Classroom Table

I have had this little red table from a teacher friend of mine and it really needed a makeover!  Finally I painted it!

I used chalkboard paint and duck tape!  It is so cute with my new crate seats!  I'm going to use it for my art center!

Numbers

In my classroom I have tried to come up with some ways to help my students with number sense. One of my favorite things (my kids love it too) is:  can you guess my number?

I only reveal the numbers we have worked on. Each day my teachers helper gets to whisper a number in my ear. Then he/she will call on students to guess what number was chosen. I use little sticky notes to cover up the numbers. When the number is guessed, the helper writes the number on the board. I am never allowed to miss this activity, and my kids are learning. 👏

The picture above is part of my jungle/safari math centers. I will have it in my stores early this week, this is just one of the ideas. Hope you all check it out!

Crate seats!

So, I caved and had to make those adorable crate seats that is blowing up Pinterest!  I made zebra print and it was so easy I am going back for the giraffe print and making 4 more!  

This is. How I did it: 

Figuring out what color crate and what color print you want is the hardest part. I got all the supplies at Walmart except for the wood at Home Depot. I bought hot pink crate and zebra print.  The fabric comes in 2 yards. 2 yards make 4 seats. I bought foam to pad the seat. Then I went to Home Depot and got the wood.  The nice man there cut it for me and showed me how I could get the cheapest deal! (Always love the deals).  I bought one sheet which is enough for 8 seats!  All you need is a staple gun and you are set!

I put fabric on a table, then placed the foam down, and then the wood, pulled taut and stapled all the way around. The edges I wrapped like a package. Best part is I can use the crates to store things in. 

As we say in my classroom:  easy peasy lemon squeezey!!

Teachers Notebook

Yippee!!  We finally got our store up and running on teacher's notebook!!!  We have several units for sale there and would love for you to check us out...
Also we are loving instagram and we decided to have a contest there.  If you give us a shout out and follow us on instagram, you will be entered in a drawing to win anything in our teacher's notebook or Teacher's pay teacher's store.
Here is what we were working on this week....

You can pick up the unit HERE!

I also have a jungle/safari word wall as a freebie!

Click HERE for the freebie!

Made it Monday!

 So I made those adorable name sticks for my classroom!  I am going to use them to take turns with the iPad During group instruction. They could be used for all kinds of different things.   

First start with the larger popsicle sticks and some cute paper

cut the paper to the size of the  stick.  I wrap the paper around the stick.  paint on mod podge. (my nieces wanted to help).

Wrap the sticks with the paper and let dry.  When dry, cut rounded edges  and stick or glue on your favorite character or thematic element.

Ta da!!!  We are done....cute monkey sticks!!

Liebster Award!

We are so excited to be chosen for this award!!  We got nominated by 2 bloggers Renee from  Growing a teacher and Stacey from ray of kindergarten sunshine!  Thank you ladies and I hope you find this journey fun and rewarding!

Award Background

Liebster is a german word that means "dearest," "lovely," or "cute." The purpose of this award is to recognize new blogs that are worth a look

Here are my 'rules' for accepting this nomination: 

1. Link back to the blog that nominated me
2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers
3. Answer the questions posted for you by your nominator
4. Share 11 random facts about yourself
5. Create 11 questions form your nominees
6. Contact your nominees and let them know you nominated them

Here are the blogs I am nominating:
1. Jessica from Fun in PreK-1 and Kinder
2. Sarah from Kinder cakes
3. Polka dots and teaching tots
4. Katie from Kdots
5. Katrina from A Love for Teaching
Here are the questions that Renee wanted me to answer:

Now the questions for the nominees:

1.  When did you know you wanted to be a teacher?  Well the real answer is when I aided in my daughters preK classroom, but I should have had a clue when I used to line up my stuffed animals in 2nd grade and play school with them for hours!!

2.  Best classroom moment last year?  I loved the look on my kids faces when we opened the oven and the gingerbread man was gone!  It is truly priceless...

3.  What is your closet addition? I love that dresses are back in style!  And a little black dress is a must for those days you do not know what to wear!  I buy most of my dresses at Ross...and I love when I find deals...My closet addition to my classroom is a light panel.  It just came in and I will put up pictures this weekend...SO EXCITED to use it...

4.  How do you get your morning caffeine fix--coffee or soda? definitely coffee...pretty much don't say a word until I drink my first cup and I am spoiled, my amazing husband brings me coffee in bed every morning and to the bathroom while I get ready during the year. 

5.  What was your first "teacher" purchase? My first?  Wow that was a looooongggg time ago!  Probably gifts for my kids...I think I buy more stuff for my kids at school than my kids at home (don't tell them). :-)

6.  What is your all-time favorite movie, you know, the one you always quote?  A Sure Thing with John Cusack We laugh because we named our son Nicholas...ask me to explain if you have not seen it...

7.  When you go to Target, what's the section you MUST visit every time you go in the store? The dollar spot of course!

8.  What have you enjoyed most about this summer?  Sitting on the beach talking with friends!  And my sister is moving back to my town with her 3 kids and I can't wait!!

9.  What are some things you purchased for your classroom this summer?

10. What is your favorite subject to teach?  Why? I love teaching kids to read!  I love children's literature and watching their excitement when they read their first word!

11. What's at the top of your bucket list? I really want to do a triathlon!  But I am so out of shape right now...working on moving again...

11 random facts about myself:
1.  I have 3 kids...One daughter just graduated college, one daughter just graduated high school and my son is starting 8th grade!
2.  I have been married for 24 years and I am still totally in love with him!
3.  I grew up in California but now call Florida home.
4.  I love to follow food trucks and try new foods
5.  I am addicted to my ipad!
6.  I have read everything Francine Rivers and Lynn Austin has written
7.  I love going to the movies chick flicks and period flicks are my favorite.
8.  My favorite pastors are Jentezen Franklin and Joyce Meyer.
9.  I am a cat lover!
10.   One of the things I am proud of is running a half marathon with my bestie Kim for Team in Training for the Leukemia Society and my daughter was our honored hero for the run.  She had leukemia when she was 8.
11.  I am from a big family and I love it!!  3 brothers and 2 sisters and 14 nieces and nephews...I always wanted to have 5 of my own kids...not anymore though, I got over it...and now I have 18 new kids every year which I wouldn't trade for anything!

Now for 11 questions for my nominees:

1.  How long have you been teaching?
2.  Where did you go to college?
3.  Is there anything in your life you would do over or change?
4.  What is your favorite book?
5.  Who are your favorite children's authors?
6.  Where is your favorite spot in the house?
7.  When did you first know you wanted to teach?
8.  How did you first hear of blogging?
9.  What is your best classroom management trick?
10.  How do you organize your library in your classroom?
11.  Do you like teaching in small groups or whole group learning best?  

This has been fun and I hope we all have made some new friends!  

More crafting!

So I saw another DIY classroom idea and had to try... I want to show you a picture but I am giving them as gifts to my teaching team, so you will have to wait!

Just know they are super cute and you are going to want them. :-)

Hope you are all having a great Tuesday! I LOVE LOVE LOVE SUMMER!!

DIY Project

I saw these really cute clipboards on Instagram and had to try them for my classroom!  I made six different styles in the  jungle/safari theme!  They are very easy to make, I know you all can do it!

So here is how I made them....

First start with a clear clipboard, cute paper, ribbon, stickers (stuff to match your theme).  You can also use spray glue.

Using a clear clipboard(I bought mine at deals). You only have to put the paper on one side if you use double sided paper.  Put the mod podge all over the paper stick down carefully.  I used a 2 color scheme.  I sprayed with clear coat when I was done to give it a shine.  Then wrapped with the ribbon and put some of the ribbon tied in a knot on the top to give it a finished look.  I added a jungle animal sticker and 2 zebra printed gemstones. (I am picky about the look).  I love the way they turned out!

This is the back of my clipboard.  I love only having to use one sheet of paper!

School supplies

I picked up more fun stuff for my classroom!

Currently

Linking up with Oh' Boy 4th Grade for the July Currently!   I am very excited that is still a month and a half of summer and the 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays!!

Listening: This summer my kids sleep in and I usually slept right with them.  I am trying to get up earlier this summer so I am not in complete shock in August but also I have really enjoyed a quiet house.  I drink coffee, read my devotions, blog, and have been catching up on some reading.

My daughter Victoria graduated college

My daughter Alexandra graduated high school
my son Nicholas is 14 and taller than all us girls.

Now you see why I get my mornings to myself....they are big!!  Those of you with little ones, this all goes way too fast and I really don't know how this happened!!  :P


Loving:  That my sister and husband and 3 adorable children are moving back to Florida!!  I have been without them for a year and I am excited to not be crying anymore!  Wow, I've missed them!!

I had one niece in my class a year ago and now I get to have the other niece this year!  AHHHHH....so excited!!

Thinking: about school and the next year and all the new things I want to do wayyyy too much!!  I should be sitting on the beach and turning my brain off!!  I made new labels for my cohort and I for our themed rooms!

It's in our teachers notebook store HERE!

And you can pick up the Sea theme HERE!

Wanting: to be consistent with my workouts!  Yes I join the millions of ladies who always wants to shed a few pounds and have amazing arms and abs...but yet....it's ok as long as we keep trying, right??  and who is kidding who?  I love being in my 40's and being a mom and wife!!

Needing:  This is where I need your ideas!!!  I am accumulating too many cute things digitally and I need a system to organize my digital files.... HELP!!!

Tips, Tricks, and Hints: This is a tip or trick that Miss Kindergarten told us all about and revolutionized my whole classroom!  When you label all those cute name cards and job cards exc. with a sharpie.  Well if you take a dry erase marker and color over the top of the sharpie...scribble it up and then wipe with a paper towel, it disappears! 
 SO EASY!!! wish I had pictures to show you....but I promise it works!!

Tickle me Tech

The 3am Teacher ( I love her name!) just posted a great tutorial for us newbies for a fabulous look to our creations!  Thank you so much for sharing....

 Click HERE to download it at her TPT store!

ENJOY!!

A Great Center Idea!

Okay, so I was out shopping again....shhhh don't tell my husband!  He has learned to ignore the dollar store and target bags coming into the house...Well...here is my deal for the day!

What is the big deal about these you ask? I have discovered something amazing!  I put these cups in a box and put them in my manipulative center and my little ones LOVE THEM!!!  

These cheap buy one get one free cups are one of my kids favorite things to play with....hours spent in entertainment (stacking, sorting, putting counters into)

BONUS:

I can put a few in my light center for added color and somewhere on pinterest (forgive me I forget where, if I find it again I will let you know) I am going to melt some and make round colored disks for my light table!  Still looking for a black light to add this year.  Need a good sale...

Johnny Appleseed!

                                                            Click Here! to go see Fabulicious!

We are excited to be involved in our first Fabulicious Freebies!  We begin our year with the vowels so I thought you might enjoy a part of our "A" week unit.  Amazing Glyphs!
We love doing Glyphs- where we ask the children questions and they color, paint, glue, or place according to the answer they give.
Now I have to tell you.....when it comes to analyzing I have tried many different ways!!  However, by trial and error I have finally come up with a way that my little ones like AND DOES NOT drive me insane!!!!
We analyze data as a whole group.  I hand out the graph to each student, hang my copy on the board and walk around the room asking questions and graphing the answers.  Every few students we stop and see which question is winning, predict the winner.  The more animated I am, the more they stay focused....It works like a charm....let me know if you have another way that works, I would love to hear.
At Back To School Night I like to tell parents that we analyze data....They seem to love that!!
In our apple unit we have a Johnny Appleseed Glyph.  We thought you may enjoy it sooooo....
We put it on our TPT store for free!  You can pick it up HERE!