Resting before the year begins!

Hi everyone! I am still around and well! My little family and I are getting our magic on in sunny Florida before the new year begins! I will be back next week to share some new freebies and new items! Sending sunny magic and dreams come true your way!

Freebie Friday

Don't forget to get your "Figure Me Out" freebie for freebie Friday!  Stop by my store  while it lasts!

Spelling snap shots freebie and TpT SALE!

 It is sale day! Get 20% off every product in my TpT store! While you are at it, you can download this little assessment sheet freebie! Happy Wednesday!

Are you ready for back to school?

Okay everyone! Drum roll...the room is DONE! Just a few finishing touches on Monday, just in time for Blog Hoppin's Teacher week! Here is a preview of my Friday Freebie, just in time for back to school fun! Six pages of fun and functional getting to know you! Can't wait for Freebie Friday? Stop by my store it's available now!  In the mean time grab a back to school button and join the fun!

Stop back Friday to get this product for free! 

Blog Hoppin!

Meet The Teacher Blogger! Linky Party!

Blogging is a TOTALLY new world for me, but since I am a firm believer in go big or go home, I am diving in head first with a {linky} party! Stephanie at Falling Into First is having a Meet the Teacher Blogger Linky Party. So, here we go! 

I was born in the early 70’s, which means when you fill in your birthday for online forms you have to scroll WAAAAYYYY down.  I love 70’s music and have been amused to see clothes my mother sewed for me, bell-bottomed jumpers being one of them, have made a comeback. 

I have two beautiful daughters, Zoe 14  

and Vasilia almost 2.

I married a wonderful, handsome man and father!

I have been teaching in New York for 17 years, 1 year in North Carolina, I have taught every grade level ek-6 and was a literacy specialist for 6 years. I have coached several sports, I am a professor at our local community college, and I currently teach 2nd grade!

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, basking in the glow of a lit Christmas tree, the first snow day of the school year, my girl’s laughter, any beach, and traveling abroad!

Q: IF YOU WEREN'T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO BE?

I’d be a travel journalist or traveling food network chef….besides being a teacher, who has a better job than THAT!

Q: THREE LITTLE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU.

honest, little, compassionate

Q: FINISH THE SENTENCE, "________,  SAID NO TEACHER EVER!!"

"Not another snow day!"

Q: IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY AND YOU CAN INVITE ANYONE {DEAD OR ALIVE} TO THE PARTY. WHO ARE YOU INVITING?

My little family…I am a simple woman and easily pleased...it's the little things in life.

Q: IF SOMEONE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD BE THE TITLE?

Though she be small, she was fierce

Q: YOU GET TO PICK ONE SUPERPOWER. WHAT IS IT?

This one is tricky…so many powers seem to offer a blessing with a curse. Freezing time at will. To stop and enjoy a moment or stop so I can get some things done without missing a thing with my family.

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR SAYING?

"Those who do the work, learn the work!"

"Your actions are your only possessions." 

"Don't fall over before you've been pushed!"

Q: IF YOU HAD TO SING ONE SONG ON AMERICAN IDOL, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

First, I would need to have MAJOR vocal training, at which point I would want to sing 

Anything by Diana Ross, Olivia Newton John or Heart

Q: ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON OR A NIGHT OWL?

Morning! Cue Here Comes The Sun!

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE RESOURCE THAT YOU'VE CREATED IN YOUR TPT SHOP?

I am so new to blogging and TpT that I can’t really say! I am working on some that I am very excited about and I have a couple little things out, but as you know the good stuff takes time to get just right! Plus I am hoping to get some feedback to help guide me along this new journey! Let me know! 

  

CLICK HERE

Q: SHARE SOMETHING WE MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU!

I only eat folded potato chips…so I don’t devour the entire bag. That’s just one of my many little quirks…but that is what
makes us all unique, so I embrace it! 

Im so glad you stopped by and thanks be to Falling Into First, for hosting this little linky!  Be sure to visit other linkies and share the love!

Share the love here! 

The glue sticks!

The journals have bookmarks and the glue sticks! For now anyway. I decided to just put together one class set with the bookmarks to see how they hold up in the hands of 2nd graders! THAT will be the true test! They turned out great! Gotta love a clean notebook. Yes, the materials were on my Walmart, turn in your receipt and get 10% back list. 

I also cut out my "All about making numbers" mini book for my class to see a finished sample and it is SO cute! I LOVE it! I am going to use them as tickets out and staple them together when we are all done. Then have them placed into their Math Explorations journal. 

I am also looking forward to starting Mrs. Tunstall's iPad units! They are so well thought and thorough! I have some ideas to add to her unit, but they are AWESOME on their own too! Check her out! 

I am taking the wee one into school tomorrow to get my recording studio set up and put up some finishing touches! Woot! Woot!  

If you haven't had a chance to check out my TpT store lately, make sure you stop by to see what's new!

Labels and such!

Hi everyone! Label printing is done! (insert sigh of relief here) The last thing on the journal/notebook/folder list is the bookmark. Check it out!

To celebrate the end of label printing I am offering my labels as a bundle at my TpT store!

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Journals and labels and printing, oh my!

It's getting down to crunch time! I've been printing labels and getting journals together to place on student desks. I color coordinate journals with folders, so students can quickly and easily identify the journals that go with the subject.

I am currently in the process of trying to attach ribbon to use as a placeholder for my students. This is an attempt to avoid the single page turning when we are getting ready for the daily interactive workshop. I have superglue and duck tape, I will let you know how it goes!

Seed Story Stentos!

These little beauties are for my students to collect ideas around school and at home! A string through the spiral top and voila! Instant traveling journal ready for capturing stories hiding around the corner! Gotta LOVE the dollar store! The notepads have a heavy, transparent, plastic cover to protect all those great seed stories! YAY! NO PAPER COVERS! (anyone get the no wire hangers reference? Joan Crawford was really frightening in Mommy Dearest, but I digress) I placed an address label on the bottom of the first page to allow room for a student photo, which I will take that first day of school. I am debating on this though...I may let them illustrate themselves. Guess we will just have to wait and see! 

 CLICK HERE to link to my TpT store!

This is my latest download, available at my TpT store! 
Missing factors are such a tricky concept for most of my students, but who isn't confused by algebra! I created this little booklet to review making numbers and use that knowledge to apply to missing factors! It has improved their understanding of how to apply their number sense to algebra! Great for interactive journals, centers, assessment or homework!  

Includes:

• Making 10 practice page and reteach page to guide your students
• Fact cards 1-9 with related word problems for each number
• Blank cards for journals, centers or new problems
• Color and blacklines

And Finally...check out the linky party with doodle bugs teaching!

The Great Pencil Challenge!

Okay, after teaching for as long as I have, you would think this simple little idea would have come across my desk or brain at some point! I LOVE Ladybug Teacher's original idea and can't wait to use it in room 103! A visit to her shop on TPT and her blog at www.ladybugteacherfiles.com is well worth your time! Check her out to see how this little gem can be used in your room! I reworked her original design so it would match room 103...a girl HAS to accessorize! SO, I have to give a shout out to Ladybug Teacher Files for this little poster design! Thank you Ladybug Teacher! You are the BEST!

Click HERE to download!