TpT Blog Hop - Gift Card Giveaway!

I know we all love a giveaway, and this one is incredible!

 I really want to bless someone with $10 TpT money to spend! Head over to my Facebook page and enter by like, share, comment! Make sure you comment with "Shared!"

You can also comment on this blog post that you shared! 

Yes, us teachers love a good sale! Stock up on all the goodies to make your classroom a success this year! I'd love for you to check out my store: Oh So Elementary! 

Stock up on handwriting and my newest SHAPES GALORE! Let's Write Letters takes a differentiated approach that can be used throughout the school year for your different stages of learners. It covers so many skills, you definitely want to take a look at it! 

    

Start the kinder year off with this Pre-Assessment and Back to School Book Activities! From Kissing Hand to Pete the Cat, it has it all to make your first week(s) successful! 

    

I am in LOVE with my numbers practice pages. Lots of skills are worked with those pages and give students ways to show what they know! They love choosing their own ways to represent numbers, and my kiddos blow me away each year! (Last year some tried to do multiplication and actually nailed it!) 

Spruce up your room decor with these center signs! Who doesn't love chevron and cute clip art!!??

These kinder sight word digital cards are part of my fluency routine. We make it interesting each day and get in some great sight word practice! 

Click the image below for the next stop on the blog hop! Enter to win more TpT gift card giveaways!! Don't forget to catch my store tomorrow, so start loading your cart with goodies today!!! 

Also, leave feedback on TpT products to ear credits you can use on your next purchase!! 

Getting Ready for 27 - Room Reveal!

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

I finally had "the moment" this afternoon! You know the moment when you walk to the door, turn around, and take the final look around the classroom before you turn off the lights and lock the door?  The moment when you know there is nothing else you can do to get it ready for the first day of school? That was me this afternoon! In that second, I had a  giant sigh of relief. I have been anxiously preparing for 27 kinderbabies, and it was touching gold several times this week. I wondered if I could actually make the space workable for 27 little personalities with energy tanks on full. I had to get creative on seating arrangements, zip tie plastic crates together for cubbies, rework several procedures, and anticipate any problem areas - but I think I finally pulled it off! Only Monday morning will tell! 

These pictures were taken very quickly as I was enjoying my Ah-Ha moment at the end of the day, and I already remember things I didn't take pictures of. Nevertheless, I invite you to take a look around my not so perfect room. It might seem a hot mess to some, but it is my home away from home. I love this room and will love it even more when my 27 sweet faces occupy it come Monday! 

Kindergarten: Amazing things happen here! 

One of my two sets of cubbies. Notice the three zip tied crates to the left. They are my extra cubbies since I ran out! 

Several more centers and Eric Carle themed reading area!

Yes, that is me in that reading poster! 

Puzzles, Magnadoodle, etc. 

Writing Center

Easel Area and Word Wall. (You can barely see art center.)

This space is a MESS! I will do better one day! 

Love my SmartBoard. I also have student computers and iPads. I LOVE technology and am wishing for more!!! 

I love this picture especially of myself on the first day of kindergarten as a student and as a teacher. My mom surprised me with this after school that day. She had me take the picture in the same place in our dining room. (I thought she was nuts making me do it!) This is even more special that I was headed both times to the same school! I teach in my hometown school where I attended K-12.

My table and their tables! 

I have been so inspired by the classrooms that I have seen many post online. There is so much that goes into the planning and set up of a classroom, and I know the hours and hard work everyone has put in has not been in vain. Soon children will be learning in an inviting atmosphere and navigating a well-planned space through procedures carefully taught! Job well done my friends! 

Let me know what you think! Leave me a comment on what you might like or not like about my set up! 

Be a Tigger - NOT an Eeyore: My Back to School Advice

Be a Tigger, NOT an Eeyore.

That my friends is the BEST advice I ever got from a college professor to us soon-to-graduate teacher interns. She even gave out these tiny plastic Tiggers at our Intern Orientation to drive home the piece of advice, and it truly has made its mark on me. This little Tigger has since stuck with me and has sat on top of my computer over the years. He is my constant reminder of what I need to be as a teacher. As oh so elementary as that is, it's absolutely true. Be a Tigger, NOT an Eeyore!

We need to be a Tigger in our classrooms. One that sees the silver lining in every circumstance. A Tigger that giggles with delight and bounces with enthusiasm each day. We need to love the hard to love students. Smile when we feel overwhelmed. Show kindness and joy to our students even on the tough days. Although Eeyore is as cute as can be, let's try to take a tip from Tigger and bounce on the positive side as much as possible this year!

Be the Tigger on your teaching team! Help those around you be a tigger too. They may be having an Eeyore moment and just need a little "Tiggerization!" If you don't know what that means take a look at the video clip below. Then think about how you can Tiggerize your teammates. I don't recommend literally painting them with stripes, but attitude is contagious y'all. Both bad and good attitudes can spread like wildfire. I am guilty of having an Eeyore attitude from time to time when school things aren't going as I would like them to, but I am making a conscious effort to be positive and encouraging to my teacher teammates this year!

Lastly, THANK God for the Tigger moments and PRAY through your Eeyore ones. He will give you everything you need to bounce through your classroom door each morning and the strength to withstand the rainy days. Not only am I committing to being more of a  Tigger this year, but I am also committing to praying more during this school year. I have 26 (maybe more) kinders headed my way, and I know I need His guidance and strength to give them all I've got. I've shared how I have been so blessed by the Christian Teachers facebook group, and now I am excited to start the Prayer Journal that Bonnie and Meghan have created. I want to grow closer to Him this school year. I have a tendency to push away as I get overwhelmed with teaching, juggling my home life, church commitments, and all, but I know He wants to draw nearer to me especially when my life is hard and to-dos are mounting.

If you feel led and want to take a look at the prayer journal, you can download it for FREE, or you can order one like mine HERE.. Many Thanks to Bonnie and Meghan for their hard work putting it together for His glory!

My hopes for the school year? In the words of Tigger, IT'S GONNA BE GREAAAAT!!!!

Best Year Ever Sale + TpT Giveaway!

The time is upon us! We are all going back to school and needing TeachersPayTeachers products to spruce up our classrooms and teaching. I am teaming up with other TpT sellers for the SITEWIDE sale event: Best Year Ever!

First, you will save up to 28% on almost ALL of my store items! All you have to do is use the TpT Code: BestYear. The sale will run from August 1st through August 2nd! This is an amazing deal as you will be purchasing most for only $2 or LESS! 

Also! Enter for a chance to win a FREE Oh So Elementary product of your choice! Yes, I want to start out the school year with a little back to school love! 

Enter Below via Rafflecopter! 

You can visit my Facebook Page and LIKE,SHARE,COMMENT!

You can also leave a blog comment here telling me one thing you LOVE about Back to School!

Or, you can tweet about the giveaway! 

Do all three and you have more points entered in to WIN, WIN, WIN! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget we are all winners for this amazing sitewide TpT sale, so head over there now and put some OSE goodies in your cart! 

Thanks always! 

Five for Friday!

Another summer week has come and gone, and I am still so FAR away from being ready for school! I am excited to do my first link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching for Five for Friday! 

I am still trying to get my head straight after coming home from a whirlwind trip to Montana and back moving my brother home to Texas! He has finished his 6 years in the Air Force and we are so incredibly happy to have him home. It just seems so surreal! (No, he wouldn't let me drive the U-Haul, but obliged me the staged photo to send to my husband.)

Tuesday, my twin sister and I went to a professional development workshop. Woohoo! Well, kinda. We were the only K/1st folks in a room full of high school teachers. We learned a few neat Google tricks and got some much needed work done since the workshop was in our service center's computer lab! 

I have been wanting to learn Google Forms (I know, I'm late to jump on that bandwagon!), and she walked us through all the ins and outs of how to make them and incorporate them in your classroom. We also saw some neat tricks from Aurasma Studio and Quizzizz.com. 

        

I was feeling the love and posted two FREEBIES and a guided reading product this week! Click the pictures or HERE to go to my TpT store. Go check them out and leave me some feedback!! I may even post some more before the week is over, so keep looking back to see OR click the FOLLOW ME button to receive email updates when new products are posted! 

I have been listening to this song like crazy this week. It speaks so sweetly to my soul. As part of our weekly #teachersintheword challenge, I encourage you to link another favorite worship song in the comments! I'd love to hear what has been speaking to your spirit this week! 

I have been trying to work in my classroom. I am desperately behind and only have TWO weeks before inservice starts. I use the word trying, because I have to bring along two very sweet "helpers." My work time with them is half productive work and the other half cleaning up their "help." Who can resist these two adorable teacher kids!?!? Teacher-Moms, I know you can relate right now! I have also been working at night at school. You know it's bad when you leave at almost midnight and you are actually the first to leave and there are still teachers there laminating and working. We don't do it for the money, do we?

As the summer weeks are flying by, I am trying to soak up all the time I can with my girls. Hope you all are having productive work time and family time! 

#teachersintheword

So I am the only kindergarten teacher at my district. I have no "kindergarten team," but we have an amazing team of elementary teachers who build one another up in Christ. Ladies who pray for one another and encourage each other in their walk with the Lord. I know I am very blessed to have that, and that not all of you may be in the same situation. You may be isolated for your faith in the workplace or even ridiculed. I want to point you to a community of teachers that has been an extra blessing in my life and career. Check out the Facebook group Christian Teachers. It is lead by Bonnie Hunter of Bonnie Kathryn Teaching and Meghan Powell Harris of Keeping Up with Mrs. Harris. They are amazing women living out their faith and doing the work God has commanded them to do. I have learned a lot from them and been inspired through our group discussions and challenges.

So if you are aching to connect with other teachers of like faith in Jesus Christ, your first challenge is to join the Facebook group and pray for God's blessing through it.

Then, I want you to really think about joining our current Bible Study "Open Your Bible" by Raechel Meyers and Amanda Bible Williams. I have been so uplifted and encouraged to open my Bible more and truly delve into the Word of God. Through live discussion via Google Hangouts, Bonnie and Megan (plus guest teachers) lead us through this study with excellent points to provoke a deeper commitment in reading and experiencing God's Holy and Living Word. The discussion may twist back to teaching here and there, but ultimately we are seeking God through His Word! I think you will truly enjoy it! You can catch up on previous weeks (Bonnie's YouTube)  and/or jump right in to finish this amazing Bible Study with us. You can find all the information on the Facebook group page or sign up through Bonnie's page. You will not regret it! 

You may want to also check out the hashtag #teachersintheword to see how this study and group has been touching the lives of so many teachers around our country. When there is so much turmoil in our nation- shootings, hate, violence, rampant attacks from the enemy, we need to really stand together to pray for one another as fellow teachers and as fellow brothers/sisters in Christ. We need to seek His truth that can only be found in the Bible. 

Our Week 4 challenge was to really spend daily time with good chunks of the Bible and see what God may be revealing to us. My sister wrote on her Facebook about 2 Timothy, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it tonight! She said it was very relevant to our lives and situations in America today. I completely agree! 

II Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

II Timothy 4:3-5

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

John 1:5

The light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. 

What are you studying in your Bibles? Give me a shout out in the comments or in social media on what scriptures are really speaking to you right now!

What's in your TpT cart?

The summer is like one giant planning period, and I have been super busy trying to get new products on TpT while snagging some great deals of my own! I think teacher created resources are not only more eye appealing and engaging, but also tried and true. You can bet if a teacher made it and is using it, the quality is there and your students are going to benefit!

So what's been in my cart?

Tara West! She has been on a marketing streak with her Summer Steals, Bundles, BOGOs, and more. I have been very fortunate to SAVE, SAVE, SAVE on new curriculum to vamp up my kindergarten instruction. She is the creator/owner of Little Minds at Work, and her products are AMAZING. I am very excited to utilize them this year! 

  

 

Each of these Tara West products have been on super sale. I started grabbing these in April/May and June has been evermore on sale! These products combined total $224.00. That price is well deserved for the amount of work and energy put into them. However, with her generous sales and deals, I snagged this lot for ONLY $77.00! How incredible is that! I know that may seem like a lot out of  out of pocket expense for your classrooms, but I am kinda addicted to her stuff!  I also purchased this  Close Reads bundle earlier in the 2015-2016 school year and have enjoyed it as well. It has been great for my theme units and learning to connect questions with textual evidence. 

What else? I am excited to try out Emily Ames's Alphabet SmartBoard Bundle! Sure, I could have taken extra time to work on my own, but thank heavens I found this to save me some time! I love my SMART board, so this is right up my alley. 

I know I am new to the TpT game, and building my store is going to be a slow and steady race, but I love learning from established sellers such as these. If by chance you want to hop on over to my store and check out the products I have posted, here is the link! If you grab something, please leave me some feedback! I'd love to hear from you! 

Let me know what you have in your cart!! What are some amazing buys you have snagged in hopes of taking your classroom and instruction to the next level? Comment Below or connect with me on social media!