LAUGH OUT LOUD #6

How do you know if your first graders like you?


Answer:  When they say the silliest things like this.
"Mrs. Howell, Mrs Howell.  
You know . . . I DON'T like you . . .
I LOVE YOU!"

How cute is that?  A great way to end a day!

Friday I posted my new and revised Language Arts Anchor Charts in my TPT store.

Please take a look when you have a minute.
Click on the pictures to view.

I Love You! 

Have a wonderful week!

Kathy

YAHOO! GIVE SOMEONE A CHEER!

It's almost the end of the school year!  We all need some encouragement.  Here's an idea I use in my first grade classroom throughout the year.  At the end of the day I choose one boy and one girl.  I choose those who have behaved and completed all of their work.

I give them each a set of pom poms.  ( I bought each set for a dollar at the discount store.) They walk around the room and stand by someone they think has done a great job at school.  They shake the pom poms and cheer while the class recites our Yahoo Cheer 2 times.

We clap for those students.  I remind them that tomorrow I will choose two more students who have behaved and completed all of their work.  The students can't wait to have a turn to shake the pom poms. This really helps with classroom behavior and positive attitudes toward each other.

Please click on the picture below to print a copy of our Yahoo Cheer!

Yahoo!  I am proud of you!

Kathy

HUNDREDS OF FREEBIES FOR YOUR CLASSROOM!

Enjoy hundreds of freebies!  Mrs. O on the TeachersPayTeachers website has put together a booklet with direct links for free classroom ideas and printables.  Teachers from all grade levels participated and contributed their fabulous ideas.  This is a wonderful, free resource for teachers.

Please click on the picture below.  If you don't have a TPT account, it's free and easy to set one up.

Enjoy!

Kathy

WRITE, WRITE, AND WRITE SOME MORE!

This time of the year my first grade students are writing the most beautiful stories!  To help them remember the essentials of writing a good story I made my anchor chart, 
DOES YOUR STORY HAVE . . ., into a smaller version that can be used at centers or during writing time.  We have used it throughout the year and it has paid off wonderfully.

Patrick wrote this during centers.  
The writing prompt was:  Imagine you are a kite. Where are you and what do you see?
I am a kite flying over Ireland!  Whoosh!  A gust of wind lowers me down.  A child takes me.  I'm his now.  He plays with me every day.  Then he lets me fly to another part of the world to have another adventure.

Please click on the chart below to print a FREE copy and write on!

Happy Writing!

Kathy

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!

It's time to celebrate!  Birthdays are so much fun!  I'm celebrating my birthday with my husband.  We are going to Monterey to see the fantastic Monterey Bay Aquarium here in California.  It's been updated and renovated since the last time I was there.  Can you tell I'm so excited!  It's about a 3 hour drive, close but yet so far.

So, because I'm celebrating I want to share with you.  I am having a birthday sale.  All of my TPT store products are on sale beginning tomorrow, April 15 to April 18.  Please click on over (click on the cake) and see the new items I have added.  Thank you. 

How old am I?  I tell my first graders that I am old enough to be a mom, but not old enough to be a grandma.  One student said, "That means you're 29."  I say yes to 29.  That's how I feel inside and that's what counts.

Happy Birthday Wishes to All!

Kathy

LAUGH OUT LOUD #5

THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION

We all have them.  Those one, two, or even three students that always work in slo-o-o-o-o-o-ow motion.  You find yourself constantly saying, "Hurry up and finish your work!  You don't want to miss recess.  Hurry up and finish your work!  We need to go to the library in 5 minutes.  Hurry up and finish your work!  It's almost lunch time.  Hurry up and finish your work!  We're going home in 10 minutes.  Please try to finish your work.  WHY CAN'T YOU FINISH ON TIME LIKE EVERYONE ELSE?"

After all of that and they still don't finish in a timely fashion.  "Argh."  Well, I finally found out why they don't finish their work on time.  This is what my first grade student told me after the last "Hurry up and finish your work it's almost time for recess."

He said, "Don't rush me.  I'm doing a professional job!"

(And so he did.  He finished it during his recess!)

Take Care,
Kathy

FREE - BE A READING STAR!

Celebrate children's reading by making them a Reading Star.  Encourage and reward their reading success with READING incentives instead of prizes and candy.  My first graders have enjoyed celebrating reading by reading to the class.  They love sitting in the teacher's chair and reading.

Stop by my TPT store for a FREE copy of
BE A READING STAR!
Please click on the star below.

Happy Reading!

Kathy

MOTHER'S DAY!

Hold on!  You're talking about Mother's Day already?  This is only Spring Break.
Yes, I know.  Time flies when you're having fun.  And before you know it, Mother's Day will soon be here.

So, I've just posted my Mother's Day or Special Person's Day - Student Craft & Card product on TPT.
Moms will love receiving this special Mother's Day gift made especially for mom by their child.

Have a wonderful day!

Kathy