Camping Work Station Kit on TpT

Yeah...I've finished my Camping Work Station kit and it's up on my TpT store. Check it out...





New Camping Items at TpT

I am excited to get my class jobs and newsletter template posted at my TpT store. Since I am getting my own classroom ready, they are camping themed. I will begin posting other general items soon!

Classroom Blog

I've been away on vacation and also working on my classroom blog so it is functional for back to school! I'm excited about it. I have a website that needs to be revamped, but who has the time??

So if you'd like to take a sneak peak at what I've done,

click the photo below!

Please post your comments here and not on my classroom blog. Thanks.

Yearn to Learn Blog Linky (Find New Blogs!)

Find New Blog Friends!

1.  A blogger who is a "New Kid on the Blog"
(Let's say someone who has blogged 2 months or less and has less than 200 followers)

Frolicking Through First

(Looks like she started about the same time I did!)

2.  Post a blogger in your same grade level

Finally In First

(I can relate--I've taught 3rd, 7th, technology 1-8...but 1st is the Best! Plus, she's been very helpful to me as a new blogger)

3.  Post a blogger in a different grade level

I just love Fran over at Kindergarten Crayons.
She always has such creative ideas.

4.  It's all about the button. Find a cute blog button and post it.

I just found this cute blog through this linky party :)

Grade Level Linky Party

Head over and add your blog to this organized list

of Grade Level Blogs! Woo-hoo.

(click title to hop on over)

Math Station Freebie

Just letting you know I have my Camping Math Stations as a freebie now on TpT. Go by and grab them if you want 'em.

(and for those of you that grabbed my S'More Sorry note...get the updated one without the sorrry!! OOps.

~Please leave a comment or follow me~

Class Schedule Linky Party at Simply2ndResources

Simply 2nd Resources is hosting a daily schedule Linky Party. Here is my proposed schedule for this coming year. I think it will be pretty great. Each year we have to fight to get our specials where they will fit into our schedule. It is always such a nightmare. Mine just got moved around a bit today, so I had to make some adjustments. Hopefully, I won't have to make any more. I honestly don't see how some of you guys can do without having a break/recess in the morning AND afternoon, especially with the little ones. Click on the picture to open .pdf and read better.



Digital Student Scrapbooks

This year, instead of my normal end of the year memory books, I decided to digitize them. It was a LOT of work...many, many hours, but the results were worth it.

1st: I took LOTS of pictures throughout the year, field trips, parties and special projects and events.

2nd: I found a neat site called Smilebox.com

It has adorable scrapbook templates set up, but I found it to be a bit restrictive and not very user friendly. (Reason #1-you can't mix and match themes.) I had to search through all the templates to not only find the themes I wanted, but that had layouts that I could work with too. 8 pages max-so what I would do is create a page I liked for each event/page and then do the same thing for each student 1-8, then start over and save the next set as 9-17, etc. Then I had to save each set as .jpg pages. (You can't rename and it saves each time as the same names but in a different folder). I pulled these into folders on my computer I had labeled for each student--making it MUCH easier to upload to photo book site. (Teachers can get a FREE subscription to Smilebox.)

#3: I use Walmart.com for my Photo Books and they were ON SALE for $11 each - 20 page (10 pages front/back) softbound 8 1/2 x 11 book. I had to upload the first set of pictures, set up the book and then save it. After that, I just uploaded the next set of pictures and switched them out and saved as next student.



I also added a two page "yearbook" section with a picture of each student with their name and phone number below.

The last page had my picture and a special note to the child.

These were a great hit. The parents actually sent in the $11 so I did not have to pay for it.

I made one for myself with a few extra pages (I put ALL happy campers and extra pages from our USA program/unit.) Now I have it to show parents next year...and get them excited early on. That way they can save their pennies for it at the end.

Since I had to do the last page (our end of school beach party) after school was out, I put the books in the school office and had our secretary pass them out.

If this is something you are interested in doing, I'd be more than happy to help answer any questions.

Teachers-Pay-Teachers Store Opening: Freebie

I have opened up my Teachers-Pay-Teachers Store. Yippee!



My first item is a classroom management form I use with my camping theme: S'More Sorry Notes.

Go and grab them if you'd like.
**I've updated the link so the typo has been fixed**
Yikes--so sorry about that.

I have also added my first PAY item...it is a cute set of math stations with a (you guessed it) camp theme.

Behavior Management

I have 3 simple rules: Be safe. Be Responsible. Be respectful. This might be a bit abstract for 1st graders...but it covers about everything.

My management system includes a Happy Camper Board, Campsite Points, and Camp Compliments.

Happy Camper Board:
My kiddos earn camper cards each day if they follow the rules and procedures of our room. Each card represents a quality that will help them be a Happy Camper: boot=they can stay in the appropriate area (no wandering around or bothering other groups, stations, etc.); canteen=they can speak at the appropriate time and in the appropriate level; backpack=they can keep their things to themselves and not bother other people's things; fire=they are on fire for learning and can stay on task; hand=they can give teacher their attention quickly (give me "5"). At the end of the day, they color in all the cards they earned in their CAMP notebooks. If they get a few reminders and aren't earning a card, it gets moved to the "Wrong Way Trail" until the behavior improves (easy to earn back at the beginning of the year...VERY hard at the end.)

Campsite Group Points:
Each group is called a campsite. Each has a different color, i.e. the Blue Campsite. I keep track of group points on the board and the group with the most points at the end of the week gets a reward. We eat in our classroom...so my standard reward is that they get to eat with a friend of their choice on Monday.

Camp Compliments:
As a class, we try to earn compliments --especially from others. I keep track of our compliments by filling in a mystery word on the board (written right above the group points section). I will write lines for each letter needed to make the word and fill in one letter per compliment. It is a fun way to keep them guessing words that will make sense and fit. My rewards are things like: PLAY/RECESS (extra resess or play time), CORN/POPCORN (popcorn), MOVIE (during lunch), etc.