About Me

I am Iowa Hawkeye and proud of it! :0) I began teaching in first grade, was moved to fifth grade (the day before school...what a year!), then moved back to be with my firsties! I'm a married, mother of one to a very curious and adventurous little boy and three fur babies! :0)

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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Extreme Classroom Makeover


 Well it's summer and instead of enjoying the beautiful outdoors, I've decided that I must get into my classroom and once and for all get it organized! So I've taken the before pictures, and will be updating as I transform this classroom into a room that would make  Debbie Diller proud, hopefully! (fingers crossed!)  :0) 




WANTED: Upper Elementary Blogs!

Hello fellow Blog Friends, A friend of mine just found out that she is going to be teaching 5th grade. I have been telling her about all of your FABULOUS blogs and she is trying to find some upper elementary blogs, any suggestions? Thanks for your help! :0)

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Doubles/Fact Family Books

As I was reading chapter 5, I had a "DUH" moment! Of course kiddo's need the opportunity to create their own problems! It is also fantastic that we are able to include some writing time in math as well! :0) I created two booklets, a fact family booklet, and a doubles booklet. I am going to try and set up an area in my room that is devoted to math materials (like in Chapter 2) and I can put extra copies of these sheets in that area for my kiddos to use, as well as in the station itself.
Hope you like them and please feel free to leave a comment... I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU ALL! :0)

Fact Family Booklet and Doubles Booklet

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Chapter 5 Math Work Stations "Aliens Love Underpants" Inspired

Here are a few items I created to go along with Mrs. Jump's "Aliens Love Underpants " theme which you can check out here and purchase on her TpT site! (It's awesome and my kids LOVED it!) I created "dot cards" and a "story board" to use in addition to her fabulous theme. Hope you enjoy! And be sure to check out Mrs. Jump's Unit, it'll be sure to make your kiddos laugh!! :0)
* The clipart in this download is to be used strictly for educational purposes only!!!!

Monday, June 20, 2011

WOOHOO!! I think I have finally figured it out! :0)

THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR HELPFUL COMMENTS!! I think I've figured out how to upload google docs! YIPPY!!

I found an awesome end of the year award from a blog... and I can't remember which blog
I found if from?!? I'd love to give credit so if anyone has the link to the creater of the "officially a 2nd grader award" please let me know :0) THANKS! I could not find Swedish fish anywhere (they were probably right in front of my face, knowing me! hehe) So I taped smarties to the middle of the award.

Award

Tester

Hello fellow bloggers, I just wanted to see if could upload a google doc :0) I will be uploading more if this one goes through!
Also all the clipart that I have used is for educational purposes only!!!!
THANKS!

Making Predictions Chart

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Help pretty please! :0)

Please don't judge...I know these might be really silly questions, but hey...isn't the old saying, "The only dumb question is the question that goes unasked?" (or something like that?)
So where do I start...
UGH!!
I'd love to figure out how to share my files with you all, but I am not great with computers and I'm having a tough time!
I tried google docs and scribd, however they both changed the font, which isn't very important, but I loved the original font! (also when the font changed... I had to go back in and reformat the doc). Any advise or great sites you all use to send out your freebies?

I'm also wondering how everyone has these amazingly cute buttons and how I might be able to create my own?

Also how do I create a link? And how do I add someone's amazing link to my posts?

Any advise would be great!!!
THANKS!

Friday, June 17, 2011

I have FOLLOWERS!! :0)

I just wanted to say thank you to my newest blogging friends! I can't tell you all how excited I was to find that I had a new comment and a new follower on my blog! :0) I'm sooooo glad that you all have joined me on my new blogging adventure! :0) THANKS!!!!!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Overwhelmed and soooo excited!

Well... The AEA came through and I was able to grab the newest book from Debbie Diller, Math Work Stations! I've gotten through one chapter and I couldn't help but take a look ahead at some of the pictures, and all I can say is... I AM SO EXCITED TO IMPLEMENT THIS NEXT YEAR!!! I have also linked up to a, "blog party" and OH BOY, OH BOY, there are some amazing teachers out there who have taken the time to add some amazing FREE downloads that go along with the book. I will be catching up with the blog party and will be uploading some of my thoughts about the book, but for now I better stop blogging and get back to reading! :0)
A few things I will be thinking about as I read....
1) How will this look in a CGI (Cognitive Guided Instruction) classroom?
2) How can I include my title resource teacher in on this new and exciting adventure?
3) What will I need to prepare this summer in order to become the "organizational wiz" I've always dreamed of becoming...and every year fall short of?
Lastly...
4) Why am I up so late on a summer night...what should I grab out of the fridge... OH WAIT! That's not about the book hehehe :0)
And they say teachers have their summers off BHAHAHAH!!!!

Kindergarten Crayons: Chapter #4... Now Let's Explore! Freebies Galore!

Kindergarten Crayons: Chapter #4... Now Let's Explore! Freebies Galore!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Data Walls

This year our school has adopted the "Data Teams" process. We had a very small taste of data teams this year and will be implementing it more in depth next year. I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas or thoughts? Success, things to change? I'm also very curious about how other school districts run their data walls. Excited to hear back! :0)

Here we go

Well here it goes... my very first blog post EVER.... (cue the echo sound effects)! Two things have inspired me to start my own blog, #1: all of you amazing teachers that have great ideas and lessons that I am addicted to reading and trying out in my own classroom. #2: A great friend of mine that is a stay at home mom. She started her blog a couple of months ago and as I read her blogs, I'm either laughing out loud, crying or trying my darnest to figure out how I could possibly be half as crafty and talented as her. (I'm very lucky she lives so close, in case I have any difficulties warming up my newest dinner experiment or trying out a new craft; she is able to come over and save me from blowing up the house or gluing my fingers to my head.) I am sending out a disclaimer, I do not claim to be the greatest or most amazing teacher, heck, I hardly know my name after a difficult day at school! I do love to learn and can't wait to get feed back and constructive advise from fellow bloggers! So here it goes, wish me luck! ;0)