Sunday Night Blues

Do you get 'em?  I don't really...unless the week ahead is going to be a doozy...like this one. 

When you were in college did they tell you that you were going to have to be on committees x, y, z along with a, b & c? {I have an all day school improvement meeting this week} Did they tell you that you were actually going to have to use your skills learned in your statistics class by analyzing data up the wazoo? {Who asked me to chair our school improvement committee anyway...do they not know I do first grade math??!}  I'm pretty sure nobody told me that.  They didn't tell me that I was going to have to spend weeks assessing my kiddos either and that I would feel major teacher-guilt to keep things going as far as their engagement and learning whilst doing said assessments.  Do you feel that way? Do you feel like, although you know you are only one person, and there are 25 + of them, that you still need to make sure things are rigorous, engaging and that everybody is doing what they should be doing as you assess one. child. at. a. time....

Ugh...

I think I definitely have the Sunday Night Blues...

Just this week...and maybe next week because I know I won't get everything done that needs to be done before then.

But after that, I'll feel better.

Wait, after that are report cards and conferences.

But after that, I'll feel better!  I know I will and you will too!

So, if tonight you have the Sunday Night Blues...know that at this time next week,  well, you might have them then too...but after that...

I promise you won't!

Source: google.de via Elizabeth on Pinterest

Top O' the Snow Day to Ya! {A wee bit random}

This time last year I was bummin' because we hardly had an inch of snow all season and not one measly snow day. Love my job - but that early morning call telling me to turn off the alarm and snuggle back under those already warmed up blankies...well, who would complain about that?

Got that call again today - my third snow day this year.  I was like the Cheshire Cat! 

My boys, of course, feel like they should be thanked.  They did, after all, sleep with frozen spoons under their pillows.  So we celebrated our day off with...

Snow Day Pancakes

We weren't really expecting this one, {or believing the meteorologists...there's always so much hype about the weather around here} so our snow day pancakes were "snowless" {whipped cream}.  They were still delish!

I spent the day finishing up my St. Patrick's Day pack {And drinking coffee.  And watching Downton Abbey}.  Have you watched this show?  Oh my goodness...it's a good one!  It's my newest addiction...that, and Candy Crush.

If you're looking for something to do with your kiddos for St. Patty's Day check out my newest creation.  I tried to include lots of variety. 

Click the preview to check it out at my store.

I've also got a freebie St. Patrick's Day pack in this post that you might be interested in!

Since I had some extra time on my hands today I was wondering about all of you {If you've read my other posts, you know I can be pretty nosey}.  Who you are, where you're from, what grade you teach ...if you'd like to share, I'd love to read it and I bet my other nosey followers would love to read about you too!

Actually, what made me wonder about who you are is this article that I read today - it talked about the average teacher only lasting 4.5 years in the profession.  That made me so sad...so one more question...how long have you been teaching?

Toodles!

Hall Pass

Anybody need a hall pass?  Reagan's gonna hook you right up!  Sometimes I feel like a good walk down the hall, toward the Diet Coke machine, would do this girl some good...

Or, I'll send my firsties off to lunch/recess - close my classroom door, turn off the lights and blog stalk.  Ahhhhhh....

Today, I'm home - on my couch - the ULTIMATE HALL PASS!  Blog stalking, creating, and catching up on The Bachelor. {And mulling over in my head how on earth my second grader is going to create a 3D mallard duck}

Here's how the Hall Pass works...

 

Product...

 

Hmmm...which product of mine do I like the most?  Gosh, that's a tough one. Since I'm not at school right now I looked through my classroom pictures on my computer.  I'm a background "looker" and kept seeing items from this pack...

 

So, for today, this will be my favorite!

 

 



Give Me Five posters are referred to frequently!

See the table sign? Several color choices!

 

Area...

 

I would have to say my favorite "nook" in my classroom is where we store lots of our Daily 5 activities, our little couch {road-side find} and our Writer's Workshop materials.  It's so cozy and my kiddos this year can HANDLE it  {nobody hides out there} - another major plus!

 

Isn't it cute?  By the way, if you're a look around at the whole picture kinda person...the table number situation was fixed...I made it two-sided! HA!

 

Signal...

 

I use so many different signals in my classroom.  Gotta keep it varied, right?  My go-to when I need them to stop what they are doing and listen for some quick directions is "Give Me Five" {Posters pictured above and can be found here} but I also say "Eyes, Ears and Lips" {eyes are looking, ears are listening and lips are zipped...same basic concept as Give Me Five}.  I say Eyes, Ears and Lips when they are sitting on the carpet and have started some side-chatting during my teaching {I'm sure that never happens to you}.  If I want them to clean up I have special songs I use for different subjects...I use this CD a ton..

 

There's a great one called "Read a Book" that we use for Daily 5 and the others are songs with great lessons.  The kids love 'em!  "Itchy, Itchy, Owie, Owie, Boo, Boo" is another crowd favorite.

Sanity...

We have something in our school called the "Perk Cart".  Some cuties in our school push the Perk Cart through the halls of our school in the morning.  They stop by and ask if we would like to purchase something from their cart.  It gives them great practice interacting with others - practicing their manners and collecting/counting money.  Anyhoo...I'd like to say it gives me practice with exerting self control, but I'd be lying.  Lots of goodies on that cart from York Peppermint Patties, to carrots {I'll let you guess what I buy}.

Nothing gives a girl a boost like an hour lunch/recess to get herself ready for the afternoon, a few of these...

And a little blog-stalking!



Did You Win? *Freebie*

So, I found the mean, median and mode of my comments then divided it by pi and found my three winners....

Naw, I actually just had my boys choose three numbers - that's as mathematically complex as this girl can get today {or any day}. I'm off this week.  I'm so excited about that.  I'm sorry if you're not - but spring break is right around the corner right?

We spent a lovely weekend up north with some great friends.  The kids had a blast and I claimed my spot in front of the fire and loved chatting the time away with one of my dearest friends. 

On our way up, we stopped by McDonald's...the whole crew.  A nice man held the door for all of us.  I actually said something to him about being a bell-hop or something like that {you gotta love a teacher's sense of humor - at least I didn't call him a door holder and tell him he could get his spot back in line} and he said he accepted tips...

Anyhoo...my friend turned to me and said "I think he's somebody famous"...come to find out it was...

Kris Draper - Detroit Red Wings

So, if you're a hockey fan and you were wondering..he's a funny guy with manners to boot! 

Okay, so the three winners of my All You Need is Love giveaway are....

I don't want to toot my own horn, but I do love my Common Core Nonfiction Writing Unit!  I used to dread doing this with my first graders because the process was so crazy and I felt torn in a million directions and I felt like my kids didn't really get out of it what I wanted or needed them to.  I finally found a nice, organized system and actually LOOK FORWARD to teaching this unit!

My kids are already talking about that pesky leprechaun that came to their classrooms last year and left them in disarray!  I can hardly believe March is almost here.  I guess I know what I'll be doing during my time off this week...

It's not done yet - hopefully this week my boys will let me work on it!

Here's a freebie from that pack! 

Click to download in Google Drive
Clipart: Ashley Hughes
Frame: Creative Clips
Fonts: Cupcake for the Teacher & Miss Kindergarten
 

Enjoy!

All You Need is Love...Giveaway!

One giveaway is great...but how about 20 plus?!?!  Jessica over at Mrs. Stanford's Class organized this awesome linky where you can hop around and enter lots of giveaways.  Now, I say I'm a first grade teacher because that's about the extent of my math skills...and people giggle and think I MUST be kidding...people, I'm really not.  BUT...I think {no, I'm pretty sure} if you enter all these giveaways...you have a pretty good chance of winning!!!! {or at least a better chance than if you were only to enter one} Right?  I'm right, right?

I'd like to giveaway any one item from my TpT store...head on over, do some window shopping and then let me know in a comment below which item you would choose!  {Don't forget to follow my store - it makes me smile! And my blog too, if you don't already}

Click  to visit my store!

I think this might be your lucky day - I can feel it in my bones!  Don't stop now - go enter some more awesome giveaways...a great variety of goodies to be won!

I will use a very complex mathematical equation on February 18th to choose 3 winners!!  Be sure to leave your email address!

Five For Friday

Hey Everybody!

You guys, I had a snow day today!  The ring of the phone woke up me from a SOUND sleep.  Usually, all the hullabaloo that leads up to a snow day {you know the dance, the flushing of ice cubes, the white crayon on the window} makes me wake up at least five times throughout the night - looking outside, nudging hubby awake to ask him what he thinks the chances are NOW of getting a snow day...

Not this time - I was out. All. Night. Long.  Then the 5 a.m. phone call came and I was so darn excited that I texted a few friends, had to find it on the t.v. and see it with my own eyes and then waited for the five other calls this family gets from our combined three school districts {hubby teaches in one, I teach in another and our boys go to yet another}...love all that excitement and loved the day off too!

So, I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs, for the first time, today!

 

 

I love being random.  I'm so good at it.

 

We cleaned out our writing folders this week - that's A LOT of writing!!!

I went to a conference this week - I didn't get us lost!!!!
Did you already know about the cell-phone-pic-to-remind-yourself-where-you-parked trick?!?
My teaching partner clued me in on that one - genius!

         

Crazy week - calls for hijinks to keep the kids focused! 

My room is so small - we've resorted to recording our findings on the window! Vis-a-Vis works perfectly!



White Crayon in Window = SnOw DaY!!!!



 

 

There ya have it!  Happy Weekend!!!! 

Sunday Super Sale...or is it a... Super Sale on Sunday?

It is pretty super, and it's definitely a sale and I hope you'll head over and stock up.  There's lots going on in the upcoming months...Valentine's Day, President's Day, St. Patrick's Day, National Tortilla Chip Day...

Just a few things you might want to check out!



Lots of print and go activities

My first graders BEG for this game...put on a "Thinking Cap"
 {sentence strip headband}
Place a sight word in the "cap" and let the guessing & fun begin! It's a real hoot!

Print & Go literacy activities!

Who doesn't need some retail therapy after a long week!?!?