Good News….Bad News…Which do you want first?

So which do you want first…the good news or the bad news? Remember this picture? Whoooo is the winner? Well here’s the bad news…the two teachers that won the giveaway for the I Teach K and the Common Core Academy aren’t able to attend after all. So sad for them, but hope they can make it another year.

The GOOD news…I had to pick two new winners. I didn’t pose my grandson for another cute photo session, (I am back in DC for my last week), but here are the winners:

Amanda repete_21@yahoo.com

tynetots2000@gmail.com

It is getting almost that time! Hope to see many of you there!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame…Tball Style!

This past Saturday I headed over to the tball field to watch my sweet niece, Emma Rose, play. Let’s just say, they have a lot more style than when my kids were playing! Each player had their own decorated bucket to hold all of their belongings. Then, the coach lined them up along the fence in the dugout. That way, they knew when it was their turn to bat! Great organization, don’t you think?

They also had matching socks! They were the cutest players ever! It was fun to once again get to sit in the bleachers and watch them play. (One day I am sure my little Matthew will be playing as his dad is a Braves fanatic!)

While at the ball field I was thinking, “How fun would it be to do a baseball unit if you teach summer school?” Then, I remembered a unit that I saw by Katie at Little Warriors. I went to her blog and there it was! I sent her an email and asked permission to share some of her photos in my post. So here are a few pictures and the posts where you can read all about it and see more cute pictures!

Picture 1: Post one

Picture 2: Second Baseball Unit post

Picture 3: Third Baseball Unit post

Picture 4: Fourth Baseball Unit post

Happy Summer!

Reading Is Fun! Update!

Just a quick post to let you know that I have updated my Reading Is Fun packet. UPDATED for 2013! This packet contains reproducible pages that teach various comprehension strategies including making connections, predicting, story elements, retelling, character study, and elements of fiction and nonfiction text. It also includes blank graphic organizers…a Venn Diagram, a bubble, a double bubble, and a flow map.

I added new clip art and frames to update the look.

There are only a few color pages which makes it cheaper to print. These color pages are also in the black and white version in the packet.

I also added these four new generic graphic organizer to use with lots of the language arts standards. This packet, along with my entire store, is on sale until midnight today for 20 percent off.  As always, if you already have this packet, all updates are free. Just go to your my purchases section and you can download the update.

Look Whooooo’s Here…And Winner Announcement!

Oh my goodness! Could I possibly be in love anymore? People kept telling me that I had no idea how it was going to feel until I held him in my arms! Well, I have held him in my arms and lets just say…for once in my life I am speechless. We are finally home (Megan, Nick and Baby Matthew are living with Andy and Me) and Matthew is doing great! We had a little scare in the beginning, but all seems to be okay. He has to have another blood test in the morning, but we are hopeful.

So what better way to announce the winners of the conference registration giveaway than to let Matthew make those announcements so here they are:

The first name is…..

And the second name selected is…..

Congrats to you both! Contact me by leaving a comment with your email and I will get you all the details! You have 48 hours to email me or Matthew will make another announcement! Can’t end this post without sharing the photo of the very first time Gam (that’s me)  held that little angel! Yes, my eyes are puffy…a litte cryin’ (all for joy) was going on! So let’s celebrate…..

A Look Inside a few Classrooms in Louisiana!

Does this look like work to you? See why I love my job?! I recently worked in Belle Chase with the kindergarten and first grade teachers. So how did I end up there?….Well, Gina and a few of her friends had purchased some of my units on tpt. They went to Anna (next to Gina) and Trish to see if the Parish would purchase some of them. After using the Reader’s Workshop Units, they convinced Anna and Trish to bring me to their Parish to do some training. I did a two day training on Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop. Then, they all came to Baton Rouge for the Destination Common Core Seminar. By this time we are all feeling like friends, (with a little dollar store shopping) so when I went there a few weeks ago to do some modeling and unpacking of standards, it was like a family reunion! Then, Trish wanted me to do some 2nd grade Common Core Training. I told her that it wasn’t really “my thing” but I had the perfect girl for them…enter Kathy Griffin! They loved her, she was awesome and they are having her back for more work with their 2nd grade teachers. So while we were there, Lizzie (first grade teacher and tpt author) and her mom had us all over for dinner. Then, the next night it was dinner on the town with the first grade teachers! I was actually there over the weekend and attended the French Quarter Festival with several groups of teachers and then a special dinner on Sunday for my birthday! They sure do know how to show this girl a good time!
So now, back to work…Here are some of the things I saw in some of the rooms…

Loved these organizers for magnetic letters. She is going to put the letter on the plastic pocket for easy letter put away.

Loved the title on this behavior plan. This was in Gina’s room and I didn’t really ask her how she used it, but Megan’s looks very much like it but with jungle animals. You can read about Megan’s behavior plan (here).

I saw these in the hall and I love them, but when the teacher told me that she had put kids with buddies and they had done them with partners I loved them even more. These will go great with my All About the Number Bundle Common Core requires us to have children working and talking with their peers as they learn to defend and share their thinking!

They love them some Deanna Jump and Deedee Wills. Here are some things from the Writing Units! Love the “Don’t ask the teacher!” I am so going to do that one! So next post….I will tell you all about what we did when I was modeling in the classrooms!

Want to go to I Teach K or the Common Core Academy? Well then here’s your chance to go for free!!!!

It’s no secret that I love the I Teach K conference! I have worked for SDE for nearly 20 years—part time as a classroom teacher and now full time as a retired teacher! So, a few days ago while I was talking to my peeps at SDE, they agreed to give me a free 4 day conference to give away on my blog! Do you hear me…ALL FOUR DAYS OF REGISTRATION FOR FREE!!!!! (By some chance if you haven’t heard of the I Teach K, or want to read more about it, or see a video clip, click (here) or on the photo to follow the link.) So I told her that maybe the winner could choose between the I Teach K and the New Common Core Academy that is being held in Chicago.

Do you know what she said? She said, why don’t I give you one of both! Oh my word! Do you hear me now????  I get to also giveaway a FULL 3 DAY REGISTRATION TO THE COMMON CORE ACADEMY and to the I Teach K! The Common Core Academy is a brand new format and we are super excited about the possibilities. Click on the photo or (here) to see a video clip and read about this new exciting workshop! BTW, you may want to know that Deanna Jump, Kathy Griffin, Vanessa Levin, and I will all be presenting at this event!

So how do you enter? Just leave a comment below and I will randomly select the winner using an online generator. The first name selected will get to choose between the two events, the second name selected will get to attend the other event, with FREE registration! BUT, the winner needs to follow the kindergals blog and the kindergals facebook page http://facebook.com/kindergals so be sure you are a follower of both! The drawing will be held on May 19th and will have 24 hours to claim the prize once the announcement is made!

Keep Calm and Shop On! It’s Teacher Appreciation Days!

By now you have heard about THE sale of the year!

 

If you are impatient (like me) you can get a 20% discount on EVERYTHING in my store starting today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

TpT's sale officially starts on Tuesday.

Now, I like a plan of attack. Here are my plans as the sale approaches:

 

1.  Look at my past purchases.   Have I left feedback on these?   I love those points! Sometimes the TpT system slows down on big sale days, so I want to get those feedbacks in! I want to rack-up those beautiful points and turn them into purchasing power!  I am freely admitting that I don't NEED anymore clip art... but I always WANT more clip art!

 

This is also a great time to go back to those sellers and see what other treasures they have in their store.

 

2.   I move my items from my "Wishlist" over to my "Cart."   Seriously, I have this mental image of a puma ready to pounce on its prey.

 

3. Think ahead... As I think about my classroom instruction, what things will I want to implement for next year.   This is a great time to be reflective!

 

It is easier to "Keep Calm and Shop On" when you have a plan!