Saturday, December 31, 2011

giveaways galore!

I just can't help but spread the amazing give aways that I found! They are just too good to not pass along, but if you enter due to my blog and win you have to share the winnings ;) Just kidding. So hope on over to all of these amazing ladies blog and enter!




First, I have to mention Dianne at Hopelessly Devoted to Teaching.  She is giving away a $25 gift card to Amazon for reaching 50 followers. 






Next, Yearn to Learn is giving away a $15 Starbucks giftcard!  Hurry on over and become a follower of hers to enter.






Teach With a Smile is giving away a $25 gift card to Lakeshore for launching her new blog.  If you are one of the first 25 followers, you will be eligible.




Little Literacy Learners



And now, Little Literacy Learners is giving away one of her TpT products to 4 lucky winners.  If you would like an opportunity to wins some fabulous literacy activities, head on over.



Teaching First



Teaching First is also giving away some of her newly created Penguin themed material.  If you would like a chance to enter, stop by her blog!


Have fun applying!

Friday, December 30, 2011

New years in blogland!!

I am having a blast looking at all of the blogs I follow, which lately has turned into a really long list. But I don't care! Because I have gained so many ideas and knowledge these past few months that I could seriously teach a class on blogging! Shhh, don't tell my principal ;) so here are fun give aways you need to go check out!

Amazing gift card: from hopelesslydevotedtoteaching.blogspot.com

13 AMAZING units from 13 different wonderful ladies. To participate visit ericabohrer.blogspot.com

Happy new year to all!!




Friday, December 23, 2011

take a break... what?!

Well I just couldn't stay away. Here I am enjoying my morning and what am I doing? Purchasing and downloading AMAZING centers from Teachers Pay Teachers. Can we say addicted much? I have come across a few new blogs Mrs. Lirette's Learning Dectectives and Life in First Grade and I can't wait to check them both out!

It truly is amazing how much better of a teacher I've become when I started blogging. I have ideas out the wahzoo (yes it is a word, ask my firsties) and even ones I don't get to use because I don't have enough time. Yes, there is a little bit of prep work, but think what next year will bring when I can just reach into my files and pull them all out ready to go?!  :)

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

thank you thank you!

I have started using all of my fun centers from all of my fun blogging teachers. My students' favorite activity is the Lights Lights ABC order activity from First Grade a la Carte. You can find Kathy Law's fun holiday centers here. They are making them, putting them on yarn, and using them to decorate their desks. They crack me up. I will have to post a picture soon!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

sunrise, sunset

That's home my day goes. I get to school when the sun rises and I leave school when the sun sets. Would you like to know why? Because I am now an official teaching blog addict. I have so many fun and new ideas that I spend all of my time printing, laminating, cutting, and then searching for MORE fun ideas once I get home.

I get overly excited when we start talking about new plans for following weeks. My team is a team of 4 and I am the youngest. My obsession with blogs makes my teammates laugh. Even though one of them could have her own blog and teacherspayteachers account with all of the adorable things she does.

I am lucky to have an amazing group of women to work with. They let me rant and rave about all of my new findings. I hope to soon start posting ideas of my own so that other teaching blog addicts can take my ideas and I have taken so many of theres.

What has been your favorite find on teaching blogs?

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

the hits just keep comin'!

Remember the post from yesterday and I said my lights were off? Well they were off when I got to school today too. REALLY?! And they weren't fixed until 10:15. Phew! It was a crazy morning and an even crazier afternoon as I had 7 extra firsties for a total of 30 first graders in one room. We had a fun afternoon. Now that I have lights again I was able to take a picture of the adorable snowflakes that my kiddos are making in their art centers this week. So far we have only had one "bad" cut to the finger. I hope that's where they end. They are so proud of their accomplishment when they open it up and see how beautiful it is!



I don't know why it won't let me rotate it. grrr!

How are you using snowflakes in your classroom? With the rules of remaining "religious" neutral, it can sometimes be hard to find fun winter activities, but the snowflake is so fun! My favorite that I found is from Christina Bainbridge's blog. It's absolutely adorable! I hope I have to do it. If not, snowflakes work in January too!

Monday, December 5, 2011

lights out

I was planning on posting lots of pictures of my classroom. I have been busy, busy! But who knew that my lights were going to go out! This happened last week for an hour and a half. My firsties loved that! So unfortunately with our rainy weather, the room was too dark without lights. So no pictures to show. So sorry. Hopefully lights are fixed tomorrow morning. I don't know if I could do teaching in the dark.

Has something not gone the way you thought it would? Let's here it!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

11 days

One week almost down, then only two more left. I love teaching my kiddos, but for these last few weeks before the break, I'm going to just have fun and more fun! They are 6 years old and fun arts and crafts are sometimes exactly what they need. And I need too!