Check this out!

Went private!

Hey guys! Me and Sam went private with our blog, if you want an invite leave me your email address!! Thanks :)

He's here!

Tucker Sam was born Sat. Oct 25 at 4:15 pm. He was 6 lbs 5 oz and just the cutest thing we've ever seen. We are so in love with him! Go to our blog for more pictures and to hear more about it. I hope everything is going well with you guys! xoxo.

Getting really excited!

Hi!! I hope everyone is doing well and I hope teaching is going well. I miss you guys! Well, we went to the doctor today, and she said she thinks he'll be an October baby, but who knows? We're getting super excited though..either way. Here are some new pictures..



There's more pictures on our blog: click here to see them!
Have a great day everyone :) xoxo

Evaluations & cool websites

Hey girls!

So has anyone else had their first evaluation yet? I had mine Friday and it went really well, I was so glad because I sure was stressing about it! :Let me know how you all did.

I am loving my school, everything about it is awesome! My kids are jumping up like crazy in their reading levels. I have kids on a 2nd and 3rd grade level and they are only getting better, its NUTS! I am having a lot of fun teaching! I hope you are all having a good time too!

I found an AWESOME website to be a member of, its www.edhelper.com. They have tons of ideas for language arts, math, and science. I get a lot of my shared reading stuff from their website. I also have one center each day that is spelling and on their website you can make wordsearches, ABC order sheets and tons more. You should log on and see if its something you want to join, its been worth it for me, its only 20$ a year. They have tons of stuff for holidays too.

I posted some pictures on my class website under the project tab of some things we have been doing, check it out www.MrsKatyal.com

Anyway, thats my update for now. I am excited for fall break this week, we all need it!!

Anyone had babies yet? there are two due next month right??? Trina & Julie?? Whats the update?

Computers

Ok girls I am starting computers this week. I'm not quite sure what to do with them in there. I wan't it to be educational. I don't just want them playing some racing game the whole time ya know what I mean? Does anyone have any fun kid learning game websites for first graders?

picking up my pieces!!

Hey ladies!!
For starters... Lisa, no I did NOT sign an open contract.....which is why I was SOOOOOOOOOO angry when it all happened. However, SINCE my little rant and rave I have actually started and I will say... its not AS BAD as I thought. BUT... on day TWO there I DID lose a student (spec. ed to make matters even worse) and yes, we found him, but BOY DID IT SUCK!

The school is ghetto, the area is ghetto but my class is pretty good. They are so cute. A few do not understand WHAT I am saying, and I dont understand HALF of what they are saying, so it will be a TOUGH year. It just sucks because I did not sign up for this hard of a job. And with title one you basically just DRILL DRILL DRILL. It sucks. I dont get to do centers, or art, or anything like that. I have to get in 90 minutes of literacy EVERYDAY and 45 minutes of math EVERYDAY, they have a 15 minute recess and they do some computer program for 30 minutes everyday. There are my 3 hours. Oh... how do I fit in calendar do you ask... YOU TELL ME! Cause Im trying to figure it all out.

Just thought Id give an update....its not all bad. But its def. not what I asked for!

a moment to VENT!

so.... of course as you all know i got a job at twin peaks elementary. amazing school, amazing staff, amazing everything.... OH... UNTIL GRANITE SURPLUSSED ME TO FREAKING REDWOOD ELEMENTARY.

can i please just say if i WANTED to teach there, i would have INTERVIEWED IN THE FIRST PLACE. ohh... about my amazing school...not so much anymore. and oh... yah.. ask me about my RELOCATABLE THAT I SHARE WITH A LADY WHO HAS ALL HER STUFF EVERYWHERE. (think REALLY messy person in a REALLY small place)

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PISSED OFF and SO UPSET. i have literally spent all day sobbing because i had TODAY to tear down my classroom (mind you that i spent HOURS AND HUNDREDS of dollars on) to put it all in storage (because remember... think relocatable with stuff everywhere) and start on monday.

upset doesnt begin to cover how i feel.
so...any advice ladies on how to get out of this funk. and yes, i DO know that i am being a brat... but put yourself in my shoes... i had an amazing job with an amazing class and after three weeks i have been pulled and TOLD where to go, this was not my choice. my life was build around TP. my sons daycare was 5 blocks away. and no... daycare in WV in NOT an option.

sorry... i just REALLY had to let it out.

Classroom Pics

Hey girs, here are a few pictures of my classroom. It has been fun getting in all put together and having our school actually look like a REAL school now! Check um out!

BIG belly

Hi guys!!
We're getting really excited for our baby boy to come! I thought I'd share some pictures with you of my belly at 8 months and show you how big he's getting!





I miss you guys so much! I want to hear more about how teaching is going! Share some funny stories or things you've loved so far about your school or whatever. I always think about you girls and hope that everything's going well. Pleeeese keep in touch. xoxo

Writer's Workshop

Does anyone do writer's workshop? If so, what is your plan - do you have a mini lesson first or do your students just do writing? Also, do you give them a journal prompt or let them free write?

Just wondering what everyone else is doing. I hope you are all doing well and having a great time teaching!

Sam and Julies

I didn't really mean to post this, but Kristen I thought your picture looked cute, so I wanted to make ours. I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you guys!

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

widget

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

Waaay to many kids!

I went to lunch the other day with some girls in my ward. We were chatting about the neighborhood school, because they all have school aged kids. They were saying that in all 4 Kindergarten classes at our school there are 37 students!! AHHHH!! (I hope none of you guys have 37) But can you imagine? They're building a new school right next to our house, but building is going so slow, that it's everyone's predicting 3 years before it's open! Anyways, If you are having a rough day, think of having 37 Kindergareners and count your blessings that you don't teach in Henderson!

School Started

Hey Girls,

School started today and it was awesome! My kids are so cute! A little chatty but we are working on that, LOL. Its going to be a fun year.

I will post pics soon!

Sheep in a Jeep

Ok, I found the website for the sheep activities.

http://education.byu.edu/projectseel/

I hope that helps someone!

lots to say!!!

Okay Ladies here is a list of what's in my head... Who can tell me the sheep in the jeep web site... remember the one where there was a sheep and a ship, and stuff?
Guess what else-- Back to school night was last night for us... Not one of my students came to my classroom. Serious.
Also, kindergarten teachers... will you list some of your favorite websites you use?
OH, I thought you should all know... TRISH JUST CAME OUT WITH ANOTHER BOOK OF CENTER IDEAS! It looks like it has a lot more fun ideas, and it's in the same format as the other book.

Hi Everyone

Back to School Night Donation Request Coconuts

Lunch Count

Outside Classroom Bulletion Board

Rewards

Front

I posted some pic's of my classroom. We call it our Island of Learning. I'm dying to see everybody else's classrooms. Hope everyone is having fun! Some of us unlucky girls are starting back to the U next week, are you ready for that? I am definately not!!! Lisa

Hey ladies...

just an FYI i made my blog private so send your emails so i can allow you to look at it...if ya want!:)
hope everyone is doing great!
kris

CUTE PAGE JAMIE!!!

Hope all you ladies are ready to start teaching if you havent started yet.... (i am definitely starting to get the butterflies!!) hope everyone is doing great!

My School

So, I can get in my school offically today! Its about freaking time! We are going camping tonight though so I wont head over until Monday. We can't start putting stuff up until Tuesday or Wednesday though because the construction workers are still there doing a few things. Its frustrating because I am going to have to get everything up and running in about two weeks, hopefully I will be able to do it. The kids don't start until the day after labor day which is nice, Sept 2nd. I am SO excited and I cant wait to start getting my room set up!

Here is a sketch of what our building looks like, I will take more pictures monday so you all can see them!

schools almost here... or already for some:)

Hi LADIES!:)

So Brandi and I were chatting and we were thinking it would be nice for us to all get together for lunch on Sunday the 17th to just kinda relax and chat before a crazy hectic week. As of time and place that is TBD.... and if anyone has any place they want to go throw it out there. Hope everyone is doing great!

BULLETIN BOARDS

Hey Ladies....

So I have already been to Brandi's classroom where she has some of the CUTEST bulletin boards/ideas. Kind of a lame excuse but I have been so centered on the new boy I seriously have not sat down to even start thinking of bulletin boards...plus my guess is your girls will have thought of some that I didnt, or others didnt so I was wondering if everyone would post some ideas of what their back to school bulletin boards look like!
THANKS LADIES!

Listening Center

Hey Girls,
I really wanted a listening center in my classroom so I bought one online from a place called classroom direct. They have really good prices. Well, come to find out my school purchased one for me. So I am wondering if anyone wants to buy a listening center. It's all band new still in the packaging. I have 6 headphones and a jack that you can plug the headphones into and then you plug that into a CD player or tape player of your own. I'm selling the whole thing for $20.00. I paid about $23.50. If anyone is interested let me know. My phone number is 801-660-5450 or you can email me at laurenbigelow2@gmail.com. I live in Midvale and it's really close to the freeway and easy to find. Thanks guys!

Hi from New Jersey

Hi to all. Thanks, Jamie, for inviting me to your blog. I have been teaching first grade for 14 years (one of those was in 2nd gr). If anyone has a question, I will try to help.
Enjoy the time you have left! We got out late in June so we don't start again until Sept.

Marci McGowan

Hi!!!

This is Julie...thanks Jamie for making this blog! It's been fun to read what everyone is up to, and it'll be great to keep in touch! Las Vegas is HOT!!! It's good though, I'm tutoring at Sylvan, so I still get to see kids a lot. We're having a boy!! And he gets here in 3 months, so we're so excited! He kicks all the time, it's super fun :) I can't believe how soon the school year starts! I'm excited to hear about everyone's first couple of days! How fun to meet your students! I'm going to miss teaching, but I'm really excited to be a mom. I'll have to come visit your classrooms when we're in town next. I hope everyone is having a fun summer. (You deserve it, before the stress of the year starts..!) xoxoxoxo

Almost Done

Hi Girlies!
My class finally looks like a class. It took me all summer but I am very pleased with the outcome. I am going back in tomorrow to finish up and then I am all set. Yesterday Brandi and I got our Back-To-School Night all figured out since both of ours is before school starts. As for the first couple of weeks, I am getting there but not finished yet.

I will take some pics tomorrow and upload them on here.
Hope all is well! Good luck!
Sash : )

Back to School....Awesome Website

Ok, everyone needs to check out this website: http://www.mrsmcgowan.com/ This lady is a first grade teacher in NJ and she has some awesome resources on her page for both the parents of her students and for us teachers. I stole a bunch of links off of her website for my website. She is awesome and it is a great resource to have other teachers out there who can help us out!! She also has a bunch of stuff she does for back to school on her page. play around on her page, you will be impressed!

Lesson Planning

I know some people have already started but has anyone started doing any lesson planning for the first day? Maybe we could share what we are doing for the first few days of school. My students will only have a half day and I will be doing individual assessments by appointment the rest of the day - for the first week! So, I only have to plan half days for the first week. Anyone have any lesson plans ready? How do we share files on the blog?

I LOVE that you guys are so computer savvy and came up with this idea. I need the Blogging for Dummies book as well. I definitely have serval different emotions about starting this school year... I can't believe it is just around the corner now! I've been loving my summer... we just got back from waterskiing in Jackson Hole, WY.
I have it pretty easy because the teacher before me is leaving a ton of stuff since she plans to come back in a year. Another thing that has really helped me is to make copies of lesson plans and different ideas from other teacher friends and put them together in binders according to when they will be taught through out the year. Amy, where have you found the best deals to buy your different materials?
I'm excited to be able to keep in touch with you guys. Julie, how is Las Vegas?

Hi ladies!!! Yay I am really excited about this blog! Im not as talented as Julie and Jamie are with this blogging but I am trying to figure it out! I need Blogging for dummies or something!!:)
As you girls finish with your classrooms you should take pictures and post them so we can all see. I am SOOOOOOOOO behind. I just went and picked up my keys YESTERDAY! (aug 4) and have NOTHING.... and no idea how I am going to set up! So any ideas will help!:)

Hope everyone is doing well!!!

Hey girls! I'm so excited you guys thought of the blog! I have not done one thing in my classroom. They haven't even told me when I'm supposed to be there! Is that bad? Now I'm nervous!

Hey guys, Just wondering how it's been setting up your classrooms? Jamie and those with new schools, are just as stressed as I am in getting a room with nothing ready? Any tips?

Hi Girls!

Hey, I thought the blog idea was great because I think we all could use some support for our first year of teaching! I'd like to share ideas too. I have most of my room set up and have been shopping like crazy trying to get everything I need - there's so much!! I will take some pictures and share them with you this week.

Hope everyone is enjoying summer - it's almost over!!

NEW WEBSITE

Hey girls! I created my own website for free through microsoft, you should do it to! my web address is:

www.MrsKatyal.com

I put a bunch of links on it of games the kids can play at home or at school. Check it out and let me know what you think!

If you want to create your own website it is so easy! They have templates you can use....go to www.smallbusiness.officelife.com

Websites From Core Academy

Here are some websites that will be helpful:

The math one from the math session had great educational and fun games:
http://www.mathville.com/

Here is the core academy website:
http://coreacademy.usu.edu/Materials/

Welcome to our blog, feel free to post ideas that we can use in our First Grade Classrooms!! I am excited to get some ideas rolling between us!

-Jamie