Sunday, March 29, 2015

$1.00 Sale!

Tonight might be the end of my Spring Break ~ but, it also marks the eve of another great Dollar Sale brought to you by some of my fellow Indiana Blogging buddies.



Here's what you can get in my store for $1.00 ~

A Basket of Long Vowels Literacy Center Activities

                                                               Click HERE to purchase.

Watching the Grass Grow - a Primary Science Project.

Click HERE to purchase.


Serving Up CVC Words ~ Aligned to the CCSS

Click HERE to purchase.


Number Bonds Flash Cards

Click HERE to purchase.


Check out the savings at this linky.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Spring Break!

Yay!  I'm on Spring Break ~ only it doesn't look too springy out.  Because we aren't going anywhere I have time to relax, catch up on projects, hang out with one of my three granddaughters (2 of them are in Disney World), and generally do as I wish.

I do wish, that the weather is a little better.  OK, I wish it was A LOT better.  At least not snowy...



What's going on?  We didn't have a flake of snow in December when we would have appreciated it!


Here is a little color for this dreary weather.  One day these two little cuties got out the tub of buttons to sort.  I didn't even realize that they were rainbow colors!  They did this on their own!  I emailed this picture to our art teacher.  She was very happy to see that they arranged them in correct rainbow order!  (I'm not sure if the picture in the background served as inspiration...)


Last week my Kinders enjoyed playing this St. Patrick's Day themed game.  It includes an Easter version of all the game boards ~ and is only $1.00!  Click HERE to buy.


Cabin Fever followed by Spring Fever left some of my little darlings a bit out of sort.  We created Positive Posies to help us to remember happy thoughts.  First, we brainstormed a list of feel-good ideas.  The kids chose bright paper, traced & cut out pieces, and then decorated their creations with positive messages.  Everyone was left feeling pretty happy with these colorful flowers!


The postcards are back!  This is what we have so far.  Last year I offered a giveaway to readers who sent me postcards.  If you would like to win any product from my TpT store, please send me a postcard from your state (or country).  On the back, clearly print your email address and the name of my product that you would like to win.  I will select a winner on April 4, 2015.  Good luck & THANKS! See info below to enter.




Monday, March 9, 2015

Penguins

OK, I know it's March and the last thing anyone wants to think about is penguins...  Well, I never got around to writing a post about our fun with penguins (in January), but I guess it's better to be late than never.  


Our hallway bulletin board.  The wonderful ~ realistic ~ penguins were made by our wonderful primary aide Mrs. O.  They really complimented our penguin writing!


Are you bigger than a penguin?  My kids had fun measuring themselves against the different sizes of penguin breeds. 

The following are some samples of our penguin writing.  Every level of learner successfully wrote about penguins.  We really had a lot of fun researching the flightless birds!


The little author of this piece was very concerned about what penguins do during storms.  It was her "What do I Wonder."  I had to do a little Google research to find out that they "huddle up together in a storm."


If you aren't totally sick of all things winter, then hop over to my TpT store and get my top-selling Penguins unit.  It's half price for a while.  (Grab it now & prep it at your leisure.  It will be ready for you next January!)  Click HERE to purchase.  







Sunday, March 8, 2015

Dr. Seuss Week

We spent the past week reading Dr. Seuss books and making some fun crafts. Here is a quick post featuring three of the things we did.  (Thing 1, Thing 2, and "Thing 3")

 Things 1 & 2 made with blue hand prints.  

 Things 1 & 2 hats.

Horton Hears a Who

The Truth About Teaching Kindergarten ~ Linky


Not too long ago as my class was walking to a special one of my little girls asked me to help her tie her sash.  Our school secretary was also in the hall.  She made the remark that she was surprised by the fact that Kindergarten Teachers do so much more than "simply teach."  That got me to thinking about all the different hats I wear as a Kindergarten Teacher.

In the course of the day I often am asked to play one or more of the following non-academic roles: wardrobe fixer (untied sashes, twisted straps, bunchy sleeves, stuck zippers, etc.), first aid administer (bandage applier, nose bleed stopper, lost tooth baggie giver, tissue hander-outer), lost & found director ("Mrs. Phillips, I can't find my other glove!" "Did you look in your pocket?"), drill sargent ("Walk facing front & keep your hands to yourselves."), coach, ("Keep up the good work!" "You can do it!"), yoga instructor ("Take a deep breath."  "Let's stretch."), mediator ("How do you feel when she said that?"  "What is another way to handle that?"), mommy (I give out & receive lots of hugs!), and the only stable adult in your life (this role makes me sad & happy ~ sad that it's needed, but happy to be it).  

Don't get me wrong ~ I'm happy to wear those hats.  But, it's no wonder I come home tired!  My good friend (fourth grade teacher) asserts that there is a special pass to Heaven for Kindergarten & First Grade Teachers!  (I taught fourth grade for one year.  I liked it, but do prefer working with the little kids.)

Here are a few more Truths About Teaching Kindergarten...


Kindergarten Teachers need to be crafty and organized.  Pinterest has really upped the creative teacher ante.  I have always been a crafty sort (it's in my genes), but now I find myself wanting to make things that are Pinterest-worthy.  (I do love to see my things pinned by others!)  With eighteen busy little kiddos to keep in control, I need to keep my stuff in control.  (This is a real challenge...)



Kindergarten teachers really appreciate the small stuff.  I was over the moon when a student gave me a pack of Sharpies during Teacher Appreciation Week last year.  Our elf had fun sitting in the sleigh a student made for me (it's sitting atop JOY blocks given to me by a student).  We are also peace keepers.  Helping little kids to learn to respect others is a a part of our job.


Kindergarten Teachers are good sports.  I DO NOT like bugs on me (in fact I really don't like nature to touch me). But, when the agriculture vocational students included the Kinders in a Monarch release I allowed this butterfly to ride around on my shoulder ~ to delight of my students.  When the Rainbow Loom craze was in full force I was gifted with many of these colorful accessories.  One day I wore them all!  I was such a fashionista!


Kindergarten Teachers know how to include others.  We plan field trips (we went to a county park & saw farm animals & hiked through the woods).  We schedule special guests (we learned about different types of soil by using food products, and got to touch the pelts of animals native to Indiana while we learned about what they do in winter).  We host parent (and in this case grandparent) volunteers.

But, the biggest Truth About Teaching Kindergarten is ~ I wouldn't want to do anything else!  

What are your truths?  Hop over to The Kindergarten Connection and link up yours!  
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