Linky Snack ideas party

Mrs. Bainbridge's Class is having a linky party about snack time and snack ideas. I always need good ideas for this beacuse it changes for me throughput the year and even though I have taught for as many years as I have that is one of the parts of my day that I get frustrated with. This is what I have done in the past:
1. Had a snack calendar
2. Sent out snack letters requesting snacks or posted in my newsletter when snacks were low ( my parents always have come through with snacks),
We have a our snack at recess time but there are some days, when I want snack to be a center where students get to just be the social animals that they are. Kids need time to talk about silly things, about the things they like and dislike, about being friends, etc. I am finding that I have heard and continue to hear "...the language among students talking in the classroom must be about the subject you are teaching..." (stated in a professorial tone). That is where I protest...kids are kids let them talk and discover from each other at snack time, around the table. After all,  isn't that where most of us learned from our siblings, friends,and family etc. School is academic enough without everything always being focused on Academics.
OK,  I am off my soapbox. I have vented and that is my tips for snacks. Check out the linky party to find more.

Great Crafty Giveaway from Little Miss Kindergarten

Check out the crafty giveaway on Little Miss kindergarten's blog. This is the last day for the giveaway and I am so glad I paid attention and posted about this and entered. She has great ideas too for so many things and is quite a "crafty" teacher with decorating her classroom. So take a look!
http://littlemisskindergarten.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-days-for-giveaway

One of my favorite sites

This is one of my favorite sites http://www.education.com for fun activities, games and worksheets (in a pinch). It's great for parents and teachers to because there are printables and games that keep the child learning all year round! Check it out.

free fonts!

You can download all sort of cute fonts, doodles, and dings from MissTina.com just remember to give her credit. I found out about this on a blog I follow: http://larremoreteachertips.blogspot.com/2011/07/free-fonts-from-miss-tiina.html . This blog has so many great ideas for teachers so a special thank you to her and Miss Tina for the information and fonts.

Finally in First: Picture Rubric

I love this idea for setting procedures in writing and drawing, because sometimes it is so hard to get little ones to understand.

Finally in First: Picture Rubric: "In the beginning of the year I set a lot of expectations. One of the tools I use is a picture rubric to show what I expect when it comes to ..."

Linky party!!

Yearn to Learn is having a linky party....love the chance to look at other blogs in a linky party. Check it out! Here are the rules:
In your link up find the following:

1.  A blogger who is a "New Kid on the Blog"
(Let's say someone who has blogged 2 months or less and has less than 200 followers)

2.  Post a blogger in your same grade level

3.  Post a blogger in a different grade level

4.  It's all about the button. Find a cute blog button and post it.


So here is my list:

1. My new kid on the block is,Lisa at http://birdsofafeatherlearntogether.blogspot.com/. She is new to blogging about her little four K's in Child Development. She is a great teacher and I was her mentor teacher her first year of teaching.
2. Someone in my grade level that I admire and teach with is http://teachblogrepeat.blogspot.com. Rachele and Jamie Lee always teach this old dog how to keep up and lots of new "tricks"
3. Primary Graffiti is a favorite blog from another grad level that I go to. She has great ideas.
4. I love the button on Ya-Ya's Kindergarten blog.

Have shoes will travel...

Saw this Shoe unit by http://anotherdayinfirstgrade.blogspot.com. Looks like a fun unit with graphing, sorting and classifying skills, all of which are skills for kindergarten and first grade. I know when we at our school have been teaching some of these skills we have played a game called "What's My Rule?". Shoes would be great, real-life objects to use with this game and tie in well with the unit. So if you have a chance hop on over and take a look at her blog and the unit.

Summer Vacation and driving on the Road.

Just got back from a couple of days with my brother and his family at Litchfield Beach, South Carolina. One of my favorite places to be is at the beach, but as I was traveling to get there I heard one of my favorite singers, Willie Nelson singing "On the Road Again". The song inspired me to come up with some games and a unit that would be about traveling. So I thought and created a few games about being on the road and here is one of those games for you to preview. Click here for a download.

I hope you guys enjoy it. I am continuing to finish the rest of the games for the unit and will post as soon as it is done... until then...

"On the road again,

Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is making music with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again...." Thank you Willie for that song!

Lesson Plan Books

Lesson Plan  ( you can click here to download too)

 There was a discussion on We Teach about lesson plan books. Our grade level has planned together and shared plans even though we do these things at different times of the day. It helps us with the whole planning part and each of us does a part and the publishes them on the school website for the principal to view if she needs to look. The great thing about our admin staff is they believe that we are professionals and we will put the plans up there and use them. Ultimately lesson plans are for teachers, not for parents and others to peruse and judge but for teachers to use. So I am posting a copy of our lesson plans for you to look at and see how we do it. Any comments would be great, because as in every field and profession there is always room for constructive criticism and growth!
Here is the lesson plan.

Beginning of School Bingo

I am loading up a Bingo game for the beginning of school for my little wonders to play at a center. The purpose is to get them used to playing games together. I have found that often times I will pull out a Bingo game and there are the few students that do not know letters, colors, etc. So I thought why not make a Bingo game for the first few weeks of school, that has kids pictures, and school supplies on it. They can recognize those and it will make them feel successful  and not frustrated. It helps them learn how to play together and helps me start teaching procedures and expectations for centers...of course it is FUN!

Download this Bingo game here.

Kindergarten Crayons: Stamp Your Paper Not Your Clothes!

Kindergarten Crayons: Stamp Your Paper Not Your Clothes!

Go and check it out!

What a great idea!I am going to be using this with my little wonders. Our school in Summerville, SC has a school-wide theme, called: Hauling in the Big One!; this also goes along with the school mascot of a Marlin, with all this fishing stuff for our school this worksheet is perfect!

Beginning of the year freebie

Primary Graffiti is giving away a great beginning of the year freebie. It looks so cute and interesting. I am thinking that this could really help with career things at school for me as well as alphabet stuff for my little wonders. Check out the link:
http://primarygraffiti.blogspot.com/2011/07/global-missions.html?

Alphabet Unit: A Freebie!

I have been working on this and it may not be perfect but I wanted to share it. Please leave comments too.Click here for the unit. Hope y'all enjoy and can use it.

Cool Site

I was reading over one of my favorite blogs,
and found the coolest site... check it out!   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/storytime/index.asp 
What neat thing to share with your kids and parents!

Graphics and Letters

I love Lettering Delights. They always have great fonts, graphics and Alphabets, but best of all they have great sales. Through the month of July they are having a fifty cent sale and their Tuesday sales are great too! Check them out! They have some freebies too, if you become a member!

Bug Vocabulary Freebie

Here are some bug words that are vocabulary cards that I plan to use in my class download them here.
It is just a little something and my first attempt at learning how to link through google docs. I learn as I go...which is why I teach kindergarten! Happy Fourth to all.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VewtS6SJ-EYNawZNnnLf1jOBcpUdGyIfHnArOf70H9Y/edit?hl=en_US

Happy Independence Day Weekend

A weekend to celebrate our country's independence. Happy 4th of July everyone. I am working on a freebie for any of you that want it. As I said I am a slow learner when it comes to figuring this out so hopefully I will have it posted for you by Monday. Check out the Dollar Store and Target goodies that http://dishingitoutkandfirst.blogspot.com/ found.

Learning New Ways to Communicate

Wow my first post on a blog! I am entering this with knees shaking! I know nothing about setting up a blog, but I have read some fantastic ones this spring and summer (my friends Rachele and Jamie Lee from http://teachblogrepeat.blogspot.com/
started me on blogs). Those two gals sure inspire an old toad teacher like me. So now between my Iced Cafe Americanos from Starbucks, teaching, cooking, reading and looking at blogs, I will be posting my experiences in the world of teaching.