Throwback Thursday: the e-beam

I am throwing back to last fall when I told all my bloggy buddies (YOU) about one of my FAVORITE techie gadgets, the E-BEAM!  In my new room I have a Promethean board and so no e-beam will be needed but I have to say I loved my e-beam (hubsters is trying to get a grant for one in his choir room next year) and I highly recommend them!  It was nice having all the benefits of an interactive whiteboard while still having the use of my actual whiteboard!  Best of both worlds....

Flashback commencing NOW:

Despite the fact that it was the first day of Kindergarten today, and I am beyond exhausted... anyone else ALWAYS up the night before the first day??? I can NEVER sleep!  I also made the mistake of wearing heels... ReAlLy?!?!  What was I thinking... that was a rookie mistake and I am NOT a rookie!

I HAVE to link up for Technology Tip Tuesday at Blog Hoppin'

You see I have this secret techie weapon... it is called The E-Beam

You see I wanted an interactive whiteboard... BADLY... but the money was NOT in the technology budget.  My principal was able to get her hands on a bunch of these last year for a FRACTION of the cost of a SMART or Promethean Board.  FRACTION.  We are talking less than $500 people.  It works with either ActiveInspire or SMART software and it is AWESOME.   You see because it is just this teeny tiny little gizmo at the top of my whiteboard I still have my whiteboard.  That is right, I still have my whiteboard!  I don't know about you but there are times when I just need to take out and EXPO and write... with those other pricey boards, you can't expo on that surface... no way!  I feel like I have the best of both worlds... love.

See it there at the top of my board.  Tiny.  It interacts with my projector and works with the pen (or you can even get a tablet) and it turns your whiteboard into an interactive surface.  

So write a grant, start a Donor's Choose project, or bug your administrator about your tech budget.  If you order enough I am sure you will get a discount, we did.  Interactive Boards for everyone!  I really don't know how I ever taught without it.  Happy Teaching.

Okay now I have to go put my feet up, beg hubsters to rub them, pull out the foot spa... something.  I really cannot believe what wearing heels all day did to my poor feet, so sad.  Tomorrow I may try and teach in slippers, I am sure no one will notice.  

Hall Pass

I must be feeling a bit burnt out, let's be honest I have a million and one things to post what with Valentines, President's Day, Dental Health, and Dr. Seuss.... a million and one I tell ya.  So what am I posting?  Another linky party... not focused.  Let's add that 2 of my kids and myself are sick, yet again!  Yet, again!  I really should take a day tomorrow and just try to get better but report cards and parent teacher conferences are next week and I have assessments, ASSESSMENTS, and more assessments!  I can't leave my assessments to a sub.  So instead of sub plans and my million and one things to share I am taking a hall pass, because I REALLY need a hall pass:

Here's a fun linky I hope you will join!  Let's get some great ideas from each other and take a break from our classrooms for a few!  In this linky I want you to share the following things:

Product:  My favorite product is actually one of my Freebies, it is my ABC chart.  I use it in my classroom daily!  DAILY.  I had it printed poster size (at our district media center) I have a set in color for my guided reading groups, I have a class set in black and white for my kidlets to use whenever they need, and each of my kiddos has a black and white copy at home.  Click on the picture BELOW to go to my TpT store and download your FREE copy!

Area:  My favorite area in my classroom is my rug/whiteboard/easel area.  This is the HUB of my classroom.  Out interactive whiteboard is here (it is that TEENY TINY thing at the top of my whiteboard, it is an e-beam and I love it!), our easel ,our focus wall.  My desk and guided reading area... it is where MOST of our learning happens.

Signal:  I have MANY but my kiddos favorite is, "Tootsie roll, lollipop  we've been talking now let's STOP!"
\Is it because it is about food?  candy?  Who knows but it WORKS!

I also like to sing Dr. Jean's song, Have a Seat (Everybody have a seat, have a seat , have a seat, everybody have a seat on the floor... not  on the ceiling, not on the door, everybody have a seat on the floor.)

and the standard, "1,2,3 eyes on me.  1,2 eyes on you"

Sanity:  Diet Coke and Recess.  A hard day just needs a few minutes of fresh air and some caffeine.  Chatting with my amazing team members in the Southern Utah sun is an added bonus because I teach with two of the most amazing ladies on the planet!  A.MAZ.ING.  A day without recess is BRU.TAL.  For all of us!

But my real sanity saver comes once a year during teacher appreciation week our principal SPOILS us with a SPA DAY!  I teach all year for that spa day I tell ya.  She brings in students from the local cosmetology school to give pedicures, manicures, massages, and even has a lady come and give eye brow waxes... WHAT?!?!  Yep.  I always go home with pretty toes!  Our Staff Developer sets up a fancy spread of yummy treats and our principal (and PTA volunteers)  watch the kiddos for a LONG recess break while we get to enjoy a little spa time (each grade level gets 30 minutes!)



You are wanting to teach at my school come May... I know!  My principal is pretty great!  Okay I am hauling my stuffy, sneezy, exhausted, sore throat, self to my bedroom to down a little Nyquil and then watch the Bachelor... because I am certain that it will be more interesting with the after effects of Nyquil, certain.  

Animal Homes

We are finishing up our animal unit next week.  For my Science and Social Studies Center we will be making these:

I have a super sweet little old lady who comes an volunteers in my classroom once a week.  She loves to collect pine cones and has been bringing me little bags filled with pine cones for the past couple of years.  I keep them and store them away.  Well I now have lots and lots and lots of pine cones.  More than I can store... see the problem.  One of my incredible team members came up with the solution!  She is beyond brilliant and  mentioned the above idea to help me use all those pinecones!  Although with one variation... due to peanut allergies we will be making ours with crisco instead of peanut butter... otherwise the same idea.

To go along with this center (and keep them busy for just a little bit longer) I created a quick matching worksheet for the kiddos to complete.  That's your Friday Freebie, enjoy!

Have a great weekend!  It's FRIDAY!  

Squirrel Sorting

It is finally officially fall, despite what it may look like out my window (fall temps don't actually appear in Southern Utah until late October and some years even into late November, in fact last year I was still mowing the lawn the week before Christmas!).  Despite the sunny hot days I love fall!  So in honor of FALL!  I thought I would share a lesson plan I created this summer during CORE Academy.  Our focus this summer was the new Math Common Core, this lesson aligns with the Kindergarten Math Common Core Standards. It all began with this:

After watching the video I just KNEW that my kiddos would love watching that tricky squirrel find and hide nuts and I could build on that interest to create a lesson of sorting, sorting into groups, groups to make 5... you see how the cogs started turning and well once my group of teachers (who are some of the MOST amazing and incredible kindergarten teacher EVER) got to working together and talking things through we came up with this lesson plan (click to download the lesson plan).

Here is the sorting sheet to go along with it: (click on the image below to download your FREE copy from my Google Doc's)

I hope a little squirrel fun in your classroom will make you think fall!  It is by far my favorite season!!! I can't wait for cool nights, warm sweaters, and bowls of yummy soup (even if I have to wait until December).  Enjoy!

We Love to Sort!

Math centers this week focused on sorting.  The kiddos LOVED it!  We had 4 sorting centers this week:

M&M (sort and graph)

Parking Lot (sorting vehicles by type/color)

Ice Cube Tray Color Sort

Farm Animal Sort

Since we had such a great time sorting I thought that I would share the love!

My Friday Freebie is a copy of our Farm Animal Sort recording sheet. 

 (click on the link to go to my google docs to get your own copy)

We also had our 20th day of school this week!  It is hard to believe we are already 20 days in!!!

I love how hard these kiddos are working on their Zero the Hero books!   This unit is by far one of my favorite units all year.  I love counting our way through the year!

On a personal note this is what we were up to this weekend...

 Little Man brought home Happy the Hippo from pre-school for the weekend and it was our job to take him out and show him a good time.  My little guy decided that he needed to go out to breakfast and on a four wheeler ride with Grandma and Grandpa!  I think that Happy had a good visit and I adore my little guy, isn't he too adorable in those glasses!  

A Little Somethin'

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this linky party!  Let's focus on all the good and amazing things that happen every day!  Woot woot!  So thanks Rowdy in First for helping ups focus on the positive!

At School:

We are building our stamina, we are learning our procedures, and 16 days in I am feeling pretty great!

Look at how they are rocking the pair share above (or as they know it "knee partners").

I love my little kinder kidlets!

At Home:

This little sweetie just turned 6!!!  

She is my 9-11 baby!  My little bright spot while the rest of the nation is remembering tragedy.  It was actually my due date, which my doctor said meant nothing and I would more than likely NOT have a baby on September 11th, it was just an estimate...   She doesn't let tragedy slow her down though.  This girl is hilarious and full of spunk.  She had the hardest time deciding between a Ballerina Barbie Cake or a Spiderman Cake.  The lady at the bakery replied that it was the first time she had seen such a dillema... haha.  

This year on her birthday our town experienced major flooding... despite the flood we still had her birthday party, the dike broke just an hour before her party so we didn't even know the extent of the damage yet, we had a lot of fun and a surprisingly good turnout (minus a few friends who were busy clearing mud and water out of their homes)! We partied at Michaels, which I highly recommend, crafting and no clean-up, marvelous.  There was plenty of cleaning up to be done over in the flood zone.     .

So I know that flooding doesn't necessarily sound like something good to throw into my positive post but here is the deal... the way this community has pulled together, the volunteer hours, donated food, supplies, etc. etc. etc.  It is AMAZING!  I love the families here in this community.  60 homes were flooded, many of them within our school boundaries and insurance doesn't cover it... federal funding won't cover it... nothing.  So what happens friends and neighbors join together and raise money, hold bake sales, and help however they can.  I love my community.

So my friends link up, share something good.  After the tragedy that we have been going through here in Southern Utah I needed to focus on a few happy moments.

Run, run , run as fast as you can....

Since I have already taken you on the tour of my classroom I thought for my open house today I would give you a little peak at our day.

Today was our Gingerbread Hunt, it is one of my favorite days of the year!  We are able to go around the school meeting important people and places such as the cafeteria, the lunch ladies, the office and the amazing secretaries, the library and our infamous Mrs. Lefler, the first/second grade hall, the custodians, and the third/fourth/fifth grade hall.  We chase that silly Gingerbread Man all over the school only to have that sneaky little guy end up back in our classroom ready to eat!  (He was delish BTW)

This unit covers it all peeps!  On top of getting to know important places and staff members.  The story is a read aloud (no pictures just listening on the kiddos part) so we can talk about creating pictures in our minds, we also get to make predictions and the kids can join in on the repetitive text (interactive).  After the story we then make our own GIANT Gingerbread Man (making a connection to the story) where we introduce our 5 senses.  We smell the gingerbread, listen to the sounds while making the gingerbread, see the gingerbread, feel the gingerbread, and finally taste the gingerbread (this is getting us ready for our upcoming science units where we will need to use those senses).  Finally, this is on BROWN day (during our first 3 weeks of color review) so we add in a little color song and simple take home book to teach concepts of print, great integration.  Whew!

Then to make the day even more exciting it just happened to be our TENTH day of school today and our good friend Mr. Zero the Hero came for a visit.  We counted to 100 with the talented Dr. Jean, completed the first page in our Zero the Hero book, and even heard a little tale about what makes our good friend Zero such an impressive and heroic guy!

Throw in a little library and computers and that was our day!  We had a lot of fun!  I sent them home ate lunch and did it all again.  Tomorrow is Black and White Day, Thursday is Favorite Color Day, and Friday is all about Brown Bear, Brown Bear!  Then our review days are done and we are getting down to business, speaking of business click HERE for a little freebie.  I am introducing my listening center this week and thought I would post my response sheet I use.  Enjoy.

On a personal note, this little sweetie had his very first day of pre-school today.  Isn't he so handsome! (and a little bit silly)  I am dying that TWO of my THREE are now in school a pre-schooler and a kindergartner.  They will be graduating before I know it! Eeek.  His pre-school teacher is a RoCkStAr and picks him up from me at my school right before school starts.  Then I go get him at lunchtime and drive him out to Grandma's for the afternoon.  I am one lucky Momma to have a pre-school teacher like that!

Help Wanted...

Hello Bloggy Friends!  I need your help, please! I know you are beyond busy, back to school, copies, collating, binding books, lesson planning, etc. etc. etc.

However, I have been asked to present at SUECON it is a technology conference for educators held in Southern Utah.  I attended last year and it was great.  I am beyond excited to present but a little overwhelmed I don't know if I am qualified to teach teachers... scary stuff.  That is where you come in.  You are all incredible, smart, techie teachers.  I am looking for any and all advice... my presentation is called Blogging Basics and Teacher Created Products.  What would you find valuable?  What tips and tricks have you found along the way?  Spread the word, link-up, help me out!

So it's a party...  What program do you love to use to make your units/lessons?  What programs could you not live without?  Share your knowledge.... and to say "thank you" here is a freebie. (my CENTER SIGNS I have had a LOT of you asking for them... I thought I would share and link up).

Techie Tuesday

Despite the fact that it was the first day of Kindergarten today, and I am beyond exhausted... anyone else ALWAYS up the night before the first day??? I can NEVER sleep!  I also made the mistake of wearing heels... ReAlLy?!?!  What was I thinking... that was a rookie mistake and I am NOT a rookie!

I HAVE to link up for Technology Tip Tuesday at Blog Hoppin'

You see I have this secret techie weapon... it is called The E-Beam

You see I wanted an interactive whiteboard... BADLY... but the money was NOT in the technology budget.  My principal was able to get her hands on a bunch of these last year for a FRACTION of the cost of a SMART or Promethean Board.  FRACTION.  We are talking less than $500 people.  It works with either ActiveInspire or SMART software and it is AWESOME.   You see because it is just this teeny tiny little gizmo at the top of my whiteboard I still have my whiteboard.  That is right, I still have my whiteboard!  I don't know about you but there are times when I just need to take out and EXPO and write... with those other pricey boards, you can't expo on that surface... no way!  I feel like I have the best of both worlds... love.

See it there at the top of my board.  Tiny.  It interacts with my projector and works with the pen (or you can even get a tablet) and it turns your whiteboard into an interactive surface.  

So write a grant, start a Donor's Choose project, or bug your administrator about your tech budget.  If you order enough I am sure you will get a discount, we did.  Interactive Boards for everyone!  I really don't know how I ever taught without it.  Happy Teaching.

Okay now I have to go put my feet up, beg hubsters to rub them, pull out the foot spa... something.  I really cannot believe what wearing heels all day did to my poor feet, so sad.  Tomorrow I may try and teach in slippers, I am sure no one will notice.  

You've Got Mail...

I am linking up with Monday Made it with my very first Vistaprint project.  I know I didn't hand craft these babies but I did make them on Vistaprint's website  (which was super easy) and they arrived in the mail TODAY!   I was gleeful, truly.  I bounced over to my custodian's office to show her my fabulous package and she feigned excitement for me!  Haha.  THEN I realized... something horrible, truly catastrophic... SPECIAL is spelled WRONG!  I have 100 postcards, 100!  I have 100 Thank You cards with 'special' spelled wrong **SPEICIAL* rEaLlY!!!  Deflated.  AND I couldn't even find a coupon code when I purchased these babies, so I paid full price, FULL PRICE  $40!!!!  Ouch.

So the question is.... do I send them anyway???  Try to cover it up???  Explain my error on the back of EACH ONE????  Ideas please...  but I made it, apparently didn't spell check, but I made it!  So I am linking up and hoping for your advice... please.

However thankfully my magnets are perfect!  They will be great to hand out to parents at back to school night, all my contact info right on their fridge.

A Shopping I will Go...

My debit card needs a vacation, really I should freeze it in ice so I can't shop anymore.... at least it's not my credit card right... oh wait I pretty much maxed that out too... intervention?!?!

I know I am not the only teacher out there shopping away over the summer because thanks to Kristen over at Ladybug Teacher Files and Elizabeth at Fun in Room 4B I have been able to check out everyone's spendy purchases... and thanks to all of your deal finding I wanted to go shop some more... haha!

I know I am a little late to  the party but I am linking up to show off a couple of my summer shopping finds:

and

Sand.  What?  Did you say... sand??  Why yes, yes I did!  Not that crappy play sand either, you know that stuff that is all rocky and powdery and yuck, nope!  The most incredible soft, fine beautiful sand... 100 lbs of it!  I got it from the store to my van, from my van to my classroom, and from my classroom to this sand table BY MYSELF!  (I looked like a complete wimpy middle aged dork doing it, but nonetheless... I did it without help and I felt like a rockstar!)  This stuff is tactile heaven and my kinder kiddos are going to L.O.V.E. it.

46 pencilboxes, yep FORTY-SIX.  My classes are already at 20 and 20, it is looking like I will have 40+ kidlets this next year, gasp.  That's a lot of report cards....  I may not have enough pencil boxes!?! (sidenote: Did I tell you about the time I misspelled the word FORTY, I spelled it fourty on a newsletter, as a spelling word. YEP!  A parent wrote me a super sweet note asking me if the spelling of the word had changed, or if by chance I was using a variation -such as a British spelling- she was unaware of.  She was so kind not wanting to come right out and say, "You spelled this word totally and completely wrong you idiot!"  It was my first year of teaching I was a baby, so much still to learn.  I had always spelled forty that way, fourty.  It just made sense in my brain... four-ty no one ever corrected me; except for my spell check but I just assumed it was wrong! I was horrified.  I sent out an e-mail apologizing to all of the parents.  I will NEVER in my life spell forty wrong again, ever!) But my favorite purchase of the summer was a STEAL I tell you:

 I found this lovely PiNk bag on a 70% clearance sale while shopping for clothespins (for of course a school related project)  I have been in need of a new bag and this was perfect.  When I found the turquoise wallet I was sold.  It is big enough for my yellow folder to fit (I use this great little folder to carry copies back and forth from home to school or vise versa, keep smy papers from getting wrinkled and messy).  Outside pockets for my wallet on one side and my gum, lipgloss, etc. on the other.  Inside pocket for my ever ready notebook (although it is meant for an i-pad or something similar, all padded and stretchy), and on the opposite side... cell phone and pens.  Perfect.  I can carry a couple pull-ups and wipes (those would be for my 2 year old, just in case you thought I had a serious problem), my camera, sunglasses, and I have some space left over.  So for the bag and the wallet I walked out of there for $21.  Happy day.  Every teacher needs a good bag, every mommy for that matter, let's be honest it is a girl thing!

So if you have been out shopping why not link up with me, better late than never... share your summer shopping finds.  Just click on the Ladybug's Teacher Files or Fabulous Find Friday icons above. 

Friday Already!!! Freebie Time!

  Seriously, Friday, already!  I have been so busy this week... between getting myself ready for back to school, my classroom ready, my kindergartner ready (this is her first year and she is over the moon with excitement), my pre-schooler ready (he is wearing his backpack all over the house), and my hubby ready (it is our LAST year of his colllege classes, I deserve an award for being a patient and supportive wife)... I am exhausted!  But I do have a freebie and so I just had to link up!  But first here is what I have been up to in my classroom:

After seeing them all over pinterest, I FINALLY went to Target and bought some tissue paper.  It has been years since I have made a tissue paper pom (I made about a million one year to decorate for a school dance when I was in High School) I forgot just how noisy they can be.  Hubby was trying to watch the Olympics while I was whipping out these babies one night, he had to send me to the other room... his exact words,  "So ummm, how many more of those are you planning to make?"  I was on the second one... I had a few to go... oops.  I retreated to our bedroom, put on a chick flick and pommed my little heart out!

When I went to the school to hang my poms I had teachers and interns stopping by my room admiring their fluffy colorful pom-i-ness... it made all that folding and fluffing worth it.  I even gave a tutorial to a couple of teachers who needed poms in their own rooms!   While I was taking care of the pom situation my littles were doing this:

They love coming over to the school, but I hate the clean up when we are finished!  By the way if walking under a ladder is bad luck what do you think about playing house under one???  Should I be concerned for my little toddler?

Anyway on to my freebie, I originally intended to post my Subtracting with Pirates lesson, however, my cute kinder team member needed a new alphabet line, and so I made her one, and then our other team member needed one too... of course.  So I made her one as well.  I thought that maybe some you getting your rooms ready may find these useful so... without further ado here are my freebies:

(CLICK ON THE WORDS BELOW TO GO TO GOOGLE DOCS)

ABC line Turquoise

ABC line Red

and this one I have posted before but for those of you who may have missed it:

ABC line Black/White Polka Dots

Happy Friday!

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Enjoy your Picture/Word Journals... Thanks for following my blog!