My Mini-Me

Lately, I've been looking around for some site or someone to create a cartoon of me and I happily came across The Library Fox aka Crystal on TeachersPayTeachers!

She did an amazing job on my mini-me...as you can see!  I highly recommend her as she listens well to your requests and is detailed and creative!  I made my 3 revisions since I'm indecisive at times, and she nailed it!

Check out her store on TeachersPayTeachers!  She has a blog, too!
Thanks, Crystal!  You are awesome!!!

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My 1st Grade Classroom Set-Up

It's been a wonderful first week with my first grade class!  

My body is exhausted from the change in schedule and 12+ hours/day of work.  Hope my body gets adjusted and back in the swing of things, without it crashing on me by 9pm.  

Nevertheless, I'm loving my new class and school!  

I've never taken pictures of my classroom and shared it, but I am doing so now.  

As a teacher, I love seeing how other teachers set-up their classrooms, so I thought I'd put in my two-cents.  

I'm a minimalist, so I don't have clutter or tons of "stuff."  In fact, since I've moved so many times in my life, I've purged and thrown or given away a lot of my things.  I had over 20+ boxes of teacher materials that I sorted through and ended up recycling a bunch of resources.  Why, you ask?  Well, most of my lessons in the past I've never reused; plus, I have most lessons on digital files.  

So, as a minimalist, I'm starting with a pretty clean slate as a first grade teacher.  And I feel so good about it!  My classroom theme this year is Hollywood, still putting the details up.  It will eventually get done.  ;)  There are a million things on my to-do list as a teacher...all the time.  Is that you, too?  

The view of my classroom at the door.  As you can see, I have 5 long tables as my students' desks.  I prefer tables over individual desks, as it allows them to learn to work together and share the space.  In each basket are pencils, erasers, markers, and crayons for them to share.  They are responsible to keep it neat and tidy and put everything back nicely at the end of each day.  Yup, I'm a little OCD.  And so far, my first graders are doing well following my expectations! 

To the left of my classroom door is the sink and the only built-in storage cabinet I have.  Good thing I'm a minimalist!  This will be my science/social studies/art area.  

As we go around the room, clockwise, here is my writing/math table during centers.  Behind that are my LA & Math manipulative/games bins.  I did not label those cubby bins.  The teacher who had the classroom did!  Thank you, Ari!  The whiteboard will house social studies, science, and math-related materials.

My computer area and word wall in the Hollywood movie strip style that I downloaded for free from TeachersPayTeachers from Kimberly Moon.  Thank you!

A first grade classroom needs a carpet for circle time.  The shelf holds the supplies I need for the day.   In the corner is my big books cart/stand and where I make anchor charts with my students.  Then, there's the whiteboard.  On the wall, there's our classroom Code of Conduct aka rules and expectations.  My students' work on how to be a good listener.  And the red pocket chart holds our daily schedule.  

Here you have my teacher desk and our birthday wall, which needs a title like "A Star is Born" or something similar to go with our Hollywood theme. 

The shelf on the left holds all our supplies, like pencils, folders, glue sticks, markers, erasers, etc.  To the right of that are my students' cubbies for classroom textbooks.  To the right of that will be their book boxes and subject folders.  The red boxes and carrier was a find as other teacher's were cleaning out their classrooms!  Total score for me!  I will be labeling them by student numbers, so I can reuse them year after year.  The wall will be my CAFE menu, since I will be implementing Daily 5/CAFE with my students.

This is my teacher/small group table with my whiteboard easel and pocket charts behind me.  The shelf holds curriculum and leveled books and any other teaching material.   

As we take a 360 around the room, you will end with my classroom library.  I need a little carpet here to make it more cozy.  Those beanbags were purchased at Walmart years ago for $20/each.  Love them!  You can see the library/literacy wall.  I will put up more Daily 5/CAFE info here.   The cabinet to the right is my other storage closet.  

As you can see, I don't have clutter.  I feel that if you have too much stuff around the room it overstimulates the students!  I keep my room pretty clear and now it's up to the kids to fill up the walls!  

I'd love to hear from you, let me know what you think in the comments!  Thank you!

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Daily Class Reflections Idea

Holding students accountable for their learning is a learning process.  It teaches them to think about what was taught and whether they learned it or not.  But more importantly, it teaches them to set goals to achieve what they want to learn.  

I think a daily end-of-the-day class reflection is a fantastic way to bring the class back together, discuss what happened that day, which subjects/things they liked or disliked, and which subjects/things they feel they need more help in.  

Don't forget to maintain a positive welcoming environment for those shy students to share what they feel they need to work on.  With a group discussion, acceptance and acknowledge of each others' comments are necessary.  

Write these daily class reflections on a whiteboard.  Have a student record, or copy, what you write and put it in a binder and put it in the classroom library for students to read.  This can become the classroom newsletter!

If you have older students, eventually have them lead the end-of-the-day reflections and have them write and record!

Plus, this is would be a great way to see where your students are at and see if you need to reteach a lesson!

Please comment and let me know what you think!  Don't be shy to share your ideas, too!  Thanks!

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Clever Student/Parent Reminders!

I've posted about The Mailbox many times because of their clever ideas.

Here is one that I think will work in reminding students and parents what is needed:

The next time a child needs to replenish a school supply or you’re requesting that students contribute to a class project, try this! Have each child write a short note to his parent(s) on the outside of a folded paper sack that, when unfolded, can be used to carry the needed supply to school! These unique requests really deliver!

See!  Clever!

I definitely recommend subscribing to them!  Thanks, Mailbox!  

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Dollar Deals is back!

I've posted about Scholastic's occasional Dollar Deals before and now, it's back!  Again!

For 3 days (Wed. Sept. 11 to Sat. Sept. 14), they are selling 1305 items/ebooks for $1!  These products are usually $10.  Quite a steal!  You can sort items by subject or grade.  Once you purchase them, you download them electronically. 

Stock up on your teacher resources for the school year!  

If you miss out this time...don't worry, I'll let you know of their next sale!  

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Reward Your Students with Coupons, not Candy

I prefer to reward my students with experiences, as opposed to candy or toys.  

As a fan of TeachersPayTeachers.com and liking their page on Facebook, I recently came across a first grade teacher named Laura Martin, who has reached $20,000 in sales this year on TpT!  That's awesome!

Laura created this 

Classroom Reward Coupons-50+ Coupons to Reward and Inspire Packet.  Some coupon ideas are Lunch with Teacher, Good Behavior Phone Call, Sit at Teacher's Desk, etc.  Pretty fun and definitely something a child would want!  Makes he/she feel extra special that day!

I downloaded something similar last year and put it in a folder for my students to flip through and choose what they would like.  It was something they looked forward to when I surprised them with these rewards at random.  

Thank you, Ms. Laura Martin for your time and creations!  You are awesome!  

Oh, and check out her website, Peace, Love, and First Grade, too!

Enjoy! 

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Free Back-to-School Printables from Scholastic

Scholastic is a great resource.  You can truly find a plethora of things there.  

As we celebrate Back-to-School, here are some free back-to-school printables provided by Scholastic! 

Enjoy!

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Reading Is Fundamental

Reading is Fundamental (RIF) is the largest children's literacy nonprofit in the U.S.  

RIF created this fun site for the early childhood group, which I love!

In the Babies & Toddlers section (ages 0-2), there are stories, nursery rhymes, lullabies, games, and finger plays, all to help parents/teachers to stimulate babies and toddlers in the early stages of literacy development.  

In the Preschoolers section (ages 3-5), you can read, sing, play, doodle, and explore.  

And of course, there's a Grown-Ups section filled with articles, activities, and more.

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SchoolTube?!?

I am so excited about this one!  There's SchoolTube!

It's like YouTube, but videos from students and teachers everywhere!  Many school districts restrict access to YouTube, so perhaps SchoolTube.com will work!

Pretty cool if you ask me!  

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Back-to-School Time for Parents & Teachers!

It's Back-to-School season means all sorts of feelings from children and parents and teachers!

There's excitement in the air...nervousness, sadness, happiness.  

Here is a fantastic resource for PARENTS and teachers regarding Back-to-School jitters at Reading Rockets.  Ultimately, Reading Rockets is a non-profit organization that teaches kids to read and helps those who struggle.  It's not just about the kids, but teaching parents how to teach their kids, too!  And of course, teachers.

For Parents:  here are some great tips on how to ease back into school, like:

Talk it up!

In the weeks before school starts, share your excitement about school with your child. Focus on the fun things he'll learn during the year, and all the different things he'll get to do, like go to P.E. class, music class, art class and the library. If you're excited, your child will be too!

For Teachers: here is a list of Top 10 Resources for Back to School, like:

Literacy-Rich Environments

Learn the "why" and "how" of creating a language- and literacy-rich classroom, especially for kids with special needs.

Happy 1st Day of School!

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TeachersPayTeachers

Did you know about TeachersPayTeachers.com?

Well, now you know!  It's a website...

WHERE TEACHERS BUY, SELL AND SHARE ORIGINAL TEACHING RESOURCES

It's absolutely brilliant. For a teacher of any grade level, you HAVE to go to this site, TeachersPayTeachers!

Any kind of resource (worksheets, slides, smartboard files, etc.) you want...it's most likely there and beautifully made for you by fellow educators.  You can search by grade level, subjects, price...theme, anything.  

Don't want to pay?  No big deal.  There are tens and thousands of already made work that teachers are willing to share for FREE!  Yup!  If you sign-up, they will send an email once a week (usually Sundays, for me) with their top downloads, recommended downloads, AND 10 free downloads that you would usually have to pay for.  It's truly a great resource to buy, sell, and share teaching resources!  

You MUST check it out!  Besides Pinterest...TeachersPayTeachers is the other go-to website for instant reproducibles!

Happy perusing!  

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Level It Books™

I stumbled upon Level It Books™.  

It seems perfect for educators and parents to find that "just right" book for children simply by scanning the ISBN code from your iPhone.  

However, it has some mixed reviews at the moment.  

BUT...I still purchased the app on my iPhone and can't wait to test it out and start leveling my classroom library books!  

I'll submit and update and review of the app soon!  

Check it out for yourself.  It is on sale now for $2.99 on the iPhone app store.

Please leave me a comment and let me know how it's working for you!  Thanks!

Happy Leveling!

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Children's Books Guide

Need a list of Top 100 Children's Books of All Times?  

Or 100 Most Inspiring Children's Books?

Or children's books by subjects?  Social issues & behaviors?  Award-winning books?

However you categorize children's picture books or chapter books, I think you can find the book that you need at Children's Books Guide.  


The website is definitely a great resource for new teachers to begin their classroom library and parents to search for amazing books to read with their child.  

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ClassDo What?! No...ClassDOJO!

I absolutely love love love ClassDojo!

It is a behavior management app that allows you, your students, and their parents to see how the student is doing on a daily basis!  In real time!

You will love it because it beats behavior flip charts or any other color-coded behavior management tools you've ever used.  

Your students will love it because they can create their own creatures and have their own account (with permission from their parents), plus they love accumulating points (which is up to you how you want to reward them, or just let it be)!  
Their parents will love it because they get a daily report on their child's positive and negative behaviors in real time and in specific activities!

This app is simply genius!  In class, I use my iPhone as the remote, while ClassDojo shows up on the SMARTboard, and it syncs together to create harmony!

I started using it last year with my second grade class and it only had an English (US) version.  Now, you can use it in 9 different languages, including English (UK)!  Amazing!  

So, please check it out and don't forget to...

Share me!

Thank you, ClassDojo!

And please leave me a comment and let me know how it's working for you!  Thanks!

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I'm back...in international teaching territory!

Wow...it's been almost a year, since I've last blogged.  
What a year it's been!  
I'm still a teacher and more passionate than ever...just now with a worldwide flair!  
Yup, in August 2012 I flew out of my comfort zone in sunny Southern California and into international teaching territory!  

Last year, I was in Belgium.  I taught general ed. second grade.  Seemingly ho-hum, you say?  Never!  Not when you have students from Turkey, Spain, Hungary, Russia, Albania, Romania, Guam, Korea, Japan, and of course, the good ol' U.S.A!  It was truly an amazing class!  What an experience it was for me as a teacher.  The languages I learned to distinguish!  :)

This year...England!  Just as exciting!  More on this later. 

Like I said..."What a year!"

So now, I'm back.  It was a year...a stressful year, hence the hiatus.  My goal is to keep blogging and updating daily.  Okay...3-5 times a week.  That's more reasonable.  Thank you for your continuous support!

So, please stay tuned!  Check out my Pinterest boards, too!

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Mystery Walker

Behavior Tip: hallway manners

I plan on implementing this in my own classroom soon!  Sounds very fun and mysterious!  Thanks, again, Mailbox!

There's no secret to maintaining proper hallway behavior with this fun tip. Write each student's name on a craft stick and place the sticks in a container near the door. Also hang a laminated sheet of poster board on the door. Before leaving the room, remove one stick without revealing the mystery walker's name. After returning to the room, name the mystery walker only if s/he behaved properly. (If s/he did not behave properly, return the stick to the container.) Have the student to use a dry-erase marker to sign his name on the poster. Encourage the class to sign as many names as possible during the week. On Friday, count the number of signatures and address them as role models and then, wipe the poster clean for a new week.

Update: I did this with my second grade class, using the Random button on my ClassDojo app, and my kids walked perfectly down the hall!  I told them if my mystery walker does well walking nicely and quietly down the halls, they will receive 5 ClassDojo points.  It worked like magic!  Try it!

Please leave me a comment and let me know how it works for you!

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Tagxedo! "word cloud with styles"

This website is sooo cool!  You can create an image using words!  

"Tagxedo turns words -- famous speeches, news articles, slogans and themes, even your love letters -- into a visually stunning word cloud, words individually sized appropriately to highlight the frequencies of occurrence within the body of text."

I'd suggest using it to create an art piece for your class of all your students' names.  You can create anything using any words!  The end result is infinite!  

Let me know what you create from it in your classroom!  Enjoy!

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10 Classroom Organization Tips & More!

Thanks to TeacherVision...here are 10 classroom organization tips that will for sure help with time and classroom management!  & classroom organization tips from veteran teachers!  Can't ever have enough teacher tips!  :)  
Afterall, an organized classroom = a positive classroom environment!

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Ms. Lulu's Daily Schedule

I love a classroom routine with a help of a Daily Schedule.  
Afterall, it's a must in any class!  
Once you have a consistent routine down and the students become familiar with it, then the class can practically run itself!  
The basics are the time blocks and the different activities.  You can change the activities around only AFTER the students know the expectations and routines of the class!  
I change up my daily schedule around throughout the school year!  
Hope my Daily Schedule works for you!  
Feel free to adjust it to your class and liking!  
If you do download and use it, I kindly ask that you leave a comment for me.  Thank you!
Enjoy!

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If You Take A Mouse To School Ideas

I love the If You Give... book series by Laura Numeroff!  They are so fun!  If You Give Take a Mouse to School is one book to start off your school year!  Thanks to KidsSoup here are some fun and free activity ideas for you and your students!  Have a wonderful start to a new school year!

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