1st Grade ROCKS!!!

"Several....What I'm Loving Wednesday's"

2012-02-08T23:26:00.000-06:00

So TRUE!!!!! You just DON'T know!!!!!!

Found this jewel for my Dad:) He'll LOVE it....one of his brother's BIG hits:)

"HAT Day" and sweet friends at school:)

Don't forget to Link Up to Little Daisy May!!!!

What are you loving????

"Love" Linky Party & Valentine's FREEBIE!!

2012-02-05T15:39:00.000-06:00

Happy Sunday y'all!!!! What a "SUPER" day!!! Haha...go Giants!!!!

Okay...so I am joining Funky First Grade Fun's Linky Party!!!

Here is a list of what I LOVE!!!!

Why don't you consider linking up so we can all read about what you love! You can either use the document below and add your responses or just type your answers into your own post.

Can't wait to hear about what you "LOVE"!!!

Don't forget to link up!!!

In addition, here is a Valentine's Day Center Packet that I am placing in my TpT store as a "FREEBIE"!!!! It has several Word Study activities and some Writing activities!!! Enjoy:)

Come check it out here...TpT!!!

I've Been Cliparting.....:)

2012-02-03T21:49:00.000-06:00

So MUCH FUN!!!!! I'm having a great time learning and being creative:) Check out my clipart in the making....

My FAVE!!!

Shy one!

Yummy!

Fast Delivery!

Fave with more color:)

I'm just learning, but it is SO much fun:) I hope that you find use for these free graphics:) Feel free to use them for your classroom needs!!! Happy Valentine's Day......Enjoy Blogger friends!!!!

Groundhog's Day With the "Firsties"....

2012-02-02T18:40:00.000-06:00

So, I survived another Groundhog's Day!!! I have to admit.....I do like this day:) I like keeping up with "Punxsutawney Phil" every year!!! I got up early to watch it on the news....then once I got to school, I pulled it up to show the Firsties!!! Go HERE to check it out!

We did some Groundhog activities today....a BIG shout out goes to Christie at First Grade Fever for this adorable Groundhog's Day book that my kids REALLY loved today:) .....GREAT review on our daily timeline also:)

Then, we read an adorable Groundhog's Day book, Wake Up, Groundhog!!!

They REALLY liked this book!!! So cute:)

We also made use of an old Groundhog Puppet Pattern from a Teacher Created Book that I've had for years....except, this year, I wanted to do something different with it, so I used a NEW, handy little app that I purchased for my iPhone called Turbo Scan!!! I LOVE this app....used it many times just this week!!! Once I scanned the Groundhog Pattern, I was able to add Math Facts to it for a more "productive" tool besides working on fine motor skills with coloring and cutting:) ***Disclaimer...I am not circulating this document...I just used it for my own class!!! I also made a Math Mat Working Table to go along with it so that my Firsties could show their work.....it also joined the two pieces of the Groundhog Puppet together:) They looked a little like this.....

Then.....we read another REALLY cute book.....I like that it brought in a little bit of TEXAS with the Armadillo:) The book is titled....Substitute Groundhog!

We played some fun online Groundhog Games that a fabulous blog called Technology Rocks. Seriously. blogged about:) Thanks for that!!!

We also did a cute writing activity with a template pattern and writing prediction page from First Grade Blue Skies!!!! Thanks for the great ideas and activities!!!

and a little closer look....

Okay....sorry for the length of this post....but to end it....DON'T laugh my little "crafty" blogger, clipart guru's!!! I'm learning...OKAY????? Here is my 1st little product....not much to look at, but I think he's cute:)

Mr. Groundhog by 1stgraderocks.blogspot.com!!!

Leave me a comment if you can.....I would love to hear how your Groundhog Day went!!!

100 days....and counting:) Plus a FREEBIE

2012-01-31T20:09:00.001-06:00

Here is our 100th Day Door Hanger, which was inspired by a Pinterest Pin of mine:) I thought is was funny that the older kids at our school thought that this was neat!! They LOVED it:)

Here is another activity that was made possible by a Pinterest Pin!!

I LOVE the creativity that my "Firsties" displayed:)

Here is a sampling of our 100th Day SNACK Celebration......I had them count 5 groups of 20's and they were AMAZED to see that it equalled 100:) LIGHT BULBS!!!! They LOVED it:)

....AND....just to end this post, we took a Field Trip to Junie B. Jones, the Musical from Theatreworks USA last week and it was WOWIE, WOW, WOW!!!! Here are some writing samples that my "Firsties"did before we left:)

I am sharing the coloring sheet that you can find HERE and my writing journal page HERE which was made possible with the graphic from Random House!!! Enjoy:)

Doin' the "TAG" Swag:).....

2012-01-30T17:36:00.003-06:00

I'm super excited to be Doin' the "TAG" Swag.....thanks to Tammy over at First Grade at Klinger Cafe'!!

Now I get to post the rules, follow the guidelines and pass it on to 12 other lucky bloggers! So on with the FUN!

Rules:

1. You must post the rules.

2. Post 12 fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 12 new questions for the people you tagged.

4. Tag 12 people and link them on your post.

5. Let them know you've tagged them!

12 Fun Facts About Me:

1. I am one of four sisters:)

2. I love to cook.....it's a PASSION!!!

3. My 3 favorite channels are Fox News, Food Network and Bravo!

4. I am a NIKON amateur photographer that loves to edit my pics as much as take them!

5. I love my 1st Grade Team!!!

6. I am OBSESSED with Chocolate and always have been:)

7. My favorite "girlie" place to go is NYC!!! Love it:)

8. This past summer on our cruise, the chef gave me a lesson on making Chocolate Melting Cake:)

So fun!!!

9. I am a mother of daughters:) Two to be exact!

10. I'm a Foodie...for sure!

11. I text more that I talk on the phone!

12. I love teaching!!!

Klinger Cafe's Questions for me:

How long have you been teaching? 10 years

What was your first teaching job? My 1st teaching job was an Accelerated Reader position with Kindergarten.

What made you decide to become a teacher? I wanted to be a teacher since I was in the 1st grade!!! I LOVED my 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Palmer!!! She was my inspiration:)

Do you have a teaching “idol?” Yes, Cay McAninch...I student taught for her and she is/was INCREDIBLE!!!
What is your favorite thing to do in the summer? The freedom to do whatever I want to do:)

Do you get a spring break if so when? Yes, March 10th-8th:)

Do you have extra duties besides teaching that are non paid? Serving on a district planning team. I also am the GT Coordinator at our campus...but I do get a stipend for that.

Who is the “go to” person at your school? Without a doubt, our SECRETARY!!!

What is your greatest dream in the world of teaching? That EVERY DAY I can touch someone's heart and mind to continue in their journey to read and write!!! Writing success is HUGE to me:)

What snack gets you through “those days?” CHOCOLATE!!!!

What would you be doing if you didn’t teach? Probably either be an author, a chef or a photographer. Those are my three passions besides teaching!!!

Would we be friends if we taught together, why or why not? Yes, for sure!!! I play nice with everyone:) That's just the way I roll!!!

Here are my 12 questions:

Were you excited to be tagged?

What are you doing right now while trying to write this post???

What subject do you feel like you ROCK at teaching and why???

What grades have you taught?

Who is the person that you go to for help when you need support at school?

Do you have a lot of after school meetings?

What do you do for reading interventions?

What is your favorite blog post?

Do you like comments on your blog posts?

Are you a coffee person?

What is your favorite show to watch on television?

What great book have your read lately?

The 12 I am tagging!!!!

A Cupcake for the Teacher

Technology Rocks. Seriously.

Cupcakes and Candy Canes

Oh Boy 4th Grade

Step Into 2nd Grade

Today in 1st Grade

Beg Borrow Steal

A Special Kind of Class

The Polka Dot Patch

Swamp Frog 1st Graders

Dragonflies in 1st

Pencils, Glue & Tying Shoes

SO.....do the "TAG" Swag with me:) You've been TAGGED!!!!!

What's NOT Wrong Thursday....

2012-01-26T19:04:00.000-06:00

Okay....Just so you know, the original "What's Not Wrong" post from Mrs. Davis at Carried Away in Kindergarten was NOT "What's NOT Wrong Thursday"! It is "What's NOT Wrong Wednesday", but she kindly stated that we could choose any day we felt needed a little positivity:) Therefore, after a day like today....(insert major sighs and consecutive yawns)....I'm choosing Thursday to be my day!!! Link Up to Carried Away in Kindergarten...I can't wait to see which day will you choose????

So, link up whenever and take some time to focus on what's NOT wrong in your world!

Here's how it works... copy and paste this little button...

Think of five things that are NOT wrong in your world. List them. Share them. Link up below! Lets share the love! :)

TECHNOLOGY....it can't be wrong!!! The kids love it, I love it, etc. My Firsties and I have had so much fun this week using math games on Johnnie's Math Page!!! Try it out....it's fun:)
COFFEE....Coffee is NOT wrong on any day!!!! It's what get's me going in the morning:)
FIRSTIES....are NOT wrong.....unless one moves away and makes you very sad!!!! (I always hope that their next teacher will love and appreciate them as much as I did!!!) After all, we LEARN as much from them as they LEARN from us!!!!
FIELD TRIPS....AHHHH.....tomorrow is TGIF and a Field Trip Day.....just an afternoon Field Trip, but going to see Junie B. Jones, The MUSICAL is going to be WOWIE, WOW, WOW.....AWESOME!!!!
My Fellow FIRST Grade Teacher Friends/Bloggers...Boy, do I LOVE keeping up with my Teacher Friend Blogs!!!! Such a great resource, support and inspiration to me!!!

Be careful what you ask for......

2012-01-24T23:10:00.002-06:00

Be careful what you ask for.....

You just may be surprised....

When two "Firsties" on the group time rug....

A scheme they had devised!!!

I asked for their attention,

"Quit playing on the back row!"...

"Don't you know it's Calendar Time???"

But the excitement they couldn't forego!!!

My teacher voice softly said,

While walking toward their space...

"Hand it over please...my 'Firsties"

Ugh....I should've known by the look on their FACE!!!

While thinking that I was taking

a mere trinket from their grasp,

Suddenly, it moved....

"Is it real???" I GASPED!!"

"YES" the class exclaimed...

Much to my surprise!!!

Shocked was my reaction,

I chunked him to his demise...or so I thought!!!!

He scurried among the "Firsties"...

Fast as he could go!

He thought he had an exit plan...

but they didn't let him go!!!

He was safely put in his bug catcher cage...

While they observed his every move!

The "Firsties" gave him the name Fernis....

...and, I think that he approved!

Okay, so YES....this is a true story and this is how I started my morning this morning at school!!!! Gotta LOVE memories like this:)

Leave a comment and let me know about what "Firstie" stories you have to share!!

"A Day In The Life of a FIRSTIE Teacher"....

2012-01-17T22:03:00.000-06:00

I decided to join Miss Klohn's Linky Party!!! It looks like GREAT fun!

Here is how it works...
1. Right click and save the button above to put in your post. I
suggest also making the picture a link when you add it so others can
easily find the linky party. (I wish I knew how to write the HTML code
to make it a button)
2. Tell us about a typical day in your classroom. You can share as
little or as much as you would like.
3. Come back to my blog and link up.
4. Visit the other links to see what a day is like in their class!

A Day In My 1st Grade Shoes.....goes a little like this.....
4:30....alarm went off...hit snooze approximately 2 times, which gave me 18 GLORIOUS minutes longer of my long, holiday weekend:) YES....I know that's early, but only 30 minutes early for me! I had all intentions of going early to school this morning to rearrange:) <I do that QUITE often!!!>
4:48ish....I made coffee, turned on FOX News Channel, let the dog out, let the dog back in, checked the weather, blog, Facebook and Pinterest.....
5:10....enjoyed some COFFEE....about 3 times:)
5:30......started working on my freshly washed, curly hair with my best buddy.....BabyblissPro!!!
5:50....put biscuits and bacon on for the fam:) (Did I mention that my parents had spent the night with us....well, breakfast is not an option, it's mandatory!!!:) smiles:)
6:00...finished getting ready for school.....made lunches for my girls.....picked my Autistic daughter's clothes out....woke the girls up....woke my husband up....more coffee, and SHHHHHH.....I secretly watched half of the RHBH:)
6:25.....FAMILY was up and in full force getting ready for our day!
7:20....kissed family "bye" off to my Firsties......
7:45.....welcomed the Firsties into the classroom with a warm smile and soft voice....
8:00....served "Breakfast In the Classroom", checked folders, checked homework, took breakfast count, collected Field Trip T-shirt money...bathroom break
8:20...enjoyed a BKFLix book online with the smart board....
8:30...Calendar Wall.....GROWING NUMBER....DAY 90!!!! 10 days till the 100th day of school! The Firsties are excited!!!!
8:45....Guided Reading Groups/Literacy Centers....managed 3 great groups and introduced 3 new centers:)
10:00....Junie B. Jones read aloud.....(SO EXCITED....going to see the musical in two weeks.....above mentioned Field Trip)
10:20.....WORD STUDY....introduced new WWWords and Spelling Chunks to Firsties with list and clapping, tapping, etc. Then we brainstormed spelling chunks -ock and -uck with magnets.
10:30.....Writer's Workshop.....LOVE it:)
Lunch at 11:15......worked during that break.....getting folders ready, etc.
11:45....Firsties came back from lunch and we practiced our words.......
12:30....another BKFlix book....they LOVE!!!
12:45....RECESS!!!!!! Yippee:)
1:15....skip counting....smart board style!
1:30.....Conference Period for me/Music for the Firsties
2:15....Math, Math and more Math....today we worked on before and after numbers! Still amazed that this can present a problem at times!
3:00....smartboard math games....pack up and dismissal:)
WHEW......T.I.R.E.D., but ready to do it again tomorrow:)

What is a day in your classroom like? Link up to share a "Day In Your Shoes"!!!

My "Perspective" on Currently ~ January!

2012-01-10T20:01:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I happened upon this great Linky Party topic Currently ~ January on Holly's Blog, Crisscross Applesauce in First Grade!! I loved reading about the OLW "One Little Word" that you choose for the year and how you should let it encompass your thoughts and ideas for the better! So I decided to Link Up!!! You should too....you can find the template here !!

Here's my word:)...

..PERSPECTIVE..

I didn't choose PERSPECTIVE, it chose me!!! Perspective has come up A LOT in my conversations of recent, and I pondered what it meant to me personally way before I found this great "Currently ~ January" Linky Party!!! I knew immediately which word was right for me in 2012! My "Perspective" is to look at other's "Perspectives" before I utter a word, form an opinion or offer advise!!! I am positive that my PERSPECTIVE just might change on some things!!!

Definition: Perspective- a French derivative- the proper or accurate point of view or the ability to see things objectivity.

Link up here....

Thanks Holly & Farley for inspiring me to accept my 2012 word!!!

Hip, Hip, Hooray.....It's Award's Day:)

2012-01-07T16:06:00.000-06:00

Hip, Hip, Hooray!!! A BIG "Thank You" goes out to Traci at Dragonflies In First for the AWESOME Versatile Blogger Award!!!

She was kind enough to award my blog this treat!!!!

{The Rules}

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them. Thanks a MILLION Traci at Dragonflies in First!!!! You're the best!!!

2. Tell 7 things about yourself.

Seven? wow....

I LOVE to cook/bake!!! It's a passion...thanks to my grandmother!
I LOVE LOVE to take photos....but better than that, I LOVE LOVE LOVE editing my photos!
I absolutely could NOT live without my MacBookAir!!!
I am an Apple junkie....and I do NOT mean the red, green or yellow kind:)
I am a mother of daughters. 2 to be exact!
I am an Autistic mother and advocate!
I am a Child of God! Obviously, the most important!!!

3. Pass this on to newly discovered blogs and let them know they received the award. Here are a few adorable sites that would love for you to pop by and follow them. :)

Here's a few....:)

First Grade Fever

1st Grade Connections

First Grade Jabber

First Grade Best

A Special Kind of Class

Pencils Glue & Tying Shoes

Today in First Grade

Thanks again Traci....and happy Blogging:)

Inspiring Crafts....SNOWMAN style:)

2012-01-03T21:42:00.000-06:00

I have seen many cute paper snowflake snowman crafts out and about....SO....I decided to incorporate a little WHOLE group "Snowflake Snowman" making in Room 21!!!

I had a couple of ground rules though!! You MUST with FIRST graders, otherwise-CHAOS ensues!!!!

Follow directions.
Make symmetrical folds:) Getting a little math involved in the literacy activity!
Make small cuts with careful hands and first grade scissors. (Incorporated a little SHAPE talk...triangles, circles, ovals, hearts, etc. I also had them predict what they think would happen if they made a cut at the top of the snowflake craft. i.e. It makes the snowflake have a hole in the center. Some did this, others didn't.)
You MUST write your weekly Word Wall Words on the snowflake and any other words off of the Word Wall with a blue crayon. (After all, this is a Literacy Word Work activity:)

Here is our finished product!!! Great practice, great fun and the Firsties LOVED it!!!

Awards and Awesome Blogs:)

2011-12-28T11:29:00.000-06:00

I just received the Liebster Blog Award from Jen at Hooked on Teaching. The Liebster Blog Award is for up and coming bloggers. Thanks Jen for honoring my blog with this awesome award. I LOVE the support!

Here are the rules:

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

2. Thank the giver and link back to them.

3. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

4. Hope that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers!!

Here are my top five picks for up and coming bloggers. I am sending them the Liebster Blog award. Be sure to check them out because they have FABULOUS ideas!!

Sailing Through 1st Grade

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2011-12-26T08:20:00.000-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.....from my family to yours:)

Great finds from fellow Bloggers:)

2011-12-15T05:36:00.000-06:00

A BIG "Shout Out" goes out to First Grade Blue Skies for this WONDERFUL craft that my Firsties made this week!!! They worked so very hard on them!! I even incorporated it into a practice for their Word Wall Words by having them write their words in each whisker of Santa's beard!! It started to become a competition on how many words/whisker's their Santa would have. They LOVED it!!! Thanks to First Grade Blue Skies for the inspiration:)

Merry Christmas "Word Work" Freebie

2011-12-14T05:48:00.000-06:00

Here is a great word work center activity that my students are loving!!!! I thought I would share this fun little Freebie!!!! I'm also loving that the theme is MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Feel free to download and use with your students....just please leave me a comment so I know what you thought of it!! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Words

Fun Friday "Fotos"

2011-12-09T06:43:00.001-06:00

We have had another great week with Nicey, our classroom Elf on the Shelf!!! Here are just a few of the places that we found Nicey in our classroom. He's so silly!!!

One more week with Nicey to go!!!

The BUSY Classroom Elf!

2011-12-03T08:31:00.001-06:00

UPDATE on our classroom elf, Nicey!!! He has been very busy in our classroom taking good notes for Santa! Take a look at all of the places he's found to watch my Firsties so far:)

High on the bookshelf....

Way up high on the windowsill....

Uh, Oh, Nicey got caught in our classroom snacks!!!

This was too funny...my kiddo's could not believe that Nicey did this!!!

Some of the comments were...

"He must have been HUNGRY!!!"
"I can't believe he stole our snack!"
"He's gonna get in trouble by Santa!"
"Great...now we can't go to writing center because if we accidentally touch him or knock him over, he'll lose his magic!"

We have also had a great time with Nicey this week during Writer's Workshop!!! We've written about what reports that he has given to Santa so far, where we will find him watching the next day, etc. He's been a great incentive for the kiddos to work hard and get along in class!!!

I have lots of ideas of how I will use our classroom Elf On The Shelf next week....can't wait to get creative:) We will be doing lots of interactive activities at the Elf On The Shelf site!!! Check it out....so fun:) Can't wait to show my Firsties Monday the email that we got from Santa from that site. Merry Christmas...and be looking for updates to my classroom elf, Nicey:)

Loving our classroom "Elf on the Shelf"

2011-11-29T18:08:00.001-06:00

Okay....so how many of you teachers out there LOVE "The Elf on the Shelf" at Christmas time??? I know I do!!! It has proven to be a fun and effective way to help with classroom management during the dreaded "school" holiday weeks!!!! My Firsties LOVE our "Elf on the Shelf", so I thought that it would be fun to do a Linky Party to find out how creative we teachers can be....as well as be an inspiration to me on where to display my classroom elf, Nicey:) (Appropriately chosen by my Firsties!!) Please feel free to post anything about your classroom elf! All ideas are GREAT ideas! So here goes....this is a picture of Nicey perched high above my dry erase board in the front of my classroom.

Nicey...Mrs. Wallace's Classroom Elf!!

Play along with us!!!

Family Turkey Projects!!

2011-11-15T22:20:00.001-06:00

This year, my Firsties have gone ALL out on the Family Turkey Projects!!! Out of the three years that we have done this activity, this is the first year that almost ALL of my students have done the project!!! I am so amazed....not only that they almost all have done it, but I'm amazed at the creativity that has been used in them!!! So neat! Here are some of them that I snapped pics of!!! Way to go Room 21!!! You ROCK at Family Turkey Projects:)

"Barnyard Word Bingo" Literacy Game!!!

2011-11-14T21:20:00.001-06:00

Okay...I'm on a roll.....:) I am always looking to keep my "Firsties" actively engaged while they are in Literacy Centers....therefore, I am always coming up with new activities or games to keep them going!! Check out my latest literacy game that helps reinforce their knowledge of our basic sight words.

It's called "Barnyard Word Bingo" and it can be found in my TPT store!

Let me know what you think:) Enjoy!!

"going nutty"

2011-11-13T17:40:00.001-06:00

For a great Word Study Center activity, check out my newest "going nutty" game on TPT.

"going nutty"

Have fun "going nutty"!!!

A little Pinterest...ing Sight Word Fun!!

2011-11-11T17:20:00.001-06:00

Some of my favorite pinning while searching for "Sight Word Activities" this week on Pinterest:)

A great letter recognition center to use during Guided Reading time!!! The students will love it and it's easy to set up and reasonably priced:) This came from ....Mrs. Kelly's Kindergarten!

This is a fun way to practice sight words and also get more practice with sentence formation and word choice! This great idea came from....http://moffattgirls.blogspot.com/!

Now, this next sight word center idea seems to be pretty popular!!! I've used it for many years in my own classroom....and now, I'm seeing it all over Pinterest and have heard that many teachers are using it along with other store bought games that have been educationally altered by their owners:) Teachers are so creative.....aren't we???? Well, we kinda have to be! LOL

Anyway.....here's Sight Word Candy Land!!!!

I wrote sight words on my game board, but others have written them on the actual cards. Either way...the kids LOVE it and it really gets them involved with learning sight words....in a fun way:)

Other games that I have used for sight word center activities are: Jenga, Memory Concentration games, Chutes and Ladders, Twister, Scrabble, etc. The possibilities are endless!!!

Enjoy and Pinterest your heart out:) I know I will!!!

Pilgrim Hat & Bonnet Game

2011-11-09T08:51:00.002-06:00

Here is a word study game for a Word Work Center!! Enjoy:)

Pilgrim Hat & Bonnet Game

Fall Fun

2011-11-01T05:58:00.000-05:00

Ah....this time of the year is such fun for Firsties, but soooo tiring for teachers!!!! Competing with the wonderful "Candy" holiday for their attention is NOT easy!!!! These resources have helped me keep my Firsties excitement about Fall while helping me determine where a reteach is needed!!! Maybe they can help you too!!!

5 Little Pumpkins Poetry Center

Calendar Sort Literacy Center

Pumpkin Concentration Game

The "-eat" Chunk!!

2011-10-06T18:16:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I've been feeling creative lately.....here is another activity to do for the -eat chunk spelling pattern!!

-eat chunk

Have the student color the "treat" bag sheet and cut along the zigzag underneath the Halloween kitten. Attach a plastic baggie with a staple on each side for the safe keeping of the "-eat" cards.

They will be able to use these words to read to their friends, parents and siblings in an effort to become more familiar with the -eat chunk. Enjoy!!

It's all about the "_ay" Chunk!!!

2011-10-03T06:02:00.000-05:00

This week on our Chunk Wall, we will be adding two new spelling pattern chunks. One of them will be the "_ay" chunk!!! Here is an activity for a whole group Word Study lesson or to use in a literacy center for individual work and further practice. I print it out on white tag paper and laminate for durability. I bought a simple, black BOO bucket at Target that I put my "Ghostly" letter cards in. The students choose their "Ghostly _ay" or "Ghostly _ _ay" Mats and get to work:) Enjoy!!!

Here is the Symbol Chart and Product Sheet

for this activity, and here is the

"Ghostly _ay" Mats and "Ghostly" letters!

"Firsties" First Field Trip

2011-10-02T13:40:00.000-05:00

In honor of the play, Charlotte's Web, that we will be seeing this week on our field trip, I am downloading my

Wilbur's Word Game!

I have been reading Charlotte's Web to my students for a couple of weeks now and should be finished with the book before we go on our field trip this week. It will be fun to compare and contrast the play and the book when we get back. I'm anxious to see their faces during the show!!! They are already very attached to the characters in the book and for them to get to see them in a different genre will be exciting!!!

The game directions are listed on the game sheet. Enjoy!!

PS...check back for future card games with different themes....More to come!!!

A Great "Word Study" Site!!

2011-09-29T17:53:00.001-05:00

Click on the link below for a GREAT site to explore words with your students. It makes a great tool for whole group Word Study lessons on your smart board or independent research work on the computer. My "Firsties" love to practice their weekly words this way and after we have completed our lesson, we can print out the Fridge and paste the words in our Word Study Journals. AWESOME!!!

ABCya! ABC & 123 Magnets Fridge Magnets

Writing WOW

2011-09-20T10:56:00.001-05:00

I just love reading my students writing!!! I seem to learn so much from them this way...like, who they really like to play with, what they like to read and how they really feel about their classroom! Check this writing out! I was blown away with the details in the illustration!! Amazing:)

Great Finds....

2011-09-18T12:22:00.000-05:00

Just like lots of people these days, I am HOOKED on Pinterest!!! What a great way to find things....with the help of your friends!!!
Here are some of the new math ideas that I have started my school year off with!! So far, they are a HUGE hit!!!

from a great webiste....www.oceansoffirstgradefun.blogspot.com.

This is a great place value game from ....http://whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com/. The "Firsties" love it!!!

And to go along with Everyday Math, I found this smart board "Rolling for 50" game from....http://tekyteach.blogspot.com. They also have the Dice, Roll and Tally Game, Penny Nickel Exchange and Bunny Hop!!! I let the students choose Smart Board Games as one of their Math Game Rotation choices. It makes learning so much fun!!!!

What Level Are You On???

2011-08-20T09:05:00.000-05:00

I found a GREAT Guided Reading idea from whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com through Pinterest, that I am excited to share with you!!! I will be keeping up with my reading groups this way this year! So simple, yet so helpful!!!!

Guided Reading Groups

"Saddle Up" For The New School YEAR!!!

2011-08-20T08:52:00.000-05:00

Western is our theme this year! After a long week of inservice meetings, data meetings, faculty meetings, "Meet the Teacher" night and working in my classroom, I think I'm getting close to ready to invite my new "Firsties" into my classroom....on MONDAY....YIKES!!!!!! This is a picture of my bulletin board, welcoming my new students into 1st Grade!!! It should be a GREAT year!!!

Rounding Up My First Grade COWPOKES!!!
Welcome to 1st Grade!!!

Getting in the "Firstie's" Mode!!!

2011-08-11T09:40:00.000-05:00

August...already???? Whew...the summer FLEW by!!! Now it's time to get into the mode of school!! Ready or not, I will meet my new "Firsties" very soon!!

Over the summer, I worked on some Weekly Word Study games that I use every year for centers, practice and homework. I just gave them a little "face-lift" this summer!! I am attaching one that I will probably use the first week of school to review their Kinder words. Feel free to add whatever words you choose to use for your students. The game directions are on the top of the templates. I'm not sure where this game concept generated from, but whoever came up with it is my hero!! I've made many changes to the game rules over the years to fit the needs of my own students...feel free to do the same:)

"Gotcha" Word Study Game Template

Just a little Pinterest...ing:)

2011-08-11T09:21:00.003-05:00

I found a "Pinterest...ing" idea from www.firstgradealacarte.blogspot.com I normally do a child/puppet template the first day of school along with a school bus glyph, but this particular glyph will go along with the child/puppet template better! I can't wait to use it with my "Firsties" and explore all the ways that we can use our child puppet throughout the year. At the end of the year, we do another child/puppet and compare and contrast the differences that we've made while in 1st grade! The kiddo's LOVE it! It's a great keepsake for mom's and dad's also:)

The Glyph Key

The Child/Puppet Template

Thanks Kathy!!! I love it;)

Free Printable, Party Printable, Kawaii, Paper Crafts, Kids Crafts, Stationery, Printable: FREE Back to School Pencil Circle Tags!

2011-07-11T19:13:00.001-05:00

I Love this idea....I just love the WWW....you find all kinds of great things:) I'm going to use these cute labels for "First Day" cupcakes for my Firsties:)

Free Printable, Party Printable, Kawaii, Paper Crafts, Kids Crafts, Stationery, Printable: FREE Back to School Pencil Circle Tags!: "It's freebie time! I have a another cool school related (freebie) surprsise for you this Wednesday so make sure to come back! In the mean..."

"uh...oh...It's About That Time Again!!"

2011-07-07T19:02:00.000-05:00

When you start seeing these in bulk at the store, it usually means that summer is halfway OVER!!!! A teacher's reality check!

Great Teacher Find!!!

2011-06-29T18:35:00.000-05:00

Shopping today, minding my own business...and guess what popped out at me???? You guessed it...Scotch Brite Whiteboard Erasers!!!! I'm gonna LOVE them this year in my classroom!!! Just thought that I would share this wonderful TEACHER find:)

"ZERO 1st Grade Day's Left!!"

2011-06-04T21:36:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, my Firsties and I celebrated our last day together!!! We had half of a day to tie up the loose end's on our Calendar Wall....which they LOVED!!! Every day we charted our "Growing Number" and determined what color of day it would be according to the weather. This helped them understand the thermometer and the effect the weather/seasons had on our temperature. We were at day #180!!! With that number, they were able to make $1.80 in change using quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. (Counting coins can be very tricky for First Graders, but since we had this practice as part of our routine from day #1, my students had a pretty good grasp on adding money.) With the number 180, we also built our Base Ten Blocks with flats, longs and units. This practice helps them to learn place value and number relations. We then would chart how many days we had left in First Grade....this was a BIG HIT with my Firsties!!! At the beginning of the year, we started with 180 and of course, on Thursday, we ended up with ZERO!!! We always wrote the written date, the digital date and we would locate the correct place on the calendar to write the number. (Yesterday was Wednesday the 1st, so today must be ?????, the ????) And of course, we couldn't end our Calendar Wall activity without doing a very "Third Grade" way of writing our Growing Number....180. It would look something like this.....100 + 79 + 2 - 1 = 180 OR 7 quarters and 1 nickel = $1.80 OR 180 x 1 = 180!!! My student's love to try to think like a Third Grader and be the one with "out of the box" way to make that number!!!

I enjoy this time with them....it starts our day....sets the tone and gets us off to a great LEARNING start!!! I'm going to miss them....but I'm going to LOVE my summer:) After all, I have to get ready for Growing Number ONE!!!

WooHoo.....my LAST Friday with my Firsties....

2011-05-27T07:18:00.000-05:00

I see summer coming!!! I am so excited! Today is my last Friday with my Firsties:) They have been an awesome group and I am going to miss them so much! I hope the day goes by quickly with lots of learning and laughter!!!

...really....it's the end of the year??? already....

2011-05-20T21:59:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe how very S.L.O.W. and how very fast this year has been!!! It's hard to believe that we have less than two weeks of school left and Summer 2011 is on!!!! Although, I am extremely happy and looking forward to a nice summer break, this time of year is always bittersweet to me as a teacher. I love my little "firsties" so much and they have come so far that it is hard to see them move on!!! I just hope that next year's group is as special and fun as this years!!!

Word Wall Concentration Game for Week 11...

2010-10-31T12:02:00.000-05:00

Concentration Game

Try this Concentration Game as an added activity to help your 1st grade students become more successful with their weekly word wall words. Just print out a copy for each student in your classroom and have them cut the cards apart, image and word together, to have a set of cards to play with. Each student should have 8 cards in total. It is played the same as the traditional concentration game is played. Players combine their concentration cards together and place them face down on a table or the group rug and take turns turning over two cards to find a match. If a player finds a match, they may go again until they turn over two cards that are not a match. The player with the most matches wins the game!!

**Note: You must model the correct way to play the game for your students to ensure that they are getting the full educational value out of the game. For example, I have my students spell the words as they turn over the matching set. They may not keep it if they cannot tell their partner what the word is or if they cannot spell the word.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/document-preview.aspx?doc_id=58930398&key=MjljMzhlODgt&pass=NjcxYi00NDRj

"1st" Blog Post

2010-10-31T10:55:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my first "1st Grade Blog" post!!! For some time, I have "blogged" as a form of expression and in hopes of keeping a family journal. I love doing it and it allows me to reflect on my life, which is never a bad thing!!! But....I've have wanted to start a "school/teacher" blog also in hopes of sharing ideas with other teachers. Teaching is a wonderful profession that gets at times, a bad wrap! If you are a teacher that teaches because you are passionate about the education of children and you want to get ideas from other passionate teachers, then you are in the right place!!! Only positive comments about teaching will be represented here! In fact, my goal is to share ideas and activities...not ideological views on teaching! The best way to teach children is from your heart...and my heart has been in it since I was in the 1st grade!!! Thank you Mrs. Palmer for fostering the desire in me!!!

1st Grade ROCKS!!!

"Several....What I'm Loving Wednesday's"

"Love" Linky Party & Valentine's FREEBIE!!

I've Been Cliparting.....:)

Groundhog's Day With the "Firsties"....

100 days....and counting:) Plus a **FREEBIE**

Doin' the "TAG" Swag:).....

What's NOT Wrong Thursday....

Be careful what you ask for......

"A Day In The Life of a FIRSTIE Teacher"....

My "Perspective" on Currently ~ January!

Hip, Hip, Hooray.....It's Award's Day:)

Inspiring Crafts....SNOWMAN style:)

Awards and Awesome Blogs:)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Great finds from fellow Bloggers:)

Merry Christmas "Word Work" Freebie

Fun Friday "Fotos"

The BUSY Classroom Elf!

Loving our classroom "Elf on the Shelf"

Family Turkey Projects!!

"Barnyard Word Bingo" Literacy Game!!!

"going nutty"

A little Pinterest...ing Sight Word Fun!!

Pilgrim Hat & Bonnet Game

Fall Fun

The "-eat" Chunk!!

It's all about the "_ay" Chunk!!!

"Firsties" First Field Trip

A Great "Word Study" Site!!

Writing WOW

Great Finds....

What Level Are You On???

"Saddle Up" For The New School YEAR!!!

Getting in the "Firstie's" Mode!!!

Just a little Pinterest...ing:)

Free Printable, Party Printable, Kawaii, Paper Crafts, Kids Crafts, Stationery, Printable: FREE Back to School Pencil Circle Tags!

"uh...oh...It's About That Time Again!!"

Great Teacher Find!!!

"ZERO 1st Grade Day's Left!!"

WooHoo.....my LAST Friday with my Firsties....

...really....it's the end of the year??? already....

Word Wall Concentration Game for Week 11...

"1st" Blog Post

100 days....and counting:) Plus a FREEBIE