Reindeer Research, Grinch Day, and Ornament fun!

December has been super busy in first grade! We had our second benchmark test this month. Whew...glad to be done with that!! We began the month reading and discussing informational books. Then we decided to do our own research on reindeer. We read several books on them and then wrote about everything we learned. We labeled a reindeer, did a fact and opinion t-chart, and made a little reindeer book all from Melissa Machan at First Grade Smiles...all of which I forgot to take pictures of!  Why????  We made a cute little reindeer I got off Pinterest to go with our writing.

We also had Grinch Day this week. We watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and did some Grinchy adjective work.  I got the ideas from Made for First Grade.  We also colored a hidden Grinch picture from Lil' Country Kindergarten which I forgot to take a picture of...ugh!  We made the Grinch Grin from Deanna Jump....yet again...no picture!!  We ended the day by drinking Grinch punch and ate Grinch cookies.

On Monday of this week, I had some awesome parent volunteers come and help us make ornaments. They turned out so cute!

Colorful snowflakes!

This cute paper tree came from Parents magazine.

Rudolph ornaments!

On a side note....I sold my first two items on TPT last week!  I am so excited.  If you get a chance, go check out my store.  I will be posting several winter fun activities over the holiday.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a restful break!!

Sharon

Snowflake Counting Math Center Freebie

Hey everybody!

I have another little freebie for ya!  It is a Snowflake Counting Math Center to practice counting objects 11-20.  Click here to go to my TPT store to get it.  If you like the center, please leave me some feedback.  My store is new and in serious need of some love!! :0)

 

I am also working on a Winter Math and Literacy Unit specifically for first grade skills.  I already have alphabetical order, compound words learning center, contractions memory game, addition and subtraction story problems, dice addition and subtraction math center, and dice addition worksheets.  What other kinds of activities would you like to see?  I was thinking maybe a printable reader, fact and opinion cards, and telling time.  Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Sharon

New FREE item in my TPT store

Here is another freebie from my new TPT store!  Enjoy!

Click here it get it!

Freebie and New TPT Store

I finally did it!!  I created my TPT store and made some items to sell.  It was sooooooooooo much harder that I had ever dreamed it would be.  I have been exceptionally worried about making sure everything I use is credited properly and that I haven't infringed on any intellectual property or copyright,  So worried in fact, that it has taken me forever to just get a couple of items up.   It is a scary world out there in TPT land!!

Right now I only have a few things posted but come check it!  Here is a little freebie just for checking out my store!

                                                    Click here to get your freebie!

I'm........ba-a-a-a-a-ck...finally!! And my classroom reveal!

It took me a while but I am finally able to get around to blogging. The transition to first grade along with new Common Core Standards has thrown me for a loop.

I think I will like 1st grade..........with time.  Right now, it just feels so different and soooooo much harder than Kindergarten!!

I love the content I am teaching and my kiddos! They are a lot more independent...which is great!

But.....I am struggling with not having as much help as I am use to.  I went from having a full time para to having a para for one hour a day!  Talk about a shock!!  I knew it would be hard to get everything done.....but for my OCD self, it has been a total culture shock.  I have been spending 11 and 12 hours a day at school AND going back on the weekends.  (I keep telling myself.  This......has.......to.......stop.  I haven't listened yet!)

Here are a few pics from my room.

This is the bulletin board outside my classroom.  I borrowed this idea from Kindergarten Cupcake Crumbs.

My door!

           

A cute little bulletin board outside my door.

                                       

Looking into the room from the door.

   

Another view from the door.

                                                         

My red desk

  

I love these crates.  I think this was a brilliant ideas.  I have them at the end of each table to hold journals, notebooks, crayons, etc.  Now most everyone on my hall has joined in and has them in their room.

Front of the room.

Math board.

Computer area.

Reading center

Word wall

Small group table

This and That

Hey everybody!
It has been almost a month since my last post.  I have been sooooooo busy with the end of school and packing my classroom that I just haven't had time to think.
I was sad to see my precious kinder babies go but maybe I will have some of them in my first grade class next year!

I got all my stuff packed and then moved to the new classroom.  It is an absolute disaster!
See................

Old classroom mess!

More old mess!

Last of stuff to be moved!

All in the new classroom!  Where is it all going to go?

Maybe I have too much stuff???

Ugggghh!

I have been working to get it all put away since those pictures were taken but it is still far from finished.

I just spent 3 days with some fantastic first grade teachers from my county at a unit writing workshop.  We took the CCGPS units posted by the state of Georgia and edited them for use with our county's resources.  I really enjoyed working with these ladies and getting some great ideas from them!


Well I guess that is all for now!  I will post pics of the new room when it is all finished!  Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

New name and Dr. Jean

Ok I think the new blog name will be Buggy for First Grade!  Please let me know if there are any other blogs out there with this name.
Can you say Excited?!?!?!?!?!? I just found out yesterday that I am going to get to go see Dr. Jean in Atlanta the end of June!  Who doesn't like Dr. Jean? 

Help!!!!!! Changing grades......I need a new blog name!

HELP!!!!!!  
After 12 years teaching kindergarten, I will be moving to 1st grade next school year.  Sooooooooooo that means my blog name will need to change....can't be the kinderbugs in first grade!  I need some suggestions for the new name!  So get those creative juices flowing and send me your ideas!

Going Buggy!!

Caterpillars, butterflies, and spiders oh my!!  We have been itching (tee hee hee) to study about insects.  Here is just a small sample of our insect unit.

Here are a few of our charts comparing insects and spiders.

  

Insect and Spider art.

Dragonfly.  I found this idea on Pinterest, but I think it is originally Deanna Jump's idea.

Balloon painted caterpillars.

Spiders.

More Spiders.

Coffee Filter Butterflies added to the Dragonfly board.

More Butterflies and insect drawing/writing.

Insect reader from Deanna Jump. You can get it for free here.

Insect drawing and writing.  These are so creative and the writing was great!