Fitness Fanatic

With a degree in Sport Management, a former J.O.B. in Professional Baseball, and a husband that eats, sleeps, and drinks Cross-Fit...I got this one in the bag!  This year I've included several races to my list of must dos of 2013.

More details at The Color Run Website!

More details at The Savage Race Website!

More details at The Original Mud Run Website!

This is a local race and lots of fun!!!!  No further details, sorry!

I know these races aren't typical for professional resolutions.  A girls just gotta have fun, right?!?  AND balance.  

As for the class...

I use a program my district purchased a few years back entitled Adventure to Fitness.  The different activity the kids gain from the 30 minute interactive video is amazing!  They talk about Mr. Mark like he is their P.E. teacher.  A bonus... the program is packed full of social studies and science!  Although I love the program, I'd like to find additional interactive fitness programs that can be used on those "indoor" kind-of days! 

 More details at Adventure to Fitness!

I'm linking up for the final day of Professional Resolutions with Deedee Wills.  You'll have a final chance to win lots of goodies from different teacher bloggers.  The giveaway ends tomorrow!  Don't delay!!!  

Desirable Downtime

Amy from Step Into 2nd Grade with Mrs. Lemons is hosting the Professional Resolutions linky today on downtime.  I'm going to share these downtime moments through pictures.  My goal this year is to find more balance and include additional time for each of the following...

What's your desirable downtime activity?

Amy is hosting a giveaway as well.  You won't want to miss out.  As with each day this week, the giveaway ends tomorrow!  Lots of great goodies from various bloggers.  Check it out here.

Growing Professionally

Good Evening Peeps!  I'm popping in to give two short resolutions for my professional growth!  The hubs and I went on a day trip out of town to visit family today and are just returning home!!!

Katie Wood Rays rules!  Seriously!!!  Have you heard of her book In Pictures and In Words?  This illustration study is intended to assist students on developing their writing through illustrations.  I'm currently hosting a school study on the book for my district required IPDP.  It's my goal to share samples of this study as we move into chapters four this next week.  

I'm taking a big bite out of the core.  Per my principals coaching, teachers in second grade began common core last year.  With 100 days remaining in kindergarten, I'm eager to dive into common core for 1st grade and vertically aligning my lessons for looping!

Amanda at One Extra Degree is hosting today.  She has a magnificent giveaway that ends tomorrow!  Please stop by to read her goals, link up, and enter to win!!!

Organization Overload...

Day two of Counting Our Blessings and Looking Ahead Professional Resolutions Week!  Today Hope King at Second Grade Shenanigans is hosting and she is Oh.So.Cute!

I've been inspired by pinterest and eager to get working on these ideas during our upcoming teacher planning day in January!  

This school year I began organizing my charts on hangers.  Each year I change in hopes to having a better system.  I like the arrangement but spend too much time still hunting for what I need to use.  THEN I stumbled upon this pin...

Source: Mrs. Terhunes's First Grade

With binding rings, labels, and a set of shirt hangers the job will be complete.  You should really take a minute, click the picture, and link to her post. She has an additional post of all the different pinterest inspired charts that look real cute. 

Do you ever have a moment when you want to slap your head and ask why didn't I know about this?!?  A pin that had me doing just that was....

Source: Runde's Room

Notice the back side of the numbers.  Um, Magnetic Paper.  Yes, Please!!!!  I spend a ridiculous amount of time gluing, taping, and tacking velcro on everything.  Click the image and link to Runde's post.  She has the numbers as a freebie download.

I'm adding one last inspired idea.  I hate cords around desk.  Drives.ME.Nuts! This picture was featured by Kevin Sharkey of Martha Stewart's Website.  I added tablecloths under my technology work station but I kick the cords when I sit at the hub.  My fingers and toes are crossed that this will be the solution I need!

 Source: Martha Stewart

Hope from Second Grade Shenanigans is hosting a link and giveaway.  As with yesterday, don't delay!  The giveaway is closed tomorrow!!! 

Tech Inspired Resolution

It's an exciting week of resolutions hosted by a few of my gal pals! Today is all about adding a bit of technology change in my classroom.  A few new additions for the remainder of 2012-2013 school year includes an iPod Touch, a Lite Brite, and a Tag by Leapfrog.

A new app I've recently included from my iTunes gift card is the highly rated Word Wizard.  Putting my new gifts to use already!!!  This unique app lets kids hear the sounds of letters and words using a talking movable alphabet. It includes advanced text to speech capabilities, the app can pronounce and spell-check an unlimited number of original words and sentences built using the movable alphabet.

Word Wizard also provides spelling practice with a list of more than 1,400 questions and answers, and the best is that you can add your own words to create any spelling quiz, and track the progress of your kids thanks to detailed reports.

A new work station includes building words with Lite-Brite!  The linked site allows for the letters or words to be constructed on the computer, printed, and arranged on the Lite-Brite flat screen.  The endless excitement of my childhood becomes a learning tool for my kindergarteners. My heart melts! 

I also scooped up the app for Lite-Brite!

Another work station included in my reading center is Tag by Leapfrog.  I have multiple reading stations: buddy benches, independent reading room, listening log, and technology tent.  My technology tent includes different systems similar to Tag.  To assist with reading while building independence, Tag will help my students sound out letters and build phonics skills, hear individual words, or read the story to develop reading comprehension and vocabulary.  You'll love the leveled library of books to select from to ensure students are reading appropriate text. 

 

Kathleen from Growing Kinders is hosting a linky today.  She also has two giveaways featured!  One ends tomorrow so don't delay! 

Monthly Writing Paper Freebie!

Already preparing for the New Year. Scary Right?!? I'm providing fun paper in my writing work station. Hope you can use too!!!

 Click Image for Freebie File

Here are previews a bit bigger than the one above! ;-)

Hearts Breaking...

I made a direct donation to Sandy Hook School Support Fund

c/o Newtown Savings Bank

39 Main Street

Newtown, CT 06470 

Paul at Teacher Pay Teachers has offered to donate 10% all sales to the fund.  

Tacky Celebration {Freebie Lesson}

Today's Tacky Celebration was outstanding!  The kids and I dressed in our tackiest sweaters, discussed compassion and empathy, played tacky sweater centers, read Tacky the Penguin, and more...

Don't you just love the ornaments threaded through the sweater?   What a fantastic way to make any sweater tacky!!!

If you missed my Tacky Sweater Freebie, click the image below...

The kids just loved this reading of Tacky!!!

Tacky the Penguin from PPLD TV on Vimeo.

AND for the freebie Tacky the Penguin file...

All Aboard! {Freebies and Pictures}

Good Evening Peeps!  I've been out and about preparing for tomorrow's tacky sweater celebration.  Oh boy, I cannot wait!  So I'm stopping in today to share a picture of our Santa's Stuck activity {posted yesterday}and share a Polar Express freebie!

I found a literature unit for Santa's Stuck last night.  Lisa Richling has this for $4.00 in her store!  Click the image below!

On Friday, the gals on my grade level and I are having the annual Polar Express PJ party.  This year I'm going to Build Background with Katie King's wonderful unit!  We began with her Santa Adjectives and Graphing Yummy Goodies Today!  I'm so bummed that I forgot to snap a picture.  One of my precious parents stopped by to drop off a gift and chat.  Good kind of distraction, right!?!

I have a Polar Express freebie that I'll use on Friday!  I hope you find useful as well!

Deanna Jump has two fantastic holiday freebies.  I'm using both on Friday too!  Don't you love free!?!

I heart teaching during the holidays but I'm worn out!

Happy Teaching!!

Oh, No! Santa's Stuck Freebies

I'm back with another file for you!  This past year, Cara Carroll featured Santa's Stuck on her blog and I about died!  Terribly cute!!!  I pulled together this file that wouldn't keep me cutting all week. *Low parent involvement*  I love that the graphics are simplistic for kinders with practice their skills with scissors!  This will be a page topper, similar to the Grinch pictured below.  My brain went in overdrive thinking about different ways to respond in writing.  I provided sheets for summarizing, how-to, persuasive letter, and a prompted response.  

Isn't the clipart darlin'!?!  Stacy Johnson created this set.  See here!!!

I want to share a REALLY cute resource from A Year Of Many First {Lyndsey Kuster}!  Click image below to link to her blog post with wonderful pictures of this freebie file!

Did you scoop up the persuasive freebie yesterday?  Writers workshop was interesting.  We focused on using synonyms in our writing since persuasive elements are in place.  

*Sidebar* During the lesson on synonyms, one of my darling girls says to me, "I'm a synonym."  Her name is Caroline.  Since her family has TONS named Caroline, the family calls her Sabrina.  Honestly, I died laughing.  Precious! 

I wanted to share a few pictures with you...

Love this one...

I plan to be back tomorrow with Polar Express!