Hurricanes and Halloween in First Grade

Lately, I've been a bad blogger but a super okay mom and teacher. I CAN'T BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYONE ALL THE TIME!!!!!!Okay??! *insert crazy eyed emoji*

Here are my excuses:
1. I moved. (Please see: I guess I'm living in Florida 4EVA because that's never happening again. Girl bye.)
2. I traveled. On a train, to New York, with two kids under five. There were fun parts. I swear.
3. I switched grades. (2nd to 1st and wow what a difference! I miss 2nd grade but I also like 1st a lot it turns out.)
4. I fall asleep dead nightly as soon as my youngest's eyes shut.

I don't know how some of you ladies do this juggling teacher-mom-blogger-etc. act but I'll have whatever you're having with an extra shot.

Nonetheless, we've been pretty busy in our first grade classroom so far this year and we (mostly me) are very excited that this mysterious season called Fall is upon us. I think it's a time of year when the air cools and leaves (not palm frawns) turn brown. Here in South Florida we half-heartedly have ICED pumpkin spice lattes and wait impatiently for January temperatures to make us feel like we get at least one seasonal change. 

We are currently bracing for Hurricane Matthew who should be arriving tomorrow night to my area. Safe wishes to everyone along the treasure coast and the Carolinas too. My students know there is a storm coming so in an effort to make light of the situation we read the classic tale Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and wrote about what we would want it to rain instead of meatballs (Spoiler Alert: ice cream and cupcakes were the clear winners). Of course I don't have a picture of their writing because BADBLOGGER. (We used this perfect freebie for our writing and cut out pictures of our favorite foods from my unhealthy sized collection of Food Channel magazines.)

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Fall is supposed to mean Halloween not hurricanes! And Halloween math centers are my favorite. Here is a fun way we are practicing our addition facts. I wrote numbers 5-9 on the cauldrons and then number sentences on the sticks for every fact (and tried to reinforce the commutative property). I also created a fact checker page for them to use when they finish sorting. The cauldrons were $1 at Target.
I had a lot of fun making a Halloween themed math and literacy pack to use this month with my first graders too. I love Whimsy Clips Not-So Spooky clipart. So cute! I think my kids are going to especially love the writing centers and the picture prompts! I also wanted to include place value seat work and math centers since we will be focusing on those concepts (oy vey) until November. Click {HERE} to check it out.

{HERE} is a freebie for you from that pack too!

This year I have also been using a self-running PowerPoint presentation I created to run my reading and math groups. The CLEAN UP slide and defining *chime* noise has really helped get my kids better at transitioning to their next center but we are still workin' on it. Click the picture below to see the rotation board options I have listed in my tpt store.

This marks my fourth year teaching and I am starting to feel like I have much more of a handle on a lot of the nuances of running a classroom. I'm excited to see where the year takes me as I am told first graders grow so much in just one short school year! There is tons of foundational learning going on and it's already pretty cool to see how far they've come since day 1. I will post some more from our classroom soon - here's hoping the power isn't out too long. Hurricanes are no fun. Stay safe everyone!!!!

'Tis the Season of Freebies!

I am having a case of the Sunday blues but I am also super excited that it is our last week before break! This will be my son's first Christmas and my daughter, who is now four, is just the right age for some elf and Santa antics. I can't wait to make some Santa footprints at our door out of flour!

My team started a tradition last year of dedicating a whole day to the book The Polar Express. We have our students dress in their PJ's, we do some fun crafts, and make hot cocoa. I created this how-to writing template to go with a Christmas Cone craft we love to do. Grab it {HERE}!

I rack my brain every year on what to get my students as a little gift without breaking my bank or my back. I came up with this in the Christmas baking aisle at Target (frantically searching Pinterest while my baby boy slept and preschool pick-up approached) and I am loving the outcome.

Grab the tags {HERE}! They come in color and black and white.

Godspeed on your final week before break!!!!!!

Monday Made It - July 13th

  

This has been the summer of MOD PODGE!

Pencil Bins  

I'll be using these for each table/group to keep their pencils. I printed the labels and Mod Podged (is that a verb?) them to the inside so they'll last! The font is KG Second Chances Solid and the pencils and grey pencil bins are from Target's Dollar Spot (my second home).
 

 

 

 

 

Crayon Organizer
LOVE! I was inspired by this post by Going Nutty! with Miss Squirrels. I love how she put contrasting colors in the same drawers so they're easily distinguishable. Her whole supply setup is perfection.

Grab the labels I created HERE  for free! 

 

DIY Calendar
I found calendars, two in a pack, at Target for a $1! Although really cute, they didn't match my color scheme (teal, yellow, grey) so they needed a makeover. Luckily, the border is grey so I just had to remove the top.

 

I cut the days of the week off across the top. Flipped the cut piece, so the white part faced out, and taped to the back. I then used Mod Podge to glue my own design to it. I let them dry and then cut out the visible white parts (step 4) and then applied another coat of sealer. After they dried, I stacked heavy books to flatten the calendar completely (the glue causes the paper to bow a bit as it dries).

 

I love how it turned out! 

 

 

 It's been a crafty summer!

I can't wait to see everyone else's ideas and crafts that linked up!

 
 

 

TPT Seller Challenge Week 3 AND 4!

Head over to my TpT store to download this freebie! Don't forget to leave feedback☺ I am also still having my feedback special! If you leave feedback on any free item, you'll receive any $1 item in my store for free as well. Just email sharpinsecondblog@gmail.com once you've left your feedback!

Here is the flip-book in action:

I followed so many new faces this month! Visit  and follow me on Instagram so that you can follow them too!

I have loved participating in this month long TpT Seller Challenge and getting to talk to so many awesome teachers! Thanks again to the awesome hosts (Sparkling in Second, Peppy Zesty Teacherista, Third in Hollywood, and Teach Create Motivate)!

I am super excited to be part of a new Facebook group #secondgradetribe, started by Tara at Teaching in CLE.

If you're a second grade teacher, join us! Collaboration is everything.