I hate scissors, and scissors hate me.

Raise your hand if you kinda don't like cutting out all that laminate?? ME ME RIGHT HERE!!

I am so over it, and I know I am not alone out there. I love buying all new units and having new activities but sometimes the thought of laminating (not so bad) and then cutting it all out (ughhhhh) makes me discouraged. I am not kidding, last time I did this all by myself, my cutting hand went NUMB. Yes, I was thinking I pinched a nerve in my stupid hand. All due to cutting out laminate. 

Boo. hiss. 

So, I had dinner with my teacher mentor a couple of weeks ago (love) and she mentioned that when she taught at another school she would put things she needed to have cut out in a brown envelope with scissors and send it home with a child.....SO PARENTS COULD CUT IT OUT. G to the enius. 

I feel dumb for not thinking of this before, but I have some SUPER awesome parents that always ask how to help out and I never know what to say!? (Kelly Clarkson's Miss Independent just ran through my head, yes I have a control issue sometimes) So, this was perfect. 

I first sent home a note explaining and asking if it was okay. All of them said YES! Yesterday I prepared the packets with a giant new pocket chart activity I needed cut out (Ms. Simoneaux's Silly Sentences!) and sent it on it's merry way home with five of my kiddos. 

Here is what it looks like:

 

What I put inside!

I got all of them back today (yes, all the next day) completely cut out. :) If I could make a million smiley faces I would. Smileys would win! Now, I can focus on showing them the activity instead of being a scissor maniac, while trying to do attendance and run a small group. 

If you are looking for some help in this department I highly recommend this, or if you just want some parental involvement ideas!

I am currently in NOLA (again) to take my last certification test. Hopefully, I will be certified in another state soon....:) Wish me luck!

Mardi Gras!!

I am currently sitting on my lazyboy recliner sipping a cup of hot coffee from the keurig. AHHHHHH. It is great. Don't be mad at me! :) We have off today and tomorrow. It is a perk to living in Louisiana. 

Here is our crazy Friday in my school. It really kicked off my Mardi Gras break!

First, we made king cakes! We did the "how to make a king cake" writing from my Mardi Gras Mambo unit! I used a donut, then put purple food coloring in frosting, grocery store did not have purple sprinkles :(, then we put green and gold sprinkles on them!

They inhaled these. I have never seen kids eat a donut faster.

So cute!

Next up was the PARADE! The pre-K and kindergarten cuties make floats out of shoe boxes and they tour the halls throwing beads and candy! They also play some sassy music over the PA. Needless to say I was dancing. We made the masks too to get in the spirit.

I wore a pretty sassy headband courtesy of Ms. Simoneaux. She was a Mardi Gras Martha the night before. She has a pic of us. She should put it up soon!!

So that was our day, do you think I went to New Orleans that night?!? NO I went to bed. Then, went the next morning to get ready for Endymion Extravaganza! I got to see Maroon 5 (swoon) and catch way too many beads. 

Our whole group! 26 of us!

My biffle from second grade was there!

My lil sis in the sororitay...also a biffle. And she was wearing her mom's dress from the 80s. Love her.

So that was my weekend! Even if you are working, enjoy your Fat Tuesday! Make some gumbo and make a king cake! I still have half a gluten free king cake left, my thighs hate me already. HA

A last note! Have you ever heard of birchbox?? It is amazing and I have been doing it for around six months now! Every month for 10 dollars (that's it!) you get a little brown box full of at least five premium hair, makeup, and other beauty samples! I mean top of the line stuff. Then, you can go on their website and buy stuff for a good price. I fell in love with this tinted moisturizer and bought it for half price! Also, it's free shipping!! Click the picture below to go and sign up! I promise it is worth it! :)

 

Valentine's, America, and others!

And the marathon begins! I wanted to share all the stuff we have been doing this week and past weeks, that I have not managed to take pictures of....we all know what I am talking about. 

So here we go! 

Here is all of our America stuff we have been doing. Thanks Mrs. Jump for the amazing unit....did I tell you to buy it yet? O I did? Well telling you again!

Got this adorable door from the fabulous Cara Carroll!

These turned out so amazing!

The foot! Wow was totes not expecting it be this big.

Also from the fabulous Cara Carroll!

And we started money last week! 

We did a schema chart! And the bubble maps are from yes...Cara...wow I really must love her! I do!

We also started our reader's response last week! This is from my Ready for Reader Response pack on TPT. 

I am just letting them grab a sheet whenever the finish a book! It's great before AR quizzes. 

We made this little anchor chart today...

I don't know why he looks mad?!

And we did these ridiculously funny moustache creations from Abby! Loved them! I decided though since I have some very girly girls they would not go for the moustache so I did "__________ lips are not sealed!" and they put big ol' lips on! The loved it!

If you would like the lips are not sealed printable...email me! :) 

Can't wait for the sweetheart snatcher tomorrow! Happy early Valentine's Day!

*Also EVERYTHING in my TPT store is still on sale till the end of the night!*

What's happening?!

The last week was cray, but I wanted to share some pics with you!

We did contraction surgery!

This was so funny! I called them "Dr. _______" the entire time! I even let them write it like that on their paper! Here is the little sheet I made to go with it:

Contraction Surgery

Other than that we started our America unit from the fabulous Mrs. Jump! This unit is awesome. GO get it! I am planning with Ms. Simoneaux of transforming our hallway into an America wonderland. Stay tuned. It is almost time for Mardi Gras!! We get three days off and I could cry I am so excited! We will be doing activities from my Mardi Gras Mambo unit!

I am also stressing because we have QST this week, also known as Quality Support Team, also known as get out of my room. They are coming to watch me teach Social Studies at 10:00 am. UMMM I teach Reading at the time. But hey come on in and interrupt my day and get my kids of schedule just so you can get your observation in. RUDE. Needless to say, I am not happy about it. So to cheat the system I am doing "Social Studies" but with a Reading connection. I really have the opinion that you come on and you get to see what I do everyday no dog and pony show in Room 103. :)

And.....

YAY! Seriously though, thank you so much for going to this little store and even buying something! It means so much to me! The sale is until tomorrow! 

Happy Sunday!

I'm ready!

Whew! The productivity bug must of bit me! Or maybe it's because I have been in bed all weekend? I am feeling better though. If you ever feel sick drink this stuff...

It looks gross, but it tastes amazing! Like pineapple, I promise. It also has a ton of stuff that makes you feel better. Highly reccommend my friends!

Back to my productivity...I finished my new unit today. It is a pack of FORTY reader's response sheets.

Last summer I bought this pocket chart while on a spree with Ms. Simoneaux at Lakeshore Learning when we were in Houston for Debbie. 

I had been eyeing it online and it was on sale, but got it when we went to the store. Well, sadly they don't make it anymore. :( BUT I made a packet of sheets that correlate with all the questions in the chart! I am going to use it at my classroom library workstation. Click below to check it out:

Go and click on my facebook page for the jungle and you can see how you can score a free copy!

I know it is super bowl Sunday and all, but it is sad I would rather watch the puppy bowl? Too cute right?!

Mardi Gras Mambo!

Yay! I can hear the song in my head! I am not going to lie though I am apologizing in advance if this post makes no sense, because I am getting sick and took some medicine....feeling prettttty good! (makes me think of friends, prettyy pretttyy good!) I am also watching that right now as I type. 

Okay so yay new unit! So, if you're a reader you know I live in Louisiana and we love us some carnival time down here! It is a really big deal. So, to spread those good times to all and show some different cultures I made a mini-unit full of fun activities for your students to do! 

It includes: a how-to writing project on how- to make king cake, an ABC Mardi Gras word center, make your own mask, Mardi Gras math problems, two creative thinking sheets, and a letter to send home about students making their own floats. 

Click below to check it out!

And, if you can name the Mardi Gras ball I am attending for the second time this year I will give you a FREE copy! Guess away, and Laissez Bon Temps Rouler!

New Units on the Way!

Hey all! I am currently in NOLA for a certain certification test right now....and I am away from my kiddos. I seriously dislike leaving my kids in the middle of the week. 

Regardless, I wanted to let you know that I am working on a few things! I have a Mardi Gras mini-unit in the works for all those who want to add a little spice to your teaching that week! I also am working on a reading comprehension packet! 

Be on the lookout because I LOVE giving away stuff when I actually get it done!

Happy hump day!