Hold the Phone! Check out this AMAZING Dollar Tree Find

Hi y'all! Ok... so I know I've been M.I.A lately but I have had so much going on these last couple of months that it has been truly crazy.  First, let me say that I have so many new things to share {I just hope that between taking my LAST 2 classes before internship and then my actual internship that I will have time to post.} Bare with me my blogger friends because as soon as May rolls around I will have so much more time on my hands {fingers crossed} that I will be able to get back into the swing of things and hopefully I will be posting from my FIRST Elementary classroom EVER! {Just wanted to put that into the universe!}  So, anywho... I had to take a break today from my essay on FCAT reading... don't get me started on how much I hate the FCAT {can I get an amen!} that I decided to take a stroll in one of my favorite vacation spots THE DOLLAR TREE and can I just tell you that I found the most amazing thing I have yet to see in that store EVER! Check it out guys!  It's a Word Wall Spinner... how amazing is this for Literacy Stations and Word Work?! I can't tell y'all how I excited I was when I saw it! I liked it so much that I am thinking of getting at least 3 more so that I have an even 4 {one per student, since I plan on having 4 students in each center}.  Here's what it looks like...

Isn't it just the cutest?! I love the bugs!!! They had one with smiley faces, but I wasn't into that.  I love the faces on the bugs... I'm into the huge-eyed critters, they look so darling!  So, anyways I thought I would share this fabulous find and for those of you who can't read what is on the spinner I'll put it down below for y'all.  Stay tuned cause I might even upload some Recording Worksheets and some other spinners that I have working themselves out in my teacher brain!

• Choose two words that end in the same letter.
• Choose any word with a long vowel sound.
• Choose any word and define it.
• Choose any word and use it in a sentence.
• Choose two words that start with the same letter.
• Choose any  word with a short vowel sound.

Happy Shopping!

Meet ClassConnect

Y'all this is the most amazing teaching tool I have seen in a while and I thought I would re-post and share it with you all after I saw it on the Teaching Blog Addicts blog. This is a truly amazing teaching resource and you can sign up for it for FREE so head on over to www.classconnect.com to sign up! I hope you all find this little gem as *exciting* as I did and that you are able to find a use for it in your own classroom.

As always,
Happy Teaching!

Pinterest

For those of you that have not already heard about this marvelous site... here's the low-down and how it works:
Pinterest is a website where you basically "pin" (like you would on a corkboard) ideas that you find interesting or things that you would like to remember while you're on different sites.  For example, as a teacher, you may surf the internet often and come across oodles and oodles of ideas and then as time goes on you either can't remember where you found the idea or what the idea was because our brains are chalk-full of things as it is! So, when you become a member of Pinterest, you basically add a button under your address bar and whenever you go on ANY website you can pin ANY picture that you like and then you can write a description with any notes you like so that you can remember it.  And, if that is not enough you also create files (known as "boards" on pinterest) so that you can categorize all of your images to make it easier to find when you need it... it will all make sense once you see it, so if you're interested then go check mine out... I promise you, you will not regret it.  I only wish I had found this sooner, it sure would have saved a lot of trees since I tend to jot down everything that I find on teacher websites that I absolutely LOVE! Click the link below...

The Teaching Bug Pinterest

P.S. If you're on Pinterest and have gazillions of teacher boards on yours then leave me your link so that I can explore what you've come across!!! :) Or, if you'd just like to comment about how A.MA.ZING Pinterest is, that is also welcome!

As always, Happy Blogging! :)

First Grade Fever is having a fabulous Word Families Giveaway!

Fingers crossed! I hope I win... I really love the Word Families unit that Christie over at First Grade Fever has created:



Best of luck to everyone who participated in her giveaway.  By the way, even if you are not interested in giveaways you should definitely check out her blog... it is so stinkin' cute!

Extreme Couponing Fanatic!

Oh. My. Word.  I am obsessed with TLC's new t.v. show "Extreme Couponing".  I cannot describe how excited I am about the savings I have seen and I must admit that I am trying to get my brain wrapped around the whole concept and am now trying to join in.  It's like the holy grail for teachers! We try to scrimp and save anywhere we can for our classrooms and now we have the chance to save even more at home! Which, in turn, means that we will have MORE money to spend in Dollar Tree and Target Dollar Spot!!! Ha! :) I am so thrilled that this t.v. show has come out... my only concern is that markets and manufacturer's will find a loop hole and mess things up (if you've been watching the show you'll notice how some stores are not allowing "doubling" of coupons anymore).  For now, I have set up my DVR to record ALL of the episodes so that I can watch them over and over again to figure out the strategies that they use! I am first to admit that I have a lot of obsessions... but THIS one is by far the best one because it puts money back into my savings, and Lord knows we could ALL use some savings in this economy and with the hit that educators are beginning to take now.  Are there any Couponers (is that even a word?!) out there in blog land???

Student Teacher Parent Letter... Yay or Nay?

I have a question to pose for all you Teachers and Student Teachers out there in Blog World... 

Teachers:  If you have a Student Teacher interning in your classroom in the Fall, is it appropriate for them to write a letter introducing themselves to the parents?

Student Teachers:  Do you feel that you should write a letter to the parents at the beginning of the school year to introduce yourself?

 I ask this question because I will be interning in the Fall and I feel that I should take a letter (I already wrote it since I had some time now before things get too hectic) but I also wonder if the teacher will think that it is too forward of me... its her classroom and I don't want to give off a bad impression, but I like to always be prepared and be professional.  Parent/Teacher communication, I feel, is crucial for a student's academic success and I thought that a letter would be a nice way to introduce myself and open up the lines of communication between the parents and myself.

I'd LOVE to have your input since all of you are amazing teachers! All comments and suggestions are welcome! :)

Meet the Planets Giveaway

Queen of the First Grade Jungle  and  First Grader...at Last! are teaming up and having a fabulous giveaway! I am super excited... and I hope I win because I LOVE both of their blogs, especially Mrs. Cooley's blog! Crossing my fingers and toes that I win.  To join the giveaway, click on the link above for "Queen of the First Grade Jungle".

Busy as a Bee

Wow! How time flies... literally! It's been awhile since my last post (sorry about that) but I have been very busy and diligently working on getting ready to complete my LAST semester for my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education before Internship.  I can't tell you just how many kinds of excited I am about FINALLY reaching the last stretch and realizing that the finish line is in my line of sight now.  I am already looking at University programs to see what area I want to do my Master's degree in.  With all of the changes taking place currently in our education system and in the state of Florida, this is proving to be a very difficult decision.  Does anyone have any ideas as far as Master's degrees, I'd love to hear what y'all have to say.  I am truly overwhelmed...but also extremely excited!

Bunny Marshmallow Madness

I went to target today and couldn't help myself... They already had all of the Easter stuff out and I bought a bag of Jet-Puffed Bunny Mallows so I decided to give you guys a little Bunny inspiration to help your Easter lessons along.  Enjoy! :)

Click HERE  to get the Bunny Marshmallow Madness Worksheet created by Moi {ME}!

If You Give a Teacher a BLOG, chances are she'll join ALL the Giveaways!

I just became a follower of this A-MA-ZING Blog called: Made for 1st Grade and they are also hosting a giveaway... there are so many of these going on right now I am just hoping that I will win.  Hopefully y'all are entering in all of these giveaways and enjoying the blogging madness! All the teachers are home for Spring Break and I think that their happiness is causing all of these insanely amazing giveaways.... I'm not one to complain.  So, here's the newest addition and its a doozy! I am a HUGE fan of Laura Numeroff, so this giveaway I am particularly fond of!  Click HERE  to join this giveaway!

Scrappin' Doodle Giveaway!!! I am EXTREMELY excited!!!

For those of you who love clipart, you WILL. NOT. WANT. TO. MISS. THIS! Mrs. Thiessen at The First Grade Sweet Life is hosting a giveaway.  If you are not familiar with the super cutie patootie clipart from Scrappin' Doodle then click HERE  to check it out! Its A-DOR-A-BLE!!! To join me in this fabulous giveaway simply click on the button below...

They Might Be Giants - Roy G Biv

Thought this video would be helpful during St. Patrick's Day to teach the colors of the Rainbow.

Roy G. Biv is an elf and this song is his story! Enjoy! :)

Cutie Patootie Pointers!

As promised, here are the finished pointers! For those of you that haven't been keeping up with the tabs, in the "Fabulous Finds" tab I posted some cute wooden painted animal shapes that I found at Walmart and I promised to post a picture of the finished product.  I used some dowels (cut in half) and painted them using Acrylic paint and then I hot glued the animal shapes to the tops.  Next, I will be making a stand to hold all of the pointers so keep a lookout for pictures of that coming soon! But for now, head on over to Michael's or Walmart to find some of these stinkin cute critters!

Before the Makeover 

After the Makeover

 

I thought about adding some ribbon to decorate the dowels, but on second thought decided against it because no amount of hot glue will keep those ribbons in place once the kiddles start using them! :)

Happy Crafting!

Popcorn Unit PLUS an Air Popping Popcorn Machine! Oh. My. Goodness.

Ms. Davis at Thirst for First  and Abby at The Inspired Apple  have joined forces to giveaway the ULTIMATE unit.  Its an Adjectives unit with a Popcorn theme... and if that isn't enough, it includes a Popcorn Air Popping Machine! Totally A-MA-ZING! I hope I win... keeping my fingers crossed because "The Inspired Apple" is the blog that got me blogging! I love her blog to pieces!!! :) Be sure and click on the "Thirst for First" link above to join in the fun!

How Exciting! Another Giveaway!

Ms. Durning from Second Grade is Splendid is hosting a giveaway for Amazon! So, if you're interested simply click on the button below, follow the directions for entry and join us!

Dr. Jean CD Giveaway

Ms. Van Orman from First Grade Fun is hosting a Giveaway!

If you're interested in receiving a Dr. Jean CD (of your choosing) for FREE!!! then head on over to First Grade Fun

Easter Beady Babies Craft Idea from FamilyFun

Saw these Easter Chick Cuties online and I just had to share them with y'all!!! Aren't they just adorable?! And they are super easy to make too.  To find out how to make them, simply click on the following link:

Beady Babies

Happy Crafting!

Dollar Tree Findings!

For those of you who have been keeping up with my blog religiously... try and click on all of the tabs to see what's new because I don't always mention it on the "Home" tab.  Anywho, I found some fantastical deals at the Dollar Tree today so be sure and check out the "Fabulous Finds" tab... its just in time for Easter! :)

Happy Bargain Shopping!

Pet Linky Party!

I just joined the Pet Linky Party that Ladybug's Teacher Files  is having.  For all my blogger followers, if you are unaware yet as to what a "Linky Party" is... its basically a topic that someone posts up and we all link ourselves if we wish to participate.  To be a part of the linky Pet party simply click on the link I provided above.

Here is a picture of my dog kid... Her name is Cinderella or Cindy (for short).

Cindy

Aside from my husband, Cindy is the love of my life.  I got her when she was just a puppy at 12 weeks and she is now 9 years old and turning 10 on May 8th.  She is such a funny character and she makes us laugh with all of her silly antics.  She is a Bichon Frise and she is supremely intelligent (too intelligent for her own good, if you ask me!) Whenever she does something wrong, not only does SHE know she did something wrong but all of my family comes up with excuses for her because she is so stinkin' cute, which makes her stinkin' spoiled as well! When she does a 'no-no' she'll put her head real low to the ground and look up at you with sad eyes then my husband and I go around the house to investigate.  When we come close to whatever mess she has done, she goes under our bed and puts herself in time out! Like I said... too intelligent for her own good!  She LOVES peanut butter and is obsessed with her Pink Kong Toy (because I fill it with peanut butter as a special treat).  Cindy spends her days lounging around the house and when I'm busy working "doing my teacher things" she always treads carefully on her tippy-toes around the bed so she doesn't mess up my papers.  She loves to be hugged and carried and will let you know it! When she was a puppy, the hair near her paws grew a little longer than the rest of her body so it appeared as if she was wearing slippers and since we all know that Cinderella lost her glass slipper... that is where I got her name! :) So, whenever y'all read my blog and Cindy is mentioned, you now know who I'm talking about! :)

Happy Monday!

I've got a real Organizational Treat for Y'all! What do you find to be THE BEST way to organize all of your lesson plans and units?  I can't wait to hear all of your ideas... to see MY idea go ahead and click on the tab for "Messy-Free Organization" and let me know what you think! :)