Week 1 is finished and although I had pre-first day nightmares that looked like this

I survived, they did not manage to tie me up, and we had an awesome first week of school. This is an exciting year for my family because...look at my big first grader! My oldest is in first grade and so that means I get to see her even more during the day. No, she is not in my class. (That would be REALLY bad.) But, she has the best teacher and she is loving school and she is right next door, YAY!

This week flew by, we were crazy busy trying to squeeze in as many rules and procedures as possible. I always forget how young they are at the beginning of the year. On Monday at about 9:15 (45 minutes into the day) I had a kiddo ask me if it was almost time to go home. Oh honey, its going to be a LONG day! HA! 

Here is a little look at our week, I tried to make sure I took lots of pictures so I could share with you. Monday we began our Back to School book. I LOVE this book and students/parents do too! 

The first page is "Meet My Teacher" where the students draw a picture of their new teacher and write something they have learned about him/her. I created a little Around the Room activity to help. Great first day activity since they are so WIGGLY! 

On Tuesday we began Readers Workshop. We read for a whole 5 minutes, WOO HOO! We are going to build up our reading stamina slowly. My book boxes are from Really Great Stuff, my teaching neighbor showed me these awesome clear labeling pockets from Lakeshore and I created this editable PDF for the labels. These labels are FREE for Facebook Fans. Simply like my page to download them, click on the tab on the right to get there. 

My week started to get a little blurry on Wednesday, it was 113 degrees so that means no outdoor activity. 

No outdoor activity = rainy day schedule = NOOOO!!!!!!! 

We made the best of it and started working on our No, David art. 

Thursday, oh Thursday. My little one had enough by Thursday, we slept in over the summer and she is having a hard time changing her sleeping schedule.  

Thursday was another hot one at 114 degrees so again, no outdoor activity. Oh my! We finished out Back to School book on Thursday and sent it home. 

Friday was crazy hot again but I can put up with just about anything because IT IS FRIDAY! We brainstormed the classroom rules and did the writing to accompany our David art. They turned out so cute! This is by far one of my favorite bulletin boards of the year. The David art and Writing page is a free download in my TpT store. Several people have asked about the poster, I am trying to clear this with David Shannon because I don't want to violate copyright. If/When I hear back with permission I will make it available. 

Next week we get to begin our NEW Journeys Reading Series and we are starting with the story "What is a Pal?" I am super excited about this new series. I have created a ton of stuff to use next week. We are going to begin our Interactive Notebooks and Literacy Stations. I am looking forward to sharing more with you! 

Now I am off to bed and I am looking forward to enjoying my Sunday with my family. 

Partner Time!

I swear this is the face that comes across my kiddos the second that I say we are going to work with a partner!

As soon as this word "partner" comes out of my mouth and reaches their little ears they begin plotting with looks across the room, hand gestures and sometimes the sudden bolt from their chair - and all of this happens before I even give directions! 

Well, I have had enough! To ensure my sanity (let's face it, I have many years to retirement), I have created this little "Hive Helper". Using this bookmark helps my students choose different partners, ensures feelings are not hurt when someone is not picked as a partner and allows me to ability group partners (I often assign the first three partners).

I have tried several other versions of this idea from clock partners to partner wheels and this is what works best in my class. I uploaded it as fan only FREEBIE on Facebook! (Colored version and Black and White version) So, simply click the image to visit my page and you can download this for free!





Here is a little "sneak peak" at what I am working on right now. I wrote a Donors Choose project for some National Geographic KIDS readers for guided reading groups. My project was funded *yay* and I now have 6 copies of 19 different NG books! I am thrilled to begin using these with my reading groups and so I have been working on Book Guides to accompany the text. I am creating a bundle for the books - Polar Bears, Penguins and Wolves. I should have them posted by the end of the week and of course I will do a little giveaway for the first couple comments so follow me on Facebook so you can win!

Time to get some rest, I have 4 more days before Christmas Break begins and my little firsties are going slightly crazy with the anticipation of Christmas so I am going to need all the patience in the world this week! 

Whooo Loves a Freebie - Day 6

Hey All! Happy Saturday!
I am a little later posting my freebie today because this morning we had family pictures. I AM EXHAUSTED! I know they are going to turn out great and we had fun but my goodness now I know why we don't have tons of family pictures, it is a lot of work! As soon as I get our pictures back, I will share :)
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Thank you for coming back for another FREEBIE Owl item! Over the last week we have read more than enough books to be owl experts and I think we are ready to begin writing. I am going to challenge my students to use some of those vocabulary words that we have learned throughout the unit in their writing.

Today I have a Tree Map/Bubble Map/Writing Line Freebie for ya! Before we ever begin writing we spend so much time brainstorming our thinking and I couldn't decide if I wanted to use a tree map or bubble map with this unit so...I made both! At the beginning of the year I use lots of tree maps with my firsties because they can use this tool to translate their writing so easily. I loved using tree maps with my kinders!

 You can get these Writing Pages for FREE for the next 24 hours only! Tomorrow I will put all the items from this week into a packet on TpT. Hope you are having a relaxing and wonderful weekend!

We used out bubble maps to brainstorm facts about owls then used the writing paper to combine all our facts for some non-fiction writing fun! We also used this fun owl writing craftivity to play a little "Guess Whooooo???? Game

Get all these activities in my All About Owls packet on TpT! 

Whooo LOVES a Freebie - Day 5

Welcome Back Everyone! YAY it is Friday! THREE DAY WEEKEND!! I am so excited to have an extra day to spend with my little girls!

Thank you for coming back for another FREEBIE Owl item! Today I am very excited to share with you a product for my favorite subject - MATH! Honestly, I love everything math, it is my favorite part of the day. I have spent so much time creating math resources and I feel so comfortable with the CORE math standards.

We begin our math lesson everyday with our Math Journals, where we work on problem solving. We will read the problem together, work the problem out with manipulatives if needed. Discuss our thinking, try a few more examples then get to work with paper and pencil.

I have created an Owl Math Journal to go with this unit and would love to share it with you all. I have 16 other math journals that are in my CORE math units for kinder and first grade but I also just posted them as a separate item. For TODAY ONLY these packets will be 20% off! 

Click here to see my First Grade Math Journal Packet (162 pages)

Click here to see my Kindergarten Math Journal Packet (176 pages)

 You can get this Math Journal for FREE for the next 24 hours only! At the end of the week, I will put all the items in a packet on TpT. Happy Friday everyone! 

Only 2 more days of freebies left!

SEE YOU TOMORROW! 

Whoooo Loves A Freebie - Day 2

Hello All! Hope you are back for another FREEBIE Owl item! During my PD time this weekend about exemplar text we spent time yesterday learning about Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary words and the importance of direct and explicit vocab instruction - another reason I LOVE Gail Gibbons books. I found this article that shares the importance of academic vocab and I thought I would share because these few sentences speak volumes to me about the importance of teaching vocab.

The Common Core State Standards place an importance on academic vocabulary. In addition to developing an advanced vocabulary, the CCSS calls for increasing the amount of nonfiction and informational text in classrooms. We know that vocabulary knowledge influences fluency, comprehension, and student achievement. And, vocabulary plays an even more important role in understanding nonfiction and informational text. It has been estimated that 80% of comprehension in nonfiction is dependent upon understanding the vocabulary.

To work with some of the Tier 3 vocabulary in Gibbons book Owls I created a fun book/craftivity. Students can use this to focus on some of the vocab words such as: talons, raptor, nocturnal, pellet, clutch, endangered, owlets, etc.... Students can write each vocab word, draw a picture and write the meaning of each word on the pages provided. Students will then be able to use this book as reference throughout the unit.

 You can get this activitie for FREE for the next 24 hours only! At the end of the week, I will put all the items in a packet on TpT. (If you become a follower of my TpT store you will be notified each day as I post the freebie.) Happy Tuesday everyone! 

SEE YOU TOMORROW! 

Give the EARTH a Helping Hand!

Have you read this book?!

I LOVE Todd Parr! His books are incredible! This is one of my all time favorite books for Earth Day. In this book, Todd writes about some of the small things that we can do to make a big difference for our EARTH. 

His kid-friendly language and art is so engaging to first grade students. One of the pages in the book says:

 "I remember to turn off the lights and shut the refrigerator to save energy because....I love the polar bears and I want the snowmen to stay cool."

We had an amazing discussion about global warming today in our first grade class! 

WOW, thank you Todd Parr! 

After reading the book, I challenged the kids to give the earth a helping hand and make their own Earth Day Pledge. Here is what they came up with! 

(So sorry about the picture quality, I only had my iphone camera today)

 

I pledge to plant more trees because if there are no trees we won't have oxygen. If there was no oxygen we would die. 

I pledge to plant new trees because I want to have paper. And I want to respect the earth.

I pledge to recycle and turn off the lights because I don't want to make the earth a disaster.  

To make the art project we used coffee filters and markers. After students drew the continents and oceans with their washable markers we sprayed the coffee filters with water to blend the colors together. Here is our Earth Day bulletin board! 

   If you would like to download the writing page click here to get it! 

Five for Friday Linky!

 1. It's my BIRTHDAY! Truth be told...I am NOT happy about this getting older business but, I am having a TpT sale to celebrate. This weekend everything in my store will be 20% off! Click on the image above to link to my store. 

2. The clipart above is so super cute right?! My new favorite clipart store is Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah Designs, I LOVE her clipart! 

I just purchased her Base Ten Clipart package last week and created a Base Ten Around the Room activity. Simply cut out the 8 cards and post them around the classroom. 

Students use the recording sheet to show the number by:

 1. coloring their base the blocks to match 

2. writing the numeral 

3. writing the expanded notation

 My kids had a blast with this activity! This activity is part of my newly-revised

 UNIT 4 FIRST GRADE CORE MATH but I also posted it as a FREEBIE in my TPT store, click here to grab it!

3. Last week I posted a pic of my new chevron maxi skirt that I am completely obsessed with and so many people commented and emailed me asking where I got it. My daughter's kinder teacher introduced my to a new boutique in Gilbert, AZ called Junky Trunk and they have some of the cutest clothes EVER! This is what I bought this week! 

The best thing about this store is the owner,  (that is her modeling in this pic) does phone orders and ships anywhere the worst thing about this store is that she posts pics via facebook ALL DAY and being the shopping addicted person that I am, I go crazy! 

Follow her on facebook by clicking here!

Don't say I didn't warn you when you become addicted to her boutique! 

4. I am still working on revising my First Grade CORE Math packets, I have finished Units 5 - 8 and will have the revisions uploaded to TpT this weekend! 

Exciting News...I have had so many request and I have decided that 

 I am going to begin creating CORE math units for 

SECOND GRADE!

(as soon as I finish revising my first grade units)

 

5. Next week we are going to start working on our Animal Research Reports. I will be sure to take some pics so I can share with you! 

Have a wonderful week everyone! Thanks Doodle Bugs for hosting this linky!

Five For Friday

I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Five for Friday Linky Party. Here are 5 random things from my week.

1. IT'S SPRING BREAK! 

 Ha! Just kidding! That has so NOT been my week but Ahhhhh remember those carefree college days??

 Sorry...snapping back to reality.

I have had a wonderful time this week being home with my little girls! In Arizona its has been in the high 90's all week so we have been outside enjoying the weather before it gets too HOT!

2. I bought new glasses yesterday. I am still trying to decide if I like them. You see, I am very blind and I HATE wearing glasses but since I have no choice, I figure I might as well make it fun and wear some funky frames. My five year old daughter took this picture, excuse my messy closet in the background!  

3. I have been working very hard this week during my daughters nap time and at bedtime to revise my First Grade CORE Math Units! I have totally revised the first quarter units (units 1-4) and I think they are SO much better! 

My First Grade CORE units were the first items I created for TpT over two years ago and I have learned so much more about the CORE curriculum and technology since then. I am now working on revising the second quarter units (5-8) and should have those posted in the next week or so. If you are already using these units in your class just re-download them if you are looking for complete CORE curriculum with daily lesson plans, math journals, practice pages and assessment you should check them out! Just read the feedback from other teachers and you will see how valuable these units could be in your classroom!

 4. I bought a new skirt last week and I am totally obsessed with it!

   5. Let's see if I can make this last thing school related...How about a FREEBIE? I just made these greater than, less than and equal to posters for Kindergarten CORE Math Unit 14 that I posted late last night. Click here to download the posters for FREE! (If you download the freebie, I would LOVE it if you would take the time to leave feedback).

Happy Friday everyone!

David Learns School Rules!

I have been asked several times about blacklines for the David's we make while learning school rules, and it's here! AND IT IS FREE!!!  Stop by my TpT store to download it! 

This packet includes the blackline masters to make David and a "First Grade Rules!" writing page, don't worry for those of you who don't teach first I included a generic "School Rules!" template as well :)

I have also created a "David Learns the School Rules" poster that is displayed with the kids David's pictures. Here is a picture of what the poster in my room looks like.

I put the jpg image on my jumpdrive and brought it to Staples and they printed my poster in color in a 16X20. I made the poster in photoshop but then imported the image into PowerPoint so I could share it with you.

BECOME A FOLLOWER!!

I will give a personalized poster away as a FREEBIE to the first 10 people who follow my blog and TpT store. All I need is for you to leave a comment letting me know you follow me, your email address and what you would like the name on the poster to say. Good luck! 

Ants Invasion

 One of our Harcourt stories is Ants, so we made this fun project. We created a Venn Diagram comparing humans to ants and had so much fun creating this art project. We studied what the underground tunnels that ants make look like, and then students created their own ant hill. As you can see some students ant hills are more intricate than others :) Here is a FREEBIE Venn Diagram if you are interested in doing this project with your students!