Three for Thursday!

WOOHOO!!! TGIT my friends! We had our Parent Orientation tonight! It went really well and I have some super SWEET parents this year! I always feel a little better after Parent Night...I mean we have gotten through Meet the Teacher, the first day of school, the first day of all of our specials, and now Parent Night! I feel super accomplished! :)

Now, it's party time! Three for Thursday! I am BEYOND indecisive so this is pretty tough for me! :)

My favorite font ~
Doodle Tipsy
Be still my heart! I adore this font for firsties! Super presh!
I also LOVE CK Handprint, Smiley Monster, and Digs My Hart.


My Favorite Blog ~
OOHHH...so HARD to choose! I really heart Kristin at The Teeny Tiny Teacher. She is so funny and REAL! The first blogs I ever read were The First Grade Parade and The Inspired Apple! Who doesn't ADORE Cara and Abby??!!?? :) They are such blog superstars!!

My Favorite Online Resource ~
This is a toughie! I am a Pinterest addict, of course! My most favorite resource, however, are YOUR blogs!!! :) I really adore reading all of your super creative ideas! Blogging makes teaching SO MUCH FUN!

Where It All Goes Down Wednesday!

Happy Hump Day! Today was our tenth day! SO HAPPY to be in the double digits! We are settling into our routine! LOVING my babies this year!

Click HERE for a tour of my classroom! :)

Be sure to check out Blog Hoppin for some Teacher Week fun! :)

Teacher Talk Tuesday!

Just got back from seeing The Help....LOVE! So amazing! GO SEE IT NOW...or maybe this weekend! :) Which brings me to the topic of today's post...teacher talk time!

~ Ask for HELP! Don't try to do it all alone! :) And...GO SEE THE MOVIE!

~ Keep yourself happy! :) Go see a movie (The Help, perhaps??!!), drink Diet Sunkist (or Sonic Coke for those of you who can't seem to get enough), get a pedicure, read a good (non teacher related!!!) book, soak in the tub, WHATEVS! You HAVE to be a happy person to be a happy teacher! Haven't you heard the saying..."If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" SO TRUE!!!

~ Be friends with the office staff, lunchroom workers, and custodians! They WILL save your life one day soon! :)

~ LOVE YOUR BABIES! Praise, praise, praise! I can't say enough about positive reinforcement! It works, people! (for parents and students alike!)

~ Embrace teachable moments! Go to Plan B if needed! Teaching is ALL ABOUT flexibility...which I am not great at (I'm a BIT Type A) :)

~ Write EVERYTHING down! :) It is just too much to keep in our brains! Make to do lists!! I get the BEST feeling from crossing things off my list...don't you???

~ Did I already say positive reinforcement?? Well, I'll say it again! It is THAT important! :)

Link up to Blog Hoppin to join in the party! :)

Meet the Teacher Monday

Happy Monday! My name is Kelli and this is my seventh year teaching! I taught first grade my very first year of teaching in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. I then moved down to Kindergarten for two years. Then, my hubby and I moved to Birmingham where I taught Kindergarten for two years before looping up to first grade last year! I LOVE FIRST! It is so much fun...they are cute, presh, AND a little more independent! :)

I have my Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education, my Masters degree in Early Childhood Education, my Specialist degree in Instruction, and my gifted endorsement.

I grew up in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia with my wonderful dad, mom, and little sis! My hubby grew up in the Lowcountry of South Carolina! We met in 2003, were engaged in 2004, and married in 2005! We celebrated our five anniversary with a trip to Italy last summer! LOVE! (Italy...and my hubby!!) No Baby Bollman's yet...

A Few of My Favorites ~

Candy ~ Mike and Ike’s

Children’s Book Author ~ Dr. Seuss

College Football Team ~ South Carolina Gamecocks

Colors ~ hot pink and lime green

Drink ~ Diet Sunkist

Family ~ my hubby, parents, and little sis :)

Flower ~ hydrangea

Food ~ cupcakes

Holiday ~ Christmas

Movie ~ Sweet Home Alabama

Restaurant for Lunch ~ Ashley Mac’s

(the BEST chicken salad, pimento cheese and strawberry cupcakes!!!) in Birmingham

Restaurant for Dinner ~ Two Urban Licks in Atlanta

School Supplies ~ Flair pens, Sharpies

Season ~ Fall

Snack ~ Honey Nut Chex Mix

Tech Tools ~ iPad and Promethean board

TV Shows ~ The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Grey’s Anatomy

Vacation Spot ~ Positano, Italy

Link up to Blog Hoppin to join in the fun of Teacher Week 2011! :)

The Daily Five posters and activity sheets

If you have just started or you're about to start teaching The Daily Five...this post is for YOU!

The Daily Five - The First Week: Introduce Read to Self

Day 1 - Good Fit shoe lesson, Make 3 Ways to Read a Book anchor chart *

Day 2 - Goldilocks and the Three Bears Just Right book lesson, Make I PICK anchor chart *

Day 3 - Make Read to Self anchor chart and model correct and incorrect ways to Read to Self

Day 4 - Review charts and build stamina for Read to Self

Day 5 - Review charts and build stamina for Read to Self

The Daily Five - The Second Week: Introduce Work on Writing

Day 6 - Review Read to Self charts, build stamina for Read to Self, introduce Work on Writing

Day 7 - Review RtoS charts, build stamina for RtoS, make Work on Writing anchor chart

Day 8 - Review RtoS charts, build stamina for RtoS, Review Work on Writing anchor chart, model correct and incorrect ways to Work on Writing

Day 9 - Review RtoS charts, build stamina for RtoS, Review Work on Writing anchor chart, build stamina for Work on Writing

Day 10 - Review RtoS charts, build stamina for RtoS, Review Work on Writing anchor chart, Make list of topics to write about during WonW, and build stamina for Work on Writing

*For more info, refer to the book. In order to do D5 effectively, you MUST read the book! :)

The beginning lessons focus on modeling and discussing what it should LOOK like and SOUND like during D5. It is A LOT of sitting!! I created these fill in the blank sheets for the kiddos to complete that complement the anchor charts in the book. I did this for 2 reasons...to get the kiddos off the carpet for a few minutes AND for the parents to see the Daily Five expectations! :)

I also create the anchor chart posters in bright and primary to match your room! :) My plan is to take them to an office supply store and get them blown up a little, or you could post them as is! :)

Please comment to let me know you've downloaded these and if they are useful for you in your classroom! :)

This week will be all about short vowel /a / word families, Work on Writing, Addition with manipulatives, and My Family and I! Have a great week! :)

Patterns and First Full Week!

WOW! It is hard to blog during the school year! HA! I started this blog in the summer when my days were easy breezy! I hope to blog at least once a week now that ACTUAL teaching is occurring!!! :)

This is our first full week! We started last Thursday and did lots of fun get to know you activities the first two days! Click HERE to read a little more about those activities!

This week we will learn all about:

Phonics: Short vowel /a/

Reading and Writing: Intro to the Daily Five

Math: Patterns

Social Studies: Marvelous Me

When I was gathering my activities for planning, I Googled and looked for some cute new pattern activities. BUT…I did not find much! So, I decided to create some and then post them to TpT! Click HERE or on the pic below to check out my Perfect Patterns mini unit! It has 3 printables, perfect for reviewing AB, ABB, and ABC patterns with our brand new firsties!

So sorry! Re Post! :)

Hello again! I know I am breaking ALL the blog rules by posting twice in one day! :) HA!
I just tried Live Writer for the first time today (thank you Cara!) and IT ROCKS! I tried to save it as a draft and then publish from Blogger, but then the text didn't show up in my post! WEIRD! I just re-posted directly from Live Writer, and all the text is there! :) It is SOOOO much easier to post with...especially with photos! I am in love!!!

Sooo....for the FULL classroom tour, click HERE to be redirected to my last post! Thanks for bearing with me! :)

Classroom Tour :)

Happy Sunday! I have had the BEST weekend recovering from the first two days of school! We hit the pool yesterday and had the most scrumptious sushi in Birmingham last night on our date night! I am refreshed and ready for a new week with my brand new firsties!

Grab a Diet Coke and get cozy….this is a looooong post full of pics! Excuse the pic quality…I used my handy dandy iPhone! It was LATE, people! Now, come on in!!!!!

 

The door to our classroom and my name sign, class list, and schedule next to my door!

Left - Bulletin board outside of our classroom. Swinging into First Grade and their names are on the bananas!

Right - Work display! Got this idea from the sweetest coworker EVER, Juleigh! I got 12 x 12 scrapbook paper and glued it onto 11 x 18 construction paper. I hot glued a clothespin to the top and put their name on the bottom!

View as soon as you walk in the door.

        

More views from the door!

     

 

The front of our room! The Calendar wall is on the left, and math game storage is underneath! LOVE Cubeicals!!! Our Promethean board is in the middle (MY HEART!) and math manipulative storage underneath (pink lid shoe boxes from Wally World last summer!) My teacher tech station to the right with Reading Comprehension characters posted on the bulletin board above! Birthday bags are above the entire display!

 

Behavior Management! Students move their coconuts to yellow, orange, or red. **Sorry! I deleted this pic because it was sooo grainy! I will repost tomorrow! My display easel with phonics cards, and read alouds for the week!

My teacher chair next to our meeting place (zebra rug!)

     

Word Work, Listen to Reading, and Work on Writing storage!

 

Mailboxes for papers going home! Baskets on top for papers and projects! My AWESOME numbers from Made for First Grade! LOVE!

                                              

Mountain Math board, Math Menu choices under the board! SAFARI book storage!

 

Small group table, and my teacher area! My fridge and microwave are behind the table! My Guided Reading materials!

  

Leveled library and my FAVE table!! It is an old train table I adopted from a former first grade teacher! I gave it a fresh new coat of white paint, covered the top with zebra fabric and plastic covering from Hobby Lobby. It is dry erase so my kiddos can write words and wipe it off! LOTS of game storage underneath!

 

 

Computers, Word Wall, Reading Hut (thank you to the hubs!!!) and monthly storage for decorations, crafts, etc with book bag hooks underneath!

  

Sink and storage cabinets! Daily Five anchor charts (coming soon as we make them together as a class!) and reading tricks from Oceans of First Grade Fun! HEART!

 

Student work tables! Buckets from Garden Ridge and caddies from Really Good Stuff. I scored the cups at the Dollar Spot at Target this summer! Starfall journals are stored underneath the caddies for Wake Up Work! The middle zebra table was added because I needed a bit more student seating. I am going to let the Jungle Guide (helper for the day) choose a friend to sit there with them. I am going to add some special materials, like Glitter crayons, Twistable crayons, colored highlighters, monkey scissors, etc.

Back of the door going out into the hallway. I will add their pictures glued onto brown coconuts! Ok…thanks for coming into our classroom…and thanks for sticking around for this ridiculously LONG, never ending post! Please ask questions if you want to know more about any part of the room! :)

Happy First Day and Math Games :)

Hi blog buds! Long time, no talk!!! Today was our first day of school and it was FAB! I have 21 precious kiddos! They did a GREAT job learning about all of the procedures and routines! This morning, we read Wemberley Worried by Kevin Henkes and completed Abby's First Grade Survey from her Fun with Firsties unit. I adored their responses...gotta HEART that phonetic spelling! :) We also completed my free Marshmallow Toes activity this afternoon! Tomorrow, our morning activities will focus on the book First Grade Jitters by Robert Quackenbush and the PRESH Jitter Juice activities created by the awesome Abby! :) Happy First Day of School to all of you starting soon! :)

Up next in the Math Menu series...Math Games! I am SUPER sorry for the brief hiatus! :) I love some math games! I will admit, math games were not my fave in Kindergarten, but I think Firsties do such a great job with staying on task and controlling their volume during math games! :) During Math Menu, I have 4 students (2 sets of partners) playing games. Sometimes, the partner sets are playing the same game (I make 2 copies of the same game) or they might be playing seperate games...just depends on the unit!

RESOURCES ~
BLOGS: My newest favorite resources have been all of YOU! I have gotten such wonderful ideas from blog stalking! I LOVE Cara Carroll's Fraction Action and The Great Coin Collection units on TpT.

WEBSITES: Check out Vasha Rosenblum at www.mathgamesk-5.com . She lives here in Birmingham and has inexpensive ($1.oo or $2.00 a piece) games for all grade levels. I purchased the two first grade sets (14 games) for $22.00. These are good for a first year teacher or someone just starting their math game collection.

Another good site is www.k-5mathteachingresources.com. It has several I Have...Who Has? games to print out for free (you have to fill out some info for a free subscription!)

MATH TEXTBOOKS: I look through our math textbook and tear out a few copies of the game at the end of each chapter. I laminate them and use them for partner games!


STORAGE ~
I just added my new fave addition to my room this year! I got the Cubeical shelves at Target! I got 2 6 shelf units and added 12 cute fabric baskets. These are a bit pricey but sooo worth it! I used 10 of the baskets for math game storage and the last 2 for calendar storage!

Fuzzy iPhone pic ~ here are the 10 catergories in the order of our units:
Numbers, Patterns, Addition, Subtraction, Shapes, Fractions, Measurement, Time, Money, Place Value.

Coming soon...classroom pics! I will take pics tomorrow and will post on Sunday while the hubs is working his one Sunday a month!