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!

  

 

Bright Ideas for Writing

 Hi! I am so excited to be participating in the Bright Ideas Blog Hop with so many amazing bloggers.  I am writing today about my favorite assessment tool that I have used with my 3rd graders, 4th graders, and now Kindergartners - and it all works successfully :) - PORTFOLIOS!

 What I love about using portfolios is the freedom and creativity you can discover.  Your children can do a specific assignment or a free write, and place it in their portfolio and watch their writing show progress over the year.  The most important part of my kiddos portfolios - that they take ownership of their writing and LOVE it. They know I am so very proud of them, but it is more important that they are proud of themselves for their learning and creative writing.

Here are some portfolio samples from my sweet Ella from this year : ) She is growing into such a little writer!  Her free writing was about the tortoise and the hare, and she made it her own.  Such a very proud Kindergarten teacher!

 One of my favorite parts of my students' portfolios and the writing process is authors share.  It is their moment to shine and to be in the spotlight to share their masterpieces.  Portfolios can work with any grade level and with any individual.  Watching them grow is priceless and something that their families can keep along their educational journey.

If you are looking for more great ideas, please hop on over the wonderful Mrs. Wheeler about her take on classroom management.  You don't want to miss this amazing first grade teacher's post!

Q and U got married!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The winner of my TPT giveaway is... Julie! Congratulations : ) Thank you to all of you for entering!

Guess what happened last week... Q and U got married!

The kids were so excited that they asked about it every day until the day finally came : ) A few students were sick and they were heartbroken.. I was so sad that they had to miss it! Here's a few pictures of a little bit of what our day entailed!

 

My favorite unit which was AMAZING to use comes from sweet Crystal from Kreative in Kinder - Her Q and U Happily Ever After Unit is full of fun literacy activities that all of my students loved.  It even includes invitations, a guest book sign-in, printable books, etc.  Definitely check it out on TPT!

 

 I hope you all had a great Monday and thought of our great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr... I leave you with a freebie to help teach your children about this great man : ) 

This freebie comes from the wonderful Latoya Reed!  Enjoy!