Family, Peek at My Week and a Tieks Update

First and most importantly, this is the first weekend in 6 weeks that my husband, daughter and I have all been home instead of traveling to weddings and back home for ill grandparents/a death in the family. My husband's grandmother passed away just over a week ago. She was a 6th grade teacher for more than 30 years. Three of her four children became teachers, and of all of the grandchildren 5 of them became teachers of which at least 4-5 of their spouses are also teachers...crazy! But this woman was a great inspiration. I was lucky enough to get a phone call from her a week before she passed wishing Ben and I a happy anniversary. She will be missed greatly! My husband's grandfather is suffering from cancer as well and we hope to have him in our lives as long as comfortably possible. A vet of WWII and a community staple from back where we grew up in NY.

Recently, I have been seeing a few of my favorite bloggers posting visual lesson plans. They were of great help to me in the first few week of teaching 1st grade! I decided that I would begin to partake in this great linky party thrown each week by Mrs. Wills Kindergarten. 

I think this is just another AMAZING blog world idea! I can't even imagine what teachers from 20-30 years ago would have thought about all these new ways to share ideas. My favorite part about the visual plans is that when I teach first grade again, I can look at my visual plans and remember where I got everything. Click on the plans above to be brought to the Google Doc where you can click on the TpT items. Next week my goal will be to include my guided reading plans and my literacy/math stations. 

***UPDATE on Tieks: I have had my tieks for a week now and I can say that they are stretching! I wore band aids on the backs of my heals for 3-4 days, and a band aid on the top of my foot near my big toe (which I am still wearing). Not sure if they are just not stretched enough or my feet just need to get used to them. Thank goodness they turned out to be a fit for me! Not sure what I would have done with a worn pair of to small Tieks... My best advice for anyone wanting to order this shoes....order two sizes and wear them around the house to see which pair fits best. 

MY TIEKS!!!!!

YAY!!! I just had to share that my Tieks came in the mail today! I am super excited to wear these babies tomorrow to school.

I wore them around the house for a little bit today and they seem super comfy. I'll update you later this week on how they were...


**UPDATE: So after day one, I have a few concerns and some advice...BUT I am hopeful!

#1...Do NOT wear them outside unless you are 100% sure that they are the right flat for you. I was so excited that I didn't even think to look at the return policy, which is in the FAQ on the site, and it says that an exchange or return can only be made with shoes not worn. :o(

#2 I think my shoes are a little snug...but I have read and the Tieks representative said that they will stretch. Well I hope so, because I just laid out $175 and being silly enough not to read the return policy, I am stuck with them now. The Tieks lady said to "wear them around the house with thick socks" to stretch them and that after the first few wears they will stretch. I ended the day with sore feet: tightness around the toes and the heel with visible rubbing, but no blisters.

#3 The Tieks lady said if all else fails to stretch these shoes, to bring them to a cobbler/shoe repair place and have them professionally stretched. So I will give them a couple more days (wearing knee highs I guess so that they do not rub too much!) before I decide to bring them to the shoe repair store down the road from me.

I'll update you along my journey that will hopefully end in...the best pair of shoes ever! I hope!!

October Currently...and one month down...nine to go!

Bottom line...this has been a seriously stressful start to the year. I have not taught the same grade level more than one year consecutively...K, then 2, then 3...now 1...and if all goes as our school has in the past...2 again next year. I am looking forward to the day (hopefully within the next month) that I start to fall into a comfortable routine and can stop going to school at 7:30 (students arrive at 8:45) and leaving no earlier than 5 (students leave at 3:30). And as we all know, it doesn't stop there...because are usually bringing home papers, searching on Pinterest, etc.

Currently time...Thanks to Farley over at Oh' Boy 4th Grade...

General Hospital has been my vice for quite a few years. I remember watching it when I was younger with my mom when I came home from school and then back in my Junior year of college I picked it up over the summer. Now, I haven't missed more than a handful of episodes since then...M-F. 

Autumn is definitely my favorite time of year...the temperatures are cooling down, the humidity is basically gone and I am looking forward to the holidays. Not to mention Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte...well, only as a treat once in a while and nonfat!

Well...I did it! I put myself on the waiting list for my size about 3 months ago. I have received 3 e-mails saying they are back in stock. The first time we didn't have the extra money, the second time I hadn't checked my junk mail in a few days and by the time I went to order them, they were out of stock again. Third time is a charm, I suppose. I ordered them last night and within a couple of hours I received an e-mail saying they were shipped!

I know that the 4-day work week has been a debate for a while now...but I am totally for it. I would go to school year round as well...with nice little 2 week breaks every 10 weeks. I mean c'mon, nobody takes a vacation for more than 2 weeks at a time. Then maybe like a 4 week vacation in July or something. http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/4day-week-school-yearround-school-16084.html

I have 28 kiddos this year...and it is very stressful. Oh wouldn't I not give to have a full time TA or even a 1/2 time TA. On a good note, I have 7 parents that have signed up for volunteering. I have a group of moms coming during our guided reading time to either read or do word work individually or with small groups and then a couple of moms that said they would come in once a week and help me during my planning period. I think of how even just having someone tear out 28 math sheets from the workbooks and stuffing the mailboxes would really alleviate some of my stress!

Treat time! I was lucky to inherit a couple hundred old leveled reading books from my mother in law over the summer but I was really not looking forward to having to level them all (c'mon reading programs, start putting DRA levels inside the front or back cover). After hours of searching the web, I finally found a few resources that helped me level almost all of them! Hope they come in handy to you at some point! I downloaded them and then saved them to my hard drive. 

Hoping to get some time in the near future to sit down and start creating some 1st grade packets for science and social studies. But until then...here are a few pictures of my LAST wedding of the season...finally!

Ta Da! A Glimpse into Room 113!

Well...to say that the past few weeks have been hectic is an UNDERSTATEMENT! School, Weddings, School, Weddings...starting the school year in a new grade (1st) and three weddings (one I was in, one my husband is in and another family one) all within 4 weeks. Not to mention all the weddings were/are in NY/NJ and we live in VA!

And before the classroom pictures...just a few of my family and friends to share first! I am sooo LUCKY to have an amazing extended family and so many caring/kick ass friends!

Bridesmaid's Photo Shoot! A surprise for the bride, my cousin <3 I grew up with all of these girls, except for the bride's college BBF, who is also pretty awesome! (I'm all the way over on the left)

...and the first peek at the wedding!! Can't wait to see the rest of the pictures. The photographer was my aunt...check out her pictures here!

Our 1st Day of School Photo! Two Teachers and a Pre-Schooler!

My Addy girl (now 4! I can't believe it!!) and I... she owns my <3

First grade has been amazing/crazy/wonderful/stress all at the same time. I know it will take me a while to get into a routine...and of course since it's my first year, I am always looking for new things/ideas...since I have no files to pull from!

So here is my carpet area. Unlike most, I have mine off to one side so that we can have calendar time the old school way! Although I have been tempted to create a Promethean calendar time file...we'll see! I like the hands on for 1st grade...maybe for 2nd I will do the Promethean file. 

Close up of the calendar area...I added a coin poster, hundreds chart and tens frame activity to count the days in school. It is always a work in progress. I made quite a few of the pieces that are displayed at calendar...I should make a Do It Yourself Calendar Product! 

These are the color posters that I made...not up on TpT yet...but maybe it you keep reading...there will be a surprise :o)

This is how we do lunch count everyday...well, if I am being honest...it was just once...and now I take a count and move the names myself...I think I'll give the kiddos another try at it in a few weeks. Need lunch cards with pictures? They are free here. 

Here are the kiddos practicing Read to Self...oh man! Daily 5 is difficult to do in first grade. We've only practiced Read to Self, discussed the three ways to read a book and that's it! Work on Writing is going to be interesting!! We will succeed!

OKAY! And since you read my whole post...you get the color posters for free!!! Right here...

September Currently and the 1st Day of School!

I am going to keep this short...because as my currently says, I need to write my lesson plans for this week! I left my amazing new Erin Condren planner at school this past weekend because I was in a wedding in NY; where was my head!!! So here goes...

My classroom is all set, just a few things I need to do tomorrow before all the kiddos come in. I have a bunch of first week ideas, I just need to write them all out. Pictures of my classroom to come last this week. 

Back to School Sale on TpT!!

...and I am throwing a 20% off sale too! So head on over to If You Give A Teacher a Treat on TpT and grab yourself a new classroom theme or any one of my many classroom management tools! 

Headed back into the classroom on Tuesday morning! A classroom tour post will be coming in the near future...and maybe I'll get around to finishing the Teacher Week posts...Friday slipped away from me!

Wednesday's NOW TEACH...and Thursday's TAMING THE WILD!!!

This week happens to be the last of weeks visiting in NY before my husband and I head back to Virginia to get our classroom's all set up. Then it's back to NY for a wedding! Our parents are so great to keep our daughter Addy for a week so we don't have to pay for daycare and then they are bringing her down to us next weekend. Gotta love AMAZING grandparents!

Okay...so I have been busy and since I am not back in the classroom yet, it's hard to get into Teacher Week...I wish it were next week...although I guess I would be saying I was too busy with my classroom to blog! So here goes...Wednesday's Now Teach! and Thursday's Taming the Wild! Two for ONE! :o)

Now Teach! Organizing for Instruction

I am more organized at school then I am at home, that's for sure. Most days my clothes don't make it out of the laundry basket and my bed is NEVER made. Who is going to go in my room anyways? As I mentioned yesterday, I don't have anything done in my room, but I do have most of my printables printed, laminated and cut!

Organization I think will be a top priority this year. I always Pin ideas, and never get to them. But my #1 organizing for instruction tool will be...drum roll please...

Erin Condren's Teacher Planner!!!

I have seen this planner on a ton of teacher blog's and I fell in love and just HAD to have one. I also ordered one for the hubby...although the inside is kind of girlie, he got one with the apples on the outside. 

And here are a few items that I pinned on Pinterest and want to create for my room...

What the Teacher Wants

I plan on using Kim Adsit and Shari Sloane's Student Calendar Notebook for my calendar instruction this year. And I want to put together a calendar area like the one in the photo above. I have the Promethean board and I know I could do some fun calendar things on there, but I really like the old school calendar ways.

I've wanted legit mailboxes, like the wooden ones since I started teaching, but I just haven't broken down to spend the money and I haven't found anything big enough for at least 25 students. I came across this pocket chart and since I don't have that much wall space to push things up against, I figured something like this could hang on the back of a door.

Taming the Wild!

I used hand signals last year and they worked so well with my 3rd graders. I am hoping I have just as much success with my 1st graders this year. 

I pinned this noise magnet idea from All Students Can Shine and think I might give it a try this year. Take one letter down at a time when warning students about their voice levels. We also do a compliment jar...which I want to find little plastic fish for a fish bowl to match my theme. Students earn them at specials and in the hallways from other teachers. If I do the noise magnets, I will give the students fish for keeping the letters and then figure out something to do if all the letters come off. 

And that's all I've got for today! Check out my latest classroom theme bundle on Tpt: Zebra!