Our suitcases are packed!

Yesterday was our first day back from our Thanksgiving Break- 6 days off and I will was little nervous how the kiddos would do! They were AMAZING! We had a wonderful first day back. The kids were so excited to learn that we were going to be travelling around the world over the next 9 days.

We are using this unit from Rachelle over at What the Teacher Wants.

 

We started off decorating our suitcases yesterday. The sheet is from the Holidays Around the World (HATW) pack. I just took a large piece of construction paper, folded it in half and stapled up the sides. The kids colored and glue their sheet on. I was very impressed with how well they managed to glue their cover on with zero help from me! The first year I did this unit, I added the handles to the suitcases right away... they didn't last. Now, I add the handles to their suitcase on the last day when they take their suitcases home.

 

 

Next, we started our journey in the Netherlands by viewing a few of the websites listed in the unit. Then, we began our book by decorating our cover (I forgot to take a picture!) and completing the Netherlands page whole group.

 

 

While the students were working on their craft for today (will post a picture later in the week when Sinter Klaas comes!) We completed the first page in our passports and I stamped their passport. The kids thought this was absolutely hilarious that a passport is a real thing that we use to travel around the world. They were excited when they got their own passport and their very first stamp!

 

I will keep updating you as our adventure continues! I'm still working on finalizing and uploading the ELA centers, but my kids loved my HATW Math centers yesterday!

These are still 15% off today!

 

 

 

Last Day!

Today is the last day for the TpT Cyber sale!! What goodies have you picked up this week? I will share a few of my purchases with you.

I love making this calendar each year for my kinder kids and their families. This year, I'm going to try out Mel D's new creation. (Just click the picture)

 I'm excited to use this next pack as a warm up during my guided reading/intervention time. I think my kiddos will love these! (Just click the picture)

 

These next few units are new listings just added to my shop in the past few days.

 

 I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Polar Express! It's a favorite of mine every year! 

 

Next up... my 129 page Holidays Around the World Math Centers! This pack is HUGE and includes 12 differentiated and Common Core aligned centers! (ELA centers to come soon!)

 

 

 

For the next two weeks, my kiddos and I will be travelling around the world using Rachelle's Holidays Around the World Unit! I'm so excited to get out our suitcases and get going today!

 

 

Have a terrific Tuesday (it's Monday for me!)

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Five for Friday!

 

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for five random things from my week!

 

 

This is one of my little Who's reading to the class! He gets so excited to read to his friends!

 

 

 

I was so excited to look over during a Daily 5 this week and see this happening while I was working with a group!

 

 

 

The Who's loved this new choice at Work with Words! They are fishing for letters to create words!

 

 

This is a new freebie in my TpT shop! I would love to hear what you think! Let me know if you have any other ideas for me to add to this set!

 

 

This is another freebie I just added to the TpT shop today! Let's be real, this close to Thanksgiving some of our kiddos need a reminder of this :)

 

Happy FRIDAY!!

Classroom Before Pictures! Better late than never?

I know, I am doing this a little late, but it's been a hectic few months! Here is a peek at what my classroom looked like before I moved in this summer.


Here is one of my fantastic teammates standing at the door to my classroom! When you look to the right, you can see the student hooks lined up against the wall.

 

This is a continuation of that same wall. The bathroom is in the left corner and my classroom door is on the right.

 

This is a view of where my writing center is currently (on the left wall) and the bathroom door.

 

As you move around the room, you can see the sink and cabinet area. (The huge ugly teacher desk is long gone!)

 Here is a picture as you turn to the left again, my white boards and our new projectors! So excited to have some technology this year!

 

 This is the last wall in my room that leads back to my door! That's it!!

Here are a few pictures of my "helper" when I was setting up my classroom! :)

He is such a great helper :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thursday! Here is a little Thanksgiving freebie for reading along!

A peek at my writing center!

Happy, happy Wednesday! I am ecstatic for several reasons today. First, I finished my last class tonight for my K-12 reading endorsement! Waahoo! Just 2 papers and final left :) (aside from THE big test and adding the endorsement to my license). The second reason I'm so excited today is part of the "sizzle"! I have had this unit on my to make list since early this summer, and I'm so excited it's finished! My kiddos puffy-heart LOVED this today!

 (click either picture to visit my TpT shop for full details!)

 

Here is one of my little sweeties putting this into action today! I bought mini-cars (6 for $1) at the Dollar Tree and they thought it was the coolest thing to segment each phoneme in the word! (There are also paper cars included in the pack in case you can't find them at your local store.)

 

 

 

Now... onto a reveal of my Writing Center! Finally!

 

 



This is the view when you walk into my classroom and look right.  

 

Coming closer to my writing center, you can see I have two crate seats (love the extra storage!) and two placemats. I allow two students to write at the writing center during work on writing during Daily 5. The other students at that choice may work around the room or at another table. The open door on the right is our bathroom, and on the left is our sink.

 

 

Below is a closer look at the board area of my writing center. You can see my "Do you have a Writer's Eye?" poster set. The eyes and eyeglasses I cut out of poster board and sprinkled blue and black glitter over glue and laminated. The vocabulary cards that create the smile are hung on thin red and blue striped line with mini clothespins (see picture below).

 

 

 

A closer look...

The writing clip chart is available in my TpT shop here.

The pencil is from here and here. 

The vocabulary cards are from the amazing DeeDee Wills and can be found here.

The writing posters are part of a unit from the talented Deanna Jump that can be found here

 

 

 

Here is a look from the left side of my writing center. You can also see our Math centers from here.

 

I also house my "Warm Fuzzy" container here (more on that later). In the drawers I have construction paper, writing paper, and work on writing choices.

 

 

A close up of the clothespins.. this makes it SO easy to change out the vocabulary cards each month!

 

 

Below are the tools my kids use to write. The red bucket holds their writing folders. The mailbox is for letters/cards to the class or me. Inside of the blue bucket I have pens, pencils, markers, twist crayons, editing pencils, colored pencils, etc. There are also alphabet charts and writing checklists that students may use when writing. On the left are writing pockets that I use later in the year with my kinders. 

 

 

A view from the right side.

 

 

 

Storage for dry erase and clip boards!

 

If you're still with me, you're a champ! :) I hope I covered everything, and if you have questions don't hesitate to ask! :)

Wow- I'm alive!

Hi friends! I can't believe I haven't posted since before I met my kiddos for the first time! Sorry! Life has gotten in the way... beginning of school, Reading Endorsement classes, moving, my little man went through a 3 week rough spell with a severe allergic reaction to medicine.. it's been a wild few months! I will work on updating you with a classroom reveal (finally) and a little of what we have been up to this year in the next week or so. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my class this year! They are my "Dream Team #2" class! These kids are just a bunch of awesomeness!

Here are just a few quick updates..

LOTS of new goodies in my TpT shop! Finally finished my Bat Unit to be post-worthy!

Check out one of my newest freebies- this is one of my favorite November activities-

Have your kiddos disguise a turkey to prevent it from being eaten on Thanksgiving! Click here to grab your free copy!

I will leave you with a funny from one of my kiddos, his shirt was hilarious!

It says:
Dear Teacher,
My kid is too AWESOME for homework. Please give his homework to other students.
Signed,
Mom.

How funny is this?!

Can't wait to share more with you about my kiddos and room this year!