CVC Practice Activites (freebie)

I love summer!  The freedom it affords can't be beat.  But, I have fallen into some habits that are going to be hard to give up when school starts.  Like:

1.  Staying up late and sleeping past 8 a.m.
2.  Drinking coffee in the afternoon.  (This probably contributes to the 1st one)
3.  Lunch with friends at a real restaurant.
4.  Matinee movies with the hubby.
5.  Pajamas till I feel like it :)

I am already starting to miss these simple pleasures.  I have to keep telling myself that I still have time.  Me = worrier for no reason!  God and I are working on that one :)

I updated my CVC Practice Activities Packet tonight.  It now includes a card game for partners or small groups and 2 CVC picture sorting worksheets.  One of the sorting sheets is free in the download on TPT.  So, head HERE and scoop it up :)

 

 

 

This one below is free!

 

 

Have a BLESSED day,

Pinspiration!

Thanks for the comments!  I am so happy to be able to share my Desk Awards with:
 

Roxanne S.

Josie F.

Lindsay(For The Love of First Grade)

 

For those that are still interested, you can check them out HERE.

I also wanted to share a few of my pinterest inspired projects from the summer.  They are not school related but I thought you might still enjoy seeing them.  If not, click the back button now :)

 

 

 

 

 

I hope the remainder of your Friday is AWESOME friends!  I will leave with these wise words:

 

 

I love this and feel this way about the blogging community (as well as my colleagues)! 

 

Have a BLESSED day,

Behavior Managment~ Desk Awards

I have had good intentions to blog more this summer, but summer has been too distracting!  The hubs and I just returned from vacation on the Oregon coast.  It was BEAUTIFUL, but so different than the beach trips from my southern past.  The Oregon beaches are cool and windy!  I have never been to the beach in the summer and had to wear a hoodie, but I did this time!  But again, it was gorgeous!  Heck, even driving there was beautiful.  Massive evergreens shadowing the road with intermittent glimpses of the Pacific--AMAZING! 

Here's the hoodied hubs after finding supper  :)

Now, it's back to reality.  I can't believe that we are nearing the end of July!  My Littles don't come back until the very end of August, but STILL!  I still have lots of projects on my summer to-do list left.  Hopefully, I will showing off some pinterest inspired projects soon! 

For now, I will leave you with one thing I have finished, my latest TPT packet!  It's a great little positive behavior motivator that I have used in my classroom for the past 2 years.  I refer to them as desk awards. 

  After printing and laminating the awards, you need to find someway that your Littles can display them proudly on their desk.  I picked up some $1 Target photo clips last summer, but you could use 2 bulldog binder clips or clunky paper clips.  I purchased my gem clips last week at the Target dollar spot.  Here's what they look like close up.: 

 

 

 To keep things refreshing for the Littles, this packet also has seasonal/holiday desk awards to mix in when appropriate.  For kicks and giggles, I also made a few thematic desk awards too!  There are 2 for each season/holiday/theme represented and they repeat the same 2 behaviors:  "I am an AWESOME role model" and "I am a responsible learner."  These behaviors are not specific and will allow you to define those with your students depending on classroom needs.

What I love about this is that it can fit with any existing behavior management program that you are already using.  I use a clip chart, but I love bringing these out to mix things up.  This also allows me to zero in on a specific behavior that we need to work on.  Most of the time, I tell my Littles that I would like to hand out the desk award for _______ and that I am looking for someone that can do it.  This allows me to gently remind about good behavior and classroom expectations but not in a nagging way.  Anywho, if you want to check it out, click HERE!  I would love to give the 1st 3 people that comment this resource as a freebie :)



Have a BLESSED day,

Liebster Award~ Wahoo!

Wow!  I feel so honored to be nominated for my first ever blog award :)

The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. So, what is a Liebster?  The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome. Isn't that sweet? Blogging is about building a community and it's a great way to connect with other bloggers and help spread the word about newer bloggers/blogs.

To accept this award I must:

1. Link back to the blog that nominated me

2. Nominate 5-11 blogs with fewer than 200 followers

3. Answer the questions posted for me by my nominator

4. Share 11 random facts about myself

5. Create 11 questions for my nominees

6. Contact my nominees and let them know I nominated them

 Thanks Mr. First Grade and Sweet Tea and Second Grade!  I feel so blessed to be a part of the blogging community and I can't imagine teaching without it!  So, in fulfillment of the award I must answer some questions from the illustrious nominators.  Here they are:

Questions from Sweet Tea and Second Grade and my answers ~
1. What is your favorite first day of school activity? I love the clean slate that each new year brings.  As crazy as it sounds, I love rehearsing classroom procedures....over and over (and over and over) again.  I know the benefits of this practice and can appreciate my diligence in October!  Plus, the Littles are usually on their very best behavior that day!

2. Have you always wanted to be a teacher? If not, what did you want to be? I wanted to be a private investigator as a child.  I think I can trace the roots to Magnum P.I.

3. What is your craving: salt or sugar?  SUGAR~ doughnuts!  Yummy!

4. How do you see your life looking in 10 years?  I hope to still be teaching! 

5. What is your favorite blog (teaching or otherwise)?  I love so many that it is hard to choose.  I love First Grade Parade, Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits and Step Into Second Grade with Mrs. Lemons. 

6. Coke or Dr. Pepper? Coke, but in reality Coke Zero!

7. If you could pick any city/state to live in, where would you life and why? I love WA, but I miss NC so stinking much!  It's just a sweet pace of life that I enjoy there.

8. Describe your perfect afternoon. My perfect afternoon would be spent exploring Charleston, SC with my hubby.  I love that city!

9. What is the one beauty product you can't live without?  I don't know if this really counts but, I am gonna say my round brush.  My hair needs taming every morning.  It is straight, but left on its own it is a mess! Blow drying with a round brush is non-negotiable for me :)

10. Who do you admire most?  My mom

11. When is your favorite time of day?  Dusk...pure bliss!

Questions from Mr. First Grade and my answers ~
1.  What's the last book you finished?  Summer Breeze
2.  When did you decide to become a teacher?  Senior in high school
3.  Do you have any advice for new teachers?  Yes, be extra nice to the janitor and office managers because they run the school :)  Also, become familiar with Teachers Pay Teachers.  It is an unmatched resource!
4.  How do you unwind after a day at school?  I crush candy.  Yep, I'm a candy crush addict.
5.  What's your dream vacation?  Hawaii~  I want to tour all the places where LOST was filmed :)
6.  How do you stay on top of that pile of paperwork?  I learned early on in my career that not everything needs to be graded.  Prioritize!  I also make sure that my desk is clean before I leave on Friday.  When Monday comes, I am always glad that I stayed on Friday to do it!
7.  Favorite sweet treat?  doughnuts! (or ice cream)
8.  Favorite movie?  The Goonies!  The Princess Bride is a close 2nd.
9.  Favorite food?  shrimp
10.  Why did you start blogging?  I loved reading other teacher's blog and wanted to join in on the fun!
11.  What was the best advice you ever received?  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 

11 Random facts about me ~
1.   I hate my middle name.
2.   I love reality television. (Big Brother, SYTYCD, Survivor, Amazing Race, etc)
3.   I adore Hello Kitty and my students often bring me presents that are HK themed.
4.   I had my nose pierced about 6 years ago but it didn't heal properly so I let it close...boo!
5.   I love my personal laminator and use it too much.
6.   I am a backseat driver...I can't help myself!  Good thing my hubby loves me anyway.
7.   I don't like talking on the telephone.
8.   Angel Eyes by The Jeff Healey Band is my favorite song.
9.   I love college basketball (Go NC Tarheels!)
10.  I love crafting!  Pinterest has only fueled this love!
11.  I'm a people pleaser...it's a problem!

So, my nominees are:
1.  My First Love
2.  My Silly Firsties
3.  The Teacher Diaries
4.  Mackey's Classroom
5.  The Bender Bunch

My questions for the nominees:
1.  Do you have a theme for your classroom?
2.  What's your favorite picture book?
3.  What's your favorite back to school activity?
4.  What grades have your taught and which is your favorite?
5.  What are your favorite blogs (teaching related or other)
6.  What's your favorite subject to teach and why?
7.  What's your guilty pleasure?
8.  What's our favorite movie?
9.  Are you a salty or sweet kind of person?
10.  What's your favorite classroom management trick/technique?
11.  What's the best advice you have ever received?



Have a BLESSED day,

Favorite Pin Friday

 

Wow!  It's been awhile Blogland!  Summer vacation has taken over and I can say that I'm loving every second :) Summer vacation is not overrated....at all! I haven't been completely lazy. I am finally getting my house organized.  We moved into our new home almost a year ago.  It was right before a trip south to see our family, major church stuff that we were a part of, and right before school started.  Oh, and I had thrown my back out....not fun!  We have 2 extra bedrooms and a garage that have been the "holding" room for many things and this summer has been the perfect opportunity to declutter and organize.  I'll post some pics when it's all finished.

Onto today's post...I love Cara's new Linky party "Favorite Pins Friday."  I am slightly addicted to Pinterest so this is right up my alley.  Here they are: 

School Related

How adorable is this little behavior management tool from First Grader At Last!?!  Basically, you start by writing a Little's name in the Quiet Mouse bubble.  During transitions that Little looks for the next quiet mouse and so on for the rest of the day.  I think I might change it up just a little bit for my room.  We are the Pandas so mine might say Quiet Panda of the day.

 

 

I think I might do something similar outside my classroom to write down funny things that the Littles say.  It comes from Chez Larsson. 

 

DIY Projects

I love upcycling!  This piece is awesome and happy.  I just purchased a sorta similar cabinet to make over and this is totally my inspiration.  The source for this inspiration is from ReFab Diaries.


I love this print so much and plan to do something similar for my entry.  The source is from the HUNTED INTERIOR.  Lots of great ideas here. 

Yummy  Food

This is one of my favorite recipes from Pinterest!  It is super yummy.  I do end of adding rotisserie chicken for the sake of the hubs.  He needs meat in order to feel as though it's a meal...boys :)   The recipe is from A Small Snippet. 


This feta dip is super delish!  I have made it a couple of times and it always gets rave reviews.  Plus, it is super simple.  This recipe is from Clover Lane.

I can't wait to wade through all the other Favorite Pin Links!   Head over to The First Grade Parade to look or link up :)

Have a BLESSED day,