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

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"....

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!

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:)

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:)

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!!!!

1. Follow directions.
2. Make symmetrical folds:)  Getting a little math involved in the literacy activity! 
3. 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.)
4. 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:)

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!!

First Grade Wizards

Fabulous Firsties

Dots-N-Spots

Heather's Heart

Sailing Through 1st Grade

MERRY CHRISTMAS

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