Man Down!

Ahhhhh! I have been neglecting my blog in a terrible way. You may have thought I drowned in all of the turkey and gravy I ate this past week, but I didn't. It's worse. My computer completely died on me. All of those files, pictures, everything.... gone. Luckily, it's Cyber Monday and the husband is working his little tail off to order me a new computer from Best Buy as we speak. I hope to be back on track by the end of the week. Thank you for your understanding. Can't wait to be back!

Ready for Winter! {Freebie Friday}

On my way in to school today they were talking on the radio about whether or not it's ok to put your christmas tree up now or if you should wait until after Thanksgiving. Hmmm... What do you think? I haven't decided for my self yet BUT I have decided I am readyyyy for winter. Not because I love the cold, but because the sooner it gets here, the sooner it gets outta here. In light of my excitement for winter I created a little classroom activity pack for winter. It's great for the little guys, perfect for using up some down time (does that even exist?). It's mostly fun and games, but there's a little letter sound activity and word search to get them thinking. :) Here it is!

{ Freezy Fun Student Activity Pack }

 

If you love this activity pack, and the one I made for Halloween, theres more where they came from! I plan to put them together for each holiday/season. Enjoy! And have a FaBuLoUS weekend!

A new kind of lesson {Webby Wednesday}

A day late... story of my life for the past 2 weeks. Better late than never right? Let's get right to the point. I love using PowerPoint. It's so convenient and easy but in a time of Smartboards and Mimios the PowerPoint presentation has kind of fallen to the wayside in schools. While a student teacher we had to attend a little workshop about this presentation website called "Prezi". Little did I know Prezi was going to be the bomb-dot-com!

It's a free website (free to register, free to use) where you can create awesome presentations for your class. It's interactive, detailed, easy and fun. I created one about South America for my 2nd graders. It looked like a classroom but when they clicked on the books, they opened. When they clicked on the alphabet, it showed them a native animal that started with that letter. I will admit it did take a little while to learn but if you're a little tech savvy, it should be a breeze! Go check it out, I guarantee your students will love it.

If you're interested in seeing or using my South America presentation, leave me a comment with your e-mail address. I would be happy to send it to you!

** TIP: You can learn a lot from watching tutorials and the example presentations provided on the website. Good Luck!

 

{Here it is: www.prezi.com}

 

 

Have a great Thursday!

 

I needed a laugh....

This one makes me laugh every time. Thought I would share!

I can't help but think of my sweet students whose words sometimes come out hillariously different than they are supposed to. :)

Superstorm SUPER Slacker {Munchy Monday}

It's official... I got behind from the chaos of Superstorm Sandy and I officially became a blog slacker. I was stuck out of state, unable to travel home, then when I finally got home I had too much to do. Even worse, in all of the chaos, I have been eating terrible things for days now. Time to get back on track. The gym in our basement (that used to be outside but had to move because the weather is getting too cold) is up and running as of yesterday so I have no excuse.

Since I dislike sandwiches in a major way, I always have loose fruits and vegetables hanging around in my lunch box. I can only eat so many celery sticks and carrots before I need a change. I also happen to love spicy stuff. Not super spicy, but just a little kick. So I threw together this dip for my lunch veggies.

It's a jalapeno ranch dip. 3 ingredients and easy peasy.

1 pack of Hidden Valley Ranch (The powder, found in the regular dressing aisle)
8 oz of Fat Free Sour Cream
1 small can of diced jalapenos

Put all of the ingredients in the blender and let it blend until the jalapenos are diced down into tiny pieces. Refrigerate then serve.

**NOTE: For a "hotter" dip, include the juice from the jalapenos. For a milder dip, drain the juice before putting the jalapenos in. (I drain the juice in a small bowl on the side and then gradually add it until it's perfect for me.)


This dip is ah-mazing with tortilla chips. But if we are being healthy, stick to eating it with veggies. It will keep for quite a while in the refrigerater. It's delicious and not so bad for you. A great alternative to the regular veggie dip and it's also great on tacos!

Add a little kick to your day and try it out!

Have a great monday!

Personalize your cooking! {Munchy Monday}

I was really going to try to stick to healthy recipes on Monday but today I can't resist going in a different direction (a little). If you missed my post about Pickyourplum.com, you can see it here. Check it out before you read on. Today's post is irresistable (especially to my wallet). Personalized cutting boards... Whhhaattt?? I was so excited to open my PickYourPlum e-mail today :)

Here they are:

Can you honestly pass those up?? I didn't think so. I am ordering one with our last name and then all of our names listed, but I was thinking of grabbing a monogrammed one for my classroom as a little clutter catcher on my desk. Just to remind myself to keep my junk confined to a smaller space.

So, although this is not a healthy recipe, it does have something to do with food. :)

Have a great week!

More Halloween Fun! {Freebie Friday}

I love any game that gets my kiddos up and moving around. They all nailed their test yesterday so today I plan to reward them with a little holiday fun. We will be playing:

Mummy Addition March

{ You can find it here in my TpT store }

It's a super fun way to get your students moving and better yet, practicing those addition skills! Each student wears a math problem on their back. They must walk around the classroom and ask other students "yes" or "no" questions in an attempt to figure out what number they are wearing. Other students must solve the problem, then answer the question. For a simple example: If I am wearing 2+2 I would ask you "Is my number greater than 10?" You would then need to solve the problem in order to answer my question. (Of course 2+2 is a simple example, this game includes single, double and triple digit addition). Better instructions are included in the download.

Have fun!!

A little Discount {Webby Wednesday}

Wednesday! Where did you go?? In my defense, we cancelled school on Monday (YES!) due to a power outage so I have been a little off schedule. I was in Tuesday mode yesterday and totally missed my Webby Wednesday post.

TpT has been a blessing to my family but I could still use all of the discounts I can get! So today I bring to you: TheFrugalGirls.com. These girls have put together an awesome website STUFFED full of discounts. And not the kind of discounts where you say "Oh yea great, another coupon for something I will never use." They don't just bring coupons to the table, they also highlight great specials and sales at some of the best stores.  Today, I bring to you their "Teacher Discount" page.

 

 

This is a long list of stores and websites that offer discounts for teachers. Just a little tip: make sure you read the "comments" section. Some of their readers have left additional discount tips. :)

 

Speaking of saving, does anyone have a website that would save me time on entering grades?? I could really use it today!

 

Have a fabulous day!!

Healthy and Tart {Munchy Monday}

The weather has been so cold and gloomy lately. I love the cool breeze but I need a little pick me up. So this week I wanted to bring you a great snack to give your school day a little pick me up. For a long time I have been putting lime or lemon juice on my apple slices when I pack them for lunch. The citrus keeps the apples from browning (a little tip if you're serving sliced apples at a party). And the lime flavor adds a little zing to my plain apples. I found a great alternative on letstalkfitness.com... the "Raw Apple Snack"

 

 

Easy Easy! Juice a lemon and an orange into a bowl. Slice your apples nice and thin (like in the picture), soak the apples in the orange/lemon juice and stick them in the refrigerator. To keep them fresh, I would suggest slicing your apples in the morning before you leave, but you can juice the lemon and orange the night before.  Tart, yummy and healthy!!

 

Enjoy!

 

. 

Get organized! { Freebie Friday }

You might be wondering why Freebie Friday is being posted on Thursday. As much I would like to force today into being Friday, that's not what I'm trying to do here. I'm in a wedding tomorrow so I'm fairly confident I won't have time to post. Of course I don't want to leave you hanging so i'm going to go ahead and post Freebie Friday a day early. No harm in that!

I have a list of freebies from TpT sellers I plan to feature throughout the school year, but today, I'm sporting my own stuff. :)

I present to you, my Daily 5 Organizer! Here I go again with things that make my life a little easier. Simplicity people, simplicity.

Here's the download (Just click on the picture):

It a pocket chart organizer that allows you to see what center each student is at at a glance. Students put their name card on the row of whichever center they are choosing. You can control the number of students at each center by limiting the number of spots you open on the chart. Easy-Peasy! Here's a preview of the layout:

 

Go check it out! Who doesn't want to be more orgainzed anyways?

Have a great weekend!!

Classroom Management Tool {Webby Wednesday}

Happy Wednesday everyone! I want to start by saying classroom management is not my strong suit, but I'm getting better. I can attribute the new calm in my classroom to several things, but the most important component is Classdojo.com. A fabulous classroom management tool that allows you to track points, print class reports, add notes, take attendance, and print individual student behavior reports. Best of all, you can share these reports with parents at conferences or parents can access them from their home computer at any time. Believe me when I tell you, when my students found out their parents can watch them gain and lose behavior points throughout the day from their work computer, they straightened up in a hurry. It's no longer an empty threat to tell their parents, they can just see for themselves at any time. Saves me time, and we KNOW I love a good time saver.

Here's how it works: Setup your class and assign each student an avatar. You can then assign positive and negative behavior tags. (I kept the generic ones because they actually work really well for me.) I can then pull the avatar screen up on my iPad (through the ClassDojo app) or on my laptop and project it on the board for students to see. When students are behaving, or misbehaving, I can add or subtract points accordingly without taking the time to verbally address them.

Here is an exmaple of a class setup (These are NOT their actual current points):

 

I reset the points daily, but the website stores them with a time stamp for each student and as a class. Here is an example of a report printout:

{ Click to go to ClassDojo.com }

 

I use a lot of incentives too. If they reach a certain amount of points in a day, they get a piece of candy. If they receive 10 points per day for a week, they get to choose a new avatar. ClassDojo is just getting started too, I hear they will be adding lots of great stuff soon!

Thank you ClassDojo for turning the behavior issues around in my classroom! :)

Let me know if you try it out! I would love to hear if it works in your classroom too!

Sandwich on a Stick! { Munchy Monday }

What a weekend! I went to a bachelorette party on Saturday night, and let's just say this mama of two can't party like she used to. Ouch.

As hard as it is for me to ever be brief with my words, today I have to. It's a teacher workday packed with meetings and lots to do. So I bring you a lunch idea that is about as quick and easy as my morning needed to be today. I said last week that I cannot stand sandwichs. Something about them just grosses me out. But we all know sandwichs are popular because they're easy to eat on the run and easy to put together. So here's your genius alternative:

I'm a teacher, not a photographer. So I'm using this appetizing picture from onecharmingparty.com. (On a side note, I live for my kids cute little parties, and onecharmingparty.com is a perfect resource for them!) Back on track, it's as simple as it looks: sandwich ingredients on a toothpick. You could do this without the toothpick but it's not nearly as appetizing. Who honestly just wants to shove a whole slice of turkey in their mouth? Ew. Eating your sandwich (minus the bread and carbs) off of a toothpick is so much more fun and there's ZERO mess. No crumbs. Nothing. So give it a try, you can pretend you're at a trendy party :) Believe me when I tell you, you'll have lots of "Oh my gosh. I never thought of that!" comments and lots of teachers following suit. Sandwichs are so out anyways.

Just make sure you get creative with your ingredients. Use things you maybe wouldn't put on a normal sandwich. Add some cucumbers, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, celery, cubed cheese, olives.... look at that, it's already healtheir to eat a sandwich on a stick :)

Have a great week!

Math It Up! { Freebie Friday }

Finally Friday! I love Friday's and I love FREEBIES! So it only makes sense that I bring one to you every Friday. This week I want to tell you about a math freebie. My student's love this game so much I now use it as an incentive for good behavior at the end of the week. If they earn their behavior points and get their work done, we save the last half of class for this game on Friday's. It's for any grade, any age and any level or learning. It's called "Math It Up" and it's from "Teacher on the Loose!" over on TpT.

Here's a picture of it hanging on my classroom wall:

 { CLICK HERE to download from TpT }

Students use the numbers on the poster and "Today's Sign" to create an equation (on a worksheet included in the download) then they solve it and make another one. Who couldn't use more practice??There are printable numbers 1-99  and all 4 signs (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) so you can adjust the sign and numbers for your grade level. I mix it up weekly and also use it as an activity for my fast finishers. This is truly a game you can use for the entire school year. Can't ask for much more than that out of something free!


Have a great weekend everyone!

Read! Read! Read! {Webby Wednesday}

Hi everyone! I was readdyy for this Wednesday. I wanted to share one of my favorite websites with you. Wegivebooks.org, have you been to it? If not, it's a must! I found it last year in a desperate search for more reading resources for my Title I reading students. The library in our school was put in half way through the year so books were in short supply around here. This website is stuffed full of free books you can read online. You can enlarge the book to the size of your computer screen and click to turn the pages. It will literally add TONS of books to your classroom library without taking up space. You do have to create a free account, but thats easy. Here's a look at their homepage:

 

 

And their library of books....

 

 

You really can't beat free books. And because I love wegivebooks.org so much... I just created a Thanksgiving lesson around one of the books found in their library. The book is called "T is for Turkey" (just click that title to go straight to it  or you can just search for it in their search box). The lesson itself focuses on fluency, writing and comprehension, of course. (I'm a Title I teacher. I can't help but run to fluency activities). The lesson is based around this Thanksgiving read aloud about the "real thanksgiving story". I have included a Readers Theater script that would make for an adorable little Thanksgiving show for parents or neighboring classrooms. Also included is an A-Z book where students can practice writing and coming up with their own Thanksgiving-y words for their book. And can't forget the colorful letter cards for students to hold up as they read their part in the Readers Theater. Readers Theater is an excellent way to promote fluency in your little readers. As always, it is Common Core aligned. I hope you check it out!

 

 

{ Thanksgiving Fluency, Writing and Readers Theater (Grades K-1)}

 

Have a great rest of the week everyone!



Healthy Peanut Butter Dip {Munchy Monday}

When I'm listing my favorite foods, I put Peanut Butter very (very) close to the top of the list. I love it. I love it with fruit, with chocolate, by itself, I just love it. When I met my husband I found out that when his personal training clients want to "bulk up" (gain weight) he advises them to eat spoonfuls of peanut butter whenever they're hungry. Bad news for me. I assure you I am definitely not trying to "bulk up". Ever. So I thought that meant the end of the peanut butter road for me. He suggested I dip my lunch fruit in yogurt. Not a fan of yogurt. So I needed a middle of the road alternative, the taste of a great fruit dip for my lunch without the "bulk up" of my beloved peanut butter. I've searched high and low for a great dip, in comes "Life Made Whole" and her wonderful "Healthy Yogurt Dip".

 

I don't need to even give you a recipe because it's right there on the picture. (I used her picture because I wanted you to see just how simple it is.) Throw all of the ingredients together, stir and refrigerate. I love this because its healthy and easy to eat. I don't always use the the natural peanut butter though. (If you chose to use natural peanut butter, it may not keep quite as long, but you should get a few days out of it.) I spoon a little into a small tupperware and because it's so easy I can eat it as a morning snack or with my lunch. It's a light little pick me up :)

 

**Everyone has different taste, so if this snack isn't for you, don't you worry, I have a lot more where this came from!

 

{Note: In my quest to bring you healthy lunch options, I will also provide you with the original source of the recipe (unless of course it's an original from our kitchen). They should get credit for their great ideas and best of all, you'll be able to use their websites/books for even more healthy choices}

 

Let me know if you try this one. I think you'll love it! :)



Another Rafflecopter!

There are so many great giveaways going on right now! I have another one to share with you :)

Head over to visit Tanya Rae for a fabulous "Fall is Here" Giveaway. She has tons of great seasonal things for you to win! Good Luck!

Check out this great giveaway!

I hate to post back-to-back but I forgot to share this great giveaway with you.

Stop by "Teacher's Toolkit" and enter this fun rafflecopter. It only takes a few seconds and there are some great things up for grabs. :)

I need structure!

Hey everyone! Last night I was talking with my husband about TpT (or TcK, TkD, TmC... and all the other names he has given it because TpT is just too much for him to remember) and my blog came up in the discussion. He asked about it, what it is, and what I talk about. I started listing the things I have posted about and all of the ideas I have for future posts and he just stared at me... no response. He said I lost him as soon as my mouth started moving (typical). Now, I will say, never in a million years did I expect him to be able to follow what I was saying. He's an elementary Phys Ed teacher, a total meathead and the farthest thing from a "blogger" to exist. But it did dawn on me that maybe my ideas are all over that map and I need to contain myself with a little structure. Which, perfect for me, I LOVE structure. So, I put together a blog schedule of what I will be posting about. I have a set topic for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays so you know exactly what to expect from me. So here it is:

 

This is how I have it worked out in my head. I love three things: eating, websites that make my life easier, and free stuff. I think we can all agree those are very loveable things. I left Tuesday and Thursdays open in case I have something random to share.

Munchy Mondays: My husband is also a personal trainer, so healthy eating is always on the agenda at our house (although we don't always stick to that plan). And packing lunch can get so boring. Here's the kicker I DO NOT like sandwiches. Gross. So I'm always looking for something new, healthy and easy to eat for my packed lunches. On Monday's I will share with you some of our favorite healthy recipes, perfect for school lunches.

Webby Wednesday: I recentely shared www.Pickyourplum.com with you (If you haven't checked that out, go now, and then come back. You won't regret it.) I realized from your responses that I may have a long list of fun websites you haven't heard of. So I'll be sharing those on Wednesdays.

Freebie Friday: It's just that. Links to free stuff from me, other TpT sellers or just the wonderful world wide web (does anyone actually call it that anymore?).

Now you know what day will be your favorite day to stop by. Hopefully you check out all of them though ;)

I'll start next week! Have a great weekend everyone!

Craft supplies at deep discounts?? Yes Please!

Have you heard of this amazing website Pickyourplum.com? If not, don't walk, run over there. It has to be one of my very favorite websites to get cute and cheap stuff from. Here's how it works: Everday they send out an e-mail at the same time (although sometimes mine arrive a little late), with a huge discount on an item. They have bulk of one specific item for that day, once it's gone, it's gone. They mostly post crafty stuff (colored twine, buttons, nude wood pieces for cute little signs, ribbon, you name it, it's been on there). But they also post jewelry, hats, cute little leggings, party supplies... I could go on and on. It's endless, and to me, it's like everyday is Christmas opening that e-mail. I just picked up some adorable little lockets to put my kids pictures in, they're old school vintage locket gone modern and cute. Love them. I thought some of you may be interested in today's offer. How perfect are these for Halloween parties?

{ Click on the picture to go straight there }

 

You can never go wrong with chevron in my book. And 24 for $2.50. Can't pass that up! Go check it out and sign up, it's easy. No spam and nothing more than one e-mail a day. You won't regret it when something adorable shows up in your inbox. :) After you do, let me know what you think. I'd love to hear that I've introduced you to a new love. <3

 

Have a great day everyone!

Keep that Halloween stuff coming!

In the spirit of cooler weather, and the excitement I get out of making my little monster's halloween costumes. I thought I would post my Halloween Freebie. A simple little costume game, with the fun and minus the dressing up part. We played a game similar to this at a training once and it had everyone cracking up. I simplified it a little to make it kid friendly and now I'm sharing it with you.

Simple instructions: Each student gets the name of a popular Halloween costume taped to their back. They must then figure out who they are by asking classmates only "yes" or "no" questions. They can only ask each student one question before they have to move on and ask someone else. The first student to guess the name on their back gets a little prize. (I have math versions of this game in my TpT store, great practice!) It's easy and can be played over and over. (For younger students, I walk around and help them read the names by whispering it in their ear so they are able to answer questions.) It was fun for adults and I know your students will love it.

On a blogging side note, it took me awhile to find a good website for converting PDF files to JPG or PNG image files. In that search I found this great website called Zamzar.com. It basically converts any type of file into any other type of file you want. Awesome! And better yet, it e-mails the file to you so you have it to go back to. This is how I post the cover to an item on my blog, then I just add a link to my store where you can download it. You're welcome. :)

Have a great monday! And WELCOME to all of my new followers!

Hurry up Halloween!

I'm trying to rush Halloween. I'm ready for it. It is one of my favorite holidays, possibly #1 favorite. But then again I say that before every holiday. I don't usually have time to post twice in a day, but I had to share two things.

First, my "Wine Witch". My favorite decoration. She's taller than my 2 year old and of course she doesn't go to school with me. Only in spirit. I got her at Marshall's two years ago and she was worth every single penny.

 

Next is my "Halloween Party Mega Pack". As teachers, I know we all try to incorporate learning into every activity, then mix in a little fun. But sometimes it's fun to just be fun. Even student's mind deserve a break every now and then. I created this Halloween Mega Pack to put some fun into our Halloween party this year, and to let the learning rest for a day (well maybe just half a day). It includes:

 

1.  A student activity booklet (ok, I couldn't resist including an alphabet match in there)

2. 2 Easy food crafts recipes/instructions

3. 2 Halloween poems

4. 2 crafts (templates included)

5. 2 Halloween games (Instructions)

 

It's a one stop shop to making your Halloween party a breeze. The best part is, make a few copies, hand them out to your classroom volunteers and they can handle the rest. The instructions are detailed and easy to follow for any classroom helper. Enjoy!

 

 

(On a side note I'm making my munchkin's costumes again this year. Last year they were pirates, complete with a pirate ship. Big shoes to fill this year!)

 

Have a great weekend everyone! I hope you're breaking out your decorations too!

 

Mrs. Nutter

 



The babysitter took a sick day...

When going back to work after having my kiddos I never really considered that my babysitter might need sick days too. When I successfully make it through the morning, everyone healthy, Dr.Pepper in hand, and out the door, I take a huge sigh of relief. But when I commute 45 minutes, and the babysitter calls off sick as I'm pulling into the school parking lot... I panic. So I drove right by my parking spot, through the bus loop and back onto the highway, 45 minutes home. The good news is, I'm a very optimistic person, so I made the best of a day at home. Or in my husbands words "You're probably glad you just get to sit at home and work on your TPC stuff". Ha! It's TpT... and I hardly get to do that with a 1 and 2 year old pounding on the keyboard. I did, however, manage to wrap up this little project.

 

Common Core Vocab Words for 1st Grade Math

It took forever, but I got it done. This time I chose to go a little less colorful. Sometimes I just like clean and easy to read things in my classroom. So here they are! Hopefully someone out there can get some good use out of them. In the next day or two I will be making a matching student card version that students can reference when doing homework, etc. Hope you're all enjoying your Thursday! And here's to hoping the babysitter is good to go for tomorrow!

Free Classroom Printables & Subway Art

A few days ago I promised a link to one of my favorite printable websites. The girls over at "eighteen25" completely rock the coolest subway art collection. Before you follow the link there are a few things you should know:

1. Use the "printing" tab on their page to get to instructions for great printing quality.
2. There are some hidden gems! I have to color coordinate everything. Literally. And these super smart girls offer you all the color combinations you need. When you click on the link (the picture below), you will see 16 subway printables. Then, if you click on the one you like, most of them will give you several color options.

I love you eighteen25. Although I don't usually deck my classroom out in holiday decorations (as much as I would love to), I do like to slip a few festive subway art pieces in frames, or on hanging clipboards.

I'm transitioning to Halloween now (which as you see in my classroom picture below, there isn't a whole lot to switch over). Pictures to come soon. For now, go grab some of your own cool decorations!

Click the picture go to www.eighteen25.blogspot.com

Admit Defeat...

Sometimes you just have to admit defeat, and Blogger has defeated me for today. For the life of me I cannot get my promised Halloween Activity Pack posted. First, "Curriculum Night" two nights this week, then an "operator error" on Blogger. Maybe I'm fried after this neverending week. On the upside, I do have a picture of my classroom. New to me this year, an almost blank canvas, and still in desperate need of some decorations, but here's to a good start! Oh, and good news, there are 65 homeless blue student chairs in here now. Chairs for sale!

 

Showing you how far behind I am on my classroom is motivation to get on the ball to show you an after picture. I'm missing a few tables too. That's my excuse, right?

 

Have a great weekend!



Hello Gorgeous!

I greet my daughter with "Hello Gorgeous" everytime I see her. While I am not putting my daughter and Common Core Standards on the same level of awesomeness, I am putting this website up there (almost). The words "Common Core" make every muscle I have tense just a little. I'm always looking for an easier and better way to link what my students do in the classroom directly to Common Core so I am absolutely sure I'm not dropping the ball anywhere. Then I found this pretty:

Go ahead, click on it. I think you're going to really like where it takes you. A website of Common Core Standards for every grade level. But it gets better. When you hover your cursor over a standard, it gives you an example problem. And it's still getting better.... If you click on the standard, it takes you to another website where you (or your students) can practice problems that fall under that standard. So I'll say it again... "Hellllooo Gorgeous". Maybe I'm over excited being this is my first year teaching 4th Grade Math, but maybe not, maybe this is as awesome as I think it is. You're welcome.

 

In light of my new found friend, Mr.IXL, I am creating math worksheets that are targeted to each standard, then worksheets that are mixed problems of all of the standards under each strand. Lots of work, but the pay off for my sanity this year will be well worth it. In the mean time, I'll be posting a cute little Halloween Student Activity Pack FREEBIE later today. :)

 

Have a great Wednesday!

CBS News at my school!

It's about to get real serious. Yikes!
CBS news will be at our school tomorrow and Wednesday. With school just starting I feel like my room is not nearly ready to be seen on a nationwide news program, but that's not up to me. So today is cram day to get it looking spiffy! Ahhhh! Hopefully they do a great special that highlights all of our awesome students and staff. We shall see! I'll be sure to post the air date and time when we are notified.

Have a fabulous week! I'll be posting a free printable in the next day or two so watch out! (Here comes Halloween!)

Oh AND a super great link I found to tons of FREE classroom poster printables (great quotes, rules, inspiration, etc! YAY!) All FREE, as in $0.00.... :)

Kick it off with a FREEBIE!

I'm getting started with a FREEBIE! And a real looker. As basic as this classroom poster/printable may seem, I honestly get endless compliments on it from visiting teachers.

Word Decoding Strategies Posters... TADA! (Just click on it to be taken directly to the FREE download)

There are 7 fun animals, all with a helpful names to remind students of the different strategies to decoding unknown words while reading. I'm all about eliminating the unnecessary question asking throughout the day, and this is just one more way to teach your students to be "problem solvers" on their own before they come to you for help. If you download it, and you like it, please leave some feedback!

Time to go LIVE!

Well... here goes nothing! I've been busting my butt this summer to put things together for my students for the new school year. I've been creating and being colorful in every way possible to bring soemthing new to the classroom for them and it's about time I start sharing those things with my fellow teachers.

Let's start with what motivates me... This one, "E" (the little red head) and the other, "J" (my little stud)

 They're 11 short months apart and, like any mother, the light of my life. BUT as much as I love them, and my studly husband (who is an Elementary Phys Ed teacher) I need a creative, whacky, fun and sometimes even exhausting outlet. So I teach! I've spent endless hours creating things for my classroom, only to find this super great website where teachers sell the things they have created (GENIUS!) teacherspayteacher.com. So I figured while I'm buying up all of their awesome stuff, I can sell some of my own to try to balance it out. While I'm balancing that cost, I'm also going to need to add in the cost of the two little monsters above to spend 6 weeks a piece in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). Both were born extremely premature and to make a long story short.. we're talkin' a 6 figure bill. So here goes nothing! I hope you enjoy all of the colorful and practical tools I use in my own classroom. I also have tabs at the top that will link you to helpful classroom games (all FREE of course) as well as some other helpful teaching tools I have found along the way.

Reading is fun!

Hi! Here you will find lots of resources for reading! There are links to educational games and just plain fun games. There are also lots of resources for other subject areas to help you in all areas of school. I encourage you to use the online books as a way to read new books for FREE from home. Fun!

Teachers, there's stuff for you too! Just look under the teacher resources tab. :)