End of Days & A Linky Party!

Hi Friends! I have 6 more days to go & I am soooo ready to be on break! Woot, woot!! I love my class, but I am ready to let them move on up!

Thank you to everyone that responded to my last post about dinosaurs. I am putting some of your ideas into the plans for these last few days. My kiddos are having such a great time with the dino theme...don't they always?!

In other news...I am linking up with Sprinkle Teaching Magic for a fun little blog bonanza! I am looking forward to being able to be a better blogging best friend to all of you! We are besties, right? :)

Check out the questions below to learn a little more about me & my bloggy vision for the summer! Yay!

1. Why did you start blogging?
I started blogging as a way to connect with other teachers. I like that we can share ideas & connect with one another to improve the way that we teach! And, it's just nice to meet new people, especially all of the terrific blog-land folks! I have never found a group of people that are more willing to help a fellow teacher than I have here in blog-land! :)

2. What blogs do you stalk? What blogs inspire you? (These blogs can be teaching blogs, non-teaching related or both. Make sure to link them so we can check out your blog favs! Hello!?!?! We will certainly all need new blog reading material this summer).

I am such a blog stalker...it's hard to narrow it down! Some of the blogs that inspire me are Mrs. Wills, Kreative in Kinder,  Growing Kinders, & Mrs. Jump. I stalk LOTS of blogs though. You can see more of my favorites in my blog roll, too!

3. Blogging tips, tools, and great ideas you have learned along the way.

Ummm...I'm still kind of a newbie at all this. I don't know that I have any great tips or tricks. Heck, I don't even know how to put up a freebie on Google Docs or make those cute collage pages for my TpT units or how to get a blog button! I think that I need someone else to give me the tips, tools, tricks, etc! You can see how bare bones & simple my little blog is! ;) Ha!

4. Blogging and balance.

I think that I am balancing things okay. Although, I do want to blog a little more. It's just that I don't know that what I have to say is all that interesting sometimes. I want to have a blog that is concise & entertaining & that can be a little resourceful to my teacher friends!

5. What are your blogging goals for the summer?

I'm going to try to be a better blogger...puke! That sounds so corny, doesn't it?! Seriously though, I do want to post stuff that you guys can use & that will be of interest to you. No promises...I said I will TRY!

OK Friends! Now it's your turn! Hop over to Sprinkle Teaching Magic & link up so that I can stalk you back! Hee hee!!

~Jen

7 More & I Need a Little Help...

Well, I have 7 more days to go. This week we are re-testing, and at my school that means that we are in total lockdown...AGAIN! No recess, no specials, no leaving the room for anything but lunch. So, to get through this I am teaching about dinosaurs. That always seems to be a crowd pleaser. I am using my dinosaur unit for math & literacy stations. You can grab it by clicking on the picture.

This unit is great, but here's the thing...I need some crafty, fun things that my kiddos can do. Does anyone know of anything that I can do with them...minimal prep-work if possible! ;)

I really need to keep those little hands busy!!

Thanks Friends!!

~Jen



Am I the Only One??

I still have 8 days of school left! Am I the only teacher that is still in session? I am so jealous that so many of you are already getting to enjoy your summer.

 

Okay, I'll stop whining now! I am happy that I have ALL of my end of the year assessments, paperwork & report cards completed!

 

Woop, Woop! That will make these last few days a little smoother! I am really looking forward to sleeping in & relaxing.  :)

On another note...

LOOK what came in the mail today...

I am sooooo excited about the book study that Mrs. Wills will be doing in blog-land this summer! I can't wait to get started!

I need to send a special shout out to Laura over at Kinder Kraziness for spotlighting me on her blog!

 

I have warm fuzzies all over! :) Thank you, Laura! I just love all the kindness & support that there is in blog-land!! Hop over there and check out her blog! You will LOVE it!!

Happy Saturday!!

~Jen

Alphabet Songs!

If you have never heard of Have Fun Teaching you are really missing out! I use these in my class for the Alphabet songs, the counting songs and the fitness songs! My kids LOVE them!! Go here to check them out! Here is one of our favorites!!

I just love these groovy tunes! :) I love that they give the sounds & several examples of words that have the letter. PLUS~ these videos get those little bodies up & moving to get those wiggles out!! Go over there & check these out so you will have them ready to go for next year!!
They are having a great giveaway where you can get all the alphabet videos!
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!
~Jen

Making Me Happy Monday

These are the things that are making me happy today...You know Mondays always need a little lift!

I FINALLY found Scentos!! Yay! My students (and me) went nut-so over them!!

I'm just loving my black, sparkly TOMS that I got for Mother's Day. They are so awesome!!

In other news, we started our ocean unit today & I snapped these pictures of some of my math & literacy work stations. My students were so excited that we were starting this unit!

sorting subtraction facts

spin, graph, & add

number & tens frames

roll, add, color

mixed up sentences

spelling

ABC order

(look at those cute shoes...they are always sparkly! Who wouldn't love that?!)

writing center

word unscrambling

 syllable sorting



rhyming

What else is making me happy?

Oh, I am so glad that you asked...

I am SOOOOO happy that my students are really rocking their assessments! Today they had a writing assessment & I was EXTREMELY happy with their work! :)  

Ok, I will leave you now! I hope that you have all had a great Monday! Only 12 more days left!!!

~Jen



Kindergarten Memory Book & A Decorating Theme?

Happy Sunday, Friends! I have a busy day ahead of me, but I managed to get this little Kindergarten Memory Book posted for you. It is on sale for today only for $1.00! So get over there & grab it! Let me know if you need anything changed to meet your needs. I am happy to help!

On a side note...

Does anyone decorate their classrooms with a theme? You know...frogs, monkeys, stripes, etc...

I have never really done this, but I have seen so many cute classrooms on blogs & pinterest that have me thinking of rolling with a decorating theme this next year. I absolutely LOVE polkadots, but I am afraid that they will get on my nerves after a while...

Can anyone sound off on this?!? I am interested in hearing your input...where is everyone getting the cutie pie stuff they are using to decorate? Are they making it themselves? Oh, the questions!?!?!?

~Jen

Whew! I'm so glad this week is over!!

My school has been doing EOG (End of Grade) testing for 3rd thru 5th grades this week. For K-2 it means that we cannot leave our room except for lunch...no recess, no specials, no breaks...

We have been locked in kinderjail ALL week. AARGH!!

 On the bright side, I did manage to get almost all of my assessing done. All I have left to do are my DRA's, and I like to wait to do those at the last possible second. I like to give them as much reading instruction as I can possibly muster!

Anyway, with that being said, I am hoping that I can be a better blogger this week! I have missed all of my bloggy friends! I am planning on posting the memory book that I am going to start working on with my class this week. I think that they will turn out really great this year because I have a class full of kids that LOVE to write! I am crossing my fingers that I get a group next year like the one I've had this year! They have been my best class ever!! :)

I will be back soon...Have a Happy Saturday Everyone!

~Jen