OCTOBER Already!!!

Hello Hello! I feel like I have not blogged in forever! The first month of school has been CRAZY! I have 24 1st graders...I am grade level chair in charge of 3 brand new teachers and 2 vets. We have a new computer program for grading and attendance that is still a mess! And Monday we get a new 1st grade teacher...each of us are loosing 2-4 students and having a new prep schedule. Just when I thought we were set in our routines....they go and change it all up again!! AHHHHH

Any ways....here is my October Currently!

Currently

Listening...catch up on college football news! Sports Center! I LOVE Saturdays in the fall! College football is my fav!!

LOVING...that we are not having highs in the 80s here! Yep 80s. Still a bit warm during the day but the mornings and nights are in the 60s. It smells and feels like fall. 

Thinking...That I am going to be so sad when they pick the 2-3 students in my class that are going to move to a new class. I literally love all my students. I have no behavior problems or trouble makers...they are all so smart and so hard working. I literally may cry! :(

Wanting..to catch up! This new computer program for attendance and grading is a PAIN! We finally got it almost working and now they are going to mess with it again. Plus add a new teacher to our mix that I will have to help mentor. How do you all do it? How do you have time to blog, create things, teach, eat, sleep, workout and have a life. Not mention those of you who have children too!! Yeeesh! I get caught up on something or try to balance things out and then I loose something else. 

Needing...some down time. I just want to be able to lay on the couch and snuggle with my sweetie. We are both so busy right now that I feel like we never have a chance. My DVR is starting to get a lot of stuff on it. It is waiting for us to have some free time. Between school...kickball...people visiting....working ....drums...we have NO time to just hang out. 

TREAT! I want to make some brownies! 

5 for Friday-Week 3 of School!

Hello! I have been so busy at school that I have not had any time to blog! How do you all do it?! I am hoping once my students get into the swing of things and so do I! Well I am linking up with Miss Doodle Bugs for Five for Friday!

This is how I made it through the week! I am living on this! Plus it is saving me money! So I don't have to stop at Starbucks!! Has anyone else tried this? It really isn't that bad! I don't know how I would make it through the week without it!

Monkey Madness! We worked on Short A this week! My students are doing so well! I am so impressed actually! I can't wait till this afternoon to see how they do on their spelling test! Do you give spelling tests? Some teachers I teach with do not give spelling tests...How about you?

Noun Scoot! Next week I will start teaching my students about Nouns so I created this for them to do at the end of the unit! It is perfect for them. They really seem to enjoy Scoot. I love how it gets them up and moving but they are still working! 

Check it Out!

Noun Scoot

Christmas is right around the corner!? Well it is at Hobby Lobby! I walked in and could not believe it! I went in looking at the Halloween and Fall decorations...not needing anything! But of course walked out with things. Hobby Lobby ALWAYS gets me! I refused to buy Christmas stuff though! WAY TO EARLY IN MY BOOK! 

It's me! My sister drew it for me! I am in love with it! Plus the one under it with Me and 2 of my little students! 

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!