Liebster Blog

Nov 24, 2012

This little break has been jam-packed with family time, lots of food, shopping, shopping, and more food. I had left "blogger land" for a few days while taking part in all the holiday festivities. But when I joined the blog world again today, I found out that we had been nominated for the Liebster Blog award by Kelly at Thirsty Firsties and Amy at Little Miss Organized and Bren P from The Teacher Diaries. Thank you so much, Kelly, Bren P, and Amy. We are so happy to be a part of the blogging community and we are very honored to have this award!

I want to make sure that I explain the award correctly...so this comes directly from the Thirsty Firsties post:

The Liebster Award is given by bloggers to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. It is to show new bloggers that they are appreciated and to help spread the word about new blogs.
The rules:


- You must post 11 random things about yourself.

- Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.

- Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.

- Choose 11 blogs you love (with less than 200 followers) and link them in your post.

- No tag back (but please leave me a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster post so I can learn more about you)!


First things first: 11 random things about me (Em):


1. I married my high school sweetheart (and he is still my best friend).
2. I live next door to my parents.

3. I eat sweets everyday...chocolate, cookies...mmmm!
4. We try out several new recipes in our household each week!
5. I love my Title I teaching position. People often ask why I don't go back to the classroom. I love working with a variety of students and teachers each day. It is a great fit for me.
6. I go garage sale-ing every weekend in the summer. I love a good deal!
7. Spinach is my favorite food. I could eat it for every meal of the day.
8. I have two little girls, two and four years old. The four year old told her teachers that my name is "Babe."
9. I am the oldest of three girls. One sister is a nurse and the other is a teacher.
10. My middle sister and I used to teach right across the hall from each other until our building closed!
11. I love shopping for clothes.

And then...questions for me (Em) to answer from Kelly:

1. What's your favorite thing about blogging?
I love to share. Anytime I make something, I am excited to blog about it and share it with others!

2. What's your favorite blog?
www.chartchums.wordpress.com is one of my favorite blogs. These two women are literacy consultants and they have some great ideas!! I read each of their posts and have even bought their books!

3. How long have you been teaching?
This is my ninth year teaching. 2 years in TN and 7 years in OH. Wow!

4. What is your favorite vacation spot?
Hmmm...what is vacation :) At this point in my life, a great vacation spot is anywhere quiet.

5. What is your favorite thing to cook?
Cook-ies :)

6. What is your favorite store?
Anthropologie (just wish I could afford something there)

7. What was been your best TPT purchase?
I have actually never made a purchase off TPT. I do a lot of window shopping there.

8. Coke or Pepsi?
Neither. Water and coffee.

9. What's your favorite Christmas movie?
This is a tough one. We love Christmas music and movies in my house...but I will have to go with Miracle on 34th Street.

10. What's your favorite TV show?
Right now it is "Once Upon A Time" but there are so many good ones out there!

11. What's been the hardest thing about blogging?
I think the hardest thing is just adding another thing to balance in my life. I enjoy blogging but life can get busy and I am trying to make sure I juggle it all.

And then...questions for me (Em) to answer from Amy:

1. What is your best accomplishment?

 My family.

2. What do you love most to do in this life?
 Cook, bake, and take walks with my little family.


3. If you could do anything, what would it be?
Travel more often.


4. How much do you love blogging?
Love it!


5. How many years have you taught?
This is my ninth year!


6. What is your dream?
To have two happy, sweet girls that will grow up with lots of great memories.


7. What is your favorite guilty treat?  
 Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate

8. Do it now or do it later?
Do it now (or else I will totally forget!)


9. Fight or flight?
Fight


10. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
 A European country--I have not been outside of North America.

11. Are you organized, or a pack rat?
Organized-for sure!




And then...questions for me (Em) to answer from Bren P:
1. What led you to decide you wanted to be an educator? 
I am the oldest of three girls and so I think it came a little naturally to me.
 
2. What is your all time favorite book? (Children's books don't count! lol)
 Golden Compass series
 
3. What is your current ringtone?
vibrate 
 
4. How did you come up with your blog name?
My teammate, Maria did.  She loved the word "firsties" that we were seeing all over the blog world.  And we were doing a curious theme this year.  So we just combined the two.
 
5. If you could time travel to any place or time, where would you go?
 Right now.
 
6. You have the chance to appear on your favorite show, currently on air or past, what show would I see you on?
 Price is Right
 
7. What is your favorite childhood memory?
 Looking for colorful rocks that my grandpa had hidden in the sandbox with all my cousins.
 
8. Who is your celebrity crush?
 This changes all the time.  Right now...probably Blake Shelton because I love the Voice.
 
9. If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, which would it be?
 This reminds me of an old SNL sketch.  I think I would pick a George Winston song.
 
10. Where do you live?
Cincinnati
 
11. I'm hoping to get a full-time teaching job soon, got any advice?
The first year of teaching is a lot harder than they ever prepare you for.  Just know that it does get better and there are lots of people to help you through that first year :)


Questions I would like to ask:

1. What wakes you up in the morning?
2. Do you have a hobby that you enjoy?
3. Do you have a recipe that you can't live without?
4. What is your favorite movie?
5. Why did you decide to start blogging?
6. If you weren't teaching, what would you do instead?
7. How long have you been teaching and in what grades?
8. What is your favorite household chore?
9. What is a holiday tradition that you love to do each year?
10. Where do you like to shop?
11. What is your favorite pin on pinterest?

Blogs I would like to nominate:

1. ...and they all fall down
2. From Behind the Lavender Door
3. Gluesticks, Games, and Giggles
4. Lacy's Letters
5. Reading Really Rocks
6. Teacher Treasure Hunter
7. The Quirky Apple
8. Teaching with Moxie
9. Mrs. Beer's Language Arts Class
10.Teach with Laughter
11. If You Give A Teacher a Treat


Hope everyone enjoys the last couple days of November!
Em

Community Writing

Nov 19, 2012



Last week was the week to finish up community writing with our Green Chimps.  We started the year with some "5 Little Monkey" stories.  Maria thought it would be a good idea to have the Green Chimps write their own version.  And she was right!! They had a lot of fun doing it.  

We broke the class into two groups and brainstormed some story ideas.  Two stories started to unfold:

5 Little Dogs Chasing After People
and
5 Little Ghosts Having a Pillow Fight

Our two stories took a little longer than I think we originally expected.  But we were able to really work on sounds, letter formation, and chunks with the iPads and chart paper.

Today was an illustration day!  The students worked on matching their illustrations to the text and filling the space given.  





The entire class was very excited to find out that their books were being posted for the building to read!

On a personal note...

 Last week was so busy for me!  My oldest turned 4 today (can't believe it!)  Our gift...a princess room.  It took much more time than we imagined.  This led to a blogger absence by me! But I wanted to show off some of the amazing art my husband did for the room!



Old Cinderella pictures pasted on a canvas

Finished painting with glitter modge podge

New stenciled wall


Finished room (well half of it)


 Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!




Enjoy your Thanksgiving week!
Em



Do you Scoot??? FREEBIE!

Nov 13, 2012

Warning!  This is my first attempt at making any sort of anything that I thought was up to the caliber of all my bloggy friends.  So.... thanks for the inspiration.  Em and I have talked a lot about this and we decided we just LOVE giving our stuff away for FREE!  :)  So we hope you enjoy all the freebies.  I'm not sure that we'll ever get on TPT, so hopefully you'll continue following us to enjoy all the freebies that come to our minds. 

Onto the freebie.  :)  Last year we stumbled upon Scoot!  Have you ever played it?????  Our firsties last year loved it and after I read a post on Teaching With Love and Laughter I was reminded of what fun Scoot is!  :)  In a nutshell....  there are cards placed on each desk, firsties "scoot" to each desk and fill in the appropriate box what's being assessed, etc.  Last year when it was time to "scoot" we would sing, "Scoot-a-loot-scoot, scoot-a-loot-scoot".  Firstie LOVE.  :)
We are reinforcing Community Helpers this week through stories and our informative writing so I needed to make sure my firsties knew the difference between Fact and Opinion.  I'm going to use this game later this week, so I will let you know how it goes.  I would L.O.V.E. some feedback, so let me know what you think!!!  :)


 

Have a Curious Day!!!

Table writing

Nov 12, 2012

Oh, for the love of linky parties! I just can't seem to get enough of them.

I love this Teaching Tip party hosted by Miss Kindergarten.


In my small groups, I love to do some quick word sorts, writing of high frequency words, or word analysis.  Even though I have my white boards, markers, and erasers sitting right next time...it can still take some precious moments to remove those materials.  So instead, we just write on the tables.  Our firsties get a total kick out of this!  They can't believe I am letting them write on the table.   It was one of those things I never thought to do before  my curious friend, Karen,  shared the idea with me.  Thank you Karen!

 Materials Needed:

Table and dry erase markers.  That is it!



Happy Teaching!

Em



"Currently" in November

Nov 6, 2012

It's NOVEMBER, that means it's time to link up with Farley from "Oh Boy Fourth Grade."
It is my (Em's) first "Currently", hope you enjoy!



I love these "Currently's"!!!!  :)  Thanks so much Farley! This is what Maria is "Currently" doing.
 
 
Now go be Currently Curious!
 

Something New

Nov 4, 2012






The Hands-On Teacher is hosting a Link-Up and I just could not resist.  To join in please click HERE!

So--I love to cook.  My husband is a much better cook than me; therefore, he does most of it.  But I am a better baker and just really enjoying losing myself in a good recipe.  We love to try out new recipes each week (thank you pinterest)!  We tried out quite a few new ones this weekend but I took some pictures of only one of them to share!  Oh yeah--I should warn...I am not good at coming up with my own recipes.  They always come from someone else.

This one comes from a new Whole Foods Kids flyer that I picked up.  I tried to find the recipe online, but I can't find this version.  So here is a picture.

Squash has become one of my favorite foods to cook in fall/winter.  I cooked up my squash.
Cooked up the apples with onions (but I forgot the onions until the end, of course).



I blended it all up with some good spices!


And...that's it! The soup was done.
I popped it in the freezer for later.  Here's to hoping that my girls will eat it :)

Happy Sunday!
Em




A Little Bit of Pumpkin!

Nov 1, 2012

I needed a little bit of sunshine today...just one of those days!

After school today I created a "Curious Pumpkin Patch."  






Mrs. Eads and I read "Big Pumpkin" to all of our firsties.  I love this book!!



Mrs. Eads :)

All of our 60 firsties made themselves.  We displayed them pulling the pumpkin off the vine.  It was a great teamwork activity.  The little person that they used to color came from TPT--What's the Buzz in First.



It was a lot of fun to be a part of and to see the whole grade level participate!


On a different note...our Green Chimps made some cute spiders today.  We used a "Missing Words" powerpoint to practice long a words today.  Students wrote the missing word on a spider leg.  When the powerpoint was complete, the students sorted the words onto the spider body.  Thanks to Tunstall's Teaching Tidbits for the spider idea!  They really enjoyed it!



Happy Friday tomorrow!

Em