Lost Crayons and Scissor Cramps

Ok, I must have been really distracted today.  I cut out workstation cards through 2 movies!  I think my hand is about to fall off! 

I know my pile doesn't look very big, but MAN it took forever!  Of course it didn't help when I stopped to watch the latest E News on the Rob and Kristen drama and chat about it with my bestie!

BUT let me really get to the posting point.....

Today I fixed up these for my lost and found crayons! 

I got the idea from somewhere (Pinterest if I can remember correctly).  I am pretty excited about this!  In the years past I have done a few different things and last year I got tired of kiddos digging and digging just to find an elusive black or red.  This will be much quicker! 

Ok, I'm off to bed now!  But first I might ice my "scissor-cutting" hand!

Word Wall Pride

Ok, this wordwall I used last year and it worked GREAT - even for kindergarten!

So, many people seem to be afraid to let their kinders take words off the word wall but this was a super easy way for them to get their sight words and take them to their seat for journal writing. 

I put my color choice fabric up on the bulletin board, then threw a clear shower curtain up over it.  (That part WAS a little never doing this again! challenging, because I was working by myself to get it on their with out wrinkles pretend you don't see any.  Next I would write the word-wall words on index cards with bright colored markers then just add the words using "ticky-tack". 

 They stick on and off so easily!  Sometimes my words would need to be replaced-but this always made me happy because that meant the kids were really using their word wall to their advantage!

Here's one more shot.  Those bags are our book "bags" instead of book "boxes".  I just assign them a letter and they use the bag all year.  We used these during "Read-to-Self.  I used to teach first grade and LOVED the "sisters" Daily 5 teaching strategies.  I am still working on implimenting this in Kindergarten.  It's a work in progress.  Hope to do better this coming up year!  I might even not assign them a seat!!!!  DID I JUST SAY THAT?  I think my veteran coworker might have a heart attack (JK-love you Rachel!) 

I will post more pics when school starts so you can see the word wall in action!

Oceans all around!

Ok, I have been cramming like crazy, trying to get as much ocean stuff in; considering there are 5 days left!

I loved making these "All About Ocean Animal" books with the kids.  I reminded me of things we used to do when I taught first grade!

I was so proud that they were able to create sentences using out sightwords and a bubble map.  MOST even remembered their period! 

I got the idea for this "thinking map"/ research form from Mrs. Jump's Class.  She did some really fun looking ocean stuff!  I was super excited when I found her ideas!  Check out her blog!

Dinosaurs!

Ok, Here are a few pics of our dinosaur unit,  Thanks to Julie Lee's wonderful unit for sale on TPT!  You should totally check out her units if you need a little insperation.  I have to say, I have really been inspired (since this is my first year teaching kinder) to teach things that I never would have thought I would teach in kinder.  And Julie Lee's units have really helped me get those things in, like AREA, and TIME! 

My kids loved this one with the cookies!  They were "exploring" for fossils (a.k.a. chocolate chip cookies) like a paleontologist would do!  They loved, loved, loved tearing up their cookie!  And of course they thought it was really neat if they found nuts in there cookie too.  (I only had coconut-almond-chocolate chip cookies at my house, lol!)

 

First ever Kindergarten Field trip!

Wow, Friday was my first time to take my kinder kiddo's on a field trip!  It was crazy!  We got to go to our local Fair Grounds for the day.  I am pretty sure that any parents that went with me probably think I'm a scatterbrain, but that's what happens when you take 21 kids to a petting zoo.....Did I mention, AT the same time as at least 6 other classes! 

We saw a ground hog, Some white tigers, and a funky robot!  Then we fed a cage full of canaries, the typical petting zoo gang, AND we got to feed and pet Lemurs!!!  They were SOOO cute!

And yes,  I did bring my 3 and 4 year old with us on the field trip.  And their daddy too, although, I'm not sure if he will ever come on a field trip with me again.

I will say, always know what you are doing, BEFORE, you go on a field trip, lol.  And, bring extra bandaids because no scratch is ever too small!

Free Stamp Workstation Stuff!

Ok, Well I have dropped the ball in the blogging world.  You could even say that I threw it away too.  I am trying to survive this first year in Kindergarten.  Somedays I am loving it, and some days I am really liking the postion as greeter at Wal-Mart! 
I have been stressing over making better "stations" because we have an administrative walk-through coming up and this is what my team decided to do.  So, I got an idea off of pinterest (a little obsessed!) and made my own because I couldn't figure out how to down load it.  So if you want a copy, feel free!!!

Stamp a Word

Forgive me if it didn't post right.  This is my first time to upload PDF, so it my be squirrely!

Teacher Talk Tuesday

Well, I know it has been a while....and man, have I been busy!  There have been weddings, parties, mulitiple familiy visitors, and a brand new year in a brand new grade level! Having said all of this, I don't know if I can give much adivice since am no longer at First Grade I have only taught kindergarten 2 days but here goes....

 1.  Sing or chant everything!  A first day kindergartener's attention span is about 30 seconds long and I have learned quickly that 99% of them will actually look at you if you randomly start to sing or chant at them! Can you believe that!
2.   Try to remember that most of them haven't been taught to control their impulsive behavior and most likely haven't been in such a structured enviroment before.  (They are not all stinkers or honerey little toots like some might believe.)  It is our job as teachers to actually teach them crazy things, like self-control.)
3.  I totally agree with Abby from
when she discussed the value of team work.  There is nothing better than feeling like you are welcomed, valued, and supported by your team.  Remember, We all have the same goal! To teach our smarties to the best of our ability, and take them as far as we can to prepare them for the next year.
4.  Last for now, because I can hardly stay awake:) I just read a chapter from The Energy Bus that said "You are the driver to your own bus!"  When you are feeling stressed, bogged down, negative, or just plain numb from life, just remember you are the driver, and you decide what direction to take your life, on a Negative Nancy route, or a positive one.  This is an interesting thought considering I have been overloaded so much that I am searching for the next restaurant with a happy hour, or a happy meal that serves "happy" pills as a choice.