Christopher Columbus Flash Freebie For Followers!

This is a Freebie for all of our followers out there!

It will only be posted for a day or two and, then....

POOF! It will be gone!

Well, not really GONE.....

you can still find it on Teachers Pay Teachers for sale.
 (Click On The Link Above)

But who wants to pay for something 

when you can get it for free?
Certainly not teachers!
We're all too often "low on funds."

Unless, of course, you're wanting to support a 

fellow teacher who brings home only $500.00 a month 

(then spend to your heart's content).  

After writing that down on a previous post.....

it really is quite shocking 

(why am I slaving...I mean working...again?).   

And in case you're wondering...

YES!  I am a public school teacher.

Christopher Columbus

History Retelling Cards And Word Wall 

 Click On The Link Above...

Will be posted for free for only for a few days!

I have to say that my kiddos 

LOVED using this 

Christopher Columbus Retelling set.

I made this for my class last year, 

and my students worked really hard

on making their maps and historical figures

to use for retelling the story of how he crossed the sea.

They were so excited about it!

I actually got quite a few complimentary comments 

from parents who were shocked at the details 

their children could remember.

I tell you this, not to brag, 

but just to give you a heads up!

This activity was great all around!
Good to know my friend.

WARNING:  It does take time....so plan accordingly!

It took a good 2 hours last year,

but the results were well worth the time.

My students were reading the words,

they were participating in story recall,

they were retelling a historical event,

and they were practicing 

the much needed fine motor skill of cutting...

all rolled up into one activity!

Take that Common Core!

And they LOVED  it!

(I think I said that already....

but that part IS the most important!)

Oh, the joy of teaching!

...engaging, teaching, and helping

grow short people.  

Yep, that's why we make the big bucks!

Enjoy!

Thanks for sharing!

My home away from home...

I'm a bit of a geek when

it comes to classroom arrangement.

Like I actually enjoy drawing

out a new classroom arrangement

in the summer.

(Hey, I already said I'm a geek!)

But after 20 years of 

working with short people,

I do believe this is my favorite

arrangement yet.

Come on in and

make yourself at home.

I like how your striped table cloth
matches your number line.
(Hilarious!  I've never noticed that.)

I've wanted one of these carpets for years!
They're awesome because each student has their own square.

What a fun row of seats!

My Classroom Library

I absolutely LOVE garage sales.

I would prefer $100 at a 

town-wide garage sale than

$1000 at the mall.
Not. even. joking.

Check out this comfy couch.

And these colorful chairs.

Love the chairs!
(I know right?!)

Both are garage sale finds.

The comfy couch was 
from a dorm room.

The chairs were from 
a doctor's office.  
Add a few cans of 

spray paint and voila!

Ironically, the bookshelf is also

from a garage sale.  It actually

bends in the middle so I've used it

as an "L shaped" shelf over the years.

My library is organized and

user friendly thanks to this

super cute library label set.

The baskets are labeled.

The books have 

corresponding labels.

Easy peasy!

Want them?  $4.50 and

they can be your's too.

Click here for the link

to the TPT seller

that I purchased them from.

Reading Buddies 

Each of my students has

a small "reading buddy"....

a.k.a. a Beanie Baby sized animal.

They also have a stick

with their name on it.

Why?  Good question.

When they remove a book

from one of the labeled baskets,

they place their stick there.

Once they're done, they have

a visual reminder of where the

book belongs.  

Chalkboard?

Yep.  That's a good 'ole chalkboard.

However, it's so covered up the kids

have no clue that it's actually there.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Smartboard!

How did people ever teach

without Pinterest?

Like seriously?!

When the Internet's down,

it. is. not. pretty.

Just saying....
(Uhmmmm....
can you say 
"JEALOUS"????
My school doesn't have 
Smartboards
OR the I-pads 
that I see on Pinterest
sitting nicely in other 
K teachers' classrooms,
AND Pinterest is currently
off limits on our school websites.
Don't the Powers That Be Understand
The Impact of Pinterest On Education?????
Have they seen my Pin Pages?????
1000s of Pins that will blow your mind!
At least they blew MY mind.
If they don't impress you...
keep your comments to yourself.
I think that's all I have  
to say about that!)
I am sincerely sorry.
Your students are missing out! 

Reading Lamp

This isn't that big of a deal...
...at first glance.
But this is a big, fat, hairy deal
in my classroom.

Whenever I read them a story,
we shut off the lights and turn
on the reading lamp.  Spray painting
the shade yellow makes the 'glow'
that much more comfy.
The kids say "oooooh" 
whenever the light goes on.
Corny, but that's how I roll.

Listening Center

I was fortunate enough to receive

a technology grant to purchase

more CD/cassette players

and headphone stations.

Remember all those books on

tape you bought a

l...o...n...g time ago?

Yep, I have them too.
Now I can use more of them
with the extra tape players.
'Course it does take awhile
to explain to the kids what 
a cassette tape is....and
that you have to actually rewind it!
(My listening station is a cd/tape player
with no headphones attached.  The

 cords on the headphones
are the bane of my existence,
so they have been exiled from my room.) 

Side Note (If you're under 30 DO NOT READ!!!  
Angela, Girrrrrrrrrrl we are getting old!
Let me tell you....younger teachers out there are going:
"Tape players,are you kidding me???" 
It's like when we first started and we saw the 
big huge record players that the older teachers were using, 
or their mimeographed print-outs...
remember those inky, blue lined papers?
Remember them?  I used to LOVE
holding those hot papers and inhaling deeply
at that sweet smell of the fresh purple ink.
Now, we're the "older" teachers....
why don't I feel wise?
We inhaled too many purple papers!

Display Board

Have you seen this on Pinterest?
You hot glue gun a thumb tack to
a wooden clothespin.  VOILA!
Perfect for hanging artwork
throughout the year.
(Thanks again to Jess,
my AWESOME student
teacher from last year that
made these for me.)

Windows=Display Space

I'm noticing the cracked window for air circulation...
You weren't kidding about no air conditioning!
(Girrrl!  It's been incredibly comfortable
this week in comparison to
our Sahara Desert conditions a couple weeks ago!)

These blinds will continue to fill up
with charts and other posters.

Writing Center

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE DeeDee Wills.
I use her writing center
all year long.  Like them?
You can get them here.

When we start writing letters
to each other, this is where
they will deliver them.
BTW-I don't have 22 Wal-Mart
employees as students.
My students' pics are hiding under there.

I love the idea of using shoe pockets for
sorting mail....Clever girl!
(Clever?  Nah...saw it on Pinterest!)

  Home Living Area

My daughter, Abby, donated
her kitchen and all of her plastic
food to my classroom.
A quick trip to the dollar
store, and I have plates,
silverware, and other
kitchen items.
The conversations I overhear
in this center are HILARIOUS!
Do you like the writing set
on the wall?  You can find it here.

Book Boxes

Books boxes are a HUGE part
of our classroom.  We add a couple
emergent readers a week.  Once
we start Guided Reading, they start
adding "store bought" books to them.
They each have a whisperphone,
(LOVE THEM), a reading pointer,
and a pouch for flashcards,
and Bee tickets 
(school-wide incentive).  
Their Poetry Books are also
stored under their Book Boxes.
We add a couple poems each week.

Word Wall

Do you use Jolly Phonics?
We started using it a few years
ago and WOW!  It has really
helped the kids master their
letters and sounds by adding 
those silly little hand motions.

Awesome Pocket Chart Area

My husband is all that and a bag of chips.
But I feel bad for the guy.
Why?
Well he didn't read the fine print 
on our marriage license.

Your wife will gain will 50 pounds over
the next 20 years.  You will have to build all sorts
 of things for her classroom until the day she retires.  
SUCKER!
(My husband married a Flight Attendant, 
and ended up with a Kindergarten Teacher....
How did THAT happen?)

I found something similar to this on Pinterest
....where all good things come from.

One side is the storage area
for my students' graph tickets
and lunch tickets and lunch chart.

One side is a magnetic 
word work area.

The last side with the pocket
chart faces the carpet.
This set is from a
"Through the Year" bundle
I bought on TPT.
Click here if you'd like to check it out.

That's it...
...my home away from home.

A Gift For Johnny Appleseed's Birthday!

In honor of Johnny Appleseed's birthday,

I wanted to share a rendition of the song 

from Walt Disney's American Legends.
I've never heard it.
(Go To Youtube...it's on there, I promise!)

I have always loved the song

Disney has Johnny Appleseed sing,

but I haven't used it in my classroom

because of the word "Lord" in it.  

Love that word, personally, 

but I just don't want to

be on the news for

having my kids singing a

"religious" song in school.

I know, life in the realm of PC
 is getting ridiculous.

I also know that 

John Chapman

 WAS a religious man,
he'd understand 

but I'm still not going to 

teach my kids that song....sorry!  

Bill O'Reilly and Pierce Morgan 

do not need to have me 

on their shows.  

("I just wanted to have my Kindergarteners 

sing a song about Johnny Appleseed, 

America, that's all...I promise!")

You know, TV does

add on an additional 10 lbs...

not something that I (or you)

need  to see!
Hmm....So THAT'S it?!
I've had a camera on me lately.
Aw snap!  Nope that's just me.

Having said all that....

I still LOVE the song,

and there's nothing available

like it...believe me, I've looked! 

So, I  reworded the song, 
made it into a book,

and I'm sharing it with all of you

teachers out there that get stumped

every year looking for age appropriate,

fun material to celebrate 

Johnny Appleseed's Birthday.

(He falls under our Social Studies +

I wanted rhyming words

for my students to practice 

Common Core reading skills.)

Yes, I needed to say that bit, 

because I know that there

are people out there saying, 

"Why are you teaching about 

Johnny Appleseed, anyway?"

So, now, you know why.

I figure that Johnny Appleseed

was one of the early environmentalists.

I hope you enjoy the book/song

which now includes references to the Earth.
Thanks so much for sharing!

 Johnny Appleseed Song: The Earth Is Good To Me

This would be a nice intro for 

Earth Day in April 

now that I think about it.

Introduce it in September and 

revisit it again in April 

when the kiddos are really reading?

Hmmmmmm......  

BTW....the clip art in the above poster is 

MY Johnny Appleseed clip art
You're so talented.
I can draw a stick figure.
Jealous much? 
(Ok....let me tell you a little secret: 
I can't NATURALLY draw...
I'm just so broke, 
that I've had to just buckle down 
and make things that I want for my classroom.
When I went back to teaching 
after taking a break to be a 
Stay At Home Mom,
my husband made me promise 
that I wouldn't spend my whole paycheck 
on my classroom this time around.)

I used other clip art for the book/song....

I just didn't want to post other 

people's clip art on this post....

Oh, all these internet rules are starting to 
make me wacky!
Disney, please don't sue me...
See my disclaimer?
Seriously!
I don't have enough money
to bail her out of jail.
Just saying... 

(This Is For Educational, Classroom 
Purposes Only: Not For Profit)
I'm just a poor teacher making $500.00 
a month after paying for daycare 
and the gas to get me to school. 
(You know, during a month that has 
5 weeks in it that averages out 
to $20.00 a day....
Holy Schnikes Batman!)
True that!
I just wanted to share with others...
that's OK, right?
It's not what you do that's important,
It's why you do what you do that's important.
You're a teacher helping out
other teachers.  A jury of your
peers would understand.

 
 Enjoy!