READ LIKE A PIRATE!!!

Can I just say that I am so excited! My Donors Choose grant, Read Like A Pirate was fully funded. The last donation was made on Christmas Eve!

Read Like A Pirate will provide my students with literature and whisper phones. And can you guess what the literature is??? Pirates!!! The kids are going to be so excited!!!

I just want to thank all of the supporters of my grant. It is because of you that my students will experience the joy of reading!

I highly recommend that all teachers write a grant for Donors Choose! It is worth the time and effort.

Thank you Donors Choose for this awesome experience and thank you to all of the supporters of education who make it possible for students around the country to have the opportunity to experience such wonderful moments throughout their educational career!

13 in 13

I am so excited to be linking up with Miss Kindergarten for the 13 in 13 linky party!

So after much thought, here are my 13 in 13!

13. Favorite article of clothing.

You would think this would be an easy one but I actually had a difficult time choosing the one piece of clothing that is my favorite! After a lot of hemming and hawing, I have decided that my favorite piece of clothing is my Florida Gator Sweat pants from Victoria Secret. They are big and baggy and so comfortable!

 





12. Favorite movie you watched:

I can certainly tell you that the One Direction Movie was not my favorite movie of the year! It was 2 hours of torture but my five year old enjoyed it so that is all that matters! So, my favorite movie....... would have to be

I just love the minions!!! They just crack me up!!! The sad thing is I think I love them as much as I do because they remind me of my favorite snack food: TWINKIES!!!!

 

11. Favorite TV series:

Now this one can not be answered with just one and by the time I am done, you will think I am a tv junkie!!! I am so bad that I Tivo them all and watch them over and over!!! Here are my favorites:

I love this show! I never miss an episode! Barney kills me! I don't know what I am going to do when the series is over!

I love the entire staff but Tony is just divine!!!

This is another eye candy for me! I just love Deeks!!!

 

Now I am an ID addict! I set my timer every night and fall asleep to this channel! I am amazed that people actually think of these things and actually go through with them.

Now talking about eye candy! This is my favorite show of all time! I remember watching the original series with my parents and wondering who shot JR?!

 

I told you I had a of of favorites!!!

 

10. Favorite restaurant:
I have two, I know a shocker that I have more than one favorite! My two favorites are:

I absolutely love their fajitas and their chips and salsa!!!!!

 

and

 

I love the spicy chicken sandwich and the chic fil a sauce!

 

9. Favorite new thing you tried:

Hmmmm. that would have to be washi tape! I love it! Duct tape too! But washi is my absolute favorite!

8. Favorite gift you got:

My favorite gifts would have to be the Red Sox and Gator Alex and Ani bracelets and my Silhouette Cameo!!

7. Favorite thing you pinned:

My favorite pin is the recipe for lemonade Cake! This is so good I can eat the whole cake myself!

6. Favorite blog post:

My favorite posts would have to be about the book Teach Like a Pirate! I absolutely loved this book!!!!!

5. Best accomplishment:

My best accomplishment is and always will be my daughter! She is the best thing I have ever done! I adore her!

4. Favorite picture:

My favorite picture of the year would have to be the one of my daughter and I with Santa! I do not have a lot of the two of us and this was such a wonderful and enjoyable day!

3. Favorite memory:
The entire Christmas Season would have to be my favorite memory of the year because my daughter was so happy despite being sick with a fever the entire time we were in Florida! We made gingerbread men and a house, visited Santa and made reindeer food!

Click on the picture to see a video of some of my Christmas memories of 2013!

2. Goal for 2014:

My goal of 2014 is to balance my professional and personal lives. I need to pamper myself more and live a stress free life.. ok now I know I went overboard and a little on the not in this lifetime realm so seriously my goal is balance! I need more balance!!!!

1. One Little Word:

BALANCE!!
 

Have a Gatoriffic Christmas!

I hope everyone has a gatoriffic holiday! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Farewell to our Special Visitor!

Well, It is the last week of our special visitor. The children enjoyed Freddy's company tremendously!
I have linked up with Seusstastic and Apples and ABCs for the week 3 Elf Linky.

 

 

 The elf had a busy week!

On Monday, he lassoed a Reindeer! He was exhausted from all of this activity!

 

 

On Tuesday, We celebrated the Polar Express and Freddy was asleep from all the activity from Monday! He slept in a secret spot and left a note for the kids!

On Wednesday, He was captured by Skippy Jon Jones!

 

 

On Thursday, He was hanging from the lantern! The kids had a hard time finding him! My picture does not show him at all :(

On Friday, his last day, Freddy was a flower and he had a letter from Santa Claus telling the children that although our last day of school before break is today and Freddy will be going back, does not guarantee they will be on the Nice list. they still have to behave until Christmas Day! He left the kids some candy canes as a treat for being so sweet to Freddy!

So this has been our three weeks of adventure with our elf, Freddy! He has gone back to the North Pole until next year!

New Years Giveaway!

It is time to set the year off right with a MEGA BIG blog giveaway! I am so lucky to have this opportunity to host this NEW YEAR CYBER CELEBRATION! For this giveaway, I linked each donated product to each blog participant for you to explore and see. Please click on each blog's button to take you to the {blog, bloglovin', tpt store, instagram, OR facebook} that each blog participant would like you to follow in order to enter the giveaway! I tried to make it easy on everyone so that we can let the giveaway fun begin! FIVE New Year's Giveaway Packs means FIVE WINNERS! The winners will be chosen at MIDNIGHT on January 1 to start the new year off on the right foot. Happy entering and…

 "May the odds be ever in your favor" 

{Shout-out to my Hunger Games Friends}

{Featured Kinder Teachers}

Mrs. Price’s Kindergators-  I  will  incorporate  more  real  life  experiences  for  my  kids  so  all  can  be  successful. {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

Keepin’ It Krazy with Mrs. Berns- My teaching New Year's resolution is to get my kids excited about writing and dive more into our new writing curriculum. This is one subject area that I'm always seeing a need for improvement for me and for my kinders! {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

Kinder Sisters- To do more art with our kiddos! We need more time for the fun stuff! How can we make it all fit? There is just not enough time in the day! In all seriousness, we always want to better our resources, ideas, etc. We hope we are always getting better at what we do! {$10 to spend in TPT store & a head wrap}

Enchanted Kinder Garden- I plan to be more planned. Does that make sense? Planning ahead and having everything written down makes my life so much easier. I have started making visual plans for the week and they have seriously saved my life! That will be my "teaching" resolution to the year. I know I will be able to STICK to it. I have to speak that into existence. =) Have a wonderful New Year everyone! {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

Adventures in Kindergarten- My teaching New Year's resolution is to blog more often, take more photos of my little ones in action and to {somehow} get iPads for my classroom! {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

A Kindergarten Life for Me- My "teaching" New Year's resolution is to CLEAN my small group table each day before I leave!!! Sometimes, I have so much going on during the day that this table becomes a dumping ground! Bad, Bad habit!!! I really want to make this resolution last! HA! :) {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

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{Featured Firsties Teachers}
Laugh Love Learn- My teaching New Year's resolution is to find simple ways to help my first graders monitor their progress and set goals. {Winter First Grade Math Activities and Centers}

Searching for Teacher Balance- My "teaching" resolution is take time for me, through yoga.  Like all of you, I work ridiculously hard and forget to make time for me.  For the sake of myself and my students, I plan to practice yoga more. {Squiggle Book-Creative Writing Journal}

Adventures in First with Mrs. Key- I would love to dig deeper into our new Common Core Reading Series. There is so much, and I have a hard time getting through each day without running out of time. {Winter Unit}

Learning is for Superstars- To use QR codes in my instruction - they scare me right now! {Benjamin Franklin Mini Unit & Christopher Columbus Reader}

A Sunny Day in First Grade- My teaching resolution is to have more fun!  With so much testing and data collecting, it can be easy to get bogged down with what needs to be done.  We sometimes forget that our kids are KIDS!  We need to slow down and have fun with them! :) {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

Follow A Sunny Day in First Grade on TPT

Mrs. Peterson Loves to Teach- My New Year's resolution is to be able to do a pull up within the year.  I am a Crossfit Lover and this is the one thing I have been working on for a while.  This is the year for me :)) {Winn'er Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

Follow Mrs. Peterson Loves to Teach on TPT

An Apple a Day in First Grade- To blog more and create more products! {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

Once Upon a Classroom: The Tale of Two Teachers- My "teaching" New Year's resolution is to give more detailed and specific feedback. This is so valuable to my students' learning and sometimes I catch myself slipping! {Synonyms and Antonyms}

The Busy Busy Hive- I am going to try my hardest to figure out how to work the Smartboard that is now in my classroom.  No one in the school wanted it and I just couldn't let it be put away or sold. I figure if I can learn how to use  it my first graders will have a ball with it during centers. {Wizard of Oz Time! (Writing & Labeling Packet) and Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

Taming My Flock of Firsties- I would like to try to keep up with the classroom blog so that my parents have a glimpse into their day. :) {Winner's Choice of 2 items from TPT store}

Learning is Something to Treasure- My teaching New Year's resolution is to continue to make learning hands on and fun for my students. I want to make the most of every minute every day! {Plenty of Penguins: A Non-fiction Unit on 10 Different Species of Penguins}

One Fab Teacher- My teacher's New Year's resolution is to not call in one day for the rest of the school year. My first two years of teaching I didn't call in one day. :) {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

My Mommy Reads- Just like every year, my resolution is to be more organized! :) {Penguin Place Value, CCSS NBT, First Grade!}

Follow My Mommy Reads on Facebook

Missing Tooth Grins- My "teaching" New Year's resolution is to be more organized and to keep learning fun and enjoyable for my firsties! {Build a Snowman Literacy Activities}

Tales of a First Grade Teacher-My Teaching New Year's resolution is to take 1 day at a time. It's easy to get overwhelmed with projects, assessments, Common Core, grading etc.... I am going to work to balance my teaching day, so I can be less stressed at home. {February Fundamentals}

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 {Featured 2nd Grade Teachers}
Bright Concepts 4 Teachers- I want to be more "present" each day with my students. We all get so busy juggling all the different hats that we wear as teachers. Sometimes we forget to appreciate and take in all the little things that happen with our students each day and celebrate them. This new year, I want to do a better job at being in the moment with my students.  {New Year's Resolution Craftivity and Class Book}

Sparkling in Second- My teaching New Year's resolution is to start the Daily 5 in my classroom in order to reach more of my students in different areas of struggle. {Skip Counting Centers}

Covered in Glitter and Glue- To enjoy the students! It often feels there are so many things put on us as teachers, stresses coming from every direction, that I sometimes forget to stop and enjoy the moment and the little ones that I spend my day with. {Winner's Choice of 2 items from TPT store}

Today, in Second Grade- I would like to incorporate more technology into my lessons. The students love it and although I use it often, I know there is so much more to do with technology and teaching. {Winter Activities Mega Bundle Pack}

Primarily Speaking- I don't typically make resolutions, personally or professionally, but I certainly believe in, and live by, the idea of continual improvement.  I am always looking for ways in which I can do things better, to make things more efficient, and so forth.  This not only keeps my teaching fresh from year to year, but it keeps me excited about my job day after day. {Winter-riffic Addition Centers (Common Core Aligned)}

The Balancing Act I Call Life- My teaching resolution is to choose 1 evening a week to put down the laptop! I LOVE creating and making and organizing and blogging about anything and everything for my classroom, but I need to make time for me (and hubby), too! {*Snow* Many Synonyms and Antonyms}

My Second Sense- {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

Tori’s Teacher Tips- Don't let Common Core bog me down! {Winner's Choice of $10 in TPT store}

Hippo Hooray for Second Grade- I usually work on my lesson plans for the week on Sunday night. My goal is to get started on them on Thursdays for the following week, so that I can have a stress-free weekend :) {Main Idea Mania}

The Teacher’s Chair- I have a bunch of little artists this year, so to really tap into their learning style, I would love to bring my curriculum to life with as many hands-on artistic projects as possible! {Problem Solving with Bar Modeling: 'Problem Solving Magic & Happily Ever After'}

Second Grade Superkids- My "teaching" New Year's resolution is to find more ways to support positive staff, student, and community involvement and pride in our school! {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

Meet Miss Parker- As a new teacher, my New Year's resolution is to continue to learn from all of you! I have been so lucky to venture into the online world of teaching at an early point in my career. Between the blogs, pinterest, IG, and tpt, I have already learned so much! I hope to continue to stay active with all of you, despite the craziness of my search for a full-time job! (cross your fingers for me!) <3 {Differentiated Reading Comprehension Passages- Common Core}

Super Sparkly in Second- My New Year's resolution is to organize my teaching materials by placing them in folders by theme/holiday. Although I'm digitally organized, I'm not organized in the physical world. {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

The Applicious Teacher- Get more organized and stay a head of the game! Feel like I've been WAY behind on my prep work this year. {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

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{Featured 3rd Grade Teachers}
Inspired Owl’s Corner- My teaching New Year's resolution is to keep learning as much as possible about Common Core State Standards, because we will be fully implementing CC next school year. I'm so excited for this change in education! {Winner's Choice of 2 items from TPT store}

School Days with Smith- I am going to make it my goal to grade papers in a more timely manner! I want my students to receive more accurate and prompt feedback, and I also want to maximize my time at home with my baby! {2 and 3 Digit Addition and Subtraction Math Games}

The Craft of Teaching- My teaching New Year's Resolution is to remember that, no matter how stressful teaching gets, laughter and smiles in the classroom are a MUST! {$15 Starbucks gift card & Quadrilaterals: 2D Shape Sort}

A Classroom Full of Smiles- My "teaching" New Year's resolution is to file my extra copies into the correct folder in my file cabinet. I usually just leave them laying around until the pile is so big that it takes an hour to file everything away. I need to be more prompt at putting things where they need to go. {Snowman at Christmas Activity Pack and Craftivity-ELA Common Core Aligned}

Teaching With Hope- I will take the time to have a conversation with each every student every morning! Even if it is just a short snippet about their night I will take the time to listen! {Multiplication Centers and Activity Pack & Bully Prevention Pack}

A Tall Drink of Water- My"teaching" resolution is to find more ways to incorporate arts into my math lessons! {Multiplication Fast Facts}

Third Grade Tidbits- Worry more about my students than the "other stuff." {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

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{Featured Upper Grade Teachers}

The Unique Classroom- Since I continually self-reflect, I am always looking to improve my teaching approach to guided reading. I am fortunate to work with lots of talented and dedicated teachers, and I strive to be as successful and effective as they are! {Fiction and NonFiction Text Elements Response Pages Bundle}

Learning to Be Awesome- To keep a balance between my class, and all the other responsibilities I take on in my school so that my kids don't miss out on anything. {$10 gift card to Teachers Pay Teachers}

Follow Learning to Be Awesome on Bloglovin'

Magic Mistakes & Mayhem- To implement Flipped Classroom principles into the day to day teaching and learning. {Winner's Choice of 2 items from TPT store}

Where the Wild Things Learn- To make learning fun, hands-on, and interactive for my students! {Winner's Choice of 1 item from TPT store}

Everyone deServes to Learn- My resolution is to get better at planning youtube videos and interactive whiteboard games ahead of time! I usually scramble to find them in the morning or RIGHT before class, so I'd like to be more on top of that! {How to Eat an Oreo (Writing Unit)}

Beach Lovin' Teach- My teaching New Year's resolution is to start planning on how I will incorporate technology into my classroom. I am so thrilled that my class will be receiving a set of laptops after the New Year. I want to make sure I am ready for them by being planned with engaging lessons and technology tips! {Figurative Language Posters in Chevron}

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