tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87447272968581066112024-02-18T23:20:58.131-08:00Teaching little firsties!Jamie L. S.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05834547989529913451noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-70850101467635391222012-09-27T21:19:00.001-07:002012-09-27T21:19:22.150-07:00First Grade Common CoreWe are diving right into the Common Core this year. We've been given the permission to do what we want to get our littles to meet the <a href="http://corecommonstandards.com/core-curriculum/first-grade-common-core-workbook/">First Grade Common Core</a> standards. Scary? Yes. Exciting? Yes. Overwheleming? YES! Overwhelming because there are so many great ideas out there. But what to choose and create so that I can meet each standard is a little daunting. <br />
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Well, I was perusing through all the great blogs that I'm following and came upon <a href="http://funin1stgrade.blogspot.com/2012/09/first-grade-common-core.html">Fun in 1st grade's post.</a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITJJ6FN0Rfgz8VMVaW6XzPY5jQL7_3JiQAY4mQYG6uv3NVE4H7TJKvnyv80ZZtuzBwcgUe5drHWE0NAGdT6huGWv4hXjje9hzQwjJ0AqseAQBSqD9ebnJyJ1-oH26w6t5zknaz_9cd-Q/s1600/first-grade-common-core-standards-workbook.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITJJ6FN0Rfgz8VMVaW6XzPY5jQL7_3JiQAY4mQYG6uv3NVE4H7TJKvnyv80ZZtuzBwcgUe5drHWE0NAGdT6huGWv4hXjje9hzQwjJ0AqseAQBSqD9ebnJyJ1-oH26w6t5zknaz_9cd-Q/s320/first-grade-common-core-standards-workbook.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I was so excited because this book has already created worksheets, activities and posters all aligned with the Common Core for both language arts and math! How awesome is that! One less thing for us to worry about. Do you know the best part? They're giving away an electronic copy for...wait for it...FREE! So, go <a href="http://corecommonstandards.com/blog/free-first-grade-common-core-workbook-giveaway/">here</a> to check out how you can get your free copy of this book as a blogger too. I can't wait to use it!<br />
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But hurry! Because the "giveaway" ends on September 30th!Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-38317980249849596912012-09-26T21:34:00.003-07:002012-09-26T21:34:49.887-07:00My apologiesHi Everyone! I wanted to apologize for not responding to all the emails quicker. My teaching blog is connected to my personal blog and it's email account, so I forget to check my "teaching blog" email sometimes.<br />
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But, it seems like there's a problem downloading some of my documents. Something must have happened when Google switched my account over to the newer version. So, I went back and fixed all the ones that was brought to my attention. If there's a document you wanted and cannot access, please let me know.<br />
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Thanks so much for checking out my blog! Things have been busy and I will post soon.Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-35618889084231759832012-09-05T21:19:00.006-07:002012-09-05T22:01:29.233-07:00Solo CupsIs it just me or does it seem like this year is going by so fast! I know it's only 15 days of school for my district, but it's already been 15 days!<br /><br />I have 26 first graders this year. (That is alot. But some of my friends in a nearby district are at 30 firsties, so I'm not complaining.) I'm also a first time resident teacher and so I have an eager and enthusiastic student teacher to mentor this year as well.<br /><br />With the new Common Core State Standards, my district is diving right into it. That means there are ALOT of new things happening this year. We have a new writing program, a new Data System, new report cards, and new "benchmarks" testing, just to name a few in my district.<br /><br />In my classroom, I'm also trying alot of new things. One of them involves solo cups. I saw this video from <a href="http://www.theorganizedclassroomblog.com/index.php/blog/cup-management">the organized classroom blog</a> (found through <a href="http://www.teachingblogaddict.com/2012/06/classroom-management-with-red-solo-cups.html">teaching blog addict</a>) and loved the idea. I'm using it during workshop. I tested it out today and it worked wonderfully! The kids were on task, working quietly, etc.<br /><br />I knew I had to think of a way so that I wouldn't have to be the one getting up from my small group to switch the cups. I already had a workshop patrol student. (I don't remember where I got that idea from. If you're the wonderful person who gave me that idea, please let me know so I can give you credit.) I took that idea from a great teacher and changed it up a bit this year.<br /><br />Since I have 6 groups in my classroom, I have 2 students who will be the workshop patrol team. I trained them today, telling them that before workshop begins, they would need to get their tub that held the cups and pass out the cups to the groups they were in charge of. (I wrote numbers on the cups to correlate to the groups.) Then I explained to the class that only these two students (and me of course) are allowed to switch the cups to a different color.<br /><br />The rules (for now, since I'm testing to see what will work.) are that if they stay on the green cup during the whole workshop time, they will get group points (the group with the most points at the end of the week gets a prize.) If they are the only group that stayed on green, they will get group points AND signatures on our principal's passport. (These get filled up and then they take them to the office to redeem for a prize.)<br /><br />If their group had their cups turn to yellow, that means warning. They better start following the workshop rules or else their cups will be switched to red. Red means that they will owe 5 mins of recess or "free choice" time.<br /><br />Now, as a student I hated getting in trouble for the other students in my group. So, I explained to the students that if it's just one or two students in their group that just can't follow directions, that student will be the one to owe the 5 mins.<br /><br />This system (just like in the video shows) also allows the students to be able to go back a color. So, if they got to yellow, they can go back to green.<br /><br />So, when a group isn't following directions, I call on my workshop patrol who is in charge of that group to walk over and turn the cup to to the next color. Now, I wanted to keep track of who had to turn their cups and who didn't. I created this form to keep track of that. I printed it onto cardstock and had it laminated.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_V9A0w4J86lt93pXE9eizNqUNPV5hor41K7BOg0aAyYvlHo_zwlPLMyNDmSk-JXWUI2UmT-rFzgyiKBEMeMumvecWMyABJgfH6TSX1DwnC5IaKI0cJIVUY6spFER6Dd-4Amx6DiuTmQ/s1600/workshop+groups_Page_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3_V9A0w4J86lt93pXE9eizNqUNPV5hor41K7BOg0aAyYvlHo_zwlPLMyNDmSk-JXWUI2UmT-rFzgyiKBEMeMumvecWMyABJgfH6TSX1DwnC5IaKI0cJIVUY6spFER6Dd-4Amx6DiuTmQ/s400/workshop+groups_Page_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5784922049414811170" border="0" /></a>So, when my workshop patrol team have to switch a certain group's cups, they will switch the cups then walk over to this sheet and put a tally mark under that table's name. That way I don't have to worry about keeping track during my small group time, and I will have a way to track who stayed on the green cup and who didn't. Now, I may change this idea. It all depends on how well it works. I didn't test it out today because since we're still practicing the routine for workshop, I didn't pull a small group. So, I was able to keep track on who stayed on green and who didn't myself.<br /><br />Anyway, hope that wasn't too confusing. :) Happy Wednesday everyone!<br />Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-52494839929867314992012-08-10T22:15:00.003-07:002012-08-10T22:19:33.470-07:00First Grade Fairytales<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTBCrg1JkjZ4qWViwBdsXzwlaqbvgoSCedQYwP6eeinXGVw2poVig6jP7WO_joPAeMCDvCeHAijUli3tGoUeph0k1x6gnvFlydGVw6oANGQ3c_0AmkCXhzC7IofrtzkSMLQClqns9V7T8/s1600/100+follower%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTBCrg1JkjZ4qWViwBdsXzwlaqbvgoSCedQYwP6eeinXGVw2poVig6jP7WO_joPAeMCDvCeHAijUli3tGoUeph0k1x6gnvFlydGVw6oANGQ3c_0AmkCXhzC7IofrtzkSMLQClqns9V7T8/s400/100+follower%25281%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775280876824385970" border="0" /></a><br />Sweet Kelly at <a href="http://thefirstgradefairytales.blogspot.com/">First Grade Fairytales</a> is having a fantastic giveaway! Go to her blog and check her out.Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-47573940786832366722012-08-03T21:29:00.004-07:002012-08-03T21:35:51.358-07:00120s chart<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9hedD-_9iMx_uAQQ6y9DIjeaUGZOyz_NyaQ0E2u9nhHZHcP4iaYaWhsDUU6UiEDzvh91OV1TvHEdKdmfLFKJdY-MSqVP7JaKah8OptOZsaT7GQJ8haly5ISgVMukfFL6AiS1tsLDrIY/s1600/120s+chart+student+copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE9hedD-_9iMx_uAQQ6y9DIjeaUGZOyz_NyaQ0E2u9nhHZHcP4iaYaWhsDUU6UiEDzvh91OV1TvHEdKdmfLFKJdY-MSqVP7JaKah8OptOZsaT7GQJ8haly5ISgVMukfFL6AiS1tsLDrIY/s400/120s+chart+student+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5772671166811577106" border="0" /></a>Since 1st grader are required to know up to 120 now, I created these. There's a smaller version for the kids to use. The bigger version I'm going to print, then glue onto construction paper, tape them side by side and post it up with my calendar. Click <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_WjdqdErmH1TUdrTDI1VGdFVVU">here</a> and <a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_WjdqdErmH1RTFQYUs2Q3ZPZEk">here</a> to download.Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-76714047264621885132012-07-28T22:13:00.005-07:002012-07-28T22:23:12.949-07:00Name Plates<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_WjdqdErmH1UUFldTd3SU5Db0E"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9M3OQ0NmYHb9yGHFTQGn0R3uSf7Bak4eM40FP7Qavds-lr7Me_awU0NiD-jrcJZncgh41Dx9M6lCLeT9v3AXjGLBmWPymkr0a79KjqMP5u7ek9cad0hfLfdNIaed4bHvAinZ1pV11fo/s400/name+plates.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5770456578222197362" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_WjdqdErmH1cWtlNi1iVW5rZ0k"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoCljJuqVCYI-Y0jNhlS6xWV4Q_tl9Vs13dgLm2xQdqjvYxaC0niLs2qXnDRLgslsgAQKcaujUBOs5MLjmVUpkaEqxare3YPaSjGlS3W0Lgr9qhQJIgfhVMZcDfmUvChxUDWOVSSJGFI0/s400/name+plates+8+x+11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5770456588644304706" border="0" /></a>Polka Dot name plates!<br /><br />I needed some for my classroom and created these. There are two versions, one is made to be printed on 11 x 17 paper and the other on 8.5 x 11 paper. You can either send them off to staples to print or do what I'm going to do and just print them up at work. Cheap and cute!<br /><br />I plan on printing them, cutting, and laminating (so they can be reused next year, or until they start falling apart.)<br /><br />So, click on the pictures to download them!<br /></div>Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-26894788431518773712012-07-25T19:11:00.005-07:002012-07-25T19:41:20.257-07:00BirthdaysSo, last year I bought birthday pencils, made copies of the following onto colored card stock and attached them to the pencil for the kids. (I'll have to post what it looks like later when I go back into my classroom.) You can get the download of this file <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1efNHta7_IHImNK5_BCzSrJB3AVGslHjIQQL33MD-rjk/edit">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZw-2qM66BCrkhp_3iZxWf5R4D-Lt767qqAIF6Lnlexwcj71YxZdm3o_piD02VlNCfykFD_dNFrXWOHPlxVBSbfxFNSHJ9xGYONZxZvDMW8-zg8pOOIDWcpcH7goOZvCgxPP-lgr7t43c/s1600/birthday+cupcakes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZw-2qM66BCrkhp_3iZxWf5R4D-Lt767qqAIF6Lnlexwcj71YxZdm3o_piD02VlNCfykFD_dNFrXWOHPlxVBSbfxFNSHJ9xGYONZxZvDMW8-zg8pOOIDWcpcH7goOZvCgxPP-lgr7t43c/s400/birthday+cupcakes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5769299648699841618" border="0" /></a>But for this year, I will also be adding these goodies I found at the dollar aisle at Target. ( I love Target.) I bought one for my daughter and she LOVED it. So, I thought my first graders would like them as well. I mean who wouldn't? A coloring book, stickers, crayons/markers AND it's a favorite character?!?! And, it's good for me because it was only $1! LOVE! I bought 4 designs (there were some Cars packets too but they didn't have it at the first Target that I went to. I was tempted to buy them but I had already bought a whole bunch.) I'm planning on giving the kids a choice amongst the 4 designs. For my summer babies, we will have to celebrate their half birthdays. I have a summer birthday too so I know how it feels to not be able to bring in treats or celebrate it with the class. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHl2q9ypGWiHXizpCzgM1jmYCiUI_-OAJsDoMh4N3coiHttp3C6_GXwuCYUZXJiZFPGYaqBEge4WsyzsrzIyhIAWKta0anZPNFDd7E8CcNYVfsecp5juhKX2b1-cgnmAEUxcIhPqnsiA/s1600/DSC04974.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHl2q9ypGWiHXizpCzgM1jmYCiUI_-OAJsDoMh4N3coiHttp3C6_GXwuCYUZXJiZFPGYaqBEge4WsyzsrzIyhIAWKta0anZPNFDd7E8CcNYVfsecp5juhKX2b1-cgnmAEUxcIhPqnsiA/s400/DSC04974.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5769301950581716354" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5Gg7vqFlIWccaL9YZSrwp-BsbONUJCS-WHmxMHYNu-PWQ9or0oULGbVuuH3RNCZeO9PSemiuF1UB3smKZ1cC3SvPW6H_B5Wprh64GXWMrOdEDTEoOpxBjUl76nSCJ5XbfGWGemRIN2I/s1600/DSC04972.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5Gg7vqFlIWccaL9YZSrwp-BsbONUJCS-WHmxMHYNu-PWQ9or0oULGbVuuH3RNCZeO9PSemiuF1UB3smKZ1cC3SvPW6H_B5Wprh64GXWMrOdEDTEoOpxBjUl76nSCJ5XbfGWGemRIN2I/s400/DSC04972.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5769301947852582850" border="0" /></a>Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-20282165102106381592012-07-24T19:02:00.002-07:002012-07-25T19:42:22.940-07:00Another year...Well, my goal is to keep up with the blog this year. With the assurance that I won't be given a combo class this year, I hope I can keep that goal.<br /><br />I changed my classroom just a little bit. I'm going with a turquoise, pink, purple with polka dot theme this year. <br /><br />Here's the few changes this year. Forgive the bad quality. I used my phone.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkT1PEPAmnks9fQYA6NYq7opkFIoMuyAuDTsL7csKvm5yiOdsDOCbzADYvGx5sd8vvH0k7_E3MWq4ExgOd659w577P-cTRjE00LPU5pnkRdnBg8-0jqCzqp-DiQ0yUx6q3WZDi2DfYis/s1600/mms_picture%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkT1PEPAmnks9fQYA6NYq7opkFIoMuyAuDTsL7csKvm5yiOdsDOCbzADYvGx5sd8vvH0k7_E3MWq4ExgOd659w577P-cTRjE00LPU5pnkRdnBg8-0jqCzqp-DiQ0yUx6q3WZDi2DfYis/s400/mms_picture%25282%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5769293824148028770" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4IIOYNN1RUd4Zl5W3dmGoJ7eOB9HHTaB8AsNPVFjvvlLDuVSvlUVkUROvMJSzqEKPPH2z21tqvzCw4zTbuL0ka-EYYKYxu-_4FIqd3STJJy8yRKSYf8mR5nkjnP1BnEsQ005CWIgHMo/s1600/mms_picture%25283%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4IIOYNN1RUd4Zl5W3dmGoJ7eOB9HHTaB8AsNPVFjvvlLDuVSvlUVkUROvMJSzqEKPPH2z21tqvzCw4zTbuL0ka-EYYKYxu-_4FIqd3STJJy8yRKSYf8mR5nkjnP1BnEsQ005CWIgHMo/s400/mms_picture%25283%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5769293829691449650" border="0" /></a>Check out <a href="http://teachinglittlefirsties.blogspot.com/search/label/pictures">here</a> and <a href="http://teachinglittlefirsties.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-classroom-photos.html">here</a> for what my classroom looked like last year.<br /><br />I am excited to go back to work. It's another year, with a lot of changes and seems like more work but I do love teaching.Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-21521874607139441822012-05-12T22:17:00.004-07:002012-05-13T22:44:24.623-07:00Alphabet SongsI know it's been forever. Life got busy with a combo class. But I wanted to quickly share something awesome with you all. Check out the video below and then check out the other <a href="http://havefunteaching.com/songs/alphabet-songs/">Alphabet songs</a>. Fun right? Kids would LOVE them! Here's the exciting part, Have fun teaching is giving away these videos for free! So, if you're like me, whose school won't allow any Youtube videos, this free giveaway is great!<br /><br />I'm so excited to have found these and cannot wait to use them next year with my 1st graders. I'm always looking for songs I can use in the classroom and these videos are perfect additions to my collection. I had planned on using them with just my struggling students but they're so fun, my whole class will enjoy them.<br /><br />So go on over to <a href="http://havefunteaching.com/free-giveaway-alphabet-videos-download/">Have Fun Teaching</a> and get your free downloads!<br /><br /><iframe width="400" height="233" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/36IBDpTRVNE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-91524789740096032402011-12-09T22:58:00.000-08:002011-12-09T23:07:57.304-08:00LifeIt's been a long time since I've posted anything. We've done so much in my classroom and I have to get better at blogging. With testing, report cards and parent teacher conferences out of the way and having my combination class slowly settling down, I'll try to post more.<br /><br />However for now, I just wanted to share a story I saw that reminded me that I need to enjoy life. This post has nothing to do with teaching, but I wanted to share.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQImOrZv7zhGd3jkJGEF1SArvm2IqcmHHK1w6GoTQDJLbBhfH2Gwpimyi5A7a2rEhipTzptUXNRomE07_XNCaI5w7N65e8CLBiHvAqkTOWEvraBxIBduleG51AjS74Kk-6io8MlakPeyI/s1600/violin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQImOrZv7zhGd3jkJGEF1SArvm2IqcmHHK1w6GoTQDJLbBhfH2Gwpimyi5A7a2rEhipTzptUXNRomE07_XNCaI5w7N65e8CLBiHvAqkTOWEvraBxIBduleG51AjS74Kk-6io8MlakPeyI/s400/violin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5684391448983348594" border="0" /></a>I saw this on one of my friend's facebook page and loved it. It reminded me that in our busy life when we're always in a rush to do things, we sometimes forget to stop and enjoy it.<br /><br />As a working mom I am guilty of this. I'm so busy with work and taking care of what needs to be done (cooking, baths, laundry, cleaning, etc.) that sometimes I forget to just take a break and just be with my babies and husband.<br /><br />Laundry will still be there. Dishes can be done later. The cleaning is never ending anyway. But my babies will only be this age for a while. My husband and I need more time together because we're not getting any younger either.<br /><br />So, I am going to make a better effort at enjoying life. Enjoy my time with my girls and husband and loved ones.<br /><br />Just like the other day. We were running late for church and it was freezing outside. So usually when we get to church, I'm rushing the babies inside the church, out of the cold. Well, on this particular Sunday there were leaves everywhere. It was a really windy weekend and alot of leaves had fallen off the trees onto the ground. My 2 year old of course wanted to run through the leaves. My gut reaction was "no. It's too cold and windy. I don't want you to get sick." But, I looked at her and she was just so happy. So we ran through the leaves. My husband rolled our youngest in her stroller through the leaves and we just enjoyed the moment. My oldest was so happy and that made me happy.<br /><br />I have to let her enjoy life. I'm so worried about not letting her get sick or hurt that sometimes I'm the one rushing her through life. It's so hard though. It makes my heart so sad to see her hurt. But, I can still protect her and also let her be a 2 year old. :) Oh the things you learn with your first child and can change with the rest. <br /><br />I have to remember not to rush through life. As the old saying goes, always make time to stop and smell the roses.<br /><br />Well, onto the story that goes with the above picture.<br /><br /><span class="caption">"In Washington DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, a ma<span class="text_exposed_show">n with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.<br /><br />After about four minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.<br /><br />About four minutes later, the violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.<br /><br />At six minutes, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.<br /><br />At ten minutes, a three-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.<br /><br />At forty-five minutes: The musician played continuously. Only six people stopped and listened for a short while. About twenty gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.<br /><br />After one hour:<br />He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.<br /><br />No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.<br /><br />This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.<br /><br />This experiment raised several questions:<br /><br />In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?<br /><br />If so, do we stop to appreciate it?<br /><br />Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?<br /><br />One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:<br />If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made…How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?"</span></span>Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-75250956687073527662011-10-15T20:10:00.000-07:002011-10-15T20:12:41.526-07:00Sorry!Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't been posting. We had our Fall break this past week and then I just returned from a much needed mini-vacation with my family. I'll be back soon!Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-19119237370687340772011-10-04T20:34:00.000-07:002011-10-04T20:49:52.071-07:00IdeasThings are settling down in my combo class. But just wanted to share these GREAT ideas/freebies that I'm planning on printing and making. (There's actually MANY things I want to make but these are the most recent.)<br /><br />Check out these cool subtraction posters at <a href="http://stepintosecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/10/subtraction-strategies.html">Step into 2nd grade with Mrs. Lemons</a> and this making words folder at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://teachinglittlefirsties.blogspot.com/%22%3ETeaching%20Little%20Firsties%21%3C/a%3E">Teacher bits and bobs.</a><br /><br />I also forgot that I'm planning on doing the 100 books challenge discussed about <a href="http://theteacherwife.blogspot.com/2011/02/100-book-challenge.html">here</a> at the Teacher wife's blog. I used her letter and had it translated so I can send it home to my Spanish speaking families too. :) Click the image below to download.<br /><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_WjdqdErmH1OGUyODY3YWUtYTFiNi00Y2U5LWJmZDEtMDBkMGRiZmRiYTQz&hl=en_US"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TqiG3kpzOzIsuKz2LY4pPixtaz2Utm19L6iRGilSri1PBXiwkEzNUI_jHPqy6qfx6JC6hEzllgdZfx6NjphT1t0j_Hh0_Rh7yM0cC_Kbr-I5GRR5_IG5iIoWUqTypSCai3DTr6NpQxI/s320/Pages+from+100+books+challenge1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659849569431059666" border="0" /></a>Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-14883512034444594772011-09-26T21:40:00.000-07:002011-09-26T21:52:05.194-07:00:) BloglandSince I teach Open Court, I always feel that my posts are "boring" compared to all the fun and exciting blogs out in blogland. I wish I had more time to do what I really want instead of filling up the days with Open Court and enVision. That's why I haven't really posted much about what I do in the classroom. It just doesn't seem as interesting. I try my best to make Open Court fun for my firsties, but for those of you who teaches Open Court, it's pretty scripted and not much you can do.<br /><br />So I was very excited when Victoria from <a href="http://wisewittyteacher.blogspot.com/">The wise and witty teacher</a> awarded my little blog as a versatile blogger. :) If you haven't checked her out, go on over and see all that she does.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqkiDvFVk6VjNWKvVomZyxqbGrPhRegppYz7cY4QeZzb1d9GNt6CPdttblb9UzX7Atm5FHDSfg6s63Mu5dplAD-sCTEypK55qAl81HGrs64C6dwDf9C-1YfFOlN-SupPHWT_HPiKu5eM/s1600/versatile_blogger_award.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqkiDvFVk6VjNWKvVomZyxqbGrPhRegppYz7cY4QeZzb1d9GNt6CPdttblb9UzX7Atm5FHDSfg6s63Mu5dplAD-sCTEypK55qAl81HGrs64C6dwDf9C-1YfFOlN-SupPHWT_HPiKu5eM/s320/versatile_blogger_award.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656896667040720946" border="0" /></a>I love blogland. There are so many great ideas and inspiration to help me become a better teacher.<br /><br />So thanks Victoria! You've just motivated me to blog more about what I'm doing. Even if it may seem boring to me, I can still share the little things I do to try and make Open Court interesting.Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-80297060744218914132011-09-23T16:24:00.000-07:002011-09-24T18:02:24.978-07:00Lesson PlansIt seems like everyone's been sharing their Lesson Plan templates so I thought I'd share mine too. I used a similar template for the past two years, but have been motivated by all the new templates I've seen online to change mine up this year.<br /><br />I am liking the format very much. I like the extra spot to write in any meetings, assemblies, etc. that may happen after I type up my lesson plans. I'm also really loving the yard duty times on top of my lesson plans. This way I can just circle which one I have for the week instead of typing it in each week. Why didn't I do this before? I also included a blurb about where materials for the week & teacher's manuals should be at and what to write as may dos and must dos for workshop time. (BTW: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these boxes I talked about <a href="http://teachinglittlefirsties.blogspot.com/2011/08/classroom-photos.html">here</a>. I love that all the paperwork I need for the week are organized by days and it's all ready for me.)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Q6ffYM1dqWwPdke9bODaL6W6mjancNWyWg9oFSLK422GptxmneflqYZ3cr68Esb4_c78azUFMSsnMoj3pC_ybTjP2Zkq4iaGljumavc8ia9HaVNHcUdOX85T9WVRYWwfrwwZx6s6Sek/s1600/weekly+organizer.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 219px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656071260690865106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Q6ffYM1dqWwPdke9bODaL6W6mjancNWyWg9oFSLK422GptxmneflqYZ3cr68Esb4_c78azUFMSsnMoj3pC_ybTjP2Zkq4iaGljumavc8ia9HaVNHcUdOX85T9WVRYWwfrwwZx6s6Sek/s320/weekly+organizer.jpg" /></a>Just click on the image below to download my lesson plan template. If you want the word version, just email me.<br /><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_WjdqdErmH1YmQ5M2I2YzktZDVhYS00NzA2LWEzYmUtMTc4MmExZmU0ZDQ2&hl=en_US"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 194px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656069911518626450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWbDmWqFhEiXCEYwpxFFiv0ijDWI9oTm_Yzgps4BHMOk8adkzfY7lGWHR2C8lOKUsvdRiZbi2DllmBkCrTtg0IlnOXEPe-0SD2EzL23EiRg6FeeUgB4RxAj-MvD3Q0nAMRfA1TZ6424Y/s320/new+lesson+plan+template_Page_1.jpg" /></a>Have a good weekend!Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-84293685412297664452011-09-21T20:31:00.000-07:002011-09-22T02:21:40.562-07:00Homework Binders<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGsUBurR0h3Ya-Qu1hE6BLQXkbRuf2G1O-d6hxIaBU9OqZJal8ZAm3W1M-mx_kXTaHSuI0GzL7FM3bSjEvqSw_I9RMTaCEJaT2PUc3DpPBD4eJoaZ_Z0829hnbuyk4iK5DMEgD4UQ1DA/s1600/DSC_0518.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 303px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGGsUBurR0h3Ya-Qu1hE6BLQXkbRuf2G1O-d6hxIaBU9OqZJal8ZAm3W1M-mx_kXTaHSuI0GzL7FM3bSjEvqSw_I9RMTaCEJaT2PUc3DpPBD4eJoaZ_Z0829hnbuyk4iK5DMEgD4UQ1DA/s320/DSC_0518.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655024936631315650" border="0" /></a>My fabulous team created this homework binder for our first graders to use. The kids bring it home each night and return it to school the next day. They need to bring it home because they need to get their parents to initial their behavior chart that I discussed about <a href="http://teachinglittlefirsties.blogspot.com/2011/08/birthday-display.html">here</a>. The students also have to take their decodable books home, read it to their parents, get their parents to sign the book and return to school the next day. There's a spot for that book in their binder as well.<br /><br />So, when you open the binder we have a sheet in English and Spanish which explains what our binder is and the reason for it.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Gl04uGqqmOeYzSEM6DUZkUg9G5rGKJ58Hx1loo689Y0TmAPImahIiYIjXpnjhtNxTsNHT65DZ_K3_IxOXmZd0ZYPJtOmFH5JiDtzemB_onPNtM8I9in-a0kYmZd14POByPUSG1lHcn8/s1600/DSC_0519.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 181px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Gl04uGqqmOeYzSEM6DUZkUg9G5rGKJ58Hx1loo689Y0TmAPImahIiYIjXpnjhtNxTsNHT65DZ_K3_IxOXmZd0ZYPJtOmFH5JiDtzemB_onPNtM8I9in-a0kYmZd14POByPUSG1lHcn8/s320/DSC_0519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655025123037858658" border="0" /></a>Next, comes a "key" for the behavior chart and a behavior chart so the parents can see how their child is doing in the classroom each day.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxHKUv_R5wwbM3bOMUgOzPnzxAL2PRsEuk7qTN9VLg9lSzgJcfNEXL6IHiEfG-gksif2HbVz5XZhXtSEdRkBP6vJtMUoLr9GW4sBllQwj5-AdMYdjk7Ryv_WAyGDu5P65GEXo4Jy7ugs/s1600/DSC_0520.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxHKUv_R5wwbM3bOMUgOzPnzxAL2PRsEuk7qTN9VLg9lSzgJcfNEXL6IHiEfG-gksif2HbVz5XZhXtSEdRkBP6vJtMUoLr9GW4sBllQwj5-AdMYdjk7Ryv_WAyGDu5P65GEXo4Jy7ugs/s320/DSC_0520.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655025167228483586" border="0" /></a>The next page is the pocket for the decodable.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAyllkKP8BNubZAFAtlvtmY33UeeTxA9qu9cSGUV8R5XAT1bIFZyqDz_23_ArlS2zLyfkgumRQ1VGGg7B2fr8DyH-7nJ6DrdR4vDQjykpMFjqWMROcn1MNkHTsmDTjj_QdjWIRFk2xaY/s1600/DSC_0521.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaAyllkKP8BNubZAFAtlvtmY33UeeTxA9qu9cSGUV8R5XAT1bIFZyqDz_23_ArlS2zLyfkgumRQ1VGGg7B2fr8DyH-7nJ6DrdR4vDQjykpMFjqWMROcn1MNkHTsmDTjj_QdjWIRFk2xaY/s320/DSC_0521.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655025214572666978" border="0" /></a>Then a list of our sight words, some addition/subtraction facts, a 100s chart, a sheet to teach how to form letters, we also have a folder that the school bought where we put into the binder. (I don't have a picture of that.) This folder is where we send home notes, completed assignments, etc.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarMVNCn92PDjukmMqFR2qJGI0UYIpAxf-ogSU3MPM24GqF65MaA64mzCpuJ5NeaCsMXrNRxkDCYY8CpJgXVWWh0gagrg73QTBi-voY73nm2Mm5nZNcYesr3AJ91enbv3v94lJJ7la39w/s1600/DSC_0522.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 255px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarMVNCn92PDjukmMqFR2qJGI0UYIpAxf-ogSU3MPM24GqF65MaA64mzCpuJ5NeaCsMXrNRxkDCYY8CpJgXVWWh0gagrg73QTBi-voY73nm2Mm5nZNcYesr3AJ91enbv3v94lJJ7la39w/s320/DSC_0522.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655025292410262242" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYG_h0eWILPZktv4b9e172ehj8BXfZGi9ESu3mb5YwGdjdKmYi01C95E4ffOhsO91VOm77sfewJGMW5Av2_zBp_TfTiOcVKSSd9Zzr5oT_WMhpuYt6ntOQx0ywegRPY-Pu0FSM3_y3No/s1600/DSC_0523.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYG_h0eWILPZktv4b9e172ehj8BXfZGi9ESu3mb5YwGdjdKmYi01C95E4ffOhsO91VOm77sfewJGMW5Av2_zBp_TfTiOcVKSSd9Zzr5oT_WMhpuYt6ntOQx0ywegRPY-Pu0FSM3_y3No/s320/DSC_0523.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655025331143981842" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLIBF2cehk_W_1mAK3y7NOrNWD-MP_Q-SV4YOzdUh9Gk5LiEbh2MveRRmjVYwN9K90LyJl92Ue107rtD9UHd8No7syretBcFkMxSuYSEgyTwZ6QXTthwoQ3qoSYhia-tLQ42_oXbFzvU/s1600/DSC_0524.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 281px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLIBF2cehk_W_1mAK3y7NOrNWD-MP_Q-SV4YOzdUh9Gk5LiEbh2MveRRmjVYwN9K90LyJl92Ue107rtD9UHd8No7syretBcFkMxSuYSEgyTwZ6QXTthwoQ3qoSYhia-tLQ42_oXbFzvU/s320/DSC_0524.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655025367146183362" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhXpSpCn6JKVwABn9Xf_pOx6yDUPOaqjhlAWOeZhyphenhyphenTflILX6LkPc70t_TvSnNL9nk-rVSlvhsgE05NIaEXKCWGrX3Z2K_rANs5_bIzMfjJlZhyphenhyphenEuzJ4NK7OkBwOXCuTk7yU5LLW3q8og/s1600/DSC_0525.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhXpSpCn6JKVwABn9Xf_pOx6yDUPOaqjhlAWOeZhyphenhyphenTflILX6LkPc70t_TvSnNL9nk-rVSlvhsgE05NIaEXKCWGrX3Z2K_rANs5_bIzMfjJlZhyphenhyphenEuzJ4NK7OkBwOXCuTk7yU5LLW3q8og/s320/DSC_0525.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655025409431894994" border="0" /></a>Lastly, in the back pocket we have an explanation about homework and it's importance. That's the pocket where we send home our weekly homework in also.<br /><br />We love this and it helps the students stay organized. Well, as organized as 1st graders can be. :)Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-39360660678712333852011-09-12T16:10:00.000-07:002011-09-12T16:13:09.099-07:00Review Weeks Reading LogsHere are the translated review weeks reading logs as promised! Happy Monday Everyone!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_WjdqdErmH1MGZlY2I4Y2ItY2VhYi00Yjg0LTg2MzYtMGQ4YWZhMDlkMzlk&hl=en_US"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiid6K02iYhCoBJ33uW-vWsXsAk27B8WyjFD76_noDtmOsDnftanv_VmRaLYP19M-OQNEHcikGkGq5wJD5P67gYl0mnBD18GLLgp4DDt_ZaDP5YxDoM_tiRwHgt4D4EDFJ-_rXGbjraA3M/s320/2a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651614800514102706" border="0" /></a>Click on the image to download.<br /></div>Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-17757206764889379302011-09-11T17:41:00.000-07:002011-09-11T17:51:01.413-07:00Verbs!Here are my verb worksheets to go with Amy Lemon's <a href="http://stepintosecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/09/its-almost-weekend-yall-am-going-to.html">nouns</a> worksheets. I loved her nouns worksheets because it was simple and cute! <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_WjdqdErmH1NWM4OWExNTItODk1Ni00ZDBjLWI1ZmMtNmFkZjZlODVhMzFj&hl=en_US"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 247px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSGZM30CYckwUH4l9LoFod6b9VtHTrxzOIV4Tty0Ez9snautHsYMHdxwD_vAPO38DuJnYYipGa0nNTNWIh4KTGsBLFzWNUPukRbifEreCSdsw_gZS-IKpUOGzJdIBCQtk6RMLljTL_9k/s320/Pages+from+verbs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651267207447771954" border="0" /></a>Click on the image to download.<br /></div><br />I made these worksheets pretty simple because my first graders will be doing them also. I also plan on playing Simon says as a part of the verbs lesson to emphasize that a verb is an action word.<br /><br />I hope you all have a good week!Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-50259829516480227732011-09-10T18:02:00.000-07:002011-09-10T18:05:02.140-07:00Teaching Blog Expo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://teachingblogexpo.com/index.php"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_aZCgv1C8SX_7cB-oJECOFKDAjwnYWk070QegxV5qAXUPLeWYZwmyHHz4OmUkzXUEL_WzDJlL0mvIzQr2U6TujpWv5QOze1Se8_od9ftXrAGh0xQXS_in91BYDkKQV8Kp6FK-NIqunk/s320/TBE+button+200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650901676553215970" border="0" /></a><br />How exciting is this! Join TBA in their first Teaching Blog Expo! Click on the image to go directly to the site.Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-85722476782053609322011-09-09T21:13:00.000-07:002011-09-09T21:22:19.671-07:00Updated Reading LogsI know. Two posts in one day is a no, no. BUT I had to. I just got the translated version today from our Bilingual Paraprofessional so I went and added the Spanish translation to all my old reading logs. I just had to share. Click on the image to download. I don't have the review week translated yet. I'll post that as soon as I get it.<br /><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_WjdqdErmH1YTQzYjMyOGYtZjBiZi00OWFhLTgzNTEtNDNmYThiYzljOWE2&hl=en_US"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hOhwCCXi28kNgAie5khxJWcY5iGlLZ4OFcWOEFJxp36XLO3PPyCRi0668YRyupo2a2Uk7qDmPfC1UPPhauTajh_EorH2Jp-xBeA-ZOop4aR_odE44u3dfetpVAN3BIxn48qmatH51mU/s320/1+the+of+and+a+to.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650580698580788450" border="0" /></a>Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-2156277156229960802011-09-09T16:47:00.001-07:002011-09-09T21:04:38.508-07:00Update classroom photos and randomness...My polka dot trimmers finally came and I was able to replace all the old trimmers in my room. Slowly but surely my room is coming along. I just need to change the purple papers here, to black so that it'll kind of go with a polka dot/black and white/bits of color scheme! :)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHDgZJ7b4b7XjKWR6N5FGmiY5zq_WvRFRfE9moBALq8sIqZEOZUB-oMnmgl2chMFwIHnLSFHQgqWCphcJU8jPnR8-FSY_9X0dnU96N93-8CzjsIyxFRFEi3ypO7QdsPhXgexublQn8C0/s1600/kids+work+blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHDgZJ7b4b7XjKWR6N5FGmiY5zq_WvRFRfE9moBALq8sIqZEOZUB-oMnmgl2chMFwIHnLSFHQgqWCphcJU8jPnR8-FSY_9X0dnU96N93-8CzjsIyxFRFEi3ypO7QdsPhXgexublQn8C0/s320/kids+work+blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650513242040016050" border="0" /></a>Having to prep for a 1/2 combination class has kept me busy. Otherwise all of the room decorations would have been completed already. I really want to tear down my bulletin boards and make it turquoise like my boggle board here. But that will have to wait until things calm down at work.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMxxNQMpM3HiBLtpeCuw4NyMbSuPZuW81tVGLCc0sbsU8Uj2fWuNKpOjAonIC3FjswzaCdun8gyCi9OFHoieMBX41Kdoc0xGrwxA_xEtNy9b-ohfJflZrAawpJEhlRBvz316cn65XOgI/s1600/boggle+blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMxxNQMpM3HiBLtpeCuw4NyMbSuPZuW81tVGLCc0sbsU8Uj2fWuNKpOjAonIC3FjswzaCdun8gyCi9OFHoieMBX41Kdoc0xGrwxA_xEtNy9b-ohfJflZrAawpJEhlRBvz316cn65XOgI/s320/boggle+blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650513150775372370" border="0" /></a>I'm getting ready to create some verb worksheets to go with Amy Lemons <a href="http://stepintosecondgrade.blogspot.com/2011/09/its-almost-weekend-yall-am-going-to.html">nouns</a> worksheets. So look for those soon.<br /><br />I also moved my birthday chart down because I wanted the kids to be able to see the photos. I enjoy hearing them talk about their birthdays and when it's coming up. :)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLTYeJBkdCTBi8ZFSEOO9Vt7R1GfBiQrrpf2fbPVUxvTVCu7rQ-TE8sEgtuNzD6ZnTdZm_PlQnLtcw67ohvehXKUYDiym4O54KSDWPnQHB82gMNqcl3VGwOOQYVGFSoVcH-IUg55Iu1o/s1600/bday+chart+blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLTYeJBkdCTBi8ZFSEOO9Vt7R1GfBiQrrpf2fbPVUxvTVCu7rQ-TE8sEgtuNzD6ZnTdZm_PlQnLtcw67ohvehXKUYDiym4O54KSDWPnQHB82gMNqcl3VGwOOQYVGFSoVcH-IUg55Iu1o/s320/bday+chart+blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650513107997082050" border="0" /></a>After reading about the writing Cara at <a href="http://thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com/2011/08/writers-workshop-anchor-charts.html">the first grade parade</a>'s doing, I knew I just had to do it too. We did our heart maps today and here's my version to show the kids.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VMAKcFtQ_qhCa42399V6hpRk7DEepgdqsaiTHH52g_DtCylqnemy1R1fxQxf_TcJDjFBXgjoc8jhrBicaOh09yzSPstazc9NPKgYhUzXEVOm3ZSbZThvr2I3MOWySATvlyY7x_kB4n8/s1600/heart+map+blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1VMAKcFtQ_qhCa42399V6hpRk7DEepgdqsaiTHH52g_DtCylqnemy1R1fxQxf_TcJDjFBXgjoc8jhrBicaOh09yzSPstazc9NPKgYhUzXEVOm3ZSbZThvr2I3MOWySATvlyY7x_kB4n8/s320/heart+map+blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650513198326000898" border="0" /></a>Here are some examples from my kids. They did a really great job.:)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixfGgzlsEHI8VwUecXFcW7TYky8zcthAtkoG4aBI5m8INbSQXeU9N0aHG2anhBhYellfAGQSyttrAda1ZtQyzoJfIwEvD8F1f6N14QXEK0KC_Yor6Uf40KRy2cuZ49ESP71Q4zufSTJw/s1600/kids.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixfGgzlsEHI8VwUecXFcW7TYky8zcthAtkoG4aBI5m8INbSQXeU9N0aHG2anhBhYellfAGQSyttrAda1ZtQyzoJfIwEvD8F1f6N14QXEK0KC_Yor6Uf40KRy2cuZ49ESP71Q4zufSTJw/s320/kids.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650526308758053106" border="0" /></a>And <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_WjdqdErmH1YzkzNmQ3ZDYtOGNhZS00OGE0LTlmN2QtOTA0ZGU1ZTA1OGNm&hl=en">here's</a> the download of the heart map I made for my kids to use.<br /><br />Lastly, I love having my kiddos draw self portraits. They just make the classroom a little happier. Here they are on my cupboards.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL1SrraSAxtkzui2F2vxCEB51_hmiQNoA2xSD-UxENfdeerKwzNBEWsBdurAX8UhK9CSHPTItNqZbkAKwyftM11aAi_2fraPPtsXEGfM95MLb0jUzmgSvVwPDfrp8P0DOcfUiAITWpPM/s1600/self+portraits+blog.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 98px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL1SrraSAxtkzui2F2vxCEB51_hmiQNoA2xSD-UxENfdeerKwzNBEWsBdurAX8UhK9CSHPTItNqZbkAKwyftM11aAi_2fraPPtsXEGfM95MLb0jUzmgSvVwPDfrp8P0DOcfUiAITWpPM/s320/self+portraits+blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650513279855142354" border="0" /></a>Have a great weekend!Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-75788051454383749372011-08-31T20:02:00.000-07:002011-09-04T17:45:32.170-07:00Sight wordsI've looked at so many blogs over the summer and downloaded so many good ideas that I have no idea where I got this reading log idea from. If it's your idea, please let me know so I can give you credit. ***Found the awesome person who I got this idea from. Amy Lemons from <a href="http://stepintosecondgrade.blogspot.com/">Step into 2nd grade with Mrs. Lemons</a>.***
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://stepintosecondgrade.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i306/lemonsja/FotoFlexer_Photo.png" /></a>
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<br />I showed it to my team and they loved it just as much as I did. So I used the original reading log to create our reading log/sight words review form for our homework packets. (I thought it was so cute I even kept the cute clip art and "reading log" font. Good thing I had the same font and clip art.)
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<br />We use our sight words as our spelling words. We do 5 a week and then a review week of the previous 10 words.
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<br />So, if you'd like a copy, click on the image to download. It's a 100 words, plus review weeks so there are 30 pages! :)<a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_WjdqdErmH1MjQwNmNlMjQtMjk0OS00MjI5LWIwYzctZjcwMDhkNmJhYjhh&hl=en_US"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8faUO_jlaMF3djePKksLjKW8KZ5phcibFaXbuQn5r2-ZdOUbBtxT-1Jdx0qdaWnw5K9l-tm-uAsbz1oPrLtIwGgOWlbzIwgg1djTsaPOuPpMUc2u4HZHG6Kxd_tmp_4Jqk1uJQheN5s/s320/1+the+of+and+a+to.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647224373657991378" border="0" /></a>Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-55632010735204261082011-08-25T16:16:00.000-07:002011-08-25T16:20:18.072-07:00Open Court signs for 2nd gradeWell, I'm feeling a little better about the 1/2 combo class. I made some signs for the 2nd grade curriculum to share. Click <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_WjdqdErmH1NTRjZDQ0ZDItMjhkZC00YmRjLTk1NmItNDhkMzE0YzlkMzZm&hl=en">here</a> to download. :) After meeting with the wonderful 2nd grade team at my school, my principal and specialists, I may be even a little excited about this 1/2 combo class. Here's to a new challenge.
<br />Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-81704314172388883142011-08-23T19:22:00.000-07:002011-08-23T19:26:35.998-07:00News...Hi everyone. I was just told today that I would be teaching a 1/2 combo class this year. That starting on Monday, I'll have 17 1st graders and 6 2nd graders. My brain is racing, thinking of ways to fit in two curriculums. Stress level is through the roof. :(
<br />Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-83163960200053671622011-08-22T20:23:00.001-07:002011-08-22T20:24:14.493-07:00birthday sign<a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_WjdqdErmH1YmQyMTZmYzUtZGZjYy00Yzg5LTlhYTItOGJlNDNkMzM2Y2Fk&hl=en_US">Here's</a> the birthday sign I'm going to put up with my birthday display. :) Happy Monday!
<br />Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744727296858106611.post-43438918138511575702011-08-20T18:06:00.000-07:002011-08-22T20:24:27.886-07:00Sorry @ Question Concept BoardI just looked at my google document for the QC board signs and the Homes and Things that go signs didn't transfer over correctly in the PDF file. I don't know why but google docs isn't transferring over the font. So if you'd like those signs, please email me and I'll email them to you.
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<br />My district also has adopted the Envision math program. I made these <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_WjdqdErmH1ZDMzMzliMDktNDU1Yy00NTgxLWIxZDctY2ExYTBjOTMzNjBi&hl=en_US">labels</a> to go with the center games. I didn't create the icons/clipart. These were taken directly from the program. I wanted the clip art to match what was on the game cards, so the kids would be able to quickly see which game is in the basket. My team and I probably won't get to all of the games in each Topic, so that means I won't make labels for all of them. If you need one that I didn't make, just email me and I'll try my best to get one to you quickly. (These labels were made for the Avery, white shipping labels 5352. It's 2" x 4.25")
<br />Ms. Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457512979387840909noreply@blogger.com0