Snow Day = New TpT Product Finished!

It seems that pretty much everyone across the US had a snow day today! Did you all have a snow day? We had a day off here in the SC and then the snow didn't start blowing in until about 6pm. So, this girl is sitting on her couch just waiting for the official phone call that means we have cancelled for tomorrow again! 

So, after eating some breakfast, and spending some time with Jesus, I got to working on my newest TpT project! So, here's a peek at what's included! I'll post some more pictures after I use it with my firsties!

FIRST UP - 

Some Math Journal activities! I love the bright colors from this pack from Graphics from the Pond. Also, I just introduced interactive math journals with my kiddos and I am loving it so far! Use these popups as a fun practice for regrouping!

SECOND UP- 

Cover those math vocabulary words and practice defining them with this interactive foldable! Make sure to glue it inside your math journals!

THIRD - 

Sort these addition problems by which ones require regrouping and which ones do not. It is important for students to be able to identify which problems require regrouping before they can attempt to solve them.

AND EVEN MORE!

so go check it out here!

Can We Go Outside?: Recess with Literacy Spark

Today I'm hooking up with Literacy Spark for a Linky Party to talk about Recess. Do the kids need it? To take it away or not to take it away, and how much time should the kids get?

So, not having much teaching experience I don't have much to go on but, I personally feel that my class this year needs recess. I see how tired and burnt out they get when we don't have it. And at the end of a week full of indoor recess, my firsties are dying to go outside and play!

I teach at a small, independent school and we have a lot of freedom with recess. We usually go outside for recess for about 30 or 35 minutes in the afternoons. At the end of the week, we have time to go outside in the morning and sometimes we will go outside again for a little while at the end of the day. However, basically you make up your own recess schedule, go out when it first your schedule. We are free to use recess as a reward if that works for your classroom.

For punishment, every class has a similar ish system. Most of the Kindergarten classes as well as my class, we use laps at recess time for punishment. I personally like laps because it is easy for me to remember and easy for the kids to remember. The 2nd and 3rd grade classes have their kids owe time standing on the wall. I don't use time because I cannot keep up with how much time everyone owes and sometimes I forget to set the timer on my phone and then I'll forget that I have kids standing on the wall (oopsies!).

If you need to reschedule your recess to get caught up you can do that, if you want to go out at a different time, you can do that too. It's pretty nice to be able to do whatever we want. Most of the time all of the teachers go out but if you have things you need to get caught up on and there's another teacher outside then you can send your kids and stay in.

I love recess time because it gives me kind of a break and also, it serves as a rejuvenating time for my kids. Also, it sets aside a time in the upper grades to continue to work on important skills such as exercise, working together, problem solving, and other social skills. Kids learn so much through play, they don't have to learn just inside the classroom!

I am imagining that a lot of our recess freedom also comes with the style of our current Headmaster and this could possibly change next year when we receive a new Headmaster depending on who that Headmaster is, their background, and their style.

So there you have it! Don't forget to check out my other posts, and my TpT store link in the sidebar!

A First Year Looking for Some Veteran Advice...

Ok bloggers, I work at a small, independent school. I have a student who I would very much like to retain. This decision, I am told, is usually made through a discuss between the classroom teacher and the headmaster. I am wondering what type of assessments would you recommend I have on hand to show my headmaster or to show the parents? I am currently using Mrs. Russell's Room's Differentiated Fluency Packet with all of my kids as an in class assessment on fluency and comprehension. He works one on one with another teacher who evaluates him using Fountas and Pinnell. Also, this week we are beginning weekly reading tests on a story the kids read every night at home and we discuss in class.

Also, any advice for discussing this with the parents?

a look back at first grade this week (five for friday)

Ok bloggers, it's time to get back into the swing of things at school and in the blogging world! So, with the crazy week that happened, delays and a workday, i kept forgetting to take pictures of my kiddos. I did take a few but I didn't take a lot. So here's my week at a glance, some of it personal, some from the classroom.

ONE
Have I stated before how much I LOVE television? I could pretty much watch all of my fave shows all day long and be perfectly happy! I had a great time catching up (as much as I could) on all the new episodes that aired this week! Oh how I have missed new episodes!

TWO

We started talking about money this week! I am so glad to be doing something new in math. My curriculum has suggested we spend sooo much time on addition and subtraction! It breaks it up but still! Last semester we spent about a month total on addition and subtraction. Then we were supposed to go back to it again! I skipped it and went to money. Haha. My kiddos are loving these money activities from Amy Lemons' "It's All About the Money" unit.

I love encouraging my kiddos to work in groups and collaborate together! It helps them learn to encourage each other, learn from each other, and learn how to solve problems as a team.

THREE

We started talking about Earth's materials this week, beginning with rocks. We are working through All About Rocks from The Teacher Wife. 

Here is one of my kiddos observing Igneous rock. He is touching it, smelling it, and describing what he is observing.

FOUR

Looking ahead to the summer time already! With all of the craziness of school going on, the summertime has slipped my mind. In college, everyone begins planning for the summertime around November/December. In the real world, everyone around me has a family and commitments outside of school so there's no option of going away or doing anything for the summertime that doesn't involve their family. I would really love to do missions this summer! I keep going back to an opportunity with Mission to the World that targets children in the neighborhood of Washington Heights outside of NYC, helping them with homework and academic progression. Right up my alley, right? I need to get on this because I have already missed the first application deadline!

FIVE

I definitely loved having a short week! But the cold all week plus rain all day today meant minimal outside recess time. Which meant my kids were anxious to go outside all week long! We will definitely have to continue to work on our voice levels! So, here's to another weekend! PTL!

Erin Condren

Need I say more? Literacy an Laughter is giving away 2, that's right 2, Erin Condren gift cards! I so want a Teacher Planner for next year. And a Life Planner. I just want all things Erin Condren! So head on over there and get yourself an entry!

Hope that all of you are staying warm through the cold! I'll blog and post later this week about what is happening in first grade!

Happy New Years and Returning to School

Well bloggers, it's about that time. Time for these lovely days spent in my pjs, eating holiday cookies, watching SNL on Hulu Plus, gazing lovingly at my new MacBook, and most importantly, not thinking about school, to end.

I do miss all of my first graders and I am excited for all of the things that we have coming up this semester. So here's a sneak peek at what we will be working on these next two weeks in my room and a little bit about what my New Years resolutions are!

Over the break, I bought this awesome unit from Amy Lemons over at Step Into 2nd Grade! 

We are going to be exploring money these next two weeks and I have been trying to find some fun activities for the kiddos to do. I love everything Amy Lemons does and saw this unit for only $6! We are going to be using the foldable, the match ups, and all sorts of other fun things! My kiddos are going to love all of this cutting and gluing! 

Also, I love this new idea floating around for enriching students math vocabulary by creating a math word wall! I am definitely going to do that next year. This year I have simply been talking about the vocabulary and posting it while we talk about it but not keeping it up afterwards. So, check out a sneak peek of my next TpT project over on my new FB page!

And Lastly,

1. PLAN LUNCH BETTER - 

So, lately I have developed a BAD case of laziness. So, I don't plan what to take for lunch the day before, and I don't check to see what kind of food I have. I simply wake up in the morning and at the last second when I really need to leave I search the kitchen for something, anything, to take for lunch. Not usually a good plan. So, I am hoping to get better at planning out my meals.

2. EXERCISE MORE - 

I know, I know, isn't this every one's resolution? Last year I decided I was going to try running and I actually started it and was doing well for about a month or so. I was right on the cusp of beginning to enjoy it. What happened? My laziness and my forgetfulness combined meant I would forget to go to the gym or remember and not go. Therefore, habit died. This year, I'm going to try to work out at least once a week. Whether it is running, walking, stretching, or putting on a Jillian Michaels video. 

3. PRAY -

In college, I started a prayer journal. I love to write out my prayers to God but there's also so much to be said for praying out loud. I feel self-conscious when I pray out loud and I want to try to utilize that vulnerability. I feel that if I feel vulnerable and open when I am praying to God, then I am truly being honest about my intentions and I will be more thankful.

4. BE THANKFUL - 

I struggle so much with pride and that overflows into so many other areas of my life. One is being thankful. I keep up with Ann Voskamp's blog and she has learned so much about being thankful for the small, everyday things. If you haven't read her book, One Thousand Gifts, you should! I keep a thankfulness journal but I haven't written in it since the beginning of the school year. This year, or semester, I want to try to take a step back when I feel frustrated and turn it around to see what I can be thankful for in the situation. I have so many things to be thankful for!

5. BE UPLIFTING AND ENCOURAGING - 

Because of my pride, a desire to be liked, and other things that have happened in my life, I have a tendency to make jokes about people that are sometimes not uplifting. I need to think about my words and my intentions before speaking about or to someone in this way. My words should be encouraging and should point others to know more of Jesus. My words are gift from the Lord for his glory and not my own!

There you have it! Be sure to check out that sneak peak on my new Facebook page and share some love!