First Week's Activities!

I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching to for Five for Friday.

Whew!  I survived my first week back to school!  I liken the first day to childbirth….you forget how how hard it is until you go through it again!

I feel like this is an accurate representation of me at the end of the week.  :)

This picture is what I felt like!

I am going from a half day program to a full day.  It's definitely different, but I have to say I think I'm really going to like it.

One of the reasons I am SO very tired is I received my furniture {did I say I moved to a different school, too?} two days before school started.  This is what my room looked like on Monday.

This is what it looked like on Wednesday.

Needless to say, there was not much sleep going on in-between.

Our first day pic.

I have some serious sweethearts in my class.  L.O.V.E.

We also drew ourselves on the first day,

 which became our new bulletin board.

It's always interesting to see the different stages of my little learners.  I love seeing the growth throughout the year.

We also played "What's In My Backpack?"  We sorted things you could/should bring to school in your backpack vs. things that you wouldn't bring to school.  Afterward, the little ones colored their own backpacks and then glued on pictures of things you would bring to school.

You can pick up this freebie HERE.

One of the things I love about this age group is you can see a whole lotta learning going on in the mind of a four year old.  Their play IS learning.  Check it out…..

I have a feeling it's gonna be a good year!

Link up your week with Doodle Bugs Teaching!

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

Classroom Visual Schedules and TPT Sale!

Visual Schedules help little ones keep track of their day, know what to do next, and make transitions MUCH smoother.  I have always used visual schedules with my SPED students, but quickly realized that all my little learners benefitted from them.  I use a visual schedule that has picture icons of our daily activities.  Velcro is used to adhere the pictures.  After an activity is completed it can be removed from the schedule.  Little ones are able to figure out how many activities are left before their day ends.  It's like magic!  Behavior improves dramatically.  I recently completed a pack of visuals that can be used to create your own classroom visual schedule.  There are icons for daily activities and specific icons to use during circle/calendar time.  Job icons are also included.  There are also detailed instructions and examples on how to implement one in your classroom.

Here's a peek at the pack….

Here's a sample.

Below is a list of picture icons.

List of Jobs

• Flag Helper
• Calendar Helper
• Weather Helper
• Music Helper {picks our music and movement song}
• Color Helper
• Shape Helper
• Counting Helper
• ABC Helper
• Line Leader
• Caboose
• Special Helper
• Chair Helper
• Recycler
• Gardner
• Veterinarian
• Clean Up Monitor
• Table Cleaner
• Light Monitor
• Teacher’s Helper
• Attendance Taker
• Kindness Reporter {Looks for others doing kind deeds and recognizes them}
• Board Eraser
• Lunch Helper
• Snack Helper
• Floor Sweeper
• Recess Monitor
• Librarian
• Messenger
• Journal Monitor
• Paper Monitor
• Trash Collector
• Bathroom Monitor
• Pencil Monitor
• Supply Helper
• Door Monitor
• Technology Monitor

If there is a specific job not included in this list, contact me and I will create a card for you.

Circle Time Icons

• Hello Time
• Hello Song
• Good Morning Song
• Good Afternoon Song
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Calendar
• Weather
• Music and Movement
• Colors
• Shapes
• Counting {For me, this encompasses all math activities)
• Math
• ABC’s
• Letters
• Rhyming
• Daily Note {I end my circle time with a daily note.  I write a message about our day and then as a Mo
• Game Show {If I have extra time in-between activities during the day, I will pull out some category cards, what’s missing cards, rhyming cards, etc. and call it ‘Game Show’.   My students LOVE game show!}

Daily Schedule Cards
• Morning Meeting
• Morning Work
• Journals
• Calendar
• Literacy Centers
• Math
• Writing
• Art
• Assembly
• Special Event
• Bathroom Break {I included more than one since the whole day can be displayed}
• i-Pads
• Social Studies
• Lunch
• Snack {More than one is included for a full day preschool program}
• Science
• Dismissal
• Table Time
• Circle Time
• Computers
• Snack
• Special Day
• Centers
• Group
• Story
• Books
• Brain Break
• Recess {More than one is included}
• Learning Time
• Rest Time
• Quiet Time
• Sensory Break
• Recess

A sample of job cards.

The pack is $2.00.  You can find it HERE.

And, TPT is hosting a One Day Bonus Sale this Wednesday.  Be sure to check it out!  My products will be 20% off.  Click HERE to take you to my store.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

Back to School Flash Sale!

I'm sure everyone is super busy getting ready for back to school!  I'm linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday to show what I'm doing to get ready and to showcase some of my "Back to School' items.  I will have them on sale throughout the weekend.  They will all be drastically discounted, so be sure to take advantage!  Click HERE to go to my store.

My new room is HUGE with lots of wall space.  I just finished my 'Colors Galore Posters and More' pack to hang in my room.  It will be on sale all weekend.

Things I love about this pack……

 

The posters are offered in both color and black and white.  Originally I thought I would offer both to save on ink, but then soon realized the black and white ones could be used for table time/morning work.  Then, it came to me that they could be colored by students and made into books.  You can also make one into a class book.  My students LOVE reading class books.  They take pride in their work and those books are the ones tattered from so much love!

 

There is a 'Color the Room' option that goes along with the posters, plus 6 options with multiple colors {17 color the room pages in all}

Plus, there are smaller size posters if you prefer.

Be sure to check it out.  It will only be $1 all weekend!

Here are other school related themes I finished this summer.

'All About Me' 

 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Retelling Pack'

 'Back to School Literacy and Math Activities Pack'

 

 'A Cat's Colorful Shoes Retelling and Extension Activities'

They are all only $1 this weekend!

 Then, there are these "oldies but goodies"…..

'If You Take a Mouse to School Retelling Pack'

'Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books' Retelling Pack

'Interactive Journal Prompts' are great for teaching the alphabet and letter sounds.

'ABC Stamp It' is great for teaching alphabet recognition.

There are more back to school related items for $1.00!  Go to my store and check them out.  Be sure to follow my store to be notified when new products, freebies, and sales are added!

Plus, everything else in my store is 20% off!

Be sure to check out the freebies, too!

I'm working on a 'Back to School Photo Booth'.  Here's what I have so far..

I put up black paper and framed it with silver border.  I am making props to hold.  Be sure to check back next week for a photo booth freebie, but in the mean time…..

I was getting coffee at a coffee shop the other day and as I was putting my cup in a sleeve, looked closely at it and waalaa….an idea came to me!

I'm going to cut the mustaches out and attach the coffee stirrer sticks with hot glue.  If you have an Einstein Brothers near you, you too can grab these!  They were super nice when I asked if it was ok.  :)

I am in the process of making new job and calendar icons for the new school year.  Here's a peek at what I have so far…..

The picture is not that great.  I wish it was more of a close up.  I will post more about the icons later.

Be sure to check out Doodle Bugs Teaching's Five for Friday.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great day.  :)

Currently August!

Yay!  I finally got it together enough to link up with 'Currently' hosted by Farley at Oh Boy Fourth Grade.

LISTENING:  Right now I'm drinking coffee, listening to the morning news on TV while typing on the computer.  {One of my favorite morning rituals…..so relaxing}
LOVING:  I have the day off…..lots I need to do, but nothing is scheduled. That's pretty rare, but much appreciated.  Once school starts, it will be even more of a phenomenon.
THINKING:  K, this is an oxymoron, considering I just said I have the day off, but I have a lot of things I need to sit down to do.  They are those little things that only take a few minutes, but I seem to put them off thinking I'll get to them later.  I plan to wrap up all those little loose ends today and check them off my 'to do' list.
WANTING:  Ha, I almost forgot this!  I had to go back and add it.  {Maybe it's how I really feel….just forget it!} Actually, I do need to figure out a way to workout once school starts.  I always have good intentions, but when reality hits I end up being wiped at the end of the day and I am HORRIBLE about getting up early.
NEEDING:  I am going from a half day program to full day.  I need to figure out my schedule.  I know what I want to do, just have to figure out in what order.  It's kind of hard right now since I don't know when lunch, recess, and specials will be.
B2S RAK:  I will be meeting new friends at my new school and want to let them know I'm happy to be there, but I also want to let my former co-workers know I'm missing them.  I think I will send some things through campus mail to them and maybe bring some treats to share at my new school.

That's it from me for now!  Be sure to check out the site wide sale at TPT.  Everything in my store will be 20% off and then if you enter the code BTS15 you will get 28% off!  I know I will be shopping!