Boo'd

Dana at

nominated me to be part of this fun linky- and just in time... for Halloween! There have been some fun Halloween things that my kiddies and I have done the past week...

My kids, myself (and all the other teachers at school that walk by room!) love this little craftivity:

The first weekend it was listed for FREE and I am soo glad I snagged it! It is adorable and really gave my kids some creative writing time. It is not everyday that you get to completely pretend!! We read this book to get us started:

This book is too cute and would be great to talk about predictions too... We just read it to get into the "witch" mode!

We have also been working on addition and subtraction story problems, so I created this freebie:

So, now I guess it is my turn to Boo some other friends... Check out some of these other bloggers to hear their great ideas:

1. Lyndsey at A Year of Many Firsts

2. Ali at At Home in First

3. Christie at First Grade Fever!

4. Rebecca at Darlin' in First

5. Anna Brantley at Crazy for First Grade

If you've been booed, copy and paste the above pic and these "rules" into your post.

1.  Give a shout out to the blogger who booed you and link back to their site!

2. Share 3-5 October activities, books, products (yours or someone else),

or freebie(s) that you love!

3.  Share the Boo love with 5 bloggers- make sure you check this link to make sure you don't boo someone again:
 http://toristeachertips.blogspot.com/2012/10/ive-been-booed-fun-october-linky.html

And don't forget to tell them that they have been BOOED!

4.  Link up {here} so that others can find you and read about your October ideas!  And while you are there... check out the other great blogs!

the dreaded.... evaluation... gulp

This week I had my first evaluation of the year... I would like to be nervous or have some care about it, but I just can't!

The whole week I have been... kind of... side tracked... so- whoop-de-doo to the evaluation.

I mean I felt that way until Wednesday night... when I was getting the plan together (some may say scrambling). I mean I never had time until the night before to get things together.... sorta been a slacker this week!

Anyway, I am sure the lesson was just fine... I did it on determining the operation by using keywords in addition/subtraction story problems. I couldn't find just the right book to open my lesson, so I just made a little something (you know, on Wednesday night!)...

It turned out to be cute and helpful! Here it is:

Click the picture for the Free download on TPT.

Those little detective kids are cute right? Those were some adorable FREE clipart! I found this spectacular FREE clipart site... that has quite possibly been under my nose this whole time...

(sometimes I get so caught up in buying some adorable clipart that I forget to search for free stuff!)

Anyway, the creator, Laura Strickland, is amazing because it is all free and there is so much of it! You have to click right now to see the cute graphics that are at your disposal (did I mention they are free?!?)

Don't stay up too late looking at this cute stuff! Oh, and don't forget to enter my Christmas Card giveaway from Tiny Prints. Click here to get in... ends 10/28 :)

getting ready for November

Happy Sunday! I just finished up my November Math Tubs!

You get 6 fun tubs! Just posted on TPT and TN... but the first 3 to comment will get their copy free... just leave me your email! 

If you download the preview, you get one of the games for free :)

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway for $50 to Tiny Prints! 

tis the season

I know it isn't even Halloween yet.... and I hate it when the grocery store does this... but...

LOL... How could you not love Christmas?! As I have been pinning I have found some adorable ideas this year for all the holidays. This Christmas will be especially fun in my classroom because I have so many different cultures and we can celebrate so many different holidays! One thing I am dying to do is:

Source: blogs.scholastic.com via Laura on Pinterest

I am loving this idea of making a class Christmas card to send home! We are definitely doing this!! I am thinking of using one of the templates from Tiny Prints. I blogged about their adorable holiday photo card templates a couple weeks ago here, and they have some even more adorable ones for Christmas! I plan on ordering mine sometime next month for family cards, still deciding on what template I want to use. There are so many adorable ones to choose from. Take a look:

Christmas Cards

 

All of these are cute! Decisions.. Decisions..

How about I will give you the trouble of making a decision too? Want to take $50 off your holiday card order? Tiny Prints is sponsoring a fun $50 giveaway on my little bloggy! All you have to do is follow the directions on the Rafflecopter below! 

[Other giveaway dets: This counts towards $50 off your total order, it does not include shipping, and cannot be combined with any other offers!]

If you don't win (which is a bummer...I know) you can still find a great deal by checking out the promotions that Tiny Prints has going on, just click here. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

this is how we do it: non-fiction

I am sure most of know the emphasis these Common Core standards have, so any little trick to reading comprehension of non-fiction books is always welcome! I love reading non-fiction and the kids get soo into learning about things that they don't already know. I am sure we all use these:

Source: rundesroom.blogspot.ca via Paola on Pinterest

Kind of like a KWL.. love this!

Source: sothentherewere2.blogspot.com via Jackie on Pinterest

My favorite charts look like this:

I love graphic organizers with the Schema, Misconceptions, and New Learning! These really show the new learning! (The one above we did for Valentine's Day last year :)

Anyway, I made a different graphic organizer for this week. We are studying prairie dogs this week. Tuesday I modeled how to use this organizer and today we shared the pen. They did the writing. 

This is called 3-2-1 Writing.
First you write 3 interesting things you read.
Next you write 2 things new to you.
Then you write 1 question you still have.

I have seen this idea in a bookmark form (which I may re-create). I thought it was a great idea to get the kids thinking. If you would like a copy of these writing posters click here.

Next time, I am going to split the kids into groups and have them do their own 3-2-1's.

(oh and good luck decoding those words... creative spelling can be crazy!)

What is your favorite way to show student learning?



In other subjects... like math... we did doubles today! I found an awesome activity on TPT last night (last minute planner!):

I loved this activity! We made little i pods with the Doubles Rap on it. The kids were so excited to learn the rap. Best part.. it is free!! 

Ok... gotta go to bed.. Have a great rest of the week!

blender blends freebie

Look at this cute blender:

Last month, we studied blends (with a focus on ending blends) and in a couple weeks we are going to focus on beginning blends so we will use this blender again soon!! Anyway, we made a big ol' smoothie with our blender. My kids made the fruit they wanted in it and then added a blend to the shape and we taped it on the blender. 

Now, when we focus on beginning blends I want to still use our blender. So, I made this little activity:

That is the completed project. Each student will get a blender like this:

 And fruit like this:

They will choose 2 different fruits. Write the blends on one fruit and make the rest of the blend word on the other fruit- like in the completed example above. 

This activity is actually part of my newest Treasures packet:

but I just had to share because I cannot wait to do this activity!!! Click below to get your own free copy!! :)

Have a great weekend... only 1 whole day left in my shoe giveaway!! Click here to enter...

Name that door!

I am LOVING my mummy door... but I am having trouble thinking of an adorable phrase to match the mummy! HELP!! If you have an idea, please leave me a comment below! 

Don't forget to enter my shoe giveaway... Just click here to enter!

shoes... need I say more??

I love shoes! I wish every time I went shopping it was shoe shopping... unfortunately, I do more shopping for my kids than for me. I especially can't resist shoes for my little girl! They are sooo cute!

When I do shop for myself though I am on a constant search for cute and comfy shoes. I am NOT wearing heels to chase 6 year olds all day! So, look at these adorable shoes I just got from onlineshoes.com.

Ignore the mess behind the shoe!!

These are super cute, soft, and comfy! Plus, they are in a fun color! I am all about a flat that is colored! What are your favorite work shoes? Do you need a new pair? Then, you are just in time for a: 

Onlineshoes.com and Patagonia are bringing you this fabulous giveaway! One lucky blog follower will be picking one pair of their favorite shoes from Patagonia. 

Patagonia and Onlineshoes.com have teamed up for this fun giveaway to promote an amazing cause! For every pair of Patagonia shoes purchases on Onlineshoes.com from today through October 22, Patagonia is donating $10 to the Conservation Alliance.

The Conservation Alliance’s mission is to engage businesses to fund and partner with organizations to protect wild places for their habitat and recreation values. They direct their funding to community-based campaigns to protect threatened wild habitat, preferably where outdoor enthusiasts recreate.  Since its inception in 1989, the Alliance has contributed more than $11.2 million to grassroots conservation groups throughout North America.  Alliance funding has helped save more than 29 million acres of wild lands; protect 2,700 miles of rivers; stop or remove 25 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase nine climbing areas.

If you are a hiker, camper, or lover of the outdoors this is an awesome organization... a completely worthy cause!!

So I am sure you are thinking... SHOW ME THE SHOES!!

Well here you go:

(Click on any of the following links for a list of shoes that you will love!)

OnlineShoes.com

Patagonia

Patagonia Shoes for Women

Mens Patagonia Shoes

Patagonia Boots

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner will be announced sometime on Sunday! Good luck!!

tiny prints and my own print

I have had the most exciting weekend... My sister had her sweet baby girl last week:

How adorable is she?? I am so in love with this baby... the best part is I get to do all the lovin and I still get my sleep! LOL

I am helping my sister make some birth announcements (like the one above) and I am loving this site: TinyPrints.com. Have you ever ordered invites, announcements, or cards from this site? I love the templates they have on here... and look at these special Halloween and Thanksgiving themed invites and cards:

Click on any of the pictures to check out these cute formats and personalize it for you!

If Fall is this adorable I can only imagine what Christmas cards will look like?!? 

I can't wait until we get the official newborn pictures done and the official announcement is made. But the teaser above is still adorable!! 

Something else that is exciting...

I have been practicing some printing myself and made some of my own fonts!! I have been wanting to do this from the minute I learned about this app! Anyone who has an ipad should totally make their own fonts, it is easy and sooo much fun! Check out the few I put together:

Click any of the fonts above for an individual download or click here for a bundle download on TPT. 

First day of Fall Break practically complete... still have a messy house.. but there are 6 more days until I head back to work so it will be clean.... eventually!! 

October Currently

I have been waiting for Farley to post.. lol.. I just love Currently time :)

And yes... you read that right... Tomorrow is my Friday... We have planning day on the real Friday and we are OFF all next week! 

I don't know about you but I don't get to read fluff much, so I chose a kiddie book for my October book. Have you read this:

This is an adorable rendition of Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. I love it and so do the kids! They will read it over and over and over.. into Christmas time! lol

You don't own this book? You are in luck because it is online for your pleasure:

Click here to visit WeGiveBooks.org. If you haven't visited this site before you are going to find a bunch of books that you can display on your screen and have a shared read with... your kids are gonna love it too! 

Anyhoo, think I am headed to bed-early... Nighty night!