Tag Archives: vacation

Tag Parents, YOU’RE IT! Teachers want to SHOP on TPT!

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I know. It’s SUMMER!

Our Brains won’t STOP!

Relax. Thinking about desk arrangement.

Poolside. Reading a book about Classroom Management.

Computer. Should I redo my lesson plans?

Keep Swimming!

We don’t STOP! It’s a LIFESTYLE!

Want some help? Want to WIN a $100 TPT Giftcard to Shop on TPT?

I would LOVE it for Back to School stuff!

Want to WIN a $100 TPT Giftcard? ENTER HERE! SHop on TPT!

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Here are some posts to help your TEACHER BRAIN ( We never stop.)

What are YOU reading this summer?

Leave me a comment… I’m adding to my professional library! 🙂

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Do You Have a PLAN for Packing up YOUR Classroom?

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It’s THAT time.

Time to pack up my classroom!

Are YOU packing up YOUR classroom?

via GIPHY

WAHOO! Summer vacation. The Beach. Family BBQ’s. R&R.

BUT, WAIT! NOT YET! First I need to pack up my classroom so I can find the things I need when we come back. Back to School is crazy enough without me NOT being able to find my MOST needed items! ( Where is MY stapler???)

Are YOU packing up your classroom?

What am I packing?

What is on my classroom packing list?

Here is my list:

Number One

It’s ALL about ME! What will I need the first week?

Teacher Editions and Lesson Plan Book

My Teacher Editions & Lesson Plan Book. I need them to plan for the first weeks.

Mostly Routines and Daily schedules. (Work on THIS before VACATION!)

Sticky Notes

Sticky notes inside to remind my “aging” brain…what I INTEND to do!

What MATERIALS will I need to accomplish this? What lesson to focus on those first weeks? What went well? What didn’t?

USE THOSE STICKY NOTES INSIDE YOUR TE!

You will NOT remember months from now… what you are thinking about TODAY!

Use the next few weeks to make your NOTES!

How to Prepare for a Successful Reading Workshop in First Grade

Teacher’s Desk

Don’t forget, in your TEACHER DESK…

hide a few water bottles, mints, chocolate, and Tylenol, sanitizer, throat lozenges,

for the first week back…FOR YOU!

Never know how that FIRST WEEK will go!

BE Prepared!

* “SUGGESTED” teacher MUST HAVES for the first weeks:

Number 2

Student materials ( packets, papers, journals, etc ).

Before packing up your classroom, RUN THEM NOW!

( Nothing feels better than pulling out MUCH NEEDED things…ALREADY DONE!)

Stacks of copied papers, sorted and ready to go!

Papers copied, sorted, and filed!

Whew! SO glad I prepped these BEFORE school was out!!

Get some puzzles, games, blocks, etc. out.

It’s National PUZZLE Day! Do YOU play GAMES??

classroom card games

THEY WILL NOT BE INDEPENDENT!

Have a few things ready so they can have “downtime”

while YOU are doing ONE-TO-ONE assessing!

You know you will HAVE TO…prepare for IT!

How do YOU FIT IT ALL IN? Balanced Literacy

Number three is third.

As you are packing up your classroom with those MANY, MANY BOXES (for centers, games, things you need to go through) … DO THOSE LATER!

I know you NEED these, BUT

You will “SURVIVE” looking at them LATER!

NO STRESS!

( YEAH, right!)

Read to SELF..LET THEM READ!

Prepare today… after a RELAXING Summer… the thought of coming back

and redoing everything in a day or two is

EXCRUTIATING!

Screaming Child

Breathe…relax…make your lists…stick to them…and PREP AWAY!

The payoff is HUGE!

Now…where did I pack that STAPLER?

stapler

These posts might help “ease” the transition Back to School…

Polka Dots Please blog post on flexible seating.

Polka Dots Please

Teacher Stacking chairs

Packing Up Your Classroom

* PS…I just found out I have three weeks to pack up

MY ENTIRE CLASSROOM! I am getting NEW Carpet! I am happy…I think!

PACK UP 26 years of stuff? In 3 weeks? EVERYTHING?

Time to PURGE! Who needs the PD resource from 1999???

I think I need a LOT MORE BOXES!

I may need ALL of these boxes to pack up my classroom.

Hi HO…HI HO…It’s off to pack I go!

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WENDY – 1stgradefireworks

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Clean up 2017

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Can you hear the song?

Here’s a link to help you…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY-H2WGThc8

My NEW YEAR’S Mantra!

CLEAN UP! CLEAN UP!

I LOVE to start the NEW YEAR with cleanliness!

NO ...I AM NOT OCD ( quite the opposite ).

I like to start the year off with a clean slate…

doesn’t always stay that way!

So here I go!

MY Closet!

ICK!

Keeping these…pants together..skirts…etc

Hubby even did his shoes! 🙂

Pile to GO!

Cleaned out my closet…found my LOST slippers!

YIPPEY!

Pile of unneeded hangers!

Gave some of them away with donated clothes.

Kept some…yes..I got rid of the WIRE HANGERS!

HAHAHAHAHA

So I am DONATING 2 bags of

“UNUSED” clothes & shoes

( Doesn’t fit, holes, haven’t worn, aren’t going to wear…)

to Goodwill.

Have you tried this COOL closet trick?

Take ALL of your hangers and turn them

BACKWARDS!

As you wear something…

turn the hanger forwards.

Next year…

ANY hanger still turned backwards…

YOU HAVE NOT WORN IN ONE YEAR!

DONATE IT to someone who will!

The Christmas Decor!

I LOVE my Christmas tree.

I turn on the lights, sit in the dark, and watch it twinkle!

But…it has been up since November.

( Yes, before THANKSGIVING!)

I didn’t have Thanksgiving at MY house..so..

UP WENT THE CHRISTMAS DECOR!

Makes me happy!

But…Time to “CLEAN UP, CLEAN UP!”

Gma loves help! Such a decorator!

It takes a LONG time to put ornaments away!

You have to touch each one…remember when or where you got it…

the memories are sometimes OVERWHELMING..

Sniff..sniff..giggle..giggle

We started this years ago…

When we travel, or have a special place…

we buy an ornament.

Check out my UPDATED post on

“In Life…there is NO “Do OVER!”

Newest member of my snowman ornament collection.

Don’t forget the year!

Little sister got married in HAWAII!

We were ALL there!

So FUN!

and last…

ME!

I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions…

I don’t need ANOTHER thing to worry about!

But..

I have changed my eating habits!

( Lost 32 pounds …so far )

YEAH!!!

My new favorite “treat”…

APPLES & Peanut Butter!

But wait!

Isn’t Peanut Butter FATTENING??????

Here’s my SECRET..

Slice apples ( I buy mine pre packaged & sliced ). 🙂

Put them single layer on a plate.

Put 1 Tablespoon ( Yes I measure ) peanut butter in a small zip-lock bag.

Close bag. Microwave PB ( mine about 20 seconds).

Snip ( tech term) the corner off of the bottom of the PB bag.

DRIZZLE over apples!

It’s like FROSTING the cake!

* UPDATE… You CAN use PB.

BUT…

My newest LOVE

PB2.

Powdered Peanuts…NO FAT!

Mix 2 TBL powder with 1 TBL water!

PRESTO!

PB with NO FAT!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the PB2 with CHOCOLATE!

CAN YOU SAY… REESES???

I have it on my toast in the AM.

So…I am beginning my

CLEAN UP

mode.

I should start on the kitchen cabinets, or the bathroom…..

I think I hear

APPLES & PB

calling me!

Happy New Year’s, my friends!

My Dilemma…DO you Teach Halloween? October? Fall? Want a FREEBIE?

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So my dilemma.

We have a two week vacation

from Oct. 1-Oct. 17.

(NO COMPLAINING HERE!)

BUT…

We return on Oct. 17.

MONDAY

14 days (exactly ) until….

YOU KNOW IT

MONDAY, October 31, 2016

HALLOWEEN!

Parties,

CANDY,

Kids who can’t wait to get home ( highly DISTRACTABLE!)

(some schools…not mine….)

COSTUMES!

So …

My dilemma.

When we go back,

Do I put out HALLOWEEN themed centers?

Do I keep it OCTOBERish with Columbus, Halloween, Fall, Pumpkins,etc?

Do I just “touch” on the “HOLDIAY” stuff…and Promote the FALL stuff?

Do I add THANKSGIVING?

Should I keep it ALL going until THANKSGIVING?

What to do? What to do?????

BTW… I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE FALL!

My favorite season.

YUMMY!

But…

CONTENT is EVERYTHING!

My student’s MUST take a BENCHMARK ASSESSMENT in December.

I want them to do well.

( I don’t tkink there will be a HALLOWEEN question on it.)

Unless it’s about

HOW MANY CANDIES DID YOU EAT ALL TOGETHER?

So ..what to do? What to do?

INTEGRATE!

I must teach SCIENCE and SOCIAL STUDIES!

( Living things…life cycle…Plants/animals…Lifestyles Long Ago..)

So here is MY plan:

Reading:

Nonfiction about pumpkins, apples, plants
Biography about Christopher Columbus, Squanto
Fiction about Fall, Halloween, Pilgrims, Thanksgiving

I am checking my district curriculum ( yes, we have one )

for REQUIRED (Tested ) Skills & Strategies for this quarter.

As we delve into our reading…I make SURE to incorporate TESTED strategies.

Questioning? Sequencing? Retelling? Etc..etc…

Vocabulary? Again…check NECESSARY vocabulary for success!

I spend A LOT of time on necessary vocabulary. I have 10-12 English Language Learners.

They need visuals, modeling, & practice before they can “TAKE ON” the new information.

Phonics? Spelling? Grammar?

Required phonics skills for this quarter.

What to use for Spelling?

BOTH!

Required spelling skills AND thematic vocabulary words.

WHAT? WHY?

Because…I want them to have some INTRINSIC vocabulary to use easily in their..

WRITING!

I want MY Mummy! 🙂

Sorry….couldn’t resist.

Writing:

“How To”..grow..carve…etc… about pumpkins, apples, plants
“Informative” about Christopher Columbus, Squanto,Pilgrims
“Narrative” about Fall, Halloween, Pilgrims, Thanksgiving
Thank You cards, Invitations, Lists, Etc.

Again….I am checking my district curriculum

for REQUIRED (Tested ) Skills & Strategies for this quarter.

Whatever our REQUIRED writing prompt will be

( I already know mine is INFORMATIVE)

We will practice, practice, practice!

I won’t skip the other genres.

Just FOCUS on the INFORMATIVE!

BUT wait!

I want crafts! I want CUTSIE! I want products!

I Love BOOKS!

And so…we will make CUTSIE lapbooks, paintings, charts, stories & crafts

about???

Fall, Halloween, pumpkins, apples

, plants, Christopher Columbus,

Squanto, Pilgrims, Thanksgiving

DON’T tell our FIRE MARSHALL..

I might HANG THINGS UP!

Definitely!

I won’t tell, if YOU won’t tell.

MATH:

addition / subtraction
missing addends
place value
graphing
story problems

And MATH??

Lots of Graphs, addition & subtraction, problem solving, story problems

ALL ABOUT THEMES!

How many apples, pumpkin seeds, candies, turkies, indians, etc, etc.

(Math Journals are GREAT for this!)

and, yes..

I will need to keep it going until Thanksgiving.

And I will need to use EVERY MINUTE of EVERY DAY!

And yes… it will take planning, and prepping…

BATS!

Black Cats

Growing Pumpkins

Making APPLESAUCE!

Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed!

And YES

I WILL LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

You see…

FALL IS MY FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR!

To those of you who hung in there to the bottom of this LONG POST…

A FREEBIE FOR YOU!

Happy FALL!

BOO BANG!

Finally, It’s GARDEN time!

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I hear it’s snowing on the East Coast.

(Sorry GUYS!)

Here in Northern California…

San Joaquin Valley

GRAPE & WINE COUNRTY

We have had rain!

Finally!

If you don’t know…we are in a drought!

BUT…

It has rained ONLY ON THE WEEKENDS!

COME ON!

REALLY???

So.. FINALLY

It’s WARM!

The sun is out on SATURDAY!

WAHOOO!!!

For hubby and I

It’s time to GARDEN!

Now every year

we start our own seeds.

Here is our newest hothouse.

(Last year we made our own…too big!)

This year we went for a smaller version.

This way we can start seeds,

when they become seedlings we can plant the seedlings, and then,

we can start MORE!

Can you see the upside-down water bottle?

Cut off the bottom & fill..

Keep it full…humidifies the hothouse.

My own little “rainforest” 🙂

Each little “pod” has seeds ready to grow!

This year we have

tomatoes,

sunflowers,

melons,

lettuce,

cilantro,

green beans,

peppers,

watermelon,

and

nasturiums ( need flowers for BEES!)

BEES are a gardner’s friend!

We already have a few tomatoes ready, some zucchini squash, and yellow squash.

NOW WHAT?

Here are my BEFORE garden pics.

Don’t judge! 🙂

Wait until you see them LATER!

Onions are doing well…BUT the rest?

WOW! Let’s get to work!

Ick! Needs some HELP!

WAIT! That’s NOT a garden..it’s a bale of STRAW!

We are trying something new this year.

GOOGLE “STRAW GARDEN”..

Hmm…you “condition” bales of straw for about 2 weeks

and then

PLANT RIGHT IN THE BALES!

The conditioning makes “STERILE” SOIL for the plants!

Bigger & Better yields!

We shall see.

If it works? We get more.

If NOT? We have A LOT of compost!

Either way…we are OK!

I will let you know how it goes!

Here is some of our produce from LAST YEAR..

We shall see…

If you need some help teaching your class about

GARDENS…

Here is some help.

Available HERE.

One Step Foreword…Two Steps BACK!

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Today I went back to school. IT WAS A MESS!!! I haven’t been back since the last day of school. I am very fortunate that I don’t have to move classrooms. I have been in this room for 12 years. I just clean up after the last day “celebrations” and LEAVE! But…eventually, you have to return. Today was the day!

It’s going to take a few days to rearrange desks, set out materials, clean up centers, etc. Today, I spent mostly on book tubs! I now have “leveled” books from DRA 1-10 ( for independent book boxes. I also have 4 leveled AR ( Accellerated Reader ) tubs. I leveled them 0-0.9 , 1.0-1.9 , 2.0-2.9 , and 3.0-3.9. They have between 20-25 books in each tub. I am thinking my higher readers will be able to begin AR sometime within the first month. Then I organized my classroom library into 24 “theme” related tubs ( animals, Halloween, October, etc.). WOW! I now have 3 seperate libraries! HOW TO KEEP THEM STRAIGHT? I will show you as I complete the next phase.

Well…I am off to work on labels… I can’t have a library without labels! Stay tuned for the next chapter in the “LIBRARY FIX” ! This time it will be two steps forward…..NO STEPS BACK! 🙂

Wendy 1stgradefireworks