ABC goodness!

As the end of summer approaches (insert tears here).... I have been busy getting things ready for the beginning of the school year! I wanted to share with you a few items I have added to my TPT store! =)

The first is some simple tracing pages. I'm going to print them off in color, slip them in some page protectors and put them in a binder! Instant center! This will be one of the ABC tub options for my kiddos.

The next item is some polka dot Alphabet cards for my classroom! I know there are a ton of adorable ones out there, but I really wanted something that had both the long and short sound for the vowels... with the vowels in red. So I had the clipart, so I just made them up for myself! I have polka dot ones up now... but I also created some in chevron for one of my best friends, so that will be posted later today in case you are interested!

I've also cute-ned up my word attack posters! I LOVE them and can't wait to post these in my small group area! =) Can you tell that I love color?

I also added a tracing book and ABC chart to my Common Core Letter Sounds pack since last summer! There is a whole bunch of goodness in this pack! I'll show a few pictures so you can get an idea of what's in it because TPT only allows me to share 3! 

You can see a few pictures of the wall cards included in this pack HERE

This pack also includes flashcards for both uppercase and lowercase letters...

Sorting mats..... (there are many more! This is just a preview.)

A page of letters for each letter of the alphabet to sort...

Beginning sound sorting cards 

Another sorting mat...

If you like what you see, head on over to my TPT store! You can also click on any of the pictures!


Hope you are all enjoying your summer!!!!

Back to School Finds =)

I wanted to show you all the fun things I have bought for the beginning of the school year! The sad part is, I am now broke for the next two weeks... so printing and laminating will have to wait til the day before Open House! Yikes! But it will be ok! ;)
I hit up the teacher store after an inservice last week and bought these two posters and some more polka dot borders like last year! I loved all the new ones they have out, but couldn't get myself to change the entire theme of my classroom!

Couldn't pass up this adorable welcome sign and bright colored chevron chart! I blurred out my room number for safety reasons! ;)

Here are some cheap finds from the Dollar section at Target!

I have a first day of school craft in mind for the little foam school buses! I plan on using the pipe cleaners and beads to make number bracelets! =) All found in the Target dollar section!

Stocked up on pocket charts (love that blue!) and a bunch of stickers in the Target dollar section!

Bought these for the kids to use as counters! =)

I went to Walmart to get a class set of clipboards for next year so we can do more work on the carpet! =) I also found these while I was there...

I found these tiny little clothespins at Walmart in the office section... so had to grab them! And stocked up on my favorite colored expo markers! =)

I plan on having a Pirate theme in my classroom so I thought the banner would be adorable to hang up on each child's birthday! had to grab the napkins too for 50 cents!

Found this at Walmart... Can't wait to use it for subtraction fun!

And this is basically the only DIY I had time for this summer. I bought some adorable scrapbook paper and thought about making clipboards... but decided against it b/c it was so much work to do one! haha!

Finally go around to making a first day of kindergarten frame for pictures this year!

I also wanted to share pictures of my planning binder I put together! You can find these on my TPT store for FREE! =) 

I've got some new items listed on my TPT store and will try to post about them tomorrow in case you are interested! =)

Favorite Pins Friday

I'm linking up with Cara from The First Grade Parade! Sometimes I wonder what teachers did before blogs and pinterest! Seriously, these have helped me become a fun and creative teacher! I am inspired by all the cute and creative ideas and love spending too much money on TPT! (Hence I've be lacking in my own creations! lol)

So here are my Teaching Favorites... {click on the links provided for the original post!}

I love this idea for introducing new letters! This idea came from Tammy at Live, Love, Laugh Everyday in Kindergarten!

When introducing each letter, have the kids names written on sentence strips. If they see that letter in their name, they put it above the line. If it's not in their name... they below the line. I love how she used a letter card and picture at the top, as well as the adorable border as the "dividing line!"

This next one is from Cara at The First Grade Parade...

 I love the song she came up for teaching syllables and totally have the pack from Growing Kinders that she got the pictures from! (She also has great "Labeling" lesson on this post!

And here is one I'm obsessed about!!! The pinterest link didn't go back to a blog, so if anyone knows where this derived from, PLEASE let me know!!!  I am totally going to create these for my classroom! So great!

My favorite FOODIE pins...

I want these now... 

Someone at my school makes these all the time and they are amazing!

My favorite FASHION pins...

Want it all....

with these nails! <3

 My favorite PRINTABLE pin...

Adorable quotes for the classroom by Fun in First

My favorite QUOTABLE pin...

My favorite FUNNY pins

My favorite HOME DECOR pin

I totally want to do this to my bathroom!

My favorite PRODUCT pin

I love HIMYM!!!

Big Bang Theory = My favorite!

To see what else I am pinning.. you can follow me HERE!

Now it's your turn! Go link up with Cara and show us your favorite pins!

A sale and linky party!

Hey all! I just wanted to let you know that everything in my teacherspayteachers store is 20% off! My sale will go through July 5th, since I didn't join in on the sale until now! =)

I'm also joining up with Latoya from Flying into First Grade for this fun little linky party!

How it Works:  Look at the graphic below.  It is a Tic Tac Toe board filled with different categories.  You will post about three of these categories but they have to make Tic Tac Toe.  For example, you can choose to write about 3 topics that go vertical, or 3 topics that go horizontal, or three topics that go diagonal. 

I went to ________ (college) and a favorite memory...

I went to Eastern Illinois University!

 

It's hard to pick just one favorite memory b/c I have so many amazing ones there!

Like for instance... my graduation day...

 

But because 

 so much....

I have to share one more....

I attended a church on campus and had the oppurtunity to raise funds to go on a missions trip to Port de Paix, Haiti.  While we were there, we helped a local school teach children about the gospel and also spent a day at an orphanage. This was my absolute favorite part! Loving on kids who wanted to feel loved. This was us about 5 minutes after entering the orphanage....

 Snuggling with some sweet kids!

I will never forget these beautiful girls...

 

I got these two sweeties to stop crying... they were fighting on who got to sit with me so this was taken during that moment... sweet girls! I just wanted to take them home to the good ol' US of A with me!

I let them braid my hair and they loved it!

So needless to say... that is one memory I will NEVER forget!

Share about your first year of teaching...

My first year was... well.... lets just say I don't enjoy jogging down memory lane... there were SEVERAL snow days and we ended up making up for it by adding 30 minutes to the end of every day. We also a change in administration. (It's all good now though... LOVE our admins!) It was also the year of the Nashville floods. Which hit Clarksville just as bad... just didn't get as much news coverage since we aren't a big city. We were out for a week due to the floods. There was a lot more drama that year that I don't want to share but I was so glad when that year was over! Every year since has been wonderful though! =) I made some amazing friends, have a WONDERFUL class every year and just love my school! I've been teaching at the same school since I started teaching. =)

My favorite grade to teach and why...

Well that's a hard question to answer... sometimes I wonder what it would be like to teach 1st grade... but I think I'd miss kindergarten too much! I love that my kids are blank slates in August b/c I get to see so much growth that no one besides a kindergarten teacher will understand. I love that they can come in knowing NOTHING at all... no letters, numbers, or even how to identify their own name... but by the end of the year they are reading and writing paragraphs! It's such a wonderful time for kids and I love being able to give them a great start to their educational career! Maybe one day I'll venture out and try out 1st grade... but for now, I'm happy with my kindergarten babies and awesome teammates! 

Well if you've read all my blabbering, thanks so much for sticking around! I can't wait to get in my classroom in 3 weeks and start setting things up! I'm enjoying summer break until then so I'm sorry for my lack of posting! I hope ya'll are enjoying summer and taking it easy! 

Ms.G

One more week!

Hey friends!!! I just wanted to remind you that Google Reader will be closing down on July 1st! That means you have ONE week from today to transfer your google reader data to a new feed so you can read all your favorite blogs in one place! I'm using bloglovin. If you are too, you can follow me quick and easy by clicking the photo below! (I also have this on my sidebar for future reference!)

 

If you haven't created an account yet and want to learn how... it's so easy! Check out my good friend Katie's "how-to" by clicking her blog button below....

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