Word Work

I am sure that each year, as teachers, we realize that we need to change things up a little...keep it fresh. Well that is definitely one thing that I cannot fall behind on because I loop between 2nd and 3rd grade. I posted a few weeks ago about how I have to keep books in my classroom library that will be interesting and on level for both of these grades...and below and above!

Same goes with word work. In my classroom from Feb-end of the year, I had the following word work centers: string a word (with letter beads and pipe cleaners), Scrabble words (with the Scrabble card game), stamping words, word finds, and build a word (connecting cubes with sticker letters on them).

I knew I was going to have to present my class with a whole new spread of activities, so I've been looking around on Pinterest. I found a great Word Worth activity by The Teachers' Cauldron Teachers' Cauldron, which you get for free on TpT. What a great game to incorporate spelling and mathematics. Then I got the idea for the Word Work Bingo from 3rd Grade Thoughts. Also, at the end of last school year, a friend gave me an Evan Moor Take to Your Seat Literacy Centers book with amazing activities in it. I copied all the necessary pages and I still need to laminate and put all the piece together in folders. Then I decided to create a packet of all the ideas that I have found and a few that I put my own spin on (because, Hey! Word Work games are just about all the same). So here you go! My new word work packet includes word work bingo (that includes the evan moor activities on the board), letter writing, writing sentences, making words, a word find (I kept this one because my students loved it), song writing, and my own version of how much is your word worth. Click on the preview to go to my TpT store to purchase this packet for $5.00.

I also uploaded each activity on their own for a $1.00/each, incase you do not have or do not want to include the Evan Moor Word Work Bingo (that also has the other activities in this packet on the board).

Each activity is featured twice on a page, except the word find, bingo and how much is your word worth, so that you can save paper by printing two in one. I hope you all enjoy! 

Tell Me More, Linky Party!

What a great idea that Amy at Step into 2nd Grade with Mrs. Lemons for a  linky party: tell me more, tell me more! About yourself of course. We all know each other as teachers, but teachers are people too! So, go and link up with her party by clicking on the linky button and tell us about you outside of school.

1. I am married to my high school sweetheart! We met when I was 15, his dad was my driver's ed. teacher and we started dating when I was 16, the same day I got my driver's license. Pretty neat little story for us two. We'll be together 10 years on September 18th, and married for 4 on September 27th...I like celebrating our anniversary for a whole week!

2. I HATE thinking about exercise. I hate it until I am finished doing it, and then I feel GREAT! I have recently started running on the treadmill (because I think it is too hot in VA to run in the summer outside!). And I love my new running shoes! Kinvara 2.

3. The love of my life is my little, almost 3 year old, daughter named Addyson! My husband and I got pregnant with her 2 months after we were married. She is a challenge at best, but when she curls up in my lap and tells me she loves me, my hear melts a thousand icebergs!

4. I am a wedding planner in the summer...scratch that...all year but the weddings are in the summer. It is a stressful hobby job, but it all pays off when I see my clients dancing their first dance as husband and wife. The picture is of a wedding I did a few summers ago.

5. My favorite place to be, is at the beach! We usually go every summer to Topsail Island in North Carolina. We got this year the week before I have to be back for teacher days and I cannot wait!

6. I am a HUGE Bon Jovi fan. I have been to eleven concerts in the past 8 years, including two where I camped out on the sidewalk in NYC to see him the following morning at the Today Show Concert Series. I saw him at LIVE Earth back on 07/07/07 and was at his free concert in Central Park. And many more. The sad part...I haven't seen him in almost 2 years! But I am determined to go soon. Both my Aunt and I who are the fanactics have had children in the past 3 years, so we can't be quick as spontaneous.

7. I used to live in a very rural town...then we moved outside on Washington D.C. And it just so happens that there is a Starbucks around every corner. When we first moved here, I was getting one every day...a non fat caramel latte...and it got expensive! So now I make it a special Friday morning treat to celebrate the end of the work week.

8. I made my own wedding cake! And since then, I have made my in-laws 25th anniversary/wedding vow renewal cake, my brother-in-laws wedding cake and a month ago I made the cutting cake and cupcakes for my friend's wedding as her wedding gift. I love baking!

 Our wedding cake

Cupcakes for my friends wedding

And that's really me in a nut shell. I am a happily married, adoring mother, who runs, bakes, listens to Bon Jovi, plans weddings, drinks Starbucks and loves the beach!



Freebie Friday!

This will be my first year STARTING the school year, EVER! I have been subbing for so long and when I finally got my full time job, it started in February 2012. I am looking forward to beginning the year and really setting the tone.

For Freebie Friday, I have decided to share a polka dot welcome sign and a "Look Who's Been Spotted" template for grades PreK-5.


Click on the picture to get this freebie from my TpT store! Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Polka, Polka Dots!!

I know it is summer, but I CANNOT WAIT to go in and start decorating my classroom! I have been working on some more polka themed items that are available at my TpT store. Check them out!

Schedule Cards:

(Clipart by Scrappin' Doodles)

Calendar Months: 

Voice Levels:

Thirty-One Gift Inspired



Calendar Months and Dates:

Thiry-One Gifts Inspired



Where Are We:

(Signs for the door)

(Clipart by Scrappin' Doodles)

 

Books, Books, Books!

I was like a kid in the candy shop a few weeks ago when I got onto Scholastic and ordered new books for my classroom library. My mother-in-law is a teacher as well, and she had over 1800 pts and she gave me half of them! Then Scholastic had extra bonus points, double I think, and I wound up spending $50 on 50 books. One of the hardest things about looping from second to third grade, with the same kids, is keeping them interested in your classroom library. Hopefully they will enjoy my choices that include Flat Stanley, Junie B. Jones, Fudge trio by Judy Blume, Big Nate, Cam Jensen, Judy Moody, a few Ronald Dahl books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, a couple My Weirdest School books, and many more!

Also, check out these great finds from Targets $1 baskets! They have a bunch of teacher stuff in the baskets right now, at least at my Target anyways. I would go check it out.

Then if my book finds weren't already exciting enough, my uncle gave me 12 Ask Me Why books. I have never heard of them before, but they look very interesting! They are colorful, hardcovered, and have quite a few of the science and social studies topics that I teach in 2nd and 3rd grade.

And just to finish up my book post, I will leave you with a few books that I am looking forward to reading this summer:

Faithful in First Giveaways

Tomorrow ends my month long vacation that started back in NY, where my husband, daughter and I moved from, is ending in Florida, visiting cousins and enjoying the beach! Throughout the week I have been relaxing, but also working on entering in on all 94 points at Faithful in First. Janine has so many amazing prizes for her 400 follower giveaways. As part of the entries, you have to comment on three questions, so I decided I would share my answers:

1. What is your favorite first day of school story to read? I have never started a school year before but with third graders I am not sure what would be appropriate. I have been looking around for ideas and as of now I might be beginning the year with Hooray for Diffendoofer Day. 
2. What is your favorite first day activity? All about me posters.
3. What is one school supply you cannot live without? Copy paper...useful for more than just making copies.


So head on over and check it out! Maybe one day I will be blog smart enough AND have so many followers to host a giveaway.

Class Theme/Inspiration Linky Party

While I was looking around on different blogs last night, I found a linky party that caught my attention. So thank you Corinna from Surfin' Through Second.



If you have seen any of my other blog posts since I've started blogging this past month, you'll know that I am going for a polka dot theme this year. I love bright colors, especially since the walls in my classroom are gray. I knew I wanted to do bright colors and my heart belongs to the beach, but I could not figure out the right combination. So therefore, I will be using the saying like "Look whose been spotted in Third Grade" and "Look whose been spotted being a (MARK) student. MARKs are part of the school wide behavioral management program (M-Modeling Self Control, A-Attitude, R-Respect, and K-Kindness).

I haven't gotten too far into my new theme yet, but here are a few inspiration pictures that I have found on blogs thanks to Pinterest. I will take pictures later on this summer when my classroom hopefully starts to look like some of these pictures:

Make sure to leave me a comment if you are also doing polka dots this coming school year. I would love to share ideas!

Awards

I've had a crazy weekend! Yesterday was the finale of my year long effort in planning one of my clients weddings. It sure was a stressful day and a few major issues did arise, but thanks to my wonderful husband, it all worked out! Although my weekend was a little rough, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I have some followers AND was nominated for two blogger awards:

Thank you very much Patti at Primary Pizzazz.

Now, I am very new to this land of blogging, but I am thrilled and so thankful to already be welcomed into the experience. So I hope I can follow the directions (lol) of nominating other blogs that I have been following.

The rules for The Versatile Blogger award are as follows:
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you.
2. Include a link to their site.
3. Include the award image in your post.
4. Give 7 random facts about yourself
5. Nominate 15 other bloggers, include their link and let them know  

Seven random facts about me:

1. I am a teacher by school year and wedding coordinator by summer time. (Although, I really plan for both all year long!)

2. My favorite place to be is at the beach! I see my family moving closer to the beach in the future.

3. I would love to be a college professor, even an adjunct in my later years of teaching.

4. I am a Pinterest addict!

5. I am the person who my team members go to for something to be created on the computer (ie. flyers, awards, etc).

6. I could live on guacamole.

7. My husband is my best friend. I couldn't live without him. And, his birthday is today <3

The rules for One Lovely Blog award are as follows:

1. Follow the person who gave you the award.

2. Link back to the person who gave you the award.

3. Pass the award on to 15 new bloggers.

And here are the 15 blogs that I cannot stop stalking for amazing ideas:

 

 

Have a great day everyone!