Last day to enter!

Last day to enter!

Here are the prizes!

Love Collaboration Cuties' store!  Their clip art is one of my favorites!

Julie has turned learning about reading strategies into something fun and interactive for students!  They won't forget these strategies!

Who doesn't need more digraph practice?  I know my students could always benefit from this!

Lindsay just finished up the Becoming Peacemakers packet and she had me at the cover page.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you entered yet??

Only a few more days to enter!

Here are the prizes!

Love Collaboration Cuties' store!  Their clip art is one of my favorites!

Julie has turned learning about reading strategies into something fun and interactive for students!  They won't forget these strategies!

Who doesn't need more digraph practice?  I know my students could always benefit from this!

Lindsay just finished up the Becoming Peacemakers packet and she had me at the cover page.

Make sure to enter! You have until midnight on Thursday, July 25th to enter!  I'll announce the winners when I'm back from my trip!

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Celebration Time!

It's celebration time!  But before I get to all of the details, I wanted to share about the Atlanta blogger meet up today.

Left to Right:

Amanda, Teacher at the Wheel

Jessica, Ideas by Jivey

Brandee, Creating Lifelong Learners

Denay, The Gemini Teacher

Me!

Stacia, Collaboration Cuties

Amanda, Collaboration Cuties

Alison, Eberopolis

Elizabeth, Fun in Room 4B

After the Swan Coach House, we headed to IKEA where I promptly filled up my cart and then at the checkout counter realized I left my debit card in my car. Whomp, whomp, whomp. Fail. But I had $40 worth of cash, so I left with only a polka dot rug.

It's a steal at $20!

I'm leaving for my cruise in 3 short hours....yup we're leaving at 3am and I'm not in bed yet.  It's going to be a LOOONNNG day!

But I've been putting together the finishing touches on this giveaway!

And finishing up my grad course work for the week....about fruit salad and RTI.  You would think I was kidding about the fruit salad....

Back to the giveaway!  Today's my birthday. Although I officially stopping celebrating 2 years, I figured someone should have some fun!  I also started my blog about a year ago so I figured I should have a joint celebration.

Here are the prizes!

Love Collaboration Cuties' store!  Their clip art is one of my favorites!

Julie has turned learning about reading strategies into something fun and interactive for students!  They won't forget these strategies!

Who doesn't need more digraph practice?  I know my students could always benefit from this!

Lindsay just finished up the Becoming Peacemakers packet and she had me at the cover page.

Make sure to enter! You have until midnight on Thursday, July 25th to enter!  I'll announce the winners when I'm back from my trip!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Throwback Thursday and Favorite Things

In today's Throwback Thursday I'm going back to the first unit I ever created.

Eeekk!  It's a little embarrassing, but I was SO proud of actually making a unit.  It took me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to make it and I've learned so much in the past year.

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August 27, 2012

Our first science unit of the year is Space. The students really enjoying learning about the universe and all about each planet. It's still so hard for me not to teach that Pluto is not a planet! Luckily, there is a book out there called Pluto: A Dwarf Planet  by Thomas K. Adamson that helps me cope with this semi-new fact.

This year I wanted to add a few things of my own and made my own Solar System Activities.  Here is a list of what my packet includes:

• Black & white planet templates to use for any activity you choose to do in the classroom.  I usually have my students color the planets and place them in order.
• Ordinal Number Planets Center.  Print out the planet and ordinal number cards.  Have the student order the planets and match up the correct ordinal numbers.  There is also a recording sheet for this center.
• Label the Planets Worksheet

• My Alien Writing Paper
• Astronaut Space Camp Activity

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I spent some time revamping the unit yesterday.  I changed around some fonts and added new graphics.

I made a collage of the unit using the tips by Jivey in this post.  (You should really check out all of her Techy Tips!)

Oh my goodness.  So much easier.

I'm also linking up with Across the Hall in 2nd Grade's Favorite Things Linky.

This week's topic is favorite things for your home.

I absolutely love my IKEA coffee table!  It was only $20!  You can't beat that.

I think this was my favorite wedding present.  My mom said that every woman should have a Kitchen-aid mixer because they are so fabulous.

I don't know what I would do without my computer!  It's true, once you have a Mac, you won't go back!  I have had mine for almost 5 years and I have had no issues.  I haven't even had to use Norton Anti-Virus Software that always slowed down my PC.

I love my bed and sleep!

Not my real bed, but it looks comfy!

Head on over to The First Grade Parade and Across the Hall in 2nd Grade for more posts about these topics!

Don't forget to enter my Polka Dot Word Wall Giveaway and Collaboration Cuties' 1,000 Followers Giveaway!

Ten Pin Linky: Writing

Is it just me or is writing one of the hardest things to teach?  There is so much that goes into it and the Common Core Standards really revamped writing.  Just Reed's Ten Pin Linky is perfect for finding some new to me ideas!

Source: What the Teacher Wants

If you haven't read The Squiggle yet, it's a must read for next year!  Students turn the squiggle into a picture and then write a story about it.  There are a lot of squiggle options to choose from.

How cute, right??  I've used this idea the past two years and my students absolutely love it.

Source: Life in First Grade

Need to make this ASAP!

Source: Mrs. Kelly's Klass

This is great for informational writing.  Most of my students are understood that they couldn't copy the exact words from a book, but this printable would really help drive that point home.

Source: For the Love of First Grade

This is the only cure for the dreaded "And Disease."  My kids thought this was hysterical.  I played it up whenever I met in individual conferences.  I would ask the student "Are you feeling okay?"  They would say they are fine and I would feel their forehead and say "Umm, I don't think so - you've got the And Disease!"  ;)

Source: A Day in First Grade

Love the Rocket books!

Source: The Daily Cupcake

I always have to review spaces at the beginning of the year!!  Drives me slightly bonkers!

Source: 3rd Grade's a Charm

I first saw the heart idea on The First Grade Parade, but I like how this is divided into categories with a color code.

Source: Sherry Clements' TPT Store (freebie)

Great intro to opinion writing!

Source: First Grade Fairytales

Another opinion writing option - perfect for spring time.  It goes with the book Duck or Rabbit?

Those are my favorite Pinterest writing ideas!  I'm always in search of more writing ideas, so I can't wait to look through everyone's post.

Before I go, I wanted to mention that Amanda and Stacia from Collaboration Cuties are celebrating reaching 1,000 followers!  Isn't that a big accomplishment??  Click on over to enter the giveaway!

Work Frenzy

I realized yesterday that I only had 15 days until I have to be at work.  While I've been pinning a lot of ideas, I haven't actually done any!  It's time for me to get to work!

I made a new set of class rules.

This is my first year using the Whole Brain Rules.  I used the callbacks last year and they worked wonderfully.  Click HERE to download them for free.

I also cut out my new number line - in pink & green, of course!

I ran up to school to laminate everything and also make copies for my Rise and Shine Binders.  I just bought them from Reagan Tunstall.  I loved her post about how she uses them and honestly I'm tired of making copies for morning work.  We don't have a copy count yet, but I'm afraid it's coming. The kids really do trickle in and I feel that it's always their morning work that gets the best of them (at least for the late arrivals).  After awhile I know the work won't be as challenging (she suggests adding morning work in the back), so I plan on putting Cara Caroll's Calendar Companion in the page protectors in October.

I'm going to make this today.  Sadly, the pin doesn't link to a source.  But it is based off of the Calendar Companion.  I tried to go in my room to grab some sentence strips, but someone moved all of the furniture right in front of my closet.  It was not worth the effort to move the furniture for some sentence strips.  ;)  

When do you go back to school?  Teachers start August 1st and the students come back August 12th at my school.

Don't forget to enter my word wall giveaway!