Currently...September

I cannot believe it is September already! This year is flying by! I can't believe it! I am linking up with this months Currently to Oh Boy it's 4th Grade

So Currently...

Listening to...Michael typing away in the other room. He is writing a work email at 10:41 at night while I blog and work away on a Sunday night! I am also listening to some Water Slide show..nothing else is on TV. But I now want to go to Costa Rica...there is a quarter mile slide down a mountain on it that goes 40MPH! Looks pretty neat! 

Loving...Having my own class again! I lover my first graders already! The past 2 years I have been a reading interventionist, and testing coordinator. It was alright...but I just didn't enjoy it enough. This year is going to be amazing though. I can feel it!

Thinking...I should go to bed soon because I am trying to get over being sick!

Wanting...TO GET BETTER! I got sick from the first week of school! I ran myself too thin. 5 days of working all day, 1 late night concert, open house, plus two long runs. I was running a little sleep and lots of coffee. I guess my students germs got to me. So Friday night I felt horrible! Did I mention my best friend is in town visiting this weekend and my parents! So I am trying to catch up on sleep, get better plus still hang out with everyone!

Did anyone else get sick from going back to school? Or am I just the weird one? 

Needing...to clean my house! I have been so focused on getting my classroom ready for the first day of school, I have been slacking on my house! Oppps! 

Anyone else have this happen to them? I need to work on balancing everything out! 

Trips...Well I am adding Costa Rica after watching that cool water slide that is there. I would also love to go to Italy. I have been to Paris and loved it...people I know that have been to both say Italy is better. My mother being one of them! She went with my sister and her company last year for a trip. (I couldn't go because it was in September and I was already back in school!) I have always wanted to go to Seattle..I want to ride a fairy boat..I am a little of a Grays Anatomy Craze Fan...so I think I am a fan of it because of the show. 

Hope everyone is enjoying their 3 day weekend!!

5 for Friday and My First Week!

Oh my goodness! I can not express how tired I am! Who I am kidding...I am sure you all know how I am feeling! After the first week of school I am sure we all feel the same way...EXHAUSTED!!  I am running on coffee and redbull! However It was an amazing week! I am so happy to be back in the classroom! My students are great and so is my first grade team! I could not have asked for a better first week!

So I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for her 5 for Friday! This is the first time I have had all week to really sit down and actually blog or look at blogs while I relax!

I started off my week with Chester the Raccoon in the Kissing Hand and then moved on to Chester and the Big Bad Bully. After that we read The Juice Box Bully! My students were great during all three books. They all discussed it after. We talked about setting, characters, the problem and the solution. I was impressed that many of them already knew what all of those meant. We did this follow up activity for The Juice Box Bully! My boyfriend said they were Juice Boxes on Steroids! Hahah!There is a copy of this in my store for free. I posted these pictures on my instagram and I had some teachers ask about it. So I stuck it up in my store really fast. 

Juice Box on Steroids!

On Wednesday I introduced Syllables. For some it was a review because they remembered it from Kinder, for others, they were learning this as new. My students did a great job with the interactive notebook. I was kind of nervous but they were on task the whole time. I showed them how to do and reviewed it all with them and then they went to work. While I called on students to come back to my table to read sightwords for me and do the CORE Phonics test with me. As the week went on we also did a syllable Scoot and they did a great job at that too! Have I mentioned that I am so excited about this class..they seem very smart! 

Today...I introduced a couple of my centers. Below is something that is at my writing center. This is my sentence sorts or sentence scrambles. Students sort cards according to the picture. They then take the cards with the same pictures, read the words and sort them to make a sentence that makes sense. This took a little explaining to each group but I feel like after a couple of times they will understand. Once they sort it, they write the sentence and draw a picture to go with it. This is also in my store.

Sentence Sorts 

This is another center I created for my students and introduced this week. This is for beginning sounds. Students look at the picture on the card then decide which sound they hear. Then they clip the clip on that letter. When they are all done, they flip over the card and check to see if they were right. (I draw a little dot on the correct spot they should have the clip) This way it is a self assessing center! 

Clip Card Center

I said this was a very busy week! Not only was it busy at school but it was also busy AFTER school. I had open house on Thursday night and Wednesday night I went to see Brad Paisley with my boyfriend. Brad is one of my favorite country singers (Behind my boyfriend of course! ;) If you have never seen him and you enjoy country...I encourage you to go. He puts on a great show! 

I hope everyone is having a great first couple weeks of school! And I hope your students are as amazing as mine are! 

Wordless Wednesday!!

Hello!! It's a linky party with Miss Sugar and Spice!!

Sugar and Spice!!

I am happy to celebrate my first day back to school with this amazing teachers pay teachers sale!! 

Here are just a few things on sale today in my store!!! 

My Store!!

These are great for centers!!! Identifying number words!! 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Number-Clip-Cards-1400655

Great for language standards!!

Another great language product!!

Types of sentences!! 

Brain Break Blitz--GoNoodling!

I am so excited to be linking up with GoNoodle for this Linky party! 

If you have not given GoNoodle a chance yet in your classroom...I HIGHLY suggest you check it out! Click on the imagine below to head on over to the blog to read about it! 

Brain Breaks have become an important part in my classroom...we refer to them as Dance Parties. My students are huge fans of Koo Koo Kanga Roos! We love dancing around with them Our favorite is the Pirate Prep! 

My students earn their Dance Parties by performing their best in the classroom...

This year I think I am going to have 5 stars printed out with magnets attached to the back of them. Throughout the day and week they will earn stars...when they reach 5 stars they will earn a Dance Party! Once a dance party is earned all stars will be put back down and they will start over. 

Stay tuned for another GoNoodle Post from me soon! 

Meet the Teacher...Me!

Miss Falling Into First had a great idea for a Linky Party! I am linking up with it...it is Meet The Teacher! This way everyone gets a chance to meet their favorite Blogging Buddies. 

Hello! My name is Alison or Ali and I just turned 30! Not sure what I think about it still but it is life! I have been teaching for 9 years! I taught 1st grade for 5 years, taught 3rd grade for 1 year, and I was a Reading Interventionist for 2 years. This year I am going back into the classroom! That is where my heart is! 

I am not married...but have had a boyfriend for a couple of years now, who is amazing! 

A couple of things I really enjoy are running, kickball and crafting. I have been a runner since middle school. I run half marathons now and truly love them. Crazy I know..right! Kickball...yes, I am on a very competitive  kickball team! We travel all over the country to compete! 

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

Running Shoes (I buy them like crazy!), Rose, Rose bushes, tomatoes, CUPCAKES (Duh!) Clipart..I have become obsessed with it! My family, wiener dogs, Alex and Ani Bracelets .

 IF YOU WEREN'T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO BE?

Hmmmm...that is actually a good question! I have always wanted to be a teacher. I would guess I would want to be something that still lets me create things. My sister designs light fixtures....creativity runs in the family. 

THREE LITTLE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU.

Creative, Patient, Kind

FINISH THE SENTENCE, "________,  SAID NO TEACHER EVER!!"

I LOVE analyzing DATA , said NO teacher ever!

 IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY AND YOU CAN INVITE ANYONE {DEAD OR ALIVE} TO THE PARTY. WHO ARE YOU INVITING?

hmmmm...My Grandparents, I miss them. and my Boyfriend's parents...I never had the chance to meet them and they did such an amazing job raising their son. 

IF SOMEONE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD BE THE TITLE?

Cupcake Paradise 

YOU GET TO PICK ONE SUPERPOWER. WHAT IS IT?

Reading Minds. I always wish I knew what people were thinking. 

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR SAYING?

Start Each Day with a Greatful Heart

IF YOU HAD TO SING ONE SONG ON AMERICAN IDOL, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

American Pie...I have no idea but that is what popped into my head OR Ironic ...Isn't it Ironic...Don't you think..

 ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON OR A NIGHT OWL?

Honestly I am a little of both. I would rather stay up late and get things done, but I work well in the morning too. 

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE RESOURCE THAT YOU'VE CREATED IN YOUR TPT SHOP?

Probably my Build a Sentence/Sentence Sorts. I have a Halloween set too and will be creating them for the rest of the holidays and seasons. It is a great center for my students to work on in writing. Students have to sort words into the correct order to make a sentence that makes sense. 

SHARE SOMETHING WE MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU! 

I am actually very shy. When I am around people I don't know I am very quiet. Well let me rephrase that...I am shy around grown ups my age. But put me in a room with little kids and I won't shut up. Or put me in a room with parents and I don't shut up! 

Head on over to Falling Into First and link up! 

Monday Made It

Another Monday Made It! Summer is coming to an end and I am very sad but very excited at the same time! I am going to miss my summer lazy pool days but I cannot wait till I get to meet my class and get started teaching them. 

I have been very busy this week with Kindergarten Summer Bridge (Summer School for our Kinders) Plus getting my classroom ready. I have 2 new teachers being added to my 1st grade team this year. They are right out of college....Oh to be young again (Ha look at me..I turn 30 and start being all sentimental and stuff.)  So they will need a lot of guidance on where to start and what to do. So I want to have my room ready before we have to head back for staff days! 

So I am linking up again with 4th Grade Frolics for another Monday Made It! 

I made another wreath! I posted it on my 5 for Friday because I could not wait to share it! I am in love it! I have not yet decided where it will go...either my front door or my classroom door. What are your thoughts? 

I have been very busy creating Language materials to go with the Common Core Standards. Do you guys use Common Core? This can be a Scoot or a Center for your students. They need to read the sentences on the card and decide what type of ending mark the sentence needs. It goes with Language Standard L1.2b. It is currently in my store so go CHECK IT OUT!

This is another Language activity I have created. This one is working with words that need to be capital. It also goes with a Common Core Standard L1.2a. This is also in my store right now. These are 2 standards I am started off the year with so I wanted to be prepared and have something fun for my students to work on pertaining to those standards. Click on the pictures to go to my store!

I also made some fun pointers for my students to use when reading the weekly poem, or reading the room. These were fun to make and I have lot more I will be creating as the year goes on. Some will be holiday themed and others will just be random ones. Super easy to make too! Just pick up some wood sticks from Michael's, some wooden cutouts also from Michael's. I used washi tape and duck tape on the sticks but I may paint some too in the long run. Then I hot glues the wooden cupouts and some ribbons to add a little bit more to them. Very Easy and my students normally LOVE them! 

Hope everyone has been a busy bee this week getting ready for school, enjoying their last few days of summer or enjoying their first days of school! 

5 for Friday!

I have done a horrible job of blogging this week! This is my first post! But today I am linking up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for 5 for Friday! I have been very busy this week and have lots to share! 

First Up....Kickball! So I spent last weekend in Colorado! It was so pretty there! The weather was amazing! It was nice to get a break from the Vegas HEAT! I went for a kickball tournament!  We did not do as well as we should have but we had fun! I had some yummy PICKLE Vodka Friday night! It was amazing! 

Next I have been a busy BEE working on lots of projects for my classroom. Plus I have been in my classroom every day this week! (Pictures to come soon! I promise!) I have started working on creating centers, activities, scoots, and games for all of the Language Common Core Standards. 

I have 2 standards done. 

Pronoun Scoot for L1.1d. Determining the correct pronoun needed in a sentence.      

Check It Out!

Then I created this one. These are both included together. It goes with standard L1.2a. Students need to know that days of the week, months, and names need to be capital. 

Check it Out!

This is what I laminated and cut out on Thursday. 3 Math Common Core Centers, (Which I made..they are in my store under Apple Math Centers. These go with standards, 1.OA.A.1, 1.OA.D.7. I also have the 2 Language Centers there, along with the Crayon Color People. This is to help my students recognize the color words. I am very excited to start using these in my classroom, once we start the school year! 

Since I have been so busy creating and cutting out centers, I realized I needed a place to store all my stuff in my classroom. I wanted to be organized too! So I went on over to The Container Store and purchased a couple of these bins. I LOVE them! The colors are great! 

 If you have missed my last couple posts, you have missed my burlap pencils I have been creating. I am obsessed with them! So I made ANOTHER one and stuck it on their wreath. I thought it would be perfect for a back to school wreath. Not sure if I will take it to school and hang it on my door or put it on my front door of my house. What do you think? 

Hope everyone is enjoying their last few days of summer vacation or if you started back to school I hope you have been having amazing days with your kiddos!