Currently and A Little Shout Out Linky

I love Farley and haven't participated in one of her Currently posts in a long time so here goes.

I love contemporary Christian music...pretty much all I listen to these days!  I love Avalon!

Loving just hanging out and being lazy on this last Sunday of Christmas break. 

Thinking I don't know how I am going to get up in the morning.  My sleeping schedule gets so out of whack during long breaks....but I love staying up late stalking blogs, pinterest, TPT, and Facebook.

Wanting a new grill...well any grill.  I have really been wanting to learn how to cook on the grill but you gotta have one to do that!

Needing a new washing machine since mine decided to quit the day after Christmas!  Uggg...I hate buying stuff like washing machines and vacuum cleaners!

My OLW for this year is focus.  I want to focus on getting healthier, eating healthier, and my new TPT store.

I am also linking up with Growing Firsties and her Shout Out Linky to post about two blogs that have inspired me this year....one with more followers and one with fewer followers.

                               

Since moving to first grade this year, I haven't had a lot of time to comment on blogs......although I still regularly stalk many, many blogs.  

One blog in particular that has inspired me is A Turn to Learn.

She has lots of technology tutorials on how to do things in powerpoint that I have found helpful.  Especially the one on how to Make an Editable Powerpoint and Lockdown Clipart.

I am going to have to cheat a little on the blog with fewer followers.....I couldn't find one!  So I will just pick another blog that has been an inspiration.. First Grade Wow.

She has some awesome ideas.  Her Runaway Pumpkin Unit was adorable...as is all of her other units...and it is free!

Winter is Snow Much Fun Literacy and Math Unit.....Giveaway

I am so excited to have finished my first "unit" for TPT.  It is my Snow Much Fun Winter Literacy and Math Unit.  It is a unit created specifically for first grade but has some activities that would be appropriate for kindergarten and maybe second grade.

It took me a while to get it done but hopefully I will get faster at creating!

Anyway......because I am so so so so happy to have finished it, I am hosting a fast give-away for my unit. (My first give-away too....YAY!!!)

All you have to do is follow my TPT store (here) and my blog (here).   Then come back here and leave me a comment telling me you are a follower. Make sure you leave your name and email address in a comment too! I will choose a winner on Monday, January 7 at approximately 4:00 pm eastern time.

Good Luck!!

Here is a preview of the unit!

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?