I’m Back

So I’ve been a little bit of a blog slacker. Not only haven’t I blogged  I haven’t been reading many blogs either. This year has started out crazy for me with having to change rooms and get use to working with new people. The two teachers I worked the most with last year now teach different grades and I barely get to see them during the day. I didn’t realize how much it would bother me not getting to see my friends. I know I should just suck it up and be thankful I have a job but it still stinks. But I finally am felling settled in this year. It only took to December.  Later in the week I’ll post pictures of some of the things we have been doing!

All syllables have one vowel sound

Anyone have any ideas on how to assess this?  I am at a loss, except for analyzing the children's writing.

Fuel Up to Play 60

This Tuesday, Tara and I drove to Cleveland, OH to Browns stadium for a Fuel Up to Play 60 Kick Off.  Basically, Fuel Up to Play 60 is to Fuel Up by eating a healthy breakfast to play 60, 60 minutes of activity.  We are so excited to get this going in our district.  If you are interested in anything like this, go to www.fueluptoplay60.com.  American Dairy Association has teamed up with the NFL on this.  There are grants available, too.  Oh, and yeah, we got our picture taken with All Pro Linebacker, Joe Thomas AND we ran, yes we ran, out on the field.  That aside, childhood obesity is a national epidemic and this program fights to combat that. 

What’s for Lunch?

I have been a bit of a blog slacker lately and I’m sorry. I have so much to catch up on but I’ll make this short and sweet.  I am not a big fan of a taking lunch count and all the other fun start of the day duties but who is. To help me out with that I made the What’s for Lunch? Lunch count pack. I put the kids names on apples and they move what they are doing for lunch next to their name. We also have breakfast in our rooms and we have to track who ate and who didn’t so I made oranges and x’s for the kids to move for breakfast. Click on the picture to go to my TpT store.

                                                         
This isn’t a very good picture but I put it on the side of the lockers and put magnets on the back.
   

Math Curriculum Mapping

I was super excited to be asked to help with the curriculum mapping for my building.  After going to two amazing workshops this summer, I felt like I had a handle on it.  HA HA, was I ever wrong.  In my searching and my workshops, I have found some really helpful websites and WIKIs and ideas.

The first is called a Rekenrek.  Check this out.  Thanks to Heather Webb for the insight into this one.
I found these sites to get you started, but there are a lot more.
What is a rekenrek?    How to make a rekenrek

Then I started matching ideas for activities, trying to really understand the standards.  Again thank you Heather!
Unpacking the Standards  and Common Core Tasks  (I like this one because it gives you ideas for what strategies to watch for.

Last, but not least, is an invaluable guide for teaching the standards by Ky Davis.  She has taken the standards and made natural progressions with them.  Ky's Book

 

First Grade Common Core

I found this amazing first grade common core curriculum free download.  It is a sample from the workbook, but the sample had really cute ideas with really cute graphics


I don't know about you, but anything that helps me figure this out so my kids are ahead of the game is worth the look.  Please check out First Grade Common Core for this amazing resource.

I apologize for not blogging a lot.  Between screenings and trying to figure out where my kids are, I have not done much.  I am working on a subtraction unit.  If anyone has any thing they would like included, let me know what would help you.  Once I have it made, I will send it to you.

Typical Vicki fashion, I am behind.  Meet the Teacher  I have been teaching first grade for 10 years.  Prior to teaching first grade, I taught preschool.  As a result of preschool, I consider myself a very hands on style teacher.  My kids do a lot of experimenting.  I love teaching science because, as a kid, I did not like science and I am determined to make my kids love science.  My best moment with that was when one of my students asked me why we had three recesses that day.  I told him we only had two, but he considered our ramps lesson a thind recess.  WAHOO!  We started school later than normal due to construction.  I don't really have any good classroom pictures, but as soon as I do get some, I will post them.  As far as parent forms, I used Tara's pack.  I have provided the TPT link.  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Back-to-School-Class-Forms They are a freebie and VERY helpful.  I will add my explanation of Rick Morris' behavior to my site on TPT tomorrow.  The file is at school.  Happy Teaching.

Disney, Beginning of School, Exhausted

I’m so sorry I have been such a blog slacker lately. I feel like I have been going none stop for the whole month of August. I can’t believe tomorrow is September already. Part of the problem was I was on vacation the beginning of the month and then went straight to working on my classroom the day after I got home. We went to the happiest place on earth. DISNEY!!! I just love Disney World and would go every year if I could. Disney if even where my husband and I got engaged. Here are a few pics from my trip.

           

Epoct and the Hubster on Toy Story Mania. My vote for best ride.

When we got back I went straight to work unpacking my new room. I didn’t realize how much stuff I had until I went to unpack it and put it away. I meant to take before and after photos of my room but of course I forgot. I did take pictures of the bulletin board I made last minute at the end of our Hallway.

  

I know it needs more but after I had these up I was just done. I wish I could take credit for the rocket ship and aliens but my husband made them all. The day before our meet the teacher night our board still hadn’t been done and I panicked and begged him to make me anything space related.  I’m lucky he’s so creative.

I don’t know why but every year I forget how my little firsties come in still kindergarteners at the beginning of the year. It’s so exhausting retraining them for first grade. This week was our first full week of school and boy am I tired. One of my sweeties raised their hand towards the end of day Friday and wanted to know if we could take a nap. A nap sounded like a great idea but I sadly had to tell him no. Its rough going from half day K to full day but they are being troopers.  I have a great group this year and I have a feeling we are going to have a great year!

 

I hope that everyone has had a great start to school.  Sorry for not posting.  Oh my goodness, super crazy.  Tara put up a welcome bulletin board for a hallway of ten teachers all by herself.  It is awesome.  Thankfully, she always thinks of what is best for kids.  :)  So neither of us got in on the blog hopper suggestions so to catch up
Monday, Must Haves:  a Smartboard, oh and a projector that works.  :) Lots of books for engagement AND supportive friends.  Tuesday Technology Tip  Class Dojo  If you click on my wallwisher links for the New Albany tech conference, there are LOTS of great sites for tips and help.  Wednesday, I teach in Licking Heights in Blacklick, Ohio

Central Ohio Technical Summit- Websites

As promised, here all the addresses to all the walls presented.  To everyone else, each wall has some great links to both interactive websites and general information that I shared at the technology conference.
http://wallwisher.com/wall/COTS2012  This link will link you to all the other walls  21st Century Learning Skills, Teacher Help, Math, Language Arts and Misc Weblists.

Fabulous Back to School Giveaway

Check out the new give away from Danelle LaSota of LaSota's Little Learners.  It is a contest, but her things are amazing.

Just uploaded two products to Teachers Pay Teachers

I just uploaded to new products on Teachers Pay Teachers.  The first is my first, a freebee.  It is a common core based math game.  The second is a unit based on the common core math standard 10A5 Relate counting to addition and subtraction.  Both are based on games and include a lot of differentiated activities

Summer is slipping away.

I can’t believe that it is the middle of July already and summer is almost over. I feel like I have so much to do before the little ones come back to school. At my school they only give us 10 days before school starts to get into our classrooms. My friend that teachers at a different school can get into her room all summer. I’m super jealous of her. I  always go the very first day to get my key and I always get everything done but it would be nice to be able to go in and out during the summer. This year I am a little nervous about getting everything done.  This summer they are finishing adding a new wing our building. With the new wing opening this fall a lot of us had to pack up our rooms and move to a new classroom.  So I have 10 days to unpack all my boxes and decorate my classroom with a new theme. I don’t know about you but a new theme means a lot of laminating and cutting out. I have been having bad dreams that the kids come on the first day and I am so not ready for them. I just keep telling myself that it will all be ok. I have been trying to do as much as I can at home to be ready. I laminated a lot of stuff before school was out to cut out over the summer and I brought home paper to start making decorations. Our school wide theme this year is Space so I put my hubby to work making  a spaceship for me to put in the hall. It was nothing that I thought it would look like but it turned out great.  I did have to help make the aliens look friendly. When he first made them they were a little scary.

 

I have also been working on Monster Math Key Words posters that I will be posting to tpt very soon. I think the monsters pass as aliens so I am using them for my math board.  I also have a freebie I will be posting with back to school forms. Click here to go to my tpt store. I would like to know if you can get into your school all summer or do you have a limited to get ready for the first.

Here goes nothing!

Thanks to Tara, I have been able to take the plunge, too.  I am very excited to learn as we go.  Like Tara, I am a first grade teacher, however I have been teaching for 10 years.  Together we have struggled through a masters degree program, National Board Certification and numerous conference presentations.  We both have a passion for technology and incorporating it in our lessons.  We believe that children should be active and learn using hands on methods.  As Tara said, "We hope you come along for the ride."

Taking the Plunge

This past school year I have been totally addicted to teaching blogs. It takes up so much of my time but I have found some really great ideas. I’ve finally decided to take the plunge and start my own blog with my friend Vicki. I can’t wait to start sharing what I have been doing in the classroom! This school year will be my fifth year in first grade. I teach in Ohio and this will be our first year adopting the Common Core. It should be a fun and interesting year and I hope you come along for the ride.