Pin it or Share it to Win it--Birthday Bash Day 2

Little late on this post today....had all intentions on working in my room, felt horrible, been on the couch ever since. So here it goes.

Yesterday was the start of my birthday bash. My birthday is Saturday and Lori guessed my age. Yep 32! So she won my new packet. She has a cute little blog that it looks like she just started so hop over there and give her some bloggy love!

 

So for day 2 I've decided (well had it planned yesterday lol) to do a Pin it or Share it to Win it little giveaway.

I just want to share the love this week! LOL and it's so easy to do.

 

All you have to do is pin an item from my TPT store or my TN shop (whichever you like) OR you can share this blog post on your FB page or blog. And you can win the Chalkboard Classroom Set. 

Now the only thing I ask is that you leave a comment with your URL to where you pinned an item or you shared it on your blog or FB page.

I will use a random generator (probably my hubs) to pick a number later on tonight to pick a winner.

****UPDATE****Thanks to Kelly and Yashika*** You were the only two so check your email I'll send it to both of you!!

 

That's it! Easy peesy!!

And I'll be doing something like this for the rest of the week for some other items. Not only that---I may be doing some flash freebies on FB for some of my most wishlisted items on TPT. Just never know what might be happening. Stay tuned! LOL

So make sure you are following so you can see all the madness  goodness happening! :)

It's A Sneak Peek & A Birthday Celebration

Headed out to school today to attempt something (without moving furniture...ahem..that was a hard thing to ignore...). Felt like I accomplished a little something.

Here's a few pics. 

From the classroom door. See said furniture on the right...ya know the stuff I can't move yet. 

 

 This is the wall with the owl alphabet from the post yesterday. See how it's so drab, no color, no fun, panel board. If I understood the whole hastag thing that would've been a great one.

 Now it's bare. Totally changed up my ideas.

 

Added the color words. I needed more color on this wall instead of the word wall. Moved the word wall to another wall for the FIRST time eva! :)

 

 The shape posters are to the left of the color words.

 

And here is said word wall! On the other wall! LOL This is the wall to the right of the classroom door. Want to move the number line ABOVE the color words. Need a ladder and a tall person. 

 

 

This is the vent in my room. I have to talk REALLY LOUD sometimes over that. But really I don't it just seems that my voice gets louder when it kicks on the air and the heat. (I share heat/air with 4 other classrooms....can be tough with everyone in different moods). Remember---open classrooms. Two vents. 

As stated in pic....ugh...needs painting badly....gross tape left from years and years and years. I attempted.  

My attempt. It looks WAY better in person. And very colorful from the door (I think you can see it in the first pic!!)

 

 

Red cabinets. Pretty much only storage IN room. Before walls...these WERE the walls. 

 

Took the owls off of my before word wall. Changed up the stars. Looks better. 

 

 He does NOT come with the classroom. But my oh my....is he spoiled or what?

 

That's all for the sneak peek today. I plan on doing a few other things tomorrow possibly or maybe Thursday. Depends. Will take pics for that.

Oh, if you aren't a FB follower, then you missed a Flash Freebie today!!!!

Make sure you become a follower so you don't miss any more freebies. May have one up for tomorrow. 

Today's flash freebie was my new chalkboard classroom set. The word wall headers I have up in my room are included in this packet. 

(TPT or TN)

 

 

 But just because you didn't grab it today during the flash freebie doesn't mean you still can't get it!!

Saturday, August 10th is my birthday. I will be....well how old do you think I will be?

The first one to guess will win this packet. Be sure to

leave a comment with your email.

Stay tuned later this week for a Pin it or Share it to Win it. A birthday week of fun!

 

 

 

Busy Monday!!

As I'm sure you can see...I have a new blog design. I was a lucky "guinea pig" from Megan's little guinea pig giveaway!!! Megan is the author of:

   &      

I know I loved my previous blog design (b/c I attempted it myself) but I could not pass up trying for this!! I was sooo excited when my number was picked! LOL I love trying to figure out how to do all of this myself but when the "experts" are soooo much better at it, then why not let them do their magic. And Megan nailed it.

I was able to pick the color palette I wanted from Design Seeds. It's soo me. I love blue and green. My two fave colors and this was perfect.

 

And I chose the Boxed & Patterned design from her choices that she gave.  And bam! I have a new blog layout and update. Love it!!!!

So if you need anything updated for your blog....make sure you check out Megan's designs. 

Now to school stuff----went by there today (oh yeh Graduation from grad school was today!! WOOP WOOP! Wasn't able to make it there in person but I'm still excited that it's now OFFICIAL!) 

Anyhoo...went by school today, still can't get into the room to move furniture (waiting on carpet to be cleaned) but was told I can go in there and do other stuff. So, what did I do? I went home and worked on that "other stuff" so that tomorrow I can go put that stuff up! 

Whew that's a rambling sentence.

So here are a few things I did today.

1. I have no shape posters. How I have no idea! I have A poster with shapes but NO shape posters. That had to be fixed. (They are really NOT this wrinkled but I guess they chose to be for the pic!) Found these awesome ones on TPT from Middle Grades Maven.

 

2. Color Posters (yes before you gasp, I have those--but they needed an update). I found TONS of cute ones like here and here.  But I decided to use these. How cute! They are from here.

                          

3. And then I created these new word wall headers. I liked my owl ones that I put up at the end of the year (see pic). I know it's not a good picture but well I guess they are just smaller than what I want. I'm trying to change things. So I'm going to take the owls down tomorrow and put them on the red cabinets in my room. (I will take pictures tomorrow while I'm there). I think the big owl that I made will go above the sink in the room to hide some of the nasty wall.

 

So I made these instead. LOVE THEM!!!

The graphics are from Graphics From the Pond and I just used Irene's awesome fonts! They are much bigger and I think it'll look better on that horrible colored wall. 

 

4. So then as I'm in a printing & laminating frenzy. I made these pinterest finds!

  

Birthday display. Source is found here. I love how Michelle made her's but I just changed it up to fit my needs. Michelle has an awesome packet with stuff like this. Make sure you check the link out!!

                             

 Source can be found here. She has this as a freebie!

 

This pin is floating around with a variety of ways to make it. From modge podge to stickers, but I chose to remake and frame! Here is the original source (at least I think so!)

 

Currently

It's August. That means it's coming quick. I can't believe it's already August...I look back and realized I've done...well...not much of anything this summer...and I'm pretty proud of myself for that! LOL

Normally I do wayyyy too much school stuff and bring stuff home and this and that...not this year. I finished grad school!!! WOOHOO and that was enough.

I had a lot of days where I just layed around and ya know...it was rather nice.

But that all comes to an end when I head back on the 15th....man oh man it's flown by! So of course it's currently time!

It's all pretty self-explanatory......I really do need to go work in my room...not quite given the ok yet (lots of changes being done) but I hope to maybe go out next week. I hate waiting to the last minute...I like (as I'm sure all of you do) to have the room done and then worry about all of the meetings, etc.....nothing like busting my rear to get a room ready last minute and open house is the next night....nope not for me...

As for the beach tomorrow...I only live an hour and a half away but it has rained so much this summer that I haven't been able to go yet....but I will tomorrow..just for the day...LOVE IT!

Already bought the new planner....normally I wait....but couldn't this time. And color!! I love color---color decor, pens, baskets etc....so gotta have fun colors for B2S....no matter what it is. And I need some new black and brown dress shoes that are comfy...mine are worn out and they had to go!

I guess that's it. Make sure you check out Farley's page for all of the other currently's.  



 

I'm back...with a {few} pictures...

I never seem to remember to link up with Sunday Smorgasbord (I hope I spelled that right...never can seem to quite get it). So I figured I would just share all sorts of randomness today instead.

As some of you know (from all of the guest bloggers last week) that I was gone. Every summer a team from my church heads to Lynch, Kentucky to do mission work. My hubs and I went the first time in 2011 and have gone each summer since (hubs missed last year due to work but he was determined not to miss this year) and a small group of us went in the fall one year as well.

It's amazing. I give all the glory to God for such an amazing trip each time and allowing us to be blessed while we are there. Yes, we bless others, but mostly we are the ones who leave changed.

Here are some pics of what we did.....I can't tell ya everything b/c this post would never end....but maybe the pics will show enough.

Oh did I mention---I saw 9 bears!! Real, live black bears....and cubs! Amazing!

 Me and the hubs the first night there.

 The crew my hubs was on...they put on a new roof on the old coal miner bath house.

 

 After church Wednesday night.

 Shekinah Village---this is where we had our Youth Camp for the week and saw all of the bears. Gorgeous isn't it?

 Bear!

 

Mama bear

 Mama bear and 1 cub. She had 3 more but they were still in the dumpster!

I caught a fish the last day there!

 

 The other cubs!

There were so many more jobs that were completed: new roof on the bath house (this is where the coal miner's would go once they came out of the mines to take baths before heading home!), chimney's tore down/hole fixed in roof, new flooring/sub flooring in a house. New bathroom and water put in for a home that has a child with a heart/lung condition who is on oxygen. He is a doll....his grandparents brought him over to meet everyone one night!

Food was distributed to those in need during their monthly distribution and our kids from youth camp were able to mingle and just talk to those in need.

All in all...great time! 

I hope you all enjoyed the guest posts that were up during the week. If not, be sure to go back and check them out! All of the ladies had some wonderful ideas. 

HELLO, My Name Is.....

I'm so excited to meet you!  I'll be guest-blogging for Nicki today while she is on her mission trip.  I'm a former first grade teacher turned reading specialist. You may know me from the blog, Read With Me ABC.

If you're anything like me, then you've been thinking a lot about 'Back to School'.  Those first few days of school are so important for setting the climate of the classroom, learning student names, and helping students develop peer relationships.  

Along those lines, I'd like to share with you a few of my favorite "Getting to Know You" activities to use during the first few days of school. 

Read Aloud

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

Book Introduction
Ask students, "If you could choose any name of yourself, what would it be?"  This is the question Unhei faces in the story.

Summary
After Unhei moves from Korea to the United States, her new classmates help her decide what her American name should be. Students place their name suggestions in a jar.  Unhei reveals her 'new' name.

Follow-Up Discussion
Ask students, "Why do you think Unhei finally decides to keep her own Korean name?  If you were Unhei, what would you have kept or changed your name?  Why?"

Extension Books
Here are some other books about names you may want to read, too:  

• Chysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
• My Name is Yoon byHelen Recorvits

HELLO! Bingo 

This activity is great for students in kindergarten through third grade. You will need a class list, bingo chips, and bingo cards. 

Directions for Play 
The game is played like regular bingo.  The bingo cards have a student's name (or photo) in each square.  The bingo caller announces name of a student; if the name appears on the bingo card, it is covered with a bingo chip.  

The twist in this version of the game is that when a student hears their own name called out, they must stand and say, "Hello!" Play continues until a child has covered a complete row on the bingo card and shouts, "Hello Bingo!"

Preparing the Cards  
There are many options for preparing the cards.  Choose the one that is developmentally appropriate for your students.

Kindergarten:  Provide students a sheet of photos of their classmates to cut out and paste randomly on a blank bingo card.
-or-
You can make the cards with pre-printed names on them by using an online bingo card generator.

Grade One:  Provide a sheet of names for students to trace, cut out, and paste randomly in the squares. 

Grades Two and Three:  Provide a class list for students to use. They will write the names of their classmates in the squares of a blank bingo board like the one pictured.  Click on the bingo card image to download this freebie.  :)

Graphic provided by Creative Clips

Name Trace (Write & Wipe)

This center activity is great to use with students in kindergarten and first grade during the first few weeks of school.  

Preparation 
Laminate a sentence strip with each child's name and picture on it.  

Directions for Use 
Students use the sentence strips to trace the names of their peers with wipe-off markers.  In doing so, they learn to identify the printed name with the photo on the strip.  

Classmates Match (Pocket Chart Activity)

This center activity is great to use with students in kindergarten and first grade during the first few weeks of school. 

Preparation 
Reuse the laminated name strips (from wipe and write activity).   Cut the pictures and names apart.  Shuffle the pieces and store them in a basket.

Directions for Use 
Students match the pictures with the corresponding names, then display them in a large pocket chart.

Variation
Use the sentence strip pieces to play a memory matching game.

Other "Getting to Know You" Activities

• I have...Who has? - Use class names and photos to play.
• Build a Name - Spell classmates names with letter tiles, block, dough, wax sticks, stamps, or other fun manipulatives.
• Name Comparison - Partners use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the letters in their names.

How do you help students learn their classmates names during the first few days of school?  Leave a comment.  Nicki and I would love to hear from you!

I've had so much fun filling in for Nicki and visiting with all of you today.  Let's be friends!  Here's how we can keep in touch...

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Guest Blogger-Polka Dot Kinders!

Hello!  I am SO excited to be hanging out with you today!  Please allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Sara and I’ll be starting my 14^th year of teaching kindergarten in the Land of 10,000 Lakes:  Minnesota! 

                                                     

If you are like me, you are already thinking about the start of the school year and how to start the year off right.  One thing that I love to do is to send home a postcard to students and a letter to parents.  I’ve done this for several years and have received a lot of positive feedback about it.

Before I had kids of my own, I would handwrite my postcards. That was back when I taught AM & PM so I would write about 45 postcards!  It took F-O-R-E-V-E-R!  Don’t get me wrong, it was totally worth it BUT then I found Vistaprint!

If you haven’t heard of it, you’ll love it!  For the rest of you, please allow me to refresh your memory.   Vistaprint has just about any product you would want for your classroom.  Personalized magnets?  Yep!  Stickers!  For sure!  Mugs and T-shirts?  Yes and yes!  It is a great site and easy to use.  There are even some tutorials floating around on Pinterest to help you out.  One of my favorites is by Maria from Kinder-Craze.   You can make a self-inking stamp!

They are always having a sale and I was lucky enough to get a Groupon for even better deals.  Anyway, I was after their postcards.  The cool thing is that you get 100 of them so for me that is enough for 4 years!   There are lots of designs to choose from or you can import your own clipart of pictures.  Here is a peek at mine!

Front:

Back:

I love that I can add my picture so my students will have an idea of what I look like ahead of time.  My theme of my classroom (and of course, my blog) is polka dots so it also sets the tone for my theme.

I don’t want parents to feel left out, so I also send a letter home to them!  Our school is trying something new this fall.  Each family comes in individually for a short meeting.  Then, the parents go in the hall and I give a quick assessment.   The purpose of my letter is to be sure they come to the meeting prepared with supplies and any questions!  The letter also outlines my “homework” for the beginning of the year.    Here is what my letter looks like:

Front:

Back:

Hopefully I’ve inspired you to try sending home a letter to your families this fall!  It really starts the year off on a good note which is always a good thing!

A big thank you Nicki for letting me guest blog while she is on her mission trip!  It is my first time guest blogging and she was so helpful!