Hello Bloggy Teaching Universe!

Wow..
    Let's be honest, I have fallen off the bloggin' train. After logging in and reading some fabulous blogs I follow, I have to admit, I'm a little sad that I didn't blog about this wonderful year I've had at my new school and some of the fantastic activities and learning we have done this year. Planning a wedding, first year at a new school, are just enough of 'busy' to keep one from blogging. However; I would like to eventually get back into bloggin' and sharing when I have more free time to spare. Please know, I will be back...soon! xo

Fun Math!

Hello Everyone!
   Well we just completed our first FULL week of school. As you know the first few weeks of school are the busiest. Getting to know your students, creating classroom expectations, procedures, open house, and much more. Phew. You know what though? I love having my own class again! Feels so fantastic to get to spend the day with the same students, so I can truly get to know WHO they are.
   I wanted to share a super fun math game that we played yesterday. I found this idea on Pinterest, super easy, cheap, and the kids LOVED it. We have been working on multiplication and division in our math program.

Spiral Multiplication Math!

What you need for ONE game. You will need to split your students into groups. So..look at this list and see how much you will need according to how many groups you have:
*Deck of Cards (Ace-10) have students take out Jacks, Queens, Kings, Jokers.
*1 Die or 2 Dice
*Game Pieces for each player of the game (Can be whatever you like, I used math manipulative blocks)
*Scrap paper (if needed)

Students take out Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Jokers in the deck of cards. Have students arrange cards in a spiral "game board" shape. Students then roll the die, whoever gets the highest roll goes first and then go clockwise. Students all place their markers at the beginning of the spiral (outside).

The first student rolls the die and moves their game piece that many places. Let's say if the student rolls a 3 and lands on a 10 card, they need to be able to answer 3x10. If the student gets the correct answer they get to stay on their space. If it's incorrect they move back to where they were.

If your students are working on two digit times one digit multiplication, or two digit times two digit, use two dice. You can really taylor this game to what your students need.

My students absolutely loved it!! I hope you give it a try and see how much fun they can have working together and learning math facts. :)

Classroom in progress!!

Hello everyone! I began working in my classroom about a week ago and I've taken pictures throughout the process. Here we goooo! :)

Empty Corner...

Lots of old..old..old books..

More..stuff...

And so I began unpacking my books and reorganizing them into book baskets.

Organized library..we are getting there!

My PBIS whole classroom reward board. The students will earn little boho birds in the nest. When we reach 30 birds we will earn a whole classroom reward! I like the idea of this instead of a marble jar (which I used to use..) because it's more visual. The children are able to see how many birds they have earned and how many they have to go!

I also created another bulletin board area which will be the center of our morning meeting. Instead of the typical "Morning Meeting" label, I labeled it "Early Bird Corner."

Like my chevron rugs?? :)

My desk area..also a huge bulletin board. Some of our procedures will go here.

Front of the room. Love my new SMARTboard! 

Sorry for some of these photos, I wasn't impressed with how blurry they came out (I blame it on the lighting). Anywho..here is my classroom TA-DAH! Super excited. Still have a lot to do before August 28th (first day of school)! Wanted to do a quick post! xo

New Products on TPT!

Hello Everyone!

   Well...I've been home today picking away at things I want to create for my classroom. I decided I wanted to create some cute daily schedule cards for my classroom. I love polka-dots so I created several color themed schedule cards and added them to my TPT store. The color schemes that I created are: pink, blue, green, black, orange, and red. If you are interested in checking out my store please click on the picture below! Thanks! xo

YAYYY!

What a rocky journey this summer has been for me. I was hired at one school for fourth grade, was moved to another school in my district due to a cut and was placed in Kindergarten, and after someone decided to resign at my current school...I am now OFFICIALLY in FOURTH GRADE! Whip lash much?
I have to say though, I am super excited. Fourth grade has to be probably my favorite grade and I am absolutely delighted to be teaching at a school in my community, and is only about 5 minutes from my house. My first day with the students is the 28th...and I'm able to work in my room probably tomorrow. Therefore, two weeks. YIKES. I will be busy..but I will work super duper hard to make my room fabulous for my fourth graders. :)
Will be posting updates and pictures soon my friends...life is finally falling into place. YES.
xo

Sigh...

Well, I haven't dropped off the face of the Earth..I promise. We begin school August 28th and I have yet to do anything in my classroom. This is NUTS. Hoping to be able to learn about more things that are up in the air soon and hopefully will get into my classroom (whatever grade I'm teaching..this is still in question) and get to WORK. As you guys know...sometimes I begin working on my room in JUNE. So you can understand my frustration.

This will be a short post. I just wanted to let my other fellow blogger friends know that I have been living vicariously through your pics of "setting up" your classroom. Keep taking pics, keep sharing ideas, I am enjoying them and trying to stay in the positive mindset of SCHOOL.

xo

Oh Boy..I'm Going to Be Teaching KINDERGARTEN! Also LINKY!

Hello everyone,
  It has been a crazy past couple of weeks. First of all, I left for Disney World on the 10th and was told the day I was leaving that I was being shifted to a grade K position at another school in the district. I was nervous about having a job..period..with cutting and shifting..however, I am grateful that I STILL have a job in the district I want to teach in.
  So did I mention I am going to be teaching KINDERGARTEN next year? Did you catch that? KINDERGARRRRTEEEENNNNN....dontcha' remember what I've taught in years past? Let me remind you...4th..and 5th grade. Could this be any further from what I've done? Phew..anywho, I am now trying to embrace this change and learning experience. I believe everything happens for a reason, and perhaps I will LOVE teaching the younger grades..I am getting excited.

Shout out to any K teachers that follow me..HELP! ADVICE! :)

Okay..so I'm also linking up with Miss Kindergarten 10 Things I've Learned... linky party! I thought this was so appropriate because I have some words of wisdom to share..

1. Expect the unexpected- Maybe some of my fellow teacher friends haven't experienced this quite yet. I'm talking about expect the unexpected as far as WHAT YOU envision yourself teaching, or the consistency of teaching the same grade for "years." I have yet to teach the same grade year after year..and I know eventually I will hit the point in my career where I am able to stay in one room..and teach the same grade the following year. However, I believe we can learn A LOT when we are pushed out of our comfort zone. I have learned so much from 4th, 5th, and hopefully Kindergarteners...

2. You will get called "mom"...or "dad"...annnnd you will also get asked if your a parent.

3. I have also learned that there isn't anything I'd rather do..teaching isn't my "job" it really is "Who I am"

4. Educating yourself is essential. There are so many changes and great things constantly happening in education..the only way to keep up and to stay ahead is to READ..educate yourself!

5. Be involved! I have found that being involved in the blogging community has helped me tremendously with my teaching. I get so many fantastic ideas and I find writing down my ideas help me process my thinking as well!

6. Being obsessed with books is okay! Go ahead, embrace that addiction! BUY BOOKS! Sit on the floor of Barnes and Noble and READ! Here I am..(please note I didn't know this photo was being taken..) :)

7. Creating a fantastic and welcoming learning environment is so important (to me)...can we say NO to clutter?

8. Strive to do your best and be your best everyday...don't we expect that from our kids?

9. Surround yourself with positive people. Enough said.

10. Be a positive person..embrace your true passion in the workplace..why you are there...teaching children..which really is..LOVE.

xo