Currently, I am…

Cute idea over at Oh Boy 4th Grade…a way to find out what everyone is up to! Here goes:
Currently, I am…

listening to…Joshua Radin…Love playing him in my classroom. He’s so mellow. My favorite song is, “I’d Rather Be With You…”

loving…the time I spent with my family this summer. My oldest is 7 and my youngest is 4 and this summer was so much fun!

thinking…about how I’m going to manage blog-stalking and Pinterest-stalking once school starts. I have got to get to bed earlier!

wanting…the clear plastic tubs to fit the right way on my word work shelf. It’s not working and I want to scream.

needing…to buy my kids back-to-school shoes!

stalking…The First Grade Parade (first blog I ever found this summer), First Grade a la Carte (love her games), eighteen25 (secretly wish I was one of their sisters)

What are you up to?

Classroom Pet Peeves…and a linky party!

So, Alisha at The Bubbly Blonde is having a linky party where you post your biggest classroom pet peeve! Now, I love my job and can’t think of any other profession I would rather have, but I think that when you are sharing a space about the size of most people's living room/kitchen with 22+ little ones, there are bound to be things that get on your nerves! A few of mine would have to be…
3. When kids don’t problem solve: … Mrs. Taylor, I dropped my pencil… (Um, ok, what's your plan now?")
2. When you call a kiddo over on the playground to tell them to stop doing something inappropriate or dangerous and they are screaming, “It wasn’t me,” before you even talk about it…
and my #1 pet peeve of all blasted time is:
#1   (Wait for it…)   When kids step on my toes! Literally step on them- with those darling new Twinkle Toes, or boots, or those Skechers light up numbers…I always say, back up and watch the toes!

Do you have a classroom pet peeve? Click the link above to join the party!

Back to School Fave!

Hi all! Jodi at Fun in First is having a linky party where bloggers link up to share ideas. This one has teachers sharing their favorite back-to-school activities! I've already found a ton of new ideas to use this year in my room! I'd like to join the fun since I've learned so much!

Here's an activity I've used for the last several years:

First, I give the kids this printable, and they have to pick just one color to color with.

Really watch- there's always one or two that don't "hear" that part... Then I have them draw a picture on the side that says "one color." I model this since it's the first day of school! I usually draw a picture of a house with a sun, cloud, etc. Remember to only use one color. I usually ham it up and say, "Wow, my picture is so boring...I wish I could use more than one color."

Then, I have the kiddos come to the carpet and I read The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane DeRolf.

This book is so presh! This little girl is in a toystore and she overhears a box of crayons fighting with each other about how each one is better than the other. She takes it home to color with them all to show them that they are all needed to make the pictures beautiful! (Plus, it rhymes and it's darling...)

After we read the book and discuss the author's message, I have them go back to their papers and then they get to draw a picture using however many colors they want. We come to the carpet and share our pictures. We agree that the pictures look better when we can use many colors.

Then we talk about how our classroom is like a box of crayons. All of us are different- different colors, ages, talents, etc., but we will all work together to have a super year in first grade!

The last thing I do is put all the pictures into a class book.

Click here for the cover!

What is your favorite back to school activity?

Linky Party?!

Oh, y’all- I’m learning so much about this alternate blog-i-verse…
OK, Yearn4Learning is having a Blog Mixer Linky Party- a chance for us to find new blog friends. Here’s what you do: link up and find:
1. A blogger who is a "New Kid on the Blog" (Let's say someone who has blogged 2 months or less and has less than 200 followers)
2. Post a blogger in your same grade level
3. Post a blogger in a different grade level
4. It's all about the button. Find a cute blog button and post it.

Here are my picks:
1. Lauren Blackmon over at the Weekly Hive has 48 followers, but hopefully soon it will be lots more!
2. Cara Carroll at The First Grade Parade is in my grade level. I know she’s pretty popular already, but I kind of feel like I owe her love because she’s the first blog I found when I was looking for ideas. Super cute stuff, here, folks and if you stalk her other blogs, you can learn some awesome recipes! http://thefirstgradeparade.blogspot.com/
3. I hope this counts: Shannon Long is a technologist and has a kick-apple technology blog. She also some some uh-ma-zing finds on Pinterest. http://technologyrocksseriously.blogspot.com/
4.Cute button award: One extra degree