Back to School 2022

 Summer is Flying By!

I hope you've had time to rest and recharge this summer, but we all know how it goes. As July progresses, our thoughts start to turn to back to school.
Some of you, our Southern Hemisphere friends, are about halfway through your school year. Some of you may be gearing up to go back in the next few weeks. And some of you, myself included, are looking at a late August, early Septemer return.

No matter where you are in your school year, July typically brings a lot of sales on quality teacher resources. Right now, there's a #ChristmasinJuly22 sale going on. It will last a week, and every two days the deal changes. It starts with $1 deals today and tomorrow.

click here to see the over 1,000 resources!

click here to see the three resources I'm including.

But wait! There's more!

The annual Summer Sale is back and better than ever! We've got some amazing deals for you!
Over the next two weeks, you'll be able to pick up teaching resources for 50% off, $2, and just $1!
We're also giving away two $275 TpT gift cards each week!
To stay up to date on this sale, we're inviting you to join our Facebook page, Teacher Deals and Giveaways. These deals will start tomorrow. We will have 50% off deals, $2 deals, $1 deals, and giveaways and freebies weekly!

Join Teacher Deals and Giveaways

A Freebie for You!

Wherever you are in your school year or back-to-school mindset, I hope you find some great resources over the next few weeks to help make it the best year ever! Here's a little something I use every year at our Blessings of the Backpacks, which is usually the Sunday before school starts. After Mass, the school is opened up and the children and parents come in to drop off supplies and say hello to me. It's such a joyous event greeting previous years, families and meeting this year's families that we don't mind giving up a few hours on a Sunday to come in.

I always put this little greeting card and treat on the desk for the children. It's a great way to break the ice and welcome them back to school. Feel free to click picture and download your free copy!

Until next time...

In Defense of Morning Work

Funny how the educational pendulum swings, isn't it?  Years ago, I started my kindergarten mornings with what I called free choice time.  Students were able to come into the classroom and coose an activity that helped them ease their way into the day.

                          

Fast forward to a few years ago, and morning work, or bell ringers, were all the rage.  Students came in, got settled, and jumped right into work, reviewing and practicing previously taught skills.

Now, it's all about morning tubs.  Essentially free choice time again, but in a more controlled manner.  Instead of building with big blocks or building puzzles or choosing to free draw or free playing with smaller blocks and cars or legos, students can choose a tub that interests them and explore the materials in the tub.

                                                                               

Are you a morning work person or a morning tub person?  Does it have to be either / or?

Is it possible to be an "and," as in I'm a morning tub AND a morning work person?

Why yes, it is!

Here's how I schedule it:

7:30 -7:55  Morning Tubs

7:55-8:05  Morning Prayers and Announcements

8:05-8:20  Morning Work

I created my morning work to go with reading series I used at the time, which was the Journey's reading series.  Since then, our reading series has changed to Wonders, but the skills, although presented in a slightly different order, are still the same.  So my same morning work still supports my reading series.  Sometimes it's a review, sometimes it's an introduction, and sometimes it's a practice of skill we've covered.  It includes a sentence fix up section, a phonics fix up section, a math section, and basic facts practice section, and a writing section.  I really feel like practicing these skills every day helps my children master them.

                                                                                                                                                            
We begin by completing the sections together for the first few weeks we use them to provide scaffolding in how to complete the work.  Slowly, I pull back on the support.  For the next few months, I will put the sentence correction on the SMARTboard for the students to copy, and I provide a framework to answer the journal prompt on the SMARTboard.

By the beginning of the second semester, I am only providing them clues as to what needs corrected in the sentences by using proofreading marks in red and giving them the introductory sentence to the journal prompt.  At first, they have to write one more sentence.  Then two more sentences.  Then two sentences and conclusion by the end of the year.

This provides me with valuable time because as the children are completing their work independently, I pull a few kids back to me for progress monitoring.

Most importantly, we check the morning work together.  I feel that this is so important for learning.  If I check them and hand them back, the children look at the corrected work, but what does it really mean to them?  But if they have to make corrections as they check their own work, that helps them understand their mistakes!
                             

You can find a free sample of my morning work booklet by clicking the picture below.

Click the picture for a free sample of Morning Work Week 1

So don't give up on this valuable learning tool. Make it intentional to support the learning objectives in your classroom. Find ways to incorporate it into your learning day. Maybe as homework.  Maybe as seatwork during small group time.  Or maybe, like me, as part of your morning routine.

Mega Gift Card Giveaway!

click the picture to visit the #schoolsavings sale.

*** BACK TO SCHOOL MEGA GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY ***

Fancy winning some extra spending money to help you purchase everything you need for your 2017-18 classroom? Myself and a team of amazing teachers have grouped together to gift THREE awesome teachers TPT gift cards. 

PRIZES INCLUDE 1 x $200 TPT Giftcard. 1 x $200 Amazon Giftcard, 1 x $25 Starbucks Giftcard, and 1 x $15 Starbucks Giftcard!

#1 TAG your teacher friends by adding their names in the comment section
#2 SHARE THIS POST
#3 ENTER HERE: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b4951b8521/?

REMEMBER: each entry counts as ONE entry, the more links you complete, the higher your chances of winning!!

Raffle CLOSES: Saturday 21st July 2017 12am

Also, SECRET SECRET HASHTAG SALE for two days only! Search #schoolsavings in the Teachers Pay Teachers search bar to find products 1/2 OFF! (14th-16th)

GOOD LUCK!!!

I've got two great bundles in the hashtag sale at 50% off!  If you use the Journeys series, you're going to want to check out my supplemental workbooks that provide extra skills practice.  Here's a video over of the whole series.

You can find the resources by clicking on the cover below.

The second bundle I'm offering at 50% off is my reading level and placement resource. Check it out by clicking on the cover below.

Good luck and happy shopping!!

The End of Summer

The days are getting imperceptibly shorter.  Nights are getting slightly cooler, enough that the air doesn't kick on at night, and I can sleep with my window open again. Through my open window, I hear the steady cacophony of sound that foretells the end of summer. The crickets are serenading me full force at night. It is a bittersweet time of the year.  Long, hot, lazy days spent at the poolside, floating on my special raft and having the LUXURY of reading for pleasure without falling asleep 2 pages into my reading, cookouts, fires, and camping days are coming to an end.  That makes me sad. And yet . . . there's a certain excitement.  My class list and schedule have arrived in the mail.  My thoughts turn to name tags and desk tags, and classroom decorations.  I'm starting to feel antsy to get back into the classroom, get it organized, meet the new group, and get this party started!

If you're feeling anxious to get the party started (or your party already started), then you will want to be sure to check out the last Oceans of Steals and Deals this week.  Here's a listing of what's coming up.

So it's Monday, and you know what they means?  #ManicMonday!  

I will be offering my fabulous back-to-school resource, All About Me, for only $1.00. Check out this video highlighting the resource and the ways I use it in my classroom during the first week of school to get to know my students better.

                                       

Click here to visit shoppracticemakesperfect.org 

For my second item, you can get these colorful Rainbow Theme room decor, 2D and 3D shapes posters.  They will mesh with most existing room decors, or buy the complete bundle and make your room bright and colorful!

Be sure to check back on Tuesday to see what my 2 for Tuesday deals will be.  I think you're going to like them!

Click on the pictures below to see the other great #ManicMonday deals being offered.

Have a great day!

An InLinkz Link-up

Only 171 More Days Until Christmas!

Did you know there's only 171 (or so) more days until Christmas!!??!!  That's less than half a year.

CHRISTMAS FREEBIE FOR 

PRACTICING ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION STRATEGIES

It’s never too late to think about Christmas activities!  Here’s a cute FREE math GAME for the children to play in those hectic weeks before Christmas break.  It's a great review because not only do children have to solve the addition problems, they need to identify the strategy they used to solve the problem.  It makes a great formative assessment to judge children's understanding of addition strategies!

Click here to download Christmas Scoot

While you are visiting my store, be sure to check out my back to school activities.  One of the favorite activities I do with my firsties during the first week of school is my Read All About Me activity.  It's great to display on the walls for open house!  It also gives you the opportunity to learn a little bit about your firsties, and it covers skills in both math and language arts to make integration easy.  Since we always start school on a Wednesday, I pair the activity  with a book I inherited in my classroom called "All About Me," and it makes for a nice, integrated block of math and language arts before we jump into the curriculum during our first full week of school.

                     

Click here to see my Back to school resources

I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer!  May the hot, sunny days go slowly for you!!

Launching Off with Educents!

Have you heard the news!?  Educents is opening their MARKETPLACE!  What does that mean?  That means that besides the already AMAZING deals they offer on a daily basis, you can now purchase items from sellers stores, also on a daily basis!  WHAT!?  That’s right!  Over 500 sellers have already created stores in the Educents Marketplace, so you are sure to find some money-saving deals anytime you need them!

To LAUNCH the whole thing, several of the sellers are joining in to bring you a sneak peek at a FREE product offered in their new sale, as well as hosting a giveaway for $50 worth of Educents Credits.  You can buy a LOT of educational materials with that kind of money!  And, there are several groups of bloggers who are joining the LAUNCH, which means multiple ways to enter.

Here is a little information about my FREEBIE.   It is one of my favorite items that I use every year to help my firsties master short vowel sound

                 

click the picture above to find my freebie in my Educents shop!

I love these five short little stories that tell stories incorporating the sounds of the short vowels.  I laminated them and hung them by my reading table for the kids to use as a quick and easy reference when trying to remember which vowel has which sound.

I also have this great freebie available in my store

This one is a free resource!

It's a sample of a much larger companion pack I made to go along with my Short Vowel Stories.  There are games, interactive notebook pages, flip-flap booklets, and so much more in here to go along with each vowel to help your students master the sounds!

And, of course, I have the complete Learning the Short Vowels bundled resource available in my Educents store as well!

This one is not a free resource!

Leave a comment below for a chance to win the paid resource "Short Vowel Stories Companion Pack Bundle:  Learning the Short Vowels"!  Let me know what the best thing YOU have found on Educents has been (past or present!).

Be  sure to enter for your chance to win $50 in Educents credits!

Educents Marketplace $50 in Edubucks Giveaway #6 - First Grade Stores

And finally, be sure to follow the blog hop around the circle to visit other great Educents shops and claim your freebies!  Next up is Mrs.  Thompson's Treasures.  Click on the picture below to get to her blog.  If you get lost, look for the Link Up at the bottom of the page to get to the next blog and the next freebie!

                                             

An InLinkz Link-up

Have a great day!

Whoa! Dig Into Digraphs Mega Bundle Giveaway!

Do you teach digraphs to your kiddos?  If you do, you NEED this huge bundle of digraph resources to help your students learn digraphs.  It's got everything, from small group work

games make great small group work and give you the chance to do formative assessments as you monitor and guide the children during the game.

 to centers

find the hidden word pages make great centers.  Before laminating the picture, cut off the bottom  recording sheet.  You can copy two recording sheets per 8.5x11 sheet of paper to put at the center with the laminated picture and a few magnifying glasses.  Kids LOVE using the magnifying glasses to play "word detectives."

to assessments  and/or interactive components!

Include this page in an interactive notebook or use as an assessment.  

This huge bundle of resources was created in collaboration with  Teacher's Toolkit, The Fun Factory, and Practice Makes Perfect.  We put our over 80 years (gasp) of combined experience together to come up with activities that will engage, excite, and challenge your students.  Take a closer look in the video below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!  If you're too anxious to own this great megabundle of digraph awesomeness, it will be on sale for the next 24 hours at 50% off, for only $15.00!  After the first 24 hours, it will be on sale for 20% off until 11:59 Friday, March 27, 2015.

Click here to visit my TpT store and purchase this bundle!

Guest Posting on Hameray - Paired Text and the Water Cycle

Hey, everyone, exciting news!  I will be guest bloging on the Hameray Blog about using paired texts to teach various topics using their texts from their Story World, Real World series of books.  My first post can be found by clicking on the picture below!  Enjoy!

My next post will be coming out May 26 about using paired texts to teach about personal safety.

Have a great week!