One Month Done!

I can't believe that I have been in school for a month.  We just handed out interims on Friday.  Do you have to do interim reports?  It takes forever to complete them because almost all of the skills have to be checked individually.  I also had to have my STAR testing done for the district and for my state evaluation.(OTES)

I am now done with one of my walk throughs for OTES too!  Stressful week for my building.  Here is a link to a great giveaway you might want to check out today.  Have a great Sunday!

http://secondgradeperks.blogspot.com/

Check out this giveaway!

I am shocked how fast today went by.  Usually Mondays are slow for me especially when my class has morning rotation.  I have been up since 4 am. A garbage truck was dropping heavy bins at that hour. This has been going on for a month now and I am tired of losing my beauty sleep.  Believe me I need all the beauty sleep I can get! They are not supposed to pick up trash until 6 am.  Hopefully this will stop soon or I am going to have to move into another bedroom!

My class is so great!  I can't believe they have been in school for 17 days already.  We had a professional day on Friday so they got a nice 3 day weekend.  Can you believe it is time for interim reports to go home on Friday.  That means I will be doing report cards in 4 more weeks.

Here is another great giveaway you won't want to miss!  http://www.tabletalkwithcandc.blogspot.com/2013/09/tpt-reading-activity-best-seller-linky.html

I hope you have a great week!

You have to go and check out the Arts and Crafts Center giveaway on Lori's blog.  It looks really fantastic!  Here's the link  http://teachingwithloveandlaughter.blogspot.com/2013/09/lakeshore-review-and-giveaway.html?showComment=1379192589686#c1999597928881124647

Live, Laugh, I Love Kindergarten would like you to help her celebrate 600 followers! Here's the link! http://livelaughilovekindergarten.blogspot.com/2013/09/600-follower-giveaway.html


Is anyone else tired from going back to school?  I forget how needy and young my firsties are when school starts.  I am used to how they are when they leave.  This year I have 25 little darlings.  I lost one student or I would have 26.  This is a very large class for me.  I have 13 girls and 12 boys.  I can't believe we have been in school for a month.  We even had a teacher professional day yesterday.  If you live in Ohio you know as part of our OTES evaluations we have to write SLO's.  That is what we spent our day working on yesterday.  Does anyone else feel like all they are going to be doing is testing?  I just had to test my class using the STAR tests for Early Literacy, Math, and about half of them had to take the STAR reading or there would be no way for me to show a year's growth.

I have a book I have to have finished by Monday.  It's Danielle Steel's, First Sight and it is pretty good, but sad.  I am also wanting to watch Ohio State's football game tonight at 7.  Have a great weekend!

Last day to enter for a pencil sharpener at http://livelaughilovekindergarten.blogspot.com/2013/09/five-for-friday.html



Come celebrate Andrea's and Jennie's birthdays in a great giveaway!  http://jdsrockinreaders.blogspot.com/2013/09/happy-birthday-to-me-and-andrea.html


http://mindfulrambles.blogspot.com/2013/09/back-to-school-giveaway.html  Can you tell I really would like to win a pink pencil sharpener or a blue one!  I am sure you would like to win won too so I am sharing which blogs to go and check out!

Hi!  Tomorrow the children are coming!  I lost one student so I am down to 25  students.  Two teachers now have  fewer kids than  I  do so I should not get the next 3 students. I probably shouldn't but I am willing to do a happy dance right now., if I had the energy.  I am tired from 2 days of meetings.

 I have some fun things planned around Pete the Cat and The Kissing Hand.  I love to read and sing with my class so that should help start off our first day together! How many of you don't start until September?

I wanted to let you know about  bundle of kindergarten and first grade math over at this Tales From A Traveling Teacher.  They are  also having a giveaway if you are interested.  Here is the link!  http://talesfromatravelingteacher.blogspot.ca/2013/08/journal-giveaway-summer-lovin.html

I have a funny story to tell you about today.  I decided over the weekend that I could not stand my kid's orange cubbies that they put their supplies in.  They are very old and grungy. I also decided they didn't match my classroom colors of aqua and green.  So I decided to spray paint them blue. I know I had the whole summer to do this but I decided to wait until school starts!  I guess I like stress!  They do look nice but I look like a Smurf!  It doesn't matter what I paint I always end up wearing it.  I did discover that Goo Be Gone will cut through the paint so the Smurf in me has disappeared which is a good thing because I had to go back to work today.
This year we have 2 work days before school starts.  We had meetings this morning and then we could work in our rooms.  Tomorrow we are in meetings for the entire day.  The children will start on Wednesday.  We are all up to 26 children and counting.  That's a large class for us. 104 first graders!  My largest class was 35 first graders a long time ago.  I still have a cute note a sub wrote me.  She drew 35 stick children and said I don't know how you do this every day!  I hope if you are starting back to school this week that you have a great week and a great class too.  I know I am anxious to use some of the new items I just bought on TPT.

I promise I will take my camera to school this week to take pictures of my room.  I am not allowed to take pictures of the children in my room or I would probably share those with you too.  Have a great week!

Heads up!  Teachers Notebook is having a site wide sale this weekend.  I believe TPT is doing the same but I don't know when it starts.  If you are like me you probably have some things on your wishlist you would like for back to school!  If you display Mel's (Graphics From the Pond)  cute I Love Clip art button she  has another cute graphic for you!  It's one of her cute stick figures. http://graphicsfromthepond.blogspot.com/2013/08/scrappy-rainbow-kids-set-3-free-for.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GraphicsFromThePond+%28Graphics+From+the+Pond%29
I need to go to school this weekend and finish setting up my room.  Our school board will be going through for a tour and then my Open House is Wednesday.  So I guess the stress begins.  My room is decorated in polka dots and owls.  I need to take some pictures so you can see.  A friend of mine made my polka dotted curtains because
a.  I haven't sewn in forever
b.  I tore apart a closet and found my sewing machine but couldn't find the cord
c.  I couldn't find the metal piece that covers up the thread
I really didn't want to sew them anyways.  They turned out so cute!
I hope you have a great weekend and if you have already started back just remember you will be out before the rest of us and then we will be jealous too!.

I have been busy laminating, working on a bulletin board and fixing up  my space in the hallway.  We are each up to 25 children and counting!   That's a lot of children compared to last year and we haven't even started school yet! We usually average around 19-20 children, although  my first year of teaching I had 35 little darlings.  A sub drew me a picture of my class and said that is way too many children in one room.  I kept the note and put it in my first year of teaching scrapbook. When do you go back?  I have an Open House next Wednesday and then school starts for me on the 19th.  The children won't start until the 21st.

Here's a great giveaway to check out! http://www.luckytobeinfirst.com/2013/08/its-giveaway-time.html?showComment=1376085349430#c4804313526318689165


Education to the Core is has a lot of great products on TPT.  They are also having a giveaway going on right now too.  Come check it out!
http://www.educationtothecore.com/2013/08/25-tpt-giveaway-from-education-to-core.html

  I don't know where this summer has gone.  Tomorrow will be my last day tutoring a sweet little boy.  I plan to stay after tutoring and work on my room.  I would like to get my bulletin boards done and see if I can find my cute owls.  If they flew away I still have time to make new ones before our Open House.  Our Open House is the following week before school starts.  Is anyone else getting nervous?  I don't know why we get this way every year but I still get the butterflies, although right now they feel like frogs!
 I am so excited to have another item added to my TPT store.  I have been using this word sort in my room for years. Mine was not this cute!  I can't wait to see what the kids think of it!
I want to leave you with some info on a giveaway http://inthatroomwithheidiharrell.blogspot.com/2013/08/treats-for-teacher-giveaway.html  There are some cute owls which of course I would love to have for my classroom!
Is anyone else going to watch the final Bachelorette?    I have found the whole season to be rather boring but I am going to watch tonight's show or at least watch the end of it if it is boring.

I wanted to share with you a great giveaway for classroom supplies or furniture.  Have a happy Saturday!
http://www.teachingmaddeness.com/2013/07/100-dream-classroom-giveaway.html?showComment=1375535829296#c7432145539955734557

This is just a short post to let you know that
Camp Kindergarten is having a cute back to school giveaway.  Go check it out here!
http://campkindergarden.blogspot.com

      Hi!
I have been busy working on my first paid item for TPT.  I am so excited about it.  Hopefully I will get it loaded next week!  I am visiting family at the moment or should I say policing the pets?  My parents have a 6 year old standard poodle.  I have an almost  15 year old diabetic cat.  My cat hates their monster dog and their dog wants to play or eat my cat.  We have to gate off their space.  The dog gets the front half of the house and my cat gets the other half.  Needless to say my cat can only stand a few days of being banished to the back half of the house.  You're probably wondering why I don't board my cat at the vets.  His names is Cuddles but my vet said that when I am not there his name does not fit him at all!  He tries to bite them and scratch them. ( Kind of hard when you don't have any claws!)  Anyways they won't let me board him there or should I say they don't recommend it because of his diabetes.
If you haven't put the I Love Clipart button from Mel on your blog what are you waiting for?  You can get cute, free graphics!  I love Mel's graphics.  I was in her fun Graphics Clipart club and it was like opening a Christmas present every day!  I miss her emails!!  I am off to referee the pets!  (The dog is winning so I guess I am going to have to banish myself to the other half of the house too!

   
Morning!  I finally got my first freebie up in my TPT  store unless it disappears on me. It's a long story! My picture images disappeared on me yesterday so I hope they are still there this morning.  Now I remember what it feels like to accomplish something you're afraid to do.  That should help me be a better teacher!

I have another funny story.  Tuesday I tutor a sweet little boy.  I do this in my room at school.  Well I thought I would be smart and take some of the things I have gotten for my room to school now instead of later.  I have to laugh because my keyless card would not open one single door.  The doors would click but not open.  Our office is closed until August so I knew it was useless to press the intercom button. I was going to see if the janitors in the building would answer the phone but I discovered that I had forgotten to charge my cell phone. I then drove back home and called but you guessed it no one answered!  I ended up having to cancel tutoring because  who wants to read outside when it is 90 degrees?  Who wants to even be outside?

Mel over at Graphics From the Pond has some cute playdough graphics you can get.  All you need to do is display her cute I Love Clipart button and we know you all love her cute clip art!

http://graphicsfromthepond.blogspot.com

Hi Everyone!
I wanted to let you know that there is a great giveaway going on over at http://hootsnhollers.blogspot.com
She is giving away some great place value foam cubes which would be so great for math.
  I am busy working  on my first product for TPT and a sample of that unit for my first freebie.  I am learning a lot about the process and securing the graphics thanks to blogger, Heather Byers.  Thank you , Heather!
I need to go get ready to tutor.  Have a great day and keep cool!

This is just a short post to see if it will show up on Bloglovin!

Hi everyone!
What a gorgeous day.  My small town is having their fireman's festival this weekend.  Thank goodness the rain has gone.  I thought I was going to have to build an arc!  Last night I got to watch the great fireworks from my deck.  They were really nice.
  I am getting ready to open my store on TPT.  I have been receiving a lot of help and support.  It's kind of a scary adventure, as I know most of you know.  I am also very excited! I just don't want to make any mistakes. I know!  Don't we tell our students you learn from your mistakes?  I guess I better embrace those words or I shouldn't be saying them to my class.  I made a cute welcome sign for my classroom.  I think I will make them for several grades and put them in my store as one of my freebies.  I am going to keep this short because I am off to the festival!  Have a great Saturday night!


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I love my new blog!  It is so cute!  Honey Bunch Designs made it for me.  This design mimics my classroom too!  I am all about polka dots, owls, aqua, and lime green.  Is anyone else like me?

I went to school yesterday to print some things off.  Wrong!  My laptop would not connect to any internet and the brand new desktop computers weren't hooked up either. So I moved on to Plan 2 or B.  You can tell I am a teacher because we always have several plans and we are great at improvising on the spot.

 I  rearranged my furniture and unstacked  40-50 chairs.  The AC was on but I could not tell!  I also moved  13 tables and moved them again and are you ready?  I moved them once more!  It looks nice, but I will probably rearrange it again before school starts or after I see what it looks like with 24 kids.  I only had 19 kids last year so I had to take away some of my station tables .  I am not really happy about that but I have found if the kids sit too close together I have more discipline problems.  I now have 10 tables for the 24 kids.  I will take pictures later when I have my bulletin boards decorated and when I recharge my camera.  Yup!  It wouldn't work yesterday too.  Oh well  all I can do is laugh and write about it here!  That's why my blog is called Laughter and Learning in First!

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