February Freebies

Hi friends!

It's been.... phew. A long time.  I apologize for not keeping up to date but I'm a new busy mama over here :) My son, Owen, is 13 months old now.  Time sure flew by and he's the greatest love I've ever known.

Speaking of love, I have found a couple amazing February freebies, perfect for Valentine's Day.  The first one is from Longwing Learning. It is a  February bulletin board that is being displayed currently outside my second grade classroom called What do you know by heart?

What I loved about this resource is that it got my second graders thinking... what am I good at?  What would I be able to teach others?  What is in my heart?
Examples that my students came up with include:
-Addition and subtraction facts          -Reading books
-Being a good friend                           -How to love
-How to speak another language        -How to be kind


The other freebie my students were very excited about was a Family Valentines Project by Teacher's Breathing Space.

I cannot wait for these to come back next week.  This project allows for my students to work with their families and have fun and decorate their hearts however they want.  Unleash their creativity!  They are also allowed to take leadership in the design ;) Very excited second graders I have!
-I laminated the hearts on cardstock
-I laminated and printed in color the sign "Our Family Valentine Projects" so I can use year after year.
-I also gave my students at least a week to complete - life is busy!

I hope you enjoy these freebies... check out more Valentine's products in my TPT store.

Here's a fun writing freebie for the younger grades :)

Happy February!!

Valentine's Day Coasters and Freebies

Hello, hello! I cannot believe how long it's been since I have blogged.. actually, I'll let you in on a little secret - I actually started another blog about my health.  I have written only a few posts, but it holds me accountable for making better choices.  If you want to check it out you can HERE :)

So Valentine's Day is right around the corner! My kiddos made these beautiful DIY coasters for their moms and dads.  We wrapped them in tissue paper and decorated with a few simple words and stickers.  To see how you can make coasters for your home or for a great gift, check out my post from a few years ago :)

 I am so proud of my kiddos for their hard work - they are true rock stars and some of the hardest working Kindergarteners and First graders I have ever known.  This year has been wonderful and I never want to le them go!  I can't wait for them to get my little goodie bags I made for them for Valentine's Day -they deserve it!

 

Check out these great Valentine's Day freebies I found on TPT:

 For the upper grades:

The wonderful Laura Candler's February Activities

 

For the lower grades:

 A Partner Play for Beginning Readers by the amazing A Teeny Tiny Teacher

For the clipart lovers:

Valentine's Graphics from the very talented 3AM Teacher

And something for every grade level:

Non-food Valentine Ideas and Cards from the very lovely Rachelle Smith

I wish you all a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Love what we do

     In my school, one of our teachers teaches assembly every week.  Assembly is where we come together as a school in the morning and the children learn a daily lesson from one of us.  The month of February is about love and friendship.  I found these pins on Pinterest that I wanted to share with you... images (and songs) are worth a thousand words :]

I love this freebie from my friend Susanna (Whimsy Workshop) - Check it out HERE!

 

 

      That's why I love Pinterest.  There are so many beautiful pictures that can capture a teacher's heart.  Our imaginations are allowed to run wild through others ideas.  I take pride in being flexible and open minded to learn from my colleagues... and my students.

     I asked my Kindergartners what they loved about our school/classroom (This can be something you can do with ANY age level and they come up with some really fantastic things!)... I wanted them to think about what we love about each other and our community.  And this is what they came up with:

   

 My students had me take different pictures around the classroom of things they loved - their artwork, decorations, memories, the beautiful sunshine, and each other. When you take a moment to breathe and to really listen to your children, you can learn something - no matter how old they are, they have the thoughts and imagination to reflect on their learning and environments.

This is my classroom in a nutshell... small yet bright and inviting.  My kids have taught me a lot and to love my job even more... I hope you "love what we do" too : ]

I created a FREEBIE while thinking about wanting my students to reflect on love and friendship.  Even at such a young age, students can dig deep into their thoughts and understand what they love in the world.  I hope you and your students enjoy this freebie too, as it can be applied for grades K-3!

  

 

Valentine's Love and Craft

Happy Valentine's Day to you all! I hope you had a wonderful day and enjoyed spending time and sharing the love with your students and loved ones.  I had a great (but hectic) day with my lovely kiddos, but I am excited for February break coming up.  I know many teachers do not receive a February break and they get a longer Christmas break than I do, but I like the split up.  I just wish it wasn't so early this year!

Check out our adorable candy holders that me and Miss Mound's class made :) So cute!! Heather is a lot better than me with keeping up with Pinterest and finding the best ideas!! Check out this pin HERE and how you can make a DIY Candy Jar/Gumball Machine!

Posted below is my finished candy jar :) I can't wait to put it in my apartment!! I hope Mike likes it!

Also, we made delicious Valentine's ice cream sodas!! Also found on Pinterest, here :) [What did we do before Pinterest?] Even though I am on a "diet/changing lifestyle", I HAD to have one of these!!

The love of my life of 3+ years and counting got me a half dozen roses and a half dozen carnations :) He also got me a beautiful necklace/earrings set, and the adorable pug that you see below!

I am still in the process of updating my TPT and TN activties... so far, Government Unit is fixed, and I JUST finished my Poetry Unit!! :) Please check it out on Teachers Pay Teachers and of course, Teacher's Notebook!

TPT and TN are both wonderful, but I am so happy that Teacher's Notebook will be featuring my ELA Common Core Pack in the upcoming newsletter!! Steve and Debbie are amazing!!

Speaking of awesomeness, I think I am going to be getting my fonts from Tonya's Treats for Teachers from now on!! She is a great and talented gal, so I am definitely going to get a commercial license once she gets going... Please check out her blog if you haven't already and show her some LOVE :] Tell her Love to Teach sent you!

Well, I am tired and need to try to wake up in the morning to do my workout.. I have been so exhausted, but it doesn't help that it's already close to midnight by the time I go to bed! Again, I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day, whether you are single or taken, live with someone or alone, always know that there is someone that cares for you!!
And you are all the best teachers!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I really enjoy watching my kiddos enjoy the holidays.  With tattling, bullying, and just plain disagreements, the theme of "love" for Valentine's Day helps my kids connect with each other and become a "family" again.  We will be doing fun crafts on Tuesday, and also having a small party.  I can't wait to give my students their goodie bags!


Our Valentine's Day Butterfly Bulletin :)

Check out my Valentine's Day Acrostic Poem Freebie!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentine-Acrostic-Poem-Freebie

Also my Valentine's Day Unit will be on sale for $2.00 until after Valentine's Day :) 8 fun activities!!

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Valentines-Day-Activity-Unit