Freebie and Five for Friday!

Forgive my lack of posts this past week, I have been in bed most of the week but I am feeling much better now and ready to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday.

I did manage to finish up and add a new product to my TpT store and TN store.  It's my 'Interactive Alphabet Journal Prompts' pack.  I plan to use these with my Pre-K sweeties to help them with alphabet recognition and letter sounds skills.  I use composition notebooks for journals.  Everyday after snack, my learners get their journals to practice writing letters, numbers, drawing shapes, and practice writing their name.  I am going to add these journal prompts to help work on our letter of the week.  I think it's really going to help them with their alphabet.

There are five pages for each letter, so you can have a different prompt every day if you have a letter of the week.  It also allows for differentiation, depending on the skill level of your learner.  Just pick the prompts you want to use.  This would also be great in kindergarten to introduce/review letters of the alphabet and/or for intervention for struggling students.  To view them on Teachers pay Teachers click HERE.  To view them on Teachers Notebook click HERE.

Next week I will begin taking some classes for college credit.  I am very excited about my first class.  It's a summer writing institute with Matt Glover.  

I participated in an in-service this past school year with Matt where we reviewed this book.  I came away with so many great ideas, so I am really excited to get even more ideas and a chance to collaborate with fellow educators.  :)

   
This summer I have had the pleasure of meeting this amazingly talented man.  I am trying to talk him into writing and recording some songs for me to use in my classroom.  I need another hello song, months of the years, days of the week, and weather song.  I like the ones I have, but need a little variety!  Take a listen for yourself.  :)

If you have any suggestions for songs, please let me know.

Next Thursday through Sunday (July 24th-27th) I will be having a 'Christmas in July' sale at both my TpT and TN stores.  Enjoy 20% off all my products!

And now, for my freebie…this is one I have written about before, but it's a good one, especially for the beginning of the year to introduce and/or review colors.   It would work great with the book "Mouse's First Day of School"

You can get it HERE at TpT or HERE at TN.

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

Thanks for reading!  Have a good day.  :)

A Special Educator BlogHop!

Today I am linking up with Tales of a Carolina Girl for a Special Educator Blog Hop.

There are so many other pieces of advice I could give like…….don't expect perfection, be flexible, collaborate with other teachers, work at creating good relationships with parents, and provide your students a safe and loving classroom environment.  My current position is the most challenging, yet the most rewarding job I have ever had.  I love, love, love what I do!  :)

Be sure to head over to Tales of a Carolina Girl for lots of other great advice.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

Worksheet Wednesday {Freebie}!

I am linking up once again with The Teaching Tribune for Worksheet Wednesday.  Bloggers participating will post free worksheets, many of which will work for your 'Back to School' theme.

My freebie works well with 'An All About Me' theme and/or 'Back to School' activity.

You can find it by clicking HERE or on the picture.  Enjoy!

Be sure to hop over to The Teaching Tribune to check out all the other fabulous freebies!

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

Two for Tuesday!

I am linking up with The Teaching Tribune's 'Two for Tuesday' linky.

Make sure to take advantage of this opportunity to find some great deals.  Bloggers participating will offer two products from their Teachers pay Teachers store.  The products I am offering are both great for the beginning of the school year.

 The first product I am featuring is 'There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books"  It normally sells for $2.00, but today it will only be $1.00.

Here is some info on the pack.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books: Essential Questions and Story Recalling Activities. Activities are based on the book written by Lucille Colandro and illustrated by Jared Lee and should be done following the reading of the story.

What’s Included:

Vocabulary Cards: Print, laminate, and display. I put mine in a pocket chart. We discuss vocabulary before we read the story. During journal time, my little ones will pick a word, write it in their journals, and illustrate the word

Story retelling cards: Print, laminate, and cut out. Give each student a picture to hold during the story. When that student’s part is read he/she will hold up the picture. Print off two copies and play a memory type game.

Old lady story pieces: smaller pieces to use with a puppet. Use the old lady head and a paper bag to make a puppet if you do not have one. There are several pieces of chalk so several students can participate.

There Was an Old Lady Emergent Reader. A simpler version of the story to encourage retelling by young readers.

There Was an Old Lady Essential Questions. Students can circle or color the correct answer.

Story sequencing cut and glue picture in order of the things the old lady swallowed in the story. I have a PowerPoint of the Essential Questions on my blog that you can download for free to use with your Essential Question sheet included in this packet.

The second product is ABC Stamp It!  It sells for $2.50 normally.  Today you can get it for only $1.25.

This set includes both upper and lower case recording sheets in abc order and scrambled to allow for differentiation. Uppercase, lowercase, and letter sound cards are also included. Use this during circle time, small groups, and/or for assessments.

Be sure to head over to The Teaching Tribune to check out all the other great products offered at 50% off!

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

Monday Meet Up!

Today I am linking up with The Teaching Tribune for Monday Meet Up #6.

When I was growing up we played outside ALL

the time.  Between my siblings, neighborhood kids, &

the kids my mom babysat we usually had enough to

make two baseball teams.  Those were the days! 

My dad told me a few years back, right before 

he passed away, that he wanted my name to be Bridgette.  So, 

in honor of my sweet daddy, I would change my first name to Bridgette.

At the beginning of last school year, our school was one paraprofessional short. Unfortunately, I was the teacher who lost my para in the morning (this is the class with brand new baby three year olds).  I didn’t have my para for two months.  It was a nightmare.  I was also told I needed to team teach.  Loved my teaching partner, but it was so hard to establish routines/structure when I had to pack up my kids and go to a different area of the school.  YUCK!

Such a tough question!  I think, maybe, I would like to meet Lizzie Bennett from “Pride and Prejudice”.  She was such a strong woman, especially in the time she lived….very inspirational. 

I am one of eight children.  There were two boys and six girls.  My oldest brother passed away a couple of years ago.  I can’t bring myself not to count him, so I have two brothers and five sisters.

I can never decide between a veggie omelet or banana pancakes, so my favorite would be BOTH!!!

Make sure to check out all the other blogs at The Teaching Tribune.  Also, don't forget to check out Tuesday's post to find out which Teachers pay Teachers products will be discounted 50%!

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

4th of July {Sale}~5 for Friday!

I love the Fourth of July, but there is also something a little sad about it too.  It seems as if once the fourth is over, school is right around the corner……..buh, bye summer.  :(
Anyway, I refuse to let summer go by without accomplishing a few things on my bucket list.  Today I am participating with Doodle Bugs Teaching 'Five for Friday'.

Since it's the fourth and my daughter is home, we have lots of activities planned.

Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and we can be doing this.

And then, in the evening we can be doing some of this.

I went to Lakeshore this week with a teacher friend.  We spent hours in the store!  I walked around like a kid in a candy shop.  We each bought a few things, but mostly I got some great ideas for my purchase order.

I spent the day at the pool with these sweeties and their amazing mama.  We have gotten together once a week during the summer.  Love my Sarah!

I am working on an alphabet journal prompt pack.  I am almost finished.  I plan on using these during journal time with my pre-k kids.  I will post more when it's ready.

In honor of the Fourth of July, I am having a sale in both my shops.  I have everything 20% off through the weekend!

Just click on the pictures to take you to my stores.

Just click on the pictures to take you to my store.

Be sure to stop by Doodle Bugs Teaching's Five for Friday.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

Currently ~ July!

It's the beginning of the month so it's time for 'Currently' offered by Oh' Boy 4th Grade.

LISTENING: I just discovered A Fine Frenzy recently.  I am in love with them.  They have the kind of music where you want to listen to their songs over and over.

LOVING:  My daughter is coming home for two weeks to visit from Phoenix.  I am so excited!  We don't have a whole lot specific planned, but we have the kind of relationship where we can just cuddle and talk for hours about everything.  I have been missing her tremendously.  Her visit couldn't come at a better time.

THINKING:  We just got a Lakeshore store in our area recently and I have yet to go.  I am planning a trek over to the store today with a good friend.  I already have so many things in my head I want.  It could be a dangerous trip. :)

WANTING:  Every year it seems that once the fourth of July hits the summer is almost over.  It won't be long before I will be setting up my classroom and attending meetings.  I want to savor my summer an enjoy each day as it comes and goes.

NEEDING:  Going to the grocery store is my least favorite thing to do.  I always put it off tip the last minute.  It's time to make that dreaded trek again.

4TH PLANS:  I don't like fighting crowds to watch fireworks displays.  My ideal 4th is spending it with great friends and family, eating good food, possibly mixing in a little water to cool down, and watching fireworks from afar, so that's my plan.  :)

Head over to Oh' Boy 4th Grade! and link up your 'Currently' list.  Don't forget to read her post.  Sounds like she has had one heck of a summer.  I love her attitude…………..

"yep you have to look at the good...

because you are the only one in charge of your JOY... 

so instead of sinking into a deep darkness of WTH ....

I am choosing to focus on the good...

I am choosing JOY".

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)