I sure hope this post finds you on SUMMER VACATION! Today kicks off a little Tuesday summer blog series called, Getting Ahead of the Game. Every August I want to kick myself because I have so much to do to get ready for the school year ahead. This year I am going to try and do a little project each week to lighten the work load of August and get ahead of the game! I challenge you to join me... Do you accept? This week's project is super simple! Are you ready?!? 1. Get rid of the junk mail!I get so many random emails that I never signed up for, and they add up in my inbox quickly. Spend some time clicking the Unsubscribe button at the end of each email so they won't ... Read More about Getting Ahead of the Game, Week #1
Latest from the Blog
Objects in the Sky
Oh how we loved learning about objects in the sky! Space is always one of my favorite things to teach about because the kids just eat it up! Here are a few of the fun activiites my first graders enjoyed as we learned about objects in the sky! I have been on a flip book kick lately, so I created this flip book to hit our standards and get us through the unit. Objects in the Sky Flip Book I have been on a flip book kick lately, so I created this Objects in the Sky flip book to hit our standards and get us through the unit. I love how it keeps everything organized and in one place! You can check out the flip book in my Teachers Pay Teachers store HERE! I am lucky enough ... Read More about Objects in the Sky
Earth’s Resources for First Grade
Earth's Resources is a concept that is actually taught in first-grade science! This post has some ideas for teaching rocks, soil, and water with your students including a printable interactive flip book. Earth's Resources Flip Book Science has always been one of my favorite subjects to teach. It's hands-on, fun, and little ones love learning and exploring the world around them. However, every once in a while I find a topic that well, doesn't exactly get me too excited. Earth's resources for first grade students was one of those topics. Apologies to the geologists in my family. There just wasn't a ton out there that covered the standards I needed to teach in a fun ... Read More about Earth’s Resources for First Grade
I am Thankful Alphabet Thanksgiving Writing
Are you looking for a fun Thanksgiving writing activity? This thankful alphabet is the perfect activity to complete as a class or family or students can do it individually. It's really simple, fun and no preparation is required! If you are a teacher that loves creating class books with your students? I’ve put together a set of my favorite printable class books totally free for you! These class books can be used throughout the school year and focus on skills like letter and number recognition, sight words, environmental print, and more! I know you’ll love writing and creating these books with your students! They really help preschool and Kindergarten students get excited about learning ... Read More about I am Thankful Alphabet Thanksgiving Writing
October Recap…
I just love October, but it FLEW by! I'm having to recap the entire month! Stellaluna is always a favorite read aloud and it's an easy story for students to retell. First we used interactive writing to create a flow map of the story. A few friends added the illustrations. It's always a special treat to be a "chosen" illustrator. We created these bats to sequence the story. Everything you need for these bats and additional writing activities can be found HERE. We have been also working hard to master nouns, verbs and adjectives. We came up with lots of adjective to describe spiders and created this little craft ... Read More about October Recap…
Getting Started on Donors Choose
If you haven't ever used Donors Choose, you must be crazy! : ) This website has provided me with so many wonderful teaching materials that have truly enhanced my classroom. It felt like Christmas each time my new teaching materials would arrive! Earlier this school year, I gave a presentation to my staff about getting started on Donors Choose, and now I am sharing it with you! To read more about my Classroom Handbook, click HERE. If you have any additional questions, please email me or leave a comment below! : ) Good luck! ... Read More about Getting Started on Donors Choose
Dinosaur Day
I am always amazed at how much my students LOVE learning about dinosaurs! After spending two weeks learning about dinosaurs, I decided to plan an entire Dinosaur Day to end our unit. It was a huge hit! I planned six different centers that we spent the day rotating through. All of the activities pictured below are available in my Dinosaur Day unit. We started our day with making a paleontologist vest. I used brown paper grocery sacks to make the vests. I had the vests pre-cut so the students just had to color, cut and glue on their paleontologist "patches." I loved that their vest included a place to write dinosaur facts. They enjoyed sharing their knowledge with everyone in the ... Read More about Dinosaur Day
St. Patrick’s Day Word Wall FREEBIE
It seems like St. Patrick's Day always falls over Spring Break, so I never do anything super fun at school to celebrate. Not this year...we will be getting our St. Patrick's Day on! I will be using these little word cards in my writing center to encourage some holiday writing. They are FREE in my TPT store. Just click any of the pictures below to download. 10 Words are included! : ) Happy March! ... Read More about St. Patrick’s Day Word Wall FREEBIE
Valentine’s Day in Review
I can't believe Valentine's Day has already come and gone! I absolutely LOVE Valentine's Day, and not just because it is my birthday too! It is just such a sweet holiday! : ) This year I also discovered a new favorite book... Find it on Amazon HERE. I just love, love, LOVE this book! It is a real tear jerker too! We used this book for a few different things. First, we used to to discuss characters and their actions. Mr. Hatch is a great character and he is easy for students to understand and identify with. We made a Mr. Hatch and wrote about him. Next, we wanted to spread some Valentine cheer! In the story, Mr. Hatch receives a valentine with the ... Read More about Valentine’s Day in Review
It Was Love at First Sight Valentine Freebie
Looking for a cute and easy valentine to give your students this year? Look no further... These FREE Valentine Printables can go with a variety of things. Sunglasses! These came from Dollar Tree. Kaleidoscopes! Walmart had 8 packs of miniature kaleidoscopes for $2! I hope you can use this FREEBIE! Just click the picture below to download it from TPT! I have been working really hard this weekend to get some of my "crafty" things finished because my days in this house are numbered! We will close on our house here NEXT WEEK, but all of our stuff is in Dallas. Hubby will move in March and then I head that way after the school year ends! ... Read More about It Was Love at First Sight Valentine Freebie
Snowman Math Centers for Kindergarteners
Are you looking for some snowman math ideas? This post is dedicated to snowman math activities that are perfect for Kindergarten students. These activities are focused on numbers 0 to 20 and will help you to meet multiple standards. These activities are print and go and can be used all winter long! Students will read, write and represent whole numbers 0 to 20, count sets of objects to 20, and use comparative language to describe two numbers up to 20 presented as written numerals. Snowman Math Stations I love planning seasonal math stations for my students that align with the skills we are focusing on. This blog post is focused on snowman-themed math stations that you can ... Read More about Snowman Math Centers for Kindergarteners
How to Make Meaningful Class Books
I have always loved making class books! They are always a favorite in the classroom library and it is so important for kids to share their writing and illustrating with their peers. This post is all about how to make meaningful class books with your preschool, kindergarten and even first grade students! If you're here I bet you teach reading and writing! Class books are one of my favorite tools for writing workshop time. They really help preschool and Kindergarten students get excited about learning to read and write. I’ve put together a set of my favorite printable class books totally free for you! These class books can be used throughout the school year and focus on skills like ... Read More about How to Make Meaningful Class Books