Peek at My Week 7

This year is teaching me so much already.  Note to self: when doing a letter craftivity, be sure that all the children have their letters facing the right way...seems obvious right?  Ugh. Between all the other monitoring and and assessing I was doing a few escaped my sights until...they were beautifully glued. Well, tomorrow is a new day. Mistakes are great teachers!

My class will be introduced to Class Dojo this week.  I spent time entering my kiddos into the program and setting us up for success.  If you aren't familiar with Class Dojo be sure to follow this link to a great positive, behavior management system.  I know that my students will buy into it and am excited to share back with you about it!
They have tons of free resources and printables detailing how to make a smooth transition.  The great thing is, it will work with any grade level and you can use any Android device too!     Check it out!

This week we will be exploring Apples and the letter /Bb/.  My students needed some extra time to understand the routines and expectations of Kindergarten, so we are beginning our deeper study of letters now.  This has been a tremendous learning curve for a teacher of 15 years.  Most of the activities that I had re-planned were too difficult, thus I began with truly blank slates.  One may look at the situation and scream but I LOVE a challenge.  I feel privileged that I have been called and chosen to teach at Whittier Elementary.  It's an amazing opportunity to give these children a great jump start...to love learning.  Yes, I will be creating  A LOT of resources, but it will be worth it.  So, if you find yourself discouraged remember that we do a wonderful work.  We are their first taste of magic....hope...opportunity.  What an honor....wouldn't you agree?  Here's a peek at my upcoming week.  Be sure to link up with us at Deedee Wills' page, so you can join in on the fun!

or click here

Here are my Lesson Plans for this week.  If you'd like to download them, just click HERE.  I'd love to hear from you and see what you are all up to this week.  Feel free to leave your ideas and comments here, as well as check out my TPT store for new Printables and Freebies.

Be Blessed,

  

Peek at My Week!

Whew!  The weeks are just flying by!  I missed posting my plans for last week...sorry.  But here is what is happening in the Emerald City this week! We are prepping for our yearly trip to the Pumpkin Patch by studying pumpkins (parts and life cycle) before we have our adventure!  I was thrilled with how much my kids knew about pumpkins yesterday as we began our GLAD inquiry chart.  Today, I will be creating an Input chart with them using realia photos and color blocking to aid their comprehension (pictures to be added ASAP).  Come Link Up with other great bloggers to see what is in store this week in their classrooms, as well!  I have included links to other printables that I will be using this week and they are FREE for you too! 

To download your own copy click HERE and HERE.

or click HERE

Here are the Realia Pictures I will be using today.

Grab your own copy by clicking HERE.  

Lastly, I will be having my students do the hand print pumpkin poem below.  Click HERE to download your own copy.

Have a great week!  Be blessed!

NEW Classroom, NEW District, NEW Year!

I cannot begin to tell  you how happy I am working for the Pasco School District!  It's incredible to be working with such talented, heart- felt, compassionate people!  There are just not enough words to express my gratitude and love for my job and those I partner with each day to bless our beautiful students.  

To learn more about us, visit our District Webpage HERE.

Now, here's the moment I've been super excited to share with you....a peek into the magic of my new "Emerald City....."

Here's a look of what I started with:

Although I was thrilled for my new job, this room was a bit smaller than my last classroom.  So I needed to condense and be creative.  I also share a wall with another fantastic teacher, Mrs. Thorne, but it's covered with a carpet material, so I also had to add Velcro and TLC to whatever I chose to hang on it.

But, it was a challenge I enthusiastically accepted!!!

I decided that to go along with my Wizard of Oz theme, I would incorporate two of my other favorite things: gingham and polka dots...lots of red accents.  

I tried to back all my bulletins boards with white and then accent with red polka dots or red gingham.  I'm super excited!

 Leave a note and let me know what you all think!   Thanks for stopping by!   See you in OZ!

Be Blessed,

New Adventure....Moving...FREEBIE

A new adventure awaits me!  I have completed the task of packing up my Kindergarten classroom, and will be moving to a fantastic, larger district for the fall.  I am beyond thrilled at the opportunity to continue teaching Kindergarten!  Here's a few things I've learned about moving a Kindergarten Classroom:

• I have WAY too many random containers!  I think I should own stock in the Dollar Store...oh, and those plastic eggs from Easter.  
• You find a TON of goodies underneath shelves and book cases.  All those pieces to BLOKUS, Base Ten (ones) cubes, crayons, and even a single lima bean from the recent plant unit. There were pictures that fell from behind their book boxes, hair clips next to the drinking fountain, and fingerprints all over everything.  It made me misty-eyed as I clipped a barrette into my hair and kept purging.  
• Everyone you know with a truck is suddenly very busy (enough said about that)!
• Your car no longer fits in your garage, because your ENTIRE classroom is now there...waiting.
• I can now take those "projects" I was far to eager to tote home and put them with the other random things piled high in my garage.  
• I can soak the cooties off of all my math manipulatives.  GROSS!  Thank you, God for bleach.
• I organized books as I pulled them out of containers to re-use them.  
• You realize how blessed you are to have so many amazing materials.   

When I was in Africa, I was in a classroom with 64 Kindergartners who only had 8 crayons in all!!  That is why I cannot complain.

I am exhausted, but happy...full of expectations and ideas for printables I want to create. 

I've begun reading some of my Summer Bucket List books too:

You can purchase it HERE.

You can purchase it HERE.

I've been super excited as I see various blogs covering both of these books and will post what I learn here, so keep an eye out.  

Just for fun here is a FREEBIE I created this week, amid the chaos of moving.  Enjoy!