JULY currently

Hey everyone! Today I am joining Farley over at Oh Boy 4th Grade for her July Currently!!

Currently listening to Million Dollar Listing on the BRAVO channel! I have a serious obsession with Bravo! They have the best/most addicting shows. This channel is on my TV 98% of the time! Just love it!

I am loving that I just took a bubble bath! Nothing is more relaxing than a nice hot bubble bath, even in the middle of the summer.

I simply cannot stop thinking about my BTS to do list! School is constantly running through my mind. Since I am changing grades, I have so much stress over trying to make everything perfect!

I am really wanting to go to the beach. I haven't been there yet this summer, but luckily heading down the shore next weekend!!

Guys, I really need to hit the freaking target dollar spot! I keep seeing everyones amazing Instagram photos of all the great stuff! I went to my target the other day and they had a few BTS items, but nothing compared to the stuff I'm seeing on social media. My target really needs to get on the ball, cause I am getting very very impatient!!

I am an ALL STAR SLEEPER. I could probably sleep for 10 hours at night, take a nap during the day, and still be able to fall asleep that night. I just love sleeping, and it's good for you so I have no shame in my game.

P.S This is my first official post as a new FIRST GRADE TEACHER! This blog was previously called Pre-Kinder Connections. I taught Pre-K for the past two years, but will be moving on up to first in September. I am so excited. First is my dream grade! I have so many amazing ideas, and am so excited to be able to implement all the wonderful products from all the first grade bloggers out there!

Currently DECEMBER!

Hey guys! I am linking up with Farley over at Oh Boy 4th Grade for a December Currently!!!

Listening: The Walking Dead!!! If anyone watches it, I cried! This show just gets better every time I watch it. It was the mid-season finale, and I can't believe I have to wait until February for it to come back! Ugh!!! Hate that!

Loving: I cannot believe that tomorrow is December! Though I am counting down the days til xmas break, I hope it doesn't go by toooo fast because I love christmas! I love the decorations, the lights, the tree! Everything! It just puts you in such a good mood! 

Thinking: I cannot believe I am awake! I am usually in bed and asleep by 10 o'clock, and it is now 12:30! Maybe the extra day vacation put my sleep in a weird mood :/

Wanting: Another day off! I don't wanna go back to school tomorrow! We have off next monday for a religious holiday soooo already counting down for that hehe!

Needing: A drink! And not alcoholic haha. I am just so thirsty, but too lazy to go downstairs to get one. So I will just complain about how thirsty I am through social media :)

Giving: LOVE! You can never give too much love <3

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Fun on the Farm & Peek at my Week!

A few weeks ago we went to the farm! The week before we went to the farm we used "farm" as our theme! We learned about all different farm animals, we voted for our favorite animal, and we created farm animals crafts! It was a lot of fun and my kiddos really enjoyed the experience. Unfortunately, our trip was cut short due to issues on the bus companies side, but we still had a great time and made the best of it!

This week I linked up with Deedee over at Mrs. Wills Kindergarten for a Peek at my Week!. 

This week our theme is Harvest! We will be talking all about fall harvest and why it is is important! We will be making different crafts, including Shapely the Scarecrow! I borrowed this idea from Ashley Reed over at Just Reed! She has a wonderful freebie available, but I tweaked it a bit and just made my own to match my students abilities. They did a great job so far!

We will also be talking about scarecrows and practicing name recognition with a scarecrow poem I found on Pinterest:

Scarecrow, Scarecrow

How scary can you be?

You scared _______

But you didn't scare me!

I will hold up a child's name when we get to the blank part for them to shout out that name!

We will also free draw a scarecrow using coloring sheets. 

I will also be working with students on ABC matchups to assess their letter recognition thus far in the school year.

Thanks for stopping by!

Peek at my Week

So I started writing a blog post about my first two weeks, then realized I didn't take pictures of the artwork my students created. Sooooo, seeing as though I do not want an unfinished post, I will add that sometime this week when I get back to school to take the pics. In the meantime, I am linking up with Mrs. Wills' Kindergarten for a Peek at my Week!

My theme this week is "Fall"! I love the fall. It is my favorite season. I love all of the fun and exciting activities we get to do in the months to come. This week is pretty much just introducing seasons to my students and adding an emphasis to fall. 

We will also start our letter of the week this week. Last week I followed a different approach to letter of the week and found a random order from an article I found ( can't remember who). But this year I am just sticking with the good ol' ABC order.  We pretty much do the same thing during whole group for letter of the week. We look at the letter, we listen to a song, we watch the sesame street clip about that letter ( my favorite!) and we make a list of the letter words. Sometimes we go on a letter hunt around the room too, but that's usually a play it by ear type of thing. 

 For the first couple weeks, or until the students get more independent with writing, I will have Mondays fine motor time split into groups while I do 1:1 letter writing with students. As the months go on  I can expand the groups, and then finally make it whole group letter writing, but for the beginning I do 1:1 to assess their writing skills, which I am sure many do not have yet. 

I also am adding a religion aspect to the letter of the week. I found bible verses that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Each week will be a new bible verse to go with the letter. We will color our bible verse sheet and add it to a folder to make a book when we get through all the letters! I think it will be a cute idea, but I am still brainstorming ways to organize keeping all the sheets. I will probably just get cheapy folders to keep them in for each student. 

My learning centers are broke up into 4 centers. On the right of my LP I have the students split into groups, which I have changed every week. The students will work on 1 center per day and rotate between 4 days. On thursdays we do not have learning centers. 

I also decided to add a number of the week, just for 10 weeks. That should actually say zero. I'll have to go fix that. I wanted to do this just to be able to focus on each individual number so the students can recognize them, and then we will get more in depth of number meaning and counting and so forth. 

We also have play time everyday. I feel this is very important and they need it. We also have a large motor time everyday, but thursday. Thursdays the students have music class so they will get that large motor time there. Though it is important for students to learn their letters and numbers, they also need to work their bones and bodies and PLAY! Some may not agree with me, but this works for me and the students work hard during learning time because they know they will end their day with play :)

Classroom Reveal!

Finally! Yesterday I finally finished my classroom! It was a pain in the you know what, and I'm so glad to be finished. There are still a few little things I would like to do, but it's ready for my kiddos to come tomorrow with their parents! Take a look!

This is a view from my door. One of my rows of lights went out so it's a little dark :( 

This is from the windows looking at the front of the room. To the right is my whole group area, and to the left is the library. 

This is the view from the closet. To the right is my manipulative and blocks area.

Here is my desk. The bravo wall behind it is where I will put student work. 

This is the view from the front looking at the windows. To the right is my kitchen center, and to the left is my "toys" center where different types of toys are stored such as dolls, cars, barbies, music, etc.

This is my prayer table. It is in the corner to the back left of the room. I will put a bin under the table with different books and pillows so children can sit and "relax" or pray.

Another view from the other door. ( I have 2 doors in my classroom) 

I hope you enjoyed! I'm off to bed! I have an early morning tomorrow! It's meet and greet day, where the parents come in with their little ones in small groups to meet the teacher. I cannot wait to meet my new little love bugs!!

September Currently!

Today I am linking up with Farley for a September Currently! I cannot believe it is September already! Where in the world did the summer go :(

Listening: I am listening to nothing! Just silence, well I guess technically I hear the sound of my ceiling fan. But still. Sometimes you need to just sit in the dark and relax without any noise. It's a great feeling.

Loving: I just went to target earlier today and they had Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter! I love pumpkin, and I love peanut butter, so this is a win win for me! I love making smoothies with yogurt and pb, so I know this will add that perfect fall taste to my morning treat!

Thinking: I am thinking about summer! Where did it go?!? I don't want it to be over and I do not want to go back to school! I know I sound like a kid!

Wanting: I am seriously wanting a pumpkin smoothie now! I may have to go make one after this blog post!

Needing: I really need to start planning for school. I technically don't have kids til Monday the 8th so I am okay for this week, but I know it will be the 8th before I know it my goal was to be ahead of the game this year! So far I'm slacking.

3 trips: 3 trips I would love to take are Ireland, an island of any sort, and the beach!

Teacher Week: Day 4

Today is day 4 of teacher week!

Today's post is about WHEN. When do things happen in your classroom?

I have decided to upload a copy of my class schedule. I still need to tweak it because we are getting a new computer and library teacher so I am not sure when those times will be, but it's pretty much done as of now. I only get preps twice a week. But I'm not complaining because my kids also nap everyday :) 

My schedule is pretty plain. It has to be handed into the diocese so I can't really do much to make it cute and fancy.

So every morning my kids come in between 7:40 and 8:00. I usually have puzzles or flash cards or books on the tables for them to look at, but they usually just talk, which is fine by me. They hang up their school bags, put their snack in the snack bin, put their communication folders in the folder bin, and find their seat. This takes a good 2 to 3 weeks to get the routine down, but it's always a great feeling when they do, especially since for a lot of my students this is their first school experience.

While they are sitting I take attendance and get some things together. We gather on the while group carpet to say the pledge and pray. 

Then we start whole group. This we take the first 10 minutes or so to do calendar, and go over numbers letter colors etc. Then we usually read a book or watch a book on the smart board. After that is some type of whole group activity like making a chart or something like that. It all depends on the theme. Obviously this is 'whole group" so it involves everyone lol. 

After that is fine motor skills. This will be art, cutting, writing, etc. Something that practices fine motor. Students will sit at tables of 4 (I have 16 this year) and Joanne my assistant and myself will walk around and help. Again the first few weeks will be practicing the basics so by October November they can be completely independent. Well maybe not completely :)

Large Motor is really just a brain break or a mini recess. Something to get the kids up and moving around. This could be dancing, yoga, stretching, going on a bear hunt, etc. 

Then we have snack.

After snack is religion. I teach in a catholic school so obviously this is very important. The first month or so we real just talk about prayer, learn the sign of the cross, simple things like that. Then usually we will read books, do crafts, watch videos, etc. 

Now we have learning centers. The way I work my learning centers is that all of the academic areas are during one time. Last year everyday was different centers. This year I am doing it completely different. There will be 4 centers and the students will rotate through the week. So each day they will be hitting a different center. Sometimes I will be at one of the centers doing small group while my assistant monitors the rest, and sometimes they will all be independent. Again it depends on the skills and themes. Last year I found myself running out of centers or doing the same ones way too much. I am hoping this new method of week long centers will really work. I know half hour is a long time for one center, but this includes clean up, set up, explanation, etc. I never follow my schedule to the hour or half hour, just has to look exact for the big guys :)

Then we have play centers. This is where the kids get to play! I am a firm believe that play should be kept in school, even in Kindergarten! I know many probably disagree, but oh well. My play centers could include kitchen, blocks, legos, doll houses, cars and trains, etc. I am going to follow the same routine as the learning centers. Each week will be designated 4 centers and the kids will rotate. Last year I gave them a whole hour of free play and it was insane. A little too much play time haha!

Then we have lunch. I have to do lunch duty once a week which isn't too bad.

After lunch is nap. My favorite time of the day. I kinda wish we didn't nap and they just went home haha, but then I probably would't get a salary haha.

And that is my day! I hope you enjoy!