The First Week of First Grade - Activities and More!

My, oh my! The first week of first grade is OVER!

I swear, 5 years later and I still forget just how little and "new" to school 1st graders are. The growth is just so amazing and HUGE in first grade that all I can do is picture last year's class at the end of the year. I forget that when they come into 1st grade they are squirrely and wild and talkative and can't seem to follow any directions. 

Is this how it always is?!?!?!?

The answer is yes.

In between shaking my head and pulling my hair out, I remember that this is all part of the challenge! The great first grade challenge. Can these students turn into the straight-line walking, directions following, raising hands before we speak type of students that I dream of?!?

I am hoping the answer is YES!

My new class... I can't wait to get to know them more and see them grow and learn!

Getting back into the swing of things has been a bit more challenging this year since I look like this:

**technically I am 34 weeks pregnant now and my belly is probably even bigger**

But alas, we are still trucking along! Here's some of the fun we had this week:

The first day of school we took out some buttons and starting graphing. It gave me some time to get paperwork sorted through and also let me see who could sort and follow directions easily. I offered this graph up on my blog for free last year!

We read The Kissing Hand and talked about our 1st day of school feelings. They ranged from happy and excited all the way to scared and "really mad." Craft idea from Kindergarten Days. These little racoons and sentence stems will be the first student decor up on our big, blank walls!

We also completed quite a few activities from my First Week Fun unit, including this mini-book about our new class!

We started a few, easy centers to get used to the routines and procedures during center time:

 CVC cards with magnets and recording sheets - made them a long time ago!

Color match up freebie by Smitten with First!

Roll, add, and color from my Apple Math unit.

We also had a bit of coloring fun in math with this great book from Steve Harpster! This was an easy after-lunch, let's relax and color and review some simple numbers to 10 type of activity!

Last, but not least, we brainstormed some of the fun we had over the summer and then I let my students write their first story of the year. No rules or organization, just write about some of the things you did this summer. This is also in my First Week Fun pack.

Phew! I'm tired again just looking at everything we did this week. Next week, we will start the real learning! Phonics, reader's workshop, writer's workshop.. etc!

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Classroom Pictures!

I am linkin' up with Blog Hoppin today to show you WHERE I teach!

My classroom walls are a bit bare now since I save a LOT of my wall space for student work and anchor charts we make together, but I can show you how it all begins!

I am SO lucky to have a large classroom. If you have followed my blog for the past few years, you will see that I used to have a teeny-tiny room in Last Vegas. I am spoiled here!

This is the view from my exterior door.
Reading posters: Free from Teacher Wife

Directly to the right of when you walk in is my half set-up math station. Each tub holds our math centers. The top is not finished yet!

Walk past the bookshelves and you see the second half of the room!

My word wall will take over the cabinets.

 Look left to see computers, windows, and our writing station!
Alphabet: My Primary Decor Pack

 But if you kept walking straight you would see this little hallway which leads to the main building (door on the right) and a big ole storage closet (door on the left)

 Close up on our word work station!

Boggle:  Free from Teacher Wears Prada

Display bulletin board with binder clips to easily switch out papers AND not put holes in them!

 Now, let's turn back around and look at that writing center!

Inside the tubs are prompts from my Write From the Start pack and will be replaced throughout the year with my Writing Through the Seasons prompts.
Sight word practice: Free from Kindergarten Smiles

Look to the left and you see our bathroom, small whiteboard and cubby area.

  Now look back towards the exterior door! More windows, behavior chart, and my "turn it in" bin (the stinkin' poster fell behind the cabinets) and folders/take home bin.
Behavior chart: Primary Decor Pack

Meeting area and calendar space! I use lots of that wall space above the boards for anchor charts and student work!

My teacher space. Needs some sprucin' up, but that is the last things I tackle.
Notice my owl painting that a STUDENT made for me my last year in Vegas! I love, love, love it and display it every year!

Well that is all I have for now and as we work in the classroom over the next month, my room will look a lot more DONE! Hopefully I will remember to share the updated pics with you.

Now hop over to Blog Hoppin' and check out everyone else's digs!

Oh.... are you STILL with me?!

One last thing...

There is a QUICK, ONE DAY ONLY, BOOST sale going on tomorrow (8/20) on Teachers Pay Teachers and my whole entire store will be on sale! If you enter the promo code, you can get 28% off!

[My Store]

Happy shopping :)

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Meet the Teacher!

I am linking up with one of my favorite bloggers, Stephanie from Falling into First, for a fun linky party :)

That's me a few weeks ago at my baby shower :)

Before I start my Q&A, here is a little about me!

I started teaching 4 years ago in Las Vegas, NV where my husband and I lived after college. Those three years in Vegas were some of the MOST FUN years we have had thus far. There was lots of this:

Alas... all good things must come to an end and we knew when we settled down and started our family, we wanted to be back here in Massachusetts where I was born and raised (and where we met).

So we traveled cross country for the second time and landed back here on the Northshore!

Parker and I got married September 20, 2013 and it was perfect.

 

Now, I am back teaching in Mass. and instead of pool parties, mountains, and late night fun... there is a lot of this:

Babies and bumps and diapers and toys!

Parker and I are SO excited to welcome our baby boy, Theodore "Theo," anytime in the next 6-8 weeks. We are ready for a wholeeee new adventure and years and years of fun times to come!

Now onto a little Q&A:

 THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

Starbucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even while pregnant.... yes... I still have my one coffee per day. Doc allowed, so no judgments please! This mug explains my life perfectly:

{source}

Other things I love include trashy TV, laying in the sun, reading, and TPT-ing!

 IF YOU WEREN'T A TEACHER, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO BE?

A stay-at-home momma! I don't even have Theo yet and I am already dreading going back to work after my maternity leave. Thankfully, Parker will be the stay-at-home daddy so I can live vicariously through him... and also I will make him send me lots and lots of pictures and videos while I am at work.

THREE LITTLE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU.

Determined.

Compassionate.

Active.

 

FINISH THE SENTENCE, "________,  SAID NO TEACHER EVER!!"

"Please leave all the covers off the glue sticks!"
 This.drives.me.MENTAL.

Q: IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY AND YOU CAN INVITE ANYONE {DEAD OR ALIVE} TO THE PARTY. WHO ARE YOU INVITING?

I would invite Bruno Mars to perform! Superbowl performance Part II please!

Q: IF SOMEONE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD BE THE TITLE?

 Movin' and a Groovin' 

 Q:YOU GET TO PICK ONE SUPERPOWER. WHAT IS IT?

To have my hair done at all times. That's a superpower right?!

I am hair challenged and throw it in a bun or ponytail all day, everyday.

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR SAYING?

"Be who you are and say how you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss 
 

Q: IF YOU HAD TO SING ONE SONG ON AMERICAN IDOL, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T! -Aretha Franklin

When I've had a few drinks, I tend to think I have a realllllllyyyyy good voice ;)

 

 Q: ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON OR A NIGHT OWL?

Morning person! I would love to wake up at 5am and be asleep by 9pm each and every day. I get so much more done in the morning.

 

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE RESOURCE THAT YOU'VE CREATED IN YOUR TPT SHOP?

My favorite resource in my shop is my Close Reading Bundle! It has all four of my seasonal bundles in it and my kids love them! I use them in small groups all year long and I saw so much growth last year.

Q: SHARE SOMETHING WE MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU! 

Some of you might not know this, but I was on Wheel of Fortune 7 years ago!

That's me in the middle standing next to my celebrity partner, Jeff Probst!

I won $6100 and had a BLAST!

***

Now, make sure you head back to Steph's blog and meet TONS of other bloggers:

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Is it really almost back to school?!?

2 weeks from today I report back at school.

WHHYYYYYYYY?!?!?

is the first thing that comes to mind.

Once I get over the initial depression, I actually get a little excited.

A new batch of smiling little first graders will show up in room 102 and I will be a little nervous and jittery as I start my 5th year of teaching. Once we all get over the jittery stage we will all get to know one another and then it will be smooth sailing through the year and into next summer! Right?! (smile and nod, smile and nod)

Also, once school starts there are only 7 more weeks until my baby boy is due! GAH! I think it is going to FLY and I just pray that I can get everything ready in time!

To help relieve some stress, I am doing more during the summer to prepare for school than I ever have before. I usually wait until about 2 days before school starts to even think about anything. Now... not so much!

I can't actually get into my classroom yet, but in the meantime I am printing, laminating, and organizing. Printing, laminating, and organizing. Wash, rinse, and repeat.

Here are some of the things I am getting ready:

 

The activities in these two packs are perfect icebreakers for the first couple weeks of school!

I am also getting my close reading passages prepared for small groups:

Once September rolls in, we will be learning all about apples so this little pack will come in quite handy:

Lastly, I am getting my newest "I have, who has?" math games prepped as we speak:

I will have a post on these ready for tomorrow.

All these items and more in my store are on sale for 28% off on TPT today and tomorrow!

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First Week of School Activities and a FREEBIE!

My first day of school is in less than one month. 29 more days.

The countdown is on.

It is not as exciting as the countdown that happens at the end of the year, but I know a new school year is just around the corner, so I might as well start getting excited!

(No worries, I am not a freak... I fully intend to enjoy every.last.second of my summer as well)

As the new year approaches, I wanted to get my mind (and printer) ready for those first days of school. I opened up my files and VOILA I found my first week fun unit.

It is always a hit and helps my new batch of first graders get to know one another and their classroom better.

There was only teensy weensy problem. The unit needed some major updating! It was actually one of the first units I ever uploaded to TPT, so please forgive the old looks and say HHHEEEELLLOOOO to a new look:

This product has all the same great material. It is just updated with some new clipart! I also added a few new activities that your students are sure to love.

Here is a part of the mini-book my students complete throughout the week:

It also still includes one of my favorite activities that we complete after we read My Mouth is a Volcano! by Julia Cook. It is a must at the beginning of the year!

There are 11 total activities for your students to complete during those first weeks of school. The list is as follows:
- My new class mini-book (boy and girl version)
- Writing response: “One important class rule is….”
- All About Me! Brainstorming map
- Things I am good at! Brainstorming map
- Ice breaker: “Find someone…”
- Partner activity: Classroom Checklist!
- Library Exploration: My Book Hunt!
- This Year vs. Last Year Venn Diagrom
- Summer personal narrative – organizers and writing paper
- Things I love about my new class – organizer and writing paper
- “My Mouth is a Volcano!” craft and writing activity

 I also decided to make one of the new additions to the unit a FAN FREEBIE on my facebook page. This is a classroom checklist for you students to complete with a partner. It is a fun way for them to get to know the classroom and their surroundings a little better!

In order to grab your own copy of the checklist, make sure you click the picture above and it will send you to my facebook page. When you are there you will click on "Fan Freebie" shown below:

 If you already like my facebook page it will take you to the freebie! If you don't like my FB page yet, you just click "like" and then it will take you to it! EZ-PZ!

Also don't forget, if you already purchased this item, just re-download it on TPT and you will get the new version!

Have a happy, happy weekend everyone!

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