What's in my bag? Plus, really me? Versatile?!

I had to link up with Abby and her linky party about teacher bags! I LOVE bags, it's seriously a problem. I buy them all the time, and it's even worse if they are monogrammed.
Here is my bag!

I got it when I first started teaching from L.L Bean. I had a small pink one in college for classes. Then, when I became a real teacher I got this for Christmas! I love it! So sturdy, and a pretty teacher red! Also, notice the monogram. :)

Here is some stuff in it right now:

Don't know why this is sideways, but it is my journal for notes, my planner (still waiting on my Erin Condren planner!), my Debbie Diller pad, and my writing workshop book.

This is the RANDOM stuff. Markers, medicine?, pens, planner, camera chargers, koozie, my old id, my mac operating book (random), and tape!

My store it all clipboard with book orders, my sub plans for tomorrow, my planning book, and a reading assessment I am doing for a class.

So you can see my bag is full of all sorts of RANDOM things. Hey, you have to be a teacher to understand "the" teacher bag!


Now, onto me being honored with the Versatile Blogger Award! Thanks to Miss Bowers at First Grade Jabber, Jennifer at Rowdy in First Grade, and Janine at Faithful in First! Y'all are too sweet!

Here are the rules for receiving this award:
1) thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post
2) share 7 things about yourself
3) pass this award along to 15 other blogs!

Here we go!
1. I was born in Wales, and my family moved to Dallas when I was 5.
2. I am a gluten free girl! Cookies don't like me :(
3. I love to sing.
4. My favorite color is purple, might be influenced a little by Justin Bieber. (not ashamed)
5. I have a problem with online shopping.
6. I just got a kindle and I am obsessed. I am reading the Stephanie Plum novels and the Hunger Games.
7. I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was 12 years old.

Now these are the blogs I am always reading, you inspire me everyday!

 

I also love these blogs too!

The Polka Dot Teacher

First Grade Fresh (my teacher BFF)

First Grade School Box

Thank you for inspiring me everyday! You all make me a better teacher!

Happy {almost} Friday!

Hooray Johnny Appleseed!

Next week is Johnny Appleseed Day! September 26th! I love this day because it gives me an excuse to do fun activites all day and connect it to evertying! Last year, we did a fun little apple taste test. I find that most kids only know about red and green apples, but don't the names! It was so much fun!
I made these to go along with the apple taste test of a red delicious and a granny smith. I buy a few of each kind then cut into pieces and then let the kids have a taste!
It includes a worksheet to go with the apple taste test, and then a math graphing activity to do afterwards! I plan on making a few more things to go along with it, but I wanted to share this with all of you!
Johnny Appleseed Activities

Hope your week is going well so far! Happy Tuesday!

Way down in the deep blue sea!

We started our science unit on Monday! I LOVE science, I feel like I can do so much with it!
We are studying about water animals for this unit, due to our science kit that is coming soon! We have a grant in our parish (county for out of state folks) that gives us four of the FOSS science kits for the last two years. This first one coming is called "Observing an Aquarium". We get thirty real fish, craziness and jumping fish happened last year so who know what will come this year!
To start off the unit, I decided to talk all about ocean animals and move into freshwater. We used Deanna Jump's Ocean Animals unit! So freaking cute, go check it out on the TPT page! She is the goddess of all themed units!

We started out the week talking about living things, and what they need. I made this anchor chart for remembering.

We also read the book Deanna included about all the different ocean animals we would be learning about. The next day we watched some awesome brainpop jr. videos on ocean habitats and freshwater habitats. P.S. brainpop jr. is the bomb.com

Today we talked and learned about our first ocean animal the SHARK! We read all the facts that are included in Deanna's unit, and then made our sharks with our tree map. They turned out awesome!

Too cute right? Even for a shark! More animals are joining the habitat, stay tuned!

Also, my kids went to read to self for the first time today....and get this...they went the full 2 minutes! For those of you who know and love Daily 5 you understand why I almost melted into the floor today. It was so exciting. Here are some pics, more info to come as we keep building stamina!

Last thing! I wanted to post this earlier, I made a little insert for a book bag. I use it for buddy reading workstation. It has the directions for buddy reading, and then a book inside. The students know what to do and it keeps the book in a safe place. I use these bags:

 Here it is!
Buddy Reading Bag Insert

Giveaway and my try at videos!

Hooray to MJ at teaching in heels!! The random number generator picked number 8! I will be sending your copy here in a little bit!
If you have not checked out the Biscuit unit hit that TPT button on the left side, it is one of my featured products!

In other news, Ms. Simoneaux and I came across a bunch of youtube videos all about Whole Brain Teaching. We fell in LOVE. It is so interactive and a lot of call and response, and we though hey our kids are active this will be perfect! One key part is the rules. It is all full of movements, but I am telling you those kids KNOW those rules. I can just say the rule number now and they repeat it.

Here is our list:

1. Follow directions quickly. 

2. Listen while your teacher is talking. 

3. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 

4. Respect yourself, others, and your school. 

5. Make smart choices. 

and my favorite....6. Make your teacher happy!

And today I filmed my kids doing the rules with me today! I have a few movie stars in the middle but you get the general idea. I highly reccommend trying it and searching the internet for even more examples. Click the link below to see my kiddos!

Click below to watch the movie!

We love Biscuit!

I am FINALLY done with my new unit for TPT! I have been so crazy with everything else going on I did not have the full time to give to making it. I honestly do not know how some people make all of this and then have kids too?! Bless you all!
Well, I love doing author studies in my classroom. I decided to start out my year with Alyssa Satin Capucilli. She writes the "Biscuit" books! I love them and they are so great for my early readers who want to have a real book to read. So, I made a unit with SIX different graphic organizers each for a different comprehension skill. Each organizer also goes along with a different Biscuit book.

Also, I know I have put this in a post before, but I wrote to Alyssa last year and she wrote me back through email! THEN, she sent my class books and a letter! It was amazing!

Made my year!

Since I am finally done with this unit, I am GIVING TWO AWAY!! Two ways to enter...

1. Leave me a comment saying you are a follower!

2. Blog about this giveaway on your blog, and put the link in your comment!

Giveaway ends on Sunday at 10:00 pm, and I will announce the winner on Monday! Good luck!

Happy hump day!

Workstations have begun in room 103!

I am so happy to say that finally we know all of our workstations and went to them for the first time on Friday! WOOHOO! It takes a lot of work to get them all put together and explained. It was amazing to see them all going to them. Hilarious too...we had not done pocket chart yet and that partner pair asked if they could go sit there anyway when we were doing practice. He sat down and said, "So Ms. Thomas do we put these names in ABC order?" *GASP* YES! That is what you do! Made me melt.

Here are some pics of them on their first day of workstations! Thank you Debbie Diller!

computer workstation, I put starfall.com on at the beginning of the year.

Handwriting, I only keep this for the first few months and then writing takes over.

Writing workstation, they have paper for letters and the box is my journal topic cards. Check them out on my TPT.

Buddy reading, we learned all about EEKK.

Big book, we talked all about those pointers and using them right. :)

File folder, I add this on my own. It is a variety of file folder games for practice.

Classroom library, pretty much self explanatory. :)