The meet up that we held in Vegas last week was AMAZING!! There really isn't many other words that could describe it. Picture 1100 teachers in a room together, having fun, meeting new people, and winning lots of prizes. We were all smiling so hard that our cheeks hurt. It was a great night and we appreciate all of the many teachers and bloggers who came and had a fabulous night with us. First and foremost, we have to give a HUGE shout out to Teachers Pay Teachers, SDE, and GoNoodle! These sponsors not only donated generous amounts of giveaway swag, they also helped organize and make our meet-up extraordinary! It's safe to say that … [Read more...] about Vegas Teacher Blogger Meetup 2015
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Sight Word Saturday!
Hey you guys!! HAPPY SATURDAY! If you've been reading along this week, then you know today's the LAST DAY of my little birthday SALE-A-BRATION! Today is my official birthday (WHOOP!!!) and I'm celebrating it at a wedding with the entire family in tow. I specifically asked for nothing this year so that we could instead spend the weekend doing random acts of kindness. I have one tiny little favor to ask of you. Will you join us, too?! Doesn't have to be anything big. Just a simple random act of kindness :) Now let's get right down to it and talk about what we're really here for...SIGHT … [Read more...] about Sight Word Saturday!
Fluency & Phonics Friday
If you're been joining me this week for my birthday SALE-A-BRATION, welcome to day 5 of our little weeklong event! I think this is the most consistent I've posted since starting this blog 5 years ago. I need to get better about that. I forget how much I love it sometimes!!! Today we're talking all about fluency and phonics. First we're focusing on phonics and then we'll get into the fluency portion. Do you have a specific phonics curriculum you follow in the classroom? Saxon? Horizons?? Or do you just make it up as you go? I'm asking because I'm genuinely curious. … [Read more...] about Fluency & Phonics Friday
Holidays & Themes (Thematic Thursday)
This week is quickly drawing to a close and we're on the backside of our birthday SALE-A-BRATION. It's been so much fun getting to celebrate my weeklong milestone with y'all! Today we're talking all about holidays and themes. Do you celebrate holidays in your classroom? Are you allowed to theme your resources and curriculum? I often get asked how I fit it all in and I'm hoping this post gives you a glimpse of how I plan! Now let's first take a look at my yearlong pacing calendar. We'll look at October just for giggles. As you can see in the far left column (under Sunday), I have my … [Read more...] about Holidays & Themes (Thematic Thursday)
Write On Wednesday
It's Wednesday and the 3rd day in my weeklong birthday SALE-A-BRATION! Today we're talking all about writing... I know I've blogged about my writing station several times before so I won't go into great detail about it here. However, I do want to take a minute to tell you how much I love it. I've always had a writing center, but I struggled week-to-week with planning writing activities that kept my kids truly engaged. Keep in mind that my writing center is completely separate from Writer's Workshop. While I love for my kids to choose what they're going to write about, when they visit the writing … [Read more...] about Write On Wednesday
Time To Go Back Tuesday (Back to School Favorites)
It's "Time To Go Back" Tuesday! Let's celebrate! Today I'm talking all about my back to school favorites. Tried and true ideas and activities that have helped me start my year off on the right foot. If you're anything like me, you love to mix it up and try new things from year to year. Maybe not everything, but some new things can be fun :) I'm hoping this little list of favorites gives you some new ideas to try out this year or tuck in your pocket for the future! I think one of my most favorite back to school events is Meet the Teacher night. There's SO much anticipation going into a new school … [Read more...] about Time To Go Back Tuesday (Back to School Favorites)
Math Monday (& a Birthday SALE-A-BRATION)
Happy Monday! God willing I will be celebrating another year of life on Saturday so this is technically my birthday week. Does anybody else draw out their birthdays and celebrate for a week?!?! If I'm being honest, I don't do that anymore, but when I was younger I sure milked my yearly milestone as long as I could :) This year I thought it would be fun to bring back that weeklong tradition I used to covet, only now I want to celebrate with YOU! So each day this week I'll be having a little birthday SALE-a-bration and posting all about the topics you see posted below :) Now let's get on with … [Read more...] about Math Monday (& a Birthday SALE-A-BRATION)
Year Long Planning & Pacing Guide (K & 1st Grades)
Hello all! I am still trying to recover from our whirlwind "vacation". We travel to Indiana every year to visit our family for the 4th and for the last couple of years our annual trip to the Midwest has coincided with the National SDE conferences in Vegas. This year we flew to Indiana and stayed for a few days. Then the WHOLE family drove up to Michigan where my brother & sister-in-law live. We spent a few days there celebrating the 4th (an annual family tradition) and then my husband and I flew to Vegas from Michigan and left the kids with grandma and grandpa...Camp Carroll :) We stayed in … [Read more...] about Year Long Planning & Pacing Guide (K & 1st Grades)
I Teach 1st….THANK YOU!
Hello from sunny...and HOT!!!....Las Vegas! I'm here in the city that never sleeps. Or is that New York?? Because it should DEFINITELY be Las Vegas if it's not :) Even the kids running up and down our hallway ALL night...screaming!!!...think so, too ;) I had a FABULOUS day full of fun at the I Teach 1st Conference! SO many amazing teachers here! Thanks to all of you who came to my sessions today. I hope you were able to take away some new-to-you ideas and activities to implement into your classroom and I hope most of what you heard today just reaffirmed all the good you're doing in your … [Read more...] about I Teach 1st….THANK YOU!
Phonics Friday
Happy Friday, y'all!! Yes! Today is our 2nd installment of Phonics Friday! Last week we talked a little about some important Phonics non-negotiables. You can check those out HERE. I also shared a couple of fun games & independent activities I like using in the classroom for phonics instruction. Today's post is dedicated to my Kindergarten teachers. Kindergarten is where it all begins. We set the tone for the rest of our learning experiences in Kindergarten. We wipe noses, zip pants, tie shoes, dry tears, and instill within our kids a love of learning. Bless the Kindergarten … [Read more...] about Phonics Friday
Currently
We're a couple of days into July and I'm already blogging more than I did last month :) Hahaha. Today I thought it would be fun to link up with Farley for a little July edition of Currently... Listening - I'm 100% obsessed with Spotify (minus the lack of Taylor Swift). I have a million playlists and am always adding more, but right now I'm obsessed with my "Poolside Kids" tunes. This is the playlist we can play while the kids are swimming or riding with us in the car :) I realized a few of my playlists included some choice words, so I had to make a "radio friendly" version available for the boys … [Read more...] about Currently
July Goals
July. You read that right. JULY. I know some of you are just now getting out of school for the summer while some of you are counting down the days 'til school starts again. Target has moved in all of their school supplies (in my area anyway) and we're already getting back-to-school flyers in the mail. Seems like the rush happens earlier and earlier every year. While I love planning and prepping for a new school year, I love savoring every bit of summer, too. It goes by quickly and I don't want to miss any of it! I thought it would be fun to ring in a new month with a little list of "goals" I've set … [Read more...] about July Goals
Let’s Talk Writing!
Today let's talk writing! I want to share with you a few things that I think helps me to maintain a successful writing block. First up, let's talk about some writing non-negotiables. If we expect our kids to become fluent writers capable of producing more than just a sentence here and there, we have to give them TIME to write. Not just 5 minutes here and there, but time for sustained writing. Not only do we need to give them the time to write, but we need to give them the freedom to write about what interests them. I personally feel like writing opportunities should present themselves throughout the day....during guided reading, in … [Read more...] about Let’s Talk Writing!
Phonics Friday!
Welcome to Phonics Friday! My plan is to post every Friday with some fun Phonics based activities and ideas. With a holiday weekend next week and being in Vegas the week after that, I'm not promising consistency (at least for the next couple of weeks). But I do plan on posting more ideas for you to add to your ever growing list in the weeks to come!!! Just like every other theory/trend/philosophy/belief in education, there are always two schools of thought. We either think the idea/theory/trend/philosophy/belief is important and relevant and believe wholeheartedly in implementing it into our classroom OR we don't think … [Read more...] about Phonics Friday!
Sight Word Mastery & Intervention
One of the most frequent questions I get is all about how I teach sight words and what I do for the kids who continue to struggle with retention and application. That's a tough one, isn't it?! Especially when kids aren't developmentally ready to retain and apply what they've learned....but that's a whole different post. Today, let's talk about some classroom tested and effective strategies and activities that are both great for introducting & reinforcing sight words as well as activities that are great for intervention. For my last couple of years in Kindergarten, my kids (as you know) would come to me at … [Read more...] about Sight Word Mastery & Intervention
FIve For Friday
Hey y'all! I'm linking up with Kacey at Doodle Bugs today for Five for Friday. A WHOLE lot of randomness which is pretty fitting for the current theme of my life :) Moving right along... I'm spending the day today cleaning baking, and crafting. Our oldest is turning 8 on the 29th and he insisted on having his party on the 20th. No idea, but it works for me. He decided to tell me this last Wednesday. I don't let my kids make all the decisions, but when it comes to birthdays I'm all for it. This is the first friend birthday party we've thrown for him in 3 years. Summers are so hard … [Read more...] about FIve For Friday
Checking In
HAPPY MONDAY TO YOU! It's been a while, hasn't it?! I feel like I say that a lot. Well, I KNOW I say that a lot. The last few weeks of the school years ended up being a lot more busy than I intended and my little slice of cyberspace took a backseat until I could catch up with myself. I sure missed posting. Now that things have settled down, I wanted to hop on over and let you know about some fun things I have lined up that I don't want you to miss. Or maybe you all stopped reading because I never post anymore :) So for the three of you that are still checking back for updates, HI!!! … [Read more...] about Checking In
Suggested Summer Reading (Leveled!)
Hello friends! This will be a quick post as I have a full day ahead of me prepping for some PD I'll be doing in OK later this week. As I was going through some files to share, I came across these lists I created to send home with my kids last year. I compiled a list of different books parents can buy/check out from the library that reach their independent reading levels. I also included books that would be great for fluency! Parent notes are attached to the top of each list. I sent these home in my kids' portfolios at the end of the year. I also gave the parents a copy and explained it to them … [Read more...] about Suggested Summer Reading (Leveled!)
Ice Cream Day (End of Year THEME DAYS!!!)
So I heard from a little birdie that lots of you are either approaching your last week or are days away from your last day. Lucky y'all!!! HA!!! For those of you with a little more time on your hands, I'm going to be posting about different theme days for the next few days. This is how I survive the end of the school year. Our schedules are already wonky...guided readers have to be turned in and accounted for...nothing resembles normalcy WHATSOEVER!!!! Theme days get me by during these last few days of the year. They're fun for me and a BLAST for the kids. No better way to end a school … [Read more...] about Ice Cream Day (End of Year THEME DAYS!!!)
What’s Going On Wednesday
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all my teacher friends! While Teacher Appreciation Week has always been one of my favorites, I think I love it even moreso as a mom. I love showering the boys' teachers with little treats and gifts to let them know how much they're appreciated. We really do feel like we won the teacher lottery this year. They're just amazing. We filled the bags with their favorite candies, snacks, drinks, and magazines. We have a few more plans up our sleeves for the rest of the week...homemade dinner, lunch brought to school, gift card, favorite Sonic drink...my boys love to give. … [Read more...] about What’s Going On Wednesday
In My Neck of the Woods…
It's been a while since my last update, but I wanted to pop in and let you know what's going on in my neck of the woods. Things have been busy with the end of the school year approaching. My conference schedule has wound down, but everything else seems to be going into overdrive. Ever feel like that?!?! One thing I've made a priority amidst the craziness is Bible study. I drive about 45 minutes after school to get there every Monday night and I wouldn't trade that time of reflection and fellowship for anything. God is changing my heart one chapter at a time. I've always struggled with self-doubt and … [Read more...] about In My Neck of the Woods…
Let’s Get Ready for Earth Day!
Earth Day has always been one of my favorite events to celebrate with my school babies. There's just something about it. I love the sense of camaraderie we gain through our teamwork as we clean up trash around the school grounds, pay more attention to our recycling efforts, and love our Earth just a little more than we already do. As usual, this time of the year seems to speed by quickly and these events sort of pop up without giving us much time to plan or prep. I mean, it's not like we have a MILLION other things going on, right?! HA!!! I thought this would be great time to remind us of some fun Earth … [Read more...] about Let’s Get Ready for Earth Day!
Book Study: Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites, Chapter 8
Thanks for stopping by for our latest link-up in our book study.... Today we're talking all about metaphors, analogies, and similes. You're excited, right?! This is one of those chapters that made me think. It's all about making connections. Marcia Tate says that this is the MOST EFFECTIVE strategy. HELLO!!!! MOST EFFECTIVE!!! I'm certain this is a strategy I don't implement enough. Dang. Of course I wouldn't be implementing the MOST EFFECTIVE strategy as much as I should!! But what makes this the most effective strategy?! Why are metaphors, analogies, and similes so … [Read more...] about Book Study: Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites, Chapter 8
All About the Weather! (Activities, Ideas, & Freebies!)
Happy weekend to you!!!! My weekend started off not-so-happy. My littlest bit was sent home Thursday afternoon with a fever. After a round of Motrin and lots of TLC, he was seemingly back to normal. Never ran a fever again. So weird! But his school day fever meant he had to stay home yesterday. I won't lie to you. I cherish days like that. Not the circumstances, but the moments when I can just soak him in just the way he is without any other distractions. I'm feeling a little sentimental...can you tell?! Now that the littlest member of my family is going on a full 48 hours of … [Read more...] about All About the Weather! (Activities, Ideas, & Freebies!)
