November Currently

It's been too long!

Wow! I feel like I've been gone for a LONG time! It is high time I updated my blog! This school year has been 1909890945984 different kinds of crazy! I can't believe it is already November! That means it is time to link up with Farley from Oh'Boy 4th Grade and share what I've been up to. And today, the topic is tasty pin...so don't forget to scroll to the bottom for my Pinterest recipe! Mmmmmmmm!

And the yummy pin goes to......

~Butterfinger Blondies~

Yes, I have actually made these and YES they are 45453459080234 shades of FABULOSITY!!!!!! Highly, highly, highly recommend! Feel free to pin this from my pinterest board or visit the awesome blog it came from: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/08/butterfinger-blondies.html

Wanna link up, too? Head on over and share 

what you are CURRENTLY up to!

Click Here: Oh' Boy 4th Grade!

~*Five for Friday*~

Woo Hoooooo! Can I get a TGIF from someone? I am so happy that it is Friday (**happy dance**) and that I have two entire days to catch up on some napping, school work, and relaxation! Right now it is raining outside...so the drowsiness is already kicking in (and it's only a little after 4:00). Phew! What a week it has been! For this Five for Friday, I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching to share some things from my classroom, as well as an item I recently listed in my TpT store! Let's get to it!

Number One

I found this idea on Pinterest last summer and am lucky enough to have an awesome mom who loves a good "craft challenge." She made this out of an old night stand. All she did was paint it red (which matches my class theme of red and white polka dots). My dad made the wire "burners" and cut a hole for the sink (which is a cheap metal dog food bowl from Wal-Mart! My brother made the knobs on his wood lathe. My dad also affixed a piece of plywood to the back to give it that "vintage look." And the faucet? $10.00 clearance faucet at Lowe's! I absolutely love my little stove and it is always a hit in my classroom. It sure beats the 30 year old housekeeping furniture that I had! Maybe I'll have to come up with something cute for a housekeeping fridge for next year! 

Number Two

Meet my "mini-me!" I wanted to share this because my students adore reading to "Mrs. Melton" in the reading center! I found this adorable little doll and polka dot outfit at Cracker Barrel! I already had the "All About Mrs. Melton" book in my reading center and thought that this baby doll was perfect to go with it! I made the book as a way to introduce myself to the class. To introduce my kids to writing we start the year by doing "Student of the Day" in which a different student's name and picture is added to our "Name Wall" each day. They get a special crown, sit in my rocking chair for an interview and every child draws a picture for the student of the day's special book. The Student of the Day colors the outside cover. After, all the pages are combined into a special book that he or she gets to take home. At the beginning of the year I add my name to the name wall and read them this book while holding the doll. The book talks about everything (my family members, house, pets, favorite foods, colors, etc) and has pictures of me throughout my life. They love seeing my kindergarten picture!

Number Three

Our letter of the week was Ff this week! Usually during our center block my assistant and I are pulling guided reading groups, so I am always very excited for "Fun Friday" because that means my kiddos get to play fun ELA games and make a letter craft. Today was a letter Ff frog. They also practiced writing their sight words for the week: I, see, and a. They enjoyed the craft and I enjoyed helping them with it!

Number Four

I'm not sure if it is the hot weather or what, but I am desperately willing it to be colder. This is probably why I went ahead and got busy with my October lesson plan/center game/writing prompt packet! I am ready for fall so bad that I can barely stand it! This cute packet has quite a bit of fall/halloween themed centers, lesson plans, and more--over 80 pages to be exact! I am excited to print it all out and laminate it for my classroom! If you're interested in checking it out, click on the picture above or visit my TpT store!

Number Five

And last, for my number five I wanted to share with you all my little front door wreath I made for fall! I went on a shopping extravaganza (that's what my husband gets for ditching me for golf on a Saturday) and bought all the supplies to make a new fall wreath. Now, it was my first go-round with the burlap, so that was quite an experience. I looped and swooped it through until I was blue in the face! Next came the little flowers and I had to add the buttons to spruce it up a bit. The orange bow screams "fall" and my project wouldn't be complete without some type of bird on it! So, imagine my delight when I stumbled across an adorable owl that was not only cute, but said "fall" on it! Yes, he was mine immediately. And Voila...an adorable fall wreath!

Thank you so much for reading my Five for Friday! Did you do anything awesome or exciting this week? I bet you did! If so, head over to Doodle Bugs Teaching and join in the linky party! 

Here's to a fantastic weekend!

*Chirp, Chirp!*

~*Currently*~

And Currently...

I am so excited to link up with Farley from Oh' Boy Fourth Grade and share my "Currently" for the month of September! I was so busy last month that I completely forgot (eek!), but I am back on track and ready to share this time! Here we go!

Let me explain a few of these!

Listening

Currently, I am sitting in my living room listening to nothing...no tv, no music, no students, no husband (he is golfing...instant babysitter), nada and it is fabulous! All I hear is the hum drum of the fan and I couldn't be more content!

Loving

I am loving this day off from school! Labor Day rocks! However, it is kind of tricky when you return to the classroom because the little ones get a bit out of their routine. They just got started and then get a long break...it can be a little confusing, but I'll take that confusion for an extra day to prepare for the week!

Thinking

Am I the only person who has to "be in the mood" to go to the grocery store? I hate it on Sunday (or Monday in this case) when you realize you have nothing to pack in your lunch. And the grocery store just seems so. far. away! The ONLY thing forcing me to go is the fact that I am all out of my "go to" breakfast item. I need my Greek yogurt about as bad and I need my planning period, so I am sure I will be heading to Publix sometime this afternoon! Maybe I'll get the "tweethearts" a little treat? Maybe.

Wanting

Ok. I live in Charleston, South Carolina, and to be completely honest with you, I am sick and tired of this heat and humidity. I am fair skinned and freckled (aka pasty)and I get sunburnt during our 20 minute recess! Fall is my ultimate favorite season! I love football, the smells, pumpkins, Halloween, and especially the weather! Fall is so pretty around here and once the temperature drops into the 70s, I am a happy girl! I am ready for it! If only it stayed that way all year...

Needing

It has been a while since I have made something crafty for my house. I have been so busy with the start of school and classroom crafts that I haven't had time to make anything. So, I plan today to get my craft on. I am thinking a new fall wreath for my front door? At least that is the plan! 

  My Three Goals

1.) Exercise- I haven't exercised all summer. My muscles have seemed to congealed into nothingness (not that there was very much to start with!)With the start of school and other things life throws at you, I need to exercise in some way to de-stress. I am a constant worrier and I feel as though this only makes me MORE stressed! I use to do Zumba on a daily basis and loved it, but since my family moved to a new town, it is too far of a drive to go to my normal Zumba class. There is, however, a YMCA right around the corner and I am interested in possibly signing up and taking Zumba through them...or maybe I'll try yoga. My flexibility is not too stellar, but hey, it's worth a shot!

2.) Stay patient- I have so much patience for my little kindergarteners, so this doesn't really apply to them. They make me happy, but I seem to start losing patience with other grown ups these days! I guess sometimes I have to remember that adults behave like children from time to time...and everyone deserves a second chance.

3.) Be thankful--Sometimes I get so caught up in the "what I need to do" or "what I don't have" that I forget all of the blessings that I do have! I have so much to be thankful for and I don't want to lose sight of that!

Alright everyone! Now it's your turn to head over to Farley's, Oh Boy Fourth Grade, link up and share what you are doing currently! We all like to be nosy...so what have you been up to? 

Enjoy these last few hours of Labor Day Weekend!,

Tracking

<a href="http://www.hypersmash.com">www.Hypersmash.com</a>

~Five for Friday~

Phew! What an exciting and exhausting first full week of kindergarten! I must say, having 25 little five year olds all day has worn me out! However, I am excited to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching to share some cute ideas and tid bits for my Five for Friday! Let's not waste any time! Here we go!

1.) For my number one I am excited to share my Student at a Glance Assessment Checklist that I recently listed in my Teacher's Pay Teacher's store! It is a great little sheet that can be used to progress monitor and assess your students. I have used it for the past five years teaching kindergarten and just recently revamped it to include elements from the Common Core curriculum standards! It covers everything from letter naming and sounds to Common Core sight words to math skills involving addition, subtraction, number recognition, and 2D/3D shapes, just to name a few! Take a peek at it, it just might work for you, too!                            

Click Here

2.) For my number two I want to share with everyone my behavior plan that I am implementing this year. I have actually been using this for the past three years and it works great with my little ones and with my birdie/polka dot theme. Each child has a behavior nest. The ultimate goal of their day is to keep all of their eggs in their nests. As we all know with kindergarteners, they need lots of chances, which I readily give them. After 2 (or more) verbal warnings, the student loses an egg out of his or her nest. With each lost egg comes a consequence. If a student loses one egg, it counts as a warning. If a student loses 2 eggs, they miss 5 minutes of recess. If a student loses 3 eggs, they lose a portion of recess and a portion of center time. If a child loses all of their eggs, their parent is contacted. Luckily for me, this system works so great that I rarely have any children that lose more than 2 eggs. If they keep all of their eggs in their nest, they earn a special treat, which is usually a sticker or something yummy! They love getting their reward, so they usually keep all those eggs in their nests! I bought the little nests at a teacher store. I believe they are simply Carson-Dellosa cutouts. The eggs were made from laminated and cut out scrapbook paper. They are adhered to the nests with velcro! Perfect for removing and putting back!

3.) For my number three, I wanted to share one of the best center boards that I have ever used in my classroom. I work with an awesome team and they used this board before I began teaching kindergarten! It is perfect for rotating centers and calling small groups to my table to teach guided reading. These pictures aren't the best, but they at least show how the system works. By November, the children are pretty much able to understand the center board and where they are expected to go. And, of course, my teams are different colored...birds! Go figure!

4.) For my number four, I wanted to share with everyone a couple things that helped me to alleviate my stress with starting school...shopping and eating. Two of my favorite things! What is better than buying an adorable outfit for back to school? Not much! What is better to take the edge off of a stressful back to school week? A great dinner! So, here is my back to school dress that I wore for Open House and a picture of some yumminess that I treated myself to in celebration of back to school!

   Polka Dots...Go Figure!          Wasabi Sushi...Yummo!

5.) For my last Five for Friday, I want to add a celebration photo in honor of our "first day off" of the school year! I am excited about Labor Day Weekend and took this picture of Annie the Golden Retriever enjoying the view at North Myrtle Beach! Happy First Holiday of School, y'all!

Did you do something awesome this week at school? Head on over to Doodle Bugs Teaching and link up and share your stories or ideas! Click on the link below!

Here's to a relaxing, LONG weekend,

*Five for Friday*

Phew! I am so excited to be back on my blog! I am excited to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching to share some ideas! The past few weeks have been HECTIC, to say the least, with going to back to school! Today marks the third official day of school for me. I have 25 sweet kindergarteners who are full of energy! Needless to say, they have worn me out in these three short days! However, it feels good to be back and I am anxious to get them into a "routine!" 

For my Five for Friday, I have a few ideas to share that I used this week with my kindergarten students to get them excited about the school year! 

1.) One of my favorite stories to read to my kindergarten students is The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman. My classroom theme is polka dots and birds, so I start them off early by letting them know that they are my "tweethearts." By the end of the year, they know the Mrs. Melton is obsessed with two things: birds and polka dots. If you haven't read this story, it is totally cute and worth the time. After reading the story, my students created paper plate birds to hang in the classroom! I forgot to take a picture of our birds that we made, but I have attached the idea that I "borrowed" from pinterest! The kids loved the story and they really loved making their own class birds! 

2.) One of my favorite games that we played this week was our "Jack Be Nimble" game. It is so simple and fun and it helps the kiddos learn each others' names! I bring a candlestick to class and place it on the carpet. Each student has a chance to jump over the candlestick while we recite the well known nursery rhyme: "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jumped over the candlestick!." On the Smartboard, I replace the word "Jack" with the a student's name! It is great to see their eyes light up when the teacher writes their name on the board and they get to jump over the candlestick! It makes it even more fun (and they find it hilarious) when I tell them to be careful not to burn their hiney! After, they color a picture of the nursery rhyme. Here is a link to the coloring page (click the picture):

                                                                   

3.) Another fun name game that I like to play is called "Higgledy, Biggledy Bumblebee, Can you say your name for me?" I play this game on the first day of school! It is super easy. All you need are students and a stuffed animal bee (or you could use a picture of a bee). Basically, you sit in a circle with the children and say the rhyme together: "Higgledy, Biggledy Bumblebee, Can you say your name for me?" Whoever is holding the bumblebee says their name! I got my stuffed bee at the Kohl's Cares for Kids sale and it is perfect for this game!

                                                     

4.) One thing that I love about going back to school is decorating and getting my classroom ready! I love all things polka dot and birds, so I wanted to make sure that my class door showed off my theme! Here is a picture of my door! K-D is a hoot!

                                                    

5.) And for my last Five for Friday, I finally got around to making a multi-colored Word Wall Alphabet to go along with my Common Core State Standard Word Wall! Here is a little preview of what it looks like! Head over to my TpT Store to check it out!

                                                        

Thank you for reading my blog and make sure you link up over at Doodle Bugs Teaching to see other beginning of school ideas!

                                                     

Happy Back to School!

~*Back to School Sale*~

Well, the time has finally come! These past few weeks have been filled with lesson planning, classroom preparation, staff get togethers, and  professional development meetings ! Pretty soon, the students are going to be back and school will be in full swing! 

Maybe the thought of "going back to work" blows your mind. It sure does for me, but remember, routine is good and pretty soon, you will be back into the old swing of things...and you might even enjoy it! 

To soften the blow of those early morning wake up calls (that has to be the worst part, doesn't it?), I am kicking off my back to school week by offering 15% off of everything in my entire Teacher's Pay Teacher's Store! Mosey on over and see if there is anything that strikes your fancy! I have everything from Common Core Word Wall Words, Alphabet Cards, Open House Forms, Number Lines, Behavior Management Ideas, and so much more! If you're like me, every little discount helps and finding that perfect "something" for your classroom certainly makes going back more fun!

Click here for some shopping fun: 

**My Teacher's Pay Teachers Store**

Happy Shopping!