Happy Friday Freebie!

Just a quick post to share this FREEBIE!

Click here to grab a copy!  I have also added a Spanish poster.  Have an amazing weekend fellow bloggers and teachers.

Chalkboard Table & Class Sneak Peek

I have been working my tail off trying to get my classroom as ready as possible for next year!  We don't start back until August 12th, so you might be asking WHY?  Well, here it is....

MY HUSBAND WILL BE HERE TONIGHT!  YES!  TONIGHT!  

We have spent a little over a year apart due to deployments.  The girls and I are anxiously awaiting his return.  We get to have him all to ourselves until August 7th and then another year apart begins.

I switched from your basic primary colors to brights this year.  My theme is polka dots with a splash of chevron.  I am loving all my great shopping finds and LOVE how my room is turning out.  Probably my favorite piece to this year's decor is this table!

My sister had this ugly, old brown coffee table at our garage sale this summer.  I decided I would take it because the wheels in my head were turning and I had a plan.  I painted that ugly table a fun color and painted the top with chalkboard paint.  This is the result!  What a fun Word Work table!!!  The circle in the center is a place for using dry erase markers.  To top it off, those three adorable chevron containers fit perfectly underneath.  They are filled with other Word Work materials.  I love it, love it, love it!  Hope the kiddos do too!

Here is another look at this area of my classroom.

I still have some work to do, like leveling and placing new books in library baskets and adding my new basket labels, but it is coming along nicely!!!  

Now, check out my little cuties having some summer fun!

Pony rides!

Can't forget the tutu!

At the beach!

Bathing beauties!

Enjoy what is left of summer!!!!

Darling Daily 5 Charts

I have created new Daily 5 charts for Daily 5 instruction!  I love them and they are in the polka dot and chalkboard theme!  I have made a chart for 3 Ways to Read a Book, Stamina, I PICK, and Read to Someone:  Coaching, Check for Understanding, and EEK.  With the change in my room decor, this was a must!  Can't wait to laminate them and see how they turn out!

You can pick these charts up for your classroom over at my TPT store!  Just click here!

Happy summer!!!

Getting Ready for Next Year! Polka Dots, Polka Dots and a FREEBIE!!!!

I love summer!  I also love the excitement of planning for the next school year.  I have been teaching for 9 years now and have changed my classroom theme/decor every year.  I have decided this IS THE LAST TIME!  I repeat....LAST TIME!  This year I am going all out and getting it right.  I am decorating with polka dots plus a little splash of chevron and Scrappin Doodles & Melonheadz kids.  Lets hope this turns out the way I have been anticipating!  Fingers are crossed!

I have been working hard and having fun shopping and designing things for my room.  

First, Here are some of my new creations...

My new table numbers!  I plan to cut them out and put the table number on one side of black card stock with the matching color or day of the week on the back, laminate, and hang above my tables.  The day of the week indicates which day that table may shop the classroom library.

My newly designed Daily 5 posters that also come with smaller choice cards for a pocket chart and my new CAFE headers.  I couldn't decide between polka dots or chevron, so I made both and plan to either mix and match or choose just one later.

My new and adorable punctuation posters!  Love those Melonheadz kids!

You can pick up all of the above items at my TPT store by clicking on my TPT button, if you plan to go the polka dot route too:)  You can pick up these extremely cute posters below for FREE at my store!!!!!  Enjoy friends!

Now for some of my shopping finds!  Picking out a theme and then shopping for items has to be one of the most exciting things for a teacher.  Am I alone here?!?  I mean how exciting is it to hunt for those perfect purchases that will absolutely make the perfect classroom!  It is so FUN!!!!!!  Here are some of my finds!

Bulletin board fabrics from Hobby Lobby.

Polka dot buckets from Gordmans.  LOVE these!

Lamp from Hobby Lobby(on clearance!) and other random buckets from Michaels and Gordmans.

This and that...

Polka dot kid recliners!!!!  Okay, so this picture and the angle in which I took it makes them look like Barbie chairs, but that are actually the perfect size for my 2nd graders.  I am a horrible photographer!

So, there it is!  Can't wait to put it all together!  Hope you are enjoying your summer and all the planning for next year!  I will be starting to put my classroom together next week.  Sounds crazy, but my husband returns from his deployment soon.  He will be here for about 20 days and then deploys again for an entire year.  This lady wants to have as much school work done before he arrives, so my girls and I can enjoy time with Daddy.

And finally, can you relate?!?!?!?!?

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful fathers out there!!!  Fathers are special people.  There is no place safer than in your father's arms.  Fathers are heroes, supporters, friends, companions, and a girls first true love.  My little girls and I are missing our hero today and can't wait to see him soon when he returns from his deployment.  Hug the special men in your life today.  We can't wait to hug ours!

I met the 2 Sisters!!!! Plus, Life Cycles!

I seriously couldn't be anymore excited about the weekend I just experienced!  I left school at noon on Friday and traveled to Chicago with two awesome colleagues to see the 2 Sisters, the Daily 5 Creators, the Masters of Language Arts Instruction!!!!  OH MY!  I LOVE them!  How many of you teach using the Daily 5 and CAFE?  I have been using it for 3 years now and you will never get me to go back!  If you have never had a chance to attend a Daily 5 and CAFE conference, I highly recommend.  They are just awesome and funny too!  It was such a great day!  As you can see, I am so proud!!!!

I also just wanted to share a peek of what we have been doing in Science.  Life cycles are so much fun to teach and the kids love it!  Here is a picture of what we did last week as we wrapped up our butterfly life cycles.  I purchased an awesome life cycles unit from Amy Lemons and used it along with some of my ideas.  LOVE Amy Lemons!  I also highly recommend!  Look her up on TPT.

Summer break is just around the corner!  If you are like me, you are starting to panic as you think about all the things that need to be done before you send on your little darlings....assessments, grades, awards, gifts, parties, end of year books, etc.!  Busy! Busy! Busy!  Good luck to you all!

Jan Brett's "The Easter Egg" & Spring Break

Two more days until glorious spring break!  I am READY!  The kids are ready!  How many of you are on break now or are like me and counting down the days to some relaxation?  My kiddos are in need of a major break from one another.  The tattling and the bickering is insane!  Love them, but I am so ready to load up the family, hit the road and visit my friends on the east coast.

I was trying to think of something new and fun to do with the class that was educational and springy.  I love Jan Brett and her book, The Easter Egg is so adorable and so beautifully illustrated.  I decided to whip up some activities to do with her story.  We will be doing them the next couple days.  Maybe you are like me and you just need a change of pace.  You can pick them up at my TPT store.  Here they are!  Love them and can't wait to use them.

For those of you on spring break, I am beyond jealous.  For those of you just hanging on, bless you!  Hang in there!