New Family Product

It has been soooo very long since my last post :(  I am having a hard time getting into a grove this year. Anyone else feeling the same way? We started a new reading series (Journeys) and I hope I can figure out how to use it, where it doesn't seem so choppy. Any tips would help!

Anyways, due to this much needed long weekend, I made some things to supplement with the first week of Journeys- Family theme. Three day weeks are the best!!! You can click below to purchase this product from TPT. 

 

 

 

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!





Made it Monday- Back to school Freebie

 

I have been BUSY this week. We started back today, testing K kiddos to place into classrooms (see my post yesterday). However, I still wanted to share some of my goodies.

 

First off, I have a ton of windows, don't be jealous, but seriously I had to cover them since I couldn't see my screen. (Before curtains are the cute stripes.) 

 

So I realized I didn't like how the curtains looked because the windows are wider than a standard window. Easy fix, cut them in half. 😀

Now that's starting to look better.

I made some cute curtain ties but forgot to take pictures... ugh!!!

I made these cute CAFE signs to go with Sharingkindergarten's reading strategy cards. I didn't stop there, of course I needed a cute board to display them on, so I spray painted some cardboard and attached them together with duct tape.

Added some ribbon...

Now, look how cute!

 

If you like the CAFE posters, you can get them here. 

 

 I hope you all are enjoying what's left of your summer or having a great back to school start.

Kindergarten Back to School Freebies

I can hardly believe my summer is OVER. Yes, panic attack, we go back to school TOMORROW. Fortunately, I still have another two days to actually be "ready" for kiddos.

Here is how our school does "Kindergarten." We have two Registration Nights for the whole school where 1st-5th go to meet their teachers and fill out paper work (they find out their students in the summer) and all Kindergarten students come to one room to fill out papers and get a 30 minute testing time for the first day back to school. So we had 101 kindergarteners register on those nights and we'll see them tomorrow. {Another panic attack.}

Once us, K-teachers (5 of us) test them tomorrow, we divide the kids up into classrooms based on scores, age, gender, and ethnicity. We like to have a diverse class. However, parents are aloud to request teachers- which we had a lot of this year :). Then we call parents Tuesday to let them know who their teacher will be and give them an orientation day.

Orientation days are Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We take 1/3 of the class each of those days to phase them in. Then they all start full time the next Monday.

I LOVE this because we are a Title One school and students come in at all different levels which allows us a little more one on one time.

So do you all have something like this or do they throw them all in and see if you survive the first week? ;)

Now on to some freebies!!
I have used a clip chart for How We Go Home in the past, but it didn't work for me since I never knew what bus the kiddos rode, if I just clipped their name under the bus tag, so I made these posters to put in a picture frame and write on the glass with a dry erase marker. There are a few different versions.

 

 

 

I was also looking for something different for Birthdays and came up with these...

 

 

What do you think?! Birthday Bling Pops!!!! Click pic for freebie

 

 

Leave me a comment to what you think and share some love- follow me on Bloglovin and Facebook.



 



 

 

 

 

Vinyl- Made it Monday

I have had my silhouette cameo for over a year and am just now figuring out how to really use it. Man, was I missing out. Look at all the cute vinyl projects I made...

Found these tubs at Target summer item for 70% off. Knew I could use them somehow :) sorry the picture looks dark

I shared last week about some of my finds at Hobby Lobby and added a little vinyl... Wuh-lah!

Saw this on Pinterest and had to have. We had an old Jellybean Machine (they are smaller than the gumball machines) and I took the spring out so I wouldn't have to put money in it. Good thinking huh?

Another Pinterest idea. My husband did inform me that my words are not straight. Ugh, I'm so bad at aligning. I wish I made the letters bigger, but I'm still learning how my awesome Silhouette works.

I also made a TAG Math freebie. Find it on my facebook page. Please make sure you click the Like button for future freebies.

10 Things I learned...

 

I am going into my sixth year of teaching, and finally start to feel comfortable because of all the things I have learned along the way.

 

 

1. Kindergarteners need to be kids... make time for the "fun" stuff (crafts, chalk, bubbles, etc..)

 

2. "Multi-tasking" means so much more since I became a teacher. WOW! Half the time we don't even know we are doing it.

 

3. A full moon really does affect the kids. I could always tell when there was a full moon, I had more behavior problems.

 

4. Nothing ever goes as planned, at least I feel that way sometimes. Don't get stressed, go with the flow. It will all work out.

 

5. Teaching is Mentally exhausting. My husband cant figure out why I am so tired when we go back to school. I just need to shut my brain down for a little bit.

 

6. Parents- get to know them well and you will have a great year. Most teachers do not like to give out cell numbers, but I totally do because its easier for me to send a quick text or picture of their child to brighten up their day. Plus they can be so supportive when you create that bond.


7. Students LOVE to tell stories. Sometimes I wonder if they are true or not. I had a student tell me he was riding his four wheeler and that's how he got a scratch. Come to find out he's never rode a four wheeler in his life. Ha, gotta love it!


8. Use what you got. I love Pinterest and TPT, but don't spend all your time printing and creating it will wear you down. Plus it gets expensive.


9. Kindergarten is much more demanding. Inform parents right away of what to expect.


10. Keep a smile on your face, be positive! If  your happy, those around you will be happy (students, co-workers, family).




 

More shopping finds

I made a plan to ONLY go to Hobby Lobby since I was taking the kids. You know how that goes, but I wasn't aware that the summer stuff was 80% off. Oh my!! I spent almost 2 hrs in there but look what goodies I found.

And the kids got a few things ;)

I wasn't done yet! I tortured myself and went to Michael's afterwards, for another hour of shopping to find this stuff:

 I have had a silhouette cameo for over a year and still haven't figured out how to use it very well. So I picked up a few things to practice.

Not the paint of course.

Keep a look out for some of my finished products to come.

Shopping Deals with Steele

 

Woo Hoo! Show me what ya got!.... No really, I want to see all the amazing things you all bought for your classrooms. For me, back to school shopping is like taking a kid into a candy store and watching their eyes bulge out of their head, then the dazed look. That look is our brains saying "what can I do with this?" or "What can I make with this?" My kids look at me crazy and can't figure out why it takes SOOO long for me to get out of the school supply isle.

 

 

So here's the rules, because teachers have rules for EVERYTHING  ;)

 

1.  You must provide a picture

2. PLEASE tell WHERE you got it

3. Share some love and tell your friends to link up

 

 

And on with the program

TARGET

I'm going to put my name on this cute tag to hang on my board. The kiddos love writing my name :) I have some of the dry erase line boards from last year, but they are horizontal and I really liked the vertical boards for my small reading group. I found the pouch and thought I could use it to take to the playground with Band-Aids and tissues inside.

TARGET

I ALWAYS need more flash cards. I let the kiddos use them after they are done with their work. Thank you notes and stickers. 

TARGET and BIG LOTS

I got the binder pouch and Scento markers (A MUST)  at target and the post its at Big Lots.