A great big thank you!

I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the bloggers out there!!  Even with switching grade levels, this has been the best start to a school year that I've had.  I've gotten so many great suggestions and ideas from other teachers that have rejuvenated my love of teaching!!  My classroom looks great and not matter what skill I'm teaching, I can find ideas for it on a blog or on TpT/TN.  Now if any of you can tell me how to add a few extra hours to my evening so that I can relax, I would appreciate that as well!  Have a WONDERFUL holiday weekend!

Coming up for air!

I can finally breathe!!  I've been back at work now for two weeks and I'm getting into a routine.  My students are doing a great job with procedures!!  The difference between 1st and 3rd graders is amazing!  I do miss teaching the little ones but I can appreciate the independence of 3rd graders!  They have stamina!!  I'm happy to have 23 students in my class.  Our numbers were close to 30 per class two days before school started.  Luckily our principal moved a 2nd grade teacher up to even out our numbers.  I have a "new" product in my TpT and TN stores.  It's a packet of three number of the day sheets.  Two of the sheets come from my Number Jar Workstations.  I've added another sheet that I'm using in my classroom.  I'm listing these separate from the Number Jar activities for those who do a number of the day as morning work.  I'm hoping to finish two other Workstation Jars over the holiday weekend.  Have a wonderful week!!

Double linky

After a busy first week of school and an even busier weekend with soccer and running, I finally have time to blog!!  I'm excited to link up with Jeannie from Kindergarten Lifestyle and Ms. Jessica from A Turn to Learn for...

1 down, 179 to go!!

Today was our first day of school!!  After all the weeks of hard work, the day went wonderful.  Now all I have to do is plan for tomorrow.  I thought I would share some pictures of my classroom through Courtney at Swimming Into Second's linky party.

I still have quite a bit to do to finish my focus walls and a few bulletin boards.  I can't believe how different my room looks from my before pictures a few months ago!!

so few of me!

I love books by Peter H. Reynolds!  This time of year I can relate to Leo in the book So Few of Me.  My list just keeps growing and growing.  Trying to manage getting a classroom ready, learning the curriculum of a new grade level, keeping up with my blog, training for a marathon and taxiing my youngest daughter to her 3 day a week soccer practices an hour and fifteen minutes away is about to get the best of me!!  Obviously, I've had to cut back on the blogging.  I'm hoping once school is in full swing, the marathon is over and soccer season is long gone I can get into a normal pattern.  Unfortunately, that will be October!!  My classroom is looking wonderful (pictures to come soon)!  I have at least the first day planned and ready (students come back on Tuesday)!  The marathon is 58 days away (today's 17 mile run started at 5:00 am and took 3 hours).  I really can't do much about the soccer.  My daughter outgrew our local soccer program.  We My husband decided if she was serious about playing he would find a club that was a good fit.  She now plays for CUSA in Centerville, OH on their U12 premiere travel team.  Unfortunately, we will be in the car a lot during the week transporting her to practice and who knows where on the weekends.  Oh, and did I mention that my husband works 2nd shift.  That's my life!  Now you can see why I need another "me"!!  Thanks for listening to me ramble!!

Currently and Made It Monday

The one week count down has started!  One week from today is our teacher work day and back to school night.  One week from tomorrow... they're back!!!!
I'm starting off my blog linking up with Farley at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade for her August Currently.

My B2S must haves are two of the most important items in my classroom that have nothing to do with teaching, they just make me happy!
1.  My Tervis Tumbler keeps my water cold without "sweating" all over my desk!

2.  My electric tart warmer makes my room smell delicious!!  Of course any open flame is prohibited but a light bulb is not.  I don't have a picture of my warmer, so I found this cute one online at Wal-Mart.

Also, I'm linking up with Tara at 4th Grade Frolics for Made It Monday.  I had big plans for my Made It Monday.  I was hoping to finish my side table that I'm painting for my classroom today and post it.  However, life continues to get in the way and you know the rest.  So I took a picture of the welcome sign that I made from Tara's TpT store.  I think it turned out PERFECT!!  I've already gotten so many compliments on it!!!

Reading with expression

 Like most teachers, I love to read!  I love teaching children to read!  So, obviously I love reading books to children.  One of the reasons I love reading to them is because I get to add voice to each character.  One of my favorite voices to read in is my Junie B. voice.  I wanted my students to incorporate voice in to their reading so I made a voice jar for my first grade classroom.  I introduced the "Voice Jar" through poetry since students must be fluent with a book or passage to use voice.  Our weekly class poems are at a level that everyone can read.  We read them over and over and over.  Students become very fluent at reading these poems.  To use the Voice Jar, I would have a student draw a voice card from the jar.  The class had to read the poem in whichever voice was chosen.  They LOVED this activity.  When I felt comfortable that students could do this on their own I put the Voice Jar in my fluency workstation.  It is a favorite activity of all students.  You can get my Voice Jar FREE at my TpT store or my TN store.  I hope your students will enjoy it as much as my students!!