!!!} I decided to try something new! Last week I started Les Mills Pump. I am in LOVE. I … [Read more...] about What’s the Buzz?
Hey, Little Ant!
I’ve been slacking on remembering to bring my camera to school, so I keep forgetting to snap some pics of what we’ve been up to! We’ve been goin’ buggy these last couple of weeks and I just wanted to quickly share some of our writing “ant”ics :) We started our little insect unit learning about our favorite little picnic pests. We read a few little non-fiction books about ants and then followed it up with one of the cutest fiction stories, “Hey, Little Ant” by Phillip and Hannah Hoose. LOVE this book!! We did a little response to text writing craftivity to pull it all together. Y’all…these crack me RIGHT up!!!! … [Read more...] about Hey, Little Ant!
The Plants Dance
I don’t really have a “plants dance” to share with you, but the words rhymed and I’m all about “catchy”, so I went with it. Happy Sunday, friends! Can you even believe Easter is next week?! Where’d the time go?!?! I have NO idea, but I’m not complaining! This just means we’re a little closer to summer! Woot!! Speaking of Easter, I’m home today and my laminator *might* need to be replaced after all the use it’s been getting this weekend! HA! Here’s what I’m prepping…. What do you have in store for the week?!!? This past week, we learned ALL about plants!!!!! And I don’t want to … [Read more...] about The Plants Dance
Party Rockin’ In Kindergarten
Hands down, Kindergarten writing is my favorite. I love the way the kids stretch out their sounds, and the way they organize their thinking and then translate that to writing just kills me. This *might* be my favorite writing to date!! Haha!!! “I’m so sorry Mrs. Carroll. I’m sorry for party rockin’. Do you like George Strait?” #partyrockininkindergarten #neverlaughedsohard #georgestraitismyhero In other news, I don’t get the hashtag, but all the cool kids are doing it so I thought I’d join in :) ***************************************************** For those of y’all asking about my … [Read more...] about Party Rockin’ In Kindergarten
100th Day & Counting…and a couple of Freebies
I’m still in a little *shock* that the 100th day of school has come and gone. My kids were SO excited about the monumentous milestone that they just couldn’t contain themselves. My own little man talked about it for DAYS before it was time to celebrate! Just take a look at this little 100th day cutie and that insanely interesting pose… We started planning for the big day weeks in advance. First up…planning our 100th day t-shirts. Thanks to Pinterest, we had our mother/son idea in about 2.5 seconds. And let me just say that we weren’t the only ones who went for this look! HA! AND…let me tell … [Read more...] about 100th Day & Counting…and a couple of Freebies
More Even & Odd Fun and The Great Turkey Race
We had some more odd & even fun today…just a little follow-up to yesterday’s Odd Todd & Even Steven lesson. I drew a few hands under my document camera {don’t worry…they wiped right off!!} and passed out some number cards to the kids. I called on each of the kids…one at a time…to tell me the number they were holding. We used snap cubes to count them out and then checked to see if we could split them EVENLY between the two hands. If we could, they sorted their number in the "even” column, and if we couldn’t, well…the number went to the “odd” column. They made some GREAT connections to yesterday’s Even … [Read more...] about More Even & Odd Fun and The Great Turkey Race
Going Batty
This week we’re goin’ batty in the classroom! In all fairness, we’re goin’ batty over spiders, too :) We started out the week reading fiction and non-fiction books about bats. After seeing a few illustrations and real pictures of bats, I was dying to know what my kids thought…do you think they’re cute?? or creepy?? I’ve seen one up close & in person and ohmiword…I hope I never see one again. My vote…CREEPY. Here’s what the kids thought… Can y’all believe that?! Most of my little sweeties thought they were cute!!!! We took this time to review the differences between picture … [Read more...] about Going Batty