Category Archives: Learning something new

Long Vowel Picture Puzzles

Who NEEDS a Self-Checking Long Vowel Phonics CENTER? ME! (Hands UP)

 Long Vowel Picture Puzzles for Phonics Centers.

Most centers are my nemesis.

My nemesis.  Setting them up. Making sure they are running CORRECTLY. And then storing them for another year! UGH!

But. What if you had a PHONICS center that was SELF CHECKING, kids enjoyed so they did it OFTEN, and it could stay out for a longer time because KIDS WANT TO PLAY WITH IT!

Yes, please!

Keep reading to the bottom of this post for a FREEBIE!

Freebie for Followers

How about a LONG VOWEL picture PUZZLES for Phonics centers!

WINNER! WINNER!

Long Vowel Picture Puzzles

The Puzzles are of one picture.

Long Vowel Picture Puzzles long a

The kids have to build a word  AND make a picture.

It is self-checking because if the picture is not put together correctly,

they are not done. The kids can use the completed words in

journal writing, word lists, or word family word walls.

The possibilities are ENDLESS!

The best part…they LOVE IT!

Long Vowel Picture Puzzles long I & o

Kids LOVE putting together puzzles!

How about picture puzzles with 4 letter LONG VOWEL words?

Most have SILENT E, but a few ( ee/ea/oa ) are included.

All of the WINTER-themed picture puzzles are ready to be

printed, laminated, and cut for easy center prep!

Great for Guided Reading, Early Finishers, and/or independent center activities!

Extension product included:

FREE Valentine Long Vowel Picture Puzzle ($2.00 value)

Long Vowel Picture Puzzles

Click HERE to see this GREAT center.

YOU WILL WANT THIS! 🙂

FREEBIE for Followers

Freebie for Followers

WENDY 

 

Classroom HELPERS…How do YOU choose them? Do you WANT to??

I want my kiddos to

HELP!

I am NOT your MAMA.

I am NOT your Grandma,

AND

I AM NOT YOUR MAID!

We ALL work & play in our classroom.

If you work here… you are a part of our TEAM.

AND ALL Team members HELP!

So HOW to

“Share the JOBS?”

Make it a

CHOICE!

I don’t

CHOOSE

daily helpers.

I let them choose what they would like to do each day.

Here are my helpers:

I write their names on

  a  cardstock strip.

I use a 12″ X 36″ pocket chart.

I have

2 Clean-Up Crew members,

2 Ball Handlers ( for recesses ),

and

2 Tech Teachers ( help with log-in’s )

1 line leader,

1 door holder,

and 1 messenger.

9 helpers each day.

My NUMBER 1 RULE!

If you are NOT quiet and  in your seat when the

BELL  RINGS…..

YOU CANNOT BE A HELPER

THAT DAY!

( Don’t be Tardy…or NOISY!)

My kiddos LOVE it!

(I’m HERE & I’m QUIET!)

Hahahaha

and then…

I ask the next person on the card…

“_(susie)___ “,  would you like to be _( ball handler)_  or __(tech teacher)_”

( Go straight down the pocket chart…)

Until ALL the jobs are filled for the day!

They like having a CHOICE in their day!

and then…

I don’t have to do the JOBS!

And…I LOVE THAT!

Leave me a comment.

How do YOU choose helpers?

Wendy

Primary Teachers are Quirky!

Primary Teachers are QUIRKY!

HUH???

Quirky is defined as…  

”  something that is strange/not normal but cool. Unconventional, surprising, odd.”

You mean ME?  I am… ODD?

YES! YOU!

Here are the top 5 reasons PRIMARY Teachers are QUIRKY!

Number one reason Primary teachers are Quirky

We like to “DRESS UP”!

Now in most professions, there is a RULE of  PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE.

Profession attire for QUIRKY teachers?

In Teaching…we are a little “QUIRKY”!

Elementary teachers dress up in tutus. QUIRKY?

Minions teacher costumes. Thank You https://teachinginroom6.com

Yo Gabba Gabba! Thank You https://teachinginroom6.com

Character costumes…QUIRKY? Thank You https://teachinginroom6.com

We tend to “go the extra mile!”

And it’s a GOOD thing!

( May have to add that to THING 1 & THING 2).

You get MY drift!

How many TEACHER Tshirts do YOU own?

Do YOU wear SCHOOL shirts on FRIDAY?

Do YOU OWN a Dr. Suess HAT?

Do you DESIRE a pair of shoes or socks that look like a PENCIL?

See?  Just a LITTLE  QUIRKY!

 AND …HEELS??? 

 Who can chase little ones

 or grab the glue bottle

 before it puddles 

on the floor..

in heels?

You see…QUIRKY!

NUmber two things that teachers do that are QUIRKY!

SMELLS..

Who doesn’t LOVE to walk into a room smelling of…

LAVENDER

COFFEE

FLOWERS

COOKIE DOUGH

etc.,  etc.

We all DO!

And so we PACK IN THE SMELLY STUFF!

Sweet smelling sprays

Air fresheners are NOT QUIRKY!

Quirky teachers make the classroom smell sweeter.

And then …24 LITTLE ONES go outside for RECESS.

AND they come back in…

UGH! Quirky teachers DON”T like the smell of WET PUPPIES!

SMELLING LIKE WET PUPPIES!

UGH!

 And SOME of those 6-year-old WET PUPPIES…

NEED  DEODORANT!

And so…we retreat to our OLD FRIEND…

Yeah CLOROX!

* in MY district you NOW must obtain a 1 hr. PD and get a “CERTIFICATE” to use CLOROX wipes in the classroom.

A Little QUIRKY!

But…we do what we need to do to survive!

Myself…I prefer cookie dough candles…  

JUST  ME.

DON’T LIGHT THEM…

JUST SMELL THEM! 

Number three for Quirky teachers

Lunch.

A Primary teacher’s lunch is a LITTLE  QUIRKY!

First, it has to have pieces that can be held in

ONE  HAND!

The Quirky teacher can do more in one lunch period, than most people do ALL DAY!

I always laugh when someone says,

” You HAVE 40 minutes for LUNCH?”

Yeah…after I get 25 kids to the cafeteria.

AND…one doesn’t forget their lunch and we have to walk back & do it AGAIN!

AND…if I don’t have to call a parent.

AND..if I don’t need to run off papers.

AND..if I don’t need to correct spelling tests, prepare the SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS, write a note, 

AND…HEAVEN FORBID…

GO TO THE BATHROOM!

( Don’t forget to EAT…it will be ANOTHER 4 hours until you are FREE!)

So…bring a lunch that can be eaten in ONE HAND!

The other hand MAY BE BUSY!

A LITTLE QUIRKY!

Number four for Quirky teachers

DIY? Quirky?

Those DREADED WORDS!

Do  It  YOURSELF…NEVER!  NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

I don’t think I have EVER started a DIY where I didn’t involve someone else!

 Thank YOU to my WONDERFUL HUBBY…

He puts up with my QUIRKINESS!

Spray PAINT!

Quirky teachers LOVE NEON SPRAY PAINT! Raise your colored finger!

Did YOU feel your hands get clammy?

How your heart rate INCREASED?

Do you have a smile on YOUR FACE?

NEON    SPRAY   PAINT!

Do YOU feel the “NEED”…to  spray

SOMETHING?

I know..it’s OK…

I think some people are “wired” with it.

The NEED  to PAINT!

And we do…

Sterlite drawers

Tool Kits for BRAG TAG drawers

Ahhh..organized storage for ALL. Quirky or NOT!

We will SPRAY EVERYTHING!

And…it’s OK!

( I’m sure SOMEWHERE…there is a 12 step program for this!)

QUIRKY?

YEAH!

Number five for the quirky teacher

Are you QUIRKY about BAGS?

No.Not grocery bags.

I mean BIG, LONG HANDLED, BRIGHTLY COLORED, (maybe) on wheels,

BAGS!

“I Like BIG bags & I cannot lie…”

(I think it’s a SONG)

Me dancing…

Quirky teachers LOVE big bags…and I cannot lie!

Colorful Big Bags!

Organized BIG Bags…be still my heart!

Bags on WHEELS! OH YEAH!

But…

LOOK AT THE BRIGHT COLORS!

We will carry 50-80 POUNDS of STUFF in ONE BAG…

GOTTA keep MY hands FREE!

And not think twice about it.

I AM NOT walking BACK to MY classroom AGAIN!

Yes…I can carry it ALL in one trip!

(Why do my shoulders & my back hurt so much?!)

But LOOK at the BRIGHT COLORS! So cute!

No…I will NOT buy 24 folders at TARGET for 17 cents each!

 I just bought the CUTEST  “31”  BAG..  🙂

A LITTLE  QUIRKY!

And so…

Some of us were meant to be PRIMARY TEACHERS.

AND some are NOT!

To those who are…

HOLD YOUR SPRAYPAINTED FINGER UP HIGH…

WEAR YOUR T-SHIRTS PROUDLY…

AND  SMELL  the QUIRKINESS  in YOUR  WORLD!

WELCOME  to the CLUB!

If you have HUNG in here for this LONG  POST…

Keep GIGGLING…

Here is a FREEBIE  for YOU!

Back to School Vocabulary Banner from 1stgradefireworks

Check out OTHER fun things from 1stgradefireworks!

Pin IT! 🙂

I have TAMED the TRANSITION Monster!

Transitions…

You know…

The moment when you say, 

“Please put ______ away & get out your_______”

& it begins to sound 

OUT OF CONTROL!

Kids out of their seats,

loud voices,

crayons & pencils dropping to the floor!

STOP!

What happened?

Where did ALL of my management go?

Did it fly out the window?

Fall on the carpet? 

NO…it is called…

A “TRANSITION”!

When kiddos go

from one body motion

to another,

it’s a transition!

No amount of 5,4,3,2,1…

1,2,3 eyes on me…

clap, clap, snap, snap

can get them back!



SO… don’t let them go!

I have calmed the

TRANSITION MONSTER!

When I finish a lesson or I need them to

“Transition”

from one place to another,

I use these WONDERFUL cards

and my doc camera!

I have printed them 4 to a page…

fold up the bottom 

(So kids can’t see the answer on doc camera!)

I read the clues… 

in a SUPER SOFT VOICE

if they want to hear the clues,

THEY HAVE TO BE QUIET! 🙂

And they read with me,

“WHO AM I?”

I only chose those kids who are in their seats

with “quiet” hands UP!

They ALL think they know..some are tricky!

Remind them to listen to ALL of the clues.

They LOVE LOVE LOVE this!

LOTS of vocabulary, higher level thinking, 

and ……FUN!

Who would have thought…

learning & FUN??!!!

So tame that “transition” monster.. with
a game!
A transition GAME!

Here is the link if you would like 

to check these out!

Flap Book

ENJOY!

What is TRUE Teacher Appreciation? It might SURPRISE You!

What is TRUE Teacher Appreciation?

I am a VETERAN teacher.

NO.

 I have NOT fought in a WAR.

I have taught in GRADE 1

 ( exclusively )

for over 30 years!

WOW!

( Never “graduated” to second grade..as my students tell me!) 🙂

But…

I have changed my “VIEW” on teacher appreciation.

We ALL want to be appreciated.

We want to be recognized for

SOMETHING “GOOD”

 we have done!

But..

things can get a little …

OUT OF HAND!

I believe..

YES…

I believe there are

those who

are APPRECIATED

and those who

WISH THEY WERE!

What is TRUE Teacher Appreciation?

I will say this ONE TIME…

IT  IS  NOT  ABOUT  TEST SCORES!

The teachers with the SUPER highest test scores

are NOT, always,

the teachers who are

APPRECIATED the MOST!

Now…disclaimer…teachers work WAY TOO hard!

I got that!

Some are SOOOOOO  focused on the “data”…

they forget, or can’t “document” the traits of the child the “data” came from!

Nowhere is there a box to check that says:

___  Didn’t have breakfast ( or dinner the night before ).

___ Couldn’t sleep because my parents were arguing LOUDLY!

___ No one would help with homework/reading ( for the past two weeks!)

or

___  not in a good “mindset”  today.

BUT…

these are kids!

This is life!

To attach a “number” to a student, 

based on “today’s testing module”

is NOT  what teaching is all about!

( Ok sorry…OFF my soapbox!)

So,

What is TRUE Teacher Appreciation?

Where? How? When?

Admins…

Please… I don’t need a new pen with my school name on it.

What is TRUE Teacher Appreciation?

If YOU really want to show me your appreciation…

HAVE MY BACK during an IEP

when ‘the team” says

I NEED TO DO MORE!

By the time I have gotten to his stage…

I HAVE DONE ALL I CAN DO!

Take the stand that I AM DONE!

SEND ME SOME HELP!

Now I have great admin’s…

I know they have my back!

THAT’s  APPRECIATION!

If you want to “give” me something…

…TAKE MY RECESS DUTY!

…Take my class for an hour at the end of the day, if MY child is home sick!

… Come in and do reading groups once in a while

( an extra adult doing centers is ALWAYS appreciated).

You see…it’s NOT about the “things”

it’s about WHAT you DO!

What is TRUE Teacher Appreciation?

How do you know if your “team” appreciates YOU?

Do you “share”?

Do you “follow through?”

Do you “care” about each other?

My “teaching partner”…

( I said “partner” one time..it took on a WHOLE DIFFERENT meaning!)

and I have taught next to each other

( rooms 3 & 4)

for 24 years!

We are going to retire together 

the same year…in 2-3 years.

( We “pinky sweared”…

..as long as nothing catastrophic happens before then).

Her mom works in her room.

I call her MOM!

Our students think we are

SISTERS!

See the family “resemblance”?

In my heart…

SOUL SISTERS!

We run homework for each other.

We share our students.

We laugh, we cry, we CARE about each other!

We are NOT the ONLY grade 1 teachers.

We have 1-2 others who teach with us.

( Depending on the year and student numbers).

We ALWAYS include them!

This is NOT a

CLOSE YOUR DOOR & DO YOUR THING!

NOPE!

WE DO!

Together.

Feel appreciated? YEP! Daily.

( I could have transferred to another school in MY district..many times!)

NOT LEAVING!

LOVE MY CRAZY TITLE 1 school!

and then…

Your students…

What is TRUE Teacher Appreciation?

When do they make YOU feel appreciated?

Is it when you are passing out report cards?

Is it when they forgot their homework?

Is it when they have interrupted you for the 1000th time that day?

Probably NOT!

It’s when that SAME little girl walks in EVERY morning

and says…

“Can I have a HUG?”

or

When the little boy who STUTTERS ( severely )…

asks if he can READ his newest story

TO THE CLASS!

( And EVERYONE cheers  for him!)

or

The “behavior problem” child

who knows ( his MAMA tells him a lot )

that he is a PROBLEM…

and he hands me a heart he made with a picture of me & him!

( Melts my heart..right before he hits another student!)

and last…

the “older students” who come back…

just to say HI!

or…

“I got my driver’s license & I promise to be safe..just like you said!”

“I got a full-ride scholarship…to HARVARD!”..yes  it did happen!

“I want to be back in first grade so I can PAINT!”

“Thank you , Mrs. McCarty, for listening to me!”

Giggles, Grins, Hugs, & High Fives to 

ALL of YOU!

YOU make a difference!

PLANTS…Do You Want to Grow A Garden? and a FREEBIE

Spring is here!
In Northern CA it is supposed to be 80 degrees
this  Thursday!

My Sunflower Seeds are growing!

We went from Spring to Summer..overnight!

So..it’s time to get out the sunflower seeds, get the other seeds out, & start planting that garden!

My kiddos LOVE this one!
Click Below

Sunflower Seeds

A 24-page plant unit including…

Plant Needs / Wants

Plant Parts We Eat (Sorting / Writing)

How To Grow Plants with Writing

Plant Problems..discussion starters

Vocabulary Work

Poetry Work
 
Just to add some fun…
 
Vocabulary Word cards for Plant  Unit!

 

 

 
Happy  SPRING!

Spring is Coming! WHAT? The eggs aren’t HATCHING!

Spring.  Bunnies. Chicks. Eggs. Shamrocks. Sunshine. Rainbows.

Feel it? Smile. Spring is COMING!

As a first-grade teacher, I attempt ( repeat ATTEMPT),

to bring Spring to my students in a

HAPPY, POSITIVE way. 

And then there is REALITY!

Chickens hatched in an incubator. Photo of an incubator with eggs and a newborn chicken.

I tried. I followed the directions.  I GOOGLED it!

As I walked into the classroom on day 21 of incubation, I walked slowly to the incubator to see the newborn chicks…

Expecting to see 10-12 yellow fluffy baby chicks chirping for me –

SOMEHOW,  the incubator had been unplugged … 

ALL WEEKEND!   NO!

I couldn’t look. All was silent. No movement!

The kids were coming! 

What to do? What to do?

I covered the incubator with my RAIN JACKET

( Yes, it was raining ),

and told the kids the eggs were SLEEPING!

I was NOT ready to tell them!

We survived the day.

THEN WHAT?

I “cleaned out” the incubator. Went to my LOCAL Farm Supply Store.

AND PURCHASED 8 ( that’s ALL they had ) yellow fluffy baby chicks!

Did my students get to see them hatch? NO!

Did they get to watch the MOMENT? NO!

Were they excited to see and hear the baby chicks for a short time – one week was ALL I could do! 

YES!  They loved it!

Moral:  Be flexible. Mistakes happen.

And always have a PLAN B.

And if you are hatching eggs…

have your local Farm Supply Store

ON SPEED  dial.

BUT, Spring is COMING!

Let’s get ready!

Helping my kids in the classroom celebrate SPRING, we have LOTS of SPRING practice activities.

Spring Math Fact Families Booklets for Addition and Subtraction to 20

 Robby Rabbit Plants a Garden

Robby Rabbit Plants a Garden

 

Honey Bunny’s Easter Fun

Honey Bunny’s Easter Fun

 Animal Classifications

Have fun! Enjoy the SPRING!

We in NORCAL are digging out from rain, wind, snow, sleet, and hail…

But the SUN will come out! We will be WARM again!

Smile, hug those you care about, and remember…

KEEP YOUR FARM SUPPLY STORE ON SPEED DIAL!  HAHAHA

Happy Spring.   

More fun for you:

Spring Cleaning

Spring Word Trees

Guess WHAT? Pigs DO FLY!

PIGS DO FLY!

SPRING CLEANING

OK…I admit it…I HATE to CLEAN!

Spring Cleaning Purging is NOT FUN!

It is a chore!

But, the Christmas dust bunnies 

are MULTIPLYING!

 Just in time for EASTER!

After my 3rd cup of coffee, this AM,

I decided to get to work!

Hubby at work for the day..so

I made a deal with myself …

NO SHOWER until DONE CLEANING!

(I LOVE MY SHOWERS!)

So, what’s a girl to do?

GET CLEANING!

I CRANKED UP THE COUNTRY MUSIC…

LOUD…

REALLY LOUD!

Tim McGraw

 

Luke Bryan

 

Kenny Chesney

I WAS LISTENING, SINGING,

 & DANCING to the music!

Thank GOD, no one could SEE me!

Anyways…

I CLEANED…AND Cleaned…

and cleaned….and cleaned.

More SPRING CLEANING

I even cleaned out my earring tree!

Didn’t know I had SO many that

only had 1 earring! GOODBYE!

Closets, bookshelves, drawers, 

took BLANKETS to the LAUNDROMAT…

SPRING Clean” THEM TOO!

My house smells like PINE-SOL!

If I didn’t know any better…

I’d swear I was NESTING!

NO WAY LADIES…

This GMA is TOO OLD for that! 

Then…shower..AAAHHHHH!

SPRING CLEANING & BAKING?

No…I am NOT ill.

So then I decided that because the EB…

Happy EASTER

 

EASTER BUNNY

is on HIS way …I could help him!

My family LOVES

Reeses EGGS!

Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs

 

(WHO doesn’t?)

But…I AM CHEAP! 

I know…really cheap!

So today I decided to MAKE them!

You heard that right! MAKE THEM…ME!???

For the girl who doesn’t cook, 

they turned out pretty good!

 

 

Here are MY Reese’s  Eggs!

They are ready for Easter Baskets!

So, my friends…

Guess what?  

Pigs DO Fly!

Happy  Weekend!

If YOU need more Easter Goodies…

https://1stgradefireworks.net
You Quack Me Up! ELA & MATH Centers for first grade 4th quarter!
Robby Rabbit’s Garden… a complete plant unit reading, writing, math for SPRING!
Spring Word Trees for Reading Fluency UPDATED with Easy-prep extensions.
What is a BALANCED LITERACY Classroom? This resource will show YOU!

For MORE EASTER GOODIES…CLICK HERE!

Here is a SPRING FREEBIE for following 1stgradefireworks

CLICK HERE!

Chicken Dance! FREEBIE! Check it out at 1stgradefireworks!

How to HELP kids…WRITE! Freebie,too!

Writing

Writing in First grade.
 
Common Core Standards DEFINE 
what writing will LOOK like in Grade one.
 
 

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.3
Write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide some sense of closure.

WOW! 
 A lot for firsties who are learning
 to read AND write.

We “JUMP” in!  🙂


We start with

NARRATIVE WRITING.

 

Much easier to write about yourself, than others.

My kiddos are just beginning to understand LANGUAGE.


Sytnax…grammar…structure…????


A LOT FOR A 7 year old!


HOW?  HOW?  HOW?

Breathe…

We TALK… A LOT!  

We share our ideas.  
We draw. We draw some more.
 We chart ideas. 
We sound out words ( the best we can ). 

 

 

 


We share. We edit. 
We write more. 
And we FIX IT!



Is it perfect?  NO!

Is it OK?


YES!


Writing is a process. 

It takes TIME!
And practice.
 And MORE practice!

I want my kiddos to WANT to write.

Not for ME…for themselves!

The LOVE of writing is a GIFT!


Give them a GIFT!

 

 

Need HELP with resources, ideas, & planning?

Here are some helpful ideas:






 

My kiddos use these writing pages
 to SUPPORT their writing.
 
for Language / Spelling Support.
 
To help YOU get started…
 
 
for YOU! 
 
Give them a GIFT! 
Wendy

Spring gardening 101 and a FREE CHICKEN DANCE!

I love SPRING!

DID I MENTION…

I LOVE SPRING!

And I Love to GARDEN!

This Spring I taught my students how to recycle water bottles into seed germinators!

I Love Spring!

I am an AVID  Gardener!

 
LOVE to get my fingers in the dirt.
 
We call my hubby “FARMER WITHOUT A FARM!”
 
We are “suburbanites” with a backyard farm.
Chickens included!
 

Black Chicken

Sunshine – white chicken

 
 
More on that later.
 
 

This year we installed

PALLET  GARDENS!

Grow plants in a PALLET GARDEN!

So easy!  
Lay down wooden pallet.
Fill with potting soil & steer manure.
Plant!
 
We did seeds.
And more seeds. (Rotate your crops)
 
We didn’t have a lot of room for “vines”.. so we did NOT
grow pumpkins.
 
We did grow some BEAUTIFUL SUNFLOWERS in the
back.
They need A LOT OF room. They got 10-12 feet TALL!

             Check out my Sunflower Seeds Plant Unit.          AWESOME!

 
Grow vegetables that you eat.
I wanted to show the kids
ROOTS, STEMS, LEAVES, FLOWERS, etc.
Choose plants that will help with that!
It’s SPRING!
Time for new growth!
 
We also made individual planters for the kids to take
home.
 
As we had been studying EARTH DAY…
 
We RECYCLED
 
water bottles as seed planters!

Recycled Water bottles for planting.

Start with water bottles.
Cut them in half.
Poke a hole in the lid.
Tie a knot in string & thread through the hole.
When lid is ON…string hangs DOWN.
Flip the  TOP of bottle..into the  bottom.
The bottom will hold the water.

Cut bottles in half. Add soil.

Add soil.
And seeds to top.
Fill the bottom with water.
The string acts like a wick…to water itself!

Recycled water bottles with seeds.

We have sprouts!

Soon… sprouts!
We took them HOME at OPEN HOUSE!
The kids were SO excited to show off their garden.
Maybe THEY will become
MASTER GARDENERS
some  day!
 

Happy Dance!

 
In honor of my 
CHICKENS…
 
Chicken Dance is FREE!
 

Chicken Dance Word Game from 1stgradefireworks

Happy Spring to all!
Wendy