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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

April Behavior Chart!

Oohkayyy... Here it is! Click the image below to grab it from TpT as a freebie!!
So, let me just tell ya... I've been such a slacker with my blogging!!! I would LOVE to blog about sooo many things but I seriously have no time! Last week was my spring break and it was awesome! We went to California to see some family and we got to take Aly to Disneyland!!! She had been asking to go for weeks so we decided to spoil her and take her!!! She was in awe of it all... especially the princesses!
The weather has also been amazing... We are talking about 80-85 degrees and that is awesome here in AZ!
My first day back from spring break {yesterday} was awesome! The kiddos really did miss school and we got a lot done and today was just as good! I love my little firsties! They are the cutest.
Talking about my firsties... I have a funny story: We were doing a word sort on nouns, verbs, and adjectives and a little kiddo asked me to read a certain word. Knowing he can sound it out I told him to "tap it out" {Fundation-talk}. So he said, "/p/ /e/ /b/ /el/, pebble". I told him, "yes, perfect, so what is it? a noun, verb, or adjective", while he looked at me with a blank stare! I asked him if he knew what a pebble was and he told me no. Well, another little one of mine shouted that he knew what a pebble was and I asked him to share out loud... Well this is what he said, "A pebble is something that comes out of your face and it's big and red!" Ha! He was talking about a pimple! I love my ELLs! So then we talked about pimples and pebbles and what they were!
Oh man! I need to get back to work here... I am planning on going to Culver's and getting a Raspberry Cooler... raspberries and lemon ice blended together.... AHHH I can't wait because it is sooooo good!!
Tomorrow I get to go to a Kagan training! I am familiar with Kagan and I use some of the strategies but I really hope to get new ones to bring back to my lovelies!!!
Have a fantabulous Wednesday, ladies!!! :)

Quick, quick, quick like a quick, quick chick.... check out these giveaways!!!


Erica is giving away a copy of her newly published book!!! How awesome!!! Hope I win!
Can Do Kinders
Can Do Kinders is having an awesome giveaway! The winner will win a TON of stuff!!! Get on over there and enter!!!
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The 3 AM Teacher is having a super giveaway!! Check it out!!

Yearn to Learn is giving away a Luna Projection Camera!!!

Ana is giving away her April Resources!!
Think, Wonder, & Teach is having a 31 giveaway {Natasha is the rep!!!}
I won a giveaway and got a bag from Natasha... she is super fast and very helpful!!! :) I'm entering in hopes of winning another bag!!!
Erin is having a MyMemories Scrapbooking software giveaway... so cool!!

Friday, March 16, 2012

I'm so ready and a grammar FREEBIE!

Yay! I'm finally on Spring Break! One whole week off! I do feel lucky being a teacher because of our schedules.
So, today I had my formal observation meet-up with the P {principal} and he had nothing but good great things to say! Yeah! That really made my day.
Before that, I had my observation from my mentor and she just had one suggestion...to tell my kids that every sentence has a verb... since I was doing a grammar lesson on nouns, verbs, and adjectives!
Right before my Spring Break started {5:30 p.m.} I had an interview... It is for a position to teach NCLB Summer School! I really hope I get it because I did it last year and it was so EASY and FUN!! :)
I have some freebies to share! I used these "think sheets" during my observation!!! I hope you can all use them!!! There are two pages in this download!!!
Click on the image below to take you to my TpT store to grab the freebie!
I'm not sure why they look blurry... but they aren't really like that!
Click on the image below to take you to my TN store to grab the freebie!
It doesn't matter where you get it from... they are both the same ;)
Now, I would love for you to check out the following giveaways that I really HOPE to win!!!



is giving away an awesome leopard print bag {one of my FAVES!} and her new Super Duper R unit {that also looks awesome!!!} I really really wanna win!!! Pretty please???




is giving away a luna camera... I have a document camera but this one takes video!!! I would love to have that in the classroom!

Color Me Kinder
is giving away one of those cool pencil sharpeners that all of the bloggers have {except me...hint hint ;)}
Have a fabulous Friday night, loves!!! :)

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Ooh SEI! ELD! 4-Hour Block!??


Teachers are always sooo busy! These past two weeks have been hectic to say the least.
Last week, I was out of my classroom for three days straight {GASP} and it wasn't because I was sick {I tend to not call in even if I'm almost dying!!!}. I had to go to an SEI training that is given by the STATE! This SEI training is specifically for teachers that use the 4-hour block of ELD in our wonderful state of AZ!
Let me tell you a bit about our 4-hour block. In Arizona, our ELLs are required to have 4 hours of English Language Development. They can get it from an SEI {Structured English Immersion} classroom or from a Mainstream classroom {with an individual plan- ILLP}. My classroom is an SEI classroom. I have ELLs that have a proficiency level of pre-emergent to basic. In those 4 hours, we are required to teach an hour of EXPLICIT Grammar, an hour of EXPLICIT Oral English/Conversation and Vocabulary, an hour of EXPLICIT Writing, and an hour of EXPLICIT Reading!!! Yeah, do you get that it has to be EXPLICIT!!!! EXPLICIT!!! This means that we barely have any time for Math and no time for Science or Social Studies. We are allowed to use content but it can't be embedded. For example, I can use sentences from our Science text to teach about sentence structure {grammar} but I cannot teach science vocabulary and count it as an hour of vocabulary!!! Crayyyy-zy??? Yes! It is sooo hard to do this... I seriously need to meet with our grade level coach and ask her some serious questions!!! Does anybody else do this? What do you do? My school day is soooo short {8-2} and with breakfast in the classroom, lunch/recess, and specials everyday I have no idea how to incorporate Math but especially Science and Social Studies! Now, I am not even sure that I am allowed or supposed to do the Daily 5!!! Ah! My mind is going crazy! I really need to figure this out!
Then, my principal decided to do walk thru's in our classrooms. He is specifically looking for objectives and that our students KNOW the objectives for any given lesson throughout the day! Well, he came in yesterday and asked one of my sweet {HMMM...} little friends... sounds bad, right??? Well, not so bad, I don't {think} I have anything to worry about... we were practicing words with the long a sound and writing some on our whiteboards and my sweet little friend said that we were practicing words... technically we were so I count that as being right! :) Woop, woop!
And, report cards are due Thursday at 6 am... so technically tomorrow and guess what???? I am already FIN....ISH.....ED!!! Yeeeeeeeaa! I am so excited to get that off my to-do list! :)
Another thing is that I am being observed by my mentor on Friday. It was supposed to be Monday, but I asked her to reschedule due to the principal observation... So, let me explain my mentor. In my school district, we are required to be in the mentor program for 3 years. This is my 2nd year teaching so I just have one more year of being "mentored"! It is not bad at all, actually I am very grateful. Our mentors send us to workshops {I get to go to a Kagan workshop at the end of the month!!!}, get us some supplies, and just help us reflect! Well, my mentor has to observe me using my goal {that I wrote in the summer} while teaching a lesson! My goal was to incorporate Whole Brain Teaching strategies in my teaching... I am actually impressed with myself because I have been faithful to WBT!!! :) My kiddos love it and I see a lot more engagement than last year when I didn't use WBT. Nevertheless, I am still a teeennnyyy bit anxious/nervous about the observation!
Soooo that's what has been going on with my life! Today, was also my little ones picture day! Her Daddy got to get her ready since I am working. He is soooo AWESOME!! He does her hair and picks out her outfits! I am beyond grateful for him, too! Here are some cute pictures just to show ya'll!
Concentrating on eating with her chopsticks!!
At the park!
Look at those pretty perfect braids Daddy did! LOVE!
Ready for picture day by practicing her pose! LOL
Aw! I just love spending time with my little one!! She is just like me! :) Now, for a teacher funny! I saw this on Pinterest or FB! Soooo true!!!!
I would LOVE a vanilla latte right about now!! :) Have a fabulous week ya'll! I am working on a Spring literacy and math center pack!! :) I can't wait to finish! See ya'll!

Friday, March 2, 2012

My First Mistake! Read Across America Literacy Centers!

AHHH!! I got up and checked my email and found a comment from Rachel stating that she noticed a MISTAKE on my Read Across America Homophones freebie!!! :(
I checked that thing like 2,000 times!!! I'm soooo sorry!! So, if you bought my literacy centers, please please please go and download it again I fixed that page!!! Just go to your purchases and re-download!!
I have also fixed the freebie that can be found {HERE}
Again, so sorry!!! I know most of us will be using the centers today and next week!!
Have a fabulous Dr. Seuss day!!!