GIVEAWAY: $1,000 in prizes!!!

I am excited to be a part of this giveaway!!  And you can actually enter straight from this post.  Here is what Tabitha has set up to giveaway: 


Good luck everyone!!!

I've teamed up with the best of the best TpT sellers for what I'm sure will be an amazing giveaway! 10 winners will each win one of the prize packages listed below. Each package contains a $10 shopping spree to 10 different stores- that a $100 shopping spree and a total of $1000 in products in all!

You can enter right from my page. Best of luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wordless Wednesday: Hot Fun in the Summer

I love this party!  Here is my photo today....but my question to you is: what hot fun are you having this summer?

Using Technology to Engage in Story Problems

The end of the year came and went!  It is so crazy how quickly one year goes.  Sometimes it feels like you are just getting to know your kiddos and then it is time to say goodbye.  Maybe it is just a side effect of getting older :)

Anyways...I wanted to share with you a side effect to being a part of this blogger world.  And I don't just mean blog writers.  I am talking about writers and readers.  This community is built of individuals sharing ideas, getting ideas, using ideas, changing ideas, and growing because of ideas.  It is a pretty special "world" to be a part of.

One example of this...

I had posted a little bit about the ShowMe app and how I was using it to work on sight words.  Well, throughout the year Natalie and I integrated this technology into our story problem solving.  After our firsties wrote their story problems, we took pictures of their work (with the app), asked them to record themselves solving their problem.

Then...I sent the little "ShowMe" videos to some blog-world friends.  And they sent some problems back!!! Now...they sent them through little videos, word documents, and pictures!  We did not all use this app.  Our kids were so excited to see others solving their problems and to get some problems in return.  It was like having story problem pen pals!

But it was because of these ideas that all of this learning occurred.  I read about the app through a blog, shared was I was doing, got comments from readers, asked them share problems with me, and ta-da!! Some great learning occurred.

I am so thankful.

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 Just a little more about how we used the ShowMe app:

Here is an example of a ShowMe video that I created (I get too nervous about their voice and stuff being on my blog).  Click on the image and it will take you to the video.

 Waring: this video has the incorrect answer and here is why: I used this video mid-year.  There were three different ones and my math group had to decide if I solved the problem correctly or incorrectly.  Then they had to show me the correct solution.

At the end of the year, they made their own video.  We projected and watched them as a whole class.  BUT I paused the video before the problem was solved.  ALL the students had to solve the problem on their sheet.  Then we watched the author solve the problem and we discussed if individual students solved it the same way or in different ways.

I love, love, LOVED this activity.  They were so engaged, so motivated, so EXCITED to share their problems in this manner.

I hope to do more of this.

The Creative Teacher Giveaway! 1 for Me & 1 for You

It is not often that I get to share my "crafty-ish" side with my Curious Firsties' friends.  But every once in awhile I like to break out the sewing machine and try something new.  So when Melissa, the Teacher Treasure Hunter, invited me to be a part of The Creative Teacher Giveaway, I couldn't say no!

The mission: choose something to make from Pinterest.

Hmmmm....there is a lot out there!

But my crafty-ish dresser is filled with scraps:

And I found some cute items at Micheal's:

So I decided to make some fabric notecards.  I started with black cardstock.  Piled on some cute fabrics with a zig-zag stitch and colorful thread.  Then added some ribbon, jewels, or flowers!  It was not as easy as I imagined it to be.

But...I have 6 handmade cards, 6 yellow envelopes, and 1 gold marker!

 Please enter below to win them!!  I will send the whole package your way! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't stop now!! There are 15 other items that you can win for your classroom or personal use!!  Head over to your next stop:

  Good luck!!

Real World Reading Materials

Our classroom libraries are FILLED with good books that are of different levels, about different subjects, and that piques different interests.  "Real world reading" material can also be added! (I put this in quotes because, of course, books are in the real world.  But I am talking about reading material we see when we are "out and about" in day to day lives.)  And summer is the perfect time to build a collection of these reading materials!

Here are some of the different materials that you could collect:

(sassy design paper, barrio and stars in our eyes fonts)

Once collected, just laminate (or not) and place them in your reading library!  Some of the words may be too difficult for our young readers; however, the material is motivating, colorful, and interesting to them!  And it helps bridge that connection between what we are doing in the classroom and what they need to be able to read out there in the big, wide, "real world"!

It can even to be helpful to pull some of these reading materials and show how it connects to a story.  For example, a campground brochure or map could be pulled out when Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night is read in class.

I hope you are able to use this Bright Idea. Please consider following me on Pinterest or TPT.  For more than 100 other Bright Ideas, please see the link-up below and choose a topic that interests you!  Happy Reading :)

An InLinkz Link-up

In My Opinion... Proud Mama Moment (Freebie!!!)

A few months ago, our principal approached me to ask if my daughter could be photographed by Crayons to Computers.

 

For those of you who don't live in Cincinnati, I'm so sorry.  Crayons to Computers is a local teacher free store.  Yes, you read that right, everything there is FREE to teachers.  So we can shop one day a month for FREE.  It's pretty amazing and helps us to save LOTS of money.  Well, of course I said yes to her being photographed and I didn't know what the pictures would be for, but I didn't care, really because I'm so thankful we have this guy around.

I had completely forgot that she had gotten her picture taken until we saw her in the teacher newsletter that Crayons sends out each month.  This month is when they start their annual Push for Pencils campaign (if you want to donate, just click HERE).  Then, we started to get texts and emails from friends and coworkers about these little guys popping up in all our area Kroger grocery stores.

Needless to say we went on a hunt to the Kroger that is right down the street from our house. She said, "Mommy, am I famous?"  I said, "Of course you are!"

Now for a little honest moment.  Part of me is really ashamed to even say this out loud.  I love my job as a teacher.  I love what I do.  I was made for this job.  When this little lady said, I want to be a teacher for the first time, I was like... Really??? Try again.  This job is hard, it's thankless.  The politicians make the world think we get 3 months off in the summer, don't know what we are doing, and want to take our pay based on a test or two.  I mean... really, a teacher?

Then.... I saw this.  Melt.my.heart.  Ok... you can be a teacher.  I will support you 100%.

SO.... in my opinion this girl has chosen the best job ever!  And in honor of that you can get my opinion organizer packet for FREE!  Yes, nothing!  Because maybe you don't have a teacher free store and we all love free stuff.  While you're there downloading, please leave me some love. :)  Just click on the cover below.  And if you're in the shopping mood, everything else (which isn't a lot) is only $1. :) 

Here's to the best job ever!

Wordless Wednesday: After Vacation

 

I know Miss DeCarbo is on vacation this week!  But I just returned from mine. About...hmm....two hours ago.  We were at the beach :)  It was a long drive home.  But when we opened the car doors, this is what happened:

 They remind me everyday to pay attention to the little things!  What do you miss most when you go on vacation?

 

 

Catch Up, Catch Up

It's been a long time since I've posted about what's been going on in our life.  We've had a pretty emotional last few months.  Actually... it feels like it's been the last year for myself.  Last year I lost my grandma and since then it's felt like there was always a dark cloud over me.  I couldn't get motivated to blog, create, pinterest, or blog stalk like I had been.  I know... I couldn't even get motivated to Pinterest!  Lots of things became less important to me.  There have been lots of great things going on with us, but it always felt like there was always something looming over me.  Have you ever felt that way? 

Then, my close friend that I coached with passed away unexpectedly.  He was healthy.  He was jogging.  Had a heart attack.  I cried for a week.  I didn't know what to do or how to get out of it.  My teaching buddies... I can't thank them enough.  Em was there for me during lunches to chat.  Karen let me cry it out and question everything.  Natalie and Lauren let me talk and cry.  So supportive.  Another great blogging friend let me cry, scream and question. She put everything in perspective and grounded my strong feelings. Thanks so much Jenny! 

So, a few weeks ago, the sun started shining again. I stopped crying.  Turned another year older, had knee surgery (so I can FINALLY run again) and celebrated a few great things with my girls.  It is my hope that life is back to as normal as normal can be with three ladies in the house. :) 

Here are a few pictures to catch you up.  :)

The first "real" picture our youngest has drawn. :)

Easter Egg Hunt at my sister's house.

 

Our oldest celebrated her First Communion.  The dress she wore was worn by my mom 57 YEARS AGO!  I also wore it as well as my 5 other sisters.  It reminds me of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants because we are all shapes and sizes and it fit us all! :)  She also wore my wedding veil. 

Our youngest finally got her Kings Island Pass!  And almost everyone moved up in their height. :)  Lots of growing going on in this family, BUT I'm thankful NONE of us (well... children anyway) are tall enough for the Banshee yet.  I'm not ready to stomach that coaster yet. 

We've hung around at the park, built forts, had puppet shows and went to story time with Em's girls and my niece with the princesses. :)  It was cute.  I think they were high school girls, but they were super cute and sang wonderfully! 

Finally this little lady finished Kindergarten.  I'm so, so, so proud of her. Love that outfit!
I tried to talk her out of it, but she wanted to wear red on red.  She actually had on capris that were pink and white striped.  She rolled them up under her skirt.  Should I be worried?

 
Thanks for sticking with me.  It is my hope to blog, create and share lots more because we have a lot of great stuff going on friends! :) 

I'd love to hear what you've been up to!