Presidents Day Dollar Deals~ February 20

Head on over to TpT to see what fabulous deals you can scoop up today! Simply type in the hashtag #presidentsdaydeals to see what's included in the sale. I've taken a sneak peek, and there are some great deals to be had today!

I'm including the following items. I hope you'll take a moment to check them out! Simply click the image and it will take you directly to the item in my store. 

Happy shopping teacher friends!!

Lucky to be a Teacher Giveaway

Why am I lucky to be a teacher? I have the pleasure of watching kids explore uncharted territory. They take letters that are meaningless and learn to read and write in such a short time. They are wowed and amazed by the natural world around them. They giggle, encourage, and help keep me young! Children are the hope for our future, and I love having a small part in helping shape that future.

In honor of all of the lucky teachers out there, I am taking part in a giant TpT author giveaway sponsored by Countless Smart Cookies!  The giveaway is broken down into categories:

• PreK / Kindergarten
• First - Second
• Third - Fifth
• Middle - High
• Special Ed

I am taking part in the PreK / Kindergarten raffle along with some other lovely ladies!

Hidden Pictures: Numbers 1-30 January-June is from my store.  Here's a sneak peak and you can read more about the unit HERE:

You can join the Rafflecopter for one category or more than one!

The drawing will be held this Sunday so be sure to let your friends know. It's a great opportunity to win some awesome prize packs. I know you don't want them to miss out!
Simply head over to Countless Smart Cookies to register for the various prize packs. Good luck! 

So, why are YOU lucky to be a teacher?

Markdown Monday~ February 22

Are you in need of geometry games for your math centers? Is differentiation a priority for you? Do you need for your administration to  be able to spot that differentiation at a glance? If you answered yes to any of these questions, Geometry Games Galore is the answer!

I am linking up this week with Kelly and Kim's Kindergarten Kreations Markdown Monday!

All the items in the linky have been marked down until Friday, so you'll want to hurry on over and check them out. But don't go too fast!! I want to give you a little preview of what's in Geometry Games Galore.

Geometry Games Galore is on sale until Friday, Feb. 26.

Happy shopping!

Five for Friday ~ February 19

Kacey over at Doodle Bugs Teaching is hosting her weekly linky party

and I am happy to be linking up (and on time for once)!

Valentine's Day came and went with a smidgen of sadness on my part this year. This is the first year I haven't been in the same building with my boys. Typically, I've been able to pop down to their classrooms, take a picture with them, oh and ah over whatever they're doing, and we are all satisfied. They still had fun, but my little did point out in the photos from the party that there wasn't one of the two of us. Sigh~~~killing me here, people.

I finished Hidden Picture: Numbers 1-30 July-December over my 2 day Winter Break...also known as Presidents Day with one more day because the district wants to appear to be generous. #irememberlastyear  #itwasaweek

I don't want to appear to be complaining; a bonus day is a bonus day, right?  And we all know a 3 day week beats a 4 day week hands down!!

At any rate, this unit is the second half of the year for teaching number recognition to 30. My sweet kinders loved this "game."  They begged to play it at indoor recess and free choice center time. It was not a free choice center.....do you get where I am going with this?!?!

  Essentially, you hide a picture that is slightly smaller behind one of the other pieces. The kiddos have to tell you the number they think the hidden picture is lurking behind. I made mine come up and point to the number they were calling out to be certain they weren't just naming numbers.

This set can be used for teaching patterns and for matching with base 10 block cards. And if you need buy in, let the kiddo who finds it first be the teacher. Yep, you heard me. Let that sweet baby hide the picture again and then call on friends one at the time to guess where it is hidden. All you have to do is sit back and watch the magic happen!

 Do you need to make it more challenging? Put the numbers in the chart out of order! Make students describe the number they want in terms of tens and ones. Struggling students? Take the cards out of the pocket chart and let the children put them in order and build the number using unifix cubes. The possibilities are endless!

If all else fails, this will be the cheapest set of calendar pieces you ever purchase! At a conservative $3 per set, 6 months of pieces would have cost $18 back in the dinosaur age when we all went to brick and mortar teachers stores! 

I'll try not be so long winded on this one. No promises though. My boys say I don't know any short stories! ;) 

If you are like me, you appreciate a bundle at a discount. Viola! Your wish is my command! #noproblem #mypleasure

Hidden Picture Yearlong Bundle

My Middle and Little both placed at the Pinewood Derby for Cub Scouts.  Nothing but smiles of joy here!

 

The Little came in first place!!

My Middle came in 2nd place!!

What does this mean you ask?  It means I get to wake up to an alarm on another Saturday morning to take them to the district race. Will I be thrilled and excited for them when we get there? Almost assuredly. But not so much when the alarm is going off. Saturday is normally our only "no alarm" day. #momproblems #noalarmSaturdaysplease

My husband and I went out to dinner (his present to me) and to see Dead Pool (my present to him). I was prepared to totally not like this movie at all, but I must admit that it was mindless adult entertainment. Having said that, no one under 30 should be allowed in! #language #violence #uncoveredskin

There isn't any deep thinking afterwards. No, "I wonder what would have happened it...." or "If only...." 

Nope, just some belly chuckles and appreciation of sarcasm. (Well and of Ryan Reynolds at the beginning of the movie!)

Have a fantastic weekend!

Five for Fraturday ~ January 23

Kacey at Doodle Bugs Teaching is hosting her weekly linky party Five for Friday. I am fashionably late this week like Kristen at A Teeny Tiny Teacher often is. That makes it okay, right?

I'm totally going out of order here, but I wanted to give Snowmageddon the respect it deserves! I live in Georgia, and any snow is good snow! #happyboys #snowballfight!!

I know the picture doesn't look crisp; that's because I took it through the storm door while drinking coffee in my jammies. #dontjudge #itwassupercold

Hidden Picture: Numbers 1-30 is my latest creation in my TpT store. You may not know this, but just 2 short years ago I completed a decade in kindergarten. The little people have my heart!! Drawing on that experience, I created a packet to go along with a game my kiddos loved to play. I used it as part of my calendar time, but I also used the card pieces to have individuals and small groups practice ordering the numbers 1-30, practice ordering/naming patterns, and can it even be used as your calendar pieces.

I put the cards in my pocket chart. You hide a picture behind one of the numbers, and the kids try to guess where the hidden picture is located. I always made mine say the number and also point to it to make sure they truly recognized the number and not just the name. The first kiddo that found the hidden picture got to be the teacher and hide it again. He/She would then get to call on classmates to guess and we'd play another round.

The hidden pictures are 2.5" x 2.5" while the numbered cards are 3" x 3" so they truly will be hidden!

This game can also be used for accelerating and differentiating. For example, you might give the following clue: I'm thinking of a number with 2 ones and 1 ten. What's my number? You can use it in small groups and only use the numbers 1-10 with your struggling group. You can pass out a number card to kiddos and have them build it with tens and ones using unifix cubes. The options are nearly endless!!

My kiddos loved this game so much that they would ask to play during free choice center time. #kidwin #teacherwin

This packet will be 20% in my TpT Store until sometime Sunday evening.

The Groovy Book Fair has arrived!! I will be busy selling books to happy readers all next week. I'm so thankful it arrived on Friday ahead of the nasty weather. I would have been the least popular teacher in the school if I had to tell children the book fair didn't arrive on time!

I saw this parody on Adele's Hello on FB this week by third grade teacher Mary Morris. It's titled Snow. It sums up how most teachers feel about snow days perfectly! Added bonus....she can actually sing!!

Last but not least...since the weather outside is frightful, I am surfing the web. #imaginethat

I have two nonteachery (pretend that's a word) blogs that I love to stalk! One is all about fashion and the other is more about food with a dash of fashion and family.

Pinterest Told Me To is penned by Sheaffer. It's all things girly: clothes, jewelry, makeup....Sheaffer finds the fabulous sales and links it all up for your shopping pleasure! Love, love, love her site! 

For my favorite foody blog, I go to Mix and Match Mama. She has some fabulous, easy (read no weird ingredients) crock pot recipes that my children will actually eat!

Shay has really yummylicious desserts as well.

I made Slow Cooker Chicken & Noodles earlier this week. My sons (ages 11, 9, and 7) devoured it!! #hugewin 

And I'm telling you, the ingredients were regular, normal people food I already had on hand!! I've linked over so you can check it out. It's not too late to make if for dinner tonight!

Stay warm friends...enjoy some quality weather induced time with your family!

Flash Freebie!! January 8

Happy Little Kindergarten is hosting another Flash Freebie over at her blog!  Click on the link to see what other teacher bloggers are offering free in their shop today that is typically a unit you must purchase!

I am making my Differentiated Math Spinners free today, January 7th only. Please leave feedback if you like the unit and find it to be useful in helping your students master the standards in an engaging way. It can be found HERE.

This unit has a variety of spinners to help differentiate your instruction without it being obvious to the students. #thatsawin

The mats can be laminated and wiped off to be used over and over again. I recommend investing in one of these babies if you do literacy and math centers religiously. 

The last time I checked they were $25 at Target. Hmm...if you read my blog at all, you probably think the only store I shop at is Target. #thatsalmostthetruth

Anywho, this little laminator has a thicker film than the one at your school does. It does not peel off, nor is it flimsy, and it wipes clean beautifully. And no, Scotch is not paying me one red cent (although I wish they were)!

Focus, Keele, focus. Back to the unit. It covers addition spits, adding and subtracting on a number line, and expanded form and is aligned with second grade math Common Core Standards.  

I'd love to hear what you think about the unit! You need to get moving because this offer expires on tonight when I go to bed. :)

Flash Freebie!!

Happy Little Kindergarten is hosting a Flash Freebie through Friday, Jan. 1st.

You can find links to multiple products that you would normally have to pay for on TpT but are free for a limited time. 

You can download this center for FREE HERE! Please provide feedback in my TpT store and let me know what you think!

Use the links above to head on over to Happy Little Kindergarten. Hopefully, you'll find some fantastic new products to use in the new year!

Back to School Sale on TpT

Teachers Pay Teachers is hosting their back to school sale, and I am participating! When you use the code BTS15 you will receive a total of 28% off of everything in my shop!!

These are some of my top sellers in my store. Click on any of the pictures to head directly to my store. :)

This is a great unit to use for an animal study / research and includes math, reading / research, writing, and craftivities.  It can also be used to celebrate the 102nd Day of Second Grade.

If you teach 2nd grade in Georgia, this is a must have unit for you! This lapbook focuses on James Oglethorpe and his contributions to the founding of the state of Georgia. Check it out!

 Geometry Games Galore is a comprehensive unit that covers both plane and solid shapes. It has components that can be used from kindergarten through third grade. It was designed for 2nd grade, but because it is leveled for below grade level, on grade level, and above grade level it can be used in a multitude of settings! If you are looking for a unit that will help you get a Level 4 in TKES for differentiation, this is the unit for you!

Are you looking for a math center to teach place value that requires few materials and minimal time to prepare? If yes, then this is the center for you! Again, this center has differentiation built into it by having 3 different levels. All you need is the cards and clothespins. It will be one of the easiest centers you ever make!

Last but not least are decor items. I am using both in my media center this upcoming year and the colors coordinate very nicely!

     

There are so many fantastic resources for sale by fellow teachers. Head on over and see what you can't live without this year!