Classroom Websites

Last Summer I decided that I was going to really "go for it" and make myself a classroom website. I researched TONS of free sites, made a few sites and even kicked off the year with one. 

However, they all fell short and did not give me everything I wanted. Some sites only gave me a small amount of space for pictures... which I used up by week two of school... (whoops!)

And they didn't give me everything my parents wanted.

My parents wanted:

Homework Lists

Classroom Contacts

A Classroom Calendar

and

The PICTURES! (they wanted to be able to print them!) 

So... where did that leave me?

SHUTTERFLY! 

Yes, the picture site. 

It's AMAZING for classroom websites.

Let me show you why.

Shutterfly allows you to invite your members which means that all of the pictures and information is secure. Only the members of your site can access it.

It allows you to set up a calendar, a volunteer list, class list and contacts and pictures! 

Every week, I would quickly log on to my account and add a "journal entry" and type in our Spelling Words, Words to Know and our Bible Verse of the week. My parents could then easily access it no matter where they were! (It even has a phone ap!)

It also has a nice feature where when you change or add something it will ask you if you want to send out an email reminder to all of your contacts. This ensured that all of my parents got all of the information they needed in a timely fashion.

On Saturdays I would upload our weekly pictures! Parents LOVED getting these.

The calendar feature allows you to add all of your monthly and weekly themes. You also can put in any important calendar dates that you need to.

 Not to mention there was a great volunteer tab that let me tell my parents exactly what was coming up and what we needed! Parents could sign up for the items without worrying about duplicates. 

{This also made conference sign ups a breeze!}

Hands down, Shutterfly was a GREAT tool that I used all year. It was parent friendly and included everything I needed! It's SO easy to set up! Just go to Shutterfly.com and sign up for one today!

Oh... did I mention.... IT'S FREE!!!!

Science Galore! {and a FREEBIE!}

Planning for a new year is always so much fun! In reflecting on my past school year I definitely think one of the very best things that I did was my Science Units.

 I have been collecting and gathering Non-fiction books for years and this year I totally went for it. Last August, I sat down with my teaching partner and we went over all of the Science TEKS(Texas standards) that we had to teach and created a Scope and Sequence. 

We came up with this:

This Scope and Sequence allowed us to teach each area of Science well. Students in first grade get introduced to Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science. They are expected to make good predictions and then to talk and write about their predictions and the outcome of events. Because we taught in themes we were able to instill a love of Science in our students and they become better readers, writers, mathematicians, and scientists in the process. It was win-win!

Unfortunately my teaching partner is moving to a new school next year. I'm so sad to lose such a great teacher and friend. However, instead of dwelling on the loss, I got right to work and started creating something for my new teaching partner. 

I remember how overwhelming starting at a new school is: new curriculum, new policies and procedures and everything else! 

Well, I didn't want what we had created in Science to be lost so I created a few packets to help whoever will be hired. I also know that many other teachers would love this. These units include ALL of the Science activities that I did last year and have step by step picture directions. So far I have finished my Fall themed Science activities, my Weather unit, and a unit on Making Predictions. 

Here's a peak at what you will get in the packets! 

Numerous hands-on activities that first graders LOVE. These are all tried and true activities that I did in my first grade classroom. 

Each activity has picture directions. (So you know what it SHOULD look like!) 

It also includes cheat sheets for you to print out to have on hand while you are doing the experiment. 

I even included grocery lists! 

The weather packet follows the same structure as my fall unit! 

 

I know that my new teaching partner will really appreciate this and I am so excited to have this and use it!! 

For this weekend only, these packets are on sale! 

AND, so that you can see what it looks like up close, I'm offering one of my Making Predictions activities away for FREE!! 

I always start the year with "The Milk Experiment." This is a great way to set the tone in your classroom for how Science experiments will work and how to think like a Scientist. My students always love it! 

Here it is for you to grab for FREE! 

My Weather Unit can be found here.

My Fall Unit can be found here.

My Making Predictions Unit can be found here. 

They are all 20% off this weekend!! Grab them while they are on sale-- I'm sure you will LOVE them!! 

Taking the Time...

Every day, I sit at my computer and I look at my calendar. 

Currently, it looks like this and it will for a while. 

Why?

The names that you see are the students that will be in my class next year. Now, they might change a little bit, but for the most part, those names each represent a student who I will have the pleasure and the challenge of teaching next year. 

Every day I pray for one (or more) of them. I start my day by going down the list and praying for them. Sometimes I will pray general things, "Lord, please help ____ love reading." Other times I will pray for  specific things. "Please help ______ be a good friend in difficult situations, please bless their family, and please help them come to know You this year." I earnestly also seek the Lord that he will impart some major self control, peace, patience, wisdom, and kindness into my students as well!! 

I read a book last summer called "A Praying Life" and was very inspired by it. 

In this book, Paul Miller recommends taking prayer even a step further. He prays Scripture verses for the members of his family and his friends and the world. I love this. I typically pray one main verse for my class each year. I don't know what this year's verse will be yet, but I do know that every year it has been influential and important in the lives of my students.  One very familiar verse that I pray daily is, "train up a child in the way they shall go and when they are old they will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 

Another way that you can pray for your students is by using a prayer pail. I love this idea but I don't really always have the luxury of reaching into a cup, looking at a name and praying on most days. I'll be honest and tell you that most of my praying is done while I am walking my dog, while I am in my car, right before I go to bed, or when I am at my computer! However, you might really like this idea! 

{source: http://www.lubirdbaby.com/2011/12/prayer-pail-update.html}

For this, just get a bucket and some popsicle sticks! Write the name of your students on the popsicle sticks and pray for one student each day! 

 To those of you who believe in prayer, I truly suggest praying for your students starting today! You will be amazed at the difference it makes! Even if you don't know their names, pray for them. Pray for your classroom. Pray for the community that you will be building when school starts. 

Once you can get in your classroom, before the hustle and the bustle sets in, PRAY! As much as organizing, cutsifying, and lesson planning are important, praying could possibly be the MOST important thing you do to start your year (and throughout your year).

It is a joy for me to look down at my list and pray for one of my new students. I can't wait to see what God is going to do!  I hope that you will enjoy it as well. 

Take the time, pray for them. 

Getting Ready For A New Year

A little bit of sun...
                                  ... a little bit of work.

I love summer!! 

However, even though it is summer, I am already thinking about the next school year!  I just finished a new alphabet pack to help my students review their letters and sounds. It's called I know my alphabet. 

It includes a brand new alphabet that I will hang in my classroom, center activities, whole group activities, play-dough work mats, handwriting pages, recording pages, and assessments.

Center games include matching animals of all letters of the alphabet to their correct letters.

Play-dough work mats to help with fine motor skills.

Handwriting Practice.

Assessments! 

And MORE! 

It is currently on sale at my TpT store for 20% off!! Get it while it's on sale! :) 

I'm also knee deep in creating a packet called A year of first grade Science Activities.

I am beyond over the moon ecstatic about this.

Today I tackled the section on weather and 80 pages later I have everything you will need to have 3-4 awesome weeks of weather, clouds, and more! Each section is aligned to the TEKS and this section alone has 14 hands-on activities. With picture directions and easy lessons, anyone can be a Science whiz with this packet! 

COMING SOON!!! :) 

Swimming into Summer! (GIVEAWAY!!)

I have such exciting news for you. I am teaming up with some of my good blogging friends to offer you a whole bunch of freebies!! This is not a giveaway where only a few people get the goodies; rather, every single person who enters receives ALL the items!!!!!  We wanted a fun and different way to thank our followers and therefore we collaborated with some of our really good blogging friends to offer you a TON!!

You can receive freebies from all of these awesome bloggers! Check out what you will receive:

To receive the Swimming into Summer items, all you need to do is follow ALL of our blogs and come back and fill out our form.  That's it!  You can enter now through Sunday, June 9th.  We'll start sending out the products on Monday,  June 10th.  You can go to each blog, by clicking on each button below.

 

Remember, all you need to do to get all of these is just follow each blog and enter using this form.  Even if you're already out of school, you can use these next year! :)

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