I did it!  I finally did it!  I opened my Teachers Pay Teachers Store!!  Here's my link to my freebie game posted!!! How very scary exciting!
There are 3 different game boards, allowing differentiation to happen without anyone being the wiser. Here's what the basic game board looks like.  

Go get it, please, and give me some lovin'!

              teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Fun-And-Games-In-First 

I was SO excited when I found these boxes at my local ShopKo store!!  They looked like they would hold a deck of cards - I have been trying to ditch my plastic baggy storage system (the early childhood expert in me has been pestered by this for a LONG time)!  The old traveling soap boxes have been replaced by ones with hinges.  We know how long the hinges would work in a classroom, right?!  These babies are PERRRRRFECT!  Here's how my cards storage transformation took place:

I got these cute labels from 

                                 http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Chalk-And-Apples

 I tried the old soap boxes, but they just wouldn't hold the cards without bending them.

  MAJOR SUCCESS! I am seriously in love with these containers!

If you don't have a ShopKo near you, maybe you could order some?
Happy Organizing!

Getting Ready!!

Our school does not start until after. Labor Day, but I've been in my classroom getting ready for the new year of firsties!! I'm super excited to meet them!  How much time do you put in to your classroom before your pre-serve workshop days, and what kinds of things do you do to get ready?   I've been cleaning out my cupboards!!!  (It needs to happen more at home, but that's a WHOLE different conversation!)
Happy cleaning, prepping, laminating, cutting, copying, etc!!!!!!

Coming soon!

I have been busy making some new games for my first grade smarties!  I LOVE teaching through games, and so do they!  I will have a differentiated math game for K-2 students, along with a couple of Fry sight word games, and a nonsense word game to boot!
Stay tuned - coming soon!!!

How do YOU celebrate your birthday?

At my school, when a teacher is celebrating a "special" birthday, you get the royal treatment!  Here a few pictures showing how I found my classroom on my 50th birthday - it was also Valentine's Day and 100th Day, too!!!  Oh, and I should mention a FULL MOON, too! Talk about crazy!  We all had a great day, lots of laughs (at me, not with me!) and everyone went home exhausted!  My awesome hubby even bought me gorgeous flowers, which were on my desk at the beginning of the day!  We have a very talented first grade teacher who created a rendition of "Livin' with Gray Hair", by Bomb Jovi (her version of the great artist).

 My desks were arranged in the number 50 - yes, the kiddos LOVED it!

The reading selection for the day was also chosen, along with the rocking chair 

(as old as I am!).  

What do you do to celebrate a teacher friend's birthday?

Combat the Cold Weather

It has been exTREMEly cold in Minnesota for the past several weeks.  My creative co-workers in kindergarten found a way to get their kiddos moving, as well as to introduce the Olympic games.  They borrowed some equipment from the Phy. Ed. teacher and set up an obstacle course in the hallways!  Check it out!

  It's hard to see it all in this picture, but they had bubble wrap, hula-hoops, stepping stones, the hopscotch mat and a crawl path in this area.  In another area, they had a tunnel and a balance beam for their kiddos to use.  They had their students go out in small groups (with a paraprofessional supervising) to go through the course.  What a fun way to beat cabin fever!

Well friends, I am venturing into the unknown!  I love seeing all the great ideas on other teacher blogs, and want to dabble in it!  I hope you will hang in there while I set up an account and get all the bugs worked out!  Please stay tuned!!!