Liebster Award... Whoo Hoo!!

First of all, I have not blogged in SEVERAL days!!  I have had the opportunity this summer to present at various workshops and inservice centers and it has truly occupied LOTS of my free time. I have been inspired with the teachers that I have met across the state of Alabama this summer.  My youngest son is having a 4 year old birthday bash this weekend AND I am teaching VBS at church this week. I have 60 bundles of pine straw sitting in my flower beds as we speak.. blah blah blah..you get the idea!!  BUSY BUSY BUSY!!  I feel like I will have better posts once this week is over and done. 
 Now with all of that said, I want to give a great big THANK YOU to Tracie Penn for nominating me for the Liebster Award.  I am MOST honored and blessed!!  Her link is: http://kdgpenn.blogspot.com

                                  

The Liebster Award is for blogs with less than 200 followers in order to promote that blog, show appreciation, and hopefully draw more followers. To accept this nomination, you need to do a few things first. 

1. Link to the person who nominated you. 

2. Answer questions from your nominator. 

3. 11 random facts about yourself. 

4. Nominate five or more blogs with less than 200 followers. 

5. Pose questions to your nominees. 

Questions from my nominator:

1. What's your favorite school supply?

My favorite school supply is... crayons.  I LOVE the smell of them in the box.  Euphoria!!for teachers!!

2. What animal describes your teaching style?

The animal that best describes my teaching style is a  butterfly.  I flutter ALL OVER my room.  I am here, there and everywhere.

3. How many years have you been teaching?

I will begin my 16th year on August 13.  Time truly flies when your having a ball

4. What's your favorite restaurant?

My favorite restaurant is Texas Roadhouse.  Best steaks, honey cinnamon butter biscuits, and you get to throw peanuts on the floor.  And the most important thang.... They serve the best sweet tea :)
5. Which season do you like best?

I LOVE the season of fall.  The smell of pumpkin spice, feeling a chill in the air, and watching football games gets me every time.
6. Do you have a TPT store?

Yes, I just started my TPT store.  What a lot of work it takes to make a product. 
7. What subject do you most like to teach?

My favorite thing to teach is small group.  It's where the magic of reading takes place and I can a front seat everyday.
8. Do you have a class pet?

I do not have a class pet.  I think having twenty kids to take care of plus three personal kids is plenty enough for me
9. What's your favorite part of your classroom?

My favorite part of my classroom is my teaching rug.  It is where my class becomes a community and a family
10. If you could hire anyone in the world to teach your class, who would it be?

I would hire any politician that has made laws that effect teachers but they have never stepped foot in a classroom.  Be my guest my friend!!

11 Random Facts

1.  I can sing the sounds of the alphabet to the tune of any song that is given to me

2.  I took the 30 day challenge to listen to nothing but Christian music and I passed with flying colors and was uplifted too :)

3.  I LOVE the gals that I work with.  So much so, that we do things together outside of work. 

4.  I am a professional development presenter with several college universities across the state of Alabama.

5.  I was a Tigerette at Auburn University for two years.  (Waarrrrrr Eagle, HEY)

6.  I also like Florida State Seminoles

7.  My oldest son who is 12, is a walking/talking ESPN commentator. He can tell you any fact about any sports team or player.  (But mostly loves Seminole football and baseball facts)

8.  I am a mom of three boys

9.  My husband proclaimed his love for me when we were in the 5th grade.  We started dating when we were 16 and the rest is history.   Talk about soul mates....

10.  I just recently got an iphone

11. I live in Florida but I teach in Alabama. 

My five nominees are:

1.  Teaching with a smile http://teaching-witha-smile.blogspot.com/

2.  Handy Dandy School Counselor http://handydandyschoolcounselor.blospot.com
3. Just Keep Teaching http://justkeepteaching.blogspot.com
4. Kinder Lovin Care http://lovebuglawton.blogspot.com
5. Learning In Progress http://mrshill-learninginprogress.blogspot.com/
The questions for my nominees are:
1. How long have you been teaching?
2.  Where did you go to college?
3.  Name one accessory that you just cannot live without
4. How many minutes does it take you to get to school each morning?
5.  If you were not a teacher, what is one profession that you could see yourself loving?
6.  What is the one thing that you have to have to get you through the tough days?
7. What is your one guilty pleasure?
8. Favorite hobby or past time?
9. Name one movie that you have watched more than 5 times...
10.  Your greatest blessing is??
Don't forget to name 11 random facts and find 5 blogs that have less than 200 followers.  Happy Blogging to all!!
 

    

New (and seasoned) Teacher Advice

I saw this on the Flying into First Grade blog and thought this was FABULOUS!!  I had to type it instead of filling in the apples because my responses were TOOOO long.
Buy- NOTHING!! (at first)  How out of the ordinary is that??  It is NOT about the stuff... it is about effective, intense, systematic teaching!!  I have seen some of the most robust, rigorous teaching with just a book and some chart paper.  Once you adopt that theory, you will look for tools that will support your teaching style.  Sometimes that will include purchases that are not high dollar.... The dollar section at stores is one of the best places for teachers to visit.  
Always- Be yourself in all you do in that classroom.  Compare your style to NO ONE else.  God created you to be just that.... you.  You are like NO ONE else and that was His plan all along
Never- Shoot an ant with an elephant gun.  Keep problems in prospective.  React to small problems in small ways
Find- A good friend/mentor that you can vent to on days when it seems way harder than it should be
Make- Time for your family.  School should NOT be your every thought... it will wait until Monday
Be-  Patient with parents.  You are holding their greatest treasures every day.   
Sorry for the oversized picture..... I am not tech savy and it WOULD NOT shrink!! 
 

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More TPT packets

Here are 2 packs that focus on beginning sound practice.  (excluding letters q, u, x, y, z)

       

With this packet students can build sentences to make predicable books about child-friendly topics.

This is another packet to practice high frequency words....however this pack is for those using the Scott Foresman reading program or the Dolch word list.

Children enjoy talking about the people, places, and vehicles in their community.  This pack will give you several ways to go over these topics with them in various ways.

Never fear....a math pack is also here!!  Start the beginning of the year with working on numbers 1-10 using this packet.

I know these packets will be useful for you as you begin a new school year.  If there is something that you are looking for in a pack and don't see it in my store, please send a message so I can look into it.

Packs in my TPT store

This pack will be great to use with letter recognition (you may also use the letters for making words).

 

Want students to have some independent practice with the high frequency words that you have taught them?  This packet will allow them to do just that.  (These words correspond to Scott Foresman high frequency words)

   

This packet includes 22 graphic organizers for story elements that can be used with any read aloud or basal story.  This includes main character, sequencing, setting, compare and contrast, cause and effect, additional characters, before and after reading as well as a page to talk about your favorite book.