We Give Thanks!

What a busy month November has been! I got to attend SDE's Tennessee Kindergarten Teacher's Conference. I learned so many new and awesome ideas. I am so excited to start using them in my classroom. I got to go to workshops given by Heidi Butkis from Heidi's Songs. I just loved her ideas and songs. I ended up buying 4 Cd's, 5 DVDs and her amazing word family book. I started using them this week and the children love her songs. The week following the conference was a short week due to Thanksgiving. We celebrated Thanksgiving by having a Thanksgiving lunch and invited parents to attend. It was a huge success. Almost all of my students had a parent or grandparent come to eat with them. We also made this awesome "Turkey Pie Graph." I asked my students the question, "Do you like to eat turkey?" Our graph turned out awesome and the children were so proud.

 

 

We also read a story about the first Thanksgiving. After we read the story the children made drawings of something that they are thankful for.

 

 

 

Here is the final picture of our Thanksgiving wall display.

 

 

On our last day of school before the break, we made long legged turkeys. Are these too cute or what????

 

 

 

 

 

I got the awesome Thanksgiving ideas from the one and only Deanna Jump. You can purchase her Thanksgiving unit on TPT.

 

Stay tuned..... I will soon post pictures of our classroom elf! Don't you just love the holidays?

 

 

 

 

 



November Currently!!!!

Wow! I can't believe that it is November already and time for another currently. I have linked up with Farley over at Oh' Boy Forth Grade for this months currently.

 

Okay.... so I am totally addicted to the show "Sons of Anarchy." That Jaxs is a total dreamboat! He is so bad yet good at the same time. Wowzers!!! He is my new crush. My facebook friends kept posting about this show so I started watching it on Netflix to see what the fuss was about. I am now a SOA addict. Is there a support group for this????

 

I am super excited about the time change. I know that a lot of people hate it but not me. I do so much better in the Winter and Fall. For some reason my brain believes that I am getting extra sleep and I do so much better about getting up for school. I know... crazy huh?

 

I am getting super excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not only do I get to eat tons of awesome food but I get to spend time with family too! I have been searching and gathering tons of awesome ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I can't wait!!!!

 

I am really wanting to start my own Teacher's Pay Teacher's store. I am going to start my first unit this week and hopefully finish it before Thanksgiving. I also really need more time in the day to get all of this stuff done. That's not going to happen is it?

 

In my classroom we listen to Dr. Jean Feldman Cd's all day. She is awesome and one of my idols. At home and in the car I am totally digging Coldplay. Their music is so chilling and soothing.

 

Thanks for checking out my November currently. Click on the button below to link up to Farley's currently.

 

 

Building Vocabulary Through Vocabulary Journals

My principal recently purchased a set of Elements of Reading vocabulary cards for every classroom in our school. At first I was wondering what in the world I was going to do with them. I then brainstormed and decided to start using them for our vocabulary journals.  Here is a picture of what the vocabulary cards look like.

 

 

 

I am really excited about how well my students are expanding their vocabulary through the use of the cards and their journals. If you would like to check out the cards and  buy a set for your classroom, you can find them by clicking on the picture below. It will take you to the Elements of Reading website.

 

 



Bumpkin the Pumpkin

Halloween went great in my classroom this year. Our Halloween school days are always crazy! Kindergarten students in costumes always make for a wild day, lol. My kinders were really good this year. The events of the day wore me out. Here is a group picture of my sweeties in their costumes.

 

 

Are they not just too stinkin cute???? I decided to devote the entire day to the holiday. Their minds were in Halloween mode so I decided to play on that. We read several Halloween stories and then I read them my "Bumpkin the Pumpkin" story. They loved it! During center time we made our very own pumpkins out of toliet paper and orange table cloths.

 

First we covered our toliet paper rolls with a piece of orange table cloth.

 

 

Next, I had the children cut out the eyes, nose and mouth for their pumpkin.

 

 

 

After we glued the eyes, nose and mouth to our pumpkins, the children had to twist a piece of a paper lunch sack to make the stem for their pumpkin.

 

 

Here is a picture of our finished product. I think that they turned out fabulous.

 

 

 

The children gave their pumpkins to their parents at the end of the Halloween party.

 

Here is a picture of our party. My parents did a terrific job of bringing in treats and snacks.

 

 

One of my students loved our story "Where's My Mummy?" so much that he had his mom make us these fabulous mummy cupcakes. Are they not just too cute?

 

 

I hope that everyone had a Happy Halloween! :)