Busy Week & Planning Calendar

What a busy time of the year! My to-do list is getting longer by the minute! :)

I have now met all my little friends. I am amazed how every year the kids are so different...and so wonderful! It is impossible not to love your job when you hear things like "I love this school!" and "This is the best day of my life!". How awesome is that! I love how in kindergarten we have the priveledge of shaping each child's learning adventure and helping to develop their love of learning! It is so great to see how excited and eager they are to learn, and it is my goal to keep them this dedicated the whole year!

So on that note I sat down to start planning. I started thinking when I want to teach what theme and what concepts in science, etc. I think that planning can be the most overwhelming part of teaching. How do you plan? Do you have a method to make it an easy process? Do you plan with your team? I am trying something a little different this year. I made a detailed calendar(scope and sequence) with what I am planning to teach when, for all subjects with standards. I hope that this tool will be useful and make planning a little less time consuming! I wanted to share this with you! Go get your copy for FREE! Please leave me some feedback or a comment!  While you are at my TPT store, make sure to follow me! If you utilize my planning calendar throughout the year I will be posting units to correlate with the calendar and you will have everything lots of resources for the year!

While at my TPT Store check out my new All About Numbers 0-10 Unit!

Pictures & Open House 2012

Wow! What a busy week...but it has been so fun! I have loved getting my classroom ready for my new little friends and finally meeting them today! Today was Open House, and the students got to come and explore the classroom! It is so cute to see what they are interested in and what catches their eye. Everyone is sweet and I am really looking forward to this year! It was also great to see many of my friends from last year!

I definitely felt more organized this year for Open House. I set up my stations for parents to visit just a little bit differently than I have in the past.



Having the students names pre-printed out on the Transportation List was helpful. It was also helpful to have parents respond with how their child will go home on the first day of staggered start, the first whole class day, regular schedule days and early release days all on one piece of paper!

Oooo another thing that went really well at Open House was having examples out for parents to look at of what my Take Home Folder, Dismissal Tags, Take Home Books, etc look like. When a parent asked me a question about one of these things, I could give them a very specific response and they could visually see an example!

I feel like a dork because I am so excited about this, BUT I printed on post-its for the first time...and I think it is awesome! I just hope now I don't turn into a freak and think I can only type on a post-it!

How did your Open House go?

The other week I posted "before" pictures of my classroom, and so I just wanted to give some updated pictures!

Check out my TPT store for my What is Science? Mini- Unit. It is all about science, being a scientist, the science process, science safety and science tools! This unit is a great tool to use to integrate science into reading and writing!

Have a relaxing and happy weekend!

Teaching the Five Senses

Today I was getting my book lists ready for the start of the school year. I love using picture books to teach throughout the day! (I am sure there are times that the public library hates me! And times that Scholastic loves me! :) ) I was looking for new books to teach about the five senses and I found a book called Forest Friends' Five Senses. Have you read this book to your class before? I read the book's description and I had to order this book! It seems like a great and entertaining tool to teach the five senses. I just wanted to pass on my "new book find", it is the little things that get me so excited! After I actually read it, I will be sure to let you know what I think!! Do you have any great books that you use to teach the five senses??

If you are looking for other tools to teach the Five Senses, make sure you check out my TPT store for my new unit! Don't forget  Back to School centers and activities are on sale this week!!

Happy Monday! :) 

CRAZY Week ...Time to Make a List (Linky Party)

Oh my time is just flying by! I am starting to get myself ready for school! This has been a CRAZY week...with family in town, working on some school things, doing a few projects around the house, dog sitting and trying to force myself to relax and enjoy the last few days of vacation! I love making lists, any kind of list, but ESPECIALLY To-Do Lists! Who doesn't love crossing things off a To-Do List!?! I have been trying to make a To-Do List, or should I say lists. (One for everything I want to get done at home before school and one for everything I want to do for school at home.) Everytime I start the lists get way too long...and I throw them away! Usually I am super organized and prepared, I just don't know what has gotten into me! So what are your top priorities when getting ready to go back to school? Do you have a To-Do List? I am hosting my FIRST Linky Party! Join up and share your top "To-Do's" for putting your finishing touches on going back to school.

Here is my To- Do List
1. finish decorating/ setting up room
2. desk & cubby labels
3. open house info
4. prepare dismissal tags
5. create, print and laminate behavior pieces
6. organize "Teacher Binders"
7. print scope and sequence calendars
8. copy student portfolios
9. first week lesson plans
10. copy first week materials
11. gather back to school themed books
12. tweek grade book
13. prepare writing folders
14. prepare labels for take home folder
15. back to school letter
16. class supply wish list


The list could go on and on...but that is where I will stop! What is on your list? Link up and let me know!
Today as I was shopping, I thought about how one of the many reasons that I love being  a teacher is 'cause I have never out grow the "Back to School" shopping! Oh yeah!!!! So in the spirit of shopping, I am hosting a sale! Head over to my TPT store and check out some new items and some great "Back to School" items that are on sale! Sale ends Tuesday, August 14th!

Here are some previews of new items that you will find in my TPT store:

Ooo and by the way my mom is loving her surprise cruise to the Caribbean! :) Yay! She deserves it! And luckily Tropical Storm Ernesto left just in time!

Happy Thursday!

New {School} Year Resolutions

I am the kind of person that loves to make goals and work hard to "make it happen". So I love that Amanda at Teaching Madness is having a New {School} Year Resolutions Linky Party! If I tell you my goals then I am really going to have to stick with them! I have a whole bunch of resolutions, so I just chose 4 resolutions for this coming school year to share with you:

#1- Class Website- I currently have a class website that I use to post podcasts and movies of things that we are doing in class, tips for parents, cool websites for kids and post class newsletters on. I always start off strong, and update it frequently but as the school year goes on...well you know!!! I want to keep it updated better throughout the ENTIRE school year! If you want to check out my class website, here is the link: http://palmbeachschooltalk.com/shopej/Ms._Shopes_Class/Home.html

#2- Throw-aholic- I am so bad at throwing stuff away. I am known for saying "Oops, I threw that away!" Perhaps I could get that a bit under control! ;)

#3- Conferencing With Students- I really want to be better at having deliberate and purposeful conferences with my students during reading and writing workshops!

#4- Utilize Volunteers- I am blessed at my school to have parent involvement and support. Last year I really slacked on utilizing parents' help, and I tried to "do it all". I really want to work on being less of a control freak and letting others help!

So now that I have told you all a few of my New {School} Year Resolutions...you are responsible for helping me stick to it! :) I am counting on you!!!

On a side note, I don't know if any of you still have student loans...I do! :( I just found out about this Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program. I don't know if it will be useful for anyone else, but I sure do hope so!

Off to spend more time with my great parents! My mom's big surprise is coming in just a few days...so we have to go shopping!!!! :)

Happy Tuesday!