Laborless Blog Hop

Hello everyone!

ARE YOU REAAADDDY!!!

It is Finally here!

Today I am linking with Laura from Where the Magic Happens, Krista from Teaching Momster, and Lisa from PAWsitively Teaching! I have joined forces once again with my bloggy friends to bring you the best, most amazing giveaway on this Labor Day weekend!
All of us have been thinking about  good ways in which to treat our readers and followers.   We thought hard, and I mean it! Really, really hard… and decided that  we can treat you to our best ideas to work smarter rather than harder… at school and home!
I know what it takes to be a great teacher, the stress, the time, the energy… I could go on and on! I also know that we crave time to ourselves and our families.

So here I go!

This week I wanted to show you 2 things that I do in my classroom that makes the year run so smoothly. It is definitely a smarter move for me. I hope you will find it helpful for you. 

The first one is putting your students in number order. I don't know about you but I absolutely go crazy when students try and get to be first or try and push and shove each other out of the way. In my mind I am saying, "REALLY! We are ALL going to the same place. CHILL!!!" Although, I don't say this out loud, I am screaming on the inside. So to fix this solution, I put my children in number order. (CUE the music from Heaven!) Yes it is so awesome! They are given this number at the beginning of the school year. I use it for everything. Their cubbies, paperwork, mailboxes, etc. So I thought why not lining up. 

I will admit, I thought this would be the dumbest thing on the planet but it has stopped me from being Viola Swamp. The line leader and door holder go first in line and then everyone else lines up in number order. I make a chart by the door so they can't trick any one. 

If you want to know how I make the door one, I just simple take a sheet protector and cut it into thirds. I make the list in word and make a 3 column chart and print it out on cardstock. Done!!!! 

The second item I wanted to share is my attendance chart. I don't know about your school but we have monthly reports where we are to check the school computer records with what we are charting in our room. I started using a different color pen for each month. It made it so much easier to check those reports. Now I can easily check the report sign and send it back to the office. HINT: If a child is absent and you mark them excused, just use the next month's color and write it above the A. Simple! Simple!

Okay I will say that for home, it is very simple. I love ANYTHING ON BRAVO!!!!

I love it all. It is mindless tv. I can escape and find time to just relax. Now the real shows I love the most is the Housewives franchise. 

They are the best. Although, I watch 90% of the shows on this channel. To tell you how bad it is, when my husband and I Dish Network, I made sure we had the package that had BRAVO! Hey, its mindless and with all that I do for teaching, it is a welcome break. 

Now to make sure your life I thought I would show you my planning sheets. These sheets are all the different type of sheets that I have used over the years in my classroom. I have everything from small group to explicit lesson planning. Click below the picture to visit my store.

Click Here 

Top all these great tips and ideas  with these top-notch prizes!

A $100 gift card to Amazon

A $50 gift card to TpT

2 $25 gift cards to TpT

1 $10 gift card to TpT

Well I hope that you have enjoyed these tips. I hope that they can help you to do some things in your classroom a little more easier. 

Thanks for stopping by. Now hop around and get some more tips and don't forget to enter the big giveaway! I can't wait to read my bloggy buddies post either. Have fun!!!

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An InLinkz Link-up

Pinterest Pick 3: September

I am so excited to be linking up with Lisa from Pawsitively Teaching and Marissa from The Inspired Owls Corner. 

This is such a fun linky party to be apart of it. I decided for this month I would look at math. This year I was moved from my team and I am in a new team. I teach 1st grade math to 48 sassy pants (as I like to call them). So why not look for ideas that will help me on this new journey. 

My first choice is all about more or less. I do calendar math on my inter write board and my kiddos seems to have trouble with more or less. 

Click HERE for Original Post

 Although this pin says 2nd grade on it, it can be done with first graders. All kiddos need that practice. More than anything, they need those vocabulary. 

My second choice would make an awesome Daily 3 Math by myself activity. 

Click HERE for Original Post

I think I would make bigger ten frames so my kiddos can use bingo dobbers to mark the numbers. This is great practice for counting by tens or just counting in general. 

The last choice is one that goes with my lessons right now with my students. We are working on picking a number and making all the addition facts for that number. 

Click HERE for Original Post

 This a great display to have but it would also be a great interactive notebook idea. (I better get to working on that now!) 

Well I hope that you enjoyed my picks for this month. Head over to other blogs and check out their picks. Better yet, jump in and join the fun! Who doesn't love going on Pinterest! Lol! 

An InLinkz Link-up

2gether We Are Better: Classroom Reveal

Hey everyone! School has been in full swing for me since August 3rd. It has been hard to sit on these pictures for so long. LOL! I have linked up again for this month's 2gether We are Better with Angie from Lucky Little Learners and Ashley from Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd. 

This month is ...

When I said it was hard to wait on these pictures, I mean it! I am ready to share. 

Now in this picture my carpet is missing. Over the summer, the custodians decided my carpet was gross and refused to clean it. So, I got a new one. By the time these pictures were taken, it hadn't came in! This shot was taken from  my teacher desk looking at the door. 

This is taken from the classroom library! The door connected to my team member's room. 

Don't mind my son who had to get his water right then. Lol! 

This last picture is from my classroom door. I had a parent tell me at Opening house my room was warm and inviting. I was super excited to hear that. After reading Teaching with Intention by Debbie Miller, that was nice to hear because it meant that my vision was happening. 

Now I'm sure your wondering about the carpet and if it ever came in. Well, it did! I'm gonna be real honest, I hate it! It is so ugly. Let me show you what I really wanted first. 

This is so me! 

Now on a positive side, my babies are not on a hard floor but here is what I got. 

Well I hope you have enjoyed seeing my room. If you get a chance read about others and link up with us. Remember 2gether We Are Better!!! 

YET: A Mindset Change

I have tried so many times to sit down and write a blog post about the power of that word YET! Every time I tried, I would just stop. It never felt like the right. Then last night, an amazing follower named Susan asked me on Facebook about it when she saw a picture of my interwrite board.

Here is a closer look at it!

I started using this word at the end of the school year last year. I saw children really changing who they were as students. 

Now before I explain, let me tell you how I got to this point. 

Several months ago, Mr. Greg from The Kindergarten Smorgasbord wrote a blog post about the word because. Jen Jones from Hello Literacy had spoken at his school in October and really talked about how when we use why with students, it creates a panic in them. When we say because it opens the conversation and makes it more positive. To read more about that, Click HERE! So that leads me into YET! 

I had read lots of articles about mindset but last summer my district offered a PD talking mindset and writing. I signed up and went. I sat and listened to all the discussion about fixed and growth mindset. Fixed doesnt want to change and Growth see what they can do to change. 

What? We can change our minds? This was so unique to me. I know it sounds silly but this just really changed ME. I teach in a school with children who come to school not knowing their names sometimes or how to recognize their names. I hear voices say," They don't know their names?" 

Yep! I have had students that didnt call their names. So, when they come to school, they just fill that they will never improve. Well, I cant sit back and let a child feel that way. I have struggled for years to figure it out. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP THEM?

That is where the word YET comes in. After the workshop, they discussed how telling students when they say they can't, to say YET would begin the change of mindset. Hence last school, year the YET card arrived. 

I went in powerpoint and just made a square design with the word on it. A few weeks into school, I had a student just break down and cry. He was in sheer panic in writing class. He just kept saying he couldn't do it. I remember I walked to the board and pointed to the world. I said you can't YET!!!! From that moment on, I hardly ever heard can't again. 

This year I went to another training discussing Assessments but in the beginning she asked for the most powerful word in the classroom. I proudly said YET! The trainer was excited but I was just glad I had word with it the school year before. 

There are many books out there about mindset. I will be real honest, I have not stopped to read them for I thought I would share the two that are on  my list about mindset. 

Click HERE to read about it.

Click HERE to read about it.

So here is my challenge to you! When you hear that word, go point to the word yet. Explain that they may not not how to now but they will. It will take hard work and time but it WILL happen. 

As part of my challenge I thought I would offer you the letters that I used in my room. I just copied them on different colored card stock. Now it left me with 2 extra sets so I had a couple colleagues that I gave them to and they are using them all the time as well. So remember you can share this with a friend. 

SAMPLE letter Click HERE for FREEBIE!

Winner Wednesday: Spelling Made Simple

Well today is my first day of school! So why not have a little giveaway in honor of that. Today I'm teaming up with Jessica from A Dab of Glue Will Do for her monthly linky Winner Wednesday.

This month I figure we are all gearing up to go back to teaching or have already started like me. I decided to give away my newest product. 

This product is a labor of love. It has ABC order, WORD ART, write words, use them in a story and sentence, Rainbow write, etc.  You will be able to type in the words that you want to use. I have a menu that you can type up for your parents. 

If you would like to win. Just fill out the rafflecopter with your name and email. Good Luck!

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Tell All Tuesday: A Goal, A Wish, & A Dream

I can't believe that it is that time again for Tell All Tuesday. The difference this time is that this will be our last one! I have love teaming up with my girls Diana from My Day in K and Jayme from Teach Talk Inspire. 

This week we are ending with A Goal, A Wish, & A Dream.

This was a  tough one for me to do. I think it is because with my school year starting TOMORROW, I wanted it to be relevant to this new journey. 

GOAL: I have been sssssllllllloooooowwwwwllllllyyyyyy working on getting Whole Brain Teaching. I hope that in the next few months that I can really get that certification done and help others that want to learn WBT. There are so many curious people in my district and it would be great to be able to train them. 

WISH: My district just rolled a new BGISD Foundation and this foundation is allowing us to create our dream classroom. $15,000 will be awarded to 3 teachers. That is $5,000 a classroom. They will gut your room and fix it up before the kids come back from Fall Break. Well, this girl is going to apply. I am so stoked. I feel like Hope King and her classroom reveal. Can you image the opportunity to have your room just changed. If I win, I am getting my reading loft! LOL!

DREAM: My dream is simple, I want to head to Atlanta to the Ron Clark Academy and the TPT conference. I love the opportunity to just get inspired by other educators. Isn't that what this whole community is about? Helping and Inspiring each other? 

So now those are my hopes and dreams. Come and tell us about yours. Here is how:

1. Save the banner image above.

2. Save and use the image below. Use power point or keynote to create your image.

4. Write your blog post and link up. 

5. Spread the word on Social Media. 

An InLinkz Link-up

2gether We Are Better: Bulletin Boards

Hey guy! I am so EXCITED to be linking up with Angie from Lucky Little Learners and Ashley from Schroeder Shenanigans in 2nd for this months 2gether we are better linky. I was super pumped to join in after seeing the periscope with these fabulous ladies, that I sent the email while watching. LOL!!!!! 

This month we are talking about bulletin boards. This is great because I will get a chance to ask you for some feed back on one of my boards that I seem to feel lost and stuck on. Before we get to that board, let's jump into some of my other boards. 

This board is my calendar and data wall board. I am in 1st grade math this year so, I thought why not do calendar time on the interwrite board. This way students will have technology in their hands. So with that, I decided this board could hold the actual calendar and the objectives of our lessons. I hate writing objectives on a board so this says "Our Goals". I felt this was a much nicer and kid friendlier way to say objective. 

This board is right in front of my desk. On this board will hold items that I need to keep up with during the school year. This board is a life savers. 

Now let's head to the back of my room. 

This is my Brag Tag board. (WINK @ Angie)! If you don't use brag tags, then run to Angie's store and grab them. They have helped with my classroom management so much. Using those and Whole Brain Teaching, let's just say WOW!!!!! It was a game changer in my classroom. If you look closely at the right side of the board, you will see a space, I'm super excited for this section. I am going to make a "Next Brag Tag Showing" title and the next tag they can earn will be hanging there really big. I'm hoping it will get this new class pumped up for what they could have on their necklace at the end of the year. 

  

The next boards will hold Marvelous Math Work and my Mindset  Quotes (You can get that in my store for FREE!) I want the students to rethink how they can approach math in the classroom. I will use their TRYING to show on the Marvelous Math board. 

I LOVE this board. This board is going to hold my Daily 3 strategies and Math Writing activities.

What Made Your Brain Grow? How many times do you ask a child what did you learn today and they say nothing. Well try asking What made your brain grow? I am using this board to get my students to think about their day in math. It will be an exit slip board. I will also use 1 skittle or M&M to help in that thinking. LOL! 

The bottom picture is my hallway display. I saw this idea on pinterest and just fell in love with it! I feel it is a welcome to the school year. 

Now let's get to my problem board! This is where I need your help!

This board is behind my cubbies. If you think back to the Daily 3 picture, that is cubbies behind there and this is the board behind the wall. So my question to you is WHAT IN THE WORLD CAN I USE THIS FOR? I thin 1/4 of it I will use for job chart but what is your suggestion for the rest. I can't wait to read your comments. 

Now was that fun! If you had fun reading this post then head over to some of the other blogs and check out their bulletin boards. Join our fun! Link up!!!  Save the images and write your post! Have fun and I can't wait to read it.