Giveaways, Sales, and FALL.. OH MY! :)

Friends, I've been so excited for this blog post but wanted to put it off til I had the time to really focus in!  I have a few things I've been DYING to share with you! But let's start here. With a FREEBIE! Duh! Who doesn't want to start their Saturday morning with free goodies? Click the picture below for the cutest darn Sentence Fluency/Punctuation center.  And of course, it's fall/pumpkin themed.. who could resist?

Next up! I'm so excited to share with you something we did in our classroom that I ACTUALLY remembered to take pictures of! This week, in writers workshop, our class was working on adding powerful verbs and adjectives to our writing. Now, I don't know about you guys but in our classroom... wall space is seriously limited.  I wanted my kids to have a resource they could always go to for using powerful verbs and adjectives without taking up any precious bulletin boards.  So these were born:

Easy Peasy! Just use a binder ring and some freeeeeeeeeeeeeeee paint chips and you have yourself a nice little resource for writing.  My kids LOVED creating these and they have been using them like crazy! I have loved reading words like "gobbled" in their memoirs! :) 

So I'm having a little trouble believing that it's ALMOST October!  How outrageous is that??  It will be fall break before we know it ;) To celebrate the coming of October and the "Peace out" of September, I'm throwing a little sale in my TPT store! Every item will be 10% off for this weekend only! Click the graphic below to visit my store and check out all the discounted goodies! :) 

Last but not least, have you met Dana over at Fun in First Grade?  No?  Well don't waste any time.  Hop on over to her blog and check out her 500 follower giveaway! There are over 50 PRIZES, including winner's choice from my store.  

Place Value and Giveaway Love!

Hey friends! Happy weekend! :)

This week, my class has had a BLAST working on Place Value.  This concept can be tricky for some kiddos so we've been doing a lot of fun centers alongside our lessons.  Check out some pictures of my babies learning AND having fun! 

Drawing Numbers using Base Ten Manipulatives

Playing a super fun Uno Partner game.  They draw three cards and make the biggest number possible.  Then they compare their numbers with their partner's number! They LOVED this!

 Next week on the place value roster.............. I'm pulling this bad boy out! I can't WAIT to use these games.  I know my kiddos are going to LOVE the pirate theme. Check out some of the goodies included:

 Comparing Numbers w/ Base Ten Pictures               

Making Large Numbers Cards + Recording Sheet.  Use place value concepts to make the biggest number possible. (version through the hundreds place and the thousands place).

Click HERE to check this product out at my store and see what else is included! 

Can you tell I'm excited about and LOVE teaching place value?!??? I'm SO happy with how my place value posters turned out!  I looked everywhere for posters that would work for me, but I have limited wall space so I needed smaller posters than I could find.  And so these were born...Sorry about the picture quality but I'm <3 In <3 Love.

Click HERE to check them out! :) 

OKAY... now onto a topic completely unrelated to Place Value.  Does anyone do Project Work at their school?  My school requires that we do 2 extensive projects every year.  I'm new this and I'm SUPER struggling to come up with a topic!  We are supposed to go with our students' interests, but so far, their interests don't really align with the kinds of topics appropriate for Project.  SO I NEED YOUR HELP!  Have an idea for a project for my classroom (between 4 and 6 weeks long)?  My school is an International Studies magnet so our topics need to be topics that not only apply directly to our personal lives but can also be viewed and researched through an international lens.  HELLLLPPP MEEEE! 

Last but not least.. it just wouldn't be fair for me to leave you today without letting you in on these awesome giveaways!  Check them out.. you could be the winner of some amazing products.

and 

Hope you all have an AMAZING first week of fall! :) We had crazy storms come through Indianapolis yesterday with high winds and some SERIOUS hail, but I'm not gonna let that stop me from enjoying the cool, crisp air and fall festivities! :) 

Dot Day and a Giveaway!

Hello bloggy friends! I hope you're all having an AMAZING Sunday!  I just got back from a nice little date day with my hubby.  We went to a local Irish Fest and then we hit up the zoo! It's gorgeous weather here in Indy so we just couldn't pass it up! 

Who doesn't love giraffes?  Check out the little guy! :) 

So school is going well.. we are a full month in and I'm finally starting to feel like we're getting in the swing of things.  As you know -- I struggled with my emotions and frustration during my first few weeks of teaching.  I got to the point -- that I'm sure many, if not all of you reached during your first year -- where I wasn't sure if I was cut out for this.  I'm feeling relieved, now.  Things are starting to come together, I'm getting to know my kiddos better, and everything is beginning to feel just a little more natural :) I'm excited for what the future holds. 

This past week.. on Friday.. My school celebrated International Dot Day.  Did anyone else do this?  It was super fun.  Basically the premise is that people all over the world read the same book... Peter H. Reynold's The Dot on September 15 and celebrated our creativity and ability to "make our mark". Click the picture below for some more information on the annual event. 

Check out some of this adorable dot art made my by second graders! 

And of course I had to make my mark, too! :) 

International Dot Day is every September 15th, so we celebrated on Friday the 14th.  Check it out for next year! It was a really neat opportunity to talk about where we are in the world and how thousands of people from thousands of miles away would be reading the same book and making their very own marks on the world with us! :) 

Last but certainly not least, I just HAD to tell you about this seriously AMAZING giveaway that Jenna over at Diving Into Learning is throwing.  Don't even pretend that you aren't LOVING this awesome beginning of Fall weather.. why don't you celebrate with this Fall Themed Giveaway. 

Head on over for the chance to win a TON of great fall products.  Seriously, there are SO many chances to win.  I was happy to offer one of my products -- Halloween Math and Literacy. Here's a preview of some of the activities included -- I can't WAIT to use them this year!  Click HERE to Check it out at my store for more information! 

 

  

FREEBIE LINKY?? Should those two AWESOME words even be allowed together?!

I'm linking up with Cynthia from 2nd grade pad to share my favorite freebie! What a fun Linky! Interested in linking up?  Head on over to Cynthia's blog below! 

My favorite freebie ... hmm... It took me a while to decide what I wanted to share on my blog today, because my favorite freebie is one that has already been downloaded tons of times.  BUT just in case you haven't come across it, I will share it now! :) Click the picture to download it from my TPT store.. for.. DUH.. FREEEEEEEE! :) 

Why is it my favorite you ask? 

Because it has been my saving grace in staying organized for Readers Workshop and Guided Readed.  I'm a first year teacher so I've been trying to really stay on the ball with organization.  I may not be able to control everything in my classroom -- but I can sure have a system for Data! :)

And the story behind it?

Well I pretty much touched on that with the why it's my favorite portion of this awesome linky!  I spent a week or so trying to design a system that would be perfect for me to keep track of my every changing guided reading groups... conference notes.. and teaching points.  I wanted to keep all of this data in one place and so was born the data binder.  Then I pondered REALLLLYYYYY deeply about the cover.  Of course it would need the cute factor, and what's cuter than polka dots?!??? 

Just how do you use this amazing freebie?

Oh please, you're making me blush! ;) It's simple. Slide the cover into a binder you already have.. choose the correct size of binder spine labels and organize the data pages however you please.  You will have a space to track all data for Reading/Writing Conferences and Guided Reading Groups.  There are also forms for tracking reading levels.  I keep the Reading Levels and Weekly Teaching Points sheets in the front since they are for the whole class.  Then I have a section for Guided Reading -- Separated into my five groups.  Then I have a pocket tab for EACH student in my class.  In the pocket I will keep assessments and running records, then behind the tab I keep their Reading/Writing Conference Notes.  TA-DA... Organization! :) 

I hope you can find some use for this freebie! If you aren't in need of a data binder, but you are SO LOVING the polka dots.. you can download a BLANK Polka Dot Binder Cover at my TPT store!

Just Click Here! 

Be sure to go check out Cynthia's Blog for MORE FABULOUS FREEBIES! :) 

Hello bloggy friends, 

I'm tired. How about you?

TGtomorrowisF! 

:) 

P.S. -- Real post coming soon .. hopefully with pictures if I can ever remember to take that camera out! :) 

Alright!!

Well.. after a rough first 3 weeks.. today was awesome! I think my kids are finally starting to get in the groove of our routine and I have tried some new techniques for classroom management that I am LOVING! :) So hopefully I don't bite my tongue tomorrow for being excited today! 

I wanted to let you guys in on an AWESOME giveaway that Amy over at Adventures in Teaching is throwing!  It is meant to save awesome teachers like YOU some time! :) So click on the backpack below to check it out! You can win my Word Work Choice activity pack! It is one of my best sellers and personal faves! :) 

I hope you guys had an AWESOME long weekend! Tomorrow is ALREADY Wednesday! :) 

Flash Sale and Currently!

First, can I start by saying... HAPPY STINKIN' LABOR DAY, FRIENDS!!! For those of you who have started back to school, I know how badly you're already needing this day off -- so sit back, relax, and enjoy your day! :) To celebrate ALL your hard work and everything you do .. I'm throwing a 

FLASH SALE!!! :)

Today only, you can get 15% off my entire store.. so head on over! CLICK RIGHT HERE! :)

Next -- to keep you up to date on what I'm up to -- because my life is so fabulous and you NEED to know ;) .. I'm linking up with Farley from Oh Boy 4th Grade for this month's Currently! 

Now to explain my faves! 

1- Raisinets: DUH! They are delicious! :) I like to pretend they are healthy because of that baby raisin in there! 

2- Weddings.  This has been the summer of weddings for me and each one gets more emotional.  Or maybe I'M getting more emotional from all the stress joy of school. Anyway, this summer started with my husband's close friend's wedding.  OUR wedding 2 weeks later... his best friend's wedding 3 week's later... my best friend's wedding a month later... and my old high school best friend's wedding the week after that!  That's a lot of cake, people! :) 

3 - Snuggles on the Couch with the dogs: Need I explain?!? I have three amazing dogs.  Check out my very first post to see their sweet faces. 

That's it for me tonight -- be sure to head on over to my STORE to check out that flash sale! :) 

and here's a long vowel/short vowel freebie just because you're awesome! Click the image to download!