Boom, Chica, Boom, Sale!

I know I am a little late posting this, but everything in my Teachers pay Teachers shop is 20% off until the end of the month!  I just put a new pack up for sale.  It goes with a  Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom theme.

Check it out HERE!

Thanks for reading. Have a great day.  :)

Freebie & Five!

This week just FLEW by!  Of course, it was spring break…..isn't it always like that?  I did manage to get a lot of things checked off my 'to do' list, which feels good.
1} I had lunch with all my special people whom I don't get to see much of because of work schedules.
2} I got my hair did!  My Marsha is the most amazing hair dresser {and dear friend}.  I don't know what I would do without her.  I can't even go there in my mind!
3} I was able to get my overdue doctors' appointments in and even managed a little retail therapy!
4} I finished my 'Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick' Easter themed retelling pack.  You can find it HERE on TpT or HERE on TN.

5} And last, but not least…. I have a freebie for you!  I used this little shape emergent reader with my 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' theme, but you could use it with any bear theme.  Click HERE or on the picture to download!

I hope your week has been enjoyable!  Link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching to tell about your Five for Friday.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

5 for Friday and Lots 'O Freebies!

This week we finished up our fairy tales/fables theme and then moved on to St. Patrick's Day.

We made our own 'Three Little Pigs' book to take home.

In the book we made houses out of straw,

sticks,

and bricks.

We also made Mama Pig,

and the three little pigs.

I love how it all turned out!

We then read some St. Patrick's Day stories.  Because we start spring break next week, we went on a 'Rainbow Walk' this week. 

Guess what?  That sneaky leprechaun left us clues to follow, which led us to a pot of gold! {rainbow licorice and spring Oreo cookies}

We were so happy!

I have a bear sort for you.  :)

This bear sort can be used with small, medium, and large bear counters.  Click HERE or on the picture for your own copy.

I also have two St. Patrick's Day freebies for you on TpT.

Click HERE or on the picture for the shape sort.

Click HERE or on the picture for the alphabet game.

Next week is spring break! Yippee!  I wish I was able to go someplace warm and/or exotic but no such luck!  Hopefully the weather will be warm.

Well, at least I can sleep in.  :)

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 'Conference on the Young Years' with these amazing ladies!  We stayed together in a house and had SO much fun.  We laughed so hard our abs hurt.  L.O.V.E. these girls and feel so lucky to teach with them.

I hope your week was wonderful. Link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching and tell us about your 'Five for Friday'.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

Good Day, Sunshine!

It's been about a year since I started blogging.  When I first began I wasn't sure what I was doing, and I didn't know if anyone would want to read what I had to say.  I just knew I wanted to belong to the community of teacher bloggers.  I had been following many blogs.  These teachers inspired and motivated me to be a better teacher.  I was just hoping I could do the same, even if it was just one person.  What I didn't know was how much I would L.O.V.E. blogging!  I love the friendships that have developed.  I love the support. And, I love giving the parents of my little ones a glimpse into the day of their child.  I never knew blogging could be so rewarding.  I am extremely honored and humbled that Kayla from Rooting for Third Grade nominated me for a sweet little blogging award.

{Thank you Kayla!}

The rules of the Sunshine Blogger Award are:

{1} Post 11 random facts about yourself.

{2}  Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.

{3} Nominate 11 bloggers you think bring sunshine to the world.

{4} Make up 11 questions for your nominations to answer.

11 Random Facts About Me

{1}  I have two children I am extremely proud of:  My daughter teaches in Arizona and my son is in college and plays baseball.

{2}  I am the youngest of eight children.

{3}  I am double jointed.

{4}  I have taught from Preschool through 7th grade.

{5}  I was a Parent Educator in the Parents as Teachers program.

{6}  I have traveled to 49 states. 

{7}  I lived in Hawaii.

{8}  I lived in the Dominican Republic.

{9}  I lived in Canada.

{10}  Working outside in the yard is a passion of mine (I love planting flowers!)

{11}  I am slightly addicted to creating new materials to use in my classroom.

11 Questions From Kayla

{1} Decaf or caffeinated?   Definitely caffeinated!  What's the point of decaffeinated?  {ha!}

{2} Do you have a teacher Instagram account?  I do not have a teacher Instragram account, but that is one of my next goals.  :)

{3} What makes the level you teach/work at special to you?  I absolutely love the mind of a preschooler.  It's so fun to watch them figure out things.  They also give great hugs.  :)

{4} Where are you located and what’s the current whether like?  I am located in the mid-west.  The weather is currently cold, but it's a place where you can go from one extreme to another within 24 hours.

{5} You win a magical field trip to anywhere in the world with your students. Where do you go?  Hmmm, that one is hard because of their age.  With older students I would go to Europe.  There would be so much history to explore.  With the age range of my current teaching assignment, I think I would take them to Disney World.  It would be a magical place to them.

{6} Three words to describe your teaching style.  Structured, hands-on, and spontaneous 

{7} Subject you most enjoy teaching?  I love teaching little ones science and math concepts.

{8} If you weren't in education, what would be your alternate professional?  I have always joked I should have gone into sales instead of teaching, but I think running a nursery (a.k.a. green house) would be my dream job.

{9} What do you enjoy doing in your free time? What's free time? Ha!  I love hanging out with family and friends in my free time.  I also love creating new materials {see #11 above :) }

{10} Favorite teacher as a student?  My sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Arnote, was my favorite teacher.  She treated us like we were people instead of just students.  I'll never forget the way she connected with us.

{11} What's your go to snack?  Fruit is my go to snack!  I love fresh fruit.

11 Bloggers Who Bring Sunshine into the World!

{1} Fun in ECSE

{2}Sprinkle Teaching Magic

{3}Books, Bugs, and Boxes

{4]}Hoots N' Hollers
{5}Joyful Learning in KC
{6}A Tender Teacher for Special Needs
{7}Gluesticks 'N Giggles
{8}Autism Classroom News
{9}Covered in Glitter and Glue

{10}Camp Kindergarten
{11}Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

Questions From Me

{1}What's your favorite subject/theme to teach?

{2}If you could travel anywhere where would you go?
{3}What's your favorite snack?
{4}What do you like to do in your free time?
{5}What person has been most influential to you?
{6}Where is your favorite vacation spot?
{7}How long have you been teaching and what grades/subjects have you taught?
{8}What is the most frustrating thing to you about teaching?
{9}What's the most rewarding thing to you about teaching?
{10} If you won the lottery what would you do with the money?
{11}If you had unlimited time what would you do more of?

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

Currently~March

I blinked and February was gone!  Well, that's how it felt.  :)  It's hard to believe it's already March.  The end of the year will be here before we know it!  I am participating in Farley's monthly linky called 'Currently', so here goes:

LISTENING: We are supposed to get a mixture of sleet, snow, an ice over the weekend.  The sleet definitely made it here.  Now we will have to see what else arrives.  I would hate to be a weather anchor.  The weather is just too unpredictable.

LOVING:  I was able to spend some time Saturday evening with a very special five and a half month old sweetie.  Her grandpa is completely crazy for her and I love her as if she were my own.  Sometimes I wish I could re-do being a parent with my own children.  There are so many things I would do differently.  

THINKING:  With IEP meetings and spring break, etc. I need to plan out in advance as much as possible.  That's hard for me because I am sort of a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl.  Sometimes I get an idea and scrap plans.  I hate to be tied down!

WANTING:  I was sick a couple of weeks ago and I just haven't been able to rebound like I was hoping.  I am tired of being sick and sick of being tired!

NEEDING:  I am so ready for spring break, although honestly I will probably spend a good amount of time working on school stuff.  At least it will be on my schedule.  :)

???????  This is where you are supposed to guess the question to my answer.  But, I really just asked a question, so you can answer my question!

Link up with Farley for your March 'Currently'.

Goldilocks & the 3 Bears-5 for Friday

This week we started a fairy tale/fable unit.  Our main story was 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'.  There are so many concepts that can be covered with this one little story!  We worked on sorting by size.

and we worked on the concept of opposites

We also made these adorable Baby Bears and Goldilocks.

It's not so easy listening and following directions when you're only 3, 4, or 5 years old!  I think they did an amazing job.  :)

We also dressed up and acted out the story.

 Is he not the cutest Goldilocks?!

They LOVED this!

We also got a little fine motor workout.

We strung bear beads.

We snipped the sides of construction paper to make trees in the forest.

We put Unifix cubes together to measure.

We also retold the story with a Duplo book and Duplo blocks.

We had to build stairs, chairs, bridges, and beds.

We also worked on kindergarten readiness skills, such as

 10 frame counting

and letter sounds.  Whew!  We packed in a lot of learning with just one story.  :)

If you're interested in any of these activities, be sure to check out my 'Goldilocks Learning Pack' on TpT and TN.

I also just posted my 'Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover' pack on TpT and TN just in time for St. Patrick's Day, which is one of my favorite holidays!

Be sure to link up your Five for Friday with Doodle Bugs Teaching!

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)