Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Common Core Crazy- Measurement and Data!!!! Posted!

My 3rd Pack in the Common Core Crazy series is COMPLETE!  Phew... I am tired!  I love how this baby turned out!  It has so many fun activities in it!  Are you tired of not having exactly what you want to teach the Common Core Standards? In this pack you will find a ton of useful and engaging activities for your little ones. Common Core Crazy- Measurement and Data is a Supplemental Resource that was created in hopes that it would make your lesson planning a little bit easier!


Inside you will find:
Activities to go along with ALL strands 1.MD.1, 1.MD.2, 1.MD.3, 1.MD.4 covering, measurement, clocks, graphs galore!
Partner Activities
Whole Group Activities
Activities that can be used for centers
Matching
Supplemental sheets for practice, morning work, or homework
Assessments


Here is a little sneak peek!











In the preview you can see that I even include a little Mustache Measuring Activity!  Too Much Fun!  Your littles are sure to LOVE all the activities inside!  Go on and head on over to my shop to check it out.  You won't regret it!




Here is a little freebie for you if you stuck with me!  It's just 1 of the fun activities from my pack!  Just click on the pic!





I will give this amazing unit away to the first 2 people to PIN this activity and then come back and comment WITH the link!  

Friday, April 26, 2013

Five for Friday! Ready for the Weekend


 I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching Five for Friday!  This has seriously felt like the longest week.  I am in much need of some R&R!  Going to try to make this quick.  I have been under the weather all week with a respiratory infection!  Yuck! 




1. My girls!  I have the best group of friends.  There are 9 of us that have been best friends since high school.  We were seriously inseparable.  We all went to different colleges but have kept in touch.  Most of them still live in Plano/Dallas Texas where we grew up.  Only 3 of us live elsewhere.  We all got together last weekend for our Kristi's wedding.  It is wonderful because we can pick up right where we left off.  We have been through so much together, heartache, marriages, deaths, births, and everything else.  These girls are my world and I am so thankful for them!


2. PICTURE DAY!  Class picture day.  I dread it EVERY year.  I feel like a giant next to my 1st graders.  It seems like every picture I have ever taken I look pregnant.  I'm not.  I have got to get better posture.  Last year I made the photographer let me see the picture and then proceeded to have her retake it.  Ha!  Here's to hoping this year's will be fabulous!



3.  3D Shapes galore!  This week we have been reviewing the Common Core standard for Geometry.  For this last Module in TLI we have to cover ALL standards before our test.  It's seriously insane to cram it all in.  But luckily my kids have remembered it all!  We used Kelley Dolling from the Teacher Idea Factory's 3D Shapes Pack.  It is so incredible.  It is so jam packed with fun activities that we couldn't get to everything!  I can't wait to use it next year during the month that we teach shapes because 1 week is so not enough!  We also used my Geometry Common Core Crazy Pack (Click on the pic to check out my pack!  The kids loved making their 3D shapes booklet and we even did a little assessment today that they aced!  #proudteacher




4.  Face Time.  I am so thankful for Face Time.  (So is our dog Bear)  Being away from Mr. Coach while I am finishing my year in Arkansas and he is coaching his little heart out in Alabama is so hard.  I love being able to see his cute face (Mr. Coach's that is.  I cut him out because it wasn't the most flattering pic! Haha) makes my day and makes it just a little bit easier!



5.  Reading Buddies.  These littles make my heart go thumpity-thump.  These pictures Melt. My. Heart.  Some of my littles have come so far in reading.  They cannot wait to read chapter books and ask me constantly.  So today we did just that!  I let them have reading time and I just loved watching them relax with a good book.  I may or may not have taken that time to grade some papers.  Um, I mean do intervention.  =)

Well that's all I got!  I hope that you are all having a fabulous week friends!  Enjoy your weekend!  I am resting up and getting ready to see Mr. Coach next weekend!  Eeek!  Can't wait!

Monday, April 22, 2013

Finger Spies--Guided Reading

Let's talk a little about Guided Reading.  I am all about making it fun for the kids if I can.  I have used the witchy pointer fingers, patterned tongue depressors and many others for pointing out the words as they read.  But I am always looking for new ways to get my littles excited about reading.

So a few weeks back I came across this post.  If you don't know Krista Wallden, you are missing out.  She makes the most incredible clip art!  I love all of her images, especially the "Put on a Happy Face" collection that she made to be put on an clip art!  Genius I tell you!  It is currently on my "Wish List" on TPT.

Anyway back to the post.  She found the cutest "Finger Spies" at the Dollar Tree.  After I read her post I literally hopped in my car and went to both Dollar Trees in town looking for these babies!  I was able to snag up 9 of them.  Enough for my small groups with a few left over in case they break.  Take a look at them below!

My littles just LOVE to use these things.  They are P-E-R-F-E-C-T for guided reading.  

I mean seriously.  How much cuter can it get?!

They come in a package of 1 and the package looks like this.  They were near the front of the store on a little stand in a box.  I thought I throw that in there because I seriously did laps around the stores before I finally found them!

At my school we don't use a basal.  We follow the Balanced Literacy Approach and it is basically up to the teacher to decide what they want to use.  We DRA our students at the beginning and the end of the year.  Based on the outcome this is how we pick our books for the kids to read during their groups.  We have an amazing book room that has oodles of books to choose from.  I have 25 students in my class and the differences between all of them are across the board.  So I have 6 groups.  I know it sounds nuts, but it is the only way that works for me.  My two high groups I don't meet with as often because they can do a lot of the reading and comprehension work independently thankfully.  I will send home 2 new books a week.  My kids always have at least 2 books in their book bags to practice reading nightly.  Parents are "supposed" to initial it nightly but that doesn't always happen.  I am never satisfied however with how I do my groups, and I am always wanting to improve them in a way if I can.

I am curious to see how other teachers do their guided reading.  What do you use for the readers?  Do you follow a certain plan?  I would love to hear from you friends!

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Rockin' Roll and Read + a Freebie!

Happy Sunday friends!  Who's ready for a little Rock n' Roll?  If you can hang with me for a bit I have a surprise for you at the end!

Well I just got done cranking out a new product.  It's a Roll and Read for Fry's 1st 300 Sight Words.  Let me just tell you, my kiddoes LOVE doing roll and read.  It might help a little bit that they get to use the jumbo dice that I have.  But, regardless they like it!  What they don't realize is that it is helping them to build their fluency while they are playing a fun little game.  This can be done with a partner or independently.  

There are 15 different game boards with each board containing 20 different sight words all mixed together!  Endless fun right here!  If you want to check it out go ahead and click on the picture below!



Ok so I went to Target today and of course had to hit up the Dollar Spot.  I. Have. A. Serious. Problem.  When it comes to Target I have always had a problem.  But every since the started the Dollar Spot years ago, it has gotten 10x worse!  I wanted to share with you a few of the things I got!



They have so many great books right now!  I cannot wait to put these at the reading center.  My littles are just going to eat them up!



Ok the magnifying glasses are my favorite.  I am planning on putting them with the Rockin' Roll and Read for them to use.  It will make it all so much more fun.  I am a bin fanatic.  I plan on using these puppies for holding center materials or counters.  And who can ever have enough file folders?  Especially these cute ones!  My files just got so much more fashionable!


If you hung in with me, then I have a little freebie for you.  Click below on the picture to pick up Fry's First 100 Sight Words Game Boards.  I just loved how these turned out.  They are so cute!  Thanks for dropping by and I hope that these are something that you can use!




The first 2 people to pin this activity and post the link in the comment will get the Full Rockin' Roll and Read sent to them!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Five for Friday!


Two weeks in a row!  I am setting way to high of standards!  Well here is a look at my Five for Friday!


1.  Just a couple of teachers getting ready to do the Harlem Shake.  We celebrated the end of State Testing.  Ohmiword y'all.  I just LOVE my school.  I teach at a Visual Performing Arts Magnet School and it is seriously the best.  I am so sad that I have to leave this place.  

2.  Finished my 2nd in a series of Math CSS Supplemental Pack.  I don't know how all these Pro TPTer's do it.  They can turn out products like nobody's business.  It is hard work y'all.  

3.  I Love It by Icona Pop.  If you don't know this song, you have to look it up.  It's seriously the best.  I want to just jump up and down and dance whenever I hear it.  I am that girl dancing by myself in my living room.  Here's to hoping the neighbors can't see me!

4.  Bear.  My child.  He must be very busy all day long because he is a sleepy boy whenever I get home.  Has anyone else wanted to install camera's to see what our little furry friends do while we are gone?  I just love this pup to pieces.

5.  Coolest piece of jewelry a teacher can ever get.  I seriously got excited when my little gave this to me.  (It says Clark, my last name)  Apparently we are BFF's too. 


Well that's it!  Hope you all have a fab Friday friends!  I'll be back soon!  Go link up with Doodlebug's Five for Friday!  Happy Weekend!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Shapes and Fractions! Common Core Crazy

Well friends I finished it!  I'm proud to introduce to you the 2nd in a series of 1st grade Common Core Math!  This amazing supplemental resource pack has oodles and oodles of fun activities inside!  It focuses on the CSS strand Geometry.  This pack assesses the standards 1.G.1, 1.G.2, and 1.G.3.

Here is a preview of what is in it:

2D Shapes, 3D Shapes, and Fractions Galore!
Whole Group Activities
Student Shape Books
Task Cards
Matching Activities
Formative Assessments for all 3 Strands
Vocabulary Cards
Supplemental Sheets to Assess or Practice
And so much more!  

The great thing about this pack is that it can be used for your advanced Kindergarten students and also for Intervention for 2nd graders.

My hope in making this is that it will cut down on your lesson planning time and provide you with the appropriate activities for mastering the Common Core!

The great thing about this series of products are that I plan to continually adding NEW activities to them  as I go.  So if you buy now you will end up getting more in the end!  Go and check it out and see what you think!  Click on the picture below to go straight to my product!





And if you want to check out my other pack click on the picture!

Well that's all for now!  I PROMISE to be back later to blog about more fun things and not try to sell you things!  Happy Hump Day!


Monday, April 8, 2013

Almost finished!

Ok I know I said I would have the Geometry CCS Supplemental Pack for 1st grade finished this weekend.  And I do.  But, I am having someone look over it so it will be perfect.  Should be out later this week though!  I am so excited about this pack.  I think it's a gem.  It makes me happy to look at it!  It has everything in there that you could want.   Vocabulary cards, center games, formative assessments and so much more!   I can't wait to share it with all of you.  (All 39 of my followers! haha)

Here is a little peek at what is coming!




Ok that is all for now!  I will be back this week to share the rest with you!  Hope everyone's Monday started out great!  

Friday, April 5, 2013

Five for Friday



I'm joining in on the fun with a little Five for Friday!  Here is a little peek in to the life of ME!  



1. We had a "Glow Dance" at school.  It's part of our PBIS Good Behavior Program.  The kids had too much fun dancing to Justin Bieber and doing the Cha Cha Slide.  Not gonna lie, the teachers were living it up as well.  One of the 1st grade teachers was leading the conga line in the pic!  But let me tell you, that room stunk with a capital S when it was time to leave.  Needless to say I think everyone had stinkin' (tee hee) great time!


2.  You know you are going to have a good day when one of your littles brings you chocolate cake and a picture to go with it!  She is very proud of that fact that she "lisns" to me.  Also, I have great posture and apparently I am able to levitate.  Oh the superpowers of a teacher!


3.  PTL our State Standardized Testing is over!  Luckily in 1st grade we only have 2 days of testing, but let me tell you it is hard to keep 25 first graders quiet and still for 2 hours at a time.  They were rewarded today with their good testing skills with a little "Rest After the Test".  They got to were their pajamas to school and have a movie day this afternoon!  


4.  I went to Auburn this past weekend to visit Mr. Coach.  I was out looking for houses and came across this little gem.  Yes those are bikes acting as a fence for the house.  And yes the house is in the shape of a hexagon.  Oh the things you come across in Alabama.  


5.  Really missing my Coach!  While I am so happy to be finishing out my year with my 1st graders, I am super ready to be with my hubby again!  I can't wait to move to Alabama (we lived in Montgomery for 3 years, and I NEVER thought we would move back to Alabama) to be with him.  I think our dog Bear is missing him too!

Well that is it friends!  I hope everyone has a great weekend, I am off to finish my second Common Core Pack for Geometry.   I am hoping to have it done by Sunday!  Don't forget to go and check out my first Common Core Crazy Pack for Numbers and Operation in Base Ten.  You can check it out by clicking on the link below!  


Common Core Crazy



Thursday, April 4, 2013

Cloud Writing FREEBIE!

Hi friends!

I have a little freebie for you tonight!

This is a great little writing activity to use after reading the story "Little Cloud" by Eric Carle.
Click on the book to go to Amazon to purchase!
The story is about a little cloud that changes into different objects.  Students will write about a shape or object that they have seen in the clouds, and then draw a picture of what they saw!  It is a great tool to use for making a text to self connection.  This would be great to use when teaching about weather and have the students go outside and observe the clouds!

Just click on the link below to go straight to my TPT store!

Cloud Writing Freebie!

I hope that you can find a use for this.  My kids LOVED doing this!  There writing was fantastic!  I am hoping to be back tomorrow to participate in the Five for Friday.  Have a great Friday!

For more ideas for April click on the pic above!



Monday, April 1, 2013

My First Currently!

I'm linking up with Oh' Boy 4th Grade for the first time!

Listening: My dog Bear is a snorer!  The worst!  He had a big weekend staying with some friends while I was gone.  They have two little boys and they just love him to pieces!  They wore him out!

Loving: I LOVE getting emails that say I have a new comment on my blog.  It makes my heart go thumpity-thump.  I get uber excited and am so grateful that people actually read this thing!

Thinking: I should work out.  But then I just go and get some more Reeses peanut butter cups and that thought just goes away for some reason!

Wanting: We have our State Standardized Testing starting tomorrow.  It's only 2 days for 1st grade but it sure is hard to keep those little ones quiet for that long!  

Needing: I am moving because Mr. Coach got a new college coaching job in Alabama.  I'm on the hunt for a job and hope to find something soon.  Praying, praying, and more praying!

Advice: Blogging is hard!  It takes time and I just have to DO IT!  I am having so much fun though and can't wait to get better at it!

Go check out some of the others by clicking on the link below!

Oh Boy 4th Grade


Well that is all I got tonight friends!  I am so glad that I finally got to do my own "Currently"!  How fun is this!  Have a great rest of the week everyone!