Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland Centers on SALE!

I just wanted to let you all know I just posted a literacy center mini pack that I think turned out pretty cute :) There are 4 centers covering the following skills:

 

ABC Order

Synonyms

Parts of Speech {verbs, nouns, adjectives}

Compound Words

 

It's part of my Cyber Monday & Tuesday sale {it's on sale for $1.60, plus TpT will give you an additional 10% off with promo code CMT12!}

 

Check it out by clicking the picture below

 

And don't forget, EVERYTHING in my store is 28% off until tomorrow! Happy shopping! :)

Reminder & Liebster Award x 2! Thank you :)

First off, don't forget about Cyber Monday & Tuesday sale on TpT! Everything in my store will be 20% off, plus with code CMT12, TpT is offering an additional 10% off! Click the image below to fill up your cart!

Victoria & Tricia over at 2 Super Teachers

and Alyssha at Teaching and Tapas

have nominated me for the Liebster Award! Click on the images above to check out their blogs :)

 

 

This award is given to up and coming bloggers with fewer than 200 followers.

 

Here are the rules:

1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.

2. You must answer the questions that the nominator set for you.

3. You must create 11 questions for the people you nominate.

4. You must choose 11 other blogs with fewer than 200 followers to nominate and link them in your post.

5. You cannot “tag back” the other blog, but leave a comment on this post with the URL of your Liebster post so I can learn more about you & see who you nominate.

 

11 Random Things About Me!

1. I grew up as an Air Force brat.

2. I moved to Oklahoma City 14 years ago and I have fiiiinally started to love my city a little bit :) I am so excited to see where our city is going!

3. Speaking of OKC... I LOVE THE THUNDER!

4. I am addicted to The Real Housewives of anywhere! I love pretty much any show on Bravo :)

5. Chocolate is my favorite food group.

6. I think Australian Shepherds are the best dogs out there.

7. I love to travel.

8. My friend Amy and I began team teaching this year and I. LOVE. IT.

9. I just decided to start running in the past couple of weeks. I always thought I hated running, but it's not so bad after all :)

10. I HATE spiders.

11. I really, really, REALLY want to go to Italy sometime in the near future!

 

Now, I am going to be answering 22 questions since I was nominated twice :)

 

1. How long have you been teaching? This is my 6th year.

2. How long have you been blogging? I started this blog back in February of 2011! Almost 2 years!

3. What do you love teaching the most? I am a big math person, so that's my favorite subject. However, I would say my favorite unit to teach may have to be our Grinch Unit!

4. What book are you reading right now for enjoyment...not school related? I am going to be honest, I am not currently reading anything!

5. What is your favorite food? Chocolate!

6. Do you have any pets? Yes, 2 miniature Australian Shepherds named Lulu and Molly :)

7. What are your hoobies? I like baking and cooking, walking the dogs, photography, making crafts, etc.

8. Do you have your own children? Nope, but someday we hope!

9. What grades have you taught? Just 2nd! And I LOVE it!

10. Where was your last vacation? We got a beach house in Rhode Island with my dad's family, then my husband and I went to Boston for a few days!

11. Have you always been a teacher? Yes, this is the only career I have had since I graduated college.

1. Do you believe in astrology? Hmm, somewhat I guess! Never really thought about it :)
2. What is your favorite subject to teach? Math.
3. What is your favorite childhood memory? When my brother and I were little, we would always make a fort in my bedroom on Christmas Eve and sleep in there, waiting to see if we could hear Santa :)
4. Any hobbies? I like baking and cooking, walking the dogs, photography, making crafts, etc.
5. Do you believe in love at first sight? YES!
6. Are you close with your siblings? Yes, I am pretty close with my brother!
7. Dog person or a cat person? DOG!
8. Apple or PC? We currently have a PC, but all our other products are Apple :)
9. Best travel experience? I have had quite a few great travel experiences, but I think it'd have to be when the hubs and I went to Hawaii!
10. If you could live and work anywhere in the world, where would it be? Italy!
11. What is the perfect Sunday like for you? Waking up late, having a big breakfast, walking to pups, being outside, grilling out for dinner, and just taking it easy :)

 

11 Questions for my Nominees

1. How long have you been teaching?

2. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

3. What is your favorite unit to teach?

4. What is your favorite meal?

5. How long have you been blogging?

6. What is your favorite children's book?

7. What is your favorite movie?

8. Do you have any pets?

9. Do you have any children?

10. What is your favorite season?

11. What is your favorite band/music artist?

 

11 Blogs I am Nominating!

Being Inspired

2nd Grade Frosting

Ladybug's Lounge

Mrs. Seiber's Class

Educating to the Core

Teacherific

Seriously Primary

Little Miss Primary

Special Teacher for Special Kids

Mrs. D's Firsties

Coffee Cups and Lesson Plans

Cyber Monday {& Tuesday} SALE + Gingerbread FREEBIE!

Hey all! I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! The hubs and I had a wonderful time with our families, and I have eaten more than I care to admit :) 

 

First off, I will be participating in TpT's Cyber Monday {+Bonus Tuesday!} Sale! Everything in my store will be 20%, PLUS TpT is giving an additional 10% off with promo code CMT12. That makes everything in my store 28% off!! Load up your carts now! {Click the image below to get to my store!}

 

 

I have had some requests for my Gingerbread Story Map. Click on the image to get your copy for FREE!

 

 

I will say that I saw a similar idea a year or so ago and made my own sheet to fit the needs of my class. So if this was originally your idea, please let me know! I have posted it on my TpT store. You can see our Gingerbread Unit from last year {HERE} We will be doing a lot of similar activities this year :)

 

I cannot believe there are only 4 more weeks of school until Christmas break! We will be doing the following units for the rest of the year...

 

Native American Regions

The Grinch
Gingerbread Unit
Christmas Around the World/Elves

 

What will the rest of 2012 look like in YOUR classroom??

Turkey Time & FREEBIE for you :)

Hi friends! TGIF! Today was a pretty long day for some reason... Usually Fridays fly by, but not today! I don't know if I am just getting anxious for Thanksgiving break or what :) Only 2 more school days! {Oh, how I envy those of you who get the full week off!!!}

 

This week has been all about TURKEYS! We started the week reading one of my favorite stories, A Turkey for Thanksgiving! And lucky for us, it's on our basal!

 

 

We listened to it one day and made a story map together. We discussed the characters, setting, and worked on summarizing the beginning, middle and end of the story.

 

 

 

 

The next day we had the students buddy read the story and discuss it {btw, our kiddos are doing an amazing job during Read to Someone! They are all into "checking for understanding!" LOVE IT!} When they were done, they got to make these cuties!

 

 

These were their story map booklets {inspired by Amy Lemons} that they did on their own without the help of the poster. The booklets included characters, setting, and B, M, E. They did an awesome job :)

 

 

This week we also reviewed fact and opinion. We first read Turkeys by Julie Murray.

 

 

The kids loved it! We talked a lot about nonfiction text features. I made a powerpoint with facts and opinions that I projected on the smart board. The kids had to make an "F" with their body if it was a statement of fact, and an "O" with their arms if it was a statement of opinion. Our kids have got fact and opinion DOWN!!! We made these fact and opinion turkeys.. I am not sure where I got the feathers from {they were given to me my first year of teaching}, but I used the same bodies that we used for our booklets. They wrote "Fact" on one side of the orange paper and "Opinion" on the other side...  {Next year I will use turkeys that are already labeled "fact" and "opinion." This was kind of a last minute deal and I just was not thinking!}

 

 

Then yesterday and today we practiced how-to writing using sequencing words. As a class, we wrote the steps of how to bake a pumpkin pie. Then the kids did their pre-writing of how to cook a turkey! I always LOVE this writing activity :) The kids did a great job!

 

{One student's planning page}

 

 

{Another student's final draft}

 

Well, I am off to spend some time with the hubs since he just got home! Have a wonderful weekend!!

Giveaway Winner!

The winner of my Grinch Pack, Christmas Math Journal Prompts, and Christmas Tree Glyph Craftivity goes to Rachel! My favorite Thanksgiving food is stuffing :) I will be sending those items to you after I type this up :)

 

You can still pick up all three packs, as well as my NEW Christmas Center Mini-Pack! {You get 2 math and 2 ELA centers-that's just $0.50 a piece!}

 

I will be back to post about some of the fun turkey things we have been working on this week :)

Veteran's Day & GIVEAWAY!

Hi friends! I have been pretty lazy lately about updating this ol' blog with photos of what we've been up to!! I apologize! And honestly, I will not be doing much better today :) But stay tuned because at the end I have a giveaway for some of my new Christmas items! :)

 

We have been working on patriotic symbols the past week or so, and today we focused on Veterans Day.

Bulletin board idea from Cara Carroll!

 

We had a really nice assembly in our gym this morning to honor the Veterans in our school community. We discussed the character traits of Veterans and why they are so important to our country. The kids got really into our discussion. Then we had our kids write letters to our military... Have you heard of the website http://www.amillionthanks.org/? It is awesome! Anyone is able to write letters of thanks to our military and they will make sure the letters find their way to someone currently serving! How cool is that? Our kids were very excited to write their words of thanks and appreciation. And the kids are even more excited because the website says that most military will write back to you! So we included our school address on their pictures.

 BTW, these two girls sit nowhere near each other,
so it's interesting that they drew almost the same picture!

Tomorrow we are beginning our Turkey/Thanksgiving unit and I am sooooo excited! We will start by reading A Turkey for Thanksgiving and doing lots of fun turkey related writing and craftivities!

Now, onto the giveaway!!!

I have THREE new Christmas themed packets on TpT right now.... Would you like to win ALL THREE?!?

Here's what to do...
1. Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this blog post.
2. Follow my TpT store.
3. Leave a comment guessing my favorite Thanksgiving food! {Don't forget to leave your email address!}

The first person who can correctly guess my favorite Thanksgiving food will receive all three packets! I will be back in a couple days to announce the winner! Happy Holidays :)

 

 

 

Flash Sale on Election Mini Packet!

Hey friends! I am marking my Classroom Election mini packet 20% off through tomorrow, making it $1.20! It includes voter registration cards, ballots, "I Voted" buttons, and a tallying/graphing activity. Click {HERE} to get your copy to use tomorrow :)

 

This week we are focusing on the election process, patriotic symbols, and Veteran's Day {which will carry on into next week a bit}. You can see some of the ideas from my post last year.

I will try to be better about posting photos.. I keep forgetting my camera and we are always busy at work!

Have a wonderful week!