I'm an organization FREAK!!!

So I may have mentioned that I am a little O.C.D. and despite that I managed to leave my classroom in a state of disarray this afternoon (had to leave right after school!!). Moving on.. My students have many teachers this year (math, l.a., french, etc..) We all have different subject programs and most importantly varying ways to distribute homework (more on that next week!) Soooo, since I'm an organization freak, I have my students put all things l.a. in one place. All students have a "homework baggie" an actual money bag, and bring it back and forth from home each day! Works great and is kinda cute!!! I love it! It keeps me sane.. All I do each morning during homeroom is look in that bag as opposed to going through all the different folders and books they need to bring home for other subjects!! Great time saver and nothing gets lost (almost always!!)




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Acknowledgement Mix Up!!

Hi Everyone,
                    I wanted to correct  very important blunder that I made in my last post!!! I made a mistake regarding the wonderful sound cards below. They were not created by www.firstgradefrenzy.com (still well worth visiting, I assure you!!). They are in fact from a blog called "primary perspective" http://www.eduperry.com/
I apologize for the mishap and still encourage you to use these wonderful charts!!!

Sounds cards on the left: primary perspective
Sound cards on the right: jolly phonics

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Classroom Video Tour!



Yes, Dear Blogger Friends! You read the Title correctly! I am sooooo cheesy and sooo excited about my classroom, that I made a little video for you! I must begin by telling you a little blogger story! It went down something like this .... Yesterday, I "directed" a wonderful, resourceful, informative, video about my classroom, the setup and materials. I did not realize while "filming" that I babbled on and on for an entire 16 minutes and 43 seconds! I wrote up a cute little post and proceeded to attach my video but of course technology can never really cooperate with me and the video would not upload. Sooo... I didn't want to give up on my video tour (As it was indeed OSCAR worthy!! ) hehe, and decided I would upload the video to youtube and share the link with you. But alas, after 3 hours of downloading the video uploaded and was immediately deleted (apparently because it was too long). I believe the universe is trying to send me a message, that of "Nicole you talk wayyyy too much!" With all that being said, I made a new video today, without much commentary and will proceed to give further information about each center below. Now once again, blogger would not upload my video and so I am attaching a link to youtube with a 4 minute video!

view video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4i8qXguqpA


Some acknowledgements:
www.scrappindoodles.com for the AMAZING, ADORABLE clipart
www.firstgradefrenzy.com for the FABULOUS classroom ideas (i.e. celebrity spelling helper) and BEST WORD WALL EVER! You rock Leslie!!!
www.firstgradeparade.blogspot.com for the super creative and useful resources and ideas.. Most especially, the Cebrity of the Week idea!! Love it!!
www.kevinandamanda.com for the vibrant and creative FREE fonts


My classroom procedures are simple, short, and to the point.. No need to have 25 different rules for the kiddies to follow.. they will never remember them all.. I also model #3 all the time!! The rewards and consequences are also displayed. The students know what the expectations are and what will happen based on their behavior. I review the procedures A LOT!!! Structure and Routine are crucial for a classroom to function.. 




The calendar is paper as I like the students to write the date numerically as well as write the number words. They use different colors to create patterns. They place a straw in the place value chart to represent each day we have been in school. Furthermore, they place an enlarged paper coin in the pocket chart (third photo) to represent how "money" days we've been in school. We also check the weather, and learn a new weather term once a week.


As shown in the video, I have a treasure box filled with prizes. Students visit the treasure box when they complete their sticker chart or read 20 reading log books. I do have a number of cute little treats for them to keep them motivated until the get to go to the box! 

I use a variation of jolly phonics and other sound cards.. The ones pictured are by jolly phonics and a teacher created material that my friend Leslie (www.firstgradefrenzy.com) so graciously shared with me.. Isn't she the greatest!! She is a phenomenal teacher and a literacy leader.






Sharing some of my favorite things! the word snappers.. extra material bins (can you believe I found those at target for 2$) what a bargain!! Finally, my home reading program.. I use colors rather than levels (on the labels) in order to ensure that no student feel discouraged. I do tend to have a variation of strengths and weaknesses in reading and feel as though numbers may make some students feel negatively about their own reading. No child should ever feel bad because they are reading a level 1 book while their friend/classmate reads a level 4 book.





So what is in all those baskets you ask? Goodbye rhymes (place by the door, ready for the end of the day) (also a tip from www.firstgradeparade.blogspot.com) calendar essentials, word wall games, and books on cd... Of course this is only the beginning! I have baskets filled with all kinds of great resources for the students, but if I were to go through them all I'd probably miss the 1st day of school tomorrow!!

I hope you can leave with a few new ideas.. I know I do each time I visit a blog!! Thanks for taking the time to view my post and see you again soon!!!

Need my beauty sleep as tomorrow is my first day with the kiddies!!!!
G'night!


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Snap a Word! My absolute FAVORITE WORD GAME!!!!

Hi again! I would like to share with you one of my favorite l.a. games to play with the kiddies. They absolutely love this kinesthetic approach to learning new sounds!!

“Snap a word” is a fabulous game used to reinforce the knowledge of letter sounds. Students are introduced to a new sound, blend, diagraph, or word ending (i.e. “s,” “br”, “ing”) and are asked to look around the classroom for words that include the sound in question. The teacher may choose one student at a time to walk around the room with a “snapper” (i.e. pointer) and “snap” a word of their choice. The teacher then asks the class to confirm if in fact the word includes the appropriate sound and writes the word on the board. All students proceed to recording the word on the sheet. Students must also write the “sound of the day” in the camera. Repeat the above activity, until the sheet is complete. The activity can be modified for advanced students, by allowing them to come up with words on their own.






Check out the link below to my teacher store for a FREE printable "snap a word" sheet!


http://classic.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Snap-a-Word




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My New Classroom is almost ready!! FINALLY!!!

Hello All! So my classroom is finally coming together and I thought I'd share a few photos with you! Please take note that my daily 5 posters, jolly phonics sounds, blends, diagraphs, and word endings go up as we go along. We learn a new sound or a new step in Daily 5 and we put up the poster!

This our celebrity of the week corner! I got this FABULOUS idea from Mrs. Carroll (www.firstgradeparade.com). I love this adaptation of the "Student of the Week" concept. So cute and motivating!

Here are our Classroom Procedures, clearly displayed to ensure we FOLLOW them each day!!! I also have a paper calendar, where the students write the numeric date and the number word. They use different markers to create a pattern. We also have a place value chart and a weather forecast!
The continuation of our calendar corner has a pocket chart where students place coins to display "How Money Days have we been in School?" as well as "Yesterday was.." "Today is.." and "Tomorrow will be.."
Our gathering area, where we have story time, writer's workshop, shared reading and math lessons.

Our math and l.a. baskets, filled with wonderful manipulatives, resources and games! Our bulletin boards are waiting for the students' fabulous work!
Our theme words chart and computer corner!
Magnetic Word Wall and Home Reading Program Baskets!
Classroom Library





Thank you for visiting! I hope you enjoyed my classroom as much as I do!
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Check out my new products!

So... As I keeeeeep mentioning, I transfered to a new school and will be teaching the second grade. I am beyond excited for this new challenge and am becoming a little over the top! All of a sudden all my materials seem boring and outdated. I am making posters, games, word walls, spelling helpers, and much, much more... It's like Santa's workshop over here, with all the velcro, sticky tack, magnets, laminating, cutting, and pasting.. With all that being said, I have made some new resources that may be of interest to you! They are all very cheap or even free (who can resist a freebie!!) and there are pretty much a lot more coming soon. Check it out and enjoy! 


Blends and diagraphs Blackboards (Everyone needs these!!):
http://classic.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Blends-and-Diagraphs-Blackboard-Set




Reading Buddies Vowels Posters (FREE!!!!): http://classic.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Long-and-Short-Vowel-Reading-Buddies





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My former classroom

Good evening ladies & gents,
            As I have mentioned in past posts, I have transfered to a new school and will be embarking on a second grade adventure! The kiddies are not set to come in for another week or so, which gives me plenty of time to prepare for their arrival! 
With that being said, I must admit to you that my classroom is not quite picture worthy yet. Thus, I am posting some pictures of my former classroom (which is not half as great as my new one!) in hopes to share some ideas with you. 
I will most definitely contribute pictures of my current “second home” as soon as I deem the room acceptable enough to be photographed! Hope you enjoy! 









* The picture of the smartboard displays a classical music video from youtube.The students love to have music playing, while they work. Furthermore, we sometimes would “youtube” videos of ocean sounds (especially in the cold winter) and watch and listen to the waves while we work! They love it,!


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Great Free Fonts!

I’ts me again!!! Testing a new font!!!! Check out: Fonts by Mt http://misstiina.com/fonts/
Super cute, and free!!!!
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