Five for Friday 9/4/15

The beginning of the year has flown by! We have been so busy, I have not had the chance to blog for a while. Wow! I don't know how some of you bloggers balance it all! Anyway, I am excited to link up with Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching for the

 Here's a little peek into my past week:

Okay, proud momma moment here. My oldest, who is almost 5, had his very first soccer practice this week! As I played soccer for more than 12 years, this was definitely a special day for me. I loved helping him put on his shinguard, pull on those long soccer socks, and tie those cleats. I loved watching him get out there and not give him. When he came home, he even said, "Yes, mom, I never gave up. I wanted to persevere!" I was impressed. Yes, it was a bunch of 5 year old running around with little to no direction, but so special for me. And of course, little bro needed to tag along as well!

I have also been very busy working on my Letter of the Week Bible Supplement! I love integrating Biblical truths and components into my teaching, so this was the big project I started over the summer. It is ending up taking much more time than I previously thought, but I am so enjoying putting this unit together! It's available to purchase in my TpT store, but it is a growing bundle. I wanted to make it available now so teachers and/or parents could use the same material consistently throughout the year, but didn't have it finished before the year started. Anyway, I update it weekly to include the new components. So, if you're not seeing many new items from me, it's probably because I am spending time updating this set! Here's a little peek at some of what is included for the letter D.

 

So, I feel just incredibly blessed! Though I do not have my own full time classroom currently, I have the opportunity to teach preschool to my boys (and a group of about 7 other kiddos once a week)! This is my third year doing preschool with my older son and my first year with my little guy. Basically, there is a group of about 7 moms who all have kiddos around the same age. We meet once a week for a little over an hour and work on different skills and concepts. It has been so much fun! In fact, two of the other moms are also teachers, so it has been such a blessing getting to collaborate with them! We usually rotate who is the "lead teacher" for the day, and this week I got to teach! I just love it! Though I feel blessed to be home with my boys, I definitely miss having my own classroom, and this is a perfect combination of the two! Here's just a peek at one of our activities :)

  

I scattered various color cards around the room. Then, I called out a color and each student found a picture for that color. 

Then, we glued the colors on the page to match the words. The kiddos had a blast!

I was also finally able to upload my first CVC Word family. I am working on a whole set of CVC word activities, but the -at word family is available now! My oldest is really loving the activities! You can find the whole unit HERE. 

I also got to start by Bible study with my high school girls this week! This group of girls is so very special to me! I had several of them in my class in 5th grade (the rest of them were in the other 5th grade class at the school), my husband had all of them in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Now, they are juniors and seniors and it's my 3rd year of Bible study with them. It is such a privilege and joy to share in their lives! We are slowly working our way through the book of Nehemiah.

I would love to hear about your week! And be sure to check out the other posts at the Doodle Bugs Teaching Link-up. Have an amazing weekend!! 

Saturday Spotlight - Editable Name Activities

Happy Saturday! For those of you who are already back in the classroom, I hope you are truly able to relax after what I am sure was a busy week! For those of you who are still on vacation, enjoy one of the last few weekends in which you don't have homework to prepare, papers to grade, or lesson plans to attend to. I am so excited to team up with Erin from Kindergarten Dragons for this Spotlight Saturday!




This week I am highlighting my Editable Name Activities.

When heading back to school, one of the most important skills that those PreK and Kinder students need to learn is how to write, spell, and recognize their name. So, I designed this activity packet with exactly that in mind. And since it is editable, each of your students gets a page that is uniquely their own! 

Students get practice writing their name with these fun dotted letters!

Students also have multiple opportunities to practice spelling their name and recognize their name. The gumball name page is always a favorite!

 I have also included 4 different class activities for students to see how their name compares to other students in their class.

I also just updated the file so that it can be edited in either Microsoft Word or Microsoft Power Point. My kids have loved these activities and I hope yours do too! Have a lovely start to your school year and be sure to head back to the this week's Kindergarten Dragons Link-up for other great ideas and resources!

First Day Tried and True Linky Party

Ah, the first day of school. Can you believe it is approaching so quickly?? I am honored to link up with Chrissie Rissmiller of Undercover Classroom and Sarah Tighe of Education Electrification for their First Day Tried and True Back to School Linky Party! Be sure to check out all of the other wonderful first day ideas in this link-up!

One of the activities that has been a staple on the first day of school since the first time I had my own classroom was a "Get to Know Your Teacher" Power Point presentation and quiz. Sometime in the morning, I tell the students that school has started and it is time for their first test.

This is always met with groans, gasps, and a few heads inevitably hit their tables or desks. However, once I pass out the papers, they smile, laugh, and breath huge sighs of relief when the "test" is really just a "quiz" on how well they think they know their teacher. I have a series of about 12-15 questions, usually multiple choice, for students to answer about me. Once the students have answered the questions, we fire up the projector and start the power point. On the power point, I have the same questions that are on the test. So, I show the question and give some students an opportunity to share their projected answer. On some questions, I call out the possible answer choices and have students "vote" for what they predict to be the answer. For the younger kids, I don't pass out paper "tests," I just show them the power point question and allow several to make guesses.

Then, this is where the fun begins. I show them the answer to the question and usually include a picture related to the answer. So, I will include pictures of my family, my dog, and even some pictures of me as a kid. I cannot tell you how much they love this! They get especially excited when the sport you played or the instrument you learned is something that they do as well! They really get a kick out of seeing pictures of me as a kid -so I encourage you to include this if at all possible! We go through the entire "quiz" and, by the end, the students feel a little more at home in my classroom.

I have found that this short activity goes a long way in building student relationships. When the students can make any type of connection with you, it goes a long way. Also, seeing me as a "real person" not just "the teacher" helps to lighten any worries, fears, or anxieties they have about the school year. It's always a fun way to begin the year, and I must say, every year I have students referencing things from the "quiz" throughout the year - even May and June!

I have created an Editable Get to Know Your Teacher Power Point to assist you, if you would like to use this in your classroom this year.

I didn't include a paper quiz because I always liked making the "wrong answers" something to talk about as well. For example, maybe I didn't take dance class as a kid, but I loved watching my sister dance and even ended up taking a couple of classes in high school! That way, even though the answer isn't totally correct, it still gives them a little more insight into my life.

 Following this activity, I give them their first piece of "homework" for the year. I know, a test AND homework on the first day?!?!? Since they got to learn about me, it's my opportunity to learn more about them, I give each of them a box paper bag (the lunch bag size), and if I'm really on top of things, I have it decorated with their name and other accents (maybe the school mascot, decorative ribbon, etc). Their homework is to gather 5 things that tell me about themselves. It can be actual items or pictures of their items. We brainstorm different ideas of what could be included - a picture of their family, something that represents a sport they like to play, an item that shows what they would like to be when they grow up, etc. Some years I specifically assign items: 1) Someone that you love very much 2) Something you like to do in your spare time 3) Something you did this summer 4) What you want to be when you grow up 5) A place that you love to visit. Whether it is assigned or more open is up to you!

The next day and in the days that follow, I have 5-7 students share their bags. While they share, I take notes about each student's interests. I cannot tell you how valuable this information has been in building relationships and making learning meaningful to the students. I have also found that this not only helps me build relationships, but it encourages relationships among the students as well!

This is a great way to start the school year and I hope you have the opportunity to try it! Make sure you check out the other wonderful ideas on this link-up!

An InLinkz Link-up

Five for Friday 7/31/15

Wow! I can't believe that tomorrow will be August! Where did the summer go?? Although I missed it last week, I am excited to again to link up with Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching for the

 Here's a little peek into my past week:

With the sound of Back to School commercials filling the air, I am happy to announce that my Back to School FREEBIE is uploaded and ready to roll. This "I Found, Who Found" game is a spin on the common "I Have, Who Has" game, except this game helps to familiarize your students with their new classroom. It's a fun way to begin the year, so click on the icon to get this freebie if you're interested!

I must say, I have one amazing husband! On Monday, he took both my boys camping - on his own! He packed up everything and took the boys for an entire 27 hours! Yes, that means I had a quiet house and was able to get so much done! I don't know what I possibly did with all my spare time before kids ;) All of the boys had a blast, and I was so thankful to get errands, cleaning, laundry, and yes, plenty of Teachers Pay Teachers stuff, checked off my checklist. They came home covered in dirt, and with sticks, rocks, and even a frog in tow. While I was grateful for the time to be "productive," those grimey faces never looked better!

My oldest son has been working so hard to ride his bike without training wheels, and this last week, it just clicked! He is still working on getting started on his own and making turns without ending up on the ground, but he is so proud - and, I must say, I am too!! 

I was able to update my Watch My Progress Journal this week! I use this to track the growth of my students over the year in certain skills. It's also a great place to organize monthly work for a portfolio at the end of the year! I am always amazed at how much these students grow in a year! 

Finally, don't forget that next Monday and Tuesday (August 3rd and 4th) is the TpT Back to School Sale! My entire store will be 20% off (bundles too), and if you use the promo code BTS15, you'll get another 10% off -making it 28% off your total purchase! Load up your wish list now!!

I would love to hear about your week! And be sure to check out the other posts at the Doodle Bugs Teaching Link-up. Have an amazing weekend!! 

Five for Friday Summer Linky 7/17/15

I have really enjoyed the opportunity to link up with Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching for the

 Here's a little peek into my past week:

I celebrated my birthday this week and as I reflect on the past year, I know that I am truly blessed. My hubby and boys showered me with love, acts of service, and beautiful cards. Of course, we topped the evening off with some frozen yogurt - my favorite! I know, I know, it looks like a kid's cup of yogurt, but I love it!

Also, as part of the birthday celebration, my entire store is 20% off until Sunday. And if you haven't entered the BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY yet, be sure to do so! I know I can always use a gift certificate to TpT! 

I finally finished the update to my Editable Name Activities. This was my big project last summer, and updating it has become my big project this summer. Ha! I took all that I learned my first year on TpT and applied that to updating this product. It now comes in both Word and Power Point versions as well! So, if you previously purchased this item, be sure to download the new update by going to your "My Purchases" page!

So, we are completely re-doing our backyard this summer. With the horrible drought in California, we decided to let our grass go. So, despite the heat, my husband has worked tirelessly to rip out all of the grass and get things cleaned up - it was a bit of a mess! This week he built two wonderful planter boxes for us to use in the fall and next spring! I am so excited - and so are the boys! There's still a lot to do back there, but I was excited about this! Now, just praying for a very wet winter!

I finally got my Numbers 1-10 packet uploaded! I have been working on it off and on all summer, but with all of the traveling, product revisions, and life, it's been slow. So, I am happy to announce it is finally posted!

I also updated my TpT Store Quote, thanks to this amazing Tutorial from Mrs. Fultz! I think it really makes a difference! 

I would love to hear about your week! And be sure to check out the other posts at the Doodle Bugs Teaching Link-up. Have an amazing weekend!! 

Five for Friday Linky Party

Excited to link up with Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching for the

This has actually been quite an exciting week - believe me, most weeks are not usually this eventful, but here's a little peek into this week!

My family and I got to visit my in-laws at the central coast. My boys absolutely LOVED getting to go to the beach, chase the waves, build sandcastles, and soak up some sun! Here I am chasing my youngest in the waves. We had such a fun time!

Watching the U.S. Women's Soccer Team win the World Cup was definitely a highlight for me. I played soccer for over 13 years, and my dad coached me every year. It was very special getting to watch the game with him, and it definitely brought back a ton of wonderful memories!

Though we've been on vacation and I haven't been super productive with developing resources, I am finally closing in on finishing my first number bundle. My older son has been loving the activities (he's my official tester of many materials), and I am excited to be able to post it soon! Here's a sneak peek of one of the activities.

My oldest son finally learned to swim this week - and we're talking swimming from the shallow end of the pool all the way to the deep end! He has always loved the water, but without a pool in our own backyard, hasn't always had the consistent practice needed. However, this week, while visiting grandparents, he has been in the pool everyday, and it finally clicked! I am so proud of him!

Finally, being surrounded by family this week has been such a blessing. We spent the first half of the week with my in-laws and the second half with my family - and the time has been so sweet! Since we don't live in the same towns, this extended time with family members is nourishment to my soul! Ah, the gift of summers off (since my hubby and I are both teachers). Spending time with my parents, siblings, nieces, nephew, and other extended family has been wonderful! I love watching my kiddos interact with their grandparents and cousins, and I treasure watching these relationships grow. While I might be a little bummed to miss the TpT conference in Vegas, I wouldn't trade this special time with family for anything!

Would love to hear about your week! And be sure to check out the other posts at the Doodle Bugs Teaching Link-up. Have a fabulous weekend!!