Our anchor letter this week is the letter ‘A’. We don’t teach a letter a week, but we do have a phonics program we follow that focuses on one letter each week. We spend our small group time and shared reading/writing instruction to focus on and teach the alphabet. {I personally like to introduce the letters in McCracken order during small group because that’s how I was taught to do it my very first year teaching! Some habits die hard! But hey…the letters are being covered on all ends possible!!! HA!} Anyway since A is our anchor letter this week, I introduced the vowels…after all, that’s a pretty important … [Read more...] about The Vowel Song
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Keeping it Organized
Before I go any further, I must say…I.AM.WORN.OUT!!!!! Getting back into a routine sure is hard, isn’t it?! Anyway, I was pulling out a few things to get ready for next week and thought I’d share a quick way I **try** and stay somewhat organized as far as filing materials/activities goes. I shared this little idea in Chicago and maybe you can use it, too :) When I create a new activity or make one that I purchase, I always write them down in my little monthly activity binder. I jot down the name of the activity, the author, and where I put it {because I ALWAYS forget!!!!}. This makes prepping for planning SO … [Read more...] about Keeping it Organized
Visual Plans…A Peek at My Week!
Happy Labor Day! Did y’all have a relaxing weekend?! I sure did! Mr. Spouse had to put in a few hours for football, but I got to spend lots of QT with the boys. We said goodbye to my firstborn’s first bed and brought in a brand new bunk bed for the boys to share. They.are.IN.LOVE. I spent the day with my family today…mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, seester, and nephew…plus my three boys. It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend! And now I’m rested and ready to start another week with my Kinder babies. We’re hitting the ground running this week with LOTS of name recognition activities and I’m … [Read more...] about Visual Plans…A Peek at My Week!
Uh Oh…Gues What Day It Is?!
You guessed it…. Woo hoo! Half way to a 3-day weekend after a long first week back! Woo hoo! Let’s recap the week thus far, shall we?! Monday was a GREAT first day! I LOVED spending the whole day with all 18 of my little sweeties. Yes…only 18. A blessing indeed. Speaking of blessings, I’m blessed to have my own two start school and LOVE it. Shockingly, the tears on my end were minimal. I only cried when I woke them up to get dressed. They didn’t cry a bit! We started the year with LOTS of rules and procedures. Not so much “you can’t do this…don’t do that…”, BUT we spent lots of … [Read more...] about Uh Oh…Gues What Day It Is?!
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}!!!
A Whole ‘Lotta Back to School Randomness
And so it has begun. Another new school year. As cheesy as it sounds…I’m SO excited! Another year to grow…to try new things…to do things better…and to love on {and teach, of course!!} a new bunch of sweet babies!! This year is extra special to me because BOTH my boys will be with me…the littlest love will be starting Pre-K and my first born is starting Kindergarten! STOP.TIME.NOW!!!! I really tried to savor every last bit of summer that I could. That meant that I stayed out of my classroom until a few days before teachers started back….which was this past Monday. I work way better under pressure … [Read more...] about A Whole ‘Lotta Back to School Randomness
Teacher Week! Meet the Teacher
So…if you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you’ve already seen a couple of “Meet the Teacher” posts {here & here}. You probably have NO desire to read another! But it’s TEACHER WEEK over at Blog Hoppin’ and I’m not one to miss out on a party, so here we go. But before I get started, I just have to give a HUGE shout out to Tenille over at The Cutest Blog on the Block. She’s the creative genius behind my new blog design! I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the makeover!!! She worked wonders with this little ol’ blog and I couldn’t be happier!!! I couldn’t have designed it better if I … [Read more...] about Teacher Week! Meet the Teacher
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!
Throwback Thursday
It's Thursday! And you know what that means. It's time for another edition of... Many of you have already headed back to the classroom to start another school year. Seriously...where did the summer go?! I'm ALL about building relationships in my classroom and while I definitely think that's the most effective way to manage behavior, I also love fun little ways to reward my kids. Sure...kids should be intrinsically motivated...and I know that's our goal. But it's still fun to "earn" little things here and there for good behavior. Here's a little post I wrote last year about a fun little … [Read more...] about Throwback Thursday
Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!
I know y'all are DYING to know the winners...but first let me say THANK YOU to every single person that participated in this giveaway. We never dreamed that it would turn out to be such a HUGE event. On our final giveaway, we had just shy of 70,000 entries! THAT is CRAZY...and yet another reason that I love teachers! Also one more thank you to our sponsors for donating such fabulous prizes and for being such big cheerleaders for teachers. Make sure you show them lots of love and follow them on Facebook. If you missed those links, you can check them out again right {HERE}. We can't wait for our Back to School Bash … [Read more...] about Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!
Surprise Giveaway & The Final 24 Hours. Enter Now!
Just when you thought the giveaways were about to end...we have yet another amazing Bash Basket just for you...AND....valued at around $800.00. This is a fast one, so be sure and enter right away, share with your teacher friends, and cross your fingers! I am SO jealous that I can not enter to win these amazing prizes! This basket is filled with all the goods! 1) A free National Event (Summer) from SDE. SDE hosts amazing opportunities for professional development such as I Teach K, recently held in Las Vegas! 2) $100 Tieks Gift Card Umm...have you seen these amazing shoes?!? They are absolutely perfect for … [Read more...] about Surprise Giveaway & The Final 24 Hours. Enter Now!
Your Mission…Should You Choose to Accept…
When I presented in Chicago, I shared some fun {to me!} math activities that my kids really love{d}. I figured y’all might be able to use a few of them so I wanted to share some of them here, too! The best thing about these activities is that they can be used in all different ways…whole group, independently, dessert tubs, etc. Just a few really simple ideas to keep your kids engaged in hands-on learning! One of my favorite ways to keep my kids engaged is with this little “Beat the Timer” notebook. This would work for anything…not just math. I have a tub in my room that holds my little sand timers and this little … [Read more...] about Your Mission…Should You Choose to Accept…
Back To School Bash! Bash Basket #3
Eeeeek!!! If you stopped by here yesterday, then you know why I’m so excited. Today’s the first day of the ULTIMATE Back to School Giveaway!!!! And let’s be real. Who doesn’t love FREE?!?!? And when it’s prizes like these?! Fuggedaboudit. {Look at me all bringin’ my Chicago mob tour into this post. I’ll stop.} Did you see what was up for grabs??!?! If you didn’t, you need to check it out HERE. Those are some SERIOUS prizes! I’m BUMMED I’m not eligible! But the good news is that you ARE! Now let’s get this party…ahem, BASH…started, shall we?! See that precious … [Read more...] about Back To School Bash! Bash Basket #3
Back to School Bash…The Ultimate Giveaway{s}!!!
Can you believe it is time to....dare I say it...go back to school?!? That's right! Summer has come and gone, and it is time to get back into those classrooms, organize all of that supplies, decorate your space, plan some out of this world lessons to WOW your kiddos on those first few days back, and well...that leaves zero only a small amount of time for you. BUT...I have great news. Some of my best friends and I know a *little* something about how hard teachers work and how much blood sweat tears love we pour into our classroom each year. So, we have been planning a little something {for quite a long time} to … [Read more...] about Back to School Bash…The Ultimate Giveaway{s}!!!
My Kind of Town
Well…it’s OVER. Not summer…just yet…but my very first presentation. Lawdhavemercy. And this pretty much sums up my feelings about it all until I was finished… Nervous would be an understatement. But I did it…and I had a BLAST!!! And I met SO many AMAZING educators!!! Everyone was so sweet and they were even smiling at me as I rambled on and on. I know I’m not funny, so they either felt really sorry for me or they were genuinely *enjoying* my little presentation. To make myself feel better, I’ll go with the latter ;) I wish I would’ve taken more pictures, but my nerves got the best of me. I … [Read more...] about My Kind of Town
Throwback Thursday
Sooooo...it's Thursday, y'all. And if I'm being totally honest, if it weren't for my weekly linky parties, this blog would be full of tumbleweeds and crickets. I've been CONSUMED with trying to get my presentation ready for the Extraordinary Educators Conference in Chicago this weekend!!! Eeeek!!! SO nervous, but so excited!! Now it's time for... And since I'm headed to Chi-Town for a few days full of fun and learning, I figured it was only fitting to throwback to my last trip to Chicago this past Fall with some of my closest, most favorite friends. After all, I have NO pictures to share from the I … [Read more...] about Throwback Thursday
Favorite Pins Friday
Hey y'all! It's time for another installment of... Here's how it works. Pin like a crazy person through the week {oh wait...is that just me?!?!?} and highlight your favorites every Friday. Of course, you can post about your favorite teaching related pins, but feel free to post about anything else you pinned, too!!! I love finding a great new recipe or a something I've never seen before that I just "have to have" :) The only rule: please make sure to link back to the ORIGINAL poster and not to Pinterest :) Because let's be real....Pinterest is NOT a person!!! Please and … [Read more...] about Favorite Pins Friday
Throwback Thursday
After two weeks of traveling, I'm happy to say that we're FINALLY home! Woo hoo! Now it's time for a little.... This week's throwback is inspired by a few books I've started reading. I bought these books a while back, but time wasn't exactly on my side, so I'm just now getting around to reading them and devouring every.single.word. I can honestly say that teaching writing is an area where I REALLY want to grow this year. I mean, I feel like I have the hang of it...I can see tons of growth in my kids' writing every year...but I KNOW I can do more!!! I'm so excited to see what I learn from these … [Read more...] about Throwback Thursday
How To Schedule Your Facebook Posts
How many of y’all schedule your blog posts days {or dare I say WEEKS} in advance?! Y’know…when you know you’ll be out of town or when you just happen to be working *ahead*. Ummm, as for me, notsomuch. As you can see, I’m doing good to even attempt to blog once a week. However, since I’ve been out of town, I’ve really tried to stay on top of scheduling my linky parties in advance. Did y’all know you can schedule your Facebook posts, too?! Am I the LAST one to know about this?! I mean, it totally wouldn’t surprise me if I am. I’ve never been the first to find out about anything. But … [Read more...] about How To Schedule Your Facebook Posts
The 12 Days of Christmas…In July…and Some Summer Randomness
Hey y'all! Thanks so much for linking up for the last couple of linky parties! It's been so much fun going back through your old posts and reading to find out what everybody's been pinning! LOVE IT!!!! Since the rest of this post is going to be pretty random, I'm linking up with my sweet friend, Michelle, over at Fabulous in First for her Sunday Smorgasbord. This past week has been wildly busy for our little family of four. We've been visiting family in Indiana & Michigan! If you've been following me on Instagram, you already know that we stopped by Duck Commander on our way up … [Read more...] about The 12 Days of Christmas…In July…and Some Summer Randomness
Favorite Pins Friday!
Hey y'all! I know we're all very, VERY sad that sweet Doodle Bugs is taking a {well deserved} break from hosting her weekly Five for Friday. Hopefully this new little feature...Favorite Pins Friday...will tide you over until she brings it back! Here's how it works. Pin like a crazy person through the week {oh wait...is that just me?!?!?} and highlight your favorites every Friday. Of course, you can post about your favorite teaching related pins, but feel free to post about anything else you pinned, too!!! I love finding a great new recipe or a something I've never seen before that I just "have to … [Read more...] about Favorite Pins Friday!
Throwback Thursday
I'm throwin' back with you today all the way from Michigan! HAPPY JULY 4th! We spend this holiday with our sweet family on the lake every single year and I can honestly say that this is one of my most favorite summer traditions! I just love this time of year! If you have any extra time on your hands today...or any time this week...link up with us for another edition of.... This week I'm highlighting a little post I blogged about last summer. One of my most FAVORITE ways to integrate math and reading/writing. Hope you can maybe incorporate this into your classroom, too!! HAPPY 4th!!!! … [Read more...] about Throwback Thursday
R.I.P Google Reader…Sadsville.
I'm sure by now you all know that Google Reader will be non existent as of July 1st. Sadsville. That's pretty much devastating since that's the ONLY way I read blogs these days!!! It's just so convenient. That to be said, if you haven't started prepping for Google Reader's extinction, you might wanna go ahead and start getting ready now. It will take you all of a hot minute, so don't worry about it taking too much time :) Sit down with a tall latte and by the time you're all finished with your drink, you'll be good to go :) image via Oliver + S One of my favorite bloggers, Decorchick, has a great … [Read more...] about R.I.P Google Reader…Sadsville.
Throwback Thursday!
Hey y'all! It's time for another installment of Throwback Thursday! Woo hoo!! Before we get to all that, I just have to tell you that Mr. Spouse and I celebrated 9 years of *wedded bliss* yesterday :) Ummmm...if I'm being totally honest, I don't think either of us wished each other a happy anniversary until it was time for dinner. Life really got in the way! I rushed Landon to the ER the night before with severe stomach pains. Praise Jesus it was just GAS!!! HA!!! Our little pug, Lloyd, went to the vet for some issues...I took the boys to get their hair cut....we were going a little crazy … [Read more...] about Throwback Thursday!
