What I did over Winter Break

As I was blog stalking browsing this morning, I was catching up with Kelley from Buggy for Second Grade. Make sure you check her out!  She had posted about a new linky party.


 

If you follow my blog, you know I LOVE a good linky party.  So when I heard about the one at A Clutter Free Classroom, I had to participate!

What have I done over winter break?

1. Celebrated the birth of my adorable twin girls.
2. blogged
3. made tons of posters for my TpT store
4. FB a ton
5. read my Kindle (awesome Christmas gift from the hubs)
6. Celebrated the birth of my Savior, Jesus!
7. blogged
8. One word...Pinterest!
9. actually made lesson plans (only yesterday!)
10. blogged some more
11. Spent time playing with my girls everyday
12. Shopped, shopped, shopped (no more money left!)
13. Actually had time to play Rockband!  I haven't played since the girls were born!

Needless to say, I had a fun filled restful break!  I am ready to see my sweet kiddos and hear about how their break was.  This year has been flying by and what is sad is, it is one of my best classes ever! Oh well, no time to think about getting sad now, on to planning super fun lessons for the New Year!

Now its your turn!  Head over the Clutter Free Classroom and create your own list and link it up!

Feebie Friday - The Last of 2011!!!

I LOVE Freebie Friday!!!  And couldn't wait to participate in the final one of 2011.  I have a sweet Reading Comprehension poster to share with all my bloggy friends.

Make sure you check out all the Freebies and load up on them today!  I will also be looking for new blogs to follow!

Ringing in the New Year with a Sweet Give Away!

As I was blog stalking browsing I came across the best give away I have seen this season!  You will want to get in on this one bloggy friends!!!  12 different blogs are coming together for this massive contest.

 Classroom Confections Teachers Pay Teachers Store

Down Under Teacher Teachers Pay Teachers Store

  

Primary Inspiration Teachers Pay Teachers Store

I Love 1st Grade Teachers Pay Teachers Store

A Teacher's Treasure Teachers Pay Teachers store

Herding Cats in Kindergarten Teachers Pay Teachers store

Third Grade Bookworm Teachers Pay Teachers store

A Special Kind of Class Teachers Pay Teachers store

Mandy's Tips for Teachers Teachers Pay Teachers store

  

Hojos Teachers Pay Teachers store

Teacher Tam's Teachers Pay Teachers store

Tools for Teachers by Laurah J Teachers Pay Teachers store

Check out these sites for all these details!  You don't want to miss out on this contest.

Reading Poster Give Away

I previously posted about my sweet Reading Comprehension posters that I have made while on break.  I changed a few things on them to make them even more colorfu; AKA fun!  Here is a quick preview of a few of them.

While I was checking out my friend, Amber's blog Adventures of a Third Grade Teacher, I saw that she was giving away her new math posters.  So I decided to have my own giveaway.  Check out Amber's sweet math posters and get them while you can!

 In honor of all my new bloggy friends I have decided to give these away for, wait for it...FREE!!!!  All you have to do is follow my blog (if you don't already do so!), follow my TpT store and leave a comment below.  Do all this by January 5th and I will send you a copy of the file with all 6 posters to your email!  It is already up on my TpT store for $4, but why pay that when you can get them free!!!

11 in 11

I just love linky parties!!!  I was blog browsing this morning and came across this one from A Teeny Tiny Teacher.  I just couldn't wait to participate, so here goes!


 

11. Favorite movie you watchedHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2.  Ok so many of you will say 'what a dork' but I  don't care!  I LOVE this series and have read all the books many times and plan on doing a huge unit this spring with the first book.  Look for that unit to be up then!

10. Favorite TV series
I have 2 favs, is that ok?!?!?!  I am obsessed with two new shows on right now.  The first is Revenge.  I am so hooked on this one that I watch it on hulu when I'm not home to watch!  I also am loving PanAm.  I always make sure that I get a Sunday nap and all my work is done so I can watch it without distractions!

9. Favorite restaurant
My blog wouldn't be what it is without my favorite Mexican Restaurant, Los Arcos!  The offer my favorite special of the week, $1 Taco Monday!!!!  Our group has grown to over 10 people on some Mondays.

8. Favorite new thing you tried
Mine has been blogging.  I am part of a technology leadership group in my district and one of the requirements was to begin and maintain a blog.  At first I was a little hesitant, who would want to read what I have to say!  But as I have gotten into, I love my blog and bloggy friends!   

7. Favorite gift you received
My hubby got me a Kindle!  I didn't even know I was getting it and am in absolute heaven with it!  

6. Favorite thing you pinned
It would have to be the Owl things for my twins first birthday party.  It wasn't one pin, but a whole board of all things owl!   I loved finding cute ideas and making them myself.
5. Favorite blog post
My favorite post had to be when I began teaching without our Reading Anthology!  After learning about teaching this way, who wouldn't want to change their teaching style.  I get inspired each time I read it to be a better teacher!
4. Favorite accomplishment
Deciding to pursue my National Boards Certification!  It took me a long time to decide to dive into actually signing up, but I've done it now!  Wish me luck!

3. Favorite pictureMy twin daughters, Raegan and Kenley, were born last December and this picture of us is my very favorite pic!

The babies were only 4 days old here.
Can't believe how tiny they were!

2. Favorite memory

The twins 1st birthday party.  The theme was 'Look Whooooo's Turning 1!' and it was covered with owls everywhere.  It was a great celebration of the twins first year and of me and my hubby surviving and the twins being alive and well haha!

Raegan eating cake

Kenley eating cake and saying her new
favorite phrase, "Hey there!"

1. Goal for 2012
In life:  Our church sponsor an orphanage in Ethiopia and I would love to go on a mission trip down there to help people in that area.  I also want to have less stress.  My twins are the light of my life and I don't want to go around being stressed about the little things, when they don't really matter.
In school:  I want to be more creative.  I see all these fun ideas that so many teachers have and I want to get more creative juices flowing and crank out some of my own.  I also want to meet more of my students needs instead of just doing enough to get by.  I don't do this often but there are some instances which it is easier to just do something that is easy to be done.

Christmas is Over, but here's a freebie!

It doesn't seem like Christmas should already be over!  I just got finished wrapping presents and now there are no presents under my tree.  The twins racked up this Christmas and shouldn't want/need ANYTHING for sometime.

This isn't everything either!  They also got baby dolls, strollers, and a ball pit.

Christmas Morning

Taken at 4 days old

Its very hard for me to believe that last year at this time, I was a new mother to twin girls and was passing out every chance I could just to sleep a few minutes at a time.  They are so active now and are just learning how to stand and cruise around furniture.

Between playing with the twins, and eating (we all know that's what the holidays are really for!) I have been working on Reading Comprehension Strategy Posters.  I am happy to say they are finally done!  I have put all 6 together in my TPT store.  Check out this preview of them!

If you like these make sure you head over to my TPT store and pick up your set! 

And as promised for all my loyal followers, I am giving the Making Connections poster away as a freebie!!!  If you would like to get yours, click here!

Hope you are enjoying your break!  Now time to snuggle up with my new Kindle and read, read, read!!!!

How is it Already Christmas Eve!?!?!?!?!

Last year at this time I was still in the hospital getting ready to bring my sweet twin girls home for the first time and now they are 1 year old and we are getting ready to celebrate their 2nd Christmas!  This year has flown by and I have mixed emotions watching it go.  I have the BEST class I have ever had in my entire 8 year career and I am already getting sad about them moving on.  I also have watched my adorable twins grow from small 6lbs 2oz Kenley to 24lbs 1oz, 6lbs 9oz Raegan to 22lbs 9oz now.  At this time last year I was snuggling them and praying for sleep.  Now they don't want to be snuggled and I can sleep whenever basically.  I am excited to see them grow and continuing learning, but I wish they could be my little babies just a little longer!  I am almost done wrapping presents FINALLY, and then its on to make a birthday cake for Jesus with my girls.  I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy it with those you love!

I was stalking several blogs this morning and came across Oh' Boy 4th Grade She was doing this awesome Currently December linky party thing.  Check out her page and get your own to link up with other bloggers!

Check out all the Currently December lists 

For those workaholics (like me!) I did want to share an awesome blog from one of my dear teacher friends.




She is a third grade teacher as well and has lots of great ideas.  Check her site out over break!!!

Freebie Friday!!!!!!!

If you are looking for awesome Freebies make sure you hop over the Teacher Blog Addict  and pick up all the freebies that are available.  I have my Math Key Word Posters available at my TPT store
If you have a freebie, make sure you link it up on Teacher Blog Addict !

Questions about Questioning

If you read my blog, you know that I have recently given up our reading anthology for instruction that is more inline with the common core.  As I am out on break over the holidays I am working (or supposed to be) on our shared reading plans.  I have planned for us to study questioning when we return.  I have always taught the comprehension strategies in the past as part of my reading workshop minilesson, but now I am rethinking how to teach it.  When I first started doing Reading Workshop about 5 years ago I found Beth Newingham's site and have been stalking her ever since!  I love the lesson she has about questioning and plan on using it.

These are courtesy of Beth Newingham's Website 

What do you do when teaching this strategy?  I need fresh new ideas to engage my students like never before!