Teachers Are Heroes TpT Sale!

In case you haven't heard, TpT is having a site wide sale this Wednesday! Use the code "HEROES" at checkout to save 28% on all products in my store!

Everyone loves a good sale! Just spreading the word!

I especially love the theme of the sale...the same as our Chili Cook-Off Theme last week!

Here is my team representing our Superhero Chili!

Such a fun night and an incredible fundraiser for our school!

Each grade level chooses a theme for their chili booth. Last year we won with Frozen! See my blog post HERE! 

The prep that goes into this one night is over the top! We spent our days and evenings leading up to this event decorating our hallway, prepping costumes, creating a Gotham City atmosphere, and making our own chili! Oh, and yes, we were teaching too! It's insane! 

We didn't win best theme this year but we sure had a great time!

For today,  I am enjoying this sleety ice day we are having. No school today and possibly tomorrow! We, teachers, clearly needed an extra day to recoup after such an exhausting week!!

Hope everyone stays warm!

Contraction Action REVISED!

I just added a Contraction Flip Book to my Contraction Unit!

If you have already downloaded or purchased, be sure to go into your purchases on TpT to download the revised unit!

Head on over to my store to check it out! 

Did I mention that it is 20% off for the next 48 hours!?!

Go get it!!

Currently February

Wow! I'm actually posting my Currently post on the first day of the month! Yea for me!! 

It could be because today is not a school day and I don't have whole lot going on?!

Linking up with Farley for her Currently Linky. Be sure to check out the other great bloggers. 

Here is what is currently going on in my head today.

LISTENING- Seriously a rare, quiet morning. TV is off, lights are dim, and my kids are playing together nicely! A few minutes ago, they were entertaining themselves...Noah, my 3 year old, was sprawled out on the floor with 50 of his matchbox cars and my daughter, Myla, was creating scenes using paper and stickers from her new sticker book she got for Christmas. So nice. Now they are playing with play-doh at the kitchen table. Myla is showing Noah how to roll the play-doh into a ball. Wait, now they are trying to catapult the play-doh across the table. Ha! And now they are yelling at which one went farthest. Yelling at each other. Ugh, moment over.

LOVING- I love Sundays. We should have gone to church but after a not-so-good night's sleep, we decided to sleep in. I honestly don't have much planned today which is nice. Only thing that I NEED , ok WANT to do, is use my Super Cash at Old Navy! I have $40 in Super cash! So exciting! We are also going to cook up some game day food and watch the Super Bowl commercials, I mean the game. Yeah, we will probably watch the game. 

THINKING- CRAZY month ahead! If I get to stop and breathe a minute, maybe I will blog about it! But an overview- new teammate starting this week after my former teammate got an Assistant Principal job, new PBL starts this week, taking our 2nd graders swimming for 4 days this month.....Lots of fun School events, including our 10th Annual Chili CookOff!! Here is my post about it last year! Always a fun time. Here is my team dressed in our Frozen gear to serve up our Frozen Chili! (It wasn't really Frozen) 

We won first place for Best Theme!

We have a title to defend so the preparation starts NOW!!

WANTING- A clean house but more importantly, someone else to clean my house for me would be nice. Yes, that is what I want.

NEEDING- Really need to get back into some sort of an exercise routine. I used to get up at 5am and run for at least 30 minutes but I have just not been able to get motivated. I keep telling myself that after basketball season (my husband is a high school basketball coach and has to leave the house super early) maybe, just maybe, I can commit to running again. 

PAGEANT TITLE- This was really tough for me but I would have to go with Miss Planner. I like to plan, I like to have a plan, I like to have a plan B....it's really annoying, actually. My husband is the complete opposite, so sometimes while it is nice to have that balance between us, other times I think we drive each other crazy! Ha. I think, as a teacher and a mom, you just have this innate planning ability within you. I need to remember though, that I cannot plan or control everything. Good reminder for me. I am not in control...I get it, God is in control and is the ultimate planner for my life. So I think I just need to have a mimosa this morning and relax!

Hope you enjoyed getting inside my head today! Be sure to check out the other Currently post over at Oh Boy 4th Grade!

New TpT Follower GIVEAWAY!

I'm kicking off a NEW TpT Follower Giveaway today!

Why? Well, because it sounds like fun! AND...my Facebook page has reached over 500 likes...it's time to celebrate! 

My sweet little store currently has 246 awesome followers. These guys know that when I post new products they have a chance to download it for FREE the first 24 hours. Just a little thank you gift to my followers. Don't want these new Facebook "likers" feeling left out!

So, if you already follow my TpT store, THANK YOU!

If you don't, then this is the GIVEAWAY for YOU!

It's really simple: 

1) Click HERE to FOLLOW my store. 

2) Then click HERE to go to my FB post about the giveaway. 

3) Simply post which number follower you are in the comments of the Facebook post. 

Ex. "I am follower #247!"

I will choose a NEW follower winner tomorrow by NOON!! 

The winner may choose any one of my products for FREE!

Sounds like fun, right?! 

STAY TUNED!!!

A quick peek at last week!

Last week was just a great week! So why not blog about it?!

This will be quick...really needed to start dinner 20 minutes ago.... oh well :)

A few days a week, our class does Exit Slips before we dismiss. I started this 6 weeks into the school year and I really have enjoyed it. Such a great way to see what my individual kiddos think about certain questions I ask, like "What is 1 thing you learned today?" or "What will you tell your parents tonight about your day?" ETC

Well, this one below is, by far, my favorite from the week.

Doesn't that just make you smile?! Coming from an already awesome kid!

This comes from my Before You Go, Show What You Know Classroom Exit Ticket Bundle

It has 12 different question prompts with response pages. 

The exit tickets fit in those library pockets. I made this out of poster board and cute border. Easy to make and so fun!

On Friday, our 2nd graders went to our district's aquatic center for a preview of their Swim & Safety program coming up in February! Our school was chosen to help make the marketing video for the swim program so we went to star in the video! It was such a fun time!

Here are a few pics!

We get to go back for 4 days in February and the kids can't wait!

How was your week??

Introducing a New Me {A Poem for the New Year}

Just sharing a cute poem to use with your students when you return to school. For me, it's MONDAY!! It has been a wonderful break but, man, it went by way too fast.

I use this poem to introduce New Year's Resolutions to spark conversation before we write down our goals for the year. We keep a poetry folder in my class and we add this to our folder.  I had planned to whip up a printable activity to go with the poem but I am running out of time. Maybe next year. ;)

To get the poem FREE, you can find it HERE!

Also available in printer-friendly black & white. :)

Enjoy and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

New Year, New Goals for 2015

Just wrapped up the last present and this 3rd day of Christmas break and thinking....how can it be 2015 in a few days?! Hard to believe but it's HERE! I hear that as you get older it seems like time goes by even faster. I think I can agree now. This school year has been off to a great starts so far and I'm looking forward to an awesome 2015.

I've linked up with Stephanie over at Mrs. D's Corner to share my New Year, New Goals for 2015.

PERSONAL- I think I'm with 90% of America when I express that I would like to eat better and exercise more. This is the time of the year when I start to feel it. Like the past few months of treats, parties, and fundraiser cookies are starting to catch up to me. Last year, I would wake up at 5am 3 days a week for an early morning jog...sooo early but I remember how good I felt. Need to do that again. Perhaps I know that once I get back in the routine and stick with it, I will feel so much better! Every 3-4 months I do an Herbal cleanse to get myself back on track and it always helps rejuvenate my body. Looking forward to that January 1. 

PROFESSIONAL- This goal is a simple one. I want to create more lessons and activities for TpT, share them with others and blog about it. I'm open to more leadership roles at my school as well. It is sometimes hard to do the teacher/mom thing when you have little ones but the kids are starting to get older which makes juggling everything a little easier. Well, sorta. :)

PLANNING- This is my 7th year in 2nd grade and I LOVE it! Quite passionate, actually. I love the age of the kids and the curriculum, even when it changes frequently, it's just a great year! But the downfall can be sticking with the tried and true lessons or activities we have done in the past. I am our team leader and I want to continue to plan new and engaging lessons. I have a fabulous team and we work together so well to plan our lessons. It would be good to focus on NEW and fresh ideas for this new year!

ORGANIZATION- I find it funny when people say I am so organized. I have them all fooled. Behind closed (cabinet) doors, there can be a bit of a mess. My desk drawers...well, only I can find what I need in there. Sometimes. It is just time to organize. 

STUDENTS- I want for EACH of my students to give their best 100% of the time. I feel, most of the time, that I provide good enrichment opportunities for my advanced students. I also feel that I do all that I can using interventions, accommodations for those struggling students. My goal is that my attention is balanced for those kiddos in the middle. Sometimes it is easy to work more with the struggling kids and the advanced learners but my goal is to be sure that I help EVERY child reach their true potential while in my classroom. 

MOTTO- "Work hard, Play hard" may speak for itself but I really believe in pushing my kids to work hard. But I also believe school and my classroom should be a lot of fun! We celebrate working hard often and I plan to continue that in 2015!

So there you have it! Be sure to check out the other great bloggers and their new goals. You can also link up yourself! Start HERE!

Thanks for reading and HAPPY NEW YEAR!