Story Writing Template... and some blog love.

Let me tell you.... my kinders can make up some stories. Now when it came to putting their stories onto paper ::crickets:: They could not do it. I blog hunted like crazy to get some ideas on how to better guide them. I stalked everyone's pinterests too. Nothing. Finally, a teacher friend shared a template with me and this is what we came up with....

First, we read some fantasy stories and made an anchor chart. I really like to keep these simple for my little ones because I want them to actually be able to read it and refer to it.

Next, we filled in the web with some of our ideas. They picked a character, name, place, why the character went to the place, what could go wrong. We then filled in the template and TAAA DAAA... a story! ((note: this is my friend's story. I forgot to take a picture of mine.)) We did this 3 times, taking more and more away from the template each time. Oh, and this was the template we started with:

One day, there lived a ___ named ____.  ___ went to ____ to ____. When __ got to _____ the _____ was/were too ______. So ______ called _____ for help. 

 I walked them through creating their own web using this paper. Next week, we will begin writing. Wish us luck! I hope this can help some other struggling teacher out too. ;)

click the picture for your own copy

Oh and I have received some blog awards lately and haven't had a chance to post them...

Mrs. Johnson at Little Miss Teacher and Mrs. S at Stapler's Strategies gave me the Top 10 Award! So glad they did, so that I could find their super cute blogs and become a follower! 

Mrs. S, Deb at Simply the Classroom, and Emily at Circus of Learning also gave me this pretty award...

Ms. Au at 2nd Grade Rocks! gave me both of the awards as well! :)

I am off to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and will return the award giving favor later. 

Dr. Seuss Writing Packet

Wow! Anyone who has gone blog-hopping or pintresting lately will not be able to argue with this next statement.... 

Teachers are obsessed with Dr. Seuss! 

So in honor of our Rhyming Hero, I have created a little mini author's study for my kinders. This particular freebie just deals with writing. I will definitely be doing all the cutesy things I have seen to supplement the packet.  I am just going to read a book each day ((The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who, The Foot Book, and Green Eggs and Ham)) and have the kids write about it. Maybe their favorite part or if they liked it or not. Then at the end, they will choose their favorite book and write why it was their fav. 

---- click any of the pictures to get your copy ----

Oh Where, Oh Where, Has This Little Blog Gone...

Remember how I told you all that I don't have my own classroom because I teach half the day in one teacher's class and half the day in another teacher's class? Well... I have had to rethink some things and adapt a little. Because I teach math (calendar included) and I didn't have the wall space for my calendar materials, I had to improvise a little. A friend gave me one of those huge science project presentation boards (covered in clear contact paper) and here is what I came up with...

 I will obviously be sharing all of these files with you all in the post. But are a few things to note. I tried just using StickyTac to stick everything on and then used labeled clothes pins to mark the Days of the Week, Season, and Months. Both of those ideas did not work. Stuff was sliding off every other day and the kids were having a hard time with the clothes pins. I then switched to foam mounting squares to stick everything that was permanent down. This has lasted. I also swapped the clothes pins out for velcro. The calendar is a bulletin board set from DJ Inkers. The Days in School pocket chart is from a local teacher supply store.

 If you want to make your own... here are the templates. 

((I bought the weather one so I can't share it with you. Sorry.))

  

 Well, as always I hope someone can use this stuff and I really have missed you all! I will post again very soon.

Kinder Math Sorting Mats & Updates

Wow. After this last summer, I didn't think I could take a one month break from blogging... but look at me. I did. This last month has been nothing but C-R-A-Z-Y! I opened that kinder class that I told you all about, but two and a half weeks into it, I got an offer to go back to the school I taught at last year. I could not say no. I loooved my principal and had made sooo many great friends there that I took the offer and had one afternoon to pack up and move. ((I was secretly hoping this would happen and hadn't brought much stuff with me in case I had oh, a good 2 hours to pack.)) 

So my new position is kind of interesting. I am teaching math and writing in two kinder classes of 33 kiddos each. It's kind of weird because all I have is a desk and a cabinet to put my things. Not to mention, I am like a lot of you and obsessed with room environment. I have no control over that with the classroom. Plus the back and forth between the classes makes for a looong day. 

Now you know why I have been MIA... but I am BACK and plan on posting a lot. Especially when it comes to writing because our writing curriculum is awful and I just plan on using it very loosely. 

As a way of saying sorry for neglecting you and get you all back in my good graces... here are some math sorting mats I made. Just laminate and place in a tray or tub or baggy and you've got yourself some workshop activities. 

So... I hope that makes up for me being MIA. I really have missed you all and can't wait for things to calm down and get back to posting! 

I got my job back!!

Soooo first, I am feeling all kinds of guilty for not posting in forever. As I've mentioned before, I received a layoff notice last year and have just been crossing my fingers and hoping that California could get a budget together and my district could find the money to bring me back. Well guess what?! They called me last Tuesday and offered me a kindergarten spot at a new school. No more 2nd grade, which makes me a little sad, but I am really excited to be back in kinder. I wasn't really able to do much in my classroom until last Friday and we start back on Tuesday. Yes, TUESDAY. Not a lot of time. Crazy. 

The really good news is that now that I know what grade I am teaching, I can start creating things and taking pictures and posting very soon. I really have missed sharing with you all. Oh, and if you are a kinder teacher, please leave me a comment so I can come stalk your blog or Pinterest! 

Vocabulary Template and Exciting News!

I was accepted as an author to "Me and My Gang". It was originally made for 2nd grade teachers to find each other, but now the girls who started it are opening it up to other grade levels. Head on over and get yourself an author spot.

Also...

I made this page to go with our Imagine It!/Open Court adoption. I had the students write the word (broken into syllables) in the long box, a picture in the smaller one, and the rest is self-explanatory. Hopefully some of you can use it as well! :)

I have a confession to make...

... Pinterest has kind of taken over my blogging. I am loooving all of the ideas out there. When I first started using Pinterest, there were no other teachers out there using it and classroom pics were so hard to find. Now that we have all found each other through Blogland, I am spending hours pinning away. It's kind of crazy too because it seems like we all kinda like the same things -- even outside of teaching. So I just thought I'd share some of my favorite things I have pinned lately...

Obsessed with this balloon idea from Mrs. McComish at Monarch Madness. She is new to the blog scene and has some really cute classroom pictures you guys should check out. Not to mention she is having her first giveaway... $20 to Target. 

Cupcake Linner Ribbons?! Yes please. Totally cute and super easy to make. This idea is from Charlotte's Fancy. This site is super addicting. It's not all crafty and cutesy though. 

How cute would it be to get ahold of your teacher friends' class lists and make them these as a little Back to School gift. Adorable. The idea is from K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, sister)

I.need.these.now. How much cuter would everything be if this bordered it?! Print Candee on Etsy of course.

Not only does this look super colorful and cute... it's sooooo true...

Just when you thought Shark Week was over and you were safe...

And because I am hoping that I am not the only one who tortures myself by watching Criminal Minds, at night, in the dark, while I am home alone, which obviously makes me the biggest scaredy cat ever --- I leave you with this.