Free For All Friday!

I'm linking up over at Blog Hoppin' for the Free For All Friday. What teacher doesn't love a good freebie??

Here are a few things that I use in my STAR Books (Stuff To Always Remember). I did a rock star theme (thanks for the inspiration Abby!) this year to go along with the STAR Book that I have been doing since I began teaching four years ago. Since I did the rock star theme this year I used the cute kiddie pop Thistlegirl graphics on these documents since I am a member of that fabulous site. However, I am not a licensed seller so I had to change the graphics to DJ Inkers for you all in order to be able to share them. But, we all love us some DJ Inkers right! :) 

I hope someone will find these useful!

CLICK HERE for the reading log, CLICK HERE for the communication log, and CLICK HERE for the behavior log. I googled a guitar clip art image that I used for the behavior log. ENJOY!

If you haven't linked up yet you better hop on over!






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Chicka Chicka Boom Boom & Monkey's

Today we made our first "Snazzy Snack" of the year. I previously blogged about this when I first began blogging and got this idea from Christina Bainbridge. Last year was my first year doing the "Snazzy Snacks" and the kids loved it. I look forward to doing them again this year!!

Today we read the book Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom and then we made Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom Trees. This snack was inspired by a pinterest (I Heart Crafty Things) find that I stumbled upon one day and knew then I had to do this with my kids. 




The first week of school (3 weeks ago) we made these cutie patootie monkeys that my mom helped make pattern for. The poem in the middle of the bulletin board says:
Finally, finally school is here,
Parents smile from ear to ear.
And say with a pleading grin,
Teachers let these monkey's in!

I found this poem a few years ago on a website and can't remember where. Sorry!

Happy weekend friends!!

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Three For Thursday

I'm joining in on a little "Three For Thursday" fun that is going on over at Blog Hoppin'. So here goes with my three-for picks....

My Favorite Font



DJ Chunk!

My Favorite Blog
Decisions, decisions! How do I pick one when I LOVE oh so many! I have been inspired by so many of these wonderful blogs out there that it is very hard to narrow it down to just one! So I will share the one that inspired me to begin my blogging journey.... The First Grade Parade. Cara is so sweet and I have emailed her before and she is always so nice to reply and let me tell ya'll that makes me feel so great.. pretty much giddy... because I literally feel like I'm hearing from a teaching celebrity!!! HA



My Favorite Online Resource
I'm totally loving Pinterest right now! 
For the classroom we have Houghton Mifflin for our reading series and I get a ton of wonderful things that go along with this series from Carl's Corner for FREE...YES FREE!! 
I also really like Brain Pop Jr


That's it ya'll! My "Three For Thursday!" Get yourself over to Blog Hoppin' and link up!!! :)



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Where It All Goes Down Wednesday...A Day Late..Oops!

Sorry I'm a day late on my "Where it All Goes Down Wednesday" post for the teacher week that is happening at Blog Hoppin'. I had after school tutoring and then me and E went on a double date with our favorite double date couple.  By the time I got home it was late and I didn't even get on the computer to blog stalk let alone blog myself. But better late than never, right???

Here is a little look into my home away from home... I had never really done a theme before in my classroom but always wanted to. I have done a STAR Book every year (Stuff To Always Remember) and so when I saw Abby's rockin' classroom ideas over the summer I was inspired to add a little rock 'n roll to my room theme and was able to keep my STAR Book. It is not as pretty as Abby's and still needs some extra touches.

Cubbies for the kiddos things and for my books, etc. This year I added the black/white checkered contact paper because the cubbies needed a face lift! I thought the black/white checkered would be sorta a 50's rock kinda thing. :)



 I LOVE the Kohl's Cares stuffed animals!!

 Computers, math word wall, and charts


 Calendar... I am doing Cara Carroll's wonderful math notebook this year and I changed my calendar around a bit for the calendar routine/math notebook. If you are not using her calendar companion.... YOU MUST!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!! Cara is a creative genius!! :)

 Standards.. Thanks Mrs. Jump! And center tubs. I still need to get my center board made... too much to do!!

 Front view of the room. I have my kiddos grouped in groups this year and each group has a caddie and I call them by color. So far I like it!


 My desk area!

My old rusty filing cabinets that I gave a face lift to this summer with modge podge and scrap book paper.



This area is behind my desk. I have a tub for each day and have the work we will do for that week copied and ready in each tub.
& Rockin' Word Wall Words bulletin board.


 Bookshelf with math manipulatives (they need labels still), supplies, and books


My version of Abby's guitar clip chart. I switched the colors around a bit. Thanks for being so inspiring Abby!


 Have you filled a bucket today??



 Well there it is folks.... you got yourself a little look inside casa de Miss Elisabeth. It's not as big as some of the classrooms I have seen or as organized either! I hope to work on the organization part.. don't think I can do anything about the size.. but hey it works and I like it!
I have enjoyed looking into everyone's rooms and I hope you did mine too! Sorry it's a day late!!!!!




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Meet The Teacher Monday!


I am joining in on the Teacher Week fun that is happening this week over at Blog Hoppin'! 
Today is Meet The  Teacher Monday.. so here is a little bit about this little ole southern Tennessee belle.





 I LOVE my boys!!!


Tell us a little something about you...

My name is Elisabeth. I am born and raised in Tennessee. I have the best boyfriend Mr. E and we have the best little life together. We live on the lake and have a sweet little baby dog (he calls him a big dog) named Dexter. He is a little Yorkie Poo. My boys are the absolute best part of my life and I wouldn't trade them for anything!


How long have you been teaching?

This is my fourth year teaching.  I have taught first grade all four years and love it dearly! Those firsties are right up my alley and I enjoy it so much. I have my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education K-6 and recently graduated with my Master's Degree in Instructional Leadership. I passed the school leadership praxis test and was all kinds of excited!!! 

You might not know...

I am an only child! And I originally started out with a major in radiology... but I quickly changed to my other choice of education and think I made the right choice!!! 

What are you looking most forward to this school year?

We got a new math series and I'm looking forward to learning more about it and hope it will be good. I am also going to attempt centers and I hope they run smoothly! I hope this year will be as wonderful as the last year (my best year thus far!) and that we have tons of fun along the way as we learn more and more each new day! I am also doing after school tutoring this year and I'm looking forward to doing fun activities with those kiddos as well.

What do you need to improve?

I need/want to improve on my planning and organization. I really need to keep my desk area organized and things kept tidy and put in their homes. I misplace things often!  I need to also improve on balancing/utilizing my time to the fullest and get more done before school or during my planning and not have to bring so much home in the evenings and weekend. I would love to have just the weekend for some ME time! But my mind is always on all things first grade. :) 
I would also love to learn more about the Daily 5 and possibly start that in the near future! 
I thought I had classroom management down.... but have found that you never speak too soon! There is always room for improvement!!!!!!!!!!!


What teaching supplies can you *not* live without?

cute fonts!
cute clip art!
storage containers
Post-it notes
markers
pens
cute computer paper
my lap top



These are a few of my favorite things..... and things that make me hApPy!


Traveling!!!!!!!!!!
brownies
pasta
cooking
Vera Bradley
sweet tea
Ice Cream
Nascar-- go Jimmie Johnson!!
anything from Creative Teaching Press
blog stalking
Pinterst
Gap
Target-- especially the Dollar Spot!
Banana Republic
Indianapolis Colts & UT Vols
Dollar Tree
Jersey Shore (guilty, guilty pleasure)
All things first grade
Dexter Dog
and......... drum roll please................
ERIC!!!!! :)




Be sure to join in on all of the teacher week fun! 

Blog Hoppin



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I'm Back To School... and Open House Linky Party!!

Well folks I've been a bit MIA from my blogging.. but believe me I've still been at my usual blog stalking!!! I've been in a bit of a blogging slump.. nothing great to share lately but I'm loving what I'm reading from everyone else!!! Last week I started my 4th year of teaching! Where has time gone!? I found myself just as nervous to start back as I was when I started my first year! I have 22 new firsties in my class. Boy oh boy was I wore out this week! Just trying to get back into the swing of things. We completed some of Abby's Fun with Firsties activities and did a lot of Kindergarten review as well as going over rules and procedures. This coming week we will start our first grade work. And surprisingly I'm looking forward to starting it because that will mean that we have more of a solid routine in place this week instead of the a little of this and a little of that like we had last week. I need to post some pics of my classroom because I've been pretty excited about it. This is the first year that I can actually say I'm happy with the way it looks. It still needs a little tweaking...but until then I'm pretty darn pleased with it! :)

Tuesday we are having our back to school bash (open house). On registration I sent home my first grade handbook and the awesome getting to you sheet that sweet Cara shared with us a few weeks ago. Since I've already done that I'm kinda not sure what I should send home at our open house.. if anything? Last year I made sugar cookies and attached a cute little poem that my sweet teacher pal Stefanie found and shared with me. She teaches K at my school and did this cute idea last year as well so those kiddies that came into first this year have already seen the poem. Here is the poem Stefanie found:

A Message for you!


As flour and sugar come together to make

A wonderful cookie creation that you bake,
Parents and teachers join as one
To create an educated daughter or son.
It takes lots of love, caring and understanding
But an individual will emerge who is special notwithstanding.
We will work together to help each child bloom
So they can grow and prosper as they learn in this room.
So I share this little confection with you as I say
I am committed to helping your child grow each and every day.
Yes, the road is long, but the journey's begun
As we strive to educate your daughter or your son.


Cute, huh? Well since this group of kiddies have already seen it I'm trying to think of something else cute to do or hand out or just something, anything for open house night. I would LOVE to hear what you do at your school!!!! I've also been thinking about a cute donation display... does anyone else do this???

I would LOVE for you to link up and share what you do for open house/meet the parent night/back to school bash.. whatever your school calls it! :)


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