To Caroline-

Well for some reason I'm unable to comment back? UGH!! So I figured I'd just write you back in a post :0)
The seating was fully funded through donorschoose.org. It is an amazing website that is able to get items for classrooms that are normally out of a teacher's/school's budget. I picked out the furniture through the Lakeshore website (click here). Hope this helps and make sure to check out donorschoose.org!! :0)

"Pin"spiration!

Well Blogging Buddies,

Took me a bit longer than expected to get back on here. I promise I was not watching all of my new favorite shows and wasting hours on Pinterest. I was hard at work creating lesson plans....(did that sound believable? hehe :0))

So here are some pictures of my classroom with some "pinspirations" (or AMAZING ideas that I found on Pinterest)

Here's a look at my "math work stations" tubs. I found the labels for free on this fabulous blog. (here)

Found this idea on pinterest! It has worked wonders! Before we disperse for Daily 5 we discuss where our voices should be on the "noise o meter". I then let one of my firsties, that needs a little extra reminder, move the "noise o meter" to the correct voice level. We interactive wrote the labels. (this idea was found here)

Our Word Wall

A ten dollar lamp from a garage sale, a few tables recovered with fabric (my sewing skills consist of stapling the edges) a few dollar store finds, and our going home graph

Our comprehension focus statements will be housed here at the comprehension wall.

(We also have a word knowledge wall, word wall and vocabulary wall)

Found this classroom promise on pinterest and also in Debbie Miller's book, Reading With Meaning. (If you haven't taken a look at this book, drop everything you're doing and grab a copy!) The zoomed out picture is of our new seating area that we received from donorschoose.org! The kiddos LOVE this special reading area!

Speaking of Debbie Miller... This is from her schema lesson in the book, Reading With Meaning. In the book she shows the kids that she is using her schema when she lays the book in her lap, when she's reading she holds the book up. I found this thinking bubble on pinterest (here and here).I read the story, The Relatives Came, (Debbie Miller uses this as her first schema read aloud and it is a really cute story), pre-wrote my connections post-its and when I made a connection, I held up the schema bubble (my lovely face in the middle) then posted my thoughts to the schema bubble. I felt this really helped the kids understand that the connections came from the information in my brain, or schema. (In later lessons, I had the kiddos come up and use the schema bubble to make their connections.) Hope that made sense.

CAFE menu (it's a bit different to align with district time allotments)

Hope you enjoyed the tour and I hope to upload a few more pictures soon!

I'm BACK! ;0)

Well Blogging Buddies,
It's been a very long time since I have officially hopped on here to blog! (don't worry I've been pinning on pinterest and stalking your blogs like CRAZY! :0) )
It's been a chaotic start to the year, but I have an AMAZING class! I will be uploading some photos of some of our activities and also uploading some freebies very soon! In other exciting news we were able to get our Donorschoose.org project fully funded. My kiddos LOVE their new seating area!!!
Just wanted you all to know I'm still here and I'm still very glad you have stuck with me during my blogging brain fart. (;0P) Can't wait to update you all very, very soon!! :0)

The "S" Word!

Hello Blogging Buddies! I am sorry I've been missing in action, but I'm trying to savor the last few days of summer! Can't believe the "s" word (school...UGH!) is going to be starting soon, and shocked that some of you have already started back! So here's what I've been up to, and my final summer plans...
1. Pinterest... Also known as "crack"!!! Seriously sooooooo addicting! I've found so many amazing ideas and can't wait to show you all!
2. Splash park and lots of snuggles with my best buddy, Brody. Our local aquatic center has a splash area that my 18 month old LOVES! Best part...it's free in the morning! And he takes awesome naps after!
3. Visiting family in Missouri...seriously folks the actual temp without heat index was 107 the other day! Love my family, but holy cow this state is HOT!
4. The IOWA STATE FAIR!!!! Ok I'm sure some of your all's states have great fairs...but nothing compares to the ISF! I mean come on, we've got a life size cow made from butter and not joking, you can get adult beverages on a stick! Not to mention the amazing food! (milkshakes from the dairy barn, hot beef sundays (mash potatoes, layered with pulled beef, gravy, cheese and a cherry tomato to top it off), fried pickles, and Ginny grinders... are my FAV!) We also have amazing free entertainment like, The Band Perry! I'm also hitting the grandstand to see Casting Crowns and Jason Aldean :0)

So now that I've convinced you all how awesome the state of Iowa is, I'd better get back to my to-do list (visiting family)! What are your all's final summer plans?

i LOVE shoes!

Mrs. Tabb over at Just Another Day In First Grade, has a great new mini-unit on my favorite subject SHOES! And guess what blog buddies, if you blog about her unit by tomorrow (7/24), she'll send it to you for FREE! If you love shoes and much as I do...check out Mrs. Tabb's blog!

http://anotherdayinfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2011/07/um-shoes-shoesa-mini-unit.html

Shiny Legs and Belly Buttons!

Mrs. Dillard is hosting a linky party so I thought I'd re-post this blog entry from last month and join the fun! Hope you enjoy! :0)

The inspiration behind this blog post is some of the HILARIOUS things my kiddos have said! I'd love to have you all share things that your kiddos have said as well, it'll give us all a good laugh! :0)

(Comments from kiddos when I was pregnant...)
"Mrs. B., is that the baby's head?"-Student
"No sweetie, that's my belly button."-Me
"Ohhhh, I've got one of those belly button things too!"-Student

"Mrs. B. I've figured out why you've gotten so fat!"-Student
"Because I'm going to have a baby soon?"-Me
"No...because you eat A TON!"-Student

"Mrs. B. are you going to eat something really spicy and hot to get the baby out?"--Student
"Ummm...."---Me! ( I still have no idea where that one came from!! LOL)

(comments that still have me laughing!....)
"Mrs. B. how do you get your legs so shiny?"-Student
"I don't know sweetie, lotion."-Me
"Well I don't know how you do it, but I think it's great!"-Student

"Mrs. B. you look much better when you put make up on."-Student
"And good morning to you too!" :0) - Me

"I would like D to explain how he solved his CGI problem." -Me
"Well, class, I was thinking very deeply about the problem, because I really wanted to get to my center, so I just solved it in a snap and off I went."-Student

There are so many more! I should really start writing them down! Love my first grade kiddos, you never know what they might say!!! :0)

Donors Choose Project

Hey Fellow Blogging Friends!

My DonorsChoose.org project is almost due and I still have around $200 to go. If you all know of a company or might be able to donate yourself that would be GREATLY appreciated! Also fellow teachers who do not know about DonorsChoose.org... IT IS AN AMAZING website, that helps you get supplies for your classroom and it's soooo easy to create a project! Plus it's tax deductible!! :0)

Click...HERE...to see my classroom project :0)

THANKS!