New Classroom

Here are some pictures I have taken and never got around to sharing.  I am so bad a keeping up with my blog lately.  Anyway, as most of you know, I transitioned from special education to 3rd grade regular ed this year.  Man was it a change, but I have to say, I love it.  Not that I didn't love special ed, but this is a different kind of love.  I find myself still using my sped tools and I love how I get to use both.  Fortunately, I get to teach next to the sped teacher and we get to chat all the time.  It is awesome.  I love my job, even though I spend 80+ hours a week on it.  Anyway, on to the pictures.

By the way, please check out http://www.gofundme.com/msbendersclassroom

Okay, so I only have one picture on my classroom on the computer, but I promise I did take more.

Monthly Summer Post

I AGAIN have been bad about posting.  It is so hard to find time in the summer.  I have been busy moving and I am going to be traveling.  Here is the update:

I am officially teaching 3rd grade next year.  So, if you have any MUST HAVE resources and/or ideas, PLEASE share.  I have been on Pinterest looking for ways to set up my classroom.  I haven't been able to get in the room yet, but when I do I will be sure to take pictures.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer break!  It is HOT here!

Schools Out for Summer Sale!

In honor of summer break, I am holding a sale on my TPT page.  Be sure to check it out!  What are your plans for the summer?

I am changing grades next school year, so I am working on finding 3rd grade materials.  I would love your suggestions!  With that said, I am working on creating 3rd grade level math homework.  I have posted my first page as a FREE sample.  Let me know what you think!

Happy Teacher Appriciation Week!

It's the start of Teacher Appreciation Week!   I love this week.  It brings awareness to everything we do!  I love the gifts, but that is not my favorite part.  I love all the sales that stores offer to teachers.  They recognize what we do and show their appreciation with a sale or coupon.

 

Of course we already spend our own money, but when you can get more for less, that is even better!  So I am sending you off to add to that HUGE wish list of yours on TPT to prepare for the mad dash tomorrow (although no mad mobs at TPT sales)!

 

Organization

Since I am starting over in a new classroom next year, I want to set myself and my students up to be organized.  I have been all over TPT and Pinterest looking for ideas.  I have some that I currently use and will continue to use, but I want it to look cute and be functional.  So many teachers have figured out how to do this and it totally inspires me to do the same!

I have completed my first major project for next year and that is my classroom rocking chair.  I just love frogs!  So, I had no choice but to paint my rocking chair green!  Here's how it went:

A good rocking chair that is not a glider is hard to find at a fair price.  So off to Craigslist I went.  I found this beauty for $15 and my awesome boyfriend went to pick it up for me.  Yes, he is a keeper!

Then, like I said before, I needed it to be green.  So I went to the store and bought two cans of spray paint (which they happen to have in the exact shade I wanted) and a tarp.  After about 45 minutes of painting and a few hours later for drying, I got this!  I think it looks way better than the original!



Then of course, I wanted my name on it, but how would I get those perfect looking letters?  Off to Pinterest I went and guess what?  There is a Pin for that too!  I printed my name in the font that I wanted in Word.  Then I took a pencil and traced the letters onto the chair.  The pencil left a mark so that I could take a paint brush and see where the lines were to paint my name.  Drum roll please...

I covered my name, but you can see the font.  I can't decide if I want to add anything to it, but this is where I am at with it.  How exciting! 

Next thing is organization.  I don't know how I want to organize my things and my student things.  I am off to blog hoppin' again.  

Life in the Big City

So I guess everyone at work now knows that I am leaving at the end of this year to move to the city.  I am moving to a district with a more challenging population, but I am excited for the challenge.  I have not yet told my students.  I need to figure out how to tell them (special ed).  It is a different situation because I get to keep them for more than one year, so we have an even stronger bond than a teacher that only has them for one year.

I am actually going to 3rd grade regular ed.  I am nervous, but very excited for the next phase of my life.  With that said, I have been spending my evenings on TPT and Pinterest looking for good ideas.  So that's where you come in....What do you find helpful?  What blogs do you follow for ideas?  Tell me all your dirty little regular ed teacher secrets.  Please?

Next Year

I know we are not even at summer break, but I am starting to think about next year.  What are some of your must haves to start the school year? How do you keep yourself organized?  Where do you start on the first day?  Which procedures are most important for the first day?

I want to get a feel for what others do.  There is a possibility that I will be changing grades and I would love to hear what other teachers do.

Phonemic Segmentation Cards

Use these cards in small groups or centers. Students will put a clothespin on the card for every sound they hear. Students will enjoy the hands-on phonics practice while working on fine motor skills.

I recommend printing the cards on card stock and laminating them for durability.

Included are 68 picture cards and two sets (one set has dots for lower levels and one set does not have dots). Most words included are CVC words.

Blog Hoppin'

Ok ok, I'm blog hopping (not hoppin'), but what can I say, I love frogs!  I wanted to share a few (ok more than a few) blogs that I absolutely love and wanted to share with you.  Most of them are primary blogs, but that's where my heart is and that's the age of kids I work with.

Erica's Ed-Ventures

She has such a fun blog and also includes great ideas for using her TPT items.

Crazy for First Grade

Ok, another great blog.  You must check out her TPT store.  OMG!  Her "Ready, Set, Print" series is a must have!

Fabulous in First

I am adding her Nonfiction Unit on Penguins to my wish list!

Finally in First

Have you seen her TPT store!  I am totally adding the my wish list here too!  I want to try her sight word program.

First Grader...At Last!

OMG!  What a great blog!  She shares awesome ideas and FREEBIES too!

Life in First Grade!

She is not teaching 1st grade his year, but still some great ideas!

That should start you off.  I am off to cook dinner.  I will add more blogs as I come across them!   love the blogging world!



TPT Sale and Updates

I have been putting blogging on the back burner lately, but I am still here and busy as ever.  Here is a quick update to some things I have been posting on TPT.  Also, I will be holding a sale at the end of the month!  20% off everything!

This is a follow-up to may fall word problem pack.  Each pack contains 32 word problems.

SPRING Pack Here

FALL Pack Here

Simply print the included pages, place on a magnetic cookie sheet (I got mine at the dollar store), and have students use magnetic letters to complete the activities.

Click the picture for the link to my TPT store!

Brush up on those basic math skills with the 6 pages of football themed math. Skills include basic addition, basic subtraction, skip counting, base tens, and number identification.           

Includes picture word dictionary for spring words, 6 writing prompts, word wall cards that can be used for writing the room, and a spring word search!

       

There is so much more, but you have to visit my store to see!  Happy teaching!

TPT Updates

I have been busy getting everything and everyone back into the routine.  In the meantime I have been creating some new games for the classroom.  All of them can be found on my TPT page.  Be sure to check it out!  Click the pictures for a copy.

Please enjoy and be sure to leave feedback!