New Year's Day Sale!

Thank you to Hope King for the cutie patootie graphic!

Click on the picture above to go to my store.

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy New Year!

Yikes! Fitness as a New Years Resolution

Today, I'm linking up with my sweet friend,  Deedee Wills

to talk about my (GULP) fitness goals.  Just the thought makes me want to cry!

I drink about 5 Sonic cokes a day and I do not do any type of exercise.

Although, when you teach Littles every day can feel like a workout.   

Can I get an AMEN?

Here's a video of the end of a Color Run Race.  So FUN!

Wish me luck!!!

Any tips?

Fabulous New Year's Giveaway

Click on the picture above to head on over to one of my favorite blogs,  Mrs. Albenese's Kindergarten class and sign up for her fabulous giveaway!

New Blog Design thanks to Honey Bunch Blog Designs

A HUGE thank you to Honey Bunch Blog Designs for my new blog makeover!  I LOVE it!
These ladies were amazing to work with.  If you are thinking about starting a blog or giving your existing blog a makeover then click on their button at the bottom  and let these ladies make your blog Fabulous!

Professional Growth

Thank you Amanda at One Extra Degree for hosting today's Linky!!!

Cute graphic courtesy of Miss Amy Lemons!

Today I'm linking up with Amanda to share some of my favorite professional development resources.

If you've followed my blog or attended one of my presentations then you know that I LOVE Debbie Miller.

Reading one of her books is so easy because if truly feels like you are having a conversation with an old friend.  Reading with Meaning is the first book I read by Debbie Miller and it changed the way I use Read Alouds in my room.  Instead of just reading a book for enjoyment and then putting it away we read it several times so that we can really DIG in and get to know the characters and plot in the book.
You can click on the book cover to read the reviews on Amazon.

This fits perfectly with Common Core.

Here are a few posts I've made that incorporate some of Debbie Miller's strategies.

Mental Images

Mental Images and Inferencing activity FREE download

More Mental Image FUN

Wild Things Text to Self connections

Making Inferences with Tooth Trouble

Teaching with Intention is another book that is a must have for any teacher.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book.
You can click on the book cover to read the reviews on Amazon.

I really liked her idea for building on Prior Knowledge so I "tweaked"  her idea and 

my Schema Charts were born.

Here's a look at one of our schema charts.  

There are so many great resource books out there.

 If you have one that you love please tell me about it in the comments section!

Resolutions Linky: Organization

Cute image is from none other than Amy Lemons... Love it!

Thank you Hope from 2nd Grade Shenanigans for hosting today's Linky and Giveaway!

Hey Y'all!  I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you a Happy, Healthy New Year.

One of the best things we can do for ourselves is get organized!  It makes our lives so much easier when we can quickly locate the items that we need.   Organization at home and school is something I've had to work really hard at.   For awhile my husband thought his name was,  "Have you seen my......" :)

To get organized You MUST have bins to store your stuff in.  I always make sure that each bin is clearly labeled so that I can easily see what is inside.  

These are the bins I use to store ALL of my theme materials.  Everything that goes with that unit is stored in the bin.  Books,  center activities, charts,  patterns, resource books, etc;

I also have a bin for each Math Strand.  This is what it looks like inside.

Notice that I store everything in clear ziploc baggies so that I can EASILY see what is inside.

Another way to stay organized is to have a spot for each student to put their papers and materials that they need to take home.  Inside the mailboxes are the students binders.

Here is a close up of the mailboxes.

You will see the drawers on top hold materials that I need.

Each student has a Guided Reading bag so that they can take their reading materials home to read to their parents.  

Here's a peek inside the bag.  Each one has a reading log and Word Work book.

This is the inside of my drawer that holds my Guided Reading materials.

Again,  I can easily see everything that is inside.  No digging around for things.

Here are my Big Books.  I store them in a laundry hamper that I bought from Target.

It is the perfect size and it takes up very little room.

Keep yourself organized!  I use ONE planner and I record all of my school appointments and personal appointments in the same planner so that I don't over book myself.  

Here a few more organizational posts that I've done

Binder Covers and FREE Forms for communication

Class Tour

Labels for organizing

More Labels

Common Core Standards Posters

Don't Get Stuck! Freebies and More!

There are only a few weeks left before Christmas. Learn a lesson from Santa...

 Don't get stuck with nothing to do.  

This post is full of freebies and  more!

I've added a new freebie to TPT.  You can download my Happy Holidays emergent reader by clicking on the cover below.  The color version is included in my Christmas Math and Literacy fun unit.

Reindeer fun!  This is a nonfiction unit about Reindeer.

Reindeer Glyph

Reindeer Nonfiction writing

Click on the picture below to download a reindeer emergent reader freebie.

Gingerbread Man

Reading has never been so much fun!

Gingerbread Glyph

Which part of the cookie did you bite first? 

Pie Graph and Data analysis sheets

Comparing and Contrasting Gingerbread Man Stories

Our Gingerbread journals.  

We recorded the ending to the various Gingerbread stories we read.

Did you recognize any of the stories? ;)

The Little Gingerbread Cookie Emergent Reader.  

Click on the picture below to download this free emergent reader.

Or click on this link to get a different version from TPT.

These adorable elves are included in my Elf Capades unit and in my Polar Express Unit.

All Aboard!!!  This unit is packed full of fun!

Polar Express Pajama Glyph.

This unit is packed full of fun!

Santa craftivity and List writing

Tree craftivity and graph

Another freebie in case you missed it last week.  :)

Gingerbread Houses Freebie

Whew!  I hope you will enjoy some of these ideas and activities.

December is a rough month.... If we can survive this month I swear we can survive ANYTHING!