Teacher Appreciation Sale & more!!!

I'm Linking up with Learning with Mrs. Leeby for TPT is having a Teacher Appreciation Sale this week on May 7-8. My store will be discounted 20%, TpT will be offering an additional percentage off to equal a total of 28% off your purchase. You just need to enter code TAD13.
I love when my kids write me sweet little notes. This is what one of my little loves made during Working on Words this week.

 If you do stop by my store, everything will be on sale. However, I've posted a few things you may need for the end of the year. I have updated my Mother's day Files, Classroom Chronicles and End of the Year Memory Book.

Mother's Day plant Holder! What a great gift!

Mother's Day Card

Are you on instagram? I'm doing #teachertalktuesday with Apples and ABC's and What the Teacher Wants and #padteacherchallenge with The Pinspired Teacher. Here are a couple of my new additions to #padteacherchallenge

What a Funny book!  My son's first grade teacher is reading it and he can't stop laughing. So of course, this will be my next read aloud too!

X-Acto can you hear me?  I love this sharpener!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is the first Sharpener I have ever had that has lasted me all year long!
LOVE< 3 it!!!!

Mother's Day, Freebie and #teachertalktuesday

Rain, Rain, Go away!!!

Today we were supposed to have Field day.  But, boohoo, we were rained out.

My kids were so not in school mode. So we put some finishing touches on our Classroom Chronicles Newspapers and started some work for Mother's day. Honestly, I am actually behind. I usually start my project at least 2 weeks in advance. I like to get it laminated for my students--and that can take some time. We always make a beautiful poetry book, with portrait and hand print. 

I call this book "Because You Love Me" as inspired by Celine!

This year, I have also added a cute little flower pot card and flower pot holder to give to moms.

Check it out.

I added a sentence strip around the cup!

Front of the cup holder. I guess you could use this for any old plant, and not just for Mother's Day. I just thought it would be nice for the kids to give their mom something prettier than a styrofoam cup!

One way to make the card. I also gave an option to make it into a full page card, instead of a shape card.

So here is the front of the card--I guess I am working backwards today. The kids then wrote on the b&w version of the pot. I made a Happy Mother's Day one for them to decorate and a Dear_______, version.

 Looks like more rain in the forecast for tomorrow too.  We were supposed to have our school-wide carnival, but that has been pushed back to next week. So, I might be able to get more crafts done tomorrow!!!  
Oh, 1 more thing--did you get to check out #teachertalktuesday on instagram?
It was so much fun taking a peek into so many classrooms and "chatting" with new friends. I even figured out how to add an instagram button over on the side bar!  By the, way is my sidebar too crazy? I'm trying to streamline it a bit, but haven't had the energy.  Anywhoooo, check out my new Teacher Instagram page, and stop in on Tuesday and search the tag.  

Freebie Time: The 3 Little Pigs was a hit this week. We compared the original to The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs (see side bar book carousel for the books we read). I gave them several other versions to read--next week we will be writing our own version of the 3 Little pigs.  I hope you enjoy the freebie!

I'm on Instagram!!

I have been on instagram for a while, but now I have a teacher page.

talesofafirstgradeteacher

I'm linking up with What the Teacher Wants! and Apples and ABC's for #teachertalktuesday

So here's what you'll do:
1. If you have a blog, share your instagram username on your blog and use this image to tell your followers about #teachertalktuesday {just right click on the instagram button and click "save as"}. We are hosting a linky party to kick off our "Teacher Talk Tuesday!"  Link up at the bottom: with a blog post, sharing this image,  your user name, and a couple of your favorite Instagram photos, if you want!
2. If you don't have a blog, PLEASE still join us on Instagram on Tuesday for #teachertalktuesday

5 for Friday ---Never Ending Day!!!

1. As A mom of two, my day never ends at 4:15.
Tuesdays my daughter has dance and acrobatics.
Wednesdays and Saturday my son has soccer.
Thursdays and Saturdays my daughter also does cheerleading.
Not to mention laundries, food shopping, and planning for the week (and making stuff for my class).
Sometimes I am amazed at how much I fit into one day.
Yesterday was especially busy. My daughter's class was having a special FCAT's over party today, so of course, she wanted me to make my "famous cookies" (her words, not mine). Well, as soon as we got home I was:
 emptying lunch boxes, walking the dog, getting a laundry in, marinating chicken and taking butter and eggs out to get to room temperature!  I'm not sure but I may have looked a little like the tasmanian devil!!

While the chicken was cooking, I made the cookie dough batter (from scratch!!) and put it in the fridge to cook when we got home from cheer. Eat dinner, go to cheer....
Fast Forward 2 hours..... Cookies in the oven, get kids showered and ready for bed. Oh, and I almost  forgot the laundry, that's got to go away too!
This is my typical week at home--forget about school.  That's actually a bit more calm.
Here's a few things we did this week--which by the way my students said was "Super Fun"  Can't get better than that!
2. Classroom Chronicles has begun!! We are making our own classroom Newspaper, conducting interviews, writing articles, creating funny pages, weather forecasts and sports pages. We will be putting it all together next week, but I love seeing them work together and learn about one another while writing!! Head on over to TPT I'm having a 15% off sale all from 4/26-4/29 in honor of my daughter's 9th birthday on Monday!!!

3. Number Scroll is on a roll!!! We start by filling in a blank chart (10 x10) from 1 to 100. When they finish and it's all correct, they tape on a 2nd chart and count to 200.  This is great for your students who finish early, need a challenge, or even need practice with counting and place value!  My class loves it!  and it's little to no work for me. As they finish I check to make sure they are writing the numbers correctly. When they make it to benchmark numbers such as 100, 500, 1,000, 2,000 etc... I give them prizes!!!  My son who is a first grade has counted up to 4,650 since this pic was taken!!!

This student is up to 3,600!!

4. Book Binding:  My artist of a sister, taught me how to make and bind books. It's super easy all you need is paper, craft paper or construction paper, cardboard, scissors and glue.
1. Fold sheets in half
2. Glue back to back
3. Cut cardboard into 3 pieces 2 of equal size to the page and 1 skinny rectangle for the spine.

4. Glue cardboard to craft paper or construction paper. Fold the edges over.

5. Glue the paper you folded in half and glued together to the cardboard, And Voila!

Your book is bound.  Now all you have to do is write and illustrate!!

5. Three Little Pigs:  Next week we will be comparing and contrasting diffferent versions of the 3 little pigs. Check out some of these new titles:

Can't wait until next week!
Have a great weekend everyone! And a big thanks to Doodle Bugs Teaching for a fun Linky!