David Shannon Favorites (Other than NO DAVID!)

We recently read the The Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon and we loved it!  Check out the digital story and the drawings the students did.  I had never read it but have heard so many good things about this book.  We love the author David Shannon!

 

http://www.storylineonline.net/stripes/story.swf




Have you heard about MANNERS? We are learning all about manners, friendship, and NO BULLYING!
We have been reading some great books that correlate with these topics.  One favorite was yet another DAVID SHANNON book!
http://www.harcourtbooks.com/images/PDF/ActivityKit/How%20i%20Became%20a%20Pirate%20Activity%20Kit.pdf

WEEK 2 Overview

Teaching with Technology.  I have had a very interesting week and ooooo so busy.  I really enjoyed this week's readings and videos about effective technology.  I am looking forward to getting my class set of iPads.  Here are some of the best videos that I found to incorporate phonics and phonemic awareness in my lessons. :D

A Week at a Glance

What a week!  It was our first week with students at school and my first week of my fall class.  I am super excited to be taking Teaching with Technology.  That is what my passion is right now.  I want to learn how to effectively use technology everyday in my classroom and learn how to collaborate and share more and more.  I use technology everyday in my kindergarten classroom as it is but I can always learn more.  In two weeks, my class will be receiving iPads and this makes me so exciting but at the same time I would like to really understand the best times and ways to use them in my instruction so that students are able to really engage and learn.
This week I read an interesting article that really caught my eye and validated the entire reason why I started this blog and using technology in my classroom.

As I feel a bit stressed with all of the new adventures that I am undertaking I found that this song/video motivates me and I hope it motivates you. :D
LET IT GROW, watch your students and adventures grow and blossom CELEBRATE THE WORLD!!

WELCOME to KinderFUN!!

Day 2 is complete. Today we did our first directed drawing to go along with our David Shannon books this week.  We also put our alphabet pretzels to great use. We have been singing our Hickety Pickety Bumble Bee song while getting to know each other. Today we were able to find the letters in our name with alphabet pretzels.

A week of Great Finds and Creations!

This week was a great week of crafts, finds, and gifts.  I really wanted to share them with you.  I still can not believe that THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IS ON MONDAY!!!! Let the fun begin!!

Picture #1 Pattern Tape: Don't throw away supply containers or small cardboard boxes because you can easily recycle them into your stylish supply container.  I enjoyed creating a dry erase marker holder, eraser topper holder, and stylish clothespins.

 Picture #2 is a small craft I created for our Meet the Teacher this past week.  Bananas are .50 a lb right now and you can not bet that!  Tags were made by a very good friend of mine and ribbon was easily found at Hobby Lobby.  Parents and students really enjoyed the bananas, and I enjoyed seeing their smiles when they went over to pick their very own banana.

 Picture #3 is a very thoughtful Chicka Chicka Boom Boom gift basket that my aunt and cousin brought to me.  I loved it, and it was very thoughtful and it fit perfectly with our school theme.  The palm tree is made out of wood and then painted over in appropriate colors.  The fruit and snacks are a  perfect gift for a teacher's first week of school.

 Picture #4 is a picture I took while shopping for my boys today.  Not only do I have to make sure I am ready as a teacher for the new school year but as a mother as well.  We just had The American Cookie Company open up at our local mall in Harlingen, TX.  Of coarse this is the cookie cake that caught my eye instantly!! I can not wait to order my first cookie cake for my son's birthday in September.  This cookie cake would not be appropriate for my classroom right now since it is not nutritious and healthy but I am sure I will find an opportunity soon. :D

 Picture #5 is a picture of ABC: Pretzels that I found at our local HEB Grocery store today.  I can think of a million and one ways to use these in our lesson planning.  They can be incorporated in our math and ELA lesson plans.  Just off the top of my head... I can use them for: letter identification, letters in your name activity, word work, spelling words of the week, counting, graphing, sorting, etc.

I just wanted to share these pictures with you because they make me excited about the beginning of our new school year and maybe you would like to feel just as excited as I am.
I hope everyone has a great year!!

Wild About ZEBRA PENS

This week was not only special because it was my first full week back at school or that it was my last week to fully prepare for all my new kindergartners but I was also able to test out several ZEBRA PENS and mechanical pencils!

This product review goes perfect with our school theme this year! "Wild about Learning!"
I was so very surprised when I saw that the  box of products included an adorable plush zebra!  I also received a portfolio case for the pens and pencils.

 I absolutely loved every single pen and pencil that was included in the portfolio.  Ball point pens have always been my favorite kind of pen to write with.  Every once and a while I will use a fine point pen but that is only if I have a limited amount of space to write in.  Zebra Z-Mulsion EX Ballpoint pens were so much fun to use!  Some of the pens have a design and others are just plain black or blue design. Zebra Z-Mulsion EX Ballpoint pens were smooth, and pleasant to use.  I enjoyed the pen very much.  
 Retractable pens like the Zebra  Z-GripMAX Ballpoint Retractable Pen  are always a please to use as well.  I really liked that the pen did not skip or smear while I was writing with it.   I will be sad if this pen disappears off my desk.  I really like this pen.
 

I naturally wrote with every single one of the pens and mechanical pencils that I received!  The highlighter was even fun to use! LOL!!
I loved every single grip.  I can not say how much I had fun with this product review from shoplet.com.  I enjoy products like this because I can use them with my students at school as well.  I am so glad that I have now been introduced to Zebra Pens by Shoplet.com.  The pens are stylish, professional, fun, and efficient, and not to mention at a great price.
I can not wait to enjoy my pens, pencils, and highlighter for my school year.
My students can use these pens at their writing table, word work center, and drawing.  In kindergarten we do not normally use pens or mechanical pencils so I would use these as an incentive or special occasion when my kinder students need to write.
I hope everyone has a wonderful school year!

#Office Supplies  #Shoplet.com

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Today was our last teacher work day before Monday. 
We are eagerly anticipating our LITTLE LONGHORNS!!