And the winner is...

 

Congratulations Jessica! You have mail! :)

 

And just a reminder.... my joint giveaway with Leigh at The Applicious Teacher and Tamara at Mrs. Russell's Room is STILL going on so get over to Leigh's blog and enter! Do it NOW before it's too late!

 

 

And before you go, be sure and hit the "Follow this blog with bloglovin'" button that I just added over on the right column! I am SOOOOO happy to be at 216 followers in less than 3 months of blogging! I am truly blessed! I want to make sure I keep all of you lovely followers when Google Reader goes "bye-bye" on July 1st so please hit that new follow button!

Thanks so much to all of you who are following me and have supported me the last few months! :)

 

If you aren't sure what "BlogLovin'" is... read this post to learn more!

 

 



                             

An Apple A Day: Classroom Management

It's time for another "An Apple A Day" Linky with Leigh over at The Applicious Teacher!

 

 This week's theme is Classroom Management!

I have several different ways that I manage my class to share with you that are not necessarily about managing behaviors.. but other things because to me, classroom management isn't just about behavior!

Let me start by saying that I assign numbers to students at the beginning of the year according to their last name alphabetically. I use this number for all sorts of things throughout the year. I even write the numbers on the tiles with a sharpie so they know WHERE to stand when they line up and there is never any arguing because we line up in NUMBER order everytime! :)

Ok, let's dig in to.... Classroom Jobs!

This is not the first time I have put my job chart in a blog post but I thought it was appropriate to bring it up once again.

This has honestly been the best decision I made in regards to classroom jobs! I used to have a HUGE display that was placed all along my cabinet doors for display and I used dry erase markers to write names and it was just a HUGE mess!

Sooo, in order to SAVE ROOM and MANAGE things EASIER, I changed to this method. All I did was cut and laminate the job pieces and numbers, then cut them out. I then laid out a super long piece of zebra ribbon and hot glued the job pieces all the way down. Once the glue dried, I used thumb tacks to secure it to the wall at the top and bottom. I then hot glued the number pieces to clothespins. From there, you just place one clothespin on each job, in number order, all the way down. Now all I have to do to switch jobs, is rotate the clothespin down one and move the bottom one to the top! It's soooo easy and not time consuming at all! Love it! :)

Next up, center rotations:

I'm not going to go into an in-depth post about my center time just yet, but I do want to share how my kiddos know it's time to rotate independently.

The timer pictured above is made by Kagan. I use a lot of Kagan Cooperative Learning structures in my classroom and I was blessed enough to receive this timer when I attended a 2-day Kagan workshop!
It's totally awesome for randomly selecting students, groups, etc. but my main reason for using it is the timer feature. I can easily and quickly set the timer for 15:00 minutes {or any other time increment} and the students get started. The timer automatically gives what I call a "warning beep" a little bit before time is up. This "warning beep" serves as their clean up beep.. that way, when the final beep goes off, they are ready to switch and get started at the next center! :)
Click the picture above to check out the timer if you think it would work well for you! :)
{Please note, I am not being paid to advertise this product... I really do USE it and LOVE it!}

Now we are on to how I manage POSTIVE behavior in my classroom:

Click the pic to check this out at Really Good Stuff!

I bought this classroom reward bingo game over the summer last year and implemented it this year. The kiddos LOVED it! I would use it for all sorts of positive reinforcement - first 3 kiddos to be quiet, first 2 kiddos to clean their desk off first, first kiddo to follow directions, for any random act of kindness, working hard, and the list goes on and on! The kids never knew when I would tell someone to "put their number on the Bingo board" so they were always waiting for it and trying to be the one who made it on there! I had students write their class number on the poster because it was much faster and I also thumb tacked a dry erase marker on a string right next to it for easy access. Every two weeks I would draw a few winners and give them a prize!

How do I manage my groups/tasks?

At the same training where I received the MegaTimer above, I also received this awesome class set of 10 TeamMats also made by Kagan. On one side of the mat, it is split into fourths and labeled with the numbers 1-4. It also shows the students which is their face partner and which is their shoulder partner. I use the numbers on this mat for partner discussions but also other things. For example, I might say that person 1 is responsible for picking up materials and putting them away that day. Person 2 might be team captain for the day. Person 3 might be in charge of getting handwriting paper for their group one day. You get the idea. It's just super handy and super quick to manage all kinds of transitions and tasks!
The other side of the mat is for a specific Kagan structure. Click the pic above to check them out in all their detailed glory.

 Well, I have discussed several aspects of how I manage different things in my room but I DO have some more helpful management tips!
I have put together a pack that includes 3 different classroom management techniques.
This pack will discuss using:
An A+ Behavior Bag {to promote teamwork and correct expectations}
Stop Light Pocket Chart System {includes a reproducible for student tracking and parent communication}
AND
Classroom Library Organization {an in-depth look at how I set up my classroom library and how the kiddos can use the system to be independent and keep that library neat!}

Click the pic to check this out on TpT!

You can also enter to WIN my Classroom Management pack below!

There's 2 ways to win! To enter on my blog, just leave a comment on this post! I will use a random number generator to choose one comment to win! :)

For another chance to enter (along with two other packs from Leigh @ The Applicious Teacher and Tamara @ Mrs. Russell's Room)... head over to Leigh's blog and enter the rafflecopter!

Thanks for sticking with me through this long post! Hope it was helpful! :) Be sure and link up below to share your tips also!



                                

Book Studies Galore!

Hi friends!

This will be a quick post.. I promise!

 

I am participating in several book studies this summer! Now that my internet is back up and running, I will be able to post on them each week as well as do my HOST chapter!

 

Here are the book studies, where to find the posts, and at the end, there's a link to buy each book via Amazon so you can follow along and "professionally develop" yourself! :)

Book Study #1

 

Hosted by these ladies here: 

    Book Study #2

  Different bloggers will each be writing about a chapter and will all be blogged about via the blog "We Read, We Blog, We Teach"! Head on over and follow that blog to stay updated!  

Book Study #3:



This book study will be happening this FALL. It should start sometime in October so you have plenty of time to start reading so you can  join in on the fun! :) More info. to follow on this one!

 

And before I leave you,

here is your one stop shop to LOAD up on all of these amazing books!

I have included links for each book below! 
Click the book link with the prices shown for the PAPERBACK version!
Click the book link with NO prices shown for the KINDLE version!
Woot! Have fun shopping! :)



Fabulous Feedback Linky!

Well, it is certainly summer because these linky parties are in FULL swing and keeping my fingers busy! :) I'm linking up with Christina once again for her Fabulous Feedback Linky Party! Click the pic to check out her blog and the other feedback posts!

I just love, love, love this linky party because I get to highlight some fabulous feedback I received on a product! And, to make it even more exciting, if YOU are the person who left the feedback, you get an item from my store that's similarly priced to the one you left feedback on for FREE! Woo!

So I received some wonderful feedback on a product that I use in my classroom for building number sense. I can assign a "number of the day" and the students will work with that number in a variety of ways. It really helps to get the math block started and it builds some important skills!

Here's the fabulous feedback I received!

Such sweet and genuine feedback! Remember, if you are user "1stgradeteacherFirst" that left this feedback for me, comment below or email me so I can send you the freebie you earned! :)

 

I can't wait to read about everyone else's fabulous feedback!

 

And before you leave, be sure and check out my Daily Number Focus for Number Sense product! :)

 

 



                                            

Have No Fear...Bloglovin' is here!

As most people know, Google Reader is gone, gone, gone as of July 1st! {And if you didn't know, now you do!}

 

You may find yourself having a slight panic attack, wondering HOW you are going to keep up with all of your favorite blogs!

 

I mean, nobody goes and individually types in URLs anymore...that's soooo 2012. All the cool kids have moved on!

 

Well, if you are an avid Google Reader user, have no fear... Bloglovin' is here!

 

Bloglovin' is SUPER user-friendly AND you can transfer all of the blogs you follow from Google Reader into your Bloglovin' acct!

 

It's simple. Go to Bloglovin' and create an account. {It's FREE} During the setup of your account, it will ask if you want to import the blogs you were following on Google Reader. Once you import, they are all there! Ready to be read! And best of all, it will look very similar to Google Reader so you should be able to navigate it quickly.

 

And to top it off, if you read blogs on your phone or iPad.. Bloglovin' has an app for that!

 

So what are you waiting for?!? Head on over and follow my blog on Bloglovin'!

 

Happy Blog Reading! :)

 

 



Ten Pin Linky {Calling All Pinterest Addicts}

I am so excited to try out this brand new linky party going on called the "Ten Pin Linky" hosted by Ashley Reed from over at Just Reed!

So this week's theme is to share my favorite pins in regards to CLASSROOM Décor! Here goes nothing! 1.The first pin I'm going to share is actually one of my own! It's my zebra themed Teacher Toolbox! I just love, love, love using it in my classroom and it fits into my room PERFECTLY! It was the best thing I made last summer for sure! :)

  2. Ok, I'm loving this next pin because it maximizes space! Which, let's be honest, who DOESN'T  need to maximize space in their classroom?!? I love how this person has the end AND side of the file cabinet as a functional area and not just what's inside the drawers!

 

3. Next up, Erica Bohrer's Word Wall! It is simply adorable! I just love the bright colors and the overall organization of it! It looks so crisp and clean! :) I'm totally jealous!

 

4. This adorable corner area from The Creative Chalkboard is just TOO CUTE! Who wouldn't want to read in this little nook area?!? I know I would grab my Kindle and go read there RIGHT NOW! :)

 

5. Ok, we're halfway through! I hope you are enjoying these pins so far! I couldn't resist sharing this pin because I think it's HILARIOUS! It's an idea from Little Illuminations as a little Halloween Décor in the classroom! :)

 

6. This pin comes to us from The Clutter Free Classroom! I love how these ugly simple, plain drawers have been turned into something totally cute and spunky just by adding some bright colors and polka dots! So cute!

   7. Here we have an idea that I have seen popping up all over the place lately - framing inspirational quotes to display in your classroom. I think it's such a great idea and very elegant. A definitely unique way to jazz things up in your room! This pin is courtesy of Schoolgirl style!

8. Anyone who follows my blog knows that I work super closely with Tamara from Mrs. Russell's Room. I am sharing this pin in HONOR of Tamara and her pirate themed classroom! How cute is this door?!? Love!

9. WOW! If you have never checked out the Glyph Girls before, check out this pin NOW! Talk about an ideal classroom! I am so jealous of all the awesomeness going on in this blog post! This particular picture is representing an area of their classroom which will be used as a timeline and pictures will be posted on it throughout the school year! Super cute and snazzy!

10. Are we already to our last pin? Noooooo! This has been so much fun! Last but not least, I love this idea for storing games and/or center activities! So simple, yet so effective!

Well friends, that's all I have for today! I do hope you will take the time to check out these pins and if you like them, be sure to re-pin them so that others can enjoy them too!

Also, be sure you are following me on Pinterest!

Happy pinning! :)

 



Fun in the Sun Linky!

I am linking up with my co-planning bestie, Tamara from Mrs. Russell's Room, for her Fun in the Sun Linky! Woot! :)

 

My week has been pretty uneventful other than cleaning so far this week so I will share what I'm going to do this weekend to make up for it!

 

My hubby and I are taking Arielle over to his mom's house to spend some time together! It's always great to have family time where we can all just hang out together and play some games! Although, you better watch out when we break out the Phase 10 game..things get pretty heated!!

 

My hubby and I are also going to sneak out (just the 2 of us) and go see some movies! We're hoping to see Man of Steel, Now You See Me, and The Purge! I'm most excited for Man of Steel (in 3D) because I'm a huge comic book movie nerd! Plus, my hubby is obsessed with Superman! :)

 

Annnd I'm hoping The Purge doesn't scare the you-know-what out of me! I haven't seen a scary movie in years! Wish me luck!!

 

Thanks for stopping by! What are you doing for fun this week? Head on over to Mrs. Russell's Room to link up and let us know!