5 for Friday!

      Good Morning! Today I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for 5 for Friday!  Click on the picture to head over and check it out!

     This is unbelievable, but I have not stepped back in my classroom since December 19th.  Some have called it the "break that never ends."  Others...snowmageddon!  I call it wonderful. I will be heading back today after a 2 hour delay!  So, with that being said, here is a peek at my week.

This has been my view for most of the week!  This picture was taken on Sunday...before most of the snow fell.  

I have spent a lot of time this week working on this!  I am finally, after two years of working with a new reading series and Common Core, getting my files organized!  I wish I had a before picture to show you.  I seriously had two huge tubs of papers and activities that were just stacked on top of each other!  I feel so much better now that this is done.  It has been on my to-do list for, well, 2 years!

I have been working on several things for school.  I made these adorable posters for my classroom.  I am on a mission to incorporate more hands-on science learning with my firsties!  I recently wrote about a candy cane experiment we did before Christmas.  You can check it out here and snag a FREEBIE recording sheet.  I have also been working on some long and short vowel activities. We will be starting with Long A next week!

I am so excited that one of my favorite's is back for a new season!  Are there any other Downton Abby fans out there?!?!  Love this show.  

I saved the best for last!  This week I started my very first class to get my Master's Degree.  I am beyond excited.  This is something I have wanted to do for years!  It is so expensive...but I know that it will be worth it!  I am doing it all online so I have been staring at this...

I am looking forward to a very busy and productive new year!!

Winter Fun!

      Good morning!  In just a few short days I will be headed back to school.  As I prepare myself for January I was reflecting back on December.  I want to make one comment as I go forth.  I am an avid blog and instagram stalker and a pinterest follower to many wonderful, extraordinary teachers.  I love all the wonderful ideas floating around out there!!  I often ask myself...how do they do it?   In particular...how do they have time for all that "cute" stuff.  I love cute stuff as much as the next teacher.  Trust me...anyone who knows me knows I am a lover of all things cute!   

       Well, as we prepared to go on break, I decided I was making time for some "cute." We took a break from our reading series and we had "snow much fun."  We read some of my favorite snowman books and made these cute little guys.

{Snowmen at Night}

These guys are all over pinterest in varying forms.  I love them!  I know a lot of teachers do their "snowman" fun in January...but I have several students who do not celebrate Christmas so I could not do "Christmas cute" and I knew that January would be jam packed with mid-year testing and, hopefully, a couple snow days!   

      We also made our "Handprint" ornaments.  Yet another wonderful idea that is all over pinterest.  

   

Something I did do this year that I will definitely do again...I bought large, flat ornaments that look like this....

   

    They were so much easier for my firsties to hold and decorate than the round ones!

        Aside from that we did do a little science!  I had seen an idea from a 3rd or 4th grade teacher to do "Candy Cane" Science.  I have been making a very conscious effort to do more science in my classroom so I decided this would be perfect!  I made this little recording sheet...

{Candy Cane Science}

Click on picture to get your own copy!

Before beginning we made a chart of our predictions and the students were amazed to see what happened to their candy canes.  Several of the students said their candy canes "melted."  After break, I am going to take time to discuss this and do another experiment where we melt the candy canes so they can see the difference.  Please check back to see how that goes!!  I will keep you posted.  

         I hope your first day back, if you haven't already had it, is a great one!

Welcome 2014

     

      Good morning!  I am excited to be starting the new year off with you all.  This is a new adventure for me so I decided I need to make some new friends.  So...I am linking for Farley's Currently!  Before I do that though...I want to share a quote I saw today on Facebook!  This is how I currently feel about this little blog of mine!

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.

Anatole France

{Listening & Loving}

This is what I woke up to this morning!  I just love the silence that seems to surround us with freshly fallen snow!

I am loving the silence and the beauty of the snow!  It is still in the "freshly, fallen" stage, not the "I must be shoveled and have turned black from being trudged through" stage!  LOVE!  

{Thinking}

     So, I have spent so much time this break working on getting this new blogging adventure that I have done very little to actually prepare for school next week!  My "to do" list is just as long now as when break started...boo!

{Wanting}

     Despite my "to do" list all I want to do is stay inside my warm, cozy house and enjoy this snow from inside!  I know that I could go out and do all those things that I need to do, but in reality there is no better excuse than a snowy day to do nothing!

{Needing}

Honestly, I have know idea why I don't have a piping hot cup of coffee in my hands right now!  That is next on my to do list!

{Memory/Tradition}

     I love playing cheesy board games with friends.  New Years Eve is just another great reason to do just that!!

Happy New Year...I hope your year is filled with all that you dream of.

Teachers of Instagram

       I am excited to be a part of Kickin' It in Kindergarten's Teachers of Instagram Link Up! I just started my Instagram adventure this year so my "top" pictures of the year may not be all that impressive in the numbers category!  My mission for 2014 is to become a little more connected with all the other wonderful teachers out there!   
      

 

This picture was taken in September.  No, this is not from the grocery store.  I grew all these wonderful veggies with my own two hands!!

  This is a picture I took of my back to school gifts for my students..."O'fishally a First Grader."  

{The tags are available HERE.  Just click Fan Freebie and download!}

This is it...the big reveal.  My number one most liked photo for 2013 was this picture of my classroom.   

  

Thanks for checking it out!  Look for me on instagram!

13 in 13: {linky party}

       I am very excited as a new blogger to share with you my year in favorites and help you to get to know me a little bit better!  
     I am going to say this first my #1 one favorite for 2013 is that I FINALLY got up the courage to start this little blog of mine and open my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Both of these things have been goals for years but I was always too afraid to put myself out there like that!  Well, no longer!!  I can mark it off my list!  I am excited to see where this little adventure leads!

NOW--finally...my 13 of 13!

13.  Favorite Article of Clothing

     

     Well, if I must say, my favorite article of clothing...ALWAYS...is flip flops or sandals!!!  They represent all that is good in life...warmth, sunshine, and comfort!  Although, being an Ohio girl I only get a few short months every year to enjoy them!  I bought these pretty shoes for school this year and I loved them!! Super comfy and I love the color!

12.  Favorite movie I watched

     

     Hmmmm...my favorite movie of 2013...this is tough for me.  I love to watch movies but I don't always stay awake for the whole thing (YES, even at theaters) and most of the time I don't remember them!  Let me see...got it...Catching FIre.  I was trying to remember a movie that I really anticipated coming out and this was definitely the most anticipated film of 2013 and one of a handful I stayed awake for!  Plus...who doesn't love Katniss Everdeen!

11.  Favorite TV Series

     This one is much easier...SCANDAL!!  I started watching it on Netflix this summer and I am hooked!!  This season has been jaw dropping to say the least!!

10.  Favorite restaurant

  

     My husband and I love J. Alexanders.  It is are go to restaurant for a special occasion and sometimes just because!!  

9.  Favorite New Thing I Tried

    I already spoke of this and I just may speak of it again...the favorite thing I tried this year is this!!  Talking to all of you (if there is anyone out there) on this little blog of mine.

8.  Favorite Gift I Got

    I got a remote start for my car!!  Wooohoooo!  Remember those flip-flops I told you about earlier!  Well, I love flip-flops because I love warmth and,baby, it is COLD outside!  My least favorite part of 2013 or ever is freezing my behind off every day driving to work.  No more...no more...no more!!!  

7.  Favorite thing I pinned

     Anything that I actually tried after I pinned it!!!  It doesn't happen often but when it does I feel so accomplished.  On Christmas Eve I got a craving for Cinnamon Sugar Pecans (you know the ones that make the mall or anywhere else smell like heaven!).  I have never made them but I happened to have a huge bag of pecans that would just waiting to be coated in sugar and cinnamon.  Well, I found this recipe on Pinterest and oh my goodness they were divine.  (BONUS...my house smelled like heaven!)  

6.  Favorite BLOG post

     Well...the first one of course!  You should check it out!  It was a milestone for me!

5.  Best accomplishment

     The Real World First Grade (My blog of course!)  Also, I have applied for a Master's program and, if all goes well, I will be starting in March of 2014!! 

4.   Favorite picture
      
     This one:

  
     Ok, ok...I know that this is not a picture of me.  This is my backyard in the summertime.  I can honestly say that this picture reminds me of all things that are good in life!  My garden reminds me of my grandma, summer, warmth, and feeling at peace!

3.  Favorite memory

     My husband and I rented a little cottage on a lake this summer for our vacation.  It wasn't far from home and it wasn't fancy, but it was perfect.  It reminded me of my summers as a little girl.  

2.  Goal for 2014   

       My goal for this year is to keep blogging and working on my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  I also hope to start my Master's program and find success with that!

1.  One little word

    Courage

Question Words vs. Statements

     Do your students struggle, like mine do, with telling the difference between a question and a statement.  I just have a few who just can't seem to wrap their minds around it!  I decided to put together a little mini-unit on question words.  It is my latest Teachers Pay Teachers product.  You can see a preview here. 

Here is picture of what the display in my classroom!

     

     My mini-unit includes 4 different patterns for you to choose from and 2 different fonts.  This display is designed to be up all year.  The packet also includes 19 pages of PRINT and GO review and practice pages!  I hope you will check it out!

Merry Christmas